The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Nsit Atai honours educationist, others on Royal Fathers’ Day

    Nsit Atai honours educationist, others on Royal Fathers’ Day

    Nsit Atai Council of Chiefs in Nsit Atai Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, have bestowed honour on one of their own, Dr Jonathan Akpan, Proprietor of Access International Schools,  an illustrious son of the area, in recognition of his numerous selfless and life touching  services rendered to the people of the area.

    Access International Schools is located at Magboro-Akeran in Ogun State, South West Nigeria.

    Dr Jonathan  was honoured along with many other deserving individuals within and outside the Local Government area in recognition of their services to humanity. He was honoured with the title of “ Obong Uwana Nsit Atai” meaning “Pillar of light of Nsit Atai.

    The event which doubled as “Nsit Atai Royal Fathers’ day and conferment of chieftaincy titles and awards of honour”, also witnessed the fund launch of N10 million for Traditional Rulers’ Council Coaster Bus and other projects. It took place at Nsit Atai Court Hall, Odot, the Local Government Area headquarters.

    Nsit Atai, formerly known as Eastern Nsit, is comprised of three large entities: Afaha, Ibiaikot and Ibedu.

    The Traditional Institution headed by the Paramount Ruler, His Royal Majesty, Edidem Akpan Udofia Ntuen and Etebom Edet David Udoudo, Chairman, Nsit Atai Council of Chiefs and the Local Government Area,  in honouring Dr Jonathan said it was in recognition of the numerous life touching and life changing projects he has carried out in the area.

    The community said Dr Jonathan, an individual, has done what some local government administrations have not been able do for their people.

    “The local Government and Council of Chiefs  bestow the title on you due to your  contributions to the development of the town and the citizens”.

    They went ahead to name such projects executed by Dr Jonathan to include: Boreholes, Transformer installation, grading of roads, award of scholarships  to brilliant and to indigent students from the area and provision of mowers to public schools in the area as well as empowerment of youths and women in the area.

    The well attended event had the Paramount Ruler and other traditional rulers in Nsit Atai and other local government areas  colourfully dressed with assorted caps, walking sticks and other regalia of office in attendance.

    Chairman, Nsit Atai Council of Chiefs, Etebom Edet Udoudo said the celebration of Royal Fathers Day was to call to mind the dignity, pride and sovereignty of Nsit Atai as a Nation. He described Nsit Atai as a unique nation blessed with human and natural resources, the home of peace and political maturity.

    The Traditional Institution expressed appreciation to the Nsit Atai Local Government Area Transition Chairman, Hon. Uduak Ekpeowo, the Political leader of Nsit Atai, Rt. Hon.Otuekong Raphael Bassey ( the Obom Nsit Atai), the Group as well as Clan Heads and others for making the day a success.

    He said the honour bestowed on the deserving sons, daughters and friends of Nsit Atai was not bought with money but in recognition of their contributions to the development of Nsit Atari, Akwa Ibom State and humanity generally.

    The Obong Unwana Nsit Atai and Access Schools Proprietor, Dr Jonathan, promised to do more as long as God keeps him alive and blesses him.

    He appealled to Akwa Ibom State Governor Mr Udom Emmanuel to help him and the community by tarring the road that links Ikot Udofia, Ikot Ekpot to Nda Nsit.

    The educationist advices the Nsit Atai and Akwa Ibom people generally to take their education very serious and to strive to get at least a first degree and read courses that are demand in the labour market.

    He advises Akwa Ibom State government to spread scholarship scheme around to cover the whole state, this according to him will give the indigent ones in the state an opportunity and together the state will be moved  forward.

    He charged his people to unite,  preach peace and work hard assuring that God will make them great.

  • Okpekpe mourns as eldest man dies at 140

    The Okpekpe kingdom which hosts the popular 10-kilometer road race in Edo State has been thrown into a celebration-like mourning with the passage of its eldest son, also known as Agidigbo .

    Pa Maliki Enegbuma died on February 16. He was born into the family of Pa Enegbuma Enezunu about 140 years ago, said his son, Chief Maliki Enegbuma.

    The death of his predecessor, Pa Okpo Ekule, foisted the position upon him on February 14, 2004.

    Ascension to the position of Agidigbo is by providence. Speaking on behalf of the family, his son, Chief Afebuamhe Maliki, said the remains of the deceased were deposited in a morgue. He added that the burial rites will begin on April 1 and end on April 3.

    By tradition, any Agidigbo is the father of all sons and daughters of Okpekpe, who at one time or the other seek his blessings, especially for longevity . In Okpekpe social milieu, an Agidigbo is presumed to be a member of all the  ultural troupes.

    Pa Enegbuma was always described as the eldest man with the agility of a youth. He never confined himself to a solitary life on the grounds of age neither did he allow his age to affect his neatness and social life. Till his age took a toll on him, he could still thread a needle and gallop around the community like a horse.

