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Tag: Akwa Ibom State

  • Three killed in Akwa Ibom cult clash

    The Akwa Ibom Police Command has confirmed that three persons were killed in a cult clash between Axe and Vikings confraternities in Onna Local Government area of the state.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Odiko Mac-Don, disclosed this while speaking with on Sunday in Uyo.

    Mac-Don, who said that aside the three persons who were killed, added that some others sustained varying degrees of injuries in the clash.

    He, however, said that nobody had been arrested.

    “Yes there was cult clash in Awa, in Onna Local Government area. Although nobody has been arrested for now, three persons have, however, been confirmed dead,” he said.

    The police spokesperson said that investigations were ongoing to unravel the cause of cult clash in the area.

    “Investigations are ongoing; whenever the culprits are arrested, we will bring them to book. You know that this government has zero tolerance for cultism and we will not condone their activities.

    “We are trying to restore normalcy to the area. We were not aware of the incident until last night,” he said.

    An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, said that the incident happened last week in the area.

    He listed the affected villages to include Awa, Afaha Ubium, Ikot Obong Ishiet, Edem Idim and Ikot Asse as well as other neighbouring villages.

    Read Also: Akwa Ibom evacuates street children

    The eye witness explained that the cultists laid siege to the affected villages, killing three persons and leaving scores with varying degrees of injuries.

    He said the clash between the two confraternities was a supremacy battle, occasioned by the disbursement of cash allegedly given to some youths by one of the state government-owned agencies operating in the community.

    Another eyewitness, who also pleaded anonymity, alleged that the money was released to one of the youth leaders who, he said, was a member of one of the cult groups.

    He said that the youth leader shared the money among his members only, a situation which infuriated members of the rival cult group.

    The eye witness said that the rival cult members regrouped, armed with dangerous weapons, and attacked the youth leader who, he said, had, however, escaped to a neighbouring state.

    He alleged that the younger brother of the youth leader was one of those killed when they could not find him at home.

    The police spokesperson said that while the corpses of the victims had been buried, those who sustained injuries were currently receiving treatment in hospitals whose identities were not revealed for fear of another attack.

    NAN

  • ‘Anti-graft fight not for ICPC, others alone

    THE Rector of Federal Polytechnic at Ukana in Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Uduak Sunday Ukekpe, has said the fight against corruption is not the sole responsibility of anti-graft agencies alone.

    Ukekpe spoke on Wednesday while hosting the state’s Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Commissioner, Mr. Sola Shodipo, and his team when they visited the polytechnic.

    The rector noted that the anti-corruption fight can only be won when all well-meaning citizens join hands to tackle the menace. He said the menace stunted the growth and progress of the country.

    Ukekpe said: “The major problem bedevilling Nigeria is corruption and it is endemic. As a country, we may not make any reasonable progress until the battle against corruption is won. And for the battle to be won, all well-meaning Nigerians, organisations and groups must enlist in the fight. It is not for anti-graft agencies alone.”

    Read Also: Harvest of talents in Akwa Ibom

    The rector regretted that corruption had affected the Education sector, leaving an urgent and compelling need to rescue the system.  He recalled his days as a student when other nationals came to Nigeria to study.

    He added: “As a student, we had many other students from various countries coming to study in Nigeria. But today, our students seek admission outside the country, including some African countries; no thanks to corruption.”

    He urged ICPC to intensify its enlightenment campaign on the need for Nigerians to fight and eschew corruption.

    Shodipo said he was in the polytechnic to seek its management’s collaboration to work with the commission in the fight against corruption in the country.

    He called for the establishment of Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit to be manned by the polytechnic’s workers as well as Students’ Anti-Corruption Vanguard for.

     

  • N205m lost to hoodlums as shop owners count losses

    SHOP owners at the Novare Shopping Mall, Sangotedo, PEP Stores, Surulere in Lagos and MTN Office in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, were counting their losses on Wednesday.

    It was in the aftermath of the attacks on their premises by some angry youths, who were protesting xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and their businesses in South Africa.

    The youths raided stores at the three facilities.

    A firm, Timekeepers Store at the Novare Mall estimated the value of the goods looted and destroyed at the ware point at over N200 million.

