The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Give Mama her dollars

    Give Mama her dollars

    I have a problem with this country. It is a nation where we lack respect for heroes and heroines. Or how do we explain the kind of treatment being meted out to Mama Peace, the one and only Dame Patience Jonathan? For a woman who has contributed so much to this country— especially during her reign as the First Lady— she deserves our respect. Her contributions to Bayelsa State, both as wife of the governor and as Permanent Secretary, also dictate that we should respect her.

    This country’s political lexicons grew while the Dame was around. A sampler from a campaign rally in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, will convince you of her genius.

    She said:  “A bird at hand is worth a million in the bush. Nigerian women, let us shine our eyes. Women of Nigeria, are you ready to go to prison? Are you ready to go and give your father food in the prison? It is not our portion. We reject it.

    “Akwa Ibom State is a PDP state. It’s not for expired drugs, because APC cannot heal you, outdated drugs cannot heal you. Let them call it any name. Just like as my husband younger brother (Governor Akpabio) have (sic) said, they will continue changing name until they will reach Ebola. And they will call it Ebola.

    “You know what Ebola normally do (sic)? Although Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has said Nigeria is not Ebola country, so, they cannot bring Ebola to Nigeria because Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and PDP government will wipe it off. And they will bury it, because it cannot stay here at all.

    “A good man borns (sic) a good son. You cannot deliver what you don’t have, and that’s why he has brought somebody that can also deliver you from the APC. The one that will heal you .

    “We are not propagandaly (sic). We are not here to deceive you. We are not here to lie for (sic) you. Because whatever we say go and search because you will see it.”

    There are other popular coinages from Mama, such as: “My husband and Sambo is a good people”; “The President was once a child and the Senators were once a children”; “My fellow widows”; and “We should have love for our fellow Nigerians irrespective of their nationality”. And how on earth can we forget this poetic ingenuity: “ Daris God o. All this blood we are sharing in Borno”. And the clincher: “Na only you waka come”.

    Great stuffs from a great woman whose adversaries said never took instructions from her husband Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Some even said she ran a government within government.

    Really, for a woman who contributed this much to our political lexicons, we should roll out the red carpet any day, any time for her. Not vilify her. The other day she was trying to use the VIP gate at the Port Harcourt International Airport and she was prevented, just because she is no longer First Lady. What insolence! People like her should be First Lady forever.

    Now, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has gone overboard by seizing her $15m which a former Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa, helped her warehouse in four companies’ accounts. A report in The Punch said the accounts were opened using the names of Dudafa’s driver and houseboy.

    At times, the EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu, baffles me. What gave him the audacity and the temerity to seize Mama Peace’s money? Does he think because his name shares some semblance with Magun—that feared Yoruba anti-adultery charm— every knee must bow before him?

    The travail of Mama all started when the EFCC began probing Dudafa now standing trial for money laundering alongside four companies. The four companies are Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, Seagate Property Development and Investment Company Limited, Trans Ocean Property and Investment Company Limited and Globus Integrated Service Limited.

    In the process of investigating Dudafa, the EFCC traced the four companies to him. The companies have domiciliary accounts at Skye Bank with a balance of $15m. The EFCC obtained a court order and froze the accounts.

    It traced the directors of the companies who denied ownership of the accounts. Along the line, the commission stumbled on the vital information that the accounts belonged to Dame Jonathan and that she is the sole signatory to the accounts.

    With this discovery, the EFCC should have applied the brakes on account of the contributions of the Dame to the growth and development of this great nation called Nigeria. But trust Magu, he started singing we no go gree o. His grouse was that if the Dame had nothing to hide, she should have opened the accounts in her name, just like her personal account, which bears her name, with a balance of $5m. The commission started wondering where she got the money from.

    What an insult? How much is $15m that Mama Peace cannot have? In Nigeria, it is news that senior civil servants have hundreds of millions of dollars. How then can it be worthy of any attention for EFCC that a woman whose husband was President of a country that was the largest economy in Africa owns only $15m?

    Trust Mama, she has sued Skye Bank for freezing her bank accounts and giving the EFCC information about her finances. Mama also filed a N200m fundamental rights enforcement suit against Skye Bank Plc.

    In an affidavit deposed to on her behalf by Sammie Somiari, Mama Peace faulted the No Debit Order placed on the four accounts in July. Mama, who could not depose to the affidavit personally because she is abroad on health ground, said Dudafa helped her open the four bank accounts which the EFCC froze.

    Dudafa, according to the affidavit, had on March 22, 2010 brought two Skye Bank officers, Demola Bolodeoku and Dipo Oshodi, to meet Mama at home to open five accounts. After the five accounts were opened, according to the tale by Somiari, Mama later discovered that Dudafa opened only one of the accounts in her name and the other four in the names of companies belonging to him.

    The affidavit reads: “The applicant (Dame Jonathan) complained about this to Dudafa, who at his prompting and instance promised to effect the change of the said accounts to the applicant’s name; and to effect this change, Dudafa brought the said bank manager, Mr. Dipo Oshodi, who was purported to have effected the changes. This was about April 2014.