    He lived an eventful life. Of all the Agidigbos of Okpekpe, he was the first to walk on a tarred road right in his homeland. Besides, he was the eldest when the clan began hosting the 10-kilometer road race.

    “Pa Maliki  will present a catalogue and  modern history of Okpekpe to his ancestors,” said his son.

  • Between black and grey hairs

    On September 10, the people of Edo State will line up to decide who succeeds Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Already fight has broken out in the two major political parties in the state. Men who want the coveted seat are already breaking or planning to break one another’s head, all in a bid to outsmart the other. Blackmail, mud-slinging and name calling have started.

    Men who were friends some months back are now sworn enemies. Families are being torn apart all because of this seat that comes with enormous influence. Enemies of a few months back are becoming allies. Principles do not matter. The end will justify the means.

    Many are searching for godfathers forgetting that there is God the father who can do and undo, who when He says yes nobody can say no.

    Before Oshiomhole’s emergence, the governorship of the state was not decided by the people. It is not that the people were not allowed to cast their votes. But the votes never truly counted. Results that were contrary to the will of the people were written in bedrooms and foisted on compromised electoral officers.

    Oshiomhole was robbed in a similar manner. It took the courts for him to get back the seat. Now, Oshiomhole is packing his bags and I have got a dilemma. My dilemma is not about electoral robbers. My dilemma is about the people who are coming out to seek the office. At the last count, there are over 20 of them. But a cursory look at them all gives me a headache. It is not that they are not qualified to run the state. It is just that their ages make me wonder if the young will ever grow. They are mostly men in their late 50s and 60s. Their hairs are grey already. And I ask myself: where are the Donald Dukes of Edo State? Duke became governor of Cross River some months to his 38th birthday. He is 54 now, some 16 years after quitting office.

    There is power in youthfulness. As a youth, you are daring and not afraid of experimenting. And what is life without experiment? There will be nothing like Science or Chemistry without experiment and we will just be contented with what we have and not seek new ways of doing things.

    It took a youth for history to be made in America. Its first black leader, Barack Hussein Obama II, was born on August 4, 1961. He is 54 now and will vacate office early next year after being president for eight years. What this means is that he became the leader of the world’s most powerful country at about 46. Before then, he was a senator — a confirmation that he has been in political leadership position since his youth.

    Before Obama, there was Williams Jefferson Clinton, who we all call Bill Clinton (Clinton, by the way, is his step-father’s surname). He is 69 years now.  He left office as American president some 15 years ago. He was some 54 years at the time. Before then he was governor. He won the governorship in 1978 at 31 and became the youngest governor the country had seen in 40 years.

    In the United Kingdom, there was Tony Blair; there was Gordon Brown; and there is now David Cameron. All young people when their people trusted them with running their lives.

    Cameron, now in his second term, is 49. He has been the UK Prime Minister since 2010. He became the leader of perhaps the world’s second most respected nation at 43.

    For those who will say the youths do not have experience to handle such sensitive office, the Clinton story will suffice. When Clinton set out to be governor, he decided on an ambitious agenda to reform education and health care systems. He won and as governor he was hampered by his youth and political inexperience. He made several blunders. One of them was the poor handling of riots by Cuban refugees interned at Fort Chaffee. Another was the highly unpopular fee hike on auto licenses, which he instituted. So much were these errors that after his first two-year term (At the time, Arkansas governors served only two-year renewable term), he was defeated in 1980 by a little-known Republican challenger, Frank White in 1980.

    But he never gave up. He went to work at a law firm for two years and staged a come-back. He admitted his errors and promised to right his wrongs. Arkansas people gave him a chance and they were better for it. They were so pleased with him that this time Clinton held onto the job for four consecutive terms.

    And before anyone will ask about the local examples, I will return to Donald Duke. This dashing man, who was governor from May 29, 1999 to May 29, 2007, is son to Henry Etim Duke, the second indigenous and longest ever serving Chairman, board of Customs and excise duties (now known as Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service). He received LLB degree in 1982 from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; the B.L in 1983 from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos and the L.L.M. in Business Law and Admiralty in 1984 from University of Pennsylvania. He was practicing law in Lagos before the call of office took him back to Calabar, which he made the cleanest city in Nigeria.

    Like Clinton, he was not experienced. He made his mistakes but till today he is remembered for his contributions to the fields of agriculture, urban development, environment, investment drive and tourism. No one else can take the credit for Calabar being seen as the “cleanest city in Nigeria.”

    Duke created the idea of the Obudu Ranch International Mountain Race, which has now grown to become one of the most lucrative mountain running competitions in the world.

    It will be unfair of me to end this piece without giving two more examples from Cross River, which seems to have perfected a model of always giving the number one seat to a young man. Duke’s successor and friend, Liyel Imoke, showed what youthfulness can do to the way a state is run efficiently. His successor, Prof. Ben Ayade, has started well too. With his like, I am proud to be young and be at the fore-front of the campaign for our youths to be given chance to lead.

