Pillar Today

  • Gov. Eno Bags Governor of the Year Award, Says It’s a Challenge For More Work

    Gov. Eno Bags Governor of the Year Award, Says It’s a Challenge For More Work

    Gov. Umo Eno (right), receiving the award from his Deputy, Senator Akon Eyakenyi.

    By Anietie Akpan

    The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has bagged the Leadership Newspaper Governor of the Year award saying, it’s a challenge for more work.

    Consequently, Governor Eno in a press release from his Media Unit on Tuesday, charged members of his team to redouble efforts in ensuring that more impacts of good governance are felt by the people of the State.

    Speaking at the ongoing State Exco Retreat in Lagos, shortly after being presented with the award received on his behalf by his Deputy, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, he said the avalanche of accolades on him by several media and non media organizations, meant that he was being more closely observed across the globe.

    Welcoming back the delegation from Abuja, the Governor said he took the difficult decision of being represented at the award ceremony, because of the high premium he placed on the ongoing retreat and again thanked the management of The Leadership Newspaper for finding him worthy.

    His words: “I was meant to be in Paris for a very important international engagement today, and I was also meant to be in Abuja for the Leadership Newspaper award. But I couldn’t attend any of them because this retreat is very serious business which we had already planned.

    “I thank God for the award and it is to God’s Glory that we are being celebrated and honoured. I dedicated the previous award on me by This Day Newspaper and Arise News Tv to my political father, Deacon Udom Emmanuel, for identifying me and supporting me all the way”.

    Governor whose speech was received with ovation from the EXCO members at the retreat, said, “I didn’t have confidence in myself, he stood by me and urged me on. A good child dances and receives accolades and brings honour to his parents.

    “I dedicate this particular award to all members of our team, both past and present.

    “It is a call for more work and I believe we all know that the world is watching us. God forbid we drop the ball, they are also watching”.

    Earlier, the Deputy Governor, had extolled the Governor for the making the State proud through his achievements.

    “Akwa Ibom people are proud of you. So many Akwa Ibom people came to Abuja to identify with you. I walked out proudly as an Akwa Ibom person to receive this award on your behalf.

    “The organizers spoke glowingly of you and you were highly regarded in the order of precedence”, she said.

    On her delegation to receive the award were the Commissioner for Information, Elder Aniekan Umanah, Political Adviser to the Governor, Chief Godwin Ntukudeh, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ekerete Udoh, the House of Assembly Member for Nsit Ibom, Hon Eric Akpan and Mrs Owoidighe Ekpoattai, Honorary Special Adviser to the Governor.

  • Odukpani: Theatre of Blood ?

    Odukpani: Theatre of Blood ?

    Gov. Bassey Otu.

    By Anietie Akpan

    In the past 35 years about 150 innocent persons are feared to have lost their lives to series of communal clashes involving different communities in Odukpani Local Government Area (LGA) of Cross River State.

    Some of these communal conflicts include Odukpani Qua Town/New Netim in Odukpani LGA in  September 2016 and about six persons were killed and even beheaded. Same community was attacked in December 2015 and two persons died.

    New Netim was completely wiped out by their Odukpani Qua Town brothers and they are scattered, squatting in different parts of the state.

    It was gathered that the clashes were as a result of a long standing land dispute and the  people of Odukpani Qua Town have severally been regarding the people of New Netim as settlers hence should leave.

    Between June 13 and July 23, 2019, it was a case of attack and reprisal attacks that sacked villages of Mbiabo Edere, Ediong, Obomitiat, Idim Ndom, Mkpanuruk, Etehentem, Ikot Otu, Ikot Efa, Ikot Iwatt, Ikot Offiong, Ekpene Eki, Obodio and Obionno in Mbiabo Ebom and Eki wards of Odukpani council.

    Ekpo who is also a community leader in Akpap Okoyong, had in 2019 said, “from 1990 to now (2019), close to 100 people have died as a result of the crisis. The Comprehensive Community School erected by us (Obom Itiat and Mkpoete) for more than 36 years has been pulled down.

    “The health centre and schools which are not for the ObomItiat people alone have been destroyed and we have been crying. What offence have we committed? As we are here so many people have been displaced. The crisis affects not alone Obom Itiat but has degerated to Mbiabo clan, Ediong clan and part of Eki. So many communities have been wiped out and millions naira lost”.

