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NDDC plans N1.8tr Calabar – Lagos road
Joseph Jibueze
A 650-kilometre road running from Calabar, Cross River State, to Lagos is to be built by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) at N1.8trillion.
The road will reduce travel time from Port Harcourt, Rivers State to Lagos f three hours from about nine hours, NDDC Managing Director Chibuzor Ugwoha said yesterday in Lagos.
He said NDDC would require the assistance of all stake-holders in Niger Delta to complete the project.
Ugwoha said: "The coastal road design is ongoing. Later, we'll table it. It's going to be a significant milestone. We'll be looking at other partners – the Federal Government, oil companies, international donors, state governments and others for support. NDDC cannot do it alone.
"NDDC is committed to ensuring that it is done. It will go a long way in changing the economic fortunes of the Niger Delta."
Ugwoha was speaking with reporters at a ceremony to mark his first year in office.
NDDC, he said, had created jobs for 2000 graduates through its Technical Aids Corps (TAC) in the past one year.
According to him, despite being owed N500 billion by the Federal Government, NDDC would soon complete 45 projects valued at over N180 billion have been completed.
Ugwoha said 24 youths sponsored to South Africa by the NDDC, have obtained international certificates in welding. They will assist in training 700 more youths in the skill.
About 100 others are currently undergoing training in oil and gas in Norway; 65 are being trained in drilling.
On health, he said over 1.5 million people have benefited from NDDC's free health programme, adding that a dialysis centre and a world class hospital would soon be built.
Ugwoha said it was necessary to develop the region's human capacity in line with the local content policy to enable the people drive infrastructure development in the Niger Delta.
"We discovered that we needed to refocus. We felt that solving the Niger Delta problem should begin with the people acquiring appropriate skills to develop themselves. Economic activities should be connected to the development of the individual person," he said.
On why it took long to complete some projects sometimes, Ugwoha said it was because of the region's topography. He said: "For instance, before construction is started, land has to be reclaimed. Then a special foundation has to be laid, all handled by different contractors.
"Hence, a project that would have been completed in 12 months elsewhere may be completed in four years in the Niger Delta, and may cost five times as much.
Ugwoha said the Niger Delta Master Plan had not been dumped. "We're operationalising the Masterplan," he said.
Sometimes, he said, people misunderstood the NDDC's role. "NDDC was created as an interventionist agency, to collaborate with other development agencies to bring about the much-needed development in the region."
The commission, he said, had not received any "undue pressure" from any governor to gain special advantage for the state.
On who benefits from NDDC programmes, he said: "You must not know anybody on the NDDC board to benefit from the commission's programmes. People who do not even know our head office have benefited by simply submitting applications online. If Nigeria must grow, we need to support merit. Everybody should be treated on equal basis."
Source: The Nation, 3rd September 2010.
Women protest naked in C'River over LG election
By Mike Odiegwu, Calabar
Aged women from Erei, Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State on Monday stormed Calabar half-naked to protest what they called 'disenfranchisement and illegal arrest of their sons' during the local government election held in the state on Saturday.
The women, whose ages ranged between 50 and 80, arrived the state capital shortly after the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission announced the results of the election, in which the Peoples Democratic Party won all the 18 chairmanship seats.
Announcing the results, the chairman of CROISEC, Mr. Patrick Otu, said his commission derived its powers to conduct the election and release the results from section 10 of the state's electoral laws.
Seven parties that contested against the PDP did not present candidates in 75 councillorship wards and nine chairmanship positions. Thus, CROSIEC declared that most PDP candidates won unopposed.
CROSIEC also declared that the PDP won in all the wards, apart from three wards which were each won by Labour Party, Action Congress of Nigeria and All Nigeria Peoples Party.
But the aggrieved women, who were said to have travelled over 10 hours to get to the state capital at 6pm, complained that there was no election in their area.
