President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a new Niger Delta militant group to be crushed by the army, Punch reported.
According to Buhari, the militant group has been attacking the oil installations.
Buhari gave the directive after the group blew up Chevron’s platform during the week.
The group has been sabotaging the economy of the country Buhari stated.
– News24
The Cross River State chapter of the APC Friday, in Calabar announced its intent to wrestle the governorship position from the PDP in 2019 with party unity and the avoidance of impunity identified as major strategies to achieve the goal.
Members of the party made this known while speaking at the first quarterly retreat of the party in the state held at the Transcorp hotels, Calabar which drew delegates from across the 18 local government areas of the state to discuss the theme, “All Progressives Congress, Cross River State; The Way Forward, Reconciliation And Strategies of Winning Elections.”
A former leader of the Senate and current member of the Board of Trustees of the party, Victor Ndoma-Egba while addressing members present, stressed on the need for the party to avoid the mistakes of the PDP.
“Before now, what you use to hear was that there was no opposition in Cross River State. Yes, it may have been true, can anybody say that now?
“Our intention is to put our house in order to avoid anybody sitting down to impose anyone they like just because he does not like the popular candidate.
“If we are able to achieve this and collectively build the party from the grassroots, then the challenges to take power in Cross River State in 2019 will be minimal.”
The invited lecturer, Professor Yakubu Uchefu who is the Vice Chancellor, Kwararafa University Wukari, Taraba state in his speech stressed the need for the party in the state to continuously engage the populace and remain popular at the grassroots as “some people think being at the central and holding the power in Abuja means automatic victory at home, which is not so.
“This is the reason why the young man presented by APC, Onjeh could not win this other man (David Mark) in the senatorial re-run. We must work.”
Uchefu who based his lecture’s practicality on the ‘Operation SSA 2015’ employed by the APC in the build up to the 2015 general elections in Benue state also, described expectation management as “A key variable to midwifing opposition to power”, adding that, “There must be management of the aspirant to ensure he/she does not say things far from the realities on ground, management of the bureaucrats (public and civil servants) to win them over as they make up almost 70 percent of the informed voting population and the shadow individuals. All these must be managed properly with the party ensuring it carries out it plans in zoning with equity and fairness and without impunity.”
Earlier, the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the 2015 general elections, Odey Ochicha said at the moment, “The ultimate goal is to win the PDP which has dragged Cross River State backward.”
Ochicha also averred that the party must close ranks to achieve their set objective, noting that “lack of cohesion cost us the last election.”
He expressed angst at the style of governance of the incumbent governor, Senator Ben Ayade saying that “Cross River State is yet to live truly its motto of ‘The People’s Paradise’ due to one party rule which is monarchical, anachronistic” and called for the APC to make haste in building a “two party system in the state to ensure rapid and accelerated development of our dear state.”
The newly appointed Special Assistant to President Muhammadu on Prosecution, Okoi Obono-Obla on his part, warned that they were many in the party who will fight to ensure the party’s structure and hierarchy is respected and everything done with fairness and equity to avoid impunity and stressed the need for all members to view each other as equals.
At the event was a roll call of the party bigwigs including Prince Goddy Jedy Agba, Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, Venatius Ikem, among several others, with the Niger Delta Minister, Usani Usani and former Governor Clement Ebri who is presently in Florida amongst the notable absentees.
See more photos below…
Source: CrossRiverWatch
The Cross River State chapter of the APC Friday, in Calabar announced its intent to wrestle the governorship position from the PDP in 2019 with party unity and the avoidance of impunity identified as major strategies to achieve the goal.
Members of the party made this known while speaking at the first quarterly retreat of the party in the state held at the Transcorp hotels, Calabar which drew delegates from across the 18 local government areas of the state to discuss the theme, “All Progressives Congress, Cross River State; The Way Forward, Reconciliation And Strategies of Winning Elections.”
A former leader of the Senate and current member of the Board of Trustees of the party, Victor Ndoma-Egba while addressing members present, stressed on the need for the party to avoid the mistakes of the PDP.