    A call to the company, picked by a woman, who pleaded anonymity, said the hoodlums forced their way into the locked store and went away with expensive wrist watches and sun glasses.

    She said: “When we noticed the crisis, we locked our outlet and all our workers left. We were not there but they broke into the store and looted our wares. We deal in several brands of wrist watches and sun glasses worth millions of naira. The items were either damaged or stolen.

    “I’m sure it’s over N200 million.  The government should do something urgently about this. Is there a way all lost can be returned? The government should act fast, because in the light of what had happened, we are not helping ourselves.”

    According to her, the company belongs to a Nigerian, a Yoruba man.

    “I don’t know why we should attack ourselves, damage things we own, injure our own people and say we are retaliating the killing of Nigerians in South Africa.

    “Our youths are not learned enough and they need to be reoriented because the damage made no sense. They have only caused more damage; they have not resolved any problem. They have rendered so many people jobless”, she said.

    In Akwa Ibom, properties worth over N5 million were destroyed by irate youths, who attacked the MTN office on Ikot Ekpene Road in Uyo, the state capital.

    Read Also: Video: Hoodlums loot PEP store in Surulere, Lagos

    MTN Sales representative in Uyo, Idongesit Nkereuwem, listed the affected items as computers, staff phones, customers’ phones, windows and glasses among others.

    The sales representative said: “The irate youths ordered people out of the office while they destroyed computers, stole money and customer’s phones but nobody was injured during the incident.

    “They ordered staff and customers out of the office and we ran away through the back doors for safety.”

    Nkereuwem said the youths came with cutlasses, axes, sticks and other weapons to vandalise MTN offices across the state.

    Police Public Relations Officers, Odiko Mac-Don, a Superintendent of Police (SP), said the Commissioner of Police had ordered security beef up in Uyo.

    There was panic at Adeniran Ogunsanya and Bode Thomas in Surulere, Lagos as police officers prevented hoodlums, numbering over 30 from setting the Shoprite Mall ablaze.

    The hoodlums burnt some used tyres and littered the area with broken bottles and sticks.

    They confronted the police, asking the officers to allow them access into the mall.

    The policemen got infuriated as the hoodlums became more aggressive; they shot teargas to disperse them.

    In the process, four persons were arrested.

    The Shoprite Mall in Surulere was shut as well as many offices close to the facility – First Bank, Polaris Bank, Eco Bank, LG, Samsung and Steps Exclusive, among others.

    The two MTN offices and the PEP store on Bode Thomas were attacked. The goods at the store, including clothes, shoes, tables, chairs, laptops and desktops, were looted.

    One of the hoodlums said they were fighting for their rights as citizens.

    He said: “We learnt that our fellow Nigerians are dying in the hands of the South Africans; so, we want to retaliate and destroy all of their properties here in Surulere. We have destroyed Shoprite, two of the MTN offices and PEP.

    “The police refuse to let us enter; we gave them 10 minutes, if they don’t allow us to enter, we will forcefully go in and finish what we started yesterday (Tuesday). We came with petrol and matches, stick, bottles. In the middle of the incident the police shot one of us in the chest.

    “We are ready to destroy everything here right now and we do not care about the restrictions from the policemen”.

    A worker at the KFC, an eatery outlet inside the Mall said they were loading the chicken to other KFC outlets to prevent them from being spoilt.

    “Since activities have been shut down in this Shoprite branch of KFC, we have to move out basically our chicken to preserve them,” the worker said.

  • Xenophobic attacks: Firm loses N200m to hoodlums

    A firm, Timekeepers Store at the Novare Mall in Sangotedo, said the goods looted and destroyed in the store on Tuesday worth over N200 million.

    A call to the company, picked by a woman who pleaded anonymous said the hoodlums burgled their way into the store after locking it and went away with wrist watches and sun glasses.

    She said: “When we noticed the crisis, we locked our outlet and all our staffs left. We were not there but they burgled their way in and looted our stuffs. We deal with several brands of wrist watches and sun glasses worth millions of naira that was damaged or stolen.

    “I’m sure it’s over 200 million.  Government should do something urgently about this. Is there a way all lost can be returned? Government should act fast, because in the light of what had happened, we are not helping ourselves.”

