Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

EBONYI State Governor David Umahi will today meet with the national leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) to douse rising tension between farmers and herdsmen in the state.

Ahead of the meeting, the state government convened a stakeholders’ meeting yesterday where the governor was briefed by chairmen of various local government areas and traditional rulers on the situation in their areas.

Umahi decried the increasing altercation between the herdsmen and various communities in the state.

The governor said if such incidents were allowed to continue, they could degenerate into the breakdown of law and order and bloodshed.  He said Ebonyi is a peaceful state which opens its doors to all persons, irrespective or tribe or religion.

“I always say that Ebonyi people seem to love visitors more than they love themselves. This recent altercation is very unlike us and there is no doubt that the people and stakeholders are not in support of it.

“We expect that we will be able to fashion out a means for us to leave together in peace. We have also passed a law as that will lead to peaceful coexistence. We have signed an agreement in the past with Miyetti Allah and formed a committee at all levels, all geared towards peaceful coexistence.

“We have in the past made it clear that killing of cows is an offence and also made it an offence to destroy farmlands and crops,” Umahi said.

Read Also: Probe claims of sale of Ebonyi properties, Onyike tells Umahi

The governor said the major problem had been the implementation of the agreements and laws passed to protect the herders and farmers.

There have been increasing skirmishes between various communities in the state and Herdsmen in the state.

Last month, women in Afikpo North Local Government Area protested the high rate of farm produce destruction by the herdsmen.

The women, who gathered from four communities of Nkpoghoro, Ugwuegu, Ohaisu and Itim in Afikpo North local government areas, chanted songs of sorrow and wielded sticks to show their concerns.

Our Reporter

AKWA Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has approved the release of the 2019 promotion of 2,248 workers in the state.

The state’s Head of Civil Service, Elder Effiong Essien, announced this on Tuesday at the official opening ceremony of a five-day capacity building retreat for officers on Grade Levels 13 to 17 in Uyo, the state capital.

“In his avowed commitment to the development of workers and growth of the Civil Service, Governor Udom Emmanuel has approved the release of the 2019 promotion to 2, 248 workers in the state government employ,” Essien said.

He explained that the approval for the promotion had received widespread applause within and outside the state’s civil service.

Read Also: Emmanuel congratulates Obaseki over re-election

According to him, this is a clear testimony that Emmanuel is worker-friendly, as demonstrated in the numerous welfare packages provided for workers.

Essien noted that the newly promoted civil servants from Grade Levels 7 and above benefited from the promotion exercise.

He hailed the governor for his unrelenting commitment towards the welfare and development of Akwa Ibom workers.

By Gbade Ogunwale, Abuja

Fourteen estranged lawmakers-elect of the Edo State House of Assembly may not get the help of the Executive to occupy their seats.

Governor Godwin Obaseki has said he is not in a position to help them restore their mandate in the Assembly.

The lawmakers-elect were shut out of the inauguration of the Assembly in 2019, following a power tussle between the governor and his estranged political godfather, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.

Obaseki said: “Even if I wanted today to bring them back, I don’t have such powers. I wish it didn’t happen. But people were playing god and promising what is not constitutional.

Read Also: The canonisation of Obaseki

“I am not the one that plant people into the House of Assembly. They, on their own, operated the rules the way it should be. Their seats are now vacant.”

The governor addressed reporters on Monday at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja after a meeting with the party’s leadership.

Obaseki, who said he was on a thank you visit to the party’s leaders, explained that the case of the 14 estranged members-elect was still pending in court and that it is the court that will determine their fate.

PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, had urged Obaseki to run an inclusive government.

He advised the governor to bring aggrieved members who might have left his camp for one reason or the other on board with a view to accommodating them all.

Our Reporter

IMO State Governor Hope Uzodimma has promised potential investors in the state that they will have an enabling environment that will guarantee ease of doing business and good returns on their investments.

The governor made the promise Monday, October 5, 2020 at the opening Ceremony of a five-day Executive Capacity Building Programme for the Governing Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) at Protea Hotel New Owerri, Imo State.

Flagging off the ceremony, Governor Uzodimma lauded the NCC for her contribution in the economy of Nigeria and urged the members to feel free to discuss their business interests and programmes in Imo State, promising the readiness of government to contribute her quota, both tangible and intangible, to ensure that Imo citizens benefit from their outing.

