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Tag: Akwa Ibom

  • NUJ poll: The Nation man solicits Akwa Ibom NWC’s votes

    A top contender for the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) presidency, Waheed Odusile, yesterday solicited the votes of members of the Akwa Ibom State NUJ Council.

    Odusile, who addressed reporters at the State Press Centre in Uyo, the state capital, promised that if given the opportunity to lead the union, he would propose that journalists in the employ of federal and state governments be treated as professionals and placed under a special media salary structure.

    Odusile, The Nation Managing Editor and columnist, was accompanied by the leadership of the NUJ Lagos State Council, led by its Chairman Deji Elumoye.

    The Nation man said if elected, he would propose a law that would make it illegal for media owners to owe journalists salaries.

    He said: “We will propose to the government that all journalists in the employ of governments, either in the state or Federal government, should be treated as professionals. They should be accorded a special salary structure to take care of what they are doing.

    “What we are asking for is simple: we are saying, ‘let us have a minimum salary structure that should be paid to the Nigerian journalists’. Once we are able to achieve that with the government, we will be able to negotiate in our private organisations.”

    Odusile also vowed to fight quackery, if given the mandate to lead the union.

    The member of the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) said there is need to correct the image of the profession in the eye of the public.

    He said: “We will eradicate quackery. Journalism should not be an all-comers’ affair. For you to become a journalist, we are saying come and train. We are saying journalism is a profession. Let it so be recognised as a profession. There is need for us to restore our dignity.”

  • Akwa Ibom Poly honours NDDC chief, others

    Akwa Ibom Poly honours NDDC chief, others

    This is an uncommon visit of an uncommon governor and it is my second to this polytechnic. But this time, I have come with your in-coming governor.” This uncommon visitor needs no further introduction in Nigeria. He is Godswill Akpabio, the governor of Akwa Ibom State, who prefaces every statement about activities in his state in the last 8 years with the word “uncommon transformation”.

    The governor was the special guest at the 5th convocation and the award of fellowships to three distinguished personalities of the state by the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot-Osurua, on May 9. It was an occasion for the award of different grades of diplomas to 9,961 graduates of the institution as well as the award of fellowships to Sir Bassey Dan-Abia, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC; Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (Rtr), a one time military governor of Akwa Ibom State and Mrs. Ekaette Akpabio, the first lady of Akwa Ibom State.

    The convocation ground of the polytechnic was bubbling with life as students and the guests savoured the serene ambience of a particularly clement weather. The arrival of the NDDC boss with his entourage stirred the crowd shouts of joy. But the entry of Governor Akpabio and Udom Emmanuel, the governor in waiting, fired the audience into frenzy.

    The governor and his political acolytes went round the arena acknowledging cheers and literally charging the atmosphere into hysteria.

    The same up-beat tempo ushered Governor Akpabio to the podium to address the audience. In his usual style, Akpabio could not start his speech without singing his uncommon transformation mantra. On this platform he has a receptive audience on the same page with him because the polytechnic community agrees that he has really transformed their institution.

    The governor charged the new graduates to take advantage of the positive changes that had taken place in the state, noting that they were lucky to be joining the labour market that had been watered by the uncommon transformation of his administration. He urged them to join the emerging industrial revolution in the state, adding that they must avoid the danger of seeking riches by all means as well as being involved in cultism and drug peddling.

    According to him, ‘’we have accorded utmost priority to this institution as the training ground for middle-level technical and vocational manpower in our State. We have so far left no stone unturned in our commitment of ensuring that the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic maintains and sustains the needed standard to serve the purpose of producing seasoned, refined manpower to power our emerging economy’’.

    The governor maintained that “the role of polytechnic education in the technological advancement of developing countries cannot be overstressed. The demand of history is that he who starts a race late will always remain behind except he runs faster than those who started earlier. We, Nigerians, who started the technological race later, need to run faster, plan better and make better use of our resources and time in order to bridge the widening technological gap between our nation and the developed world. One way to do this is to invest in technological education and innovation. My administration has not failed in this respect.’’

