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Tag: uyo

  • Army begins ‘Crocodile Smile III’ exercise in Niger Delta

    The Nigerian Army says it has commenced Operation Crocodile Smile III exercise across the states of the Niger Delta to stem the tide of pipeline vandalism in the region.

    This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Uyo on Tuesday by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Lt. Tayo Oluwafemi of 2 Brigade Nigerian Army.

    According to him, the exercise which started on Monday October 22 would last till November 22, 2018.

    “In line with the Army Headquarters Training Directive for Year 2018 which tasked Headquarters 6 Division, Port Harcourt to organize above mentioned exercise, the exercise is going to take place within the States in the Niger Delta Region including Akwa Ibom State.

    “In view of this, Headquarters 2 Brigade, Uyo will from Monday 22 October to 22 November 2018 conduct Exercise Crocodile Smile III.

    “This is aimed at stemming the tide of pipeline vandalism, illegal refineries/bunkering, kidnapping, cultism and other related crimes, “ he said.

    He added that other activities to be carried out include; Medical Outreaches, Sanitation Exercise, Distribution of items to Orphanages, Distribution of Sporting Equipment to Schools, Distribution of items to Market Women and Sinking of Borehole in selected Local Government Areas.

    He warned members of the public that there would be movement of troops and equipment and advised them not to panic.

    He urged members of the public especially residents of Ikot Abasi and Mbo Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom to keep away from the exercise area.

  • Saraki urges PDP delegates not to vote on sentiment

    Senate President and presidential hopeful, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki has said that religious and ethnic considerations should not determine who gets the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket.

    Saraki, therefore urged delegates of the party going for presidential convention not to vote on the basis of sentiments but should elect a candidate that would give Nigeria good leadership.

    He spoke on Wednesday during consultation visit to delegates and supporters of PDP at the party Secretariat in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital.

    “This country needs a president that all of us will look at him and say I will have a fair hearing, a president that will represent everybody, a president that will represent me no matter any religion.

    “It is time as a country that we do not vote on sentiment. We should not vote because we come from this part of the country. Let us vote for a man or woman that we believe will move the country forward,” Saraki said.

    Read Also: Shekarau, Gaya, Jibril win Kano senatorial seats

    The Senate President noted that in line with the new world order, countries are electing visionary leaders who have the capacity to develop potentials for sustainable development and all inclusive governance.

    Saraki said that if voted into power, the Petroleum Industry Bill would his priority to bring development to oil sector.

    “Definitely, if voted into power that is the first thing I am going to do. Unfortunately the issues that are being raised are none issues.

    “The PIB is too important for us to be buck down by issues, that either by legislative law making.

    “If I emerge as the candidate of party and president, I can assure you that law will be one of the few things to do and sign it into law.

    “We need it in order to provide jobs for millions of youths that are looking for job we need it to improve on our oil and gas sector”, he said.

    Saraki said that his government would develop infrastructure and provide enabling environment to attract private investors, stressing that private investors would create job opportunities for the teeming youth.

    “Most important thing is to create enabling environment that will bring investors, investors can only operate where they have confidence in the leadership, confidence in your policies that will drive the business.

     

     

  • A’Ibom Govt. identifies twelve new cult groups

    Despite the proscription of 23 secret cult groups by the Akwa Ibom state government early this year, no fewer than 12 new ones have emerged in different parts of the state.

    Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Uwemedimo Nwoko disclosed on Thursday this while delivering his speech at the 3 day seminar for investigation Police Officers at the State Police headquarters, Ikot Akpan, Abia, Uyo.

    Nwoko said the emergence of new cult groups negated the Anti-Cultism law enacted by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly four months ago.

    Addressing participants at the closing session of the seminar on the theme: “Diligent prosecution of criminal cases, “Nwoko told the Police Officers that another group of cultists with different names from the ones earlier outlawed by the State have emerged.

    He noted that the nefarious groups operated from different council areas of the State, adding they recruit and initiate new members daily.

    Although the Attorney General did not mention the names of the cult group, he said his office was compiling their names and would soon take legal steps to arrest the situation.

    “The Police would need enough time to investigate these new cult groups and knew their operation before the their clampdown”

    He encouraged the police to utilize all the knowledge acquired during the 3 days seminar to relying investigation machinery of the state.

