The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Ndoma-Egba…On the march for fourth term

    It must be made clear from the onset that Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba is breaking no law by seeking a fourth term in the National Assembly. Unlike the executive arm of government, the legislature has no fixed term. A representative can go back for as many times as his people want him. Now, Ndoma-Egba is on the march again to see whether his people who trusted him enough to elect him thrice will do so again.

    A group of professionals and residents of the central senatorial district in Cross River State have thrown their weight behind his fourth term bid.

    The professionals said they arrived at their decision after a careful analysis of the performance of the senator who represents the district.

    After their meeting in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area, the group agreed that hardwork and good performances should be encouraged.

    According to them, the senate leader is a very important figure at the federal level and Cross River should not throw that away.

    Outlining some his achievements, Dr Benitrus Okim, who spoke on behalf of the group, said he has sponsored the highest number of bills in the seventh senate of the federal republic of Nigeria and led the senate and contributed immensely to the stability of the senate.

    Okim continued: “He has executed more than 70 viable projects in his constituency. He has awarded more than 500 scholarships to indigenes of the district. He has fought for the territorial integrity of the state.

    “He has sponsored over 200 pilgrims to Jerusalem and Saudi Arabia. He has in line with the federal government on agriculture and food supply and sustainability provided large volumes of agricultural inputs to farmers in the district.

    “He has trained and empowered about 500 indigenes of the district on Small and medium scale enterprises and provided them with start-up capital.

    “He has vigorously fought for the interest of the state. He has shown total and unalloyed support to the party in the state and at the national. He has facilitated the employment of more than 500 people from the state.  He earned the accolade of the governor of the state as the stabiliser of the PDP in the state.”

    Also another socio-political group, the Grassroot Movement has called for Ndoma-Egba to continue.

    Coordinator of the group, Comrade Efobe Ogar Ojong, said it has become imperative for the senate leader to continue if the people are to further benefit the essence of pragmatic leadership.

    He said the country has sentimentally departed from the system where a “performing, altruistic and experienced senator” is given the opportunity to continue to serve as many times as possible for the good of the country.

    He said the track records of the senator in both giving infrastructal development in his constituency and effective leadership in the senate are so rewarding and outstanding that his group decided to drum support for his continuity.

    He urged the people to be informed that what is most important to them is the strategic position their person occupies in government.

    He said if he is replaced it would take “impossible” years to attain his height.

    Change is the only reason those against his re-election are banking on. They say he has had enough and should leave the stage for another person. The  chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon John Enoh, is one of those who want Ndoma-Egba out. He is interested in the seat.

    At the National Assembly, ranking is a determinant of who gets what,  this may not be good for Cross River.  The senator believes the state will suffer at the National Assembly if he does not return.

    The important thing here is: let the people decide his fate and live with the consequence.

     

     

  • Akwa Ibom’s 27 years’ oddysey

    Akwa Ibom’s 27 years’ oddysey

    OnTuesday, Akwa Ibom State clocked 27 years of existence as a state after being created by Former Military President Ibrahim Babangida in 1987. Kazeem Ibrahym writes on how the celebration was done and some of the achievements of Governor Godswill Akpabio.

    In September 23, Governor Godswill Akpabio and the people of Akwa Ibom State  rolled out the drums to celebrate the creation of the state 27 years after its creation by the administration of former military President Ibrahim Babangida in 1987.

    Many people were instrumental to the creation of Akwa Ibom State popularly referred to as  the “Land of Promise”. Noteworthy among individuals who played major role in ensuring that  Gen. Babangida created a state for Akwa Ibom indigenes before leaving office was former Governor Victor Attah.

    Attah told the story of how the state was created when the Ibibio Nation honoured at Asan Ibibio some weeks back.

    He said: “Let me start by telling you about something that happened in 1987. I was living in Kaduna and about the middle of the year, I received a message from the Military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. He sent to ask me if I was no longer interested in a state for my people.

    “This happened because for a long time I had, with respect and within the limits of friendship, harassed him to create a state for us. When it did not happen, I gave up. This message therefore came as a bolt from the blue. I was shocked, but ecstatically surprised. I was asked to present yet another request for a state which I did.

    “Sometime after that I was invited to the office of the Coordinator of National Security (CONS) at 12 Awolowo Road Ikoyi, and was asked to draw a map of what I thought should constitute the new state.

    “After that I waited and then on September 23, 1987 came the announcement that Akwa Ibom and Katsina States had been created. My joy knew no bounds. Of course, the first thing I did was to sit down and compose a letter to our beloved benefactor, President Ibrahim Babangida who has graciously created a state for us.”

    Celebrating the creation of the state yearly has been the culture of Akpabio-led government since he assumed office over seven years ago.

    The 27th anniversary celebration was with the theme: “The God of All Grace” and it began on a good note. The governor on Sunday attended inter-denominational thanksgiving service at the Ibom Hall Grounds in Uyo with members of his State Executives, Elders, Women, Youths and other stakeholders in the state where he committed the future of Akwa Ibom into the hands of God.

    At the inter-denominational thanksgiving service, Akapbio urged youths in the state to take responsibility for the governance and the development of the state.

    The governor said: “I charge the youths of the state to rise up and protect the uncommon transformation of the state because there must be maintenance and sustainability of the various infrastructure of the state.

