The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Akwa Ibom State

NDDC intervention: Akwa Ibom communities count blessings

COMMUNITIES in Odoro Iton in Ikono and Oku Iboku in Itu local government areas of Akwa Ibom State have cause to thank God and praise the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). They are grateful to the interven al mood in Odoro Etok Iton community in Ikono Local Government Area was that of joy, gratitude and sense of belonging, thanks to the road network provided by the NDDC under the Nsima Ekere-led management.

The phase I of the Odoro Etok Iton Link Road, completed and about to be inaugurated, has wide drainage system on both sides and serves as one of the star ought so much economic benefits to the people, adding that the road is the best in the whole of Ikono Local Government Area.

“The road is the best in this area. You have seen the quality of work done. All you need to do is drive on the road and you won’t notice any bad spot.

“I want to advise the state government to use the standard of roads constructed by the NDDC as yardstick because some contractors use bare hands and poor quality equipment to construct roads around here,” he said.

Etim Udonsek, a commercial motorcycle operator, also commended the commission for coming to the rescue of the community, saying that the Odoro Etok Iton Road has made his business and other businesses easier and more rewarding than before.

Udonsek recalled that there was a time the villagers could not access the local government headquarters and places such as markets, hospitals, farms and other facilities because of lack of link roads.

He said he was grateful to the NDDC for changing their pathetic story and giving their lives a meaning with the construction of the Odoro Etok Iton Link Road which, according to him, has brought smiles and succour to the people.

However, Mrs Blessing Jimmy Ituen, who owns a shop close to the newly constructed road said though she is appreciative of the intervention by the NDDC, the commission should also construct the Odoro Etok Iton-Oboro Akara-Aba Link Road.

She said the road is very strategic to the community as it links the community with the commercial city of Aba from Oboro Akara Local Government Area.

According to her, the road has the potential of enhancing business and economic activities in the community as traders can easily move their wares to and from Aba, thereby creating wealth and development.

One of the star projects of the current management of the NDDC is the internal road within the Oku Iboku community in Itu Local Government Area. The road, which meanders through many villages along the stretch, terminates at the popular Itu River.

Oku Iboku is the host of the moribund Oku Iboku Paper Mill which has been neglected for years by successive governments with the consequence that the once-robust community had become a ghost of itself, with relics of the company adding to the sorrows of the villagers.

But the NDDC has breathed life back to the once-forlorn and drowsy community with the construction of the internal road which has rejuvenated the economic and social life of the people as evident in the springing up of small and large business concerns in the community.

A visit to the area presents one with the spectacle of one in coma gradually coming alive after a miraculous touch from a divine force.

Grateful natives and residents of the community, traders, fishermen, fish and crayfish sellers, commercial motorcycle operators, boat owners and riders have attested to the fact that things are looking up with the construction of the internal road in the Oku Iboku community.

Eyo Utip, a fisherman, who plies his trade at the Itu River, said his business has improved tremendously because of the newly-constructed internal road by the NDDC.

He said: “My business has really picked up because of the road. It was difficult for fish sellers to come to this beach to buy fish from us because of the bad road. The situation has changed now as people from Uyo and far-flung places come here to patronise us. The reason is simple. They can now access this beach. I thank the NDDC for constructing the road for us.”

Mayen Etuk has a provision shop along the newly-constructed road. She admitted that she has more customers now than before because they have access to her shop.

According to her, she almost shut down her shop some months back because she was not breaking even due to low patronage.

“Most times, I had to resort to taking my items out to the local government headquarters and popular markets around the state because I had very poor sales. I collected loan from LAPO Micro-finance Bank to stock my shop as I didn’t want to take chances.

‘’Sometimes, some of my items perished, especially the perishable ones. I persevered. When the NDDC began the construction of this road, I had some ray of hope. Even construction workers

began to patronise me and things changed for good.

‘’Today, I am counting my blessings. This is the fruit of NDDC intervention and I will ever remain grateful to the Ekere-led NDDC for its good work which has wiped away our tears and brought hope to us here,” she said.

A community leader, Chief Nelson Akpakpan said though the dilapidation of the paper mill many years ago has negatively affected the community, the NDDC road intervention has given members of the community the hope and confidence that government has not forgotten them.

