The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southeast report

  • I derive joy in empowering people with my platforms – Desmond

    I derive joy in empowering people with my platforms – Desmond

    A content creator, Afekhuai Festus Iyanu aka Desmond Crypto, has said he loves empowering people through his platform.

    Desmond in a statement said, “Supporting those in need and youths in their passion and aspirations in life gives me so much joy. I support my fans through giveaways while I also empower and support businesses who engage in my post.”

    Through his informative videos, tutorials, and comedy posts, he has inspired countless individuals to pursue their passions and turn their dreams into reality.

    Desmond’s impact extends beyond Nigeria, with his platform attracting a global audience. His ability to connect with people from different walks of life has made him a source of inspiration for individuals worldwide.

    Many have shared stories of how Desmond’s content has motivated them to pursue their passions, overcome challenges, and achieve success.

    Read Also: 14 things to know about new commissioner of the RMAFC Desmond Akawor

    Desmond Crypto’s journey from a content creator to a life-changer has not been without its challenges. He has faced criticism and scepticism from those who doubted his ability to make a difference. However, he has persevered and remained steadfast in his mission to inspire and uplift others.

    As Desmond continues to touch lives and inspire creativity, his platform serves as a reminder that one person’s dedication and generosity can have a profound impact on the lives of many.

    His ability to provide not only inspiration but also tangible support to those in need is a testament to his character and the power of using one’s influence for good.

  • ‘Gbajabiamila has no case to answer in Humanitarian Affairs saga’

    The Civil Society Coalition for Transparency in Governance (CISCOTIG) has rubbished attempts to drag the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Chief Femi Gbajabiamila, into the probe of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. 

    In a statement co-signed by its convener Comrade Michael Sunday Emaluji and Adebayo Lion Ogorry, its secretary and spokesman, the group said Gbajabiamila has no case to answer. 

    “We have seen tenuous analyses that concluded Gbajabiamila’s guilt simply because he was listed as Betta Edu’s reference on the CV used for her confirmatory screening before the Senate,” the statement said. 

    “Some surmised that the Chief of Staff was part of the transactions because he is reportedly of the same political sub-bloc as some people who have been insinuated to be connected with the issue. These conjectures have been made to gain ground even though those behind them are aware that they do not have the facts to back up these claims.

    “But the most outlandish of these claims is the one that comically concluded that the Chief of Staff is complicit in the transactions being investigated because he forwarded the memo containing President Tinubu’s approval to the suspended Minister for the release of N3 billion for the verification of the National Social Register compiled by the former administration of Muhammadu Buhari.

    “We find it odd that those alluding to wrongdoing on the part of the Chief of Staff for forwarding Mr President’s approval are conveniently befuddling the truth, which is that it is the responsibility of that office to convey all such approvals to the receiving Ministry, Department or Agency. 

    “It is simply the administrative workflow that has been established over the years. To accuse the Chief of Staff in the manner they are going about at the moment is to say that he should not do his job, which also implies that all approvals from Mr President would be stuck in the State House and governance would ground to a halt.

    “From the foregoing, we have flagged two main concerns. The first is the tendency to make a mockery of the anti-corruption efforts by needlessly dragging in persons who are not connected with the fraudulent transactions being investigated – this even has implications for the eventual outcome of the resulting trial since charging the wrong persons could jeopardize such trials. 

    Read Also: Betta Edu: Don’t link Gbajabiamila with financial scam, CSO warns

    “The second is the unwitting frustration of governance when people demand impractical workflow like insinuating that the Chief of Staff should not have transmitted Mr President’s approval to the suspended Minister.”

    The coalition urged Nigerians to resist the temptation of reducing the investigation of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation into a reality show that would only serve entertainment purposes. 

    “This is a serious matter as it affects the well-being of the vulnerable and poorest of the poor among us, whose welfare must on no condition be diverted for the selfish use of a few individuals,” the statement added. 

