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Ogun State Governor, Amosun pays severance allowance to former political office holders [Full text]
By: Oliseama Okwuchukwu
Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle AMosun, said that payment of severance allowance to former political office holders was in affirmation of his Mission to Rebuild Ogun State.
He said that, undoubtedly in the last seven years and nine months of the State has witnessed unprecedented development in all spheres of the economy. But, in addition to this, there is a need to reward those responsible for driving the development and make them assured of their future.
“For this reason, I see todays ceremony of payment of severance allowance to former Political Office Holders as another symbolic effort of our Administration at rebuilding our dear State.
“Since the inception of our Administration, we have kept faith with the payment of gratuities and pensions to retired Public Servants. It is important that, as we kept on paying retirement benefits for Civil Servants, we must also do the same for their political counterparts. Since the two – Public Servants and Political Office Holders-are two sides of the same coin. This, we believe, will encourage our people to put in their best and make the development effort sustainable. Let me assure all our people, on either sides of the coin, either as Political Office Holders or Public Servants, that we will continue to keep faith with the payment of their entitlements after their service to our dear State.
“We will all recall that our Administration began the payment of Severance Allowance to former Political Office Holders on Tuesday, 24th June, 2014 while the second batch of payment was held on Wednesday, 28th December, 2016. Those two exercises concluded the payment for all Political Office Holders who served at the State level since 2007. This final batch representing 793 beneficiaries, is for Political Office Holders who served at the Local Government level from 2007 till 2015.
“Let me state that these payments also take care of Political Office Holders even in the previous Administration. We will not discriminate in the recognition and appreciation of services rendered towards the development of our dear State. Another clear departure in the mode of these payments is that rather than spreading the payments over 12 months like previous administrations had done, we are paying in bulk at once. Our belief is that when our people are financially buoyant, they will be more empowered and the attendant purchasing power will ripple across our States economy and trickle down even to the market men and women. Therefore, today, we are making available over a billion Naira for the concluding payment of severance allowances by our Administration.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, permit me to use this opportunity to express my profound appreciation for the support and understanding our Administration has continued to enjoy, in the last seven years and nine months, from the good people of Ogun State. The successful implementation of the 5-Cardinal Programme of our Administration, as encapsulated in our “Mission to Rebuild” Ogun State, would not have been possible without the cooperation of all of you. Therefore, while expressing our gratitude, we also implore you to continue to render unflinching support, even till the last day of our Administration in office.
“However, we must also remind ourselves that we have no other State to call our own. Nobody can love our State more than us. In this regard, as politicians, and in all capacities that we find ourselves, we must ensure that we do not make ourselves ready tools in the hands of expansionists who are making efforts to make our dear State a vassal of their empire. We must ensure that we protect the general interest of our State and our people at all times.
“As we go into the general elections of 2019, we must also make sure that we vote credible candidates who are true representatives of the collective aspirations of our people, and not some stooges of certain political godfathers who will hand-over our dear State to their benefactors. We must ensure that we sustain the current trend of accelerated development and continue to build on it for generations to come.
“As an administration, let me reassure our people that, even as we approach the expiration of the tenure of our Administration, we do not intend to take our foot off the pedal. Our people can expect more legacy projects by our Administration till the last day, last hour and even last minute of our tenure. All we ask is your continued support, collaboration and prayers. Together, we will take our dear State to greater heights”.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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