The National Association of Seadogs (NAS), Eket chapter has donated drugs to the Nation Children’s Centre at Ikot Ibiok in Eket Local Government area of Akwa Ibom.
Donating the drugs on behalf of the association, Dr. Kalu Anyan, said the gesture was part of measures to improve the healthcare and wellbeing of the less-privileged children in the state.
The drugs donated include malaria drugs, de-worming expeller, single worm expeller, fully equipped First Aid Box.
Other items donated included three cartons of Honeywell noodles, cartoons of fruit juice, rolls of toilet papers, among others.
“The programme is reaching out to the less privilege, in this case since the drive for this year had been maternal and child health, we felt we could use one opportunity to achieve two things, by reaching out to the less privilege children and helping to control this common disease among them in order to improve their health and wellbeing,’’ he said.
He said the outreach programme under the medical charity of the Association was targeting disease that is common and responsible for mortality and morbidity among the populace.
“We are out to help some of those we consider as less privileged people in the society.
“Today we single out malaria treatment for children because that is a big challenge, and infestation by worm is the outreach programme focus today,’’ Anyan said.
According to him, 80 per cent of outpatient consultations are due to malaria in Nigeria. “From the statistics that we have, malaria is the leading cause of death especially in young children and pregnant mothers”.
He noted that the average Nigerian adult treat malaria not less than three to four times in a year, saying that malaria had contributed to economic lost of the country.
Also speaking, Mr Benjamin Robbert, President of the Association, Eket branch, promised to check the less privileged children quarterly.
He said NAS would be a partner to the orphanage centre.
Receiving the items, Miss Dianabasi Akanimoh, Chief Executive Officer of the centre, expressed gratitude to the Association while urging other members of the society to emulate NAS.
She said the orphanage home was four years and the centre had 37 children, adding that the centre was funded by some groups of people in the state.
She said 80 per cent of the children in the centre had been stigmatised by either the parents or society.
She added that the centre provides shelter, feeding, health care and vocational skills to stigmatised children in the state.
Akanimoh said the orphanage centre is faith-based organisation committed to save life and bring safety to learning environment of children in the state.
When PIND Foundation, a Chevron Nigeria Limited-funded NGO, disclosed its plan to construct an energy-efficient centre for one of its organs in 2011, its promise to deliver a building that uses75per cent energy elicited suppressed enthusiasm and some doubts. Four years later, the centre opened in Egbokodo-Itsekiri Community in Warri. Southsouth Regional Editor SHOLA O’NEIL, who witnessed the ceremony, reports that PIND delivered on its promises.
In 2011, the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in Niger Delta (PIND) mulled the idea of constructing the Appropriate Technology Enhanced Demonstration Centre in Egbokodo-Itsekiri Community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
• Inside the house
The centre, located within the premises of PIND’s Economic Development Centre in Egbokodo-Itsekiri Warri, was conceived to pioneer a trend in constructing houses using materials that are not only sustainable, but more eco-friendly and reducing the use energy as part of effort to combat global warming.
PIND said the ATED Centre aimed to achieve an energy consumption that is less than 70 percent of existing buildings. To achieve the target, the centre married alternative technologies with shrewd architectural design that takes advantage of its location and available resources.
Four years on, the centre was opened on Wednesday, July 8, much to the delight of guests, environmentalists and members of the local and international communities. And it delivered on all the promises.
PIND’s staff who provided a guided tour of the facility after a brief opening ceremony, explained some unique feature in the construction: Instead of conventional blocks, the centre was built with hydra-form interlocking blocks, which uses laterite, an age-long building materials. Laterite needs minimal cement both in molding and erection of the walls. The use of timber along with the laterite block, double glass window panes etc. reduces heat and eliminates the need for ACs to barest minimum. The building, which has no ceiling board, featured two-layered roof that allows wind to blow in between, keeping the bottom layer cooler due to both the air flow and the protection from direct sunlight. The use of double glass window pane reduces noise, while an air system improves airflow and circulation and aids the inverter type ACs to function optimally.
One of the standout technologies in the futuristic ATED Centre however is the Bio-digester, a system that converts human and animal wastes to clean cooking gas, fuel to power its standby generator and which byproduct is manure. The contraption not only enhances the concept of waste to wealth, but also helps the environment through cleaner energy.
PIND said, “ATED is also using this new building to pilot an ATED-promoted innovation called the bio-digester. This technology turns waste into fuel that may be used in the canteen to cook, or in a back-up generator to create power, and safe fertilizer. Following testing at ATED, the technology will then be piloted in a Niger Delta community.”
The Executive Director of the Texas, US-based Niger Delta Partnership Initiatives Foundation (NDPI), Mr Denis Flemmi, performed the opening ceremony. NDPI administers PIND’s funds from Chevron Corporation’s and other partners. .
Earlier in his welcome address, PIND Executive Director, Mr Sam Daibo, explained that the choice of materials used in the building was informed by the growing concern about global warming and the need to take action to mitigate its effects, especially in the Niger Delta region.
He remarked that it was conceived to demonstrate appropriate technology in building of houses in the Niger Delta region in particular and Nigeria as a whole, adding that it took advantage of strong linkages between the development of appropriate technologies with commercial potential, and the small and medium enterprise support programs of the EDC.