    “The applicant is not a director, shareholder or participant in the companies named in the aforementioned four accounts.

    “The bank official, Mr. Dipo Oshodi, as it would appear, did not effect or reflect the instruction of the applicant to change the said accounts to her name(s) despite repeated requests of the applicant.

    “Besides, the ATM credit cards bearing the said companies’ names were brought to the applicant by Mr. Dipo Oshodi of the second respondent bank, who promised to replace them once the cards bearing the changed names were available, but he never did.

    “However, since 2010 up until 2014 and thereafter, the applicant had been using the cards on the said accounts and operating the said accounts without let or hindrance.

    “Even in May, June and July 2016, the applicant travelled overseas for medical treatment and was using the said credit cards abroad up until July 7, 2016 or thereabout when the cards stopped functioning.”

    Now, Mama does not just want the accounts defrozen, she also wants the court to order Skye Bank to pay her damages of N200m for a violation of her right to own personal property under Section 44 of the Constitution.

    The matter, which came up for further proceedings yesterday, has got many Nigerians asking questions.

    For instance, the Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), believes with the admission by Mama Peace that she owns the accounts, the EFCC has the right to probe her.

    His basis: The Act establishing the EFCC gives it the power to investigate anybody who is seen to have more wealth than he or she ought to have.

    He wonders how Mama Peace, who was a civil servant, could have billions in bank accounts. So, he believes she must explain how she earned it.

    My final take: Nothing gets to Mama Peace easily. I believe she will explain how she earned every dollar of the $15m in the four accounts and when she is done, Magu will apologise and grant her perpetual immunity from any form of financial and economic crime probe.

  • Honour for Akwa Ibom governor

    Honour for Akwa Ibom governor

    It was a gathering of sons and daughters of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio (MMI) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State to celebrate Mboho’s 29th anniversary and honour Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel.

    The Executive Director, Human Resources, ExxonMobil, Mr. Udom Inoyo, who chaired the occasion, spoke against  the dwindling values and morals among Nigerians for money.

    Quoting Henry Paulson, Inoyo said: “In just about every area of society, there’s nothing more important than ethics.”

    Inoyo stressed the inestimable importance of integrity, good name and leaving behind legacies that will be exemplary to  future generations.

    He stated that an interview with former Ghanaian PresidentJerry Rawlings reminded him of how “fantastically low we (Nigerians) now are on matters of morals even in spite of our enthusiastic and sometimes aggressive embrace of religion”.

    He went on: “You can see churches in almost all nooks and crannies of the state and no function takes place without having on the agenda an opening and closing prayers, irrespective of how the event will end.  Yet, things are getting worse. I am a witness that it never used to be so, and while there are many postulations for the current decay, I’m sure there is also alignment that this country we so love will continue to struggle until we pay serious attention to our moral values.”

    He cited examples of how palaces of some billionaire Nigerians, who were guarded by heavy security, were taken over by weeds, rodents and termites just few years after their death, which highlights the vanity of placing undue value on wealth.

    He said: “Since it appears that as a people, we have lost our sense of purpose on earth, given our selfishness and relentless pursuit of wealth, at all cost, and at the expense of what should really matter in life, I am reminded to ask you today to reflect on the question: what do we really want in life?”

    To Emmanuel, the ExxonMobil director said: “We know that awards in Nigeria, especially those accorded persons of power and influence, are sometimes unmerited and with the value significantly discounted once the recipient is no longer in a position of influence to grant favours.  But there are recipients whose values never diminish, whether in or out of public office. Bob Marley, the greatest reggae expositor that ever lived once said that ‘’the greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.

    “I have known Governor Emmanuel for over two decades and in this period, he has demonstrated some admirable attributes – hard work and humility. His meteoric rise in his chosen career of banking remains a testimony to the virtue of hard work, dedicated service, honesty and trustworthiness. Unfortunately, these attributes are in short supply in our society today and it is my hope that we would be able to restore them knowing these attributes use to define what we stood for as a people. We must therefore reorient our young ones to emulate and tow this honourable path. We must arrest the shameless resort to easy handouts from political office holders which breeds a culture of praise-singing and has sadly become a widely accepted norm. Bongos Ikwue, the sonorous musician, told us many years ago that, nothing good comes easy.

    “Almost everyone who has managed to get into the public space today talks about political structures and consolidation of power, I wish the same passion will go into building a culture of excellence in service. It is my hope that it is these and many more qualities that have made Udom deserving of this award by MMI. If this is so, and not just because he is holding the office of Governor today, then the best legacy of today’s event will be for Mboho to imbibe and propagate these values. That way, your award will occupy an enduring place in Udom’s heart even beyond 2019.”

    Inoyo urged MMI to remain that “institution that advocates what is noble and right, speaking up for the voiceless, and uniting all Akwa Ibom people”.

    He added: “ I know you have invested in education, awarded scholarships and even building a school. Please continue in this all-important cause, knowing that, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’.”

