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Tag: Udom

  • Re: Finally, Udom cuts too close to bone

    ON May 1, 2018, a day dedicated to celebrating Nigerian workers for their huge contributions to the socio-political development of our nation, a certain John Ekperikpe (an obvious pseudo-name and a ribald opposition media apparatchik in Akwa Ibom State ) decided to regurgitate a long discredited line of narrative which the purveyors have over time, tried to  oil for traction  but which had thankfully  failed miserably: the attempt to create  a wedge between Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Governor, Akwa Ibom State and President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of  the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and in the process endanger the warm and cordial relationship the two Nigerian patriots have enjoyed since 2015.

    Writing under a bewildering caption “Finally, Udom cuts too close to the bone”, in The Nation newspaper (page 20)  Mr. Ekperikpe went on a logically confounding and absolutely obtuse  layer of analysis on what he and his sponsors had wanted the world to believe  has been Governor Emmanuel’s  ” ill-will, contempt and unvarnished hatred for the President”.

    Having read through the logically vacuous write-up, my initial reaction was to ignore the piece as I had done several others in the past, but for the undisguised intent of the writer, which, as I had earlier mentioned, was a clever by half attempt to throw a monkey wrench in the relationship Governor Emmanuel enjoys with President Buhari, I had no other recourse but to do this Right of Reply.

    What had obviously riled Mr. Ekperikpe and his sponsors was a letter that was issued by the Chairman of the Uyo Capital City Development Authority, (UCCDA), Mr. Enobong Uwah, notifying a nascent group called National Committee of Buhari’s Support Group that given the fact their Uyo office is located just a few metres away from Government House, which by itself constitutes a security breach, the group should consider another office location. I will not go into the details of this matter since the facts are all there for everyone to read and draw their own conclusions.

    In a twisted logic Mr. Ekperikpe wants the world to believe that the letter was authorised by Governor Emmanuel and this, again in his opinion represents another anti-Buhari stance by the governor, hence his laborious conclusion that the governor harbours “ill-will, contempt and unvarnished hatred for the president”.

    It is a known fact that the political season is upon us, and most media handlers, hacks and paid hirelings will outdo themselves to show fidelity to whoever is sponsoring their campaign of misinformation and blackmail. They will manufacture and concoct all manner of lies and propaganda all in the hope of negatively defining their targets. Nothing to them will be morally objectionable to waddle into since they live in the mud and will try to drag otherwise decent people into their despicable world of lies, half-truths and obfuscation.

    But there is something these people have inherently failed to understand: the capacity of Nigerians to discern facts from fiction and to dismiss such lies as the handiwork of an intellectually lazy bunch. Ekperikpe’s write-up falls under this range.

    The truth of the matter is that Governor Emmanuel holds President Buhari in the highest esteem and believes as practised elsewhere, that even though one may belong to another political party or share different governance ideology, the President of the Republic remains the symbol of the nation and thus the office and the occupier must be accorded all the respect due him. Governor Emmanuel has in his almost three years in office lived by this conviction, hence the mutual respect and cordial relationship that exists between him and the President.

    The opposition elements in the state have harangued The Presidency since 2015 and have caused to be published paid advertorials where they lectured The Presidency on their own version of civility. They forgot to hearken to the immutable advice of Mike Pence, the Vice President of the United States who had admonished that “we cannot do democracy without a heavy dose of civility”.

    Early this year, when the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) honoured Governor Emmanuel with the Integrity and National Service Award, which was presented to the governor who was ably represented by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Charles Udoh, right inside Aso Rock by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state were aghast. They wrote insulting advertorials to Mr. Mustapha, the Minister of Information and Tourism, Lai Mohammed, and the Director-General of NTA, lambasting them for giving an award to Governor Emmanuel who in their opinion should be destroyed and blackmailed even when it is a known fact that he has performed exceedingly well and deserves commendations which the NTA, rightfully did. Most discerning Nigerians were disappointed with the state’s APC and were roundly pilloried on the social media space, but obviously they didn’t draw useful lessons from that public relations fiasco.

    The way the APC sees governance in Akwa Ibom State seems to be based purely on zero-sum game or kitchen sink approach: you treat your political foes as mortal enemies, you slap lies on them, blackmail them and slam-shut any door of civil engagement. This is very sad for our democracy.