    In the wake of the 2019 clash, over 50 persons were said to have been killed and about 3,000 rendered homeless as houses, schools and health centres were completely ravaged and raised down. The fight was between villages in Mbiabo Obom Itiat ward, aided by the squatters from Ikot Offiong, and Eki council ward.

    The then Governor Ben Ayade’s government had set up a seven man committee led by the former Managing Director of State Water Board Company, Chief Victor Effiom Ekpo to settle the feuding communities and to a certain extent, peace of the graveyard returned to the areas as some of the sacked communities are yet to return.

    Another incident was in May, 2021 and four persons were feared dead including a pregnant woman following a communal clash between the people of Ikot Offiong and Akpap Okoyong in Odukpani LGA.

    Chief Ekpo had then said that, “the people of Ikot Offiong were displaced from their ancestral home of Ikot Offiong in Oku Iboku in Itu LGA of Akwa Ibom state following series of clashes and were given where to stay in Akpap Okoyong but now they have risen against their host”.

    Just few weeks ago, in the latest of the crisis in Odukpani LGA, the Ikoneto and Ubambat people clashed over palm estate with a spillover in Akpap Okoyong.

    Recall that same displaced Ikot Offiong people had three years ago invaded Ubambat, burnt almost all the houses there and took over Ubambat.

    So in this latest conflict, the people of Akpap Okoyong who are not sharing boundary with Ikoneto or Ubambat, were attacked in the spillover. Two persons were said to have died in the attack. One each in Ikoneto and Ubambat while one was hospitalized. The third person who was shot along side the woman later died in the hospital. Both of them were said to have been attacked in Ikoneto.

    The Ikot Offiong people are scattered all over Odukpani communities like, Ikoneto, Ubambat, Obomitiat, Eki, Mbiabo and others.

    Commenting on the crisis then, the Clan head of Obom Itiat Edere clan, Etubom Effiong Asuquo Nyong said, “the conflict that engulfed my area, ObomItiat Edere is as a result of people claiming that I and my community must not exist. That we must go back to Calabar were we came from and they erroneously said the land which we live belongs to them which is a baseless information. By origin I am an Abayen man and our neighbours in Eki have attempted to annex us by force and our objection to their annexation bid led to this crisis

    Commenting this latest clash, an indigene of Ikot Offiong, Etim Okon said, “for years we have been suffering persecution in Oku Iboku and now in our state, our brothers do not want us to co-exist with them. This is wrong and the state government should step in and give us a permanent place to stay since we were displaced in Oku Iboku in Itu LGA of Akwa Ibom state”.

    In an interview with Pillar Today, the former MD of Water Board, Chief Ekpo who is also the MD CEO of South South Alliance Nigerian Limited, charged the state government led by Senator Bassey Otu to intervene and put an end to the incessant conflicts in Odukpani LGA

    “I am from Akpap Okoyong in Odukpani local government. To the best of my knowledge, the crisis that people are talking here and there, we have Ikoneto, we have Ubambat Okoyong, we have Esuk Ubambat and this crisis thing is within Ikoneto and Ubambat, It has to do with the palm fronds and all that is what they are having little issues over.

    “So for what I know, the people of Akpap Okoyong are not sharing boundary with Ikoneto. We don’t have boundary with Ikoneto or Ubambat. Akpap has boundary with Usung Udua Okoyong. You pass Akpap which is supposed to be a traditional headquarter of Okoyong. But whoever that has any little issue with any village in Okoyong within Ubambat, Usung Udua, all their attempts is to attack Akpap Okoyong”.

    He queried, “The question is why are they channeling their their anger to Akpap Okoyong?  That is the problem we the people of Akpap Okoyong are facing. Why are they channeling their issues to Akpap Okoyong where I am from? If they have a boundary problem or any issue they have between Ikoneto and Ubambat, the  leadership of those two communities should solve their problems and not escalating and expanding it.

    “I only call for a stop, nobody should fight and kill each other again. The economy of Nigeria is already biting in the life of people, so we should face it without transferring aggression within ourselves”.