    “We, as Nigerians, must also not lend ourselves to becoming e part of a lynch mob deployed for settling political scores by conducting media trials that declare people guilty even when we have not established that they were part of the problems we are addressing,” it said. 

  • Rivers Assembly threatens to shun Fubara’s correspondences

    Rivers Assembly threatens to shun Fubara’s correspondences

    • Attributes decision to Govt House officials’ attitude
    • Lawmakers to commissioner-nominees: take a bow and go

    Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have threatened to stop receiving/treating correspondences from Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s office.

    The threat followed observation of disrespectful behaviour of Government House workers to letters and messages from the assembly.

    Speaker Martin Amaewhule made the observation at plenary yesterday.

    The lawmakers unanimously agreed to shun Fubara’s messages “if the workers continue in the ill manners.”

    The assembly had asked the nine commissioner-nominees, who re-appeared before it yesterday for screening and confirmation, to take a bow and go.

    The nominees appeared during plenary at the new hallowed chamber of the House located in the Legislative Quarters, off PH/Aba Expressway, Port Harcourt.

    Amaewhule read the letter written to the House by Governor Fubara, requesting the screening and confirmation of the nominees as commissioners.

    Read Also: Ibadan explosion: Akpabio condoles Oyo govt, victims

    The letter, which was reportedly dated December 11, 2023, had rested the earlier speculation that surrounded the list of nominees when it emerged from the House.

    The list was earlier dismissed in some quarters as a political gimmick, following doubts about whether the request was made by the governor or not.

    After the Speaker had read the letter, the Majority Leader, Major Jack, moved a motion appealing to the House to allow the nominees take a bow and go.

    Jack argued that since the nominees were screened and confirmed earlier, there was no need to repeat the exercise.

    The motion was supported by the Deputy Speaker, Dumle Maol, and the House asked the nominees to take a bow and go.

    With the screening and confirmation completed, it was learnt that the nominees may be sworn in and assigned their initial portfolios before the end of the week.

  • Bayelsa govt decries poor tax compliance

    Bayelsa govt decries poor tax compliance

    • •Partners CITN

    Bayelsa State Government yesterday decried the comparatively low level of tax compliance in the state, which has been responsible for the poor Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) profile of the state.

    Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo said this when the Yenagoa and District Society of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) visited him at the Government House, Yenagoa.

    Sen. Ewhrudjakpo, who frowned on the poor attitude of corporate and private citizens towards tax payment, said the state government had been grappling with the issue of taxation in its drive to raise the IGR.

    He thanked members of the CITN for bringing up the issue for discussion, noting that government was ready to work with the institute to improve the IGR.

    The deputy governor said all over the world, governments depended on taxes to meet up public expenditure on utilities and services, stressing that the entitlement mentality among ‘Bayelsans’ was responsible for the problem.

    He said the monthly IGR of Bayelsa was currently less than 20 per cent of the state’s revenue.

    He called on the CITN to help government spread the message of taxation through its public enlightenment programmes.

    Ewhrudjakpo said: “As a government, we have been grappling with taxation. I am happy that you raised the issue of public enlightenment.

    “The problem of our state is this entitlement mentality where people expect government to do everything for them. People see payment of tax as a forbidden fruit.

    Read Also: FEC expresses concerns over rising cost of goods, services

    “Our IGR from tax payment is less than 20 per cent of the revenue of the state. So help us spread the gospel of taxation.

    “All over the world, governments depend on taxation. Over 80 per cent of the revenue of the UK comes from taxes.

    “The Federal Government recently introduced artificial intelligence in tax assessment and tracking, so the CITN should key into it. We are ready to work with you to see how we can improve our IGR.”

    The Chairman of the Yenagoa and District Society of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Mr. Azebi Bestman Ayabeke, said the visit was intended to draw more support from the government towards the institute’s public enlightenment programmes on taxation.