    It is very unfortunate when Ekperikpe wrote thus: “I believe that Udom Emmanuel’s latest perfidy should earn appropriate response from both the APC and Buharis Presidency. In politics no one turns the other cheek”. May God save us from this brand of politics that John Ekperikpe has prescribed for our state in particular and the nation at large, and may we be filled with the inspiring message of a former American Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, who told the world in the heat of the Republican and Democratic presidential electioneering campaign that “I don’t believe in confrontation. That seems to be outside civil discourse and we all have to be civil to one another”.

    Governor Emmanuel has no apologies for being civil to President Buhari and no amount of cheap lies from some misguided hirelings like John Ekperikpe will change the bond of friendship the two patriots enjoy. There is a little word in the political lexicon that has helped deepen the political culture and governance mechanics of most mature and maturing democracies of which Nigeria is currently enjoying, and that is bipartisanship. Mr. Ekperikpe is advised to look up the full meaning of that word and internalise the meaning. It will help condition his impulses and neuter his ribald passion.

  • Finally, Udom cuts too close to the bone

    Monday, April 23, will go down as the defining moment in the annals of the relationship between the Buhari presidency and the Udom Emmanuel administration. Emmanuel, a deacon of the Qua Iboe Church is the governor of Akwa Ibom State.

    On that date on Wellington Bassey Way in Uyo (a roadway named in memory of the first indigenous general of the Nigerian Army), faithful and supporters and well-wishers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had gathered at house number 23, a five-storey facility, in fulfilment of their right of association guaranteed by Nigerian constitution to inaugurate the Akwa Ibom chapter of the National Committee of Buhari’s Support Groups. It was a large, very large turnout, reflecting the growing strength of the APC in the state. A highly inspired crowd!

    There was no doubt that Governor Emmanuel, whose office and official residence sit on a hill at the end of the roadway would take political notice of such a political quake happening not so far from home. But I doubt if anyone ever imagined that the governor would threaten Buhari with eviction from his campaign office on the allegation that the president’s campaign facility constituted a security threat to the Akwa Ibom State governor.

    Precisely two days after the inauguration, on 25 April, Udom Emmanuel did just that. In a letter issued on behalf of the Akwa Ibom State Government and addressed to the owner/occupier of house no. 23 on Wellington Bassey Way in Uyo, Prince Enobong Uwah, executive chairman of Uyo Capital City Development Authority, ordered the National Committee of the Buhari Support Groups to vacate its office in Uyo within seven days as follows:

    “Notice of security breach and order for relocation of political campaign office from No. 23 Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

    “It has been brought to the notice of the Government of Akwa Ibom State that you have converted a quiet hotel/office building into a political campaign office after ignoring our several notices for formalization and re-validation of that building.

    “Please be informed that the said building located at No. 23 Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo situates about 200 meters from the two-arms (sic) zone housing the Governor’s Office, the Governor’s Lodge, the Deputy Governor’s Office and Lodge and the judiciary headquarters, including the office of the state Chief Judge of the Akwa Ibom State Government.

    “You are hereby notified that the serene and reserved one-way access way into the seat of government is ABSOLUTELY NOT SUITABLE for a political campaign office as it poses major security threat (sic) to the seat of government particularly the executive and the judiciary arms. You are by this notice ORDERED to remove the said political campaign office and all insignia posted therein from the premises of No.23, Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo within SEVEN (7) Days from the date of this notice…”

    This was it. All the pretences by Udom Emmanuel that he is a friend, if not a political ally of the president had been laid bare for what they are: pretences. Rather than bearing respect and goodwill towards Buhari, Udom Emmanuel harbours ill-will, contempt and unvarnished hatred for the president. A few unassailable facts: The building that the Akwa Ibom State government is characterizing as irregular has been there for 35 years. For all those years the state government did not consider it a blight to the environment or a threat to life and other property, until the Buhari Support Groups was inaugurated. If it is the building in and of itself that is the problem, why did the eviction notice take exception also to the display of campaign publicity material on the property?

