The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • ‘Wike’s olive branch to opposition commendable’

    Emmanuel Umohinyang was the Convener, Re-elect Buhari Movement (RBM). He speaks on why the opposition should emulate Governor Wike’s example of extending hands of fellowship to the opposition in order to move Rivers State forward and other contemporary issues, including the upsurge in crime rate and PDP’s recent criticisms of Mr. President.

    How do you view Governor Wike’s call for the opposition to join hands with him to stop the crimes bedeviling the state?

    Governor Wike’s example of waving the olive branch and calling on the opposition to join him to stop the crime bedeviling the state is worthy of emulation. If I were a member of the PDP, I would advise it to come together and assist the government of President Muhammadu Buhari in order to move the country forward. Just like what we had in Rivers, where the governor waved the olive branch, calling the opposition to join him to stop the crime bedeviling the state. You saw how the All Progressives Congress (APC) responded. The country is for us all; we have no other as the President has always said. It’s not time to play politics with human lives. It’s not time to score political points. We should all rise and ensure that those bandits do not disintegrate our state.

    What are your thoughts on the upsurge in post-election violence in the country?

    Before the 2019 general elections, we were more or less like a country that was domesticated in Rome because the crime rate was so low.

    The farmers’/herders’ crisis subsided drastically. But what we experience currently is man-made insecurity. They are artificial in nature, induced from some quarters and we cannot divorce this from politicians. This is because politicians arm thugs with all manner of weapons just to secure electoral victory for them. But after the elections, they were unable to retrieve the arms and ammunition from the boys.

    So, the upsurge in banditry, kidnapping and robbery is not unexpected. We have always seen politics from the angle of winner takes all and you know politicians don’t think about the country. They are more interested in the next election rather than in the next generation.

    As soon as they get what they want, they don’t care about the people. All they care about is their interest; how to line their pockets with available resources meant for development of the country. I am not surprised that there in an upsurge in crime. You know we did not experience this prior to the election because they were all busy trying to fix themselves in their political platforms.

    An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. So, these people have ventured into crime with the available materials in their hands. I thing we must blame the political actors in the last election for the rise in crime in our country.

    Critics, especially the opposition, have blamed the present administration for the rising crime rate, even as they maintain that it smacks of governance failure. What’s your take on this?

    Each time you mention the opposition, I want to believe you are making direct reference to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). When you look at section 14 (2) of our constitution, it makes provision for the security of our people and general well-being of Nigerians.

    May be the opposition is speaking from experience because they were there before. Under President Muhammadu Buhari, we have a different perspective on the issues of security and well-being.

    From the time he assumed office in 2015, the President has done his best in the area of security. We know how things were before the 2015 general elections. Even we had to suspend election for six weeks so that some mercenaries can be brought to clear the remnants of the Boko Haram in the Northeast.

    When President Buhari took over the mantle of leadership, his first step was to solicit the co-operation of our neighbouring countries to key into his ideas to tackle this menace. At present, there is no part of our country that is being controlled by the insurgents.

    When you look at the record of Mr. President in the area of security, you cannot but say he has done very well. He has been able to galvanise the little resources at his disposal to ensure that Nigerians; whether in the North or the South are safe.

    The PDP is not supposed to be given attention by Nigerians because, for 16 years it ruled Nigerians, there were threats of Boko Haram in several places such as Abuja and other states, including the Southern part of Nigeria.

    So, the opposition lacks the moral right to talk about insecurity. Coming from where we were four years ago, we know there is substantial progress. The security agencies are not sleeping as they are continually strategising.

    Even the Acting Inspector-General of Police recently launched “Operation Puff Ada” and they are doing excellently well in the Kaduna-Abuja axis.

    We, the citizens also have the responsibility to ensure we give them necessary information for optimum performance.

    Some people had the view that Mr. President should have called off his private visit to the United Kingdom (UK) to attend to issues in the country. What’s your reaction to that?

    Mr. President just finished campaigns for the 2019 general elections which took him to the 36 states of the federation and Abuja. Even the candidate of the PDP could not attempt what he did, and it is normal that the President takes a rest.

    Remember that the President does not have to go to the battle front, though he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. It is not for the President to take up arms and go after the bandits. He has military chiefs who are directly under his command. Even while in UK, the President was receiving reports and giving directives. So, when they talk about coming back to the country and taking charge of the incident, it does not make sense to an average Nigerian. I don’t see any sense in the noise that the President should come back home. Don’t forget that we have a Vice-President. So, there was no vacuum. The PDP is only trying to come into the news, and they have done that wrongly. It has miscarried.

    Do you agree that kidnapping has heightened under this administration?

    I don’t think so. It will be correct to say that kidnapping and its twin brother-robbery have been with us, as long as I could remember. So, it would not be right to say it has escalated under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    I would rather say that there are new dimensions in the act of kidnapping and the government is also rising up to that challenge. I think that is the major reason the Acting Inspector-General of Police launched the Operation Puff Ada.

    Currently, the Abuja–Kaduna Road which was formerly haven for kidnappers has become passably safe. Of late, several kidnappers were arrested on that road recently. I think it will be very difficult to say a particular crime has increased under a particular administration. We need to be very clear about the statistics that have been put forward.

    I listened to the figures on Nigerians that have been killed recently in Kaduna by the Acting Inspector–General of Police. When you put those figures side by side with what we used to have, you will agree that it has even reduced.

    Are you in support of calls for sack of service chiefs?

    Well, I know that it is only in Nigeria people take delight in having somebody removed from office, not because the person is incompetent, but just because people want the person’s downfall.

    Calling for the removal of service chiefs is as old as the administration itself. None of them has been able to give a cogent reason for them to be sacked. The question we should ask is: Have these service chiefs performed well? Have we seen relative improvement under their watch? I think they have done relatively well. The call is not because they have underperformed. I do not think we should change a winning team. So, I do not buy the idea that service chiefs should be removed. I will rather call on Nigerians to support our armed forces, police, immigration and civil defense, among others. We should give them all necessary supports.

    How would you assess the performance of the Acting Inspector-General of Police?

    The Acting IGP Mohammed Adamu was appointed in January to succeed the former IGP, Ibrahim Idris. I will say so far, so good. He has introduced some very laudable policies in an attempt to re–define the Police Force. He has also introduced elaborate reforms, mostly into the operations of the Commander of the Police Mobile Force to the rank of an Assistant Commissioner of Police.

    He also recently launched Operation Puff Ada, which has also recorded some success. My take is that Nigerians must learn to appreciate what they have. The Acting IGP had been one of the best Nigeria can boast of, just like his predecessor, Idris, who is also a UN – trained policeman.

    He believes less in talking and more in action. Under him, you have very quick response to citizens’ complaints against the police. Some policemen who crossed the red line have been disciplined. I will say the Acting IGP Mohammed Adamu is discipline–personified.

