Wike approves disbursement of loans to 35,000 small business owners

In a bid to empower small and medium scale business owners in the state, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has approved the disbursement of business loans to 35000 less privileged business operators under the CBN N2billion Micro, Small and Medium Entreprises Development Fund.

Under the first phase, Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike approved a list of 35,000 from the 23 Local Government Areas of the State. Amongst these beneficiaries are Indigenes and non-indigenes resident in Rivers State.

The list of beneficiary small and medium scale business owners included: barbers, plantain sellers, restaurant owners, painters, tailors, hairdressers, traders, market women, mechanics, fishermen, farmers etc. These are the ordinary folks committed to developing themselves with the support of the government.

The empowerment loans approved by the governor is being distributed by the Rivers State Micro Finance Agency.

The beneficiaries got their loans in this order:

1) Cosmopolitan Microfinance Bank: #9 Agudama street, D/line Port Harcourt. This is for the people of: Opobo/Nkoro, Oyigbo ,Andoni,Asari Toru ,Bonny ,Degema, Eleme , Gokana , All Traders , Market women and all non Indigenes.

2) RIMA Growth Pathway Microfinance Bank: Located at Rivers State Secretariat Complex, Podium Block, Port Harcourt. This is for the people of: Obio Akpor ,PHALGA ,Khana , Okirika and Omuma .

3) PREMIUM Microfinance Bank: plot 202 Olu Obasanjo Road, Port Harcourt. This is for the people of: Abua/Odual ,Ahoada East ;Ahoada West ,Emohua ,Ogu/Bolo ,Etche ,Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni , Akuku Toru ,Tai and Ikwere .

The injection of the N2billion into the businesses of the less privileged in the state has kick-started the expansion of many of these businesses. The multiplier effect is already being felt by the people in the lower rung of the economic ladder. The empowerment programme has led to employment opportunities as several beneficiaries have expanded their businesses.

Prior to the disbursement of the loans , Governor Wike organised a training session for all the beneficiaries on how to effectively use the loans to improve on their respective businesses.

Ex-LG Boss Commends Wike Over Water Project

The immediate past Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Port Harcourt City Council, Barrister Clifford Oparaodu, has assured residents of Rivers State that the present administration led by Chief Nyesom Wike was committed to ensuring safe and quality water and good sanitation in the state.

Oparaodu, a legal practitioner, who stated this last Friday shortly after the launching of Urban Water Sector Reform and Port Harcourt Water Supply and Sanitation project in Port Harcourt, said the project was part of the sector’s institutional reform embarked upon by Governor Wike to provide better treated water to the people resident in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas of the state.

He said the implementation of the new water reform was heralding a new era where the basic objective was to provide clean water supply and healthy environment that would promote good human health, stressing that the Rivers State Water Sector Development Law was passed 2012.

The ex-local government boss used the opportunity to commend the Rivers State Government under the leadership of Governor Wike for giving priority attention to potable water supply in the state by signing all relevant agreements and bringing to manifest reality the execution of the project.

According to him,’’It is important to commend all institutional counterpart funders for having the trust on the present administration to partner in providing the necessary support for the achievement of the water and sanitation project’’.

Oparaodu assured investment partners: African Development Bank (AfDB) and World Bank, that the state government was determined to ensure the success of the project because of its focus on delivering services to the people of Rivers State.

The Tide learnt that residents of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas, the conglomeration forming the state capital, were expected to benefit from the water and sanitation project, which is estimated to cost $328million (about N65,229,379,188.087), with about two million people expected to benefit from scheme

247 Schools Get Science Kits …As Wike Warns Against Illegal Fees

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has distributed funds to principals of the 247 secondary schools in the state to  acquire materials for the science practical during the upcoming Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE).

Making the presentation to school principals, Wike said that with the distribution of the science equipment and materials for practical, principals have no reason to demand illegal levies of any kind from students in public schools.

Represented by the Chairman of the Rivers State Senior Secondary Schools Board, Chief David Briggs, the governor directed that all science practical materials for 2015/2016 WAEC remain free for every students to use, warning that no principal should surcharge any student for the practical materials which are provided free and at no cost to Rivers people.

The governor said: “This is a proof of my commitment to a functional educational system where no child is denied the opportunity of writing the SSCE simply because they are from less-privileged background.

“The funds that will be released to the schools are meant to ensure that they buy consumables required for the SSCE science practical. No principal should, on any account, levy any student for the purchase of perishable consumables for science practical”, he said.

Responding, Principal of CSS, Rumuapara in Obio/Akpor LGA, Mrs Leyiga Ebeh Charity, commended the governor for taking into consideration the plight of the less-privileged by distributing the science  equipment and practical materials.

Also speaking, Principal of GGSS, Koroma-Tai, Mr Kuete Teekaa, said with the distribution of the science equipment backed by funds for perishables used in SSCE science  practical, there was no excuse for any principal to indulge in charging illegal levies for SSCE .

Culled from www.tidenewsonline.com

Rivers rerun : Wike swears in judicial commission of inquiry

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike on Wednesday swore in the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the violence / killings that negatively affected the March 19 rerun legislative elections, with a charge to the commission to get to the root of the matter.

The governor also on Wednesday swore in Ugbana Isaruk as a Commissioner in the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC. Mr Isaruk replaces a late member of the commission.

Swearing in the members of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry under the chairmanship of Justice Monima Wenike Danagogo, Governor Wike decried the violence witnessed during the rerun elections, saying that it was necessary to ascertain the root causes with a view to checking a recurrence in the future.

He charged the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to identify those involved in the killings, those killed and the scope of violence during the elections.

The governor also charged the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to identify property damaged in the course of the violence and the owners of such property.

He urged the Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to use his experience to guide other members towards making necessary recommendations that will enhance political stability and peace in the state.

He said :"The commission has one month beginning today to submit its report. We must know those involved in the violence and killings.

"We must get to the root of the violence and killings during the March 19 rerun elections. Since we were not at the location of the violence, we rely on the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate what took place ".

To the new member of RSIEC, the governor advised him to join other members of the commission to deliver credible elections.

Responding, Justice Monima Wenike Danagogo assured the governor that the commission will work without fear or favour.