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Tag: A’Ibom

  • Fear grips A’Ibom as hoodlums behead police inspector

    Fear grips A’Ibom as hoodlums behead police inspector

    There is an atmosphere of fear in Akwa Ibom state as hoodlums on Wednesday night beheaded a police inspector identified simply as Osang.

    Our correspondent gathered that the victim was attacked by over 10 assailants at his private residence around Enen Afaha and Afaha Ube, a suburb within Uyo metropolis.

    An eyewitness said that there was heavy shooting as residents and passersby scampered for safety.

    The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Odiko Mac-Don confirmed the incident saying, the Command has received the news of the murder of the police personnel describing it as very unfortunate.

    He said: “We have received that information and it is an unfortunate situation.

    “Already, an investigation is ongoing and we are committed to ridding the streets of criminal elements.

    Read Also: NDLEA secures 68 convictions, rehabilitates 12 in A’Ibom

    “Again, we are not deterred and we are committed to ensuring that, criminally minded persons will account for their actions.”

    Meanwhile, Akwa Ibom Governor, Umo Eno has read riot acts to criminals in the state warning that no criminal should test the resolve of his administration on security matters.

    Eno, made this known at a gala night for service commanders who have been transferred from the state, and the newly promoted Military Generals from Akwa Ibom state.

    Governor Eno stated: “If criminals believe that Akwa Ibom State is a place for them to hibernate, I am warning them to stay away. We have credible intelligence that there are those ones living among us…we will come after you and we will use every layer of our intelligence available to track you.”

  • A’Ibom beats Ebonyi, FCT, others to emerge Nigeria’s cleanest city

    A’Ibom beats Ebonyi, FCT, others to emerge Nigeria’s cleanest city

    Akwa Ibom State has beaten Ebonyi, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, and the rest of the states to emerge Nigeria’s cleanest city for the 6th time with a cumulative score of 72%.

    The result was announced yesterday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital following a survey conducted under the five-year project review circus, tagged STONE Pro- Max 2023.

    Akwa Ibom since the inauguration of the STONE project in 2018 has maintained a first position having won five times in a row.

    The national coordinator/secretary of the National Technical Study Group ( NTSG) on Clean Up Nigeria, Prince Ene Baba Owoh, Jr. congratulated the government and people of Akwa Ibom State for emerging as the five times overall Cleanest State in Nigeria.

    He stated: “For emerging the overall best-performing state in the six years performance indicators and five times cleanest state in Nigeria under the six years project circus review period (2018-2023) tagged STONE Pro-Max 2023. Akwa Ibom State will be conferred with the STONE 2023 Pro-Max 2018-2023 Cleanest State in Nigeria Green Crystal Award

    “It is therefore our privilege to proudly invite the chairman of Akwa Ibom state Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSPEWMA) Hon. Obong Prince Ikim to come forward to receive the cleanest state in Nigeria Pro-max Green Crystal Awards certification in all the five performance indicators and the STONE Pro-max (2018-2023) five times cleanest state in Nigeria, Green Crystal Award”.

    Owoh also announced Ebonyi and FCT to have closely followed Akwa Ibom in the second and third positions with 50 and 47 percent scores respectively.

    He therefore encourages all stakeholders to engage in a peer review mechanism by making time to visit both best best-performing States/Cities and the backward States/Cities to gain more insights into what the top States are doing to improve their performance ratings.

    Read Also: Wike approves N13.1bn for FCT school projects in 2024

    He used the occasion to encourage Nigerians to make that positive difference through actions in the interest of the environment; as global citizens.

    Owoh stated: “We salute Akwa Ibom State, the Pro-Max 2023 Cleanest state in Nigeria. Remember a Clean Nigeria is possible.”

    Reacting to the award, the state commissioner for environment, Uno Etim Uno commended the Clean-up Nigeria Initiative for the recognition and recommended that a strong message be passed to sensitize Nigerians to stay off practices that could negatively impact the environment.  “Outcomes of climate change are major threats to the survival of the environment”. He cautioned.

    Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Barr Iquo Abia, the Commissioner urged major stakeholders to prepare to effectively implement recommendations reached at the meeting.

    He pledged the readiness of the state government to continue to work to ensure a safe and secure environment through an institutional framework that would support a safe environment.

    The commissioner also pledged government commitment to proper waste management, end to gas flaring and other practices that threaten the serenity of the environment.

    He said: “Again we appreciate Clean up Nigeria for finding us worthy of the award of the cleanest state in Nigeria for the last five years running. We do not take the award for granted, it is a call to do more”

    Reacting to the awards, the chairman of Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSPEWMA) Prince Akpan Ikim paid a glowing tribute to former Governor Victor Attah for creating the agency by signing into law the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency CAP 47 law 2000.

