The Lumine News

Category: Metro News

  • EFCC Launches App For Online Reporting Of Economic Crimes

     

    The Economic and Financial Crimes commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, July 14, 2021, launched an App, Eagle Eye, designed to ease the process of reporting economic and financial crimes in Nigeria.

    Speaking during the launch, the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, described the App, being the first of its kind by any law enforcement agency in Nigeria, as a product of ingenuity by a staff of the Commission, being an application that was conceived, designed and developed by the EFCC.

    According to the EFCC chairman, the initiative is a clear demonstration of his pledge on assumption of office, to run an agency that is technology-driven. “The Eagle Eye represents a new experience in information sharing and crime reporting between the public and the EFCC”, he said.

    Apart from complementing the existing channels for reporting economic crimes, the unique advantage of this application, the EFCC Chairman further explained, is that it eliminates direct person-to-person interface in the reporting process and guarantees anonymity which is an added incentive to effective whistle blowing.

    While appealing to members of the public to take advantage of the App in bringing cases of corruption and economic crimes to the knowledge of the EFCC, Bawa said, “with the App, those who hitherto were afraid to report corruption cases to the Commission either for fear of being identified by the culprits or having their identities revealed, can now do so with the assurance of full anonymity”.

    He emphasized that the Eagle Eye App, will go a long way in aiding the reportage of fraudulent activities of individuals particularly in the case of Money Laundering through Real Estate. “With the Eagle Eye, Nigerians and Non Nigerians can easily take a picture of a property suspected to have been fraudulently or corruptly acquired and report through the App seamlessly”.

    He also said that as media practitioners, journalists occupy vantage positions not only in helping to bring the knowledge of the application to the public, but also making use of it and helping others to understand how it could be deployed to further the fight against economic crimes including corruption. “With the Eagle Eye, you have at your fingertips a device that will ultimately ensure that there is no hiding place for the corrupt in Nigeria”, he further explained.

    On how it works, the EFCC Chairman said, Eagle Eye is a user friendly application, with features that can be navigated by any literate person. The first step, he said, is to download it to device from either the Apple of Google play store.

    For those who want to key into the Whistle Blowing Policy of the Federal Government and obtain reward for reporting corruption, the EFCC Chairman said such persons should indicate in the information they are providing; just as he said that there are penalties clearly stipulated in the laws, for giving false information that could mislead the Commission.

  • Sen Sandy Onor Begins Car Gift Empowerment In Central Senatorial District

    By Caterpillar Media

    As part of his empowerment program, the Senator Representing the good people of Cross River Central Senatorial District; Sen. Prof. Sandy Ojang Onor has gifted his constituent, Mr Ojong Ndifon Bassey (aka Bassey Black) a clean Toyota Camry Car.

    Presenting the car which is the first in the series to the beneficiary on behalf of the Senator, the Director General of the Caterpillar Movement, Hon. Chief Joe Obi Bisong recalled with nostalgia and satisfaction, the strategic role Bassey Black played in the emergence of the Distinguished Senator, saying it is a reward for hard work, patience and consistency.

    Receiving the car with so much excitement, the beneficiary said he wasn’t surprised, knowing who Senator Sandy Onor is. He stated that, “Senator Onor is one person you cannot patiently work with and regret doing so. Patience is a strong virtue for everyone who needs to be a very successful politician or follower. God bless Senator Sandy Ojang Onor. If e never reach you, e never pass you”.

    The distinguished Senator Sandy Ojang Onor has a heart for people and this is evident in his representation and outreaches.

  • C’River Police Command Arrests Colleague Who Sells Guns To Criminals In Calabar

    By Admin

    The Cross police command has arrested and paraded its colleague, Inspector Nathaniel Manasseh for allegedly selling guns to criminals within Cross River State and outside of the state.

    The suspect who was paraded on Tuesday, June 22 in Calabar at the Cross River State Command of the Nigeria Police Force alongside other criminals, also sells guns to criminals in Imo State.

