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Tag: Akwa Ibom

  • Akwa Ibom governor’s wife urges teachings on moral values

    Wife of Akwa Ibom State Governor,  Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel, has urged parents and guardians to inculcate good moral values in their wards to secure their future. The governor’s wife spoke when she received a delegation of Beautiful Imagination, organisers of the Little Miss Akwa Ibom beauty pageant at the Government House, Uyo, the state capital.

    Mrs. Emmanuel lauded the organisers of the beauty pageant for their insightful and visionary initiative in floating an outfit that is geared towards raising children to becoming assets to their family and the society at large. She also commended the chairman of the group, Mrs. Itoro Etim, for her ingenuity over the years, saying that she was elated by what she was doing to help the girl-child in the society. She urged the little Miss Akwa Ibom, Miss Rachel Ekpo, not to relegate her academic pursuit to the background, but rather stay focused and study hard so as to be a good ambassador of the group and the state.

    Miss Rachel Ekpo congratulated Mrs Emmanuel for  her husband’s success at the poll and swearing in as the governor, adding that it was divine manifestation of the hand of God.

    She appreciated the organisers of the beauty pageant for creating a platform to nurture and groom the girl-child, stating that she had been afforded the opportunity of learning good moral values that would aid her through life. She also solicited for the first lady’s support on her upcoming project slated later this year.

    Also speaking, chairman of the group, Mrs. Itoro Etim, highlighted the aims and objectives of the organisation to include; raising the girl-child to become an asset to the society. She said the group established 10 years ago did this through fashion, movie production and pageantry while calling for synergy between government and the group in touching the lives of the youth.

    The highpoint of the visit was the award of the ‘Grand Patron’ of the Little Miss Akwa Ibom project on the first lady, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel.

  • Due Process: NGO praises Akwa Ibom Governor

    A non-govermental  organisation (NGO) in Uyo, Policy Alert has commended the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel,  for appointing a Senior Special Assistant on Technical Matters and Due Process.

    “This is a welcome development, an important first step towards enthroning a culture of due process in governance in the state,”  Tijah Bolton, said.  “For years we have been advocating for a clearly defined policy framework on public procurement and fiscal responsibility in this state. We see the appointment of a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor with clear mandate on Due Process as one of the  early wins of our advocacy on this issue,” he said.

    The organisation urged the state government to take the next important step towards promoting a culture of due process in the state by initiating an executive bill on public procurement and ensuring independence for the unit.

    It said due process is a culture, it is an ecosystem, and it requires other important elements to work, adding that one of these is a procurement law regime which would help the administration to achieve its set goals by institutionalising best practices in price intelligence and public procurement” he added.

    “The share of states and local governments in public expenditure currently stands at around 52 percent of total federal collectable allocation. This tells us that states have more work to do in terms of reforms. So due process at this level is really crucial especially at this time when state governments need to plug expenditure leakages in the context of declining overall revenue flows.

    “All public procurement systems are known as one of the biggest drivers of public sector corruption. Therefore by expanding the remit of the Bureau of Technical Matters to cover due process issues, the governor has given an early signal that his administration will be reform oriented. As civil society, we have reason to be hopeful that in the shortest possible time our advocacy on procurement reforms will yield further results,” he added.

  • Akwa Ibom governorship poll: APC writes police  on N2.5b ‘bribe’

    Akwa Ibom governorship poll: APC writes police  on N2.5b ‘bribe’

    Akwa Ibom State All Progressives Congress (APC) has  accused a former governor of offering N2.5 billion to  a top official of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC)  to frustrate the party’s petition before the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

    The party alleged that the “bribe” was the reason the INEC top shot had been frustrating its petition.

    The APC said more INEC officials were also being compromised by some forces in Akwa Ibom State.

    The party levelled the allegations in a July 8 petition to the Director-General of the Department of State Security Service (SSS) and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

    In the petition, which was sent through its legal counsel, Victor Iyanam, APC said it had not been able to access electoral materials brought from Akwa Ibom to Abuja.

    The party said it was compelled to write the petition after several complaints against the continued refusal by the state INEC to grant access to it to inspect election materials, despite the May 12, 23  and June 25, orders of the tribunal.

    The petition reads: “The Akwa Ibom Tribunal, sitting in Abuja on June 25, 2015, ordered that the electoral materials be brought to Abuja for forensic analysis and inspection.

    “The underlying philosophy was that the INEC headquarters in Abuja would impose a salutary environment for a free and fair inspection of the materials, as ordered by the tribunal. As an added impetus, it was further ordered that the Directorate of State Security (DSS) and the police be available to maintain the peace at the site of the inspections.

