The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Cross River… the making of a service-driven economy

    Cross River… the making of a service-driven economy

    The emphasis on oil as the country’s economic mainstay has left other areas largely unattended to. The service sector has received little attention, despite its huge potential. Cross River has, however, taken a major step to making its economy service-driven, reports Olukorede Yishau

    It was Saturday, December 13. Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke made the day of the matriculating students of the Institute of Technology and Management, Ugep. As a show of his belief in the institution, the governor attended its first matriculation ceremony. The students were elated. Not a few would have thought a commissioner would have represented him. Their joy knew no bound seeing Imoke talk to them about what was expected of them. The officials of the institution were also ecstatic.

    The Visitor motivated the 83 pioneer students. He urged them to utilise the opportunity of being part of the promising institution. He also congratulated them for being part of history.

    The event of last Saturday would not have been without  the October, 2013 Management Agreement between the Cross River State government and Highbury College. The agreement covers matters regarding staff and student recruitment and responsibility for running its day-to-day operations.

    Highbury College took charge of developing employer relationships aimed at ensuring that upwards of more than 90 per cent of ITM graduates are able to find gainful employment on graduation.

    The ITM Project Implementation Committee, whose membership was drawn from educational experts and representatives from Ministries and MDAs also saw to the completion of the first phase of the project, which includes the construction of the academic block, IT laboratories, student hostels, administrative block, staff housing and the provision of critical infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water facilities.

    The governor said: “Today’s matriculation ceremony marks both an auspicious beginning and a bold step in our efforts to situate our students at the cutting edge of vocational education and training. I want to heartily congratulate the first intake of students and remind them that they are pioneers of the realisation of a great future for the proper and the economy of Cross Rivers State.

    “It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to this very important event of the inaugural matriculation ceremony of the Institute of Technology and Management here in Ugep. Today marks a significant step in the evolution of our education system. This institution represents a culmination of this administration’s aim of positioning the youth in Cross River to be the most dynamic and versatile workforce in the country. We are acutely aware of the immense importance of this investment, which will not only transform the economic potentials of the students who attend this institution but will also enhance the future productivity of the state as a whole.”

    He added that the school was established out to address the shortage of mid-level professionals in specialised disciplines.

    The governor observed: “The vision to build the Institute of Technology and Management in Cross Rivers State was necessitated by the need to meet the dearth of vocational training required to prepare our youth to participate in an increasingly globally competitive economy. Students now have an opportunity to have a first rate education delivered by highly qualified lecturers without having to travel outside the state. All in an effort to addressing the shortage of highly trained mid-level professionals particularly in the highly specialised fields.

    “With ITM now fully established , it is our hope that Cross Rivers State will become a net exporter of technical expertise in very competitive fields such as engineering, ICT, and business management. This institution represents a culmination of this administration’s aim of positioning the youth in Cross Rivers to be the most dynamic and versatile workforce in the country.

    “We are acutely aware of the immense importance of this investment, which will not only transform the economic potentials of the students who are attending this institution but will also enhance the future productivity of the state as a whole.’’

    Imoke’s belief in the institute’s ability to provide world-class professionals is not unconnected with the fact that it has affiliation with Highbury College, Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, renowned as a leader globally in technical and vocational education.

    The governor said the partnership with Highbury College was well-thought out.

    “It was important that the right management was engaged and employed to ensure that the training delivered at this institution met world class, international standards. To help us achieve this goal, we turned to Highbury College, Portsmouth UK. The process of developing this partnership was a thorough and properly executed one which began with a visit by a delegation from Cross Rivers consisting of both the state executive and state legislature to Highbury College, Portsmouth in October 2012 to explore the feasibility of a meaningful and mutually beneficial partnership with an institution which was the top vocational training Institution in the United Kingdom. The enthusiasm for this project was so comprehensively accepted by both parties that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at the end of discussions. This was followed by further discussions when the team from Highbury visited Calabar which led to the signing of a consultancy and technical services agreement with Highbury College in May, 2013 for them to facilitate the establishment of a comprehensive Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) ecosystem right across the state.

    “The October 2013 Management Agreement between the Cross Rivers State Government and Highbury College comprehensively covered matters regarding staff and student recruitment for the Institution as well as operations.”

