[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n Kano State, yesterday, President Muhammadu Buhari, declared that those who wrecked the economy are the same people jostling to contest in 2019.The president spoke at an interactive session with a cross section of Kano society inside the Government House, as part of his two-day official visit to the state.In attendance at the session were governors of Kano and Jigawa states, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Alhaji Abubakar Badaru, respectively, as well as the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II.
In an inference to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s time in government, president Buhari identified the fuel subsidy regime as one of the means by which the country’s resources was siphoned.In Kano, the president admitted that of his three campaign promises, defeating corruption and corrupt people remain the most difficult challenges so far.
He acknowledged that the fight against corruption has not been full achieved. Buhari, who asked for understanding, indicated his desire to reform the society for the sake of the youths and the country as a whole, even as he explained that under democracy, fighting corruption is a complex exercise than in a military regime. He recounted his personal experience in fighting corruption which, at the end, he was also, jailed by the forces of corruption.
“When I was Head of State, I locked up the people from and took them to Kirikiri and asked them to prove their innocence.“Only two of them were without guilt-a former minister from Hadejia-Bilyaminu Usman and Mallam Adamu Ciroma.
“But also, the forces of these corrupt people also ensured that I was also locked up and detained for three years,” Buhari said. The president noted that things are a lot better for Nigerian farmers and that his administration has recorded tremendous improvement in agriculture. He also said his administration has defeated the Boko Haram in the North East and explained that nothing can be achieved in a state of insecurity.
Buhari recalled how, in the past, insurgents besieged places of worships and even markets and universities to kill and maim innocent people. “It is either that these people do not know Allah or they have failed to interpret properly the teachings of Allah.”
He also addressed drug abuse in the state and pledging to reconstruct the Kano–Abuja Expressway, dredge the River Niger, in addition to ramping up the fight against smuggling of food items into country.
In his remarks, Ganduje assured the president of the votes of Kano people in 2019. It also emerged, yesterday, that stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state have adopted Buhari as their presidential candidate for 2019. The APC stakeholders also expressed commitment and support to Ganduje, as their sole governorship candidate for 2019, in the state.
Buhari’s Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement, yesterday, said president Buhari neither accepted nor declined the endorsement in his speech, even after the party leaders promised to procure nomination forms for him and threatened to sue if he declines the endorsement.
“President Buhari merely beamed with smiles and went on to underscore the need for unity in the party and among the diverse peoples of Nigeria,” Shehu said in the statement, yesterday.
The APC stakeholders’ meeting, which held on the sidelines of the president’s state visit to Kano, was attended by Ganduje, his deputy, Professor Hafizu Abubakar, the state chairman and the members of the State Executive Committee and members of the National Executive Committee of the party from the state. Also in attendance were two of the state’s senators, members of the House of Representatives from the state; the Speaker and 34, out of the 40 members of the House of Assembly and the 44 local government party chairmen, their deputies and council area secretaries of the APC. Others were Governor Muhammed Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa and other leaders of the party in the state.
APC Chairman in the state, Alhaji Inuwa Abbas, hinged their endorsement of the president on his achievements in the last two years, “especially in security, the war against corruption and restructuring of the economy.” Ganduje humorously noted that the party is prepared to drag the president to court, to force his acceptance of the second term ticket.
In his response, Buhari said he understood the clamour by ordinary people on the streets, who raised four fingers on each arm, ‘meaning four-plus-four.’ He, however, stressed the need to sanitise party politics by ridding it of vote-buying and violence. “What I saw in the elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Rivers, the use of money and those headless bodies really upset me. “I don’t wish to see that anywhere. “I would not have won if money and killing was the modus of operation. That is my view of politics,” the president said.
Dr Stephen Odey, The Executive Chairman, (SUBEB) and Dr Dan Awana, National President GNPN displaying the award of excellence presented to the SUBEB chairman.