He appealed to the state and Federal Government to resuscitate the moribund paper mill, adding that the internal road constructed by the NDDC should serve as bait to corporate institutions, government and rich individuals to explore the rich aquatic potential of the area.

November 24, 2017
Oron youths back Fed Govt on Maritime Academy

YOUTH leaders of various groups in the five local government areas of Oron nation in Akwa Ibom State have pledged their support to the development of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron.

The youth commended the efforts of the Federal Government in ensuring that the academy is brought at par in terms of standards with similar training institutions the world over for global competitiveness.

They stated their position in an interactive session with the Rector of the academy, Commodore Duja Effedua (rtd) on Saturday in Oron.

Speaking, the Rector intimated the youth leaders of plans by the Federal Government to reposition and restructure the academy.

He enjoined them to shun restive tendencies and embrace peace since no meaningful development could take place in rancorous and violent atmosphere.

Commodore Effedua, who assured them that the academy’s management would continue to perform its corporate social responsibility to its host community, urged them to unite and form one formidable and cohesive group.

He also advised the youth to create a research and development unit, where they would carry out research on issues affecting the people and proffer solutions them, even as he urged them to request for assistance when necessary.

This, according to the Rector, would have a more positive effect on members of the community in terms of development and human empowerment and will also help in writing their names in gold.

He assured them that the host community would be considered first whenever there is any development programme to be carried out. He also clarified the issue concerning the rumoured sack of members of staff by the Interim Management Committee (IMC).

He said: “The Interim Management Committee is not here to victimise anybody; it is easy to employ but not easy to sack. There are a lot of procedures involved.”

The youth, who spoke differently, said they support all the processes that would lead to the development of the Academy.

Prince Uwe Ebek of the Akpakip Oron Grand land Peace Keeping Association maintained that “the youth are here to see the institution develop into a fully-fledged, world-class Maritime University. We pledge our total support for the development of the Academy”.

His counterpart, the President of Oron Youth Forum (OYF), Comrade Sunday Odokwo said: “We have heard all you said. I want to state that the Federal Government has lofty plans for the Academy. I also want to state that the Oron people are peace-loving and hospitable and will continue to be so.

“That’s why people from all climes are resident here. We the youth will join hands with you to ensure our institution attains acceptable and enviable height and standard.”

In attendance at the interactive forum were youth leaders of Oron Youth Movement, National Association of Nigerian Students, Oron Patriotic Youth Organisation, Oron International Youth Forum, Oron Nation Young Professional, Common People Organisation and Eyo Akan-obio Youth Council, among others.

November 17, 2017
Court dismisses APC suit seeking to stop A’Ibom LG polls

The Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital has dismissed the suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), seeking an order to halt the December 2 local government election.

Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC), chaired by Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, had scheduled elections for the 329 Wards across the 31 Councils.

But the APC led by the State Chairman, Dr. Amadu Atai, faulted the action, arguing that AKISIEC has not complied with all the necessary processes including updating voters’ register as well as publishing same for public scrutiny within the stipulated 60 days.

And the Federal High Court on Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo, the State capital, dismissed the suit as lacking in merit and “has no basis in law”.

According to the Presiding Judge, Justice Fatun Riman, the case was already dead on arrival because “the suit has no basis in law and lacked the backing of the 1999 constitution, as amended”.

The Court held that “the APC has failed to present cogent reasons for their suit, which would have been the foundation on which the established facts in support of the suit would exist”.

The argument by APC that AKISIEC should not consider using the voters’ register used during the 2015 elections for the exercise was also dismissed by Riman.

He agreed with the submissions of AKISIEC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), that the same 2015 voters’ register were used in the conduct of Council polls in Lagos and Benue States.

Speaking to reporters on the sideline after the case, the PDP Legal Adviser, Mr. Goddy Umoh, expressed delights at the outcome of the case and thanked the Judge for mature handling of the proceedings.

He noted that a lot of cash and resources have been injected into the preparation and conduct of the polls, adding that it would have been a huge setback if the case had gone otherwise.

“We got scared when you know how much money is put in place in preparation for the forthcoming elections. It would have been disastrous if the judgment had gone the other way”, he enthused.