    The eviction notice by Udom Emmanuel to the Buhari Support Groups can be mined for inexhaustible talking points. One of them is: Will the presidency consider this poke by Emmanuel in the eye of the president as a cut close enough to the bone to sit up and take political notice of an invidious enemy masquerading as a friend? The question is significant. For the past three years, the leadership and members of the APC in Akwa Ibom State had warned the presidency that Udom Emmanuel is a sly fellow who is consumed by the most abiding hatred for the president but who would pretend whenever he is in the Villa for favours or in other public forums that he is a friend and wishes the President well, while in private and under disguise, he plots and schemes against the president. This was the subject of discourse in an advertorial entitled, “Udom Emmanuel: The Double-Faced Governor,” published in The Nation of Friday, April 13; one of many communications issued by the state chapter of the APC on the chameleonic attitude of the state governor toward Buhari.

    For instance, during the closing ceremonies for this year’s Nigerian Airforce Games in Uyo, Udom Emmanuel was effusive with kind words for Buhari, describing him as “father to all”. Now judge his sincerity yourself: about three weeks after, the same Udom Emmanuel is evicting this “father to all” from his campaign office in Uyo, on the grounds of non-existing security threat.

    So the question becomes inevitable: Has Udom Emmanuel now cut too close to Buhari’s bone (apologies, Dr Ogaga Ifowodo) for the presidency to continue in its blissful somnolence to the insidiousness of this double-faced deacon?

    Right from the campaign grounds in 2015 to this moment, Udom Emmanuel has aimed a steady stream of unfriendly salvos at Buhari. He qualified him with unprintable epithets then and even charged him with the accusation of “a Fulani man eyeing Akwa Ibom oil” while waiting for the Supreme Court to dismiss or confirm his election as governor. He has aides dedicated to Buhari bashing. Emmanuel has waged an unprecedented legal war against the federal government’s anti-corruption campaign, using the courts to block every attempt by the EFCC to bring to justice those who have visited economic and financial adversity upon the state and the nation.

    In spite of all of this, the Villa has persisted in seeing a friend and good man in Udom Emmanuel and retained a cozy relationship with him. The chief propaganda organ of the federal government, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), even found Udom worthy of an integrity award and procured the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, to decorate him with the award on the grounds of the Villa, despite the fact that the Akwa Ibom State governor is running the most opaque government in the history of the state. Mr Emmanuel has been on the president’s entourage for several overseas trips—ostensibly as a friend of the Villa. There is no other way to look at it, given the fact that governors such as Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, who have made their opposition to the president a black-and-white affair, are hardly in his company.

    But the sly deacon wants to have the best of both worlds: enjoy the perquisites due to a friend and the flush of victory that belongs to a triumphant adversary. That is why Emmanuel would talk of security breach on a piece of real estate that is open to all, simply because he wants to engage in his pastime, which is attack on Buhari.

    No other reason exists for Emmanuel’s action—neither legal nor historical. Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Affairs (Senate), has challenged the governor to point to any law in the state that forbids the president from having a political office in that part of town. Since Senator Enang threw the challenge on April 27, Mr Emmanuel has yet to pick it up.

    And through history, many politicians in the state have opened their offices on the Wellington Bassey Way, which used to be called Barracks Road. It is on record that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had his campaign office on the same Wellington Bassey Way; and during the 2002/3 election campaign cycle, Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga, former military administrator of the state, opened his gubernatorial campaign office on the same road. The tenants at the Hilltop Mansion at those times did not suffer heart attack. So why is Udom fretting? His hatred for Buhari!

    I believe that Udom Emmanuel’s latest perfidy should earn appropriate response from both the APC and the Buhari presidency. In politics no one turns the other cheek.

     

    • Mr Ekperikpe wrote in from Uyo.
  • Why I am passionate about industrialisation, by Udom

    Why I am passionate about industrialisation, by Udom

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Emmanuel Udom has explained his undying passion for industrialisation of the state is borne out of the fact it is the only gateway to economic prosperity and security.

    He vowed to stop at nothing until the state becomes fully industrialized.

    Udom spoke when a delegation of Christian leaders under the auspices of Akwa Ibom fathers of faith initiative paid him a courtesy visit recently.

    He said: “For me, industrialisation of Akwa Ibom is more or less a covenant mandate with God. I am committed to ensuring we move the state from reliance on civil service to fully becoming economically-driven.

