Category: Southeast report

The people of Umueze Ogwugwu in Oba, Idemili South Local Government of Anambra State, have hailed the police for arresting one of the land gabbers in the community.

They lauded Governor Chukwuma Soludo for putting up a public paid announcement to stop activities of land grabbers and speculators claiming to be agents of the government at Oba International Market.

The land grabbers had allegedly invaded the community where they reportedly demolished over 70 buildings and destroyed farmlands worth millions of naira.

Addressing reporters yesterday, the Chairman of Umueze Ogwugwu,  Chuba Oranusi, appealed to Police Zone 13 to arrest other fleeing accomplices and prosecute them for malicious damages, wanton destruction, molestation and harassment, to act as a deterrent to others.

He said: “You will recall that on November 12, a certain group of persons aided by some security personnel raided our place and demolished our homes and fences. They destroyed our farmlands with two bulldozers.

“We showed evidence of the invaders brutalising our people and attempting to waste our ancestral land. That was why we approached Zone 13 Police to give our evidence and support our petition.

“The destruction continued until this month. The long arm of the law caught up with the land grabber on December 14 and he is detained at Zone 13 Police.

“We thank the police for showing that indeed this country is governed by rule and order. We are grateful to AIG Zone 13 and his men for arresting Sunny Bigman. He will tell the police where he got the authority to come to our land.

“We also thank the state government for promptly putting up an announcement when on hearing our cry that it did not send anybody to demolish any structure or send anybody to collect money for it.

“We appeal to the police to ensure the arrested suspect is arraigned for malicious damage, obtaining under false pretence and extorting our people, to sell their property.

“We urge the police to arrest the remaining people and their thugs and bring them to book.”

Ishiagu Community Development Union (ICDU) in Ivo Local Government of Ebonyi State has said it has deployed security personnel in strategic places in the community to fight kidnapping and other crimes.

Spokesperson for ICDU Egu Richard, who made this known in a statement yesterday, said the union had also begun installation of security solar street lights in 17 villages in the community.

He said the ICDU leadership led by Mr. Ajah David as the president- general embarked on the project as part of measures to fight insecurity.

He said provision of the solar street lights would ensure there was constant illumination of the streets and roads in the town and by so doing would deter criminals, who hid under darkness at night to perpetrate crimes.

Egu noted that Ajah and members of his executive were determined, focused and working hard to leave a developed Ishiagu community for the younger generation.

• Urge Senate not to surrender to blackmail nor create bad precedent

Honour at the weekend came the way of Dr. Uwem Effing Ite, Lead, Government and Community Relations, Oriental Energy Resources Limited.

A leading indigenous oil giant, the Nigerian Optometric  Association, Àkwa Ibom  State chapter bestowed a humanitarian service award to him in recognition of his impactful services to humanity.

The well attended dinner and award night was filled  with glitz and glamour and it had as its theme, 2023: Extending the frontiers -The exceptional eyecare providers, while a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at University of Uyo Teaching Hospital , Dr. Elijah Chinawa presented the keynote address.

The state chapter’s Chairman, Dr. Idongesit Paul, in a welcome address applauded members of the association for contributing significantly to the “progress, unity, and promote our Noble profession”,  even as he also thumbed up the awardees for their  “ outstanding contributions to the growth and progress of the state.”

Replying, Dr. Ite lavished praises on the association for the gesture, which he said came as a pleasant surprise to him.

“I feel a little bit surprised because I didn’t see it coming. I am humbled in the sense that they thought it is important to recognise and appreciate the works I have been doing”, he said.

In the trajectory of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the name of Dr. Ite can easily be located as his pioneering efforts in CSR have earned him several accolades across the globe.

Blessed with an infectious smiles and a subtle carriage, Dr. Ite comes across like a the mythical genie. Never a boisterous person, he is cool , calm and organised , with characteristics geniality and attitude of fellow feeling.

A man of prodigious intellect, deep thinking , pragmatism, and enviable modesty, an encounter with him strengthen and reassures.

Asked what really spur him to do what he is doing, he said: “ It is  driven by what I see as the significant lack of development and more importantly, poverty. The reason I am driven by this is because of my post graduate training at the University of Cambridge where we were exposed to the reason for poverty especially in the developing countries.

“And it became clear that there is always a gap which government needs to fill. Some of them don’t live up their social responsibility and that is why I became interested in Corporate Social Responsibility with the vision that government has failed he people in this country.

“So, if a company needs to support the Society , somebody has to champion it, because without a champion, companies would not be able to achieve what they want to do within the context of CSR.

‘ So, that is where the motivation comes from , to be able to champion the tool that the companies can use to reach those who may be disadvantaged in the scheme of things.”

