The Lumine News

Author: The Lumine News

  • Thanksgiving: Hon Peter Akpanke To Complete Church Building In Bendi

    Thanksgiving: Hon Peter Akpanke To Complete Church Building In Bendi

    By Elijah Ugani 

    The member representing Obudu/Bekwarra/Obanliku federal constituency, Hon Peter Akpanke has disclosed his intention to complete the ongoing church building project at the Roman Catholic Mission RCM Parish, Bendi in Obanliku Local Government Area.

    Akpanke made this known during a thanksgiving mass held in his honor on Saturday, February 24th 2024 at St John’s Catholic Church Keting, Bendi in Obanliku.

    Hon Akpanke came to God in thanksgiving on the recognition and award conferred on him alongside other sons and daughters of Keting by the Keting community.

    Speaking during the mass, Hon Peter Akpanke noted that “I built this church before I was elected to represent my people and I made a promise to God that if I win the election, I will build churches in my federal constituency to his honor, because without him, I will not have been alive. His grace saw me through with the support of my constituents.

    “Even if I cannot build churches across my federal constituency, let me begin from Obanliku where I come from. Yesterday, I sent a team to do costing for what is required to complete the church at the parish center and I was told it’s about 30m.

    “I will complete that church between now and the end of the year. That church must be used this year. And please father, don’t levy any church member in respect of the project”

    Responding to reminder by the homilist during the mass, Rev Fr Humphrey Udechukwu, on his earlier promise about the dilapidated Obudu – Ikom road that was awarded for reconstruction but abandoned, Akpanke pledged commitment to the advocacy to ensure that contractors return to site to complete the work.

    Speaking on her relationship with Hon Peter Akpanke, the member representing Oyi/Ayamelum federal constituency in the house of representatives, Hon Gwacham Maureen Chinwe, described him as a man with a large heart.

    In her words “I and my colleagues who are present in this event were elected under the labour party. My leader Peter Obi called me to go to Edo state, but I had to make my way to Cross River State to attend this event. You people did not make any mistake in electing him to represent you. Just give him some time, you will see what he do. All he needs now is your support. Forget the fact that we all members. Inside members, members the”

    Giving his vote of thanks, the Clan Head of Keting community, HRH, Utsu Nick Betiang Ayabie, noted that “It is with a deep sense of love, fraternity and utmost gratitude, that the entire Keting community expresses her profound appreciation to all colleagues, friends and well wishers of our illustrious son, Hon. Chief Peter Akpanke, for honoring our invitation to this glorious event. May God sustain your affinity with our son and our community so that the deep affection we have established shall remain our unshakable portion. May he also grant you safe return to your destinations”

    The event also had Hon Peter Udogalanya Aniekwe, member representing Anambra East/West Federal Constituency. Others were: Hon Martins Achadu PhD, representing Yala 2 state constituency, Hon Pius Ashakia and Hon Charles Omang, Members representing Obanliku and Bekwarra in the Cross River State House of Assembly.

  • There Is Hunger In The Land Because Most Of Our Leaders Have Become Predators – Humphrey Udechukwu

    There Is Hunger In The Land Because Most Of Our Leaders Have Become Predators – Humphrey Udechukwu

     

    The priest in charge of St Charles parish, Obudu has stated that there is so much pain and hunger in the society because most of our political leaders have become predators.

    Fr Udechukwu made the assertion today, february 24th 2024, while delivering a sermon at the Thanksgiving Mass in honor of Hon Peter Peter Akpanke, held at St John’s Catholic Church, Keting – Bendi, Obanliku Local Government Area.

    In his words, “Most of our leaders, the president, our governors, senators, house of representatives members, state house of assembly members, have become predators.
    They are feeding on the people they are supposed to feed. Instead of creating enabling environment for people to survive, through employment opportunities, regular payment of salaries, provision of social amenities, they divert funds meant for the public. Such leaders feed from the public and they therefore become predators”

    Udechukwu however, used the opportunity to call on members of the National Assembly who were present to put first the interest of their electorates, however encouraged Hon Peter Akpanke to remain resolute in the pursuit of the yearnings and aspirations of his constituents.