    He also acknowledged former Governor Godswill Akpabio who built the receptacle maintenance and workshop at Itam, for proper waste disposal and management.

    “Then Udom Emmanuel came, and had that political will to constitute the board and gave us all the necessary support and we started winning the cleanest state in 2018.

    Then Governor Umo Eno has given us the necessary support, it is on record that he is the first governor that has joined us for environmental sanitation.

    “He has given us a matching order to ensure that the state remains cleanest in Nigeria, ranging from the vegetation, there is what we call environmental sustainability. We are looking at recycling waste to wealth etc.

     “So, we are working with the House of Assembly Committee on Environment for a law that has to be in tune with international best practices, the law has to be such that would encourage investors to come in. That is why we are also liaising with AKICORP so that anyone who has an investment that has to do with waste would register with them”. He said

    He commended the Clean Up Nigeria Initiative for recognizing excellence and pledged to keep Akwa Ibom as a model clean state in Nigeria.

  • A’Ibom govt shuts down another Chinese firm over illegal mining

    A’Ibom govt shuts down another Chinese firm over illegal mining

    The Akwa Ibom government has shut down a Chinese firm over illegal mining of Titanium Ore in Ibeno local government area of the state.

    Uno Etim Uno, the state commissioner for environment and mineral resources, disclosed this on Tuesday, August 29, in Uyo when he played host to the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom state council.

    This is coming barely two weeks after the government closed down another Chinese company for operating in a residential area and polluting the environment with toxic gases.

    Uno said that following a tip-off, his ministry in collaboration with the ministry of internal security on Monday, August 28, embarked on an unscheduled inspection tour of a Chinese-owned mining company, Ruitai Mining Company, in Esuk Ikim Akeme community, Ibeno local government area.

    The commissioner said: “The team discovered black clay-like minerals contained in sack bags of 50kg, and described by the miners as Titanium Ore.

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    “On critical examination of the site amidst tight security, the Managing Director and Director of the company, Zeng Zhonghuan and Huang Ying, were not available at the site. The available staff members could not provide any information or documents.

    “At end of the inspection tour, the following anomalies were uncovered about the operations of the company.

    “The company, Ruitai Mining Company, is purely an exploration company. Its Board of Directors comprises only Chinese, thus, not eligible to acquire the Small-scale Mining License as claimed.

    “The company has not conducted the Environmental Impacts Assessment (EIA) in its mining operations. It has not also submitted the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) among other requirements.”

    Uno said that the government has term decided to terminate the company’s mining operations pending when it legitimizes its operations.

  • ‘A’Ibom people are not promiscuous’

    Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Health Dr Dominic Ukpong has dismissed insinuations that promiscuity could be responsible for the high prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the state.

    Ukpong said this at the Post National HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) discussion and Stakeholders Engagement Meeting in Uyo yesterday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian HIV/AIDs Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) revealed that Akwa Ibom had the highest prevalence rate of HIV in the country.

    According to the survey, 5.5 per cent of people living with HIV in Nigeria are in Akwa Ibom, followed by Benue which has about 3.5 per cent prevalence rate.

    Ukpong expressed worry that the high prevalence rate was being interpreted by many as a sign of promiscuity among the people of  Akwa Ibom.

    According to him, Akwa Ibom people are very religious and hold firmly to the tenets of chastity and fidelity.

    He, however, noted that HIV/AIDS education was low and that the people were engaging in behaviour which exposed them to the virus, with particular reference to the activities of the Traditional Birth Attendants.

    Ukpong said the virus could be transmitted through other channels besides sex.

    The health commissioner appealed to well-meaning individuals to get tested and to disclose their status to their partners.

    Speaking earlier, the Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Sanmi Adedokun, said that the prevalence rate was higher along the coastal boarders which had a lot of immigration activities.

    He said the Akwa Ibom people, though having the highest rate in the last survey, had recorded a commendable drop in HIV/AIDS prevalence from 10.8 in 2014 to 5.5 in 2017.

  • A’Ibom: Ekere optimistic of victory

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom, Obong Nsima Ekere, has said he is optimistic of defeating his opponent, Governor Udom Emmanuel of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Ekere, who cast his vote at about 10.49am at unit 004 ward 6, Ikot Oborenyin, Edemaya, Ikot Abasi LGA, hailed the peaceful conduct of the exercise in his polling unit.

    He was accompanied by his wife, Ese, who also voted. According to him, the governorship/assembly elections were more orderly and peaceful in the state than the presidential/national assembly elections.

    He, however, condemned pockets of violence in some areas in the state allegedly perpetrated by the PDP with assistance from hired hoodlums. The APC governorship candidate mentioned Ibiono Ibom local government area as one of the flashpoints of violence.

    Ekere revealed that he has already contacted security agencies on the threat to the exercise by agents of the PDP.