  • Day UNIPORT hosted journalism educators

    The 8th Vice-Chancellor of the prestigious University of Port Harcourt, fondly called Unique UNIPORT, Prof. Ndowa Lale, is a lover of research, teaching, community service, training, retraining, special lectures, regular attendance of local and international conferences by members of staff, seminars and workshops through which their productivity and optimal performance would be enhanced.

    The style and preference of Lale, who assumed office on July 13, 2015, made him to fully support on May 2 this year, the third edition of the conference and workshop of the Journalism Educators’ Foundation (JEF), in conjunction with the Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies (LCS) of the Faculty of Humanities of the university.

    The first day (May 2) was for the conference at the auditorium of the newly-inaugurated Captain Elechi Amadi Faculty of Humanities Building, with the theme “Reporting Politics in a Multi-Party System,” and chaired by the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Prof. Kingsley Owete.

    The second day of the conference on May 3 was for free workshop involving practicing journalists in Nigeria and beyond, at the Ernest Ikoli Press Centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers State Council, on Moscow Road, old Government Reservation Area (GRA), Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, with the theme “Media for Democracy and Elections in Times of Disinformation.”

    The workshop coincided with the World Press Freedom Day, with papers presented by two resource persons: Drs. Chris Ochonogor and Faustinus Nwachukwu, while the Convener of JEF, Dr. Aniefiok Udoudo, and Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the conference and workshop, Prof. Christie Omego, all of UNIPORT, were also in attendance.

    The well-researched paper by Ochonogor, who is also the Secretary, LOC, of the conference and workshop was entitled “Challenges of Reporting Politics in Times of Disinformation,” while Nwachukwu’s highly-educative paper had as its title: “Objectives in Reporting in the Era of Media Commercialisation.”

    The workshop was chaired by a former Deputy National President of the NUJ, Elder Vincent Ake, who is also the General Manager of the Rivers State Newspaper Corporation (RSNC).

    The Vice-Chancellor, who was the chief host and who declared the conference open, was represented by the Director of Business School, Prof. Okechukwu Onuchukwu.

    In his speech, Lale, said: “It is important for people, not only in academics, to update their knowledge through workshops and conferences. But we have seen that most of our colleagues do not take attendance of conferences and presentation of papers seriously. This is too bad. We ought to attend minimum of four conferences every year, to update our knowledge and allow other people to read what we have written and understand our views or perspectives.

    “Nigeria is practicing multi-party democracy and journalists reporting what is happening in politics are very important, especially to properly inform members of the public and to abide by the ethics of journalism. I wish to thank JEF for choosing UNIPORT as the venue of the conference.”

    Three personalities who have contributed to the success of the foundation, were honoured by JEF with awards of excellence, including a renowned scholar, Prof. Shirley Yul-Ifode, formerly of UNIPORT’s Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies, but now with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN); a former Director, Corporate Affairs of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Ibitoye Abosede and a retired lecturer, Dr. Hyacinth Orlu-Orlu, a Catholic Priest.

    In his welcome address, the Convener of JEF, Dr. Aniefiok Udoudo said: “Although we promised when we were inaugurated as a chapel of the NUJ, Rivers State Council, on March 4, 2015 and re-echoed during our first conference on August 28, 2015 that this conference would be held yearly, we have found that it is more convenient to make the conference a biennial event. We, indeed, are committed to this.

    “Our goal has been to bring together our colleagues in the field to share experiences, but in a scholarly form, with those of us in the classroom. The conference will also make Nigerian journalists political unifiers in the midst of differences, through their reportage.

    “The unique feature of our conference is that both our Master’s and Ph.D students are encouraged to participate in the presentation of papers. This singular approach is to prepare our students for participation in conferences anywhere in the world.

    “Let me assure all participants that every paper presented at this conference will be published, if found publishable.

    “The 2017 conference theme: ‘Integrity in Reporting,’ was a call that journalism as a noble practice must be practised with integrity. That conference has produced Volume 3, Numbers 1 and 2 of Journal of Research and Media Practice and an edited book of 21 chapters, entitled Integrity in News Reporting: A Reader. The two books, which had undergone serious peer review, will be presented to this audience.”

    Udoudo also hailed UNIPORT’s Vice-Chancellor for graciously accepting to host the conference and the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities of the university, Prof. Femi Shaka, for all the supports he gave for the success of the event, especially for providing the venue of the conference free, among other eminent personalities in attendance.

    In his opening remarks, the Acting Head of Department of LCS, Dr. Baridisi Isaac, who is the host of the conference and workshop, stated that on July 6, 2017, he presented a welcome address at the opening ceremony of the maiden conference of JEF, while revealing that JEF, housed in the university’s LCS Department, was now registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), with the membership drawn from journalism training institutions across Nigeria.

    Isaac said: “The mission of JEF is to advance journalism practice in the country, through research and publications as well as training and retraining of reporters to enhance their professional competence.

    “Indeed, this conference could not have come at a better time than now, since Nigeria has just gone through a tumultuous election period, with Rivers State being the hotbed of the election intrigues.

    “The sub-themes for the conference cover all aspects of reporting and articulate ways in which reporters can hold the government, the political class and other players in the political arena accountable to the people, without necessarily heating up the polity.”

    He also praised officers of JEF in the department, whom he said worked determinedly to put together the world-class conference and workshop that would further deepen the intellectual culture for which LCS Department of the university is noted, thereby promoting the academic visibility of UNIPORT.

    The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Prof. Femi Shaka, in his remarks, stated that traditionally, the media were known to be the watchdog of the society, stressing that to be able to effectively play the watchdog role, practitioners must be professionally responsible.

    Shaka said: “Observing ethical standards is central to achieving integrity in any profession. However, in news reporting, news commercialisation, a relatively new concept in reporting, aimed at helping media houses to survive, has thrown up questions that seriously challenge the integrity of media professionals. The application of whistleblowing policy in investigative reporting has further compounded the over-burdened issue of integrity in reporting.

    “The primary responsibility or a reporter is to protect and promote his immediate environment. Since Nigeria, by all economic indices, is still a third world country that is largely rural, journalists practicing in this clime should be equipped with the skills to report rural news.

    “The media landscape has completely been upturned since the 80s by the advent of the new media. With power of the new media, there has been entrenched a new culture in reporting. Online journalism is the most visible medium of practice in this era. The principal feature of this practice is the abolition of gate-keeping in the process of news reporting.”

    The Dean, Faculty of Humanities also stated that the obvious throw-up from online journalism/new media was that credibility of news/sources and consequently integrity in news reporting now had serious question mark.

    Shaka stressed that very unfortunately also, was the fact that almost everybody had become captives on the online media, including persons who had been promoting fake news and hate speech.

