Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno has said his government will continue to prioritise investment in educational development.
Eno gave the assurance at the combined convocation ceremonies of the University of Uyo, which held at the weekend. He noted that education is one of the pillars of the ARISE Agenda, ‘and government is investing in education beginning from the foundational to tertiary’.
The governor, himself an alumnus of the University of Uyo and a Ph.D candidate, said that as part of his administration’s commitment to actualise the educational advancement component of the ARISE Agenda, the government will continue to support UNIUYO to enhance its pursuit of academic excellence, expressing hope that products of the school will continue to contribute to the development of the State and society in general.
The governor congratulated the university on its successful combined convocation and felicitated with the 14,866 graduating students and those conferred with honorary degrees.
He said: “I commend you on the successful hosting of this joint convocation. Let me particularly pay special tribute to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, on his strides since assumption of office. You’re not just a pacesetter, but a shinning and worthy ambassador of all of us. And as the saying goes, a good job done means more jobs to be done. We know and trust that you will excel.
“Our administration will continue to work with the University of Uyo and indeed all other universities and tertiary institutions in the state. We will support them because education is one of the pillars of our ARISE Agenda, and we’ll continue to demonstrate good faith working with you and supporting you as much as possible.”
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Dr. Sylvester Onoyona, has congratulated Senator Joel Onowakpo (Delta South) on his victory at the Appeal Court. He described it as ‘well deserved and a hand of God in the affairs of man’.
In a letter he personally signed, Onoyona hailed the former governor and party leader, Chief James Ibori, and governorship candidate in the 2023 elections and former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, praising their dexterity and rigor to defend the mandate freely given to Senator Onowakpo and others.
Onoyona also commended Senator Onowakpo for his resilience and fighting spirit to have defeated those ‘marauding PDP goons, both at the polls and in the courts, but was quick to give glory to God saying, but for God, it wouldn’t have been possible’.
He also praised the people of Delta South for standing behind Onowakpo whom he described as ‘astute, eminent gentleman who is hungry for the development of his people and material resources’. He hailed the party leadership, led by Chief Omeni Sobotie, who he described as the father of the APC in the oil-rich state.
According to him, with Onowakpo in the saddle, ‘there will be a new lease of life for the people as every constituent will be carried along, noting, in that wise, every Onowakpo voter is a Senator’.
“Rally round our distinguished Senator Onowakpo to enable him to deliver quality representation and to bring dividends of democracy to the doorstep of every Delta southerner. The time has come for the people to see the difference between deliberate misrepresentation and quality representation. While the PDP, according to the politician, epitomises misrepresentation, APC’s Onowakpo will sure wear the crown of superlative representation and the delivery of quality service to the people,” he added.
A pressure group in Imo State, Owerri Zone Awareness Coalition (OZAC), has called on President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, to intervene on the strike embarked on by electricity workers.
Ajaero was reportedly attacked by thugs linked to Governor Hope Uzodimma’s aide, Nze Chinasa Nwaneri, on November 1, a development that prompted a solidarity strike by electricity workers, leaving the state in darkness in the past two weeks.
Since the attack, power supply across Imo State has been deliberately halted by electricity workers aligning themselves with the plight of the labour leader.
But, in a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Eke, OZAC implored Ajaero to reconsider the continuation of the strike.
Expressing concern over the severe consequences, the group highlighted the economic downturn, collapsing small-scale businesses, and the precarious security situation arising from the prolonged power outage in the state.
While condemning the brutality inflicted upon Ajaero, the group acknowledged Governor Uzodimma’s apology on national television and the redeployment of the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, as positive steps that should compel Ajaero to have a rethink and suspend the strike of the electricity workers.
OZAC emphasised the immense hardship faced by Imo residents due to the extended power outage, coupled with exorbitant fuel prices reaching N700 per litre and skyrocketing living costs. It, therefore, urged Ajaero to reconsider his stance, recognising the efforts made towards meeting the NLC’s demands and emphasising the necessity of restoring electricity to alleviate the people’s suffering.
In its plea, OZAC urged Ajaero not to exacerbate the predicament of those he champions by prolonging the strike.
The statement reads: “Two of the NLC’s demands have been addressed, with ongoing investigations by the Inspector-General of Police into his assault.
“The prevailing challenges in Imo State necessitate a balance between pursuing workers’ rights and mitigating the severe impact on the daily lives of the state’s inhabitants. Our plea underscores the delicate balance between activism and the responsibility to alleviate the broader hardships imposed on the people of Imo State.”
Nigeria’s Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu has performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of Renewed Hope shelter for the poor and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Tatyo and Kyo communities in Makurdi North Local Government Area of Benue State.
She performed the groundbreaking alongside the state governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, with a promise to work with the state government to ensure that the IDPs returned to their ancestral homes.
This was made known in a statement sent to The Nation on Friday, November 10, by the minister’s special adviser of media and publicity, Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair.
Speaking at the event, Edu said the project was in fulfilment of President Bola Tinubu’s promise to reduce humanitarian crises and poverty challenges in Nigeria.