The angry mothers arrived the state capital in three 14-seater buses, lamenting that the election in their area was marred by violence, intimidation and indiscriminate arrest of youths.
The Erei women, who were led by Mrs. Glory Owali, took their complaint to the headquarters of CROSIEC, the Governor's Office and the headquarters of the state police command in Calabar.
The women, in a thumb-printed statement, made available to our correspondent, appealed to the police to release 18 of their children, whom they alleged were framed up and arrested for trying to protect their votes.
They insisted that the youths were simply escorting electoral materials to polling units when 37 soldiers in pick-up vans arrested them.
They alleged that the incident took place because the youths had vowed not to support a PDP candidate sponsored by a top politician in their area.
The Chief Security Adviser to Imoke, Mr. Bassey Okim, who received the women, appealed to them to return home.
He promised that the state government would look into their complaints. The women, who broke down in tears on reaching the headquarters of the state police command, demanded to see the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Ahmed, and their detained sons.
They were, however, addressed by Inspector Yohanna, who told them that the commissioner had closed for the day. But he promised to convey their demands to Ahmed.
Source: Punch, 1st September 2010.
Imoke to construct 1,800 housing units in
C-River
CALABAR—CROSS River State Government has concluded arrangements for the construction of 1,800 housing units on the basis of 1,000 units per local government area of the state.
Special Adviser to Governor Imoke on Mortgage Finance and Estate Development, Mrs. Rosemary Achonwa, who disclosed this, said the state government was collaborating with Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, REDAN, and Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to actualize the plan of constructing the housing units, beginning from the last quarter of this year.
She said government was finalizing contract documentation with new developers on the Akpabuyo Housing Scheme as the initial arrangement sailed through, adding that N151.43 million had been paid as compensation to the community.
Achonwa noted that N597.7million had been paid for roads and drains construction, N81.4million for electricity and N25.4million for water supply in line with required standard for the 610 housing units, adding that the state had also provided N200 million for its civil/public servants to fund 10 percent equity contribution, which is a prerequisite for loan approval under the National Housing Fund Scheme for beneficiaries.
The Special Adviser who encouraged civil servants/residents to take advantage of the housing development initiative by government to own a house by forming housing co-operative societies, stated that in addition to the state's housing plan, the Federal Housing Authority had acquired 53.7 hectare of land at the local government area for the construction of 1,014 housing units of 2 and 3 bedroom detached and semi-detached bungalows.
She added that this was in addition to the 40 hectare which the state had also secured under Public Private Partnership arrangement starting this September.
On the owner occupier policies, Mrs. Achonwa said that the State government in collaboration with City Code Savings & Loans had secured approval of loans of N103,433,795 million for 57 civil servants to enable them purchase property sold by government at Federal Housing and Parliamentary Village, Calabar.
She promised to sustain the campaign for enlightenment of civil servants and the general public on the importance and benefits of contributing to the National Housing Fund and various home ownership opportunities in the state to check housing deficit which she noted is between 12 to 16 million units in the country.
Source: Vanguard, 31st August 2010.
Large Voters Turn Out for Cross Rivers Council Polls
Kunle Johnson
THE council elections in Cross Rivers state Saturday was relatively peaceful save for a few skirmishes, with voters coming out enmasse to cast their votes to the candidates of their choice.
The elections which were scheduled to commence at 8a.m did not however commence until 10am due to arrival of voting materials.
Governor Liyel Imoke who voted at the Government Technical School, Itigidi, described the turn-out as very impressive stating that it was an indication that the people had totally embraced democracy.
There were however allegations by some opposition parties that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hijacked the elections.
Leader of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Okoi Offem Obono-Obla whose party did not present any candidate for the elections said the PDP hijacked the election in Yakurr local government area.
Obono-Obla also said the Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission was not adequately prepared for the council elections.
However Deputy Senate Leader Chief Victor Ndoma-Egba said the turn-out of voters was very impressive in all the places he visited.
