The Executive Chairman of Ogoja Local Government Area, Hon. Emmanuel Ishabor, had Monday 15th February, 2021 presented N8.342 Billion Proposed 2021 Budget Estimates to the Ogoja Legislative Council.
Details of the breakdown is yet to be made available.
One of Nigeria’s leading universities, Benson Idahosa University (BIU), Benin, Edo State is set to honour the Honourable Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy Agba, OFR with an Honourary Doctorate Degree.
This was disclosed when a delegation from the University, led by the Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof. Sam Guobadia paid a courtesy call on the Minister in his office in Abuja on Tuesday, February 15th.
The VC explained that the Minister was chosen having met the stringent conditions set up by the University for an award of an Honourary Doctorate Degree.
According to him, “We have been watching you because we have stringent conditions on who to contact, meet and honour.
As contained in our earlier letter to you and signed by the Chancellor of the University, Most Rev. Margaret E. Benson – Idahosa, we have taken notice of your personality even outside public office and observed your commitment to excellence and the fact that you are concerned about the upliftment and empowerment of the common man. This tallies with the aspiration of the founding Archbishop and Chancellor, Archbishop Benson Idahosa. We must state at this point that you are a pride to South-South.
“It is with great pleasure that we will like to communicate to you that you have been nominated for the award of an Honourary Doctorate Degree during our next convocation”.
Speaking about the challenges facing the University, Prof. Guobadia noted that “we are always creativite driven especially with the introduction of more private Universities and the problem of top teaching staff as well as infrastructural development, when we meet people like you, we crave for partnership.
As a University, we play a critical role in training man power across different sectors of the economy. So, we want people like you to partner with us to help improve on these areas”.
Responding, the Minister said that he was excited that his contribution to society was appreciated by a renowned University like BIU.
While promising to look into the university’s area of needs to explore possibilities of partnership, he added that “I’m very interested in human capital development and when you were talking, I heard you mentioned Law. My wife is a Lawyer and I also have a son who is a Lawyer. So, law is also of interest to me.
“My Ministry through the Rural Electrification Agency is running a programme called Energizing Education which is aimed at lightening up university as well as providing basic infrastructures for the training of students in solar energy technology. I would like us to work closely to conceptualize things like this to see what we can do together”.
BIU, a privately owned university is the only university in Nigeria and Africa with international membership with the United States National Academy of Inventors.
By John Akpo
The Chairman of Obanliku LGC, Evang Margaret Inde, today, February 16th 2021, presented the 2021 Appropriation Bill to the legislature
Presenting the budget at the Obanliku legislative chambers, the Chairman reiterated that “our vision to be a leading Local Government Area in Cross River State in education and in the provision of a harmonious environment for tourism, commercial agriculture, and to develop into a vision-driven medium term plan as encapsulated in the Obanliku Local Government Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (LEEDS), clearly expresses our developmental needs.
“Consequently, we have proposed a budget of Seven Billion, Five Hundred and Fifty four Million, One Hundred and Seventy Two Thousand, Six Hundred and Twelve Naira (N7,544,172,612) only.
“The objective of this budget which I christened ‘Budget of Hope and Light’ will rekindle the hope of our people for a better life, sustained by good governance and accountable leadership.
“In our quest to bring development to Obanliku, the sum of Five Billion, Five Hundred and Eighty-eight Million, Ninety-eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Ninety-eight Naira (N5,588,098,498) only, which represents 74.07% of the total budgetary outlay is earmarked for capital development”
The Chairman stressed that “it is the collective desire of our people to see the transformation of our Local Government Area through the provision of basic infrastructures, being the focus of this administration”
She averred that “Based on this conviction, Projects that would satisfy the felt needs of our people and uplift the status of the Local Government Area in the various sectors would be accorded priority attention this fiscal year”
By Admin
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded project under the Centre for Clinical Care and Clinical Research (CCCRN) has expressed it’s readiness to partner with the Cross River State Government through its Ministry of International Development Cooperation (MIDC) to scale up care and protection for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). This also includes children living with HIV, infants and lactating/ pregnant mothers exposed to HIV.
Speaking during the meeting, the State Program Manager, Mrs. Grace Essien asserted that the CCCRN is an indigenous, non-profit organization with a mandate to promote global best practices in health care delivery, medical training and research using locally adopted models of system strengthening.
She further explained that the CCCRN is a recipient of the integrated Child Health and Social Service Award (ICHSSA) funded by USAID to ensure Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) are catered to and given adequate protections by their households and host communities.
In her response, the MIDC Commissioner, Dr. Inyang Asibong, acknowledged the CCCRN leadership for the initiative, whilst stressing on the need to scale down to Etung, Bekwarra and Obanliku as the only 3 LGAs yet to be captured, as it is in tandem with His Excellency, Sen. (Prof.) Ben Ayade’s vision to ensure an improved livelihood for the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) across the State.