Daibo explained that the initial challenge with the host communities also provided an opportunity for a peace programme and laid the foundation for a mutually benefiting relationship for PIND and its Itsekiri hosts, whose local contractors supplied most of the materials used in the construction.
• Ms Gilbert and others at the event
In her presentation, Nancy Gilbert, manager of the ATED programme, explained that it is all “appropriate technology” – that makes sense in the Niger Delta.
She noted that the region faces challenges like lack of access to clean water, which informed introduction of biosand filter, a simple, but very effective water purification technology, which is able to purify water up to 99percent. The simple filter comprises of just a bucket, small stones and sand.
“This is the kind of technology we are interested in – ways to make life better, improve incomes, and address important issues faced by the people of the Niger Delta.”
She explained that the demonstration centre project was approached with a focus on building a house that show people how they could experience new, innovative approaches that could improve quality of life in view of the global challenge of climate change.
According to her, climate change is one of the greatest problems facing the world, remarking: “Not only does the nature and extent of climate change hamper human development it also forms a major threat to human security and political stability.”
Nancy said global warming is more daunting in Africa because, along with poverty, it is considered its greatest challenge in the 21st century because they link to aggravate the existing vulnerabilities of the poor and creates new risks.
She said the Niger Delta region is particularly vulnerable to effect of climate change as it causes sea level rise, ocean surges, coastal erosion, and floods among others. She posited that the intrusion of sea-water into fresh water sources and ecosystems destroy important systems like mangrove, where fish breed and grow.
“It will also affect agriculture, fisheries and general livelihoods. If sea level rises .5 metres, 35% of the Niger Delta land mass will be lost. Of course, all of this will have significant impact on you, your families and your communities.
“Things have always been changing and nature has adapted. So why is this different? The difference is the rate of change – things are changing so quickly that the natural world doesn’t have enough time to adapt. This means we need to find ways to slow down the negative things we are doing, and give the world a chance to adjust – until we can find a way of living that works in balance with nature.
“To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we have to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions which mean find ways to use less car bon intensive energy.”
While conceding that humans cannot undo all the negative things that have been done to harm the environment and enhance global warning, she said further negative impacts can be mitigated or minimized as the case may.
“How do we improve? We do it through innovation and change. And this will bring new opportunities, new and different jobs. For example solar power is getting cheaper and cheaper. As a result investments are going up: Globally $3.7 trillion in solar investments are expected between now and 2040.
“Solar alone will account for more than a third of new power capacity worldwide And this revolution will be decentralized. The biggest solar revolution will take place on rooftops – in Paris, Los Angeles and in Warri. High electricity prices and cheap residential battery storage will make small scale rooftop solar very attractive.”
“They say a picture is worth a thousand words. And I would venture to add – an experience is worth a few thousand more! Being able to see, learn, and experience innovations, will hopefully lead to interest, knowledge, and change.”
“We hope that this building can in some small way help raise awareness of the challenges we face, and suggest solutions,” she added.
Explaining further to newsmen, Mr. Sylvester Okoh, Field Project Manager, PIND, said beyond the technologies displayed at the centre, Okoh said gains of appropriate technologies range from agriculture to health, that they have helped the method of crop harvesting and food processing, which he said has made life easier for people.
He said has PIND has a very large program on peace building and has partnered with a lot of experts who volunteered to participate in their peace building programs that has helped in reducing violence in the region.
He urged Niger Delta youths to shun violence and embrace peace at all times, saying that their lives are important, and they should be engaged in meaningful ventures that can make people to support them.
Guests, including Mr Tuoyo Omatsuli, Executive Director Project of the Niger Delta Development Commission, who was represented by Mr Alfred Mulade, commended the initiative and promised that the NDDC would continue to partner with PIND and other similar bodies towards the development of the region.
On his part, Mr. Charles Okereke, while commending the initiative and concept of the centre, remarked that the high cost of materials involved meant that the technologies displayed are still out of the reach of the common man. He urged the Federal and State governments to key into laudable programmes of ATED and provide needed supports and encouragements for the youths.
The ATED Centre has offices for ATED program staff, reference library, classroom and workshop for conduction of AT training programs, research and development room, business incubator, exhibition and training hall reception, boardroom, and plant room.
The Governor Emeritus jumps out of his sleep. He looks at his surroundings: the bed is gold-plated; the mattress is extra-relaxing; the table lamp; the chandelier; the curve television set; the crested rug; and all. He could not have asked for anything better. But he is baffled and troubled. The dream he just had still scares him. It is a sharp contrast to the beauty of the room he is in.
The first thing that occurs to him after clearing his head is to walk from the Presidential Lodge to the Governor’s Apartment and challenge His Excellency with the facts just revealed to him in his dream.
It is just 6am. The crowd will soon start trooping in. Since his status changed to governor-emeritus of Abasi Ibom State, the crowd in and outside the Presidential Lodge has increased. They troop in as early as 7am. Of course to seek one favour or the other. To many of these people, they see him as Governor Emeritus rather than the Senator of the Federal Republic that he now is. To them, the fact that he now lives in the Presidential Lodge anytime he is in town is a further confirmation of his hold on the governor, Modu Leunamme.
He drafted Leunamme, a former bank top executive, into politics and made him governor at all cost. In appreciation, Leunamme still allows him call the shot. Almost everybody that matters in the governor’s executive council is there on his say so.