    There is also the young Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Luke Onofiok. He is a young guy of 37. He is a lawyer and community organizer who right from school had shown leadership qualities.

    Many of our early leaders, such as Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and so on were not Metusellahs when they burst onto the political scene. The likes of Gens. Yakubu Gowon, Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida and Olusegun Obasanjo were in their youths when they took over power. Their hairs were still black. Gowon was even unmarried, indicating he was still ‘grooving’ about town when he became the Head of State of a country whose problem was not money but how to spend it. I can go on and on.

    As this edition prepared to go to press, a Daniel jumped into the Edo political lion’s den. His name is Linus Idahosa. He is 37. I have checked his CV and it speaks volume. His imprints are all over what is now known as new Nollywood. He is husband to adorable Stephanie Linus, the brain behind the great flick ‘Dry’.

    As Edo decides, I urge the young ones to participate, not just as party men and women but as aspirants and candidates. If the big parties shut them out, the not-so-popular ones are there. They can make them popular like Idahosa plans to do with the Young Democratic Party (PDP). I agree the odds may seem high but I urge them to come up with unusual campaign strategies. Above all, they should not rely on godfathers but have their gaze on God the father, who knows all and can do everything.

    My final take: All said and done, I will be the first to admit that there are young people who have been given opportunities and they have failed big time. Some are failing as you read this. They are looting and squandering their people’s money. They have committed and are committing all kinds of atrocities that give the old ones the excuse to play Robert Mugabe. I am ashamed of them and will always be. But that is not an excuse for the youth to be contended with being used as political thugs as we are seeing in Rivers or be contended with being special assistants that no one listens to.

     

     

     

  • DESOPADEC: Ijaw, Urhobo communities battle over oil fund

    There were no smiles or exchange of pleasantries last Thursday when Chief Kingsley Ikiere led leaders of the Ijaw Host Communities (HOSTCOM), including Godwin Ozugbo and others,  to address the press. An issue which touched on the essence of the group was at stake – the sharing formula for the 13percent derivation fund accruing to the oil bearing communities through Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission.

    Friends swiftly become foes when the issue of oil production and sharing of proceeds are discussed in the Niger Delta region. The ground for the latest wrangling was the Urhobo HOSTCOM’s threat to shut down oil and gas producing facilities in the state over alleged unfair deals meted on them by their Ijaw and Itsekiri neighbours on the DESOPADEC board.

    The Urhobos were peeved by a number of issues, but mostly the removal of payment of the commission’s staff salaries from the first line charge list.

    Ikiere and Itsekiri HOSTCOM leaders who support the move, beyond cautioning their counterparts against threatening the peace, said it was unholy that Urhobo constitute over 40percent of DESOPADEC’s workforce, even though they produce far less oil.

    Added to that, according to statistics released by the Ijaw, was that the Urhobo had more top cadre staff, who gulp more of the commission’s thinning resources.

    Niger Delta Report learnt that Itsekiri ethnic group produces 29percent of the state’s crude. They are closely followed by their Ijaw counterpart with 27percent while Urhobo, Isoko and Ndokwa produce 22, 14 and 8percent respectively.

    “Is it reasonable to take funds from other Ethnic Nationalities to pay the over-bloated staff of the Urhobos without recourse to the principle of derivation and production quantum?’ the Ijaw HOSTCOM chief asked.

    Checks by Niger Delta Report revealed the latest squabbling merely brings to the fore agitations and disaffection in the running of DESOPADEC over the years. The commission was established by former Governor James Onanefe Ibori at the twilight of his administration in 2007. Its structure is seen by other ethnic groups as unduly slanted in favour of the Urhobo ethnic nationality, from which the former governor hails.

    Over the years, the administrative costs, centralized project costs and staff salaries were paid before the net is split among the various ethnic groups for projects and other developmental initiative.  But recently, this system was abolished in favour of one that places the task of salary payment on the various groups’ finances.

    “This (former) practice was unfair. If we are sharing the money on the basis of oil production, let those who have more staff use their money to pay the staff salaries for justice and equability. That was our sentiment until they decided to stop the first line charge from the budget. So now, every ethnic group pays its staff salary from what is due it and whatever is left is used for project execution,” a staff at the commission’s account department told our reporter.

    Nevertheless, with over 1,600 staff, the new policy has put the Urhobo group at a disadvantage. Our findings revealed that the Managing Director, Chief William Makinde and other Urhobo commissioners are finding it difficult to keep afloat and execute development projects because of the heavy wage bill.

    A five-year old data revealed that the Urhobos have Strength of 1,622 staff against, Itsekiri 884, Ijaw 444, Isoko 363, and Ndokwa 308. They also have more upper cadre staff from10 – 17 (140) against Itsekiri’s 66, Ijaw 22, Isoko 34, Ndokwa 35.