    To the governor, he said: “This honor should spur and motivate you to do more. Don’t rest on your oars. Your concern about the welfare of our people, majority of whom continue to wallow in abject poverty, is well known and though handicapped by the significant decline in the revenue stream, you should remain committed to programmes that will energise the economy and put money in the hands of many and not just a few. Continue to ensure probity in governance, and do everything in your powers to utilise the services of our best and brightest to move the state forward.”

  • Navy, corps member take medical rhapsody to Bayelsa community, IDPs

    Gwegwe community and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camping at the Samson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, were recently given a reason to smile.

    The Central Naval Command (CNC) of the Nigerian Navy and a corps member, Dr. IniAbasi Bassey, who discharges her primary assignment at the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (ODS), visited them at separate occasions with lots of care and love.

    While the Navy headed for Gwegwe, the corps member went to the IDP’s camp. In fact the residents of Gwegwe in Ovom, Yenagoa, were surprised at the medical mission of the navy.

    The Flag Officer Commanding CNC, Rear Admiral Mohammed Garba, personally led the medical mission to the community. To show the importance he attached to the health of his host, Garba brought most of the senior officers in his command including the Chief of Staff of the command, Rear Admiral Akinjide Akinrinade to the community.

    Residents felt honoured by the presence of Garba, whose achievements within a short period he took over the command in an era of militancy, resounded in their ears. The navy brought cartons of drugs and mobilised qualified doctors to the community to identify and treat common sicknesses.

    The Paramount Ruler of Ovom, HRH Mathias Obele was excited at the gesture of the navy. He immediately sent words round Gwegwe community asking the residents to turn out en masse to benefit from military generosity. Obele also invited members of his council of Chiefs to receive Garba and his team.

    Within a short time, Garba arrived and headed straight for the humble palace of the Ijaw king. The Chiefs and their king were happy to behold Obele identifying with them. The Naval boss told them that the programme was borne out of the desire of the military to tackle health problems plaguing its host communities.

    He said the CNC has been visiting communities within its Area of Responsibility (AoR) for medical missions. He named some of the communities that had benefited from the gesture and said the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) was in support of the programme.

    He said through the programme, the navy gets closer to and establishes links with the people for effective resolution of common security problems. He said the programme was part of strategic directive to work with local communities and stakeholders to achieve government’s collective mandate.

    Garba had another message for them. He said: “Nigeria belongs to Nigerians. We are part and parcel of the society. We are all Nigerians and Nigeria belongs to Nigerians. We must make sure we protect this country.

    “This is one of the ways to reduce tension by reaching out to people. It is easy to solve problem when you reach out to people.”

    Garba later told residents who gathered to benefit from the medical outreach that the military especially the Navy cared for the people of the region. He appealed to them not to view every naval personnel as hostile and bloodthirsty describing the Navy as caring and humane.

    Indeed, the Ijaw king and his council of chiefs were elated. Obele, playing the Oliver Twist, also asked the navy to consider employing some of the indigenes of Ovom. He reminded the navy that one of their bases, NNS SOROH, is located within the community.

    For the IDPs, the intervention of the youth corps member, Dr. Bassey was a big relief. Their condition was pathetic as they suffered various ailments without money to buy required drugs. The IDPs were mostly victims of the violence that marred the last governorship election in the state.

    So, when they saw Bassey with cartons of drugs and mosquito nets, they leaped up in joy. They sang, danced and described the young lady as God-sent. Bassey said she was moved by pity after she visited the camp and saw the terrible living condition of the IDPs.

    She said: “When I was told there are IDPs here, I went to visit them. The children were malnourished and the general standard of living there was very poor. So, I was moved to help them by doing something about their health because health is wealth.”

    “It is my personal community development service. I donated some drugs and relief items to them. You can see that the people came out in their numbers and we had a health talk.

    “I donated drugs for malaria treatment because of the pandemic nature of malaria. I gave them analgesic, antibiotics and supplements. In fact, I have given them lots of drugs. I gave them over 100 mosquito-treated nets”.

    The corps member, who hails from Akwa Ibom State said she solicited funds from people to undertake the project. She said with more assistance she would do more to help in solving some problems in the state.

    Bassey said she was already working on another community development service following some pressing needs she identified in one of the community schools in Yenagoa.

    In fact, most of the IDPs thanked the corps member for her intervention describing her as a problem solver.

     

     

  • Canadian kick-boxer loses belt in Bayelsa

    Amidst the hardship and anxieties in Bayelsa State, residents recently smiled broadly and laughed hysterically, temporarily forgetting their economic challenges. A live sporting show organised by the Renew Entertainment in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State restored happiness to their faces.

    The owner of Renew, an engineer, Mr. Gospel Oboro, for the second time in a year brought a live kick-boxing competition to Yenagoa to thrill his audience and promote sports tourism in the state.

    Oboro brought a world kick-boxing champion from Canada, Mr. Anthony Ford, to compete with an African champion, Mr. Menia Nimi Jack. All roads led to Renew, a firm that combines bar, club and sports entertainment. The arena located at Azikoro Road became a destination of choice for residents.

