Category: South East

Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has assured students and workers of Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu of safety.

Some workers and students had been victims of kidnap and armed robbery on Uturu-Okigwe road in the last few months, raising concern over the safety of road users, including employees and students of the university, by their parents and relatives.

Ikpeazu, inaugurating the newly- reconstituted Governing Council of the university, with Chief Mba Ukariwe as the pro chancellor and chairman of the council, said efforts had been put in place to ensure insecurity on the busy road was tackled.

Inaugurating the council at the Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Umuahia, the governor urged them to lead out in the growth and development of the university, as it occupied an important place among universities in the country.

He said the institution grew from 97th to 26th position as well as the second best state university in Nigeria, adding that it recently won an award by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Ikpeazu said the sterling performance could only be sustained if students remained on campus with teaching and learning going on.

He said his administration recently released N200million, while an additional N150million would be released in the next few days to support the university to pay three months salary of workers.

The governor said he would continue to discuss with the institution on the welfare of workers.

He said his administration had taken steps to control security challenges around Uturu and enjoined the university community to support government’s effort in that regard.

Dr. Ikpeazu, who hoped that the institution would return to its rightful place under the new council, said his administration was committed to regular release of subventions.

He congratulated the pro chancellor and members of the council and advised them to work together.

Responding on behalf of other members, Ukariwe thanked the governor for the honour done to them, saying they would not disappoint him, but would hit the ground running to restore normalcy to the university.

Other members of the reconstituted council include Chief Obinna Njoku, Elder Chibuike Nwokeukwu, SAN; Mrs. Precious Achumba, Chief Ndukwu Ndukwu, Eze Ogbonnaya Uwadiegwu, Mr. Nwaro Offor, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. Eze Ajuzie and principal officers of the institution.

Deputy Governor Ude Oko Chukwu, members of the State Executive Council, Executive Chairman of Ohafia Local Government Dr. Okorafor Okorafor Ukiwe and other government functionaries also witnessed the inauguration.

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) yesterday converged on Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, to protest the continued imprisonment of a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong.

They were joined by Effiong’s friends.

The CSOs called for immediate and unconditional release of the lawyer, who was sentenced to 30 days in prison by the Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Ekaette Obot, on July 27, for alleged contempt of court.

Addressing reporters during the  protest, spokesperson for the CSOs, Enefaa Georgewill, said the CJ’s action was an attempt to subdue lawyers to silence.

He said: “We are calling on the CJ to reverse herself. We are demanding immediate release of Effiong. We are equally calling on lawyers and litigants not to stand and watch.

“This is a ploy to intimidate lawyers so that they will not speak. So that when you have any case against the rich, a governor, or anybody in power, you will be scared. This fight is not just about Effiong. It is the fight for the soul of democracy.”

Georgewill condemned the way and manner the lawyer was committed to prison, saying from the account of what happened, the CJ acted premeditatedly

“We as civil society believe in sanctity of the court. We also believe that only justice can pave the way for any democratic society. But in the case of Effiong, the way and manner he was sent to prison speak doom for the hallowed court.

“From the accounts we have had from both parties, especially the media that was there, what happened was premeditated. ‘’

In our years of going to court, the only time you see a policeman as an orderly of the judge who stands behind the judge, not armed but at times with short pistol. But on that fateful day, two mobile policemen with AK-47 rifles were inside the court. This shows that all of these things were planned.”

The Coordinator, Coalition of Friends, Family, Colleagues for Inibehe Effiong, Mr. Jonathan Abang-Ugal, said although they have heard perspectives of what transpired, their concern is for Effiong to be released, as the judiciary will go on vacation from tomorrow.

He said: “Our concern now is for our friends and colleagues, Effiong, to be released.”

Anambra State Government has marked illegally-built shops for demolition at New Auto Spare Parts Association (NASPA), F-Line (Agbedo United Traders Association) and Zone-14 markets, all in Nnewi.

Speaking yesterday while supervising structures around the markets, Commerce and Industry Commissioner Dr. Obinna Ngonadi expressed worry about mishandling of government property at the market, while traders accused the government of failing to build infrastructure at the market.

He said the NASPA office secretariat built by the government had been sold to individuals, with its ground floor converted to shops.

“The fire service office built inside the same market by the government has been converted to shops and sold off. The fire truck inside cannot be moved because of blocked spaces.

“Parking spaces for vehicles are also covered with containers, shop extensions and attachments, causing obstructions and nuisance inside the market,” Ngonadi said.

Urging executives of the caretaker committee and their task force to remove attachments and shanties to free spaces, the commissioner said failure to comply would attract sanctions.