“Before now, what you use to hear was that there was no opposition in Cross River State. Yes, it may have been true, can anybody say that now?
“Our intention is to put our house in order to avoid anybody sitting down to impose anyone they like just because he does not like the popular candidate.
“If we are able to achieve this and collectively build the party from the grassroots, then the challenges to take power in Cross River State in 2019 will be minimal.”
The invited lecturer, Professor Yakubu Uchefu who is the Vice Chancellor, Kwararafa University Wukari, Taraba state in his speech stressed the need for the party in the state to continuously engage the populace and remain popular at the grassroots as “some people think being at the central and holding the power in Abuja means automatic victory at home, which is not so.
“This is the reason why the young man presented by APC, Onjeh could not win this other man (David Mark) in the senatorial re-run. We must work.”
Uchefu who based his lecture’s practicality on the ‘Operation SSA 2015’ employed by the APC in the build up to the 2015 general elections in Benue state also, described expectation management as “A key variable to midwifing opposition to power”, adding that, “There must be management of the aspirant to ensure he/she does not say things far from the realities on ground, management of the bureaucrats (public and civil servants) to win them over as they make up almost 70 percent of the informed voting population and the shadow individuals. All these must be managed properly with the party ensuring it carries out it plans in zoning with equity and fairness and without impunity.”
Earlier, the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the 2015 general elections, Odey Ochicha said at the moment, “The ultimate goal is to win the PDP which has dragged Cross River State backward.”
Ochicha also averred that the party must close ranks to achieve their set objective, noting that “lack of cohesion cost us the last election.”
He expressed angst at the style of governance of the incumbent governor, Senator Ben Ayade saying that “Cross River State is yet to live truly its motto of ‘The People’s Paradise’ due to one party rule which is monarchical, anachronistic” and called for the APC to make haste in building a “two party system in the state to ensure rapid and accelerated development of our dear state.”
The newly appointed Special Assistant to President Muhammadu on Prosecution, Okoi Obono-Obla on his part, warned that they were many in the party who will fight to ensure the party’s structure and hierarchy is respected and everything done with fairness and equity to avoid impunity and stressed the need for all members to view each other as equals.
At the event was a roll call of the party bigwigs including Prince Goddy Jedy Agba, Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, Venatius Ikem, among several others, with the Niger Delta Minister, Usani Usani and former Governor Clement Ebri who is presently in Florida amongst the notable absentees.
See more photos below…
Source: CrossRiverWatch
Newsmen confirms that Mr Ntufam John Okon is currently being held at EFCC South South Zonal office in Port Harcourt.
Okon was arrested on Wednesday May 4, by operatives of the anti graft commission who stormed the State PDP secretariat along Murtala Mohammed Highway. The agency also quizzed two of Okon’s co accused, Senator Chris Anyanwu and Buhari’s former counsel and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ahamba, on the matter.
“The trio were allegedly paid N1.2billion out of the N23.29billlion bribe allegedly given by former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison Maduekwe to compromise INEC officials in the last general election. Anyanwu and Ahamba were allegedly paid N700m while Okon was paid N500million”.
News reaching us is that the Commission is preparing charges against the PDP Chair and he may be charged to court soon. Other suspects named in the bribery scandal include some oil industry chiefs who were believed to have been used by the former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke to raise the bribe.
“The oil barons contributed $88.35million of the $115million (N23.29b) sent to Fidelity Bank by the ex-minister. The money was for some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to alter the results of last year’s presidential election.”
Newsmen confirms that Mr Ntufam John Okon is currently being held at EFCC South South Zonal office in Port Harcourt.
Okon was arrested on Wednesday May 4, by operatives of the anti graft commission who stormed the State PDP secretariat along Murtala Mohammed Highway. The agency also quizzed two of Okon’s co accused, Senator Chris Anyanwu and Buhari’s former counsel and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ahamba, on the matter.
“The trio were allegedly paid N1.2billion out of the N23.29billlion bribe allegedly given by former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison Maduekwe to compromise INEC officials in the last general election. Anyanwu and Ahamba were allegedly paid N700m while Okon was paid N500million”.
