The Lumine News

Author: News

  • Jubilation As NYSC Members To Be Enrolled Into NHIS

    Nigerian President, Muhamaddu Buhari has approved the enrolment of members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the National Health Insurance Scheme.

    This was disclosed by the Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier-General Shuaibu Ibrahim, during a media parley today, November 9, 2020.

    His words “I wish to use this opportunity to again express our gratitude to the security agencies and other stakeholders for their support. Furthermore, the scheme has concluded arrangement with the NHIS for the enrolment of corps members into the NHIS in line with a presidential directive. We have also expended huge resources on critical health needs of corps members, including footing of medical bills.”

  • Nigerian Youth Set To Begin Second Phase Of #EndSARS Protest

    There is anxiety in Lagos as Nigerian Youths begin second wave of #EndSARS protest on Monday, 9 November to end police brutality and bad governance in Nigeria, the protest seems to be taking a slow move online but yet to be taking to offline in the streets of Lagos and some other states.

    The #EndSARS movement is said to be mobilizing to stage a fresh protest across the state citing “harassment” of the promoters.

    The state panel of inquiry investigating alleged brutality and abuses by the disbanded State Anti-Robbery Squadas well as the recent Lekki shootings had suspended sitting on Saturday when two youth representatives pulled out in protest against the freezing of accounts of the #EndSARS promoters by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
    The youth, it was learnt, are already mobilizing ahead of today’s protest three weeks after the state recovered from massive arsons and destruction of public assets in the previous protests.

    But the state police command has vowed to resist any fresh protest.

    The Global News Nigeria learnt that the state command had deployed its men in strategic places in Lagos to foil any protest, at Alausa in Ikeja, parts of Awolowo Road, Ikeja Under-Bridge, Ikeja Along, among others.

    The police command said it would resist any planned protest, procession or gathering under whatever guise in the metropolis, insisting that the government and residents were yet to overcome “the wounds sustained during the recent #EndSARS protests.”

    The command’s spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, said intelligence gathered from relevant bodies indicated that “some unpatriotic elements or groups of people have concluded plans to orchestrate another set of violence in the state.”

    He said a new group of protesters, under the guise of the recent #EndSARS was planning to stage another protest when the previous ones had been adjudged “as violent, dangerous and counterproductive.”

    “Premised on this, the command, therefore, wishes to warn any individual, group of students or any groups who might want to stage any form of protest, either “peaceful” or violent, or gathering whatsoever, to desist as the police and other security agencies will collectively and tactically resist any security threats or threats to public peace which might be triggered by protest or protesters in Lagos State,” Adejobi said in a statement.

    Meanwhile, the national coordinator of the Youth Rights Campaign, Adaramoye Michael and the national secretary, Francis Nwapa, charged the police “to reassure the Nigerian people and youth that SARS and police brutality is truly a thing of the past by not behaving like the defunct SARS in flagrantly disregarding citizens’ constitutional rights.”

  • National Boundary Commission Inaugurates Joint Technical Team And flags off A Verification Exercise On Benue – Cross River Boundaries.

    By Richard Abu

    The National Boundary Commission (NBC), today 8th November, 2020, inaugurated a Joint Field Technical Team and flagged-off the Field Verification Exercise on the Benue – Cross River inter-state boundaries in Sankwala, Obanliku LGA.

    The exercise comes on the heels of the resolution of the joint meeting of officials of the two states with the National Boundary Commission, held on the 9th of October 2020 in Abuja.

    The Joint Technical Committee Committee inaugurated include: the Surveyor General of the Federation, the Surveyor General of Cross River and Benue States, the Deputy Governors of Cross River and Benue states, representatives of the affected local government areas of the two states amongst others.

    Declaring the exercise open, the Director General of NBC, Surveyor Adamu Adaji stated that the boundary between the two states was only for administrative purposes and not to stop the interaction between the two states. He further sued for cooperation from indigenes of the two states to achieve a successful verification exercise.

    On his part, the Deputy Governor of Cross River State who also doubles as the Chairman of the State Border Committee, his Excellency Prof. Ivara Esu, welcomed the NBC DG and other delegates and his Benue counterpart to the event, stressed the importance of the exercise and reemphasized that the exercise is to demarcate the boundary and not to create a barrier between the two states.

    In his words “the boundary between Cross River and Benue is not as complex as we have in other states as pillars are already in place; this exercise is to verify those already existing pillars and plant new ones where they don’t exist”

    Similarly, the Deputy Governor of Bunue State/Chairman of Benue State Border Committee, Engr. Benson Abounu thanked the people of the two states for their peaceful coexistence over the years stating that despite the reoccurring skirmishes, his people and that of Cross River State share culture, inter-marry and trade together peacefully.