    Azebi, who expressed gratitude to the government for always supporting the activities of the body, and for donating five plots of land to the CITN located at the Central Business District of Yenagoa, pledged the continued support of the institute for the policies and programmes of the Governor Douye Diri-led administration.

  • Council absolves self from tax collector’s death

    Council absolves self from tax collector’s death

    Mkpat Enin Local Government of Akwa Ibom State has absolved itself from the death of a tax collector, Samuel Toby Monday.

    The deceased was said to have been attacked in his home for assisting in the enforcement of revenue collection suspension at Ikot Akpaobong market, which led to his death. 

    The deceased’s wife, Gift, had petitioned the Commissioner of Police over the death of her husband, which she traced to his involvement in the suspension of revenue collection at the market.

    “His murder is not far-fetched from his December 21, 2023 involvement in the enforcement of Ikot Akpaobong Market revenue collection suspension directive of the Mkpat Enin Council, having been appointed to assist in the implementation of the directive,” she said. 

    Reacting to the death, the Secretary, Transition Committee, Mkpat Enin Local Government, Pastor Amos Afia, said December 2023 was declared a tax-free month for traders in Mkpat Enin, consequently the revenue collection committee was dissolved. 

    Read Also: Ibadan explosion: Akpabio condoles Oyo govt, victims

    In a statement made available to our correspondent in Uyo, Afia said some youths in the local government led by Akanimo Bob Ikpe, a Personal Assistant to Governor Umo Eno, and Village Head of Ikot Akpaobong Village, Eteidung Aniefiok Cyril Udom, flouted the order by selling unauthorised tickets to traders at Akpaudo and Ukam markets.

    He said the council had officially informed Udom of the tax-free exercise at all the markets in the village, adding that members of the newly constituted Markets/Motor Parks Committee were introduced to the Commissioner of Police as the authorised persons to collect revenue from January 1, 2024.

    He said the council never engaged the services of Ikpe as a revenue officer, but Samruf Technical Services Ltd, whose contract elapsed in December 2023, noting that any such claim by Ikpe was illegal.

  • ‘Abia modular refinery ready next year’

    ‘Abia modular refinery ready next year’

    Abia State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mr. Okey Kanu, says the modular refinery at the Abia Industrial Innovation Park (AIIP) will come on stream by 2025.

    He made this known during a news conference on the outcome of the State Executive Council at the Government House, Umuahia.

    He said the refinery would be the first major project to be executed at the park and it would begin to operate fully in 2025.

    The commissioner said the refinery would provide 2,000 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs for teeming youths of Abia.

    Read Also: FEC expresses concerns over rising cost of goods, services

    He said: “The project will help to provide refined products for the people of Abia as well as increase our revenue base as a state.

    “So, it is a project that is very important to this government and every effort is being put in place to ensure that the date is met.

    “The state government is also ready to reap from the petroleum and mineral endowments in the state.”

    Kanu said a lot of investors had shown serious interest in setting up their investments in Abia, especially in the petroleum sector.

    According to him, it will aid in boosting efforts made to provide job opportunities for the youth.

  • Otti’s court victory prayer answered, says acting rector

    Otti’s court victory prayer answered, says acting rector

    The acting Rector, Abia State  Polytechnic, Aba, Dr. Chidinma Ndukwe, has described last Friday’s victory of Governor Alex Otti at the Supreme Court as a prayer answered.

    The acting rector, addressing academic and non-academic workers of the polytechnic at the institution’s pavilion yesterday, during a prayer session organised by the management of the polytechnic to mark the official resumption of academic and administrative activities for 2024, said they had long prayed for the victory of Dr. Otti at the Supreme Court.

    Ndukwe, who reminded the polytechnic workers of the need for them to support the Otti government through hard work, noted that the victory was a huge relief for them.

    She pledged that the polytechnic workers would not relent in their support for the governor.

    Ndukwe said: “He is a man that God has sent to wipe away our tears. We are very grateful for what God has used you to do in our school.