    Confessing, Inspector Manasseh, whom the Police said has not been able to account for some pieces of hardware including two AK-47s, said he lost some rifles while claiming that he was charmed and dispossessed of some AK-47s, including a vehicle.

    His words “I was charmed, I can’t really explain what happened and how they dispossessed me of the riffles. I am not a gun runner”.

    The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Sikiru  Akande, while parading the suspects disclosed that since the resumption of the new Commander of Anti Kidnapping and Cultism Squad (AKCTS), it has been a harvest of criminals.

    Akande averred that  “Cross River is regaining her lost glory in the area of security and as a matter of fact, we remained the most peaceful state in Nigeria and nothing can break out resolve.

    “For Police to function efficiently in any society, its requires citizens’ participation, partnership and willingness of the community to constantly equip the police with actionable information to forestall unpleasant occurrences.

    “Our achievement today is not unconnected with the cooperation of the public – security is everybody’s business, we must encourage Community Policing in our communities”.

    Akande however revealed that Inspector Manasseh is amongst those who usually give out their rifles on “rent” to notorious criminals and a member of a gun-running syndicate.

    A total of 24 persons were arrested: 3 for murder, 9 for armed robbery, 6 for Cultism, 3 others were arrested for gun-running including Inspector Manasseh as well as one person for car snatching and another for arson.

     

  • Meet Dr George Abang Ekpungu, The New EFCC Secretary

    By Ogar Solomon Ogar

    George Abang Ekpungu is a Nigerian politician and Lawyer. He was appointed the Secretary of the Board of the Economic and Financials Crimes Commission (EFCC) by President Buhari in June 2021.

    George Ekpungu is from Kakwagom in Boki, Cross River State.

    Educational Background
    George Ekpungu attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained a degree in Law in 1997. He was called to Nigerian Bar in 1999 after graduating from the Nigerian Law School.

    George Ekpungu obtained a master and doctorate degree in Capital Market Fraud/Commercial Dispute Resolution Strategy from Ahmadu Bello University in 2008 and 2018 respectively.

    Career
    George Ekpungu was a Group Compliance Officer for BGL Plc and principal consultant at George Kennedy Consultant from 2014.

    He is an experienced Enforcement/Compliance Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the Regulatory/Anti-Corruption Institutions

    George Ekpungu is skilled in Equities, Capital Markets, Financial Modeling, Portfolio Management, Risk Management, Fraud Investigation, Money Laundering, Corruption Risk Assessment, Asset Tracing, Asset Recoveries, Due Diligence Investigation/Intels gathering, Shrewd Negotiator, Great Team Player with Strong legal professional skills.

    He was a Staff, Facilitators/Project Supervisors at the NOUN Facilitation and Project Supervision Management System.

    George Ekpungu was appointed the commissioner for New Cities Development by the Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade in his first term.

    In 2019, George Ekpungu picked nomination form to represent Ikom/ Boki Federal Constitency in the Federal House of Representatives, but resignation was not accepted by the Governor.

    In June 2021, President Buhari appointed George Abang Ekpungu as the Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for a tenure of five years.

    The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation announced the appointment of Mr. George Ekpungu as the new Secretary of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

    According to a statement by the Spokesman for the AGF, Umar Gwandu, on Monday titled, ‘Buhari Appoints Ekpungu EFCC Secretary, Names Board Members’, that four others were appointed as board members, the appointment is in line with Section 2 (1) and Section 4 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, 2004.

    George Ekpungu, a Christian is married with children.

     

  • UNHCR Takes Advocacy To Ogoja Urban To Mark 2021 World Refugees Day

    By Elijah Ugani

    The United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR, has taken advocacy to residents of Ogoja Urban as part of its plan of activities to mark the 2021 World Refugees Day WRD.

    The advocacy walk which commenced at 8.00am from the State High Court Ogoja through Zenith bank roundabout, to Mission road, through market road to Ishibori and back to the State High Court on Saturday, 19th June, 2021 had in attendance all implementing partners, representatives of National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, representatives of State Emergency Management Agency SEMA, Community Based Organizations, refugees and staff of UNHCR.

