The Lumine News

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  • Linda Ayade Flags Off Activities To Mark 2022 World Sight Day, Calls For Proper Attention To The Eyes

     

    The wife of the Governor of Cross River State, Dr Linda Ayade has called on Cross Riverians to pay attention to their eyes, as the state joins the global community to mark the 2022 World Sight Day celebration, which is marked on every second Thursday of the month in October with this year’s event falling on the 13th of October 2022.

    With an encouraging theme to “Love your eyes”, Dr Linda Ayade counselled that Cross Riverians need to eliminate every risks that can cause both temporary or permanent damages to their eyes which is the frame way to the body and the world.

    Flagging off the occasion of the World Sight Day in Calabar, the Cross River State Capital, the Wife of the Governor of Cross River State, Dr Linda Ayade who was represented by rhe Director General of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong called for priority be given to the eyes just like mental, gynaecological, cardiac and other major organs are treated with priority.

    According to Dr Linda Ayade, the timeliness of this year’s theme cannot be over emphasized as more people are loosing their sights daily due to negligence and preventable causes.

    She said, the common eye challenges seen amongst Cross Riverians include Cataract, glachoma, refractive errors and retinopathy due to diseases such as Diabetes, Hypertension and and some personal choice lifestyles which have been attributed to the rising causes of blindness across the globe, either partial or total as recorded by the World health Organization, and it is on the basis of rescuing the challenging eye health indices and alarming figure, that the Cross River State Government established the state eye care programme in Calabar with some other extension services at the grassroot to check common eyes defects and offer referral services when need arises.

    She said the state government will continue to promote eye care services especially in the rural areas through community outreaches and proper referral as she acknowledged partners such as the Mediatrix Development foundation who have supported the state in reaching out to the aged in many rural Communities.

    In her welcome address, the Director of the Cross River State Eye care programme Dr Luna Said, judging by global indices of having close to 300 million people suffering from various eyes defects, over 90% are avoidable and treatable hence the need to foster awareness on the common preventive approaches to blindness.

    She said the Cross River State Eye Care programme has offered thousands of corrective surgeries since it’s establishment with little or no cost to the patient, an act she said is phenomenal for the eradication of blindness and commendable to the Government.

    In his response, Permanent Secretary of the Cross River State Ministry of Health, Dr Iwara Iwara called for a routine eye check for every individual to check for abnormalities before it amounts into complications.

    He said the ministry will partner with the Primary Healthcare Agency to ensure that, mush referrals are sent to Calabar for surgical procedures and advises.

    The event gave oppurtunity for hundreds of people to check their eyes for any form of eyes defects and advice on the possible ways of keeping the eyes healthier.
    Tge event also featured goodwill messages from the Director of Administration SMOH, Barr John Odu and other staff of the state eye program.

  • PDP Must Resolve Its Crisis To Win 2023 General Election – Wike

     

    Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has again urged the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to do the right thing, if the party must win the presidential election in 2023.

    The right thing, Governor Wike insisted, is the resignation of Senator Iyorchia Ayu as PDP national chairman, in order for a southerner to occupy the seat within the principle of equity, fairness and justice.

    Governor Wike restated his position during a live interactive media chat in Port Harcourt on Friday.

    He emphasised that any leader of a group who causes crisis within the group that he leads, truly lacks the requisite skills to navigate affairs of such group.

    “This is the time to show leadership skill on the part of those who are leaders of the party. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is the presidential candidate. He is the one who feels the pain.”

    Governor Wike made reference to the party’s constitution that spells it out in Section 7 (3) (c) that that all political and elective positions must be zoned.

    He wondered why it is now so difficult for Senator Ayu to respect the constitution or even keep to his promise and quit the office if a northern is elected as PDP standard bearer.

    “We have not held the presidential primary before the national chairman of the party said if the presidential candidate emerges from his area, he will quit.”

    Governor Wike also accused Senator Ayu of collecting one hundred million Naira, first from a certain governor to renovate the party’s democratic institution, and later went to PDP National Working Committee (NWC) to collect exact amount for the same purpose. Governor Wike dares Senator Ayu to deny it.

