The Lumine News

Author: News

  • CRSG Marks WHO Diamond White Jubilee @ 75, Commends Her Unrelenting Support 

    By Kenneth Anam

    The streets and suburbs of Calabar went agog as the Cross River State Ministry of Health alongside other partners, agencies and health Organizations graced the streets in display of eventful and colorful spree to celebrate The World Health Organization (WHO) a topmost ranking Non Governmental Organization as she marked her “Diamond White” jubilee anniversary of 75 years of meritorious services to humanity.

    The event which was themed “Walk the Talk” witnessed a 7km health walk to celebrate World Health Organization (WHO) who will officially mark her 75th anniversary on the 7th of April in celebration of her unending and unrelenting supports to countries across the globe witnessed beehives of activities and soul thrilling success stories.

    On the 7th of April 2023 ̶The World Health Day ̶ the World Health Organization will observe its 75th anniversary. In 1948, countries of the world came together and founded WHO to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable – so everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health and well-being.

    This dream which has seen all works of live join the WHO on a journey to achieve Health For All and to motivate action to tackle the health challenges of today and tomorrow has witnessed milestones achievements and memorable moments that has aided in serving lives through quality health initiatives and interventions.

    The event which had the Commissioner for Health, Permanent secretary, all Directors, Heads of units and Focal Persons in charge of Health programs in the State in attendance, kicked off at the Mary Slessor Roundabout in the early hours of the day and saw a carnival walk of advocacy and health sensitization through the routes which ended at NAKS Hotel Pavilion, Ndidem Usang Iso Road Calabar.

    Speaking at the event the Commissioner for Health Dr. Janet Ekpenyong who was in an ecstatic mode said the walk was organized to signify our resolve to continue to support “Health for All” as the mandate for which WHO is known for above all a way of sending a message of solidarity and unfettered commitment to the WHO who have been a faithful and worthy partner to the state over the past decades through their unwavering supports and commitments to saving lives.

    The Commissioner appreciated all partners present at the event as she further eulogized and lauded the WHO for being so consistent and supportive in tackling diseases, building capacity and improving interventions and health services from immunization,support programs and lots more. She however ceased the opportunity to solicit more support from the Organization for the state even as she pledged that the Cross River State Government through her office will continually provide enabling environment and necessary partnership for them to thrive in their implementations and goals .

    Also speaking at the event, the State coordinator for WHO Dr. Olatunde
    Yewande, revealed that the activity will not end only in the capital city but will snowball to other parts of the state like Ogoja Local Government Area on Tuesday in Collaboration with other partners to ensure that everyone in Cross River State irrespective of social status are carried along and have access to health in line with the general program of work and Sustainable Development Goals that have been set to enhance “Health for All”.

    She however thanked the Cross River State Government for her total cooperation and supports in ensuring they play the role of good partners as they’ve always been at the organization’s beck and call thereby profering a seamless stay and operation for their various projects and implementations.

    Also present at the event were PS SMOH, DIRECTORS AND STAFF OF SMOH AND SPHCDA, NANNM Chairman, NHIS, NPHCDA, RED CROSS, Heartland alliance and others.
    Memorable moments accompanied by photo ops to mark the epoch event followed suit with preparations for other activities scheduled to take place in the coming days.

    Hearty Congratulations to WHO on this milestone celebration and wishing them more fruitful, successful and impactful years of services to humanity.

  • Cross River: Ayade, Onor, Others Files 13 Petitions At The Election Tribunal

     

    In Cross River State, the Secretary of the three-man Election Petition Tribunal sitting over the February 25 National Assembly elections in the state, A.D Bambur, acknowledged that they had received 13 petitions from the different political parties.

    Of the 13 petitions, three candidates challenged those INEC declared as winners in the three senatorial districts of the state, just as 10 others queried the conduct of the House of Representatives poll.

    Bambur said the tribunal had commenced sitting, and already granted leave to parties to inspect materials used for the elections, following their respective applications. He added that the parties were currently serving summons and petitions to each other.

    A passing look at the cases shows that Governor Ben Ayade, who lost his bid to return to the Senate to the incumbent senator, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, filed petition number EPT/CRS/Sen/2/2023 against Jarigbe.

    Ayade vied for the Cross River Northern Senatorial District seat on the platform of APC.

    The PDP candidate in Cross River Central, Hon Bassey Eko Ewa, filed a petition listed as EPT/CRS/SEN/1/2023 against Rt. Hon Eteng Williams of the APC, who is the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly.

    Cross River Southern Senatorial District petition is from Rt. Hon. Daniel Asuquo of the Labour Party, and others versus Mr. Asuquo Ekpenyong Jnr of the APC in suit number EPT/CRS/SEN/03/2023.

    Former House of Representatives member, Hon. Atta Ochinke, also filed a petition against APC’s Hon Victor Abang in Ikom/Boki Federal Constituency.