November 9, 2017
Vulture ‘delivers’ letter to A’Ibom Monarch to quit throne

Natives of Iba Oku, Uyo local government area of Akwa Ibom state are yet to come to terms with how a vulture allegedly delivered a letter to their village head, Eteidung Gabriel Mbeka asking him to quite his throne.

Following the strange incident, palpable tension has enveloped the sleepy community even as the embattled monarch has cried out for help alleging that his throne and his life are being threatened by ‘sinister forces’.

Speaking to the Nation in his palace, the monarch accused the Clan Head of Oku, Etebom Enefiok Effiong Okpon, of alleged sinister plot to oust him “because he wants to turn my domain into his vassal province”.

“Since I was given the staff of office in 2012, as the Village Head of Iba Oku, I have been having a running battle with my Clan Head, Etebom Okpon, who insisted he must also control my domain and collect revenues.

“When I could not yield to his request, he resorted to using traditional invocations to eliminate me. They sent vulture to deliver a letter, asking me to quit the throne. I was scared and had to escape from my palace for several months.

“Since that period, I have been totally deprived of my powers to function effectively as the traditional ruler of my community.

The Clan Head denied me the powers to hold court with my people by sealing off the Village Council Hall, forcing me to attend to my people in the primary school and my palace.

“Hoodlums also invaded my palace and seized my royal regalia and other paraphernalia of office; just make me ordinary as a traditional ruler.

“When all these actions failed, he started sending threat messages that I would be eliminated if I fail to cooperate with him to sell government’s land and share the proceeds with him.

“Recently, he sent one of his Personal Assistant (PA) to come to my area and enquire concerning my personal details as well as my daily routines. But he did not know that one of those he enquired from is my loyal subject.

“I reported the case to the Police and later charged it to Court, but up till now, it is regrettable that matters concerning my life cannot be allowed to go to Court for redress because of interventions by politicians for their personal interests”, he lamented.

It was gathered that the Etteidung Mbeke, was heavily hounded with trump up charges of embezzling N20million proceeds from the community land and other funds, but the monarch denied the allegation and took the matter before the Uyo Magistrate Court 11.

The case with charge number: MU\715\2017, according to the monarch was first heard at the Uyo Magistrate Court 11, but the Court declined jurisdiction and referred it the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) for the matter to be reassign to the High Court.

The monarch prayers include Court order restraining the accused from invading his community with warriors to dethrone him, threats to his life and plot to take over his domain and resources.

“Up till now, the case is still pending with the DPP because of interests from the politicians including the member representing the Uyo Federal Constituency, Hon. Mark Enyong and that of the House of Assembly for Uyo, Hon. Monday Eyo”.

“I want justice in my case; let the matter be taken to the High Court so that all these issues will be addressed. The politicians should leave the case alone because it is a traditional matter”, he said.

According to him, the case was to be heard in the High Court, on October 26, but expressed worry that with all the antics displayed by the DPP, the matter may be suppressed continually”.

“I am the only surviving Village Head still remaining on the throne in Afaha Oku Clan. The Clan Head has made it a point of duty to stampede others who could not cooperate with him”, he lamented.

“For instance, he (the Clan Head), has forced out other certified Village Heads in my Clan including the Village Head of Nnung Ebie Enang Idoro, Nnung Uyo Idoro, Nduetong Oku and Afaha Oku”, he said, adding that “in some villages that he can’t control, he made sure
there is a parallel government in the place.

When contacted the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in-charge of the case, Mr. G. Udofia, saying the matter has lingered for several months, but express worry over the refusal of the contending parties to resolve it amicably.

“The Federal House member for Uyo, Hon. Mike Enyong called me to expressed dissatisfaction over the handling of the matter and since then, I have not heard from him again”, he said.

October 23, 2017
Education in Akwa Ibom State and Emmanuel’s big bets!

I had deliberately told myself when Governor Udom Emmanuel assumed office that the number one index I will use in judging his performance and impact in office will be the strategic interventions and policies he brings to the Akwa Ibom state education sector.

The reason is simple: before his foray into Public service, Emmanuel sat as an Executive Director in one of Nigeria’s top banks – Zenith Bank Plc. As someone who was largely transported to that enviable position in his banking career by the ladder of education, his interventions in the education, or the lack thereof, will say a lot about the kind of future he wishes to bequeath to Akwa Ibom people.