“If the executives fail to comply with the directives, the government has no other option but to dissolve the committees to pave the way for those willing to partner it to build the state,” he said.

The Chairman, Anambra State Physical Planning Board, Chike Maduekwe, who accompanied the commissioner during the tour, said illegal shops inside the market, which failed to meet standard and approval, be marked for demolition.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has listed the interventions of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in the affairs of corps members, including building world-class facilities at the NYSC camp at Nonwa-Gbam in Tai Local Government.

The Director General, NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Fadah, spoke yesterday when he inaugurated a 5000-capacity ultra modern auditorium built by Wike at the NYSC camp.

Fadah, who named the auditorium, “His Excellency Nyesom Ezenwo Wike Hall”, hailed the governor for his magnanimity.

The DG said there was no NYSC camp across the country that had such auditorium built in Rivers by Wike.

He said: “Governor Wike has done a lot for us. This occasion offers us  a unique opportunity for appreciating your numerous people- oriented projects. It is also heart warming to note that the government, under your able  leadership, has done a lot for NYSC.

“You renovated corps’ hostel and official residences and the multipurpose hall. You built drainages, you reconstructed the burnt dining hall, you restored the payment of monthly allowances of corps members to Rivers State. You restored payment of running cost to the secretariat, among other support.”

Handing over the auditorium, Wike said he was delighted that his administration desired to improve the poor condition of facilities used by members of NYSC in their camp in Nonwa-Gbam.

The governor said corps members should not be subjected to facilities that dehumanised them while serving in the state.

He said: “The first day I came here and saw the poor state of facilities in the camp here, I said, how can we allow graduates; those of them who have first degrees, second degrees, even PhDs, to be camped in an area that is not worthy for humans to stay.

“We tried, starting by building hostels for them. We built a kitchen for them, but it was vandalised by criminals. I had to send people to rebuild the kitchen for them. Look at the landscaping. We have done all the internal roads here.”

Wike noted that some people had said that NYSC was a federal agency, but he had asked to know the beneficiaries of services rendered by corps members.

He said: “Therefore, it doesn’t matter whether they’re federal government agency or not. What matters to us is the services they render and those services are render to the people of the state. Therefore, we will do everything we can to make them comfortable.”

Wike said the plan was conceived to build an auditorium for the NYSC since they lacked such facility within the camp.

Without such auditorium, the governor said it could be difficult for corps and officials of NYSC to have comfortable assembly.

He said: “So, we decided to build a 5000 capacity auditorium for them. This project would have been completed before now, but the contractor ran away with the money. But I said nothing will deter us, we must complete it.

“We awarded it to the second person and to the glory of God, today, we are inaugurating the ultra-modern auditorium.

“For us, whether they’re from here or not, as long as they render services to the state, we need to acknowledge and appreciate it.”

Providing a description of the project, Rivers State Commissioner for Special Projects, Deinma Iyalla, said the 5000 capacity ultra modern auditorium has a seating arrangement, with the gallery taking 2500 and the ground level taking 2500.

He said there are four multimedia screens, computerised PA system, nine offices, two boardrooms and  two changing rooms in the facility.

The Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) Company has signed Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMOU) with six of its host communities in Rivers State.

The communities grouped in clusters cover areas in Okrika, Kalabari, Egi, Ogba, Abua and Ekpeye.

This brings to nine the number of clusters the firm has signed the agreement with under its corporate social responsibility policies on their host communities.

Speaking yesterday during the signing in Port Harcourt, the General Manager (GM), External Relations and Sustainable Development, Andy Odeh,

said: “The general concept of GMOU is to promote harmonious relationship between NLNG and the clusters of communities, thus maintaining the company’s social licence to operate in these communities.

“It also aims at reducing allegations and agitations bordering on marginalisation and neglect of some communities, setting the modalities that will empower the communities/clusters to take the lead in driving their own development with support from NLNG and other key development stakeholders, such as government and international development agencies.

“The GMOU builds capacity of community stakeholders  in managing projects and self-sustaining the outcomes, as well as promoting a self and secure environment within and between communities, in which these communities can collectively work to fulfil their development potential and for NLNG to fulfil its business goals.”

Explaining reasons for the new GMOU model, the Manager, NLNG Community Relation and Sustainable Development, Charles Epelle said, it was for the need to bridge the infrastructural gaps, to alleviate poverty and unemployment while building community capacity to drive their affairs.

He said: “The GMOU is a model for sustainable community development where the communities are grouped in clusters to own and drive their own development, while NLNG funds the project.

