The Lumine News

Tag: #Agba Jalingo

  • In Akwa Ibom, Free Education Comes At A Grave Cost BY AGBA JALINGO AND JONATHAN UGBAL

    Ahead of the yet-to-be announced resumption date for public primary and secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State, discordant tune trail the more than a decade old free and compulsory education directive of the State announced by the Godswill Akpabio’s administration.

    CrossRiverWatch visited the State’s capital city, Uyo and its environs to get the pulse of the people and all may not be well as parents, teachers and experts differ in opinion on what impact the policy has had on the the education sector since it went into force in the 2008/2009 academic sessions.

    Common Knowledge…

    “Uncommon Transformation” may have been a popular phrase with Mr. Akpabio as Governor, but, the directive of free education is common knowledge.

    “I no gree finish school o, na waste of time abeg,” said a tall, dark lanky fellow with brownish teeth and sunken eyes at the Ibom plaza, who wondered whether one of these reporters was a policeman inquiring whether he heard about the free education policy of the State. He was loading mini buses ferrying passengers to Abak road and kept screaming that after Secretariat junction was no longer 50 Naira.

    “The people wey dey government, how many of dem go school? No be di one wey dey Abuja dem tok say him no go school,” the fellow said in apparent reference to Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari who is widely perceived in southern Nigeria to not have a certificate despite the Nigerian constitution outlining that the minimum to run for President is a First School Leaving Certificate or “it’s equivalent.”

    “Yes, I am aware, and we have not been paying fees,” Itorobong Ibangha, a petty trader opposite the Primary School at Use Offot, along Nwaniba road said.

    No Free Lunch – An Intervention, Not Extortion…

    Despite teachers and parents acknowledging that education was free, pupils and students still pay sums ranging from NGN500 per term to over NGN6,000, this findings revealed.

    These sums were for different reasons ranging from “intervention,” to uniforms and foolscap sheets for examinations among others.

    For instance, at the Government Technical School, Ewet in Uyo Local Government Area and the Government Primary School Afaha Ube, Itam in Itu Local Government Area, students and pupils pay NGN500 every term for what parents said was “intervention fee.”

    The same was for the Primary School along Oron road, the one at Use Offot and the Government Secondary School at Urruan Local Government Area.

    At, Uyo High School, the cost is higher.

    “We pay for uniform. They will give you belt, give you socks, and uniform,” Mrs. Akai (surname withheld for editorial reasons) whose grandchildren attend the school said. She spoke in pidgin most of the time and is contemplating the withdrawal of the children to another school due to the costs and issues of gangsterism.

    According to her, “We pay NGN6,100 for uniform because it is branded. For the girls, it is NGN6,500. You buy foolscap sheets for examinations and often end up buying locker (desks) for them too and that is about NGN6,000 too. At the end, you still register WAEC (West African Examinations Council) and NECO (National Examinations Council) too.”

    Despite all these, she insisted that education was free as they were not paying school fees.

    Also, for Ntiense, a store owner, so long as it was not called school fees, it is not school fees.

    All respondents say they were not issued any receipts when payments were made with the teachers responsible often writing down names in books to identify who had paid or was yet to – a scenario that could give room for corrupt practices.

    Free Tuition, Not Education…

    But, not all agree that there is free and compulsory education in the State.

    Inibehe Effiong, a legal practitioner who attended public schools in Akwa Ibom State says there is nothing like free and compulsory education in the State.

    “The problem I have is that you keep saying free education. There is nothing like free and compulsory education in Akwa Ibom State. My assessment is that the best way to describe the policy is that, it is a free tuition policy,” Effiong said.

    He insisted that there was no free and compulsory education and queried why parents and guardians will have to pay anything at all if there.

    “As long as the Government does not do the needful, there is nothing like free and compulsory education. Unless, you want to tell me that all there is to education is tuition then if you have free tuition you have free education. But, education is not only about tuition and journalists will have to learn that and say it as it is,” he added.

    Tijah Bolton-Akpan, the Executive Director of Policy Alert, a civil society organization agrees with Mr. Effiong.

    “At best what we have is a free tuition policy as there is no actual policy document guiding implementation. Yes, the State has a Universal Basic Education Boards which is in line with the Universal Basic Education policy at the national level. But, there was and there has been no document to guide the implementation. The only thing that comes close to that is the Child Rights Law which has provisions prohibiting children being out of school or children of school age being out of school.”

