21st December, 2015
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Exactly one month after Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike suspended the activities of Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency, RSSDA, he has approved the appointment of Mr Lawrence Macaulay Pepple as the Acting Programmes/Chief Executive Officer of the agency.
A statement signed by Onimim E. Jacks, the Commissioner for Agriculture, said the Executive Board will be appointed in due course.
The appointment takes effect from Monday, 21 December, 2015.
Three days after workers of Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency, RSSDA, protested over the nonpayment of seven months salaries, the state government on November 20, suspended the services of the agency.
A statement announcing the suspension in November and also signed by Jacks on behalf of the government said: “Government of Rivers State has received notice of threat of strike by members of staff of RSSDA. In addition, they also threatened to shut down RSSDA.
“The Rivers State Government in order to avert any breakdown of law and order has hereby suspended the services of RSSDA until a peaceful resolution has been reached.
“Consequently, all transactions of the RSSDA should please be referred to the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rivers State.”
The suspension attracted negative condemnations from members of the public and All Progressives Congress, APC, which described it as ill-conceived and ill-advised because the agency was established by law and the workers should not be punished for asking that they be paid.