    Mr. Sally Osajie who anchored the walk sensitized the public at strategic locations, and maintained that “it is not a crime to be a refugee. We are on the streets of Ogoja to celebrate the refugees, please do not discriminate them. When they come to the market, give them equal opportunity, they are part of us”

    Speaking to The Lumine News, on the importance of the walk, the Head of Sub Office Ogoja, Mr. Tesfaye Bekele maintained that “We are to celebrate and commemorate with the refugees who are here seeking protection from the Nigerian government”.

    Speaking on them of the 2021 world refugees day, ‘Together we can achieve anything’ Mr. Tesfaye maintained that “There is nothing one alon can do, it is to show togetherness of the Nigerian government, the host communities, International communities and UNHCR to stand in solidarity with the refugees, to appreciate them for the courage they have to survive the difficult situation”

    On his part, the UNHCR Deputy Representative (Protection) Abuja, Mr. John Mekissick held that “We are here to celebrate the refugees. Nobody wants to be a refugee. Today and tomorrow, we celebrate their resilience, their ability to work together with the host communities, to learn, to hear and to shine. Together, we can achieve anything”

  • UNFPA Has Been Supportive To C’River Govt, Deputy Governor Affirms

    By Admin

    The Cross River State deputy governor, Professor Ivara Esu has expressed delight at the activities of the United Nations Population Fund, (UNFPA). He said the UN agency has been a great support to Cross River State.

    He made the remarks while launching the 2021 UNFPA State of the World Population (SWOP) Report held at the State Government’s Exco Chambers in Calabar. He appreciated the UN for their support in different areas of their mandate.

    He particularly said that “UNFPA has been consistent in working towards ending preventable maternal deaths, ending unmet needs for family planning and ending all forms of Gender Based Violence and harmful practices against women and girls.”

    The deputy governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Tina Agbor Banko opined that Cross River State will not relent in rolling out support for the UN body in achieving her dreams in the state.

    He said: “Today as we launch UNFPA’s flagship report on the State of the World Population (SWOP), it is pertinent to reiterate the State Government’s position and commitment in joining hands with relevant agencies to ensure that Cross River State is free from harmful practices against girls and elimination of sexual violence and other inequalities.

    “From the report, it shows that hundreds of millions of women and girls around the World do not own their bodies and their lives are governed by others. In Cross River, the practice of ‘money marriage’ has been abolished as our girls in the northern part of the state are no more subjected to such a practice. Ours is an inclusive agenda to ensure that the rights of our women and girls are protected hence the involvement/interaction with our traditional institutions to give it the much needed attention it deserves.”

    He used the medium to appreciate UNFPA for their support and commitment to the healthcare of Cross Riverians through the provision of medical supplies, upgrading of the School of Midwifery and the Fistula Centre at the General Hospital in Calabar and for establishing and equipping of youth friendly centres in the state which he affirmed to have served as safe spaces for the young people.

    Speaking with journalists shortly after the event, the UNFPA Head of Cross River Sub-Office, Dr. Omolaso Omosehin said UNFPA is working towards achieving 3 transformative goals by 2030. He noted that the SWOP report is an annual report published by UNFPA.

    In his words: “The State of the World Population Report is a publication that is launched by UNFPA every year since 1978. In the report, we seek to draw attention to reproductive health, where we highlight issues that concern the health of women and girls. For this year we’re looking at the bodily autonomy of the women because we believe that it’s a fundamental human right for every women and for every girl to own their own body and decide what they want to do with their own body.

    “It also seeks to bring the attention of the World that issues like female genital mutilation and cutting should be avoided because it has not only medical implications, it has physical implications and but it’s is also a violation of the fundamental human rights of the girl”.

    In her goodwill message, the Commissioner, Ministry of International Donor Corporation, Dr Inyang Asibong lauded UNFPA for being a formidable tool in ensuring that issues affecting women in the state are brought to the barest minimum. She added that the ministry will always support the team whenever the need arises.