    He averred that the State was not sincere in its approach to ensuring public education was really free and efficient as the budget implementation report indicted the State on this.

    His position was echoed by the former Chairman of the State’s wing of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Comrade Etim Ukpong who in December 2019 claimed that the State had not paid the subvention for five terms which meant at least three academic sessions (2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020) were affected.

    Teachers Keep Mum…

    During a recent visit to the schools, teachers kept mum and kept referring questions to the ministry of education.

    At some point, one of the reporters visited the Government Technical, Ewet and Uyo High with people posing as admission seekers to get more details.

    At Uyo High, a man at the entrance said students were writing examinations and so only external invigilators were allowed in the school as no staff of the school was around despite taking a call and informing the person that the principal “dey for office.”

    At Government Technical, the Vice Principal, Emmanuel Akpan, declined an interview and when pressed further for more information, said: “I believe the Principals and head teachers are meeting the Permanent Secretary to know what we are to do as we are opening for a new session.”

    But, A Curtailed Outburst…

    However, A female Teacher who pleaded anonymity but agreed to be recorded, averred that; “One may not agree that there is free education which I understand because students still buy lockers, they are still made to pay for different things like examination sheets, intervention among others.”

    The teacher questioned what extortion actually meant as the hands of teachers and school administrators were tied.

    “What exactly is extortion? So, I ask a child to buy textbook as a literature teacher or pay so we can get from Aba (a commercial city in neighboring Abia State) and that is me extorting the child. Why? Because Government has not provided that. How do I teach physics or mathematics without practice books?

    “Every now and then, you will see on AKBC (Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation) that they have donated 100 lockers or books and it is not enough. For instance, in my school, they brought a few dozen desks for a school with a population of about 1,500! What you then get is that there are fewer facilities to handle the students which gives rise to the gangs and trouble you see in schools that is now called cultism,” the teacher said.

    In a similar note, Ukpong, in that interview had posited that, “when you go to town blaming teachers for collecting this and that, have you also forgotten that you have not addressed those fundamental areas?”

    Bolton-Akpan explained the concept behind the intervention which was supposed to be paid by government but has now been transferred to the pupils.

    “During the (Governor) Akpabio’s administration, physical investments was there and there was also subvention which was NGN100 for primary school (pupils) and NGN300 for secondary school (students). This was a budgetary provision to support the free and compulsory education program so that parents will have to pay anymore.

    “The money was supposed to be used to cover expenses by the school. But, over the years there has been corruption over how these monies were budgeted and spent,” he explained.

    But, the payments, as earlier stated, was stopped and it was agreed that students should pay NGN500 to aid the school’s management.

    Different Layer’s…

    But, even when these monies were paid consistently, Bolton-Akpan says there was some layers of corruption.

    “The first was that despite been budgeted, the State was not releasing these sums with no explanation what it was used for. The second is that the teachers collected these sums and did not apply it the way they should be as the embezzled such and the third layer is that heads of schools inflated enrollment figures in registers to collect more monies from the government,” he said.

    When asked if these could be verified, he said that one could easily walk into any school and compare the figures of students in the registers with those that attend
    classes as well as write exams.

    This could not be achieved and these reporters relied on data available in the public domain.

    For example, according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, the number of people who completed secondary school in 2016 in public schools was 46,886. These set were admitted in the 2010/2011 session with data from the State Secondary Education Board showing that 321,123 people were admitted into different classes with 61,880 admitted into JSS1 which means at least 14,994 who were admitted into JSS1 did not sit for the SSCE.

    In 2017, the figure of those who finished public secondary schools dropped by over 21,000 to 25,838. Meanwhile, 64,707 were admitted into JSS 1 out of the 341,809 enrolled in the 2012/2013 session. The admission was almost 3,000 more than that of the previous session but the difference in those who sat for SSCE in the 2016/2017 session and those who were admitted rose to almost 39,000.

    However, this did not prove entirely, Bolton-Akpan’s claim.

    Uncommon Perimeters, Common Inside…

    Following concerns raised by an investigative series published by Premium Times, the Akwa Ibom State government organized an education summit in 2019 where the decision to erect perimeter fences for public schools was made among other resolutions.