On his achievement in CSR,  I have achieved a lot in that regard both in theory and practice. From the  theoretical point of view, I have written quite a number of academic and technical papers in CSR and most of the papers are widely cited by a lot of academics and scholars in the subjects.

“On that basis,  I was given an award in 2015 as the CSR Practitioner of the Year.

“ As I am speaking, óne of my students is a Professor and Dean of Faculty in Canada. He was my PhD student and he did CSR research when I was at Lancaster University.

“ From the practical point if view, my 11 years in Shell and five in Oriental Energy have given me creative programs and projects that are benefiting the communities in which these companies are operating. So, there are quite significant achievements.”

Do you derive Joy from championing CSR, he was asked , he responded in the affirmative saying, “ Yes, when I see the smiles on the faces of f beneficiaries.”

Dr  Ite , an indigene of Ikot Obio Odongo, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State,  graduated from the University of Cross River State (now University of Uyo), Uyo in 1989 with a First Class (Honours) degree in Geography and Regional Planning. He undertook his postgraduate studies (MPhil and PhD) at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom on the subject of Environment and Sustainable Development, based on a full scholarship award by the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust from 1991 to 1995.

On completion of his studies in Cambridge, he was appointed as Lecturer in Human Geography at Lancaster University, United Kingdom, where he made significant contributions to teaching, research, administration as well as international visibility of Lancaster University from 1995 to 2006. For example, he successfully developed and became the Director of Studies of an innovative postgraduate programme – the MRes in Environment and Development (Overseas Placement). He was also instrumental to the establishment and became the UK Coordinator of the 3-year academic research and development link programme between Lancaster University and University of Uyo, Nigeria on the theme ‘Governance, Environment and Development in the Niger Delta, Nigeria’. The British Council administered the link, with funding provided by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Several staff and students at the University of Uyo are beneficiaries of these and other academic initiatives, which included staff and student exchange, research placement, as well as other forms of human capital development.

Outside the academic environment, Dr Uwem Ite is an internationally recognized

sustainability and external relations professional in the oil and gas industry. The journey started in 2006 when he was head-hunted and appointed as Sustainable Development

Coordinator by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC).

His other roles in Shell Nigeria include Team Leader, Audit Compliance, Monitoring and Evaluation; Team Lead, Information, Education, Communication and Capacity Building

as well as External Relations Adviser (Non-Technical Risks Integration). Between 2006 and 2017, Dr Ite made significant contributions to the success of Shell business in many spheres.

Dr  Ite joined Oriental Energy Resources Limited in 2017 as Head, Community and Government Relations. During the last five years at Oriental Energy, he has worked assiduously to ensure that Oriental Energy’s social investments and stakeholder relations are in line with international best practices. This is evident in the outcome of various projects and programs implemented by Oriental Energy in Akwa Ibom State from 2018 till date.

He is a recipient of several awards and recognitions. For example, during the 2015 edition of the Social Enterprise Report and Awards ceremony held in Lagos, the panelists recognized Dr Ite’s pioneering contributions to corporate social responsibility in Nigeria and he was named Nigeria’s Corporate Social Responsibility Practitioner of the year. Furthermore, in early 2022, Dr Ite was nominated and inducted as a Fellow of the Sustainability Professionals Institute of Nigeria, which is affiliated with the Institute of Corporate and Social Responsibility in the United Kingdom.

 

 

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Abia State, Chief Nzeribe Okegbue (JP), has donated an ultra modern town hall to his community.

The party’s Chairman, Dr Alwell Asiforo Okere, hailed Okegbue for his commitment to social and community development in the state.

He spoke during the commissioning of the edifice equipped by Okegbue for the people of Ndiokoro village in Ikemba community of Ikwuano LGA.

It was in honour of Okegbue’s late mother, Mrs. Ugoma Beatrice Albert Okegbue.

Okere, at the commissioning, said: “High Chief Nzeribe Okegbue has been a strong pillar of support to the PDP at all levels.

“We are proud of his exploits even as we pledge our support to his vision and encourage him to do more for his community, the state and humanity in general.”

Deputy Governor, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu and the Speaker, House of Assembly, Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, among others, hailed Okegbue for the gesture.

Sir Chukwu, who was represented by the Commissioner for Boundary Matters, Chief Godwin Ndom, described Okegbue as a great philanthropist who has the interest of his people at heart.

The Speaker said Okegbue is an invaluable asset to humanity and to his community and the state at large.

Also, Rear Admiral Raphael Osondu (Rtd), who chaired the occasion and Col. Austin Akobundu (Rtd), the PDP Senatorial candidate for Abia Central, extolled Dr. Okegbue as a worthy son of repute and honour.

They said his contributions in both community and social welfare cannot be underestimated.