    The APC candidates for Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency and Obudu/Bekwarra/Obanliku Federal Constituency, Hon. Jude Ngaji and  Rt.Hon. Legor Idagbo, are said to be at the Tribunals but their summons haven’t gotten to their opponents.

    The PDP governorship candidate, Senator Sandy Onor, has also vowed to challenge the process that made INEC to declare Sen. Bassey Otu as the winner.

    Onor alleged that the exercise was characterized by irregularities, including over-voting, and vote-buying amongst others.

    Hon. Thomas Aruku of the APC, who contested the Ogoja State Constituency seat, is also going to the tribunal to challenge the victory of Hon Rita Ayim of the PDP.

    Sunday Vanguard reports that there was still time for the submission of more petitions, as many of those who participated in the House of Assembly polls were putting finishing touch to their petitions before submission.

  • Akung Adie’s Family Releases Funeral Arrangement Of Matriarch, Late Mrs Grace Elima Akung Adie

     

    The family of Mr Akung Adie of Ejakpe, Ukwutia – Utugwang, Obudu Local Government Area, is set to lay to rest her matriarch, late Mrs Grace Elima Akung Adie.

    A released made available to TheLumineNews and signed by Mr Adie Sunday Ekunke, for the family indicates that, Friday 15th April, 2023, body leaves University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), for Obudu and lying in state and wake keep at Mr Adie Ereh’s compound, Ejakpe – Ukwutia, Utugwang, Obudu Local Government Area.

    Funeral service will be held at St Peter’s Catholic Church, Ukwutia – Utugwang, Obudu Local Government Area, while internment and reception will be at Mr Adie Ereh’s compound on Saturday, 15th April, 2023.

  • If We Can Live Like Jesus Only For This Week Alone, He Will Exalt Us To A Position Of Promise As We Prepare To Celebrate His Resurrection BY PETER OBELE ABUE

    WELCOME TO HOLY WEEK
    JESUS IS OUR GREAT EXAMPLE

    Welcome to the week that challenges us to live up to the expectations of our faith. Welcome to the week where Jesus is the focus and the rest of us are called to follow and imitate. This is what Jesus did for us

    1. He was humble: Jesus already existed in his divine nature before he became man. Yet, he accepted to become the most despised of men, a slave whom the Romans put to shame and condemned to a humiliating death on a Cross (Phil 2:6-11). The apostle Paul was advising the Philippians. not to be empty boasters but to “do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but (also) everyone for those off others” (3-4). What is your attitude when people despise or insult you even when you don’t deserve it?

    2. He accepted suffering: Jesus was well aware that he would not be allowed to carry out his mission in peace; that he will meet with strong opposition, insults and even physical violence. They will spit on his face, beat him up, torture and scourge him. Yet, he still wanted to carry out his mission because it was not to man that he owed allegiance but to God Almighty. What is your attitude in the face of your sufferings or sickness or death of a loved one?

    3. He shunned violence: Matthew tells us what Jesus said to Peter when he tried to defend him with his sword. “Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matt. 26:52). Many people today experience violence by inciting others to mob action or by provoking them through acts of terrorism, kidnapping, murder, election voilence, etc. What is your attitude when you are provoked into such a fight or to start a quarrel with someone?

    If we can live like Jesus only for this week alone, He will exalt us to a position of promise as we prepare to celebrate his resurrection.

    Welcome to Holy Week!

  • Cross River Guber Polls: Sandy Onor To Seek Legal Redress

  • Sandy Onor Remains The Candidate Of PDP In Tomorrow’s Election

     

    Senator Sandy Onor remains the proud and worthy candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in Cross River State for tomorrow’s Governorship election.

    The public is advised to take every information coming from the APC with circumspection especially in these desperate days for the party.

    A party and government that began with high powered lies is determined to finish strong on lies and should be robustly rebuffed by our long suffering compatriots.

    The PDP and his teeming supporters across the state remain proud of his sterling qualities and pedigree and are rearing to go for tomorrow’s polls.

    We have observed that from the day Mr Peter Obi and the Obedient Movement decided to work with the PDP to democratically elect Senator Onor as Governor, the APC has been unable to find sleep at night and have returned to their well known track record of telling lies as state and party policy.

    Caterpillar Media

  • Begiaba Community Association Endorses Sen Sandy Onor

     

    Begiaba Community Association, Abuja branch, has endorsed Prof Sen Sandy Ojang Onor as governor of cross river state in the forth coming elections scheduled for Saturday, March 18, 2023.

    The Group, which rose from its Extra Ordinary General Meeting on Sunday, noted that it has followed closely the campaigns of the various political parties and their candidates and has come to the conclusion that the best option for the state at this moment is Sen Sandy Onor.