    Dignitaries also attended the event. The Director-General, Tourism Development Agency (TDA), Mrs. Ebiere Irene, represented the government. The Deputy Governor’s Protocol Officer, Mr. Solomon Diepreye, was also in attendance.

    Among them are traditional rulers such as the Paramount Ruler of Opokuma Kingdom, HRH, Okpoitari Diangoli and Paramount Ruler, Ekpetiama Kingdom, HRM, Bubaraye Dakolo. The rubber dub master, Raskimono and another entertainer Stone Cold thrilled the audience.

    When the fight started, Prince Leo of the Nigerian Police defeated another fighter identified simply as Isidore from Cameroon. But the main fight between Ford and Jack was the motivation that lured the mammoth crowd to Renew.

    After a long period of contest, Ford conceded defeat following many bruises inflicting on him by Jack, who was declared the winner. Ford’s belt was subsequently handed over to Jack.

    Oboro said Renew had an intention to bring back live show business of sports to the Niger Delta region. He said the firm made history by going international to bring a world-title champion to Nigeria.

    “I want our people to enjoy what other people are enjoying. We decided to bring back live show business of sport to the Niger Delta. We bring new innovation and now we have gone international, which is first in history in Nigeria to bring the world title champion to Nigeria.

    “It is not easy. For more than three months, I have been doing alot of planning, talking to international communities. I would say that l am among the people that have entered the Guinness Book of Records as the only first person to bring the world title fight to Nigeria and mostly the Niger Delta”.

    Ebiere thanked Oboro for raising the stakes of kickboxing in the country. Addressing Oboro, he said: “Many people dreamed but never achieved it. Some persons came across obstacles and they turned back, but you persisted.

    “We went to the governor and he promised that this time next year, we will have much bigger kickboxing so that Bayelsa will become known for kickboxing in Nigeria and African as a whole.

    “We promise you that by this time next year, we are going to have it bigger and better and government is ready to back us up and we promise we are going to create an auditorium for both kickboxing and boxing.”

    Also speaking, Dakolo said the event was brought to the attention of the traditional rulers’ council at short notice. But he described the event as groundbreaking and asked the firm to engage in more publicity.

    He said such events would bring the youths to productive existence and rebrand the Niger Delta region. He expressed gratitude to the governor for his promise to elevate kickboxing and other combat sports in the state.

  • Amaechi’s unquenchable thirst for better transportation delivery

    For leaders like Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Nigeria’s transportation minister, nothing interests them like rendering service to mankind.

    Ever since Mr. Amaechi ascended his present political status, he has always been on his toes to deliver on his mandate in the nation’s transportation sector.

    One thing that distinguishes Amaechi  is the fact that Amaechi has an unquenchable thirst to service delivery. His urge to reposition the nation’s devastated transportation sector has no limitation.

    For real, those who work or have worked with the former Rivers State governor can attest to his style. His pro- activeness and commitment to tackling daunting challenging issues that will trigger development to all cannot be overemphasized.

    Back then in Port Harcourt, Amaechi would commit time at night inspecting projects with ‘torch light’, that is how restless he is in committing to service delivery. For him, the job must be done before he takes his cool.

    Anyhow, one would have taught that after serving Rivers State in his forties jumping from one project site to the other , Amaechi would act the typical ‘big man’ Nigerian minister or any other political appointee by attending to official duties at will been the overall boss in the transportation ministry, but, that is not the case. Amaechi would dash to the office at 8.am attending to official matters until late night. For Amaechi, there is no dull moment.

    Working with a pragmatic, selfless and service itching boss like Amaechi requires a qualification of self determination and commitment, you must be ready to kill sleep, you must be on your marks and you must be at his beck and call because for him service delivery cannot be compromised, nothing can deter him to forge ahead except for the fact that death is no respecter of mankind.

    Recently however, series of developmental efforts had been vigorously pursued by the Buhari’s “strong man” to better the transportation sector.

    Precisely on the 1st day of July, 2016 Amaechi had signed a contractual agreement with China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) on the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal railway project.

    Amaechi signed the agreement on behalf of the federal government. At the brief event which took place at the ministry’s conference room, Amaechi said the contract was an addendum to the Lagos-Calabar coastal railway project which was initially awarded by former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to the Chinese company at a contract cost of $11.917 billion.

    Amaechi also disclosed that at the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari government, the federal government negotiated the contract with the China firm and agreed at a contract cost of $11.117 billion thereby saving a whopping sum of $800m.

    Amaechi reiterated that the Buhari led government has completed the signing of the same contract with a different contract sum in order to legalise the new deal.

    “What we have done today is signing of the same contract but different contract sum to make it legal.President Muhammadu Buhari has assured me that he is committed to the development of the rail sector in Nigeria and would not leave any ‘stone unturned’ to achieving that dream”,he said.

    Amaechi also noted that the first and second segments of the projects run through Calabar-Uyo-Aba-Port Harcourt-Yenagoa-Otuoke-Ughelli-Warri-Sapelle-Benin-Ore-Ijebu-Ode-Lagos with a target of covering all the seaports along those routes in good time.