Now, this dream. It has two parts. One part is that the governor will soon start calling his bluff. He will start by instigating people to start complaining about his use of the Presidential Lodge. And two, the tribunal sitting in Abuja will kick out the governor after six months. But before then, Leunamme will cut him to size. He shivers at the possibility of these things happening. It occurs to him that nothing is impossible in politics.
His phone soon rings. It is his wife, who is in Dubai enjoying her life.
“Hi Honey,” he says.
“Good morning my heart,” his wife replies.
Before he says anything else, his wife adds: “You sound down.”
He relays the dream he just had to her.
“This is getting serious,” she says.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Yesterday, my PA called me saying he heard the Chief of Staff saying that the governor cannot continue to be under your shadow and that very soon, he will show you who is in power between them by first ensuring that all the lawmakers switch allegiance to him.”
Governor Emeritus cuts in: “You mean he said that?”
“Honey, he did and even said more. He described you as a greedy bastard who thinks the whole of Abasi Ibom should lick your foot. He said soon Abuja will be your permanent home and that if you prove stubborn, he will supply EFCC enough evidence to make Kuje your official abode.”
She continues: “Apart from the Chief of Staff, another aide of the governor was overheard saying that the governor will soon meet with members of the National Assembly from the state, especially the senators and the reason for the meeting is to use them against your desire to be Minority Leader of the Umbrella Peoples Party in the Senate.”
“Can all these be true?”
“I really don’t know.”
“But, with the kind of revelations in your dream, I am beginning to believe them,” his wife says.
There is a silence of some seconds.
“Honey, just be careful. There are examples abound of men helped into power who less than three months after turned against their benefactor and became their worst enemy. So, if it happens here it will not be strange. Of all the governors helped into power by their predecessor, only a few did not supplant them. Some tried but could not.”
“I will be careful dear. Just enjoy yourself. I will be expecting you back next week.”
The conversation ends. He decides to place a call to the Chief of Staff. The phone hardly rings before the man starts to pay obeisance.
“Good morning your Excellency,” the Chief of Staff says, “I remain loyal Sir. To what do I owe this call sir?”
Doubts set in again and he queries himself: Is this man deceiving me? He is confused.
“I want you to see me later in the day. There is something I need to discuss with you.”
“Okay sir, I will see you,” the Chief of Staff replies.
He gets off the bed and retires to the bathroom to have his bath. The Jacuzzi is where he thinks he needs and he buries himself in it relishing the soothing feeling of the water. There his thoughts wonder.
He remembers his search for a successor and how he had to dump two powerful men before settling for the governor, who was a political novice. He remembers the battles he had to fight because of his choice. He remembers the dream he had in which he found himself in-between heaven and hell. He remembers how after that dream he decided he was not going to foist any candidate on the party. He remembers how he called a meeting of the party top notch and told them he was not going to foist anybody. He also remembers how weeks later his wife told him to discountenance the dream and go ahead with his original plan. He equally remembers how he had to threaten his estranged political sons with death when they were against his decision to foist Leunamme on the state. He remembers so many things and he shivers inside the warm Jacuzzi.
As he rubs the liquid soap on his body, he thinks of the best way out. Should he confront the governor or should he just siddon look? It is not an easy decision to make. In that instant, a discussion he had with former Governor Ibo of Nambra State came to him. Ibo had advised him against sticking out his neck for anybody. Ibo had stuck out his neck for a former banker to become his successor and it did not take three months before the man turned against him.
For Governor Emeritus, the deed is done. Leunamme is governor already and what he needs to fashion out now is how he will not be disgraced. Or, should he just work underground to make sure he loses at the tribunal? No, this is no option, he says. It will only bring in his arch enemy, who will now make it a point of duty to expose him every day. At least, this one will only assert himself but not ridicule him, he agrees.
He gets out of the Jacuzzi, heads for the room, dresses up and looks out of the window. There are at least 10 people waiting outside already. He recognises four of them. They are men who have begged him to get them one appointment or the other. He sure is in no mood for petty talks this morning.
“Udom,” he calls on the steward.
“Yes sir,” the steward says.
“Tell all of them I am going to be busy with a conference call with the Senate President for the next four hours. They should come back tomorrow.”
“Okay sir,” the steward says and rushes to go and deliver the message.
He grabs the remote control, switches on the television and tries to soak himself in on the newspaper review. It takes less than five minutes into the programme for him to realise than his case is akin to someone who has murdered sleep and peace of mind is going to be a commodity he will find difficult to acquire.
Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson and his Commissioner for Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolor, share among other things, the passion to promote Ijaw Language and rescue it from extinction.
The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) listed the Ijaw language as one of the 3000 languages that will soon go into extinction.
To reverse the trend, the culture commissioner and his team came up with the Ijaw Bebe Tolumo programme. Ijaw Bebe has the objectives of developing, promoting and encouraging the teaching and learning of Ijaw language in schools and homes. It also aims at training sufficient Ijaw language teachers; producing texts, literature in Ijaw language and producing a composite Ijaw language dictionary.
The Ijaw Bebe is also expected to develop Ijaw language to be taught and examined in junior/secondary schools, diploma, ‘A’ Levels, degree and higher levels and develop a standard or common Ijaw language for all Bayesans.
The Ijaw Bebe programme was launched last year by Dickson himself. The launching created excitement among the language experts and scholars who attended the event.