    “There is this inter ministerial direct labour projects that cuts across different ministries of government and part of the resolution was that it should be focused on education and like you said, you have seen the perimeter fencing among other things. So, there has been an improvement from what it was when we published that story,” Cletus Ukpong, the regional editor, South South and South East for Premium Times who undertook the investigation said.

    He, however said that while the physical structures like perimeter fences was an improvement given the security situation in the country, one could not state exactly whether the soft infrastructure such as “the libraries, classrooms and laboratories were in order.”

    And, Bolton-Akpan, reiterated this. “How much investments has government done? The position of the civil societies and the citizens is that government’s investment should be commensurate to the verbal pronouncement. What we have seen in the past years has been continuous decline in capital investments in the education sector.”

    According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics enrollment data for 2017, there are 250 public schools which was a slight improvement from the 241 recorded in 2016. But, there was about 400 percent hike for private schools which moved from 87 in 2016 to 488 in 2017.

    And, Mr. Effiong said this was a deliberate attempt by public office holders and their cronies to frustrate the public education system. This, according to him was evident in the fact that many private schools were owned by family members of past and current public office holders.

    Also, while the perimeter fences in many schools visited were aesthetic, the structures inside were failing with many schools having fewer facilities than the number of students, real or bloated.

    The former NUT Chairman, lend credence to these during his earlier stated interview.

    “The free education came in and all the persons who did not have the hope of going to school are now in schools and most of them don’t have direct sponsors, not in terms of school fees anymore. But, who buys uniforms? As basic as that. Who buys the first set of books? Who buys pen or pencil, not even talking about the whole math set for that child going to school and the government doesn’t provide these one,” Ukpong said.

    However, the News Agency of Nigerian had earlier in 2021, reported that the education commissioner, Idongesit Etiebet said the State spends NGN1.5 billion annually for external examinations.

    The report, however, failed to state where she made this claim and where the monies were applied.

    Government Remains Mute…

    Several efforts to reach the State’s commissioner for education, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet failed. At least six calls on three different occasions to her known telephone number were neither picked nor returned.

    Two text messages were neither acknowledged nor replied. Messages sent on WhatsApp were read by her and neither acknowledged nor replied.

    Two visits for two consecutive days to the Ministry of Education headquarters in Uyo did not yield any result as staff said she could only be seen by appointment.

  • Our First Teachers Were All “Illiterates” BY AGBA JALINGO

     

    I am a contributor to “Student Assembly,” an international online resource hub for both students and teachers. There are a lot of curious and contemplative students and teachers who constantly bombard the hub with questions, some of which inspired my earlier post this morning, that it is illiterates that taught all educated people.

    Who was the first teacher?

    Did they have schools back in medieval times?

    What was the first textbook?

    WHO TAUGHT THE FIRST TEACHER?

    A popular ‘philosophical’ question for students, the idea that the first teacher must have been taught by someone or something is a prevalent concept. And it makes sense: everyone learned from somebody, right? Aristotle was taught by Plato, Plato was taught by Socrates, Socrates was taught by a man named Prodikos, and Prodikos was for sure taught by some unknown Greek philosopher.

    But what about the first, ever teacher?

    Well, while we may never know who the first real ‘teacher’ was, we could infer that the person who taught the first teacher was himself a self-learned academic and/or philosopher of some sort, sharing his or her knowledge to an eager proto-student, who would go on to teach his or her own proto-students, until they were able to shamble together a proto-curriculum, and over time, were able to produce great minds who would teach Prodikos, who would teach Socrates, and so on, and so forth.

    Of course, if we were to believe Greek mythology, it was the god Chiron who taught the first teacher. Chiron was known for his abilities to impart knowledge. In fact, most mythologies answer the question who taught the first teacher by providing some form of god or goddess of knowledge as the source of the first school lesson.

    WHO INVENTED SCHOOL?

    We have an idea of who invented college, but who invented the concept of a ‘school’ in the first place?

    Well, that depends on your concept of what a ‘school’ is: if you mean school as in a collection of eager young minds learning from a teacher, then we can, again, look to the Greeks. It was Plato who invented a type of school called the Academy, named after the mythical hero Akademos, and is a term we still use today for institutions that offer lessons and courses on specific subjects in the hopes of expanding a person’s mindset and knowledge base.

