[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Delta State government and Delta State Independent Electoral Commission DSIEC have been cautioned against rigging of the January 6 chairmanship and councillorship election in favour of any party.
In a statement released at Asaba, The Grassroots Newspaper Publishers Network, and signed by its National Secretary, Mr Austine Ukah, the group want DSIEC to distribute sensitive materials to all the polling units and we will not accept any ready made result as usual.we want to use this opportunity to advice DSIEC that Deltans are more wiser than before .
DSIEC and Delta State Government should ensure the outcome or result of the January 6 election was not rigged or manipulated in favour of any party , though Deltans will resisted any rigging or Manipulation.
We appeal to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to allow DSIEC collate and announce the result of the chairmanship election of immediately at the council as taking the result to Asaba for announcement will only indicate pure manipulation of the result. We challenge DSIEC to conduct a credible election, make available voting materials at every polling units on January 6, to enable the electorates cast their votes for their preferred candidates.
Ukah said the Grassroots Publishers have resolved and very ready to monitor the election throughout Delta state.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he West African Examination Council (WAEC) has released the timetable for the 2018 first series private candidates. The Council released the timetable on its official twitter page @waecnigeria yesterday night.
Consequently, it has fixed January 12 as the closing date of registration for the first series of private candidates which was earlier scheduled to close December 29.
The council said candidates are expected to pay a registration fee of N13, 950 and a commission of N500 to banks and accredited agents.
According to the timetable, the examination is scheduled to start on January 29 and end on February 12
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t is now official. 1995 World Footballer of the Year, George Weah has been declared winner of the just concluded Liberia’s presidential election. It will be recalled that Weah topped the first round of voting earlier in October but did not secure the 50 percent needed to win outright majority, thus necessitating a runoff.
According to the chairperson of Liberia’s National Electoral Commission, Jerome Kokoya, Weah won 61.5 percent of the total vote as well as 14 out of the country’s 15 counties. After processing 98.1% of results from polling units, Weah got 720,033 votes (61.5%).
With this development, Weah, a serving senator from the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) whose main opponent in the election was 73 years old Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party, is set to replace President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is stepping down after the constitutionally mandated two terms of twelve years. This is the nation’s first democratic transition since 1944 and Weah is poised to be the 25th President of the country.
Weah’s victory was a product of multifaceted intrigues. His running mate was Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor who is the ex-wife of former President Charles Taylor, who sparked Liberia’s civil war in 1989 and is currently serving a 50-year prison sentence in Britain for his role in war crimes in Sierra Leone. Despite his incarceration in far away Britain, Taylor is reportedly still having huge supporters in Liberia and this is partly responsible for Weah’s winning of key counties in the first round of voting.
Aside the Taylor’s connection, Weah’s popularity with the youth was also a strong factor in his electoral victory. 70 percent of Liberian population is under 35 and they formed the army of his fanatic supporters. Weah, 51, has a lot of support among the youth who strongly believe in him and his change agenda. Being a former international footballer who has committed a vast proportion of his personal fortune to the development of his nation and her extremely impoverished citizenry, Weah’s acceptance among the youth is simply electrifying. The spontaneous euphoria that greeted his announcement as President elect is a true demonstration of his widespread acceptance by his countrymen.
The country’s battered economy equally made Weah’s change campaign an exciting proposition. Liberia is one of the world’s poorest countries and Weah had vigorously run his campaign on the premise of engendering accelerated economic growth. And since he is widely seen as an anti establishment candidate, many believe that he is the right man to turn things around for the poor West African country that had been variously raped by greedy and corrupt leadership.
Equally, Weah had become more mature politically since he was beaten by Sirleaf Johnson in the 2006 presidential runoff. 12 years after, Weah had learnt the rope and this is quite evident in the various alliances he was able to garner in the latest election. He has become more politically educated to make calculated decisions that have significant electoral consequences. It is clearly a reflection of Weah’ political development over the years that he was able to beat the vastly experienced Joseph Boakai and the ruling party.
Now that Weah has been declared victorious, the fear of many analysts is whether his main opponent, Joseph Boakai, and the ruling Unity Party will actually accept the electoral verdict and give peace a chance. Outgoing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s tenure as Liberia’s president ended decades of bitter conflict and civil war in the country and it is hoped that the relative peace that has been achieved during her reign would not be carelessly filtered away through selfish ambition and unpatriotic tendencies.