    But what is the essence of training without getting employed afterwards? Imoke said graduates of the institution would face less hassles getting gainfully employed.

    “With support from the ITM project implementation committee whose membership was drawn from educational experts as well as representatives from all the relevant government Ministries and MDAs, the first phase of the project has been completed and includes the construction of the academic block and IT laboratories, student hostels, administrative blocks, staff housing and the provision of critical infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water facilities.

    “Three academic programmes namely, Information Technology, Business Management and Entrepreneurship and Hospitality and Tourism have also commenced. Today, with all the construction work and furnishing of the first phase fully completed, with very highly qualified lecturers and staff hired, and admissions offered to 83 pioneer and well-deserving students, IMT is off to a good start. Work is already in progress on the second phase of the ITM project and is slated for completion in April 2015. When fully completed, the new signature building as it is being called will offer more state of the arts classrooms and specialized laboratories. Various engineering programmes are slated to be offered to incoming students as from next academic year.

    “The central elements of the consultancy and technical assistance agreement with Highbury College included not only assisting the Cross Rivers State government with the development of state of the art and world class Institute of Technology and Management in Ugep, but also the collaboration with the College of Education, Akamkpa for the review and modernisation of the teacher curriculum and for provision of specialist training to build capacity for high quality modern vocational teachers.

    “As part of the development of a holistic and integrated TVET ecosystem, he said, ‘’Highbury College will also work closely as technical partners and advisory consultants to support the upgrade of the curriculum and facilities design as well as improve the operation of the Technical and Vocational Secondary Schools across the state.

    “In doing this, these aforementioned institutions will form the core of a fully functional, market driven, dynamic TVET eco-system which is very critical to our objectives of adequately preparing our youth population for the employment needs of tomorrow’s economy.”

    Those at the event believe that Cross River and Nigeria stand to reap a lot from the institution. Like the governor, many are of the view that the state will through the school produced professionals who can hold their own anywhere in the world. Not surprisingly, Governor Imoke was keen to highlight this point.

    “All of this has been conceived to position Cross Rivers State as the premier service-driven economy in the country but ensuring that our workforce is the most qualified to meet the needs of industry.

    “With the vast amounts of Foreign Direct Investment inflows to the state from companies such as General Electric and Wilmar it has become absolutely paramount to create the basis of a value chain which will be beneficial to the Indigenes of the state. The productivity of our local workforce is a key parameter for attracting more investment into Cross River. Already, the existence of this Institution is having a tremendous impact not just on the host community of Ugep, but also on the state as a whole. Today represents the dawn of a new beginning for the economy of our state and the productivity of our workforce.”

    As Imoke drove out of the venue to attend to other state matters that Saturday, the students, their parents and officials of the institution were not oblivious of the symbolism of the day. Many of them left with the belief that it was the dawn of a new era.

    Many are excited by the fact that work has started on the school’s second phase and is slated for completion in April, 2015. When fully completed, the new Signature building will offer more state of the art classrooms and specialised laboratories. Several engineering programmes are slated to be offered to students from the next academic year.

     

  • Jonathan, Amaechi eulogise Numbere

    Jonathan, Amaechi eulogise Numbere

    President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi led other dignitaries to pay their last respects to the late International Director of Greater Evangelism World Crusade, Port Harcourt, Apostle Geoffrey Numbere.

    They spoke during the burial ceremony of the late Numbere, which took place at Church headquarters of Greater Evangelism World Crusade, Rukpokwu, Port Harcourt. They described him as a great man of God who was among those that contributed to the democratic process in the country.

    Jonathan, who spoke through the Nigerian Ambassador to Scandinavia, Ambassador Godknows Igali, said Numbere’s death was a huge loss to the nation.

    Jonathan said the late apostle was close to his family, adding that “the Federal Government will do everything within its capacity to sustain the legacies left by Apostle Numbere”.

    Amaechi described the life and vision of  the late Numbere as a divine mission meant to raise evangelical Christians for Christ across the globe.

    The governor said the reason for Numbere’s death is best known to God, pointing out that whatever, the reasons are, nobody can question God.

    The governor said: “The death of Numbere is very significant to us, that is why, I find it necessary to be present here in the church.  My party members (APC) and I have been in Lagos, but I have to leave them to join you here in Port Harcourt.  That shows how important Apostle Numbere is to the state.