    But if you want someone to blame for all the times you had to wake up early to go to school, then look no further than Horace Mann. Horace is credited for creating the modern American educational system during his stint as Secretary of Education back in 1838 when he outlined his ideas for a ‘modern’ educational curriculum in his Common School Journal. From there, States took notice and started applying a lot of Mann’s ideas, like how education must be a public industry (meaning taxes should be used for it) and that all Americans, regardless of age, creeds, or colors, should be given access to education.

    WHAT WAS THE FIRST TEXTBOOK?

    Again, it was the Ancient Greeks (and also, the Ancient Egyptians) who first thought of the idea of creating textbooks that students can all learn from. Plato and other philosophers of his time would write down their philosophies in long scrolls and pass it on from student to student. It wasn’t until the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg that mass production of books became possible, and with it, the mass production of textbooks. One of the first textbooks to be mass produced and distributed was Ars Minor , a book on basic latin grammar written by Aelius Donatus.

    In America, the first textbooks to be used were the Bible, since education was primarily religion-based. However, the first academic textbooks to be used en masse were the 18th century New England Primer and the 19th century McGuffey Reader. The New England Primer was a reading guide that sought to develop children’s reading skills and comprehension by using select texts from the Puritan bible. Meanwhile, the McGuffey Reader was a textbook that included lessons in phonetics, mathematics, and theology, and was used to help students attain a more holistic education that wasn’t entirely based on religion.

    DID ANCIENT PEOPLE HAVE VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS?

    Not exactly, the ancients had a master-apprentice system that involved an aspiring artisan living and working closely with a master craftsman. In medieval Europe, this became a widespread practice for most people who were involved in some form of artistic discipline (e.g. painters, philosophers, writers, etc.) or some kind of vocational job (e.g. carpenters, stone masons, etc.) that required them to learn hands-on from an experienced teacher.

    In those days, an aspiring artisan would first learn all the basics of their craft from a local tradesman. Then, the artisan is encouraged to go out and travel and seek out other masters to learn from. During this period of their learning, the artisan is known as a ‘journeyman’, and he is encouraged to live, work, and be as close to his master as possible. Once the journeyman learns from a specific master, he is given a written certificate, kind of like a diploma, which he can then use to prove his abilities to the next master that he learns from. Over time, and after learning from several masters, a journeyman can approach his local trade Guild, where he is tested by other masters in his craft. If the journeyman passes the test (usually by creating or crafting their obra maestra or master work), he is then conferred the title of Master, and can then pass on his knowledge to other journeymen or take on apprentices of his own.

    While some scholars point to the University of Timbuktu, UNESCO records and the Guinness Book of World Records, claim that the oldest university on earth is the University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco. Founded in 859 AD, the school started out as a madrasa, a type of educational institution popular in the Arabic world. Its founder was a scholar called Fatima al-Fihri, and while she didn’t go to college, she was an expert in Islamic jurisprudence and the Hadith.

    My point with all these random thoughts is that, apart from the scholarly reputation and pride of certificates that the aristocrats want to preserve, it is very very mendacious to claim that professorship and doctorates or even certificates are the hallmark of thinkers for the world. Infact, those calibrations are relatively new creations and still rely on the knowledge that was invented centuries and millennia ago by “illiterates” in caves and secret chambers, to earn their prestigious laurels.

    I dare say that, if “illiteracy” is what it is defined today by the prideful aristocratic class, then every educated person is a product of the unblemished thoughts of the illiterate.

    Yours sincerely,
    Citizen Agba Jalingo.

  • ECOWAS Court Awards N30million Against Nigerian Govt For Illegal Detention And Inhuman Treatment Meted Out On Agba Jalingo

     

    ECOWAS court in its judgment just awarded N30million against govt of Nigeria for illegal detention and inhuman treatment meted out on Agba Jalingo

  • Hon. Legor Idagbo ‘s 122Million ICT Constituency Project In Obudu BY AGBA JALINGO

     

    Out of the three projects that were brought to the fore yesterday as facilitated by Hon. Legor Idagbo, the member representing our federal constituency, (Obudu/Obanliku/Bekwara), in the House of Representatives, I take the liberty to look at them one after the other. Charity begins at home as they say, so today, I will begin from my home, Obudu.