    Read Also: Ibadan explosion: Akpabio condoles Oyo govt, victims

    “This is a new Abia Poly. God has visited Abia Poly. We promise our amiable governor that we will no fail him. We will continue to do our work.

    “We will continue to produce students that are credible; who can represent this institution and state anywhere. We will keep producing students that we all can be proud of.”

    Deputy Rector Academics, Dr. Fijo Kalu, 

    who described Otti as a man who attached value to human lives, said the governor within a few months in office had shown commitment to the welfare of workers in the state and Abia Poly in particular.

  • ‘Sylva’s commitment to peace in Bayelsa incontrovertible’

    ‘Sylva’s commitment to peace in Bayelsa incontrovertible’

    The leadership of a foremost youths’ group under the auspices of Bayelsa State New Generation Leaders (BSNGL) has hailed the commitment of ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, to peace and security in the state.

    BSNGL in a statement yesterday by its Director-General, Apostle Bodmas Kemepadei, said Sylva’s efforts at entrenching peace and stability in Bayelsa remained indisputable and incontrovertible.

    He described the former governor of the state and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 governorship election as a father-figure, who believed in patience, tolerance, equity, justice and hope for a better existence of all.

    Kemepadei said Sylva’s lifestyle had endeared him to the people of the state and contributed to the peace and security enjoyed in Bayelsa at present.

    The youths’ champion expressed the group’s unalloyed duty and solidarity to continue to support Sylva’s disposition towards a peaceful Bayelsa, noting that peace remains the bedrock of security, growth and development of any society.

    Read Also: FEC expresses concerns over rising cost of goods, services

    Kemepadei said: “Chief Timpre Sylva, your legacies in Bayelsa State remains indelible and your continuous support, service and loyalty to the state will always inspire us to support you at all times.

    “We commend your continuous support, your political sagacity and efforts towards peace and security in the state and we have channelled  our arsenal of solidarity towards your character, which we enjoy as a people and state. 

    “As a group of vibrant, committed and articulate youths in Bayelsa State, we are always with you. You remain a great leader of impeccable character. Your traducers will not succeed in reducing your greatness and influence in our state. We are solidly behind you in every sense of the word.

    “We are indeed pleased with your peaceful composure, tenacity and dedication towards the advancement of the state during and after the off-cycle election characterised by immense political tension, which is still a subject of disputation.”

  • ‘Nobody will be allowed to rig by-election’

    ‘Nobody will be allowed to rig by-election’

    The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the February 4 by-election for Ebonyi South Senatorial District, Silas Onu, has promised that nobody will be allowed to rig the poll.

    He said this yesterday during an interaction with reporters at his Uburu country home in Ohaozara Local Government.

    Onu, a lawyer, noted that the people of the zone were  enlightened and would not allow anyone to write results or rig the election.

    He expressed confidence that since it is an off cycle election, there will be high concentration of observers, journalists and security outfits that will make it hard for anyone to rig the election.

    Onu, a former state chairman of PDP, hoped of emerging victorious at the polls, “as I enjoy massive support and goodwill of the voters in the senatorial zone.”

    He said: “I am a fighter and I will fight for them. I will also fight for a  credible election. Nobody will write result or rig this election. Our people should come and vote, it will count.

    “Our people are very enlightened when it comes to elections and they vote. And there is one Party that resonates with them, umbrella party as the rural people will call it PDP.

    “They recognize that our logo is the umbrella and on that day they will thumbprint beside the umbrella. And I can assure our people that this vote for PDP is a vote for liberation, it is a vote for emancipation.

    “It is a vote to show that the people matter because if you allow a single individual to raise that hand of a person and say this is who I wnat to replace me, it means the people no longer matter.

    “So, our people are wise and our people are independent. We thank God this is an off season election. We will have a good concentration of observers, security and media”.

    Read Also: Ibadan explosion: Akpabio condoles Oyo govt, victims

    ” So nobody, not even government can interfere in this process, it is only the will of the people that will determine the outcome. That is where I stand and that is where I believe we should all stand”, he said.

