The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Akwa Ibom

  • Akwa Ibom targets Canadian Investors

    A team of Canadian investors are expected in Akwa Ibom to explore economic opportunities beneficial to the state.

    Governor Akpabio stated this on Monday in Uyo during his interraction with newsmen as regards his official trip to the Nigeria-Canada Economic Summit held in Toronto.

    Akpabio said: “I attended the Nigeria-Canada Economic Summit which was held in Toronto. I was happy with the high representation of Akwa Ibom people from the business, academia to the government circles. We had useful discussions with the would-be investors and also companies that are interested in doing business in Nigeria.

    “We also represented the people of the state in Canada and a lot of interest was shown, judging from the crowd that followed the Akwa Ibom delegation. I believe strongly that Canadian investors are coming to Nigeria. Outside investing in Federal Government concerns, Akwa Ibom would be the first port of call and we were able to sell the Ibaka Deep Seaport, the free trade zone with the possibility of establishing ammonia plant in the state”.

    The Governor, who described Canada as a major aviation hub in the world in the manufacture of hi-tech bombadier aircraft, noted that the state government delegation was able to sell the maintenance, repair and overhaul facility of Akwa Ibom International Airport.

    “I also went with the Nigerian delegation to take a tour of the bombardier facility. So I am hopeful that the effort with Canada would yield fruitful results,’’ he said.

    He said the Canadian investors has showed interest in the crude oil sector in the country, saying that Africa showcased Nigeria as the highest complaint on technical know-how due to the country’s law on local content which is beneficial to the citizens in the oil sector.

    Akpabio hinted that the delegation moved to Houston in the United States of America for oil retreat. He said there is hope that prospective investors would explore the opportunity by investing in the rich oil deposits in the country and in the sta

  • 10, 000 buildings to be demolished in Akwa Ibom

    10, 000 buildings to be demolished in Akwa Ibom

    Worried by the increasing rate of building collapse in the country, the Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA) yesterday said it would soon demolish over 10,000 buildings within Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

    The demolition, according to UCCDA’s Chairman, Ignatius Edet, is part of the moves to sanitise Uyo.

    Edet spoke with reporters during the demolition of a one-storey building at 97, Oron road.

    He said: “We don’t want to see any building that will collapse and kill people. The building is not fit for people to live in.”

    The chairman explained that occupants of the dilapidated building have been given one week to leave.

    His words: “Yesterday was the expiration date for all illegal structures that have defaced UCCDA. We gave one week ultimatum for residents to remove such.

    “The essence is to sanitise Uyo and make it clean because of the uncommon transformation agenda of Governor Godswill Akpabio. Uyo capital city has become a destination for both residents and outsiders. So we must make it clean.

    “There are so many more buildings to be demolished in Uyo. It is over 10,000. Like in the University of Uyo, we have over 2,900 buildings that have encroached into the university main campus.”

    When the UCCDA team arrived at 97 Oron Road for the demolition, occupants were seen evacuating their property.

    Some of them blamed their continued stay in the structure on poverty.

     

  • Succour for needy kids

    Succour for needy kids

    Firm donates N1m to Akwa Ibom orphanage

    Help has come for the abandoned and stigmatised children of Goodnews Community International (Gospel Village), an orphanage in Abak, Akwa Ibom State.

    Construction giant, Julius Berger Plc, donated N1million to the facility.

    The money will come in handy, as hard-working managers of the home will use it to enhance the well-being of their young charges who number over 2,500. Some of the inmates are only a few months old.

    Presenting the cheque to the home, the construction firm’s Public Affairs Coordinator, Clement Iloba, said the gesture was part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives aimed at touching the lives of underprivileged members of the society.

    Iloba further explained that the Annual Charity Golf Tournament is one way the company involves its employees and communities in creating social progress.

    According to Iloba, the funds raised from last year’s 12th Annual Tournament were donated to two organisations working to help less privileged persons.

    He stated that a donation of N1million was made to the Nyanya IT Training Centre in Nyanya, Abuja, to help them improve the training available for young adults on IT skills.

    His words: “An additional N1million was donated to The Good News Humanitarian Foundation, Abak, Akwa Ibom, to give them general support for their facilities.

    “We are not just coming here to support you. We came here as part of our CSR initiatives. This is just an arm of it. We decided to come here because we have a yearly golf tournament that we normally host in Abuja where we invite our friends and clients to participate on a charity basis.

    “After the tournament, some money was raised and the company decided that part of it should be donated to organisations, especially the orphanage to complement the good work they are doing. I am not sure if you have gotten an alert from your bank because we have already lodged the cash into your bank account.

