The umbrella body of Ijaw youths, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, has slammed the Federal Government for alleged relocation of the National Petroleum Investment Services Unit (NAPIMS) to Abuja.

NAPIMS is a Corporate Services Unit (CSU) in the Exploration and Production Directorate of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), charged with managing government’s investment in the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry.

Voicing the rejection of the relocation of NAPIMS to Abuja, the President, IYC, Peter Igbifa, said they found the Federal Government’s action curious against the backdrop that the loud cry of the people for the relocation of oil multinationals to the region had fallen on deaf ears.

Igbifa’s position is contained in a statement yesterday after a peace meeting between the IYC and management of ExxonMobil at Ibeno clan in Akwa Ibom State.

The IYC president noted that the OML 29 gas leakage at Sangana and gas explosion in Nembe, both in Bayelsa State, Ibeno oil spill and other related oil spills were sadly becoming a continuum in recent history and were largely due to IOCs operating far from the region.

He said: “We cannot as a people keep paying with our lives to sustain the economic future of this country. We are aware of the scheming and internal usurpation techniques by powers that be to keep playing the divide-and-rule game.

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“The use of delay tactics by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) in site visitations and reporting have further empowered oil firms to celebrate false reports as tidal changes reduce evidence during the intentional delays.”

Igbifa said that it was time to either relocate the IOCs to the Niger Delta with the full support of the people or risk the future of Nigeria’s economy, warning that the oil politics being played by the political class must stop.

He said if it was not good enough for the IOCs to relocate to the region, then the oil was also not good enough for the IOCs to explore.

Igbifa said that the ‘stylistic’ movement of the head office of the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) from Warri in Delta State to Abuja must not see the light of the day.

He asked the Federal Government to relocate the 70 per cent NGMC workers in Abuja to Warri, or else IYC would create crisis which it (the government) would pay for next month.

Igbifa said: “We are not in the dark of the purported plans by the managing director of NGMC that has successfully transferred about 70 per cent of the workforce with documents to the Abuja office.

“This action will only aggravate an avoidable chaos. This must not see the light of the day.”

He urged the Southsouth National Assembly members to sacrifice their comfort and address the development, which he said was an open secret.

He said: “The Federal Government has divided the Niger Delta people against one another on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), while the North East Development Commission is waxing stronger.

“They have removed Niger Delta from the NNPC, directed oil companies to openly discharge oil and gas not needed into the region’s environment, just to create a technical genocide for the aquatic and human lives if not for the mercy of God, while President Muhammadu Buhari went to the UN Assembly to speak for the Lake Chad Basin on Wet Lands.

“Let it be made clear that the Niger Delta has a good number of quality buildings with capacity to accommodate the less than 600 NAPIMS workers. Therefore, NAPIMS should be relocated to the Niger Delta region not Abuja.

 

The Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), has urged PAP’s scholarship students to build skills in areas that can guarantee them employment in reputable organisations after graduation.

He gave the advice in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, during a meeting with a delegation of the students under the auspices of the National Association of Presidential Amnesty Students Worldwide (NAPASW).

The meeting was part of Dikio’s routine engagement to hear students’ challenges and encourage them to attain greatness.

Dikio said the world had moved from conventional learning to knowledge based economy, adding that persons with such skills would easily secure jobs.

He said: “There is a means to an end; education is a means to an end. We are living in a knowledge-based world. Now, companies such as Google are looking for people to employ. The end state is that Niger-Delta must be the best place to live and do business and that responsibility lies on not just us, but you as well.”

Dikio told the students the need to be good ambassadors of the Niger Delta, stressing that his vision of making the region the best place to live and do business could only be realised with their efforts.

Read Also; Dikio unveils plans for ex-agitators

He enjoined them to be mindful of their public conduct, work hard to make good grades and become worthy in character and learning from their institutions.

The PAP boss assured the students of his commitment to their welfare, but stressed that rascality of any kind would not be tolerated because such attitude would paint them in bad light and derail the objectives of the scholarship scheme.

He said that the obligations owed them would be met, as well as the regular payment of their tuition fees and In-Training Allowances (ITAs).

Said he: “Study hard, so that anybody you know will not go through what you went through. You can change the narrative, you can create a legacy that will outlast you and the region, or maybe at the barest minimum your village, but I think you should aim beyond Niger Delta, aim to be the best in the world, it is possible.”

The President of NAPASW, Lucky Ukueku, thanked Dikio for his encouragement and for giving them the opportunity to air their views, noting that it was impactful and educational.

He appealed to the interim administrator to review the welfare status of the amnesty students in their schools, among other things.

The 10th substantive Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Prof. Lilian Salami, yesterday declared that the October 5 rape of a female student by a randy senior lecturer, Dr. Bode Ekundayo, in his office, would not be condoned.

