Category: Southeast report

• ….Lauds Gov. Emmanuel for conceiving the Dakadda ideology

The member-elect for Essien Udim State Constituency, Prince Ukpong Akpabio II, has described the Guinness World Record Marathon Cooking feat by Nsit Ubium born Hilda Baci, as a practical demonstration of the efficacy of the Dakadda creed, stating that once the passion is right, nothing is impossible to achieve.

Reacting to the instant sensation that Hilda has become, Prince Akpabio stated that the success story of Hilda and her sudden rise to stardom goes a step further to prove that one can start small but dream big and grow with a vision that is larger than the dreamer, which is what the Hilda story represents. According to Prince Akpabio, the Dakadda Creed, which is a call to rise to the faith of greatness and an admonition for Akwaibomites to, as a people, rise beyond ethnicity, biases, religion, and gender, has been made manifest in Hilda’s story.

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly member-elect admonished that Hilda, which has today become a national sensation and phenomenon, would not have achieved this glory and made the history she has made without passing through the pains of self-development, training, mentorship and entrepreneurial resilience with the attendant ups and downs that all start-ups encounter. “Today, everybody is talking about Hilda, but she did not just wake up to become the Hilda we are all applauding and celebrating. She had a passion, followed her passion and worked towards her dream and I doubt it was all rosy for her. That she braced the hurdles and rose to the faith of greatness is in consonance with the Dakadda Creed, which admonishes us that we need to rise to togetherness, to the faith of our resources, beyond what others see, human and intellectual and rise to chart a new course for us, our children and a generation of Akwa Ibomites unborn,” he submitted.

Read Also: HILDA BACI: Moving to Lagos was my turning point

He said he was confident that the Hilda story should be a source of inspiration to Akwa Ibom youths especially the many enterprising start-ups who are faced with the challenges many entrepreneurs face at the stage of infancy and commended Governor Udom Emmanuel for conceiving the Dakadda Creed, which has today inspired many Akwa Ibom people at home and in the diaspora to rise to the faith of greatness.

Prince Akpabio assured that the incoming administration of Pastor Umo Eno will produce more Hilda’s as the Governor-elect’s pledge to focus more on entrepreneurship and capacity building will be vigorously pursued and implemented. He urged the youths to emulate the Hilda spirit of focus, determination and resilience so as to also rise in their chosen field of endeavour and positively place Akwa Ibom on the global map.

It could be recalled that 27 year old Chef, Hilda Baci, Chief Executive Officer of HildaFoods, a Lagos based premium restaurant, came to national prominence by embarking on a cooking adventure aimed at displacing India’s current Guinness World Record title holder Lata Tandon, who cooked for 87 hours and 45 minutes non-stop in 2019. The world record cooking event, which is taking place at Amore Gardens, Lekki, Lagos State, Nigeria, tagged “Cook-a-thon,” a phrase literally coined from the word “marathon,” will see Hilda cooking non-stop for 96 hours, using extra 9 hours to break the world record as the first human on earth to spend such an amount of time cooking a marathon.

A company with global brands, Kamisafe, has powered the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) variety night for the 2023 Batch ‘A’ Stream ‘II’ corps members in Ebonyi State.

The event was held at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, MacGregor College in Afikpo North Local Government.

Kamisafe Country Manager, Mr. Mbam Goodluck, said the company funded the scheme’s variety of night to put smiles on the faces of corps members and NYSC officials. 

He said the firm had its motivating factors anchored on ensuring people’s safety, welfare and happiness in human environments. 

Read Also: Buhari salutes NYSC at 50, lauds Gowon for vision

Mbam said:”Kamisafe remains in the business of making life easy and enjoyable for all mankind in a very affordable way. That’s why we see our products are packaged to the extent they have alternative energy.”

The NYSC State Coordinator, Mrs. Bamai Mercy Dawuda, represented by the Camp Director, Ngwoke Nwokoro, a lawyer, described the night as the climax of social events of the scheme. 

She described the current batch’s variety night as the most tremendous, compared to the past ones. 

Highlights of the night were beauty pageant; the competitions of Mr. Macho and Miss NYSC, which were won by platoons two and seven. 

High and low-ranking camp officials, alongside the corps members, who participated in the event, smiled home with Kamisafe products, including rechargeable led fans, lamps, bulbs, touches, wears, among others.

Ahead of the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa State, Governor Douye Diri has enjoined the people to reaffirm their abiding love and support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his administration.

