The Nation Newspaper

Category: South East

  • Ayade defies strike, presents N276 billion budget for 2022

    Ayade defies strike, presents N276 billion budget for 2022

    Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade has presented the 2022 budget appropriation of N276 billion to lawmakers in spite of the on-going labour strike in the state.

    Titled, “Budget of Conjugated Agglutination,” one of the highlights of the presentation was the absence of all members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The PDP has seven members out of the 25 members in the State legislature, now dominated by the APC.

    From the N276.billion estimate for the year 2022, N106 billion is set as recurrent expenditure while N170 billion is for capital project.

    Governor Ayade said his government was not going to embark on any new project, but will concentrate on ensuring that all the projects which he has so embarked on were completed.

    Ayade said: “The 2022 budget tries to marry reality, certainty, aspiration and hope.  It is a budget that will ensure that all the projects embarked upon are completed.”

    He indirectly acknowledged the challenges coming from the demands by the organized labour currently on strike in the state when he appealed to the Assembly to expedite action on the Appropriation Bill; saying that in the budget, between N30 million and N50 million monthly Seed-fund is included to be set aside to clear outstanding arrears of both pension and gratuity of retirees.

    According to the governor, the Macro-Economic indices are beyond his control but he will endeavour to complete all the ongoing projects in the state.

    Ayade regretted that his administration has been misunderstood on all fronts, explaining that his intention has always been “to decouple the state from the civil service” and embark on projects that have the capacity to generate employment.

  • 150 Ogoni youths for agric, entrepreneurship programme in Turkey

    150 Ogoni youths for agric, entrepreneurship programme in Turkey

    Over 150 Ogoni youths is set to benefit from a Turkish based agricultural and food entrepreneurship programme aimed at positively engaging and minimising youth restiveness in the Niger Delta.

    This was made possible through the partnership of an international NGO, International Conference of Agriculture and Food (ICAF), Turkey and the Ogoni Libration Initiative (OLI).

    Speaking at the flag-off ceremony on Friday in Abuja, President of ICAF, Idil Saguner said Ogoni youths, when empowered, will create job opportunities for others, through skills acquired while in Turkey.

    Saguner said the Ogoni struggle has gained the attention of the ICAF and the Turkish based NGO will not hesitate to sustain the training and development of the youths for positive change.

    “We have studied the Ogoni people with kin interest and it is time for us to contribute our own quota to the development of these youths in other to end youth unemployment in the region,” Saguner said.

    President of OLI, Dr. Fabeke Douglas said the partnership became imperative as youths in the region have suffered neglect from the Federal Government.

  • We’ve not called for Anambra poll boycott, says IPOB

    We’ve not called for Anambra poll boycott, says IPOB

    Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has said its directive on lockdown of the Southeast from November 5 to 10 over Federal Government’s failure to release its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has nothing to do with the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State.

    The proscribed group said it had neither made any official statement nor called for the boycott of the poll.

    In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said: “The global movement and family of the IPOB, ably led by our great and indefatigable leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wish to clarify that contrary to speculations and blackmail, IPOB has never made any official statement or called for the boycott of Anambra State governorship election, coming up on November 6, 2021.

    “It will, therefore, be wrong for people to speculate or peddle falsehood against us when there is no basis for such.

    “For the sake of clarity, what we said was that the entire Biafra land would be locked down from November 5 to November 10, 2021, if by November 4 the Federal Government fails to release our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, unconditionally. Our position has nothing to do with Anambra election.

    “All we need is the release of our leader who committed no crime to be held perpetually in custody. We have gathered, through intelligence, the plot by Nigerian Government to keep our leader in detention perpetually through frivolous court adjournments.

    “We knew their evil plans when they were killing their fellow politicians and blaming it on IPOB. They should leave us alone. Using the social media to link IPOB to Anambra election shows most of them are not informed about plots by the Nigerian Government and her security operatives to hijack this election and give it to whom they feel to perfect establishment of RUGA in Anambra State.

    “But that won’t work for them, because IPOB is ahead of their game plan. We urge media houses to be objective in their reportage and crosscheck their facts. IPOB has never, at any time, called for boycott of Anambra election. Media houses should stop publishing lies against us.”

