Panel To Review Cases Of Sacked Workers

BRIEFS

THE governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, has set up an 11-man committee to look into the circumstances of sacked civil servants believed to have had genuine cases.

This was made known in a statement by Ajimobi’s Special Adviser on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo.

According to him, the committee has the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adebayo Mutalubi Ojo (Chairman), a representative of both the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and seven others as members.

The statement said the action became necessary to give some of the affected workers, who had claimed that they were unjustly sacked, opportunity to state their cases and prove innocence.

This is the second panel the government would be setting up on the matter to ensure justice is done on the matter.

The state government had recently announced the sack of 3,000 of its workforce found to have entered the public service with falsified age claims and certificates.

Other civil servants affected were alleged to be ghost workers who had no letters of appointment or were retired and were still on the payroll of government. Others were staff who had outstanding disciplinary cases.

...As Govt Voids Past Six Month’s  Employment

CHAIRMEN of the 23 local councils in Benue State have been directed to cancel employment made within the past six months.

The Special Adviser to Governor Gabriel Suswam on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Solomon Wombo, passed the state government’s directive to the chairmen during a joint account meeting at the weekend.

Wombo said government is alarmed over increase in wage bill. He lamented that employment by various councils within the period have worsened the state’s revenue situation, citing recent shortfall in allocation from the Federation Account.

He charged the council chairmen to intensify their internal revenue generation, even as he commended the Vandeikya local government caretaker chairman for broadening revenue base.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the State Local Government Service Commission, Mr. Richard Gbande, has directed the councils to submit details of staff list to the Commission for scrutiny.

State Goes Proactive On Flooding

THE Jigawa State Acting Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Barde Muhammed, has disclosed proactive measures by the state to prevent flooding forecasted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency.

Muhammed, who spoke to newsmen in his office at the weekend, said the state has “already engaged the services of an ecological consultant. They were able to produce some reports and recommendations especially with regard to Hadejia, Ringim, Bulango and Taura.”

Muhammed noted that Jigawa would not rest on its oars in mitigating the perennial disaster, which has robbed the state of huge resources.

Barde attributed the menace to blockage of drainages and erection of structures along waterways. He lamented that farmers sometimes divert streams to other areas, and that these form tributaries that overflow into residential areas or farmlands.

He also blamed the activities of construction firms that burrow pits, which eventually form gullies.