Tuodolor was aware that before any language could be learnt or taught in schools it must satisfy four criteria of the National Council on Education (NCE). Such language must have approved orthography, curriculum, language books and trained language teachers.
Undoubtedly, Tuodolor has driven the programme to an appreciable height. He has met all the requirements outlined by the NCE. Following the directive of the governor that books in Ijaw language produced under the programme should be made available and accessible to members of the public, Tuodolor is distributing the materials to private libraries in the state.
Recently, he presented the books to the Professor Azaiki Library and Museum, a prestigious private library built by the former Secretary to State Government (SSG), Prof. Steve Azaiki and his foundation.
The International Director of Azaiki Public Library, Mr. Derevianko Sergii, received the commissioner and his team. The Consultant at the library, Mrs. Ekine Euphemia, took the visitors on a tour of different departments and sections of the library.
Tuodolor expressed the determination of the state government to ensure that all Ijaws become competent speakers of Izon language in the state.
He narrated efforts made by the state government to meet the requirements of the NCE. On orthography, he said the state already has the Nembe, Izon and Epie orthographies adding that the ministry in conjunction with the Niger Delta University (NDU) also developed the Ogbia orthography in 2014.
He said the Ministry of Education got the Izon curriculum which is one of the requirements approved in 2003. He said though the curriculum was left unpublished, his ministry had published and got it ready for use.
Tuodolor explained that the ministry in collaboration with NDU set up five language committees with the task of planning, writing and translating books to Kolokuma, Epie, Ogbia, Nembe and Mein dialects.
On trained language teachers, the commissioner said NDU was mandated to facilitate the training of teachers. He said so far about many teachers had graduated from the Diploma programme.
“With these efforts we are happy to announce that we have fulfilled or met all the requirements of NCE for the learning and teaching of Ijaw language in our schools.
“This is a feat for which the restoration government should be applauded for ensuring that it matched words with action. As a government we will continue to promote the speaking of Ijaw language by complementary activities such as inter school debate, quizzes, cultural competition, observing Ijaw-speaking day, Ijaw films, Ijaw music and developing learning centres for adults”, he said.
He, however, said the Ijaw Bebe programme would not achieve its desired objectives if parents and community failed to play their roles. He said parents and guardians could complement government’s efforts by speaking the Ijaw language at home and in communities.
He said many books had been written in Ijaw dialects to actualise the government’s determination of saving the Ijaw language from extinction.
Tuodolo said: “A situation where Pidgin English now takes the place of Izon language from individual families is indeed a danger signal which, if not decisively handled now, may lead to the extinction of the language.
“To reverse this ugly trend, therefore, the ‘Izon bebe tolumo’ books have been presented to the library for the benefit of the general public. We wish to urge parents and wards to take it as a responsibility to ensure that their children and wards are taught the Izon language at home and not Pidgin English.
Receiving the various books from the state government, the International Director of Sergii, commended the government for the laudable initiative.
Sergii said: “The family is the first school every child attends. The importance of its roles to ensure that children become competent users of their mother tongue s cannot be underplayed. To this end, therefore, Pidgin English should not be an option.”
He assured the commissioner and his entourage that the books would be made available to the public.
In her remarks, Consultant at the library, Euphemia, said that language is key and a great unifying factor for a people. She took the commissioner and his entourage on a familiarisation tour of the various sections of the library.
Since Cross-River lost 76 oil wells to her neighboring Akwa Ibom state, her economic condition has remained in near parlous state. The Civil Servants had suffered more over this predicament, as their little emoluments became the only lubricant for the market driven economy of the 40-year-old state.
This loss of oil wells coupled with the dwindling federal allocation can only be imagined, as both the government and people have lost all hopes, relying on divine mercies to redeem the image of the impoverishing economy.
Even with the burden of taxation, not much could be assembled to glitter the hope of a once-vibrant economy. Interestingly, the people persevered and made untold sacrifices for their beloved motherland, as they do not have another state but Cross Rivers.
The emergence of Professor Ben Ayade as the fourth Executive Governor did not only come with a quota of hope but also with lots of inspiration. The passionate environmental scientist in the wake of his campaign, publicized practical and adorable ideas for the development of the local economy. His ideas were at home with Cross Riverians and tenable to even the mitigated minds. The people believed in him.
Ayade had prepared the minds of the people not to depend any more on federal allocation only, for survival as a government and as a people. Rather than blowing the popular whistles of inherited debts like his counterparts in other states of the federation, the Governor has chose to blow the trumpet of a well-endowed Cross Rivers state; full of potentials and capable of taking the state and the nation to a greater height.
Giving insight on his new task, during his inaugural speech, Professor Ayade said; “I am fully aware of the weight of this challenge and fully resolved that by the Grace of Almighty God, we shall build on the great tradition of excellence left by my brother and my leader, His Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke, these past eight years. Fellow Cross Riverians, I am a proud inheritor of an outstanding legacy, which has firmly placed our beloved state on the global map of purposeful leadership; and for this, I am eternally grateful.”
“Fellow Cross Riverians, we have come to that bend in the river where we must all rise to our full height to envision and carve out a better future for ourselves and posterity. True, it seems such a daunting task with the falling oil prices and dwindling revenues, further compounded by the general atmosphere of despondency across the country, with our backs against the wall, we must dig deeper into the wells of our creativity and hew out a new pathway to greatness.”