    “I also charge the youths of the state not to dwell on tribal sentiments but to be on a positive rebellion to vote in the next governor that would not dwell on tribal sentiments, a man that would maintain and sustain the uncommon transformation of the state and a man that would recognize God as the solid foundation of the state.”

    Taking a Bible reading from Luke 7:1-5, Akpabio expressed the hope that the next Governor would sustain the legacy covenant with the church, stressing that the qualities of the next Governor of the state  would be focus, sincerity, liberal and not tribalistic.

    On the state’s 27th anniversary thanksgiving, Akpabio stated that the church service was to thank God for what he has done for the state.

    Akpabio, who said he would not be intermediated by critics, said his administration would continue to partner the church.

    He said: “When God gives you the opportunity to serve, do it sincerely and stop criticising others.”

    On the second day of the anniversary, the governor continued with inauguration of projects, such as the Traditional Rulers Chambers, Uyo; NTA Uyo Administrative Block rehabilitated by Akwa Ibom State Government.

    Other projects inaugurated are Ikot Ntan-Obiokpok-Afaha Offiong-Ikot Edibon-Irtreto (Enen Nsit) road with three bridges; Abak-Utu Nsehe-Ikot Akpan Nkuk (Ukanafun) road with bridge phase 2; Essien Udim Local Government Secretariat Complex and Obot Akara Secretariat Complex/Traditional Rulers Council Chambers.

    The last day witnessed the swearing-in of the Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Traditional Rulers Council and the anniversary party held at Le-Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort.

    Before his assumption ofoffice, many of the roads, such as Afaha Obong – Etim Ekpo – Ika-Iwukem Road; Abak-Ikot Ekpene Road; Nung Udoe Itak-Use Ikot Amama-Okoita Road; Enen Nsit Road; Etebi-Enwang, and most internal roads in the local government areas, were impassable.

    Akpabio reached out to the biggest names in the civil engineering and construction business.

    So far, the administration has constructed 350 roads across the state, covering 1350 kilometers, well constructed, paved and asphalted. Work is in progress for the remodelling of urban centres, while all roads leading into the state capital, mostly federal roads,are being dualised.

    The dualisation of Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road is at advanced stage of completion, while the government has performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the commencement of the dualisation of

    Eket-Etinan Road. Also, Akpabio’s government has built five concentric and suspended flyovers in Uyo, the state capital.

    One of the greatest legacies of the Akpabio’s administration is the free and compulsory education. The free education programme gives every child of school age resident in Akwa Ibom, regardless of state of origin, access to qualitative education from primary to senior secondary school level.

    In addition to free tuition, the state pays a subvention of N100 per primary school pupil and N300 per secondary school student to cater for logistics. Enrolment in public schools, according to the State Government, has tripled since the introduction of the programme.

    As a way of ensuring that final year secondary school students are not hamstrung by lack of money, the government undertakes payment of SSCE fees for all students in public secondary schools. This also includes payment of NABTEB fees for all students in public technical colleges.

    His administration is also paying the 27 per cent salary scale for teachers; payment of grant to law and medical students in universities, as well as provision of laptops to all law students of Akwa Ibom origin in the Nigeria Law School.

    Akpabio’s government has also completed the Ibom Power Plant which he inherited from his predecessor. The Plant is currently generating 191 megawatts (mw) of electricity. The plant, located near the Aluminum Smelting Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) at Ikot Abasi, is designed to provide 685 mw, with an initial energy output of 191mw from three turbines in the first phase. Of this, 60mw is dedicated to meet the state’s current and future energy needs.

    The Akpabio administration’s efforts at establishing Akwa Ibom State as a destination of choice is not only in the areas of investment and tourism.  Sports development is also on the front burner of the administration’s infrastructure revolution. A 30,000 capacity

    At the time Akpabio assumed leadership of the state, the Le Meridien Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort had only 50 rooms completed. The Akpabio’s administration completed 120 additional rooms, to bring the total to 170.

    Commissioner for Information Aniekan Umanah said the transformation in the state is not media hype, as the people could feel the impact in their lives, saying quantum of development recorded in Akwa Ibom State is yet to be surpassed by any regional state government in the entire Africa.

  • Yenagoa’s night of music, women and clubs

    Yenagoa’s night of music, women and clubs

    Night in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital,  is made beautiful by the streetlights that adorn most major roads and streets. This gives fun seekers the confidence to go in search of  music and dance at bars, clubs and joints scattered across the city,  writes MIKE ODIEGWU 

    Streetlights powered by generators light up some major roads everyday at about 7pm. Petty traders, especially fruit and recharge card sellers, mount their stands under the illuminated poles to do brisk business. The atmosphere is saturated with music which wafts from different joints scattered around the metropolis. It is night in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State.

    Night is, however, different strokes for different folks. For Bolex Car Wash and Bar, located on the Isaac Boro Expressway, every night is a celebration. In fact, Bolex, as it is popularly called, is synonymous to nightlife in the capital city.

    Bolex provides all-round entertainment for fun seekers. It combines car wash with a spacious bar and a night club. At the close of work, people troop into the area to relax and unwind.

    In fact, all roads seem to lead to the pub at night. Friends, business and political associates sit round well-arranged chairs, drinking assorted beer and alcoholic beverages as they relieve their work experiences.

    Persons who have preference for clubbing climb a storey building owned by Bolex to join other “rockers” and “rollers” at the dance floor. The club is designed with a separate VIP section which attracts expatriates, top military personnel and company executives.

    On why he spends his night at Bolex, a middle-aged man says the spot offers the best and most spacious parking lots.

    “It has a parking space second to none in Yenagoa. Besides treating your vehicles with deserved dignity, Bolex has well-trained traffic personnel who ensure that vehicles are well-arranged and protected from dent.

    “Some other places l know don’t have such luxury of space. So, people are forced to park on the roads resulting in many ugly incidents,” the man, who identifies himself as Ifeanyi, says.

    Apart from the parking space, Olumide Peter comes to Bolex for women. Yes. Women are not in short supply at the pub. At night, girls od different sizes and shapes flock around Bolex in search of male fun seekers. They are attracted by the calibre of men who patronise the fun centre.

    Moreover, Kingsley Ogunde cherishes the security network at the pub. Apart from bouncers and private security personnel employed by Bolex to protect its customers, armed mobile policemen are located at strategic areas to safeguard the lives and properties of the customers.

    “I come here to drink and eat with my friends because I feel the place is well-protected. I relax here, feel free without looking backwards. Since I started coming here, there have not been incidents of robberies or shooting,” he says.

    The Director and Founder of Bolex, Amos Boligha, says the relaxation centre has existed for over six years.

    “Bolex was established with the concept that night is a celebration. After a hard-day job, people are expected to come here to relax,” he says.

    On why people prefer the pub, he observes: “We have the best set of equipment for quality music. We serve drinks, barbecue fish, snail and we offer serene environment. It is about hospitality. Also, security is fundamental. We partner with security agencies to secure the lives and property of our customers.”

    But while Boligha smiles to the bank because his Bolex bubbles with patronage, it is a different experience for owners of chains of beer parlours located on the red-light district at Hospital Road.

    Nowadays their bars are empty following unprecedented drop in patronage. Their multi-coloured plastic chairs and tables are empty. In fact, their bars are deserted. The area only comes alive these days because of the activities of commercial sex workers who swim like bees on the road each day.

    The skimpy skates and bum shots line up on the road every night parading their fleshly assets and beckoning on men of easy virtues. To them, a successful night depends on the number of paid sex.

    A round of sex according to one of them who identifies herself as Mercy goes for between N500 and N1000. Till day break is from N3000 to N5000.

    Some of them even settle for N2000 after much bargaining. Sex is, indeed, cheap at night on Hospital Road and everywhere one looks, there is a girl beckoning at him.

    Fun seekers are, however, seen in scanty bars savouring some delicacies especially along the Sand Road, a darker part of the Hospital Road. Dog meat fondly called 404 is the preferred delicacy to some night lovers. Others settled for fired and cooked noodles. But beer is the drink of choice.

    Andrew Otse runs the Uche Bar along the Sand Road. He laments drop in patronage and complains that major bars have been forced to close shops. He blames the development on hard times in the state.

    “Our night market was booming in this state before now. But things are no longer the same. People are no longer coming to drink and eat. The state is hard”, he says.

    It was learnt that the Respect Bar and Fast Foods and Papa Timaya were among the nocturnal business outfits  that closed down. Other business owners managing to stay afloat blame their decreasing sales on the austerity measures adopted by the present government.

    For instance, Mrs. Joy Alfred, the owner of Joy Bar, says: “I have been here for eight years. Night was a pleasant experience here some years back but for sometimes now it is tight. People are complaining that the state is dry and that money is no longer flowing.”

    The Macdon Bar, which combines fast foods and African delicacies, seems to be satisfied with the level of patronage. A supervisor at Macdon, Chimechaa Anyanwu, says the bar attracts responsible members of the public at night.

    “The bar has just existed for two months. We witness high patronage at the weekend and we serve Nkwobi, Isi ewu, Shawarma  and assorted drinks at night,”she says.

    In fact, night in Yenagoa is made beautiful by the streetlights that adorn most major roads and streets. It gives the city a memorable and secured spectacle and helps motorists to drive their vehicles safely even without switching on headlamps.

    Nightlife is further defined by music and dance. Apart form Bolex, other clubs and bars such as Stopover, Lakeview, Car Wash and V10 dot the city offering music and dance to fun seekers.

    To provide security at night, different vans occupied by armed policemen patrol the roads and streets. They are sometimes stationed at strategic junctions and roundabouts. The police also patrol major joints and pubs to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

    There have, however, been complaints of harassment and extortion against the police by fun seekers. While night lovers accuse the police of indiscriminate arrests, the operators of commercial tricyclists who convey people to their various destinations say the police extort them.

     

  • Otuoke varsity where workers are more than students

    Otuoke varsity where workers are more than students

    Otuoke Federal University located at the hometown of President Goodluck Jonathan in Ogbia, Bayelsa State, may be one of the fastest-growing newly-established federal universities in Nigeria. It is also perhaps having its fairest share of crisis among its contemporaries.

    The other day, students of the university trooped to the streets to protest hike in school fees questioning the leadership style of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko. The students barricaded the gate of the institution and paralysed academic activities on campus as they demanded among other things for a downward review of the fees.

    Not long ago, it was the turn of Otuoke, the host  community. Youths from the community marched the streets and shut down the campus. They invaded examination halls and chased away students writing their papers. Though normalcy was later restored to the campus, all is still not well between the university and its host community.

    The leader of the protest and Otuoke Youth President, Comrade John Godfrey, told the Niger Delta Report that the community was instrumental to the building of the institution, yet, it is not getting its dues.

    “We donated a vast area of land free of charge for the take-off of the institution. The community conducted a launching where everybody from 18 years and above was compelled to donate money for the construction of the take-off temporary sites of both the administrative block, academic blocks and the hostels,” he recalled.

    He noted that the community made the sacrifices hoping that the university after taking off would reciprocate the gesture.

    He said: “But the reverse is the case. Today, the Otuoke community has suddenly become beggars. They have to go on their knees to the VC and registrar to demand employment and admission.”

    He said the community would continue their agitation until its demands are met. According to him the university should consider Otuoke as part of the Federal Government by applying the principles of local content and federal character.

    He said the community desired the university to give it the percentage of employment and admission due it without hesitation. “Otuoke has less than five per cent of employees in the levels zero to six categories which falls below the principle of local content.

    “Otuoke has less than 0.5 per cent of senior staff. This is also against the principle of federal character,” he added.

    He accused the VC and registrar of sharing all the key positions among themselves without considering the community, the local government and the state. Godfrey further claimed that since inception, the university has only been able to admit eight students from the community.

    “Until now, the university has refused to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the host community. There is no person from the host community who is a member of the Governing Board.

    “Despite the huge sum of money sent to the school, there is nothing on ground to show that the school is growing infrastructure wise,” he said.

    Godfrey alleged that workers in the university were always underpaid, claiming that instead of N46,000 approved by the Senate for the least worker, the school pays only N24,000 monthly.

    He also said the school was yet to pay the 28 days working allowances to the workers.

    He added: “Students are also crying as a result of the outrageous school fees they pay. For instance, other schools ay N35,000 while Federal University, Otuoke pays N85,000 and N95,000 for Arts and Science students respectively.”

    But, the VC said the university had never failed to engage the host community on employment and admission matters within the ambit of the law.

    He said: “Community pressure will come up and we have handled them well. But we don’t want to be compelled and the academic activities of the students disrupted.

    “It is not the protest by the youths that forced us to listen but the need to sustain our community relations policy and not to allow community and student clashes.”

    Aluko explained that the institution has more members of staff on its payroll than the student population. There are 1,300 employees and a student population of 1,040, he said.

    Of the number, he said the employed indigenes of various communities in the state are 760 people with Ogbia and Otuoke community having 350 and 150 persons respectively.

    He further said the school had entered into an agreement with the community through the Paramount Ruler, Obanema of Otuoke.

    He said: “We have agreed to engage the indigenes based on the increasing requirements of employment in the next few months. The names submitted for employment were done without required qualifications and we have asked them to attach to the names their qualification and we will conduct interview to affirm competence.

    “We have informed them that we must be careful about fulfilling the Federal Character provision. It is possible we will increase our employment quota by 25 per cent due to our increasing needs but we must follow due process.

    “And we have also insisted that the admission slots given to the community and others must be in compliance with the provision of the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB).”

     

  • NDE lifts Rivers women

    NDE lifts Rivers women

    The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) is a Federal Government Skill Acquisition and Empowerment Agency with the mandate to organise free skill acquisition training for the unemployed Nigerians, establish them with equipment and a grant to make them self-reliant, and employers of labour.

    The agency in Rivers State under the leadership of Chief Napoleon Amachree organised a two-week  programme in Port Harcourt, the state capital to train women  on how to use adire (batik), fabrics and other local materials to design  women shoes, hand bags, purses, hats among others.

    The programme took place in a church around the popular Mile One market and was well-embraced by women. The NDE official who coordinated the programme, Mrs. Silvia Dakuru,  said the training was meant to reduce poverty among women.

    The Assistant Chief Enterprise Development Officer, (women employment branch desk officer),  said:  “The NDE set up this branch especially to train and empower women to assure their economic freedom, to reduce poverty in the Country, and above all to make them self- reliant and employers of labour.

    “They are trained in diverse trade, like interior decoration, cake baking, tailoring/fashion design, catering, bead, hat, shoe and bag making using locally sourced raw materials among others.

    “The essence of these training for women is basically to assist them and their families, to improve the quality of their lives. Before we finally conclude this training, we are also going to take them on entrepreneurship, to enable them manage the business of the skill they have acquired effectively.

    “This aspect of training will guide them on how they can start off the business on the trade they have been impacted on,  establish cordial relationship with the customers/clients, how to cost their products, market them  to gain more patronage, while being  mindful of their capital and profit to enable them grow the business  to become employers of labour.”

    It was the first time NDE trained people on using local fabrics (batik materials) to make bags, shoes and hats.

    Mrs. Gbarimalaa advised women to take up a trade to sustain their marriages.

    She said: “Women are help mates to their husbands. The agency is not going to re-settle most of them, but they preferred to be with a trade and wait for help from God knows where and when, than to go back home  the way they came.”

    The state Co-ordinator of the programme, Napoleon Amachree, said less than an average of the participants would be re-settled by the agency.

    He said: “NDE will re-settle only the number originally planned for in the programme, the rest of the participants can wait for individuals, private bodies who can either partner with us to provide them with start-off packs or do it in their own way.”

    Sopretee Martins, a mother of six, from Bile in Degema Local Government Area of the state, expressed gratitude to the government through the NDE for creating the environment for the jobless citizens.

     

  • With bridges over Okio and Wepa rivers…

    It used to be a painful ride for motorists plying the Auchi-Ekperi-Agenebode Road, especially when they were about to cross two bridges on the road. The two bridges on Okio and Wepa rivers  were built in 1961. They were four-metre wide  and could only take a vehicle at a time. Accidents usually occurred on the bridge, especially at night and heavy downpour.

    For many years, the people cried for help. No one listened to them. While deaf ears were turned to their pleas, many died. Not a few lost vital parts of their bodies. Children became either  fatherless or motherless. There might have even been instances where an entire family might have perished as a result of the slim bridges.

    It was, therefore, no surprise when residents in villages along the route brought out their drums to celebrate the construction of new bridges to replace the old ones. The new bridges are however 11m wide.

    Spokesman for the communities,  Tony Eni said many deaths were recorded on the bridges as several vehicles have fallen into rivers due to the nature of the bridges. Eni said the bridges were constructed in 1961 but were abandoned when the road was awarded by the military administration.

    Speaking during the inauguration of the bridges, Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen said the replacement of the former two substandard bridges was in fulfillment of the government desire to phase out sub-standard bridges on Federal Highways to enhance safety of motorists and road users.Onolememen said the projects were completed ahead of schedule and urged the people to have faith in the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.According to him, “This is one way the president is empowering the people. Many good things will come to these communities. You should remain faithful. The transformation agenda is on course.”

    He said the bridge would assist farmers to evacuate their farm produce to the markets and increase economic activities of the area.

    The minister also inaugurated a pedestrian bridge built across the Benin-Abuja express way for use by students and staff of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi a link road from Ekperi to Fugar. Several appeals by the institution management for the construction of the pedestrian bridge have been unsuccessful. Onolememen, however, warned the students to use the pedestrian bridge as nobody would be responsible for any accident that might result on the road occasioned by crossing the dualisation of the Benin-Abuja road.

    The minister said incidents of hit and run driver at the school gate would be completely eliminated.

    ”I have come on behalf of the President, Goodluck Jonathan to commission the projects. I come on his behalf to let you know that his promise of empowerment is real,” he said.

    The carnage on the road often resulted to rioting by the students who in turn caused more damage to the school and the community. This was why the Rector of Auchi Polytechnic, Mrs. Phillipa Idogho, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for the long-awaited pedestrian bridge.

    Now that the government has played its part, it is up to the people to use the bridges well. Drivers should not over speed all because there are now solid bridges where the substandard ones were. The students too should use the pedestrian bridge when crossing the road. Anything short of this will be irresponsibility and whoever gets injured for crossing the road without using the bridge has no one else to blame.

    On the part of the government, proper maintenance arrangement must be put in place, beause if the bridges are used for long without regular checks and attention, it will get bad and cause havoc.

    A word, they say, is enough for the wise.

     

  • Between Attah and Akpabio

    Between Attah and Akpabio

    On Friday, September 5, Akwa Ibom State stood still for the man who has come to be known as the father of modern Akwa Ibom, Obong Victor Attah. The event was a grand reception in honour of the former governor by his Ibibio kinsmen, and a fitting opportunity for the people of the state to say ‘thank you’ to a leader whose personal sacrifices and public stewardship has yielded a harvest of grace and glory for Akwa Ibom State. According to the organizers, Obong Attah was being honoured “in appreciation of his meritorious services to the state and humanity in general.”

    Expectedly, the event was graced by dignitaries from within the state and beyond. Traffic in the state capital was in a jam while the Asan Ibibio venue of the event was virtually locked in with human overflow. As they say, every village has its market day and clearly, that Friday ranked as one such day for the people of Akwa Ibom. It was clearly their day to demonstrate solidarity and love for Attah – the man who put their state in Nigeria’s political reckoning.

    Unfortunately, the man who should have been the happiest person on that day, the chief beneficiary of the Attah legacy, his successor, Governor Godswill Akpabio, was conspicuously absent from the event and also from the state. Perhaps I should declare from the outset that I have never met the former governor in person. Neither have I met the incumbent. Nor do I have any intention to do so. But as a student of contemporary history, I have followed both leaders keenly and have admired them both for very different reasons. And I strongly differ with Akpabio on his refusal to accord Attah honour on this special occasion.

    Governor Godswill Akpabio’s discomfiture with the honour being done Attah has been an open secret. In recent weeks, a number of commentators on social media who came across as the governor’s hirelings have tried to either discredit the reception or smear Attah’s reputation with their tar-brush. The most recent ones include one Uwem Umanah, said to be the younger brother to Aniekan Umanah, Akpabio’s Commissioner for Information and propagandist-in-chief. In a controversial post on some yahoo groups last week, he had referred to the former governor as “senile”, a comment which drew the ire of many right thinking Akwa Ibomites who saw it as the height of disrespect for the elder statesman. It is instructive to note that had Attah not groomed Akpabio into political limelight for him to eventually emerge governor, there would have been no Aniekan Umanah, for one of the Umanahs to insult the respected Obong Attah.

    In another article, after a lame and winding attempt at airbrushing Attah’s legacies, someone writing as a Dr. Davis Ekong concluded that the reception is a “circus show” and was “akin to Sani Abacha being received by the Abiola family”. Really? What is the relationship between the Abacha/Abiola scenario with the Ibibios receiving Attah? Is this just a case of want of simile or is it mercenary mudslinging taken just too far?

    Perhaps for want of a better argument against the fitting honour by the Ibibios for one of their own, a less virulent but no less laughable sentiment has been peddled by yet another group which suggests that Attah’s acceptance of an honour from his ethnic group is parochial and belies his Pan-Akwa Ibom leadership credentials. To this group, I can only say that Attah was first Ibibio before he was an Akwa Ibomite. Was not the foremost Nigerian nationalist, Nnamdi Azikiwe honoured by his kinsmen as the Owelle of Onitsha or did that in any way reduce his stature as Zik of Africa? Or should a prophet never be honoured by his own kinsmen?

    Truth is, by according Attah this honour, the Ibibios are just standing in the gap as a metonymy for the rest of the Akwa Ibom community and the broader spectrum of Attah’s admirers. It was not an Ibibio reception, as could be seen from the crowd it attracted from all ethnic groups and political persuasions in Akwa Ibom State. Attah is a socio-cultural and political rallying point for Akwa Ibom people. His place in the annals of the state’s history cannot be wished away. His contributions in the struggle for the creation of the state are on record. He remains the father of modern Akwa Ibom. He is the progenitor of whatever “uncommon transformation” we may see today. He it was who envisioned the possibilities of a new Akwa Ibom State and deployed his expertise to plan and emplace a foundation for same. Beyond that, he also risked his personal comforts, his political career and even his life to restore to the state her rights to the resources that will guarantee that future.

    Today, Akpabio is the Chief Inheritor of Attah’s legacy. That the state currently receives the highest fiscal allocation among all 36 states of the federation is a result of Attah’s self-sacrificing struggles. It is on record that for the most part of his eight years as governor, Attah never had access to the federally allocated resources that Akpabio receives today in just one year! The least one would expect from such a successor is gratitude to the predecessor who paved the way for his free ride! Whether or not Attah ultimately supported Akpabio’s bid to succeed him is inconsequential here. It was Attah who gave Akpabio his first major break in life by plucking him from oblivion and appointing him Special Adviser in 2002 and later commissioner. While serving on Attah’s cabinet, Akpabio enjoyed an unusually close and enviable mentorship relationship with his boss. Attah even featured him prominently in the political arithmetic of the day by once throwing him up, albeit unsuccessfully, for the position of Deputy Governor.

    So, whichever way one wants to view it, Akpabio owes Attah an immense debt of gratitude, and the September 5 event would have, perhaps, been Akpabio’s last chance to demonstrate this publicly. In fact, pundits have suggested that Akpabio would have stolen the show had he attended the event. He would have demonstrated that he is a governor, not just of the Annangs, as some have contended, but also of the rest of the state. Afterall, has Akpabio not argued on several occasions when it favoured his rhetoric that the Ibibios made him governor and that, historically and culturally, the Ibibio is an omnibus rubric that covers not just the Ibibio speaking group but also their Annang, Oro, Obolo, Eket and other ethnic minorities in the state? So, why would he spurn an invitation from his Ibibio brothers to honour one of their best?

    But, apparently Akpabio is not wired that way. Or maybe his handlers bungled the opportunity for him. Rather than attend Attah’s event, he sneaked out of the state with some of his political allies, including his party Chairman, Paul Ekpo and Commissioner for Environment, Enobong Uwah, both Ibibio sons. This has been interpreted by many as an alibi-creation stunt by Akpabio to help the two explain away their absence at the Attah event. And as if that was not enough, a group under the auspices of Akwa Ibom State Youth Caucus attempted to divert attention from the Attah reception by holding something called “Akwa Ibom youth day celebration” on the same day. The so-called “youth day” was evidently a rushed after-thought, as could be seen from its shallow programme content, shabby implementation and the fact that it came almost a full month after well meaning youth across Nigeria and the world over had celebrated the “UN international youth day”, usually held on August 12 each year. That AKBC TV, a state-owned medium, would beam the so-called youth event live rather than give coverage to the landmark event at Asan Ibibio shows just how far Akpabio’s government could go with politicizing Attah’s heroism. I think that such diversionary politics is, to say the least, petty, cheap, shameful and unbecoming of Akpabio’s stature as governor.

    In all, Akpabio’s response to the decision of Ibibio, and by extension, Akwa Ibom people, to honour Attah should have been driven by respect – that traditional deference we reserve for our elders – and the knowledge that someday he too would become a former governor and an old man.

    •Dan, a journalist, wrote from Atlanta, USA

     

  • Ire of November

    Ire of November

    Roseyn Ekiw‘s head is doing topsy-turvy. November is almost here. And fear envelopes him. The reports from the fields are not encouraging. Things are certainly not looking up. Some months ago, he had concluded the race was over when he got a message from the First Dame that the sentiment in Waters State did not favour his emergence as the governorship standard bearer of the Umbrella Peoples Party (UPP). Then he had felt used and concluded he was going to take up an offer in Paris.

    Through some miracle and arm-twisting, the First Dame changed her mind and decided that the good luck charm could still work magic.

    Now this: the other aspirants on the platform of the UPP are angry that he controls the UPP machinery and will use it to get the party’s ticket. To stop him, they have all decided that an open primary must be held. To add salt to Moseyn’s injury, they are planning a consensus arrangement where only one of them will run against him.

    The implication of this is not lost on him and that is why his head is doing topsy-turvy. He moves close to the calendar and counts the number of days left before October comes.

    “Only eleven days away,” he speaks out loud.

    His wife rushes in from the bedroom.

    “What is it again?”

    He pretends as if he does not hear her.

    “What is it?” she repeats.

    He still says nothing.

    “My husband,” she says and moves closer to him,” as a woman, I certainly will like to be the First Lady of Waters State. And as a lawyer, I am convinced I will make a good First Lady. I will simply take a leave of absence from the Ministry of Justice and give you all the support. But, if you ask me to choose between my husband going mad or becoming hypertensive trying to be governor and my husband remaining sane without being addressed as His Excellency, certainly I will pick you retaining your sanity.”

    She pauses for a while, surveys this man she married a little about a decade and half ago and feels sorry for him. In her mind, she pictures her husband before he was made a junior minister. Then he was a loyalist of Governor Imitor Ihceama. He could die for the governor then and would tell anyone who cared to listen that there was no way he could succeed the governor. She remembers him telling her one day after returning from a trip to Lagos how a popular newspaper Editor had asked him if would like to be governor of Waters State.

    She still remembers very well what he said his reaction was: “I told him I could never be governor of Waters State and made him realise that it would be unfair to the people of Waters for me to be governor after my brother, Ihceama, has had the same position for eight years. I practically shot him down when he said ‘never say never in politics’. I told him such an ambition would be like creating problem for myself.”

    She wonders what has changed between then and now.

    “You know, at times I feel that you shouldn’t have started this whole thing in the first place…”

    He looks at her with scorn and she stops to see if he has anything to say, but when he fails to say anything, she continues: “Politics surprises me at times, especially the variant we play here. One moment, you see people being good friends ready to sacrifice for one another and then the next moment, they are the worst enemies around. It baffles me, it really does. It feels bad that Htiduj and I can’t even share quality time together again because of the strained relationship between you and the governor. I remember those days when the governor was in Ghana while he was trying to claim the party’s ticket in court, Htiduj and I used to spend quality time together and it lasted even till when she became the state’s First Lady. Everything is just upside now.”

    At this point, his phone rings. The man on the other side is Haubo, the man he installed the party chairman after hijacking the party’s structure from the governor and leaving him with no choice but to team up with the new voice of the opposition.

    Haubo’s call is to request to come and see him to explain some developments to him. His wife returns to the bedroom while he waits Haubo’s arrival. He stays a few blocks away. Soon he arrives and they are sitting on the two-seater in the sitting room.

    “What has happened again?”

    Haubo sighs and says: “We are going to have problem in five local governments any moment from now. Many of our party men are planning to dump us for the governor’s party. They are being instigated by our big party men who are against you getting the party’s ticket. They are just waiting for you to get the ticket for them to unfold their agenda. You know that in the governor’s party only two people are vying for the ticket. So, whatever crisis may emerge after one of them is chosen can be easily managed. But, I must confess I don’t know how we will manage ours and these our big party men are hell-bent on disgracing us. I am just confused.”

    “But, it is too late to stop now. It is really too late,” he says.

    Haubo still has more to say.

    “You know what I have also discovered. Almost all our elder statesmen in UPP do not believe in your candidature. As a matter of fact, I was told that when it comes to the election proper, they will work against you. In fact, I was told that they will find excuse not to attend your campaign rallies and work underground for the candidate of the another party. “

    “But what did I do to all these people?” he asks.

    “From what I heard, they do not like the way you handled your problem with the governor. But, that really is not their main problem with you. Their main problem with you is that you are from the same area with the governor. They believe it is the turn of the People on Water. They also have a soft spot for a particular aspirant on the other side. You and I know this guy very well and we know the efforts he has in put over the years to win the heart of our people and the opinion leaders.  We know he is a great guy and he is on ground. Defeating him in the election proper, even after winning the ticket and finding a way to manage the crazy people in our midst, will involve us  doing some magic.”

    Soon, Madam walks in. She greets Haubo and asks what he should serve him.

    “Water will do Madam,” he says.

    She serves him the water. Minutes later, he begs to take his leave.

    “We will talk later. Let me think things through,” Moseyn says as he sees off Haubo.

    He returns to the seat and the ire of November, when the flagbearer is expected to emerge, envelopes him. He knows he has to beware of the ire of November. And perhaps beyond.

     

  • Boro’s daughter’s passion

    Her father was a celebrated war veteran and agitator for resource control. He died for his course. But Esther Boro, daughter of late Niger Delta freedom fighter, Isaac Adaka Boro, has a different passion.

    Rising on her father’s goodwill, Esther has developed passion for good parenting and raising responsible children in Ijawland. Just like her father, she will not mind dying for her passion. She is compelled to raise the alarm over the increasing rate of teenage pregnancies in Ijawland.

    Esther, while launching her Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Parents Inheritance Initiative (PII), at Izon-Wari,Yenagoa, Bayelsa State,  blames rising promiscuity among girls on Ijaw parents. She maintains that  poor parenting and lack of girl-child education have left children especially the Ijaw girls in hopeless quandary.

    She appeals to parents to bequeath lasting legacies to their children instead of encouraging them to become mothers out of wedlock. She laments that babies are beginning to beget babies, a development she says is unhealthy.

    She said: “Where do we go wrong? In Ijaw land, we see babies having babies. This trend must stop. But stopping it requires the concerted efforts of both the parents and government.

    “Apart from the girl-child, the boy child also needs education. Let me use this opportunity to remind all that parents should not ignore the upbringing of their children.

    “It should be noted that no matter how comfortable you are, if the people around you are criminals, your safety is not guaranteed. Parents should endeavour to leave good legacies for their children.”

    Speaking on the theme, ‘This Is My Story’, Esther, says she is five when her father died during the Nigerian Civil War in 1968. But she thanks her father for giving her a good beginning. “I have continued to enjoy the good legacies of my late father”, she says.

    Esther insists that the inheritance children desire from their parents is far more than physical properties. She emphasises that the respect and goodwill she enjoys from Nigerians and beyond cannot be compared with other physical properties.

    She commends Governor Seriake Dickson for honouring her father by bringing his remains from Lagos to his country home, Kaiama, and later burying him at Ijaw Heroes Park in Yenagoa.

    The Chairman of the event and retired Federal Permanent Secretary, Dr. Timi Agari, who was represented by Professor Emeritus, Mrs. Ayebaemi Spiff, advises parents to leave positive stories for their children.

    Agari asks families to always hand over what belongs to parents to their succeeding children irrespective of their statuses. She frowns on the culture which denies the girl child her right to parents’ inheritance. Niger Delta activist, Alh. Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo says the success of any society depends on the nuclear families.

    “We are having problem today because our parents did not plan for our today. If we can’t get it right with our immediate families, we can’t get it right with our wider Ijaw nation. This is why there is so much confusion in the land,” he said.

    He laments that the value for mutual respect for one another has eroded because parents have failed to play their parts.

    Dokubo describes Nigeria as an atomic state heading towards implosion and calls on the youths of Niger Delta and the Ijaw nation to reflect on the vision and aspirations of late Boro who fought and died for the emancipation of his people.

     

  • ‘Traffic bill will create employment in Akwa Ibom’

    ‘Traffic bill will create employment in Akwa Ibom’

    The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Transport, Prince Godwin Ntuk Udeh, has won National Assembly award as outstanding commissioner. In this interview with Kazeem Ibrahym,  Udeh explains the motive behind the award and how the state won the war against illegal parks.

    You joined the Akpabio’s cabinet about a year ago and today you have been honoured as the most outstanding commissioner by the House of Representatives Committee on Inter- governmental Affairs. How did you achieve that?

    I must first dedicate this award to God and my church leader of Heaven Light Assembly who is incidentally a prophet in my life, whose prayers have lifted me in life. His intercessory prayers have prompted me to do the unusual and uncommon things I have done. I will not forget to dedicate this award to my dear Governor Chief Godswill Akpabio for the opportunity given to me out of his conviction on my abilities to serve the state well. When I came on board his executive council, people taunted me that I have been posted to the wilderness (Ministry of Transport) where I will achieve nothing but the governor knew my capabilities, he sent me here because he was optimistic I will deliver on the mandate he handed over to me and for his confidence and love for me I dedicate the Award to him.

    What is the traffic bill before Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly seeks to achieve?

    The bill when passed into law will first offer employment to our teaming youths as traffic managers stationed at strategic locations to manage traffic and ensure compliance to all the reforms the new traffic system will offer, the bill will provide legal backings to the reforms and people will be officially designated as traffic managers. They will ensure complete sanity on our roads in partnership with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) since we cannot do it alone. So their job will complement the FRSC but our outfit will go beyond the capital city of Uyo to other areas of the state with considerable vehicular movements. The traffic officers who will be well trained are expected to ensure total sanity on our roads.

    Your predecessor tried to solve the problems of illegal parks and terrible loading and offloading by commercial vehicles along the road but failed, how do you tackle this menace?

    First you should be aware that no two persons are the same. For instance, Governor Godswill Akpabio is not the first Governor of Akwa Ibom but his administration is tagged uncommon because he is able to do unusual things. He has made the impossible become possible even within a time frame. This is one government that initiates projects of big magnitude and accomplish it within a targeted time frame. So as people who have understudied him and strongly believe in his ideology coupled with the fact that we have tapped into his spirit, we have to bring in those virtues that brought about his lofty achievements into activities. We as a team here drew up a template with genuine commitment moved into the scene regardless of threats to our lives and with total believe in God we moved against touts and illegal parks that dotted around the capital city and unlike the usual attempt of chasing them with security personnel, we went with full dialogue and preaching and perhaps the voice of God prevailed against forceful ejection and they complied. Some of them afterwards could not come to terms on how they complied with our directives this time but the important thing is that they have moved to designated parks. Today our designated parks are now booming and have offered employment to many while a lot of people’s enterprises have been rejuvenated. Several empty shops in the parks built with public funds are now filled and generating revenue while other little business thrives.

    Now people who are traveling know where to go to get vehicles and don’t stand on the road anymore for touts and thieves to waylay them. We have done biometric capturing on all the tricycle’s operators in the city in such a way that when there is any problem they can be traced and we have given the routes for them to drive and areas to avoid. We have made it possible for tricycle drivers to access every part of the city.

    One of the major problems that nearly kick start unrest in the state was complaints by tricycle operators of exploitation by government, how do you navigate through the problem?

    In this case I must commend the governor for his generosity and intervention. Upon the relocation to the parks, operators who commended our actions which brought sanity lamented that they are carrying burden of higher tariffs. We upon investigation, we discovered that an average tricycle man pays about N250 per local government and you know that the Uyo capital city have about four local government areas sharing boundaries and they pay about N1,000 daily. We pleaded for the council’s consideration of their plight but they remained adamant and we suspended the charges for seven months to study the situation and come up with acceptable tariff. We worked with tricycle operators and settled for N400.