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Tag: Akwa Ibom

  • Ibom Plant boosts power supply in Akwa Ibom

    Ibom Plant boosts power supply in Akwa Ibom

    •Plant  to sign Power Purchase Agreement

    Power generated from the Ibom Power Plant has helped stabilise electricity supply in parts of Akwa Ibom, it has emerged.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor o Power, Dr. Victor Udo, said this is in line with Governor Godswill Akpabio’s dream.

    He said: “The completion of a gas infrastructure in Esit Eket, upgrade of the Eket-Uyo-Itu 132kV transmission lines and the restoration of Ibom Power Plant Unit 3 are the reasons His Excellency’s vision will soon be accomplished.

    “Under the leadership of the new board appointed by His Excellency, General Electric has completed the general combustion inspection of Ibom power plant and the plant is running that is why there Has been improved power supply in Akwa Ibom State in the last few months. Power generated by Ibom Power Plant is not only consumed by Akwa Ibom people but by Nigerians as a whole through the National grid.”

    He seized the opportunity to appeal to Akwa Ibom people not to allow anybody vandalize the power infrastructure in their community.

    He said: “Many a times power is not flowing because the transformer or associate cables have been stolen or vandalised so when you see someone tampering with power infrastructure in your community call the police or contact the Office of the SSA to the Governor on Power through 08081134400 or contact us through www.akspower.com.”

    The Business Managers in the three Business Units of Akwa Ibom State, Uduma Okala, have confirmed the improvement in Power supply.

    The Business Manager at Uyo Business Unit, said: “There has been a significant improvement in power supply because Ibom Power Plant is on.”

    Kelly Effiong and Uzoma Mbuko, Business Managers in Eket and Ikot Ekpene Business Unit, also confirmed the improvement in their units.

    In a related development, some residents of Afaha Idoro and Nwaniba who had previously complained to the Office of the SSA on Power on lack of power supply have also recorded an improvement in the power situation in their respective areas.

    Mr. Fred Uwah a business owner at Afaha Idoro said “we have not experienced any power outage, the power has been constant” while Mrs. Happiness Johnson a resident of Nwaniba said “power supply has improved for a while now”.

    The Ibom Power Plant is at the verge of recording another ‘first’ as the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), Mr. Rumundaka Wonodi has said that “NBET Plc will like to enter a Power Purchase Agreement with Ibom Power in February 2014”

    If agreements are reached, Ibom Power Plant will be one of the first Independent Power Producers in Nigeria to sign a Power Purchase Agreement with NBET.

    The CEO, who spoke during a courtesy visit of NBET Senior Management team to Ibom Power, said: “The Nigerian electricity supply sector is about to enter the next stage of the market which is the transitional electricity market.

    “A basic requirement for that stage is that all the generating assets should have a Power Purchase Agreement so that all the generation and consumption through the Distribution companies is administered under a contract.”

    Wonodi added that “part of NBET’s visit to Ibom Power plant was to state their commitments and also get some commitment from Ibom Power.”

    Speaking further, the Electricity Bulk Trader Boss said: “The good thing about the Power Purchase Agreement is that to a large extent, it addresses the issue of transmission and capacity payments.

    “NBET is very well capitalised with over $700million fund backed by World Bank and with that, Ibom Power can be rest assured that payments will be made as at when due.”

    The Managing Director of Ibom Power, Mr. Gareth Wilcox, said: “The Power Purchase Agreement with NBET is very important because without the PPA it will be impossible to operate and maintain the power plant.

    “We are therefore happy that the Chief Executive Officer of the NBET has agreed to sign a PPA with us in February.”

    Udo, who is also a board member in Ibom Power Company, expressed delight with the PPA agreement.

    Dr. Udo said: “Ikot Abasi is a power exporting hub because apart from the 191MW Ibom plant, ALSCON has 540MW capacity plant and there is another proposed plant with 250MW capacity, all within Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom State.”

    He added that the governor would remain committed to improving power supply in the state.

     

  • Akwa Ibom takes over Oron Road

    Akwa Ibom takes over Oron Road

    Ahe Akwa Ibom State government has assured Oron residents that the collapsed Oron Road will soon be fixed.

    It said Governor Godswill Akpabio has directed Nigerpet, a construction company, handling road project in the state to move into the area.

    Commissioner for Works Don Etim said this during a phone-in programme “Scorecard” on Planet 101.1 FM station in Uruan, Akwa Ibom State.

    “The road is a Trunk A federal road. It is supposed to be done by the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) but the state government is intervening in it.

    “Immediately the road collapsed, the governor directed Nigerpet to work on it since FERMA seems to have failed in its responsibility.”

    Etim said the state gets six and half per cent reduction in prices of its projects compared to the Federal Government.

    When he was asked if projects undertaken in the state are truly expensive as claimed by the government, the commissioner said: “We are even getting a lower cost from some of the construction giants.

    “For instance, Julius Berger charges Akwa Ibom State government six and half per cent less than what it is charges the Federal Government,” Etim said.

  • 2015: ‘There’s need to revisit tripod agreement in Akwa Ibom’

    2015: ‘There’s need to revisit tripod agreement in Akwa Ibom’

     Michael Onofiok, an Oron man, is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers. He spoke with Kazeem Ibrahym on his governorship ambition

    What is your assessment of Governor Godswill Akpabio’s government since assumption of office?

    I will honestly as I have always been saying give Governor Godswill Akpabio my honest comment because before he came into office during the electioneering campaign, he has promised the state that he would deliver on infrastructure which exactly what he is been doing. He has given us some good roads in the state and also did some other projects though not really having impact on the entire welfare of the people. We are happy that at least we have had a governor who has been able to rekindles hope and confidence of the people of Akwa Ibom state.

    Which particular area do you think the governor should have touched the more but he failed to do so?