    It noted that over the last eight years, cross river state has witnessed a decline in all major development indices due to poor governance and misplaced priorities. The state therefore need a governor with the right pedigree, a proper grasp of the challenges facing the state and the boldness to take tough decisions.

    In a statement signed by its Chairman, Mr Godfrey Ashaka, the Association noted that from all available evidence, Sen Sandy Onor has the requisite experience, knowledge and capacity to lead the state and return it to its glorious days.

    They called on all chapters across the country to align with its position and advice their members to return home ahead of the election to work and mobilize support for the PDP candidate, Sen Sandy Onor, who enjoys wide acceptance across the state due to his good record in public office at various levels.

    The Association appealed to security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force, to ensure a free and fair election come Saturday so that the peoples votes will count.

    Signed:

    ASHAKA Godfrey
    Chairman

    Udie Michael
    Gen Secretary

  • Bakassi: The Fairy-tale Of A Homeless Tribe… BY AGBA JALINGO

    Bakassi: The Fairy-tale Of A Homeless Tribe…

    After Nigeria unjustly used a portion of our State, Bakassi to play father-christmas on the alter of international politics and nefariously ceded it to Cameroon over a cup of tea in foreign land, the human beings living in what is now called Bakassi LGA in Cross River State, are still treated like SHIT! Yes, that’s the word…SHIT! Even the Etinyin of Bakassi, His Royal Majesty Etiyin Etim Okon Edet, who doubles as the Chairman of the Cross River State Traditional Rulers Council, does not have a palace any longer; after his palace was ceded along with their lands to Cameroon. He lives in his personal house in Calabar Municipal.

    Bakassi has 10 political Wards on paper. The 10 Wards are currently delineated into 70 polling units PUs. The February 18, 2023 Presidential and NASS Elections, held in only 20 out of the 70 polling units in Bakassi LGA. Elections did not hold in 50 polling units due to insecurity, according to INEC.

    Let it be on record that voters that INEC registered, and made to queue under the Sun for weeks to collect their voters’ cards all came out in those 50 polling units eager to vote. These voters include former Presidential Aide, Senator Ita Giwa, and a former LG Chair of Bakassi, Hon. Bassey Ita Edet, They waited from morning till the election time was over only for INEC officials not to show up.

    INEC asked them to come back the next day, Sunday February 19 to vote. They still turned up as directed, very eager to vote. They waited until INEC informed them late in the evening that the BVAS machines were configured for only Saturday and that the Commission was unable to reconfigure them for Sunday, so the rescheduled election still did not hold. Even Ita Giwa, did not vote.

    But INEC still went ahead and announced winners. So let us see the numbers.

    The total number of registered voters in Bakassi is 15,642. INEC accredited a total of 1,165 voters on election day. Less 14,477 of those INEC registered.

    Out of 1,165 accredited voters on election day, a total of 1,147 cast their ballots in the Presidential election.

    Valid votes were..…1,076
    Rejected votes were… 71

    APC got……… 306

    LP got……… 487

    PDP got……… 266

    Others got:…..17

    The margin of victory from these numbers is not more than 200 votes. But the total number of voters that INEC disallowed from voting is over 14,000. How on God’s Earth can such an election be described as a valid election? Does the person laying claim to such dubious victory not feel like a criminal? Such insensitivity and widespread denial of the people of Bakassi from voting, should be tested against our electoral laws in court.

    The implication of this precarious precedence is also that in next Saturday’s State House of Assembly Election, INEC will declare someone with less than 500 votes, as winner to go and represent Bakassi in the Cross River State House of Assembly. That’s actually a fraud and disservice to a people who have been so badly pummeled by the vagaries of international conspiracy and internal greed.

    Let me also remind you that the Supreme Court in February 2018, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delineate wards in Bakassi LGA so as to give the people a sense of belonging. Delivering judgment on an appeal brought by the INEC against representatives of Bakassi Council, who were displaced from Cameroon, the apex court in a lead judgment delivered by His Lordship, Justice Inyang Okoro, held that the people of Bakassi have suffered enough and as such, there was the need for INEC to assuage their plight by delineating constituencies in the council. This order hasn’t been executed.

    It is annoying and frustrating how these very important issues are overlooked and allowed to pace away as if they are inconsequential. Just imagine that the children of these parents who are treated like garbage rise tomorrow and take up arms to begin another flank of insurgency against Nigeria? Is this total negligence and denial from participation in a country they think they belong to, not enough reason for rebellion? What actually did the people of Bakassi do to Nigeria to deserve this kind of treatment? Is it because they haven’t resorted to the language Nigeria understands? I am just thinking aloud.

    The other issue troubling me this morning is simple. It’s 74 days to go. It started from 2,922 days. 2,848 days have been spent. Will it truly be on record that, Governor Ayade came and spent 8 solid years in government and does not have a single FUNCTIONAL project in Cross River? With all the grammar laden trillion budgets?

