The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Encomiums as Delta Cp Aduba retires in style

    Encomiums as Delta Cp Aduba retires in style

    Ikechukwu Aduba has bowed out of the Nigeria Police Force upon attaining the retirement age of 60. His last posting was Delta State Police Commissioner.

    At an elaborate send forth ceremony at the Delta Police Command, Asaba, Aduba inspected a guard of honour , an event which  signposted the end of a  career  spanning  33 years.

    At a valedictory session, two books co-authored by Ikechukwu and Oscar Aduba titled Aspects of Onitsha and Culture up To 2000 and Dynamics of the NPF in the New Millennium and Other Appraisals (1966-2010) were unveiled.

    Guests, who sat in large tents festooned with gold and green satin materials, were treated to melodious music, sumptuous meals accompanied by choice wines and an assortment of drinks.

    Present at the event were Delta State Commissioner of  Justice and Attorney-General Charles Adjuya (SAN),Navy Captain Rotimi Oderemi, ex-Officer NMS Delta, Lt Col I.O Bassey, Commandant 3 Battalion,Warri, Air Commodore Ayodele Dudusola, Commandant, NAF Detachment, Warri, Director DSS, Delta Command, Florence Ikakone, Rt Rev Justus Mogekwu,Bishop, Anglican Communion, Asaba Diocese.

    Other include Asagba of Asaba, Prof Chike Edozien and Onihe of Asaba, Chief Uba Attoh, among other.

    It was a carnival atmosphere as gaily-dressed women in yellow headgears and green wrappers added colour to the event. Another group was dressed in red and blue aso ebi. The highpoint of the occasion was the handing over of the keys to a 14 –Seater Hiace bus to the Police Secondary, Asaba.  Aduba said the bus was donated by a business mogul, Chief Ayiri Emami  of the A & E Petrol Nigeria Ltd.

    He handed over the keys to the headmistress of the school, Mrs. Chizor Aduba, who represented the Directorate of Education, Force Headquarters.

    Assistant Inspector General of Police (A.I.G) Zone 5, Benin-City, Edo State, Hashimu Argungu, described the outgoing cop as “an officer among officers”, adding that the police “will put to use the knowledge impacted by Aduba”.

    Deputy Commissioner, State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Emmanuel Inyang, said the outgoing CP reduced crime during his tenure, assuring that the prevailing peace would be sustained.

    Aduba served at various divisions in Imo, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, serving as Commander PMF 18, 1, 19. He was Commissioner of Police Bauchi.

    The books reviewer, CSP Imeh Udofia said the book Dynamics of the NPF in the New Millennium and Other Appraisala (1966-2010) deals with the Aduba’s family history, his humble beginning and love for education.

    Section two of the book deals with Aduba’s influence within the family. Aduba  is likened to a light in his family.

    The final section reveals his academic progression culminating in his enlistment into the NPF.

    Earlier at a church service at the Diocese of Asaba, Anglican Communion, Rt Rev Justus Mogekwu said the church decided to honour Aduba because he is a man of integrity, adding that the church must cultivate the habit of promoting people of integrity in society.

    His words: “When I heard of the CP’s retirement, my heart sank. I  asked why is it that a good thing never last. For his exemplary efforts at curbing crime and service to his fatherland, the church has decided to honour him with a special service. The church knows what is right, so when we see any person doing well, it is the duty of the church to honour such person. God is a God of peace and whosoever does peace, the church is ready to support”.

    Aduba  said the church service “is the highest honour I have ever gotten in my service year”, adding that his time in the NPF has taken him across the six geo-political zones.

    He said the secret of his success lies in his firm belief in connecting with the grassroots.

  • We’ve reduced kidnappings by 49 per cent, says Rivers CP Ogunsakin

    We’ve reduced kidnappings by 49 per cent, says Rivers CP Ogunsakin

    Rivers State Commissioner of Police Tunde Ogunsakin assumed office on February 12. What has he done since then? Here they are in his words:

    The attention and projection that we have received since our resumption in February is overwhelming. The command in its mandatory duty of protecting lives and property has discharged various duties. We understand that assessment of function and duties is necessary to let us tighten some loose ends and be on the front seat of protecting lives and property as enshrined in the constitution of Nigeria.

    We began our assessment with the tour of duty at the Ahoada Area Command. Ahoada was before then, consisting of seventeen (17) divisional police stations we identified the need to create an additional station Egi Police station was created, expanding Ahoada to 18 Division in totality. In our effort to rebuild the command, we have created Egi division to strategically bring policing to the door steps of the people, especially, the yearning people of Egi. During our inspections of Ahoada, we have been able to see the daily needs our officers at Ahoada. I have mapped out strategies to confront those challenges that I think require urgent attention. The tour will soon be extended to Port Harcourt area command.