    Very unfortunately, somebody like me who is a Mariner that has been in the Marine Industry for over 2 decades, authoritatively I can tell you that the economy of the very advanced nation started from the sea and are still being sustained by the proceeds coming from the sea. Like in America, Britain, and continental Europe and even in South Africa. All these countries rely on the proceeds from Maritime sector. That is where the job is. That is where you have enormous employment. The benefit of the sector is internal. That is the area where Akwa Ibom State Government has not really gone into and if you look at the inland water ways of Akwa Ibom state, look at our coast lines and look at our offshore limits, we have the best potential in this country and even the continent.

    Looking at Lagos state, a very close example, Akwa Ibom state may generate or may be due monthly say between N25billion to N30billion from the Federation Account and it takes about about N6billion to N8billion higher than Lagos state but Lagos state makes ten times the amount from the Maritime sector. So you can see that even in the jobs analysis of today and the economic growth of all the states, you will see that it is only six states within the country that the poverty level or job employment level is below six to seven per cent. Lagos state is one of them. This has been made possible because of the huge investment that has gone into the Maritime.

    Like we have the potential of Maritime in Akwa Ibom state, I believe that 30 to 40 per cent of development of the federal inland water ways that we have here, we should be able to generate between 50, 000 to 60, 000 jobs that is developing only the inland water ways. We are not even talking about offshore limit, we are not talking about the coast line, also not talking about the controversial Ibaka Deep Sea Port. We are just looking at where exclusive rights can be given to the citizen which is our own inland water ways. This is the only state in the country where all the estuarine and inland waters empty into almost all the communities where we could develop inland port, fish processing terminals for both local and international markets. We could develop our inland ports for ship repairers and small craft building. All these things generate a lot of jobs for our teeming youths and the entire populace. That is the area I think the Akwa Ibom state government has not done well because such area has been completely abandoned. Also I have made suggestions, I have been writing things on the Maritime, made suggestions in the print media and even in the social media, even writing memos to government that somebody somewhere will be able to make use of it but it is very unfortunate that nobody has been able to do that probably may be because I am outside. This is area that the government should look into. They should invest aggressively in the maritime sector.

    Why the controversial Ibaka Deep Sea port if am to go by your words?

    The Ibaka Deep Seaport was muted in the 70’s but because of lack of political and economic will, that place has been abandoned as it is today. In a growing economies like us today, we don’t need a specialized seaport. A specialized sea port can be tolerated in an environment where maritime has been part of the developmental strategy of government. Where Maritime makes part of the budget of government, here we are, we are developing. We need to create jobs, we need to put people into skills. We need to develop maritime and the marine sector, so that kind of specialized seaport is not needed here. We need a general cargo seaport. That is the thing that we need otherwise I will say that probably specialized seaport can be taken to a place like Lagos state. They already have about two seaports which are all general cargo ports and then we have some private jetties in Lagos state and Port Harcourt, I think what we need right now is to give them a specialized seaport which is meant for expedition for military training and some other very specialized maritime professional training. That is going to limit a lot of activities that would have come on to reach the common man on the street.

    Another reason is that Ibaka Deep sea is been very controversial in the sense that every successive government that come in from the federal to the state have always seen the seaport as a very lofty project to embark upon and considering the very natural nature of the beach. Series of studies have carried out about the beach in the late 60’s and 70’s. Even the last research that was done by the World Bank, the report is not different with what was done during the military days. Even in the days of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, that place has always been found to be the best beach that has the best potential for a deep seaport. Deep seaport in the sense of the benefit that are accruable but I don’t know the fear that other states that are also littoral states are having. Probably their fear is that the moment the deep seaport is functional in Ibaka it will mean more tariffs and it will divert traffic and a lot of logistics will be taken away from them but that is not the issue because we are talking about a country and not Akwa Ibom state. In Akwa Ibom state here, we don’t have enough skills. We don’t even have people to work in that sector. So you may find out that the completion of the deep seaport you may have all Nigerians coming to work there. Probably in Akwa Ibom state now, you can only find semi-skilled people in the maritime sector. That is another reason which I think the political will is lacking.

    A lot of people who have know me in the Maritime field have been calling me believing that I will use my good office to channel my memos to government to see to the completion of Ibaka deep seaport. A lot of questions have been raised about the project, I answers questions on that project everyday. When Mr. President met with the Federal Executive Council, the report on Ibaka deep seaport was considered as a matter of priority sometime last year. The President rose from the meeting and appointed a committee to look into Ibaka deep seaport and give him report. On hearing that, we were at peace infact we went to sleep because we thought it was a war at last won. The President showed goodwill by instituting this committee to look into the Ibaka deep seaport matter. The committee went into work and in no time the report was given to him. The Chairman of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Governor of Akwa Ibom state Chief Godswill Akpabio because of the report had to meet to discuss after that there was a policy statement that at last the Ibaka deep seaport project will take off in earnest. The governor in his speech said he has handed over documents, the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), the land acquisition document, the layout and everything because we thought it was going to be on equity funding even at that level we were satisfied because all we needed to see was to get the project functional. It won’t only give the locals sense of belonging because these are people with bottled up anger yearning for any form of development or government presence.

    That is the position of Akwa Ibom state because we hardly get anything from the Federal Government for some years now. We had thought with the project Mr. President will be given a good mark but to my greatest dismay that committee report I don’t know I wouldn’t say it was jettisoned but they suspended action that report. The next thing I heard was that a deep seaport is going on in Bayelsa state. So the deep sea port in Bayelsa is under construction. It may have passed 40 to 50 per cent now but Ibaka deepsea port which is supposed to be a gate way to the maritime and industrial world of the South South has been abandoned then only a few months back instead of also coming back to look at Ibaka deep seaport project to see what we can do about it, the government also gave approval for a deep seaport to be constructed in Lagos state. So how many deep seaports do we have there? We already have a tin can island port, a snake island port which had served as a marine and international gateway to the west. The Ibaka deep seaport is supposed to serve as a maritime gateway to the south. Instead of doing that I see government paying attention to other states that have these things already so they left the Ibaka deep seaport at a very controversial stage that is why I keep using the words controversial because it has always been there, they have always talked about it but nothing has been done.

    Oro Nation seems not to be moving at the same level with other ethnic groups in the state in terms of development, what do think is wrong?