    The keynote speaker, Prof. Sunny Udeze, of the Department of Mass Communication, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu in Enugu State, wondered why just two political parties (Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress) could be dominant in Nigeria, while the almost ninety other political parties could not make serious impact during the 2019 general elections.

    Udeze declared that media professionals must not allow politicians to use or manipulate them to cause confusion in the polity or unleash violence/mayhem, while strictly upholding the ethics of journalism, even as he added that journalists must not be partisan but should always give the electorate a voice.

    The lead paper presenter at the conference, Dr. Ben Nwanne of the Department of Mass Communication, Delta State University, Abraka, noted that it would be very difficult for people to run from politics, whether they voted during elections or not, since the actions/decisions of the elected officials would definitely affect them.

    Nwanne also stated that politics must not be a do-or-die affair, while urging journalists to always act professionally in the discharge of their duties. He insisted that elections in Nigeria must be credible, with press freedom to be ensured.

    During the workshop, the General Manager of Rivers State Newspaper Corporation (RSNC), Elder Vincent Ake, stated that many journalists were being harassed and killed in Nigeria, because some people had skeletons in their cupboards, which they would not like to be exposed by investigative journalists.

    He declared that the world would not be an interesting place without journalists, while pointing out that without reporters at the venues of events, it would indicate that the occasions had not taken place.

    Ake said: “Journalists have always been the weeping child. Journalists are the friendliest group of professionals and are very knowledgeable, hardworking and they are always nosing for news. Journalists make the world interesting, but they must, at all times, uphold the ethics of the profession.

    “Journalists are very important, but they must be persons of integrity. Journalists should not bring down the profession. Journalists must also make good use of their talents.”

    In his address, Chairman of Rivers NUJ, Stanley Job Stanley, stated that journalists must be protected from attacks.

    Stanley said: “World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendations of United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) General Conference. Since then, May 3 every year has been marked and celebrated the world over as World Press Freedom Day.

    “The United Nations General Assembly’s declaration was to raise awareness on the importance of the freedom of the press and to remind government at all levels of their duties and to respect and uphold the right and freedom of expression, as enshrined in Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration.”

    Rivers NUJ chairman also stated that all stakeholders must create enabling environments for journalists to perform their professional and social obligations at all times.

    The society will be a better place, if journalists are properly trained and retrained to objectively report politics in a multi-party system.

  • Day Police desecrated Benin tradition

    To some persons in Benin City and environs, the heavy downpour that fell last Wednesday was normal but to the Benin traditional institution, it was a bad omen. They linked the rainfall to the fact that the Chief Priest of Okhuaihe shrine, Osarodion Usuanlele, the Ohen N’ Ukoni Neyedo, was forced to step into Benin.

    Panic ensued in the police headquarters when Palace Chiefs sent by the Oba of Bénin, Oba Ewuare II briefed the Police Commissioner, Danmallam Abubakar, consequences of their action and in the event the unwelcome guest died in Bénin. Three big dogs were slaughtered as sacrifice before Usuanlele was released.

    The reason for the Ohen N’ Ukoni Neyedo for not entering Bénin, where the Oba of Bénin resides is an age long tradition that that started during the reign of Oba Ewaure II in 1440. The Okhuaihe shrine is located at Evbiekoi in Uhunwode local government area and as part of coronation rites of a new Oba, the Chief Priest would have a symbolic wrestle with the Crown Prince.

    After the wrestle, both of them would go opposite ways never to see each other again once the Crown Prince becomes the Oba. If the Ohen N’ Ukoni is sick, a doctor is sent to treat him at home whenever the Oba wants to pass through his vicinity, he would leave the community.

    Trouble started last week when some operatives of the anti-cultism unit stormed the Evbuekoi community based on a petition by one John Elvis (a.k.a. Atekha) who was an ex-official of the banned Community Development Association (CDA). It was learnt that the community has been at loggerheads over who is the administrative head. A faction in the community, especially former members of the, have refused to recognise the Ohen N’ Ukoni as the spiritual and administrative head of the community.

    Secretary of Evbiekoi community, Chief Paul Ajayi, said the policemen shot sporadically and insisted on taking Chief Priest Usunalele to Bénin City despite pleas that the man does not enter Bénin or he would die in the process.

    Read also: Police detain Benin chief priest

    He said: “On Monday, we saw two Sienna bus. They started shooting. Some policemen came out and said the Commissioner sent them to bring someone from the community. The Ohen N’ Ukoni told them more than 10 times that he does not go to Bénin. It was an abomination. Since the Ohen N’Ukoni came into existence in Evbuekoi, he has not gone to Bénin. He cannot see the Oba face to face. When we got to Bénin, we begin to see the signs of heavy rains and strong wind after one hour. We knew problems have started.

    “The Police went to the Palace and they said the thing need three hefty dogs as sacrifice before the Chief Priest will leave the police station. The boy who wrote the petition was arrested. The other people are still threatening. We want security to be beef up here because the disbanded CDA want to be active.

    “It is the Palace that will determine the process of cleansing. The Oba owns the Ohen N’ Ukoni. The Ohen N’ Ukoni cannot do anything. Once he is install as Ohen N’ Ukoni, he does not see the Oba again.”

    Palace sources said a list of items to buy has been given to the police hierarchy on to cleanse the land.

    The source listed the items to include 14 native cows, tortoise, sheep, goats, cocks as well as other items of sacrifice to appease ancestors of the kingdom.

    Sources at the police headquarters said the Commissioner has ordered policemen involved in the arrest of Ohen N’ Ukoni to be detained.

    Edo State Commissioner of Police Danmallam Abubakar said his men were overzealous to have disrespected the tradition and customs of the Benins for arresting Ohen N’ Ukoni.

    Abubakar said the matter has been resolved with Bénin Palace.

    “The matter has been resolved. Traditionally the man was not supposed to come to Bénin. I quarrelled with my men for the action. The best thing to do was to carry him to the nearest police station. My men were overzealous. It is a good thing to respect people’s tradition. It was indigenous people that were supposed to know the true things that carried out the operation even those that reported.

    “It was a deliberate act to cause confusion. They should respect people’s tradition.”

  • Bayelsa after Dickson: who picks up the gauntlet?

    Soon Bayelsa will confront a monumental date with destiny. One thing is clear: in the context of developments elsewhere where paradigms are shifting to encompass greater definitions of human progress, Bayelsa’s horizons cannot be circumscribed by the limitations of its past.

    Take the idea by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to create a new ”Ministry of Possibilities’, which is a further step in the continued aspiration of this modernising nation to, not only remain competitive, but even stay ahead of competition.

    According to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the UAE Premier and ruler of Dubai, the unconventional ministry, a virtual one but with input from the whole cabinet, will address pressing national portfolio of issues and build future governing systems.

