The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Army intercepts lorry with 16,000 litres of illegal diesel

    Soldiers attached to 143 Battalion, Umunneochi in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State under 14 Brigade, Ohafia have intercepted a lorry conveying over 16,000 litres of diesel believed to be illegally procured.

    The soldiers were on routine stop and search operation when they encountered the vehicle.

    The owner of the product, identified simply as Kanayo, was arrested and was said to be cooling his heels in the soldiers’ detention facility.

    The driver of the lorry with registration number ABN 686 XA reportedly took to his heels when the vehicle was stopped at the checkpoint.

    The Nation gathered that, in order to beat security operatives, the driver covered the diesel tank with over 200 bags of animal feed filled with sawdust.

    The Chief of Staff to the 14 Brigade Commander, Brigadier A.K Ibrahim, Col. E.U Effiong confirmed the seizure, commending the vigilance of the personnel.

    Effiong who spoke while handing over the suspect and the impounded vehicle to the Abia State Command of The Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) said it was the duty of NSCDC to further investigate and prosecute suspects of illegal petroleum products.

    He said, “In the course of our duty in the state we carry out patrols and during such patrols, if we suspect any crime, arrest is made and when we arrest, we hand over the suspects to the appropriate security agency in charge of the crime committed for further investigation and prosecution.

    “If the suspects are found guilty the law will take its course. What we are doing today is in line with our own part of internal security operation which is the secondary role of supporting the Police and other security agencies to aid civil authority.

    “This has been going on between the military, police, civil defence and the road safety corps. We pray as we cooporate and play our own part Abia state will continue to remain peaceful for people to go about their normal business”.

    Confessing to the crime Kanayo admitted that he bought the diesel in Port Harcourt, but denied that the product was illegally sourced.

    According to him, he was arrested while convening the diesel to Enugu State where he would sale the product to distributors.

    The suspect also admitted that he had no license to lift petroleum products, adding that he has been in the business for one year.

    When asked why he had covering papers that claimed he bought animal feed, though he blamed it on the driver of the lorry who is now at large.

    “I bought the diesel from the right source and they gave me receipt, I don’t know how the driver came up with the animal feed paper,” he claimed.

    The soldiers also arrested one Okeke Maduabuchi who allegedly robbed an Aba resident of his Toyota Sienna car at gun point.

    The suspect was said to have been arrested at Ihube in Imo State, while two of his accomplices are now at large.

    Maduabuchi and the SUV recovered from him were handed over to personnel of the Aba Area Command of the police who were also on the ground for further investigation and possible prosecution.

     

  • Uromi: A community waiting for its deposed traditional ruler

    “When will our king return? Our cultural festivities are suffering. We can no longer celebrate our new yam festival because our king is yet to be enthroned.” These were the lamentations of the Secretary of Uromi Traditional Council, Chief Francis Ozah, the Oza of Uromi Kingdom.

    Uromi community in Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State has been without a king since October 2016. Its king, Anslem Odaloghe Eidonojie, was deposed by former Governor Adams Oshiomhole in pursuant to Section 28 (i & ii) of the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law, 1979. When the Uromi king was deposed, some political leaders from the locality as well as some palace chiefs thought it was a mere statement and an affront on age long tradition. But they were mistaken as the state government is yet to enthrone the deposed king.

    Apparently to avoid a possible backlash and revolt from the people of Uromi, the state government did not announce a new ruler because ascendancy to the throne of Uromi is by primogeniture. The absence of a traditional ruler had resulted in low ebb or no celebration of many cultural festivities in Uromi.

    The Uromi traditional ruler was first suspended in October 2016 for allegedly assaulting one Betty Okoebor during the conduct of the September 28 governorship election and was also alleged to have travelled without permission as well as disregard for constituted authorities by refusing to answer query issued to him.

    Among conditions given to the monarch during the period of the seven days suspension was to apologise to his victim and to the Edo State government.

    Rather, photographs emerged where Mrs. Okoebor, the woman who was allegedly assaulted by the Ojuromi of Uromi, was seen begging for forgiveness in the presence of some elders and her relatives.

    Okoebor told reporters that she was not pressured into the decision to seek for forgiveness as tradition forbids a monarch going to his subject to ask for forgiveness.

    “I have offended my father and have come to him for forgiveness, and he has forgiven me and also prayed for me,” she stated.

    The deposed monarch said it was his duty to always forgive whenever there is any disagreement between him and his subject.

    He said: “Betty is my daughter. She had little disagreement with the palace and she has come to apologise.

    “As a father, I have forgiven her and have also prayed for her to have good health, prosper and be successful in every of her endeavour.”

    In an apology letter sent to the state government in November, 2016, the deposed monarch admitted to an “altercation” between him and Mrs Okoebor.

    “Following the announcement of my suspension for seven days from the throne of the Onojie of Uromi and the accompanying ultimatum, I wish to state that at no time did I intend to disrespect or flaunt (sic) constituted authority. I felt that the altercation on September 28, 2016 between me and one of daughters (sic) which I took to be a family affair, and which has been resolved, sufficed.

    “Ms Betty Okoebor, has since followed the custom and reconciled herself to the Throne as a daughter.

    “I sincerely apologise to the State Government for not replying the query within the stipulated time and for not obtaining permission before I travelled outside the country and also for the resolved altercation between me and my daughter, Ms Betty Okoebor.

    “Let me reiterate, Your Excellency, that I recognise and respect the authority of the Edo State Government with you, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, as the Executive Governor, and I again pledge my unalloyed loyalty.”