    It is rather very sad because questions like these should’ve come up at all about Oro Nation. Oron road begins from actual Oron beach up to Aba. It is one straight road and this has been a major trade routes of the region. Before the creation of Akwa Ibom state in 1987, Oro Nation has always been there playing major role in terms of the economy, in terms of social value to Cross River state. We were never relegated, we were never humiliated, we were never abandoned or rejected when we were in the then Cross River. Things were moving very fast despite the very natural demarcation between Oron and Cross River State, which is the water because it is only when you cross the channel you can get to Cross River State. Everybody saw the economic value and nobody was talking about Oron Nation in terms of per capital, in terms of population. The government is looking at the economic value of Oron Nation as a whole.

    If we look into the actual document when Akwa Ibom State was created during the regime of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (Retd), three major ethnic groups are identified in that document. There are other sub groups like Eket, Ibeno, Ikot Abasi, just like we have Uruk Anam and Ikono people. These are all sub groups within Akwa Ibom state but three major ethnic groups which actually gave birth to or occasioned that word which is often used as tripod. Before Akpan Isemin of blessed memory became the governor of Akwa Ibom state, the stakeholders and our fathers sat down and had an agreement. This agreement was friendly, it was not an agreement which was based on the delineation of government. It was not an agreement which was based on senatorial district. The agreement was solely based on ethnic nationalities. The reason why the Oron Nation accepted that agreement and consented to it is that naturally we are from here and we know that there also Ibibio people in Eket Senatorial District, also Ibibios in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District and we also have core Ibibios in Uyo Senatorial District and we naturally agreed that this state belonged to us, let us work out an acceptable formula which will enable us to live in harmony and peace. We accepted that the Ibibios are many, they can have the first shot of the governorship. We gave our consent to them and that was agreed that the Ibibios should take the first shot followed by the Annang and Oron. That was why Akpan Isemin of blessed memory was given the first shot. Akpan Isemin’s regime was short-lived by the military coup but we also sat down because we saw that they were not allowed to complete their tenure because of the military coup, we virtually agreed that the Ibibios can go back and complete their tenure through former Governor Victor Attah that did full eight years. We gave him the moral backing. We supported him with everything that Attah needed to work with in office. That was why when leaving office, he went to Ikot Ekpene and made that pronouncement that power must rotate and power would move to Ikot Ekpene senatorial district and he went further to say that I mean, Annang speaking area of Ikot Ekpene senatorial district because he is aware of the Ikono, Ini and the Oruk people in the Ikot Ekpene senatorial district. These are Ibibios; that was why he emphasized the Annang speaking area and everybody agreed. There was no rancour. The whole state supported the Annang people of Ikot Ekpene senatorial district and that saw the emergence of the present governor but all of a sudden we are now hearing politics of a senatorial district instead of giving it to Oron ethnic nationality. They are now talking of senatorial district knowing that in Eket senatorial district we have five local government areas; out of which 12 are Ibibios.

     

     

  • ‘It’s Oron’s turn to produce Akwa Ibom State governor’

    ‘It’s Oron’s turn to produce Akwa Ibom State governor’

    How is politics in Akwa Ibom?

    Well, It has been the policy of the PDP which controls Akwa Ibom not to heat up the polity. I will rather say we have progressed into 2014. It is obvious that whoever has any stake or interest in what will happen in 2015 must begin to work towards it now. In Akwa Ibom State, I think the greatest show in town is the succession politics- who is going to succeed Chief Godswill Akpabio at the Hilltop mansion come 2015. As a citizen from Oron section of Akwa Ibom State, I consider my own people a major stakeholder in whatever will happen in 2015 and that is what is dominating the politics of Akwa Ibom State at the moment.

    How would you rate Godswill Akpabio in the past seven years?

    Well, Chief Godswill Akpabio has been generally acclaimed as having

    performed exceptionally in infrastructural development. I think anybody who comes into Akwa Ibom agrees with that assessment. But if you actually live in Akwa Ibom, it will be fair to say that Akpabio’s uncommon transformation has transformed Uyo and Ikot Ekpene Senatorial Districts. It has not touched Eket Senatorial district where the resources that generate the money used in running the state come from.There is nothing in the Oron area. No road, no School, nothing in the tenure of this administration. Eket Senatorial District generally Ibeno that has the terminal of Mobil does not even have a road to it, you have to go through Esit Eket to reach Ibeno. Other places in the Senatorial district of Eket attest to this kind of uncommon neglect.

    But that of Oron really stands out given the fact that eighty percent of all derivable revenue from oil that comes to Akwa Ibom comes from Oron. If Akwa Ibom State receives N10 billon from the Federation Account, Oron can lay claim to N8 billon out of that. Yet absolutely, absolutely nothing to show for it.

    What do you think is responsible for this?

    Well, that question should be addressed to the governor himself. We cannot answer for him, why nothing, nothing, I emphasize, is happening in Eket Senatorial District. His numerous deputy governors do not even have road to their homes, not one, which should come through the benefit of occupying that office. So if he cannot do it for people who work so closely with him in Eket Senatorial district, who else would he do for?

    The East-West road is a federal project. So the governor himself has to answer why the people that produce all the resources and had patiently helped to develop other parts of the state have nothing to show for it.

    Would I be correct to say Eket Senatorial District is not happy with Akpabio?

    Well, democracy is to bring dividends and if you do not see dividends it is obvious that you will not be happy. So if the people are not happy, they have a reason. And even the issue of who will succeed him, the governor had been promoting Umana Umana his secretary up to the point that they fell apart. And he is not from Eket. Eket is the largest senatorial district in Akwa Ibom State with 12 local governments and produces the resources we put on the sharing table.

    Those who have been ruling don’t have greater stake to the development of the state than the people who even produce the resources. So, it is criminal to neglect Eket to that level. That is why those who are playing the politics of succession in this state this year must be very careful because any attempt to take the reign of power from what we consider the turn of Eket senatorial district to any other place will bring a catastrophe to the state.

    What do you mean by that?

    Akwa Ibom State is the largest oil producing state in Nigeria. And in Akwa Ibom State, Eket Senatorial district produces the oil. So if Eket senatorial district is not happy can the state be happy? And you cannot tell in what manner the people of Eket Senatorial District will express their grievances.