    He wondered what is really wrong with some leaders and cited the situation in Abia and Benue states where the previous governors of the two states had refused to develop the states with back log of salaries owed.
    He contemplated the magic that the current governors of Abia and Benue states, Dr Alex Oti and Rev Fr Alia are currently using to reposition the states.

    Reflecting on the thanksgiving, Fr Udechukwu commended Hon Peter Akpanke and Fr Justine Udie, to have returned to God in thanksgiving. They have come to thank God for what they have achieved.
    They realized that whatever they have achieved is as a result of God’s providential grace.

    “While Julius Caesar attributed his success to himself, our brothers have decided to attribute their success to God. That is why they have gathered us in thanksgiving to God.
    It is an invitation to share in what God has done for us.

    “Our Thanksgiving adds nothing to the greatness of God. When we thank God, we tell him that we are grateful.

    “When someone has done something good to you, than the person. If you have received something good either from God or people, thank them.

    “We are gathered here to continue to thank God for the things has done for us. Whatever we have, whatever we achieved, we should thank God.

    When David became king of Israel, he led the Israelites into very fierce wars and captured their territory and wanted to build a temple for God, but because his hands were filled with blood, God forbid him from building a house for him. But because of his goodwill and intention, God made his dynasty to last forever.

    “This church we sit here was built by Hon Peter Akpanke in thanksgiving to God in appreciation of what God has done for him. Hon Peter Akpanke is a man of Thanksgiving. He is a man who loves giving back to his people. We know him, he is always with his people, listening to them and providing solutions to most of their problems. For you his colleagues who are here today, I want to to challenge you to go back home and provide the representation your people yearn for.

    “Let me remind Hon Peter Akpanke that during his last thanksgiving here in this Church, he promised to draw the attention of all necessary authorities to the dilapidated, awarded and abandoned Obudu – Ikom road”

  • Gov Otu Directs Payment Of All State And Local Government Workers, Pensioners

    Gov Otu Directs Payment Of All State And Local Government Workers, Pensioners

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Governor Otu Directs Payment Of All State And Local Government Workers, Pensioners

    1. Governor Bassey Otu directs that all unpaid salaries and pensions should be paid immediately, while those with issues should be verified and cleared for the implementation of February salaries.

    2. The Governor sincerely sympathises with all employees and pensioners for the delay due to ongoing staff and pension audit and verification exercise.

    3. However, to ensure the seamless payment of February salaries and pensions, the Governor directs all those with duplicate names and accounts, which have been made public, to report at the Office of the Head of Service for authentication.

    4. Names of the affected staff have also been sent to the respective MDAs for that purpose.

    5. The Governor is desirous to save sufficient funds from the audit and verification exercise in order to commence the IMMEDIATE employment of the teeming unemployed Cross Riverians into the State and Local Government Service.

    Emmanuel Ogbeche
    Chief Press Secretary to the Governor
    21/2/24

  • State Governor Pledges Support For ICAN, Pledges Space For Secretariat

    State Governor Pledges Support For ICAN, Pledges Space For Secretariat

     

    Cross River State Governor, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu, has pledged his commitment to supporting the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

    During a recent visit, the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, who received the institute on behalf of the Governor, conveyed this assurance to the 59th National President of ICAN, Dr. Innocent Okwuosa, and his delegation.

    ICAN, known for its pivotal role in society, has produced outstanding accounting professionals.

    The Governor, who promised to allocate land for ICAN’s secretariat within the state as requested by the National President, said Cross River State has benefited from the body’s professionalism, citing the remarkable contributions of their members who are members of the State Exco.

    In an exclusive interview, Dr. Okwusa emphasized that ICAN’s focus extends beyond technical expertise.

    He said the institute champions accountability and transparency in governance and expressed hope that Cross River State, currently ranked 21st in the federation, will climb higher with the state government’s unwavering support.