Taking the words of the African sage, Nelson Mandela with him, that “it always seems impossible until it is done,” the governor reinvigorated that drive to hit the ground running so as to succeed.
“As we climb this imposing mountain of hope, we shall widen our scope, broaden the horizon and sharpen our instincts for fresh and big ideas that will galvanize this great state to achieve its full potential and usher in a prosperous Cross River, where our people will live in peace and harmony with one another and with nature.” He added.
True to his talk, Professor Ayade has speedily embarked on an enterprise with the private sector. The private sector is encouraged to raise 500 million Euros for Calabar Deep Sea Port project.
The Broad Spectrum Industrial Services is the consortium working with the administration towards realizing this project and has become the perfect sign of many good things to come. For Simon Eyo, a Calabar resident, ‘it is not too early for a man who knows his onions to embark on a project like the Calabar Deep Sea Project, knowing how innovative and transformational it will be for our economy especially in the face of Nigeria trying to look away from oil.’
For the governor, this is the source for his passion. “Our seaport had been dormant because it has no evacuation corridor to permit the passage of mother vessels. Consequently, these mother vessels often berth in Lome while flat vessels are used to convey the shipments in bits to Calabar.”
“Chad and Niger Republic are land-locked so, they rely on Lagos seaport. If Calabar seaport becomes functional, it will serve as the second largest distribution outlet to our neighbouring land-locked countries with the expected distributional consequences. The sea-port is to generate N30 billion every month.”
The Broad Spectrum will also include in their tray of projects; the construction of a dual carriage super highway, a modular refinery, cement factory,etc. as part of their economic blueprint for the Ayade years in Cross River State. Now the ball is rolling.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the consortium, Mr. Michael Havre have said that the figure (500 million Euros) neither represents a loan nor a grant but purely that of project financing as the projects would be executed on Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement which only requires 25 percent bank guarantee from the state government. For a passionate Ayade, Bank Guarantee cannot hold down a monumental project as this, as a leading Nigerian bank has already agreed to look into the possibility of issuing the guarantee on behalf of the state.
Havre disclosed that he is in touch with one of the banks that have agreed to issue a guarantee on behalf of the State government.
He made it clear to the government and the people that the involvement of the state is going to be very minimal as it is purely a PPP driven. “I don’t need your money, what I just need you to do is get to your bank and give us a bank guarantee and we are good to go and that is why we are here. We are here to work with you to bring progress to Cross River,” said the Broad Spectrum boss.
While Ayade is bent on making the state a new economic hub, there are indications that Hydro Power projects to generate 90 Megawatts of Electricity are already on the drawing board following his new deal with some Chinese experts. The Governor plans to generate 30mw from Kwa Falls, 30 mw from Agbokim while the canalization and Channelization from either Ikom, Calabar and Itigidi Rivers will generate 30mw, bringing the total output to 90mw.
From his words of wisdom; “we are happy because we understand the power generation mechanics and how it works. A lot of states that invested in gas turbines today have their hands burnt because it is always very difficult to sustain the turbines. The huge gas supply per day at high running cost makes turbines more expensive to operate.”
“So if we go hydro, the water is free. It is obvious that we are taking the right path and we are lucky to have this (Chinese) team which is tested and proven with long history of successes as experts in the field,” he assured.
Apparently wary of the numerous abandoned projects in many parts of the country, Governor Ayade is not one who has not learnt from history. “As a people and a state who understands the difficulty of gas powered turbines, we as a state decided to develop a culture that will insist on hydropower.”
“The decision for hydro is specific. In spite of the fact that it has high cost of initial investment, the downstream over time will kneel out the initial operational cost and therefore, from longevity operational efficiency and sustainability, it is imperative that we have to go for hydro, more so we are a coastal state,” he reiterates.
One may also be amazed at his quotient of understanding and passion to take Cross Rivers state into a new economic surprise. “Our thinking is that, since we have opportunity to have about three locations where we can generate hydroelectricity, our requirement as a state is a little below 8mw, so from our projections we shall be generating 90mw at the three locations, utilizing only 30 as a state and selling out the remain 60mw to the Federal Government.”
The governor has been excited over the acknowledgement of the peaceful disposition of his people as observed by the investors who pointed out that Cross Riverians are nice and warm people.
There are other undertakings being incubated for ‘hatchery’ by the governor in Cross River. They include an assembly plant for the production of trucks and mass transit vehicles already being promoted by Steyr Nigeria Limited. The Governor has prepared the grounds for these projects to come on stream.
The Bishop of Niger Delta Diocese, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev Ralph Cornelius Ebirien, has vowed that the church would never support same sex marriage or relationship despite the appointment of a Nigerian as the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion worldwide.
Rev Ebirien, who spoke at an event to mark the fifth anniversary of his ordination as the sixth spiritual head of the diocese, said the appointment of Bishop of Kaduna Anglican Communion, Bishop Idowu Fearon as ?the next Secretary General of the Anglican Communion worldwide, has received the blessing from the church but noted that the primate of the Anglican communion had told Fearon the Nigerian church would not accept same sex marriage.