    The governor has endorsed the zoning of power to Eket senatorial district. But it looks like the people of the Senatorial District are yet to agree on where the governor should come from?

    That kind of precondition or consensus has never been imposed on any section of the state that produced the governor before. So, it cannot stant from Eket Senatorial District. Eket Senatorial District is made up of 12 local governments and Oron, third largest ethnic group in the state has five out of the twelve local governments. And our kindred who also produce oil, Eastern Obolo and Ibeno add up to make it seven. Together, they produce all the 99.9 percent of all the oil in Akwa Ibom. So, Akwa Ibom cannot say they do not know where power should go in 2015 if they have any sense of fairness, any sense of justice and any sense of equity. Moreover, you are aware that our state propably has the largest number of churches per capital in the world. This goes to show that our people are religious. The situation of the succession to the current governor of Akwa Ibom State challenges our sense o religiosity and spiritualism.

    Have Eket people reached out to other areas on producing the governor in 2015?

    Well, our interface with others has gone a long way. Oron people had

    helped other ethnic groups in this state produce governors when they

    had the opportunity. When Esuene was the military governor in south

    eastern state and at a time the state was so broke, he could not pay

    salaries; it was an Oron man, the late Chief Lawrence Etim who brought in money to rescue that situation. When Clement Isong wanted to run for governor in Cross River state, Oron people rallied round to make him a governor. When Chief Donald Etiebet ran for governor in Cross River State, Oron people were critical elements in the struggle to put him in that office.

    We can also say same of Obong Akpan Isemin. We brought Liberal Convention, the three of us- myself,(Effiong Edunam), Otu Ita Toyo and the late Iyanam brought liberal convention from the Constituent Assembly in 1989 to Akwa Ibom State. When General Babangida banned political associations, we converted Liberal Convention which was adjudged the strongest of the political associations in Akwa Ibom to National Republican Convention and that was the platform Chief Akpan Isemin used to become the governor. Chief Iyanam was the Chairman of Akpan Isemin’s caucus, a state co-ordinator of the party and Akpan Isemin emerged as governor. Obong Victor Attah was the next elected governor. Myself, Chief Okon Osung, Chief Jerry Okpo and the late Chief Joe Ating who was the state chairman of the party were critical contributors to the effort to make Obong Victor Attah the governor of Akwa Ibom State.

    In the case of Chief Godswill Akpabio, if Otu Ita Toyo who was the state chairman of PDP at the time had allowed the run-off, which was to take place after the first primary was stalemated, the result would have been different. If he had accepted inducements offered to favour the former governor’s son-in-law, the result would have been different.

    But he made sure that the run-off did not take place and that the ticket was given to Chief Godswill Akpabio. We have paid our dues. And apart from that, we have patiently offered the state the resources with which the development of other areas have been undertaken. And so we are also asking the other ethnic components of the state to be gracious enough to support an Oron candidate to emerge because we are not second- class citizens. We are full citizens of Akwa Ibom State and we have done enough to justify what we are asking for.

    Eket people also have the same argument. So, hod do you reconcile this?

    Eket has how many Local Government and Oron has how many? So if you are going to give priority to anybody you must start from Oron.

    Besides, whether in the military or in the civilian, no Oron man has ever been a governor. Clement Isong from Eket had been the governor of Cross River State standing on the shoulder of an Oron man named Senator Victor Akan. Esuene had been military governor. Remember, Chief Ufot Ekaete was the secretary to the federal government which Obasanjo said was equivalent to three ministers. Eket had been loaded. All through the years, only Eket produced representatives in the NDDC. This is the first time an Oron man has been appointed into the board of NDDC. It never happened before. Until this appointment, no government, no administration in Akwa Ibom had ever admitted that Oron was oil producing. Even when we recovered 76 oil wells from Cross Rivers, they are hanging in the air because they are not ascribed to any place. I know Bakassi was part of

    the old Oron Local Government Area, part of Mbo. So if Mbo is not oil

    producing, where would the oil wells belong to. If you draw a straight

    line from the Akwa Ibom coast down toward Equatorial Guinea, you will see that 80 per cent of all the oil platforms are in Oron waters because Akwa Ibom is essentially an off-shore oil producing state. Oil companies are operating in its own territory, yet not one local government area from Oron was classified by successive administrations for purely political reasons as oil producing. It took the visit of the National Assembly, five committees of the National Assembly, at our own expense, that came to do verifications, using helicopters, boats and things like that before they went and passed a resolution to the effect that Oron must be classified as oil producing local government.

    A fact which was conveyed by the secretary to the federal government to the governor of Akwa Ibom State and the governor has now justified the inclusion of Etim Iyanag (Jnr) in the NDDC board as a function of recognition of Oron. But we say that is not enough because for more

    than 40 years, we have been denied the benefits even when we suffered the disastrous consequences of oil exploitation. Therefore, this government owes us in arrears.

    How ready are the Oron people for the 2015 governorship race?

    Well, Akpabio’s emergence wasn’t a function of the readiness of the Annangs. Attah’s emergence wasn’t on the account of the readiness of the Ibibios. Oron people are going to put forward credible aspirants for the race of the governorship for Akwa Ibom people to choose one.

    It is not an Oron governorship. The person will be an Akwa Ibom governor of Oron extraction.

    Already those who have emerged have given us hope that Akwa Ibom people cannot claim they haven’t found from the array of Oron politicians that have shown interest, somebody they can choose to lead Akwa Ibom State. I can mention some of the names, Asuquo Okpo is a lawyer and an experienced attorney in the oil industry, Ekpenyong Ntekim is the current State Attorney General, nobody can say he is not good enough, Effiong Abia has been in government for many years and he is a member of the cabinet of this administration in charge of rural development. Justics Ebito is a retired judge, there are several others, but all of them are people who have excelled in their various professions, who have been exposed to the challenges of managing their personal lives, their professional lives which of course prepares them adequately for such office.

    Do you have an internal mechanism to screen and prune down the aspirants?