    Dr. Akpabio , who is also the visitor to the institution, described his wife as a reliable partner whose work through her pet project, the Family Life Enhancement Initiative (FLEI), has helped to uplift disadvantaged persons in the state and contributed immensely to the success of his administration. The governor congratulated the awardees and the graduating students and charged them to be good ambassadors of their alma mater and the state.

    Responding on behalf of the newly-invested fellows of the institution, Sir Dan-Abia expressed their appreciation to the institution for finding them worthy of the fellowship award. He said the award would spur them to do more for the good of the society. He thanked the institution for recognizing those who had contributed in one way or the other to the growth and development of technological education in the Niger Delta, noting that technological education was the bedrock of industrial development and should therefore be promoted by both the government and the private sector.

    The NDDC boss assured the polytechnic authorities that the commission would intervene in addressing some of  the challenges facing the institution. “We will send our team to come and assess the needs and determine how best we can be of assistance. However, be rest assured that the NDDC will provide a brand new electricity generating set for the polytechnic,” Dan-Abia said.

    The Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Israel Affia, said that the institution had witnessed a steady growth in recent years, leading to the accreditation of most of its programmes by the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE. He gave credit to Governor Akpabio for the transformation that had taken place in the polytechnic.

    He said that Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic had been ranked among the ten best polytechnics in Nigeria, largely because of the improved facilities provided for the various academic programmes. He stressed the need for the polytechnic to remain committed to excellence and urged graduates of the institution to form an alumni group that would support the governing board of the polytechnic.

    He stated that one of the many legacies for which Governor Godswill Akpabio will forever be remembered long after his administration has ended is in Education. The administration has invested heavily in the sector from its inception. Akpabio initiated a complete turnaround of the state-owned polytechnic

    Dr. Affia said that Governor Akpabio embarked on a holistic rehabilitation of the institution, starting with establishment of the e-library there, a digitally mastered learning centre that engenders learning and other research activities.  The rehabilitation is total. All the structures have been rehabilitated. The roofs now wear new looks. The hostels have been given a refreshing touch. More water reservoirs have been erected and commercial banks have started establishing branches in the institution to take their services nearer the students.

    “But beyond all these is the serenity that has been brought into the campus courtesy of the massive construction of the roads network within the school by the Akpabio administration. From the main entrance, the institution has witnessed total transformation. The roads, which are mostly dualised, are well paved, complete with street lighting facilities. The ambience and well-marked out lawns bring nature closer to everyone on campus and even the visitors alike. Everyone on campus is happy at the uncommon transformation which governor Akpabio has bequeathed to their school. From the rector to the staff and the students, it’s all rejoicing and celebration galore. In all these they can only say a big thank you to the man who has made all these possible.”

    The Rector also acknowledged the contributions of the NDDC to the development of the polytechnic. “I know that NDDC has done a lot. I remember that the 500KVA generator that we are enjoying was donated by NDDC. I believe that NDDC will always come to our aid in our times of need”. He said that the polytechnic had in the past benefitted from the 880 computers distributed by the commission to four tertiary institutions in the Niger Delta.

    Akwa Ibom State governor-elect Udom Gabriel Emmanuel said the incoming administration would continue to train more lecturers in and outside the country as well as invest in the engineering sector in a bid to produce more qualified engineers for the society. He urged lecturers in the institution to pride themselves in the training of students who would compete favourably with their contemporaries and announced an automatic overseas scholarship award for the best graduating student in the polytechnic.

    The Chairman of the Governing Council, Joseph Effiong commended the state government for contributing to the development of the polytechnic and appealed to the school authorities and the students to cooperate in an effort to make the school great. He appealed to the NDDC to assist the institution in providing structures for the training of Mass Communication students. To drive home the urgency in the request, Effiong said that the architectural drawing for the faculty building would be handed over to the NDDC Managing Director.

     

     

  • NNPC quiz competition: Akwa Ibom dwarfs others

    NNPC quiz competition: Akwa Ibom dwarfs others

    •Organisers frown at poor performance in Physics

    Pupils of Top Faith Secondary School, Akwa Ibom State, have emerged winner in the finals of the Southsouth zonal 2015 annual quiz competition organised by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    However, the organisers were unimpressed by the performance of the participating schools in Physics, which was one of the core subjects in the sciences and mathematics contest.