    Before the threat by the Urhobo HOSTCOM, an Urhobo DESOPADEC commissioner had spoken vehemently against the new policy. He vowed to work with his colleagues to change the new order.

    The Urhobo, as the largest ethnic group in the state, feels that they should enjoy the lion share in both projects and staffing. But their counterparts have responded icily to this suggestion, reminding them that the fund is not for population, housing of oil pipelines but actual production which translates to money for the state and DESOPADEC.

    “We want to make it clear that the principle of derivation is not based on ethnicity, population, LG spread and non-oil productive assets or administrative as acclaimed by the Urhobo. The13% oil derivation is based on the number of existing oil well heads and the quantities of oil produced on daily, weekly, monthly and yearly bases.

    “If 13% oil derivation is based on population, geographical land mass or spread, hosting of non-oil productive assets or administrative offices then Kaduna, Lagos and some other States would have been beneficiaries,” the Ijaw HOSTCOM retorted.

    Nevertheless, beyond the displeasure over the employment, the allocation of three commissioners to the ethnic group in spite of their inferior production figure has been a subject of murmur among the other groups.

    Although Governor Ifeanyi Okowa restructured the commission after assuming office, the feeling of angst, especially among the Ijaw and Itsekiri groups, persist. While retaining the allocation of more commissioners for the Urhobos, they also have more members in the new board and higher staff strength.

    And this seething anger surface when Ikiere told newsmen that they want a structure that is both commensurate with staffing and board representation.

    Still, the Urhobo are also challenging the production quantum allocated to it. They accused the two major oil producing groups in the state of duplicating their claims to oil wells. “The Ijaws and Itsekiris are jointly and separately claiming to own some oil wells in other to increase its (sic) production quantum”.

    Although the Ijaw HOSTCOM chair describes the assertion as “laughable and smacks of deep-seated ignorance”, the production sharing issue has been a subject of intense debates, allegations and counter-claims.

  • Fire, fire everywhere in Akwa Ibom

    Fire, fire everywhere in Akwa Ibom

    •Goods worth over N250 million gone

    FIRE swept through various parts of Akwa Ibom State in the last two weeks. Goods and businesses destroyed are estimated at over N250 million. Two petrol stations in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area and a whole fishing community in Ibeno Local Government Area were affected by the fire. Over 500 people were affected. The extent of damage and number of people affected at the fishing settlement had already drawn the attention of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.

    At the fishing community at Uton  in ward 7, Iwuochang in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, about 500 inhabitants have been  rendered homeless when the community was suddenly gutted.

    Mr Usoro Akpanusoh, (PDP) member representing Esit Eket/Ibeno state constituency in the State House of Assembly, disclosed this at plenary during matters of Urgent Public Importance last week.

    Usoroh said the fire, which occurred on February 12 at about 2am, consumed all the houses and property worth millions of naira belonging to the fishing community.

    He lamented that the fire outbreak which cause was yet unknown had destroyed almost everything before the arrival of officials of the fire service.

    “Uton in Iwuochang community in Ibeno Local Government Area is a fishing settlement, which I represent in Akwa Ibom House of Assembly.

    “Its population is over 500 and main occupation is fish farming.

    “At about 2.00am on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016, the fishing settlement was engulfed by fire outbreak. This happens at the wee hours of the morning when everyone was asleep,” Akpanusoh said.

    The lawmaker appealed to the House to constitute a committee to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the fire.

    He urged the Assembly to order the executives to send National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to visit the settlement for assistance.

    The report was received through a motion by Mr Lawrence David (PDP) Eket state constituency which was  seconded by the Mr Nse Essien (PDP) Onna state constituency.

    The Speaker, Mr Onofiok Luke, consoled with the Uton community and thanked God that no live was lost in the inferno.

    The speaker directed the Clerk, Mrs Mandu Umoren, to communicate to relevant agencies to visit the community as matter of urgent public importance for an on the spot assessment and to render necessary assistance.

    Fire service in Akwa Ibom State is to close down filling stations that refuse to adhere to safety measures and prosecute owners following fire outbreak on two filling stations at Ibekwe and Uta Ewa in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area two Sundays ago.

    Inferno was said to have been ignited in the two filling stations – Emesons Ventures Nigeria Limited located at Ibekwe road and Uta Ewa Waterfront in Ikot Abasi when trucks were discharging the products. It was gathered that the two filling stations are owned by one man.

    Principal Fire Superintendent 1, Mrs. Ime Nkanta, urged marketers to adopt strictest safety guidelines particularly when trucks are discharging petroleum products.

    “We have been advising filling station owners to stop discharging petroleum product using pump but rather using hose between the tankers and the underground tanks.