    “We are going across all our hubs. Our hubs are where we have all major jobs to give not just to anybody but to those who are under-privileged, the vulnerable members in the society. The intention is just to affect positively the lives of members of those communities where we work.

    “That places on us great responsibilities. We were here in January last year. We were able to give a token of N1million. We decided to repeat same due to your excellent work. We have already paid the money into your account.”

    The President, Goodnews Humanitarian Foundation, Bishop Elijah Mboho, said over 2,500 children are residing in the home.

    Mboho said further that some of the children were tagged witches and wizards by their parents while others were being stigmatised for no just cause, a situation which necessitated their admission into the home.

    The Bishop told the Julius Berger team that the money would help them take better good care of the children.

  • Akwa Ibom partners FIDA on women’s rights

    Akwa Ibom partners FIDA on women’s rights

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio has pledged to work with the Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA) to ensure the protection of the rights of women and the less privileged.

    Speaking when the group’s National President, Hauwa Evelyn Shekarau, visited him, Akpabio condemned the age-long practice in some societies in which bereaved families disposses widows of the property of their late husbands.

    He said a bill before the House of Assembly would enable widows to enjoy all rights and privileges of their deceased husbands.

    Akpabio said the state government has long stopped the stigmatisation of children on allegations of witchcraft, saying that based on the law anyone caught doing so faces 10 years of imprisonment.

    The Governor said the introduction of free, compulsory education for every child of school age has led to the intake of about 1.7 million children in the state, both at primary and secondary school levels.

    This, he said, has drastically reduced child mortality and abuse.

    The governor, who donated N10 million to the national body and a bus to the state chapter of the organisation, urged FIDA to work with the state and federal governments to guarantee justice for all in the country.

    Shekarau said FIDA is non-political, non-religious and non- governmental body and was inaugurated in 1988 to protect and intercede for women and children who cannot afford the services of lawyers, saying the body has brought succour to women and children in the federation.

    She praised Akpabio’s wife for caring for widows, twins and orphans in the state and praised the governor for the provision of free health-care delivery services for the pregnant and the elderly.

    The FIDA boss was also happy with the appointment of women into key positions, granting of soft loans to women for small-scale and agricultural businesses as well as passage of the Child’s Rights Bill into law.

    She pledged FIDA’s support to the state government in the improvement of lives for women and children.

  • Akwa Ibom sets up judicial enquiry on murder of three brothers

    THE Akwa Ibom State government has set up a six-man Judicial Commission of Enquiry on the Ini Local Government Area crises, with a mandate to unravel the murderers of three brothers.

    The three, who are brothers of the founder of The Liberty Gospel Church, Evangelist Helen Ukpabio – Emmanuel, Charles and Joseph, who hailed from Nkari Clan in Ini- were allegedly killed a year ago.

    The panel has six weeks to submit its report.

    Governor Godswill Akpabio urged the members to identify the causes of the perennial crisis in Nkari Clan, identify instigators and those responsible for the crisis and recommend appropriate punishment.

    “They shall generally recommend appropriate measures or actions to be taken by any person, institution or authority to guard against future occurrence, investigate any other matter which may appear to the Commission to be incidental or contributory to the matter stated in the paragraph above.

    “They shall also recommend measures to stop the re-occurrence of the incidence and crisis and make such other recommendations as the commission may be required,’’ Akpabio said.

    On members of the commission, the governor said: “We want to know those behind this act and I believe strongly that until they are behind bars, we cannot rest. We want to know who instigated them in the first instance; we want to know what measures we need to put in place because we have had perennial issues of disputes in this entire clan.

    ‘’We have collaborated with law enforcement and security agencies in our state and in the land to ensure that all Akwa Ibom persons sleep well at night and go about their normal business without fear or hindrance.

    “This commitment has been tested several times and on each occasion, this administration rose to the challenge. But the murder of three brothers, for me and for any human being remains havoc, an assault on our sensibility and values and we will leave no stone unturned in getting to the bottom of this.

    “I am pleading with the people of Ini Local Government Area this is an opportunity for you to help to unravel the killers, to unravel the perpetrators.

    “You can never say that you are living in a peaceful society when these men are still alive. I just want to plead with you in Ini Local Government Area, particularly members of Nkari Clan not to feign ignorance because I know you know them. Every society knows a bad person,” he said.

    Akpabio sympathised with the Ukpabio family on the gruesome murder of their sons. “My heart goes out to the family that lost the three brothers, and my prayer is that God should console them. As a government, we have taken the right step.”