    Forum of Traditional Rulers

    Rivers State Council of Traditional Ruler constitutes the major bloc of opinion models of the state. The command in its bid to identify and sustain relationship with the people, met with the royal fathers, who opined that issue of security, can be best tackled, when there is a synergy of relevant parties involved. The issue of cult groups who torment the citizenry on daily bases was discussed. The Rivers State Police Command is open to any advice or useful information that can help eradicate this ugly development.

    Stakeholders forum

    In our bid to push development to another level within the command, I have created a stake-holders’ forum who will serve as agents of development. The group consists of corporate organisations who liaise with the Police. The group will serve as a connecting rod to development in most areas that can help the command to grow. We are aware of the challenges posed by the question of who constitutes this group and will thus address them.

    Joint Task Force

    In our assessment of the command before resumption, the command used to have a robust relationship with other sister organisation. In the same vein, we have revitalised the JTF patrol the team was deemed necessary as a result of the challenges of sophisticated crimes, especially in the area of kidnapping the team, since its resuscitation has performed overtly beyond expectation in nipping crime in the bud at every corner.

    The command under my leadership has recorded huge success. In the area of Infrastructural development, we have created a new life for people of Omoku with the upgrading of Egi Police post to a division. My goals on assumption of duty here is to bring succour to the people of Rivers State, especially in the area of security. We are also working on the development in Ahoada command by building two additional divisions to make our goal of community policing a reality to the people. Community policing is an in -thing among security networks. We the officers of River State Police Command will not depart from this, God willing.

    Information and Communications Technology

    In modern day security, information technology plays a vital role in intelligence gathering and sharing. The command in its effort has caught up with this globalisation by creating an ultra-modern facility to enable our cops especially in the intelligent department catch up with reality. We have set up a structure for human capital development in ensuring officers access to the world through 24 hours access to the internet. This will not only help in their work but also help in both social and economic development.

    Operational achievements

    Upon my resumption of office as the Commissioner of Police, there have been astronomical achievements in the area of operations. Criminals can no longer consider Rivers State a safe haven as dedicated and well-motivated officers of the Command have demonstrated strong commitment to combating crime in all its manifestations

    Within this period, a large number of suspects have been arrested  with 1115 ammunitions and firearms recovered by the different divisions and units. Over 35 victims of kidnap have been rescued in this time also.

    In February, 181 cases were recorded of which 257 suspects were arrested. 98 cases were charged to court alongside 175 suspects, out of which 33 suspects were convicted, 78 are awaiting trial, while 36 were discharged and acquitted.

    In March, of 171 cases were recorded of which 213 suspects were arrested. Of these, 99 cases were charged to court alongside 166 suspects out of which 36 suspects were convicted, 72 are awaiting trial, while 16 were discharged and acquitted.

    In April, 198 cases were recorded of which 344 suspects were arrested. Of these, 128 cases were charged to court alongside 243 suspects, out of which 84 suspects were convicted, 135 are awaiting trial, while 24 were discharged and acquitted.

    Crime rate

    The Police have recorded success in the reduction of crime rate occasioned by the increase in apprehension of criminals. As a matter of fact, in the area of kidnapping overseen by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, we have recorded a reduction of the incidence by about 49 per cent in the past three months with a total of 31 cases as against the 21 cases recorded in January alone.

    In other areas such as armed robbery, the assiduous efforts of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad have seen a commendable rise in the arrest of robbers. Statistically speaking, a rise in apprehension to the measure of 250 per cent has been recorded with 27 armed robbers apprehended from February 2014 as against only two arrests made in January.

     

  • End of the road for ‘one chance’ operators in Calabar

    End of the road for ‘one chance’ operators in Calabar

    They pose as commercial motorists and rob unsuspecting people who enter their vehicles of their money.

    The activities of these people popularly referred to as ‘one chance’ is a menace that has long faced residents of Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

    However, the men of the Cross River State command of the Nigeria Police scored a point in the fight to check the menace, when it clamped down on 19 people who chose this dubious lifestyle as their source of livelihood.

    Four vehicles were also seized from them. The suspects included 11 men and eight women.

    They were from Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Abia, Anambra and Delta states.

    The vehicles seized were a Volkswagen Vento, a Volkswagen Golf, a Volkswagen Wagon and a Mazda 626 sports car with registration numbers FGG463ME (Anambra), NKE965AA (Ebonyi), FGG451ME (Anambra) and BR151AGL (Lagos).

    The suspects confessed to the crime. Parading the suspects  at the State Police Quarters, Diamond Hill, Calabar, the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Investigation, Ganiyu Salami, said they were arrested in two different hotels in Calabar following a tip off.

    He said: “We got them through sustained intelligence monitoring. We gathered that they had come into town and we were able to get them after their operation in two hotels in Calabar.”

    He said bundles of papers which they had cut to resemble money were recovered from their hotels.