    “We all expected that these men of God, who seek for righteousness, should have lived longer. I think, God has a reason for giving Apostle Numbere the glorious home call.  Whatever it is, we cannot question God, but to worship Him.  When things that we cannot explain happens, we are tempted to question God.”

    Amaechi condoled with the family on the deep loss of Numbere and prayed God to give the family the fortitude to bear the loss.

    He further described him as a Christian who lived a life that could be compared to the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, as his early Christian life in Rivers State triggered the emergence of Pentecostal churches in the state and beyond, urging “the church to shepherd the large crowd of members he left behind.”

    Former Minister of Aviation Alabo Tonye Graham- Douglas described the late Numbere  as “an incorruptible man of God, and unblemished promoter of the word.”

    Graham-Douglas, who lamented the death of the apostle, said it has left a big vacuum in the society but he expressed confidence that the man of God has finished his assignment on earth hence he had to return home.

    His Royal Majesty, Kali Obuge of Abua Kingdom noted that the late apostle has left an indelible mark in God’s kingdom, calling on men of God and Christians to follow the examples of Numbere.

    He said: “If as an individual and at that early age when he became born-again Christian, he could achieve this, then everyman of God and believer is challenged by this young man’s example.”

    In his sermon, Rev. Dr Mike Oye urged Christians to be obedient to the Lord and avoid compromising their holiness.

    Oye also admonished the family of the late Numbere not to mourn but to rather rejoice “that a Saint has passed on to glory”

    “We rejoice in the miracle that transforms a sinner to a saint” adding that the Apostle Numbere as an ordained Prophet received the holy spirit and he was sanctified for this assignment because he knows the mission and wanted to fufill the mission.”

    He urged the church to emulate the legacies and the good life style of the late Numbere.

    During the exhibition of the works and times of the late apostle in Port Harcourt, which was part of the activities marking his burial ceremony, the Administrator of Greater Port Harcourt City Development Agency, Mrs Aleruchi Cookey-Gam described Numbere as “a true man of God” who touched the lives of several people who came close to him.

    Cookey-Gam, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the occasion, commended the church for putting up the exhibition which captured the life and times of the man from the time he got born again in 1965, how he traversed the harsh and very difficult remote areas of many African countries including his native Rivers state to ensure that he captured many souls for Christ till his last days on earth

    The most curious work exhibited was the preservation of a white coat given to him in 1977 by a South Korean man which is still neatly hanging in his office in Port Harcourt.

    The late Numbere, a native of Buguma in Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, died on October 15 in Abuja at the age 70 and he is survived by his wife, Pastor Nonye Numbere, five children and four grand children.

  • Kefee’s Branama Kitchen for Delta

    After the death of Nigerian gospel singer, Kefee, there have been concerns over her music and “BranamaKitchen’’, which she established some years before her death.

    There were reports making the rounds shortly after her death that the Maryland office of her restaurant was under lock and key.

    But the husband of the late singer, Teddy Esosa Don Momoh, has explained that the business is still in existence.

    According to Teddy, his late wife’s kitchen is still in operation, but only for online clients.

    “Branama Kitchen is still going on, just that it is now operating online. The building itself has nobody but that does not mean it’s been closed, ‘’Momoh said.

    He added that people still called for delivery and catering services, and that he has not been available to oversee the affairs because of his busy schedule.

    Teddy said since his wife’s death, he has been trying to find his feet back and as a result, he would not be able to manage all her ideas.

    He also said he hoped to move “Branama Kitchen’’ to Delta State, where her family is, so that they could also help key into her vision.

    “I have been busy trying to get back on my feet. I don’t really have people to run the place, but “Branama Kitchen’’ will be relocating from Lagos to Delta because I want her parents to share in her dream, ” he said.

    The late singer died unexpectedly in the United States where she had gone to promote her career. Her death took the industry by storm. Her marriage to Momoh was her second. Her first marriage collapse due to irreconciliable differences.

     

  • When ex-militants anger boiled over

    They vented their anger on the East-West Road. There were scores of them. They claimed to be ex-militants from the Niger Delta whose allowances  are not being paid.