    But the Akwa Ibom team dazzled, topping the competition held at the West African Peoples’ Institute, Calabar, with about 50 points ahead of other contestants from Rivers, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Cross River states.

    The competition featured science subjects including Chemistry, Biology, English language, Physics and Mathematics.

    Speaking at the event, NNPC General Manager, (Corporate Affairs) Mr Ohi Alegbe, charged participants to take their studies more seriously and develop interest in science-related subjects.

    He applauded the winners for their astute performance in the various rounds of the competition.

    “For you to emerge winner in this stage shows that you are actually a star in your school,” he said.

    Earlier, coordinator of the competition for the NNPC, Mr. Olatayo Sani, frowned at the poor performance, saying that most of the contestants answered the questions based on trial and error instead of with confidence on their choice answers.

    “I am not impressed with what is happening here. Without options your students cannot answer a question, which is very bad. That shows that they are all answering based on guess work and their poor performance in Physics is of concern too which needs to be addressed,” he said

    The Cross River State Commissioner for Education Prof. Offiong Offiong, expressed gratitude to organisers for grooming participants in the field of science as the basis for development of any nation.

    One of the winners from Top Faith Secondary School, Chidibem, attributed their success to hard work and efforts of the coordinating teachers whom he said, nurtured them to take part in the competition.

    He expressed optimism that the school would emerge victorious at the forthcoming national competition.

  • Rivers and Akwa Ibom

    Lateef Fagbemi and Wole Olanipekun are two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) who have the reputation of always winning cases they handle at the election tribunals.  They are brilliant, no doubt.  But,  I am told the secret of   their success also lies in the fact that they look at cases critically before accepting. Once there is no merit in a case, they avoid it.

    Fagbemi is leading the All Progressives Congress (APC) team of lawyers to seek the voiding of the declaration of Chief Nyesom Wike  as Rivers Governor-elect.  Olanipekun is leading the APC team in Akwa Ibom to challenge Udom Emmanuel’s ‘election’.

    The elections in these two states remain the most controversial. Observers, local and international, have described the polls as sham. Violence, rigging and outright writing of results are some of the issues observers have raised about the polls in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged the observers, insisting the elections were free, fair and credible. The tribunals are where to defend the credibility of the polls.

    Will Fagbemi and Olanipekun repeat their previous magic? These two cases will be interesting to follow.

  • Investors ready for Akwa Ibom

    Akwa Ibom State Governor-elect Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel has said his friends and associates abroad have expressed their readiness to invest in the state.

    Emmanuel, who thanked people of the state for voting for him, reiterated his pledge to eradicate unemployment in the state.

    The governor-elect, who spoke to reporters at his hometown, Awa Iman in Onna Local Government Area, said he would not renege in his promise to build industries and create jobs for youths in the state.

    He pledged to work for the well-being of the common man and to run a government whose dividends and achievements will be seen and felt by all.

    Emmanuel assured the people of the state that he would bring developments to all nooks and crannies of the state and that he was would serve as governor to the about five million Akwa Ibom people irrespective of party affiliations.

    “The political party is only a vehicle to attain political authority and once election is over, the entire people become the elected officer’s priority,” he said, adding that the administration would not discriminate in the policy of creating wealth for the state.

  • Akwa Ibom warns against poisonous meat

    The Akwa Ibom State government has warned citizens against the sale and consumption of toxic skin meat, popularly called ‘Ikpa Ebola’.

    The poisonous meat, which has been on sale in the last four months, it was gathered, is smuggled from Europe through an intermediary, whose identity is still being trailed by the State Security Service (SSS).

    Speaking at a briefing yesterday, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Godwin Afangideh, said the government had taken measures to rid Akwa Ibom markets of the meat.

    Afangideh, who spoke through his Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Obot Obot, at Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat said the ministry carried out sensitisation campaigns in local and urban markets.