    He further sued for peace and cooperation from the people especially Youth of the two states during the exercise.

    In their separate remarks, the traditional rulers of Vandeikya and Obanliku Local Governments thanked the Federal, Cross River and Benue States governments for putting heads together to see to a lasting solution to boundary issues between the two states.

    The traditional rulers further assured the technical team of their people’s utmost cooperation during and after the exercise.

    The occasion was also graced by the Chairmen of the affected local governments in Cross River State including Hon. Eraye Ewhe of Obudu, Evan. Margaret Inde of Obanliku, Dr. Joe Owan of Bekwarra, Barr. Fabian Ogbeche of Yala and their counterparts from Vandeikya, Kwande, Konshisha and Oju local governments of Benue State.

    Also in attendance were the representative of the Surveyor General of the Federation, Surveyor Generals of the two States, the Hon. Commissioner for Education Cross River, Dr. Godwin Amanke, the DG Bordercom Cross River State, Mr. Noel Ugbong, the Hon. Commissioner of Boundaries Benue state, Royal fathers from the affected local government areas amongst others.

    The exercise is expected run through the 22nd of November, 2020 along the boundary flashpoints between the two states.

  • A Good Product Attracts Buyers, Says Team Jari

    By Admin

    A socio political group, Team Jari, known to be drumming support for the member representing Ogoja/Yala federal constituency, Rt. Hon. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, and factional candidate of the People’s Democratic Party PDP, in the forth coming CNS bye election, has continued in its advocacy to change the people’s perception about its principal.

    The group has stated that a good product will naturally attract buyers. The group made this known in a release made available to The Lumine News indicates that they don’t need much energy to sell the candidacy of Rt. Hon. Agom, considering his acceptability across party lines and the entire senatorial district.

    The release reads in full “It is a known fact that people love and patronise good products no matter how expensive there are. Many go any length to get what seems good and precious to them. This ideology isn’t restricted to only commodities in the market, it can also be likened to politics.

    “Nigeria democracy has come a long way and the sustainability and dividends of the democracy is in high demand. Political position isn’t a settlement venture neither is it an entitlement. It is not exclusively reserved for any commando or conqueror. Political position is for prepared and determined minds who are ready to work selflessly for the overall good of the masses. Such politicians don’t struggle to get to any political office.

    “Talking of Cross River North Senatorial district and the progress so far in the Senate, the region has produced seemingly many politicians who are yet to live up to expectations. The region has remained underdeveloped with politicians selfishly serving their own interests instead of the overall interest of the masses that voted them.

    “For five years running, RT. Hon. Jarigbe Agom, member representing Ogoja/Yala federal Constituency, has performed incredibly, more than past and present occupants of same position and even higher positions. Rt.Hon. Jarigbe’s performance in Five years as a House of Representatives member has sold him convincingly to the masses. Both old and Young sings Jarigbe’s praises and prays for his elevation. This is due to the overwhelming impact the MP has created and is still creating.

    “The opportunity is here for the entire Cross River Northern Senatorial district to feel the impact of uncommon representation of Rt. Hon Jarigbe Agom. It is already a truism that the masses has accepted him, delegates voted massively for him at the 5th September primary and he has emerged the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP), against all odds.

    “We are not oblivious of the handiwork of some overzealous elements who are hell-bent on subjugating the overwhelming wish of the people to their selfish desires, an attempt the masses and good spirited democrats are fighting gloriously in the court of law against.

    “To us and the common man in CRN, Jarigbe remains the hope and future of the region. His impeccable performance in the House of Representatives has totally sold him such that, he doesn’t need too much preaching for people to buy him. The masses have bought Rt.Hon. Jarigbe and it remains so”.

     

  • Gov. Ayade Confirms The Appointment Of Prof. Angba As CRUTECH VC.

    By Elijah Ugani – Calabar

    The Cross River State Governor, Sir Ben Ayade has confirmed the appointment of Prof. Austin Oko Angba as the substantive Vice Chancellor of the Cross River University of Technology CRUTECH.

    In a release signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Tina Agbor and sighted by The Lumine News, dated 9th November, 2020, indicates that the appointment takes effect from 6th November, 2020, and he is to serve a term of five years.

    Prof. Angba was among the three names forwarded by the Governing Council to the Governor for consideration and subsequent appointment.

    The Governor and Visitor to the university in exercise of his duty settled for Prof. Angba.

  • GFO Orim Foundation Puts A Smile On The Face Of A Widow

    By Elijah Ugani

    In line with the vision and mandate of GFO Orim Foundation to alleviate the plight of the less privileged in the society, the foundation had on Saturday October 7th, 2020 given hope to Mrs. Angelina Godwin Afo, a widow with four kids and a set of twins at Anyikang, Bekwarra Local Government Area of Cross River State.