“The decision to take up this model of relationship is based on the yearnings and observed developmental deficits in our GTS communities.”

Stakeholders in the maritime sector have raised concern over the deplorable condition of roads in parts of the country, particularly in the areas hosting the emerging Inland Dry Ports (IDPs) in the Southeast and Southsouth.

The stakeholders, who spoke yesterday after the unveiling of operational manual for IDPs in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, for the Southsouth and Southeast states, raised concern over deplorable state of roads, lack of rail lines and insecurity.

The event was organised by the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) and Federal Ministry of Transportation for ports operators.

The President, National Shippers Association of Nigeria, Innocent Akurie, representative of Bua Group and the Managing Director, Government and Public  Terminal Onne, Innocent Ogbuji, urged the NSC and the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Transportation to make the operational manual work and the IDPs effective and efficient by granting access roads, linking the railways to the ports and improving security around the areas.

Others, who spoke at the event, stressed the need for NSC to ensure that the provisions of the manual were followed for effective dry ports operation.

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NSC Executive Secretary Emmanual Jime said the Federal Executive Council in 2006 approved the establishment of dry ports at Isiala Ngwa in Abia State, Ibadan in Oyo State, Haipang in Jos, Plateau State; Funtua in Kastina State, Maiduguri in Borno State and Dala in Kano State to consolidate the seaports to facilitate trade.

Jime, represented by the Southsouth Director of NSC, Mr. Glory Onojede, said the six IDPs were at stages of completion, adding that that of Kaduna would be inaugurated next month.

He urged the managers of the ports and users to ensure compliance with the manual.

Jime said the IDPs were being developed through the Public Private Partnership (PPP), using the Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) model.

The representative of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Mathew Ayaruja, told stakeholders that all dry ports were linked to rail lines.

He said dry ports could not be effective without effective rail services, hence the need to take the aspect into consideration.

Applicants of electronic passport (e-Passport) in Bayelsa State can now heave a sigh of relief, as the state command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has put in place measures to ameliorate the tortuous process of acquiring e-Passport.

It was gathered that with the assumption of Mr. Muhammad Ibrahim Zakiria as the Passport Control Officer (PCO) at the command in March, backlog of booklets had been cleared.

Before now, the process of acquiring passport for international travel at the command was beset with rigorous processes, a situation that left many applicants stranded at the immigration office for months.

The Nation learnt that Zakiria, who is on regimental posting from Lagos to Bayelsa State, having served as immigration officer in several states, consulted with officials at the Bayelsa command to achieve the feat.

The PCO was said to have identified the problems confronting the Passport Office and adopted measures for effective service delivery, a development that had contributed to easing the rigorous process that existed in the past.

It was also gathered that the seasoned and astute public officer, who believes in dignity of labour and respect for Nigerians, irrespective of their tribe, creed, sex and religion believes that everybody should be treated equally and fairly.

A source at the command said on Zakiria’s assumption of office, he discovered that there were a lot of backlogs of passport applications that were not processed, hence many applicants were left with no option but to spend more time trying to apply for the travel document.

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The source, who craved anonymity, said the situation necessitated the strengthening of the existing SERVICOM Desk in the office to enable the applicants make inquiries without physically visiting the NIS office for information or complaints.

The NIS official said the PCO, who hails from Kano State, knew the pains of people waiting for hours to get deserved service from government public offices; hence he made things easier for applicants by creating more desks and deploying officers to attend to applicants.

The source said in the PCO’s drive for zero tolerance for corruption, he warned personnel to shun sharp practices that could smear the command’s image.

The command’s source said: “Zakaria’s open door policy took centre stage with the manner with which he availed himself attending to applicants when the need arose.  He built a cordial relationship with workers of the command, which ushered in productivity and commitment.

“To meet the expectations of the command, the PCO took it upon himself to organise in-house training sessions for officers in encouraging applicants to forward their particulars to desk officers in the Bayelsa State Command for documentation.

“With these outstanding performances of the Passport Office, Zakaria received commendation from the Bayelsa State Government and functionaries, who are direct beneficiaries of the quality service from the Passport Office and also a commendation letter from the State Comptroller, Mr James Sunday.

“Already, passport applicants have confirmed that despite the challenges of limited booklets at the disposal of the service, they are satisfied with the officer’s attitude towards work and hailed the NIS for putting efforts in rendering quality service delivery.

“On account of his quality leadership style exhibited, just a few months of piloting the affairs of the Passport Office in Bayelsa State, many citizens are of the view that this great performer should be encouraged by the service as a model to others not functioning well at their different offices.”