    He said:  “The government, through the Veterinary Services Directorate, has embarked on a sensitisation campaign to markets on the dangers of the meat.

    “The sensitisation, which was led by a veterinary officer, warned people  to watch out for toxic meat, following reports of its importation.

    “The skin meat, which is five times thicker than ordinary skin meat, is injected with a toxic substance called formalin used for its preservation. This formalin in the long run is capable of causing cancer and liver problems.”

    He advised the public to  watch what it eats and drink, stressing that untimely deaths could result from consumption of such toxic foods.

    Speaking on efforts by the ministry to fish out those behind the importation, he said: ‘’We are on their trail, you know it’s largely the work of the SSS. Our efforts have not been successful.

  • Akwa Ibom Assembly candidates seek REC’s removal

    Akwa Ibom Assembly candidates seek REC’s removal

    Some Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly candidates have demanded the immediately removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Mr Austin Okojie and his staff for not releasing results of the April 11 elections.

    The candidates, represented by Dr John Harry, who contested for the Nsit Atai State Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), wondered why the results had not been released over a week after the elections.

    “How did the original result sheets find themselves in the hands of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and government officials, instead of being sent to the polling units?” they asked in a statement at the weekend.

    The candidates called for Okojie’s arrest and prosecution for supervising an election which they said was worse than robbery.

    They added: “The sham and charade exercise of April 11 called elections should be cancelled totally. By this we mean both the governorship and the state Assembly elections.

    “A new REC, Electoral Officers (EOs) and other officials should be recruited and fresh should be conducted within the time frame allowed.”

    The candidates said the results should have been announced at the Local Government collation centres on the night of the election or early the following day, as the law and electoral guidelines stipulate.

    They accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of hurriedly manufacturing the results for the governorship election, and is at apparently at a fix as to how to allocate figures for the House election.

    According to them, the fact that House of Assembly results were yet to be released confirms their allegation that there was no valid election in most of the polling units on April 11.

    “We note that the two elections were conducted simultaneously on the same day. So how can one result be released and the other withheld till now?

    “Indeed by INEC Guidelines, the House of Assembly results were to be released at the Local Government collation centres while the governorship results would then be released at the state capital.

    “The question then is: why did INEC not release the 26 House of Assembly Results at the Collation Centres, and why have they not been released until now?” the candidates asked.

    They recalled that independent observers, such as the European Union, the US Embassy, the British High Commission, Civil Societies Organisations, among others all reported that the elections were “irredeemably flawed and should be cancelled.”

    The candidates said: “The elections were marred and disrupted by violence, killings, ballot box snatchings and many other vices.  The nation has been horrified by gory pictures of Nigerians hacked to death in Akwa Ibom State by gangsters, cultists and thugs.

    “These violence and killings were so wantonly carried out because there was security failure. And there was security failure because the Chief Security Officer of the State – the State Governor – had compromised the whole institutions of the state that participated in the elections: INEC, Police, NYSC, etc,” they alleged.

    The candidates said since there were no elections in Akwa Ibom on April 11, the delay in releasing the House of Assembly results is because the REC is allegedly facing serious problems trying to manufacture election results for an election conducted simultaneously with the governorship election.

    Harry said: “In trying to cook up the numbers for our 26-member House of Assembly, Okojie and his fellow fraudulent Electoral Officers (EOs) are in a mathematical fix as there really was no election and so they cannot share the numbers without contradicting themselves with the already released results for the governorship election. This is a clear case of working from answer to question, and it has proved to be a nightmare scenario!

    “They plan to allocate these fabricated numbers to the political parties in the state. But how will the REC determine the sharing formula for the ‘manufactured votes’ since no voting took place in most polling units – about 2,000 of them – in the first place?

    “How will Mr. Okojie and his band of mathematical magicians announce these results in the polling units, as the law stipulates; and how will they fabricate and allocate their numbers to the 329 wards and 31 LGAS? There is of course the Card Reader angle to all this. Everything must synchronise with what those devices recorded!”

