The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Akwa Ibom State

  • Buhari hails Super Eagles’ victory over Cameroon

    Buhari hails Super Eagles’ victory over Cameroon

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Nigeria’s Super Eagles over Friday’s impressive win over the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

    The President, in a statement by the Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, joined millions of football-loving Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora in applauding the senior men’s football team for their disciplined, skilful and entertaining display against the defending African champions.

    While noting the exhilarating victory, he said that Nigeria is on the verge of qualification for the World Cup in Russia 2018.

    The President urged the players to sustain the momentum as they approach the crucial second leg of the tie in Yaounde, on Monday.

    Buhari also enjoined Nigerians who always see football as a unifying platform, to continue to pray and support the team to guarantee victory next week and make qualification doubly sure.

    He also commended the Akwa Ibom State Government for its continued support and provision of excellent hosting facilities.

     

     

  • Akwa Ibom community gets pipe-borne water 400 years after

    Akwa Ibom community gets pipe-borne water 400 years after

    Unhealthy sources of water can lead to avoidable diseases, such as diarrhea and pneumonia. The European Union (EU), United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) and Akwa Ibom government have intervened in Ikot Nkpene community to check open defecation and boost water and sanitation, reports OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA.

    Mrs Amedi Udofa could not hide her happiness that day. The source of her joy is Ikot Nkpene, a village in Nsit Atai Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, which has existed for no less than 400 years but lacked pipe-borne water. The stream where the community used to fetch water for household and other uses was also the site for open defecation, laundry and public bathing.

    “We learnt through UNICEF that that is the cause of the many outbreaks of those water borne diseases. But since the provision of the pipe-borne water we hardly record cases again,” said Mrs Udofa.

    Now, the European Union (EU), United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) and Akwa Ibom government have changed the community’s story.

    Mrs Udofa recalled that it was only one man that had a private pipe-borne water in the community. It was not enough for the village that has 140 households with a total population of more than 1, 474 people, according to the household survey conducted by the Water Sanitisation Hygiene (WASH) Committee.

    She said: “Our children are enjoying the new development because they do not go to the stream again to fetch water. They do not miss school again or go late to same due to the fact that they go to streams to fetch water for household use- household drinking, cooking, washing and cleaning purposes and meeting the demand for other household chores. Not to mention for production. Ikot Nkpene is a farming community and one of the farm produce is palm fruit. Before the provision of the water, we have been suffering, because women and children have to go to the stream to fetch water to produce the palm oil, but now all of us can easily access the water here through the pipe borne water. Before the water came in there had been series of diarrhoea but now same has reduced.”

    The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in a report said women and girls spend over 40 billon hours in sub-Saharan Africa fetching water. This is equal to a year of labour for the workforce of France.

    A principal official of Nsit Atai WASH Unit, Mr. Terlumun Ashile, put it in perspective: “At the household level, women and girls are most often the users, providers and managers of water and guardians of household hygiene. Whether fetching, carrying from streams or a water system works or not they are the ones who are mostly affected. Similarly, without access to sanitary facilities in the household, women become inconvenienced during day light, using only the night for cover to relieve themselves. This exposes them to the risk of physical attack, violence and snake/scorpion bites.”

    Mrs Udofa said the patronage of the Comprehensive Health Centre for the treatment of water-borne diseases has reduced significantly.

    “The centre used to function as a hospital but it does not take emergency services. A community like ours has children and expectant women and even other adults that required urgent medical care but it only takes planned healthcare such as immunisation. The facilities required are lacking and the centre itself is in a deplorable situation. The roofs are leaking the quatres are not habitable. The people in the community are not going there again. The healthcare personnel like the doctors and nurses said they’ve written to government. In case of emergency we go to Utumba which is about 10 to 20 kilometres that is about One hour drive. There is no Midwife service scheme here but our women still deliver. But now that we have clean water, we do not experience many cases of water related diseases again,” she said.