    Pillar Today gathered that both Ikoneto and Akpap Okoyong were in the process of settling the dispute before recent escalation.

    Ekpo advised that a police station should be established in the crisis areas and a buffer zone established by the state government to check further reoccurrence.

    Pillar Today further gathered that the state government has waded into the Odukpani crisis particularly the latest incident to restore peace and stop the blood shed.

     

  • Cross River Started Paying N70, 000 Minimum Wage Since December 2024, CPS

    Cross River Started Paying N70, 000 Minimum Wage Since December 2024, CPS

    Gov. Bassey Otu. 

    By Anietie Akpan

    The Cross River State Government has described recent media reports that the state has not paid the N70,000 minimum wage as “false, unfounded, and a gross misrepresentation of facts.”

    In a statement issued on Monday, April 7, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Mr. Nsa Gill, said it is not true that the state is among the states yet to implement the minimum wage.

    Accordingly, the Chief Press Secretary urged the public to disregard the misleading reports, assuring Cross Riverians and Nigerians that, the state government remains focused on prioritizing the well-being of its workforce and the residents alike.

    He regretted that the misleading report was published in one of the reputable national dailies, The Punch Newspaper, without proper verification.

    “Our attention has been drawn to a misleading report in The Punch and some other media platforms, falsely listing Cross River among states that are yet to implement the new N70,000 minimum wage for workers,” Gill said adding, “this report is entirely false.”

    He emphasized that Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s administration is “one of the first in the country” to fully implement the new wage structure as early as December 2024.

    “The implementation cut across both the state and local government services, with full consequential adjustments, and workers are already benefiting from the new wage structure,” he noted.

    Gill noted that such a misleading publication is a sensitive report and it would only be fair for the same news platforms to publish the verified position of the Cross River State government.

    The facts clearly stated by the state government, he said, can be easily verified by stakeholders such as the State Chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

    “Governor Otu’s administration remains fully committed to the welfare and upliftment of workers in Cross River State…Salaries have continued to be paid regularly and without fail”, he said.

  • At State EXCO Retreat, Governor Eno Reiterates Zero Tolerance on Excuses

    At State EXCO Retreat, Governor Eno Reiterates Zero Tolerance on Excuses

    Gov. Umo Eno (right) brainstorming with his Deputy, Senator Akon Eyakenyi at the retreat.

    By Anietie Akpan

    The members of the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council (EXCO), have been warned against complacency and excuses as they work to deliver on the agenda of the Governor Umo Eno led administration.

    Governor Eno said this at the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council retreat currently taking place in Lagos, therefore called for synergy, collaboration, loyalty and commitment to recording results.

    In a press release from his Media Unit, the Governor said the retreat is meant to further distill the culture of deliverables and deepen respect  for boundaries as his administration works to relentlessly drive its vision of economic growth and wellbeing, peace and prosperity for the people of the State.

    Declaring open the retreat at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, Governor Eno said, the retreat is expected to have participants, fully reinvigorated, equipped, refreshed  and challenged for the tasks ahead.

    “We have assembled a great team of speakers drawn from diverse backgrounds and I know  we are going to have a great and exciting time.

    “Even though this is essentially an EXCO Retreat, we have, however, brought in all our Delivery Team Members and stakeholders, to reinforce our commitment in ensuring timely delivery of our projects.

    A section of EXCO Members at the retreat.

    “We were here, last in 2023, shortly after our inauguration, where we had distilled the foundational principles of the Arise Agenda with the then EXCO members.

    “It’s good to note that a number of the members of the last EXCO have been reappointed and thus are deeply conversant with our culture of deliverables”.

    The Governor who appreciated resource persons, particularly, Tony Blair Institute, for accepting to share their knowledge and expertise, reminded the new EXCO members, that “the fact that you are here, means you completely understand our propelling impulse which essentially  is that we are running against time.”

    He maintained that time was of essence, “given the number of very audacious projects, we are determined to execute and complete within the next two years of our first term.”

    Emphasizing the need for teamwork and unity, Governor Eno maintained that if he were to suggest a theme for the retreat, it would be “Teaming  for Greater  Success”.