She added that the initiative will provide an increased access to high quality and comprehensive medical services with capacity building of families and communities living in target communities to cater to and protect the children in their care.
The MIDC Permanent Secretary, Mr. Timothy Ogbang Akwaji assured CCCRN of a continuous partnership and intermittent technical interfaces especially around policy formulation.
The initiative currently runs across 15 LGAs of the State including; Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, Odukpani, Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Biase, Abi, Yakurr, Obubura, Ikom, ogoja, Boki, Yala, Obudu and Akamkpa.
By Caterpillar Media Team
Having identified the advantages of advanced teaching and learning methods and considering the interruption of academic sessions by the novel Covid-19 pandemic and it’s devastating effect on the learning process in Nigeria, the Distinguished Senator Sandy Onor, who is Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND has set up a fully equipped Information and Communication Technology Centre in Holy Child Girls Secondary School Ikom. The Bishop of Ogoja Diocese, His Lordship Most Rev. Dr. Donatus E. Akpan has eulogised this important gesture in a written appreciation to the Distinguished Senator.
In the same vein, Sen. Sandy Onor who is encouraging digital literacy has also donated 100 Desktop Computers, 30 Printers, 60 Mecury UPS, 10 Scanners, 24 fans, 10 Air Conditioners, 6 generators to the following six secondary schools in the Senatorial District:
-Community Secondary School, Etomi and Government Secondary School, Nsofang, in Etung LGA,
Regina Pacis Secondary School Ofumbonga Obubra LGA,
-Community Secondary School Ugep and Community Commercial Secondary School, Ekukune Assiga Old Town, Yakurr LGA.
-Bawop Secondary School, Boki LGA,
In November 2020, the Senator had donated 200 furnitures to Bahumono Grammar School in Ebom, Abi LGA and one hundred desks to Community Secondary School, Idomi in Yakurr LGA.
Similarly he has completed renovation work on Corpers’ Lodge in Igbo Imabana, Abi LGA as well as the construction of Three classroom block at Bafin Etimtim, Boki Local Government Area.
No doubt, his representation, which has witnessed the rain of the dividends of democracy is for the good of all the people.
The Technical Assistant to the Vice President of Nigeria on New Media, Hon. Philip Obin is facilitating 10 slots each for the 11 wards of Biase LGA for the N30,000 one-off Survival Fund Grant.
Total of 110 Slots = N3,300,000
Required details:
Surname:
Middle name:
First name:
Sex:
Phone no:
Bank name:
Account no:
BVN:
Beneficiaries must be resident in Calabar or able to travel to Calabar as physical capturing is scheduled for today, Monday 15th February, 2021.
Also, those who were captured in December and subsequently paid are exempted, as the system already has their data and cannot pay them twice.
Leaders of each ward have been contacted to collate and submit details of beneficiaries from their respective wards before 4pm Sunday 14th February 2021.
Recall that 500 persons had in December, 2020 and early January, 2021, benefitted from the N30,000 one-off Artisan Grant facilitated by Hon. Philip Obin.
Between December, 2020 and January 2021, a total of 15 million naira has been disbursed to 500 Cross Riverians. This is in addition to several others, whom the Presidential Aide has helped secure approval for COVID-19 loan applications and the Payroll support for indigenous companies, valued at over 200 million naira.
Also, 34 members of the newly inaugurated caretaker committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River were given slots; Akamkpa and other LGAs were also considered.
Speaking on a telephone with The Lumine News, Barr. S. A. Akpanke, lecturer and Exams officer, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar noted that Mr. Philip Obin’s love and service to Cross river youth is unprecedented. He used the opportunity to call on all youth in the state who are in a position to assist others to take the steps initiated by Mr. Obin for the betterment of our dear state.
By Admin
Prince Tony Ezeimo inviting people across the globe to join in his first edition of NIMO PROFILE CONFERENCE which he said is in line with the mandate given to him by his late mother to lead a campaign against abortion.
According to Nkanga Ezeimo “In line with my Late Mother’s instructions asking me to lead a campaign against Abortion, I present NIMO PROLIFE CONFERENCE where we shall discuss elaborately the effects, menace and consequences of induced abortion, drug/substance abuse, sexual harassment and other related Bioethical issues.
“It will be a life changing summit for Njikoka Youths and beyond.
“Soonest, we shall register a movement that will be saddled with the responsibility of leading campaigns against anti-life policies.
“I implore you to be part of this life changing movement for the benefit of my generation and the next generation”.
By Nsa Gill – Calabar
The management of the Nigeria Erosion Watershed Management Project NEWMAP, Cross River State has charged benefiting communities of the World Bank assisted projects to take ownership and guide the projects jealously.
The charge was given in a workshop on Wednesday, February 10th 2021 in Calabar organised by NEWMAP to sensitize communities on waste management and Erosion prevention.