    She said the company is owned by a Nigerian who is a Yoruba man.

    “I don’t know why we should attack ourselves, damage things we own, injure our own people and say we are retaliating the killings of Nigerians in South Africa.

    “‘Our youths are not learned enough and they need to be reoriented because all the damages done makes no sense. They have only caused more damage; they have not resolved any problem. They have rendered so many people jobless,” she said.

    Properties worth over N5 million was destroyed by irate youths on Wednesday when they launched an attack on MTN office along Ikot Ekpene road in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

    MTN Sales representative in Uyo, Idongesit Nkereuwem, said properties destroyed in the attack include computers, staff phones, customers’ phones, windows, glasses and money among others.

    “The irate youths ordered people out of the office while they destroyed computers, stole money and customers phones but nobody was injured during the incident.

    “They ordered staff and customers out of the office and we ran away through the back doors for safety,” he said.

    Nkereuwem said the youths came with cutlasses, axes, sticks and other weapons to vandalise the offices across the state.

    Police Public Relations Officers, Odiko Mac-Don, a Superintendent (SP) said the Commissioner of Police had ordered a beef up of security in Uyo.

    There was panic at Adeniran Ogunsanya and Bode Thomas in Surulere area of Lagos as police officers prevented hoodlums, over 30 in number from setting ablaze the Shoprite mall at the axis.

    Read Also: Foreign minister’s tweet on Xenophobia sparks row

    The hoodlums burnt some tyres and littered the area with broken bottles and sticks.

    They confronted the police, asking the officers to allow them access to the mall.

    The policemen became infuriated as the hoodlums became more aggressive; they shot teargas to scare the boys.

    In the process, four persons were arrested.

    Shoprite in Surulere was shut as well as many offices close to it – First Bank, Polaris Bank, Eco Bank, LG, Samsung and Steps Exclusive among others.

    The two MTN offices on Bode Thomas were damaged; PEP on the same road was also damaged. Virtually all their goods including clothes, shoes, tables, chairs, laptops and desktops were looted.

    One of the hoodlums, Samuel Effiong said they were fighting for their rights as citizens.

    “We learnt that our fellow Nigerians are dying in the hands of the South , so we want to retaliate and destroy all of their properties here in Surulere. We have destroyed Shoprite, two of the MTN offices and PEP. The police refuse to let us enter, we gave them 10 minutes, if they don’t allow us enter, we will forcefully go in and finish what we started yesterday (Tuesday). We came with petrol and matches, stick, bottles, in the middle of the incident the police shot one of us in the chest.

    “We are ready to destroy everything here right now and we do not care about the restrictions from the policemen”.

    KFC workers inside Shoprite said they were loading the chicken to other KFC outlets to prevent them from getting spoilt.

    “Since activities have been shut down in this Shoprite branch of KFC, we have to move out basically our chicken to prevent them from getting spoilt,” he said.

  • A’Ibom secures judgment for over nine rape cases

    The Akwa Ibom State government says it has secured judgment for 9 rape cases as part of its efforts to curb gender-based violence.

    Commissioner for Agriculture and Women Affairs, Dr. Glory Edet, who disclosed this at weekend, said the state government through her ministry has recently carried out a successful legal battle against rapists in the state.

    Edet spoke during a quarterly gender based violence technical working group meeting for case review, data validation and management, held in Uyo the state capital.

    She maintained that the judgment against rapists will serve as a warning to others who may be nursing such plans.

    She said “The ministry has secured over nine judgments in the court and the offenders are facing different jail terms, while other cases are ongoing. This will serve as a deterrent to others”

    She commended the efforts of the Female Lawyers Association and the police in the fight against gender base violence, in terms of prosecuting and jailing of perpetrators.

    “I want to use this opportunity to thank FELA and security officers because they have done enough in terms of jailing people.

    “Sometimes the ministry refer some cases to FELA because there are some cases that needs legal backing

    “There are also many cases we refer to police station Ikot Akpan Abia, so that they can handle. It depends on the nature of a case that we know the organization to refer it to because we all work together”.