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]ome leaders are born, some achieve leadership, some have leadership thrust upon them, while only very few have all embedded in them.Dr Stephen Odey, The Executive Chairman, Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) ,the trail-blazing administrative mogul par excellence from Cross- River State, is one of the few ood men. He is an embodiment of cerebral articulation, the essence of unparalleled philanthropy, the epitome of intellectual and breathtaking simplicity. The personification of undiluted humanness, the perfect example of leadership symbolism, the paragon of idealism, the soul of humanity, the heart of warrior, the perfect gentleman.The Executive Chairman, Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Stephen Odey and his proactive board members have received accolades from Publishers, media houses ,Chiefs, Elders, Teachers, Pupils and Community dwellers in Cross -River for providing a conducive environment for teaching and learning through the provision of functional Classrooms, Sitting facilities, amongst others.Dr Stephen Odey and his board members have not only improved the learning condition of pupils, but has also bridged the gap between public and private schools.
The Executive Chairman, Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Stephen Odey has been honoured with the “Diligent Service to Humanity” award by members of the Grassroots Newspaper Publishers Network (GNPN), Southern Council recently in recognition of Dr Odey’s outstanding contributions towards the socio-economic development of Nigeria, through his relentless efforts towards ensuring educational transformation in the State and Nigeria at large and for also showing Integrity in professionalism in the discharge of his duties.
According to the National President GNPN “a man without integrity is like soup without salt, so many people are given this money or allocation and they share it among themselves, but that is not found in Cross – River state SUBEB, As far as primary education is concerned in this state, the members of the
Grassroots Newspaper Publishers Network (GNPN), want to say that Dr Stephen Odey and his proactive board members have done marvellously well. We have been monitoring the activities of this board and other SUBEBs across the Country, we have picked Cross River SUBEB as the best in the entire country. The GNPN Commended Governor Ben Ayade for his commitment to the education sector, Dr Awana said his laudable achievements in the education sector have earned him GNPN “Best Governor of 2017 ” through our online platform,www.grassrootspublishers.com and our valuable readers voted Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade as the best governor for the year 2017. He emerged the best in the areas of education and water supply. These are the two reasons why we intend to honour the governor as the best; for giving the rural people water and education. Everybody know that water is life and education is power, if you give a child water and education I think he will excel. The GNPN had a one-on-one chat with the Executive Chairman, Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Stephen Odey in his office at Calabar, Cross-River state capital.
Excerpts:
Sir, schools in Cross – River were in a deplorable state until the appointment of your board two years ago, how were you able to achieve this transformation?
Before me and my proactive board members assumes office two years ago , the state of Public schools was in a sorry state when we came on board and visited some schools,we discovered that some of our pupils were sitting on the floor,but very importantly we discovered that some of the schools that were dilapidated, was as a result of some unaccessed matching grant from 2012-2015, the governor made money available and we were able to access that, which has led to numerous intervention, new construction and rehabilitation of schools going on across the state. So far so good, for 2 years now we have awarded up to 325 projects, both construction and rehabilitation and out of that number 167 have been completed and handed over, and 158 currently on-going, and I think before the first quarter of next year more would have been completed,We were able to secure over 10,000 plastic tables and chairs, I think apart from some few cases, we have addressed that issue. We have introduced alot of things,There have been a lot of infrastructural development going on in schools across the state, if you visit some of our schools where children were sitting on the floor, today, they are comfortably seated. We have also been able to embark on the most celebrated personnel audit in the state, where we have uncovered over a thousand ghost workers, where the salary wage bill used to be about one billion naira, but after our personnel audit, our salary wage bill is about Eight hundred million naira. So, we are saving over one hundred million naira for the state monthly.I will continue to do my best and I assure you that by the time we are done with the public schools in our state, you would not want even your child to attend private school. You will agree with me that the dichotomy we normally hear between the public school and the private is nearly absent in Cross – River today.
SUBEB chairman and members with Grassroots Publishers EXCO
Sir,you said your have commissioned a lot of projects and some on going , what is the secret behind this success?
The magic is our amiable governor Prof. Ben Ayade Led administration ,all of these laudable achievements would not have been possible without the support of Governor Ben Ayade whose passion for the Basic Education sub-sector is unpararelled. Some of the achievements recorded by the Prof. Ben Ayade-led administration in the Basic Education Sub-sector, one of the issues that confronted us when I and my management staff assumed office was the caliber of our teachers, SUBEB has been working tirelessly to repositioning the Basic education sector as His Excellency, Senator Prof. Benedict Ayade is poised in making sure that the teachers welfare and indeed the welfare of the entire civil servants in general is a top priority of government, first of it kind since the history of the state , SUBEB under the Administration of Governor Ayade has been transparent and prudent in all their activities, no longer business as usual which has attracted frivolous petitions and the SUBEB under his leadership has always defended and is always vindicated as SUBEB remains committed in the promotion of best practices.. We carried out the most controversial personnel audit.