    A teacher at the Ikot Nkpene Primary School said the provision of the water has impacted positively on the school: “It has impacted on different dimension- the learning, health, childhood and community dimensions.”

    She added: “We have recorded a reduction of occurrence of diarrhea related morbidity among children and absenteeism from school due to sickness. Our records show that school enrolment has significantly increased due to a friendlier school environment.

    “The pupils are happy to use the modern toilet facilities and hand washing stations. They do not entertain the fear of reptiles lurking inside the pit latrines again as the alternatives are better.”

    She is happy that the pupils have been given proper orientation on the need and how to practise hand washing with soap. This has had ripple effects on the community as the entire community is motivated to go for hand washing at household level.

    Ikot Nkpene Primary School has functional toilets with separate provision for boys and girls.

    The Village Head of Ikot Nkpene, Samuel Udoh, said his community has been certified Open defaecation free (ODF) and that has improved the health of the people in the community.

    “We have a cleaner environment and we have been able to break the cycle of faecal-oral route of disease transmission. We are doing everything to retain that certification. UNICEF and people from the estate government used to send officers here periodically to see if we are still maintaining the status. This gives us the moral pressure on the community to maintain our ODF status,” stated Uwemedimo.

    The Deputy Head, Uwemedimo David Udofa flesh-up on this, that Ikot Nkpene emerged 16th centuries ago and had always relied on rivers and streams but because of the importance the people in the community attached to sanitation and hygiene when the idea of WASH was first brought to the community notice by UNICEF/EU about three years ago, the community embraced same.

    Udofa said the community swung into action with the establishment of WASH committee.

    “Since the installation of these facilities- a collection head tank and five distribution channels in form of pipes our health status has improved as evidenced in the reduction of water related illnesses. We salute EU/UNICEF and the AKRUWASAN, Nsit Atai WASH Unit for your labour of love at a time we don’t really have any son or daughter in a sensitive post in the government.”

    Mrs. Udofa is, however, worried about the sustainability of the project because of what she described as the use of inferior materials, which make the taps to break, and the fact that the contractor laid the pipes on top of the soil, which is not deep enough to cover the bigger pipes.

  • Cheers for NDDC over harvest of projects

    Cheers for NDDC over harvest of projects

    Obong Nsima Ekere’s time as the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is causing excitement in Akwa Ibom State and other parts of the Niger Delta.  Stakeholders recenly rolled out the drums to celebrate what the commission has done for them.

    They applauded the interventions of the commission.

    Community leader in Mbo, Akwa Ibom, Chief Effiong Eduno, said the NDDC has really touched the lives of the people.

    He said the commission has built  model schools in nine  states of the Niger Delta, Akwa Ibom inclusive. This is in addition to the provision of scholarships to students of secondary and tertiary institutions from its catchment areas.

    Available records also indicated that the NDDC had  committed itself to 890 projects and 62 emergency repair works across the state. Official of the commission noted that of the 890 projects, the agency has completed and inaugurated 160 while 281 already completed are waiting commissioning.

    Some of the major projects of the commission in the state include the 12.5km Okoita-Itu-Mbak Atai-Ikot Ntuen-Mkpeti-Oku Iboku road in Itu, the 10.125km Ididep-Ekpenyong-Ikot Etim Afaha Itiat road in Ibiono Ibom, the 30km Nsasak junction-Akon road in Essien Udim and 6.7km Iwuochang-Okorutip road project with 600m bridge span bridge.

    Others are the 4.9km Oku Iboku internal roads in Itu, construction of a community centre at Ibiaku Ishiet along Airport road, renovation of hostels, dinning and kitchen at Methodist Boys High School, Oron, maintenance/dredging of creek at Esit Eket and Okoroitak in Ibeno, on-going construction of a specialist hospital at the main campus of the Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden, Mkpat Enin local government area.

    Comrade Ndarake Eshiet, a native of Iwuochang in Ibeno local government area, said  the construction the 6.7km Iwuochang-Okorutip road project with 600m bridge span bridge had opened the council to new opportunities.