    Pastor Eno spoke glowingly on his Arise Agenda, saying that it has been articulated and translated into implementable layers, maintaining that having “taken acute and deep ownership of the vision”, the EXCO members are the agents to relentlessly drive the vision to completion.

    Another section of the EXCO Members.

    He reminded them that Akwa Ibom people will not tolerate excuses, hence his decision to appoint a renowned technocrat as his Chief Delivery Adviser and Executive Assistant.

    Governor Eno used the forum to again clarify that the State Delivery Advisors have their responsibilities clearly spelt out, which is to supervise some of the major projects billed for completion within the next 24 months.

    “They have the institutional memory and knowledge of these projects, and we have simply asked them to complete what they had started and deliver them to specifications and on time.

    “The Honourable Commissioners have new projects that we are initiating and are expected to follow-through on those projects  to completion”, he said.

    The retreat, expected to last four days had on the first day, Tuulia Pitkanem, a senior adviser in the Tony Blair Institute, and a former Chief of Staff  to the Prime Minister of Finland, who spoke on ways of translating the Governor’s address into policy interventions.

    Others who spoke on Day One, include Mr Emem Bob who spoke on the Budget Presentation and Fiscal Outlook, as well as Government Communication and Reputation Management presented by Mr. Aniekan Umanah.

  • 200 Students, Volunteers, Clean Up Shores of Calabar River, Courtesy, UNICEF, Others

    200 Students, Volunteers, Clean Up Shores of Calabar River, Courtesy, UNICEF, Others

    The clean up exercise at Marina beach.

    By Anietie Akpan

    As part of efforts to keep the rivers, oceans free and clean, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) through the Green Rising Initiative, mobilized over 200 young people to take action in cleaning up the Marina Beach of the Calabar River in Calabar, Cross River State.

    The clean up exercise at the beach, on Saturday, April 5, was  the concluding part of the three day (April 3-5, 2025) Climate Education and Awareness programme on the theme: “Tides of Change-Young Voices for a Greener Coast”; powered by UNICEF, GreenRising, GenUnlimited, YPAT and the UNICAL and implemented by Plogging Nigeria and Biodiversity Rescue Club (BRC) Nigeria.

    It commenced in the early hours of Saturday, at the shores of the Marina beach which the high tide had earlier deposited large quantity of debris, mostly plastics and cans, and at low tide the coastline was dry for the students to remove the debris before the high tide would come and swim them back to the river.

    Dressed in T-shirts with the inscription: “Tides of Change-Young Voices for a Greener Coast” and “Be A UNICEF Green Rising Champion”, (front and back), hand gloves and shoes for safety, the students moved from point to point and cleared the debris in large areas of the Marina beach and by the time the high tide arrived, the cleaned areas were clean and free.

    The UNICEF WASH Specialist, Enugu Field Office, Mrs. Rebecca Bolatito Gabriel in a statement made available to some newsmen said, “by this, young people are taking action to reduce plastic pollution by cleaning up all forms of plastics that are littered at the beach. The plastics that are collected will be sorted and recycled – hence reducing the amount of plastic in the environment and consequently its impact on the climate”.

    Plastic pollution in water bodies according to the statement, “poses a serious threat, causing harm to marine life through ingestion, entanglement, and the introduction of harmful chemicals, as well as impacting ecosystems and human health.

    “One of the biggest sources of plastic in our seas is simply littering. Rubbish left on the beach after a day out, refuse fly-tipped in our rivers and waste blown in from our streets – all contribute to a massive problem.

    “A lot of this rubbish comes from single-use plastics. Straws, bottles, bags, crisp packets, stirrers, coffee cups, yoghurt pots – the list goes on. A huge proportion of our waste comes from plastics that we use just once and then throw it away. Sometimes we put it in the bin, but sometimes we don’t, and it works its way into our seas. These single-use items are also notoriously hard to recycle”.

    Some of the participants interviewed during the cleanup exercise, expressed  concerns with the activities of humans in dumping waste anyhow as these waste products often find their way into the rivers and oceans causing pollution and climate change.

    Some the recovered waste being parked by the participants.

    One of the participants, a 400 level student of Public Health, University of Calabar, Gift Akoh, said, “we are doing the beach clean up today (Saturday). This can be a habitat for mosquitoes and other insects  but if we can keep the beach clean, it can reduce the way and manner mosquitoes breed here and will help mitigate climate change”.