    A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, Chief Don Etiebet, had accused INEC of aiding fraud in the elections, asking: “Why should INEC participate in a fraud, announce false results and then turn around to expect people to go to court?”

    Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information Mr Aniekan Umanah had denied the allegations, saying: “Those things they are saying are false.”

  • What to do with Rivers and Akwa Ibom

    What to do with Rivers and Akwa Ibom

    The 2015 general elections, to the surprise of many, were largely free, fair and to some extent peaceful. If one could ignore what happened in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States in the name of election, it could be safely said or assumed that Nigeria’s democracy has finally come of age. But it would be foolhardy and even dangerous to brush aside what took place in these states on March 28 and April 11 and conclude that Nigeria has finally joined the global enviable league of established democracies.

    Located in Nigeria’s south/south region, Rivers and Akwa Ibom State are two of the three states, the other being Delta, heavily relied upon by Dr Goodluck Jonathan and his ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)to deliver votes in their millions to the president to aid his re-election bid.

    Jonathan’s expectation of a heavy voters’ support for him in this region was based mainly on the fact of his being from the south/south and not on account of any outstanding performance. But the people of this region, especially residents of these two states were not given to this sentiment.

    In the run up to the elections it was glaring that they were not ready to reward incompetence as exemplified by the Jonathan administration and instead were ready to team up with the rest of Nigeria rooting for change. They were leaning towards the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). In fact, Rivers States has an APC government already in place and the expectation was that the state would go the way of the party in the general election, the fact of Jonathan coming from that region notwithstanding.

    The financial recklessness of the Godswill Akpabio administration in Akwa Ibom state with nothing tangible to show for the huge state resources available to him also commended the APC to the people of the state as the party of change that they yearn for. So, like Rivers, the expectation here also was that the wind of change would blow the PDP away on elections day. But that was not to be or rather, not allowed to be by the powers that be.

    Faced with an imminent defeat at the polls, the Jonathan federal government deployed all State’s and non-state’s resources at its disposal to rig the election in its favour with the hope of making it back for a second term. In the March 28 presidential election, Jonathan recorded near overwhelming support in these two states, with over 95 per cent of the votes, but it wasn’t enough to win him the presidency again.

    The way this ‘victory’ was achieved cast doubt on the legitimacy of the result. In Rivers State, apart from the pre-election violence that led to the killing of many people, mainly from the APC, no election in the real sense of the word took place anywhere on that day, a fact acknowledged by both foreign and domestic observers, yet the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it was satisfied with the exercise and declared Jonathan the winner in the state.  While no voting took place, results were allocated to parties by INEC officials in a predetermined way to give victory to PDP with a landslide.

    In Akwa Ibom State, the way ‘victory’ was achieved was disingenuous. While voters were given the impression that they could vote and their votes would count, (at least in places where INEC was allowed to show up), government/PDP agents/thugs were deployed to polling units to obtain the number of accredited voters and forward same to a situation room in the Government House where the votes were allocated to parties based on the number of accredited voters, with the PDP getting the lion share. The figures recorded on the result sheet at the Government House were then forwarded to INEC which in turn released same as the outcome of the election.

    With the outcome of the presidential election in these two states not enough to tilt the scale of victory in Jonathan’s favour nationwide, the PDP went back to the drawing board for the governorship and state assembly elections on April 11, to ensure that its rigging plan not only produces a winner but retains/returns the control of the two states to the party. The outcome was a sham election that even PDP sympathizers in some so called opposition parties could not stomach.

    The Labour party governorship candidate in Rivers State, Prince Tonye Princewill, a known supporter of President Jonathan was so disappointed in the conduct and outcome of the election that he described the exercise as neither free nor fair. He expressed his frustration in the following words: “Without the presence of INEC officials or material in some areas, results were declared in the very same areas as if elections actually did hold. What kind of message are we sending? Can the people who experienced this ever have faith in politics or the electoral process again? This process was neither free nor fair and it certainly was not credible. But in the end INEC felt otherwise.”