    But the state government rejected the letter of apology and rather deposed HRH Aidonojie after approval was given at the weekly state executive meetings.

    Several protests trailed the decision of the state government to depose the Aidonojie, even as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party turned it into campaign issue.

    On the eve of Oshiomhole’s departure from office, the Bishop of the Diocese of Benin, ArchBishop Obiora Akubeze, asked Oshiomhole to forgive those that offended him during a thanksgiving service to mark the end of his tenure.

    Oshiomhole had replied that those seeking forgiveness must confess their sins and he would not allow a situation where the deposed monarch asked his victim to apologise to him.

    During its Meet-the-People-tour of the 18 local government areas, the PDP reiterated its stand that the deposition of the Uromi monarch showed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) does not like the people of Uromi. It told the people of Uromi not to support the APC in future elections because their king was yet to be enthroned.

    State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, urged Governor Godwin Obaseki to restore the traditional institution of Uromi by recalling the deposed monarch.

    Chief Orbih urged Obaseki to stop playing politics with the traditional institution of Uromi, saying that it was wrong for Uromi indigenes to continue to support the party that deposed their king.

    He urged the people not to remain in the APC when their monarch’s deposition was yet to  be reversed.

    A religious leader in the community, Bishop Antony Okosun, described Uromi as the Garden of Eden of the PDP.

    He said there would be no peace for those that refused to recall their king.

    But Secretary of the Uromi Traditional Council, Chief Francis Ozah, the Oza of Uromi, warned the leadership of the PDP and other political parties to stop interfering in its traditional affairs.

    Chief Ozah said the community did not celebrate the new yam festival because of the absence of its monarch. He also said the community leaders have written several letters to Governor Obaseki on the need to forgive their king to enable progress in the community.

    His words: “We are just like a wife with no husband. Onojie of Uromi would have performed New Yam festival but because of the dethronement, he cannot do it. He is responsible to the government. Whatever the government says is what he will take to and not what a political party says. We are to follow the culture and tradition of Uromi.

    “There has never been any problem with the palace of the Oba of Benin. When Oba Ovoranmen was deposed and he went to Calabar, the then Onojie of Uromi was the only traditional ruler that was deposed alongside Ovoranmen. The then Onojie fought the British. That will tell you the relationship between the Binis and us. When the heroes and heroines of Benin Kingdom were honoured, I represented the Onojie to receive an award.

    “Members of the community are not happy that their Onojie is dethroned. We are not happy. There are other festivities in Uromi that are no longer celebrated in an elaborate manner. All the festivals are supposed to be overseen by the Onojie. We are not happy that our king is dethroned.

    “With what happened, it is our tradition that a father does not beg a son. Rather a son should come to the father to beg for forgiveness. We want the Onojie of Uromi to be forgiven and enthroned no matter what he has done to offend anybody. This has nothing to with politics.

    “It is not the duty of the PDP to fight the cause of the traditional ruler. As the traditional ruler of Uromi, he is for all political parties. Every humankind has its own cause to champion. The PDP dabbling into the affairs of the dethronement of our king has not solved any matter.

    “My advice to the PDP is to play their politics and not interfere in the issue of the deposition of our king. We have to follow the government in power. I appealed to the Edo State Governor to pardon the Onojie of Uromi for any mistake he must have made in the past. The PDP should not dabble into traditional affairs neither will the traditional rulers dabble into politics.”

    Apparently tired that the continued intervention of the opposition PDP in his problems has not yielded the desired results, the deposed monarch issued a statement urging his subjects to ignore the PDP’s call for them not to vote for the party that deposed their king.

    The monarch, who urged his subjects to vote for any political party of their choice distanced himself from the PDP’s comments and insisted that he is not a member of any political party.

    He expressed optimism that Governor Godwin Obaseki will revisit the incident that led to his deposal.

    He said: “l wish to use this medium to state that I was neither privy nor a party to the said statements. I hereby dissociate myself from the said statements and to state in unequivocal terms, that I am neither a member of the said political party nor partisan.

    “I urge the electorate at Uromi to disregard the said statements and vote for the party of their choice.

    “I am confident that the governor, given his progressive nature,  in his time will revisit the unfortunate incident that led to my deposal. I promise my unalloyed support and loyalty to Edo State government.”

    As the 2019 approaches, the people hope that Obaseki will enthrone their monarch to score political points..

  • Govt, groups kick as cultism sparks concerns in Bayelsa

    At the inception of his government in 2012, Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson identified cultism as one of the hydra-headed problems dragging the oil-rich state backward. His assessment was, indeed, correct.

    Cultism was widespread and membership of secret cults was a thing of pride. Different cult groups sprang up and took charge of the political landscape. The state’s territories  were divided and shared among notorious and influential cult associations and leaders. With clear-cut boundaries, the territories had their leaders, who must be consulted before activities, projects and programmes took place in their jurisdictions.

    Cult supremacy wars were rife. Youths deployed assorted weapons, including guns, to kill and maim one another in such bloody clashes. Most times, innocent residents were cut up in cross fires. Cult members were hired as assassins and political thugs. Others made living in Bayelsa hellish as they attack innocent residents dispossessing them of their valuables and in many cases spilling their blood.

    In fact, cultism created many sociopaths, who enjoyed political protection. With their flamboyant lifestyles, cultists became role models for youths. Some of them dropped out of schools to play active roles as cultists. In fact, Dickson inherited a secret cult-infested state in 2012.