    Apparently excited to be part of the clean up, Akoh promised to be a true “UNICEF Green Rising Champion” by taking the message of climate change far and wide saying, “I want to say thank you to UNICEF for coming up with this initiative, it shows that we really want a change”.

    Another participant, Joshua Otie, a 300 level student of the Department of Public Health, University of Calabar, opined, “I run my own organisation, called Hope Assured Foundation. I am here with some of my members as volunteers”.

    “Globally there has been a great surge for climate  change issues rising to Ozone depletion due to human activities and most of these activities include the indecent use of plastics”, he said, noting that, “there is no adequate facilities in recycling these plastics”.

    The idea around this by UNICEF and other partners, she said, “is to first create the awareness  that our river bodies are also breeding lives and some of the things we throw into the rivers or ocean cause harm to the river bodies  and some how at large, our eco system.

    “We consume things from the river and plastics have chemicals that have shown to be contributing to the rate of cancer globally. In fact,  of recent, cancer is the second highest killer disease in the world. Most of these is because of the chemicals that are found in plastics.

    “The ecosystem is being degraded because of  these human activities. We are here to first create awareness that, this is wrong and also take action as young people. And of course, the world is ours in the nearest future but the leaders of today and the nearest future so we are taking action as young people by cleaning up the beach and in generally taking climate action to sustain the earth”.

    In this regards, “I want to say thank you to UNICEF and their partners for initiating this and funding the idea. We are super excited that this is happening, like Oliver twist, we are asking for more. This is just a little  in the ocean, we want to see more of these initiatives that are young people centered because young people are at the forefront of effecting the change we want to see in the community”, Otie said.

    One of the volunteers from Nigeria Red Cross Society, Cross River Branch, a Youth Coordinator, Christina Etim, said, “we are cleaning up the beach to make the environment safe for the habitants in the water and around. Cleaning up the beach will help protect the habitats as you know, human attitudes, activities towards the environment is why we are facing  climate change.

    “If you check around, you will see plastics at the shores of the river, which is not good for the habitants of the water, so we need to change our attitude and be friendly to the environment and it will go a long way in tackling the effects of climate change”.

  • Nigeria to Bid for 2030 Commonwealth Games – Official

    By Dianabasi Effiong

    The Commonwealth Games, Nigeria, has met the deadline for expression of interest to bid for the Commonwealth Games in 2030 in Abuja.

    This was made known on Monday by Tony Nezianya, the Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).

    According to Nezianya, the NOC emerged from its executive committee meeting on April 3 in Abuja to confirm that it met the March 28 deadline for expression of interest for a bid process.

    Nigeria can only begin a formal bid if the Federal Government gives backing to the project, noting that Nigeria’s bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Abuja would present a unique opportunity to showcase its development, enhance its global standing, and invigorate its sports culture.

    Nigeria last hosted a major multi-sport event – the African Games – in 2003 (COJA 2003) hosted in Anuja and the country used the platform to demonstrate its capability and commitment to organising large-scale international events.

    That experience will provide a solid foundation for Nigeria to host again, showcasing its ability to manage the logistics, hospitality, and infrastructure development required by such events as it would also provide a compelling narrative for the nation’s progress and readiness.

    A bid process would enhance an investment in Sports Infrastructure as bidding for the Games can catalyse investments in sports infrastructure and facilities across the country, particularly in Abuja, which can revitalise the local sports-economy and improve national sports facilities for future generations.

    Hosting the Games, he said, would “initiate the construction and upgrading of sports venues, transportation systems, and accommodations, creating lasting benefits for the sports community and the general population.

    “This can significantly boost tourism by attracting visitors from around the world. This influx would undoubtedly support local businesses, create jobs, and boost the hospitality sector”.

    He added that, “the preparation and execution phases of the Games will generate numerous jobs, from event management to construction, fostering local enterprise, and skills development.

    “It would inspire a new generation of athletes by providing them with the motivation and support to pursue excellence in sports. It positions Nigeria as a country that values athletic achievement and fosters talent, serve as a compelling force for National unity by fostering peace and facilitating Nigeria’s cultural diversity”.