For as pioneering American educator Horace Mann had insightfully established as far back as 1848, Education…beyond all other devices of human origin, is a great equalizer of conditions of men – the balance wheel of the social machinery…It does better than to disarm the poor of their hostility toward the rich; it prevents being poor. It goes without saying that a reliable way to judge if Governor Emmanuel is serious about alleviating poverty which is one of his five-point agenda would be to look at his efforts in repositioning the state’s education sector.

On Tuesday, May 16, 2017, Emmanuel earned for himself my first reverberating applause when he moved in to commission a set of strategic futuristic education projects at the Akwa Ibom State University,(AKSU) Obio Akpa and Ikot Akpaden campuses.

The projects, about seven in number include Digital Language Library, Commercial Farm Palm Oil Mill, Commercial Farm Feeds Mill, Vegetable Screen House, Ultra-Modern Mass Communication Studios, Standard Performance Arts Theatre and an administrative block, Administrative Block.

Apart from seeing this as a daring effort by the Emmanuel administration to create the needed infrastructure and provide facilities that will engender qualitative teaching and learning at AKSU, there is a profound message the Governor appears to have sent to the management of the University about the future he is hoping to see there.

It is safe to think that as someone who clearly understands that universities by their original design and philosophies are meant to serve as innovation and knowledge transfer centers to the society, Emmanuel with some of these projects was telling the management of AKSU that he has outsourced part of the responsibility of recreating THE CALIFORNIA STORY in Akwa Ibom state to the state-owned University.

Why California?

Rated as the 6th largest economy in the world, California, although just a state in the United States of America has an economy estimated to be larger than that of France or Brazil. The state of California has little offshore oil, yet its economy is larger than states in the US that are famous for their oil reserves, like Texas. California generates much of its revenue from non-oil products.

Although not the mainstay of California’s economy, Agriculture as a sector also makes significant contribution to the state’s economy. The state of California leads the American nation in the production of fruits, vegetables, wines and nuts. California produces the major share of U.S. domestic wine. Dairy products contribute the single largest share of farm income. California is also home to the famous Silicon Valley – an area in Santa Clara Valley, which continues to stay as a leading hub for high-tech innovation and development, accounting for one-third of all of the venture capital investment in the United States.

But then, available facts indicate that California would never have reached this enviable height without the remarkable contributions of Stanford University. A study released in 2012 estimates that companies formed by Stanford entrepreneurs generate world revenues of $2.7 trillion annually and have created 5.4 million jobs since the 1930s. Companies founded by Stanford alumni include tech giants like Google, Hewlett-Packard and Cisco Systems.

With the allocation of funds for the construction and then moving in to commission the Commercial Farm Palm Oil Mill, Farm Feeds Mill, and the Vegetable Screen House at AKSU, the Governor was clearly telling the institution that his administration is betting big on it to lead a knowledge-based diversification of Akwa Ibom state economy to commercial Agriculture.

And to be honest, I expect that Management of the university understands that this is a great opportunity for the institution to create a new story among Nigerian universities. For instance, it will be gladdening to see AKSU become the source of all the feeds for livestock farmers in Akwa Ibom and the Southsouth and Southeast region in the next few years. As a university, they have the advantage of deploying their research efforts into producing sought-after feeds, mill palm oil in commercial quantities for sale and produce a high-yielding breed of vegetable in the Screen house to farmers. This of course will also serve a reliable revenue source for the University.

Away from providing these infrastructures, Emmanuel has been attracting accolades from the AKSU community by his commitment to funding the university and the prompt payment of salaries to the staff. The big bet by the Governor on this is that with these motivations, the staff will approach their duties with high morale and committed verve.

But Emmanuel is not only betting big in the tertiary education sector alone. This year, the first batch of teachers out of the 5,000 recruited by the State Secondary Education board has been added to the workforce in public secondary schools in the state.

This is coming on the heels of the bold decision by the Governor to have cancelled the former recruitment exercise which many alleged was fraught with irregularities.

In a deliberate effort to also lay a firm foundation for public primary school pupils, Emmanuel is currently recruiting another set of 3,000 teachers under the Akwa Ibom State Universal Basic Education Board. These teachers who will pass through a thorough selection process will afterwards be saddled with the responsibility of moulding the future of prospective world changers.