    Similarly, on the 31st day of August, 2016,  Amaechi took further step in signing two commercial contract agreements with the same Chinese firm on the Kano-Kaduna segment of three of the Lagos-Kano rail modernisation project with a contract sum of $1.685 billion and the Calabar- Port Harcourt segment 1 extending to the Onne Deep Sea Port of the coastal rail project at the cost of $3.4 billion with the Chinese engineering firm.

    Amaechi who spoke briefly at the event described it as symbolic. “In the sense that what we are doing is the segmentation of that same contract in line with the agreement with the China-Exim Bank”.

    Amaechi said the federal government would release its counterpart funds soonest assuring that with the cooperation of the China-Exim Bank, the projects would be completed in November, 2018. “I assured Mr. President that we need to complete these projects in two years time,” he said.

  • Bayelsa ANA seeks better image for Niger Delta

    Bayelsa ANA seeks better image for Niger Delta

    The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Bayelsa State chapter is not happy with the current image of the Niger Delta region. The region wears the toga of violence, militancy, oil-related and maritime crimes.

    But ANA has insisted that there are good sides of the region. The association recently called on stakeholders across the country to see the good sides and refrain from creating the impression that Niger Delta is volatile and unsafe for developmental activities.

    The Chairman of the association, Mr. Michael Afenfia, spoke at the grand finale of the ANA/Yusuf Ali Creative Writing Competition held recently in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital.

    He lamented that only the negative things that happen in the Niger Delta region dominate headlines across the country while the giant strides attained by youths from the region were relegated to the backgrounds. According to him nobody has stopped to look at the good things some Niger Delta youths engage themselves in.

    He said: “Just listening to news this morning, it seemed that it is a season of violence in this part of the country. It is either a story of kidnapping here or bombing there and it seems like the only news that comes out of the Niger Delta is about violence, sometimes being carried out by young people.

    “But here today we have come to showcase young Bayelsans who are doing great things, who have decided to shun violence, not just tacitly but actually doing something to promote the good things that can come out of our region”.

    The event was a literary competition of creative writing. Youths from Bayelsa State were asked to write the final chapter of the book, ‘A man of the people’, written by Chinua Achebe. An entry submitted by one of the youths, Mr. Chibuzor Darlington won the competition.

    Highlighting the event, Afenfia said: “A couple of weeks back we had a creative writing competition for students in tertiary institutions across Bayelsa state and today we are proud to announce to you that we now have a winner.

    “The competition is about writing a final chapter of a very popular book, titled ‘A man of the people’ by Chinua Achebe.

    “Today we are proud to say that one Mr. Chibuzor Darlington came first but interestingly I was amazed by the kind of work these students did. Going throught their scripts, I had that confidence that there are young ones that can fill the gap of great writers like Elechi Amadi and Gabriel Okara.”

    The winner went home with N15,000 cash and a smart phone, while the first and second runner ups went home with N15,000 and N10,000 respectively.

  • Mfum border… It’s a sin to take pictures here

    Mfum border… It’s a sin to take pictures here

    They are deployed to borders to check smuggling of contrabands and other illicit activities sabotaging the economy. Ironically, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) personnel at Mfum in Cross River State have added other roles, reports Precious Igbonwelundu.

    The time was about 7:49pm and it was not so dark. Like vultures, about six officials of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) clustered a 42-seater bus marked CMRNW908AY with the inscription ‘Naitre Bosco’. Several bags of rice, fabrics, fresh tomatoes, Turkey, Power malt, among others, were on the ground beside the bus coming from Cameroon. The items were off-loaded from the bus.

    These officers were soliciting bribe from the smugglers. Their colleagues on the opposite side openly stretched their arms to other vehicles for tips, allowing in those who parted with money without screening.

    Welcome to Mfum border in Ajassor community, 27 kilometres from Ikom, in Etung Local Government Area  (LGA) of Cross River State, where the fear of NCS personnel is the beginning of wisdom.

    To residents and road users, it is ‘legal’ for any item to be brought into the country from neighbouring Cameroon and for people to move in and out of the country as long as money changes hand.

    “They are the Lords in this area. People are too scarred to challenge them. Their main business starts around 9pm. You visit the border from 9pm and see how these so-called officers sabotage Nigeria. They are into smuggling and by that time, that’s all they do. It’s really embarrassing the things that happen at the border. It is so normal that everyone, including children know. How do you think guns and other weapons enter this country? The government should beam its search light on Customs people at Mfum border,” said one of the residents whose name cannot be mentioned for security reasons.

    Eager to see the hanging bridge and experience night life as narrated by some residents of the border community, this reporter, who was on mission at Ikom, decided to visit the border.

    But the excitement faded away upon sighting the NCS officials openly encouraging smuggling.

    A woman was overheard lamenting that they had collected all the money she had and stolen two out of the bags of rice she was taking to her village for her uncle’s burial.