    Dickson’s first punch

    But his administration’s move against the monster was deft, firm, strong-willed and penetrative. Mustering enough political will since he had no linkage or sympathy for cultism despite growing up in a cultic environment, the governor sought a legal framework to deal decisively with the menace.

    The Secret Cult, Societies and Similar Activities Prohibition Amendment Bill was the first set of executive bills he sent to the House of Assembly for deliberations and passage. The lawmakers gave it expeditious hearing, passed it and Dickson assented to it on May 2, 2012.

    At first, the vision of Dickson paid off. The law restored sanity in the state. Many cultists and their leaders went under. Some left the state. In one fell swoop, thousands of youths came out of their closets and renounced cultism. The police were also busy as they law empowered them to deal ruthlessly with cultists. Some suspects were arrested and tried and those convicted were punished within the ambit of the law.

    Resurgence of the monster 

    However, in a dramatic twist, cult activities returned in full force shortly after the 2015 governorship elections in the state. The menace unsettled the state especially Yenagoa, the capital. Some blamed the resurgence of cultism on deliberate arming of youths by politicians during the election; hunger caused by the economic recession; unemployment, laziness and materialistic tendencies among the youths.

    But others believe that there is no excuse to criminality and ask security agencies especially the police to live up to their primary constitutional responsibilities. The police have taken the battle to the cultists within the limit of their resources. The current Commissioner of Police in the state, Don Awunah, declared zero tolerance to cultism.

    After profiling criminals and their activities in the state, Awunah realised that cultism is the catalyst, instigator and propeller of many violent crimes in the state. Cultism and its satanic spirit of abuse of dangerous drugs such as Tramadol, codeine, marijuana and cocaine, compel the youths to engage in armed robberies, rape, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

    Through his crack team on mopping up illegal arms and  his Operation  Safer  Bayelsa, Awunah has confronted cultists head-on. Despite his efforts, cult activities continued to threaten residents. Dickson immediately stepped in to assist the police in taming the monster.

    Dickson’s second punch: the Amendment

    The governor caused the anti-cultism law 2012 to be amended. Without hesitation, he signed the 2018 amended law. The new law prescribes 20-year-jail term without an option of fine for anybody convicted of cultism-related offences.

    Assenting to the amended law in Government House, Dickson lamented the rise in cult and other related activities in the state, especially in Yenagoa and its environs. He stressed that, with the amendment, the law enforcement agencies had been empowered to deal decisively with suspected cultists and their sponsors.

    Dickson explained that, the amendment to the law was to check the rise in cult activities among youths. He said the amendment was necessary to give the law enforcement agencies more powers to proactively protect lives and property as well as safeguard the future of the state.

    The law also empowers the police and other law enforcement agencies to conduct search on the homes of suspected cultists and sponsors, even without warrant. The amendment prescribes that buildings and premises used for cult, activities, initiations as well as the storage of arms and dangerous weapons should be forfeited to the government.

    The law further empowers the state government to destroy such buildings and premises, without any compensation to its owners. The governor called on landlords and property owners not to allow criminals and cultists to turn their property into centre of crime and criminality. He urged Bayelsans to report all suspicious and cult related activities to the appropriate authorities.

    Amendment yields fruit 

    The amendment to the law has brought some respites in Bayelsa. For fear of suffering the stringent punishments prescribed in the law, cultists appear to have reduced their nefarious activities. Recently over 500 youths renounced cultism against the backdrop of the law. They took advantage of the provision in section 6.

    The section provides that “any member of a secret cult who voluntarily renounces the membership of the cult and submits any offensive weapon in his possession to the police shall be free from prosecution under this law”.

    So, the 500 youths, who came through the state government-owned group, Bayelsa Volunteers (BV), took a stand against cultism and signed the denunciation forms. They were received by the Chairman, BV, Mr. Douye Koroye; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Boma Sparo-Jack; Majority Leader, State House of Assembly, Dr. Peter Akpe; the Central Zone Chairman, Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Tare Porri and other Dickson’s aides such as Jeremaiah Owoupele and Bonny Aya.

    Addressing the youths, Koroye said those who completed the renunciation process would be integrated into the special squad of the Bayelsa Volunteers.

    A well-known repented cultist and Special Adviser to Dickson on Oil and Gas, Mr. Felix Bonny-Ayah, told the youths that cultism would not produce any good results.

    Social movement against cultism begins 

    Following the body language of the governor, informed youths in Bayelsa have started a social movement to end cultism and drug abuse. The Convener of the Patriotism Advancement and Community Orientation Network (PACON), Aluzu Ebikebuna, with his group is leading the anti-cultism campaign which has gained prominence in social media with the hashtag #EndCultismInBayelsa#.

  • Double celebration for NDDC as MD, EDP bag doctorate degrees

    For Jane Ejiaku Adim, the best thing that happened to her on the day of her graduation from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, was the conferment of the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Management Technology (D.MTech) on Nsima Ekere, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on the same day.

    Ekere, in his acceptance speech, awarded her an NDDC postgraduate scholarship tenable “anywhere in the world”. Adim bagged a first class degree in Forestry and Wild Life Technology. A relative who never expected such a surprise kept screamed “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!” for the remaining part of Ekere’s speech. Ekere also announced the donation of an auditorium for the University.

    Ekere’s conferment was the highpoint of the 30th convocation of the institution, which saw 2358 graduands obtaining degrees from the institution’s schools of Engineering Technology; Health Technology; Management Technology; Agricultural Technology, Biological Sciences; Physical Sciences and Environmental Sciences, 30 graduands, including Adim, made First Class.