The state commissioner for Information Ntufam Edet Okon Assim who admitted that materials arrived few hours after schedule, however said voting went well.
"We initially experienced that in Calabar Municpality. We heard they arrived very late at about 2am and we had to make sure the northern part of the state got the materials before coming down to the south. But as at 10 or 11 materials had arrived and voting is going on very well. With the campaign the governor is mounting now, this concept of one man one vote. And it shows credibility and it goes a long way to ensuring that whoever is voted for is credible enough to representing the people", Assim said.
Mr. Edem Duke, the president of the Calabar Chambers of Commerce and Senatorial aspirant of the PDP, also scored election process high.
"The enlightenment programme of government has gone far and wide and people are anxious to exercise their civic responsibilities. There is therefore optimism that in the final analysis, the popular candidates who have fought persuasively for the mandate of the people would sail through", he said
Source: The Nation, 29th August 2010.
Cross River govt approves $1.7m for GIS
In an effort to fast track the implementation of Cross River State Geographic Information System, CRGIS, the state's Executive Council in its 33th council meeting, approved the sum of $1.7m for consultants for the project.
Commissioner for Lands and Housing Development, Mr. Bassey Oqua, who disclosed this to newsmen shortly after the weekly meeting in Calabar, disclosed that an American firm, International Land System Incorporated, in partnership with Teq Bridge Nig Ltd. were chosen as the preferred bidder to the exercise after the technical and financial review of all the four companies that applied for the job.
According to him, the GIS when fully operational will address all challenges arising from land administration and management, adding that the ratification is the component of the phase II of the implementation process, which started with the setting up of a steering committee with the Governor as the chairman.
The project implementation committee was raised to fast track the process to meet up contractual agreements on delivery of certificate of occupancy in six months. On the expansion of the urban street light project to Federal Housing Estate, State Housing and Calabar South Local Government Area to enhance aesthetics and security, the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Bassey Ekefre, disclosed that the sum of N2.7b had also been ratified by the council in favour of Miser Leliker Nig. Ltd. to effect an installation with a three and half years monitorium at N64,000 monthly payment.
He added that the contractor had already been mobilised to site as work is expected to commence soon, maintaining that with the new power plant now at the new Secretarial to power the street lights which was hitherto fed from Tinapa power plant, will guarantee uninterrupted power supply to the streets.
The Special Adviser, Mortgage Finance, Mrs. Rosemary Achonwa stated that the state in its quest to provide affordable houses to the citizenry was able to secure the sum of N1.5 billion from the Federal Government to boost the development process, adding that Cross River State Property and Investment Ltd. (CROSPIL)is working on a modality to disburse the fund for development.
She pointed that the state government in addition to Akpabuyo Housing Estate whose physical work is to commence in September, has acquired another forty hectares of land at Odukpani to further expand the development, maintaining that with the recent passage of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Bill 2010 into law by the Governor and successful procurement of consultants by the department, it is obliged to define accurately a housing delivery standard for Cross Riverians, attract donor funding offshore with a well articulated policy frame work which is now in place and defined housing development models.
Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Edet Asim, who moderated the session, pointed out that apart from the newly ratified projects, development projects like the massive rural road construction, electrification and upgrading of facilitates at the various tourism locations in the state are at various stages of completions.
Source: Vanguard, 20th August 2010.
Cross River to upgrade Leboku festival
As an acclaimed tourism destination in Nigeria, the Cross River State government has stated its determination to introduce new innovations into one of its tourism products, the annual Leboku new yam festival in Yakurr, which it said, shall be the fusion of the people's culture and agriculture, with fantastic prizes lined-up for best harvesters and winners of the Leboku competitions.
In a statement in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area of the state, Special Assistant to Governor Liyel Imoke on Administration, Mr. Sunny Ude, said government was ready to take the festival to great heights, considering its cultural and tourism importance. He said events mapped out for the annual fiesta shall include female and male wrestling bouts, football competitions, inaugural lectures, exchange of visits and gifts.