Diri, spoke during the Thanksgiving Service that rounded off the third session of the eight Synod of the Niger Delta West Diocese at St Peter’s Anglican Church, Nedugo-Gbarain in Yenagoa Local Government.

Aligning his remarks with the theme of the Synod: ‘Christ Is Our Cornerstone’, the governor, represented by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, noted that giving his administration a second term would enable it to consolidate and record more achievements for the state.

He stressed the need for ‘Bayelsans’, particularly the church, to educate the people on the benefits of maintaining a team that is clearly doing well on several fronts.

Diri pointed out that although Bayelsa had not fully actualised the dreams of its founding fathers, it had made tremendous progress, especially in the last few years..

According to him, the state is witnessing a drastic reduction from unnecessary deaths arising from cultism, drug abuse and other criminal tendencies.

Read Also: No rift between Diri, Dickson, says governor’s aide

Thanking the Church for her continued support, he, however, berated Christian leaders who see Christianity as a game of competition rather than that of love and constant gratitude to God for His faithfulness.

He stated: “Unfortunately, the clergy (with due respect to some of them) have made Christianity a game of competition instead of love. And so, instead of Christ being the cornerstone, people are trying to make themselves the cornerstone and that is very dangerous for Christianity.”

The Bishop of the Diocese of Zaria, Kaduna State, Right Reverend Ishaya Ganyida Baba, called on Christians to emulate the apostles of old by building on the foundation laid by Jesus Christ, who is the Chief Cornerstone.

Baba, who admonished Christian leaders to avoid the temptation of castigating one another, maintained that while every other foundation was subject to change or failure, only the foundation of God could stand the test of time.

•Governor: I will not join issues with him

Abia State former governor Senator Theodore Ahamefule Orji has advised Governor Okezie Ikpeazu not to drag him or his administration into the face-off he (Ikpeazu) is having with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), over unpaid salaries, gratuity and pension arrears of its members.

In a statement titled: ‘Ikpeazu Should Carry His Cross’, signed by Senator Orji’s Liaison Officer, Ifeanyi Umere, the senator representing Abia Central said his administration was not responsible for the salary owed civil servants, parastatal workers and pension arrears, as Ikpeazu had on several occasions said the debt was part of salary arrears he inherited from successive governments.

Read Also: NLC strike: Ikpeazu directs payment of workers’ salary arrears

Orji said as at May 29, 2015, no core civil servant was owed one month salary, adding that in the case of parastatal workers, they were owed between two and four months. 

But the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Onyebuchi Ememanka, said in a statement that the Ikpeazu government would not join issues with Senator Orji or any other predecessor.

Ememanka noted that Ikpeazu in the last eight years he had held office had not engaged any of his predecessors in any kind of untoward exchange, even when it seemed politically expedient to do so. 

He said the policy of Ikpeazu was responsible for the socio-political stability the state had enjoyed since 2015, adding that the governor intended to sustain “this personal policy, going forward.”

Ex-militants in Akwa Ibom State have urged President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu to set up a presidential committee to review the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), when he assumes office on May 29. 

Coordinator, Phase 2 of the Amnesty Programme in the state, Mr. Imoh Okoko, told The Nation yesterday in Uyo that large-scale corruption and nepotism had allegedly hampered its success.

He said PAP had been dominated by the Ijaw to the exclusion of ex-agitators from Akwa Ibom State, who participated in the Niger Delta struggle and were duly granted amnesty.

He said the Presidential Committee should among other things ensure that people from all Niger Delta states had a stake in the running of the Amnesty Programme.

“The Amnesty Programme was a well-conceived initiative by the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, but unfortunately, the scheme has been hijacked by our Ijaw brothers.

“The Federal Government should ensure the appointment of the Special Adviser/Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme is rotated among Niger Delta states. This is necessary because of the injustices in the programme.”

“For instance, no ex-agitator from Akwa Ibom State, who was originally listed for the Amnesty Programme, has been trained and empowered here in Nigeria or overseas. Most of the beneficiaries are the Ijaw of Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta states.

“The Amnesty Office keeps importing names of beneficiaries, mostly the Ijaw, who did not take part in the struggle. So much money has been stolen by the authorities of the Amnesty Office.

“The N65,000 pittance the office pays ex-militants is inadequate and should be reviewed. The programme is being used as a conduit pipe to defraud Nigerians.