News reaching us is that the Commission is preparing charges against the PDP Chair and he may be charged to court soon. Other suspects named in the bribery scandal include some oil industry chiefs who were believed to have been used by the former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke to raise the bribe.
“The oil barons contributed $88.35million of the $115million (N23.29b) sent to Fidelity Bank by the ex-minister. The money was for some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to alter the results of last year’s presidential election.”
Speaking on Tuesday during a sectoral debate session of the House with Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information, Hon. Jarigbe asked the Minister to use his good office to impress it on the federal government to support the super highway project, where work has been stopped following an order from the Federal Ministry of Environment.
The Minister had earlier pointed out the dearth of Infrastructure as an impediment to the full utilization of tourism destinations in Cross River state.
According to the Minister, “It takes close to ten hours to travel from Calabar to Obudu Cattle Ranch and Obudu Cattle Ranch is one of the very prominent flag ship tourism sites in the state. If there was proper infrastructure and the road was good, more people will be going there to patronize the location.” He said.
While addressing the House on the matter, Hon. Jarigbe agom said, “I feel highly elated that the Hon. Minister sympathizes with our situation in Cross River State. But those concerns will be addressed if the super highway which our state governor is constructing is taken to completion and commissioned and all we need is federal government support.
“It is a PPP project that also requires enormous support from the federal government but the project has been beset by booby traps here and there ranging from issues with the environmental impact assessment to others that have impeded the progress of the job. We must be dispassionate about the way we approach this matter. Obudu ranch is at the moment a tourist site, it is the infrastructure you put there that will make it a tourist attraction.
“The Hon. Minister should use his good office to impress it on the federal government to support that project, the superhighway. The federal government has also not been patronizing the ranch. In the past, we were always having seminars, retreats and workshops of different MDAs there, that is not forthcoming now; use your good office to do something about that so that we will put that place into optimal use. If our government uses the place, people from outside will also be interested in coming and the idea of the super highway is also to increase the value of that ranch.”
Reacting, the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara asked the Minister to assure the House that infrastructure will be put in place in the ranch because it is a key tourist site in this country.
~CrossRiverWatch
Speaking on Tuesday during a sectoral debate session of the House with Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information, Hon. Jarigbe asked the Minister to use his good office to impress it on the federal government to support the super highway project, where work has been stopped following an order from the Federal Ministry of Environment.
The Minister had earlier pointed out the dearth of Infrastructure as an impediment to the full utilization of tourism destinations in Cross River state.
According to the Minister, “It takes close to ten hours to travel from Calabar to Obudu Cattle Ranch and Obudu Cattle Ranch is one of the very prominent flag ship tourism sites in the state. If there was proper infrastructure and the road was good, more people will be going there to patronize the location.” He said.
While addressing the House on the matter, Hon. Jarigbe agom said, “I feel highly elated that the Hon. Minister sympathizes with our situation in Cross River State. But those concerns will be addressed if the super highway which our state governor is constructing is taken to completion and commissioned and all we need is federal government support.
“It is a PPP project that also requires enormous support from the federal government but the project has been beset by booby traps here and there ranging from issues with the environmental impact assessment to others that have impeded the progress of the job. We must be dispassionate about the way we approach this matter. Obudu ranch is at the moment a tourist site, it is the infrastructure you put there that will make it a tourist attraction.
“The Hon. Minister should use his good office to impress it on the federal government to support that project, the superhighway. The federal government has also not been patronizing the ranch. In the past, we were always having seminars, retreats and workshops of different MDAs there, that is not forthcoming now; use your good office to do something about that so that we will put that place into optimal use. If our government uses the place, people from outside will also be interested in coming and the idea of the super highway is also to increase the value of that ranch.”
Reacting, the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara asked the Minister to assure the House that infrastructure will be put in place in the ranch because it is a key tourist site in this country.