    “If we become industrialised, our people can pursue true economic prosperity and the crime rate will reduce drastically.

    “People will be able to achieve their economic goals and pay more taxes without much ado. For me, the industrialisation policy is the best way to go.”

    The governor pointed out the Ibaka Deep Seaports and cargo handling capacity of the Uyo International Airport were conceived to turn the state to the economic hub of the South South region.

    He added the Ibom Industrial City project is also geared at shoring up the industralisation drive of his administration.

    He called on the Christian leaders to continue to pray for the full realisation of the industralisation drive of his administration.

  • Udom can’t get second term, says APC chieftain

    Udom can’t get second term, says APC chieftain

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Akwa Ibom State, Chief Samingo Etukakpan, he said that  Governor Udom is Emmanuel will not be re-elected next year.

    He said one of the ways of actualising the mission of sacking Emmanuel from power is to mobilise Akwa Ibom youths to install a governor of the people.

    According to him, the governor was foisted on Akwa Ibom people to protect the interest of his master and Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio.

    Speaking in Eket, Etukakpan hailed President Muhammadu Buhari over the appointment of men of integrity and characters from Akwa Ibom State into federal boards.

    He said that the Niger Delta Development Commissioner from Akwa Ibom South, Mr. Sam Frank, has represented the state in the commission effectively through projects distribution and implementation.

    Etukakpan, who is also the international coordinator of Eket Federal Constituency Congress, praised the commissioner for not playing politics with project implementation, noting that he has engaged the youths in skill training and empowerment programmes.

    “The choice of Mr. Sam Frank as the NDDC commissioner for Akwa Ibom State has added value to the commission’s goals because he has ensured even distribution of projects,” he added.

    “He has touched the lives of over 100 youths of Akwa Ibom in various ways and given meaning to their lives by way of empowerment, and we are happy for this,” he said.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Udom’s silent revolution

    Udom’s silent revolution

    There is a silent revolution going on in Akwa Ibom State. And it centres on development and people empowerment. The recently released mid-term report of the President Muhammadu Buhari government most eloquently attests to this. The voluminous report which captured the achievements of the present administration across the nation lent itself to the aphorism that a goldfish has no hiding place. it brought to the fore the laudable landmarks recorded not only by the federal government but also the milestones achieved by the state governments. The report was bipartisan and focused on all state governments irrespective of political parties.

    What would strike anybody poring through the report is the state of the states. Though Nigeria has 36 states but it is all too obvious that all the states are not equal. By extrapolation, not all the states are as blessed even in leadership as others. This is where the story of Akwa Ibom looms large. A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state, it occupies a huge swathe in the development index recorded in the report of an All Progressives Congress (APC) government. About 30 pages of information in the document were devoted to Akwa Ibom State and achievements recorded by Governor Udom Emmanuel. So what? Well, if we consider that some governors, especially those on the other side of the political divide, had just two pages of achievements over the same period of 30 months, then we would appreciate how remarkable this is.

    Credit must go to the APC-led federal government and chroniclers of the report for overlooking mundane issues of party affiliation in the compilation of the achievements. But the greater credit should be reserved for Governor Udom who has consistently said that his mission in government is to offer service that engenders development. The truth of the matter is that development is not partisan, not racist, tribal or discriminatory. Development announces itself and does not need propaganda to push it through. This is evident in Akwa Ibom. Even the opposition parties in the state at the height of their show of political shenanigan do acknowledge that Udom has upped the ante in various aspects of development.

    Strangely, the governor does not mount the soapbox to mouth his achievements. He does no draw undue attention to himself in showy self-aggrandisement as is customary with Nigerian public office holders. Almost self-effacing, he prefers to take the backseat while allowing his works to speak for him. Many people wonder why Udom does not throw himself into the public arena and make loud noise like the typical Nigerian politician even when he is eminently justified to do so given his stellar performance in a space of barely two-and-a-half years. The answer is historical. History has shown that most outstanding leaders in government, entrepreneurship, and social change or otherwise are persons who prefer not to hug the limelight by pulling off stunts and hysterics in the public space but those who silently envision, plan and execute their programmes. They are those who lead by doing, not by talking. Great doers make great leaders. Lee Kuan Yew, the father and architect of modern Singapore alluded to such leadership style in his bestselling memoir, From Third World to First – The Singapore Story.