The Commissioner for International Development Corporation and the Acting Project Coordinator of NEWMAP in the State, Dr. Inyang Asibong decried the nonchalant attitudes of benefiting communities towards the multi-million naira projects to be eroded by irresponsible human activities.
She averred that indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drains is causing erosion even in areas where erosion control had earlier been achieved.
Dr. Asibong charged communities to activate local waste management task force to checkmate and stop residents who often dump waste in the gutters.
She assured that government will provide more refuse bin, but most importantly, local residents must understand the dangers and implications of indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
Speaking during the workshop, on Effective Waste Management and Erosion Prevention, Dr. Escor Udosen, urged the communities to take responsibility for the various projects of government in their vicinity.
One of the benefiting communities of NEWMAP projects, Ikot Ekpo community commended the various interventions of NEWMAP which has gone beyond erosion and waste management to provision of water as well as street lights in some instances.
They pledged to do their best from the impact of the workshop and requested for the expansion of NEWMAP intervention in their area.
By Joseph Kingston, Calabar
The United Bank for Africa (UBA) and its former staff, Mr Anthony Idagu, are in court over an alleged refusal of the bank to pay him his entitlements since 2018, as well as an unjustified termination of Idagu’s appointment after 18 years of meritorious service.
The case, which is in the National Industrial Court, Calabar with suit number NICN/CA/20/2019 was presided over by Justice M N Esowe before his transfer a few months ago. The new Judge, Justice Sanusi Kado, is now in charge of the matter.
In his statement of claims, Mr Idagu said he was deployed from the Calabar branch of the bank to Ikom in central Cross River in April 2013 as a cash officer, and that he had served in the Ikom branch faithfully till January 31, 2018 when his ordeal with the bank started.
He averred that as a cash officer of the branch, he was saddled with the responsibility of carrying out integrity test for all staff of the branch following reports of underpayment of customers, noting that he diligently discharged this duty without hitches whatsoever.
“I carried out the integrity test in conjunction with the Operations Officer of the branch with the aid of cameras without the knowledge of the tellers and one of the tellers (name withheld), failed the test.”
He said when one of the officers failed the test, he reported his finding to the Control Officer, Mr Kenneth Akpom, who rather than discipline the staff, said the erring staff should be advised verbally and allowed to continue work.
“We have on record several queries on the said staff, bordering on allegation of cash suppression and under declaration, including that of integrity test on January 31, 2018, but no action was taken against him by Branch Operations Manager, Mr Kenneth Okpom and Matthew Nyiam.
“The integrity test register was signed by the Operation Manager and he followed his instructions given to him by the Branch Operations Manager to register every outcome of the integrity test which he duly signed,” he submitted.
According to him, when he insisted on the right thing to be done with sanctions against the erring staff, a committee was set up to investigate the matter but surprisingly, the committee suspended him while the erring staff was left untouched.
The suspension, he said, went beyond the recommended three months, and that despite the obvious lopsided decision and injustice, he was later asked to resign for no justifiable reason.
“After eighteen years of meritorious service I was asked to resign just like that, and when I wrote in the resignation letter that I was asked to resign, they rejected it and said I should remove the clause ‘asked to resign’ and that I should say that I was resigning voluntarily. This was designed just to ensure that I do not get my benefits.”
The former UBA staff appealed to the court to order the bank to pay him his outstanding salary and emoluments. The case was adjourned to April 20, 2021.
By Admin
The personal photographer to Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Tolani Alli, on Saturday, February 6, shared a very inspiring story about a girl named Chinaza.
According to Tolani, Chinaza had breezed past the vice president’s personal security, grabbed his hand, and compelled him to visit her mum’s shop.
The incident happened at the popular Nyanya market in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja when Osinbajo visited retail stores to promote the Trader Moni initiative of the Buhari administration.
Osinbajo travelled to major markets in Nigeria when Trader Moni was launched to ensure that the funds reached traders.
TraderMoni is an empowerment scheme of the federal government created specifically for petty traders and artisans across Nigeria.
Tolani wrote on Twitter: “In 2018, Professor Osinbajo visited Nyanya market, Abuja to monitor the impact of the TraderMoni scheme, a mild shock greeted him.
“Chinaza, whose mother owned a store at the market, and had promised herself to tell the VP what she thought of him from his appearances on her TV and other media, made her way through his security and grabbed his hand.
“Amidst the presence of a security detail, and an extremely large crowd, she tugged at the VP’s hand ceaselessly, insisting that he visited her mom’s store, and telling him about how much he inspired her to be courageous and reach for her dreams.
Fast forward to two years and some months later, Chinaza sits with her mum in the presidential villa, with a man who has now come to know her as a “daughter”.
“Almost three long years since their time of contact and a few correspondences later, Chinaza is on her way to The University with dreams of becoming a Medical Doctor, and the ideals that she has picked up from observing The Prof. up close and afar are unchanged.”