    Read Also: A’Ibom to improve child eye care

    In a chat with correspondents, Barrister Nwoko said out of 113 Cult related cases in the State, the Police have secured 49 convictions while the rest are pending in court.

    He charged the police to use all the lectures in the seminar to sharpen their skills in crime investigation so that they have excellent prosecution in court.

    Nwoko further appealed to investigation Police Officers to back up their case files with the passport photographs of suspect for identifications in Court.

    He narrated an incident where Cultist was sentenced to death and they went berserk in court threatening law officers during the Court sitting.

    Also speaking at the seminar, the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Godwin Abraham has appealed to the Federal Government to employ more lawyers into Nigeria Police to strengthen crime investigation as a base for prosecution of criminals across all the states in Nigeria.

  • Udom declares for second term

    Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom on Friday, declared his intention to seek re-election, saying his current performance would return him to the Government House.

    Emmanuel made the declaration in Uyo and said that his industrialisation efforts in the state was part of his major achievements since his inauguration in 2015.

    His achievements, according to him, include the conglomeration of industrial clusters, which houses toothpick, pencil, syringe, electric metres and coconut factories as well as Peacock Paint, fertilizer firms and many kilometres of roads.

    “No man is God. I submit myself for consideration to continue with the good work that I have done and I seek your support for my candidature as governor for second term,” he said.

    The governor urged the people to support his aspiration for second term for the sustenance of the tempo of good governance he had introduced in the state.

    He said that his predecessor left behind some uncompleted projects, including the Sheraton by Four Points Hotel at Ikot Ekpene and the Uyo – Ikot Ekpene road project.

    He said that his administration had been working hard to ensure the completion of the projects and others begun by the former administration.

    “Who said they had completed the Sheraton by Four Points Hotel?

    “It is only today that we are negotiating with Starwood Group for the retaining of the name, which some people surreptitiously put up on a building,” he said.

    Read Also: Akpabio is not God, he can’t stop me – Udom

    In a remark, the Speaker, Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, Mr Onofiok Luke, charged members and supporters of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to work towards the party’s victory at the polls in 2019.

    Chairman of Emmanuel’s Re-election Committee and former military administrator of the state, Mr Idongesit Nkanga, also appeal to the people to support the governor for a second term.

    Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers in his solidarity message, assured Gov. Emmanuel that he would be returned based on track record of his quality works in the state in the last three years.

    He urged the people not to allow external influence to alter “the political arrangement ably directed by the PDP since 1999 in Akwa Ibom.’’

  • Akpabio is not God, he can’t stop me – Udom

    Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state has said that his predecessor, Senator Godswill Akpabio is not God so cannot stop his second term aspiration.

    Emmanuel, who said this on Friday during his declaration for second term at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo dismissed Akpabio’s declaration of war on the state as unrealistic.

    He said the senator’s analogy of using Hitler-styled invasion of Poland during the World war to depict how the All Progressives Congress (APC) intends to capture Akwa Ibom State would be grossly resisted by the people.

    “No man is God”, he stressed, adding, “I submit myself for consideration to continue with the good works that I have done and I seek your support for my candidature as governor for second term”.

    He assured that the migration of his former boss, Senator Akpabio, into the ruling APC, at the centre, would not stop his re-election, saying he would work with the people to continue with his superior performance during his second term.

    “No man is God”, he stressed, adding: “I submit myself for consideration to continue with the good works that I have done and I seek your support for my candidature as governor for second term”.

    The governor said he was banking on his superior performance to return to the Government House, Uyo, in 2019, adding that he has worked hard and honestly to deliver on his 2015 campaign promises.

    He mentioned industrialization as the major plank of his achievements in the last three years, pointing out that the conglomeration of industrial clusters including toothpick, pencil, syringe, electric metres, coconut factory, peacock paint, fertilizer firms and several kilometres of roads, would recommend him for re-election.

    The Akpabio administration, he noted, had left behind some uncompleted projects including the Sheraton by Four Points Hotel at Ikot Ekpene and the Uyo – Ikot Ekpene road, saying his administration has been working hard to ensure the completion of those legacy projects of the immediate past era.

    Read Also: Buhari yet to receive 2018 Budget – Udoma

    “Who said they had completed the Sheraton by Four Points Hotel?”, he asked, adding that “it is only today that we are negotiating with Starwood Group for the retainership of the name, which some surreptitiously put up on a building, is building a hotel?”.