    The ex-agitators were said to have barricaded the Patani axis, a boundary town between Bayelsa and Delta states.

    They were said to have caused gridlock on the popular expressway, a gateway linking the South-South with other zones of the country.

    It was gathered that the demonstration started early in the morning and was still ongoing at about 2pm.

    Road users were said to have been stranded because of the gridlock caused by the protest.

    An ex-militant, who gave his name simply as ‘General’ Johnson, told our correspondent on the telephone that the protesters were ex-agitators from Delta State.

    Johnson said they  were protesting the non-payment of their two-month allowances by the Federal Government Amnesty Office for October and November.

    He asked the government to fulfill its obligations to the former agitators to avert future protest.

    Also, Quincy John, a student of Delta State University, Abraka, said the trauma that characterised the long hours of gridlock was nasty.

    “We were trapped in the traffic congestion for close to seven hours. We were afraid that the protesters might turn violent or resort to criminality. My parents were confused andI have been receiving ceaseless calls from them,” John narrated.

    When contacted, Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, Joint Task Force (JTF), Col. Mustapha Anka, confirmed the protest.

    Anka said the outfit detailed its troops from the 222 Batallion to the scene of the protest.

    He said the troops appealed to the protesters to remove the barricade on the Patani overhead bridge and urged them to follow due process in their agitation.

    He confirmed to our correspondent that by 2pm, the protesters had vacated the road and the protest was over.

  • Peterside’s time out at Rex Lawson’s resting place

    Peterside’s time out at Rex Lawson’s resting place

    Dr. Dakuku Peterside cut the image of a man with lots of respect for the icon on whose final resting place he was standing. Truth is, Peterside relishes the life and times of the late , the late Cardinal Jim Rex Lawson, the Buguma-Rivers State music and culture ambassador.

    Peterside, who is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) promised to immortalise the music icon and South-South culture ambassador.

    He spoke in Buguma, home town of the music maestro during a meeting with traditional rulers in the kingdom.

    Peterside, who personally visited the graveside of the renowned music icon, told the people of Buguma and Rivers people that he would do everything possible to keep alive, the memory of the music genius.  He also assured that his government will pay close attention to creativity and performing arts.

    “Today, we stand before the remains of one of Africa’s greatest high life legends. I want to assure you my dear people of Buguma that Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson did not die in vain. We are therefore here to reinforce the values of love, unity and peace which Lawson espouses in his works. It is also our duty to ensure that we support these high ideals all the time.

    “As a people, we must accept our collective failure, aside from the more obvious failure of the Nigerian state in immortalising this great son of Africa. Rex Jim Lawson was able to thrive artistically because the environment was conducive. As governor, I will provide the needed creative environment for every Rivers man and woman to express him or herself.  I will also promote arts and culture and ensure that we encourage talented people in arts, engineering, science and technology.

    “Without a doubt, Lawson inspired a generation of musicians in Nigeria and beyond and we must keep his spirit alive. You will agree with me that this place should naturally be a tourist centre but I doubt how often you host tourists and scholars of African music. This environment is not even conducive and befitting for such homage even when people are interested in coming. I promise to reverse this when we are elected.

    Peterside later prayed for the music icon and called on the people to vote massively for the APC so that the dream of immortalising Lawson would come to reality.

  • Calabar lights up with Safari Awards

    Calabar lights up with Safari Awards

    Calabar, the Cross River State capital, was alive with the famous Safari Awards 2014 put together by Accorage Entertainment to celebrate young people from the Southsouth.

    Head of Accorage Entertainment, Mr Eyo Ita, said the objective is to empower the Nigerian youth and the young at heart in practical ways by creating a celebrity platform to reward their entrepreneurship skills and enterprise level.

    “Our purpose is to reward their various contributions made to Southsouth and beyond.

    “It is as a result of this initiative that a lot of corporate individuals, companies and government have come to associate with us,” Ita said.

    He said the latest edition of the annual event which has been on for 10 years was unique because its transparency. “It is the only corporate social award in the region where the public is allowed to participate in choosing the winner by voting,” he said.

    Ita said Accorage was a strategic entertainment company primarily targeted at youths and through a keen understanding of young people, is able to connect with them effectively.

    “Our sole objective is to rebrand the entertainment industry in our region and encourage young talents within our reach,” he said.