    “But some petrol station owners do not want to adhere to safety instructions.

    “We have been talking to them; henceforth we will embark on closing stations that do not want to abide by precautionary motive,” she said.

    She advised Nigerians to be careful when using electrical appliances like water heater as it can easily ignite fire after the system had sufficiently been heated if not attended to.

    She explained that the cause of the incident was due to noncompliance with fire service rules by the filling station owner.

    She said, “The truck that was about to discharge petrol into an underground tank in the filling station caught fire and as soon as the discharge started.

    “We came out before they even ran to us as one of the stations is opposite the fire service. We started fighting the fire immediately.”

    She added that the fire razed the two filling stations within one week and destroyed property worth millions of naira. She noted that some of the property the fire destroyed include truck, buildings and nozzles, among others.

    Former councilor in Ikpa Ibekwe, Mr. Uyoatta Ikpaisong, said that the incident happened on Sunday at about 1:30pm in the area.

    The councilor commended the men and officers of Ikot Abasi fire service and Eket counterparts for their prompt response even though the havoc had already been done.

    He added that their prompt response stopped fire from spreading to other buildings around the two filling stations.

    He, however, called on the  Government to invest more in the agency in order to achieve its objectives.

    When contacted, the manager of filling stations  who refused to disclose his name said he was not around when the incident occurred.

  • Akwa Ibom Medical City hopes to end medical tourism

    Akwa Ibom Medical City hopes to end medical tourism

    With the ground-breaking of Thompson and Grace Medical City Projects in Afaha Obong, Abak, Akwa Ibom State, it is hoped that the projects when completed would stop Foreign medical trips and create jobs, writes Kazeem Ibrahym

    As part of the efforts to encourage private-sector driven economy in Akwa Ibom State, the State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, has performed the ground-breaking of the proposed Thompson & Grace Medical City projects in Afaha Obong, Abak Local Government Area of the state.

    The proposed Thompson & Grace Medical City projects, according to the Group Managing Director of Thompson & Grace, Dr. Isaac Amos, will amongst other facilities include the proposed Medical University, 505 Megawatts Combined Cycle Power Plant and Parenteral Infusion & Dialysis Concentrate Plant, all to be located in a vast expanse of virgin land in Abak, Akwa Ibom State.

    Dr. Amos explained that when the dream is fully realized, the centre would have reduced the need by Nigerians to travel to the United States of America, United Kingdom, India, China, Germany, or any other nation for that matter, in search of cure and healings.

    He also said no more would the people be victims of preventable, treatable and curable diseases because of ignorance and non-availability of requisite medical training, equipment and infrastructure.

    The benefits people of Akwa Ibom will derive from the projects are enormous according to Dr. Amos. He said the projects will create quality health and education standards for the people, create employment for the youths and medical practitioners, some who currently are forced to serve in other nations and climes.

    Dr. Amos said: “Nigeria continues to experience an acute shortage of health professionals. Emigration of health personnel compounds the problem. A sizeable number of physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals are lured away to developed countries in search of fulfilling and lucrative positions because of our broken health care system, inadequate infrastructure and poor compensation packages.

    “Doctors and nurse also emigrate from Nigeria because of unbearable work conditions. Many Nigerian doctors have emigrated to North America and Europe. In 2005, 2,392 Nigerian doctors practiced in the U.S. and 1,529 practiced in the U.K. increased training of doctors and nurses is not a solution as long as the work conditions remain problematic.”

    An example of unbearable work conditions, according to Dr. Amos, is intimidation and violence directed towards health workers.

    He said: “Our cultural and legal system seem to have no effective answer to this problem. Health care workers therefore prefer to seek employment elsewhere when they are tired of suffering in silence or without remedy.

    “We hope to a reference point in this vital area of health care sustenance for other to follow. Physical and psychological safety of health care workers with zero tolerance for bullying and harassment in the work environment will be one of the priorities of the proposed Thompson and Grace Medical University/Thompson and Grace Health systems.

    “The demand for and consumption of health care services in on the increase. Equally, there is an upswing in the emergence and incidence of new and chronic diseases without a counterbalancing increase in the quantity and quality of health care workers.”

    Emmanuel said the state government had already commenced several ground-breakings in respect of private-driven economy.

    He assured the proprietors of the Proposed Medical City of the state government’s adequate support to bring the project to fruition.

    The governor noted that the project, apart from the medical solutions that the Medical City would bring to the entire African continent: “it is hoped that not less than 35,000 Akwa Ibom State indigenes will assess employment opportunity when the project takes off.”

    Represented by his Deputy, Mr. Moses Ekpo, the governor praised the ingenuity and patriotic spirit of the Group Managing Director of Thompson & Grace, Dr. Amos for siting the project in Akwa Ibom State.