If there is anything that Liberia can really do without now, it is another round of needless acrimonious actions that could draw the nation back into avoidable crisis. It is hoped that major stakeholders in the country as well as the international community will mutually work together to ensure that the nation’s interest is well safe guarded far above personal concerns. This is why the United Nations’ recent deployment of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to help in the county’s transition process is a welcome development.
Now, what should be considered paramount is what the future holds for Liberia in the immediate post Sirleaf Johnson era. Liberia had passed through so much trouble and crisis that it cannot afford to slide into anarchy once again. It will be recalled that the outbreak of Ebola virus in the West African country between 2014 and 2016 left her in a rather devastating state as it accounted for the death of thousands of both young and old people.
Apart from the Ebola desolation, the country’s economy is almost in ruin, no thanks to years of highly destructive civil war. Being a profoundly bi- product economy, the drop in commodity prices for rubber and iron ore which are her main export commodities, has sharply affected the country’s economy. Despite attaining much peace in her twelve years in the saddle, the country’s economy hasn’t really fared better under incumbent Sirleaf Johnson. The county has actually made slow progress on jobs, unemployment, education, rural development, healthcare and attracting foreign direct investment. Equally, infrastructure across the country remains quite in a deplorable state.
Therefore, whenever he is eventually sworn in as the country’s next President, George Weah and his team must be prepared to tackle an economy that is already tattered by lower commodity prices for its main exports of rubber and iron ore and a rapidly depreciating currency as well as living standards that remain among the worst in the world. They must be ready to come up with creative strategies through which the fortune of the country’s economy could be positively transformed.
The task of rebuilding the nation’s battered economy and critical infrastructure would no doubt be a gigantic one, but with the cooperation of all relevant stakeholders in the country as well as the goodwill of the international community, in the not too distant future, Liberians should be able to smile again. As for George Weah, he had truly been a king on the soccer pitch. Now
His Eminence, High Chief Celestine Okafor – Ikwele of Ibusa
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Ikwele of Ibuzor in Oshimili North Local Government Council of Delta State,His Eminence, High Chief Celestine Okafor, the 12th Ikwele of Ibusa. The Young and vibrant traditional Icon reflected on the revolutionary Obuzor System, as opposed to gerontocracy, which the community had known for centuries. As a Young and Proactive leading traditional icon in the history of Ikweleship in Ibusa, His Eminence, Celestine Okafor’s sterling leadership is a perfect blend of tradition and western modernism. He is happily married with wife and children.The Ibusa people see him as a traditionalist: The Ikwele is a symbol of unity and Peace. He is a peacemaker ,infact, he is a modern traditional Icon by extension, and also a philosopher.
We hold him in high esteem because we believe in terms of thought processes, vision that naturally he is the person who will direct and help us navigate through the challenges that may come our way. He is the custodian of lands matters within Ibusa .More significantly he ensures peace, harmony, unity and stability in the land.The present Ikwele of Ibusa is one that has carved a niche for himself, easily the most vibrant Ikwele ever in the history of Ibusa and that has been unquestionable in most of his actions and the directives he proclaims. It has also been clearly demonstrated in the positive reforms that he has carried out .It has also found expression in the peace, unity and harmony that exist among our people presently.
Ultimately it will be a beginning of the process in the history of Ibusa people, our traditional folklore, acknowledge and applaud heroes, so for us it is a beginning of a new dawn. Time has come for Ibusa people to acknowledge what is their own. Contrary to our historical past, if you do not eulogise great people we may be failing in one respect. We are not motivating our people to excel.we may have Ibusa sons and daughters that will distinguish themselves but might not be chiefs in Ibusa, but they may have done exceptionally well to be inducted to the Hall of Fame. Ikwele of Ibusa will be the first Ibusa son living or dead ever to be inducted into such Hall of Fame in our traditional history.
In this interview with Grassroots Publishers online, one of Africa cerebral minds shares his thoughts on various contemporary local and national issues like the revolutionary Obuzor System, as opposed to gerontocracy, which the community had known for centuries. And though there were pockets of opposition, he was determined to push through. He also talked on the state of the Ibusa town and the Delta State government neglect of the Ibusa town, youths empowerment, and the way forward. Excerpt:
His Eminence, High Chief Celestine Okafor, the Ikwele of Ibusa
As the 12th Ikwele of Ibusa, how would you describe your experience?