    “It has, however unfortunately, come to our notice that the obstinacy of the top INEC official to carry out the tribunal’s orders or cooperate with our client to carry out the inspection owes principally to the fact that N2.5 billion was disbursed to him by a former governor, prior to the general elections, and the official now feels obliged to complete the corrupt process by doing everything possible to frustrate the governorship petition of the APC candidate, Umana Okon Umana.”

    The APC also expressed displeasure that INEC   mutilated  some electoral materials.

    It added: “It is now obvious that the attitude of the INEC official stems from the irreparable damage he caused to be done to electoral materials in Akwa Ibom State.

    “Most electoral materials in Akwa Ibom State were deliberately destroyed; water was deliberately poured into the bags of materials while some were kept under the rain, contrary to the established practice of keeping the materials in envelopes, according to their polling units

    “We attach samples of electoral materials deliberately mutilated or otherwise destroyed on the corrupt and irresponsible orders of the INEC official. Could this be allowed to be business as usual, especially for the change we desire as a nation.”

    The party said more INEC officials were also being compromised by some forces in Akwa Ibom State.

    It said: “To buttress the compromise of these characters by the Akwa Ibom State government, they came to Abuja without the following vital documents:

    “(a) Polling Unit Result Sheets, namely Form EC8A for the 2982 units in Akwa Ibom State

    “(b) Ward Result Sheets: Form EC8B for the 329 Wards in Akwa Ibom State; and

    “(c) LGA Result Sheets Form EC8C for the 31 LGAs in Akwa Ibom State.

    “The conduct of a top official of INEC, absolutely criminal in content, reckless in execution and done with impunity, is not only a breach of public trust but would have catastrophic consequences if allowed to go unpunished.

    “It is a shame that notwithstanding the large scale fraud perpetuated by the PDP in Akwa Ibom State, agents of the party and the government in power are still bent on doing more damage to our collective psyche and stand in the way of justice.”

  • Akwa Ibom tribunal adjourns sitting

    The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for Akwa Ibom, has adjourned its sitting till July 14 to enable the All Progressive Congress (APC) and its candidate, Umana Umana inspect materials used by INEC for the April 11 governorship election.

    The Tribunal Chairman, Justice Sadiq Umar, adjourned the case on Monday at the sitting of the tribunal at the FCT High Court complex, Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Justice Umar-led-three man tribunal is sitting on a petition filed by Umana and his party, seeking to nullify the election of Governor Emmanuel Udom of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Justice Umar said the adjournment was to give time to the petitioners to go through the polling documents in INEC office in Abuja.

    He directed parties to the petition to come early to court with their witnesses on the adjourned date
    NAN recalls that the tribunal on June 24 ordered INEC to move all polling documents and results sheets used for the April 11 governorship polls from Uyo to Abuja within 10 days to allow the petitioner have access to them.

    Justice Umar had also directed the Inspector General of Police to provide adequate security for INEC while moving the election materials from Uyo to Abuja.

    The judge had also ordered the police and the State Security Services to jointly provide security to Umana and his legal team when they are carrying out the inspection of the election materials.

  • Akwa Ibom stakeholders reject Nuclear power plant

    Akwa Ibom stakeholders reject Nuclear power plant

    Akwa Ibom State Leaders’ Caucus has called on the Federal Government to have a rethink on its decision to establish a nuclear power plant at Itu Local Government Area of the state.

    Briefing newsmen in Uyo, the state capital, Senator Anietie Okon, who spoke on behalf of the group, described the proposal as a “monumental disaster-in-waiting” for the people of the state.

    Okon explained that the plan to build the power plant did not conform to international standards guiding the implementation of civil nuclear programs across the globe.

    The project, he warned, will put several communities in the state and the lives of millions of people at risk in a country like Nigeria with a poor track record in the management of power infrastructure.

    The group also queried the insistence of the Federal Government to embark on the project when other energy sources available to the country have not been fully tapped or exhausted.

    Okon said: “Our opposition to the location of the plant in our state is not borne out of ignorance of the benefits of the project, but more because of the peculiar experiences in our country and the disastrous consequences that failure of nuclear plants have brought to even more discerning climes.

    “We ask ourselves what the fascination is with the Nuclear Power Plant project and what the intentions of the promoters are, precisely. In each question category, the answers that popped up did not add up on the scale of altruism.

    “These questions are asked bearing in mind that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had warned that Nigeria does not possess the right competences to handle nuclear issues. Technical Impact Assessment at the international level also indicated that nuclear plant is not suitable for Nigeria for now for very obvious reasons.”