She said: “The president assured Benue People that if he was voted into power, he would provide security and resettle them back to their ancestral homes where some have been out for over 10 years following the Herdsmen-farmers conflict.
The minister commended Governor Alia for ensuring that peace returned to Tatyo and Tyo communities, as well as other communities which have been engulfed by violence since 2012 resulting in the displacement of hundreds of thousands from their homes.
Notably, since 2011, over 12,000 people have lost their lives in that alone, and thousands more were rendered homeless due to attacks by suspected armed herders in the Markudi North Local government area of the state.
The Renewed Hope shelter, which has a learning centre, health centre, and market, according to Dr. Edu will be built by the community members in clusters under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in partnership with the Benue State Government.
She expressed sadness over the IDPs’ experience these past years and pledged that “for these wonderful people that have come from the IDP camps, the journey back to your ancestral homes has begun, “this is the beginning of a journey to return home.”
“As we drove down here, I felt pain. I felt lots of pain. I saw deserted communities, and I saw the “food basket of the Nation” reduced to want and anguish. President Tinubu says hope is finally back in Benue; we need everyone to go back to the farms so we can have food security!
The minister stressed that Benue was key in the food security agenda of the President’s Eight Point Agenda.
She said: “Part of President Tinubu’s eight-point agenda is food security and Benue is the Food Basket of the Nation, this state is therefore, key to him in terms of achieving food security hence peace and tranquillity of Benue, as well as the welfare of the people, are uppermost in his mind.”
Speaking further, Dr Edu stated: “You cannot reduce the hope of a nation, the food basket of a nation, the food security stronghold of Nigeria to want, pain and anguish. Mr. President has sent me here to give the message of renewed hope to the people of Benue. I can tell you for sure that hope is here. Hope is here. “
Earlier, Governor Alia lamented the suffering the displaced indigenes of the state had been through, saying their plight was quite heart-rending.
According to the governor, they’ve been longing to get back home and do what they know how to do best, which is farming. We have been working with the youths, security, and faith-based organizations among others to ensure that the displaced persons get on their feet again and possibly return to their ancestral homes. “
The Governor commended Dr Edu for her passion and empathy for vulnerable persons in the state and promised to work with the federal government to ensure that the IDPs return to their ancestral homes.
The Benue state’s number one citizen applauded President Tinubu for fulfilling his campaign promise to the IDPs by providing Renewed Hope Shelters to them.
It was a most reassuring experience as thousands of displaced persons danced for joy. It was the first time in 10 years that widows, women, men, and children were stepping their feet back in their ancestral land.
Tross River State Governor Bassey Otu has made a final pronouncement on the 16-year-old battle for the rightful occupant of the throne of Obong of Calabar, with a declaration yesterday that Edidem Abasi remained the duly elected king.
The declaration became necessary after a legal battle over the throne ran a full course from the state High Court up to the Supreme Court.
The apex court judgment had directed a fresh nomination that must include Abasi, who was enthroned since 2008 as the Obong of Calabar, but challenged by Etubom Ani, who claimed similar rights.
Ani, former finance minister, had argued that he was granted waiver to stand election for the stool, but short-changed.
In a government statement titled: ‘Official Position of the Cross River State Government on the Traditional Stool of the Obong of Calabar’, the governor decried the intractable dispute over the kingship of the Efik Nation and the contention for the stool of the Obong of Calabar since 2008.
The statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Emmanuel Ogbeche, said: ”Governor Otu notes that the stool of the Obong of Calabar is about six centuries old, steeped in the ethos of the Efik and revered among the few first class kings in Nigeria; hence the need to protect the throne from judicial, social and political scorn.
“The governor stated that having undertaken a judicial review of the state High Court and Supreme Court rulings as well as the Constitution of the Obong’s Palace and interfaced with royal fathers, resolves as follows:
“That the issue of waiver for qualification of a candidate to contest the Obong stool is untenable.
“That the stipulations of the Constitution of the Obong’s Palace in respect of the procedure for the enthronement of any Etubom as the Obong of Calabar remain sacrosanct;
“That in all the subsequent judgments of the appellate courts, the letter and spirit of the state High Court judgment of September 25, 2022 has not been set aside nor its binding effect on all parties diminished
“That all parties must ensure the implementation of the judgment cited in (iii) above to the later;
“That Abasi V remains the validly selected and elected Obong of Calabar and the Patriarch of the Efik Kingdom.
“That this official pronouncement by the state government has granted explicit recognition to His Eminence, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi V as the Obong of Calabar; and brings to final closure the speculation, acrimony and disaffection that may have risen in the course of the tussle for this revered royal stool of the Efik Kingdom”
Bianca Ojukwu, wife of the late Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, has disclosed the existence of a mass grave site in Anambra State.
She said this in a statement she posted on her Facebook page titled: ‘A mass grave site discovered in Anambra sealed off for forensic investigation.’
Although the former Nigerian Ambassador to Spain did not disclose the location of the grave site, she said the discovery of the mass grave was brought through testimonies, to the attention of the Commission of Inquiry.
She added that about 322 people were verified as killed or dead as a result of violence as testified by the witnesses, who appeared before the Anambra Truth, Justice and Peace Commission.
