The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CALABAR

  • Power generation rises to 7,000 megawatts — Fashola

    Nigeria’s current power generation has reached 7000 Mega Watts, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has said.

    Fashola said this on Friday in Calabar at the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing 4th Edition Retreat for top directors, heads of units and chief executives of agencies and parastatals.

    He said that although there was still more to be done, the ministry had moved forward from where it was three years ago.

    “Three years ago, the story was that power generation was the main problem of Nigeria. The story was that the distribution companies were complaining that they did not have enough energy to distribute to Nigerians.

    “We were distributing averagely 2,690 megawatts of electricity to Nigerians, but today, that story has changed, distribution has risen to 5,222 megawatts, an all time national high.

    “Transmission has reached 7,000 while generation has reached 7000. The problem has not finished but all we can say is that we have made progress.”

    The minister added that the Federal Government was constructing roads in virtually all the 36 states some of which were through collaborative efforts as well as direct interventions.

    Read Also: Fashola to DisCos: Deliver power or quit

    According to him, the present administration has spent over N300 billion on roads construction since coming to power three years ago.

    “Before this administration, there was no housing policy but now we have one.”

    Fashola commended members of staff of the ministry for their support and team work, noting that without team work, the ministry would not have been able to achieve much.

    He said that the theme of the retreat which is “Goal Setting and Goal Reaching for a Focused Team,’’ was meant to reinforce the team spirit while setting out on its goals in the next 90 days.

    “It is a team that wins. We will go together as a team. If we bind together, everything is possible,” he said.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Mr Louis Edozien, said that the retreat was meant to appraise the performance of the ministry in the past 90 days.

    Edozien, who was represented by a Director, Mr Ahmed Abdul, added that the retreat would also afford the top management the opportunity to strategise on the plan of action for the next quarter.

    NAN

  • Offa robbery: Police interrogates Saraki in Abuja

    Operatives of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force, Thursday interrogated Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki over his alleged involvement in the Offa bank robbery incident.

    The team of police officers were said to have interrogated Saraki in his National Assembly, Abuja office around 1.40 pm on Thursday.

    The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris (IGP), had on Monday written to request Saraki to appear on Tuesday morning to clear himself of allegation of involvement with five principal suspects in the Offa bank robbery investigation.

    Saraki failed to honour the invitation but wrote to ask the IGP to detail his men to come to his office to interrogate him in his office as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Saraki wrote: “I wish to acknowledge your letter, ref CR: 3000/IGPSEC/ABJ/VOL.,131/707, dated 23rd of July 2018.

    “For the record, I should mention that I received your letter at 8:30pm on Monday 23rd July, inviting me for the next day at 8am. The two lawyers whose advice I needed were in Calabar and Lagos and had to travel to Abuja today. As you are aware, the Deputy President of the Senate was unable to leave his residence this morning to preside over the senate having being prevented from doing so by security agents. If he had been able to preside over the senate, I would have honoured your invitation. The absence of both presiding officers would have voided the sitting of the senate. This would have been damaging to National interest, particularly in the light of very important legislative matters that needed to be addressed in view of the imminent recess of the National Assembly. These included consideration of the Electoral Bill, which was incidentally passed today.

    Read Also: Saraki’s refusal to honour Police invitation disrespectful – Police

    “You will recall that Mr. President had earlier directed as a courtesy to this office, that in the event of any request for further information from me, you should either send your personnel to my office or obtain a written response from me. I need to place on record as well, that following the incident of being harassed and threatened at my residence by the police early this morning, I am deeply concerned over my physical security. I request you therefore, to please assign your personnel who need information on this matter, to meet me in my office, immediately after plenary today, or tomorrow or any other day at your convenience. Thank you.”

    Apparently in compliance to President Buhari’s directive that Saraki should either be quizzed in his office or asked to give written information, the IGP drafted his officials to go Saraki’s office to quiz him on the controversial robbery incident.

    The Special Assistant on New Media to the Senate President, Olu Onemola, said in a Twit that Saraki met with a team of investigators on the Offa robbery case in his office.

    The Twit read, “Further to the invitation to the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, by the Police on July 23, 2018, and his written response to them on July 24, 2018 on why he could not see them that day — today at about 1:40pm, the Senate President met with a team of investigators on the Offa Robbery case in his office.

    “Dr. Saraki, used the opportunity to reiterate the fact that he has nothing to do with either the robbery incident on April 5, 2018, or any other criminal activity.”