    The PDP Senatorial candidate promised true representation for the people if elected.

    “”I have always been closer to my people, they always come around me, I assist those who are in need and I spend most of my time with them”

    “My people will experience for the first time true representation in the Senate. I have built a wealth of advocacy as lawyer, so I am not a stranger in advocacy.

    “I will push for their rights and benefits. Our people will no longer have a senator who goes there to look for himself and his own interest.

    “They will have a representative in the Senate who will fight for them, who will defend them, who will attract projects to the senatorial zone”, he said.

    The position became vacant following the resignation of Senator David Umahi to take up an appointment as Minister by President Bola Tinubu. Ends

    Mr Onu will battle candidates of give other political parties including the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and Labour Party(LP) for the coveted senatorial seat.

  • Bayelsa govt to stakeholders:  Ekeremor-Agge road will be ready

    Bayelsa govt to stakeholders:  Ekeremor-Agge road will be ready

    • Dickson seeks peace, unity in Bayelsa West

    Bayelsa State Government has assured political stakeholders and the people of West Senatorial District of Governor Douye Diri’s commitment towards completing the ongoing Bayelsa West Senatorial Road.

    Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo gave the assurance when an enlarged delegation of Bayelsa West political stakeholders visited him at his country home, Ofoni, in Sagbama Local Government, to mark the New Year at the weekend.

    Speaking briefly at the carnival-like visit, Senator Ewhrudjakpo said the next phase of the critical Bayelsa West Road from Ekeremor to Agge would be launched this year during the official opening of the completed section of the road covering Toru-Orua to Ekeremor main town.

    He thanked the political stakeholders for their support so far, especially during the 2023 governorship election, which ensured victory for the governor and himself, describing their support as the secret of his strength.

    Ewhrudjakpo, who noted that the people deserved a thank-you-tour for massively voting for the PDP, however, assured them that there would be improvement in the area of appointments in the second term of the Diri-led prosperity administration.

    He said: “I appreciate our leaders for their support. It is your support that is my strength. We saw this clearly from the November 11 governorship election, which gave a landslide victory.

    “This senatorial district is an impregnable stronghold of the PDP and will ever remain so. The Prosperity Administration appreciates your support.

    “The next phase of the Bayelsa West Senatorial Road will be launched during our official inauguration of the completed section of the road from Toru-Orua to Ekeremor. And by the grace of God, the road will get to Agge before the end of our second term in office.”

    Speaking earlier, former governor Senator Seriake Dickson said the political stakeholders of Bayelsa West were impressed with the performance of the deputy governor, and congratulated him and Governor Diri for their electoral victory.

    Read Also: Tinubu to grace Uzodimma’s swearing in ceremony Monday

    Senator Dickson, who led the delegation on the visit, commended the stakeholders for their maturity, tolerance and demonstration of good leadership, and called on them to collapse political boundaries to achieve greater cohesion and unity in the senatorial district.

    Eulogising the deputy governor on his positive virtues of loyalty, dedication and patience, Dickson remarked that he was a quintessential role model for the youth of the senatorial district to emulate.

    While underscoring the need for the Prosperity Administration to take Bayelsa West Senatorial Road from Ekeremor to Agge in the next four years, he called on the people to allow the administration focus more on governance in order to take Bayelsa to the next level.

    Senator Ewhrudjakpo has consoled the mother of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Madam Eunice Jonathan, on the demise of her daughter, Obebatian Jonathan.

    Condoling with the bereaved at the home of the former President at Kpansia, Yenagoa, Ewhrudjakpo said it was lamentable that Obebatian Jonathan died at this time, leaving behind her aged mother in deep and inconsolable grief.

    Citing the tragic loss of the Biblical Job, the Deputy Governor encouraged the elderly Madam Jonathan to look unto God for grace to overcome the huge burden of bereavement on her shoulders.