Salami, addressing a news conference at the Senate Chambers of UNIBEN to mark her second anniversary as the helmsman, alleged that it was the height of indiscipline for the senior lecturer in the Department of English and Literature, Faculty of Arts, to rape the 400 level/final year student.

The vice chancellor said Ekundayo was on interdiction, pending the conclusion of investigation by the police.

She said: “Our mandate is not to investigate rape cases. We queried the lecturer for kidnapping and forcing the female student to remain in his office. We reported rape to the police.

“The incident (rape) happened and the lecturer was placed on interdiction, pending the outcome of police investigation. We cannot do police job. They (police) have to do their job efficiently and effectively.”

It was learnt that the same Ekundayo was involved in sex-for-marks scandal a little over two years ago, but he managed to wriggle out of it.

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Edo police spokesman Bello Kontongs, a Superintendent of Police (SP), through the phone, said the command would ensure investigation of the rape allegation and possible prosecution of the senior lecturer, if found culpable.

Ekundayo allegedly raped the final year female undergraduate, who was in his office for project supervision. He begged for forgiveness, after the video went viral on the social media.

Immediately after the rape, Ekundayo locked the student in his office for some hours, refusing to let her go, against her wish, while the undergraduate had to contact her unnamed friend, narrating where she was and what transpired. The friend, with the assistance of UNIBEN’s security operatives, rescued her.

The lecturer was arrested by UNIBEN’s security officials, taken to the university’s administrative block, questioned and he admitted to committing the crime, while he was subsequently handed over to the police for investigation and possible prosecution.

The decisions of the authorities of the university, according to its spokesperson, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, later in a statement in Benin, were in line with internal mechanisms, as contained in the 2017 regulations governing the service of senior workers of the higher institution.

Ehanire said: “A security report of preliminary investigation into alleged rape and detention of a 400 Level female student in the Department of English and Literature, UNIBEN, by a lecturer in the department, has been submitted to the management of the university.

“Considering the gravity of the allegations and legal issues involved, the matter has been referred to the police for further investigation.

“Management is, however, not oblivious of its responsibility of ensuring proper conduct by the workers and students of the university.”

The authorities of UNIBEN assured workers, students, parents and other stakeholders that the investigation would be pursued to its logical conclusion, to ensure that justice was served.

Prosecuting Ekundayo will be in line with Criminal Code of Nigeria, sections 357 and 358, which frowned at having unlawful access, carnal knowledge of a woman or girl, without her consent, or with her consent, if the consent is obtained by force or by means of threats or intimidation of any kind, or by fear of harm after a confirmation, and if, the victim will like to go ahead seeking justice in no distance time.

UNIBEN’s VC, while further speaking yesterday on the case of a female alumnus of the university, who wore a T-shirt with an inscription: “Cheating Brought Me This Far,” noted that the lady was facing a disciplinary committee, with due process being followed.

She noted that her administration had not increased school fees, in spite of the funding challenge, disclosing that 30 per cent of UNIBEN’s Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) was being used to pay contractors. She pleaded for their understanding.

Salami said students are now enjoying almost 24 hours electricity and water supplies.

She urged them to be serious with their studies and give peace a chance.

The deplorable condition of Calabar-Itu Road, whose contract the Federal Government has awarded, has become a concern to users, who suffer pains, a group, the Niger Delta Activists Forum (NDAF), has said.

It told reporters yesterday in Calabar, Cross River State, that the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari had been called to show commitment in funding the contract.

The National President of NDAF, Success Jack and other executive members, including Paul Ajie, the Cross River State chairman of the body, noted that exactly two years after the group protested the deplorable condition of the road and contract was awarded to Julius Berger and Sermatech Nig. Ltd, nothing had changed.

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A statement by the group said: “We acknowledge that over this period in review; a lot of work has been done in awarding the balance of the distance to Sermatech Nig Ltd. But Mr. President, there are still issues hindering progress and causing stalemate.

“Sermatech Nig Ltd was mobilised to the road, but it was stopped from commencing work because compensations for individual properties on the right of way have not been paid.

“Julius Berger and CCECC, from our investigation, need to be cash-backed to fast track their jobs and open a new leaf in social and economic lives of our people.”

Imo State Government has given employment and scholarship to 16 best graduating engineering students of Imo origin.

Governor Hope Uzodimma made the offer yesterday at the Nigerian Society Engineer’s (NSE’s) fifth Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu Annual Lecture Series in Owerri.

Uzodimma, represented by his deputy, Prof. Placid Njoku, advised the award recipients to aspire to achieve great things in their career.

He hailed Iwuanyanwu as a seasoned industrialist and commended him for his stellar contributions to the nation’s development, especially in the field of engineering.

The governor praised the NSE for instituting the lecture series and for continuing with it for five years.