    Well, you remember that in the case of Chief Godswill Akpabio there were over 50 aspirants, yet the system did not collapse. In the case that Oron is making, there are less than 15 from Oron. So, if the state could manage fifty something then, why not now? Though I don’t see a situation that we are going to have such a ridiculous number this time around because after the 2007 exercise I think people would look at themselves more carefully.

    They will not just come out because they have the wherewithal to buy a party form. They will come out because they have done a thorough assessment of their own innate capacity before they put themselves forward. So, the state too has learnt from that, party has learnt from that. And Oron people themselves are conscious of the burden of discharging credible governance to the rest of the state.

    Besides, whoever comes out must be somebody who understands the political process of Akwa Ibom State who has also succeeded in selling himself to the rest of the state, to members of the party in other parts of the state

    How committed is Oron to the project?

    We have reached out to our Ibibio, brothers. We have gone to consult them so they do not say ‘if that is what Oron wanted why didn’t they also tell us.’ We reached out to the Annangs, we went to Eket, we went to Ibeno, we went to Eastern Obolo. To the best of my knowledge, those are the only ethnic groups in the state.

    And it also seems to me that the state generally seems to have accepted the fact that it is the turn of Oron. Because if you look at those who are showing interest in the race, apart from Umana Umana who is from Uyo Senatorial District, no other Uyo man thinks it is fair to come out now. It is only Umana Umana for his own curious reason.

    And nobody has come out from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. In Eket Senatorial District, even those coming out from all the other two federal constituencies combined are not as many as the number coming out from Oron. And in this business that is always suggestive where the pendulum will swing.

    The governor himself set up a committee with representation from all the 31 local government areas ostensibly to work for somebody who is not from Oron who is his SSG. But he also told them the options, that the first option is an Oron governor with a deputy from Uyo Senatorial District. Second option is an Eket governor with a deputy from Abak area of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. So even the governor in his scheming appreciates that fact, that what is fair is for an Oron person to become the governor and Oron people are ready to hold him to such pronouncements.

    If you see the governor face to face what will you tell him

    I think the governor knows the Oron group has been the most strident, the most fearless. It is not that he is not being told that he is doing the somersaulting regarding who will be his successor. I think it is in his own interest and security that he has been doing what he is doing. But after all the dance, he will still come back to face the reality.

     

  • 2015: Intrigues and battle for soul of Akwa Ibom

    2015: Intrigues and battle for soul of Akwa Ibom

    These are indeed interesting times as far as the struggle for and control of the oil rich Akwa Ibom State is concerned. It may be safe to say that, unlike many other states, the competition for political power and offices in 2015 may have begun shortly before the 2011 elections or immediately after the elections of 2011.

    Many remember that even before the choice of candidates in the 2011 gubernatorial elections were announced, it was already public knowledge that the then deputy governor, Mr Patrick Ekpo Otu, had been singled out as the man to be dropped from the Akpabio ticket. In a town where rumours are as rife as air, those who took the kite as just a kite, where soon to learn that this was no joke. For reasons perhaps only clear to Akpabio and his kitchen cabinet, Ekpo Otu was sacrificed. Nsima Ekere, the man who replaced him as deputy governorship candidate had already begun duties even before the first ballot in the General elections was in. again, the rumor mill then had intimated that Ekere, an indigene of Ikot Abasi, in the Eket Senatorial zone, was poised to take over from Akpabio, come 2015. The idea was that Ekere who had contested the 2007 PDP gubernatorial primaries with Akpabio, had entered into an agreement of sorts immediately after a good show at the then primaries. But whether or not he did, the rumors gained strength, seeing that Ekere, before his nomination to the ticket, had been in charge of the major investment parastatal of the state that reported directly to the governor. Add that to his then visible closeness to Akpabio, and what you got was a potent, believable gossip.

    But there was a snag. It is not immediately known when the then, Secretary to Government, Umana Okon Umana became interested in the plum office, but many are wont to posit, that the man may have so decided, immediately on appointment as the Secretary to Government. Often described as one of the most, if not the most powerful SSG to patrol the corridors, the view that Umana started nursing his ambition so early on, was easily gleamed from the way and manner he positioned his loyalists all over strategic offices and even the legislature from the word go. It was an open secret then that the fear of Umana was the beginning of wisdom. He had a say in what became of whom and who became what, from Local council chairmen, councilors or what have you. Even when Ekere came on board and the rumors of his succeeding Akpabio became rife, many were at a loss on what would become of this powerful servant of state.

    But they did not have to wait long as Ekere was in a short while shown the red card. Even though the issue of who removed Ekere or through what instrumentation or person, Ekere was forced out, remain in contention till today, the fact remains that Ekere was forced to resign his appointment. Even though media reports have it that Akpabio owes Ekere’s ouster to pressure from Umana, we must maintain that Akpabio forced Ekere out, for to do otherwise would be massaging Umana’s ego, while reprimanding the governor for not taking responsibility for actions in his time, good or bad. But with Ekere’s ouster from government, the fame and near supernatural political powers of Umana was accentuated. At that point it became political suicide not to bow to and join the Umana bandwagon. What better proof would one need to understand where the power pendulum swings?

    But then things happened in supersonic speed. Umana the powerful was soon bitten by the tiger. No matter what his supporters would have us believe, umana’s travail was much more than a public deflation of a myth. It represented the best example of the ephemeral nature and transient attributes of power.

    Not long, indeed immediately post Umana, the mills now have it that the new Secretary to government, Emmanuel Udom, a trained and highly respected banker, has been anointed by Akpabio for the 2015 polls.

    Please pardon the long treatise above. It is in my opinion, a necessary background to understanding the politics of 2015 gubernatorial race in Akwa Ibom state.