    The theme for the 2021 SWOP report is, “My body is my own: claiming the right to autonomy and self-determination”. The report shows that Gender-unequal norms and attitudes lead to power imbalances in relationships that restrict women’s decisions, particularly when it comes to saying no to sex.

    It also reveals that patriarchal beliefs often translate into expectations that women defer to their husbands or partners in all aspects of their lives, including their sex lives, adding that these expectations may not only mean that a woman should always
    engage in sex whenever her husband wants it, but also that she should not initiate sex or openly express her desires.

  • SDGs Partners Obudu LGC, Distributes Teaching And Non Teaching Aid To Schools

    By Elijah Ugani

    The Ministry of Sustainable Development Goals SDGs, has partnered Obudu Local Government Council to distribute teaching and non teaching aids to primary schools pupils.

    The Council Chairman, Mr Boniface Eraye Eweh used the occasion to call on teachers and pupils of public primary schools in Obudu to make judicious use of the teaching and non teaching materials that are provided to aide effective teaching and learning.

    The Chairman was represented at the distribution exercise by the Secretary of Council, Chief Austin Akan.

    In his words “As a council, we are glad and must commend the commitment of SDGs for the complete overhauling of some primary schools in Obudu.

    “One of my core areas of interest is the advancement of education especially for the younger generation. If we fail to plan for these ones, we will miss our target. When we retire or are tired, this particular generation will be responsible for the administration of the affairs of the state, and we owe it as a duty to prepare them adequately for the future.

    “SDGs has come to save the situation, our schools were so dilapidated. The ministry have undertaken total overhauling of St Charles, St Patrick’s and St Stephen primary schools in Obudu, no one need to tell you the condition of these schools as they are currently, compared to what they were before now.

    “We will continue to call on the ministry to extend this overhauling to other schools in the Local Government Area”

    On his part, the Executive Secretary, Obudu Education Authority, Mr Peter Abotsi charged teachers and pupils of the schools to take advantage of the materials distributed to them to advance teaching and learning. He stressed that the effect of the materials distributed should be visible as much is expected from both the teachers and the pupils.

    Other dignitaries at the distribution exercise include;
    the Director for Education, Mrs Francisca Ikem, the Supervisor in Council for Education, Mrs Bright Adung.

    Football, first aid box, pictorial charts, iron buckets, exercise books among others were some of the items distributed.

    Recall that in September 2015, world leaders had adopted 17 SDGs with a universal call to action to end poverty, safeguard the planet and ensure all people enjoy peace and prosperity by the year 2030.

    The SDGs aims to tackle the root causes of poverty and unite the world to make positive changes for both the people and the planet.

    The distribution of customized SDGs teaching and non teaching aids is to create collaborative efforts to communicate the SDGs to pupils and communities.

    The materials were distributed to the following schools; St Stephen Primary School Obudu, St Patrick Primary School Obudu, St Charles Primary School Obudu, Community Primary School Bebuagbong, St Theresa Primary School, Ipong, St Colman’s Primary School Utugwang and Govt Primary School Ukpirinyi.

    The Chairman stated that distribution to other schools will continue.

  • CRSG To Embark On Staff Audit, Set To Weed Ghost Workers

    The Cross River State government is set to commence staff audit across the state to weed ghost worker.

    The Office of the Head of Service (H.O.S),  has released a schedule for the 2021 Staff Audit of State-owned Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

    In a release sighted by TheLumineNews and signed by the Head Of Service, Mrs Geraldine Akpet- Ekanem indicates that the exercise is aimed at “removing ghost workers” from the payroll.

    Attached is the timetable for the audit.

  • NGO Sends SOS To 100 Boki Stakeholders, Call For Quick Action To Save Their Forest

    By Patrick Obia – CrossRiverWatch

    Rainforest Resource and Development Centre, RRDC, has sent SOS to 100 Boki Local Government Council (Cross River State) sons and daughters well placed in the society to rescue their God-given resources.