Dr. Okegbue expressed gratitude to God and all who came to witness the commissioning of the town hall.

He promised to start building health care centre to complement the town hall.

He also used the occasion to remember his mother, wishing she was alive.

“I wish my mother was still alive to see what God is doing through me.

“Some people also think that it is only when you are holding political position that you will do something for your people but you can do something even when you don’t hold any political post,” he said.

Highlight of the commissioning include presentation of wrappers to indigent wowen, and others, as cultural dances by Ndiokoro, Ndieke women, Ikeba women, among others.

 

A former presidential aspirant on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Mr. Stanley Osifo has applauded the performance of the party standard bearer, Bola Tinubu at Chatham House in London, saying his conduct shows that he is a good team player.

Chatting with The Nation in Benin-City, the Edo state capital on Friday, Osifo said the APC presidential candidate has made the world understand that solving Nigeria’s emerging issues need the agglomeration of teams with capacity and a good solution driven approach.

Osifo further noted that Tinubu’s outing at the Chatham House proved to the whole world that he has a battalion of well-prepared and articulate Nigerians who will work as a formidable team to end many pitfalls that could emanate in the course of discharging good governance to Nigerians.

Reacting to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), who criticised Tinubu for delegating questions to some of his team members during the engagement in London, Osifo said the opposition party was astonished that Tinubu showed the elements lacking in their rank, which is team work.

 

Despite too many travel restrictions still in place, along with an uneven vaccine rollout worldwide, the travel and tourism industry expected a slow recovery when international borders opened in mid-2021.

In spite of this, global travel continues to rise, especially in countries like Nigeria, where the surge in travel activity has surprised the industry, exceeding recovery projections. VFS Global, a leading visa outsourcing and technology services company, reports a 40% increase in visa applications from Nigeria in 2022.

According to Hariprasad Viswanathan, Head-Sub Saharan Africa at VFS Global, high travel demand is contributing to this development.

“This increase is primarily driven by a high pent-up travel demand. With the opening of international borders, easing of travel restrictions, and the resumption of regular international flights, the industry is witnessing peak ‘revenge’ travel,” said Viswanathan.

Canada emerged as the top location for outbound travel from Nigeria in terms of visa application volumes. Schengen locations, especially France, also witnessed an increase in visa applications followed by South Africa and Saudi Arabia this year. According to Viswanathan, the resumption of in-campus classes at overseas universities was also a major contributing factor to the spike in outbound traffic.

“Even though the effects of the pandemic remain omnipresent in certain parts of the world, many embassies are still inundated with visa applications,” he adds.

Viswanathan further noted four factors that played key roles.

He continues, “Keeping pace with the changes, our businesses have become even more customer-centric, resilient, and efficient right across our global network of 140+ countries. As a result, by December 2020, we were able to resume operations in 1,600 Visa Application Centres (more than half our global network), catering to over 50 client governments across 129 countries.”

Viswanathan further emphasizes that health considerations and prioritizing safe travel have become key priorities. Shifting customer expectations have fueled the emergence and acceptance of contactless and Do it Yourself (DIY) technologies.

“We have noticed wider acceptance of digital services that enhance customer convenience by minimizing physical contact. In line with this philosophy, we introduced services such as Digital Document Check (DDC) which enables customers to verify documents before visiting a visa application center, thereby streamlining and shortening the in-person experience.”

Similarly, VFS Global’s Visa At Your Doorstep (VAYD) service provides customers with an end-to-end visa submission facility at a location of their choice. The popular service can now be booked through WhatsApp in some markets.

Post-pandemic, the world is also moving to an era where many travelers are making conscious decisions to reduce travel emissions and carbon footprints, support local communities, save water and energy resources or even seek eco-friendly accommodations.

The recent rise in eco-conscious travelers who seek to travel sustainably is also changing how businesses and locations are operating now from their ‘business as usual attributes to looking to transform journeys by offering meaningful experiences, added Viswanathan.

He highlights the fact that innovation will remain the catalyst for change. Governments and other stakeholders continue to seek and develop new technologies that will enable a smoother international journey. “A partner with the right technological competence and value proposition will play an essential role in helping to accelerate governments’ adoption of outsourcing services and boosting cross-border mobility,” concludes Viswanathan.

Delta Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday signed the state’s 2023 Appropriation Bill of N571.64 billion.

The budget comprises N235.5 billion for recurrent expenditure and N336.1billion for capital expenditure.

The governor also assented to nine other bills including the Delta State Manufacturing and Use of Cotonou Boats Bill, 2022; Delta State Public Finance Management Bill, 2022; Delta State HIV/AIDs Anti-discrimination, Prevention and Protection Bill, 2022; Delta State Waterways Tax, Control and Licensing of Boats (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2022.