    The paper, he said, were used to replace the money they stole.

    He said the suspects, who confessed to the crime, divide themselves into four groups and carry out their operation in various parts of town.

    He said they lived out of town and only came in from time to time to carry out their operations, adding that they would be charged to court immediately.

    He urged residents, especially those who have just withdrawn huge sums of money from the bank to be wary of the vehicles they enter. He also warned residents from entering vehicles without registration numbers.

     

     

     

  • Another letter to Brother J

    Dear Brother J,

    On St Valentine’s Day, I wrote my first letter to you over your appointment as the Rivers State Commissioner of Police by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), MD Abubakar. Three months after, there was an article which appeared in a Port Harcourt-based weekly, National Network, titled ‘A Word for Brother Johnson’. In it, the author, Manson Tordee (JP), who was described as a social commentator and public affairs analyst, attempted to tear me into pieces. From the first line of the error-riddled and badly proof-read piece, the Justice of Peace (JP) accused me of bias and ascribed meanings I never intended to parts of the piece. He was bitter that Yoruba like me, Prof Wole Soyinka, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and others were dabbling into the affairs of Rivers, which, he said, was not a ‘free town’ where non-indigenes could take up appointments.

    For instance, he said: “According to the bias (sic) analysis of Olukorede Yishau in his article “Brother Johnson” published under his usual column “Above Whispers” of The Nation on Friday, February 14, 2014, under comment and debate, page 36, I strongly condemn in totally the entire body of the article, especially the words “you are tomorrow, live above board by cleaning Mbu’s mess and if in the process you have to bow out of the force, do it”. Mr. Olukorede Yishau has failed to realise that every profession is guided by certain code of conduct, decorum and ethics which are based on the principle of discipline, obedience and absolute loyalty in line with hierarchical order of superiority.”

    He added: “As a journalist and media practitioner, he is at liberty of accessing and bringing or disseminating to the public whatever information at his disposal without fear or favour, and most importantly, without been bias (sic) or dictated for (sic) by a third party.”

    He had questions for me: “What MESS did Mbu left behind in Rivers State? How would he substantiate his claim that Mbu was selective in his operations with regards to his dealing with political activities in the State? Is it in strict adherence and compliance with the laid down rules and regulations or orders according to the police’s professional terms or in flouting deviant and complete disobedience to the police orders and laws?”

    My answers: under Mbu, rallies by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were allowed to hold without trouble. The opposition did not have that luxury. We were told they never got permission. The Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, was cock sure Mbu would not disturb his rallies that he boasted no policeman could stop his rallies and no one did. This was at a time an orientation programme for newly recruited teachers was stopped by Mbu on the pretext that no permission was received before it was staged.

    Brother J, I am glad neither of these has happened under you. Yes, you have banned youth rallies or demonstrations which many of them have complained against. But, it was a blanket ban and not that you allowed PDP youths and disallowed APC youths.

    The JP said Governor Rotimi Amaechi is more Yoruba than Ikwerre. He needs to prove that. The only thing, to the best of my knowledge, that is Yoruba about the governor is his first name. But there are several people who bear names from other tribes for various reasons.

    Brother J, in case you never read the piece, the JP also had humble words for “Brother Johnson” – Mr. Johnson Tunde Ogunsakin, the new CP of Rivers State: “You are a qualified, experienced police professional just like Mbu and judging by your rich credentials, you have gone round the whole facets of the police force where the witty gritty (sic) of it are all on your finger tips. Perform your duty in accordance with all you know that goes with your sworn-oath of allegiance and office. You can never be dictated for (sic) by any Chief Security Officer or allies. Remember that every good policy or action of public officers must always step on the toes of powers bounded in oppressive tendency.”

    He did not stop there Brother J. He added: “Continue in the shoe (sic) of Mr. Mbu. Remember that you must be careful of the praises of men as too, many cook (sic) always spoil (sic) the soup. Mbu’s criticism is an eloquent testimony of his excellence performance. It is biblically stated that one should rejoice when been (sic) criticised over a job welldone for rewards are high up beyond the sky.

    “Mr. Ogunsakin you should endeavour to shun tribadistic (sic) ideology. Every citizen of this country comes from a state and no state is an infidel or dishonourable. For you to come from Ekiti State does not make you more honourable than every other person as presumed by Olukerede (sic) in his article. After all, CP Ogunsakin you are a public servant earning from tax-payers’ money which must be justified by a complementary services (sic). Tread (sic) the part (sic) of justice like your predecessor and God will bless your stay in Rivers State.”

    Need I say any more? Well, my final take: I leave you, Brother Johnson, to decide if Mbu’s path is worth threading. For no reason will it ever be okay for you to pander to the whims and caprices of Amaechi. It will also be bad for any other top shot from Rivers to dictate how you do your job. Policing has set rules about how things should be done in line with the Constitution. So, be guided always by this.