  • Why we’re deploying massively for poll, by IG

    Why we’re deploying massively for poll, by IG

    Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba has promised massive deployment of police personnel to ensure a secure and hitch-free governorship election in Anambra State on November 6.

    The police boss spoke yesterday at the weekly briefing coordinated by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    The IGP, who acknowledged that the massive deployment of men and equipment might discourage turnout, explained that the measure became necessary because of the present threats of disruption by criminal elements.

    He said to ensure that the people come out to exercise their franchise, the police have engaged in issuing jingles and talking to stakeholders to assure them of safety.

    Baba said most officers who would be assigned to polling stations would be unarmed as they would be involved in checking vote rigging and illegal campaign at venues.

    “Anambra State governorship election is to hold on November 6, 2021. The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is committed to providing a secure and a level-playing field for all parties and all individuals to exercise their franchise,” he said.

    Asked if the mass deployment would not be counterproductive, Baba said: “As for the massive deployment, yes; it has its advantage, and it has its disadvantage. That is why, knowing the fact that it has the disadvantage of, may be militarising the electoral process, we try to involve the engagement of public enlightenment, the engagement of stakeholders, that our presence is to police the situation in two ways.

    “It is, while we are asking people to come out and vote, another group or other subversive elements are saying: ‘Don’t come. If you come, we’ll do this, we’ll do that.’

     

    “So, there must be some level of assurance that we would give to these people to come out and that requires massive deployment of officers and men who would also ensure that the subversive elements do not take over the process.

     

    “While we have other elements that would police the election, we don’t even deploy them with arms. Those we are deploying to polling stations to ensure orderliness and checking of electoral malpractices, like vote-buying, campaigning in the place and so forth, this does not even require carrying of arms.

     

    “But you also need to put officers on standby, on patrol, to check persons that can carry arms against the state.

     

    “We are trying to educate and enlighten people that our presence is for the benefit of everybody, that our presence is for the benefit of ensuring that they come out and exercise their franchise of voting who they want.

     

    “That is the essence of the jingles we are doing: the essence of going to do community engagements, stakeholders, meetings, talking to their religious leaders and so forth.

     

    “I think it has its advantage; it has its disadvantage. But we try to, as much as possible, ensure that it is for the advantage of everybody that the massive deployment should take place.”

  • Why INEC is spending more on Anambra poll, by Okoye

    Why INEC is spending more on Anambra poll, by Okoye

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the money expended on the rehabilitation of its burnt office and materials is the reason for the high cost of the November 6 Anambra State governorship election.

    On May 23, gunmen burnt the commission’s office in Awka, the Anambra State capital, and destroyed some sensitive and non-sensitive materials.

    Commenting on the election, INEC’s National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said the cost is high because of the “unusual circumstances”.

    Okoye spoke yesterday on “Sunrise Daily”, a Channels Television breakfast programme.

    The INEC chief said the electoral commission had to replace 326 generating sets, rebuild the facility where electoral materials are being stored, and replaced non-sensitive materials.

    Although he did not say the amount expended on the Anambra State election, the national commissioner said it is costlier than the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

    “We are conducting this election in a very unusual circumstance. This is because we had to rebuild our offices in Nnewi North and Idemili North, where our local government offices were burnt.

    “We had to replace over 326 generating sets that we mopped up from our local government offices and stored in the headquarters, thinking that it would be more secure.

    “We also had to rebuild our stores where we normally store non-sensitive materials. We had to also replace over 60 per cent of the non-sensitive materials we already deployed to our Awka office, getting ready for this election.

    “We had to repay six utility vehicles that were all burnt. We almost had to rebuild our state office that was also burnt.

    “So, in terms of cost, it’s been very costly, and we can’t compare it to Ondo and Edo states’ elections because we are in unusual circumstances. We had to do things differently.

    “We are hopeful that when we get to Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, things will calm down much better and things will return to its normal trajectory,” Okoye said.

    Also, INEC has solicited support from religious leaders towards peaceful and successful conduct of the November 6 governorship election in the state.

    The commission urged clerics to encourage their congregations to come out en masse to exercise their franchise in voting for their choice candidate.

    Speaking yesterday during an interface with the religious leaders, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji, described religious leaders as opinion moulders with great influence on their congregation.