  • Total E&P empowers 57 SMEs with micro credit loans in A/Ibom

    Total Exporation and Production (E&P) has empowered 57 Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) in Akwa Ibom State  with microcredit loans.

    The Deputy Managing Director of Total E&P, François Le-coco, said the loans were aimed at improving the socio-economic development of its host communities.

    Speaking  during the official launch of the loan scheme held at the Governor’s Office Annex in Uyo, Le-coco said the exercise was in line with the sustainable corporate responsibility policy of Total Group and a key part of the principles of the NNPC/TEPNG Joint Venture activities.

    He said the company has over the years identified with many potential entrepreneurs and businesses that have challenges due to lack of seed capital, or credit facilities, saying  the NNPC/TEPNG is poised to supporting them.

    He said   most of them  suffer early attrition within the local economy, ststing that this has created its own challenges in terms of developing potentials of the people and sustaining their nuclear families.

    ‘’It is therefore our desire to stimulate the growth and development of viable small and medium size enterprise within the state by instituting this Micro-credit facilities to support both existing and upcoming entrepreneur,’’Le-coco stated.

    He said to ensure the sustainability of the scheme, Total sought the partnership of an experienced Professional financial service provider, GUFAX Micro- Finance Bank to assess, evaluate and advice on the enterprise with the greatest potentials for success.

    Hr said the beneficiaries emerged  as result of the identification process done by the company, ading, “we have confident that they will achieve their full potential’.”

    While congratulating all the beneficiaries, the Total E&P chief enjoined them to make proper use of the facility.

  • A’Ibom to begin work on 8,500 capacity worship centre project

    A’Ibom to begin work on 8,500 capacity worship centre project

    All is now set for the commencement of the long anticipated central worship center for the Akwa Ibom people in Uyo, the state capital.

    The foundation laying ceremony of the 8,500 capacity international worship centre which holds Sunday, January 21, 2018, will be conducted by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

    It is the first of its kind of a standard worship centre for Akwa Ibom State, the only state in the world named after God, 30 years after its creation.

    The state has over this period moved from playgrounds to stadia and even uncompleted buildings in search of a conducive non-denominational place to worship, pray and sing praises to God.To punctuate this trend, the Governor, who is also the Spiritual Leader of the state, Mr Udom Emmanuel pulled all stops and went in search of funds to bring to fruition, the dream of erecting for God, a befitting place of worship.

    Giving an insight on funding for the edifice, Mr Emmanuel explained that “We have found favour in the eyes of the Lord, and it’s instructive to note that Religious bodies, non-profit organizations and even individuals from all over the world heeded our call for support to actualize this dream”.

    According to the Governor, “today we stand tall to say that we have secured the bulk of funds needed for the construction of the 8,500 capacity international worship centre which is located in Uyo. Government’s contribution is a very negligible percentage.”

    Governor Emmanuel also added that when the dream of the international worship centre was conceived, he rose to the faith that God will provide the finances drawing strength from Haggai 1:8 –”Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD”.

    He said Akwa Ibom State is a Christian State that will continue to look up to God for his guidance and blessings.

    The Governor went further to reiterate the fact that the worship center is very essential for the state, noting that other states not as endowed as Akwa Ibom have standard worship centres to sing praises and magnify the Lord for His goodness and mercies.

     

  • Motorist kills masquerade in A’Ibom

    Motorist kills masquerade in A’Ibom

    Tragedy struck Thursday evening when an unknown motorist knocked down a masquerade along and-run along Nwaniba Road, by Use Offot, Uyo.

    The masquerade known as ‘ekpo’ in local parlance is reportedly died instantly while his lifeless body laid on the tarred road.

    The Nation gathered that the unidentified driver was on high speed making it difficult for him to avoid another vehicle when he suddenly hit the masquerade.

    A resident of the area, Ukpe Eno, said he would have been hit by the vehicle safe for the lift to the other side of the road.

    He said it was unfortunate that the masquerade was taken by surprise as he could not make such a lift owing to the mask on his face.

    “If not God, I too would have been a dead man by now. The vehicle was on terrific speed. The road is barely two lanes and cramping; and if you look at it well, it is not where somebody is supposed to drive at 60 kilometres per hour, but here you see people driving at 100 and 120kph.

    “I think it is high time government started marking roads in the state with appropriate speed limits,” he said.

    The remains of the masquerader, whose identity has yet to be ascertain, was found lying on Nwaniba Road, Uyo.

    However, the Commissioner for Communications and Strategy, Mr. Charles Udoh, expressed sadness over the incident.