    Responding, the commission Chairman, Hon. Justice John U. Bassey thanked the governor for the confidence in appointing them to undertake the task and assured that the Commission would not fail to accomplish its terms of preference, hoping that the final report would engender peace and development in Nkari clan.

    The Commission, which derives its power from Akwa Ibom State Commission of Inquiry Law 2000 has Barr. Augusta Bassey of the Ministry of Justice as its secretary while Dr. Mfonobong Ndarake Itek, Barr. Nse Ekanem and Mrs. Bernadette Inyang are members.

  • Sambo urges Canada to support Nigeria’s economic initiatives

    Sambo urges Canada to support Nigeria’s economic initiatives

    Vice President Namadi Sambo on Thursday in Ottawa urged the Canadian Government to support Nigeria’s drive for economic prosperity.

    Malam Umar, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Vice President Namadi Sambo, said this in a statement he issued in Abuja on Thursday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Vice President is in Canada for the Canada-Nigeria Investment Conference holding in Toronto from May 2 to May 4.

    According to the statement, the Vice President made the appeal at a meeting he held with the Canadian Minister of International Trade, Mr Ed Fast, at the Canadian Parliamentary building in Ottawa.

    The Vice President also reportedly used the opportunity to inform the Canadian minister of details of “Nigeria’s journey to prosperity.”

    “He noted the expertise of Canada in hydro power and briefed the Minister of the progress recorded on Zungeru with the signing of the 1.3 billion dollars contract … to generate 700 megawatts of electricity,” the statement said.

    According to the statement, Sambo also intimated the minister about the progress of work at the Mambilla Power project.

    He said the power project would cost 6.4 billion dollars and would generate 3,050 megawatts when completed.

    Earlier, Ed Fast had expressed Canada’s gratitude over the manner the issues surrounding Manitoba Hydro was resolved.

    He promised to address the request by Nigeria over fumigation of her wheat imports.

    As regards provision of profitable loans, he promised to take a second look at Nigeria’s request.

    During the meeting, Nigeria and Canada signed the Foreign Investment Protection Agreement (FIPA).

    At the occasion Nigeria’s Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga and Hon. Ed Fast, his Canadian counterpart, signed for their respective countries.

    Earlier on arrival at the Canadian Parliamentary Building, the Vice President held a closed door meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

    The statement said the meeting centered on a Bi-national Commission and other sundry matters.

    NAN reports that Canada-Nigeria Investment Conference is aimed at showcasing Nigeria’s investment potential as well as promoting interaction between the Nigerian business community and the Canadian counterparts.

    Those on the Vice President’s entourage include the Governor of Akwa Ibom and Gombe States, Dr Godswill Akpabio and Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, respectively.

    Others are the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru.

    The rest are the Minister of State for Power, Hajiya Zainab Kuchi, Sen. Iyiola Omishore and Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada, Amb. Ojo Madueke.

  • Jonathan approves N5.7bn for victims of 2011 post-election violence

    President Goodluck  Jonathan has approved the release of a total sum of N5,747,694,780.00 to nine states of the federation for direct disbursement to those who suffered losses of properties, means of livelihood and places of worship in the post election violence of 2011.

    Special Adviser (Media) to the President, Dr Reuben Abati said in a statement that the approval was based on the submission of the Sheik Ahmed Lemu’s panel and its adoption by the Federal Executive Council.

    Following the post election violence and civil disturbances in some states after the April 2011 elections, President Jonathan set up a Panel of Enquiry headed by Sheik Ahmed Lemu to among other things, identify the spread and extent of losses suffered across the country.

     The Federal Ministry of Lands and Housing was later  mandated to assess the reported losses and damage to properties in all affected states.

    Consequently, President Jonathan has approved the release of funds to nine of the 14 affected states as follows:

    1.      Bauchi                 –        N1,574,879,000.00

    2.    Sokoto                 –        N55,888,506.00

    3.    Zamfara               –        N93,253,485.00

    4.    Niger                    –        N433,375,875.00

    5.     Jigawa                 –        N208,667,634.00

    6.    Katsina                –        N1,973,209,440.00

    7.     Kano                    –        N944,827,000.00

    8.    Adamawa            –        N420,089,840.00

    9.    Akwa Ibom          –        N43,504,000.00

    Total                –        N5,747,694,780.00

    President Jonathan has also directed that an Implementation Committee for the disbursement of the funds to beneficiaries in  the nine states be constituted as follows:

    1.      Executive Governor  or Deputy Governor        –        Chairman

    2.    Representative of State Government                –        Member

    3.    Secretary of the Sheik Lemu Panel                   –        Member

    4.    Representative of the OSGF                              –        Member

    5.     Representative of the FMLH&UD                    –        Member

    Inspection and assessment of damages and losses suffered are yet to be carried out in Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Kaduna and Nasarawa states as modalities and further instructions for the exercise are still being expected from the state governments.