    Observers from the African Centre for Leadership Strategies and Development described the elections in Rivers State as not only bloody but also fraudulent, urging INEC to cancel the polls. International election observers also spoke in the same vein, yet INEC went ahead to declare the result giving victory to PDP. The same things happened in Akwa Ibom. The APC, the party at the receiving end of this electoral fraud is crying foul but INEC does not seem to be listening.

    The implication of INEC accepting the result of these sham elections is that the electorate in these areas would never have faith in politics and the political process, especially the principle of one man one vote. And as long as the result stays good people will continue to stay out of politics in these areas and we will continue to have thugs as leaders coming from there; and when they come to the national stage you can imagine the pollution they would bring to national politics.

    I don’t want to dwell on the violence that attended the so called elections in these states, it is sickening. People being beheaded, whole family being wiped out, political thugs, at times in military/police uniform going from house-to-house, clubbing or shooting opponents to death, most of these in the presence of and even with active connivance of security agents. What kind of democracy is that? And on elections day, ballot boxes/papers being snatched and yet INEC accepted the results from such polling units?

    For the sake of the democracy we are trying to build and also the credibility of Professor Attahiru Jega’s INEC, the result in Rivers and Akwa Ibom States should not stand. Let there be fresh elections in these states with enough security personnel on ground to prevent the killings and the fraud that attended the March 28 and April 11 elections.  This is how to build a good democratic culture. Let the winner win clean and clear and the loser lose clean and clear as well.

  • Five feared dead in Akwa Ibom, three in Rivers, two in C/River

    Five feared dead in Akwa Ibom, three in Rivers, two in C/River

    TRAGEDY struck yesterday as five persons were feared dead in Akwa Ibom, three were killed in separate incidents in Buguma, Asari Toru local government area of Rivers State while two others died in Cross River during the governorship and state house of assembly elections.

    In Akwa Ibom, the killing occurred at Mbiabong Etoi, Shelter Afrique (Uyo); Ndiya in Nsit Ubium; Etim Ekpo, and Ini local government areas of the state.

    As at the time of filing this report, the whereabouts of a reporter with one of the local tabloids, Radar newspaper, Mr. Aniedi Ukpoenang, was still unknown.

    According to sources, Ukpoenang was said to have been abducted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thugs at Ekpeyong Ufum village, Odoro Ikot clan in Essien Udim LGA.

    The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Baba Adisa Bolanta, could not confirm  your  killings but promised to call the Commissioner of Police in charge of Akwa Ibom State, Gabriel Achong, for confirmation.

    Bolanta said: “I am not aware that five persons have been killed. Let me call the CP to find out.”

    The three deaths were recorded in Rivers, despite the claim by the State Police Command that it deployed about 17,000 police officers across the state for the election.

    It was not possible to establish the identities of those who were killed, but it was gathered that one was a National Youth Service Corps member while the other one, perhaps an indigene of the place was beheaded.

    They were killed by suspected thugs while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the house of one government official were burnt.

    A man was also reportedly killed in Omagwa in Ikwerre LGA.

    There was voter apathy in some areas, especially in Diobu axis of Port Harcourt.

    Trouble also broke out in some communities in Gokana LGA like Bumu and Beera, where a team of heavily armed policemen rushed to quell before accreditation started in the area.

    The state governor,  Rotimi Amaechi, who voted at about 2.30 pm in his Ward 2, Unit 14 in Umuigwe, Ubima, Ikwerre LGA described yesterday’s elections in Rivers State as a sham, alleging that INEC and security operatives worked in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) to the detriment of the All Progressives             Congress (APC).

    Amaechi said: “At least we have seen some result sheets. I hope they have not stolen the collation result sheet at INEC. All over the places, there were shootings. I had to stop at Omagwa to rescue people.”

    The governorship candidate of the APC, Dr. Dakuku Peterside also described the election as a sham, noting that elections did not take place in some LGAs like Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni.

    However, the governorship candidate of the PDP, Nyesom Wike, dismissed Amaechi’s allegation even as he accused that the governor was using security operatives to harass him and his supporters at his father’s house.

    But the INEC National Commissioner in charge of Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Rivers states, Mrs. Thelma Iremiren issued a statement dismissing that as a rumour.