    Members of ICAN that are in the State Executive Council that were present at the event included, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Mike Odere; the Commissioner for Housing Development, Dr. Beatrice Igwe; and, the Accountant-General of the state, Dr. Glory Effiong. Also in attendance was the former Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Kelly Iyamba.

    Highlights of the event included the exchange of souvenirs and group photographs.

  • Ekumtak Welfare Association Felicitates With Odey

    Ekumtak Welfare Association Felicitates With Odey

     

    Adie Ukongikwen

    The Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Rt. Hon Peter Odey, today the 20th of February, 2024, received in his office the Ekumtak Welfare Association (EWA) Calabar Branch.

    In his opening remark, the leader of the delegation and Chairman of EWA, Hon. Justin Bentem said Ekumtak Welfare Association whose objectives include looking out for the welfare of Mbube sons and daughters and the development of Mbube nation as a whole was in the office to felicitate with the Deputy Governor over the electoral and subsequent judicial victory of himself and the ‘People First ‘ Governor, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu.

    While praying God to continue to guide them in their administration he highlighted some issues affecting the Ekumtak people to include dilapidated secondary and primary schools; bad road network in the community; the need for portable water and electricity; gainful engagement of their youths; and completion of their town hall, and solicited for the support of government, public spirited individuals and NGOs to ameliorate the plight of the people.

    Responding to the Chairman’s remarks, Rt. Hon. Odey appreciated the visit of Ekumtak people. Regarding their demands, he said “Your demands are not out of place because these are basic amenities that government should provide”.

    Odey assured the association that all the issues affecting the Ekumtak people will be met as this will be meeting his own needs as well. The Deputy Governor used the opportunity to announce that the road leading from Ndok Junction into Mbube had already been awarded under the CR-RAAMP Project while also informing the delegation of ongoing water projects he had already sponsored in the community, assuring them that Ekumtak will benefit from the project.

    Present during the call were distinguished personalities of Ekumtak-Mbube, Sir B. O Ekpong, Justice Eunice Dada, Mr Godwin Nyiam, Chief Dr. A. A Abuo, Ms. Monica Ekpong and others.

    Highlights of the visit was a presentation of souvenirs to Rt. Hon Odey and a photo session with the visitors.

  • It Takes More Than Courage To Challenge Institutions…BY AGBA JALINGO

    It Takes More Than Courage To Challenge Institutions…BY AGBA JALINGO

     

    Courage may be simply explained as the ability to go ahead and do something that frightens you or the capacity to maintain strength in the face of pain and grief. There are quite a number of people out there who have no qualms taking such risks. The world has seen very many of such in different spheres and more are on their way to astound us all with their incredible adrenaline. After all, we have seen people jumping free fall from outer space back to our planet Earth.

    But it requires more than courage to take on institutions that were created ab initio, to control society. Namely: Government institutions, Religious cum Spiritual institutions, Traditional institutions, Professional associations, and Social affiliations. You require something more than courage. Courage alone will not last you the whole hug. Courage can be spontaneous and prompt. Courage can be a stunt in the face of imminent danger. Courage can also be deceptive. Therefore, when challenging institutional inanities, courage can only be one amongst several ingredients that are required for accurate shots.

    1. I don’t need to belabor myself to let you know the possible consequences of challenging or scrutinizing government. The whole organs of government and her apparatchik, from the military to the civic, from the visible to the non visible, will be deployed against you in the manner that courage alone will not suffice. Yours sincerely is a living witness of such deployment. In summary, I was so haunted that I actually became the first ever person since Nigeria was amalgamated in 1914, that a masquerade came to court to testify against me after a federal judge granted leave for my secret trial. I need a producer to even turn that into a movie.