    The success stories of nations or any people never happened by accident. They happened because at a point in their history somebody decided to lead by doing not by a show of oratorical sophistry. The late Shimon Peres is today regarded as the Father of Innovative Israel. Loathed and loved depending on which side of the divide you are, but even among his staunchest critics, nobody denies his voluble appetite to break new frontiers. His energy, optimism and inquisitiveness translated to the birthing of a new generation of innovative Jewish nation.

    Recall that as prime minister in 1985, Peres presided over an economic stabilization plan which led to the birth of Israel’s modern economy. Today, Israel, a land without natural resources, is described as a ‘start-up nation’ because Peres fostered an entrepreneurial culture among the people.

    “All my life I have worked to ensure that Israel’s future is based on science and technology as well as on an unwavering moral commitment”, Peres once said in a speech when he laid the cornerstone for the Israeli Innovation Centre in Jaffa. “They called me a dreamer. But today, when I look at Israel, we all can see clearly that the greater the dream, the more spectacular the results.”

    Without his admitting it, this is the kind of momentum driving Udom. He is a dreamer in the mould of Peres. He is an awakener of the docile mob. He believes that anything is possible, that any height is attainable. Since arriving at Government House in Uyo, he has rallied the spirit of the people to dare, to believe and to conquer. Is it any wonder that Akwa Ibom has not only become the nation’s Mecca of sports but is the home of trophy-winning Akwa United Football Club? Are we surprised that Akwa Ibom has attracted the highest volume of foreign direct investment (FDI), next only to Lagos State in Nigeria? The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says so.

    Deploying the Dakkada (Rise up) philosophy, Udom is building a modern economy in Akwa Ibom State which centres on agriculture, tourism, improved standard and quality of education, a culture of ICT application and innovation, improved power delivery at a time the rest of the country wobbles in gross darkness, and above all, a strong drive at industrialisation. At a time other states are still at a crossroads over salary and gratuities, Akwa Ibom is diversifying its local economy from dependence on oil proceeds from Abuja to agriculture, industrialisation and birthing of a knowledge economy.

    Governor Udom’s leadership style mirrors the template of great leaders across the globe. It is the leadership that sees opportunity in every adversity; that breaks new frontiers and turns vision into reality. It is a leadership that is silent but effective.

    Nigeria has had a sordid history of poor leadership typified by noise-makers, lawless military goons and a ravaging political mob. This has left the nation tethered to the manacles of under-development such that 57 years after independence, our actions are still governed by such medieval creeds like quota system, ethnic considerations and religion. Worst of it all, Nigeria has remained a nation of immense potential and a poster-child for everything wrong with the black race especially in the aspect of leadership.

    This is why Udom’s leadership style provides a redemptive window for a nation that has been mired in the stasis of administrative despair. A good leader is a dealer in hope. Every good leader must at all times give hope to the people. This is where Udom towers above the class. He has given hope to his people by providing them opportunities. Democracy, Reverend Jesse Jackson once said, does not guarantee success but it guarantees opportunity. Udom’s focus on effective and affordable healthcare, infrastructural development and quality education will ultimately engender a broad spectrum of opportunities for his people. This is what good leadership is all about. Asian leaders are adept at it; they start by giving hope to their people, shifting their mind from probability to possibility. Udom has shown that good leadership is possible in Nigeria. He will do well to stay the course.

     

    • Ekong writes from Uyo.

  • Udom urges lawyers to defend rule of law

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Emmanuel Udom has urged lawyers to defend the rule of law.

    He spoke while opening the quarterly National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which ended in Uyo, the state capital, at the weekend.

    He described the NBA as a critical institution, adding that lawyers had a key role to play in the society.

    “If not for lawyers, only God knows what those political hawks would have done to us. The NBA is the foremost organisation in defense of the rule of law in Nigeria today. Therefore, lawyers should rise up and defend the rule of law,” he said.

    According to Governor Udom, a situation where the Independent National Electoral Commission  (INEC)  declared someone  a winner in an election, only for a report from  a Divisional Police Officer (DPO)  to be the basis for annulling the election, was highly regrettable.