    The event which was hosted by an inmate in the Big Brother Africa “The Chase” reality television show, Bassey, at the Transorp Metropolitan Hotel in Calabar was made lively with various musical performances and comedies by various artistes.

    In the Excellence Award categories Safari Man of the Year went to Mr Scott Tommey, Chief Executive Officer of Seina Marine. The Young Person of the Year Award was given to Mr Moses Siasia, Managing Director of Mosilo Global, while the Entrepreneur of the Year went to Mr Allen Onyema, lawyer and CEO of Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN) and Air Peace.

    Others in the Excellence category include Zenith Construction (Construction Company of the Year), Awade Friday aka Last Prophet (Young Comedian of the Year), Mrs Anne Nwokoro (Fashion Icon of the Year) and Ekpenyong Ekpenyong (Young Creative Person of the Year).

    Other awards in the Competitive Award categories included Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Most Stylist Male, Safari Face, Next Rated Act of the Year, Most Stylist Female, Queen of the Year, Safari Rookie, Student Celeb and Best DJ.

    Siasia who felt elated with the award noted that movers of economy around the world are young people.

    He said in the country today one of the sectors engendering the growth of the local economy was the creative industry, which he said must be encouraged.

    Also Onyema, who spoke through a representative, Dr. Emmanuel Umana, encouraged young people to believe in themselves and do whatever they know how to do to the best of their ability.

  • Scholar gathers Niger Delta youths, women for agriculture

    When someone is idle, he gets angry with everything around him. He becomes restive and an easy tool in the hands of desperate politicians.

    This was the submission of Dr. Blessing Okogbue, in a lecture and seminar she organised in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State recently, to highlight youth restiveness in the Niger Delta caused by the abandonment of the agricultural sector.

    Okogbue, a lecturer in the Federal Polytechnic Ekowe, studied Fisheries and Hydro-Biology. She is angry that despite the agricultural potential of Nigeria and the Niger Delta , successive governments have paid lip service to the sector which she described as the panacea to youth restiveness.

    Her love for agricultural development and empowerment drove her to pursue a scholarship programme christened, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), sponsored by the Bill Gate Foundation and USAID.

    Having gone through the training at the World Agricultural Centre, Nairobi, Kenya, she became a 2013 AWARD Fellow and has since then been looking for an opportunity to transmit her knowledge to the broader society. The opportunity came recently in a seminar that attracted youths, men and women from all walks of life.

    She lamented that people including the government had abandoned the sector in search of quick oil money. She said others prefered white-collar jobs especially banking. She insisted that the development was the reason why poverty and joblessness had become endemic in the region.

    She said: “A banker will not chew money and an oil man will not drink oil. He will eat food and there is nothing like artificial food. It is real food that comes from the farm. So if all of us decide to go and pursue oil and go for white collar-jobs, nobody will be in the farm and everybody will go hungry.”

    She said AWARD is a programme to mapped out to empower women in agricultural sciences to make them influential and competent enough to reach out to the younger ones in the same profession.

    After the lecture, the participants said they had been educated enough to consider engaging in some aspects of agriculture. They thanked the organiser for putting the seminar together.

    One of them, Isaac Moor, described it as a good avenue and well-conceived seminar. “We thank the convener for such seminar. It has wonderfully enlightened me. It has shed much light on some issues hindering me from starting up something of my own. ”

    The Dean of Agricultural Technology, Federal Polytechnic Ekowe, Dr. Olusegun Kuforiji, said Nigeria was in need of similar lectures to highlight the importance of agriculture.

    He said: “We dwelt too ,much on petroleum and that is why everybody is busy looking for cheap money. Most millionaires that have made money through petroleum should start considering diverting their money to agriculture. It will be of good interest to the country.

    “Some of the people in agriculture should be encouraged, we need to know that agriculture is not meant for the poor. It is also made for the elite. Right now in America, the billionaires are agriculturalists. There is a lot of money in it because it has a lot of diversification.

    “If you don’t want to go into planting, you can go into processing and production of agricultural materials. We have been eating tomatoes from Turkey. It is a very annoying that a country of green revolution, a tropical country should be importing when we are supposed to be producing and sending them to other countries.