Other features, Mr. Ude said, will be the visitation to tourists' sites, sensitization campaign on HIV/AIDS, cultural display by different cultural troupes as well as beauty pageant contests for Miss and Mr. Leboku 2010.
He said these shall culminate in the grand finale of the festival, which shall take place on August 17, 2010
The Governor's aide described as enormous, the benefits of the event, and stressed that the festival has increased awareness on the need to return to farming, apart from improving on the image of the nation and attracting investors to the state.
Also speaking, Paramount Ruler of Yakurr, HRH Obol Ubi Ujong Inah said Leboku is not a diabolic event but a celebration of God's love, and appreciation to Him for granting the Yakurr people good harvest, just few months after planting season. He appealed to Yakurr sons and daughters at home and in Diaspora to make use of the opportunity.
Co_sponsor of the fiesta, MTN, represented by Mr. Kester Ohahenye, Regional Manager, South_South said the festival falls under the company's Fest plat-form, and that MTN has always identified with Cross River State government in events of such magnitude, reiterating that the company seeks to tell the world that Nigeria is not the way it is painted outside. He believed that the rapport between the company and the state government would be sustained.
Source: Vanguard, 13th August 2010.
Ex-militants Praise Amnesty Training Programme
FROM ANIETIE AKPAN, CALABA
AFTER initial hiccups, ex-militants undergoing amnesty training programme at the Obubra camp in Cross River State, have settled down for lectures.
Many of them on Monday said the training programme was the best thing that has ever happened to them. They however appealed to the Federal Government to keep faith with the amnesty package by giving them further training abroad.
The ex-militants, who were busy singing religious songs while others were finalising their documentation, said any attempt to truncate the amnesty programme would send them back to the creeks.
The head of the expatriate training team and Chairman of the Global Non Violence Board and Senior Fellow of Emory University, Atlanta, United States, Dr. Bernard Lafayette, said with what is going on at the Obubra camp, "Nigeria is going to show the world how to come together and rather than use their arms to hold weapons, they are going to use their arms to embrace each other.
"Some of those who were causing disturbances came to us and said they were ready to pass the exams. We thought it was not going to be possible, but in just two hours, they had learnt everything. I could not believe it. We grilled them, we asked them questions and they answered very well. Nigerians are really smart. This is why I spend my time here as an investment to humanity and I predict that Nigeria would be the model and example for the UN to apply this approach to countries in conflict all over the world.
"Those who are going to help with the training would be Nigerians. We have Nigerians who would help us do the training. Seventy ex-militants have been hired now. They are working. We have 140 Nigerians who are in other professions working here too."
Source: The Guardian, 7th July 2010.
Cross River Signs N8 Billion Calabar Market Contract
Calabar — Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State has given reasons why the popular Watt Market in Calabar South Local Government Area and Ika-Ika Oqua Market in Calabar Municipal council are to be relocated.
According to Imoke "after the state government had signed an N8billion agreement with Blue Waters Development Company Ltd, on a new Calabar Central Market in Governor's Office, Calabar, Wednesday, it had earlier been noticed that the markets have become over crowded and out grown their infrastructure , which calls for a proper management, irrespective of their sanitation status as the cleanest markets in Nigeria."
He added that government embarked on a Public Private Partnership, PPP ,which is unique in many ways to carry along the consultant and market associations as stakeholders.
Imoke noted that the consultant has the capacity to finish the project because of its access to banks and financiers, which will entail it building and operating the markets within the stipulated time.
He explained that the new market is intended to tackle the challenges posed by Watt and Ika-Ika Oqua markets, with modern facilities as it will be monitored to ensure a classic PPP project, while assuring the total cooperation of government to ensure it is realized.
He described the signing of the agreement as significant to the state to deliver infrastructure for development because as Calabar metropolis expands, there is need also to provide it with a befitting market that meets the needs of the people.