Dr Stephen Odey showing paper work of some of the executed projects of SUBEB to GNPN executives
“Controversial in the sense that, a lot of eyebrows were raised from stakeholders who didn’t understand where we were going to, we stood our grounds that something was wrong and we wanted to identify problems confronting our basic education, but at the end of the day when they realised that we had a mission to accomplish, even the House of Assembly quickly passed a resolution mandating us to go ahead with the audit. That exercise was concluded and we discovered a lot of ghost workers, over 1000, and we discovered lots of teachers without the requisite qualifications, those with fake certificates etc.”
I want to extend my gratitude to Governor Ben Ayade, who I described as a man with great passion for the basic education sector. “My appointment to this board today as the Executive Chairman was made possible by the governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, I appreciate him for giving me the opportunity to demonstrate my skills and potentials.”I came to SUBEB on a rescue mission, because basic education in the state was below expectation, but within the short period we came on board, we have become a leading State in Nigeria. Previously, the State was unable to access its matching grant for over four years but since Professor Ben Ayade came on board as governor of the state, we have been able to access our matching grant from 2012 to 2015, and even up to 2016.
Dr Steve Odey with students
Sir, can you highlight some of the recent achievements of your Board in 2017?
“So far, so good we have also been able to conclude teachers’ promotion, but we have not released it, because we do not believe in releasing promotion letters without financial benefits, so as soon as the governor is ready to give us the financial backing, we would release it. We are also building one of the biggest Junior Secondary Schools, if not in Nigeria, in Africa, the best British Canadian International School located in Obudu. It is going to be the best junior secondary school in the country.
Governor Ben Ayade is passionate and committed to ensuring that the world class secondary school is of international standards. “The Governor is very passionate about this project, we want to set an example for other states to emulate. By the time we are done Cross Riverians will be very proud of what we
have achieved,The Canadian International Model School will comprise of the following; tree-lined walk way of 3.4meters (8ft), 3-Storey building class room blocks of 18 classrooms, male and Female hostels of 40 rooms each, Administration/Assembly building, Clinic, Laboratory, Library, Dining hall, Staff
accommodation, Sporting facilities (foot ball, basketball, volleyball, hockey, table tennis and hand ball courts etc) gate house, police post, amongst others. For the first time in the State, SUBEB is also running three junior Secondary Schools, in Akpabuyo, Abi and Yala LGAs, they are boarding schools and
the quality of teaching there is different from the other secondary schools, because we are very careful in selecting our teachers and full academic activities will commence at the British Canadian International Model School in Kakum, Obudu Local Government Area, before the end of next year.
Happy students of Cross River
Sir, how do you feel receiving honour from Grassroots Newspaper Network Publishers today?
I thank the forum for the honour.The award will boost the board to greater productivity and total commitment. “What you have done today proves that no matter where you are and what you do people look at you, and I think we are encouraged by what you have done here today. I can assure you that we will maintain this standard and continue to do our best for the betterment of our children and for the betterment of Cross River State.
I also extend my gratitude to Governor Ayade for his support and “I thank all those who nominated me for this award, I thank them for being vigilant and for following the activities of Cross River SUBEB, but all this wouldn’t have been possible without the support and encouragement of His Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, who you said is being pencilled down as the best governor for 2017. He has a soft heart for Cross River SUBEB and the education sector and that is why when we approach him on any issue he does not hesitate to give us approval. We have made so much impact in the State not because we have the power or the financial resources, but because we have the support and encouragement of our dear governor. We thank him sincerely for giving us the opportunity to serve in this capacity.”
What would you like to be remembered for?
I would like to be remembered as a man who stopped the use of fake certificates/results by teachers in Cross-River state and a man that stands for the truth.
Dilapidated and shameful Immortalized Maryam-Babangida-Way-Asaba
Can Delta State House Committee complete this hard Journey of probing the looting of multi-Billion naira roads in the state , mostly especially the the Immortalized Maryam Babangida Way Dualization Project? following the intensified efforts by the House Committee on Works of the Delta State House of Assembly, shocking revelations and rockets of fraudulent engagements perpetuated during the administration of the immediate past Governor, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, have been unearthed as one of its contractors, ULO Consultants Limited who was engaged in multi-billion naira projects across the State, has failed to deliver.