    “We have the weather. It is in our favour. We have the dry season and the wet season. We can produce products through out the year. The nature has favored us so much. It is only that we are lazy. If you talk of fabrication, we have a lot of people that finish in technical school. If you go to Ogun, Ibandan, Aba and all over Nigeria, you will see much equipment.”

    Furthermore, Mummy Mary, said the lecture was educative. “I learnt a lot. We never knew that we could have dry pap. I hate custard and I like natve pap. I will impart the knowledge to others and I will also apply it.

    “I naturally like agriculture. Where I live I have a garden. But I will like to expand. Without agriculture there is no way out. It is the only answer to our economic woes.”

     

  • Ex-militants allege fraud in amnesty fund

    A group of Niger Delta ex-militants in Akwa Ibom State, under the aegis of Ukanafun Freedom fighters, have written to President Goodluck Jonathan  and  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged withholding of their monthly allowances.

    Ukanafun Freedom fighters were among the ex-militants who embraced Federal Government Amnesty programme and also participated in different training both within the country and abroad. They however lamented that their allowances were yet to be paid several months after they completed training. The leader of the group hinted of possible of fraud and an abuse of amnesty programme.

    Speaking with Niger Delta Report in Port Harcourt, the leader of the group, Mbang Friday Odudu, who spoke on behalf of Etim Sunday, Idiong Ndifreke, Daniel Monday Uduak and other aggrieved members of the group, expressed worry over the attitude of the Amnesty Office.

    Odudu said many of his members died due to lack of assistance to cater for their needs.  He said the group may be forced to go back to the dark days if they could not put food on their tables.

     

  • ‘They slaughtered my wife, three kids’

    ‘They slaughtered my wife, three kids’

    Apostle Eugene Ogu, the General Overseer and Founder of Abundant Life Evangelical Mission (ALEM), Port Harcourt, Rivers State is a man of many parts. He is a religious leader, philanthropist and a social critic, who does not allow his position to affect his views and comments on national discourse.

    Beneficiaries of his compassion see him as great man of God who lives his life for the poor. His church members, who fondly refer him as ‘G.O’, see him as a committed shepherd, who is willing to lay down his life for the sheep.

    These attributes of the former Chairman, Rivers State chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) were reaffirmed last Sunday when the church held a special service for widows and orphans. The event, a special service called “G.O Special Service With Widows and Orphanage”, as its name implies, was for women, children and youths, who lost their loved ones in gruesome manners – they were burnt and slaughtered in the most bestial way by religious fanatics or communal crises across the country.

    Speaking with Niger Delta Report shortly after the service, Apostle Ogu said the event was an annual celebration in ALEM organised to provide a platform for widows, orphans and the needy to come together in the house of God to give thanks to the Almighty God and to also appreciate God for his life.

    “It is also an opportunity to make a sacrifice and to give to the less privileged in the spirit of season.”

    The special service attarcted victims of Boko Haram, which has taken over parts of the North. In the congregation were beneficiaries of Apostle Ogu’s benevolence .

    They came with heartrending tales of terror, orgiastic killing and destruction of lives and property.

    Apostle Ogu, whose house in the North is housing some of the victims of Boko Haram onslaught, has helped to dig boreholes and build schools in several places. Notable among his interventions in North is the Arm of Hope Grammar School, Dogo Nahauwa, Plateau State. The school was built from foundation by the Arms of Hope Word Outreach and also executed water projects in Mangu in Plateau as well as Oboho and Obio-Akpo in Imo and Rivers states. His scholarship scheme has also benefited about1,200 students from various parts of the country, including members of very prominent churches in the various zones of the country.

    He told Niger Delta Report: “We have given subventions to patients in the hospitals; when you go to most Nigerian hospitals you will realise that most of the patients there have been treated for surgical operations, amputation etc. Some of them have been treated and ready to be discharged but the bills are so high that they cannot be allowed to leave – they are being held hostage by medical bills. When you see the psychological effect their circumstances create on them, you begin to wonder what kind of country we live in. When we find out these situations, we pay their hospital bills, take them home and give them money to start something with. In some cases we give their children scholarship and these are ongoing.”