    Without the rule of law, he said, democracy would be dead in Nigeria, urging the NBA to strike out from the roll of lawyers names of those who left the profession immediately after their call to the Bar for other things apart from law practice.

    This, according to him, will discourage lawyers from leaving the profession for other vocational callings, such as full time politics.

    He also spoke on the nation’s restructuring, saying: “How do we expect democracy to stand without respect for our laws and a strong Federal structure? The NBA needs to get involved to raise national awareness on some of these things,” he said.

    Udom condemned the idea of laying pipes with billions of Naira to take crude oil to refineries while they can be conveniently built at the states where oil is drilled at minimal cost.

    He urged lawyers to ensure compliance with the local content provision in the laws to enhance human capital and economic development.

    The NBA President Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) praised the state for promoting smooth operations of criminal justice administration and making justice dispensation easy.

    Mahmoud said his leadership has succeeded in elevating the NBA as a credible partner for national development, adding that the NBA had demonstrated keen interest in national affairs and supported the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians.

    The NBA president said the association had, in the last few months, pursued the profession’s reform and tried to enhance the association’s governance framework.

    Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General,  Mr.  Uwemedimo Nwoko, called for increased attention to the plight of young lawyers.

    He expressed the hope that the Legal Profession Regulation Bill will propose a remuneration and welfare committee to stipulate a minimum wage for young lawyers in private law firms.

    “Every year nearly 5,000 lawyers enrol at the Supreme Court as Barristers and Solicitors. Straight they plunge into a most challenging professional practice without experience. More often than not, they are forced to confront realities that threaten their public and personal sense of nobility.

    “This must be seen for the danger it represents to the profession and collectively addressed as such,” Nwoko said.

    The NBA NEC reinstated the leadership of the Section on Legal Practice, which has Mrs. Mia Essien (SAN) as the chairman based on the recommendation of the Yusuf Ali led Committee.

    It also agreed to organise the Chief Gani Fawehinmi Human rights award this year together with a lecture on the World Human Rights Day on December 10.

    The NEC also agreed to resuscitate the NBA Human Rights Committee and get them with all the sections of the association involved in all the activities of the Bar so that they will be carried along in the affairs of the association.

    Mahmoud warned all those who want to succeed him to desist from campaigning outside the stipulated period, urging them to wait until the ban on campaigns is lifted. He said he was not interested in who wins the election, but in the continuity of his programmes.

    The NBA General Secretary Aare Isiaka Abiola Olagunju thanked the Governor and his Executive Council for hosting the NEC.

    He assured them that the NBA would not relent in efforts to defend the rights of every Nigerian and promote the rule of law.

    Governor Udom hosted the NEC members to a banquet at the Akwa Ibom Government House where guests were entertained.

    At the meeting were various Bar leaders, including former NBA President Onueze Okocha (SAN); former General Secretaries Mr. Lawal Raban (SAN); Ibrahim Eddy Mark, Mazi Afam Osigwe; the leader of Jos Bar, Mr. G. Offodile Okafor (SAN); Chief Arthur Obi-Okafor ( SAN); Prof. Ernest Ojukwu (SAN); Paul Usoro (SAN), Mr. Akaraiwe Ikeazor, among others.

     

  • Ambode, Udom, Obaseki, Dickson, Fayose, Osinbajo’s wife hail women’s contributions

    Ambode, Udom, Obaseki, Dickson, Fayose, Osinbajo’s wife hail women’s contributions

    •Lagos  empowers 2,613 women entrepreneurs with N2.1b 

    GOVERNORS Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Seriaki Dickson (Bayelsa) and Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti) have hailed the contributions of women to the society and nation-building.

    They spoke at the opening of the 17th National Women Conference organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) in Lagos with the theme: “She creates, she transforms”.

    The governors took turns to celebrate the doggedness, dexterity and creativity of women and their notable contributions towards building a better society.

    In his goodwill message at the event, Ambode lauded the resilience of women in their different spheres, noting that women are naturally-gifted with skills and talents that make positive difference and impact on their generation.

    He said: “Our women are constantly creative; making something out of nothing. Creativity has become very essential to succeed in today’s world because we face new challenges everyday – at home and at work. As the woman creates and transforms, she positively impacts the family, the workplace and the nation.