These efforts are in addition to the continuous construction of more school blocks and renovation of old blocks in Public Primary and Secondary schools in the state.

It is safe to wager that Governor Emmanuel might be making this big bets the Akwa Ibom state education sector against the backdrop of the knowledge that investments in education has the power to trigger developments in other sectors of any society’s economy. Education is a fundamental driver of personal, national and global development. And as Akwa Ibom state journeys towards industrialization, there is need to prepare a generation who will take up the task of driving these developments in the future.

The future looks bright!

Borono Bassey writes from Akwa Ibom

October 19, 2017
Breaking: Akwa United Wins 2017 AITECO Cup

Carts home N25m

Akwa United FC have emerged champions of this year’s AITECO Cup today after defeating Tornadoes. The scoreline at the final whistle was 0-0 but the Promise Keepers prevailed 3-2 after penalty shoot –out to become the first winners of the captivating AITEO trophy.

In 2015, they also won the competition which was formerly known as the Federation Cup.

Akwa United will now get the cash prize of N25 million and would also be representing Nigeria in the CAF Confederation Cup.
On their part, Niger Tornadoes, who eliminated defending champions, FC Ifeanyi Ubah, to make it to the Lagos final will get N10 million.

Meanwhile, the colourful final was watched by a glittering array of eminent personalities, including Governors Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger State), CAF President Ahmad, CAF Vice Presidents Kwesi Nyantakyi and Omari Selemani, CAF Emergency Committee members Souleman Waberi and Amaju Melvin Pinnick, Executive Committee members of NFF, chieftains of sponsors AITEO, NFF Management, Members of the Lagos State Executive Council and members of the diplomatic community.

Victory handed Akwa United, whose goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo won both the Best Goalkeeper and Most Valuable Player awards and whose Coach, Abdu Maikaba was adjudged the Best Coach, a ticket to represent Nigeria in the 2018 CAF Confederation Cup competition.

Akwa United forward Christian Pyagbara also claimed the Top Scorer’s award with his seven goals in this year’s competition.

October 15, 2017
Much ado over Ibom Hospital’s closure

Controversies, disappointment and blame games have continued to trail the closure in September of the much touted ‘world class’ 308-bed Ibom Specialist Hospital, Itu, Akwa Ibom State.

Built and hurriedly inaugurated on May 26, 2015 by ex-Governor Godswill Akpabio three days before his exit from office, the hospital, according to him, was going to stand neck-to-neck with other ultra-modern health facilities anywhere in the globe. The state-of-the-art hospital was said to have cost between N30billion and N41billion.

Akpabio, now Senate Minority Leader, said: “We lose billions of dollars every year to medical trips abroad. We have also lost a lot of people, not because we don’t have the expertise in the country.

“We also decided to have a hospital that would answer to the needs of Nigerians in terms of advance health management and that was why we built the Ibom Specialist Hospital. It is not like a teaching hospital, it is like a quaternary hospital, it is higher than a teaching hospital.

“We are starting it with about six modular theatres with equipment, that if for instance you are doing a cardiological investigation on a patient, cardiologists from around the world can hook up to the theatre and see real time what is going on and make their contributions to the examination and operation. So, instead of rich and wealthy Nigerians and nationals of other West African countries going abroad, it is easier to come here.

“Sometimes, people die in the air while being transported abroad for treatment. We wanted to shorten travel time for patients going abroad and at the same time get revenue for the state from health tourism”.

True to his avowed promise to deliver the best medical services comparable anywhere in the world, and perhaps dwarf university teaching hospitals in the country, the Akwa Ibom state government engaged the services of no fewer than 150 Indians to run the facility.

However, two years after, not a few Akwa Ibom indigenes and Nigerians seeking top class medical attention adjudged the hospital as not meeting the vision and standard for which it was originally built.

Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel in June attested to the fact the hospital was ill-equipped and far below standard, hence not capable of delivering the much-expected cutting-edge medical services.

As if to establish a lack of confidence in the hospital, Akpabio himself flew out of the country for medical treatment for minor injuries sustained in an accident. He corrected that later by coming to the hospital for check-up.