The commission was constituted by Governor Chukwuma Soludo in June 2022 to inquire into the violent agitations and restiveness in the state and the Southeast.
When contacted to know if the state government was aware of the development, the Press Secretary to the Governor, Christian Aburime, said a formal report had not been presented on it.
Police spokesman DSP Tochukwu Ikenga did not respond to inquiries when contacted on the development.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Ebonyi State chapter has continued to experience massive defection of major stakeholders, with the former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Odefa Obasi Odefa, becoming the latest to jump ship.
Odefa, alongside other stakeholders from his Onicha East Constituency have resigned their membership of the party.
He tendered his resignation letter to the Chairman of his Ogudu Okwor ward, Oshiri community, in the local government.
Odefa confirmed his defection to reporters yesterday in Abakaliki.
He was flanked by other bigwigs of the PDP and Labour Party (LP)
in the local government, who all announced their resignation from the two parties.
They include PDP Chairman, Ugwu Oshiri Ward; PDP Chairman, Okpuzor/Ukawu Ward; PDP Chairman, Ebyia Oshiri Ward; PDP Chairman, Abaomege Ward; PDP Chairman, Ishinkwo/Ukawu Ward; and PDP Chairman, Ogudu Okwor Ward.
Odefa and other PDP/LP bigwigs did not disclose the party they would be joining, but it was gathered that they would likely defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Odefa, whose younger brother is the National Vice Chairman of PDP in the Southeast, said he (the National Vice Chairman) was free to remain in the PDP.
He said: “Yes, my younger brother is a major stakeholder, not just a major stakeholder, he is also the National Vice Chairman of PDP in the Southeast. In our family, we are very mature. We may have different opinions, but we respect each other’s opinions and feelings.”
Abia State Governor Alex Otti has urged the 24 newly sworn in permanent secretaries to be firm and live above board.
Speaking at the Government House, Umuahia, yesterday after the oath of office and allegiance were administered on the permanent secretaries by the Director-in-charge, Ministry of Justice, Emenike Okoro, the governor advised the permanent secretaries to improve themselves in knowledge, to add value to the system.
He said: “In the new Abia we are progressively building, we are more interested in what you can bring to the table.
“Competence and character for us will always take precedence over place of origin or the religion you profess.”
Responding on behalf of the permanent secretaries, Mrs. Ngozi Obioma thanked Governor Otti for appointing them as his fist set of permanent secretaries.
She said they would work in line with the civil service reform agenda of the current administration and promised to justify the confidence reposed in them.
The permanent secretaries include Lady Joy Maduka, Ngozi Obioma, Paul Ogwubunka, Uche Ukeje, Okezie Chukwudike, Justine Ebo, Ogechukwu Maduka, Izuchukwu Onwughara, Obi-Chianakwalam Elechi and Ifenyinwa Uma-Kalu.
The former provost of the college, who is now the acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC), Dr. Stella Lemchi, disclosed this to reporters.
She said: “This is to inform you of the current reality and status of our institution, formerly known as Alvan Ikoku College of Education, and now Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri.”
The DVC thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the policy of his administration to ensure that the journey started 60 years ago came to reality.
She expressed the institution’s gratitude to Governor Hope Uzodimma.
On the history of the institution, Lemchi said: “The journey that recently culminated in the upgrade of our institution started in 1963, when, on the recommendation of the Ashby Commission, the institution was established as Advanced Teacher Training College, Owerri under the auspices of UNESCO on behalf of the United Nations (Special Funds), and Federal Government of Nigeria.
“The college was established as one of the four projects aimed at expanding facilities for the training of secondary school teachers in Nigeria, which envisaged one federal training college at the national level in Lagos, and three colleges to serve the Eastern, Western and Northern regions.
“The Government of East Central State of Nigeria, by Edict No. 11 of May 31, 1973 upgraded the Advanced Teacher Training College Owerri to the status of a full-fledged College of Education named in honour of the great educationist, Alvan Ikoku, a former leader of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and proprietor of the first indigenous privately-owned secondary school in Nigeria.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma has launched Cohort 3 Skill-Up Imo Project for 40 000 youths, who will be trained in digital skills that will make them either employable or self-reliant, depending on their choice.
Launching the exercise at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, the governor told the youth that “the overall objective of the skill-up is to make youths self-reliant, job employers, creative thinkers and future world billionaires in US dollars.”
He informed them that his administration had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with foreign companies, who would employ successful ones among them after their graduation.
Uzodimma said it was the responsibility of the government to prepare youths for future, equip and train them in how to fish and not to give them fish.
He said: “When youths are trained, equipped and empowered, crime in communities will be reduced and peace will be restored.”
The governor urged them to be “attentive, serious and useful to Imo State and Nigeria.”
He said Imo people were happy that despite the challenges facing the government, his administration graduated 20,000 youths from the programme “and is now admitting another 40,000 in the same project.”
Uzodimma thanked the Commissioner for Digital Economy and E-Government, Dr. Chimezie Amadi and Imo youths for accepting the programme.
Amadi said Imo people have fully accepted the programme, noting that “Imo mothers now say their children must be skilled up.”