    The story took another turn as the reporter brought out her android phone to secretly photograph the officers.

    “Hey! What are you trying to do? Who told you that you can use your phones around here? Are you trying to snap us? Common keep that phone away,” screamed a tall black man who seemed to be most senior officer.

    As if not satisfied by his yelling, the others like bees moved towards this reporter and demanded that she must give them her phone.

    “Why should I give you my phone? Which law says I am not allowed to hold my phone at the border? Is it because you are engaged in illegality that you people intimidate innocent people going about their lawful businesses? I won’t give any of you my phone. At least, I know that isn’t an offence,” this reporter replied.

    Then came officer Queen, who according to residents, is a sister to the wife of a former President. Queen, a short and dark-complexioned lady rolled up the sleeves of her tee-shirt; removed her wristwatch and told others to “allow me deal with this woman”.

    Pushing the reporter into their office aggressively, she said: “Oh! You said you won’t bring your phone abi? Okay, I will teach you a lesson today. You will enter our cell. Who are you to think you will just come here and snap us? If you know you didn’t snap, bring your phone. You must enter cell today.”

    At that point, the area become rowdy, with the reporter daring the officer to put her inside the cell.

    “You can do your worst. I am nobody and I won’t give you my phone. I really want to enter your cell. Please, put me inside. If you think your assault will break me, you are fooling yourself. You will have to kill me first before collecting my phones. Since I told you I didn’t snap you and you don’t believe it, just shoot me already.

    “Besides, why are you bothered? It’s obvious you know you were doing the wrong thing. You are here encouraging smuggling of contrabands and collecting bribe instead of carrying out the duty you are employed for,” replied this reporter.

    After attempts to stop Queen from pushing this reporter inot the cell failed, a security expert, Austin Young, who drove the reporter and three others to the border was called into an inner office by the man who earlier told the reporter to not snap.

    Minutes after, both men came out and the other officer told Queen to “leave the woman alone. Don’t push her again and let them go.”

    Officer Queen then went and sat on a chair-still enraged. The man came to the reporter to broker peace.

    “I was the one who told you not to snap, right? I told you that taking pictures was not allowed here and so, you would have just listened to me. Nobody here knows you. The villagers in this community know that you cannot take pictures here. It is a security risk to snap any part of the border. If you post it on the Internet,  terrorists might come and bomb this place,” he said defensively.

    This reporter brought out her phone, opened the gallery and asked him to check if there was any picture of them as they claimed.

    “Sorry madam, please do not be angry. We thought you snapped our men who were by that bus. But now, the issue is cleared. We are sorry. If you are still angry over the assault by Queen, you can push me as much as you want to feel better. Please, do not be offended,” said the senior officer.

  • Navy in Rivers trains 45 students

    Navy in Rivers trains 45 students

    The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt, Rivers State has trained 45 students, aged between 5 and 15 years, in golf to represent the country in future championships.

    The Base Operations Officer of NNS Pathfinder, Navy Capt. Victor Choji, at the closing ceremony of the maiden Children Golf Holiday Championship in Port Harcourt, stated that the benefiting students of primary and secondary schools, were drawn from various communities in Rivers state.

    Choji disclosed that the championship was organised to achieve three purposes: maintaining and improving civil-military relations; boosting security and discovery of talents.

    He said: “The golf championship seeks to engage children constructively, especially during holiday period and also to introduce them to the game of golf.

    “We believe that most criminal acts are perpetrated by the youths. If we catch kids young and we make them develop interest in sports, the country will be better for it.

    “If this is done, the children will have more positive and constructive activities to engage themselves as they grow up, rather than involving themselves in criminal activities.

    “The programme is also designed to win the hearts and minds of our host communities, while hoping that some of the kids will go on to represent Nigeria in future golf championships.”

    Choji also stated that the naval headquarters had similar sporting activities to keep officers and ratings fit, while improving their proficiency in various marine operations ongoing in the Niger Delta.

    The base operations officer of NNS Pathfinder gave an assurance that the golf championship would be sustained, while urging more students to be available in the next edition.

    The Managing Director of an oil and gas firm, Amnipet, Ishiaku Malik, in his remarks, stated that lack of investment in grass-roots sports was partly responsible for poor showing of Nigeria in major tournaments.

    He said the golf championship would give the students the opportunity to develop interest in sports and become great athletes.

    Malik said: “In the past, inter-house sports competitions were taken seriously, but these days, you hardly see such programmes designed to discover young talents.

    “This event will help to discover and possibly harness talents that will represent and make Nigeria proud in sporting competitions.”

    Managing director of Amnipet also urged the navy to engage corporate organisations to expand the championship, in order to accommodating more children.

    Prizes such as laptops and textbooks were presented to the participating students.

  • Cold world

    It is a cold world in here. I have been here for about two weeks and I am not finding it funny. It is still strange to me. Very strange. Me, Barrister Ken Atsuwete, the conscience of the masses, lying useless in this cold place called morgue.