    “In fact, let me also tell you, Ayu collected N100million naira from a governor that he was going to renovate our democratic institution and then he went back to the PDP NWC and took the same N100million naira for doing the same work.”

    He further added, “What kind of system is that? I am telling you all these are facts. Let him (Ayu) say no first and I will tell you (those he collected money from).”

    The Rivers State governor pointed to the importance of the mission of rescuing Nigeria expected of the PDP by Nigerians. But the mission, he said required a leader with proven integrity to lead the party.

    “For God’s sake, knowing that you are in a party that wants to take over the reign of governance in the country, we know Nigerians know the problems confronting the country.

    “If a leader does not have integrity, forget it. We need a man who will tell his people this; a man who will be firm, a man who will be courageous to do those things that even people find it difficult to do.

    “You are presenting a man who is the head of the party, the chairman of the party, who has no integrity to lead the campaign to take over the reigns of governance.”

    Governor Wike explained that the chairmanship position of the party should go to the south before the elections. According, if Alhaji Atiku Abubakar wins in February presidential election, the hawks around him won’t wait until May to take major decisions.

    “Who is there to decide for the South? Why will you tell me until when you finish election that’s when a southerner will emerge as chairman.”

    Governor Wike described as untrue the report in the media that some former PDP governors, including Dr Peter Odili, were sent to him to resolve the crisis in the party.

    Speaking further, Governor Wike decried the perennial flooding experienced in parts of the country as a result of lack of initiative on the part of the federal government to dredge the River Benue and River Niger respectively.

    Governor Wike asserted that one way of solving the ravaging yearly flooding situation, is to pay attention to the sources of water flow and end the suffering of Nigerians who become impacted every year.

    “I asked what is this problem that we can’t dredge River Benue and River Niger? Each time I fly over Benue, the sight makes me cry. We won’t have had so much problem to this extent if we dredge them

    “But the politics, I do not know. Who is interested for River Benue, River Niger not to be dredged, and that has caused so much hardship for our people.

    “How can government from time refused to dredge the rivers and I heard, sometime, that they awarded the Calabar River. What happened, where is the money?”

    Governor Wike imagined why the federal government will award an all important contract like the dredging of Calabar River and will not demand its execution, even when communities continue to suffer from such negligence.

    Governor Wike also informed that the taskforce on flood set up in the State is directly supervised by him to ensure that the impacted victims directly benefits from the relief materials that they would eventually require.

    The governor dismissed insinuation that Sir Celestine Omehia was derecognised as ex-State Governor of Rivers State by the State lawmakers because he is supporting Atiku. According to him, the lawmakers took their decision based on Supreme Court judgment that sacked him.

    Governor Wike dismissed claim by the management of Africa Independent Television (AIT) that the company acquired the land from the State government.

    According to him, when the State Assembly started deliberation of the land, AIT until date failed to provide any letter of allocation to claim ownership of the land that was supposed to house its regional office in Port Harcourt.

    Governor Wike also mentioned that he desired to construct a ring road that is estimated to cost N70B. The road, he said is planned to start from Okrika Town axis through Eleme to the Port Harcourt International Airport and terminate at Choba town.

    He stated that since the tenure of his administration will end in May 2023, he will recommend to the incoming administration to execute the project because of its importance.

    The Rivers State governor said the appointment of fifty thousand Special Assistants by him has provided jobs opportunity for the affected persons.

    October 14, 2022

  • 23-Year-Old Cross Riverian In Police Net For Faking His Abduction To Extort Parents

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  • 23-Year-Old Cross Riverian In Police Net For Faking His Abduction To Extort Parents

    By Ishola Oludare, Daily Post

    Edward Okache, a Cross Riverian is currently in the custody of the Ogun State Command of the Nigerian Police Force after he was arrested alongside four others for faking his kidnap in order to extort N10 million from his parents.

    Okache, 23, a native of Yala Local Government Area was arrested alongside a Ghananian, Asamoah Ernest, two other Yala indigenes – Ephraim Anyijor and Charity Lukpata as well as one Isiah Uti.

    The Daily Post reports that the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi said one Comfort Okache had earlier reported at the Mowe divisional headquarters via a phone call that his younger brother, traveling from Calabar to Lagos, had been kidnapped around the Mowe area of Ogun State.

    According to the Police spokesman in Ogun, Abimbola Oyeyemi, the kidnappers were demanding N10 million if the relatives wanted to see the boy alive which forced the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Mowe division, SP Folake Afeniforo, to mobilize the division’s tactical teams to the area.

    “Upon painstaking and enduring combing of the surrounding bush at Orimerunmu area, the victim was sighted in an uncompleted building with the duo of Asamoah Ernest, a Ghanaian, and Isiah Uti, where he was tied in both hands and legs,” Oyeyemi said.

    Police rescued the acclaimed victim and arrested the two suspects found with him.

    “But on getting to the station, the two arrested suspects made a shocking revelation that the so-called victim was the person who planned with them to kidnap him in order for him to extort money from his parents to invest in an online business,” it was explained.

    They had confessed further that the said Okache was introduced to them by Anyijor and Lukpata, and that they all were part of the planned kidnap of Edward Okache.

    Their confession, Oyeyemi stated, led to the arrest of Anyijor and Lukpata, adding that “they have all confessed to the commission of the crime.”

    The Commissioner of Police in Ogun, Lanre Bankole, has directed that the case be referred to the anti-kidnapping unit of the State CIID for further investigation and possible prosecution.

  • Wike Commissions Multi-Chain Supermarket, Says Rivers More Attractive To Investors

    Rivers State governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike says he is delighted that measures taken by his administration to make the State an investment destination have continued to yield results.

    One of such recent evidence is the formal opening of the HyperCity Supermarket that is located at the Eastern Bye-pass Junction, Ogbu-nu-abali community in Port Harcourt Local Government Area.

    Governor Wike was on hand to formally inaugurates the supermarket on Wednesday and opened it for daily business.

    The governor said the land on which the supermarket is sited used to be a mangrove forest from where criminals terrorise the adjoining Ogbu-nu-abali community and motorists.

    With his administration sand-filling the area, governor Wike noted how attractive it became to the owner of HyperCity Supermarket who has today established his venture there.

    Concerning growing the business stakes of the state, Governor Wike said his administration is more interested in anything that will attract investment and create jobs for Rivers people.

    “But government took it upon itself to make sure that criminals don’t continue to thrive here. We owe the economy of the State to grow. We owe to provide security for businessmen and women, and security of communities.

    “You have seen how beautiful it looks, it cost us money to sand-filled this area. Just like people are approaching us now at the other site that they want to establish this and that. We feel happy and encouraged

    “The duty of government is to provide enabling environment. I want investors to come to the State. When investors come to the state, our people will be employed. When our people are employed, government will collect taxes and use those taxes and do other things for the State.”

    Governor Wike commended the management of HyperCity Supermarket for keeping to the agreed business timeline concerning the use of the land they secured from government.

    The governor said since his administration was ending soon, any investors that has secured land for use for business must begin to actualise that purpose or lose the land.

    “Just like we said that anybody that wants land from Rivers State government, you’ll tell us the duration.

    “Because in previous administration, people come and tell government they want to do this, they want to do that. And then, government will give them the land, and then you’ll find out that in five or six years, nothing has happened.

    “Before you know it, they take government land and sell and make more money or use the government land as collateral for loan.

    Governor Wike recalled how the land on which Silverbird Cinema is located along the Abonnema Whaff Road was also secured by an investor from the State government but instead of concentrating on the business purposes, used it to borrow money.

    Today, the governor expressed the regret that State government is struggling to regain the land from Amcon that seized it from Silverbird for defaulting in repaying the loan it took from the bank.

    “Today, you know where you have Silverbird Cinema, that is government landed property. You know that was where Obi Wali cultural centre used to be. But somebody came and told government they’re going to build something underground and this and that, and government gave the land.

    “You know what the person did? He took our land and went and took loan from the bank without building what is supposed to be there. AMCON now came to seize the property that the person did not pay the loan. And today, we are struggling to take it back.”

    Governor Wike enjoined the management to provide employment to members of the host community and Rivers youths.

    He also insisted that such indigenous staff must be offered requisite training that will enable them grow to become management staff of the company.

    In his speech, managing director of HyperCity Supermarket, Mr. Sunny Chuwla said HyperCITY is a modern retail store based on Hypermarket store format l.