    According to him, he had sent people to the place, where his corpse had been removed. He noted that they were still on the trail of the identity of the masquerader and his relatives.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bala Elkana, said though he saw the masquerade lying on the ground through social media, the matter has not been formally reported

  • A’Ibom Police Command to sanction officer for attacking sanitation court over daughter

    The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has commenced investigation into an alleged attack on a sanitation court in Uyo by a team of heavily-armed policemen led by the officer in charge of the command’s Anti-Robbery Unit, SP Idorenyin Akpabio.

    The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkaner who disclosed this to our correspondent on telephone yesterday, said the Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Umar was aware of the incident.

    SP Akpabio, a relative of the immediate past governor of the state, now Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, is said to have led two patrol vehicles filled with policemen to attack and disrupt proceedings at the sanitation court which was in session at Nkemba Street, Uyo at the weekend.

    Our correspondent gathered that a girl, said to be the daughter of SP Akpabio was one of the 23 sanitation defaulters apprehended by sanitation taskforce officials attached to the State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources during last Saturday’s monthly sanitation exercise and subsequently arraigned before the sanitation court.

    It was learnt the girl, who was taken to the sanitation court along with other defaulters, had reportedly insulted the court officials, threatening that her father was a senior police officer in the state.

    She reportedly made good her threats when she put a telephone call across to her father, who initially stormed the court with 6 heavily armed policemen who cocked their rifles threatening to open fire at the sanitation taskforce and court officials.

  • Saraki and A/Ibom North-east senatorial seat

    SIR: It is worrisome that the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has refused to obey a court order to swear in the valid and bona fide candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general election for the Akwa Ibom North East senatorial seat.

    A Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, had removed Bassey Albert Akpan from the National Assembly having found out that Akpan was not the valid and bona fide candidate of the PDP for the Akwa Ibom North East senatorial seat. In a judgement on a pre-election dispute between a former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Bassey Etim and Mr. Akpan over who between them was the authentic candidate of the PDP in the election, the court specifically held that Akpan had wrongly and illegally represented the Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District in the National Assembly for 628 days out of the 1,460 day lifespan of the current Senate having been inaugurated on June 9, 2015 and to expire on June 9, 2019.

    Besides, the Federal High Court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately retrieve the certificate of return earlier issued to Akpan and issue a fresh one to the newly declared senator-elect, Hon. Bassey Etim, to enable him proceed to the Senate for his swearing in. INEC has since complied with the court order and has issued the certificate of return to Hon. Bassey Etim. But, quite strangely, the President of the Senate, Dr. Saraki has bluntly refused to inaugurate Etim to commence his legislative functions as the duly elected representative of his people.

    Advancing excuses for him not to respect the rule of law, Saraki reportedly said: “There is a process to this, and when I get this, I always get informed. There are always two sides to a story. I have a senator who says, this is the case. I refer the case to the legal unit to give me a clear advice on this, and once they advise me, I will comply. I have explained that to the Senator that I have no interest. I want the people of Akwa Ibom, which Senator Akpan represents, to have a representation. I don’t gain anything in it. I will follow it and I will make it happen.”

    For God’s sake, what is Saraki talking about? What legal advice does he need after a court of competent jurisdiction had delivered judgement on a case?

    Also, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), had in a letter dated March 17, advised Saraki to swear in Etim without further delay. The letter reads in part: “The fact that there is no order of court staying the execution of the aforesaid judgement and on further ground that an appeal does not operate as a stay to the judgement being appealed against in a pre-election matter, the Senate of the National Assembly is therefore required by law to comply with the judgement and swear in Hon. Bassey Etim as the Senator representing Akwa Ibom North East senatorial district.”

    It is a rude shock to Nigerians that a properly constituted Senate would undermine the order of a Federal High Court and substitute whimsicality for objectivity in the process. It is impunity at high noon, writ large. This is a confirmation of fears expressed by analysts in certain critical quarters that today’s crop of politicians in Nigeria are not playing the game of politics according to the rule.

    It is unthinkable that this open and flagrant disregard for court order is coming from a man who is currently standing trial and who is also seeking justice. The human rights community, civil society organizations, constitutional lawyers and lovers of democracy, must rise in defence of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary to avoid anarchy taking a toll on this country.

    That key public figures and institutions continue to degrade the democratic practice through wanton disregard for core values and norms is a sad reminder that this country is in a deep mess and unlikely to improve on the standards of performance that have stalled material progress for decades. The Senate President should hold aloft the highest ideals of probity, altruism and statesmanship before the nation which expects nothing less from anyone holding the highest law-making body in the land, which must equally be seen taking sufficient umbrage at all forms of lawlessness rather than indulging in any.

    Hon. Bassey Etim must be sworn in as the valid and authentic senator representing Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District without further delay. Anything short of that is an open declaration of war with the judiciary headed by Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen who has zero tolerance for disobedience of court orders. Nigeria must be made governable by law.

     

    • Dr. Desmond Orjiakor,

    Abuja.