Prof. Jerry Gana, Director Blue Waters Development Company Ltd and a former Minister, speaking on behalf of the company, described the proposed market as a well planned site, with beautiful structure, which will create wealth and generate jobs to make the city second to none in Africa.
He added that it will be made of 4,500 shops, which will include retail shops, cold rooms, warehouses, abattoir and a car park.
Gana said given the company's track record, it will build a modern market that will rival any modern market elsewhere, as they will not give anything less, adding that the present administration in the state will leave the project as a good legacy of pride.
Source: Vanguard, 24th June 2010.
Cross River May Probe Councils Over N54b Allocated Revenue
From Anietie Akpan, Calabar
Chairmen and other officers of local governments in Cross River State, may soon be asked to account for over N54 billion paid to their respective treasuries in the past three years (2007 to 2010) from the Federation Account and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Already, some of the council chairmen, the councillors and other officers are itching to go for a second term or higher offices but sources close to The Guardian said the state government may likely institute a probe panel to look into the affairs of councils in the past three years given their level of affluence and this may terminate their ambition.
Hint of the mass probe came, when the state governor, Senator Liyel Imoke addressed the Peoples Demcracic Party (PDP) caucus members in Calabar last weekend. He flayed the local government councils for not doing anything despite receiving more money now than ever before.
Visibly angry, Imoke said despite receiving such huge amount of money, "they are unable to show achievements, rather elected officers now build hostels, hotels and estates in cities and rarely show up in their constituencies, and when they do, they do so by sneaking in and sneaking out in the night."
Meanwhile reports from the office of the Auditor-General for Local Governments in the state have raised various audit queries against the councils in its report as at December 31, 2008.
The audit report signed by the Auditor-General for Local Governments in the state, Mr A. M. Ayine, also frowned seriously at the way and manner councils in the state spend internally generated revenue.
For instance, in the case of Calabar South, he said "it is worrisome that in spite of the great revenue generating potentials in the council area, only N8.383 million was recorded as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for a whole financial year (2008)."
Accordingly, he said, "we recommend that appropriate structures/machinery be put in place by management, to efficiently and effectively collect and account for IGR in the council area, especially in the markets and motor parks."
Source: The Guardian, 29th April 2010.
7 armed men attack The Nation's reporter in Calabar
By John Ighodaro
CALABAR — Armed men, in the early hours of Sunday, broke into the apartment of the regional correspondent of the Nation Newspapers, Mr. Kunle Johnson, in Calabar and robbed him of items worth thousands of Naira.
According to Mr. Johnson, the seven-man armed robbery gang had come to his residence at about 2.30 a.m. and remained in the apartment for well over one hour unhindered.
By the time the robbers left the apartment, Mr. Johnson's HP Pavillion lap-top, two Nokia handsets and 37 thousand Naira had gone with them.
The robbers, according to him, also went into his kitchen, helped themselves to his soup and also drank some bottles of malt in his fridge before leaving the apartment.
His words: "The robbers armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols scaled the high fence bordering the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH, side of the road into the compound.
"They then broke down the burglary proof on my kitchen door. How they did that, I do not know. That was how they entered my apartment.
"Inside the kitchen, they took time and forced the kitchen door open, headed straight to my bedroom where two other armed robbers pushed my window open and asked me to go and open the bedroom door."
for them".
"After following their instructions, they quickly tied my hands and legs and robbed me of about N37 cash, my HP Pavilion lap top (Notebook), and 2 Nokia handsets".
Mr. Johnson said the robbers turned his apartment upside down as they searched for more valuables to take away.
He said his neighbours who got to know about the operation, alerted the police who arrived the scene after the robbers had left.
Source: Vanguard, 28th April 2010.
C'River Communities Count Losses To Windstorm
From Anietie Akpan, Calabar
A WINDSTORM, the latest in the series of natural disasters ravaging central and northern parts of Cross River State has rendered 12,000 people homeless.