Commissioner for Health Dr. Dominic Ukpong, in a recent media interview, said: “The whole thing wasn’t totally completed. The dialysis section didn’t come through. Three modular theatres were not yet completed. Some of the areas were not completed because the contractors did not have all their money”.

Administratively, our correspondent gathered that there was a missing link between Cardiocare Ltd, the managers of the hospital and the state government, with both accusing each other of not living up to its contractual terms and agreement.

While the state government blamed Cardiocare Ltd of the hospital for non-remittance of revenue to government coffers, the Indians accused the government of poor funding.

But an official of Cardiocare Ltd, who does not want his name mentioned, said the management of the hospital struggled with lack of funding from the state government.

It had to depend on high fees in to meet up its needs.

He said: “The current administration does not care much about how the hospital was faring. The governor himself has never visited or promoted the hospital in order to encourage local patronage.”

He said the state government has been frantically trying to do away with the hospital.

Another source confided in The Nation that Emmanuel is actually not keen on the specialist hospital and regards the facility as not been useful to the health needs of the common man.

He said: “Early last year, some foreign based consultants wanted to take over the management of Ibom Specialist Hospital. The first question the governor asked was why were interested in the hospital. He told them he could build a brand new ultra modern specialist hospital in Awa, Onna for them to manage. The consultants were shocked. They gave him many reasons why such a venture would be a total waste as the ISH was going to be grounded and may likely shut down.

“The governor now told them he wasn’t going to be able to terminate the existing contract except they were ready to pay $100 million to the consultant as stipulated fee for breach of contract; the consultant answered in the negative that that was almost impossible, and that their financiers wouldn’t be able to raise such funds to pay off the consultants.

“The second option was to wait until the contract with the managing consultant expired; of course that wasn’t a workable idea. The only option left was to murder the hospital indirectly by starving it of funds.”

An insider said the Reigners Church tragedy in December last year added to what really brought the hospital to its knees.

“What may have eventually brought down the hospital were the huge resources it spent on the treatment of the victims of the December 2016 Uyo Church building collapse.

“Our hospital was where they brought almost everybody to; even people that were taken to other hospitals still came back to our hospital for treatment.

“We had up to 80 surgeries or more. We had over a hundred patients at that time,” the source said.

He said the state government did not pay for the treatment of the patients until things became really bad for the hospital.

“The governor released money in July, but by that time things were already bad. The surgeons that were making money for the hospital left,” he said.

Dr. Ukpong said the N180 million the state government gave to Cardiocare Ltd was partly meant for the treatment of the victims of the Reigners’ Bible Church collapse.

“They gave me an outrageous bill which I couldn’t agree with as a doctor.

“They were asking for N294 million for 300 out-patients and about 70-something in-patients. The hospital was complaining about money before the church incident. So, let nobody use that incident as an excuse,” he said.

The health commissioner added that his ministry did not have any supervisory role in the the hospital, even though the hospital was built with state government money.

Also, he said he was not aware that the hospital managers ever paid any money to the state government, despite the agreement stipulating that they would be paying some revenues to the government.

The blame game between Cardiocare Ltd and the state government also helped in fueling the long-standing rumour in the state that the hospital is a ‘huge’ deception, and that it is probably owned by the ex-governor.

Uyo-based social critic Udeme Uyoatta is of the opinion that the hospital was ‘another white elephant project’ and destined for failure from the outset because it was constructed rooted in corruption, and shrouded in mystery and deception.

Uyoatta added: “The Ibom Specialist Hospital was built by Senator Akpabio to massage his political ego, especially for him to be seen as having achieved above his predecessors.

“I am of the strong belief that the project was used as a ‘drain hole’ to funnel the state’s oil resources into private pockets, and the result is what we are seeing today with the closure of the hospital which did not even have any economic benefits to the state”.

State Chairman of the Civil Liberty Organisation, Clifford Thomas, told The Nation that the Ibom Specialist Hospital is a private hospital built with public funds.

Thomas, a lawyer, said the hospital has never been useful to ordinary Akwa Ibom people.

“The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly should launch a full-scale investigation with the aim of unearthing the real owners of the ISH.

“The governor should also explain how much money has been spent on the hospital. To me, the hospital is a complete fraud and failure,” he said.