    For NDDC, it was double celebration as its Executive Director, Projects, Engr. Samuel Adjogbe, bagged a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Postgraduate School of the institution.

    Aside Ekere, Chief Tony Ezenwa, Chairman of Orange Drugs Limited, and Mr Andrew Ejayeriese, General Manager, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria/Mobil Producing Nigeria, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil, were also honoured with honorary Doctorate degrees-Ezenwa, with a Doctor of Management Technology (D. MTech), and Ejuyeriese with a Doctor of Technology (D. Tech respectively).

    Ekere said the award of scholarship on Adimu was to reward her for standing out as a model for youths in a nation, plagued by cultism, criminality and militancy. He said the education of youths in the Niger Delta region must be given top priority since education is the best weapon against militancy, cultism and unemployment and reiterated NDDC’s commitment in this regard.

    In a citation by the University, Ekere was praised for “implementing the 4R Strategy that has translated into the board’s decision to allocate 70% of its budget for the completion of ongoing projects than starting new ones; and for carrying out “a comprehensive  audit of all NDDC projects accross the Nine states that has enabled the board to have full visibility of NDDC Performance on a State by State basis” The citation also stated that Ekere’s “unstated philanthropic gesture including a strong investment in people’s development through regular award of scholarships and educational grants; provision of infrastructure and medical outreaches to rural communities; his donation of  an accident ward and trauma centre to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital in 2012 as a private person stands him out”

    Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francis Eze; the Pro-Chancellor, Prof John Offem and the visitor, President Muhamadu Buhari, represented by Minister of State for Education, Prof Anthony Anwuka, in their separate speeches, said education remained the bed rock of development of the society, with the President specifically calling on specialised institutions like FUTO to return to their core mandate in producing specialised manpower for the nation’s industrial needs.

    A reception held for Ekere at the Imo Trade and Investment Centre turned out a carnival of some sort where support groups advocating his entry into the 2019 Gubernatorial race in Akwa Ibom State, including Project ONE for Good Governance, APC Women Forum, Abak 5 Development Association, ADDA, Akwa Ibom Grassroot Movement for Buhari’s/Osinbajo (AKGM) and others, sang and danced around the Imo State Trade and Investment Centre, where guests were treated to a buffet.

    Obong Ekperikpe Ekpo, former member of the House of Representatives, and Leader of ADDA, said Ekere was a harbinger of development in Akwa Ibom State and deserved to be honoured.

    Benard Ekpotu, Project Director of Project ONE said the group was proud to be associated “with a man who likes to scale great heights, and who is always committed and dedicated to a cause he believes in,”  while a FUTO Student Leader, Nnaemeka Akano said the students of the institution  were “happy at the donation of the auditorium and equally appreciate the MD of NDDC for all his achievements in the education sector, including scholarship awards, donation of desk, chairs and hostel to schools across the region”

    • Efo, a journalist, contributed this piece from Owerri

     

  • Akwa Ibom community demands better road

    The Ikot Ambon community in Ibesikpo local government area of Akwa Ibom State has urged the state government to extend its trademark of quality road construction to the Ikot Ambon-Nung Ette=Ikot Abasi Idem road.

    While acknowledging the ongoing roads construction and rehabilitation works by the state government in Uyo, the state capital, and other major towns and communities across the state, natives and residents of Ikot Ambon believe that “what is good for the goose is also good for the gander”.

    According to them, the ongoing road construction work in their community which links Nung Ette and Ikot Abasi Idem villages falls short of the expected standards for which the Governor Udom Emmanuel administration is reputed for.

    For instance, the road, awarded between May and June last year by government to to Akpafem Construction Company Ltd, is being done without drainages, a situation which has caused them great loses and pains.

    They lamented that the lack of drainage alleging that the inferior materials used by local construction firm are responsible for the frequent incidents of flooding which have their damaged houses and farmlands.

    Besides the large-scale destruction, the inhabitants of Ikot Ambom said the unfortunate incidents have also fractured their socio-economic well-being, lamenting that so many of them have had to vacate their homes to take refuge in other communities because their houses have been overtaken by water especially after heavy downpours.

    Angered and frustrated by the development, natives and residents of Ikot Ambon staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday, alleging that the road contract is being a substandard company.

    Numbering over one thousand, the protesters carried placards with several inscriptions some of which read “Give Ikot Ambon gutter, you gave Nung Ette and Ikot Abasi Idem”, “Stop poor work at IkotAmbon-Ikot Ette-Ikot Abasi Idem road”, “One Road, Two Designs”, “IkotAmbon-Nung Ette-Ikot Abasi Idem road construction is a disappointment” and “Poor Road, Poor Votes”, among others.

    Mr. Michael Okon, a lawyer, who spoke on behalf of the Ikot Ambon community expressed anger and bitterness over the shoddy job done by the contractor handling the road construction, saying his people deserve a better deal from government.

    “One of the constitutional responsibilities of government is to provide good and durable roads for the people but as you can see this particular road is constructed without drainages.

    Commissioner for Works Akparawa Ephraim Inyang-eyen debunked the insinuation that the road was awarded to substandard company, maintaining that the Akwa Ibom state government does not compromise quality on roads construction.

    Inyang-eyen said it was not true that the road would be constructed with drainages, insisting that the design of Ikot Ambon-Nung Ette-Ikot Abasi road has provision for gutters.

    He appealed for calm and patience from the Ikot Ambon village, adding the construction firm would eventually construct the drainages in due time.