  • Akwa Ibom governor’s wife advises women

    The National Council of Women’s Societies (NCWS) Akwa Ibom chapter has been challenged to engage in economic activities that will help re-orientate, rehabilitate and empower women.

    Akwa Ibom First Lady Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel gave the charge when she received a delegation of the executive of the association led by its president, Mrs. Mmeyene Nkwo at the Government House, Uyo.

    Mrs. Emmanuel said the group being an umbrella women organisation with over 140 affiliated groups needed to do more to create programmes that will change the status of women.

    She said the task of developing and empowering women remains the collective responsibility of all, calling on the group to be more active in the discharge of their duties and also work towards inculcating good moral values on teenage girls and women.

    On issues bothering the organisation, the First Lady assured that government was committed to meeting the yearnings of women in the state. She also promised to look into the group’s various demands.

    Mrs. Nkwo thanked the governor’s wife for granting the group audience. She also congratulated Mrs. Emmanuel on her assumption of duties as the First Lady of the state, saying that with her, the women were secured. She highlighted the aims of the organisation to include promoting the economic, social wellbeing and progress of women, youths and the physically challenged, with emphasis on education, training and empowerment adding that within her stay in office, she has been able to conduct 24 local chapters elections, visit orphanages in the three senatorial districts of the state and as well organise seminars/ workshops for women.

    Mrs. Nkwo solicited for government’s assistance to enable the group function effectively and also pledge their unflinching support and unalloyed loyalty to the administration of Mr. Udom Emmanuel.

    The highpoint of the visit was the conferment of the organisation’s Patron award on the governor’s wife .

    In a related development, the wife of governor also received the Cornelia Connelly College Old Girls Association at the Government House. Its National President, Mrs. Hannah Essien, said they were at the Government House to intimate the first lady, who is also an old girl of the school, on events mapped out to celebrate the re-union party for the old girls. She said the school having been a citadel of academic excellence over the years has produced worthy ambassadors in different endeavours.

    She said the group has achieved some results in the furnishing of the Home Economics department and the expansion of the school refectory while soliciting assistance for the construction of a two story building to serve as dormitory for the school girls.

    Mrs. Emmanuel thanked the group for the visit, saying that she was delighted to see some old faces she has not seen for a while. She thanked the group for their unflinching support during and after the elections promising that she would not let them down. She harped on the need to ensure that the school was restored to its glorious days, calling on the principal of the school to scale up disciplinary measures.

  • ‘Akwa Ibom governor won’t be distracted by propaganda‘

    ‘Akwa Ibom governor won’t be distracted by propaganda‘

    Former Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information Aniekan Umanah has been re-appointed by Governor Udom Emmanuel. He spoke with Kazeem Ibrahym on the challenges before the administration and other issues.

    Would you shed light on the controversy surrounding the list of commissioner-nominees in Akwa Ibom State?

    When former Governor Akpabio came on board in 2007, a large chunk of people who started with him were also people who worked together with him in the Attah administration. For instance, the deputy governor, Mr Patrick Ekpotu, was a commissioner in Attah’s administration; the SSG, Obong Umanah Okon Umanah, was the Commissioner for Finance in Attah’s administration; Dr Chris Ekong was a commissioner; Dr Ebebe Ukpong was a commissioner and many others. Government is a continuum; no matter how you look at it. The nominations, Governor Udom Emmanuel made are in order because, out of the 22 persons – normally, exco should be about 24 –about 10 were those he worked with when he was the Secretary to Government. These are people he had dealt with; worked with and understood their capacities. He needs to set up his administration and take off properly and also ensure that he runs sustainability plan towards broadening the economic fortunes of Akwa Ibom State. So, you don’t just call in green horns 100 per cent. It doesn’t happen that way; you can’t take off that way. You take off gradually and then you consolidate. So, I don’t know why the fury; there is nothing new. I can give examples even from other states; from 1999, there are people who served as commissioners from 1999 and today are secretary to government. So, you are talking of 16 years. You don’t fry experience and knowledge. And Dr Akpabio has always said that he would never sacrifice experience and knowledge on the altar of politics. So, Governor Udom Emmanuel is on the right track; he wants to succeed; so he has programmed his administration so that he takes off and consolidate properly, that is how I see it.

    It is expected that the governing style of the Governor Emmanuel will be different from that of former Governor Akpabio. How will you manage the switch?

