Report reaching Radar newspaper indicates that the senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, is holding a crucial meeting with the people of his Ikot Ekpene senatorial district…

Details coming up soon.

The Akwa Ibom state Government has proposed a total of N0.861 billion for the completion of Science Park and ICT development to ensure that the state is well positioned in Science and Technology to enable it compete favorably with her counterparts globally in this direction.

The decision by the state Government come on the heels of the seeming threatening news that crude oil, which has been the major source of revenue in Nigeria for over five decades may dry up in less than three decades.

The state Government has therefore resolved to bolster its economy through science and technology and Agriculture.

The state Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, who bared the minds of the state Government, while presenting the 2016 budget proposal to the state House of Assembly noted that the decision was in a bid to position the state to compete favorably with her counterparts in Science and Technology the world over.

To achieve this feat, the Governor stated that the state had decided to complete the Science Park project, which was initiated by the administration of Obong Victor Attah in the state.

“The state Government will continue to bolster her efforts in making our economy science and Technology-driven through: Completion of Science Park, establishment of research and development laboratory, technology workshop, provision of human resources in science, engineering and technology, Promotion of ICT programmes and activities” according to him.

Other avenues, according to the Governor include; Establishment of self city project which aims at assisting crime detection in the state; e-governance which aims at moving Government from manual to electronic level and E-Library project maintenance and updating of facilities/equipment for continuous functioning of the library.

By MefLyn ANWANA

Oron, the third largest ethnic group in Akwa Ibom State, is situated on the right bank of the Cross River estuary where the river flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The five LGAs of Oron; Mbo, Okobo, Oron, Udung Uko and Urue Offong/Oruko, on-shore and offshore, account for 80 percent oil revenue credited to Akwa Ibom State. By this token as well, Oron has borne the brunt of devastation caused by oil exploitation in the last 50 years!

The forgoing is no news. What is new is that for the entire duration of contributing so much to the commonwealth, no local government area in Oron has ever been recognized or officially classified as oil-producing in Nigeria. Our unrelenting struggle in this regard has only yielded very laughable returns over the years. This denial has been one of the major levers by which the larger ethnic groups (the Ibibio and the Annang) have kept Oron in political subjugation, economic emasculation and social retardation. A people can only bear so much in silence before their tears transform into a justifiable resistance which could translate into insecurity and instability. It is not a curse to be a minority group in Nigeria. We have been made to believe the contrary for so long we almost resigned in acquiescence until God visited this country through APC and the Buhari Administration.

We are aware that through the routine dynamics and internal contradictions of our geo-political affairs, Barr. Bassey Dan Abia has been relieved of this position as the Managing Director of NDDC. Meanwhile, Madam Ibim Seminitari has been elevated to the office in acting capacity. Government, obviously, is duty-bound to appoint a substantive Managing Director for that interventionist institution any time soon.

We are also aware that it is the practice to allow another appointee from the same state as the official removed to complete the balance of his or her tenure. To the best of our knowledge, Barr. Abia did not exhaust the numbers of years in his tenure.

It is, therefore, the humble and fervent prayer of every Oron citizen that the Buhari Administration that lives up the mantra of change should act to redress one of the most enduring instances of impunity, inequity and injustice in the Nigerian body politic, so eloquently and elaborately given expression to by the unfair treatment of Oron in Akwa Ibom State for more than 50 years!

Mr. President will do well to appoint a qualified and suitable Oron citizen to the exalted office of the Managing Director of NDDC. We dare say that it is richly deserved because Oron, for many years to come, will remain an unmatched contributor to the national and state treasuries. Furthermore, in political terms, Oron is and will remain the unshakable base of APC in Akwa Ibom State.

The four House of Assembly seats in Oron would have gone to APC if the unprecedented electoral brigandage which passed for elections earlier in the year had not distorted the reality in three constituencies leaving only that of Urue Offong /Oruko.

It will also be a fair reward to Oron people for keeping the peace and waiting patiently for this opportunity to come; a signal lesson to other communities that are often stressed and strained to resort to self-help. Moreover, Mr. President by this noble gesture may also drive home the necessary point that an elected government should be sensitive and responsive to the cries and yearnings of the people. The marginalization that has been inflicted on Oron over the years may have been designed to make other peoples feel advantaged and great. However, for as long as it endures, it only diminishes us all. For our greatness need not be measured by how we pamper and pander to the big and strong communities, but rather, by how we attend to the weak, the defenseless and the voiceless such as the noble people of Oron.

Finally, we affirm our unrelenting loyalty and support to the Federal Government of Nigeria. Indeed, these were the qualities which hall-marked our patience over the years in the face of mindless deprivation and rising expectations.

May God Bless Oro! Akwa Ibom State!! Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!

Dr. Efiong E.B.Edunam – President General; Engr. Emmanuel Sam –Secretary General
December 30, 2015

Fiery Enugu Catholic priest, and founder, Adoration Ministry, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, in a New Year sermon on Friday said there are plans by unnamed people to assassinate President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said many people are plotting to kill the President because of his campaign against corruption.

He said, “I am not a sycophant, but I want to tell you that so far God is happy and he who God has blessed none can curse.

“Many people are planning to kill Buhari – there are many plans on how to eliminate his life so that corruption will continue, so that embezzlement will continue.

“But I speak to Buhari that God who put you there will protect you; be firm, remain resolute, don’t be intimidated.”

He described Buhari as the answer to the prayers of Nigerians.

“President Buhari, God and his people are behind you, you are the answer to the prayer of His people.

“Nigeria, as we speak now, economically, security wise is in the intensive care unit. If the oxygen is removed, Nigeria will die.

“People of God prayed, from here and there and God gave us Buhari. God has told us that Buhari is prayer answered.

“President Buhari is an answered prayer; whether you hate him or like him, Buhari is prayer answered.

“The Bishops of Nigeria, the Catholic bishops prayed against bribery and corruption and this President came with a charter that has to do with war against corruption,” he said.

Mbaka once again attacked the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The cleric had attacked the former president in a sermon entitled ‘From good luck to bad luck’, just before the presidential election.

He accused the former president of leaving behind the ‘carcass’ of Nigeria for Buhari.

He said, “My beloved Nigerians, those who led us from last year downwards, they have killed this country.

“None of them is qualified to stay in this country by now, both the President, the senators, the representatives, the chairmen of local governments, the governors, they are wicked.

“It doesn’t matter the man of God they worship with, I tell you, before God and man, all of them are wicked.

“They hate this country, they succeeded in removing the liver, kidney and cardio vascular system of this country and handed over to President Buhari, shambles, skeletal organs of this country; a nation that is in comatose.”

The cleric stressed that no part of the country is marginalised, including the South-East.

“Many have died because of a few people, and these same people want to use you to engineer crisis that Igbo are marginalised, nobody is marginalised.

“The Yoruba are not marginalised; the Hausa are not marginalised, Efik people are not marginalised.

“In the present political scenario, the Igbo have the position of Minister of External Affairs in the person of Onyeama; the Igbo people have the position of Science and Technology Minister in the person of Ogbonnaya Onu.”

The management of RADAR newspapers, yesterday, January 1, 2016, held end of year get-together party in its Corporate Headquarters, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, for her workers, even as the Publisher, Chief Franklyn Isong admonished journalists to always uphold ethics of the profession.

Speaking at the event, the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Chief Franklyn Isong, thanked God for preserving the lives of workers of the newspaper throughout 2015, thanking God for taking the paper to the present state it is. He counted the gains of the newspaper in the preceding year and attributed all the gains to God almighty.

He appreciated his workers for their individual contributions to making the newspaper stand out in the state and urged them to put in more efforts in their services.

He advised journalists in the state to always uphold the ethics of the journalism profession in the cause of their practice.

Isong also admonished journalists in the state to endeavour to always take the pains to cross check their stories in order to balance them before publication.

The high points of the event were: praises and thanksgiving to God; dancing, refreshment and presentation of gifts items to all workers of the newspapers by the management.

PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE, THE GENERAL OVERSEER OF REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD DECLARES; “ALL WILL BE WELL WITH YOU AND WITH YOUR FAMILY AND THE NATION THIS YEAR 2016”.

TYPE AMEN IF YOU BELIEVE GOD.

Picture by Adewumi AJIBADE

Strong indications have emerged that major stakeholders of Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Esit Eket Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom state have finalised arrangement to defect from their party and abandon the state governor’s re-run project to the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, RADAR Newspaper can report authoritatively.

Sources who took part in a clandestine meeting held last Wednesday, at Eden Hotel, Eket, revealed to RADAR newspaper that the decision of the leaders and elders of the PDP in Esit Eket LGA to bid farewell to their party was not unconnected to the perceived marginalisation of the area and its people by the Udom Emmanuel’s administration in the past seven months.

Our sources who are elders of PDP in Esit Eket said that the meeting started at about 4pm and ended at about 11pm and was attended by the owner of the Eden Hotel, Elder Benji Udobia and the former Member who represented Eket Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Bassey Dan-Abia Jnr.

They disclosed that; “despite the massive supports given to Udom during the April 11, 2015, elections, Esit Eket has nothing to show in the past seven months of his administration both in terms of political appointment and human capacity development,” adding; “Governor Udom Emmanuel has given 11 key appointments to Eket local government area, while Esit Eket has only one.”

They stated that; “we the trend of things in Udom’s government, the collective destiny of Esit Eket people cannot be guaranteed and so, we cannot continue to remain in the party, when we have a second opportunity to re-negotiate our destiny in the APC government through the re-run election.”

They reiterated that; “despite all our votes, Udom can only give us one ‘useless’ political appointment in the person of Hon. Ibanga Ettang as his PA on Project Monitoring. And, ever since his appointment, how many project has Ibanga Ettang Monitored in Akwa Ibom state, if you say the position is not useless to us?”

They refused to disclose the names of the movers of the defection, saying that it is for security reason. But asserted that; “some PDP bigwigs from the area have made several desperate attempts to stop the massive movement but have failed, because we are determined to dump this continuous PDP’s marginalisation of Esit Eket people through the re-run governorship election in the state.”

It was not clear if the immediate past Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Barr Bassey Dan-Abia Snr being an indigene of Esit Eket LGA was aware of the plot, as he could not be reached for comment before press time.

Ahead of the re-run election ordered for Ibesikpo Asutan State Constituency, the immediate past Chairman of Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Council who is also a grassroot PDP leader in Ibesikpo Asutan LGA, Apostle Ekpe James, has dumped PDP for the APC.

The APC House of Assembly candidate for Ibesikpo Asutan had challenged INEC’s declaration of Aniekan Uko as winner of the April 11, 2015, Assembly poll for the area.

Aniekan Uko who became notoriously famous with the indiscriminate and unlawful use of Siren to intimidate the poor masses as the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, was later sent packing from the Assembly by the Court of Appeal on grounds that he rigged the elections that made him member of the state Assembly.

INEC is yet to fix a date for the re-run poll which the Court ordered must hold within 90 days of the judgement, but the massive defection of thousands of PDP chieftains, elders and leaders to APC in Ibesikpo Asutan, despite Mr Uko’s controversial empowerment programme, which he made days after he was sacked by the court, calls for concern on the fate of the PDP and Uko in the forthcoming re-run election, when INEC eventually conduct the poll.

The former Speaker’s immediate elder Brother, Elder Emmanuel Uko had earlier led several thousands of PDP supporters to dump PDP (his younger brother’s party) to the APC in the area.

Indications have emerged that Governor Udom Emmanuel apparently scared of the outcome of the governorship re-run elections in the state and the ongoing massive defection hitting his party, the PDP, in the state on a daily basis has reportedly directed his commissioners and members of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly of the PDP stock to kick-start campaign rallies in the state under the guise of any name, RADAR newspaper can report, since INEC was yet to left ban on political rallies and campaigns.

This paper learnt that a strategic meeting of all commissioners, state house members and Local Government Caretaker chairmen of Eket Senatorial District, took place last night, at the instance of the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the Commissioner for Works, Victor Antai and Ephraim Inyang respectively, in Uyo to give effect to the governor’s new political directive.

RADAR newspaper also gathered that at the meeting chaired by Victor Antai and Ephraim Inyang, the duo reportedly passed on the governor’s instruction, without entertaining any comment from others in the meeting. They reportedly directed each commissioner in Udom’s government to contribute N20m; state house members of PDP stock to contribute N10m each; while Caretaker Chairmen of Local Government Council of Eket zone are to contribute N5m each, according to our insider sources, the money would be used to fund a political rally in Eket senatorial district this Saturday, a day after the APC’s Prayer Summit which Umana Umana is billed to attend in Uyo.

Despite the fact that the PDP and Governor Udom Emmanuel have challenged the judgment of the Court of Appeal that nullified the April 11 governorship election, to the Supreme Court, and the apex court is yet to deliver its judgement, members of the PDP in the state are being accused by the APC of embarking on campaigns and holding political rallies ahead of possible re-run election, against INEC guidelines.

Some PDP members who disclosed the outcome of the PDP stakeholders’ meeting that took place at the party’s secretariat in Uyo, on condition of anonymity, said that there was a popular dissatisfaction with the way the Udom Emmanuel’s government has sidelined members of the party in the past seven months.

Our sources stated that the party’s chieftains were unhappy that the PDP has been polarised and divided into three interest groups like; the ACA owned by the state PDP chairman, Paul Ekpo and his uncle, Andrew Unwanta; the Transformation Initiative owned by the Commissioner for Works, Ephraim Inyang, while the third group is the PDP structures also led by Paul Ekpo, and which has been turned into the estate of one man, Paul Ekpo.

The aggrieved party members reportedly said that the stakeholders’ meeting was unnecessary except that the organisers were only interested in using the platform to extort more money from the ‘unwilling’ state governor. They asked rhetorically the real essence of the meeting, when such a meeting was only held during the 2015 elections and after the party won in the poll, no such meeting was ever called to thank the party’s chieftains in the state for all their efforts during and after the general elections.

Effort to get the PDP Chairman, Paul Ekpo or any official of the party to speak on the matter proved abortive.

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has said more influential Nigerians would soon be arrested to face prosecution as the EFCC under him has reinvigorated the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

Mr. Magu, who made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja at a forum with online and broadcast media managers, said since his appointment as acting chairman of the EFCC, he had undertaken the re-ordering of the agency’s priorities for effective implementation of its mandate.

“The effect of this, which is obvious for all to see, is the investigation, arrest and prosecution of some of the most powerful forces in Nigeria, who have questions to answer on their stewardship whilst in office.

“A former National Security Adviser, former ministers, former governors, serving and retired military men, a media mogul and several others, are among those we have called to answer critical questions concerning the management of our commonwealth.

“As we speak, many more influential Nigerians are on the radar of the EFCC and, in the coming weeks, they would have their days in court and Nigerians will be kept fully abreast of the results of our investigations,” Mr. Magu said. The EFCC boss said in carrying out the mandate of the commission, he has been guided by the “fear of God, national interest and the rule of law”.

Mr. Magu said apart from bringing corrupt public officers to justice, the EFCC under his leadership is determined, in line with the stance of the current administration under President Muhammadu Buhari to send “unmistakable message” to everyone, that no Nigerian shall be regarded as above the law or treated as sacred cow as far as the fight against corruption is concerned. The EFCC chairman, however, said the commission cannot succeed in carrying out its mandate without the support of the media.

He said the EFCC already has the support of all relevant bodies and organizations.

He said he held a meeting with the president on Wednesday, and that the message from Mr. Buhari was nothing but total support for the agency.

“By far more inspirational is the political will of Mr. President to fight corruption. This unbending will, which some now call body language has given the needed traction to the anti-graft campaign,” he said.

Mr. Magu said Mr. Buhari’s resolve to fight corruption in Nigeria was underlined by his comments during his maiden media chat last Wednesday where he swore not to spare anyone found to be corrupt.

Mr. Magu quoted the president as saying, “I don’t …tolerate corruption. When I was Head of State, I didn’t put anybody above the law. At this time, I assure you, I will not put anybody above the law… If anyone is caught, I will not only sack (him or her) but will ensure that the case is taken to court”.

He added that the president’s resolve is complemented by that of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mahmud Mohammed, who, during the last All Nigerian Judges’ Conference, declared unwavering support for the war on corruption.

He added that at that same judges conference, Mr. Buhari expressed the concern of the Nigerian people for the undue delays experienced in the trial of corruption suspects.

The judiciary, he said, has responded with some practical steps in the form of the designation of selected courts to try EFCC cases and some practice directions.

“We believe that when holistically and effectively put into practice, the measures would drastically cut the time corruption cases spend in court before Nigerians know whether the accused is guilty as charged or innocent of the crime.

“As a Commission, the EFCC is very determined to put into productive effect, the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, (ACJA), 2015. This law, which has been rightly labeled a legal “revolution”, by none other than Professor Itse Sagay, chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-corruption, could not have come at a better time than now, when Nigerians are yearning for justice.

“On the part of the EFCC, I can assure you that the effect of our even more penetrating investigations and commitment to rid Nigeria of all forms of corruption and economic and financial crimes can –and will continue to be– seen from the cases we take to court for trial,” he said.

At the backdrop of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war in the country, sources in Akwa Ibom state government have confided in RADAR newspaper that there exist a cold war between the former Governor of the state who is now, the Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, and the state Governor, Udom Emmanuel, because of the latter’s refusal to issue the former a letter of “Financial Clean Bill of Health,” exonerating his administration of corruption in the face of some disturbing petitions written against him to the Economic and Financial Crime

Commission (EFCC) by some indigenes of Akwa Ibom state including an Abuja-based lawyer, Leo Ekpenyong.

Akpabio was interrogated in the last quarter of 2015 by operatives of the EFCC under Ibrahim Lamorde’s leadership, on the strength of allegations written against him by Barr Leo Ekpenyong alleging misappropriation of the state funds during his 8 years administration in the state.

Sources in Abuja hinted this paper that with the exit of Lamorde from EFCC, the new leadership of the Commission under Ibrahim Mustafa Magu was revisiting all abandoned/pending cases of alleged corruption against the present and past public officeholders in the country at the instruction of the Presidency.

RADAR newspaper learnt that prior to the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District Stakeholders’ meeting last December, Akpabio reportedly held a closed door meeting with a few political leaders from the Senatorial District where he disclosed how a former Governor in the north advised him to obtain a report from Akwa Ibom State Government “clearing him and his administration of any financial impropriety during his administration,” expressing disappointment that Governor Emmanuel has been reluctant to issue him that important report which would greatly help to let him off the EFCC net, regarding his ongoing investigation by the anti graft agency.

Our government house sources who pleaded strictest anonymity, disclosed that before the Court of Appeal ordered for a re-run of the governorship elections in the state, Governor Emmanuel had shown willingness to write to the EFCC exonerating Akpabio’s government of the alleged misappropriation of the state funds, “but with the turn of event at the tribunal, the there is a cloud of uncertainty in the state and Udom Emmanuel is not sure of what would likely be the outcome of the re-run, if he would return. If Udom does not return and he issues such a letter to Akpabio, he would be in for a big time trouble as the APC administration will drag his name into any financial mess affecting Akpabio’s government that is why Udom Emmanuel as a banker is very careful not to issue the letter.”

This paper learnt that governor Udom Emmanuel had earlier agreed unconditionally to issue the report in favour of Akpabio until some of his close aides drew his attention to the likely consequences of going to that extent to protect his benefactor and predecessor from being probed.

We gathered that the Ikot Ekpene senatorial district elders assured Akpabio not to give up on Udom because, if he does, members of the opposition party would laugh at him (Akpabio). It was learnt that the elders promised to persuade the governor to issue the letter, before the governorship re-run, saying that the Ikot Ekpene senatorial district elders would meet with the governor and present the issue and other unresolved demands of theirs, for him to address, before their support could be given to him.

According to our sources, it was after this “voice of reason” had prevailed on Akpabio, that he Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District Stakeholders’ meeting which was ostensibly held to drum up support for Governor Udom Emmanuel and the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) ahead of the anticipated re-run was convened by Senator Akpabio to showcase his foothold on his Senatorial District, in order to intimidate the Governor and get him to play ball.

The Akwa Ibom state Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Emmanuel Ojeniyi has restated the command’s resolved to make Akwa Ibom a vandal free state, even as he called for continuous cooperation from members of the public in giving useful information about pipeline vandals and vandals of other government properties.

The commandant stated this in his office while unfolding the Corps’ work plans for 2016 during a media chat. Giving a brief background of the Corps, the commandant said that the organisation which has the mandate to monitor pipelines in the country came into existence in 1967 when there was unrest in some parts of the country, adding that the organisation, became a full fledge para-military organisation in 2003 and in 2007 they were also given powers to arrest and prosecute criminal suspects in the country.

According to Ojeniyi, “the story of pipeline vandalism is different now since the organisation came into existence and vandalising of government properties has been reduced to its minimum.”

Speaking further he noted that there have been a lot of changes as well as constant synergy between the corps and other security agencies, since he came to the state in 2014, saying that this and more are what have made the NSCDC in the state to win the war against vandalism.

He added that that a lot of arrests have been made as well as prosecution of offenders since he came. Hear him; “Since I came to the state in 2014, a lot of arrest of vandals of pipeline and power holding cable; sellers of adulterated petroleum products have been made; illegal vehicles used for oil bunkering have been impounded.”

The commandant while soliciting for the support of the public, said that anybody with genuine information about pipeline vandals should notify them, adding that nobody should be afraid as the identity of anybody with useful information would be protected.

According to the commandant, “there are 34 cases in courts subject to litigation; 7 disposed cases; 7 convictions and 18 abandoned cases.”

On cases abandoned, the commandant explained that, why some cases are abandoned was because of lack of witnesses, while some witnesses are scared of coming out to testify openly against offenders.

He, however, commended men of the corps for their cooperation and their spirit in making sure that Akwa Ibom state is vandal-free, appealing to members of the public to stay away from acts that could cause harm to others and promised to intensify their operation towards protecting government properties.

“I appeal to Nigerians to be involved in genuine businesses and stay away from acts that will cause harm or affect others. Pipeline vandalism is a crime punishable by law and anybody caught shall be prosecuted accordingly,” he warned.

By Ememobong OKON