The governor noted that NCC capacity-building programme will benefit the youths and the unemployed, and impact the health and security sectors of Imo in particular and Nigeria in general.

Read Also: Uzodinma commissions road projects

Governor Uzodimma further enjoined NCC to come to the aid of Imo State and support her in the areas of infrastructure which he said is in a distress; youth unemployment, mainly ICT based employment market.

He also appealed to NCC to expand their Centres to the tertiary and secondary institutions in the State and assured that Government is willing to ensure that any business or investment in Imo is protected and supported to succeed.

Governor Uzodimma congratulated the NCC Board of Directors for their choice of Owerri for the programme and assured that the State will do her best to justify the confidence of their choice.

Earlier in their address, Chairman, Governing Board of the NCC, Prof. Adeolu Akande, informed that they are in Owerri to expose its Board and key members to relevant training programmes within the limits of available budget to achieve the commission’s mandate which is to “provide needed policy direction for effective regulation of the telecomm industry in Nigeria” which he said they are working very hard to achieve.

 Tony Akowe, Abuja

A 100-LEVEL student of University of Uyo-turned fish seller, Destiny Abraham Nelson, has won the September edition of the Hard Worker competition sponsored by Princewill Trust.

Miss Nelson, who said she resorted to selling fish to raise money for her school fees, was presented with a cash price of N100,000 by the founder of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Princewill Trust, Prince Tonye Princewill.

Princewill, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, said the aim of the trust was to contribute to the economic development of Rivers State by encouraging hard working residents.

Read Also: Actress, Ejiro Okurame, welcomes baby girl

He advised the winner to make judicious use of the money and inspire others like her to upgrade their businesses too.

The “Help the Hard Worker” monthly competition is organised by The Princewill’s Trust for entrepreneurs, youths and other Rivers State residents engaged in micro businesses and all forms of hard work across the state.

Princewill said the trust has a special place for the voiceless and encouraged more women, more youths and the disabled to enter the contest.

“The more the merrier,” he adde.

Miss Nelson said she needed funds to upgrade her business but was helpless.

The UNIUYO student said it had always been her dream and desire to work hard to succeed in life.

She urged fellow youths in the state to be creative and engage in productive activities.

 Sunny Nwankwo, Aba

ABIA State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has assured the residents that his administration will revive moribund industries across the state.

Ikpeazu spoke as the special guest of honour at a stakeholders’ validation workshop on Abia State Industrial Policy and Strategy at the Michael Okpara Auditorium in Umuahia, the state capital.

The workshop was organised in conjunction with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

The governor sought the support of the House of Assembly to ensure that the policy sails through.

Ikpeazu, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chris Ezem, said: “This draft document, as soon as it is executed, will form the policy thrust for Abia State with respect to industries. I want to assure you that government will implement it to the latter all that is in that document once it is executed.

“This programme is key to us. It is very important because we don’t want to just bring out a document, strike out a policy thrust statement and pass it on to everybody.

“What we are doing is to have the understanding and input of everybody – from all nooks and crannies of the industrial community – so that it can be part of this embracing document, which will form the policy thrust of Abia State with respect to industries.

“I know that today, we are doing a lot in the area of leather and garment clusters. We are doing so much in the area of shoe factory, and Enyimba Economic City. The Golden Guinea is on course today. We are working very hard to ensure that the Glass Industry is revived. We believe that the Modern Ceramics, in no distant time, will come back to operation, just like the Golden Guinea.

Read Also: Ikpeazu, security agencies in a crucial meeting

“The government is equally not relenting in that area. The Commissioner for Agriculture, at the last Exco meeting, was given a marching order to do everything we need to do to shore up our stake with respect to our investment in the area of agriculture.

“We know this is the way to go. We know what the crude oil market is doing today and we know that the best way to go is to sustain ourselves in the area of food by making sure that we support farmers and all the stakeholders in agricultural business.

“In the area of waste management, I can tell you that we are not losing sight in that direction. We have a lot of proposals in that area. We want to get those that have the competence and operational reason to take waste to wealth.

“I can assure you that in no distant time, the government will be entering into an agreement with one of the companies that we have in that area.”