    Those who killed me think they have eliminated a major cancer in their life. They think this is the end of their eternal suffering and sorrow. It makes little or no sense to them that they might die miserable death. All that matters to them is that the ‘stupid man is gone’. And they are drinking to this erroneous belief. It is really a cold world in here.

    Just three weeks ago or so, I was at the NBA conference in Port Harcourt, the city where the enemies of progress killed me and sentenced me to silence.

    I was firing from all cylinders at the conference. I spoke against corruption. I spoke against man’s inhumanity to man. I spoke against the ills in our society. If you doubt me, ask Barrister Mike Igini. You can also ask the Attorney-General of the Federation. Not a few felt I demonstrated spark of intelligence and exhibited the courage of conviction and expression. Now, I am here, useless and silenced. It is a cold world in here.

    What really was my offence? I have asked myself again and again since I found myself in this cold world. I believe my being here is a huge loss to the Niger Delta. I believe my murder further dehumanises us and portray our region as violent and bestial. My hard work, openness and other virtues I lived for now mean nothing.

    Before they sent me here, I was very vocal against the killing field that Port Harcourt, that city where I eked my livelihood, had become. Politicians outsourced the punishment of their opponents through fatal deaths to cultists.

    In one fell swoop, they killed nine persons, including a father, his two sons and daughter. Those killed are: former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni Local government, the late Hon. Christopher Adube, his two sons Lucky and John Adube , his daughter Joy,  a family friend, Mr. Iyk Ogarabe and the family driver, Mr.  Samuel Chukwunonye.

    All in the name of politics, many are now homeless. Many are now fatherless; many are widows; and many are on wheel chairs, with pellets of bullets lodged in their bones.  Dreams have died and aspirations doomed.

    A monthly average of 19 killings occurred in the state between November 2014 and April 2015. Some of these killings were barbaric. At least I still have my head and other parts in tact in this cold chamber; many  were not that lucky. The heartless men who killed them severed their heads and went away with them. It is a crazy world out there. Really crazy world. And it is a really cold world in here.

    My commitment to ensuring that all men should be equal and as such enjoy unfettered freedom and justice free of any form of abuse has been rubbished. I lived to see others happy and free. Now, I am here in this cold world all alone ruing my fate. It really is a cold world in here.

    My faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Saviour emboldened me to fight for the people without fear. In Christ, I was content and not moved by filthy lucre. My stand on issues, even when controversial, was always crystal clear. Bad governance and rogue regimes got the rough edge of my tongue. Sadly, people who admired me have to be referring to me now in the past. It really is a cold world in here.

    I am at that point when one feels Heaven should arise on one’s behalf. I feel like my blood should speak. But, the way of God is not the way of man. Those who killed me may still be around for decades enjoying their ill-gotten wealth, their free women and wine and all the filths they see as the good things of life.

    I wonder what will become of my client, a former Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Council, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, who I strongly believe is being unjustly held in detention.

    Since being in this cold world, I have felt may be I should have joined them when I could not beat them. I have felt may be I should not have threatened on a radio programme in Port Harcourt that I would expose how a politician obtained a forged court order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission from releasing Tai Local Government Area rerun election results.

    On that programme, I promised to present proof that the court order did not exist. I vowed to show that the judge who purportedly gave the order was in the United States at the time the order was purportedly given.

    Thanks to those who killed me I am here in this cold world with my proof and clearly not in a position to expose those characters. They have stopped me in my track. Now only God can expose them.

    I had complained to close associates of threat text messages, phone calls and so on for speaking out on topical issues. But, we all did nothing to enhance my security and here I am in this cold world, thinking about what was. It is really a cold world in here.

    Since being sentenced to this cold world, I have pondered over a few questions: Will my killing serve any other purpose other than a debasement of humanity and eternal pain? How did we get to the point where life becomes so cheap and mean so little to people? How could fellow citizens choose to take the life of other citizens without fear? How can a human being with flesh and blood flowing through his vein riddle a fellow human being with bullets thus cheapening human life in the basest way imaginable?

    It is a pity I have now joined the long list of unresolved murder in our land, which I spoke vigorously against. Now, who will continue from where I stopped? I can only guess that some people will. It is really a cold world in here.

    Let me leave you all to ponder over 2 Samuel 12:10: ‘… Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house …’   So, shall it be unto those who sent me to this cold world. It is a really cold world in here.

    I need to also add this: Those who today glory in evil are merely holding the tiger by its tail. They will definitely end up in the tiger’s belly.

  • Fables of non-performance

    This is election season in Edo State. Chief Lucky Nosa Igbinedion’s legacy in his eight years tenure has come under searchlight and the public is absorbing lies as the truth of his service.

    Nigerians are so enamoured with today “yes men”, that they conveniently forget that in narrating history, it is apposite to be contextual; contexts are always different; policy directions are always set in time, space and context; policy thrusts so very different from regime to regime.

    It seems so convenient for today’s Edolites to forget that in all of eight years, all that was available to Chief Lucky Igbinedion was N197 billion. Lucky Igbinedion took the saddle immediately after the military years; military years that created institutional structural defects and distortions.