    “Future challenges require the constant development of the government structure …impossible is not in our dictionary”, he proclaimed.

    Then I watched the video clip of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reeling off the incredible advancement of his country in science, technology and innovation through which it has built a very strong economy at home and a powerhouse in the global economy. Innovation in ICT has created its leadership in cyber security, tech companies, energy and agriculture. In fact, Netanyahu emphasised to the world, the five current pace-setting companies in the world-Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook – have major resource centres in Israel.

    “Our true wealth is in innovation”. By the way, Israel has just about eight million people which represent one per cent of the world’s population.

    And from our backyard, Ghana announced to the world that the country will soon be distributing essential health care products to hospitals and other health facilities in the country through drones. The scheme is the largest in the world.

    Read also: Calm in Bayelsa PDP as aspirants await Dickson’s directive

    “No one in Ghana should die because they can’t access the medicine they need. We must do everything within our means to ensure that each citizen of Ghana has access to the quality health care they deserve”, an exuberant Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, said.

    Interestingly, Rwanda, which rose from the ashes of ruin years ago, has since been operating the same drone application in health care from 2016 when the pilot scheme started and already expanded to precision agriculture, especially in potato and wheat production with  farmers now smiling to the banks. We must remember that Rwanda is a landlocked nation without natural resources, yet it is now acknowledged as one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

    Whither Nigeria in all this? Why should a country of swashbuckling people threaten to be such a monument of failure with puny nations who not long ago looked up to us now treating us with scorn and derision? What have we brought on ourselves? Why do we insist on carrying on with a clearly stultifying political structure?

    In spite of all that, Bayelsa, over the past eight years, is proving that a clear-headed and determined leadership with vision can still brave the odds and make a difference. It is the same audacity of hope which has seen the UAE under al-Makhtoum turn an arid place in a very short time into the toast of the world in commerce, tourism and excellent governance culture.

    Yes, good governance. That is what is now driving the economies of both Ghana and Rwanda and to a lesser extent, that of Kenya.

    Overall, the defining characteristics of these countries are thinking, bright and creative leadership, vision, determination and commitment, consistency and discipline. They have all helped to initiate some very forward-looking and pragmatic policies and programmes which are consequently changing their stories.

    The particular case of Israel is a fascinating one and an inspiration to us  in Bayelsa State. Just as Israel is a developmental lodestar in the Middle East and the world at large, having dared impossible conditions, Bayelsa can be similarly driven to become an economic power house not only in Nigeria but in the sub-region and even in the African continent.

    Here, the focus is on innovation to drive development and in the process solve so many of the challenges we face in the state by applying technology and smart policies. Through the Israeli model, I think we can overcome many of our teething challenges specific to the Bayelsa condition, taming poverty through entrepreneurship, startups, light manufacturing, agriculture and agribusiness (rice, cassava, banana, plantain and oil palm), fisheries, energy (gas) and tourism.

    Through collaboration and partnerships, technology could be used to harness the latent resources in Bayelsa (human and material) and unleash a new economy that could birth the “Bayelsa Economic Miracle”. Of course, innovation in this regard is the driver of productivity, economic growth and development.

    It all boils down to leadership, vision and smart policies that are forward-looking and disciplined and consistent. This is the model Governor Henry Seriake Dickson has sought to provide in the course of  his exemplary leadership and which needs to be consolidated and built upon.

    A major challenge in the ambition to leapfrog development is the manpower needed to run the process of innovation and technology and we must necessarily do greater investments in this regard. The Restoration Government in Bayelsa State led by Governor Dickson has laid a solid foundation for this vision of economic revolution through massive investment in education across the state and other legacy infrastructural projects. Henceforth, the state can do more in prioritising Mathematics and Science and ICT as the bedrock of innovation.

    The Bayelsa Innovation Strategy should address innovation capacity in relation to solutions to local needs and challenges in the specific areas itemised above.

    So, capacities will come from the many students in schools now with the right motivation for learning and constant upgrading of curriculum to emphasise the rudiments of the economic technological age associated with the new vision under consideration in powering a new economy for Bayelsa State.

    Here, innovation and sustainable growth, in the long run, will play a central role as we must build local capacities revolving around the right education, skills and human development.

    The new economy will also have to be inclusive, in which case many of the youth who never had the opportunity of formal education will go through the Bayelsa Technology and Innovation Centre, a large and modern centre where they will be taught various skills which will necessarily have a relationship with the various segments of specific areas of concentration of economic activities as designed by the realities of the new economy.

    This is why we must reject the confining vision which references Bayyelsa State as a civil service state. We cannot continue with this mindset as all efforts must be geared towards production and manufacturing without which no nation or state can claim to be developed.

    Like we had in Israel in their early stages of development, Bayelsa must begin start-up companies in different areas with the right support from the government, with the private sector as the engine of growth. Our people must shake off the lethargy of waiting for government before they can make impact even as government can serve as key enabler.

    This was what informed my decision to henceforth embark on routine visits to start-up companies in Bayelsa which is part of the ongoing effort by the Dickson-led Restoration Government to recognise and encourage young entrepreneurs in the state.

    A few days ago, I visited the workshop of a talented young Bayelsan who uses sawdust to fabricate lamp holders and screeding of walls. The support from government will certainly go a long way to enable him to realise the full potential for his business.

    The Bayelsa innovation strategy towards a new economy will have to build niche competencies in sectors of comparative advantage, especially in agriculture which is capable of being the lynchpin of a major economic revolution in the state. Through technology application, there could be a great boom ahead when the rice fields in areas such as Peremabiri, Ayamasa, Ofoni, Okordia-Zarama and in many communities in Ogbia, Nembe are well developed in increased acreages, improved varieties and fortified with precision agriculture to increase yields three to five times a year.

    Also the cultivation of oil palm, cassava, plantain and banana on a large scale with same precision, agriculture will, no doubt, give quantum results. The large scale fish farming which have since commenced in the state courtesy of the Governor Dickson-led Restoration Government will need greater investment and robust private sector participation for it to attain sustainable economic significance.

    Bayelsa has core competencies in these areas and with the right comparative advantage will ensure great opportunities for export. A major relevance of such huge investment in these areas is also the capacity to address socio-economic challenges, particularly the impact on poverty reduction by creating jobs.

    A concerted effort must also be made to see how the enormous gas deposits in Bayelsa State can be converted into a huge asset that it represents despite the existing legal framework. Gas could fetch the state billions of dollars when the current spate of flaring is completely cut off. That should be a priority concern. Then all efforts must be made to ensure that our people begin some startups no matter the scale.

    Entrepreneurship is the way to go; we cannot continue to pride ourselves as a civil service state. The Restoration Government already has a master plan on this and the active collaboration of the private sector must be sought in this regard.