    “With the female population in our country today, it is clear that our women have the capacity to positively affect the Nigerian economy and are already doing so.”

    He was optimistic that the conference, aside celebrating the resilient and dynamic nature of women under diverse situations, would go a long way to unleash the creative and transformative energies of more women.

    Ambode, who restated his administration’s commitment to supporting female entrepreneurs, added that as at September 2017, no fewer than 2,613 female entrepreneurs, who run Medium and Small Scale businesses have been funded through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund to the tune of N2.1 billion, assuring that more would be given before the end of the year.

    The governor congratulated the first female mechanic, Sandra Aguebor, who was presented with the Inspirational Woman of the Year Award, saying she had dared to succeed in a career many see as a sole reserve for men.

    Emmanuel, who was guest of honour, lauded COWLSO Chairman and Lagos State Governor’s wife Mrs. Bolanle Ambode for sustaining and improving the COWLSO conference, which started 17 years ago.

    The governor said there was need for women as liberator of the world to be appreciated by every man for their contributions to growth at all times.

    On the theme of this year’s conference, Emmanuel urged women to live their lives by creating and transforming people and things around them without minding the shortcomings, adding that it was important for them to keep hope alive.

    Also, Dickson said the role of women in transforming life could not be under-estimated, saying that it was imperative for women to always be appreciated and celebrated.

    Dickson and Obaseki hailed Lagos State for the initiative, saying that they would replicate same in their states for the benefit of women.

    On his part, Fayose said life without women would be full of crises, saying that it was important for women to be given opportunity to be in the drivers’ seat in the country.

    In her welcome address, Mrs. Ambode urged women to speak up against the barbaric practice of female genital mutilation, saying that the campaign must start from the home-front, churches, mosques,  offices and the communities.

    Mrs. Ambode said: “Female genital mutilation is evil, it is wicked, it is anti-social and unjustifiable. In fact, it is a crime against women. We must devote time for enlightenment and awareness, especially among uneducated mothers. We must stand together against it, until the practice is totally eradicated in our country and the world.”

    She urged woman to resist the temptation of pursuing economic empowerment at the expense of taking good care and paying attention to their children, stressing that children who do not enjoy parental care, easily grow to become potentially dangerous youths and threatening the peace of the society.

    “The rising trend of leaving the girl-child entirely in the care of housemaids, neighbours or strangers in pursuit of income or for flimsy reasons, should be discouraged.

    “We must desist from and discourage child-labour, child-abuse and fight child trafficking with all our strength. We owe it a duty to give good parenting to our children and indeed all other children put in our care. We must give them hope and allow them see the positive side of life, as a way of bringing back good morals and societal stability,” Mrs. Ambode said.

    In her keynote address, the Vice President’s wife Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo urged women to work hard to transform their children and wards into greatness and create a safe and secured society by inculcating the right virtues in their children.

    She particularly urged the womenfolk to draw inspiration from women who had performed creditably well in their chosen profession, and endeavour to leave their footprints on the sands of time.

    Mrs. Osinbajo said women must speak up against rape and all forms of abuse against women and children, and also speak in defence of the downtrodden and less-privileged in the society.

    Highlight of the event was the presentation of the Inspirational Woman Award Mrs. Aguebor by Mrs. Osinbajo and the unveiling and beautiful rendition of the COWLSO anthem.

     

  • Fashola to represent Buhari at Nigeria, Zambia match

    Fashola to represent Buhari at Nigeria, Zambia match

    Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, will represent President Muhammadu Buhari at Saturday’s 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying showdown between Nigeria and Zambia in Uyo.

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) made the disclosure in a statement by Ademola Olajire, its spokesman, saying it learnt on Friday morning that Fashola would fly into Akwa Ibom on Saturday.

    He noted that Fashola, a former governor of Lagos State, frequently hosted the grand finale of the Federation Cup (now AITEO Cup) competition and was a notable football enthusiast.

    The NFF spokesman said that top officials had also confirmed that the President of the Senate, Sen. Bukola Saraki, Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung would be in attendance.