    The background notwithstanding, it bears mention that Akpabio soon went home and abroad to canvass for and support the zoning of the governorship to Eket Senatorial district. It is also instructive to state that Udom, the present Secretary to government and Ekere, the former deputy governor are from this zone. Umana is from the Uyo senatorial zone, which had held office in the time of Obong Victor Attah. By zoning the office to Eket Senatorial zone, Uyo and Ikot Ekpene are effectively shut out. Even though the Oron ethnic group resides in Eket zone, they feel shortchanged and hold that Akpabio should have in zoning the office to Eket, allowed for the Oron nation, as they prefer to be called to have a right of first refusal. Her position is borne of the fact that Akwa Ibom is made of three major ethnic groups, the Ibibios, Annangs and the Oro peoples. Since the other two ethnic groups have tasted power, the Orons has not. That zoning to Eket zone without a caveat that favors the Orons is a ruse to play them out, seeing that in the zone they suffer a surfeit of numbers alongside the Ibibios who are predominant in the area.

    The above captures the situation on ground today. Without much ado, the opposition, for want of a better name had long begun a massive assault on the minds of the people. The agent of attack is bulk messages, paid advertisements, and syndicated interviews and columnists. This strategy proceeds from an understanding that since it may not be possible, even though not impossible to snatch the PDP ticket from those in control of the mainstream PDP in the state, an assault on the mindset of the larger electorate from now till the general elections may create sufficient disgust, anger and revolt within the electorate, enough to transform into voter sympathy in the general election. The belief being that they may very well start preparing to contest on the ticket on the next viable political party.

    So bulk messages of different groups are now the order of the day in Akwa Ibom. The underlying motive as evidenced in a content analysis would show that these messages are thematically preoccupied with casting aspersions on Akpabio or abusing Udom. The strategy is to make Akpabio, Udom’s baggage should udom pick the PDP ticket. If Akpabio is tarred then his candidate is so condemned the campaign seems to maintain. So attacking Akpabio on the issue of zoning, while also attacking Udom’s suitability and near zero political experience has become the order of bulk short messages. It has become so prevalent that at various times, Akpabio had come out to tell the people to discard messages that seem to destroy rather than build.

    At the centre of the intrigues is also the strategy of attacking and or stimulating the consciousness of the Oron people. As it is, the next phase of the campaign has begun, with special interviews and columnist. Hear Bar. Victor Iyanam, an oron son and past commissioner for Justice, in interview of the Nation on Sunday, last week ; “The clamor that governorship should be zoned to Eket Senatorial district now is suspicious. Now, let me tell you how it is today. My father before me was part of an arrangement which ought to have been followed till now. We used to have an arrangement of the Ibibio, Annang and Oron. Nobody ever discussed senatorial district. The discussion was always about tripod. The tripod of Ibibio, annang and oron…”

    In the same interview under discussion, Iyanam goes on to say;”I am looking at all the candidates. Since I am an oro person, I feel that in the circumstance, my people will be better served by a candidate from uyo senatorial district. I am looking at possibilities and I hope that we can manage to persuade former SSG, umana Umana to enter the race. There are so many politicians in history, including Shehu Shagari and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, they were all persuaded to participate. We hope we can persuade somebody like Umana Umana to show interest and actually contest in the election. I think such a person will be better for oro nation”

    Let us examine Iyanams words above before returning to the issue of bulk sms on Akpabio and Udom. Iyanam conveniently forgets to mention the fact that it is not only oro that has a distinct language or dialect within the Eket Senatorial district. There is also the Ekid speaking people, who like oro have the attributes and nuances of a nation. They are commonly referred to as Ibibios, as indeed all other ethnic groups, including the annangs and oros in times gone. Going by the 2006 cencus igures the oros had a population figure of 87,461 people, including 46,408 males and 41, 053 females. The Ekid nation had a population figure of 63,701, including 33,942 males and 29,759 females. So quite clearly, any talk of tripod, must also take into consideration the Ekid speaking people. This people, like the oro people speak a dialect distinct from Ibibio. The oro nation also exists in Bakkassi local government area of Cross River State. Should it not also agitate for spoils in Cross River State?

    It is my submission that the Oron people should beware of people like Iyanam. His stand on the issue of senatorial district is less than ingenious. It is noteworthy to mention here that Iyanam’s younger brother, the celebrated trail blazer in telecoms marketing, Okon Iyanam has since declared and begun consultations state wide on his ambition to take over from Akpabio. Instead of supporting his brother or indeed instigating state wide appeal for any oro son worthy to throw his hat in the ring, Iyanam is busy sowing seeds of discord a. At a time when Oron people should be networking and negotiating for the plum job, jobbers like Iyanam are busy suggesting people from other districts that he believes would better serve Oron. It is confounding that he would pretend to attempt to persuade Umana to contest.

    True Oron sons should know better than Iyanam. He should equate his thesis to the real demands of the Oron people. If Oron people want to rule they should come out and show the people the stuff they are made off. The likes of Iyanam only understand the promise of deputy governorship. That may very well be the reason his blood brother and other Oron sons can go to hell. So much for my people!

    For Akpabio, if indeed he has anointed Udom to succeed him, he has the not so enviable task of explaining to the people, why men and women that he worked closely with do not qualify to succeed him. There may be things he knows that we are not privy to. He should share. Many would remember that at the twilight of his tenure, then Lagos state governor, Bola Tinubu opted to throw up his then Chief of Staff, Babatunde Fashola as his successor against Tokumbo Afikuyomi, whom many had expected to stroll into office on account of his closeness to Tinubu. Tinubu, knowing the character and make-up of government that would surpass his, opted for a Fashola with no known political experience. Afikuyomi opted to contest on another platform and the rest like they say is history. Akpabio should tell us if Udom is the Fashola of Akwa Ibom state come 2015. But beyond that, the battle for control of power should transcend money politics and politics of division. The question, very pertinent question is; what type of and character of governance does akwa Ibom State need, going forward?

     

    * Umoette, a political commentator wrote from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

     

  • Neglected federal road puts Akwa Ibom residents in pains

    Neglected federal road puts Akwa Ibom residents in pains

    Six months after erosion damaged a federal road in Akwa Ibom, nothing concrete has been done to fix it, writes Kazeem Ibrahym, Uyo

    It is a Trunk A federal road linking Oron, Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Aba to Lagos. The site, however, looks more now like a refuse dump, but it is part of the Oron road that was cut into two some six months ago in Akwa Ibom State, when gully erosion wreaked havoc last July.