“The incoming government should ensure all listed ex-militants are trained and empowered and the programme scrapped after six months”, Okoko said.

He urged the incoming President to look into the plight of the Niger Delta and ensure that appointments in agencies of government dealing with the region were based on merit and capacity.

National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Anambra State has explained reasons for minimal relocation cases among corps members posted to the state.

State Coordinator Mrs. Blessing Iruma, who disclosed this at the weekend during the cultural carnival at the orientation camp, attributed the feat to introduction of special activities as well as an enabling environment conducive for corps members to enjoy seamless service.

She said the majority of corps members, who had intentions to relocate to other states after the three-week orientation course, suddenly changed their minds soon after they settled down in camp.

Said she: “Since my resumption in the state more than a year ago, I’ve observed a particular pattern of request for relocation for fear of the unknown. Once corps members arrive in camp, hundreds of them will indicate interest to relocate.

“For example, we have barely 2,000 corps members posted to the state for this batch and many had indicated interest to relocate. But before the end of the orientation course, the majority are already changing their minds. 

“They’ve met friends, some of the prejudices are jettisoned, their fears are allayed. They’ve come to realise that truly the Igbo are not bad as they’re painted. 

Read Also: Senate affirms Dickson Akoh as initiator of Peace Corps Bill

“As I speak to you, hundreds of them have applied to withdraw their relocation request letter. We’ve been able to provide them an enabling environment to know that Anambra can be a home away from home.”

Explaining that the cultural carnival was not just all about the funfair, Iruma noted that the event offered the scheme the opportunity to showcase Nigeria as a multicultural society with cultural groups. 

“We also try to let the youth appreciate the differences and similarities among ethnic groups and to showcase delicacies, attires, locally made fabrics, akwete, ashiokes, among others.

“Carnivals also offer us the opportunity to promote local contents and encourage the youth to patronise our cultural heritage. 

“Again, we inculcate love among ethnic groups, tolerance and ability to accommodate one another. 

“While we shun those things that divide us along ethnic and religious lines, we promote things that unite, integrate and bond us together,” she said.

The Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, has offered amnesty to some “dissident” Enigie (Dukes), after their failed “coup” to balkanise Benin Kingdom.

The Enigie yesterday voluntarily pledged their allegiance to the first-class monarch, according to his Chief Press Secretary, Iguobaro Osaigbovo.

The Enigie later claimed to have been misled in signing the purported letter in November, 2022, requesting the Edo State Government to create a parallel Benin Traditional Rulers Council (BTC) for the seven Benin speaking local government areas, which make up the Edo South Senatorial District.

Read Also: Traders seek Oba of Benin’s intervention over planned market demolition

Oba of Benin accepted the apologies of the Enigie, and extended a hand of fellowship to them in the distribution of foodstuffs.

Enogie of Ogua, Sylvester Ogiesoba, and Enogie of Oka N’ Izevbihen, Imagbenikaro Ekhosuehi, both in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government, thanked the eminent traditional ruler for the gesture.

Enogie of Isievbe, Orobosa Agbongiazowe, and Enogie of Uma, Usuanlele Iyengumena, both in Uhunmwonde Council, appreciated the Oba of Benin for the foodstuffs, and prayed God and the ancestors to bless him.

The Enogie of Ehor, Ehigiamusoe Igiehon, in Uhunmwonde Local Government, also expressed gratitude to the traditional ruler.

Cross River state governor, Prof Ben Ayade Thursday gave automatic employment to 155 pioneer graduates of the West African Construction and Fabrication Academy.

Ayade made this known during the graduation ceremony of the first batch of trainees at the institution in Calabar.

The Governor explained that his administration established the academy in 2020 to address the dearth of middle-level skilled manpower in the state.

He advised the graduates not to be distracted but to face the future with optimism.

“Do not be frustrated by today’s circumstances, go chase your goals with the skills you have received here.

“The only person who can fail you is yourself. As graduates, realise that your hard work and good heart will take you very far. You are the destiny changers of yourselves and your families. You can change what you want for yourselves.We share the same history and morality”, he admonished them

Read Also: Ayade hailed for giant strides in C’River

Announcing their absorption into the Cross River state civil Service, the governor told the graduates that “the true quality of education is the application of your skills to add value.