  • 270 Niger Delta women, youths trained on fishery, poultry

    The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has trained 270 women and youths from the region on fishery and poultry farming and other value chains in agriculture in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

    Speaking at the graduation ceremony for the last set of 90 beneficiaries at the University of Calabar, the Minister Pastor Usani Usani, stressed that human capacity development was key to development, and the exercise was one of the many ways the Federal Government is trying to improve achieve this.

    The training exercise was carried out in conjunction with the University of Calabar and some consultants.

    Usani, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Economic Empowerment of the Ministry, Ndiomu Ebiogeh Philip, said the beneficiaries were drawn from all the states of the Niger Delta region.

    “The 90 youths graduating today were from all states of the Niger Delta.

    This is the second phase in Cross River. We had already graduated a set of 180 women and youths last week,” he said.

    He said the exercise would be continuous and subsequent ones would accommodate more beneficiaries.

    Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Prof Claudius Daramola said the programme was of one of the laudable initiatives of the present administration aimed at diversifying the economy, increasing food security and generating employment for the teeming youths in the Niger Delta.

    He said the curriculum was drawn to cover the areas of impacting theoretical and practical knowledge on poultry and fishery production and other value chains; enabling them manage businesses for effective enterprise development; ensuring they become self employed and able to engage others; generating income for their families and communities; and becoming employers of labour.

    “It is my greatest hope and desire that no sooner than we can imagine, you too will become established enough to contribute towards the training of other Niger Deltans for the enhancement of their value, thereby making them more useful in the region.

    ”The Ministry is also aware that training without support at the terminal point is an effort in futility. As part of the programme, an empowerment package has been put together which is meant for you to be able to commence an enterprise that will improve your life and that of your family,” he said.

    ”Practice what you have learnt, contribute to foo security of the region and country, build capacities in your communities through backward integration, and run profitable enterprises that will engage other women and youths in your communities.”

     

  • Quadruplets’ death leads to health insurance scheme in Okpekpe

    Six years ago, the people of Okpekpe community in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State rolled out their drums to celebrate the construction of a road leading to their community. It was dream former Governor Adams Oshiomhole brought to reality because previous administrations told them they were cursed to live in a terrain where road construction is difficult if not impossible.

    The access road to Okpekpe made it play host to the annual 10 kilometre road race that has been granted the silver label by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF). Despite the fanfare associated with the road race, the people of Okpekpe are not happy. The only primary health centre in the community is in a state of disrepair which made expectant mothers in the community patronise traditional birth attendants while sick children are given herbal concoctions.

    In February this year, a woman (names withheld) was delivered of quadruplets in Okpekpe but all the babies, including their mother, died before they could be rushed to Auchi, headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area for adequate medical care

    Explaining how the babies died, Mrs. Vivian Yole, who is the only nurse at the government-owned primary health centre, said the woman, as is the norm of expectant mothers in the community, did not register for ante-natal services. She also stated that after the woman was delivered of one of the babies at home, she was rushed to a birth attendant before she was brought to the health centre where she gave birth to three others.

    Mrs. Yole said all the babies died because no incubator is available at the hospital.

    “The woman was delivered of one her babies at home. They rushed her to a place where she gave birth to another one before they brought her here. All the babies were premature and we don’t have incubators. They all died before they could take them to Auchi.”

    When reporters were conducted around the health centre, the wards were empty and unkempt. What makes the situation worse is that anytime Mrs. Yole travelled to meet her family in Benin City, the health centre is shut down.

    She said: “I am the head of primary health centre (PHC), Okpekpe. I have been working in Okpekpe since March, 2014. We received five to six patients weekly on the average. Every Tuesday is our ante-natal day. Many of the women do not come. Sometimes only two or three women will come.

    “If the children are sick, the parents will not bring them here. They will go to quack chemist stores to buy drugs to buy. They will not bring the children until the children are into coma or convulsing. Many children we receive here are in critical situation. They struggle to be alive before their parents bring them here. We have to refer them to Auchi to be attended to by a doctor.

    “We don’t have doctors here. We have equipment to carry out malarial tests but there is no laboratory here. We can only carry out tests for malaria, HIV and blood sugar. We treat malaria here but other ailments are referred to Auchi.

    “I am the only nurse here but my family lives in Benin-City. I was transferred to here in 2014. Sometimes I spend two weeks here. When I am out, there is nobody here. Since January, we have taken only four deliveries including the quadruplets.”

    To reverse the ugly trend and prevent other babies from dying like the quadruplets,  members of the community, in collaboration with the Women Health Action Research Centre (WHARC), last week launched a health insurance scheme known as the Okpekpe Women and Child Health Programme.

    The scheme, according to the Head of WHARC, Prof. Friday Okonofua, was to ensure that expectant mothers and children have access to quality health care even when they do not have money.

    Prof. Okonofua stated that the reasons given by the women for not visiting the health centre were untenable. He listed the reasons to include lack of transportation, decayed facilities at the centre, lack of adequate medical personnel and no money to buy prescribed drugs.

    “We must find a solution to these problems. We cannot allow the women to die further. Nigeria has the worst indicators of health. It is unacceptable for our women to die while giving birth.

    “The idea of this launch is to ensure that no woman in Okpekpe who is pregnant will die while giving birth. No child born in Okpekpe will die in the first five years. That is the most vulnerable years. The future of Okpekpe and the state rest on the young people.”

    Clan head of Okpekpe,  Peter Osigbemeh, disclosed that he was saddened by the death of the quadruplets, which was why the community  committed N2 millon towards realisation of the project. He disclosed that N1.5m was spent to renovate the doctor’s quarters in the community while N500,000 was to be deposited in an account for buying of drugs.

    Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the state government had begun plans to revamp PHCs across the state.

    Osagie said the government has commenced the renovation of 25 PHCs in some selected local government areas.

  • When reception for Amaechi caused headache for Wike

    It is very unusual that several years after a Public Servant retires from office, those he served still gathered in one accord to organise a grand reception in his honour.

    The people of Opobo /Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State had gathered in their numbers to celebrate the duo of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of the State and current Hon. Minister of Transportation and one of their own Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, in a grand reception organised by the Free Rivers Initiative (FRI) Opobo/Nkoro chapter.

    The people of Opobo kingdom have had a lot to celebrate and boast of in terms of infrastructural development in the past administration of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, between the year 2007 and 2015.

    While it is unarguable that the people of Opobo/Nkoro are readily prepared for the elections to come considering their large turn- out during the last Friday reception it is imperative to note that some trouble makers are having sleepless nights thinking of how to scuttle that plan. This is evident even as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its leader in the State, Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike devised several means to scuttle the mega reception in honour of the APC leader Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the Director-General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside.

    After several attempt to fix a rally of his party for same day with the reception of Amaechi failed, Wike opted for a plan ‘B’ whereby he summoned for a meeting all sons and daughters of Opobo/Nkoro including government recognised Chiefs and traditional rulers to Brick House same day to ensure that the local government area was deserted for the supporters of APC to attend the reception.

    As if that was not enough and to ensure compliance with his directives, the governor through the care-taker chairman of the council provided free boats to ferry the people from Opobo to the popular Konor waterside and free buses to convey them from the waterside to Government House in Port Harcourt.

    Although, Wilke’s directive was complied with by a few of the boat operators, the care taker chairman of the council had also threatened to withdraw the certificate of operation by any of the speed boat pilots who disregarded the order. Speed boat operators from the neighbouring Bonny community, together with some of their colleagues in Opobo drove en masse to the Konor Jetty to ferry the Minister and his entourage voluntarily to Opobo for the August event.

    Despite the governor’s ploy to scuttle the mega reception organised for Amaechi by the people of Opobo, the people in flagrant disregard of the governor’s summon to Government House, attended the reception of the minister in their thousands to show their love for the transportation Minister and identified with his party, the APC even though an insignificant number of chiefs from the area attended the Government House invitation for the fear of losing their recognition.

    At the reception, the atmosphere was fully overwhelmed by the people who filed out in their numbers according to their wards chanting a popular slogan, ‘Dakuku, Dakuku, our Governor our Governor’. The occasion was such that could not contain the mammoth crowd in the playground measuring about fifty hectares of land which was sand filled by the Amaechi ‘s government.

    It was during the Amaechi’s era that projects like model health centers, model primary schools and other people oriented projects became part of the people. Amaechi brought back hopes to the people and ensured that their children and wards got good education both within and outside the country.

    This was further explained by Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, a son of Opobo and former commissioner for works in the first tenure under the Amaechi administration.

    He said: ”Today, in Rivers State, the symbol of good governance is the Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi. I don’t know how many of you remember that the ground we are standing on today was sand filled by Chibuike Amaechi. It is the government of Amaechi that has given the people of Opobo kingdom more land than any other government. You will also recall that when he assumed office in 2007, the government of Dr. Peter Odili had started the Ogoni /Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro unity road, they had taken the road from Ogoni to Iwoamasarama (the first Community in Opobo), it is the government of Chibuike Amaechi who took the road to Nkoro and to Kalibiama. I was commissioner for works and so I can tell authoritatively that he added a spur to Nkoro and to Kalibiama leading to Opobo town”.

    ”Under his watch we can freely drive to Nkoro town and we can drive to Kalibiama. But three years after he left office as governor we have less than 2 kilometres of that road to Opobo town and up till date, that road has not been done. All the functional Model Schools in the LGA were built by Amaechi. We are an Island LG. We, Bonny and Andoni are the ones that have these peculiar features in the state, and so, if you have a medical emergency here, there is nowhere to go to, the only model functional health centres we have are the ones built by Chibuike Amaechi”.

    The Chairman of the occasion and former President of the Ogbakor Ikwerre Organisation World Wide, Chief Samson Agabaru, said Amaechi served the people “selflessly, purposefully and fairly”.

    • Okpara, an aide of the transportation minister writes from Abuja

     

  • Holy impunity

    The jury is out. For a long time, the content of the Justice Umoekoyo Essang report on the December 2016 Uyo church tragedy in which thirty people died was unknown. Earlier in the week, snippets of the report submitted to the state government on June 22, last year came out. One key fact emerged: Pastor Akan Weeks, the founder of the church, Reigners Bible Church incurred the wrath of the panel. The government White Paper did not spare him either.

    The report accused Weeks of “undue interference” in the construction of the church building.

    “His (Mr Weeks’) adamant posture of unbridled impunity as the Founder/ General Overseer of Reigners Bible Church led to the unfortunate incident of 10 December, 2016,” the commission added in the report.

    That was not all. The report said the church did not get government permit for the building construction and that the construction work was rushed with impunity.

    The White Paper said the professionals ought to execute due care and skill in the discharge of their duties or resign where they are not allowed to do so.

    It all began like a joke that day. There was music in the air.  Banters were thrown. Hands were plumped. It promised to be a glorious day. The founder of the church was to have his ordination as a bishop. He is not a small fry. So, the church was jam-packed. Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel came with some of his commissioners and aides. Some of the commissioners were new in the State Executive Council. They were sworn in on December 1, 2016.