    Borrowing from Israel, technology and innovation are capable of changing our economic narrative through adaptation. Indeed Israel and Dubai have shown that with a clear vision and determined leadership, all things are possible even in an arid or blighted environment. We must change and advance socio-economic progress and better the lives of our people in such a manner that in about two decades, with the right priorities, smart policies, consistency and good governance, Bayelsa State can emerge as an economic power house that challenges the rest of Nigeria to do better.

    Governor Henry Seriake Dickson has set the ball rolling in this regard. Now, are there men out there to pick up the gauntlet, who see leadership as a call to self-denial, service and sacrifice rather than corruption of our morals and licentious living, the public treasury as an extension of his private pockets?

    Now, who will be a hero for Bayelsa?

  • Teenage pregnancy: Tackling social malaise through skills acquisition

    From all fronts, the society is bedeviled by several social ills. They range from robbery, kidnapping, cybercrime, cultism, examination malpractices and teenage pregnancy. As efforts are being made by government at all levels and other stakeholders to deal with these social vices, MIKE ODIEGWU reports that in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, Girl Preneur 9ja (GP9ja), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) is particularly worried about teenage pregnancy. In the circumstances, it has organised skills acquisition programmes through which they will realise their potential and become fulfilled in life.

    Miss Ebiladei Mike is seven years old. At her age, she makes good bags and shoes. She is excited that she can make school bags and sandals for herself, her mother and her sister. With the resilient spirit of a true Ijaw girl, Ebiladei learnt her craft in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital in a skills acquisition programme organised by Girl Preneur 9ja (GP9ja), a non-governmental organization (NGO).

    “It was a rare opportunity that I took with both hands. I was not supposed to attend the programme. My elder sister brought the flier home and I decided to follow her to the venue of the training.

    “On getting there, Madam Cynthia Oye was surprised. She saw me and wondered what I came to do at the venue. We got talking and she allowed me to learn with others. I went through the list of skills and I chose shoes and bag-making”, the little Ebiladei said.

    Cynthia Oye provided the opportunity. She added GP9ja as part of programmes and activities of her consulting firm, Procot Management Concept (PMC). Oye, who is the Chief Executive Officer and Principal Consultant (PMC) said she founded GP9ja following her observations of the challenges women experience on the streets of Yenagoa.

    She lamented the vulnerability of the girl child and lack of opportunities for female children to live their dreams. She noted that the unsavoury situation had led to increasing cases of teenage pregnancies.

    “If one moves around Yenagoa, one will notice young girls who are expectant mothers. The unpleasant situation was a source of worry to me and I began to think about what to do in order to ameliorate the trend. Since I don’t have the capacity to do what the government and multinationals can do, I decided to come up with a model that can help take these girls out of the streets.

    “Our aim is to identify some of these girls and create an opportunity for them through which they could be empowered so as to help them to realise their potential and become fulfilled in life.

    The model is to make them resourceful and independent people by mentoring them to become business owners.

    “We all know that there is no job out there but most of them are endowed with skills. But what they lack is an opportunity to discover these skills. That opportunity is what we are providing,” she said.

    Niger Delta Report learnt that throughout the period of the training, the girls were enthusiastic so much so that they had to attend all sessions. They were full of joy as they participated in various responsibilities assigned to them. They demonstrated that Bayelsa women are not lazy but willing to maximise any opportunity provided for them.

    They chose from a wide range of skills provided by the organisers of the programme. The skills provided were fashion and design, bead-making, shoe making and making bags with ankara, make-up artistry, culinary arts, baking and confectionery.

    Oye said the beneficiaries were subjected to periodic examinations to underscore the seriousness of the programme. She also said they were taught essentials of business management, customer relations and book keeping.

    “Within two weeks; they could talk about business plan and customer service because we took our time to teach them about all those issues. They were in classes even on weekends,” she said.

    The CEO said she had been able to give free training to 45 girls, even as she noted that when the invitations were sent out, only interested girls within the age bracket of 15 to 22 years were requested to indicate interest. But she observed that some girls above 25 years pleaded to be allowed to benefit from the programme.

    “I was particularly impressed by the zeal displayed by that seven-year-old girl, Ebikadei Mike. She came with her elder sister and begged to be accommodated. I had some chat with her and decided to allow her in. She was punctual and ended up as one of the best in her class,” she said.

    Oye said following the success of the first edition of the training, she would like to expand the next edition so as to accommodate more people. She appealed to philanthropists, corporate organisations and multinationals and the government to support the project which empowers the girl child.

    “Everything we did was free. I had to do everything from my little resources and with little assistance from few people. It was taxing but each time I thought about the joy the participants derived from the programme, I felt fulfilled. We hope that more people will show keen interest in the programme. Then we will be able to provide more opportunities by expanding the programme,” she said.

    On what motivated her to embark on the gesture, she said: “We know that females are subjected to unwanted pregnancies, rapes and other social problems. If we have them engaged meaningfully, the level of cases will reduce.

    “So, being from Bayelsa State, I thought it wise to start from home and this is the first edition of the programme. It is totally free. If we regard the situation as appalling, then we should be able to proffer solutions to them.

    “Soon it will be a seasonal event. We hope, by God’s grace, that we will have four seasons every year. This season’s event is in Yenagoa. We don’t know where we will hold season two. It can be anywhere because we want to take the event to everywhere part of the country.

    “I am thrilled by the way the young ones have access to information these days. We didn’t go door-to-door. We had it on social media, website and flyers in few places. Initially, there was an age bracket of 15-22 but we saw people who are 23 and 25 then we decided to extend the age bracket”.

    The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson visited the training centre. He commended Oye for her initiative and reiterated government’s commitment to create job opportunities for young people.

    He said the recent employment of 1,000 people into the state civil service and the huge investment it had made in the education sector was evidence of government’s deliberate efforts to secure the future of young people of Bayelsa.

    Iworiso-Markson expressed his joy that the girls acquired various skills which would transform their lives and make them self-reliant. He said the skills would keep the girls away from social vices and illicit conducts.

    He urged the girls to practice what they had learnt at the programme,  promising to provide some form of support to ensure they start up their own businesses immediately after the training programme.

    He said: “I am excited coming here and seeing what is happening. With programmes such as this, we will have a reduction in teenage pregnancy and social vices. I want to encourage you all to take this training serious.

    “You are the future of Bayelsa and the future millionaires if you are willing to work hard. This opportunity you have now will determine that. For us as government, we have been trying with the investment we are making in education and the recent employment of 1,000 people. I am sure most of you are aware of what we have done at St. Jude’s.

    “I want to thank the organisers of this programme. In my own little way, I will support these girls by providing little start-ups to enable them to begin their own businesses.”