    The group in a letter signed by its Executive Director, Mr. Odey Oyama and addressed to the Boki stakeholders revealed that it had carried out a study (Reconnaissance Surveys) in the Local Government Council which is in the Central Senatorial District of the State and discovered that, the region’s natural resources are raped on round-the-clock without remorse.

    Letter reads in full: “Reconnaissance Surveys conducted by the Rainforest Resource and Development Centre (RRDC), has confirmed the existence of widespread destruction and degradation of the rich natural, pristine tropical high forest in the entire Boki Community. It is evident that the people of Boki have not benefited collectively from the colossal loss of their God-given resources. The implication of this unfortunate development will be the total loss of the rich natural heritage of the people of Boki and their unborn generations.

    “We are therefore by this clarion call, asking the under listed prominent sons and daughters of Boki communities, to please crystalize an action group. The proposed Action Group should incorporate and mobilize all the Royal Fathers and other respected Elders and Opinion Leaders, to take urgent action to stem the tide of destruction that is ongoing in their rich natural heritage.

    “It is our considered opinion that if properly preserved, the forest of Boki, including the Afi Wildlife Sanctuary, the Drill Ranch (Pandrillus) program as well as the Cross River National Park program at Bushi Okwangwo, could be presented to UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This would certainly bring greater honour and financial rewards to the landlord communities.

    “Urgent action is needed to stop the forest bandits from destroying the remaining forest resources of Boki Nation. If such collective action is taken promptly, the sons and daughters of the present day Boki will certainly be exonerated from blame, when future generations of Boki sons and daughters will demand for explanations of the whereabouts of their vast natural inheritances placed under your care. We therefore implore the following personalities to please institute URGENT ACTION to save the only remaining forest resources in Boki.

    The list of 100 Boki stakeholders the SOS was sent to by the NGO.

    “Honorable Chairman, Sir, we thank you and the above listed personalities for the time and the resources that this project will certainly demand from you. We wish to assure you that, future generations of Boki sons and daughters in particular; and of Cross River State in general, will remember you and your genuine efforts with gratitude and high honor. Please kindly act now before it is too late; for the World is watching your reaction. THE TIME IS NOW.”

  • Social Safety Net: Cross River Flags Off World Bank State-wide Rapid Response Register

    By Admin

    Cross River State Government has flaged off the Rapid Response Register (RRR), that will enable the low-income earners benefit from stipends as part of measures to ease the state economy from the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.

    The state Commissioner for International Development Cooperation, Dr Inyang Asibong while performing the flag off in Calabar Municipality Area of Cross River, said the target beneficiaries are “self-employed”, “wage employed” and “urban poor.”

    Asibong said Cross River State Government is collaborating with the World Bank , using “cutting-edge” technology, to undertake a pilot scheme for the programme.

    The commissioner explained that with the flag off, vulnerable people will be captured in the National Social Register (NSR) to enable them benefit from the National Social Safety net programme.

    “Governor Ben Ayade made this new opportunity possible , leveraging on the support of the Federal Government to enable this category of people, who were not previously captured in the social register, to rapidly identify, register and provide them with succour.

    “The RRR is designed to focus mainly on the urban poor wards selected using scientifically validated methods of satellite remote sensing technology, machine learning algorithm and big data analysis.

    “We are keying into the social protection method with the first strategy to be developed and tested across the 18 local government areas ,starting with 6 LGAs with poverty index in Cross River State.

    “Cross River State Government has flaged off the Rapid Response Register (RRR) Scheme aimed at reducing poverty among the poor and vulnerable citizens across the State”she added.

    Those in attendance at the flag off were Mr. Chris Anake, State Coordinator NASSCO; Mrs. Mbong Ausaji, Director of Administration MIDC; Mr. Mike Mgbekem, Director of Programs, MIDC; Mr. Otu Edem, Director PRS as well as the management and staff of State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU).