Tag: Cross River State

  • IPMAN Calabar Depot Elects Robert Obi As Chairman

    …put an end to 8 years of leadership tussle
    …promises to reconcile everyone, run a transparent administration
    By Frank Ulom

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Calabar Depot in Cross River has elected Comrade Robert Obi as its Chairman.

    The election of Obi, THE PARADISE NEWS reports has put an end to the 8 years of leadership tussle of the association in the state.

    Obi was elected alongside 11 Executives at the AGM/Special General Meeting and Election held Monday (4 Dec 2023) at DANIC Hotels in Calabar.

    The new 12-man executive of IPMAN will take charge for 3 years before the next election as is on the association’s constitution.

    In his acceptance speech after being elected chairman, Obi stated that though the Calabar branch of IPMAN has been faced with a lot of challenges, the new team has the capacity to surmount the challenges.

    Robert Obi, IPMAN Calabar Depot Chairman

    “We are fully aware we have been given a serious mandate and we have the capacity to surmount these challenges.

    “We are not going to run a one-man business because it’s so challenging, we need the support of all to return our business back to where it was.

    “We call on all our stakeholders, like the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), Petroleum Station Workers (PSW), Independent Marketers Branch (IMB) and Oil/Gas Workers (OGS) not to leave us behind but give us the support they have been giving because what affects one affects the other,” Obi said.

    IPMAN Calabar Depot New Executives

    The newly elected IPMAN Calabar Depot Branch said the new 12-man executive will not disappoint and called on all who are outside to come back so that they can collectively rebuild IPMAN.

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    Speaking also, the chairman of the electoral committee, Sir Michael Udofia, said the owners of the depot, filling stations and stakeholders have come together to elect a new leadership.

    On his part, the national president of IPMAN, Alhaji Ahmed Debo, represented by Michael Udofia, the National Legal Adviser, said they have permanently put a stop to the challenges faced by the Calabar Depot Chapter of IPMAN.

    He said the task of the new executive is to make sure that they work together in harmony and reposition their businesses.

    He expressed optimism that the new chairman of the Calabar Depot branch has the experience and capacity to lead the branch.

    THE PARADISE NEWS reports that the AGM was attended by representatives of the National President, Zonal, Elders of IPMAN of the Calabar Depot unit, representatives of PTD, and critical stakeholders.

  • SERMATECH has capacity, resources to execute any job in Nigeria – Management

    By Frank Ulom

    The management of SERMATECH Nigeria Limited has said the construction company has the full capacity and resources to execute any job in Nigeria.

    This was disclosed by a statement signed by Bogus Aiks, Public Relations officer of SERMATCH on Sunday and made available to THE PARADISE NEWS.

    The company was responding to reports credited to a group known as Cross River South Consultative Forum which called for the revocation of contracts awarded for the construction of some portions of Calabar-Itu road.

    According to the statement, “Some stakeholders have raised eyebrows concerning the quality of jobs being executed there, pointing fingers at SERMATECH.

    “While we agree that citizens have a right to monitor projects being executed in their domain and express concern where they find lapses in the project’s execution, it also behoves the citizens to carry out proper investigations on the state of the projects, who is doing what and how.

    “However, we are not joining issues with anybody. We wish to state categorically that SERMATECH Nigeria Limited is an indigenous Construction giant with an established track record of over 20 years in the industry, and has a track record of successfully delivering on its mandate to all clients.

    “SERMATECH has always executed all contracts awarded to it with full compliance to scope and specifications. SERMATECH has the full capacity and resources to execute any job in Nigeria.”

    On the work done by SERMATECH in Cross River, the statement said: “We did 67km from Iyamoyong to Akpet 1 successfully. We are currently rehabilitating from Akpet 1 to Odupkani Junction – 25 out of 75km has been completed. Paucity of funds from the federal government is the cause of the delay.

    “We equally wish to state that the rehabilitation of Alesi-Ugep has never been abandoned. SERMATECH mobilised to the site in 2014 and commenced work even before we were mobilised.”

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    Adding that, “Since we commenced work in the Odukpani-Itu Road, no section within our stretch of work has collapsed. This is because we carry out palliative work continually to ensure the free flow of traffic.

    “We wish to point out that our project spans two critical swamps namely, the Okpokong swamp and the Calabar River swamp.

    “The Okpokong swamp is 5km. This section is fully constructed with pavements work up to the binder course layer. Motorists are already enjoying the smooth road. It has survived more than two years now without issues.

    “Active work is ongoing at the Calabar River swamp. The section is actively receiving adequate geotechnical treatment; subsoil drainage to lower the groundwater table, excavation and removal of unsuitable materials, hardcore filling, and sand fill to stabilise the section.

    “Out of the 4 bridges in our section, we have fully constructed and completed 2, Atan and Okpokong bridges, respectively. The third bridge, Ayadeghe, is at the capping beam level; all precast beams are completed and the two abutment walls are completed.