He said, “Same sex marriage is a problem to Anglican Church worldwide; Church of Nigeria is against it and we want to thank the immediate past President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan who said no to it. Our primate said no to it, all of us said no to it. The primate said Bishop Idowu Fearon is on his own, someone has been appointed to oversee his Diocese in Kaduna. Our answers remain ‘No’, according to the bible and we will continue to say No.
Rev Ebirien began his journey as a young Deacon in 1982 and was consecrated Bishop on January 10th 2010.
He said his greatest achievement as the Bishop of the Niger Delta Diocese was his ability to resolve a very serious crisis affecting the number two church in the Diocese. He said God’s grace was with the members of the church and others who played one role or the other to ensure that peace took the position of the crisis.
He also recounted the contribution of the church during the flood disaster in Niger Delta communities and other humanitarian service rendered by Diocese. He said because of the terrain where most of their churches are planted, the church had always had to do more in the area of social service delivery.
“We are indeed very happy that God is guiding us. It is not easy, but God was on our side with the support of Diocese. Since we came onboard we have made some strides in the area of discipline, we had some challenges in one or two churches. The crisis affected the Diocese badly, that church, St. Cyprian where crisis erupted is the number two church, but God assisted us to solve the matter successfully. And that is one of the greatest achievements of my leadership.
“We have two people on scholarship; we also have plans to increase our temple in the area of training. Before I came here the church hospital was closed down. But now, we have reopened it with modern medical equipment. We have also acquired 20 plots of land; we bought lands for new church buildings and there is also plan to have a new Bishop’s court. These are some of thing we have achieved.
“During the flood crisis, especially in the Niger Delta region, we reached out to people; about four communities were assisted with food items, clothing and other consumable materials. We have always identified with them even when there is no flood we also visit them. More of our churches are along the creek and sea that is another challenges but we don’t allow any of these challenges to deter us from doing the work of God. One of our pastors fell sick and the church sent him to Indian. With the little available to us we have also assisted other members of the society who solicited for our help in one way or the other.”
Rev Ebirien also commended his wife for bringing the women in Anglican Communion together and teaching them in a Godly ways on how to respect their husbands and to take care of their families.
He said the church is devoting interest to training and re-training of the leaders of the church and also establishing a youth church.
He listed another challenge facing the Niger Delta Diocese community as the migration from rural to urban areas, noting, “Everybody today wants to travel out of his or her community and some of these people are so important to their church in the community.
“Some time when you go to the rural area to preach you discover that some of the churches are empty. When you try to find out the reply is always that they travel out because of job or school. So it is our duty to see how we can link with those members of the church who have left the villages to towns.”
Many people today fully appreciate the fact that those who perpetrate electoral violence do incalculable harm, not only to the present generation but also to those in the future. But by far the most far-reaching implication of any form of breach during election is the exclusion of many voices, even long before the process of governance begins. This reality, no doubt, remains the cause of political tensions in most developing countries.
Given our proclivity for electoral violence, I had thought that the last 16 years of uninterrupted democratic experience would have significantly addressed this issue. To me, the fact that political contest is still not violent-free in Nigeria diminishes our efforts in building a country of our dream.
Except we are all prepared to live with the long and painful consequences of electoral violence, which is definitely not an option, every government has a duty to renew hope, not just in the electorates but also in the political process. And this is the expectation of many Nigerians at the moment.
Agreed that some states in Nigeria may have over the years, experienced a comparatively better record in terms of conduct of elections, this cannot be said in all sincerity of states in South-South, particularly Rivers and Akwa Ibom where violent occurrences remain an issue of grave concern. Though violence and intimidation had been part of elections in these states for many years now, brutality was however taken to new heights in 2015 general elections. Rivers State particularly recorded countless cases of politically motivated deaths and cruelty across the length and breadth of the state.
At a personal level, the most upsetting part of electoral violence is that in the final analysis, everyone is a loser: the living, the unborn and even the dead that paid the supreme sacrifice. This is largely so because any political contest that is not violence-free obviously results in the emergence of unpopular and unacceptable contestants.
This correlation between credible elections and quality of governance addresses eloquently, issues of growth and development. Except there is magic, it will be absolutely impossible for purveyors of violence and others against fair political contest to provide any form of leadership that will be purposeful and beneficial to the great number of people.
This is already evident in the flashpoint states under review and the reasons are not far to seek. Anyone who bulldozes his way to any elective position, either for personal aggrandizement or for other vague reasons, clearly has no covenant with the people. Therefore that person is unaccountable and also at liberty to desecrate any political office he or she forcefully occupies. After all, his allegiance remains with the tiny clique rather than the general interest, and this ugly trend has continued unabated.
I think this is the major reason advanced democracies dispatch election monitors to developing countries to serve as independent observers. Over the years and even at the risk of intimidation and harm, these election monitors have effectively braced all odds and served as authentic and fair opinion against all forms of infractions during elections. That is why all over the world, their views are highly respected because they are forcefully unbiased.
What they found in Rivers State and Akwa Ibom, to say the least, was shocking and their damning verdict continues to provide insights on the monumental violence and fraud that occurred in the two states. But the negative report did not come as a surprise to many, especially for some of us who witnessed the elections.
Less than twenty-four hours after the election, international observers had called for outright cancellation of the election due to obvious violations by some actors and the election body, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Humphrey Bakaren, leader of African Centre for Leadership Strategies and Development who spoke on behalf of the observers described the election as a sham.