Ikwele is a traditional title which is hereditary and instituted to ensure that he gives approval to anybody interested in any traditional position in the town for any traditional title. In order words, if you are not certified with the judgement in a particular level of an administration, you cannot go to the next level of administration until you get to the highest point of traditional administration which is today the Obuzor -in- council.I ascended the throne seven years ago . I will describe my experience so far, as being very positive.
What is the Obuzor system all about?
The system came about because we ran the gerontocratic system, where the oldest man in the society automatically becomes king and is succeeded by the next oldest man. The Obuzor system came to replace this. It is a miniaturised state government because it is composed of all the components of Ib’uzor. These people constituted the government called Obuzor-in-Council, which is charged with the task of running the administration of this community on a day-to-day basis, thinking solely of the direction and policies of these communities. They coordinate and galvanise the effort of Ib’uzor people both at home and abroad to develop the communities.
Are you satisfied with the Obuzor system as it is today?
Yes,we have to move with time. There should be the Ib’uzor Wheel of Progress and the coordinator is the Obuzor. From now, whenever we have several opinions, we try to prioritise them by using this model. In a community like this, what we need to survive, is community contributions to various issues. We have to visualise a way of rendering account. We have now decided that every five years, there must be some sort of account, a report, and an audited account of how we have progressed so far. In five years, all the Okwulogbes will go back to their villages to seek for re-election. In their villages, they can either be re-elected or rejected. You can come back as many times as possible but must be going back for re-election after five years. People should assess your performance and if you did well, they will re-elect you. If, on the other hand, you didn’t perform well, they will reject you and appoint another person. This paves the way for new blood to be injected into the system.
We have also tried to show that there must be a flow of information. The Obuzor is the Chairman. A Diokpa heads each quarter. The Obuzor system has strengthened them by appointing a chief, who is like a Prime Minister to the Diokpa. The Prime Minister has an inner cabinet made up of 15 people. These people are the ears of the village. With 15 persons in each quarter, no household is too far away from their representative. So, they can always hear what is happening and be able to send back information. It is a two-way traffic. I can send messages down to the family, just as the family can send their message back to the table of the Obuzor. That again has been very helpful to us, as we can collect lots of information in two, three days.
The way we live, bury, marry and so on, has been very anachronistic for some time. We are trying to change some of them. For example, when somebody’s husband dies in those days, she would mourn for about 13 months, but now it takes only one month. All the burial ceremony must now be completed within one month. Both the interment and outing are now done in one day so that the young man doing the burial will not have to apply for leave twice in a month. we must commend His Royal Majesty , Obi. (Prof.) Nwaoboshi (Obuzor of Ibusa) for this reform.
The present “Obuzor” is a human being like all of us and was a distinguished Professor, a retired lecturer and academics in the University of Ibadan. He is not infallible. He is prone to mistakes like us but that does not mean some of us should abandon him for one reason or the other. We clamoured and agitated for that institition to be established and we got it, we should all strive to make it work. There is therefore no doubt that what is happening in Ibusa today is a manifestation of the failure of some of the above named respected individuals to participate, tolerate, compromise, and respect a general consensus. We can also see that the youths in Ibusa have gone berserk because the elders are not setting good examples. Role models have become a scarce commodity. When some elders are busy secretly planning and executing disorder, what do we expect of the youths? If elders belong to secret societies, what moral justifications do such elders have to caution the youths against cultism? This seeming contradiction, which is a moral dilemma, is currently playing itself out not only in Ibusa but in the whole country.
What was the attraction for accepting to be the Ikwele of Ibusa?
Ikwele is a traditional title which is hereditary,For me, it was not a question of attraction, but that of service. It was a call to serve. If you are close to me, you will know that I am a child of circumstance. I try one way or another to build bridges. Whenever there is a gap, I provide a bridge. By the time I came here, I had done virtually everything with my power to showcase the Ikwele of Ibusa to the whole world and to support the Obuzor of Ibusa.
What can you say about this town called Ibusa?