Our correspondent also gathered that the Indian medical experts and managers of the Ibom Specalist Hospital lived in an estate in Ewet Housing Estate suspected to be owned by Akpabio, thereby fueling the suspicion that the controversial hospital is owned by the ex-governor.

Akpabio has reportedly intervened in crisis involving the state government and the management of the hospital.

Speaking with our correspondent in Uyo, the member representing Itu State Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Idongesit Ituen, said lawmakers in the state were still studying the situation and would bring the matter up for deliberations after proper investigation.

Ukpong said the state government would soon come out with an official position on the matter.

October 13, 2017
‘Those against NDDC projects in Akwa Ibom are enemies of progress’

Mr. Nkeneke Efo, former Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, is the Co-ordinating Secretary, Partners for Peace and Progress(PPP) in the Niger Delta. In this interview, he says the politics surrounding the projects of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, in Akwa Ibom State, is capable of impeding the progress of the area. Excepts:

First anniversary of NDDC Board

One year is so short a time to properly assess whether they have done well or not, but given the nature of the duty expected of the board by the people of the Niger Delta, I would say even a day is enough to asses them. The current NDDC board led by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba and the management led by Sir Nsima Ekere, is probably the most popular of all the ones that have been there since the inception of the commission. Everybody seems to know there is an NDDC, especially in Akwa Ibom State, where the board was mostly seen through the activities of those who held prominent positions there. At present, the commission is seen more through its commitment to the fulfillment of its mandate. The current board has tried very well to change the narrative of the Niger Delta story. The story they met on ground was not good at all. The preface was still about a commission set up with a mandate to clear the mess of squalor, deprivation, degradation, inequality and lack of development in the region through planned interventions in areas like public infrastructure, health, education, agriculture and other areas that can aid it achieve the mandate.

You could call the NDDC mandate that of an alternate government for the region, a sort of helpmate for governments-local and state-in the region. Chapter one was filled with plenty of awarded and abandoned contracts. Chapter two was filled with financial and other liabilities running into hundreds of billions, mostly from jobs not completed, some completed but not of quality and some not even started at all. Chapter Three was an organisation with an agreed way of carrying out business as usual, with no care about whether the mandate of the commission was being fulfilled. Chapter Four was that of indigenes of the area seeing the commission as a cash cow that needed to be milked dry at the expense of doing what it was created to do. That was why elders could support youths to stop contractors on site and blackmail them and the commission into parting with funds that would have been used to develop the region. The Chapters in the book Ekere and co met on ground are endless but thanks to the new board, a new book is being written.

Some of the new Chapters has already been completely been rewritten within the last year. For example, the number of contracts had been streamlined. In most fora, the MD has said most of the contracts they met were not necessary and a lot of us know this is true. There is no need for some of the contracts that were awarded in the past. Even the costs of some of them were over bloated. I have seen a contract paper for a Water Supply contract – just overhead tank, reticulation and distribution to about a kilometer radius at N150Million. I mean just one. So, the Ekere management has streamlined all that. They have also cancelled non-performing contracts up to 600 in number and they are still cancelling. NDDC job papers were flying everywhere without any contractor on site. That was in the past. Now, I hear that if you don’t move to site in two months, your contract is gone. I also know that contractors who worked well but were owed are being paid. The days of people going to hold the commission for ransom and collecting monies that should have been used for development is also gone.

Quality of NDDC projects

Yes, the same political reasoning is prompting agents of government to do this.

Those actually politicising NDDC intervention projects are enemies of progress. For them, those bad roads the commission rehabilitated were better left undone. And the funny thing is, most of these roads were not accessible, some were in various states of deplorable conditions and mostly unmotorable.

And what NDDC did was carry out emergency remedial repairs on those failed portions which were unmotorable. You can read that on their signposts and even in the contract papers given to contractors who do the work. None of the contractors was told to go and construct a road. But some of them even go ahead to do more than remedial repairs. And because it is done by NDDC, they complain and fight development. Yet the same state government has a Road Maintenance Agency which carries out emergency road maintenance. How does it do it? By mostly patching potholes and areas where roads have failed. And nobody complains. The complaints by government is obviously political.

Like the one the Commissioner is making noise about, the Youth Avenue was already on going but the NDDC contractor stopped work at the start of the rain. When he went back to work, he was chased out by the state commissioner for Works and his agents and security. According to him, the Governor had awarded the job to a contractor on a Sunday when he came for a church service in the area. You wonder why a contract was awarded on a Sunday in church without an FGPC meeting and why on a road that was being done by the NDDC.

If I want to take them on, I will tell them to go and look for other failed roads and help carry out remedial repairs on them. In Uyo, there are so many. Not to talk of in other parts of the state. The Government has only done one complete new in Uyo, the Information Avenue which was started by Senator Godswill Akpabio’s Administration. The Works Commissioner, who is leading the assault on NDDC roads should say why, in two years, he has completed only one road in the whole of Uyo. He has a lot to do than to be bothered by NDDC roads and projects?

Why should he not be bothered about the quality of the projects?

Because he is not an NDDC project monitor. The Commission has project monitors just like the state government has. If the people of the area are bothered, they know how to petition the contractors to the NDDC. He could have as well complained to the NDDC, not to take laws in his hands and got to site to deal with a contractor that he didn’t engage in the first place. The NDDC also does not pay for shoddy jobs. focused on his duties.

What’s the way forward

The way forward is for government to partner with NDDC and NDDC to partner with government. On it’s part, I have noticed that the NDDC is trying to do this by helping government carryout remedial repairs on its roads and donating to hospitals, schools and communities. On the part of government, I see a cold shoulder. I have heard of rejection of assistance for hospitals. I have heard of rushed contract awards on roads earmarked for rehabilitation or construction by the NDDC. This is not good for the peace, progress and development of the region. The state government should do its own work and allow the NDDC do theirs. Quality assurance on its jobs should be left to the NDDC. Afterall, they are the ones to pay for those jobs and they have assured us that they do not pay for shoddy jobs, and we believe them.

October 13, 2017
Family heads appeal for recognition from A/Ibom State govt

The chamber of family heads in Akwa Ibom State has called on the state government issue to them certificates of recognition so that they would empowered to intervene in settling issues pertaining to tussles in electing village heads in the state.

The group, which made the appeal during an enlarged meeting, held on Friday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital, said successive administrations in the state have always neglected the role it played in ensuring peaceful leadership transition in villages across the state.

Speaking on behalf of the family heads, the state chairman, Chambers of Family Heads, Etubom Archibong Akpan, said that the group which consists of 34 state exco members, 19 chapter exco members in each of the 31 LGAs in the state and 9,350 members decided to come together in
order to resolve the tussles usually encountered in electing village heads.

He called on Governor Udom Emmanuel to look into their case and grant their request of Certificate of Recognition, to save them from being despised in the course of serving their people.
The group reaffirmed their unflinching support for Governor Udom Emmanuel beyond 2019 and prayed more of God’s wisdom upon the governor.

Responding on behalf of the governor, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Udo Ekpenyong assured the family heads of government’s readiness to recognize the group.

He noted that the family is an integral part of any society, hence the reason why family heads should be valued and given a prime place in the society, while reiterating government recognition and respect for them.

The commissioner encouraged them to mobilize members of their families to work in peace and unity in order to enhance the progress, growth and development of government programmes in the state.

September 29, 2017
W/Cup Qualifier: NFF insists on Godswill Akpabio Stadium

The Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) General-Secretary, Dr. Sanusi Mohammed has reiterated that the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, will host the world cup qualifier between Nigeria and Zambia amidst speculations of growing security challenges in the South East.

Sanusi who spoke with Sportinglife in a chat at the Glasshouse, said he has assured some foreign based- players who called to expressed worries over the tension in the South East that adequate security arrangement will be made to ensure a hitch free game in Uyo.

He further said that it would be unfair to take the match out of Uyo considering the support from the state and the fans who stood behind the Super Eagles from the beginning of the qualifiers.

The Scribe revealed that there will be different shows and fire works at the stadium to celebrate our qualification.

” I know that people are worried including the players over the growing security challenges in the South East but I have assured them that the Federation has no intention to move the all important match to another venue. The players are at home in Uyo and moving the match to another will affect the players,” Sanusi said.

The Super Eagles will host the Chipolopolo of Zambia in a must win game on October 7, 2017 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.

September 20, 2017