    To address these distortions and dislocations, and reverse the ominous trend of poverty and lack of infrastructural development and decay, Chief Lucky Igbinedion first liquidated unpaid  salaries of civil servants for  the period of a year and eight months, left behind by Adamu Baba Iyam who subjected Ministries and MDAs to a self sustenance policy, a scorched earth policy that was unsustainable and inhuman.

    Was that not governance with a human face? Was Lucky Igbinedion to leave addressing hunger and massive poverty and commence refurbishing of schools and building roads which the today “yes men” think are superior acts without realising, where we were all coming from?

    The Igbinedion administration embarked on a total restructuring of the Civil Service and the appointment of (19) Permanent Secretaries and (9) Civil Commissioners within four weeks of his Administration’s inception. Human capital development was one of the greatest achievement of Lucky Igbinedion’s administration. He provided enabling environment for new crop of younger politicians who today forms over 80% of Governor Oshiomhole’s cabinet and leaders of his party. Some of them include the APC state chairman, Anselm Ojezua and several civil commissioners. APC state Secretary Osaro Idah, Lucky James, two times council chairman, Osarodion Ogie, first member SUBEB, Lawrence Okar, GM Rapid Response Agency and several others. Therefore, Chief Lucky Igbinedion is the superstructure on which Oshiomhole’s ambition and administration relied on to date.

    On June 22nd 1999, he initiated a daily regime of Executive Council Meetings (Mondays through Fridays) at 8:00am in order to ensure that all government policies, programmes and projects were well articulated and implemented. Above all  it was an organisational drive to carry everyone along, unlike his accuser’s Emperor like and dictatorial style of megalomania and imposition of will.

    Within two months of assumption of office, Chief Igbinedion started scouting for investors and entrepreneurs from Lagos, Abuja and overseas as a way to kick start the rapid industrialisation of the state, one of the major planks why he sought the office of Governor of Edo State.

    With the benefit of hindsight, it is notable that the aggressive and radical approach to programme implementation increased the tempo of economic activities in Edo State, which resulted in government being directly involved in diverse economic activities that included manufacturing and socio-related ones like transportation. Have all these gains not be comprehensively reversed for its purely selfish gains and political expediency grounds? Who is the loser? It is the Edolites with a resultant massive unemployment and years of retrenchment.

    Contrary to the vile propaganda and outright lies out there, the sectoral layouts of the Igbinedion Administration, testify to having performed creditably. Let us make a count of the sectoral interventions: Refurbishing and renovation of over 300 primary and secondary schools through the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB. Found an enduring solution to the nagging problem of cultism at the premier state tertiary institution – Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma; construction of a 1000 seater Lecture theatre, hostel and classroom blocks at the permanent site of AAU, Ekpoma; increase in monthly subvention to AAU from N4million (1999) to N100million (2007) per month and a corresponding reduction in tuition fees and stoppage of discriminatory fees by  payable by non-indigene students; direct government involvement and intervention in the establishment of Edo Fertiliser Blending Plant, Auchi, Chemical Plant, Ikpeshi, Cassavita Plant, Uromi and the Fruit Juice Factory, Ehor and the resuscitation of Bendel Brewery Ltd; and Bendel Cement Company, Okpella through technical partners. (Note, it was Chief Odigie Oyegun who sold Bendel Brewery to Churchgate. Lucky Igbinedion vowed to return the legacy to Edo State.)

    The achievements also include: Construction and commissioning of a two-storey 27-classroom block at the state-owned remedial education institution, Institute of Continuing Education (ICE), Benin City. Construction and commissioning of an auditorium/lecture theatre at the College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi and the College of Education,Ekiadolor; renovation of four hostel blocks and the increase in monthly subvention from N3 million to N10 million for the College of Education, Ekiadolor; upgrading of facilities in 4 model Secondary Schools and the procurement of science equipment for all Secondary Schools in Edo State. Financial welfare package to students of Edo State extraction at the Law Schools in Abuja, Lagos and Enugu; and many more.

    Epilogue

    In view of the foregoing, Edolites should in the exercise of their franchise in the September 10, 2016 governorship election, not expose themselves to the battering ram of so-called progressives, whose set objectives are not altruistic or masses – oriented but are selfish in mode and autocratic in execution. They should not eat from a staple of self-serving lies and fabrications.

    One of the major factors that militated against Chief Igbinedion getting a fair press and by extension the people’s understanding, was the brazen fact that he did not engage in propaganda, courting print and electronic media practitioners to showcase the various programmes, policies and projects his government did on behalf of and for, all Edo people. In short, Igbinedion did not blow his own trumpet and forbade others from doing so on his behalf.

    The concocted lies and fables that Chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion did not perform remains what they are: lies and fables.

    Chief Igbinedion’s bouquet of achievements and development strides did not go through the crucible of embellishments and strident propaganda in the print and electronic media because he assumed that the “works will speak for themselves”, hence this season of anomie. That Igbinedion did not perform is a page off the Greek Aesop Fables. He did, albeit exceedingly, well!