    At the end of the training, Oye and her outfit prepared the beneficiaries. She organised a workshop with a theme, “Awakening the Entrepreneur in You”. Resource persons were invited to motivate the ladies and instill confidence in them. She also gave awards to the best among the participants and starter parks to the beneficiaries.

    Speaking at the workshop, the Business Development Manager, Yah-doubra More-rich Parker described the girl child as the vulnerable ones in the society, even as she said the programme brought out the potential in the girls.

    She stated that the girls would henceforth become independent and resourceful in the society. She also called on well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies to partner with GP9ja to train more girls.

    Also speaking, one of the guests, Mr. Jackresse Isang praised Oye and her team for their efforts. He appealed to the government, multinationals and other corporate organisations to get involved in the project in order to better the society.

    He said: “I want to thank them for giving these young women a wonderful opportunity. They have become entrepreneurs and good citizens of Bayelsa and Nigeria. I want to encourage us all to support effort such as this. There are a lot of people who need to be empowered. When you empower women or the girl child you are empowering the country and making us a great nation”.

    The beneficiaries commended Oye and her team. The little Ebikadei said: “I feel very happy. I chose bag and shoe making so that I can make bags for my sister and my mum. My mum will no longer buy school bags for me. I will make all my school bags now.”

    One Gbaranma Timinipre, who emerged winner as the best business planner thanked the Procot Management for helping them fulfill their dreams. But the Operation Manager, Miebi Great Tiedo urged them to cherish and practice all that they had learnt in their businesses.

  • Host communities benefit from firm’s business expansion

    A Niger Delta-based company, Elano Investments Limited, has recorded N5.2 billion as dividend for the year ending March 31, 2018.

    The company manages host communities’ 7.5 per cent equity dividends from Indorama Eleme Petrochemical Company in Rivers State.

    The Chairman Board of Directors of Elano Investments, Chief Gomba Okanje said out of the dividends, the company gave the sum of N2.3 billion to the host communities of Eleme as specified by the Federal Government through the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

    Okanje, who said this in Calabar during the 6th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the company, told the shareholders that they have done a lot in the health and educational sectors for its host communities.

    He further said the company was entering a stage of diversification and consolidation to ensure the achievement of sustainable development of host communities through their programmes in education, health care, infrastructure, housing and security.

    “Our health insurance programme has a portfolio of 6, 600 beneficiaries from all our host communities and has saved many lives through critical surgical procedures such as caesarean deliveries, regular preventive medicine and hospitalisations. Our educational programme offered more than 200 bursary awards to students in tertiary institutions all over the country and has assisted many recipients to earn their academic qualifications,” he said.

    Okanje said they also plan to resume their post-graduate scholarship and skills acquisition programmes for deserving and qualified members of their host communities in the years to come.

    He urged the host communities to continue to maintain peace as investors are very cautious of security in the environment they operate.

    The AGM resolved that the host communities should henceforth also submit their own audited accounts in the spirit of openness and transparency as the amount distributed as dividends to host communities are managed by committees appointed by the leadership of each community.

  • Rivers’ foremost monarch dies

    The pioneer Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Imperial Majesty, Eze Robinson O. Robinson, Eze Ekpeye Logbo II of Ekpeye land in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State is dead.

    In a statement by his son, Prince R.O. Robinson (Jnr.) in Port Harcourt, the state capital, the late monarch joined his Akalaka ancestors of the Great Benin Empire last year.

    The Prince also described the late traditional ruler as one of the longest reigning kings in Rivers State, even as he added that the monarch left behind legacies that are worthy of emulation.

    Funeral activities for the late monarch, a retired Flight Lieutenant, according to the Prince, would commence on May 8, with the body arriving at the Garden City and moved to his Palace Guest House in the Government Reservation Area (GRA), Port Harcourt.

    On May 9, there will be valedictory session at the Port Harcourt secretariat of Rivers Council of Traditional Rulers, while on May 10; the body will leave for Ekpeye House for another valedictory session, after which there be night of remembrance/Christian wake at Odiereke-Ubie in Ahoada West Local Government Area.

    On May 11, there will be funeral service/celebration of life at his palace in Odiereke-Ubie, while there will be thanksgiving services on May 12. The traditional burial rites will begin on May 13.

  • Revenue collection: Edo repositions councils for service delivery

    Before January 1, 2017, the 18 local government areas in Edo State were in wretched state. The total monthly revenue generated by the local governments was a paltry N30 million. It was a usual sight to see local government workers and pensioners in the streets of Bénin-City protesting non-payment of salaries and pension arrears.

    What made the councils broke was simple. The revenue collection was in the hands of private individuals. It was used as political patronage for party leaders who pay peanuts to the councils’ coffers.

    It, therefore, became difficult for elected council officials to execute projects as the allocation from Abuja and the paltry IGR could not pay salaries and pension. The individuals collecting the revenue were seen as major determinants to securing victories during elections. So, they were regarded as sacred cows.

    On January 1, 2017, Governor Godwin Obaseki dropped a bombshell that shocked the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders across the state. He banned the use of contractors for collection of revenue for both the state and local government areas, even as he insisted that government is capable of collecting its revenue.

    Before Obaseki announced the ban, he had asked his Deputy, Philip Shaibu, to head a committee on revenue.

    Shaibu met severally with various stakeholders and the so-called tax consultants and advised them on the need to diversify. He told them to bring their boys to be trained by the state government on the new system to be introduced. The tax consultants refused and thought the state government would not risk taking revenue collection from them.

    The Deputy Governor scouted over 900 boys who were trained as enforcers. Their duty was to ensure that market women, drivers and others pay the appropriate rates and levies.

    Governor Obaseki introduced e-ticketing and directed officials of local government to collect revenue. The e-ticketing yielded good results as daily income of over N500, 000 was realised daily from nine locations in Oredo against N42, 000 that was previously remitted by the private contractors.

    In Esan West, the daily revenue generated was between N68,000 and N108,000 daily but the new method increased it to between N1 million and N1.5 million daily. Oredo Local Government Area raked in over N40 million within the first five months.

    Currently, only six local government areas in Edo State owe salary arrears from between three and 12 months before 2017. The increased revenue has also made payment of retirees of local government to be paid promptly.

    Some councils such as Ikpoba-Okha can now pay salaries without waiting for allocations from  the Federal Government. Esan South East launched a transport scheme without borrowing money from any financial institution. The total monthly revenue of the 18 local government areas is above N220 million.

    Chairman of Esan West Local Government Area, Patrick Aguinede, said he looked forward to collecting N20 million monthly as IGR.

    “If I get N20 million monthly, why will I not construct roads? Why will I not make health centres functional? Why will I not provide basic amenities and pay salaries? My desire is to raise money to satisfy the people,” he said.

    Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Jimoh Ijegbai, a lawyer, said the chaotic system of revenue collection has been buried and would not be allowed to return.