Ibusa is a town blessed with so many natural resources and high profile personalities.A town known for peace, hardwork and harmony. Ibusa people are known with farming, hunting, and petty trading , It is unfortunate that in Ibusa, a town which is in the Delta state capital territory, there is no govt presence at all. The question that easily came to my mind was whether the town is really part of the so called Delta state capital territory. I could not believe that in the state, a particular ethnic stock, which seemed to have hijacked and literally ‘appropriated’ the state, would practice this type of discriminatory development against other ethnic groups.
In Ibusa, there is no single state Ministry located in it, yet the town is just about 7 km away from Asaba. There is a rising youth unemployment, which has allowed cultism (all of which are called Otu-nzuzu in Igbo) to gain firm root.Their members operate in a triangular fashion: Ibusa, Asaba and Okpanam. They harass and instil fear in people and occasionally, unleash bloody clashes. It is unfortunate that because of lack of jobs and skill acquisition centres, these youths have decided to seek comfort in cultic practices. They are also being recruited and used by politicians to cause confusion. Well, I must say I am highly disappointed with the administration of Sen. Dr. Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, the Executive Governor of our dear state, Delta state. We had high hope and were happy when he emerged as the governor of Delta state. The words in our mouth were like “Our own is on the throne; our Anioma son is there” but our hope was dashed when Gov. Okowa failed the Ibusa people. The Asaba-Achala-Ibusa Road that begins in Asaba, covering Achala and terminates in Ezukwu quarter of Ibusa is a very strategic road that connects Ibusa with Asaba, the state capital. It is so strategic that its reconstruction would have open up another end of Ibusa with Asaba and their is no single road constructed in Ibusa by this present government of Gov. Okowa in Ibusa or any other state government project in the town., Ibusa people are very disappointed with this present state government. I will not fail to appreciate our able Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, Chairman, Senate Committee on NDDC, because he has attracted lots of roads to Ibusa town though NDDC projects and equally empowered our youths , so we must commend his efforts and want him to do more for his people.
What are your achievements so far?
Yes, you know that one of the biggest problem our people have is land dispute. Our youths who want to turn themselves to land barons ,this has triggered so many land dispute. But as a peacemaker, I have restored peace to my people. I have also ensured youths’ empowerment by seeking help from well-meaning sons and daughters of this wonderful town. At least, most of our youths are into various entrepreneurial jobs and are doing well in it. The dispute which has lingered between Achala and Ezukwu was brought to a halt immediately I came on board as the Ikwele of Ibusa .
What is your advice to the youths and message to your Ibusa people?
The Ibusa youths should disassociate themselves from social vices like cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery as they will bring dent to their names and that of their families. Ibusa youths should embrace peace and harmony amongst themselves and be very determined in whatever job they are into. Ibusa town need peace and unity to enable us take the town to the next level.I understand partly, the predicament of the Obuzor. He is the first to be so crowned by the people and given staff of office. He was chosen by the Ogbes, which made up the Otu Odogwu, to pioneer the new institution. He was supported by the other Ogbes that made up the Otu Uwolo and Otu Iyase. Therefore as the pioneer instrument of the much clamoured new change, he is not expected to cosy along easily. He is bound to encounter problems and these problems come in different shades. As a retired academic, the Obuzor should see problems as challenges. I believed that with time, Ibusa people will learn to adjust to the new system and perhaps in the future, re-define and tailor the Obuzor institution to their need.
The world is literally going bananas in different facets of technological development. We should not be seen to be consulting our dead ancestors while the white man is, any moment from now, preparing to start going on holidays to the moon. Any appointed Odogwu, Uwolo, and Iyase, should be well armed. They should be proactive and able to discern afar. For example, I expect the holders of such offices to be holding and organising seminars for our roaring youths; to be organising and inculcating self employment principles in them; to be submitting proposals on partnership by reaching out to the Local Government Council, other governmental agencies, the private sector, individuals and groups. The theme of these proposals should revolve around how to empower the youths, the dangerous effects of drugs and substance abuse, basic health education and security consciousness.This will help to cleanse the youths of their quest for quick money and “ego di na oshia” siege mentality.At present, Ibusa is under invasion by rampaging youths, cultism, kidnappers and some clueless native politicians; while the three war lords seemed to be doing nothing.These offices of the war lords should start transforming otherwise they would in the near future be rendered useless. In all, the onus does not lie on the Obuzor alone or on the war chiefs(Ikwele). No. It lies on all of us. There is the saying that if you cannot be a good follower, you can equally not be a good leader. Whether you reside in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Enugwu, Clabar or Abroad, we are all guilty of the probable mess Ibusa is turning into. The fact that one lives far away does not make one immune to the dangerous tendencies in Ibusa. Not to show an atom of concern is an admission of self guilt. I appeal once more that the town belongs to all us.We have no other place except Ibusa. Individuals should embark on soul searching to cleanse themselves of acrimony, hate, petty jealousy, and ego. What we need is peace, tolerance and respect.Thanks and God bless Ibusa.