    He said: “I am higly elated that this University is the brainchild of an indigene of Akwa Ibom State; a continued confirmation of the enormous human resources God has endowed our state with. It is also a further testimony to our philosophy of promoting a private –sector driven investment and industrial revolution in the state.

    “From projections, this institution will provide employment for over 100 specialised manpower as well as several unskilled personnel when it goes into full capacity annual production of 96 million bags of infusion and 16 million litres of Dialysis concentrate, running at three shifts.

    “From very reliable sources, I am aware that the Thompson and Grace Group is also developing a fully automated machining and Engineering Industry in this city as it has already done in Port Harcourt. The industry aims to manufacture an unbelievable array of service parts for at least eight sectors of our economy including Aviation and Aerospace, Energy, Oil & Gas, Engineering Industry, Printing Industry, Plastic Industry, Hydraulic and Pneumatic, as well as Automotive industry.

    “Altogether, it is estimated that at full completion and operation, the Manufacturing company as well as the Medical City intends to employ about 35,000 citizens of Akwa Ibom origin and other Nigerians in what appears to be one of the biggest Foreign Direct Investment drives in this part of the world.”

    One of project partners, Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Ruzicka, Director, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany, promised to deploy experienced medical experts to support the project.

    Chiedu Ndubisi, Technical Adviser to the Director General of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) who represented the DG, Mr. Aminu Diko, pledged the support of his Commission to the proprietors of the projects in facilitating their requests to the Federal Government.

    Also the Chairman, Project Implementation Committee of the Proposed Medical University, Emmanuel Uche, said the fact on the ground is that whereas Nigeria has 25 medical colleges and South Africa 8, yet of the 10 best-ranked Universities in Africa, South Africa has 7 and Nigeria Zero.

    Dr. Christian Usungurua, who presented a speech on behalf of the host community, thanked Dr. Amos for opening up the community to the global community.

  • Ayade, solid mineral resources and limelight

    Ayade, solid mineral resources and limelight

    Cross River is one of the most richly endowed states in Nigeria with vast solid minerals resources which 28 of such minerals have been identified and recorded.

    Having a firm knowledge of this fact, the incumbent governor of Cross River, Senator Benedict Ayade came into government with a firm commitment to look beyond the black gold or crude oil which the Nigerian nation and its component states have over-depended on for too long.

    It is based on this reality that Governor Benedict Ayade has always affirmed that he inherited a rich state, not in terms of billions or trillions of naira stashed away for the present and future generations of Cross Riverians, but the many natural resources which God has bestowed the state which we can use our human endowments, our brains to harness into productive ventures for the overall development of the state and its people.

    Following the same line of reasoning, Ayade further posited that rather taxing his people who are already not financially strong, his administration will instead task the brains and come out with ways, investors who will put in their monies to develop the various mineral resources of Cross River to financially empowered and create a robust future for the state and its people.

    To ensure the realization of the said objectives, the Ayade administration, through the Cross River Ministry of Solid Mineral resources, headed by an equally able lieutenant as Commissioner, George Oben-Etch is assiduously working to collaborate with serious minded investors and entrepreneurs to establish various factories and industries whose raw materials would be derived from the abundant solid minerals endowed the state by the creator, God.

    The factories which the plans for their establishment are on top gear include three quarries, salt processing factory, cement and tarpaulin factories and ceramic industry.

    Commissioner for Solid Mineral Resources, George Oben-Etch who disclosed this while speaking to news men in his office in Calabar recently explained that the three quarries would be sited one each in the three senatorial districts of the state, salt factory at Yala, cement factories at Akamkpa to tape the rich lime stones deposit that could still accommodate four more factories, just as ceramic and tarpaulin factories will also be established in the state to ensure the prudent exploration and exploitation of the state’s solid mineral resources to boost the revenue profile and economic empowerment of the people.

    Oben-Etch who stated that Cross River is the second largest state with the largest deposit of 28 different solid mineral resources, mentioned some of the minerals to include limestone, granite, tantalite, zinc, gold, salt etc., adding, he explained that the establishment of a tarpaulin manufacturing factory in Cross River would be profitable bearing in mind the numbers of trucks which come in and out of the state on daily basis.

    The Solid Minerals Commissioner further disclosed that  Yala Local Government Area has over 3 Billion Cubic deposit of salt and that salt processing factory has been earmarked for the area, just as government is also planning to establish a ceramic industry in Cross River, explaining that the turning of attention to the development of solid mineral resources was Governor Ayade sincere  commitment to diversify the economy even before the current nose-diving of the black gold which is Nigeria’s main commodity in the international market, and present number one foreign exchange earner.

    He said the Federal Government has given a go ahead to states to explore and exploit solid mineral deposits in their domain, adding that Cross River Government under the leadership of Senator Ben Ayade is taking advantage of this window of opportunity to develop this sector to create employments for the people of Cross River and equally generate revenue for the state.