Akwa Ibom State Government has warned Seplat Energy to keep off acquiring the shallow water assets of Producing Nigeria Unlimited.

It issued the warning through a statement by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Essien Udom, made available to reporters in Uyo yesterday.

The statement said there was a subsisting restraining orders of injunction by the High Court of the state in suits: Attorney General of  Akwa Ibom State V. Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited and Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited V. Governor of Akwa Ibom State & 3 Others.

The government said Exxonmobil, Seplat Energy, NNPC Ltd and the Federal Government have knowledge of the suit and the action of the Federal Government is not only contemptuous, but also infringes on the judicial process of the Akwa Ibom State High Court.

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The statement said: “Our attention has been drawn to a publication by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), to the effect that President Muhammadu Buhari, in his capacity as Minister of Petroleum Resources, has consented to the acquisition of shallow water assets of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited by Seplat Energy.

”This is to inform the public that this proposed transaction is subject to restraining orders of injunction of the High Court of Akwa Ibom State, sitting in Uyo in suits: Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State V. Mobil Production Nigeria Unlimited and Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited V. Governor of Akwa Ibom State & 3 Others.”

“Exxonmobil, Seplat Energy, NNPC Ltd and the Federal Government have actual knowledge of the court orders, having been duly served with the orders and/or various newspaper publications of same.

“This executive interference with the judicial process of a court of competent jurisdiction is sad and ill-advised, and is contemptuous of the High Court of Akwa Ibom State.

“The state urges the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission to take the above facts into consideration as it considers its position in this matter.

“Take notice therefore that anyone who deals with the shares or assets of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited during the subsistence of the said orders and in the pendency of the above suits does so at his own risk. Let the buyer beware.”

Striking primary school teachers in Enugu State and local government workers said yesterday that they had declined request to call off the strike by members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), in order to continue negotiation with the state government.

The workers told council authorities that they were still on strike, which they embarked upon on July 28;  and urged the government to intervene.

They said the strike was embarked on after two years failed attempts to include local government workers and primary school teachers in the N30, 000 minimum wage consequential adjustment, which the state began its implementation for other civil servants in 2020, exempting primary school teachers and council workers.

All the 17 local government administrations, including primary health workers and public primary schools have been paralysed since July 28 when members of both unions began strike, demanding to be treated like other civil servants.

Briefing reporters yesterday on the development, NULGE and NUT said they were being asked to call off the strike before negotiation could continue.

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NUT Chairman Theophilus Odo, in a joint news briefing with NULGE, appealed to the government to approve the minimum wage for the teachers, as they had done for other workers, noting that teachers were not happy embarking on the industrial action.

He said: “Things are very difficult, we all buy from the same market. Our children attend the same school with others and we all use the same means of transportation. This is a high level of marginalisation. So, we ask the government to look into this matter for industrial harmony to continue.”

NULGE Chairman Kenneth Ugwueze said no less than three committees had been set up by the government in the past two years over the negotiation, without achieving result.

He said this was the first time some categories of workers were being paid lesser wage than others for over 30 months of the minimum wage implementation.

“From the improved federal allocations to all tiers of government, we can all see that allocations have improved tremendously within this period and we are surprised that with the improved allocations, this minimum wage is still being denied these categories of workers.

“So, I want to join my colleagues in NUT to plead with the government to see that this consequential adjustment is implemented for these categories of workers so that we can feed our families, considering the hyper inflation in the country,” Ugwueze said.

The Bursar of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, Mr. Friday Omenihu, has been given 24-hour ultimatum by the government to open a Treasury Single Account (TSA) or risk losing his job.

In a statement yesterday, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Eze Chikamnayo, accused Omenihu of failing to comply with the directives of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to open a TSA for inflow of financial payments to the coffers of the polytechnic, which was a condition given by the governor for the release of the approved N450milion for the payment of the institution’s workers’ four-month salary approved by the governor.

“The government has observed with dismay the refusal and or negligence on the part of the bursar to open a Treasury Single Account for inflow of financial payments into the coffers of the institution as directed by the government.

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“The opening of a TSA inflow account with a reputable bank is a precondition for the release of the N450million, which the government has approved to kick-start the process of offsetting salary arrears owed its workers.

“The benefit of a Treasury Single Account is to ensure transparency and accountability in expenditure and help to minimise revenue leakages that have been a major challenge to the growth and development of the polytechnic.”

“The government hereby directs the bursar to open the account within 24 hours or risk suspension, as his refusal and or negligence is delaying the remittance of the N450 million and other funds meant for the polytechnic,” the statement said.