    However, Edet, who frowned at some level of compromise by some law enforcement agents, lack of clear data for gender base violence as well as fear on  the part of some rape victims, described it as counter-productive to the fight.

    Read Also: Man hacks father to death in A’Ibom

    “The greatest challenges of GBV is lack of aggregated data and fear of being attacked on the part of survivors, some compromise by some law enforcement agents, thereby making our efforts counter-productive” she said.

    She noted that the ministry has embarked on monitoring of some dedicated health facilities in all the three senatorial districts making up the state for the purpose of information sharing as well as gathering data, adding that the action will help the ministry establish a data bank for the purpose of intervention.

    She said “The ministry has embarked on monitoring of some dedicated health facilities of the three senatorial districts of the state for information sharing as well as to gather information in other to establish a data bank in the ministry for the purpose of intervention.

    ‘These hospitals include- University of Uyo teaching hospital, Uyo, general hospital Ikot Ekpene, Emmanuel specialist hospital Eket and so on”.

    Edet thanked The Executive Governor of the state, Mr Udom Emmanuel for providing an enabling environment, thereby attracting the donor agencies to come into the state.

    She called on all the stakeholders in education, religious leaders, traditional rulers and all educated individuals to rise and put a stop to all gender base violence so that the state “ will be a better place to live in”

     

  • Court dismisses suit to stop Akwa Ibom International Worship Centre

    An Akwa Ibom High Court on Friday dismissed the legal action instituted by the Atheist Society of Nigeria (ASN) against the Akwa Ibom State Government over the building of multi-million International Christian Worship Centre in the state for lack of merit.

    The Chief Judge Justice Godswill Abraham who dismissed the case after eight month of judicial trial also awarded N500,000 costs against the Atheist Society of Nigeria.

    Reacting after the judgment, the Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Uwemedimo Nwoko noted that the section of the constitution that ASN had relied on didn’t cover them.

    “They have no jurisdiction to raise the issue because the Atheist definition of dictionary suggests people who do not believe existence of any Supreme Being capable of being worship by anybody.

    “The provision they are seeking to rely on the constitution is dealing with the right of government or prohibition of declaration of a state religion in Nigeria.

    “Akwa Ibom State has not declared Christianity as state religion but that does not take anything from the fact that Akwa Ibom state is a Christian state because the population is make up of over 99.9 percent of Christian.

    “We have the right to choose to build a Christian worship centre in Akwa Ibom State; beautiful enough  the court has agreed with us that they have no locus  standard to challenge the action of government.

    Read Also: DPR seals 13 petrol stations in Akwa Ibom

    “If any other group decide to have a worship centre and they approach government where there is resources government can also build a worship centre for them,” the Attorney General stated.

    President of ASN, Adebayo Opadeyi said the next line of action of the body will be decided after due consultation with their lawyers with a view to lodging an appeal.

    Opadeyi, in a statement with his Secretary, Freeborn Amadi immediately after the judgment stressed that the case was a battle to clarify a state’s constitutional obligation to distance itself from matters of religion.

    “The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria prohibits the entanglement of religion and state, yet in Akwa Ibom State, an enormous 8,500-seat worship centre is under construction.

    “Today (Friday) the High Court of Akwa Ibom State, Uyo Judicial Division failed to rule this entanglement of religion and state unconstitutional.

    “This is a bleak day for religious freedom in Nigeria. This is license for states and the Federal Government to use public money to support their preferred religions and to discriminate against other religions.”  they posited

  • Maritime Academy: Promoting girl child education

    The consistency of focus and genuine heartiness with which the present management of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), under the leadership of the Rector, Commodore Duja Emmanuel Effedua keeps fulfilling its promises across statutory and ancillary obligations of the Academy is commendable. This has attracted corresponding commentaries and eclectic appreciations from stakeholders and maritime observers.

    Monday, July 22, provided yet another opportunity for show of gratitude from beneficiaries of such pragmatic strides when the premier maritime institution organised a seminar for teenage girls in secondary schools within the host communities of the Academy and beyond, as part of its commitments to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

    The one-day seminar, which was largely interactive, with about 500 students and teachers from seven private and government secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State had a timely and exciting theme which was “Empowering the Girl Child for the 21st Century Nigeria”.