Others are Delta State Forfeiture of Property Bill, 2022; Delta State Maternal and Perinatal Deaths Surveillance and Response Bill, 2020; Delta State Passenger Welfare Scheme Repeal Bill, 2022; Delta State Administrative Procedure Bill, 2022 and the Delta State Transportation Data Management Bill, 2022, respectively.

Okowa assured Deltans that the state would strive to implement capital projects in the 2023 budget as well as complete ongoing projects before the end of his tenure.

He praised the state’s legislature for cooperating over the years, adding that success would have been difficult without the strong support of the State Assembly and Deltans in general.

Speaker of the Assembly, Sheriff Oborevwori, said that the Bills went through all legislative process before being passed.

 

Residents of Fountain City Estate in Umuodafe community, Ibusa, Oshimili North LGA, yesterday, protested the demolition of their multi billion naira properties by the state government.

The residents, under the aegis of Fountain City Landlord/Tenants Association, decried the deployment of earth moving equipment on the estate without prior notice, and in the process destroying properties valued at over N30 billion.

The protesters, a multi ethnic mix, said the plots of land were purchased from Umuodafe quarters, in Ibusa community from 2018.

They expressed shock that the state government is laying claims to the landed properties after they had developed the over 2000 hectare land.

The protesters spokesman, Mr Akeem Lasisi who is a developer, said the property owners have not violated any government law on land acquisition.

He said, “Before we bought this land, we made inquiries and the people from the Ministry of Lands and Survey said it was free. That is how I bought mine and brought some of my clients here to buy also.

“We surveyed the land, lodge it and it scaled through. We paid the necessary levies to the government which they acknowledged and gave us lodgement certificates,” Lasisi said.

A widow, Mrs Julie Ogbuagwu, bemoaned her fate, saying she invested all her savings in 2018 to acquire the plot of land.

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Her words, “I bought an acre of land here in 2018. I am a widow, a petty trader, I have nothing and suddenly, we hear that the government has seized the land with all the money we have spent.

“I don’t know what to do, I don’t know where to start from. Please, I am calling on Governor Okowa to help us, I don’t have anywhere to run to. He should help to recover this land.”

Another resident, Mr Mustapha Bolaji, a father of three, said he had lost his sleep after bulldozers started demolishing their properties.

“I borrowed money to add to my life savings to acquire this land. I invested N2.5 million to acquire the land.

“I am having nightmares, I rarely sleep, I sleep in fits and starts, I rarely sleep the normal eight hours a day for a long time now, I have stopped sleeping the normal hours a healthy man is supposed to sleep,” he said.

Dr. Donatus Umeh, a resident, said about ten of the property owners have so far died of heart attacks as a result of the state government action.

Reacting, Delta Information Commissioner, Mr Charles Aniagwu, said the land was acquired for overriding public interest during the administration of ex-Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, but that private individuals encroached on the land.

 

Deputy Senate President and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Delta state, Ovie Omo-Agege, has promised to return the oil city of Warri to its past glory.

He spoke when the APC Ward-to-ward campaign train visited Warri South council area of the state, Friday.

According to him, with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president and himself as governor come 2023, Warri will receive massive urban renewal with the opening of canals, beautification and an overhaul of the Warri City Stadium.

He disclosed that in order to sustain Warri as the economic hub of Delta state, plans are already in the pipelines to “expand the Osubi Airport to an international airport” that will compete with other international airports and attract potential investors to the state.

Omo-Agege while lamenting the deplorable condition of the Warri City Stadium, accused the Delta State Government led by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of impoverishing the once booming city.

He noted though Okowa came with a ‘Prosperity Agenda seven and a half years ago’, there was no sign of prosperity in the metropolis.

“Warri has now become the poverty headquarters of Nigeria. The Warri of today is not anywhere close to the Warri we grew up in. When you go to the riverine area, you will ask if a government would allow his people to live in such condition,” Omo-Agege stated.

“With Asiwaju as president, he will help us to bring back those companies that left Warri, dredge the Warri River to ensure that Warri, Koko, Burutu and Sapele ports are revamped.

“This will make our youths that Okowa sentenced to poverty have jobs and live well again.”

Omo-Agege was flanked by his running mate, Rt. Hon. Osanebi Ossai, the Director-General of the APC Delta Campaign Council, Elder Godsday Orubebe, chairman of the party, Elder Omene Sobotie, party chieftain, Chief Ayirimi Emami.

On his part, Chief Emami urged the people to vote for the APC presidential and gubernatorial candidates, noting that Omo-Agege will work with Asiwaju Tinubu, who is married to daughter of the soil, to ensure all round development in the area.