    Thirty minutes into the governor’s arrival hell literally came down. No thanks to human error, the church’s iron pillars gave way and the blue roofs came thumping down. Of course on people! An account even said someone was cut into two by the iron pillars. A policeman who reportedly saved the governor is now six feet below. And some others broke their necks, their limbs and their back. The founder of the church, Pastor Akan Weeks, had his leg broken. The contractor fled after doing a job the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) described as shoddy.

    Till now, we know not the identities of the victims. Thirty people died.  Joseph Effiom is the face of a tragedy in a place where fear should have been the last thing on anyone’s mind. Effiom could not cheat death when it came calling.  This polytechnic student, a friend said, “was one of the first three brilliant chaps in my class”. Thanks to Effiom’s classmates who revealed her identity, she would have died anonymously!

    Those who sustained all kinds of injuries and received treatment in hospitals were given as 168. Out patients were 50. Hospitals, such as the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Ibom Specialist Hospital Uyo, Sifon Clinic, Life Care Clinic, Premiers Clinic, St Luke’s Hospital, Gateway Medical Centre, Uwah Mfon Clinic, First Line Clinic and Alma Clinic and Surgery had hectic time attending to survivors.

    Emmanuel’s men who crawled out of death’s hole had scary tales to share. Chief Press Secretary Ekerette Udoh miraculously escaped an iron rod cutting his neck, but it eventually hit him on the back. The cap of his left knee was broken.

    Commissioner for Information Charles Udoh was on his way out of the church to catch a flight when tragedy struck. He would have been out but protocol demanded that he told the governor before vanishing from the church hall. It was this protocol-induced task he was accomplishing when death almost took him away like Effiom and the others whose names we may never know. He had to run here and there to prevent the iron pillars from turning him to a candidate for the mortuary.

    Nollywood actor Ekere Nkanga, who had acted almost all roles imaginable, had to wade through bodies to safety. He hid under some people. As he tried to get up, the body of a man cut into two fell on him. There were bodies around him. He managed not to have a direct impact with falling rods, but he later discovered his neck was broken. He had to wear a neck collar for weeks and was under observation in the hospital.

    In the wake of the tragedy, Pastor Weeks had likened the incident to the devil fighting back and he urged Christians to unite and fight it. I beg to disagree. Some people did not do what they were expected to do. Now, I am glad government is set to bring them to book.

    On July 7, last year, while receiving the probe report from Justice Umoekoyo Essang, who chaired the panel, the governor said: “I want to thank you for this great job that you have done and to assure you once again that the recommendations of this report would be taken seriously. We would do everything to implement and prevent future occurrence of this tragedy. May this affliction never occur the second time.”

    Speaking with reporters in Uyo on Tuesday following rumours that the government was planning to shield Pastors Weeks, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Uwemedimo Nwoko said although the state government would not prosecute anyone based on the report of the commission of enquiry as it was set up to allow parties involved to testify freely, government would ensure that any found culpable would feel the full weight of the law.

    He promised to liaise with police authority to ensure a thorough investigation of those indicted by the report of the commission to ensure that justice was done in line with due process.

    Nwoko said: “All those who have been indicted by the report will be subjected to a thorough investigation by the police and any found culpable will be charged to court and made to face the full weight of the law.

    “No one has been exonerated, but we have to carry out proper investigation, you cannot just jail anyone, we must follow due process, but trust that justice must be done at the end of the day.”

    My final take: If it is true that Pastor Weeks piled pressure on the professionals to do what they were not supposed to do, he should not go scot-free. Even the professionals also should pay the price for allowing a layman to tell them what to do.  The blood of Effiom and others should not be shed in vain. Anything short of this is encouraging what I called holy impunity.

  • How we cleared deficit and improve service delivery, by NDDC boss

    The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Nsima Ekere, has explained how his leadership has repositioned the agency for better service delivery. He speaks on several issues, including his gubernatorial ambition. WALE AJETUNMOBI reports.

    Reforming modus operandi

    The greatest challenge that NDDC faced under my tenure is the over training the commission had been involved with before we came on board. The balance sheet of the commission is over-bloated. In fact, the auditor’s report for last year stated a contingent liability of N1.7 trillion. In the course of previous year, we had to determine sustainability of some projects; we had to terminate non-performing projects in two tranches. In the first tranche, 624 projects were terminated. The projects we terminated in the first tranche were worth over N200 billion; while the second also ran into multi billion naira. We have been able to reduce the deficit in our balance sheet by about N300 billion since we came in. This is one of the reforms agenda we articulated when we came on board. We called the reform 4Rs, which is geared towards turning around the balance sheet of the commission and reduce new commitment and liabilities we create. We dedicated 70 per cent of our budget to complete ongoing projects, while we reserve 30 per cent to cater for overhead cost and new projects. This is deliberate, because there is no point to recreating new liabilities when there is no money we can use to take care of them. We want to use most of the money that comes in to service ongoing projects. The second “R” in our reform agenda is to restructure the governance system of NDDC. We want the commission to known as an organisation that respects laws and governance policies. We want to put a culture of due process in place. Before now, anything could happen in NDDC. We had a retreat when came on board. One of the facilitators, Dr. Joe Abah of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms said when they did a review of NDDC, it was discovered that everything that could possibly be wrong with an organisation was wrong with NDDC. That is why we said we must improve the governance system, develop and bring in technology to fix it. The third reform we did was to restore the commission back to its core mandate. We planned to get NDDC to concentrate on doing big ticket projects that will promote regional integration and boost the regional economy. In collaboration with stakeholders in the region, particularly the state governments, we have come up with projects that would lead to regional integration. We were in Ondo State recently where we flagged off the construction of 51 kilometre road linking the Ilaje part of the state to Lagos. We also have collaboration with the governments of Edo and Cross River states to do projects. The fourth reform we carried out is to generally rededicate ourselves to doing things in right way for the benefit of the Niger Delta region. We have been getting positive feedbacks from the reforms we initiated. But, are we where we want to be? No. But, the reforms are taking the commission steadily to the destination. I hope people that would take over from us would see the need to sustain the reform.