    Funds to cover the losses sustained by victims of the post election violence in theses five states will be approved and released at the conclusion of the assessment exercise.

  • Akpabio seeks Nigeria-Ghana varsity in Akwa Ibom

    Akpabio seeks Nigeria-Ghana varsity in Akwa Ibom

    Governor Godswill Akpabio has called for the establishment of Nigeria-Ghana University in Akwa Ibom State.

    Akpabio made the call when the Ghanaian President, Dr. John Dramani Mahama, visited him in his office in Uyo, the state capital. He said the establishment of such university would strengthen ties between both countries, adding that many Nigerian children attend universities in Ghana.

    Akpabio praised the Ghanaian Information and Communication Technology (ICT) revolution, saying his government is negotiating with a Ghanaian ICT expert to replicate same in his state.

    He enjoined Akwa Ibom businessmen to partner their Ghanaian counterparts, saying: “Let’s integrate the economies of both countries for growth.”

    Akpabio described Mahama as a man of humble disposition and simplicity, saying these are qualities that endeared him to the Ghanaian electorate.

    The governor thanked him for visiting Akwa Ibom, saying it was a good way of deepening the relationship between both countries. He added: ”We are brothers. Akwa Ibom people are praying for you. And we hope Ghana will attain greater heights because you represent that hope.”

    Mahama said when Akpabio visited him in Ghana, he came with a bag containing pictures of “Uncommon Transformation.”

    He said the governor’s development projects bore testimony to what leadership could do to Africans, adding: “I am impressed by what I have seen so far.”

     

  • Nse Ikpe-Etim’s traditional wedding holds in Akwa Ibom

    Nse Ikpe-Etim’s traditional wedding holds in Akwa Ibom

    NOLLYWOOD actress, Nse Ikpe-Etim, on Thursday, April 4, scored another one for love when she concluded traditional wedding rites with her hubby, Clifford Sule. In the presence of family members and guests at the St. Stephen Primary School, Ikot Etobon, Akwa Ibom where the event held, the couple exchanged vows.

    The thespian got married to her long time lover, Clifford Sule, in a court registry on Valentine’s Day in Lagos. Entertaining guests at the traditional wedding was singer and fellow entertainer, Waje. Other colleagues who graced the occasion were on-air-personality cum actor, Katherine Obiang, actor Bishop Ume and a couple of dignitaries.

  • Akwa Ibom spends N720m on students’ exam fees

    AKWA Ibom State Government has paid N720 million this year on various examination fees for students in secondary schools in the state.

    A breakdown shows that N436 million fees were paid for West African Examinations Council (WAEC), N46 million for National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) while N238 million went to schools’ heads for logistics.

    Governor Godswill O. Akpabio, who stated this Saturday, during the national flag-off ceremony of the distribution of instructional materials for basic education school in Nigeria, held at Methodist Central Primary School, Etoi, Uyo, said this was done to support the free, compulsory education policy of the state government.

    He said, ‘’Akwa Ibom State will continue to support the federal government in the education sector. Already, we have put in over N238 million for logistics to school heads in the state. We have renovated over 2,000 classroom blocks, put in N436 million for WAEC registration and paid N46 million for NAPTEB fees where over 1.7 million children in the state are enrolled in both the primary and secondary schools.

    The governor called on Nigerians to support the president for the country to succeed and to be appreciative of government efforts, pledging the support of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum to him, especially in the transport and power sectors.

    Also speaking, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan said that the supply of textbooks to schools has been receiving increasing delivery in schools, which has reached an acceptable level in education system.

    Jonathan, who was represented by Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo, further disclosed that the Federal Government has provided 96,326,725 books in English Language, Mathematics, Basic Science/Technology, Social Studies and Library materials to public schools for distribution, saying that the efforts of Federal Government is to provide quality education in schools and redouble their efforts on other sectors of the country.

    The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai, hinted that the federal government has so far invested N10 billion in the provision of education materials for schools in the country, saying this was part of President Jonathan’s transformation agenda to provide qualitative education for Nigerian schools.