    No two people are the same, even twins from the same womb. No two people are the same, in terms of the way they approach their own things. The question of switch or no switch is not even an issue; the issue there is pursuing set goals and objectives. If you have a job to do, you get the job done. For instance, if you need to clear a mess at Nwaniba street, the idea is to clear the mess. Whether you have to trek or run there, you have a deadline to clear the mess and that deadline, you want to make sure that that mess is cleared. I do not really see any issue here because clearly, it is about getting things done. Governor Udom Emmanuel also worked with the former governor and his style cannot be new to some of us that had the opportunity of working with him as the Secretary to the Government. We understand that he is a result-oriented man, a focused man, and he stays on target. Those are the same attributes that former Governor Godswill Akpabio also has because when he wants something, he makes sure he gets results. So, you see, Akwa Ibom will continue to progress. Governor Udom Emmanuel has started well.

    The APC has said that he governor is recycling old commissioners to consolidate Akpabio’s regime…

    No, they are not right. I totally disagree and fault the APC on this claim because the APC is one party that runs on a consolidation method. So, how can they blame governor Udom Emmanuel for nominating competent people, who also served in the previous administration? Such statement is inconsequential and makes no sense. It shows the ineptitude and the lack of knowledge or how bereft they are. If the APC wants to blame Governor Emmanuel for making nominations, they should completely blame the totality of the APC administration everywhere in Nigeria because we have people who served as commissioners since 1999 and today, they are Secretary to Government. They are people who moved from cabinet and became governors in some states. They are the ones who have moved from one cabinet to another and gone to the National Assembly and they continue to broaden and consolidate their coast. We will not allow the APC to thwart the PDP consolidation process in Akwa Ibom State. We will maintain our consolidation method, we will support Gov. Emmanuel to take off properly and consolidate, we will strengthen the political process and, of course, the administrative machineries to enable him succeed as a governor. For me, the statement by the APC is a rabble.

    The state was also described by the APC 2as a ship without a captain. What is your take on this?

    It is totally faulty. How can you say it is a ship without a captain? There is a governor in place and government is not about one person; you have an arrow head, but you have stakeholders, you have people who work around government to make things happen everywhere in the world. As far as I am concerned, the APC had thought that the PDP administration in Akwa Ibom will come with what they call neophytes so that they will begin the process of shredding the administration into pieces. No serious administration sacrifices experience because you must ride on it and continue to consolidate, expand, add and broaden. That is how it works.

    We are not ready to allow the PDP wobble; we will hold it and hold it strong, irrespective of what anybody is saying. But, coming back to your issue, how can they blame Gov. Udom Emmanuel for pronouncing the stadium in honour of former Governor Akpabio? It was the Akwa Ibom state house of assembly that passed the resolution, naming that stadium so. What the governor did was a pronouncement of the resolution of the representative of the 4.9m people of Akwa Ibom State. The governor acted in order because he couldn’t have acted against the position of the 4.9m people of the state represented by their representatives in the house of assembly from the various state constituencies. So the statement of the APC holds no water. I think they should just sit down and lick the wounds election failures and allow the PDP government in Akwa Ibom State to consolidate and move forward.

    People believe that  Akpabio is still in control of the state…

    As a former governor and a PDP stakeholder and stalwart in the country and a senator of the PDP, why should he should not be interested in the governance of his state that he just left and he should not also be interested in the success of the administration that succeeded him? It would be foolhardy for one to think that a former governor should not be interested in the success of his successor. So for me, the role Akpabio should be seen to be playing is supporting and ensuring the success and the consolidation of the PDP administration in Akwa Ibom State under Governor Udom Emmanuel. That is what I think is right. That is what he should do and that is what every stakeholder should do and so on. In 2007, even when there was no succession, and you all know that the former governor did not support him to become his successor but people from the cabinet of Obong Victor Attah were the same set of people that started the administration of Godswill Akpabio. Have we forgotten so soon; Akwa Ibom people, why have we forgotten so soon? This is how to move. You do not expect a government to get up and then, you get up from the blues. You have projects that you must pursue and complete, you have ideas that you must consolidate and continue to pursue.

  • PDP heavyweights in Akwa Ibom defect to APC

    PDP heavyweights in Akwa Ibom defect to APC

    More political tragedy may have befallen the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State as major chieftains of the party  in Essien Udim Local Government Area last Saturday officially dumped the PDP for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    A source in APC said the move may have marked the beginning of the death of PDP in the area.

    Among those said to have dumped PDP for APC include a former leader of the State House of Assembly, Hon Dr. Etido Ibekwe, former Member representing the area in the State Assembly, Hon Ndifreke Idung, former councillor and PDP Chapter Secretary, Hon Micah Johnson, former supervisory councilor for Education, Hon Emmanuel Idiong as well as Barr Ime Umossoh, younger brother to the late Hon Barr Nsini Umossoh who represented Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

    The defectors were formally received into the APC by a former Chairman of Essien Udim and leader of APC in the area,  Hon Barr Martins Umanah during a stakeholders meeting of the party held at his country home at Ntak Ikot Akpan, Ukana West 1 in Essien Udim.