    Ijegbai noted that the new system driven by technology has brought sanity and blocked leakages.

    He said: “We are witnesses to the chaotic system of revenue collection before now. Obaseki government is based on the rule of law where force is not allowed.  A system where they will beat people up to collect revenue is dead.

    “The first thing Obaseki did was to ensure a harmonised revenue collection law was passed in 2017. In January before the law was passed, the total monthly revenue collection for the 18 local government areas was N33 million. At the close of last year, it has jumped to over N210 million monthly.

    “It has brought civility in whatever we are doing. It is cashless policy and it is driven by technology. In four local government areas where we are now using scratch cards, we got dealers interested in partnering with the government. They buy the cards from government and go back and sell to the drivers. We eliminated leakages in the system. The merit of the new system is that it is more civil, blocks leakages and enhanced collection of revenue.

    “Across the 18 local government areas, you can see most of them doing very well. They are now embarking on development projects. Esan South East Local Government Area just floated a transport line without borrowing money from any financial institution. Ikpoba-Okha that was hitherto indebted has cleared all the arrears.

    “We have eliminated consultants in this new system. We don’t allow consultants collect our revenue. We now have enforcers who go out to ensure the scratch cards are actually used. These people are meaningfully engaged across the 18 local government areas in collaboration with road transport unions. We have eliminated double collections.

    “The governor made it clear that those who were collecting revenues before can fit into the new system. Those who want to learn are free. We are open; the government is transparent in its dealings. They are amenable to training. We did not bar anybody from keying into the new system. We want to be civil in what we are doing.”

    Critics of Governor Obaseki, especially those opposed to his second term ambition, said the disbandment of the private revenue collectors led to lots of job loss as boys hitherto engaged are now roaming the streets.

  • Rivers, NDDC bicker over alleged N50b tax debt

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established in 2,000 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration to resuscitate the hitherto neglected oil-rich region that has mainly sustained Nigeria’s economy.

    Some of the objectives for which the NDDC was established were to facilitate the rapid, even and sustainable development of the Niger Delta in a bid to transform it into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful.

    Some of the commission’s core mandates include the formulation of policies and programmes for the development of the Niger Delta in the areas of transportation, health, employment, industrialisation, agriculture, housing and urban development, water supply, electricity and telecommunications.

    The mandates also include survey of the Niger Delta in order to ascertain measures necessary to promote its physical and socio-economic development, preparing master plans and schemes designed to promote the physical development of the Niger Delta region as well as assist the member states in the formulation and implementation of policies to ensure efficient management of resources.

    Niger Delta region comprises nine states of Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Abia and Imo. The corporate headquarters of the NDDC is located at No. 167, Aba Road, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    On April 23, the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS) sealed off the corporate headquarters of NDDC in Port Harcourt, over alleged N50 billion tax debts. As at the time of filing this report, the NDDC office is still sealed.

    The Chairman of RIRS, Adoage Norteh, insisted that the NDDC’s head office was sealed off because the commission refused to make its financial records available for audit.

    He said: “The place (NDDC’s corporate headquarters) is sealed off. We got a court order to seal off the place. We went to court and we stated that we were frustrated by the antics of NDDC’s officials. The commission was assessed last year, with officials of the agency admitting that NDDC was indebted to RIRS to the tune of N671 million, which they refused to pay.

    “When we sealed off the NDDC’s office last year, they then paid the debt. We told officials of the agency that we were going to audit their books, but since last year, they refused to allow us have access to their books.

    “The N50 billion that is being talked about is our best of judgment. That is the amount we assessed, because NDDC’s officials refused to open their books. If they have nothing to hide, why would they not show us their records? For many years, these people have refused to open their books.”

    Norteh also expressed optimism that the disagreement would soon be resolved.

    He said: “We are talking with them now. They are asking that we should come and do the audit and that whatever we come up with, they will pay. I am reluctant, because we have gone beyond that process. We have gotten a court order.

    “We would not have gone to court, if they had done the needful. If they said it is not N50 billion, they should tell us how much they awe. We are not interested in sentiments, we are interested in the records.”

    The Director, Corporate Affairs of NDDC, Charles Odili, however, declared that the commission was not owing RIRS to the tune of N50 billion.

    He said: “NDDC as a responsible corporate organisation, wishes to state clearly that it has not defaulted in meeting its tax obligations to RIRS. The commission is surprised that the state revenue agency is claiming an outstanding N50 billion. Our records show that this is not correct. It is rather curious that the RIRS would rush to seal the gates of the commission, disrupting activities at its headquarters, without any form of notification.

    “We have had cause to discuss our tax obligations with officials of the RIRS in the past and all the grey areas were resolved amicably. It is, therefore, an act of bad faith for the revenue agency to begin to take actions that impugn the reputation of an interventionist agency that is serving the people of the Niger Delta region. The commission has, as recently as January this year, settled its outstanding tax obligations to the RIRS.

    “We have cleared all Withholding Tax (WHT) on enterprises and Pay as You Earn (P.A.Y.E.) up to March, 2019, including arrears. If there is any other issue of outstanding tax obligation (underpayment), it will only come up after reconciliation.

    “Until then, we cannot establish or determine underpayment or overpayment. And our books are open for audit or reconciliation. It is not right for only one party to claim to have established that there is underpayment or overpayment. That can only come to play after a thorough audit exercise.

    “We can, under the circumstances, safely say that the RIRS came to seal off our premises without due process, as notice of non-compliance was neither issued nor served on NDDC, before the RIRS’ action.”

    Odili also called on RIRS to remove the sealing order at the main gate of the commission, to enable both parties to enter into a dialogue and resolve their differences.

    Responding, NDDC’s Director, Corporate Affairs also stated that there was no politics in the impasse involving the commission and RIRS.

    He said: “NDDC, as a responsible organisation, is mindful of its corporate social responsibilities and will, at all times, meet its legal financial obligations. This explains the stand of the commission on the issue at stake (sealing off of NDDC’s corporate headquarters in Port Harcourt).

    “The commission feels strongly that due process was not followed and thereby denying NDDC fair hearing, when the RIRS opted to surreptitiously procure an exparte order, instead of reaching for dialogue and peaceful resolution. The commission was also not served the court processes to enable it to defend itself. It is equally curious that the court order was obtained from a provincial division of the Rivers State High Court, sitting in Omoku.

    “As a Federal Government institution operating in Rivers State, the NDDC will always pursue the sacred creed of harmony and good conscience in its operational modalities.”

    Odili also gave an assurance that there were ongoing efforts to amicably resolve the matter, in the overall interest of the entire people of the Niger Delta.

    On April 29, Niger Delta women and youths peaceably protested in Port Harcourt against Governor Nyesom Wike’s administration’s sealing off of the corporate headquarters of the NDDC.