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Iwuanyanwu expressed gratitude to the NSE for the recognition and for celebrating his achievements in his life.

He expressed pride in his profession, saying his achievements stemmed from his application of the ethics of engineering in every aspect of his life.

According to him, the love and respect shown him by the NSE were a source of inspiration and assured them that he would continue to do his best.

The Chairman of the Imo chapter of the NSE, Dr. Eze Ochiagha, stressed the need to develop indigenous engineering capability.

He said this can be done by giving indigenous engineers the opportunity to contribute their quota in bringing about the overall sustainable development of Nigeria.

The lecture was delivered by Prof. Samuel Ejezie, a Professor of Civil and Geotechnical Engineering.

A tanker reportedly laden with an illegally refined petroleum product has fallen and exploded at Big Elele town in Ikwerre Local Government of Rivers State.

The fire, which occurred yesterday, was the seventh that claimed lives and property worth millions of naira.

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A source, Afanya Dan-Jumbo, said the tanker was conveying illegally refined petroleum product in the area when it tumbled.

Dan-Jumbo, a commercial driver, said he saw three houses and shops razed by the fire.

He said residents and shop owners battled the fire with water, to prevent it from spreading.

The Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), has urged PAP’s scholarship students to build skills in areas that can guarantee them employment in reputable organisations after graduation.

He gave the advice in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, during a meeting with a delegation of the students under the auspices of the National Association of Presidential Amnesty Students Worldwide (NAPASW).

The meeting was part of Dikio’s routine engagement to hear students’ challenges and encourage them to attain greatness.

Dikio said the world had moved from conventional learning to knowledge based economy, adding that persons with such skills would easily secure jobs.

He said: “There is a means to an end; education is a means to an end. We are living in a knowledge-based world. Now, companies such as Google are looking for people to employ. The end state is that Niger-Delta must be the best place to live and do business and that responsibility lies on not just us, but you as well.”

Dikio told the students the need to be good ambassadors of the Niger Delta, stressing that his vision of making the region the best place to live and do business could only be realised with their efforts.

Read Also; Dikio unveils plans for ex-agitators

He enjoined them to be mindful of their public conduct, work hard to make good grades and become worthy in character and learning from their institutions.

The PAP boss assured the students of his commitment to their welfare, but stressed that rascality of any kind would not be tolerated because such attitude would paint them in bad light and derail the objectives of the scholarship scheme.

He said that the obligations owed them would be met, as well as the regular payment of their tuition fees and In-Training Allowances (ITAs).

Said he: “Study hard, so that anybody you know will not go through what you went through. You can change the narrative, you can create a legacy that will outlast you and the region, or maybe at the barest minimum your village, but I think you should aim beyond Niger Delta, aim to be the best in the world, it is possible.”

The President of NAPASW, Lucky Ukueku, thanked Dikio for his encouragement and for giving them the opportunity to air their views, noting that it was impactful and educational.

He appealed to the interim administrator to review the welfare status of the amnesty students in their schools, among other things.

 

The lawmaker representing Cross River South, Sen. Gershom Bassey, has decried the high rate of youth unemployment.

He said statistics showed that over 55 million of them lived in abject property.

A statement from his office, made available to reporters yesterday in Calabar, said: “Nigeria’s current economic growth patterns are not providing adequate employment and quality of life, especially for young persons, who may lack necessary skills and training.”

Bassey, who had earlier in the week raised a motion in the Senate on: ‘The Need to Prioritise Sustainable Youth Oriented Human Capital Development for Long Term Socio-Economic Growth’, said the need for sustainable programmes for youth development and empowerment in Nigeria is now, to check the current slide.

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He said: “By the fourth quarter of 2020, Nigeria’s unemployment rate will increase to 33.3 per cent from 27 per cent in the second quarter. Nigeria now ranks 2nd highest on the unemployment global list and this is not acceptable.

“Hence the time has come for an urgent intervention to make youths gainfully empowered or employed.”

Bassey, the Cross River National Assembly caucus chairman, noted that “food inflation has accelerated at its highest pace in 15 years, worsening the economic conditions of millions of youths, of which more than 55 million now live in extreme poverty.”

The lawmaker said: “It was sad that in the wake of the one year anniversary of the #EndSARS protests, many of our youths still feel despondent, as statistics show that poverty, unemployment and insecurity are on a steady rise.”

He said countries like China prioritised large-scale investments in physical and human capital during the 1960s and 1970s, focusing on areas such as education, technology and industrial job creation.

“Today, China has almost eliminated illiteracy among its 1.3 billion population. But in contrast, Nigeria’s 2022 budget only proposes 5.4 per cent and 3.42 per cent for education and health care, posing implementation challenges to lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030. Nigeria’s figures are also in contrast with, for example, UNESCO’s recommendation that developing countries should spend up to 25 per cent of their annual budget on education,” Bassey said.