    Eshiet added that  life was hellish and unbearable for his people before the bridge was constructed.

    ‘’I must confess that before this bridge was built life was very difficult for us. We didn’t have access to other places. There many villages around here besides my village but movement of people and goods were impossible.

    ‘’We are fishermen; getting our fishes outside our communities for people to buy was a herculean task. There was no development of any kind. Before the bridge, it was very difficult to access medical treatment for our sick because you can’t even leave this place to get treatment in hospitals in Ukpenekang or other places. Due to this challenge, so many of our people died.

    ‘’But the story has changed now. The bridge has brought visitors and development to our communities. Our sufferings have been substantially reduced and all I can say is that we are grateful to the NDDC’’.

    David John Ikwo, another native of Iwouchang, said with the NDDC bridge, accidents resulting to deaths and other losses from boat mishaps are now a thing of the past.

    ‘’The bridge has really helped from boat tragedies which usually occurred in the past. Boats used to capsize leading to deaths and loss of valuable properties. And before dead bodies are recovered it takes up to three days to four days. I thank God because we don’t have such sad experiences again.’’

    Idem Alexander, from Oruk Anam Local Government Area, said he relocated back to Iwuochang because the NDDC had brought a  lease of life to the people.

    ‘’Before NDDC constructed this bridge, visitors were not coming to this part of Ibeno. Now visitors from different areas in the state and beyond are pouring into this community and other villages around. I am welder and decided to open up my workshop here because people now have access to this community.

    ‘’My appeal to the NDDC is that it come complete the sections of the road, that is from Okorutip to Ntafre and from Iko to Atabrikang-Ntafre. This stretch of road is supposed to lead to Akpaden in Mkpat Enin but work on these sections of the road has delayed for too long and that has also affected my businesses and other businesses in the area’’, Ikwo said.

    Chief Ntekpere Akpanusoh, a resident of the street, said: ‘’It won’t be wrong if one says that the repairs of Nsentip Street deserves a testimony in the church. The road has been abandoned for so many years.

    ‘’The first day we saw caterpillars and tractors moving into the street for work to start, residents filled up the street in jubilation, all praise to the NDDC for coming to our rescue.

    ‘’The NDDC intervention has erased the memory of our suffering over the years. The Commission has done extremely excellent for us.”

    At Udo Eduok/Itiam Street in Uyo, a resident, said: ‘’Before now the entire stretch of the road and adjoining streets used to be waterlogged and that made life extremely difficult for us.

    ‘’It was one of the worst roads within Uyo, the state capital.”

     

  • FG promotes 378 staff in Maritime Academy

    FG promotes 378 staff in Maritime Academy

    The Federal Government has approved the promotion of 378 Staff of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, Akwa Ibom State.

    The promotion was contained in a statement Wednesday signed by the head, Corporate Affairs of MAN, Mr. Siddi Mkpandiok.

    He explained that the promotion was the result of the Junior, Senior and Management Staff interviews which took place in the main campus of the Academy late last year.

    According to Mkpandiok, out of the total number of staff promoted, 157 are junior staff, while the senior and management staff drawn from both the Academic and Administration arms is 221.

    Among them are three Chief Lecturers: Maurice Ijeoma, Innocent Ezeala, Dr. John Adeyanju; four Directors: Siddi Mkpandiok, Corporate Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Essien, Personnel Affairs, Mr. Sunday Udoh, Finance and Account; Mr. Okon Okon, Finance and Account.

    Four others got promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief Lecturer and they include; Mrs. Atim Ikara, Mr. Ekwere William, Mr. Olaoluwa Omotosho, Mrs. Angela Udofe and an Assistant Chief Librarian, Mr. Effiong Okon.

    Two Staff each were also promoted to the rank of Deputy Registrar and Deputy Director.  They are: Mr. Peter Netson and Mr. Ishiola Yusuf, and Mrs. Theresa Anya and Babawale Ogunsola respectively.