    He, therefore, enjoined the people to rally round him in his quest to sustain the tempo of good governance he enunciated in his first term in 2015.

    In the same vein, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke; the former Military Governor of the State, Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga, who chairs the governor’s re-election committee and the State PDP chair, Obong Paul Ekpo, charged supporters and stakeholders of the PDP to work towards ensuring the PDP retain Akwa Ibom with Udom Emmanuel, in 2019.

    Solidarity messages from neighbouring governors of River State, Nysom Wike and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, assured governor Emmanuel that he would be returned based on track-record of quality works in the last three years and enjoined the people not to allow external influence to alter the already political arrangement ably directed by the PDP since 1999 in Akwa Ibom.

  • Psychiatric hospital reunites 120 inmates with families

    The psychiatric hospital in Eket local government area of Akwa Ibom state has treated and discharged no fewer than 120 inmates and reunited them with their families.

    The official, a medical doctor, who did not want to be named, disclosed to journalists during an interaction that the rehabilitation and re-integration exercise took place on June 7.

    He said the patients were delivered to their various families within and outside the state by the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare.

    “Thursday was a day to discharge and integrate these former lunatics with their families; this year, government embarked on a mop up exercise and brought the lunatics to psychiatric hospital for two months.

    “They were under intensive psychotic care in the hospital for two months before they were discharged to their families.

    ” During the two months they were in the psychiatric hospital, the rate of lunatics on the streets of Eket, Ikot Ekpene and Uyo reduced because the exercise was targeted at the three LGAs.

    “The government has done well to take them away from the streets to reduce the nuisance they constituted to the public.

    Read Also: Ibom Specialist Hospital records first neuro surgery

    “These people will be with their families, take their medications and come back after one month for their medical check-up,” he said.

    “These inmates who have received treatment did not go to their relatives on their own; the ministry of women affairs and social welfare took them to their relatives.

    “They were taken to their families in Lagos, Enugu, Abia, Imo, Uyo and Cross River.

    “Money was given to them for support and upkeep before their coming back for medical check-up in a month’s time”.

    The official said that during the period that they were at the hospital, a major challenge was insufficient bed spaces.

    ”They were sleeping on the floor due to lack of beds space in the hospital”.

    The medical doctor commended the generosity of Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom and appealed to the relatives and parents of the discharged inmates to complement the efforts of the state government by providing care and love to the people.

    When contacted, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, the Commissioner for Health, Akwa Ibom, confirmed the development but told our correspondent that the exercise was not handled by his ministry.

    “The mop up exercise was not carried out under my ministry but the ministry of women affairs and social welfare.

  • 17 Eagles training in Uyo

    Nigeria’s Super Eagles officially held their first training session in Uyo on Wednesday morning ahead of their friendly match against DR Congo in Calabar next week, with 17 players involved in the first warm-up, AOIFootball.com can report.

    Vice-Captain Eddie Ogenyi Onazi led proceedings at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium’s training turf with Wilfred Ndidi separated from the squad as he continues his recovery from injury.

    The 21-year-old participated in the team’s ball joggling and warm-up exercises but was separated from the group before the core training session began and was then seen jogging on his own before he was put through some work by fitness trainer, Bernard Gines.

    Ndidi was injured in Leicester’s Premier League clash against Crystal Palace on April 28 and missed the Foxes’ last three games of the season due and will almost certainly miss Nigeria’s game against Congo next Monday in Port Harcourt.

    The Eagles are expected to train again on Wednesday evening by 4 pm and should be boosted by the arrival of both Ahmed Musa and Shehu Abdullahi who were both caught on camera in the plane en route Uyo.

    Players in camp:

    Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho, Daniel Akpeyi, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Dele Ajiboye

    Defenders: Ola Aina, Tyronne Ebuehi, Elderson Echiejile, William Troost-Ekong, Stephen Eze, Kenneth Omeruo, Chidozie Awaziem

    Midfielders: Wilfried Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo, Ogenyi Onazi, Alex Iwobi

    Attackers: Kelechi Iheanacho, Junior Lokosa

  • Catholics protest killings of priests, appeal for calm

    Catholic faithful on Tuesday in Uyo protested the killing of two Catholic priests and 17 worshipers recently in Benue.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the placards carried by the protesters read: “No weapon fashioned against Christians shall prosper”; “Say no to terrorism in places of worship”; “Christians lives matter”; “live and lets live”; “human lives are sacred”, among others.