    I will never advise you to be pro-anybody. Just be pro-God, pro-constitution and pro-your-conscience. So far, Rivers has been peaceful and the tempo should be sustained.

    Now that we are daily getting closer to 2015, the pressure on you will mount and this really is the time to show you are different. From the little I know about you, you know how to handle pressure no matter the angle it is from.

    Bye for now sir.

  • Akpan…Audacity to dare

    Akpan…Audacity to dare

    The immediate past finance commissioner of Akwa Ibom State, Bassey Albert Akpan, is said to be gearing up towards realising his ambition of succeeding his erstwhile boss, Governor GodswillAkpabio in 2015. Although the controversial zoning of the governorship position to the Eket Senatorial District does not favourAkpan, who hails from the Uyo Senatorial District, the audacious young man appears set to give a shot at clinching the ticket of the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) when it comes up for grabs at the primary scheduled for October this year.

    Although the 41-year old is yet to declare his ambition, there are tell-tale signs of his aspiration to join the governorship race on the platform of the PDP.  Speculations are rife that before his removal in April 2014, Akpan, who had been finance commissioner since the inception of the Akpabio administration in 2007, had only been at technical peace with his principal over alleged attempts by Akpabio to get members of his cabinet to endorse the governor’s plan of anoint  a consensus candidate. Many believe that Akpan was sacked for the audacity to have organised a golf tournament in honour of Senate President David Mark during his last birthday celebrations.Whatever the reason was, the young ex-banker must have been startled to have been woken up with the news of his ouster at about 2am on April 27.

    However, by 7am of the same day, Akpan’shome in Uyo was filled to the brim with people of various ages and social statuses who gathered to show solidarity and encourage him to declare his quest for the  governorship seat. The visitation would continue from dawn till dusk for the next three days, after which he was said to have traveled out of town to get some rest.

    Before his appointment into the AkwaIbom State cabinet in 2007, Akpan was Zonal Head of the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Plcfor AkwaIbom and Cross River states since 2005, where he was in charge of daily supervision of 15 branches (and the attendant responsibilities)of the first private bank in Nigeria.

    Prior to his stint with FCMB, he was Branch Manager for the defunct First Inland Bank in Uyo as well as Manager, Corporate Banking Group at the head office of the defunct Continental Trust Bank in Lagos between 1999 and 2003.

    An accomplished manager of men and resources, Akpan’s tenure as finance commissioner in AkwaIbom State is said to have brought tremendous changes to the generation and management of the resources of the oil-rich state.

    As a pointer to his shrewdness, the internally generated revenue of the state was said to have shot up dramatically from 350 million naira in 2007 to an average of 2 billion naira currently. He is also credited with the full digitalisation and real time, on-line administration of the finances of the state. Other achievements of the Bassey Akpan-led finance ministry in the Akpabio administration include the opening of 16 sub treasuries for seamless management of the revenue of the state, prompt payment of workers’salaries, which contributed to increased work efficiency as well as the completion of the office of the Accountant-General of the State through direct labour.Akpan is also credited with the efficient implementation of the state finance policy and maintaining the 20-80 percent recurrent and capital budgeting ratio all through his tenure.

    As chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Coordinating Committee, his tenure as Finance Commissioner is said to have produced over 6,000 people-oriented projects which include classrooms, rural electrification, civic centre, and skill acquisition centre projects all over the state.

    Akpan also at various times served as chairman of the State/Local Government Joint Derivation Committee and the State Micro Credit Committee. He was also a member of the Finance and General Purpose Committee.

    Born on October 28, 1972, to the family of Chief Albert Robert Akpan ofIdidepUsukinIbionoIbom Local Government of the State,  Albert BasseyAkpan graduated from the University of Uyoin 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in Economic in the Second Class Upper Division. Thereafter, he proceeded to study for a Master’s  degreein Business Administration at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, graduating in 2000. A grassroots mobiliser and respected leader of youths, Akpan has the chieftaincy title of IberdemIdidep(Pillar of Ididep).He was also honoured with the award of “Omeroha(Philantropist)ofAkokwa by Obi of Akokwa, HRH Eze(Sir) IkennaOkoli(V) KSC, Agbakweruibe (111) He is married with children.

     

  • ‘ Why Bayelsa is holding Investment Forum’

    ‘ Why Bayelsa is holding Investment Forum’

    Bayelsa State Commissioner for Trade, Industry and Investment Kemela Okara speaks on the state’s investment drive.  WALE AJETUNMOBI met him

    The Bayelsa State Investment andEconomic Forum comes up later this month; what exactly are you looking at?

    The Bayelsa State Investment and Economic Forum has been put together to create a platform for investors within Bayelsa State, within the country and investors from outside the country to come to Bayelsa State and explore the various opportunities for business that the state presents.