    Expectedly, this leitmotif was harnessed by renowned women who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields of endeavours and are noticeably passionate about the plight of the girl child.

    Commodore Duja Effedua was present at the seminar. He was accompanied by members of his management staff.

    Delivering a welcome address at the event, he said the exercise became necessary in order to expose the girl child to certain contemporary and prevalent issues that have adversely affected the personality, dreams, growth and development of young women in our society.

    The Rector condemned the retrogressive traditions and tendencies among parents and those who were supposed to be role models who have willingly or unwillingly neglected, marginalised and segregated against the girl child in preference for male children, just to gratify some societal customs. One of such customs was the belief that the life of the girl child should end in the kitchen and other menial preoccupations.

    Describing such attitude as illogical, unforgivable, chauvinistic and barbaric in modern society, Commodore Effedua emphasised that the seminar was also aimed at protecting young girls from falling victims to the dangers associated with certain customs, bad decision-making, bad association and other untoward attitudes that can eclipse their dreams and future.

    “That was why the Academy decided to engage experts to talk about the girl child. In view of what has been observed to be the case previously, even within the Academy communities, we do not want any irresponsible person to hijack or mortgage the future of these young minds.

    “They are our children and the future of this country and the onus is on us to create environment conducive and opportunities for them to realise their peculiar dreams without the slightest biases. The girl child must never be seen as inferior,” he said.

    He, therefore, implored the students to pay keen attention to the lectures that were prepared to help them excel in life.

    Indeed, there was no question that the scope and content of the seminar was discreetly designed to meet the purpose.

    Delivering a paper on “Taking Charge of Your Life: How to Make Decisions in Your Own Best Interest”, a respected journalist, maritime commentator and Editor of The Nigerian Maritime News, Mrs. Ezinne  Chinwe Azunna, commended the Academy for investing hugely on what she described as “girl child community service initiative’.

    Her paper challenged the girls to know that irrespective of where they were born or the circumstances they currently may find themselves, they had no excuses not to become somebody in life.

    She stressed that excellence was no exclusive blessing for any gender, but a common gift imbued in everyone by nature. Reference was made to Goal Number Five of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which, in part, is “to foster gender equality and women empowerment-to know their rights and have confidence to claim them”.

    Mrs. Azunna stressed that the paper was specifically developed to help the girl child understand life as a progressive concept; determine their life goals; know how decisions and choices affect the future of the girl child; why the teen girl needs focus and concentration; examples of those who, against all odds, excelled in life; and to have the students have extra-confidence to dare to dream above their limitations.

    The high point of her presentation was a short film on how Sharon of Makoko, a young 17-year-old Nigerian female, who was born into a poor home in a slum in Lagos State, became one of the 2018 CNN’s Heroes by her ability to develop software for fish selling.

    The second and last paper of the day with the title: “Self-Discovery for Increased Productivity” was presented by a two-time Commissioner for Education and Women Affairs in Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Eunice Thomas.

    The paper focused on what goals are and how to achieve them. It exposed members of the audience to reasons some people succeed and while others fail in life as well as offering tips on how the best results could be derived from vision, dreams and action.

    She defined a dream as a mere wish, whereas “a goal is a dream with a timeline”. She, however, argued that realising one’s goals in life can never be automatic, but flexibility, persistency or not losing focus no matter the distractions along the way ultimately will bring desired results.

    Her paper introduced acronyms such as S-T-AR (Skills-talents-Assets-Resources); SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats); S-M-A-R-T, which implies setting specific, measurable, achievable and realistic goals.

    There was the concept of MAGIC (Major, activities, gain, influence and connection). Using the examples of Orlando Serrell and Wright Brothers, the paper concluded that the girl child may never be able to realise her dreams if no effort was made in achieving it.

    The outpouring of gratitude by students and teachers of the benefiting schools was further testimonies to the beginning of a new dawn at the Academy.

    The Vice-Principal of Royal Comprehensive College Oron said: “It was amazing to see that such a thing could happen in the Academy. The seminar was quite thoughtful. We feel quite important. We lack words to convey all our feelings”.