    2. Religious and Spiritual Institutions, are one of the major control centers of society. Not a few businesses and even empires survive today only because of their affiliation with this axis. Apart from the personal satisfaction that we think we derive from those places, we must not be ignorant of their control buttons. So powerful are these centers that once they isolate or label you, even the most wicked of the society who hasn’t suffered your fate, will become more righteous before his or her brethren, while you are villainized. Everyone that is powerful in government, from the police to the military, to the para military, to the courts, to the parliament to the bureaucracy, belongs to one or the other places of worship and spirituality. Once the religious or spiritual caste is able to tag you, all their pressure buttons in government and elsewhere are activated to drain you in a manner that courage alone cannot rehydrate.

    3. It is the same case with traditional institutions. These institutions were hitherto, infallible and subjects were barred from ever scrutinizing them. They are inherently regarded as unquestionable. They control our lives and society. Taking on them requires much more than just courage and the audacity to swim in tempest tossed waters.

    4. Professional associations have been described by some scholars as intellectual prison yards. Not so much for the good they avail, but so much for the strings of control that they pull. They are conundrums curated by the most brilliant amongst us, for peer review and societal control. For instance, even after training and gaining qualifications as a lawyer, the bar association can stop you from practicing if they so collectively wish, under any guise. Challenging these elitist associations of like minds, really requires much more than courage.

    5. Then talk about social affiliations. The human being is gregarious by nature. We are sociable and fond of company. We practically cannot exist without associating with our kind. We want to belong to age grades, clubs, unions, gender groups, etc. Civil society has been able to calibrate these rungs also for societal cohesion and control. There are some of these social clubs that are even more powerful than political parties and government institutions. They wield so much power and control that courage alone will fail you if you choose to turn your barrel on their shenanigans.

    So in the face of these towering axis of societal control, courage is the junior brother to long suffering, forbearance, perseverance and a determined end goal. While courage may be spontaneous, the others are not. While courage is crucial, the others are indispensable. When courage will evaporate along the road, you will require the deliberate desire for long suffering, patience and the capacity to persevere and forbear, to cross the lonely road where courage is scarce or unavailable. But all of these can only be possible, if you have been to the mountain top and seen the promised land. If you have perceived the end goal. If you have a clear destination in mind. If that is missing, all others will have clay feet.

    Good morning!

    Yours sincerely,
    Citizen Agba Jalingo.

     

    Disclaimer:  The opinion expressed in this article is strictly that of the author Agba Jalingo and does not represent TheLumineNews or its agent.

  • Gov Otu Attends Nigerian Navy Handing Over Ceremony

    Gov Otu Attends Nigerian Navy Handing Over Ceremony

     

    Cross River State Governor, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu on Monday, attended the farewell and handing over ceremony in honour of Rear Admiral O. K. Oluwagbire of Eastern Naval Command (ENC) of the Nigerian Navy.

    The Governor, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, congratulated the newly posted Flag Commanding Officer (FOC) Rear Admiral S.A Akinwande and expressed gratitude to the outgone Flag Commanding Officer, ENC, for his tremendous role in combating crime within the state and his unwavering service to the Nigerian Navy.

    The Deputy Governor was accompanied to the ceremony by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Emmanuel Ironbar, Special Adviser on General Duties, Ekpenyong Akiba, Esq, and Chairman of the Cross River State Forestry Commission, Rt. Hon. George O’ben-Etchi.

  • Jarigbe Agom Reiterates Commitment to Supporting SMEs Empowers Market Women with N2m

    Jarigbe Agom Reiterates Commitment to Supporting SMEs Empowers Market Women with N2m

     

    The Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District, Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, has reiterated his commitment to support Small and Medium Scale businesses and other entrepreneurial endeavors across the Senatorial District.

    Speaking when he made a brief stop to interact with petty traders at Abouchiche, Bekwarra LGA, he commended the women for their commitment to their businesses even in the face of adversity and current economic challenges facing the country.

    The lawmaker who spent time to encourage the women, assured them that, he will not accommodate idleness, adding that, there are deliberate policies and empowerment programs that will primarily target SMEs only.