    The Commissioner said that presently his ministry has sent geologists into the field who are carrying out in-depth mapping of the solid mineral deposits to determine their quality and the commercial viability of each of the solid mineral found in the state.

    Oben-Etch also disclosed that recently the Government of China announced that it has earmarked 60-65 Billon US Dollars to Africa for development of the sector and stated that if the state do well, it can attract some of the monies to itself, and that they were seeking to partner with reputable investors who will collaborate with the government and people of the state to develop the sector.

    The Solid Minerals Commissioner asserted that it was based on this premise that the issue of local content was of prime priority to the government, explaining that small miners of four to five persons of Cross River Origin were being encouraged to come together as a cooperative where they can access fund and technical expertise from investors who would be collaborating with government in that area, stating that this was necessary as economic empowerment of the people, according to him is a top priority to the administration of Senator Ayade.

    “There is nothing in this sector which we are talking about that will not be up and running. The International development Agencies for instance is interested in developing the solid minerals sector. Canada is one of those countries that are so involved in the extraction and production of solid minerals, Australia is also one of those countries. So these are countries and areas we need to bring in investors from and the investors are ready”.

    He went further to explain that “luckily for us, Cross River is considered to be one of the most secured states in the area of investment, that is why we are maintaining that security level which investors have commended and referred to us as the safest, blessed state with serene environment in Nigeria”, the Commissioner stated.

    Speaking further on partnership, the Commissioner said that they have been able to conclude arrangement with PW to come in and partner with government as well as other companies to come up with their equipment, while the government provide the license and regulate the operation, adding that by so doing the revenue profile of the state would bolster, as well as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria and Africa.

    Oben-Etch who called on Chiefs of solid minerals bearing areas to stop giving consent to every person who approaches them to invest in their areas explained that the ministry of solid minerals is now set to ensure that things are done right and that due diligence is follow and that companies are set up in accordance with best international practices and safety.

    The solid minerals based industries already mentioned to be established through the instrumentality of the Cross River Ministry of Solid Minerals, will in addition to other industries and factories such as the going garment factory, the Rice city and pharmaceutical factory which clearing is ongoing in the sites, among others are meant to properly place Cross River at the top chart of economic and industrial giants not only in Nigeria and Africa, but globally.

     

    • Ulayi is a media aide to Governor Ben Ayade

     

  • Ekpri Nsukara villages in Akwa Ibom protest demolition of houses

    Ekpri Nsukara villages in Akwa Ibom protest demolition of houses

    A community, Ekpri Nsukara Group of villages in Offot Clan in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, during the week protested the unlawful demolition of their houses by management of University of Uyo.

    The protesters in their letter of protest by their lawyers to Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, said the land in dispute is a subject matter of litigation pending in court and the University management is aware of the pendency of the said suit.

    They, however, expressed surprised that the management of the institution would take law into their hands in total disregard to the principle of les pendis.

    According to them, Ekpri Nsukara Group of villages in Offot Clan in Uyo have not encroached into the land donated to the then Cross River State Government for the permanent site of the then Cross River State College of Education and the portion of land which the university management have entered and demolished houses did not form part of the land donated by the community.

    They said: “On several occasions the university management has attempted to forcefully encroach on the land using military personnel but our clients have lawfully resisted the attempt. Our clients through their lawyers have written to the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State seeking for dialogue with the university but to no avail.

    “In 2014 our clients filed a suit challenging the attempt by the university to take over possession of their land which did not form part of the land donated to the then Cross River State Government, the university participated in the proceedings until the month of November 2015 when the suit was withdrawn.

    “However, our clients filed another suit on December 3, 2015 and the court processes were duly served on the university management. Rather than respond to the suit, the management has resorted to self help and attempt to foist a fait accompli on the court.

    “Our clients have refrained from taking laws into their hands even in the face of provocation and still believe in the principles of rule of law. We therefore urge you to intervene in this matter in the interest of justice and direct the university to stop forthwith any action which may lead to a total breakdown of law and order in the state.”

    It was gathered that the bulldozers allegedly sent by authorities of the University of Uyo, on February 1, 2016 wrecked havoc to buildings and properties situated in Ekpri Nsukara and Use communities, sending property owners into mourning.

    Eye witnesses, who spoke to our reporter stated that at about 1.30 pm, more than twenty truckloads of soldiers, policemen and other security agencies, escorted a team of officials of the University of Uyo into the area and immediately commenced the destruction of buildings.

    The fierce-looking soldiers dared anybody to come near the area.

    House owners stood by and watched helplessly their buildings reduced to rubbles. Owners of plots of land in the area are mostly civil servants who had used the last of their incomes to erect a place they could lay their heads.

  • Cross River holds maiden outdoor investment forum

    Cross River holds maiden outdoor investment forum

    In its bid to drive investments to improve the economic fortunes of the state, the Cross River State Signage and Advertisement Agency (CRISAA) has held the maiden edition of the Outdoor Investment Forum.