    Dressed in black, the protesters carried placards and banners with various inscriptions, even as they chanted anti-government songs.

    Some of the inscriptions on their placards and banners were: “N50 billion tax on NDDC is anti-people. We say no to it”, “NDDC is purely for development of Niger Delta region”, “Leave NDDC out of Rivers State politics”, “President Buhari, come and save us in Rivers”, “NDDC is touching lives, allow it be” and “PMB, save us from gangs and cultists” and “we say no to unnecessary political interference in the affairs of NDDC,” among others.

    In a chat with reporters, one of the protesters, Ronin Jaja, said the sealing off of NDDC’s corporate headquarters had brought untold hardship to most families in the Niger Delta region.

    Jaja said: “From the little businesses we do here, we are able to take care of our families. The development clock is ticking already; let no one delay the development of our region, because of politics.”

    Another protester, Degi Tekena, noted that the people of Bayelsa State were willing to host the NDDC’s corporate headquarters, if the government and people of Rivers State no longer needed the commission’s head office.

    Tekena said: “If Rivers State does not want to host NDDC again, please, we have a place for the commission in neighbouring Bayelsa State.

    “This is one of the commissions that have been living up to their expectations, especially in areas of training and retraining of our youths, creation of employment opportunities and other developmental programmes in the Niger Delta.”

    Tekena also stated that the parties should resolve the matter quickly to allow for smooth operations of NDDC, considering the commission’s numerous interventions in the Niger Delta region and its people.

  • Cross River’s freeway: Is Ayade’s vision stillborn?

    Right from when the Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, revealed in 2015 that his administration would embark on projects that would touch the lives of the people, there were strong feelings of skepticism about the possibility of such ambition. The skepticism reached a crescendo when he disclosed that the projects would include a 275km superhighway.

    At present, many are, justifiably confused on how to interpret the governor’s intention concerning the project. Could the governor rightly be accused of malfeasance or could it be that he meant well proposing such ambitious projects?

    However, government’s silence about the fate of the road has become a source of worry and surprising. It has not divulged any information with regard to the mega project.

    For a state that gets around N3 billion from the Federation Account every month, with an almost non-existent internally generated revenue system, coupled with a crippling debt profile it inherited from previous administrations, it gives the impression that the project may be difficult to get to as target. This is so because the highway project was expected to gulp almost N700 billion.

    The decision to embark on the project, according to the governor, was to boost economic activities by building a deep seaport, which also is yet to take off, in Bakassi Local Government Area in the southern part of the state and the highway will be an evacuation corridor to link the seaport to other parts of the state as well as the northern part of the country.

    The governor was resolute about his vision, and had even promised that the project would be delivered by the end of his first tenure, which is this month.

    Currently, besides the clearing of some areas the project was to crisscross, as well as problems with communities over destruction of forests and property, and the back-and-forth talks about compensation, there is really nothing on ground to show any evidence of any of the projects.

    Many would argue this may be due to resistance by various organisations, especially environmentally related ones, and communities that doubted the sincerity of the project and the negative impact it would have on the environment and in the lives of the people.

    The communities had complained that the government was going ahead to bulldoze forests and property, even without any Environmental Impact Assessment, which it got eventually.. Some had even concluded that the project was a means of logging wood from the rich forests of the state.

    The controversies surrounding the highway have been many, but a very important one has been the issue of funding, given the financial status of the state.

    On this issue, Ayade, who has entered into several memoranda of understanding overseas, allayed fears, saying foreign companies were falling over themselves to fund the project in a partnership with the government.

    Given that the issue of funding seemed to have been sorted out, it was with some shock that people of Cross River State were inundated with news reports that the governor had transmitted a letter to the Cross River State House of Assembly to approve modalities for funding the project by the state government.

    The letter, which was leaked on the Internet, and signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), sought an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) of the sum of N648.8 billion in favour of a construction company.

    The letter with reference number SSG/S/300/VOL.XVII/1199, addressed to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly sought the legislature to consider and pass a resolution granting an approval for the state government to issue an ISPO of N300 million monthly through a bank in favour of the construction company.

    The government has so far been silent on the letter. It has not refuted it. The situation had evoked various reactions from various quarters, who feel that besides such arrangement economically crumbling an already debt-burdened state, it also lacked transparency expected of a project of such magnitude.

    The situation has raised a lot of questions and BudgIT recently warned the Cross River State government to halt the highway project on the grounds that undue financial hazard and avoidable hardship would plague the state for the next 100 years should the government compound its existing debt burden.

    A statement signed by BudgIT’s Communications Associate, Shakir Akorede, reads in part: “For the umpteenth time, BudgIT is raising the alarm over this attempt to hold public resources to ransom.

    “Suspecting an obstinate intention of the Ayade government to defraud the people of Cross River State, we deem the project overly ambitious, superfluous and almost a misplaced priority especially–besides its viability to investors–when there has been hardly any explanation on ‘infallible plans’ to upscale the state revenue and clear cumulative debts let alone fix the human and environmental costs of the project.

    “With a budget estimate of N648 billion, the 275km arterial highway fails all tests of fiscal sustainability and proper procurement process, as the state government has, unacceptably, failed to name the investors, four years down the line. The purported appointment of Messrs. Sydney Construction Company as contractors for the highway was carried out without a clear, transparent tender process, we maintain.”

    But reacting to BudgIT, Ayade said it was clear that they had not availed themselves of the facts regarding the economic value of that highway.

    Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Christian Ita, he said: “It is not just like telling the American government not to construct a major piece of infrastructure. How does that even sound? How do economies even grow? Economies grow when you spend money on infrastructure and we are saying that this superhighway is a corridor that would lead to the Bakassi deep seaport.

    “The project is on course and we are saying that Cross River State can never be caught in that web where Lagos is today, where you have just one major highway, but that highway is locked. This is a road that would generate money for the state.

    “So, while BudgIT would be looking at it, they have not taken time to avail themselves of the fact regarding that project.

    “Despite the fact that Cross River State receives about the second lowest allocation, it was still among the five states that actually showed promise of meeting their financial demands. BudgIT should go beyond this; we have known them over time. They have been opposed to the superhighway.”

    Ita did not give a direct response on whether the letter to the House of Assembly was true or not.

    Rather he said: “You said reportedly. They should be certain. It means they don’t know what they are talking about. What is governance? Governance is about having set objectives. The problem is even us the media. As at 1990, Dubai had only one storey building. Currently, the whole world is gravitating towards Dubai because a man had a vision. Go and read his book. “When he was building the deep seaport, there were issues. Why are you doing this? You don’t have money. He refused to respond. It is visionary leadership. The easiest thing to do is to sit down and fold hands and pay salaries and smile at everybody and not be ambitious. BudgIT should spare us and do their due diligence.”