    He said: “When the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi directed the Permanent Secretary in charge of the Ministry, Alhaji Sabiu Zakari and four Directors in the Ministry to personally supervise the interview which held in December last year was comprehensible apprehension on the part of staff, being the first time, in the life of the Academy, that the Ministry was directly physically supervising promotion interview in the institution.

    “Today, the staff are happier for reasons of greater authenticity, work satisfaction and rewarding motivation,  and remain grateful to the Honourable Minister, the Permanent Secretary, and all the Directors and Staffers of the Ministry who worked tirelessly to ensure this success of the exercise.”

     

  • Four arrested as Police, NAFDAC smash fake bread syndicate in A’Ibom

    The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) working in collaboration with the Police has smashed a syndicate specializing in producing unwholesome bread with pirated materials in Akwa Ibom State.

    Although the prime suspect, simply identified as Emeka is on the run, no fewer than four persons were arrested when the Police stormed the factory at Ekpemiong Itak community in Ikono Local Government Area of the State.

    Worried by the development, officials of NAFDAC have sealed the depot, carting away hundreds of fake breads, including fake wrappers and labels of other quality breads with which he used as cover to sell his illicit bread.

    The Senior Regulatory Officer (SPO), Mr. Abutu Michael, who led the inspection team on behalf of the head of NAFDAC in the State, Mr. Collins Ogedegbe, admitted that such cases have been rampant in the State.

    “We have been handling these kind of cases in the State”, he said, adding that the agency would stop at nothing to ensure the enforcement of quality control regime on food products in the State.

    With sealing of the place, the NAFDAC SPO said investigation has begun to ascertain whether the company’s operations complied with the regulatory demands of the agency.

    “We are going to check for the company’s name in our documents whether it has been registered; whether it conformed to the regulatory framework”, he explained, adding that if found guilty at the end of investigation, necessary penalties would be slammed on the suspects.

    One of the bread brands faked by the company, Gestric bread, belongs to the former Deputy Governor of the State, Obong Chris Ekpenyong.

    Speaking yesterday on the matter, Ekpenyong recalled that he was moved to investigate when: “people started complaining that the quality of my bread is no longer what it used to be.

    “What we discovered was that this company used the name, labels and wrappers of my bread to produce his fake bread, thereby making customers to believe it is my bread.

    He, therefore, urged the Police to immediately prosecute the suspects, saying: “if effective action was not taken to check the dumping of illicit foods in the country, people will continue to die of ailments from unidentified sources.

    The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in-charge of Ikot Ekpene, Mr. A.S. Bello, who confirmed the incident, said the suspects would be charged to Court.

    He appealed to the civil society to compliment the services of the Police in the task of riding the society of fraudsters and criminal elements by volunteering information suspicious characters in their neighbourhoods.

  • ASUU protests salary cuts, increasing mortality rate of members

    ASUU protests salary cuts, increasing mortality rate of members

    The Calabar Zone of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has protested the reduction of subventions to the universities for the payment of personnel emolument since December 2015.

    The Union also decried a spike in the mortality rate among university workers in the past year, saying the deaths “may not be unconnected these strangulating cuts in salaries.”

    The Calabar Zone of ASUU consists of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH), University of Uyo (UNIUYO), Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), Ebonyi State University (EBSU) and Abia State University (ABSU) Branches.

    Addressing reporters in Calabar Monday, the Coordinator of the Zone, Prof Nsing Ogar, lamented that the situation has resulted in the incomplete payment of salaries, non-implementation of promotion, non-remittance of statutory deductions to unions, co-operative societies and creditor banks with which staff have commitments.

    Ogar, in the company of the chairmen of UNICAL, CRUTECH and UNIUYO Branches, Dr Tony Eyang, Dr Emmanuel Ettah and Dr Aniekan Brown, respectively, said the shortfalls which vary from institution to institution run into hundreds of millions for some and tens of millions for others.

    He said, “Fragments of salaries have been paid staff, with some universities paying between 80 and 90 per cent from December 2105 to January 2017. As if to dramatise its insensitivity to the plight of workers in the academia, the government cut February salary by about 30 per cent in what appears to be a determined onslaught to knock off oxygen from the university system.