    Helen Bassey, a teacher from Royal Comprehensive College said with exposure that came with the seminar, no girl child in the communities will have any excuse not to hit the sky. “This is the first time we have seen and experienced something like this”.

    The teenage students, who are the primary beneficiaries of the seminar, also said they appreciated the gesture.

    Esther Williamson and Queeneth of Golden International Schools, Oron, observed that they have been exposed to many things which they never knew. To Esther Iyanam Bassey of Community Secondary School, Eyo-Abasi, Oron and Evelyn Effiong Matthew of Royal Comprehensive College, the seminar has changed their lives and they will live to prove it.

    A student of Etiedu International Schools, Felicia Etim Adua and her friend, Joy Okon from National Community Secondary School said they now know what it means to have and set goals in life.

    Seven schools participated in the seminar. They were Royal Comprehensive College; Golden International Schools, National Community Secondary School and Etiedu International Schools. Others were Methodist Science College, Community Secondary Schools, Eyo-Abasi and Mary- Hanney Girls’ Schools.

    Apart from the rapid infrastructural renaissance witnessed in the Academy in the past one-and-half years, the seminar was one of the proofs that the Commodore Duja Effedua-led administration has also made practicable the culture of corporate citizenship for host communities.

    Earlier in March this year, the Academy donated hundreds of seats and desks to the Methodist Boys’ High School Oron and Mary Hanney Girls’ Secondary School in Oron respectively, two of the pioneer and oldest secondary schools in Nigeria and Akwa Ibom State.

    Again, the Academy has donated set of modern computers to two schools to enhance computer knowledge among students, built and furnished two ICT blocks to house the state-of-the-art equipment; besides having undertaken grading of roads in the communities, provision of more than 600,000 litres of diesel to the General Hospital Iquita Oron as well as sponsorship of sports and cultural events.

    • Edet Okpo, a Journalist, Public Affairs Analyst and Maritime Commentator, writes from Uyo.

  • Akwa Ibom evacuates street children

    The Akwa Ibom State government has evacuated children engaged in hawking during school hours off the streets of Uyo. They are to be sent back to school immediately.

    The exercise, executed through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, is part of the government’s efforts to rid the state of street urchins.

    Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare Dr. Glory Edet, who addressed the kids on Tuesday, assured them they would not be imprisoned by assisted to live a better life.

    She said: “We did not come to arrest you people but to help you to prosper by going back to school.”

    Edet warned the children against returning to their bush tent nor loiter the street during school hours.

    Read Also: ‘Akwa Ibom 2019 governorship was flawed’

    “We will sponsor you in school by making sure your needs are taken care of. Do not go back to that bush or street again to avoid being arrested,” she added.

    Dr. Edet also promised to reunite them with their families through which their welfare could be easily given attention.

    The commissioner also promised to pay the medical bill of one of the girls who was pregnant, and give her money to start her own business.

  • A’Ibom govt expresses worry over erosion, flood threats

    Commissioner of Environment and Natural Resources, Ekong Sampson, over the weekend lamented that despite government’s remedial measures to tackle erosion and flood, large portions of the state were threatened by the disasters.

    Sampson said this while speaking with newsmen at one of the sites shortly after he led officials of the ministry and journalists on inspection tour of erosion and flooded sites in Uyo, the state capital.

    Read Also: Gunmen kill two soldiers, abduct expatriate in A’Ibom

    The commissioner visited erosion sites at the Uyo prison, Udo Inwang community and the flood site at Ubara community in Use Offot in Uyo Local Government Area of the state.

    He said: “we have gone round on inspection even in the rain. I am here with officials from the ministry and officials of Nigerpet who have been working on a number of locations in the state.

    “The state government is passionate about this matter, so we are here to see things for ourselves for prompt intervention. The governor, Udom Emmanuel, has directed that remedial measures be put in place to salvage the situation.”

  • Free health care programme for Akwa Ibom communities

    Attritions among oil prospecting companies and their host communities are commonplace in Akwa Ibom State. But an indigenous oil company, Oriental Energy Resources, has decided to bring succour to those indigenous to Mbo Local Government Area.