    Mrs. Afo has lived in adject penury after the death of her husband, and life became very unbearable for her couple with the set of twins God blessed her with recently.

    The death of her husband forced her to live in an uncompleted building without doors and windows.

    The Chairman/Founder, GFO Orim Foundation, who is also the Chief of Staff to the Cross River State Governor, Hon. Martin Orim who is known for his magnanimity and humanitarian interventions aimed at changing the fortunes of the less privileged in the society, made a cash support to the widow and pledged to undertake the following;

    Plastering of the entire building, install doors and windows in the building, install solar light in her house, providing her with a grinding machine to enable her start a business, and to supply food items at regular intervals to enable her provide for the children.

    Hon. Orim was accompanied by the former leader, Obudu Legislative Council, Hon. Sylvester Agabi.

    This comes just three weeks after the foundation paid hospital bills for an abandoned twenty years old Miss Theresa, who delivered premature triplets at Sacred heart hospital Obudu, and made provision for the children to be incubated at Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital Abakiliki.

    When contacted, the Chairman/Founder, GFO Orim Foundation told The Lumine News that “I feel very disturbed and I have no peace when I see people subjected to untold situations. I wish I have what it takes to change the stories of most vulnerable people in the society. But we are constraint by the limited resources within our disposal.

    “Despite the paucity of funds, we will continue to do the best we can. For us, the comfort of this widow matter a lot to us. Those children deserve the best form of care. No body knows what God has destined them to become. We have to support their mother to enable her give them the basic training needed for the realization of their destinies and potentials”

  • Obudu Local Government Chairman Imposes Curfew In Obudu

    By Elijah Ugani

    The Chairman of Obudu Local Government Council, Mr. Boniface Eweh has imposed a curfew in Obudu from 5pm to 6am.

    In a release made sighted by The Lumine News and signed by the Personal Assistant to the Chairman on Media and Publicity, Mr. Richard Abu, indicates that the curfew became very necessary to curb the reprisal attacks by youth on properties of members of the suspended Youth Council.

    The release reads in parts “Following the reprisal attack by Youth on properties of members of the now proscribed Youth Council, the Executive Chairman of Obudu LGC, Hon. Boniface Eraye Ewhe has now imposed a curfew between 5:00PM to 6:00AM daily starting from today, Sunday, November 8, 2020.

    “Residents are advised to observe this curfew as those found flouting it will be arrested.

    “The restriction in movement is to help the security operatives fish out the perpetrators of these dastardly attacks and criminals that would want to take advantage of the situation and commit crimes, while the Chairman continue to dialogue with stakeholders on the way forward”

  • Mediatrix Holds A One Day Training For Advocates And Social Media Influencers In Calabar

    By Elijah Ugani – Calabar

    Mediatrix Development Foundation (MDF), under the Spotlight Initiative, held a one day training for advocates and social media influencers with the view to create awareness on Gender Based Violence and inspire advocacy towards eliminating violence against women and girls.

    Speaking at the training, at Treasure Land Hotels, Calabar on Friday, October 6th, 2020, the Chief Operating Officer of Mediatrix Development Foundation, Mr. Jeffrey Adamade charged the advocates to consider giving their best to engage the public with the view of ending all forms of violence against women and girls.

    Violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world. It knows no social, economic or national boundaries.

    Worldwide, an estimated one in three children and women will experience physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime.

    Gender-based violence undermines the health, dignity, security and autonomy of its victims, yet it remains shrouded in the culture of silence.

    Victims of violence can suffer sexual and reproductive health consequences, including forced and unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, traumatic fistula, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and even death.

    The training was aimed at increasing the use of social accountability mechanisms by civil societies order to monitor and engage the ending of VAWG/SGBV/HP efforts and promoting women and girls’ SRHR.

    The objectives of the training was as follows;

    To increase the capacity of 16 participants (8 in Calabar and 8 in Obanliku) to act as social media advocates in response to violence against women and girls in Calabar and Obanliku local government areas.

    To Foster discussions on existing laws in relation to GEWE/VAWG/SGBV/HP/SRHR

    To build Partnership and Networks for Knowledge Exchange with relevant stakeholders

    To Increase coordinated efforts to jointly advocate on GEWE/VAWG/SGBV/HP/SRHR

    To give regular feedback on updates on GEWE/VAWG/SGBV/HP/SRHR in Cross River state

    To Increase Capacity of Social Media Advocates on Various Social Media Handle and Reporting.

    To setup State Media Team to to jointly advocate towards GEWE/VAWG/SGBV/HP/SRHR in Cross River State.

    To improve participants knowledge on Gender Based Violence, types and effect in our communities.