    Iremiren said: “The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has received with dismay news that materials in the field are fake. Please, we wish to inform the public and Rivers people that no fake materials are in the field and as such, voters should go out and vote their leaders.”

    The two deaths recorded in Mkapani, Yakurr local government area of Cross River State occurred when thugs attempted to snatch election materials meant for Mkpani and Agoi wards in the area.

    An eye-witness said: “No sooner had the election materials were distributed at about 8:00 am, at Government Secondary School, Mkpani that the incident occurred. Gun-wielding thugs moved swiftly towards the INEC officials in their car and hijacked some of the materials that were meant for distribution to polling units in the area.

    “In the panic that ensued, the driver of the INEC vehicle reversed the vehicle into the residence of former governor of the state, Clement Ebri, for safety.”

    Reacting to the development, Hon. Willy Eteng, House of Assembly member for Yakuur 2 constituency, where Mkpani is, alleged that LP supporters hijacked electoral materials and fled into the house of former governor, Clement Ebri, who is a core supporter of LP.

    “LP supporters carted away electoral materials but that will not election in the entire constituency as voting is still ongoing in other polling units,” Eteng said.

  • Polls: Series of complaints in Akwa Ibom, Delta

    The Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom on Saturday experienced series of complaints ranging from insufficient ballot papers to failure of Card Readers to recognise finger prints.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), however, reports that there was large turnout of voters in most of the polling units for accreditation.

    Electoral officials, materials and security agents were all available and accreditation of voters started in most polling centres as early as 8.45 a.m.

    In Etinan Local Government area, at Urban Ward 1, Unit 006, the INEC officials complained of inadequate ballot papers, claiming they got 650 papers as against 750 needed.

    An APC party agent at the unit, Mr. Iniobong Jackson, said that the party faithful would not allow voting in the unit until all materials were provided.

    Another complaint of non provision of result sheets was made at Northen Iman Ward 2 in the local government area.

    At 9 a.m., the NYSC members conducting elections at QIC Primary School in Awa Ward 1, Onna Local Government Area, had yet to begin accreditation, complaining of non-payment of their allowance.

    In Uyo Local Government Area, Ward 2, Unit 9 on Ikot Ekpene road, the polling officials complained of slow speed of card readers and non-recognition of finger prints.

    Card readers in Ekong Street, Ward 2, Unit 25, were, however, not configured for the day’s activities.

    Therefore all accredited voters in March 28 elections were rejected by the machine for having been accredited earlier.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Austin Okojie, told NAN that all INEC officials had been instructed on measures to take to curb any challenge encountered in the elections.

    “They are to use incident forms and resort to manual accreditation, where the card readers fail,” Okojie said.

    In Delta, NAN reports that accreditation of voters began at 8 a.m. in Asaba, with voters turning up at various polling stations for the exercise.

    At Uzoigwe Primary School, Ward 9, Oshimili South Local Government Area, accreditation started on schedule in the 14 polling units.

    The Presiding Officer in Ward 9, Unit 1, Miss Uzamere Odion, said that the exercise started as planned and was going on smoothly.

    NAN reports that the card reader in unit 11 of the ward malfunctioned and the voters agitated over the situation.

    One of the voters, Mrs. Ngozi Agada, said that she had been in the polling station since 7 a.m. and would not leave until she got accredited.

    The Presiding Officer, Mr Chijioke Eze, said the device malfunctioned and that he had informed INEC headquarters, Asaba, about it.

    At St. John Bosco’s Catholic Church (Ward 8) and Umudaike (Ward 8) both in Asaba, accreditation started at 8.05 a.m. and the card readers were used.

    At Abuato Primary School Asaba, (Ward 5) the exercise commenced on schedule in the five units at the polling station.

    It was the same situation in Ward 6, units 3 and 4 at Ibusa in Oshimili North Local Government Area.

    However, electoral officials turned up late with voting materials in Yuwuren College (Ward 5) in Warri South Local Government Area.

    The Electoral Officer in the local government area, Mrs. Fidelia Omoile, said the materials were distributed on Friday.