I think it will be pertinent to state here that Bakaren and his colleagues specifically called for utter cancellation because of the level of violence and fraud. According to him, “we request all lovers of democracy to join us in calling for the outright cancellation of the phoney election. Unless this is done, we would have sown the seed that could eventually grow into providing a shade of fear and death over us”. The spokesperson added that INEC could not even meet the electioneering standard it set.
But Civil Society Network Against Corruption went a step further. In its petition to the Inspector-General of Police, the group specifically demanded for the arrest and investigation of Resident Electoral Commissioners in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States. The petition of CSNAC entitled “Demand for Urgent Investigation of Fraudulent Manipulations of Elections of April 11, 2015 by the Resident Electoral Commissioners” addressed the brazen contravention and disregard of many portions of the Electoral Act.
For good measure, CSNAC cited for instance, the discrepancies in Rivers State where the commissioner had declared 1,228,614 as total votes cast, a figure that is totally different from the number of accredited voters in INEC’s central server in Abuja.
Unsurprisingly, all that is happening in Rivers State today fully vindicates the observers who had warned earlier of the awful consequences of electoral violence. But no society or people can perpetually live in self-denial, so we cannot afford to if we truly care about our present and the future.
However, Jeffery Hawkins, the outgoing United States Consular-General, like the international election monitors who first drew global attention to the violence and breach in our region, believes that freedom only comes with justice. In a recent interview in a national daily, he shared his thoughts on our state even as he departs Nigeria. “One thing that was of concern to us in Rivers State was that there was a good deal of violence in the lead up to the elections, and by our count, probably several hundred people were killed over a period of several months and that is not conducive to a peaceful polling process. As you recall, Chairman Jega sent a delegation to Rivers to look into the concerns immediately after the elections, so it was clear that issues were being raised that may not have been raised in other states. But again, if that election was less than perfect, it’s now left for the judicial system to decide”, he said.
Amachree is an NGO activist based in Port Harcourt.
Wife of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel, has urged parents and guardians to inculcate good moral values in their wards to secure their future. The governor’s wife spoke when she received a delegation of Beautiful Imagination, organisers of the Little Miss Akwa Ibom beauty pageant at the Government House, Uyo, the state capital.
Mrs. Emmanuel lauded the organisers of the beauty pageant for their insightful and visionary initiative in floating an outfit that is geared towards raising children to becoming assets to their family and the society at large. She also commended the chairman of the group, Mrs. Itoro Etim, for her ingenuity over the years, saying that she was elated by what she was doing to help the girl-child in the society. She urged the little Miss Akwa Ibom, Miss Rachel Ekpo, not to relegate her academic pursuit to the background, but rather stay focused and study hard so as to be a good ambassador of the group and the state.
Miss Rachel Ekpo congratulated Mrs Emmanuel for her husband’s success at the poll and swearing in as the governor, adding that it was divine manifestation of the hand of God.
She appreciated the organisers of the beauty pageant for creating a platform to nurture and groom the girl-child, stating that she had been afforded the opportunity of learning good moral values that would aid her through life. She also solicited for the first lady’s support on her upcoming project slated later this year.
Also speaking, chairman of the group, Mrs. Itoro Etim, highlighted the aims and objectives of the organisation to include; raising the girl-child to become an asset to the society. She said the group established 10 years ago did this through fashion, movie production and pageantry while calling for synergy between government and the group in touching the lives of the youth.
The highpoint of the visit was the award of the ‘Grand Patron’ of the Little Miss Akwa Ibom project on the first lady, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel.
Worried by several problems including environmental degradation, health hazards and perennial pollution confronting Ijaw ethnic nationality, stakeholders under the aegis of Ijaw Professionals Association (IPA) last weekend organised a seminar at the Banquet Hall of the Bayelsa State Government House, Yenagoa, to fashion a new vision for the Ijaw nation.
At the seminar with the theme: Translating the Ijaw Vision into Reality: The Leadership Challenge’, participants deliberated on the possible alternative means of diversifying the economy of the region from over dependency on oil revenue.
The Secretary-General of IPA, Mr Efiye Bribena, explained that the aim of the seminar was to promote professional excellence among Ijaw people. He said the seminar was a follow up to the one earlier held in May, 2015 at Eko Hotel and Suites, which attracted eminent personalities like the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe.
The President of the association and Executive Secretary, Nigeria Contents Development & Monitoring Board, Arc. Denzil Amagbe Kentebe, flayed the neglect and marginalization of the region by the successive governments but urged the people to take their destiny into their own hands and avoid unnecessary lamentation.
He said: “We need to go beyond the usual complaints, protests and lamentations. We should objectively discuss a new Vision 2025 for Ijawland.”
The chairman of the event, Chief Doukpolagha, commended IPA for its commitment to the course of the Ijaw people. He urged the participants to embark on intensive search for good leadership and new economic agenda for Ijaw nation.
His words: “Hard work is a necessary prerequisite for leadership. Leaders in Abuja should be our ambassadors. To this end, they are to fight for opportunities for the Ijaw man. It is important to look inwards when the question of leadership is raised. It has also become imperative for the people to key into critical areas of oil production to fulfill the destiny of the Ijaw nation as an active player in the Nigerian project.”