    Addressing party faithful which included chapter and Ward executives of the area, Hon Umanah commended the defectors for their courage and patriotism at leaving the PDP which he described as a sinking ship to join the APC in salvaging the country.

    He called on APC members not to feel threatened by the growing influx of defectors from the PDP but to see the defection as a positive step towards having a united front to fight and rescue the area from the grip and bondage of the PDP.

    He added; “Do not feel threatened by the current influx of members particularly from the sinking boat of PDP. We are here to sustain the new born baby, APC, the new hope for the new Nigeria, particularly in Essien Udim. All interests shall be recognized and positively engaged in the amalgamation of various political ideologies.”

    The meeting resolved to among others bring together the various power blocks that have merged in the APC in the area, engage in serious membership drive to boost the chances of APC during the likely rerun elections and continually open its doors to more defectors and new entrants into the party.

    The party congratulated President Buhari, Vice President Osinbajo on their successful inauguration as well as the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senator Bukola Saraki and Hon Dogara respectively on their election.

    The stakeholders meeting was attended by all Ward and Chapter executives as well as APC chieftains which include Hon Emmanuel Udo, Hon Etim Atakpa, Hon Aloysius Isonguyo, Rev Ubon Usoro, Hon Kelvin Josiah, Mr Effiong Atakpa, Mrs Ekaette Isong, Hon Sam Dickson, Mrs Imelda Ekpo, Mr Ime Isong, Barr Imo Akpan, Mr Uduak Ebi, Mr Imo Ibara, Mr Idiongo Martins among others.

  • Akwa Ibom group seeks more money for Maritime Academy, Oron

    The National Assembly has been urged to enhance funding opportunities for the nation’s premiermaritime  training institution, the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) by passing a Bill seeking the increase current five per cent funding from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to 15 per cent.

    The request was made in Abuja on Wednesday by a group, the Civil Societies of Nigeria (CSN), Akwa-Ibom chapter. The group, while lamenting the inability of the institution to meet its responsibilities, blamed the development on paucity of funds and neglect by past administrations.

    The group, led by Richard Wilson, hailed the current management of the institution led by Dr. Joshua Okpo, which it said has improved on the standard of the school. It called for the retention of Okpo as the school’s Rector in view of his achievement so far.

    CSN faulted the planned conversion of the institution located in Oron, Akwa  Ibom State to a conventional university, arguing  that such a decision will rob Nigerians the privilege of the institution established to train marine engineers  and seafarers.

    The group described as mere political move the reported announcement by the immediate governor of the state, Goodwill Akpabio that the Goodluck Jonathan government had approved the school’s conversion.

    “When did the federal government empower former governor Godswil Akpabio to overtly announce the conversion of a highly technical institution such as MAN Oron into a university without strict adherence to due process?

    “The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Convention, which Nigeria is a member state, makes it mandatory for Certificate of Competency (CoC), issued by the institution, to be acceptable beyond the shores of Nigeria, while degrees can only assist the holder in other aspects of maritime education and training.”

  • Akwa Ibom youths to learn mechanised farming

    Akwa Ibom State government plans to train its youths in mechanised farming. It also intends to train 1,000 youths in Oracle Database Software Management.

    Governor Udom Emmanuel, who made this known Sunday at Qua Iboe Church, 2 Abak Road, Uyo, noted: “I am in discussion with Oracle to train at least 1,000 youths in Akwa Ibom State on Oracle Database Software Management System.”

    Emmanuel, who noted that most of those employed by banks and companies are those with Oracle certifications, said Akwa Ibom youths must be imbued with relevant skills that would make them self-reliant, pointing out “I want to make sure that our youths acquire skills so that they can mostly be on their own. We want to facilitate this to help some of our youths to also acquire skills. One thousand is a good number and we can see how we can train them in Uyo to reduce the cost instead of moving them to Lagos,” he said.

    The governor further hinted that the state government would send 100 Akwa Ibom youths to Israel by the end of July to acquire training and skills in mechanised farming, and described Israel as an outstanding country in the world with track-record in agriculture, saying: “By end of July, we will send about 100 youths to Israel to acquire some skills and also at the same time do pilgrimage as well. Those people that will come back are those that will actually back up our mechanised farming in agriculture. We know when it comes to agriculture today, Israel is one of the greatest. These are some of the things we will do in human development that will actually enhance the quality of life of our people but we need your kind prayers.”