    The execution of an NCDMB ICT Center in Clement Ebri Technical School in Utugwang, Obudu was awarded to, Kresto Paco, a company based in Abuja on September 25, 2020 at a sum of N122,841,325. The work was to be completed in six months from the contract award date.

    There is a video attached here and photos of the project. We have visited the project site and observed on the spot that:

    1. Two classroom were collapsed into a bigger space, from an already existing block of eight classrooms.

    2. That space was then renovated and painted and fitted with chairs and tables.

    3. Thirty one flat screen desk top computers have been fitted in the room also.

    4. Two split unit air conditioners, solar panels, inverter, two dishes, are also installed.

    5. There is also a 20kva generator.

    6. There is an aluminum partition inside the room with three cubicles.

    7. A projector and screen are also fitted.

    Accessing the inside of the center was quite difficult because the place was still locked up possibly because it hasn’t been commissioned. But we eventually did.

    My Thoughts:

    Apart from other things I am known for, I am an ICT Entrepreneur. I have been doing that business for over a decade. Even with a casual eye view, I can cost everything in that room in 30minutes, but I will come back to that later.

    Meanwhile, let me ask our Representative Legor, if you gave someone N122million Naira to build you an ICT Center in your personal school you are building in Abuja and you return after six months to see exactly what you have in Clement Ebri Technical College in Utugwang, will you accept and pay the contractor?

    I ask that question because, as our Rep, you are expected to inspect the project and clear the contractor with a satisfactory report before the company can be paid. What report did you write for the company after completion of work?

    What exactly is the ICT Center meant to achieve?

    What is the utilization plan?

    What was the thinking behind it?

    Is it just going to be a regular business center for secretariat jobs?

    Was the NCDMB contract just meant to renovate a classroom and buy 30 computers and put inside like artifacts or is it going to be an IT innovation center where solutions will be created?

    Who was carried along, because apart from party stalwarts, even stakeholders in the community who you will think should have been abreast of the project were all feigning ignorance?

    There is only one JAMB CBT Center in Obudu/Obanliku, located inside the FCE Obudu. Should our people continue to travel that distance to write JAMB after investing 122million in an ICT center in Utugwang?

    More and more rural communities across the globe are getting access to faster Internet and using it to change their fortunes and the way they live. Tesla CEO, Elon Musk is aiming to bring high-speed Internet to largely rural areas. Most of Musk’s Starlink Internet potential customers are in rural areas outside of urban centers. Eager communities are funding these initiatives through Rural Digital Opportunity Funds, paid for by small fees on cell phone bills as part of an effort to get Internet service providers to bring broadband to them to catch up with a rapidly progressing world.

    If we now have the luck of getting government funding to achieve these targets, it is only wise and proper that we ensure the funds and judiciously utilized to that end.

    This is my Constituency and I won’t keep quiet. We will look at the other two projects in the coming days.

    I am doing this, conscious of the fact that I have also raised public money to repair a court in Ogoja and will want to be held by the same standards.

    Yours sincerely,
    Citizen Agba Jalingo.

    Disclaimer: The opinions in this article are strictly that of the author, Agba Jalingo and does not represent The Lumine News or the organization the author works for.

  • No Drinking Water In Ayade’s Village But He Wants To Plant ‘King Grasses’ For Cows, To Solve Farmers/Herders Crises In Nigeria BY AGBA JALINGO

     

    Governor Ayade is from Kakum village. Let me give you an abridged quote from his fellow Kakum man.

    “It is sad that despite having the number one citizen and ‘richest man in the land’ from my village, …. safe drinking water is still a luxury that nobody can afford at home.”

    “The pictures below are taken from my village – Kakum, South South Nigeria and am sure most communities around would relate. This morning, Kakum people drank from this well and will continue to do so choicelessly. As shocking as this may sound, this well is not only in the immediate community of the incumbent Executive Governor of CRS – Sir Benedict Ayade, it is on the spot (polling unit) where he regularly cast his vote……Kakum people will continue to dream of the day they won’t have to drink from this infested well and other ponds again or travel to neighbouring villages to get cleaner water for their families.”

    Justin Udie PhD, Nottingham UK, an indigene of Kakum.