    What is the target audience for the event?

    We are targeting five main areas and a major one is power, because as you know, power generation is perhaps one of the most vital components today in ensuring that the economy, not only in Bayelsa State, but also across Nigeria is really able to perform as desired.

    As you may know, Bayelsa State is not just only an oil rich state, but it is also rich in gas. In fact, we have more gas deposits than oil. As you know, gas is a major feedstock to generate power, so it is one major hope that we have from this conference and we have actually commenced discussions with a number of companies and some with whom we have signed MoUs, who would want to come and site power generation plants in Bayelsa State.

    We know that we have a mid term objective of being able to generate 3000 megawatts of power, so we are looking for investors, who would want to come and take advantage of the investment opportunities in power genertion and gas deposits here, to feed into the national grid to supply the entire country.

    Another major area is agriculture. Bayelsa has major potentials in rice farming, aquaculture and these areas also have a direct impact on the livelihood of everybody, from the small farmer to the big farmer. In the rice sector, for instance, we have investors we believe will come, if we set up rice mills here, working in partnership with the local farmers, we can increase the opportunities for business for local farmers and opportunities for employment, so that’s the second segment.

    The third area we are focusing on at the investment summit is in the area of hospitality and tourism. The fourth area is, of course, what we are already known for, which is oil and gas. We know that we can expand the value chain in the oil and gas sector, increase local content in oil and gas. So, this is also an area where we are seeking to attract investors through this economic and investment forum.

    The final one seeks to look a bit ahead. We know that e-commerce is the future and you may be aware that in Nigeria today, we have companies like Konga doing for the Nigerian market what companies like eBay and amazon do in foriegn markets. So, we want to also provide a platform where businessmen in Bayelsa State can take advantage of e-commerce to extend their goods and services beyond Bayelsa State to the entire country.

    Can you give us an idea of some of the big investors that are expected to be in Bayelsa for this forum?

    We have companies like GE; we have gotten responses from the UK trade and industry department, which represents the UK business interest. We have gotten from Italy, Belgium and Poland. These are some countries that have already indicated that their trade missions will ensure that the chambers of commerce in their respective countries send representatives. Also, I had meetings with the Nigeria-Canada forum, which represents business interest in Canada, they have also indicated that they will be coming.

    There is also a U.S.-based interest in the power sector, that has indicated that, they would want to partner with us, they are taking a very strong role in this. So, we have a wide array of different interests from different countries, different trade missions and different chambers of commerce, who want to attend this event, so we are looking forward to a very good event.

    Sir, you said earlier that you had an interactive session with some of the interest groups back home. From your discussion with them do you think they are ready to welcome this investors, because one problem we have always had back home is that our local investors hardly go into big investments.

    So, how prepared are you to host the world?

    In terms of preparation, we are at advanced stages. Our preparation covers a wide range of activities in terms of giving the right information to those, who are arriving the country. They need the right information about visa, transport logistics arriving into the country and getting to Yenagoa, the hotels we have and the quality of the rooms. We also have to give information in terms of local security on ground which is important, so that people have a full sense of being safe and secure, when they are here. So, we have a checklist of all sorts of things that have to be done and we have a local organiSing committee, working to ensure that all these different things are done. I am just here perhaps as commissioner, the spokesman, talking to the public, but there are many people working in different aspects of what we have to do and all of that is going on very well.

    To the people of Bayelsa State, what would be your message to them, especially those on the streets?

    My message to them is very simple; the whole essence of growing an economy is to provide employment. At the end of the day, we want job security, we want to know that we can afford the basic necessities of life, we want to know that we can send our children to school, we want to know that we can give them a quality education and a good job and the options business offers. At the end of the day, what all of this is about is to increase the amount of money we have in our pockets, because if a business comes into an environment property prices will appreciate. People will have an incentive to take out loans from the banks to build houses, because they are sure of having tenants, because the business will employ people and people will be coming in. So, if we make Bayelsa State attractive for business, everybody benefits; it is as simple as that.

     

     

     

     

  • Awards target promotion of film industry in Cross River

    In a bid to encourage film making  in Cross River State, producers, directors and screen writers will be honoured at the Cross River Movie Awards.

    The awards’ Executive Director,  Eric Anderson, said the ceremoy was to increase movie making in Cross River State.

    The awards, which will be the second edition, will include honorary, life time achievement, special achievement, posthumous awards, performance and merit awards

    He said: “Cross River State Movie Awards is actually for movies produced in choice locations in Cross River. We intend to restrict it to that because we need to increase more production in Cross River State.

    “The industry in Cross River is over 15 years old. Whatever you do, apart from the positive rub-off of the Cross River State image, one thing we are trying to do is to promote talent, and empower talent. We are developing people and creating a sense belonging and the state would see an increase in traffic, economically and so on.

    “Cross River State has been doing well as far as the entertainment industry is concerned. We have experienced some movies of international production such as Streets of Calabar and Half of a Yellow Sun. Also lots of parents are even encouraging their children to go into the entertainment industry because of how well it is doing. The entertainment industry in Cross River has improved a lot but there is still room for more improvement.”

    Sylva Bogbo, the event consultant, said: “Not just promoting people but also promoting culture. We are opening the ground. And Cross River is the hub of tourism in Nigeria. We are in entertainment tourism, we are trying to make Calabar the Hollywood of tourism in Nigeria. It is going to be something special.  We are recognising our people and those who have come here to work.

    “The award basically is designed to see how we can award practitioners, felicitate with them. Over the years we have had people who have worked in this field of endeavour, that is, movie acting, producing and directing.

    “After last year, what we showcased took the government by storm. It was a success. Between when we had the first movie awards and now, 13 full movies have been shot in the state. We have had a lot of development of local talent.

    “Even people who came from outside have seen what we have to offer and are eager to work with the local people. This year’s edition will be excellent with the kind of preparation on ground coupled with the fact that we have endorsement from the Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation.

  • Uneme indigenes rally support for Oshiomhole

    Uneme people in the north of Edo State have thrown their weight behind the Governor Adams Oshiomhole in his efforts to improve socio-economic life and infrastructure.

    The National President of Uneme National Development Association (UNDA),Mr Earnest Adeji, said the people appreciated the leadership style of the governor, which brought all the ethnic groups in the state together.

    Adeji, a shipping magnate, said Uneme people benefitted immensely from the Oshiomhole’s administration, noting that apart from emancipating ethnic politically by inviting its people to join his administration, Adeji said all communities occupy by the Uneme ethnic group had benefitted from the infrastructure and education programmes of the state government.

    Adeji spoke while the executive members of the association met the traditional ruler of Uneme Anegbette, the head of all traditional title holders of Uneme clan, in Lagos at the weekend.

    He said: “We want to use this opportunity to thank the Edo State governor, Mr Adam Oshiomhole, for bringing his leadership quality to bear in leading the state. He has been able to build roads across most of Uneme villages both in Etsako and Akoko Edo.”

    He said the association would complement the government’s effort in education by ensuring that all schools built in Uneme communities were properly administered and scholarships given to dese0rving students.

    On the programmes of his executive, Adeji said the association would be organising Uneme Day, with the objective to bring all the ethnic people under one umbrella and make it formidable ethnic nationality to be reckon with in the country.

    He said: “I am convinced that Uneme has numerical strength when compared with the likes of Isekiri and Urhobo in forming a virile Uneme nation. The starting point for us is Uneme Day.”

    Adeji added that the association was looking into unemployment among its youth, saying he had directed his Secretary, Mr Ralph Seriki, to establish an employment bureau where unemployed youths in all Uneme communities could submit their names for job assistance.

    He said members met with the traditional ruler to intimate him of the impending programmes, praising the monarch for his support for the association. Other members of the UNDA at the meeting include Vice-President, Simon Ogie, Publicity Secretary, Fidelis Femi-Agunnu, his assistant, Joseph Ajayi and Financial Secretary, Joseph Oboh, among others.

  • Calabar…Your night is alive and kicking

    Calabar…Your night is alive and kicking

    Once upon a time, Calabar, the Cross River State capital,  slept before 8pm. That changed some years back. Now, the tempo of nightlife in the capital city has attained another dimension, writes NICHOLAS KALU

    There was a time when Calabar, the Cross River State capital went to sleep when the sun went down. That was before the tourism drive of the Donald Duke-led administration, which is being sustained by the Liyel Imoke administration, changed face of the state. Cross River is more visible on the world map. The once sleepy capital city has become a hub, attracting visitors from all over the country and even beyond.

    Attendant on this development was a more intense social life. Coupled with the impression that the average Calabar person loves to live life to the fullest, the city has  the necessary ingredients for frolicking and relaxation. The word ‘CALABAR’ has been described as Come and Live And Be At Rest.

    A good pointer to this is that the 32-day Calabar Festival, which is jam-packed with various programmes designed to make people have a good time, has never had a dull moment. If anything, many will prefer it continues.

    Night has, indeed, come to life in Calabar.

    The proliferation of hotels, drinking joints and clubs to in the past few years has stimulated an active nightlife to match the influx of people who seek a fun.

    It is now common sight in most part of town, especially the Marian Road axis to see such crawlers at night who are out to have a good time. Most of them, especially youths, patronise the drinking joints that litter the city.

    Night-clubs inject so much power into a bubbling night life that is blossoming in the city. The growth of night clubs has provided a fresh avenue for most residents and visitors to unwind, drink, dance and socialise. Some of the most prominent night clubs are Jaspers on Marian Road, Mayfair Lounge at the Channel View Hotels, Pinnacle Club at the Mirage Hotel and Base Bar at Diamond Hill.

    The government has also established merry-making spots, such as the Marina Resort and Tinapa Resort.

    Mr Essien Kooffreh owns and runs the most popular club in town. According to him, he had to return from Diaspora to establish the business, which, he said, has so much potential in the state in view of government’s tourism thrust.

    “Running a club in Calabar is no different from running a club in any other city, but the only difference is that the people here are not hostile. Security wise, I think security in Calabar is very good compared to other places. So, that is why nightlife and clubs will thrive in Calabar because people can feel safe going out.

    “We have to give credit to our state government because it introduced tourism, encouraging people outside the state and in the Diaspora to come and build up the tourism sector. That is why I came back as well. We have taken it far because we now have a lot of modern bars and clubs,” Kooffeh said.

    Calabar is a town regarded as a civil service city. As a result of this, most of the life injected into the city has been attributed to students of the two higher institutions in the city, the University of Calabar and the Cross River University of Technology. Whenever these schools are closed for any reason, there seems to be a lull in social and economic activities in the city and by extension a drop in the verve of nightlife in Calabar.

    But Kooffreh disagrees, saying though students play an active role, their absence does not jeopardise patronage.

    According to Kooffreh, with the presence of private companies that are growing in the state, the future will always be bright. The tranquilly and serenity of the state, he said, has also helped the business to bloom. “The state provides most part of the country with chippings from Akampka. There are loads of foreign and indigenous investors who own quarries there. We have a cement factory here, UNICEM which is massive; we also have Niger Mills which is also massive; we have Dangote. So, it is not just the universities because if it was just that, I don’t see how the hotels and clubs will be surviving. So, all of them add up. Constructions companies are coming in. They are employing locally, making a lot of indigenes have a good enough income to enjoy themselves. These are people who work from morning to evening and then they want to unwind,” he said.

    “We (Calabar) may not be really commercial. Ironically towns that are so commercial, you don’t have this kind of business. You look at Aba. There is so much commerce, but the place is hostile and the environment does not permit this kind of business.

    “I see the future of nightlife in Calabar blossoming because for, instance, when I started this club some years ago, we only had a couple of clubs. There is market for this business if you are ready to put in energy and be ready to work hard and manage it properly. With so many projects the government is embarking on, when it kicks off, it will bring in more investments and more people and, of course, they will want to unwind.

    “With the focus of tourism in the state, activities have been a bit more. Most commercial cities cannot boast of what we have socially because of this tourism drive and also the enabling environment. There are no problems in Calabar. A lot of businessmen who travel a lot have relocated to Calabar knowing it is a place they can leave their families and know they are okay while they go about their businesses. That has helped a lot. So, I believe there is a big future because of the serenity and safety of the town, because if a town is not safe, you cannot leave you house after 9 o’clock.”

    Also the manager of another popular nightclub, who doesn’t want to be named said, said the tourism drive of the state is really helping the business in the state.

    “People are always coming in and out of Calabar. It is a place where people come to have fun and we give them quality fun.”

    He also attributed the thriving business to the peaceful environment.

    “I can beat my chest and welcome anyone who wants to come to Calabar and say you are going to have a quality and wonderful time,” said Mr Chinonso Nwanna, popularly known as Nomzy. He used to run a popular club in Calabar, The Mayfair Lounge.

    Mr David Ndukwe is from Abia State, but has lived in Calabar for over 15 years. He also loves to enjoy himself.  He says one of the things that makes the town appealing has been its healthy nightlife which provides the opportunity to have fun.

    Ndukwe said: “Yes, there’s been so much improvement in the night life here and this could be attributed to improved security situation in the city as people go about any time without being molested.

    “The emergence of more hangout spots has given night riders options to be out till late, with some bars offer jazz day within the week, ladies’ night and so on so there’s always something every day for somebody.”

    Renowned socialite, Mrs Queen- Nkoyo King, owner of the newest and most popular nightclub in Calabar, Beverly Heels, said of the nightlife in city: “It is better than yesterday because you see that in the state we have a lot of tourism. People are coming from every other state and even outside the country to make the lifestyle better than before and if you ask me I would say it is at its best for now. At Beverly Heels it is not just the life that you would get. Here we have a lot to offer. It is a one stop shop that comprises of a club, a hotel and a restaurant that runs 24 hours and to me it is the best place to be. If anyone is coming from outside the state or the country and even within the state, it is the best.”

    She said she ventured into the industry given it was a blossoming one and also that she was inclined towards show business.

    “Before now we actually had a Hurricane dance bar at Mekenge before I shut it down and started up this project. The future is going to be great and better. It is going to be bigger,” Mrs King said.

    Nomzy said on a scale of one to ten, Calabar can be ranked six for its bubbling nightlife. He said before now, it could be ranked two on the same scale.

    According to him, it is a business that goes up and down. According to him, of the seven days of the week, most clubs are active only on an average of two days.

    He said joints and drinking spots were doing much better at night, but that nightlife in Calabar could get better. So, the best is yet to come for this city with rich history.

  • ‘My battle to get justice for my daughter’

    Ms Grace Ese caused a stir in Warri  when she accused the management of Delta Career College of attempting to cover up the alleged rape of her nine-year-old daughter . Six years after, the teacher has been found guilty and sentenced to 14 years in prison by an Effurun High Court. SHOLA O’NEIL met her. 

    Six years ago, a rape report that shook this city, but finally you have gotten justice or something close to it; how do you feel?

    These past years it is been hectic with the file vanishing twice. At the police station it vanished, I had to go to the Commissioner of When they invited us after five years that the case had been recalled, DPP said they still hadn’t got the original file. It took some time with prayer and all before they found the file. I would say it is God that fought the battle.

    Did you find out why the files kept on missing?

    I feel that someone must have bribed them to take the files away. The OC Legal at ‘A’ Division, told me to my face that if I didn’t give him N5,000 the file would not get to Asaba. I had no money because I was running from hospital to hospital taking care of my daughter. Where will I get the N5,000?

    Everybody withdrew from us because of the stigma associated with the case. I told them that I would get justice so that if anybody wants to attempt it (rape) it will be on record that someone who did it is in jail. I did it to protect her and to protect other children from men like that.

    Six years after, to the glory of God, the criminal has been convicted. The penalty is not as much as I would have liked. I am happy because nobody would have thought it would go to this extent. Everybody gave up on me; everybody was against me, some said the battle was too much and that I should just forget it.

    Where did you find the will to keep going?

    There are a few reasons: One, the girl is my only child, I pray to have others and for now I have not and I am not getting younger and I have to look after my child and get the best for her. I put in my best in whatever I have to do; I have done that for my daughter but now when I look at her each day, I do not get what I expected. Before the incident, she was the best child. Wherever we were, people look at her and say ‘what a child!’. Every reasonable parent wanted to be her friend. They wanted the child to be their children’s friend. After the incident, everything changed. I used to protect my child from evil children, but now I feel I need to protect people’s children from my child. She changed; her character and attitude changed. She has become withdrawn and all the things she used to like she no longer likes them. She became rebellious. Here was a child who read all the books of Psalms and came up with reasons why a child should be disciplined and obedient to parents. Sometimes she is so angry and broody; when you ask her to do anything, she would rather do the opposite of what you asked. The difference in my daughter after the incident is too much. That incident has scarred her, I hope not forever. One day I sat down and cried that these people have killed my child and killed me. For over two weeks, I walked on the streets crying nonstop when it happened.

    How did she tell you the rape happen?

    I couldn’t bear to hear the story from her, because of my condition. It was at the court when they were reading her statement that I found out the whole story.

    Why are you so certain that it was the teacher and not one of the students?

    No student would have the heart to do that inside that school without being found out. When I went to look for her, the first thing the gateman told me was that she had not come to the school today.  He said she entered but had not come to the gate. So, the students are ruled out completely. If you know where that office is you would believe what I am telling you. The office is at the extreme end.

    What was the reaction of the school’s management?

    After everything we went to hear from the school authority and we met the PRO. He invited us to his office; he made a statement that annoyed me. He said if I hadn’t gone to the police they would have given me money. I said, ‘To hell with your millions. I am not after your blood money’.

    If the school had wanted to defend its integrity the best way to do that would have been to push the offender out and fight the crime and show that the school does not condone such.

    At the time of the incident a statement credited to the school accused you of attempted blackmail and probably extortion…

    They also said it in the court. Whom did I ask for money? From the date the incident happened till date the proprietor, who is the principal of the school, has not spoken to me. Did I ask the teacher for money or was it the PRO that I asked for money? The teacher said the DPO asked for money and because they refused to give him that is why he took it up. So, who did I ask for money or was it the police I asked to tell them to give me money?

    Are you worried about the stigma?

    I am and that is why I have moved from many places. We were living in Warri, I moved and changed her school. It is like after sometime people would find out and I would be forced to change her school again. Right now we have found ourselves in another town. I have made all these sacrifices and I would continue to do it. I told my daughter, ‘if it is the will of God that I sacrifice my life for you, I will do it.’

    The school believed that the man is innocent and you insist that he did it; do you have doubt that an innocent man could be suffering?

    I am very sure that he did and the court says he did it. They had all the opportunity to prove his innocence; they had people, students and the woman that they could call to confirm or deny my daughter’s story; they refused to do it.