  • NiMet predicts thunderstorms, rains, cloudy weather for Monday

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted morning thunderstorms over cities in the Central States of the country such as Ilorin, Minna, Abuja, Jos, Lafia and Bauchi on Monday morning.

    NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Sunday also predicted day and night temperatures in the range of 25 to 33 and 18 to 23 degrees Celsius respectively.

    It added that there were chances of thunderstorms over Gombe, Lafia, Jos, Kaduna, Abuja, Makurdi and Lokoja axis later in the day.

    The agency predicted that southern states would experience prospect of cloudy morning with chances of rains over places like Awka, Ikom, Abakaliki, Obudu, Ogoja, Port Harcourt, Eket, Warri, Calabar, Ijebu-Ode and Lagos.

    It also predicted chances of thunderstorms and rains over most parts of the region with day and night temperatures of 27 to 31 and 21 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.

    According to NiMet, Northern States will experience cloudy condition over the Inland of the south west with possibility of light rains over the remaining parts of the region in the morning.

    It also predicted thunderstorms and rains over the entire region with day and night temperatures in the range of 27 to 32 and 20 to 25 degrees Celsius respectively.

    “Cloudy conditions with prospects of thunderstorms and rain in varying intensities are anticipated over the country within the next 24 hours” NiMet predicts.

  • Kerosene explosion: DPR takes awareness campaign to markets

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Cross River State has carried out an awareness campaign to Watt and Etim Edem Markets in Calabar to enlighten the people on the safety measures in using kerosene in their homes to avoid explosions that have claimed lives and injured many.

    The Operations Controller of the DPR in Cross River State, Mr Bassey Nkanga, who led his team on the campaign, said that the awareness campaign became necessary due to the recorded cases of kerosene explosions in the state.

    Nkanga, while addressing crowds at the markets advised them to always have a dedicated gallon for kerosene usage.

    He also told them not to patronise kerosene hawkers, but rather, get the product from filling stations or licensed surface tanks operators.

    He said DPR frowns at some hawkers who get the product and in turn mixed it with other substances in other to produce more products to make more gain.

    “In the past few weeks, they have been cases of kerosene incidents and our investigation revealed that some people do not know the right way to use kerosene and that it why we have decided to embark on this campaign.

    “What we are doing here today is to enlighten you on the safe usage of kerosene and the appropriate source where you can get this product. Always keep your lantern or stove cool before the introduction of kerosene into the system.

    “For safety, you must have a dedicated gallon for kerosene alone because some people uses a single gallon for fuel and kerosene and this is very harmful.

    “Some parents who send their little children to go and buy kerosene do not know the negative effect. We have had cases were children mistakenly carry the kerosene gallon to buy fuel, such situations could be disaster,” he said.

    Earlier, the Operations controller had held a meeting in his office with officials of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) where he read the riot act to surface tank operators.

    He warned them to register and get their operating licenses as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Service (DSS) have been mandated to arrest any dealer without a valid license.

  • Navy arrests petrol thieves in Calabar

    …seizes 20, 000 litres of product

     

    Men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Calabar, Cross River State, have arrested four suspected Premium Motor Spirit thieves with 20, 000 litres of the product.

    The suspects, who were arrested along the Calabar channel, were coming from Oron in Akwa Ibom State and heading to Bakassi with the product commonly known as petrol.

    Handing them over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for prosecution, Commander of NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, said moves were on to also arrest the kingpins behind the crime.

    Nwagu said, “We are handing over eight drums of PMS that was seized by my men while on patrol along the Calabar channel. The said products were laden in a wooden boat with four men on board. My men were able to arrest the suspects and the products in the darkest time of the night.

    “This is coming less than one week after we handed over some smuggled rice worth N61m to the Nigeria Customs Service. We cannot continue to allow these perpetrators go free. Any product they put on water, we are going to go for them.

    “PMS is currently available in filing station outlets and depots, so, why the smuggling? Why would they go about destroying Federal Government installation through sabotage? Why follow this backyard?

    Read Also: Navy destroys 1500 illegal refineries in Delta

    “We would stay here and continue to arrest them. We are not going to get tired no matter the pressure. Our targets are now the owners of these products. We are going to get them, they cannot go free.

    “What I have done now is that whenever we handover, we give a copy to the headquarters of NSCDC for them to be aware. I have also written to other security agencies informing them of the arrests that we have made so far. We are synergising to ensure that we rid off the state of criminals.”