    “The Chairmen of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Sports, Sen. Obinna Ogba and Rep. Goni Bukar Lawan will also be guests at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

    “The host, Gov. Udom Emmanuel and members of the Akwa Ibom Cabinet, NOC President Habu Gumel and Members of the NFF Executive Committee and Management will also be present,’’ he said.

    Nigeria is three points ahead of second-placed Zambia going into the penultimate day of the African qualifiers.

    The Super Eagles require only the minimum win against the Chipolopolo on Saturday to join 10 other nations that have already qualified for the 32-team football showpiece in Russia in 2018.

    NAN

  • God has answered prayers on Buhari, says Udom

    God has answered prayers on Buhari, says Udom

    Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom, yesterday declared that God has already answered the prayers of Nigerians over the health of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He was one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors that met with the President in London on Wednesday.

    The President has been in the United Kingdom since May 7 to meet up with the follow-up consultation with his doctors.

    His absence had fuelled speculations in the past few weeks.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Emmanuel Udom said: “Let me thank God for the life of the President and thank God for Nigerians too. I appreciate Nigerians who have prayed sincerely and earnestly for Mr. President and I think God has actually answered the prayers of Nigerians.

    “From the photographs, you could see that God has actually answered our prayers. So, some of us were quite excited to see Mr. President welcome us. He was also happy to see us.

    “So what you are seeing both on the TVs and newspapers are genuine and correct. God has actually healed our President and we thank God for that.”

    On when the doctors will discharge the President, he said: “I’m sorry I’m not the doctor. I’m just a governor”.

    When asked to guess from what he observed during the visit, he said: “I’m not a medical doctor. Let me say something here. Even when you have a biological father, you love him, you take interest in his wellbeing. I mean, as a father to the nation, in my personal opinion, I don’t think that is the issue now.

    “The issue is that we should thank God that He has answered our prayers. That is where I am coming from. Some of us behave as if the president and the governors are superhuman. We are normal human beings; we also have challenges.

    “So, let us not think that because we are governors or president, we are superhuman. No! We are not God; we are mere mortals like any of us here. So, that should also make us play down on the way we look at certain issues.”

  • Udom’s new road links Obot Akara with Abia

    The serene communities in Nto Edino, the capital of Obot Akara local government area of Akwa Ibom State and environs, yesterday ignited as residents thronged out in large numbers to welcome and celebrate Governor Udom Emmanuel who visited the area.

    It was a sight to behold as Governor Emmanuel commissioned the newly completed 6.4km Nto Edino road that leads through Ekwere Azu to Abia State.

    The ceremony was part of activities to mark his two years in office as governor.

    The governor was received by a large crowd of happy indigenes who lauded him for responding to their yearnings.

    Mr Emmanuel said that when he visited the area on assumption of office, the road was so bad that no bicycle could pass as at then, and he decided that whether Nigeria is in recession or not, the road has to be constructed.

    He explained that the road will open up economic activities between Akwa Ibom and Abia State, assuring the people that within the next 90 days the bridge will be ready for commissioning along with the Phase II of the project.

    On his part, the former Deputy Governor of the State, Chris Ekpenyong who is an indigene of Obot Akara commended the Governor for what he described as two years of impressive performance in the state.

    He said that it is not about being a governor but identifying and yielding to the needs of the people.

    Ekpenyong maintained that the road is a better thought-out project that will improve the lives of the people, adding that the commissioning of the road marks the opening of economic activities between Akwa Ibom and Abia State, to which Obot Akara people will forever remain grateful to the Governor.

    He maintained that as the father of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he will always remain with the governor in PDP which has brought so many developments to the state.

    He assured the governor that Obot Akara people will support Udom Emmanuel till 2023 and beyond.

    Also speaking, the paramount ruler of Obot Akara, Okuku Uwah Umoh Adiaka said that the governor has saved many lives with the construction of Nto Edino -Ekwere Azu road.

    He told the governor that many school children and pregnant women had lost their lives due to bad nature of the road and bridge.

    The traditional ruler further told the governor that a lot of people from the area had never visited the nearby Ikot Ekpene local government area due to the impassable road and promised the governor that those whose lives he has saved will support him in 2019.

    In an emotional laden voice, the Paramount Ruler of Obot Akara,Okuku Uwa Umo Adiaka, told the gathering that the last time his people ever experienced such a good road was in 1959.