    Meanwhile, Nezianya said, other significant events on the schedule include the Olympic Committees of African (ANOCA) School Sports Games in Algeria, to be staged from July 5 to July 13, 2025.

    The Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia are also scheduled to run from November 7 to November 31, 2025.

    Conversely, Angola will host the ANOCA Youth Games in Luanda between December 5 and December December 20, 2025 while the next Commonwealth will be hosted in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2026. This will run from March 17 to March 29, 2026.

    Indeed, the Scots were the eventual hosts of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, which could have served as the centennial Games of the amalgamation of Nigeria’s southern and northern protectorates but Nigeria had lost the bid to host the Games in Colombo, Sri Lanka, he said.

    Africa has been awarded the Youth Olympic Games for the first time and Dakar, Senegal won the right to host the Games, from October 31 to November 13, 2026.

    However, Milano Cortina won the bid to host the Winter Olympic Games from February 6 to February 22, 2027 while Equatorial Guinea was named to host the African Beach Games in 2027.Egypt will host the 14th African Games, Egypt, from January 20 to February 7, 2027, he added.

    The quadrennial would be rounded up with the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 in the USA, from July 14 to July 30, 2028, he said adding that Winter Olympics will take place in the US in 2028 at a yet-to-be-determined city.

  • Attack on Peaceful Protesters by Police in Port Harcourt, is “Violent, Irresponsible”, Group

    Attack on Peaceful Protesters by Police in Port Harcourt, is “Violent, Irresponsible”, Group

    By Anietie Akpan

    The “Take It Back Movement” has described as violent and insensible the attack of peaceful protesters by combined forces of the military and police near the CFC junction in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday.

    A statement on Monday, April 7, by the South South Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement”, Comrade Jonathan Abang-Ugbal said, the “excessive and reckless force used by the security agencies” who are supposed to serve the public diligently led to patriotic Nigerians sustaining varying degrees of injuries and this  it is strongly condemned.

    The statement said, “Rivers State Coordinator of the movement, Comrade Amanyie King and the Niger Delta Congress President, Nubari Sataah sustained serious injuries and are receiving medical care while dozens remain unaccounted for”.

    The protest, “is part of a broader campaign to draw attention to the deliberate misuse of the CyberCrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, as amended, to suppress dissent and harass citizens.

    “And, the use of live ammunition, teargas, and brutality against unarmed and peaceful protesters is a blatant display of the running (not ruling please) class’s despotic tendencies and the heinous act is a stark reminder of the lengths to which these privileged fellow countrymen and women who buffet on our commonwealth a la carte while masturbating in the corridors of power, will go to silence dissenting voices”.

    The movement said, “indeed, the Cybercrimes Act, has become a tool for oppressors to stifle free speech, silence dissent and crush the common man.

    “We urge Nigerians to recognize the gravity of this situation, stand in solidarity with the Movement, join the campaign to repeal the Cybercrimes Act, and demand for a just and equitable society. The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to any democracy, and it’s imperative that we protect this right.

    “The time for silence and indifference is over, it is time for collective action. Indeed, a people united, can never be defeated”.

    Accordingly, the movement called for : “the immediate repeal of the CyberCrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act; Accountability for Security Agencies, especially the Nigerian Police Force; and Protection of Citizens’ Rights”.

    Meanwhile the group has appealed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 6 Command, Calabar, Cross River State, Mustapha Muhammed Bala, to “support the “Repeal the Cybercrimes Act” campaign to protect public interest”.

    The movement in a letter addressed to the AIG and signed by Abang-Ugbal, stated,”as we recognize strides made so far, we must equally reflect on opportunities to build a just society for all citizens, irrespective of status, wealth, or privilege.

    “Hence, the decision of the Take It Back Movement to launch the “Repeal the Cybercrimes Act” campaign – rooted in the principle of advocating for legal framework that prioritizes the rights of the many over the interests of the few and the growing call for justice and protection of citizen’s rights”.

    The letter further reads: “The misuse of the Cybercrimes Act has disproportionately affected the marginalized, poor, and vulnerable in our society. It has become a tool for silencing dissenting voices, gagging discursive change agents, and undermining the freedoms we must all cherish as members of a just and equitable society.