    “The four existing old bridges have also been rehabilitated to have a new look.

    “We state that SERMATECH’s portion of the road is about 28km and not 50km as wrongly reported and the portion being mentioned is not within SERMATECH’s purview, but rather a different company.”

    Aiks further pointed out that SERMATECH is not the only company involved in the project, stressing that, “SERMATECH had, twice, carried out palliative interventions on the portion of the road when traffic collapsed even though it is not under its purview all in a bid to ameliorate the suffering of commuters and other road users.

    “Already, we have again commenced palliative work on our portion of the road to ease access for motorists and other road users as we approach the Yuletide. This is in line with Federal Ministry of Works directives that federal roads be made motorable this season.

    “We call on stakeholders and other agencies to get proper information from project stakeholders such as Federal Ministry of Works or NNPC in order not to mislead the public.”

  • Lord’s Taverners to Boost Grassroots Sports Development in Niger Delta

    …to support asylum seekers/refugees in the Ogoja

    By Our Reporter

    UK-based sports recycling Charity, Lord’s Taverners recently delivered 712kg of sports kits/equipment to the CSED (Community Sports and Educational Development) Initiative.

    This was done by the Management of Lord’s Taverners as part of their effort to empower children and youths to take part in grassroots sports activities.

    Since 2019, this is the third consignment of sports kits/equipment that Lord’s Taverners has delivered to CSED Initiative.

    The latest kits/equipment delivery brings Lord’s Taverners’ total donation to CSED Initiative to about 1500kg.

    It would be recalled that CSED Initiative has in the past successfully distributed the donated kits/equipment to some of the projects, secondary schools and universities that they currently work in partnership with among whom are Edo State Cricket Association, ABU Zaria cricket team, IDP Camp Uhogua, netball activities in Taraba, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Lagos and Akwa Ibom states.

    This time around, a Trustee of CSED Initiative stated that the recently donated kits/equipment by Lord’s Taverners will be freely donated to projects that support vulnerable and hard-to-reach children and youths at IDPs Camp Uhogua, as well as a new project that will support asylum seekers/refugees in the Ogoja area in Cross River.

    The Ogoja Sports for Refugees project will start in 2024.

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    The Trustees stated that the CSED Initiative has recently reached an agreement with the UNHCR field office in Ogoja to support asylum seekers/refugees and members of their host community in Ogoja, by delivering sports for change training programmes for teachers and students in the three separate refugee camps.

    “Apart from supporting the training of teachers in football, we will provide the children and youths with some of the free kits/equipment that we received from Lord’s Taverners. Also, access to training in sports like badminton, cricket, netball, table tennis, chess, scrabble and taekwondo will be gradually introduced to P.E. teachers and selected students at the refugee camps and in the Ogoja community. The goal is to use sports and access to quality training to promote peace and unity between the refugees and members of the Ogoja community,” the Trustees stated.

  • SERMATECH Dismisses Group’s Call For Contract Revocation As Baseless, Misleading

    By Ebi Collins

    SERMATECH Nigeria Limited has dismissed calls from Cross River South Consultative Forum for the revocation of contract awarded it for the renovation of some sections of Odukpani-Itu highway.

    The civil engineering company (SERMATECH) made the assertion through its Cross River representative, Ento Edako, in reaction to the sinister motives by the benighted group, noting that SERMATECH has kept a track record of successfully delivering on its mandate to all clients.

    “The appeal coming from a supposed group called Cross River South Consultative Forum, requesting for revocation of Odukpani-Itu Road is a call in ignorance. The said group is not properly informed,” he spewed.

    The engineering company condemned the group for being blind to the fact that SERMATECH portion of the road is not 50km as wrongly purported by Cross River South Consultative Forum, but 28km.

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    The company also discredited the group for being oblivious of the fact that the portion that was mentioned in their spurious claim is not within SERMATECH’s purview, but rather a different company, as SERMATECH is not the only company involved in the project, adding that “the number of bridges under SERMATECH are four, and not five as stated by this poorly informed group.”

    SERMATECH also informed that it had, twice, carried out palliative interventions on the portion of the road albeit not under its purview when traffic collapsed in a bid to ameliorate the suffering of commuters and other road users.

    “Cross River South Consultative Forum should get proper information from project stakeholders such as Federal Ministry of Works or NNPC in other not to mislead the public.

    “Since we commenced work in the Odukpani-Itu Road, no section within our stretch of work has collapsed. This is because we carry out palliative works continually to ensure free flow of traffic,” the SERMATECH representative stated.

    Continuing, it said: “Worthy of note is that our project spans through two critical swamps. The Okpokong swamp and the Calabar River swamp. The Okpokong swamp is 5km. This section is fully constructed with pavements work up to Binder course layer. Motorists are already enjoying the smooth road. It has survived more than two years now without issues.

    “Also, active work is ongoing at the Calabar River swamp. The section is actively receiving adequate geotechnical treatment; subsoil drainage to lower the groundwater table, excavation and removal of unsuitable materials, hardcore filling, and sand fill to stabilize the section.

    “Out of the 4 bridges in our section, we have fully constructed and completed 2; Atan and Okpokong bridges, respectively. The third bridge, Ayadeghe, is at the capping beam level; all precast beams are completed and the two abutment walls are completed. The four existing old bridges have also been rehabilitated to have a new look.”

    The indigenous engineering company advised Cross River South Consultative Forum to always do some fact finding and cross check such facts before going to press so as not to misinform the people.

    The Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, Cross River chapter has, in solidarity, also condemned in totality the misguided information being circulated by the group.

  • Cross River Communities Unite Against HIV/AIDS Challenges in Carnival Season

    Cross River Communities Unite Against HIV/AIDS Challenges in Carnival Season

    The kick-off of the 2023 Carnival in Cross River state not only marked the beginning of the month-long festivities but also symbolized a united front in addressing the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS. Eyoanwan Otu, the Wife of the Governor of Cross River state, and Dr Egbe Ayuk, the state’s Commissioner for Health, delivered impactful messages during the HIV/AIDS walk, emphasizing community involvement and targeted efforts in specific localities.

    In her address to the community, Eyoanwan Otu expressed gratitude and hope as the state observed World AIDS Day 2023. She underscored the theme of the year, “Community’s Leadership to End AIDS by 2030,” emphasizing the pivotal role of communities in combating AIDS. Otu, dedicated to leveraging resources and influence, urged citizens to stand together in creating an AIDS-free generation within Cross River state.

    “As the wife of the governor of Cross River state, I am committed to leveraging our resources and influence to intensify the fight against AIDS. Let us be the leaders our communities need,” declared Otu.

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    Dr Egbe Ayuk, the Commissioner for Health, shed light on challenges faced by specific local governments, including Yala, Obanliku, and the Calabar area. Despite the state not being among the top 6 states with high prevalence, Ayuk stressed the need to refocus attention and resources on these community-centric areas.

    “We need to ensure communities in these 3 or 4 LGs are at the forefront of efforts to regulate population transmigration,” Ayuk emphasized.

    These statements were made during The HIV/AIDS walk, signifying the commencement of the 32 days of non-stop activities for the 2023 Carnival, themed “Season of Sweetness.”

  • UNICAL Alumni President Speaks On Secretariat, Homecoming, Students’ Loan, Others

    By Frank Ulom

    The President of the University of Calabar, UNICAL Alumni Association, Prof. Yakubu Aboki Ochefu has shed light on the association’s secretariat, the homecoming event to Mark the 50th anniversary of the university and the current students’ loan policy by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

    Ochefu, who is a Professor of Economic History at the Benue State University, Makurdi, x-rayed all of these and others in an interview with newsmen on Sunday (26th Nov. 2023) in Calabar, adding that the association’s elections would be conducted in the first quarter of 2024.

    Prof. Ochefu who is also a former Vice-Chancellor and the current Secretary General of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities backed the fight against randy lecturers, disclosed the achievements of the UNICAL Alumni Association and its role in the development of the university as well as proposed a database for the association.

    “The National Executive Council of the University of Calabar National Alumni Association held its council meeting on Saturday (25th Nov. 2023) and we took several decisions which we felt it was most important to share with members of the University of Calabar Alumni worldwide, and of course the general public.

    “The National Executive Council of the Alumni Association by our constitution comprises of the board of trustees. The board of trustees is led by a gentleman known as Rt. Hon. Bright Omokhodion, who was the former Commissioner and former speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly. It also comprises the National Executive Committee of which I’m the National President, and the chapter chairmen, secretaries and one delegate. At this meeting we had, 20 chapter chairmen and delegates came from all over Nigeria.

    “Statutorily, the council is the second highest organ of the Alumni Association. The highest organ is the annual general meeting. When the National Executive Council meets we review some of our presentations and then take decisions that will end up as the agenda for the annual general meeting which should have come up this year, but as a result of a number of meetings and circumstances, some of which had to do with the fact that the national elections that we had in March/April this year disrupted some of our planning so we were not able to hold that elections. We are now scheduling the elections for the first quarter of 2024.

    “Some of the decisions we took at this meeting will now be presented to the annual general meeting and they will now direct accordingly. The activities started with a courtesy call on the directorate of alumni relations, Prof. Okom, who then ushered us to pay a courtesy call to the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Florence Obi, during which we raised a number of issues bothering the type of communication that comes out of the University of Calabar which we felt that it more often portray the university in bad light. We believe that the University of Calabar has so many good stories to tell. We know this but we don’t hear it on state and national media. So we believe that it was important for her to look at her communication unit to see the reasons why the University of Calabar is in the news for the wrong reasons and not the right reasons. There are bad universities in Nigeria but they don’t make the type of headline news that the University of Calabar makes.

    “For example, the University of Calabar has a lot of award winners both locally and internationally. We don’t hear of these award winners. We have a lot of Alumni of the University of Calabar and researchers who have patents, inventions and who are adding value to both local and global economies. They are not documented. There’s a gentleman from the University of Calabar who recently entered the Guinness Book of Record on a writing hackathon, and the type of publicity that he got was just very pedestrian. What is the communication unit doing about it? All that we hear is that the University of Calabar has randy professors whose level of moral tepidity is so high and it’s in the news on a daily basis. We have an engineering programme that has been vitiated. These are the type of news that would be on the airwaves on a daily basis much more than many of the good things that are coming out of the University of Calabar. We are not saying if bad news emanates it should not be carried, but we are saying that this should also be matched with some of the fantastic things that are happening in this university that are not being communicated to the general public. That’s the point I was trying to make.

    “We also commended the Vice Chancellor for the effort she’s making in sanitising some of these issues. The way the university came out head-on to tackle the issue of sex scandal in the faculty of law. We all stood up and supported the university. How many of Professor Ndifons are in the system and the system should not harbour any of such persons? The Alumni Association was brought into the picture as part of the committee that was set up to investigate this matter. And now that the ICPC has taken over the matter we are hoping that the accusations of complicity and witch-hunting will be put to rest.

    “We also congratulated her on the effort she has made to sanitise the transcript administration of the university. Our alumni members used to feel very bad that transcript applications used to be very horrendous at the university. But in recent times we now have a situation that if you apply for a transcript you can get a copy of your transcript within 48 hours. She then explained to us that the challenge they now have is the legacy transcripts. The University of Calabar is about 40 years old so for those of us who graduated several years ago our papers have not been digitised, so those ones take a while to come. But if you graduated a few years ago your records would probably be digitised so you will now get your documents back.

    “We also raised the issue of synergy between the alumni association with the alumni office because at times we don’t seem to be on the same page in terms of synergising our efforts and relationships, and it creates the impression that we are not working together. The Alumni Association is there to support the Alma Mater to meet some of its fundamental objectives, and we carry the cross of the university because it’s our university and we don’t have any other university. We will support them.

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    “And of course, we told her that we were planning an AGM for the first quarter of next year and we are also planning a homecoming for the first quarter of next year. In her response, she said that in 2025 the University of Calabar is going to be 50 years old and there were plans to celebrate their 50th anniversary. So it will make more sense for us to have a grand homecoming, celebrating that 50 rather than do a homecoming in 2024 and then do another one in 2025, which was presented to the National Council of State and was accepted. The National Council of State also constituted an electoral committee to elect new executives into the National Executive Committee. A 5-man committee was inaugurated to plan for the election that will take place in the first quarter of next year, probably March or April. That’s basically what transpired at our National Executive Council meeting that held yesterday,” Ochefu told newsmen.

    What is it that thing you could not achieve and would want the next administration to achieve?

    “We came into office with a strategic plan. And in that strategic plan, we itemised a number of things that we wanted to do. But one of the things that stuck out as a sore thorn that we could not achieve, that will be transitioning to the incoming executive, would be that of the alumni secretariat. We inherited an alumni secretariat that had collapsed and we put in a mechanism to see how we could redesign that building and finish it. We did the complete redesign of the building but as at the time we were now trying to put resources together to start the reconstruction, prices began to skyrocket and the economy took a downturn. For me, that will be the biggest disappointment that we will be handing over to the incoming administration.”

    What is the thing that got you most excited as an achievement?

    “The thing that got me most excited was the fact that we were able to reconcile the factions of the alumni association that we inherited. You will recall that when we were elected there were a number of chapters that did not participate in the reconciliation effort under the Vice Chancellorship of Prof. Zana Akpagu. When we were sworn in, we took the mandate and said let’s go and reconcile because we are one family. There’s no need to have two factions. We went and engaged with the aggrieved factions and we were able to bring them back to the fold and harmonise the various executives. So we now have one national body without any faction. That now enables us to host the conference of the Alumni Association of Nigerian Universities.

    “The first quarter meeting of that conference we were able to host at the University of Calabar and put us on a super platform to be able to contest for the National Chairmanship of the Conference of Alumni Association of Nigerian Universities. The Conference of Alumni Association of Nigerian Universities is a 31-year-old body that houses all the chairmen of alumni associations from all the member universities in Nigeria. In December last year, we went into that election and the University of Calabar was able to secure the chairmanship position. This is to show you that our efforts at reconciling our differences and adding value to the work we are doing, we’ve been able to escalate it to national level and we are now providing leadership for other alumni associations in Nigeria.”

    In what way has the alumni contributed to the development of the university?

    “The University of Calabar Alumni Association has been part and parcel of the university’s development for a very long time. If you ask me as a person, I will say we are not there yet in terms of the quantum of institutional support that the alumni association has been able to provide to the university, but we have done our own bit, individually and collectively.

    “As you are aware, what we now have as the engineering programme of the University of Calabar, started as an alumni project under the auspices of the current senate president, when he was the governor of Akwa Ibom state. He was the one who provided the seed grant that started that project. A number of laboratories have been commissioned by the members of the alumni association. Between the alumni association as a body, and between our members who aggregate around chapters, and who aggregate around graduating classes, there’s practically no month that we don’t do one thing or the other for the university. So we broke the thing down into manageable units. You don’t need to have a million naira before you support your alma mater. Your class of ’86 can come together and identify a project, and say this class of ’86 this is what we want to do.

    “For example, as we were going round yesterday we passed through hall 2 and we saw the condition which hall 2 was in. I told my roommate who was with me in hall 2 in 1980. Then it was a hostel reserved for medical students. I told him that those of us who lived in Hall 2 for that period of time should put together a platform so that we can come together and raise money at least paint Hall 2 so that it will be our own contribution to the hostel that we stayed in. Things like that are some of the things that we do both at the national level and individual and class levels.”

    How many chapters do you have and what’s the numerical strength of the alumni?

    “We’ve been rebuilding and developing the database of the alumni. The records have been a bit of a challenge for us to compile but it has been a work in progress. We have a current database. Part of that database we insisted that it should have a registration number and a lot of people can’t remember their registration number. We didn’t want someone to come say I’m an alumnus of UNICAL without trying it with an identifier. We are going to put together something in the neighbourhood of about 42,000 persons that are on the current database that is being managed by the alumni directorate. We currently have 36 chapters nationwide in the six geopolitical zones. The northwest geopolitical zone has the least number of chapters with only one chapter in Kaduna which is not a very active chapter.

    “The northwest geopolitical zone has two chapters – Wukari and Jalingo. While the north-central geopolitical zone has chapters in Benue, Nasarawa, FCT. We have chapters in the southwest, south and the southeast. Our constitution provides for diaspora chapters. We have not been very lucky in having a very strong diaspora chapter. We have a vice president for the diaspora, who has started getting the members to meet together. Had about three virtual meetings on Zoom. It hasn’t functioned seamlessly the way we wanted. It’s still a work in progress, but locally in Nigeria, we have these chapters that I’ve mentioned. We don’t have chapters outside West Africa or Africa as the case may be. These are the two situations we have.”

    Are you satisfied with the strength, like the number you have?

    “No, we are not satisfied with the number. As I said, it is still a work in progress. The thing about alumni is that you need to have milestone events to engage them. By the time we are celebrating our 50th anniversary, we should be able to be celebrating with maybe a hundred thousand alumni on our database. We will give ourselves that target and then work assiduously towards that, and then let the whole members know that UNICAL is going to be 50 and you cannot miss being part of that celebration and making your own contribution to your alma mater. We have like about 12 generations of graduates. I belong to the third generation so you can see the gap. Some of the people who are in UNICAL now qualify to be my grandchildren. The important thing is that we are all part of one big family and we need to come together and support our alma mater.”

    How can one register for the alumni?

    “There’s a lacuna in the whole process and that has to do with the fact that when you come for convocation, you take the oath of office and you are formally sworn into the association. So if you don’t come for the convocation, that particular aspect of the transition from being a student to being an alumnus doesn’t quite happen. It’s something that we really need to work on. What students actually remember is that they are paying N2,000 as part of their clearance for the alumni association and then nothing happens thereafter.

    “You are supposed to pay that N2,000 when you come for the convocation you are sworn into the alumni association, and then the chapters that are available in the domain where you work or live are now presented to you and you will now choose. For example, in Calabar we have two chapters – we have a chapter called the Nest Chapter that’s based in the university that targets graduates of the university who are working in the university. Then we have the Calabar chapter which takes care of other persons. If you graduate and you are sent to do national service in Makurdi for example, you can now engage with the Makurdi chapter. If you go to Abuja you will engage with the Abuja chapter. If you are in Ikom, Cross River, you will engage with the Ikom chapter.”

    On the student loan, what is your take?

    “This is a very interesting question. What Nigerians don’t remember is that the Student Loan Act is not new. We had student loans in this country in the 70s. And the whole concept is to support indigent persons to acquire post-secondary education. Over time, the issue of cost-sharing of university education became a sore point for us stakeholders. How much does it cost the federal government to deliver a university education to a student in the faculty of medicine? How much of the cost does the student bear? That conversation kept going back and forth in relation to the financial autonomy of the university and the major source of funding of that university.

    “Now the federal government, for the past 40 years has said the cost of tuition fees which constitute about 70 percent of the cost of university education is borne by the federal government and taken away from the families. So parents and their students will pay the associated cost, not the cost of tuition – what universities refer to as charges, accommodation, registration, stationery, health, insurance, sports and all those other charges. That has been in play.

    “This government has now come up and said now look, we know that universities are struggling with funding, we are still going to maintain a tuition-free regime. But in terms of the associated cost, the universities are free to charge what the economy creates to be able to provide those services. In the event that the students cannot meet that cost, we are going to provide a loan for the students to be able to meet that obligation. That was how this new student loan act was repackaged based on the experience of the past I have presented.

    “When it came out. We looked at it and said no. As presented, this will not fly because the condition precedent for you to access the loan is faulty. The time frame for repaying the loan is also faulty. The wording of the act in terms of what constitutes who is qualified to take the loan is also faulty because in one breath it says you have to be an undergraduate student to enjoy that loan. In another breath, it said you have to be a fresh student to take the loan. That is, it’s your admission letter that qualifies you to take the loan. So I take the loan as a fresh student and then I go into my second year and my fundamentals changed, it means that I can no longer access the loan. Or I am a third-year student that I have been paid all this while, but in my third year my status changed and then I can no longer take the loan, what happens to me? So we felt that it was important for them to take that act back and review it so that all the stakeholders can make inputs before it can now qualify to be a proper loan for indigent students who may need it to augment their costs.

    “As I said, this associated cost, beyond the hostel, the sports, exams and all those other fees you pay, there’s also the living cost, which most times we don’t talk about. The food, the toiletries, the data and all those things are costs that you must pay for if you are in the university. When you aggregate all that together it comes to a substantial amount that students or parents must also look for means to pay. Either way, it works out to support. We enjoyed scholarships when we were in school. We enjoyed bursaries. Local governments supported their students. University education should be such that if you have an admission there must be somebody somewhere who will help you to bear that cost because it’s an expensive cost. So it’s either you get a scholarship from any of the NGOs, and if you can’t get it from them, then you fall back to a loan. This is what happens all over the world. And I think this government has done well. It’s just that the loan was hurriedly packaged and it did not quite meet the best standard of this type of loan.”

  • Odukpani-Itu Road: Revoke Sermatech Contract, Group Urges FG

    Odukpani-Itu Road: Revoke Sermatech Contract, Group Urges FG

     

    By Kelvin Obambon

    A socio-political group, Cross River South Consultative Forum, has appealed to the federal government to as a matter of urgency, revoke and terminate the construction contract for the Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene federal road awarded to Sermatech Nigeria Limited over the company’s lack of technical expertise.

    The Forum made the appeal in a statement dated 28th November, 2023 which was jointly signed by Hon. Barr. Eyo Nsa Ekpo (Chairman), Hon. Barr. Joseph E. Etene, Rev. Hon. James Anam, Hon. Victor E. Okon, Sir Maurice Effiwatt, Hon. (Chief) Ani Esin, Hon. Mrs. Ada Charles Egwu and Prof. (Barr.) Emmanuel Eyo.

    According to the group, the contract for reconstruction and dualization of Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Federal Highway was awarded by the Buhari-led APC Federal Government in
    2017.

    “This road which links the sister States of Cross River and Akwa Ibom to the South South, South East as well as other part of the Federation is of utmost importance as an evacuation corridor for commuters, goods and services to other parts of the country.

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    “A greater section of this 97 Kilometer Federal Highway (approximately 50 kilometers) was awarded to an indigenous construction company known as SERMATECH NIGERIA LIMITED. The aforesaid section is the most difficult and most technically challenging section of the project. It spans from Ikot Nyong in Onim Ankiong Ward of Odukpani Local Government Area, Cross River State to Oku Iboku in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. It has five major
    bridges and a web of intricate swamps and estuaries on both sides of Ayadehe River, Okpokong River, Cross River and Calabar Rivers making this section the most difficult part of the project in construction terms.

    “Sometimes in December, 2021, it came to the knowledge of Stakeholders of the project made up of NIGER DELTA YOUTH MOVEMENT (NDYM), CROSS RIVER SOUTH PROGRESSIVES FORUM (CRISPROF) and HOST COMMUNITIES ON DUALIZATION OF ODUKPANI-ITU-IKOT EKPENE FEDERAL HIGHWAY, CROSS RIVER STATE, that a greater and most technically challenging part of the project was awarded to SERMATECH NIGERIA LIMITED and a red flag was raised.