    Supporting twenty (20) women who sell Beans Pudding (moi moi) with the sum of N100,000 each (N2m), Jarigbe exemplified empathetic leadership which entails listening to subjects, validating emotions and offering support when necessary.

    He has created a safe and inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels valued, appreciated and well understood in Cross River North Senatorial District.

    TEAM JARI MEDIA

  • UNICROSS Alumni Launches Scholarship Scheme For Undergraduates

    UNICROSS Alumni Launches Scholarship Scheme For Undergraduates

     

    The University of Cross River State (Unicross) Alumni Association has launched a scholarship scheme for the best second year student in all the departments in the institution.

    The National President, Dr. Inyali Peter, in a statement announcing the official kickoff of the programme said that the programme was not completely new but a revival of a policy that was initiated during the tenure of Prof. Ekanem Ikpi Braide as Vice Chancellor.

    Inyali said that, even though the maiden edition of the programme under alumni’s sponsorship will concentrate on year two undergraduates, there’s plan on ground to expand the scheme to cover graduates of the University who are running postgraduate programmes in the institution.

    According to him, “I’m very excited that today we’re formally reviving one of the best policies introduced by our former Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ikpi Braide.
    As a way of encouraging new students to take their studies seriously rather than invest their times and energies in ventures that may lead them to not graduating or something, this policy was introduced but stopped at some point possibly, because of the poor financial situation of the University. Because some of us appreciate the importance of such great initiative, we have decided to revive it.

    The University is a place where most students will be living on their own and enjoying all the freedom for the first time. This makes them vulnerable to all kinds of things as their minds are preoccupied with many things. So to keep them focused on their purpose of being in the University, we believe that setting a target and making them realise that there’s an incentive that’ll come at the end of every academic session will inspire them to take their studies much more seriously “.

    The Alumni President who said that the target is to have at least one beneficiary from each department noted that the scholarship committee that was recently constituted will reach out to relevant offices in the University to work out modalities on how to select the beneficiaries.

    “The scholarship committee which is headed by a very disciplined and straightforward man, Dr. Paul Tawo Bukie will work out modalities on how to select the beneficiaries. One thing I can assure you is that even as a President, I’ll not influence a single name. I have told the Chairman that any day I call him to compromise the selection process for anybody, he should expose me publicly.

    We want to encourage the culture of competence and meritocracy. Only the best from each department shall be selected and the best must have a CGPA of more than 3.50; that’s is, any department that the result of the best student falls below 3.50 won’t benefit. Again, it’s important to emphasize that the scholarship will be paid directly to the University’s account and not to students. The beneficiaries will only be presented an award certificate and bank teller showing evidence of the payment of their fees.

    Other details will be announced by the scholarship committee in the next few days”, he said.

  • C’River Humanitarian Commissioner, Helen Isamoh Calls For Empowerment Of Rural Women

    C’River Humanitarian Commissioner, Helen Isamoh Calls For Empowerment Of Rural Women

    The Cross River Humanitarian Commissioner, Helen Isamoh PhD, has called for the integration and empowerment of rural women.

    The Commissioner made the call on her verified Facebook page.

    In her words “Women in rural areas face unique challenges and obstacles that often prevent them from fully participating in society and realizing their full potential. They are often marginalized, with limited access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. This not only affects their own well-being but also has a negative impact on their families and communities.

    “It is imperative that we work towards the integration and empowerment of women in rural areas, by providing them with the necessary resources, support, and opportunities to thrive. We must ensure that they have access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. We must also work towards changing societal attitudes and norms that perpetuate gender inequality and discrimination.

    “Empowering women in rural areas is not just a matter of social justice, but it is also essential for sustainable Development. Studies have shown that when women are empowered, they invest more in their families and communities, leading to improved health, education, and economic outcomes for all.

    “We call on all stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society organizations, and the private sector, to join hands in supporting the integration and empowerment of women in rural areas. Let us work together to create a more inclusive and equitable society where all women have the opportunity to thrive and contribute to the development of their communities”.

    ©️ CRS Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.