    Orji, represented by the Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Samuel Nimem, refuted the notion among some clerics that anything politics, including encouraging active participation of their members in elections, is not only dirty but makes them partisan.

    He said: “We decided to engage the religious leaders because we believe that they are opinion moulders. They have congregation that take their messages seriously.

    “We expect them to relate to their congregants the importance of participating in the electoral process. It’s their civic responsibility to exercise their franchise to elect the governor of their state.

    “They shouldn’t say it’s not their concerns but their civic responsibility as registered voters in the state. We’re not asking them to vote for any particular party; that will make them partisan.”

  • Wike’s wife urges states to enforce Child Rights Act

    Wike’s wife urges states to enforce Child Rights Act

    Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, has appealed to states to adopt and enforce the Child Rights Act.

    She said many vices upsetting the society were a direct consequence of deliberately disregarding the rights of children and the important roles women play in the nurturing process of children.

    She spoke at a special dinner she organised for female delegates to the 61st Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Port Harcourt.

    Nyesom-Wike said the Act was designed to protect children from abuse, defilement and exploitation.

    She said: “This is one law that also protects children when it comes to defilement and all kinds of sexual abuses, because the criminal code, of course as we know, is very limited. This one is now expanded, especially with the violence against persons, laws that are being adopted in the states.”

    She urged the society to keep encouraging and supporting women in the onerous task of parenting, saying women who give their children useful guidance and watch them grow into age of responsibility, deserve the support of the society.

    Nyesom-Wike implored parents to shower their children with love at all times, to enable them give same back to the society.

    She said the activities of kidnappers, armed robbers, bandits and other miscreants engaged in vices were evidence of the skewed nurturing of children.

    She said: “I know that parents make lots of efforts, and they really do try, but sometimes some children fall way.  We pray that they find their way back.  But a child who is shown love, it is difficult for that child to derail.”

    Nyesom-Wike advised members of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) to commit to the protection, promotion and preservation of the rights of women and children, so as to break the barriers.

    Speaking on behalf of governors of Rivers and Abia states, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said they agreed among themselves and by extension other governors of the 36 states of Nigeria to continue to support FIDA.

    He said: “We know as matter of fact that educating and supporting the women is not only a responsibility that must be achieved or work towards, but is also such an endeavour that always pays when invested in. You educate a woman, you see the result almost immediately from within family and even beyond.”

    The National President of International Federation of Women Lawyers Nigeria, Rhoda Tyoden, noted that even if some governors were gender friendly, there was still much exclusion of women in the processes of governance.

  • Fed Poly Oko gets NBTE nod for 60 courses

    Fed Poly Oko gets NBTE nod for 60 courses

    The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has granted approval to the Federal Polytechnic, Oko in Anambra State for the study of 60 courses.

    The Rector, Dr. Francisca Nwafulugo, who disclosed this to reporters, said the polytechnic was granted accreditation in over 90 per cent of programmes presented during the recent accreditation and verification carried out in the polytechnic.

    She said following the development, students had been saved the stress of having to look for opportunities in other institutions to complete their programmes.

    Read Also; NUC grants full approval to Al-Hikmah varsity’s 22 programmes

    Nwafulugo said: “I came in here with the mandate of re-inventing the polytechnic and improving the standard for teaching and learning so that our students can compete globally.

    “In 2019 when I resumed, about 90 per cent of programmes at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko were about being de-accredited by the NBTE, but we took it upon ourselves to save the situation by ensuring that those programmes come back on stream.

    “We hosted over 145 resource persons and over 30 programmes were granted accreditation.”

    She listed the accredited programmes to include Horticultural Technology (ND), Mechanical Engineering Technology (HND Manufacturing option), HND Agric and Bio-Enviromental Engineering Technology (Soil and Water option), HND Agric and Bio-Environmental Engineering Technology (Farm Power and Machinery option) and others.

  • Property owner sues Bayelsa govt over demolition order

    Property owner sues Bayelsa govt over demolition order

    A property company, Bliss Multinational Perfections Company Limited (BMPC), has sued the Bayelsa State Government and its agency, Bayelsa State Physical Planning and Development Board (BSPPDB), over a 14-day demolition notice on a multi-million Naira property.