    Sate Commandant of NSCDC, Mr. Stephen Lar, said his agency would form collaborative intelligence with the Navy to arrest the sponsors of the crime.

    “We would continue to prosecute them in the court after thorough investigation. We would be having a combined intelligence to make sure that we get the real owners because these are errand boys. We would fish out those behind the crime and we shall have them prosecuted in the court of law,” he said.

    Those arrested were 26-year-old Okon Ekpo from Akwa Ibom State, Jeremiah Iyohokwa (25) from Akwa Ibom, Israel Tabi (30), from Bayelsa State and Raphael Etim-Philip (25), Akwa Ibom State.

  • Russia 2018: Calabar fans express confidence in Super Eagles against Croatia

    Football Fans in Calabar have urged Nigerians to pray for the success of Super Eagles of Nigeria as they face Croatia on Saturday in their opening Match in ongoing 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

    A cross section of the fans told our reporters on Friday in Calabar that with the support of millions of Nigerians, the team would get the three maximum points against Croatia.

    Albert Adinam, the Cross River Chairman of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) said he believed the Super Eagles were good enough to win their opening match.

    According to him, notwithstanding the not too impressive performance of the team in their friendly matches, they will defeat Croatia and go beyond the group stage.

    He said “I share the sentiment of many fans that the team did not do well in their warm-up matches but those were just tune games designed to know the lapses in the team and I believe those lapses have been corrected by the team’s handlers.

    Read Also: My dreams for Super Eagles, by Pinnick

    “I expect them to go beyond the first round because this is their fourth appearance in the World Cup and many Nigerians expect that they should even go upto quarter final this time.

    “I am confident that the team will go far in the tournament.”

    Oqua Etim, a member of the Cross River Football Federation said that the match against Croatia was very vital, as a win would boost the morale of players ahead of other group games.

    “As a Nigerian, I am confident and I am praying for the team. I also want Nigerians to pray for the team because the first match could make or mar our chances.

    “What is at stake is the three points, if we get the three points, it will boost the morale of the players in subsequent matches.

    “So the team needs the prayer and support of millions of Nigerians back home.”

    Another football enthusiast, Henry Michael, expressed confidence in the ability of the Super Eagles to defeat Croatia on Saturday.

    “I hinge my optimism on the fact that football is a game of chance. If Eagles take their chances, I see them coming out victorious and claiming all the three points and this will be good for us.

    “No team is a pushover in that group so if we take our chances as they come, I believe we will go far.”

    A Physiotherapist, Ndoma Egoro, said “the team’s physiologist needs to work extra hard because the Croatians appeared to be very physical in their game plan.”  

     

    NAN

  • DPR warns depot operators against bulk selling

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has warned depot owners operating at the Calabar tank farms to desist from selling petroleum products to bulk buyers and hiking prices of the product as stiffer sanctions await defaulters.

    Head of Petroleum Downstream of DPR, Mrs, Ijeoma Onyeri, gave the warning during a familiarization tour of downstream facilities in Calabar zone.

    She explained that her familiarization tour of the downstream facilities in Calabar zone was to ensure that the depots were working in line with the Health and Safety Environment (HSE) compliance and the stipulated guidelines.

    According to her, DPR frowns at bulk buying and price hike of petroleum product, as that such illegal deals create artificial scarcity and panic buying.

    “Any erring operator caught selling to bulk buyers will highly be sanctioned.  They are the ones responsible for artificial scarcity and panic buying.

    “There are the ones responsible for diversion and hoarding of the product. DPR takes it seriously and any defaulter is given strict sanctions depending on the various category infractions’’, he said.

    The DPR Operations Controller in Cross River State, Mr Bassey Nkanga, said the exercise was carried out with a view to ensure that there were no cases of fire outbreak or explosion in any of the depots.

    Nkanga said that DPR places premium on the safety of depots and its staff, and that his office was working tirelessly to ensure that safety facilities within the depots and their jetties were up to date and functional.

    He explained that DPR was in top gear and doing everything possible to check bulk buying in order to prevent artificial scarcity and panic in the state.

    “We have imposed stiffer sanctions on any depot operator caught selling to bulk buyers.  Our point is that, no depot operator should allocate mass product to a particular company’’, he said.

    The Operations Controller had earlier held a meeting with depot operators at the DPR office where she advised filling stations owners on the need to renew their operating license or risk being shut down.

  • NiMet predicts cloudy skies, rains, thunderstorms for Saturday

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted cloudy weather conditions over the central states of Nigeria on Saturday morning with prospects of thunderstorms and moderate rains over Niger and Yelwa.

    NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Friday also predicted day and night temperatures in the range of 28 to 36 and 17 to 24 degrees Celsius, respectively.

    It added that thunderstorms were expected to prevail over Mambilla Plateau, Abuja, Ibi, Yola, Lokoja, Makurdi and Ilorin in the afternoon and evening hours.

    The agency further predicted that the southeastern states would experience cloud weather condition in the morning with prospects of moderate rain showers over Port Harcourt, Calabar and Yenagoa with day and night temperatures of 31 to 33 and 22 to 26 degrees Celsius, respectively.

    Read Also: NiMet predicts cloudy skies, thundery activities for Sunday

    It also predicted thunderstorms and moderate rain showers over Ekiti, Benin, Akure, Osogbo, Enugu, Owerri and the coastal cities later in the day.

    According to NiMet, Northern States will experience cloudy to partly cloudy morning with prospects of moderate thunderstorms over Gusau, Katsina, Bauchi, Gombe and Kano.

    “Northern States are also expected to have day and night temperatures in the ranges of 34 to 42 and 23 to 27 degrees Celsius, respectively.

    “Cloudy skies with prospects of isolated thunderstorms and rain showers are expected over some part of the country with varying intensities in the next 24 hours”

  • Navy seizes 2, 860 bags of contraband rice worth over N50m

    …Arrests five in Calabar

     

    Men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Calabar have arrested a large wooden boat laden with 2, 860 bags of contraband foreign rice, worth over N50 million naira, as well as five suspects.

    Commander, NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, who paraded the suspects and seized items in Calabar Wednesday, said the arrest was made along the Calabar Channel by the anti-smuggling patrol of the base when they got intelligence reports about the activities of the suspected smugglers.

    Nwagu, who was represented by the Executive Officer of NNS Victory, Navy Captain Babafemi Ajayi, said the boat was suspected to have come in Cameroon and headed for Calabar.

    He said, “The boat was hidden with the intention that when it is dark, then they can use smaller boats to evacuate the products into their warehouse in Calabar. We stationed our patrolmen in that particular area and luckily we saw the five men when they wanted to carry out their assignment. They were arrested and further findings revealed their warehouse which when we got there, we discovered the consignments. So we evacuated everything here and escorted the boat to NNS Victory jetty.

    Read Also:Nigerian Navy, others join forces against pirates, maritime criminals

    “Totally we evacuated 2860 bags of foreign rice. In compliance to the extant rules everything has to be handed over to the Nigerian Customs Service for further prosecution.

    “We warn all smugglers to desist. The money wasted on this is a great loss and the Navy is bent is on ensuring that problem is stopped in the country. We implore these people to look for something else to do instead of this because it would not get them anywhere. We are resolved that we shall not allow this to persist within our area of responsibility. They would be the losers at the end.”

    Assistant Controller of Customs, Omachi Joshua, representing the Eastern Marine Command based in Calabar, who received the items and suspects said the items would take to the government warehouse and the suspects would be prosecuted according to laid down rules.

    “The bags of rice are subsequently forfeited to the Federal Government and they would take the matter to court for condemnation and whatever the government issues is what we would follow,” he said.

  • Final year UNICAL student killed by armed robbers

    A 21 year old final year student of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), identified as Mr Joseph Archibong, was killed by armed robbers in his home in Calabar, The Nation gathered on Tuesday.

    The sad incident it was learnt happened 22 Duncan Street in Calabar about two weeks ago when a three-man gang broke into the compound of their victim with the aim of robbing them.

    A source said the three man gang entered the compound at about 2am that fateful day and after their operation shot the student when he tried to stop them.

    “He died four days after because he was shot with a locally made gun. We didn’t know that the hospital would not be able to help. If we knew we would have gone traditional to remove those bullets.

    “Like I said earlier he died four days after he sustained the gun shot injury at the public hospital and he would be buried on the 4th of May at Etak Ukana, Akwa Ikot Effanga  in Akpabuyo local government area. Since the incident happened it has been difficult for the parents to stay here because of the trauma. I just pray that they recover from this because he is in his final year at the University of Calabar,” the source said .

    Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Irene Ugbo confirmed the incident.

    She said three people have been arrested in connection to the robbery and murder of the young man.

    “Three persons were arrested by the Efut Police division and they are currently in custody and investigation is still ongoing to get to the root of the matter after which they will be charged to court for the law to take its course,” she said.