    “In a Joint Press Conference (see copy attached), the above Associations called on the then Minister of Works to immediately and forthwith terminate and revoke the contract awarded to SERMATECH NIGERIA LIMITED. Their reasons for this is as stated hereunder:

    i. SERMATECH NIG. LTD lacks the necessary requisite experience in the construction of roads and bridges in Nigeria. SERMATECH was dully challenged to contradict this assertion by publicly publishing her company profile.

    ii. The section awarded to SERMATECH NIG. LTD is indeed the most difficult part of the project with a web of intricate swamps and five (5) major bridges which SERMATECH NIG. LTD has no expertise nor pedigree to handle.

    iii. The only prominent road SERMATECH NIG. LTD handled in Cross River State is the Goodluck Jonathan By-Pass from Margaret Ekpo International Airport to Parliamentary Road Extension, Calabar. The entire stretch of that Road failed within six months of construction requiring Cross River State Government to continuously spend millions of Naira in taxpayer’s money on yearly maintenance to make the road at least passable. This is an intra-city road with very low traffic usage.

    iv. The various Federal Intervention Construction works awarded to SERMATECH NIG. LTD failed within three (3) months of completion. A good example is the failed culvert at Ikot Effangha Mkpa, Calabar Municipality and that of Iwuru, Biase Local Government Area both on Calabar-Ikom Federal
    Highway. These failed projects carried out by SERMATECH NIG. LTD are there for all to see.

    v. Due diligence by Government would reveal that SERMATECH NIG. LTD lacks the competence, manpower, pedigree, technical expertise and most importantly the equipment necessary to carry out the construction of roads in such difficult and swampy terrains as well as the bridges across Calabar River, Okpokong River, Cross River and Ayadehe River which are all within the section awarded to her.

    “Two years down the line, fears expressed by these group of patriots have been made manifest by the utter lack of capacity and gross incompetence of SERMATECH. The lack of progress on the portion of the project awarded to SERMATECH is manifestly glaring, palpable and painful. Trucks and trailers are falling over each other, blocking the road, causing accidents and severe injuries to commuters and generally making the road impassable. The suffering experienced by average road users passing through this section of Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Federal Highway is better imagined than experienced.

    “We commend the effort of the Executive Governor of Cross River State, Senator (Prince) Bassey Out, in ordering immediate palliative work on the said sections of the road to ameliorate the suffering of our people. We salute you Sir.

    “Let us state here unequivocally that we are not unaware of the vested interest of some failed politicians and unpatriotic Cross Riverians who are the powers behind SERMATECH NIG. LTD, foisting this incompetent indigenous construction company on the Federal Government. These persons are responsible for
    the tears Nigerians are shedding on that road on a daily basis. Nigerians are watching you.

    “In light of the foregoing, we hereby join the aforementioned group of patriotic Cross Riverians in calling on His Excellency Dr. David Umahi, Honourable Minister of Works to as a matter of URGENT NATIONAL IMPORTANCE, revoke and terminate the contract awarded to SERMATECH NIG. LTD and re-award same to a more competent company to complete this project within time,” the statement reads.

    The Press Statement
  • Cross River South Consultative Forum Applauds Governor Otu’s Aviation Endeavors

    Cross River South Consultative Forum Applauds Governor Otu’s Aviation Endeavors

    The Cross River South Consultative Forum has expressed admiration for Governor Bassey Otu’s strategic initiatives in the aviation sector, particularly the successful resumption of flight operations by Cally Air at Margaret Ekpo International Airport.

    In a joint statement signed by key leaders of the Forum, including Eyo Nsa Ekpo Esq., Hon Joseph E. Etene Esq., Prof Emmanuel Eyo Esq, Hon Victor Okon, Sir Maurice Effiwatt, Hon. Ada Charles Egwu, Rev James Anam, and Hon Ani Esin, the Forum commended Governor Otu for his unwavering commitment to enhancing the state’s aviation infrastructure, lauding his plans to expand Cally Air’s fleet.

    “The decision to augment Cally Air’s fleet is a strategic move that will undoubtedly positively impact the state’s economy,” the statement read, highlighting Governor Otu’s foresight in placing Cross River prominently on the aviation map.

    Governor Otu, while receiving a Boeing 737 – 5N BYR Plane on Tuesday, acknowledged the contributions of his predecessor, Sen. Ben Ayade, to initiating Cally Air. He underscored the state’s ambition to elevate Calabar to international airport standards and announced plans for three additional aircraft to join the fleet.

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    The Cross River South Consultative Forum commended the governor’s vision, recognizing the pivotal role of Cally Air in boosting tourism and fostering economic viability. The Forum expressed appreciation for the collaboration with Aero Contractors, emphasizing its positive impact on the state’s economy.

    Captain Ado Sanusi, CEO of Aero Contractors, commended Governor Otu’s visionary leadership, highlighting the timely resumption of flight operations for the Carnival Calabar International Festival.

    The Forum urged air travelers to choose Aero Cally, emphasizing that the state-owned airline provides the most budget-friendly airfares in the country.