    It was as if the state was gradually being cut off from the rest of the world. The gully submerged one residential building. While other houses around the area were lucky to survive the wind that accompanied the devastation, Emmanuel Edem’s house was not; his house was submerged.

    Edem said he had gone for his mother’s funeral when neighbours sent him a distress message.

    The residents of the area are sad that despite the magnitude of the incident, the Akwa Ibom State government has not put the road back to shape.

    As at the time Niger Delta Report visited, Oron road was still blocked from both ends with majority of the motorists passing other adjoining roads, such as the Stadium Road and others with inherent congestion and traffic snarl.

    Oron road is a Federal Trunk A road, but the thinking of many residents of the area is that the state government could as well intervene the same way it is doing on other federal roads in the state.

    One of the directors at the Ministry of Transport, who did not share in the sentiment of the people and preferred anonymity, said the people of Oron should be thankful to Governor Godswill Akpabio for the little efforts geared towards bringing the road back to normal.

    He explained that as a governor that shared in the feeling of the people, immediately the incident occurred, the state government drafted Stemco Construction Company handling road projects in the area to undertake preliminary intervention measures to stall further damage.

    His words: “What else do you want the government to do? The road is still under construction. It is not government that asked the people to be dumping refuse on the road. The road will be completed at the appropriate time because the government is even doing the people favour because the road is a federal road that links from Oron beach-Uyo-Ikot Ekpene-Aba-Lagos.”

    One of the residents of the area, Emmanuel Asuquo, expressed concerns that a road of that significance was being allowed to stay that long with nothing done by the government to remedy it.

    Asuquo faulted the excuse that because Oron road is a federal road, the people should be thankful to the government for the little efforts on the road. He said such reason would not be acceptable by the people of Oro since Oron road is not the only federal road in the state. He said the state government had intervened in a lot of federal roads and wondered why the same machinery was not used to fix Oron road.

    He said: “The people have come to develop this feeling that once it comes to the Oro axis nothing should be done well and it is unfortunate. The road upon being broken into two, there was a lot of cries both locally and internationally.

    “When we started seeing heavy trucks, we felt there was a positive response from the state government. That was the feeling of the people. We thought the road will be back to normal but that had not been the case.

    “For a community that thinks it should be closely knit and for that section of the community to feel sidelined, marginalised, neglected, it becomes very disturbing. Within the people, the anger is boiling and swelling.

    “You will start seeing the people portraying the government as against them. That road is a road the government should have done within one month and hand it over to the people. The road was not totally filled up. The hard core got to a certain level and they stopped. The people are now feeling that it is a general thing when it comes to Oro Nation. Once it is the Oro axis it needs not be completed and it is unfortunate.”

    Another resident of the area, Mike Okpo, said: “Over the years, Oron road has undergone a lot of deterioration and neglect. The traffic on that road had been quite heavy over the decades. It is quite unfortunate that in the recent times road like Oron road has been relegated to the back quarters.

    “We had expected that as Akwa Ibom is known to be buoyant that a prominent road like Oron road should have been one of the roads the state government would have given priority to.

    “With all fairness even if every other road is not looked into, a road of that prominent should not be allowed to cut off totally. It speaks something else. People outside the state who have been applauding us come to see that road some of them may think differently.”

    During an inspection tour to the collapsed road, the state Commissioner for Works, Don Etim, had sympathised with Edem whose building was washed away by the gully erosion.

    Etim, who spoke through the Head of Civil Engineering Directorate, Effiong Effiakedoho, explained that ravine encroachment was natural but could be aided by human activities.

    He noted that the case in Oron was a direct result of silting of drains, adding that the protection of environment is a direct responsibility of every member of the public.

    The commissioner appealed to Stemco Construction Company handling projects to take up immediate preliminary intervention.

     

     

  • Akwa Ibom lawmaker to youths: embrace unity, hardwork

    The Leader of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Okpolupm Etteh, has urged youths to eschew violence and other anti-social vices that propagate disunity and disharmony, especially in this season of celebrations.

    Etteh spoke when he received members of a frontline socio-political group in the state, Ikpoto Akwa Ibom, who paid him a Christmas visit, saying they should strive, at all times, to live up to the virtues of peace, harmony, unity and hospitability for which the state is known for.

    The lawmaker, who represents Esit Eket/Ibeno State Constituency in the House of Assembly, thanked the group for choosing to visit him and urged them to promote a genuine bond of brotherhood in the state by supporting “what is good, what is right and what is true.”

    He urged the youths to be focused, hardworking, loyal and diligent in their duties, stressing that its reward knows no limit and urged them to showcase the state positively to the rest of the world.

    Earlier, the group leader, Nsima Uwak, had said their decision to visit the House member, who is a major Patron of the group, was to give their unalloyed solidarity and respect to him as a role model amongst youths of the country.

    Uwak, who described Akwa Ibom State as model of good governance in the country, lauded Governor Akpabio for his developmental stride which, according to them, has become a reference point.

    lta State Government House, Mr. Solomon Arenyika and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretary, Mr. Steve Oru, were among dignitaries that attended the event.

  • Witchcraft: Boy cries for justice in Akwa Ibom

    A 15-year-old Akwa Ibom teen whose head was broken by hoodlums for allegedly using witchcraft to kill his father is seeking justice, writes Kazeem Ibrahym

    The case of a 15-year-old Akwa Ibom boy, Asuquo Edet, has again highlighted the plight of children accused of witchcraft in Akwa Ibom State.

    Despite a law prohibiting abuse of children, Asuquo’s head was broken by hoodlums for allegedly using witchcraft to kill his father.

    Asuquo is seeking justice. The boy, who spoke with our correspondent during a visit to the Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) in Eket, said the incident had affected his education.

    The victim of the attack is from Ikon-Edikor in Udung Uko Local Government Area.

    “If the hoodlums that attacked me are brought to book, it will serve as deterrent to others who are in the act of labeling their children witches and wizard,” he said.