The latest incident, which occurred last Friday swept across six local councils in the Northern Senatorial zone and destroyed property worth millions of naira, including over 600 homes.
Public and private institutions such as schools, churches, council secretariats and electrical installations as well as communication masts were also affected.
The councils are Ogoja, Yala, Bekwarra, Obudu, Obanliku and Boki. In some of the schools and churches, people now learn and worship in the open. Some of the schools affected are Federal College of Education, Obudu; Iyie-Kunkan Primary School, Bekwara; Community Secondary School, Bamaji, Boki; Government Secondary School, Ukpa, Bekwara; Stadium parametre fence, Obudu and St. Peters Primary School Okuku, Yala.
One of the victims in Okuku, Yala Local Council, Mr. Oko Onah whose 25-room building was de-roofed said the storm had rendered about 55 occupants of the house homeless.
Onah, 68, said the storm had destroyed his only source of income and that he was incapable of rebuilding the house.
This pathetic scenario cuts across the entire affected villages. Another victim, Mr. Atinikongye Agianbede, who lost a 13-year-old son, Master Joseph to disaster when a building collapsed on him, said though he accepts disasters as an act of God, the family is heavily grieved by the loss of their promising boy.
Some farmers affected by the storm described it as a drawback in their economy having to contend with trying to put back their shelter and carry out their family activities with little or no resources. They appealed to the federal and state governments for assistance.
At the Federal College of Education, Obudu, about 21 buildings were damaged including sporting facilities, pavilion, offices and staff quarters.
The provost of the school, Dr. Joseph Effiom Edem Ntibi said the colossal damage was far beyond what the institution could cope with and called for government's help.
A combined team of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has already visited the affected areas.
The South-South Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Mr. Umesi Emenike, who was represented by the Head of Relief and Rehabilitation, Mr. Godwin Tepikor said the disaster was a challenge to both the federal and state governments.
The Director-General of SEMA, Mr. Vincent Aquah urged the victims to view the incident as an act of God and promised that efforts would be made to bring relief to them.
Source: The Guardian, 24th April 2010.
Imoke tasks Committee on land use, transparency
TOM MOSES, Calabar
Members of the newly inaugurated Land Use and Allocation Committee in Cross River State have been advised to ensure transparency in the allocation of land to members of the public.
Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River state gave the advice while inaugurating the six-man reconstituted committee in Calabar
He charged the committee to ensure the restoration of rights in land as provided for by the law to rightful owners at all levels and ensure enforcement of the Land Use Act.
Represented by the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Bassey Oqua, Imoke said that land allocation issue had posed a serious challenge to government over the years and advised that land as one of the most sensitive resources available to man be handled with care to ensure that at all times, the overall interest of the people of the state was protected.
"The primary purpose of the committee is to facilitate the availability of land for development to all persons, corporate bodies, institutions and government. "The aim is also to bring about rapid socio-economic change in the state", he said.
He reminded them of Section 2(1)(a) of the Land Use Act, which stipulates that in the urban areas, all lands should be controlled and managed by the governor on the advice of the Land Use and Allocation Committee and charged them to discharge their duties within the ambit of the law.
The Chairman of the committee Mr. Gershom Henshaw expressed delight over the choice of members of the committee and assured that they would work assiduously to ensure that value was added to land in the state while appealing to government to give it a free hand to carry out its assigned duties.
The terms of reference of the committee include to advise the governor on matters concerning the management of land in urban areas of the state, advise the governor on matters connected with the resettlement of persons displaced from their abode by the revocation of their rights of occupancy on grounds of overriding public interest and to determine disputes that may arise as to the amount of compensation payable for the improvement on land upon revocation.
The six-man committee has Mr. Gershom Henshaw as chairman, Mr. Magnus Anya, George Neji, Innocent Icha, Livinus Ngboki and Aloysius Ene as members, while Mr. Joseph Adie is to serve as secretary.
Source: Daily Champion, 22nd April 2010.
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