Swinging into action after the reconstitution of the House Committees, Hon Evance Ivwurie who was saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the works ministry in the state, kicked off over sight functions with members of the committee with ULO Consultancy Limited as their first point of assessment.
However, luck ran out on Chief Uche Okpunor’s ULO, as three key infrastructural projects handled by it, has either failed or been abandoned. These multi-billion projects situated in the Delta North Senatorial district of the State are, the Asaba Airport Project, Dualization of Asaba/Ughelli (Sector C) Road Project and the Immortalized Maryam Babangida Way Dualization Project.
The Maryam Babangida Way which houses the Olorogun Felix Ibru State Secretariat, the State Branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the State Standard Library (On-going), the Maryam Babangida Memorial Building, Press Center of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and several other State and Federal Government establishments, has never enjoyed the praise of road users in the State Capital.
The dualization project which was awarded to ULO Consultants Limited on the 16th of December 2009 at a contract sum of Six Hundred and Seventy-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, Three Hundred and Twelve Naira, Fifty Kobo (N674, 731, 312, 50), quickly fell into ruins after a shoddy job followed by a ceremonial commissioning by former Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan.
This revelation was made public on Wednesday December 6, 2017, by the current Commissioner for Works, Hon James Augoye at the on going probe into the dilapidated memorial road by the House Committee on Works.
He disclosed that the 1.882km Maryam Babangida Way formerly Secretariat Road had no design at the time the contract was awarded stating that the ULO moved to site and started work with his own design without the knowledge of the Ministry of Works and had attained a substantial level before the involvement of the ministry.
Augoye further revealed that through investigation by the Ministry of Works, due to the absence of an initial design for the project, the road quickly failed due to the geographical disposition of the road and the closed ended drainages which led to constant settling of water on the road.
The Commissioner told the Committee that the overall work done on the road was 48.4% and that the project was never completed but just earned a ceremonial commissioning by the immediate past government which is against the backdrop of the contractors statements that the road was completed and commissioned.
While confirming payments made to ULO for the Dualization of Maryam Babangida Way, the Accountant General of the State, represented by the Deputy Accountant General who equally appeared before the committee confirmed that, the sum of One Hundred and Seventy-Nine Million, Four Hundred and Two Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty-Six Naira, Ninety-One Kobo (N179,402,466,91) was duly paid to ULO Consultants Limited for Maryam Babangida Way and that all payments came with payment vouchers from related Ministries, noting that the Accountant General will not pay any money without vouchers.
While adjourning the investigation to Tuesday, 9th January 2018, Chairman of the Committee, Hon Evance Ivwurie tasked the Ministry of Works on the need to keep the Committee abreast of all final decisions as regards the project.
[dropcap]N[/dropcap]-Power, the federal government job programme aimed at empowering graduates, has warned applicants successfully pre-selected to undergo physical verification not to pay anybody for the screening. “The Physical Verification stage is free. If you pay, you will be automatically disqualified,” the scheme said on its official Facebook Page on Saturday.
Physical verification stage is the process of physically verifying the age, gender, residential address and local government, academic qualification, and NYSC completion of applicants. “No matter who anyone says they are or whatever they say to you, do NOT pay anyone a single kobo for Physical Verification,” N-Power said. “You have a right to challenge such a person and report them on any of our channels immediately.”
[dropcap]A[/dropcap] gang of armed robbers on Friday in a commando like manner hijacked and looted a bullion van in Asaba, Delta state that was conveying several millions of naira from Onitsha to unknown destination. The bullion van, our correspondent reliably gathered belonged to the United Bank of Africa, (UBA).
Sources who witnessed the robbery incident, said the robbers numbering over 10 had ambushed the van and struck at the busy Asaba-Benin-Onitsha expressway and after chasing away the security escort accompanying the van, they vandalised the van and emptied it.
According to a trader who witnessed the robbery at the popular Coca junction, said ” I witnessed everything as the hoodlums attacked the bullion van and engaged policemen escorting the van in a gun duel, before diverting the bullion van. The incidence occurred about 12:20pm when the bandits opened fire on the policemen, the bullion van and held the money carrying van to a standstill while the policemen abandoned the driver and the bullion and took to their heels for safety.