    The visibly worried Asuquo gave kudos to CRARN, a non-profit organisation for coming quickly to his rescue during the attack on his life.

    He said his father who had been ill for several months received him with open arms before he died a few days later.

    Narrating his ordeal, Asuquo said: “My father was very happy to see me again after abandoning me for more than three years on the streets because one soothsayer, Alex Otong from Obughu, brought by my stepmother told him that I was a wizard; and responsible for his illness, the poverty and misfortune in the family.

    “I was sitting in my late father’s house, mourning his death that fateful day when the hoodlums led by two of my stepmother’s brothers, Silas and Peter Inwang, cordoned the house and started beating me with machetes, cables, rods, spine-sticks and ‘mbritem’, a local sugarcane-like plant, while questioning me on why I returned from exile only to kill my father.

    According to Asuquo, the beating, which started at about 12 pm lasted for about four hours when he finally fell into a state of coma after they used “axe” to break his head.

    His words: “They beat me with wire, machetes, horsewhip, rods and spine-sticks, and even poured urine and ‘combine’ on me until I did not know what was happening to me again!

    “I only found myself lying on the floor overtaken by blood when one an unknown woman who visited our village, woke me up and asked me to leave immediately otherwise I would be killed; as the men were bragging and saying I should come back and destroy lives.

    “So, I went and stayed in the nearby bush for three days. When I came back, she gave me N500 to use for my transport, and told me that those men came and set my father’s house on fire so that it will burn my body, thinking that my body was still lying there.”

    The Head of CRARN’s litigation, Emmanuel Okon, said CRARN responded to an urgent call by an anonymous person that Asuquo’s life was in danger.

    Okon said: “When we got there, Asuquo’s neighbour Mrs. Eno Okoti and his grandmother Mrs. Grace Ita Asuquo that tried to shield him were also accused of killing Asuquo’s father

    “The whole family house was burnt down. Even the house belonging to one of the neighbours, Mrs. Eno Okoti, was also destroyed. We were told at the scene that Asuquo escaped to an unknown located when he was about to be killed.”

    Okon while condemning the attack on Asuquo’s life advised parents/guardians to desist from labeling their children/wards witches and wizard.

    He also urged the Akwa Ibom State Government to take adequate sanction against any parents/guardians that flout the Child Rights Law.

     

  • ‘Akwa Ibom people ‘ll decide in 2015’

    ‘Akwa Ibom people ‘ll decide in 2015’

    A member of the Presidential Monitoring Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Richard King, said yesterday that as far as the 2015 general election is concerned, Akwa Ibom people will decide through the ballot box. King, speaking with reporters at his Osong Ama home in

    Uyo, the state capital, shortly after a reception in his honour by a socio-political organization, Divine Mandate Organisation, said the beauty of democracy is when the electorate are allowed to exercise their political power through a free and fair election.

  • Akwa Ibom communities seek lasting peace

    Akwa Ibom communities seek lasting peace

    The two communities of Uda and Effiat in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have sent Save Our Soul (SOS) message to Akwa Ibom State government following killings and wanton destruction of property in recent times, writes KAZEEM IBRAHYM

    The hall at Mbo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State penultimate Wednesday was filled to capacity with elders, women, different youth groups and clan heads. The elders dressed in their traditional attires. They all assembled to chart the way forward following the prolonged crises that had engulfed two communities of Uda and Effiat.

    From their looks, it shows all was not well. One speaker spoke after the other. All they search for is how peace would return to Uda and Effiat communities that have been at war with one another for over a decade.

    There was a renewed tension between the two communities following the killing of a pregnant woman and a mother of two from Uda by Effiat communities last week; a situation that made the chairman of Mbo Local Government Area, Victor Antai to call a meeting of all the stakeholders to resolve the impasse.

    After the meeting, the elders, women and the youth all marched to the state headquarters of the Directorate of State Security (DSS) and the state police command in Uyo, the state capital, to protest the lackadaisical handling of the protracted crisis perpetrated by politicians in their area.

    According to them, the protest was meant for them to register their complaints through the heads of security formations in the state for onward delivery to Governor Godswill Akpabio.

    The group passed a vote of confidence on Chief Antai for the manner he has been managing the crisis in Effiat Clan which has claimed many lives in the past five years.

    They argued that but for the mature and dexterous manner that Antai has been dealing with all the parties in the crisis, it would have escalated to engulf the entire council area.

    While briefing the Director of Security, Akwa Ibom State, Thomas Minti who was represented by the Acting Director, Emmanuel Esumoni, the council chairman said the entire local government area decided to take their plight to the security formation so that they could impress it on the state government to wade into it and bring the suffering of the people to end.

    Antai said as chief security officer of the state, the killing of dozens of Mbo sons and daughters have overwhelmed him, adding that it is only the state and federal governments that could surmount the hostility in the area.

    His words: “Mbo crises have overwhelmed me. That is why I have brought these people here so that you can see the anger in them, talk to them, and see how we can meet with the state governor.

    “God gave the oil to Mbo to better the lives of the people; but what we are seeing is quite opposite as oil has brought us woes.”

    He explained that the crisis erupted more than 10 years ago because of the fraudulent attempt by a gubernatorial aspirant from the area who has been duping the people of their rightful entitlements from the oil companies operating in the area.

    “When it erupted more than 10 years ago, I wasn’t the council chairman then. So, it would be illogical to say that the local government authority is sponsoring the crisis which recently culminated in the burning down of houses and killing of a pregnant woman in Effiat Clan of the local government area.” Antai said.

    Responding on behalf of the state director of State Security, the Assistant State Director Mr Emmanuel Esumonu said the agency was aware of the crisis, even as he promised to table it before Governor Akpabio for quick resolution.

    Esumonu lamented that what normally causes crisis; especially in the Niger Delta region is the tendency of a few people to divert what should have been the common wealth of the entire people.

    Also speaking, the President of Essu Nlap Oro, Apostle Etim Ante, said it was unfortunate that since the crises started, the victims of oil revenue struggle are often innocent people who have nothing to do with oil politics.

    Ante called on the authorities to prosecute those behind the killing of Mbo sons and daughters.