    It is noteworthy that there is one other surface well in Kakum that is serving one section of the community and the one in this picture, which is about 20meters from the governor’s house. It was constructed by former President Babangida’s Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructures (DFRRI) around 1989 and later became dilapidated until a good Samaritan came to build that wedge the boy is standing on to allow families use it again.

    There is a borehole in the governor’s compound but the mobile policemen who guard the governor’s house do not give villagers access to fetch water from there. They trek to neighboring villages to get water. Some get their water from Professor Zana Akpagu’s house in neighbouring Babuagbong village.

    That is the same person that wants to plant grasses that will feed cows and end the farmers/herders crises in Nigeria. He obviously doesn’t even understand the historical perspective, the depth and extent of the crises.

    But what can we say?

    We still have to endure this comedy and rain of brain waves for another 796 days.

    Yours sincerely,
    Citizen Agba Jalingo.

     

    Disclaimer: The opinions here are strictly that of the author, Agba Jalingo and does not represent The Lumine News or the organization the author works for.

  • Wike Did Not Abuse Ayade Or Cross River, He Raised Salient Issues That Demand Answers – Agba Jalingo

    Wike Stir Clear, Wike Stir Clear, Wike Stir Clear, From Where?

    Indeed, I will not allow my voice to be drowned by that sanctimonous claim that Wike in that his recent video reaction, is leading an assault on Cross River State and our governor. It is those who are urging other full grown adults not to express how they feel about Wike’s reaction to Governor Ayade’s earlier outburst that should actually be ashamed of themselves.

    When aides and Governor Ayade himself were throwing direct jabs and veiled diatribes at Wike on TV, were they actually expecting that the Rivers State governor will keep mute?

    You don’t call someone out for an open fight, the person accepts your challenge and calls you out also, then some self appointed defenders of Cross River state are on the prawl warning Wike to stir clear of Cross River as if our State is not part of Nigeria. Is there anything that legally preclude Wike from commenting on developments in Cross River? Did any law say that if you are a governor of another State, you cannot comment on the State of affairs in another?

    It is true that Wike is seeking to interfere in the politics of Cross River State but in the end, it is the people of Cross River that will determine their governor come 2023, not Wike. We have had governors in Cross River before Ayade and every succession was a tough battle for the incumbents with external interference, but in the end, it was always Cross Riverians that went to the polls to decide their leader. This time will also not be different. I think the Wike-phobia is exxaggerated.

    As for what Wike said, was he even wrong?

    He said, “I am not a 419 governor.” Implying that Ayade that he was referring to is a “419” governor. In Nigeria, 419 is obtaining something under false pretence.

    Has governor Ayade not been collecting lands up and down in the State under the false pretence of building this and that?

    Has he not made numerous promises and failed Cross Riverians?

    Has he not pretended to cry on TV and the things he cries about never change afterwards?

    Wike also said, he declosed Rivers state’s share of the money FG refunded to the State for the construction of federal roads in the State and wondered if Ayade did same. Is Wike lying? Has Ayade disclosed to Cross Riverians how much was refunded to Cross River State and what it has been used for or will be used for?

    Wike talked about Ayade selling our forest reserves as timber. Is that a lie? Our forest, the largest rain forest in West Africa, is ferociously depleted by criminal timber cartels who daily carry truck loads of illegal timber for sale with the active connivance of State government and security officials. The governor has appointed numerous SAs and PAs on Forestry, who have no other job specification than to depend on illegal logging for survival. Till today, we have no knowledge of what happened to the timber that was harvested from the portion of the Super Highway that was cleared before the project was abandoned.

    Wike also mentioned the scandalous budgets that our governor has signed in the past five years. No matter the professorial grammar you want to use, it was never going to be possible for a State that earns barely N50billion as allocation to meet an annual budget of over a trillion Naira. Those highfalutin figures were not only unrealistic, they were actually hallucinatory and the governor has abandoned that path himself. So what is the lie that Wike told?

    Those urging us to go up in arms against Wike for insulting our State, what exactly did he say that is a lie or are you just angry with the manner he said it?

    Since #TeamAyade had already dared Wike and vowed that they were ready for a fight, they should go right into the ring and respond to Wike, allegation for allegation and stop whining. Wike did not abuse or insult Ayade or Cross River, he raised salient issues that demand answers. That is what I want to hear. Not anyone telling me, an adult, how to react to what Wike said.