“There were serious random shooting by the robbers. All we were hearing were the gun shots renting the air. I saw someone who looks like the driver who ran out of the van. Before the police could mobilize back to the scene, the hoodlums have successfully off-loaded the van of undisclosed sum of money leaving the door of the bullion van opened.” Our source said.
Our correspondent gathered that the police after recovering the bullion van, it was taken straight to the “A” division police station, Asaba where it was parked. It was however learnt that internal connivance contributed to the success of the operation which was said to have lasted less than 30 minutes.
[dropcap]A[/dropcap] former acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Uche Secondus, has been elected the new chairman of the party. Mr. Secondus beat three other contestants to emerge victorious in a keenly contested election held at the Eagles Square Abuja on Saturday.
The chairman of the electoral committee of the convention, and former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, who announced the results, said Mr. Secondus scored a total of 2,000 votes out of the total number of 2,296 votes cast.Mr. Secondus was followed by a former Minister of Education, Tunde Adeniran, who scored a total vote of 231 votes, while the duo of Raymond Dokpesi and Taoheed Adedoja scored 66 and 0 votes respectively.
The Rivers State politician was declared winner shortly after two out of the chaiirmanship candidates accused officials in charge of the convention of allowing systematic rigging of the election.Raymond Dokpesi and Tunde Adeniran said the processes were skewed against them, but in favour of Mr. Secondus.
Mr. Dokpesi told journalists covering the convention that he complained about the circulation of a document referred to as “Unity List” to delegates asking them to vote for the people on the list. He said the chairman of the electoral sub-committee of the convention, former Governor Suswam, told him that there was nothing he could do about his complaint. On his part, Mr. Adeniran, through his spokesperson who spoke with members of the press at Eagles Square, venue of the convention, called for the cancellation of the entire exercise because it was compromised.
The convention committee had earlier announced the ban on all form of campaign at the venue of the convention.
The chairman of the National Convention Planning Committee, and governor of Delta state, Ifeanyi Okowa, while reacting to the issue, said his committee had not officially received any complaints about the conduct of the election.
Also, the governor of Akwa Ibom state, Udom Emmanuel, who spoke with AIT, said the “Unity List” in circulation could not affect the outcome of the election.
“I have not seen any delegate looking at a list before casting their vote and it is practically impossible for delegates to memorise all the 21 names on the list and remember them as they vote,” he said.
Mr. Emmanuel also said the list in contention could have emanated from any source.
However, despite the protets and complaints, Mr. Secondus and all the other elected officials who will form the new National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP were sworn into office immediately after the announcement.
They were sworn in by a lawyer and a former candidate for the Ondo state governorship, Tayo Jegede.
Below is the full list of new members of PDP NWC.
Deputy National Chairman ( South); Yemi Akinwonmi- Ogun
Deputy National Chairman ( North); Garba Gamawa- Bauchi
National Secretary; Ibrahim Tsauri- Katsina
Deputy National Secretary; Abubakar Mustapha
National Treasurer; Aribisala Adewale- Ekiti
Deputy National Treasurer; Wada Masu-Kano
Financial Secretary; Abdullahi Maibasira- Niger
Deputy Fin. Sec.; Irona Gerald-Imo
National Organizing Secretary; Austin Akobundu- Abia
Dep. Nat. Org. Sec.; Hassan Yakubu- Nasarawa
Publicity Secretary; Kola Ologbondiyan- Kogi
Dep. Nat. Pub. Sec.; Diran Odeyemi- Osun
National Legal Adviser; Emmanuel Enoidem- Akwa Ibom
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n angry mob on Tuesday morning hacked and set ablaze a suspected kidnapper at 4Mile at Ikot Ansa in Calabar Municipality Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The alleged kidnapper who was a member of a notorious gang was according to one RoseMary Uchechi, an eyewitness beaten and burnt to death after a failed attempt to abduct two children along Parliamentary Extension. RoseMary explained that the 4-man kidnap gang tried to kidnap the 2 children along Parliamentary extension road when their mother was taking them to school.
Unfortunately, luck ran out of them as one of abducted Children raised alarm which attracted passerby. Rosemary Uchechi said, “The mother to the children was on her way to drop her two kids at school before they (Kidnappers) double crossed her with their vehicle a Nissan and abducted her children.