    To transfer new knowledge and skills through experience sharing on Violence Against programs. (Success stories, challenges and lessons learned)

    The facilitators, Mr. Obase Okanke, took the participants through the various forms of violence against women and girls, while Mr. Valentine Bassey tutored them on the use of social media handles to report activities, awareness campaigns/sensitization and cases of gender based violence against women which increased their knowledge on GEWE/VAWG/SGBV/HP/SRHR, and Social Media Reporting.

    One of the participants of the training, Mr. Boniface from Obanliku thanked thanked Mediatrix for the initiative to train them and maintained that despite his knowledge of ICT, he was exposed to so many things especially, twitter and promised to put in his best in the advocacy using social media to end all forms of violence against women and girls.

    Social media handles were set up for participants to ease their work while working to end gender based violence against women and girls.

    A WhatsApp group for reporting was set up for the trained advocates.

  • Cross River Peace Map Project: Developing a State Peace Map together

    By Efio-Ita Nyok

    Recently, you’d have discovered that I have been talking about conflict, violence, as well as my conflict resolution and peace building activities across the length and breadth of Cross River and the Niger Delta region especially under the aegis of Partners for Peace in the Niger Delta, P4P.

    Accordingly, because of my experiences, and as a way of contributing meaningfully to societal development through peace building/conflict resolution, I feel compelled to develop a ‘Cross River peace map’ which will reflect the history, character and interventions on any kind of conflict in Cross River.

    I’m therefore inviting you to be part and parcel of the initiative. If developed very well, it can be a reference document for security agencies and government department whose turf is security and conflict resolution.

    All I request from you is to pick on any LGA of your choice listed below, state the community, and what kind of violence is ongoing there; and if possible the extent of destruction of lives and property or any other details you can etc.
    Conflict crisis can be intra-state or inter-state.

    I’ll begin the challenge thus:
    Odukpani Vs Itu: Mbiabo-Oku Iboku century-long communal crisis over little forest reserve and portion of land harbouring oil suspectedly. Lives and property have been destroyed repeatedly.
    Biase: Erei Palm oil Settlement crisis affecting Egbor, people have been internally displaced, lives lost, property destroyed, etc…

    1. Abi
    2. Akamkpa
    3. Akpabuyo
    4. Bakassi
    5. Bekwarra
    6. Biase
    7. Boki
    8. Calabar Municipality
    9. Calabar South
    10. Etung
    11. Ikom
    12. Obanliku
    13. Obubra
    14. Obudu
    15. Odukpani
    16. Ogoja
    17. Yakurr
    18. Yala.

    Pick an LGA…

    #DiaryOfAnAfricanBlogger
    #PeaceInErei
    #LettherebePeaceinEgbor
    #ForgiveUrugbam
    #crossriverneveragain
    #crossriverpeacemap

  • Gully Erosion: Our Lives, Properties Under Serious Thread – Hon. Solomon Ika Cries Out

    By Admin

    The Honourable Councillor representing Ward 9 in Calabar Municipality, Hon. (Elder) Solomon Etim Ika has called the attention of Calabar Municipal Council and Cross River State governments to the lost of lives and valuable properties due to a deep gully erosion at Stream Road (Usung Efag) Water Board in Ikot Effanga Mkpa Clan, Ward 9, Calabar that have remain unattended to for several years and calls for urgent intervention.

    He made this known in a MOTION OF URGENT PUBLIC INTEREST before the 6th Legislative Council on Friday 30th day of October, 2020 over the imminent thread to lives and properties occasioned by the severity of the deep gully erosion at Stream Road (Usung Efak) Water Board in Ikot Effanga Mkpa Clan Ward 9 and it’s environs which falls within his constituency.

    Hon. Ika went further to tender photographs taken during his ON THE SPOT ASSESSMENT TOUR on the affected areas showing the extent of damage done by the said erosion for the house perusal.

    The lawmaker fondly referred to as the “People’s Honourable” in his prayers, urged the house to;

    √ The Legislative House rise to visit the affected areas for more clarity and insights on the matter;

    √ The Executive Chairman should as a matter of urgent public importance write a “Safe Our Soul (SOS) letter to draw the attention of our Humane / Passionate GOVERNOR, His Excellency Prof Ben Ayade to come to the rescue of the people of that area.

    The Leader thanked all the Honourable Members for their contributions and immediately set up an urgent Ad-hoc Committee, headed by the sponsor of the motion, Hon. Solomon Ika, to handle the matter. He asked the committee to visit the affected areas immediately after plenary and report same in the next legislative sitting.

    Hon. Solomon Ika used the opportunity to thank the Governor of Cross River State Senator Prof Ben Ayade for the ongoing works at the Ikot Nkebre area gully erosion sites, saying the intervention was quite commendable and sustainable.