    The Director-General of CRISAA, Mr Stanely Nsemo, said the aim was to invite all the outdoor operators in Nigeria to Cross River State and identify the myriad of opportunities that are in the state.

    Nsemo said it was time to do things differently and instead of just driving revenue, the agency was also creating opportunities for young people in the state.

    He said: “We understand that the country is in a recession, we understand that we are competition with other states, but giving these advertisers and operators opportunities to see what values to bring that the state is indeed ready to open up and partner with the operators. Their investments are secure in Cross River State.

    “The economy of the state unlike many others, is upward bound, because we have actually been dealing with our economic woes for a long time, before all of these happened. So we are looking forward to having the operators come and partner with us and help us build a more vibrant outdoor sector.

    “One of the things we are looking at is local content. Most of the things that we would be done going forward, would be done from the local content perspective. So fabrication, changing of different displays would be done from a local content perspective. We are looking to drive these skills sets within our community and then grow the skills within our young people. That is what we believe would drive development in our young people.

    “The governor had said we should focus on fabrication, so going forward, what we are looking at doing is looking at how CRISAA as a body can partner with private organizations to establish fabrication workshops. Workshops that would create, make and invest things in the advertising industry. It is a whole new concept. We are now leading the trajectory in advertising outdoor. So this is what we believe is a difference in what we are trying to do. The kind of skills we generate are lifelong skills – skills that would be translated to economic value over time and not just within this bad economic period but also in other economic sectors.”

    The Deputy Governor, Prof Ivara Esu, said the forum was to underscore the critical position of outdoor advertising in national development and its importance the state.

    “Since assumption of office, the present administration has displayed in words and actions, its unrivalled desire to deemphasize dependency on federal allocations through a deliberate industrial drive that will create multiplicity of benefits to all Nigerians and other nationals, residing in and doing business in the state.

    “As a result of the healthy industrial climate, coupled with the relative peace and serenity that abounds in the state, we have witnessed a huge influx of investors into the state, desiring to intervene in different sectors of the state’s economy.

    “The positive scenario will definitely impact on you as operators of outdoor advertising as apart from the huge employment opportunities that will be created in the industry, you will also, play defining roles in getting our various products across the country to the generality of end users, though various outdoor advertising windows.

    “However to ensure proper coordination of outdoor advertising and ensure the maintenance of basic minimum industry standards, the present administration will partner with its Advertising and Signage Agency to ensure appropriate regulation of your activities.

    “The management of the Cross River State Signage and Advertisement Agency (CRISAA) has accordingly been directed to redefine the agency as an outdoor regulatory body which will not be specifically focused on setting tariffs and revenue collection, but will also be involved in maintaining standards, creating jobs, transferring skills and building a fabrication industry that will cater for our indigenes and the nation at large,”

    Esu said the state’s serene business environment coupled with an encouraging annual growth rate of 4.03 per cent and an annual GDP growth rate of 6.33 per cent will guarantee maximum profit earnings for investments.

    The General Secretary of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria, Femi Ogara, commended the state for the initiative, saying it was pro-active in the face of the economic challenges in the country today.

  • Enumeration area demarcation begins in Calabar for 2017 census

    The second phase of the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) for the 2017 Census has commenced in Calabar Municipal Local Government Area of Cross River State.

    The exercise would last till March 14, 2016.

    Addressing reporters in Calabar, the Federal Commissioner of the National Population Commission in the state, Idi Baba Yakubu, said the pilot test of the EAD took place in December 2014 in Akoko North East of Ondo State.

    Yakubu, a lawyer, said the experience from this informed the first phase of the EAD which tool place from November 26 to December 16 in one local government in each of the six geopolitical zones and the Federal Capital Territory.

    He said the second phase of the EAD will take place in 29 local government in 29 states of the Federation not covered under the pilot phase and first phase.

    The Commissioner said in order to ensure commitment of field staff, only staff of the Commission have been deployed as demarcators in the EAD exercise so far. This, he said, will ensure that the exercise is insulated from interference and also ensure accountability.

    He said the commission is leaving no stone upturned to ensure that the EAD for the 2017 Census is carried out meticulously, professionally and scientifically to provide the basis for the smooth conduct of the census next year.

    According to him, the importance of the present EAD goes beyond the conduct of the next census, as it will provide the national framework for future censuses and surveys in the country.

    “Given the quality of the EAD and the clear methodology to be adopted, this will be the last time the Commission will be embarking on a full scale EAD exercise as future censuses will only require updating,” he said.

    Yakubu also pointed out that considering the fact that the 2017 Census will be biometric based and will seek to capture the facial impression and fingerprints of persons during the census period, any hope of gaining advantage through manipulation of EAD will not be possible as only persons physically seen will be counted and their biometrics taken.