    Also included as a defendant is the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Biriyai Dambo (SAN).

    BMPC is the owner of  a structure housing the headquarters of the embattled Baraza Multipurpose Cooperatives Society that was recently involved in a controversial failed repayment plan for members and investors of the society.

    The plaintiff, in its statement of claims and writ of summons before the Bayelsa State High Court in Yenagoa, said the land on which the property is located on Mbiama/Yenagoa road in Yenizue-Gene, Yenagoa Local Government, was acquired in September 2014.

    The property company said a Deed of Assignment was made between it and that of the vendor’s company.

    The plaintiff said that after the purchase, BPMC applied for a Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) of the land, which was granted.

    BPMC said: “The consent certificate is hereby pleaded and shall be provided at the hearing of the matter. Prior to the granting of the consent certificate, we had already been given implementation/construction permit by the office of the second defendant (BSPPDB) and we commenced the head office project and subsequently got the development plan approval.

    “At the conclusion of the project, the office of the 2nd defendant wrote a letter to the property owner congratulating them on the successful completion of the project, using best practices, quality building materials and qualified personnel. At every material time when construction of the head office was going on, inspections were conducted by agents of the government.”

     

  • Customs boss warns smugglers

    Customs boss warns smugglers

    A new Comptroller of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’ (FOUC) Owerri, Ali Ibrahim, yesterday warned men and officers of the zone to ensure compliance with import and export guidelines.

    Ibrahim, who has just assumed duty, also warned smugglers that with the planned water-tight security, FOUC would make it uncomfortable for their illicit activities.

    He gave this warning in a statement by the zone’s spokesman, Jerry Attah.

    Addressing principal officers in Owerri, Ibrahim, who congratulated his predecessor, Yusuf Lawal, on his retirement, pledged his commitment to the fight against smuggling.

    Read Also: Bawa warns petrol smugglers

    He urged his officers to maintain the status quo by recording monumental seizures and raising maximum Demand Notices (DN).

    The Customs boss thanked the Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), for the opportunity to serve and pledged his commitment to the fight against smuggling.

    He called on officers and men of FOUC to cooperate with him for best results and assured them of his commitment to their welfare.

    The Deputy Comptroller (DC) in charge of FOUC Administration, Sunday Opakanmi, described Lawal as a God-fearing, astute and friendly father figure, whose achievements were written in gold.

    He prayed God to grant him long life and peace of mind to enable him enjoy his retirement.

  • Dikio hails Boyloaf for getting first-class degree

    Dikio hails Boyloaf for getting first-class degree

    The Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dixon Dikio (rtd), has hailed prominent ex-agitator, Ebikabowei Victor-Ben, also known as Boyloaf, for graduating with a first-class honours degree in International Relations and Diplomacy.

    Boyloaf, a former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), was last weekend awarded the first-class degree by Baze University in Abuja, during the institution’s 7th and 8th combined convocations.

    Dikio, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Nneotaobase Egbe, said that the feat underscored the capacity built over the years by the beneficiaries of the PAP.

    He recalled similar achievements by some other ex-agitators like Nicholas Goodnews, who graduated with a first- class degree in Mass Communication at the University of Bedfordshire in the United Kingdom, earlier in the year, describing them as the new faces of the region.

    Read Also; PANDEF to Dikio: sustain reforms in PAP

    The PAP helmsman said the latest achievement by Boyloaf, who is also studying for a Master’s degree, should inspire others to work towards attaining greater heights not just in academics, but also in other industries for the benefit of the region and the country.

    Congratulating Boyloaf, Dikio said that the PAP under his leadership would “continue to encourage and support other beneficiaries who are willing to climb the ladder of success through hard and smart work.”

    He said: “We celebrate this feat because it is a screaming one that explains the new direction the Niger Delta is heading.

    “We have often said protest and other forms of civil disturbances, crime and criminality are not the way out. The struggle for a better Niger Delta can be achieved if we deploy our intellectual resources and abilities by building individual and collective capacity.”

    “It gladdens our heart that the likes of Ebikabowei Victor-Ben (Boyloaf) is leading this new direction in academics with his compatriots like Senior High Chief Bibopere Ajube (Shoot-At-Sight), doing so in entrepreneurship and manpower development.”