    In a State where most of the citizenry is cowed by fear and stomach infrastructure, where the political class have lost their voices to complicity in the rot, if Wike and Ayade’s unusual style of open peer review is the mechanism that will stir the nest in our State, so be it. Let the roforofo continue. Afterall, both are not radically different.

    Yours sincerely,
    Citizen Agba Jalingo.

  • Operation Akpakwu: I Thumbs Up For Governor Ayade – Agba Jalingo

     

    In December 2020, when Governor Ayade launched Operation Akpakwu, a special joint security team to combat rampant kidnapping in the State, it was a tall order. To enhance their operations, Ayade handed over 100 patrol vehicles fitted with communication gadgets, 10 power bikes and drones, to the operation.

    “You must deal decisively with any form of criminality, banditry, cultism and kidnapping of any form. Let this therefore be a message to every resident in Cross River; today is the end of criminality,” he said on the occasion.

    For months to the time the Governor was reading this riot act, CrossRiverWatch was reporting an average of 9 to 12 incidents of kidnapping every week in Calabar/Akpabuyo alone. But since January 2021, the frequency of such incidents have reduced to 1 in a month. Also worthy of note is the fact that these kidnappings are now restricted to riverine areas like Jebbs and Esuk Atu at the University of Calabar axis; unlike when these dare devil criminals came frequently into the heart of Calabar Municipality, in broad day light and pick their victims randomly, and escape with ease.

    The joint security operations have relatively cleared notorious criminal rendezvous in 8 miles, Uwanse, Asabanka in Akpabuyo, Essien Town and Bogobri. The remnants are also running out of town due to the heat from Operation Akpakwu.

    But there are still names that security sources say remain a real danger and must be caught before they can relax the security alert level in Calabar. The four names according to sources who spoke to Yours Sincerely include, Romance, Emmanuel AFANG, Bombo and Virus. The Police say they are currently on the trail of the four.

    Romance, according to a security source, is the leader of the gang that stormed a police post near Tinapa in February, killed four policemen on duty and escaped. Some suspects were later arrested while others are still fleeing.

    Information available also reveal that a Police Orderly to a serving Judge in the State was withdrawn and detained in the course of the investigation after he was fingered in the incident.

    I commend Governor Ayade hugely for this particular initiative. I think this was well thought out and the results are self evident. Kudos also to the field commanders and the public that has been cooperating with the security forces.

    There are however grey areas in the activities of Operation Akpakwu, which the Governor and various field commanders of the component forces on ground will have to address very quickly. Victims of the arbitrariness of some operatives of Operation Akpakwu are swelling by the day and that trend must be checked with alacrity.

    Almost every other day, there are verifiable accounts of brutality, highhandedness and illegalities perpetrated by men of Operation Akpakwu. Still fresh in our memory is the molestation of a 17 year old daughter of an aide to the Wife of the Governor of the State, at Bogobiri market, where the terrified teenager was harassed by a soldier attached to Operation Akpakwu and forced to sit on the ground, for not greeting them when she walked past. And only two days ago, soldiers attached to Operation Akpakwu, brutalized a Chief Magistrate and his doctor at about 11pm by UCTH Road Calabar. The duo were hospitalized.

    Public opinion also seem to agree with ending the curfew imposed in Calabar at the peak of the security challenges. Even if it is not ended, it should be extended from 10pm to midnight or further into the night. This will reduce the chances for security forces finding alibis to trample on citizens rights.

    There are also concerns that Operation Akpakwu operatives, are getting involved in civil disputes.

    These boundaries must be clearly defined and enforced strictly. But on the whole, Governor Ayade has done well with Operation Akpakwu. The security situation in Calabar has improved greatly. Kudos to him again.

    God bless Cross River state.

    Yours sincerely,
    Citizen Agba Jalingo.

     

    Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here ate strictly that of Agba Jalingo and does represent The Lumine News or the organization the author works for.

  • Jarigbe Agom Donates 1.5M For The Renovation Of Ogoja Magistrate Court 2.

    By Elijah Ugani

    The member representing Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency
    and Senator-elect for Cross River Northern senatorial district, Rt. Hon. Jarigbe Agom has donated the sum of 1.5M for the renovation of the abandoned Ogoja Magistrate Court 2.