     

    Challenges against the commission’s plan

    The greatest challenge to our plan is the attitude of some people in the Niger Delta region, particularly the youth. These people have a sense of entitlement, because they have been entertained for so long. They are used to getting things done in a particular way and getting certain kind of gratification. Since they are not getting what they used to get, they are not happy with us. Weeks ago, I got threats from some group. They went to online media and posted that our administration is the worst in the history of NDDC. They urged the President Muhammadu Buhari to dissolve the NDDC Board and reconstitute a new one. We decided to call them and asked why they posted the threat. They said they were expecting money from NDDC and they had not got it. So, how do you take out government money and just handover to a group of people just because you don’t want them to malign you? If you pay them, another group would do the same thing. They would write unbelievable allegations against us. One of those funny allegations recently made against our management is that, we had wasted N500 billion in one year. That is laughable, we have not received 20 per cent of that money. How do you waste something you have never received? But these people don’t even care, so far their aim is to box you into submission to their wishes.

     

    Determining projects to carry out

    When we came on board, we decided to adopt bottom-up approach in project conceptualisation. We get representation from all the communities in the region on continuous basis. Because we made up our mind on working collaboratively with the state governments; before now, we had a situation where there were conflicts with the state governments in terms of project duplication. We set up state project committees for each state, which also serve as budget committees. Each state’s representative on the board of NDDC chairs that committee. We ask them to go to their respective states and engage with the government on project requests coming from communities to know which project NDDC should take on. So, that is how we generate the project that we put into our budget and send to the National Assembly. I can’t say there would not be political interference in project allocation. Some inputs from the political class usually come in, particularly from members of the National Assembly. Once we send in our budget, it becomes the property of the National Assembly. Whatever they return to you is your actual budget. At times, some of the projects we get in the final draft of the budget are not the ones we suggested. That is where political interference comes in. We end up embarking on projects that are not necessarily within our vision.

     

    Funding the NDDC

    This is a very great challenge for the NDDC. I had a friend who was also a former Managing Director of the commission years ago. When he took over, he met a balance of N140 billion and used that to start work. When we came, we met about N2 billion. Meanwhile, the salary bill for NDDC in a month is about N800 million. By the time we paid the first salary, almost half of the money was gone. To improve our financial base, we have been working aggressively with the oil companies to get their contribution to the NDDC funds along with contribution from the Federal Government. There is a huge deficit in terms of what we get and what we are supposed to get from the Federal Government. Cumulatively over the years, we have a deficit of N1.8 trillion debt which the Federal Government is owing the NDDC from inception till date. We have written to the Federal Government and fortunately we got the sympathy of the President concerning this. He directed the Ministries of Finance and Budget and Planning to engage the NDDC and do a reconciliation on the exact amount the Federal Government is owing the commission, with the aim to agree on acceptable payment plan. Unfortunately, we are not getting the kind of support we expected from the Ministry of Finance till date. That is where we are. We are putting pressure on them. Definitely, we have challenges with funding. The oil companies have been contributing their dues to the commission. We had a major issue with Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) recently. With the amendment of the NLNG Act, we are able to get some contribution from NLNG into NDDC. So, there is a progress in terms of looking beyond the government’s contribution. We appreciate the support of the National Assembly in retrieving funds.

     

    ‘What has changed under our leadership’

    Last year alone, we were able to complete over 370 projects. It is a record success. It has never happened before in the history of the commission. These projects included roads, bridges, solar energy production and other areas. The perception that NDDC is a cash cow is not true. If it was true, I personally would have been a beneficiary. When we came, we instituted reforms based on our 4Rs strategy. We sought to change the way the commission is run. We want to make the NDDC transparent and efficient. On a monthly basis, NDDC get N5 billion from the federation account. By the time workers’ salaries, imprest to the various directorates and other overheads are paid, we may be left with N3 billion. And the commission has contingent liability of over N1 trillion; so, how can NDDC be a cash cow? So, it is a wrong perception. Managing an agency like NDDC is a tough job. Because we have institutionalised due process and transparency in the system, to get one kobo from the agency, you will go through over 50 stages. This is done to improve transparency and accountability.

     

    Allocation of projects in states

    The way we allocate projects in our area of activities is based on two principles. One is quality of state and the percentage of oil production of any particular state. That is what we use to determine how projects are shared among oil-producing states. For a very long time, Akwa Ibom has been the number one oil producer in the country. This information could be verified from NNPC’s chart. That automatically means that Akwa Ibom is supposed to have highest number of projects from NDDC. Before we came on board, that was not the situation. In doing what is right, we said we would give Akwa Ibom its fair share because of its sheer size of contribution to the national economy. It is unfortunate that people are now looking at it from a political angle, which is making some people feel threatened because of the projects we are bringing to Akwa Ibom State.

     

    Gubernatorial ambition

    It is too early to say whether I want to contest for governor in Akwa Ibom State or not. I am working in NDDC for now.