“In the process one of the kids raised alarm which attracted passersby and people in the area who gave them a hot chase including Federal Housing Police Division, who also pursued them”
“When they got to 4Miles it was like they disappeared into thin air not knowing they had entered a close, it was a brave lady who double crossed them and the angry mob now pounced on them and hacked the one with a gun to death before setting him ablaze while the arm of the second one was cut off before security agents took him away for questioning, with others escaping”.
It was learned that the victims they tried to kidnap were family members of an oil worker living at parliamentary area. When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Irene Ugbo confirmed the incident saying, “We have arrested one while the other was set ablaze by an angry mob.
“We also have the Nissan they used to carry out the operation and the suspect has been handed over to SARS for further interrogation, we are working hard to apprehend other members of the group that escaped”.
Chief Dr Mathew Okiri, Special Adviser to the Governor on Diaspora Matters
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Cross river State Government has concluded plan to help over 2 million Cross Riverians in Diaspora to trace their roots back home through the Calabar Diaspora Festival scheduled to hold during the Carnival period.
Speaking at a news conference jointly addressed at the Office of the Special Adviser on Diaspora matters in Calabar, Chief Dr Mathew Okiri said the festival would be a replica of the 1977 Festival of Arts and Culture otherwise known as FESTAC 77, designed to assist Africans in diaspora to reunite with their ancestral roots. Apart from putting issues of Cross River in Diaspora on the front burner, the festival, according to Dr.Okiri, would also provide platform to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Cross River State to the world and also promote tourism potentials of the state.
The Governor’s aide, who commended Governor Benedict Ayade for throwing his weight behind the idea, said the event would host the largest gathering of Cross Riverians in the world, and that it was a thing of joy that many Cross Riverians in Diaspora had already indicated interest in tracing their roots back home.“For the first time, we have been having in Cross River a festival that will bring people in the diaspora together but when the calabar carnival was hatched we believe this would be the biggest cultural event to come out of Africa and so after years of planning, we have been able to come out with this programme this year coming up during the carnival.
“Cross Riverians in Diaspora already has declared ten years as decade to support us, and so within the said decade, Cross River in particular will be putting up one of the biggest gatherings of diaspora all over the world that will gather in Calabar later this year.
“One of the unique events of the festival is the ‘Door of Return’. A lot of people and things were taken out of Africa and Cross River in particular, and so our people in diaspora would be coming back through that door that we are calling the Door of Return, which is the opposite of ‘Point of no Return. Beyond that, we will be showcasing the beauty and culture of Cross River State in particular and Nigeria in general through the festival,” Dr.Okiri said.
Responding to questions on number of people in the diaspora expected to grace the festival, Dr.Okiri said many Cross Riverians in the Diaspora have already indicated interest to be part of it, adding: “We don’t have an accurate database but we are working on 3 million Cross Riverians in the diaspora and a lot of them are already coming.”
Also Speaking, Dr.Okiri said the State Government was delighted to partner with the diaspora body and other promoters of the festival, as the event was in sync with the cardinal objective of the present administration in the State to use tourism, hospitality, entertainment and sport to promote excellence.
He said apart from the fact that the festival was coming at a time the State clock 50 years of its existence, the festival would be utilised to showcase the giant strides of Governor Ayade’s administration in transforming Cross River to the next tourism hub in Africa.
“This festival is going to be utilised to promote the huge efforts that the present administration in Cross River State has been putting into turning Cross River around in terms of infrastructure, in terms of tourism and so many other things and so this forthcoming celebration falls squarely within our government agenda to promote tourism and also to promote investment.
“As you know, we are developing a Sea Port in Calabar among so many other things and so the festival will be a win-win for everybody especially for us in Cross River State,” Okiri said.
Series of activities have been lined up for the festival including Carnival procession, Boat regatta, Fishing competition, Dark era procession, Diaspora dinner, Beauty pageant, Cultural displays, Heritage site visits, Heritage night, Festival market, International music concert and International symposium, among others.
[dropcap]R[/dropcap]esidents and Business owners within the Calabar South area have on Tuesday protested lack of Power Supply and High cost of Electricity bills within the area. The residents numbered over 15th, mostly from the Amika Utuk, Goldie, Etonko and its environs matched and barricaded the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), Calabar office in a bit to lay their complaints as well as to get the issues resolved.
They said they haven’t had a single minute of power in the last two months but have been giving monthly bills of over twelve thousand naira (N12, 000) for “darkness supplied.”
One of the residents, Savior by name said “the lack of electricity in the area has increased criminal activities in the area, as hoodlums capitalised on the lack of power to rob residents of the area”.Though the PHED officials called two or more protesters to their office after they have laid siege on the gate of the company for about 30 minutes, for a possible resolution of the problem.
After about an hour of the meeting, the three representatives of the protesters gathered together and informed them that the management of the company said they understand their plight, and the issue of Power supply is not peculiar to their area. But they had promised that from the next day, they will start rationalising the power in the area until the issue is finally resolved.
Meanwhile for the bill, the management of the company stated that they’d look into the matter, but for the main time, they shouldn’t pay the November bill. Residents around the Marian axis have also complained bitterly of heavy bills, power rationing and blackout for the past one month.
[dropcap]C[/dropcap]omptroller Uba Garba Mohammed led Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) with its headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos has intercepted a total of 64 different vehicles worth over N1.3 billion in Lagos and Ogun States between the 1st and 30th November, 2017. This is coming barely a month the unit intercepted 59 bulletproof vehicles from a hidden house in Ikoyi, Lagos. The 64 vehicles were allegedly smuggled into the country through the land borders.
Among the detained vehicles include 2 Lexus Jeep (Bullet Proof), 1 Toyota Land Cruiser (Bullet Proof), 9 Toyota Hilux, 8 Toyota Hiace Bus, 26 Toyota Corolla, 9 Land Cruiser Jeep, , 5 Toyota Camry, 1 Land Rover, 1 Nissan Sentra, 1 Pajero Jeep, all 2017 models and 1 Sienna 2015 model and 1 Lexus RX 350 among others . While 57 vehicles were evacuated based on intelligence along Omole Estate, Ojodu and Olayiwole Close Lekki Phase one, the remaining 7 were intercepted while on information patrol along Ijebu Ode expressway and Olorunda.
Speaking on the detained vehicles, the Customs Area Controller of the unit, Comptroller Uba Garba Mohammed pegged the Duty Paid Value of the vehicles at One Billion, Three Hundred and Two Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty Seven Thousand, One Hundred and Six Naira, Sixteen Kobo (N1,302,927,106.16).
According to him,”As I speak with you, no body has come forward to claim ownership yet because we doubt if they have any customs papers on the vehicles, not to talk of the End-User Certificate for the bullet proof. Our Legal unit has already been mandated to investigate it and as soon as we get any head way about the owners or their agents, we will let the public know”.
He listed other items seized by the unit within the period under review to include 13, 333 bags of foreign parboiled rice (about 22 trailers), 1,390 cartons of frozen poultry products, 835 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 15 parcels of Indian Hemp, 1,101 pieces of used tyres, 205 bales of used clothing among others.
“We need to support the Federal Government policy on rice, encourage local rice farmers, the millers and patronize our own nutritional rice”, he said.
Mohammed added that a total of 17/20ft containers loaded with wood were under detention on the suspicion that they had not met the required guidelines for export even as he said that 1x20ft container was seized for carrying 385 cartons of Tiffany Crunch n’ Cream biscuit, 2,300 cartons of Tiffany chocolate and Toffee Sweet as against Engine Block declared in SGD describing the act as a clear case of false declaration which is tantamount to seizure.
He continued,”We have intercepted various contraband with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of One Billion, Five Hundred and Ninety Five Million, One Hundred and Forty One Thousand, One Hundred and Forty Four Naira, Eighty One Kobo (N1,595,141,144.81).
“Within the period under review, we have also recovered One Hundred and Eight Million, Three Hundred and Six Thousand, Eighteen Naira, Twenty Five Kobo (N108,306,018.25) making a cumulative of One Billion, Seven Hundred and Three Million, Four Hundred and Forty Seven Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty Three Naira, Six kobo (N1,703,447,163.06).
“In the spirit of inter-agency collaboration; the seized Indian hemp will be handed over to NDLEA after this press briefing for further investigation. Five (5) suspects have been arrested in connection with these 185 seizures and are currently in our custody”.
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