    “This anomaly has thrown university workers into unprecedented agony, difficulties and embarrassment as if the already existing harsh economic realities and soaring inflation in the country were not enough. The persistent shortfalls, and now deeper cuts in salaries have mincemeat of the struggles of academics, killed incentive and dampened morale.

    “State universities are not left out of this regrettable situation as their visitors have developed the unhealthy penchant of releasing grossly inadequate subventions resulting in the payment of only net salaries without the remittance of deductions to unions and cooperative societies.

    “There has been a lot of agitation, outrage and anger from members of the Union, with the leadership coming under immense pressure. This has nit augured well fostering an atmosphere for meaningful activities on university campuses. To think that workers’ productivity can be divorced from their welfare is a regrettable fallacy.

    “While expressing our frustration at government’s failure to see the need to address this problem with its wide ramifications, we are heavily disappointed that the governing councils of the universities have been at best phlegmatic, and at worst indifferent, towards taking serious steps to salvage the situation and avert the looming catastrophe.

    “ASUU categorically condemns and rejects the cruel and sustained attempts to emasculate and humiliate academics, and is resolved to challenge in any form this monumental injustice and slavery, now posing an existential threat to intellectual workers.

    “We call on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to stop this unprovoked attack on the academia by releasing full monthly subventions to universities and the backlog of shortfalls owed them.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, out Unions National Executive Council will not shirk its moral and historic responsibility of taking firm and decisive action in this unjust situation is not satisfactory addressed before its meeting on March 25 and 26, 2017.”

     

  • Osinbajo to visit Akwa Ibom Thursday

    Osinbajo to visit Akwa Ibom Thursday

    As part of effort to reduce tension in the Niger Delta, the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo will Thursday visit Akwa Ibom State.

    A release by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Charles Udoh reveals that Prof Osinbajo will inspect the ongoing construction of the second runway at the Akwa Ibom International Airport shortly on arrival.

    The Acting President according to the release will later pay a courtesy call on royal fathers in the state at the traditional rulers’ council.

    Prof. Osinbajo is also expected to address a town hall meeting with stakeholders at the state Banquet Hall in Government House before departing from the state.

    Among dignitaries expected at the town hall meeting Udoh stated are members of the state elders council, royal fathers, representatives of the oil producing host communities, socio-cultural organisations, women leaders, and representatives of youths in the state.

    The visit comes as part of the ongoing efforts by the federal government to interact with stakeholders in the Niger Delta region and find lasting solutions to crisis in the oil rich sub-region.

  • A/Ibom govt develops new job portal ‘Hire a Workman’

    A/Ibom govt develops new job portal ‘Hire a Workman’

    As part of the strategies to re-orientate the people to become self-reliant, Akwa Ibom State Government has unveiled a social innovation project called ‘Hire a Workman’.

    ‘Hire a Workman’ is an online job board that will inform and engage the creative minds of Young creatives as well as create more job opportunities for the teeming youths.

    The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Akwa Ibom State, Mr Charles Udoh noted that the for a was essential, considering the e-governance model of Governor Udom Emmanuel as it delivered a needs assessment analysis of the 2017 Blueprint of the Akwa Ibom State Government.

    He further revealed that via the web portal anyone can hire a workman in Akwa Ibom, post a job, find job vacancies, promote their portfolio and create wealth for themselves in overall terms.akwa I bom

    Similarly, New Media aide to Governor Udom Emmanuel, Mrs MefLyn Anwana, thanked the governor for opening up the digital space in the state, noting that Akwa Ibom State has in the past 20 months been on the raider and viable as a thriving digital ecosystem whose young creatives contribute to the digital economy of Nigeria.

    The event had in participatory attendance the Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic media Mr Sampson Akpan, Special Assistant to the Governor on Media Mr Essien Ndueso, Mr Aniekeme Finbarr and the ICT aide to the Governor Mr Solomon Eyo.