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s the 2018 Council polls in Delta state draw near, the Delta state chief judge, Justice Marshal Umukoro has inaugurated the Election Petition Tribunals and Local Government Council Election Petition Appeal Tribunal to hear and determine petitions that may arise from the January, 6, 2018 council polls with a charge on the members to deliver judgement strictly based on Law and facts that is devoid of any extraneous considerations.
Inaugurating the 18 member Election Petition Tribunals and the three Judges who shall sit on appeal in Asaba, Justice Umukoro while reminding the members of section 130(2) and 130(3) of the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2017, tasked the members of the Election Tribunals to deliver judgement in writing within the stipulated 180 days period from the date of filing of the petition, while Appeal Tribunal shall do same within 90 days from the date of delivery of judgement of the Tribunal.
The Chief Judge however attributed their appointment to their antecedents anchored on hard work, honesty and diligence, emphasising that they should not perform below expectations as Deltans, particularly petitioners and respondents, were looking up to them to deliver judgements according to evidence and law placed before them.
Justice Umukoro enjoined members to remain focus and not to be distracted by acts of blackmailers, rumour mongers, and hate speech merchants and a section of social media who review evidence and deliver judgement in consonance with the figments of their imagination, warning that appropriate disciplinary measures and sanctions shall be imposed on any member who breached the subscribed oath of office in the face of verified complaints and petitions.
Responding on behalf of members of the Tribunals, Justice D. C Maidoh thanked the Chief Judge for deeming them fit for the onerous task with a promise to justify the confidence reposed in them and to handle petitions brought before them on the merit irrespective of the parties involved.
Comptroller Mrs. Nanbyen Burromvyat, CAC, Calabar Free Trade Zone and Akwa Ibom Area Command
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Custom Comptroller in charge of Calabar Free Trade Zone and Akwa Ibom Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mrs. Nanbyen Burromvyat took over the mantle of leadership of the command about a year ago. Since her assumption of office, the Area Command has witnessed tremendous positive changes especially in revenue generation, Staff welfare and inter-agencies cooperation.Comptroller Nanbyen Burromvyat hails from the North Central part of the country, Plateau state precisely; graduate of ABU Zaria. She is someone who appreciates her purpose in life and still understand the components of that purpose.She is one woman who has stood out among the few who had more than a fleeting nation of her sojourn on earth. She is a rare breed who viewed life solely from the perspective of his God, and knew that life’s purpose can only be fulfilled when self-will is surrounded to Almighty.A very supportive, encouraging and inspiring fellow who always sets her mind on wahtever she does passionately and quietly. She is a loving, kind-hearted woman and this shows in her dealings with all that come across her, including her fellow officers.One peculiarity of Comptroller Nanbyen Burromvyat is that she operates with synergy in her relationship with not only customs officers but also officers of other sister agencies at the command.This amiable fellow is a woman who has been identified as being effective and efficient in carrying out her official duties. She is a crusader of integrity and peace who believes in efficiency and improved revenue generation as well as zero tolerance for corruption.A due process comptroller who believes in discipline in order to achieve productivity.
The National President of Grassroots Publishers, Dr. Dan Awana delivering a speech during a courtesy visit to Calabar Customs Command
REVENUE SUCCESS
The administration of Comptroller Nanbyen Burromvyat has led to a remarkable improvement on the Area Command’s revenue profile as the command generated N7.8 billion between January and October this year.In November also, the command also recorded over N579 million of revenue; all attributed to the diligence, and relentless efforts of this amiable woman and her proactive team by ensuring there is no form of revenue leakage and suppression of smuggling is at its peak. As at November, 2017, the command has made about 96% of its revenue target which can be attributed to support from Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali and his team and also commitment hardwork on the part of the officers of the command.
RELATIONSHIP
The relationship and cooperation of the command with other security agencies has been very cordial.Other sister security agencies have been assisting and complementing the command’s efforts in some of the seizures. Mention must also be made of the untiring cooperation and assistance received during difficult operations from the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police and Directorate of State Services.The relationship with the proactive officers of the command has also been very cordial.
CHALLENGES
The greatest challenge facing the Command is that of meeting the monthly revenue target because of virtually low traffic at the port since general cargo vessels do not come to the Port. The shallow channel cannot accommodate large cargo vessels. These together with the local security problems seem to have scared away importers to places like Lagos and Port Harcourt to make this place dormant and make activities low at the port. The attention of the Federal Government is therefore drawn to the port to dredge the channel to stimulate activities, increase operations and revenue generation of the command because of the strategic location of the port.
ILLEGAL IMPORTATION OF ARMS
The command in line with Headquarters directives has beef up security along the jetties and borders considering the security threats of illegal importation of arms through the nation’s sea ports. The Command in conjunction with other security agencies and units are deploying high level intelligence to fortify the entire area in order to foil any attempts at arms smuggling and other trans-border crimes.
LACK OF PATRONAGE AT THE PORT AND TINAPA
Calabar Free Trade Zone was set up for industrialisation but unfortunately it has been abandoned by all tiers of government.The Tinapa Free Trade Zone was set up for shopping and tourism and creation of jobs and encouragement of made in Nigeria goods but what is seen now is that various government that have come on board have abandoned the vision. For example, our people are used to buying items like syringe which is manufactured in Nigeria (tested and trusted) but prefer to buy from China. Also, an African Transformer which is manufactured in Nigeria lacks patronage from our local buyers. This definefitely brings about unemployment, litters of abandoned projects, and reduction in revenue generation. There is a strong appeal from the Customs Comptroller of the command to the government and good spirited Nigerians not to let the vision of Tinapa Free Trade Zone to die ; as the forthcoming Calabar Carnival should have enough partronage fron both foreigners and Nigerians, people should go to Tinapa to shop as purchases of up to N50, 000 are allowed but Any purchase above this would require opening Form M and payment of appropriate duties. The rice issue should not scare away stakeholders and the trading public. They should enjoy themselves and also go for sight seeing in terms of arts and crafts.
The Grassroots Publishers also urges the federal government and the government of Cross-River state to revive the vision of Tinapa Trade Free Zone.
The Grassroots Publishers wish to appreciate all our readers, clients, advertisers, partners and well wishers. 2017 came with great expectations and despite the difficult operating environment, we were able to sustain operations through the year.
Thank you for all your inestimable support and patronage as we really couldn’t do what we did without you all over the past 12 months.
As we anticipate greater success in the coming year 2018, we pray that God almighty will grant all our heart desires.
If you find yourself at a loose end over the holidays, don’t forget to check back on the site where you will always read your daily news.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he quest for the development of maritime capacity is increasing as the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside, recently made it known to newsmen that the agency has offered automatic employment to about 20 cadets who bagged first class honours during their training overseas.Peterside also disclosed that 239 cadets would be sent for seatime training to Egypt and United Kingdom.
Speaking during the flag-off of the first phase of training for Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP), the DG said the idea was to further develop maritime capacity.
His words: “Today is a momentous occasion; it represents a watershed moment in our journey and collective resolve to develop maritime capacity in Nigeria and demonstrates our firm commitment to vigorously pursue indigenous human capacity in line with global best practices.
“I stand before you to announce that One Hundred and Fifty (150) Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) Cadets are bound for Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Marine Transportation in Alexandria, Egypt for the commencement of their on-board training in the first phase of the fully sponsored batch.
“In addition, another group of eighty nine (89) cadets also within the first phase will be proceeding to the South Tyneside College (STC), UK for their on-board sea-time training, making a total of two hundred and thirty nine cadets in the first phase of this programme departing to Egypt consist of seventy seven (77) Deck and seventy three (73) Engine cadets.”