    A total of 4, 634 patients benefited from free medical programme during which various ailments were treated, including 33 who underwent eye surgery and over 100 patients who received eyeglasses, expectant mothers were given antenatal kits. School children and their teachers also received hygiene sets.

    The Chairman, Effiat Council of Chiefs praised the firm for “saving the lives of the people. In fact, this is not the first time they are doing this”.

    A 73-year-old Sylvanus Bassey whose sight was restored during the free eye surgery beamed with smiles as he said the initiative has positively affected the lives of residents of the communities who never dreamt of accessing such free and quality medical facility. He praised the firm for the gesture.

    While pouring encomiums on the company, a beneficiary from Enwang, Emmanuel Enukit, enjoined others to take a cue from the oil firm, appealing to the firm to consider carrying out the programme twice in a year considering the fact that health is wealth.

    A member of the Community Relations Committee (CRC), Mfon Henry was excited over the programme. He was particular abaout the eye surgery programme which he said has gone a long way towards restoring the sights of the people who couldn’t afford the cost of surgery in government or privately-own hospitals.

    However, Henry would want the firm to increase the budgetary allocation of the yearly programme so that more patients will benefit from it. He commended the firm for having a good working relationship with the host communities and the relevant stakeholders.

    “It is commendable and I thank God for the organisation. They have tried so much so that I am equally a beneficiary of the programme. Where would I have gotten the money to carry out the surgical operation which has been done free here? ‘’

    Deputy Manager, Community Relations, Anslem Okere, said: “The free medical exercise is part of our corporate social responsibilities to ensure a healthy populace in our host communities. We take host communities as major stakeholders in our operations.  We have done the free medical outreach on several occasions and the turnout has always been very tremendous.

    “More importantly, this year, we added the free eye surgery because the people demanded we incorporate it in the programme. We had to ensure that their demand was met and they have so much appreciated the gesture.

    “Apart from the free medical outreach, we have also embarked on other social investments including scholarships, skill acquisition centre at Enwang, 100 Oriental units at Enwang and teachers’ quarters at Effiat, among others.”

    Similarly, Community Relations Officer, Greg Okpo, who is indigenous to the area, said the exercise has brought joy to his people.

    “My people are happy because of the free surgery. This kind of surgery costs a lot of money in some hospitals and that is why they are so elated because many of them are indigent and cannot afford the cost.

    “So far, the company has shown a cordial relationship with the people and they are appealing for more of this kind of goodwill,” he said.

    The Chairman of Mbo Local Government Area, Asukwo Eyo, who declared the programme open, praised the oil firm for the exercise, which he said would go a long way in meeting the health needs of the people and complement government’s efforts at providing comprehensive health care delivery for the citizens.

    The council chief said: “Health is wealth as the saying goes. Therefore, this exercise is, indeed, a welcome development. We are happy with the organisation for this gesture. The people of Mbo are happy for having access to this comprehensive health care delivery from the firm and we urge it to continue in that stead because government alone cannot meet the needs of the citizens. I urge other firms to take a cue from this company.”

    The Managing Director, Faith Optical and Medical Services Limited, Dr. David Ehimhen, said need assessment led to the inclusion of eye surgery in this year’s outreach, describing the week-long free health care exercise as very successful. He thanked members of Mbo and Effiat CRC as well as other community leaders for their co-operation.

    It was gathered that the firm has carried out many social investments in the oil-rich area which include 100 units of housing estate, skill acquisition centre, teachers’ quarter and yearly scholarship scheme for indigent students in tertiary institutions, among others.

    “Nobody expected the accomplishments of the company within short a time in the area. Other companies have been exploring here for 20 years, yet there is nothing to show for their presence here. But Oriental is a different kettle of fish. It has set a new standard for local content and we are grateful”, said a community leader, Chief Eyo Robin, a beneficiary of pterygium surgery.

    Residents of the oil-producing communities want other marginal and major oil companies operating in the area to take a cue from Oriental.

    The consensus is that the company has become a benchmark for oil firms in the area.

    The challenge for the other companies is to raise the bar. They stated that the firm is a good case study from which stakeholders can pick valuable lessons. And one of the vital lessons is for the industry operators to ensure their impacts are felt positively by the host communities.