    Some of the guests at the thanksgiving service came in appreciation of Apostle Ogu’s good deeds and the impact his philanthropy has had on them. They said they came to Port Harcourt to tell the world how much the General Overseer loves them. Some of the heartfelt stories, especially the horrible experiences of victim of religious crisis broke down the congregation’s emotions, leaving most of the church members shedding uncontrollably tears.

    Testifying before the congregation, Miss Charity Konu, one of the orphans from Dogo Nahawa, said her parents were slaughtered and their house was burnt down during the infamous raid in their community several years ago. She said but for the intervention of the ALEM life would have been worthless.

    “I had no place to go or who to run to. I became helpless and hopeless until Daddy (Apostle Ogu) visited my home town and demanded to see me. He clothed me and gave me life again. He didn’t stop there; he built the Arm of Hope Grammar School for the less-privilege and orphanage. That was how I started school free of charge, as I am talking to you now I have been given scholarship by him from secondary school to university level. Daddy, I don’t know how to pay you back, but because you have decided to carry our cross God will bless you and also carry your cross.”

    A widower, James Obodu, recalled how he lost his wife and their three children to insurgents while he was returning home from work: “My wife and three children were slaughtered and my house and properties were burnt. This left me restless for months before Apostle Ogu gave me life again. I was behaving like an abnormal person due to the replaying of memories of what I saw. Even the government of the day did not provide succor to us but we were allow to die with our pains.

    “I was one of the victims of Boko Haram in 2006 when the activities of the sect was not widely pronounced as it is today. The worst thing is that I was coming back from work when the incident occurred.  So, I was left with the cloth I was putting on that day. To be frank, the General Overseer was the only source of hope for the victims during those period,  today we are here to celebrate with him at this special service with the widows, widowers and orphanage so that the congregation will know that he is the hope of the hopeless.”

    Another victim, Mrs. Patience Otutu, a widow, recalled with emotion how her husband was buried alive in one of the raids in Borno State. She said all hopes were lost until the ALEM Founder gave them hope; he paid her medical bill when she was sick and assisted her children to go back to school. She prayed to God to continue to bless the man who He had chosen and used to help those abandoned by their kith and kin, their governments and the society.

    Apostle Ogu, who sat through the testimonies with very little visible emotion, later told his congregation and guests that whatever he had done was the least he could do. He said he couldn’t live a life without giving hope to the hopeless or putting smiles on the faces of those who have been rejected by the society and their governments. He said it was very easy for him to give to the poor because of his own past and his background. He said it was his constituency and he enjoyed it whenever he realises that he is identifying with the poor.

    He called on the government and his colleagues in the ministry to do more for the society. He remarked that the government had not done enough to assist the less-privilege in the society.

    “Today is a special service for the less-privileged, the testimonies you are hearing here today is the source of why I am doing more because some people have stood beside me. I am not afraid to do more for the less-privileged because they are part of me. Our government has not done enough to assist these classes of people; even some men of God in the ministry are busy for the material things in this world. But my life is worthless without helping others. The essence of life is to make life comfortable for others.”

    He said his personal experiences during several visits to the crisis areas in the North convinced him that the administration does not know the degree of the crisis raging in that part of the country.

    “It is clear that many communities that have been attacked, the victims do not have any feeling that there is government in place. In other words, the ones we know are the ones that the press reported. There are many deserted communities that the Federal government does not know about, because nobody or the press visited the scene of the incident. They are communities in the rural areas, but there is much more about communities where people have been killed. But the government does not know anything about it. I speak as a servant of God that the government of today lack the capacity to address the present day challenges of Nigeria. If nothing is done to overcome it, then this country is in a serious problem.

    “I am doing what I am doing today because I suffered like them. As a child, I went through difficulties in life. I saw my mother who was the breadwinner of the family at the young age died. I was left to suffer. I slept in the carpenter table for four years and four months with nobody to help me. I will never forget the constituency I am coming from, the constituency of the poor, the neglected and the hopeless. And today I have seen millions of people suffering and neglected by government and by people who they voted to represent them. I have no other choice than to help this constituency. I live my life for this people.”

    The highpoint of the special service is the distribution of Christmas gifts, including food items like rice and yams to the widows, orphans and the less privileges, prayer for the General Overseer, thanksgiving and testimonies.