    As Calabar anticipates a 32-day nonstop celebration starting on November 30, the Cross River South Consultative Forum expressed optimism about the positive outcomes of Governor Otu’s aviation initiatives, anticipating increased visits from tourists and investors.

  • Anthony Odey emerges NURTW Chairman in Cross River

    By Frank Ulom

    Comrade Anthony Idoko Odey has been elected as the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW in Cross River State.

    Odey was inaugurated alongside 12 other executives by the Returning Officer, Chief Ita Ayi after being elected and affirmed on Thursday (30th Nov. 2023) at the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC Solidarity Centre, Calabar, the state capital.

    New Cross River State NURTW Executives

    1. Anthony Idoko Odey – Chairman
    2. Edet Edem Umo – Deputy Chairman
    3. Emmanuel Eyo Etim – Vice Chairman
    4. Sunday Arikpo – Vice Chairman
    5. Victor B. Essien – Assistant Secretary
    6. Apostle Ekpenyong Ayi – Organising Secretary
    7. Mary Udofia – Treasurer
    8. Obu Noah – Deputy Treasurer
    9. Edim Oyongha – Financial Secretary
    10. Gabriel Adah – Auditor
    11. Chief Tete Williams – Auditor
    12. Maurice Eyo – Trustee
    13. Marshal Akabom Enene – Trustee

    Chief Joseph Aluanya, former Vice President/Acting President of NURTW

    Alhaji Aliyu Isa, Acting President of the NURTW, ably represented by Chief Joseph Aluanya, said he was pleased with the peaceful electoral process that elected Odey.

    He urged the elected excos to “carry others along and run an open administration of equity, fairness and justice.”

    The Acting President who was also the Presiding Office added that the “Conference is very important to the affairs of running this union, and I believe that after this, we will be our brothers’ keeper.”

    He charged the elected excos that “Your performance and behaviour are known to the people you are leading and will lead to a higher position. I wish all of you the best.”

    Barr. Clarkson Otu, Special Adviser on Labour Matters to Governor Bassey Otu

    Earlier, the State Governor, Sen. Bassey Otu, represented by his Special Adviser on Labour Matters, Barr. Clarkson Otu, cheered the new leadership, saying that the NURTW is the key to the development of the nation and the state.

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    He said, “I want to first congratulate you for this conference, the purpose, apart from changing leadership is to plan for the coming year.

    “I know your problems, I know your feelings and it is my intention to tackle these problems. You need to understand your importance to the economy of the nation and state. You are a key to the development of a nation and state. It is needed that you make safety your keyword, especially in this Ember month.”

    A cross-section of NURTW National and State Excos and Stakeholders

    On his part, the newly elected NURTW, Cross River State Council, Comrade Anthony Odey thanked the union for entrusting him with the mantle to lead them for the next four years (2023-2027).

    He pledged that, “In my first 100 days in office, I will ensure we have a new secretariat,” adding that he will embark on a statewide sensitisation of members.

    THE PARADISE NEWS reports that Odey led the union for two months in an acting capacity after the passing away of former Chairman, Barr. Efa Edem in 2022.

    Cross-section of NURTW Members in Cross River State

    THE PARADISE NEWS also reports that 50 delegates from 10 branches of NURTW partook in the process in the state.

    A cross-section of NURTW National and State Excos and Stakeholders

    Those present at the conference (who also issued their goodwill messages) are Hon. Simon Lalong, Minister of Labour and Employment (represented); Hon. Ekpeyong Cobham, State Commissioner for Transportation and Marine Services, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Donatus Ejemot Esu; Comrade Gregory Ulayi, State NLC Chairman; Comrade Monday Ogbodum, State TUC Chairman; Comrade Pastor John Ushie, former State NLC Chairman and former National Chairman of NUPRO WW; Corps Commander I. A. Ibrahim, State FRSC Sector Commander; Director of DSS; Comrade Dan Obo Jnr., State NYCN Chairman; Labour Veterans and several others.

    WATCH THE VIDEO VIDEO

  • Gov Otu Rewards Youths For Playing Useful Security Roles

    Gov Otu Rewards Youths For Playing Useful Security Roles

    The state governor, Senator Bassey Otu has presented a cash donation to some youths from Nyanghasang community in Calabar Municipality for security consciousness and being vanguards against crime in their locality.

    The governor’s gesture came in fulfillment of an earlier promise made at his inaugural media parley with journalists in the state where he promised to reward community leaders and persons who will help with useful security information that will lead to the apprehension of kidnappers and other criminal elements in the state.

    Represented by his Chief of Staff, Hon. Emmanuel Ironbar, the state governor assured all citizens of his administration’s willingness to partner with the people to ensure the security of lives and properties.

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    Recall that the youths of Nyanghasang community had assisted security operatives in apprehending some criminals who kidnapped, Mrs. Caroline Bassey, a former staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, at her residence in Calabar.