The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Akwa Ibom govt

  • APC accuses Akwa Ibom govt of smear campaign against Ekere

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has raised the alarm over smear campaigns against its governorship candidate, Nsima Ekere, by the Governor Udom Emmanuel administration.

    Spokesman to Governor Emmanuel, Ekerete Udoh, dismissed the claim.

    Udoh said: “This is another desperate attempt by APC in Akwa Ibom State to cover their nefarious activities. Nigerians and Akwa Ibomites are living witnesses to the perpetual mudsling that these leftists have hauled at the government and people of Akwa Ibom State in the last three years. However, the government of Akwa Ibom State  is more focused on sustainable development and not interested in engaging in a mudsling game.”

    This is coming a few days after Ekere allegedly escaped assassination attempt in which a bullet was shot at his house while he was having a meeting at the home of the Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone Authority (OGFTZA), Umana Umana.

    According to a statement by its state Publicity Secretary, Nkereuwem Enyongekere, there have been a series of secret meetings by top officials at the Government House to plot against Ekere.

    In the statement, the party’s spokesman alleged that the government had a four-pronged approach to discredit its governorship candidate.

    “The well-funded and desperate plot is to be carried out in the print and social media. The plot is four-pronged.

    ‘’One of the strategies is to deceive Akwa Ibom people  that Obong Ekere has entered into a secret pact with Senator Godswill Akpabio to serve two terms in office as governor contrary to his promise.

    “To deceive Akwa Ibom people that 70 per cent of appointments in Obong Ekere’s government will be done by Senator Akpabio.

    “To deceive Akwa Ibom people that the biggest contracts in Obong Ekere’s government will be reserved for Igbo businessmen.

    “To deceive Akwa Ibom people that Obong Ekere will soon put up NDDC billboards in Akwa Ibom, claiming Akwa Ibom State Government projects”, the statement said.

    “The APC members urge the public to discountenance such false publications, which, it said are planned to hit the print and social media in the state from Tuesday, October 9, 2018.”

  • Akwa Ibom govt busts ‘phoney job’ syndicate

    The Akwa Ibom State government has said it busted a phoney job syndicate whch allegedly specialised in issuing fake appointment letters to unsuspecting job seekers.

    In a statement by the Commissioner for Education, Prof Victor Bassey Inoka, the government said the syndicate had been issuing fake appointment letters on behalf of the State Secondary Education Board (SSEB) and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

    Inoka said the syndicate had collected huge sums of money from unsuspecting and desperate job seekers in the state.

    It was learnt that employment into the state civil service, particularly the teaching jobs, have been characterised by complaints of racketeering with many falling victims of fraudsters.

    The commissioner said the suspected syndicate leader, Mr. Okon Amah, had been apprehended and interrogated by officials of the ministry.

    According to him, the suspect claimed that he was a worker in the SUBEB as well as a teacher at St. Patrick’s Primary School, Idu, in Uruan Local Government Area.

    Inoka said, during questioning, the suspect claimed that he hailed from two local government areas of Uyo and Onna.

    The commissioner said the suspect had been handed over to the police command for further questioning.

    He advised job seekers to be wary of dealing with such people, adding that the ministry or any of its departments and agencies would only recruit through the Civil Service Commission, the only body empowered to carry out such exercise.

  • EFCC not a thorn in the flesh of Akwa Ibom govt, says governor

    EFCC not a thorn in the flesh of Akwa Ibom govt, says governor

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has okayed the anti-corruption fight of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, saying the agency is not a thorn in the flesh of Akwa Ibom Government.

    Emmanuel, who spoke during a media parley at the Government House in Uyo, the state capital, said his government would continue to give the needed support to the commission.

    The governor while responding to questions from newsmen said he has never been distracted by the activities of the EFCC.

    He said: “EFCC is not a thorn in the flesh of Akwa Ibom State Government. I have never been distracted by the EFCC. Even the meeting I had today with the Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, tomorrow they will write that I went to beg him. Please, let’s allow the anti-graft agency to do their work.”

    The governor also told reporters that N52billion would be needed to address continuous flooding on IBB Avenue and other areas inUyo metropolis.