    His donation follows that of Mr. Arthur Javis, Proprietor of the first privately owned university in cross river state, Arthur Javis University, who also donated the sum of 300k for same purpose.

    Recall that Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, member representing Ogoja state constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly opened the floor when he donated the sum of 250k this morning.

    Agba Jalingo who initiated the donation, had announced this morning that the sum of 1.5M was needed for the renovation.

    Jalingo wrote “From preliminary findings, N1,500,000 (One Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira), can return the courtroom to where the Magistrate can resume sitting and hear cases.

    “We can join forces and contribute to achieve this goal in no time. It will be a real test of our commitment to collectively grow democracy and our communities. I am sure it will be something we will be proud we did, when we finally see pictures and videos of the Magistrate sitting in the courtroom renovated by “we the people.”

    “If you are interested in contributing to raising N1.5million for the repairs and light furnishing of Ogoja Magistrate Court 2, kindly indicate your interest and a means of payment will be communicated. Be rest assured that all contributions, including the last penny shall be dedicated to this project only, through direct labour and account shall also be rendered publicly”.

  • Hon. Peter Odey Donates 250k For Operation Rescue And Repair Ogoja Magistrate Court 2

    By Elijah Ugani

    The member representing Ogoja State constituency and Leader of the 9th Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey has donated #250,000.00 for the repair of the abandoned Ogoja Magistrate Court 2.

    The Court according to a report by the publisher of CrossRiverWatch, Agba Jalingo, the court has been abandoned for 25 years.

    The abandoned court was allotted to Hon. Peter Odey to build a private house by the Governor, Sen. Ben Ayade through the Commissioner for Land, when he applied for land.

    Hon. Peter Odey however, washed his hands off the piece of land when he realized that the premises belong to the court.

    Agba Jalingo had commenced Operation Rescue And Repair Ogoja Magistrate Court 2.

    Hon. Peter Odey swiftly responded by donating #250.000.00 for the repair of the abandoned Court.

  • Agba Jalingo Commences Operation Rescue And Repair Ogoja Magistrate Court 2.

    Following the turn of events that beclouds Ogoja Magistrate Court 2, Agba Jalingo has commenced mobilization for donation to repair the abandoned court, codenamed ‘Operation Rescue And Repair Ogoja Magistrate Court 2’.

    Agba asked a rhetoric question, ‘How Much Can You Donate?’

    “I wish to start by saying, I congratulate Hon. Peter Odey, for promptly cooperating with public outcry and stopping work at the premises of the Ogoja Magistrate Court 2. He did that even before the court injunction was issued by the High Court, Ogoja division. I think also that another piece of land should be allocated to Hon. Peter Odey to build his house.

    “Having said that, it is now public knowledge that the court room has been abandoned for over 25 years and anytime any court is closed, it is the common man that suffers the most. There is a reason courts are referred to as ‘the last hope of the common man.’ Courts provide a forum to resolve disputes and help to guarantee our rights to equal protection and due process under the law. Courts exist so that the equality of individuals and the state is reality rather than empty rhetoric. So closing a court room down for 25 years is a lot of disservice to the common man.

    “It is therefore, now time, to recover the Ogoja Magistrate 2 premises, in words and indeed, and return it to a habitable state so that the Magistrate in charge can resume sitting in his court and stop sharing the same court room with the Magistrate in court 1. It is the people’s court. Not government court. Like Police Stations, courts belong to the people. They are the temples of Justice.

    “From preliminary findings, N1,500,000 (One Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira), can return the courtroom to where the Magistrate can resume sitting and hear cases.

    “We can join forces and contribute to achieve this goal in no time. It will be a real test of our commitment to collectively grow democracy and our communities. I am sure it will be something we will be proud we did, when we finally see pictures and videos of the Magistrate sitting in the courtroom renovated by “we the people.”

    “If you are interested in contributing to raising N1.5million for the repairs and light furnishing of Ogoja Magistrate Court 2, kindly indicate your interest and a means of payment will be communicated. Be rest assured that all contributions, including the last penny shall be dedicated to this project only, through direct labour and account shall also be rendered publicly”.

    Yours sincerely,
    Citizen Agba Jalingo.

     

    To donate, kindly click here https://dashboard.flutterwave.com/donate/eihzcj7vun0c