  • Ijaw Bebe Tolumo: Dickson’s tonic to save Ijaw language

    Ijaw Bebe Tolumo: Dickson’s tonic to save Ijaw language

    In some schools, it is a punishable offence to speak local dialects during school hours as pupils and students are forced to learn and speak in tongues other than theirs. Ijaw is one of the languages facing extinction.

    Little wonder, 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.

    The Commissioner for Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolor, gave an insight why Ijaw was among the languages in the endangered list of UNESCO.

    He observes that the younger ones are unable to communicate effectively in their mother tongue. He notes that persons who attempt to speak Ijaw in schools are always denigrated or mocked by their colleagues.

    He further says that the trend in which English or its corrupt form, pidgin, is the lingua franca, has suppressed the development of the Ijaw Language.

    Besides, Tuodolor, believes that the Federal Government through its policy has contributed in dealing a deadly blow on the Ijaw language.

    He says: “Nigerian state has been unfair to the Ijaw Language as it has promoted other languages that were at par with the Ijaw language at the expense of the Ijaw language.

    “Before and immediately after the civil war in Nigeria, four languages were used for daily translation of the National Network news on Radio Nigeria. These were the Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo and Ijaw.

    “Today, there is national legislation making Hausa, Yoruba and Ibo as part of our national lingua Franca and are taught in schools and examined as major subjects by WAEC, NECO and Nigerian universities as degree courses while Ijaw is not taught in public schools not even in Bayelsa State.”

    Tuodolor laments a clear decline in the number of fluent Ijaw speakers and absence of Ijaw literature and language teachers. He, however, maintains: “But the Ijaw language belongs to us. It is our heritage, the language our ancestors and our original language of thought”.

    He adds: “This language is deaf to us because of the history, characteristics, collective identity and uniqueness it bestows on us. Without our language, we will be lost as a people”.

    To save the dying language, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, immediately he assumed office in 2012, approved the learning and teaching of Ijaw language in schools. He went a step further to direct the Ministry of Culture and Ijaw National Affairs to develop scholarship and research for the sustainable teaching and learning of  the language.

    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.

    Recently, in a ceremony that was held at the Ijaw House, Yenagoa, the Ijaw Bebe programme was launched by Dickson. The launching created excitement among the language experts and scholars who attended the event.

    Some of the dignitaries who witnessed the launching are the Amayanabo of Twon Brass, His Majesty, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, Chief Chika Okpala, a.k.a. Chief Zeburudaya and Nollywood star, Mr. Pete Edochie.

    Explaining further, Tuodolor said the objectives of Ijaw Bebe were outline against the backdrop that before any language could be learnt or taught in schools it must satisfy four criteria of the National Council on Education (NCE). He named them as approved orthography, approved curriculum, approved language books and trained language teachers.

    On orthography which is the standardized system of writing the different languages for the production of literature or texts, he said the state already has the Nembe, Izon and Epie orthographies citing the works of Prof. Kay Williamson. He said the ministry in conjunction with the Niger Delta University 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 in primary and JSS. He said the ministry was in the process of translating the curriculum to Epie, Nembe and Ogbia.

    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.

    “So far, 43 language books including mathematics and readers approved by the Ministry of Education have been printed. These books are produced from the same source and standardized so that every child learns the same thing in his or her dialect across the state”, he said.

    On trained language teachers, the commissioner said NDU was mandated to facilitate the training of teachers. He said so far about 43 teachers had graduated from the Diploma programme while 28 another 278 are still in training adding that 87 of them will be graduating in December. He disclosed that the training is bankrolled by the government.

    “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. Ijaw Bene Tolumo pilot project is commencing with three selected schools in each local government areas. The number of schools in the LGAs will be increased as more teachers are trained.

    “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: “English or French are foreign languages while Ijaw is indigenous to us. The question l always ask our people who are monolingual and brags of their English proficiency is, “if the Englishman takes his English language from us, what will we be left with?’.

    “If it happens, some of us will be communicating by signs only. By introducing Ijaw Bebe Tolumo, government is laying the foundation for learning and promoting our languages and restoring our cultural values as Ijaw people. We are desperate about it”.

    On his part, Dickson who was elated at the success of the programme on presented cheques worth N16.7million to scholars studying Izon language under the Ijaw Bebe pilot programme.