    While asking the people to be patient with his administration, Emmanuel said his government is on top of every situation.

    Emmanuel said he had used his properties twice as collateral to collect loans to pay workers’ salaries.

    He said: “I am not a magician. Be patient with me. Twice, I have used my properties as collateral to get loan to pay salaries. Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs is here, you can ask him.”

    He advised civil servants to key into agriculture by planting cocoa instead of queuing in the bank for pension after their retirement.

    His words: “I tell our civil servants instead of queuing in the bank for pension after you retire, if you have good hactares of land, begin now to plant cocoa and by the time you retire, you make millions from your farm.”

    The governor said education at basic level is free and compulsory in the state, adding that during last WAEC his administration paid the sum of N600million as WAEC registration fees for students.

     

    He said: “Basic education is still free in Akwa Ibom. As at the last WAEC, we were the only state which paid N600million for WAEC registration fees for our students. Such a thing shouldn’t be done in this present economic situation in Nigeria but we did it.”

     

    The governor also asked his critics to have a rethink and support his government in order to move the state forward.

     

    He said: “What does it cost you to do 1000 ground breaking? It costs the state government nothing to do ground breaking. Going to newspaper to write that Udom Emmanuel has done 1000 ground breaking will not deter me.”

     

  • Akwa Ibom govt to host Akwa Utd tomorrow

    Akwa Ibom govt to host Akwa Utd tomorrow

    2015 Federation Cup champions, Akwa United will be hosted by the Akwa Ibom Government to a sumptuous dinner on Saturday night in Uyo in an elaborate programme aimed at rewarding them.

    The Uyo side defied football predictions which tilted victory to Lobi Stars’ way before the start of the tie against the Pride of Benue who had played in three previous finals.

    Despite their lack of experience, Zachary Baraje’s team played the better football on the day and deservedly beat Lobi 2-1 to the delight of their governor, Emmanuel Udom who watched from the stands.

    The team was received formally at the Uyo Airport and the team later had a victory parade round some streets of Uyo on Wednesday as they displayed the trophy to their fans and supporters.

    “The team will be received on Saturday night by the governor. He has promised us a dinner to remember for a long time. He was impressed with the fact that we were able to lift the trophy and that we maintained our top flight status at the end of a very difficult league season,” media manager Uwem Ekoh told Goal.

    “We were received at the Airport on Wednesday afternoon and we had a victory parade too where we were chauffeur driven through major streets of Uyo. Everyone is happy with the development.”

    Akwa United will hoist Nigeria’s flag in the CAF Confederation Cup next season alongside Nasarawa United who came third in the league.

     

     

  • Akwa Utd begs Eagles to shun victory party

    Akwa Utd begs Eagles to shun victory party

     

    Aggrieved Akwa United players have called on the Super Eagles not to honour an invitation from the Akwa Ibom State Government to host them for winning the African Nations Cup.

    Speaking with MTNFootball.com, one of the players said they don’t know why the government would choose to reward the Eagles who worked for the nation and have been rewarded by Federal Government at their detriment.

    “I am begging the Super Eagles on behalf of my fellow players at Akwa United not to come for the reception the Akwa Ibom State Government is planning for them. This is because we have not been paid our sign-on fees for the past two seasons on the account that there is no money. Now they have money to shower on the Eagles who are rich already,” the player told MTNFootball.com

    “The Eagles should help us send a message to the governor to use the money he wants to spend on them to pay us because we are dying here.

    “We are being owed 20 per cent from 2010/2011 and 80 per cent sign on fees for last season. We don’t know our fate this season.

    “We need their help because they are big boys.”

    The player further said: “We tried to see the commissioner and the Governor on our case to know what the problem is, but our chairman Isang Isong has always made it impossible for us to see any of them, maybe he doesn’t want us to expose him.

    “This is an opportunity for us to let the governor hear our voice that we are suffering.”

    Another player said, “This is an eye service, we have not been paid because the chairman has always made us to believe there is no money, now we know there is money, let them pay us instead of spending it on the Eagles.”