    Bloggers, journalists, PR experts, techies and a cross section of Students from across the state were on hand to engage interaction while citizens joined the conversation on several social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google etc.

    Web Analytics showed an impressive feedback from followers of Governor Udom Emmanuel, Akwa Ibom indigenes both at home and in the diaspora, foreign investors, Nigerians from the political divide, local investors and youth groups.

  • Akwa Ibom: Kerosene explosions kill four, injure 14

    Four persons have died  while 14 others have been severely burnt in multiple kerosene explosions in Akwa Ibom state over the last 15 weeks , Dr Aniekeme Uwa, chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) said Friday.

    Uwah spoke at a stakeholders’ sensitization meeting on kerosene fire incidents organised by the office of the Senior Special Assistant on Petroleum Matters in Uyo, the state capital.

    The NMA boss said that between September 22, 2016  and  Jan. 7 this year,  18 kerosene explosions  occurred in the state.

    He said that statistics available at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) revealed that all the four dead persons were females and five of the injured were males.

    Uwah said that kerosene explosions often occurred through adulteration of the genuine products and wrongful use of the product in stoves and lanterns.

    He said that the explosions usually led to loss of skin, which according to him, “is our major protector against infection”.

    “Skin burn leads to loss of water and causes dehydration and lung infection resulting from inhalation of fume. Let stop this avoidable death,” Uwah advised.

    He commended Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom for the support given to the victims of kerosene explosion in the state through purchase of drugs and other consumables.

    The Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Petroleum Matters, Obong Essien Esema, said that the meeting was targeted at surface tank dealers and pedlars of kerosene.

    Esema told the stakeholders that part of the measures of preventing kerosene explosion caused by adulteration was to get all surface tank dealers and peddlers registered by his office.

    He advised the surface tank dealers and peddlers to get affiliated to well-known filling stations for the supply of the product.

    “Henceforth, no more hawking of kerosene, only filling stations and surface tank dealers will sell kerosene in the state.

    “No surface tank dealer or peddler should buy kerosene from unknown source. If you don’t buy from them, they will have no market,” Esema said.

  • Kidnapped Akwa Ibom Ex-Speaker rescued

    A former Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Bassey Essien who was kidnapped by unknown gunmen over the weekend on his way to his farm in his country home Etebi, Esit Eket local government area of Akwa Ibom State has been rescued by combined efforts of youths and the police.

    A family member who spoke with The Nation on the condition of Anonymity said that Essien who served as the second Assembly Speaker between 1999 and 2001 was rescued unhurt by the youths of Udung Uwe community in Urueffong Oruko Local Government Area of the State.

    According to him: “Bassey Essien was on his way to his Farm at Etebi Esit Eket when some gunmen numbering six blocked his vehicle and dragged him out. They forced him in their own vehicle and headed towards neighboring Udung Uwe community in Urueffong Uroko council area but unfortunately their vehicle broke down and they mobilized motorcycle and continue their journey amidst heavy rainfall in the area but again the motorcycle had flat tires.”

    The source, who said the abductors were unable to continue the journey into their forest hideout
    because of flat tires, stayed with their victim in a bush around the community when information got to the youths of the Udung Uwe community from the police that a former Speaker had been kidnapped at Etebi Esit Eket and headed towards their community.

    “A search party of youths was immediately raised and the entire bushes in the community was combed and the six abductor were apprehended with the former Speaker in their midst.” The source said.

    He added that Essien was not wounded during the abduction saga but highlighted that the youths who abducted him had done so with the intention of collecting ransom from the family.

    Some family sources said the abductors who asked for money from the former speaker to save his life told him that they were paid to assassinate him by unnamed politician in his area

    He noted that the kidnappers had been handed over to the police for interrogation and prosecution.

    When contacted the Police Public Relations Officer Akwa Ibom State ASP Cordelia Nwawe who confirmed the arrest of the hoodlums noted that investigation is ongoing and that the suspects
    will soon be charged to Court.