    He stated that they offer unparallel choice of local and international products cutting across the entire spectrum of consumable needs of a family under One Roof.

    “HyperCITY story started a year ago. When we were given the opportunity to invest here, it came with a condition that we need to open the store before Dec. 2022, or the land will be revoked without excuses

    “Today, we are glad that we have opened the 1st Store much before the deadline. Our second store is also lined up for opening very soon.

    “We all know that retail is one of the largest employment sectors in the world and as at today, HyperCITY has generated over 200 direct and indirect jobs to the Rivers people in this single store.”

  • Ayu Must Go, Nobody Will Make Me Change My Stance – Wike

    Culled From Vanguard

    GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike says he is committed to leading the charge to compel Sen Iyorcha Ayu to give up his national chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to a Southern Nigeria that no one can make him change his stance.

    Wike who asserted this while hosting Cross River State PDP governorship and all state and national assembly candidates along with local government chairmen of his private residence in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Wednesday night, also said genuine efforts to amicably resolve the impasse in the PDP were being frustrated by rent-seekers in the party.

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    Addressing his guests with South-South National Vice Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, present, Wike fingered perceived “hyenas and rent seekers,” as remaining obstinate and averse to justice, fairness and equity in the party.

    He said, “We’ve finished presidential primaries. We have a presidential candidate. Is Wike saying to remove the presidential candidate? Is Wike saying to remove the vice presidential candidate? So, what are you begging me for?

    “All I am saying will continue to say is you have taken president, give us national chairman. Nobody wants to speak the truth. If I am saying remove the presidential candidate, remove the vice presidential candidate, then you will say why is he doing this.”

    “He (Ayu) said, if the presidential candidate comes from the north, he will resign, which means he has had this in mind. Now, the thing has come to reality, now resign, he says no. And people are saying go and talk to Wike.

    “I’ve accepted the presidential candidate, accepted the vice presidential candidate, what’s the problem again. You, fulfil your part. Let the South have something, that is all I’m preaching. You cannot have presidential candidate, national chairman, director general of the campaign.”

    The governor described as hypocritical, PDP members criticising APC Muslim/Muslim ticket while supporting a particular region of the country to retain the presidency for another eight years.

  • Wike Hosts Cross River PDP Candidates, Donates 25 Buses For Campaign

    Channels Television

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday night, hosted Peoples Democratic Party’s candidates for the State and National Assembly elections in Cross Rivers State.

    The delegation which includes chairmen of the party in the various local government areas was led by the Cross River Governorship Candidate of the party, Senator Sandy Onor.

    In his speech, Onor said, “Today is historic. Wike is a trailblazer for justice and equity. He speaks the truth fearlessly.”

    He said the candidates were in Rivers to “thank Wike for being a good friend when Governor Ben Ayade defected to the All Progressives Congress”.

    “Wike has defended us and protected us from intimidation. He has made PDP a party to beat in Cross River.

    “There is nothing that Wike is asking for that is personal. All he seeks is justice,” he noted.

    Onor also announced that Wike donated 25 brand new buses for the campaigns in Cross River State.

  • School Of Nursing Itigidi, Releases 360 Successful Candidates For Admission Into ND, HND And B.Sc. Nursing Programmes

  • Ekpenyong Celebrates Salah With Muslim Community, Advocates For Continuous Uptake Of Health Services And Prioritization Of the Girl Child

     

    In ensuring inclusiveness, quality health and socio-economic advancements, the Cross River State Government have reached out to the Muslims in Nassarawa Community in Calabar Municipal Area Council to provide medical, food and other essential materials to residents of the area.

    Director General of the Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Janet Ekpenyong who led the team and accompanied by some staff of the State’s Primary Healthcare Development Agency said, it was part of the Salah religious celebration and a way of promoting cultural and religious tolerance in the state.

    Addressing the beneficiaries who were in their Hundreds, Dr Ekpenyong appreciated them for always advancing the state government’s health policies by granting access to health workers into their communities during health outreaches.

    She said, such tolerance and acceptability has over the years, contributed to Cross River’s impressive performance in national health interventions targeted at children, women and the vulnerable especially.