    Bishop of Uyo Diocese, Rev. Dr John Ayah, said that Catholics would not take up arms against Fulani herdsmen in the face of recent attacks against worshipers and priests.

    Ayah said that they would continue to depend on security agencies of government for the protection of their members, especially during church programmes.

    “The killings have become too many. The church is `arm less’ so, we will continue to depend on security provided by government.

    “If the government provides sufficient security, then there will be no point carrying guns around to protect Christians. We are do not have arms, our arms are our prayers and our rosaries.

    “So we are telling governments to wake up to their responsibilities of providing adequate security to the citizens.’’

    The bishop said that the killings by herdsmen had become unbearable and had continued to portray lack of adequate security by the Federal Government.

    In his remark, the Vicar General in charge of administration for the Diocese, Rev. Fr Donatus Udoette said that government’s responsibility was to provide adequate security for its citizens.

    Udoette said that as Christians, Catholics would not take up arms but would depend on prayers.

    He, however, called on the Federal Government to rise up to the challenge of protecting citizens from the menace of herdsmen.

  • A’Ibom APC caucus pass vote of confidence on Buhari

    The caucus of the All Progressives Congress in Nsit Atai local government area of Akwa Ibom state has passed a vote of confidence on President Muhammadu Buhari for providing conscientious and positive leadership direction for Nigeria.

    Rising from a meeting in Uyo, the state capital, the APC caucus which met to deliberate on the achievements and gains of the Buhari administration amid other national issues, gave the APC led federal government a pat on the back for “repositioning and rebuilding the country for good”.

    It stressed that the Buhari administration has delivered on three pronged electoral promises of fighting corruption, reviving the economy and taming the monster of insurgency and Boko Haram terrorist’s activities.

    The resolution reached by the caucus read by Elder Monday Udoh also commended President Buhari for appointing its key leaders such as Emah Bassey as chairman Nigeria Geological Survey Agency(NGSA).

    The caucus said the appointment was a reflection of the President’s spirit of all-inclusiveness and desire for human capacity development.

    It hailed the President for the numerous Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) projects in the state.

     

  • Two Cameroonians bag 18 years for acquiring Nigerian passport

    A federal high court sitting in Uyo has sentenced two Cameroonians to 18 years imprisonment for illegally acquiring Nigerian passports.

    Justice I. M. Sanni said the sentence will run concurrently.

    Sanni, however, gave the defendants N500, 000 as option of fine in each of the six count charge.

    He said two defendants did not waste the time of the court, adding that they were first offenders.

    He said that they should serve their sentences in Nigeria and should be deported after completion of their sentences.

    The prosecution counsel told newsmen that Mr. David Babale, the first defendant, Mr. Ebwe Sumbele Michael-43 had in 2012 acquired Nigerian passport without being detected.

    Babale said luck, however, ran out of him when he came for re-issue in March 2018 with the second defendant, Mr. Ngu Ernest Tiku-35 when they were caught by the vigilant Immigration Officer in Uyo.

    “In the case of the first defendant, he started committing this offence since 2012 because he obtained Nigerian Passport since 2012 but was not arrested.

    “He went under the guise of being a Nigerian. He went with false documents to indicate that he was a Nigerian and the officer then did not detect him as a non-Nigerian. So the second time he came for re-issue of passport.

    “When he came for re-issue, he came with the second defendant. According to him, the second defendant was working in Dubai but he is Cameroonian, “ Babale said.

    Babale, who is of the legal department of the Nigeria Immigration Service noted that the first defendant having succeeded in 2012 came to Nigeria with the second defendant to acquire Nigerian Passport but luck ran out of them.

    He commended the vigilant immigration officer who detected the foreigners and called on other officers to emulate him.

    Also speaking, the defence counsel, Mr Mfon Uyoh, said he was satisfied with the judgment.

    According to him, the Judge was lenient with the accused because they pleaded guilty and did not waste the time of the court.

    “It was a good judgment in the sense that the judge has to be lenient with the defendants. He did not impose the maximum sentence on them.

    “They were being remorseful, pleaded guilty and did not waste the time of the court,” he said.