The guest speaker, Dr Tom-George, in his presentation entitled: “Rethinking Leadership and Development in the Niger Delta,” challenged Ijaw leaders to harness available human and material resources for the common good of the people.
He said: “A leader is as happy as the least happy person. In sum, a leader should ensure service delivery to the people through self-sacrifice and leadership. A leader must galvanise the best genius of our people; be community minded and be surrounded with people of peculiar interest. An example is John Kennedy who made his brother, Robert Kennedy the Attorney-General when he was President of the United States of America.”
George said the need for capacity building for the youths saying: “There is a dominant negative trend among the Ijaws, which is the wrong notion of thinking that the Ijaw man is defined by the natural resources in his environment. The Ijaws are more than oil and gas and should therefore focus on capacity building. The greatest resource is the human intellect. It is paramount to build the human knowledge economy and invest in the human capital development of the Ijaw man,” he added.
In a communiqué issued at the end of an interactive session, IPA emphasized the urgent need for an effective and futuristic Ijaw Vision.
The statement reads in part: “The Ijaw nation should develop vision 2025 aimed at building a united, inclusive, prosperous, peaceful and influential nation within the Nigerian and global context; Ijaw vision 2025 should be actionable and serve as a blueprint for all sections of the Ijaw nation to build a united and prosperous entity based on shared values and a common destiny; the vision should be dynamic, acceptable to the majority and adaptable to current realities; It should also incorporate the basic core values.”
Stakeholders at the seminar included the Chairman, IPA Board of Trustees, Gen. Paul Alaowei Toun (rtd), Dr. Chris Ekiyor, Chief Boma Obuoforibo, Chief (Mrs) Veronica Bamuza-Mutu and Charles Ambaowei.
Others were: Chief Francis Doukpola, former traditional ruler of Agbere community, Lady Anne, Secretary of the Elders Council of Bayelsa State, Lady Meg Agidi, a member of the Ijaw National Congress, Moses Siasia, a member of the Nigerian Young Professionals), Engr Ambaowei, Acting President of the Ijaw National Congress, and Iniruo Wills, the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Environment.
The honeymoon period between Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and the people of the state, particularly the Ijaw ethnic nationality, from where he picked his deputy, seems to be over. Kinsmen of Chief Kingsley Otuaro, who fervently supported the governor, may soon be at daggers drawn with the Ika-born governor.
The bone of contention is the plan by the governor to amend the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC). Although infamous for fraud, there is no doubt that the commission has gone a long way to assuage the feeling of neglect, underdevelopment and pervading poverty of oil bearing communities in the state.
Interestingly, Otuaro, a lawyer, who is Okowa’s deputy, was the immediate past Commissioner representing the Ijaw ethnic group in DESOPADEC and his above board handling of the group’s affairs during his stint endeared him to the people.
The proposed amendment before the House of Assembly is generating concerns. It seeks, among others, to alter the configuration of the primary beneficiaries which is oil bearing communities to oil bearing ethnic nationalities, a move a section of the state sees as a deliberate ploy by the governor, who hails from the Delta North Senatorial District of the state, to put his mostly non-oil bearing area at par with the oil-bearing communities in the Central and South districts.
In the run-up to the governorship election, opponents of the governor had accused him of planning to scrap DESOPADEC to free up funds for the development of his part of the state. Politicians from other parts of the state said Okowa and aspirants from his district were seeking the highest position in the state as a means of settling scores.
But no issue has upset the other ethnic groups as the DESOPADEC amendment bill.
Ijaws leaders from Diebiri, Egbema, Gbaramatu, Ogbe-Ijoh and Ogulagha kingdoms in Warri South, South West and North as well as Burutu Local Government Areas of the state, met at the BB Hotels, Warri on Monday with a stern warning to the governor and the House to tread softly on DESOPADEC .
The Fie-Owei of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Chief Favour O. Izoukumor, who spent money and stake his reputation to back Okowa, led Sheriff Mulade (Gbaramatu), Dickson Asoki (Egbema), Chief Prefugha Karawei (Ogulagha) and Pastor Samuel Ako (Diebiri) and 20 others to the meeting. They were unequivocal in their plea to the governor that the amendment cannot stand.
While assuring the governor of their readiness to support any efforts aimed at bringing good governance to the impoverished people of oil producing communities and Deltans in general, the Ijaw leaders urge the Rt Hon Monday Igbuya-led House to “reject those proposals that would undermine the interest of oil and gas producing communities”, cautioning that those amendments, “may likely provide basis for insurgency in the creeks of Delta State that might impede oil production”.
Among the vexing proposal in the amendments, according the ethnic leaders, was a plan to have a Managing Director and three Executive Directors to run the day-to-day activities of the commission, a move they posited would not only further burden the finances of the commission through increase salaries and emoluments, but would undermine the functions and duties of the Chairman and representatives of the board, who are chosen by members of the oil bearing communities.
Rather than carry out the wholesale change in the organogram of the commission, the Ijaw leaders urged the governor to rather look into the problems of transparency and overbearing influence of government officials who are clog in the wheel of its progress.
To this end, they demanded that the commission’s 50per cent share of the derivation fund should go straight to DESOPADEC’s coffers rather than through a shady detour through the state government’s account as well as reduction of the current commissioners to five (one per oil bearing ethnic nation).
It is difficult to determine who is going to blink first, but the prognoses are not in anybody’s favour.