    While also speaking in commemoration of the day of the girl child, the DG encouraged them to ensure their daughters have same privileges given to their male children and they should not be deprived of their rights to education and quality health care.
    She informed them that the wife ot the Governor, Dr Linda Ayade Is committed to promoting and providing opportunities for women to thrive, because when a girl child is empowered , the whole community gets empowered.

    She thanked the leaders of the community and their religious heads for always keying into the advocacy and plans of the Senator Ben Ayade’s Government towards total eradication of Vaccine preventable Diseases in the state.

    She further called for the complete neglect of old barbaric practices like the patronage of Traditional Birth Attendance in the community and patronage of quacks and unqualified health workers which she said is top among factors contributing to high mortality rate in the state.

    In her response, One of the Community leaders, Mrs Amina Muhammed appreciated the Director General for finding out time to always associate with them and practically advance healthcare interventions in the Nasarawa community which is predominately occupied by the Hausa-Fulani ethnic group.

    She promised to further mobilize her people to continually patronize the available health facility which she said, meets required standard while applauding the efforts of the health workers posted to the area.

    Top of the activities were the distribution of welfare materials, provision of health services including covid-19 vaccination and sensitization of the people on some basic health care needs.

    Among the team who accompanied the DG were Mrs Felicitas Boco, who encouraged the women to always patronize the facility, Mrs Blessing Omachi , Mrs Bassey Henshaw amongst others.

  • Dear Thief, Kindly Steal With A Human Face BY AGBA JALINGO

     

    Regardless of how scary it may sound, it is axiomatic that life was longer when it was slower, and as life gets faster with technological leaps, life will continue to get shorter. I don’t know the calendar or the lunar cycle that was in place at the time, but we are told in the Bible for instance that one Methuselah lived for 969 years. Clearly that was a time when there was no knowledge of life beyond the precincts of where people found themselves.

    There were no roads. No transportation other than foot. No telephone. No internet. No satellites. No letter writing or post office. Nothing that has today given our lives a juicy turn existed then. Life was slow, so life was longer. As life got faster, when man began to impact on his environment to improve the quality of his life, and make it faster by building roads, airports, telephones, internet and the likes, life has consequently become shorter on the calendar and shall continue to, as long as it gets faster.

    But whether this life gets shorter or longer, the bottom line is that life will eventually come to an end here one of these days. And no matter the length of time God allots to each one of us here, how much money do we really need to survive for that time and even stockpile for our generations, if we must?

    It is a very important question that we need to ruminate on because our inability to interrogate this reality has led us to seeing some of the most humongous stealing in the history of politicking and public sector assignments in world’s history. Mindless stealing that when the figures are broken down, you conclude that those who do these things are not humans like the rest of us.

    No matter how much money you amass, if you spend 1million everyday from the day you are born non-stop, and live for 100years, you will only have spent thirty-six billion five hundred million. And if you spend 5million everyday from the day you are born non-stop, and live for 100years, you will spend: One hundred and eighty-two billion five hundred million Naira.

    Yet with all those bogus calculations, we only need a tiny percentage of that money to live comfortably here because we can’t start spending from the day we are born till the day we die for so many reasons and how many of us will even get to 100 years?

    So when you hear that public officials are stealing and sharing hundreds of billions of Naira from public coffers, the first question that comes to mind is, “what do they need all these numbers for? How long are you going to stay here? Why deny others the chance to taste a good life? That biggest mansion you are excited about buying or building, even your children will not sleep inside unless the ones that fail and are unable to build theirs.

    In taking it home, let me assume that there are not many people in this country who spend 5million daily nor desire to. For tens of millions of Nigerians, their desire is to have a system that can work and secure their daily bread for them. There is no man in Nigeria today that needs money to the tune of the embarrassing and mind boggling figures we read they are pilfering from government at all levels. None!

    It is sheer wickedness and a debilitating mental condition for our public officials to continue to neglect public needs and steal monies they really don’t need. The simmering anguish in the country is almost bursting. It is trite that stealing public money in Nigeria has been democratized and corruption now has a tribe amongst us, but when that endemic compulsive desire to steal has come over you and you must steal, please kindly steal with a human face.

    Yours sincerely,
    Citizen Agba Jalingo.