“For all 155 of you who have graduated today, l give you automatic employment into the state civil service. You are the engineers of the Ministry of Works. Congratulations”

Earlier in his welcome address, the state Commissioner for Youth Development and Skill Acquisition, Hon.Signor Omang Idiege, expressed gratitude to Governor Ayade for establishing the Academy to “cushion the effects of idleness among youths and for them to acquire skills and vocational training that will translate to self-reliance and wealth creation”

The Academy, according to the commissioner, “has come to stay to provide financial freedom to the youths to reduce the rate of youth unemployment, poverty and restiveness”

The Chairman of Ailes Group, High Chief Michael Onuoha, yesterday received the Champion Newspaper Heroes of the year 2022 award in Lagos.

The event was held at the prestigious Eko Convention Centre of Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island . 

It brought together top players and leaders in government, Oil&Gas, energy, properties/real estate, banking and others in what  could be described as a gathering of the industry champions.

The recipients of the revered award by Champion Newspaper, one of Nigeria’s oldest surviving journalism behemoth, were recognized and awarded for their various contributions to both the economy as well as human development and for nurturing the wellbeing of citizens and the country at large.  

The event recognized the outstanding contributions of individuals who have made a positive impact in their field and inspired others to make a difference, especially in the AILES group.

The AILES Group, an indigenous player in the Oil & Gas, Logistics, Power & Energy, and numerous other sectors that contribute significantly to the Nigerian economy were recognized for their corporate strides over the years that has brought tremendous impact on the Nigerian economy over the years

Alongside the chairman of Ailes Group, all the recipients were honored for their excellent accomplishments in a variety of categories, including politics, healthcare, education, social impact, environmental sustainability, and community leadership.

Top on the list of the 34 distinguished recipients are Retired Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa, Chairman of, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA who was conferred with the Man of the Year Award; United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc (Bank of The Year); Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, the MD/CEO, Fidelity Bank Plc (Banker of the Year); Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Afenifere Leader, Life Achievement Award; Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State (Governor of the Year); Ademola Adeleke of Osun State (Governor of the Year, Good Governance);  Abdullahi Audu Sule of Nasarawa State (Good Corporate Governance & Integrity in Leadership Award); Prince Dapo Abiodun (Executive Governor of Ogun State) – Investment Friendly Governor of the Year; Dr. Samuel Ortom, Governor of Benue State (Courage in Leadership Award); Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State (Governor of the Year on Security); and the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator George Akume (Pillar of Democracy Award).

Read Also: Zainab Bagudu bags award

Other awardees are Princess  Folashade Omotade- Outstanding Female Personality of the Year; Senator Daisy Ehanire-Danjuma -Business Woman of the Year; Parallex Bank Limited (Most Innovative Bank of the Year); Heirs Insurance Company Ltd (Digital Hub of Insurance of the Year); Mr. Babajide A. Sipe (Manager of the Year); Chief Cyril Onyekwelu Umunna Ajagu (Most Outstanding Savvy Investor of the Year); Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta (Most Outstanding Regulator of the  Year); Chief Abraham Otti (Mighty Mighty), (Heart of Gold); High Chief Michael Onuoha (Most Innovative Brand CEO of the Year); Alhaji Monsurudeen Oloyede Bello OBE (Public Servant of the Year); Chief Nike Akande (Outstanding Amazon of the Year); Mr. Donald Duke (Most Outstanding South-South Personality of the Year) and Standard Chartered Bank (Child Education Support Bank of the Year).

Speaking on the award as the Most Innovative Brand CEO of the Year, High Chief  Onuoha (Eriri Ego) said the recognition was meant to promote the business philosophy of AILES Group and other landmark achievements of his organization over the years and that such a recognition is a positive development.

He said:“”I am inspired to have been recognized this way and presented with this award acknowledging our modest contributions to the betterment of our society and in improving the business environment. This honor has increased my motivation to work harder and improve the lives of others around me as I have always strived to do”.

The event was attended by dignitaries, community leaders, and representatives from various organizations, who came together to celebrate the Champion Newspaper heroes and rejoice over their achievements. The ceremony featured inspiring stories of the finalists and their remarkable contributions.

The occasion also emphasized the function of the media in fostering social change for the betterment of the Nigerian society. The Champion Newspapers stressed their dedication to encouraging quality, creativity, and progress in the communities they serve.

“As a news organization, we believe in the power of storytelling to inspire positive change in our communities. The Heroes Award is one of the ways we showcase the incredible work being done by local heroes who are making a difference,” said Mr. Ugo Onuoha, Editor-in-Chief of The Champion Newspapers.