Peterside said that the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme was “conceived in 2008 as a deliberate policy to ameliorate the dearth in certified and qualified seafarers and of course the depletion of seafarers in our national pool due mainly to age and migratory instinct for greener pastures by seafarers.”
He added that “The NSDP scheme was timeously implemented in September, 2009 to compliment full implementation of the Cabotage Act, 2003, which in itself is geared towards strengthening indigenous tonnage capacity with one of its cardinal objectives being that coastal vessels are to be exclusively manned by Nigerians.
“The dearth in certified and qualified seafarers in Nigeria was a poignant reminder and a wake-up call for the Agency, the NSDP scheme has not looked back since September, 2009.
“Presently, the programme has over 243 Graduates and 1600 cadets at various stages of completion of the programme out of which 887 are ready for sea-time training. Sea-time training is a critical aspect of the training of seafarers as it entails practical on board training on sea going vessels, with cadets spending a minimum of nine to twelve months on board ocean going vessels.
“As some of you may already know, berth spaces are not easy to come by, therefore one of the biggest challenges we had was sourcing for berth spaces for the cadets, coupled with the desire of this administration to follow due process in all our dealings. We are pleased that we did not fall into the temptation of taking short cuts at any time, we have therefore engaged various Maritime Training Institutions to provide this essential service.
“I am delighted to announce to you that the Agency painstakingly chose the Maritime Training Institutions strategically to position Nigeria in bilateral relationships to boost the acceptability of Nigerian Certificate of Competence (CoC) or tickets in other climes with long term goal of providing more jobs for Nigerian seafarers on board vessels from other nationalities. The process and effort put in by the Agency to arrive at this auspicious occasion has been enormous, but it is a social responsibility the Agency has shouldered and we are sure that the Maritime sub-sector of Nigeria will be better for it as the fruit of the reward will be in multiples.
“At this juncture, it is pertinent to first congratulate all the cadets who are on the first list for On-Board Training and reiterate that the whole country is depending on you, you are therefore expected to be good ambassadors of Nigeria in Egypt, we expect nothing but the best, given the choice the nation has made especially at a period in our national lives where other sectors of the economy are yearning for funding, we implore you to bring the flair and “can-do” spirit of Nigeria that has caught the attention of the world in various fields like medicine, engineering, law and even ICT across the globe to bear. For the Cadets who did not make the list, there is nothing to worry about, every one of you will be offered an opportunity to go on sea-time in 2018 and beyond according to schedule.
“In closing, I have left the best for the last, among us here are twenty Cadets who left the shore of this great country and excelled academically, achieving feats in some instances that not even the nationals of the host countries had managed to. I am proud to inform you that these NSDP Cadets shattered the glass ceiling in the Philippines, the United Kingdom and Egypt, they will continuously be used as reference points for academic excellence.
“I congratulate all of you who have made the country proud and to encourage this honour you have brought the nation. Management of the Agency will award automatic employment to all those who bagged first class honours in this group that we are presenting this award today. I implore those of you bound to sail to come back with even higher laurels.”
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun West has dissociated itself with the process that led to the emergence of the new National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, describing it as charade and injustice.
While addressing newsmen at the party Secretariat in Abeokuta, the Chairman of the PDP in Ogun West Senatorial district, Honourable Leye Odunjo, claimed that the result of the National convention would be challenged in the court of law.
Odunjo also faulted the suspension of a Senator, representing Ogun East Senatorial district, Senator Buruji Kashamu, arguing that only the National Executive Council could suspend the Senator because of his status in the party. He also accused Governor Ayodele Fayose of selling the South West slot for the highest bidder at the convention.
Engr. Obasi Azubike got married to his heartthrob Anastatia Ezewudo on December 16, 2017. The ceremony kicked off with a church wedding at All Saint Catholic church, Rumueme Agip, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State. Engr. Azubike is a lucky man to have found Anastasia who is a unique definition of beauty and brains and this union would forever be blessed.
See pictures below:
Engr. Azubike & Anastasia share an unspoken loveBride & Groom pose with their parents and PriestsBride & Groom about to cut their cakeLove ever lastingCouple with BridesmaidsBridal ShowerBride’s sister (left) poses with friendsCouple with Groom’s mother and brothers
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