~CrossRiverWatch
The meetings we learnt, followed a directive by the Leader of the party in the state, Governor Ben Ayade who left for Abuja yesterday with speculations rife that he was going to join a host of other prominent personalities in the state dinner in honor of Cameroun’s President Paul Biya who was in the country for a two day working visit.
A source in the governor’s inner circle told Newsmen that though the option A4 has been adopted, it was necessary for the party’s leadership in the various wards as well as stakeholders to convene at the local government level and produce candidates for the local government executive committees to prevent rancor on the day of the congresses.
This may have confirmed the fear expressed by some members of the party that certain loopholes in the option A4 system announced by the embattled National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh will be exploited by some to ensure the old system of imposition still works.
However, the source said the meetings will help in making some aggrieved members feel at home as everyone will be carried along in the process with time given to each ward to produce nominees for the positions that have been zoned to them.
The meeting place of the Obudu chapter where the governor hails from was the Chief of Staff residence along MCC road where this reporter monitored proceedings with those present dissolving into wards to conclude arrangements for the nominations and the comprehensive lists to be forwarded back to the ward chairmen for onward distribution to members by Wednesday (today) morning.
Calls to several other members from other local government areas shows the meetings followed the same pattern with consensus candidates picked with all saying, it is in a bid to prevent rancor or unwanted eventualities in the congresses slated for Saturday across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Meanwhile, it is still unclear who will eventually succeed Ntufam John Okon as the state Chairman as interested party faithfuls are said to be either scared of making their intentions public or biding time to see the outcome of things at the local government congresses which will determine the course of things at the state level.
Names such as Joe Bisong and Godwin Ettah, a former Secretary of the party who is now Commissioner for Education amongst a few others, have been on the lips of some though CrossRiverWatch had reported that the position might likely go to Yakurr where the party feels “threatened” by the number of federal appointments from the council area.
~CrossRiverWatch
The meetings we learnt, followed a directive by the Leader of the party in the state, Governor Ben Ayade who left for Abuja yesterday with speculations rife that he was going to join a host of other prominent personalities in the state dinner in honor of Cameroun’s President Paul Biya who was in the country for a two day working visit.
A source in the governor’s inner circle told Newsmen that though the option A4 has been adopted, it was necessary for the party’s leadership in the various wards as well as stakeholders to convene at the local government level and produce candidates for the local government executive committees to prevent rancor on the day of the congresses.
This may have confirmed the fear expressed by some members of the party that certain loopholes in the option A4 system announced by the embattled National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh will be exploited by some to ensure the old system of imposition still works.
However, the source said the meetings will help in making some aggrieved members feel at home as everyone will be carried along in the process with time given to each ward to produce nominees for the positions that have been zoned to them.
The meeting place of the Obudu chapter where the governor hails from was the Chief of Staff residence along MCC road where this reporter monitored proceedings with those present dissolving into wards to conclude arrangements for the nominations and the comprehensive lists to be forwarded back to the ward chairmen for onward distribution to members by Wednesday (today) morning.
Calls to several other members from other local government areas shows the meetings followed the same pattern with consensus candidates picked with all saying, it is in a bid to prevent rancor or unwanted eventualities in the congresses slated for Saturday across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Meanwhile, it is still unclear who will eventually succeed Ntufam John Okon as the state Chairman as interested party faithfuls are said to be either scared of making their intentions public or biding time to see the outcome of things at the local government congresses which will determine the course of things at the state level.
Names such as Joe Bisong and Godwin Ettah, a former Secretary of the party who is now Commissioner for Education amongst a few others, have been on the lips of some though CrossRiverWatch had reported that the position might likely go to Yakurr where the party feels “threatened” by the number of federal appointments from the council area.
~CrossRiverWatch
The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Mens Ikpeme made this known in a statement in Calabar where he lampooned the government for allowing the road to wreck all sort of havoc on the people plying the route despite making up to the tune of 140 million Naira per month on the road from levies and taxes with about 400 million Naira only, required to keep the road in optimum shape.