    Even the 52, two bedroom flats Ayade built for the Bakassi returnees were destroyed and now occupied by miscreants.

    Tufiakwa!!!

    Yours sincerely,
    Citizen Agba Jalingo.

  • Is This How Governor Ayade Will Leave Us? BY AGBA JALINGO

    IS THIS HOW GOVERNOR AYADE WILL LEAVE US?

    In 79 days time from now, Governor Ayade will share the grace from office. He will stop being our governor. In case you don’t understand; he will hand over to a new governor and become former governor. But the actual grace sharing begins after the primaries of the political parties which must hold and be completed within the next five months. Even before and after then, politicking takes over everything. Governance grinds to a total halt.

    But I have been thinking and picking my teeth and wondering that, like play, like play, is this how Governor Ayade will just leave us?

    1. Without a superhighway, an evacuation corridor where we will drive from Calabar to Obudu with a glass of water on the trunk of the car and the glass will not shake?

    2. Without turning Bakassi to Lugano?

    3. Without resettling the Bakassi IDPs?

    4. Without, a deep sea port in Bakassi?

    5. Without Ikom Chocolates in the stores?

    6. Without poles, piles and pylons in even Bedwell market in Calabar?

    7. Without even a face towel from garment factory in any shop on Marian road in Calabar?

    8. Without a rice city churning out highly improved “Calas 77” seeds to the rest of Nigeria to generate N70billion annually for Cross River and decouple the State from federal allocation?

    9. Without a trademark roofing sheet or tile from Yala roofing tile factory, in the market?

    10. Without Bekwara groundnut oil in the market?

    11. Without Obubra cassava processing factory starch in the stores?

    12. Without thousands of Cross Riverians on the Ayadecare insurance scheme?

    13. Without a functional passenger and cargo airport in Obudu?

    14. Without registering an airline or getting an AOC?

    15. With a chicken processing factory that functions only during the Yuletide?

    16. Without a cotton farm in Yala to feed the garment factory?

    17. With brown roofs in Calabar without changing every roof to blue roof?

    18. Without a spaghetti fly over?

    19. With a depleted green forest and murderous wood barons?

    20. Without a bag of Ogoja rice in the market from a bubbling rice mill in Ogoja?

    21. With a nearly decapitated civil service?

    22. With children driven away from primary schools for illegal levies?

    23. Without Ayadecare Specialist Hospitals in the three senatorial districts?

    24. Without Centricot, Northicot and Calas Vegas?

    25. Without a petrocross vessel to rake in revenue for our State?

    26. Without a vessel to ship merchandize from Cross River to the world?

    27. Without a revolutionary robotic and artificial intelligence innovation?

    28. Without flying essential drugs to remote areas in Cross River with drones?

    29. Without a functional 23 megawatts electricity generating plant in Calabar or 26 megawatts in Tinapa?

    30. Without building two megawatts electricity generating plants in each of the 18 Local Government Areas of the State, through Industrial Project Services (IPS) from South Africa?

    31. Without a single drug manufactured from CalaPharm?

    32. Without a functional toothpick factory in Ekori?

    33. Without a functional Cross River microfinance bank?

    34. Without a banana processing farm in Odukpani?

    These were just some of our governor’s promises amongst others. Once the cameras roll in front of him, the promises begin to cascade like the springs of Obudu Ranch. He promised a bag full and has achieved little. Scattered all over our State today are monuments of infantile passion about industrialization without direction, that will serve as mementos of the trappings of a governor who knew how to talk but could not do.

    Governor Ayade remains a shining and fantastic example of how passion alone and ideas do not translate to delivery. He is an epitome of a plan-less leader and a reflection of what a disaster plan-lessness and impulse leadership can wreck.

    If you rely on optics and oratory, Ayade will win Nigeria’s best governor any day. But the reality on the ground is not far from me. It is within my grasp, because I am involved.

    Yours sincerely,
    Citizen Agba Jalingo.

  • Sandy’s Rainbow Vision

    SANDY’S RAINBOW VISION

    Beneath Onor’s blue passion,
    Brilliant crystal ornaments
    Glow like celestial pearls,
    Desiring to serve CRS.

    His golden brain explores daily,
    Full of unadulterated love,
    His heart burns with truth,
    Replete with optimism for CRS.

    In his eyes are seas of tears,
    Lamenting our aged sorrows,
    His caterpillar muscles
    Are ready to toil and serve us.

    Offer Sandy your hearts now,
    Offer him passionate prayers,
    CRS, sleep no more,
    CHANGE knocks your doors.

    Wash your faces clean,
    From the stains of APCism,
    From the darkness of DECEIT,
    From these seasoned demons,
    Then HOPE shall surely kiss you.

    By Anthony Abuo.