The statement titled “CALABAR-AKPABUYO-BAKASSI ROAD; SWALLOWING UP CARS, TRUCKS AND PEOPLE” which was made available to CrossRiverWatch, added that the road is now un-motorable with attendant “negative economic, political and social impact.”
The Statement further reads “Distressed drivers and passengers have been traveling on this road that is completely bad, the swamp water that is supposed to run through the road is also stagnant. Some of these drivers sleep on this road for days. Because of the bad nature of the road, commuters are forced to pay exorbitant traveling fares. A woman gave birth on a bike because she could not be transported to a hospital on time.
“The PDP led government pretend to rehabilitate this road and claim to have secured funding to construct the road. Now, after sixteen years in office, this road remains un-repairable and un-motorable.”
According to the statement, the breakdown of funds accruing into the state coffers from the road is as follows;
Levies per truck plying the road is N12,800 = (per truck)
“Further breakdown of this amount:
N9, 300 per truck goes to state government
N1, 500 per truck goes to local government
N2, 000 per truck goes to immediate community
It is projected that a minimum of 400 trucks ply this road daily.
Taxes paid by Unicem members of staff are estimated at N29, 000.000 per month.
Therefore, 400 trucks x N9, 300 = N3, 720,000 multiply that by 30 days (30 x 3,720,000 = N111, 600,000 Monthly).
Add that to N29, 000,000 from taxes of Unicem staffs (N29, 000,000 + N111, 600,000 = N140, 600,000 Monthly).
“A sensible government should have invited a reputable engineering firm and negotiate instalmental payment for the rehabilitation of this very important road at N100, 000,000 quarterly. This road is estimated at N400, 000.000, and in a year payment could have been completed and the road motorable” the statement added.
Several calls to the line of the state chairman of the PDP, Ntufam John Okon were not taken as at press time. Also, some PDP members contacted kept mute on the issue.
Meanwhile some Cross Riverians contacted by CrossRiverWatch reacted to the allegation. “Ayade is erroneously more interested in cosmetic projects that he will use to hoodwink people rather than concentrating on projects will have instant impact in the lives of the citizens. His colleagues have commissioned roads they constructed in their short stay in office but here, Ayade cannot even maintain the roads his predecessor constructed. It is so pathetic to see the state (in which) our urban roads are now” said Kalita Joe Aruku.
Ifere Paul added that, “It is a pity that successive governments has allowed this road to decay and decompose to the level you see now. There have been countless protests by indigenes of Akpabuyo, both the young and old, women, men, and youths.
“The Cross River State government does not want to bear the cost of the repair or total fixing of the road. It is avoiding spending the monies it collects from the trucks. The question you should have asked instead is: Where is the money collected from the trucks?
“A lot of people have died while government collects money. Many miscarriages on that road as government stand aside to collect money. What is the money used for? Did they use it to buy refuse evacuation trucks? No! The whole monies are stashed away; the government is deceiving the Akpabuyo people that the evacuation corridor of the superhighway will bring them a better road. The governor should be ashamed.”
Princewill Odidi, a Cross River born management consultant based in the United States added that “Governance is not easy, especially at a time when the bulk of IGR from the state comes from that sector. While I will not make excuse for government neglect of the road, neither can I ascertain if fixing the road is state governments responsibility. I would rather opine that the companies and trucks using that road, as a matter of corporate social responsibility should come together and fix that road.
“The fact that the road is bad affects the efficiency of their delivery process. More so, the paltry sum they pay as levy cannot be compared to the huge profits they generate. Let us face facts, these companies are raping the state dry, carting away huge profits, destroying our roads beyond repair, polluting our air and environment. If the state government cannot fix the roads now, the Dangotes and Unicem can step to the table under corporate social responsibility.”
Okoi Obono-obla, who was recently appointed as the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution, in an interview before his appointment was announced, said “It is crass irresponsibility, criminal and mean for government not to maintain a road that leads to an industry that is generating so much of its internally generated revenue! But I am not surprised because everything about the present government is wrong.
“The government is notoriously directionless, purposeless and rudderless. It is only good in exhibitionism and grandstanding.”
~CrossRiverWatch