    “It is on that note, that the Nigeria Police Force has a historic opportunity to align itself with the people’s interests by endorsing the campaign.

    “You are aware that Public Servants are, by oath, in a unique position to champion the values of fairness and accountability”.

     

  • Cross River Communities Laud UNICEF, Others on Mangrove Planting, a Critical Solution to Climate Change

    Cross River Communities Laud UNICEF, Others on Mangrove Planting, a Critical Solution to Climate Change

    By Anietie Akpan

    Cross River Communities have lauded the intervention of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners on mangrove protection as a critical solution to climate change.

    This intervention is in the planting of mangrove trees as the defendants of communities from floods along the long stretch of Esierebom coast line in Calabar South Local Government Area (LGA) by students of Government Secondary School, Uwanse, Margaret Ekpo Secondary School, Calabar and the University of Calabar (UNICAL).

    About 170 trees were planted on Friday, April 4 as part of the three day (April 3-5, 2025) Climate Education and Awareness programme on the theme: “Tides of Change-Young Voices for a Greener Coast”; powered by UNICEF, GreenRising, GenUnlimited, YPAT and the UNICAL and implemented by Biodiversity Rescue Club (BRC) Nigeria and Plogging Nigeria”.

    The excited Esierebom community and its neighbours said, in what the school children are doing today concerning the Mangrove tree which they are planting in Esierebom Ewa Ekeng community, “is a welcome development and we are thrilled”.

    The Village Head of Esierebom/Ewa Ensa clan, Chief Ewa Edem Richard Henshaw, said, “these mangrove trees have helped us a great deal because in Anatigha, where these trees were not planted, water had flooded the area and brought down most houses there. But as these school children have come planting it in this our community, it will help us in so many ways”.

    The Village Head who was represented by the Etubom Mkparawa (Youth Leader) of Esierebom Ewa Ekeng/Effiom Ewa Nsa clan, Chief Ekeng Ekpenyong Henshaw, said, “these idea by UNICEF, the NGOs and the children is a very good idea which will help us a lot in future because our children, children children and others will benefit from it. Our coastlines and communities will be safe”.

    “In the ones that were planted many years ago people cut them down as fire wood but as the Village Head and myself intervened and stopped people from cutting down the mangrove trees used as fire wood or any other thing, the situation has improved.

    “So I am very happy that UNICEF and the NGOs are coming back using the school children to plant new ones. About 3,000 seedlings were planted last year and as we entered the swamp today they are all growing well”.

    His words : “Today they have brought in over 100 trees and as a community leader I have gone in there and did as the village head instructed me to do.

    “So may the Lord almighty protect and guide them in this effort of helping the community. And those sponsoring them to help plant these trees to check the encroachment of water and force it back to the ocean, God should bless them”.

    About five years ago, when the mangrove trees were planted, he said, “some people go in and cut them but current village head and myself as the Youth Leader now caused an announcement to be made in the community warning everyone to stay away from the mangrove forest and anyone caught will be handed over to government and their agencies .

    “That is why the 3,000 that were planted last year are growing very well and the ones they have planted today no one will enter the mangrove forest to cut them. We are very happy and excited with this mangrove tree planting sponsored by UNICEF and pray more should be planted to protect our coastal communities”.

    BRC Nigeria, one of the implementing organizations for the mangrove tree planting, represented by its Founder and Executive Director, Mr. Clement Adagbor Oko, said, “we are here to plant mangroves, we are planting 100 mangroves today as a way of carrying out environmental action, not just speaking advocacy but carrying out the action on ground”.

    On why mangrove is planted on the coast lines, he said, “Mangroves serve as a very important solution to climate change. They conserve 10 times carbon more than in tropical rainforests and this coastal community, Esierebom is vulnerable to flooding. The mangroves are to protect and act as the defendants of the community from floods”.

    On economic benefits, Oko said, “mangrove trees also provide social economic benefits to the community as source of livelihood and the most economy they do here is fishing. So the mangroves are biodiversity hotspots to this fish, but because of the degradation of the mangroves, the fishermen may have to go so far across the sea to get this fish as against what they usually get before within the area and this has made a decline in their fish population and of course the cost is also telling on the cost of purchase if you want to get this fish from these people that sell by the roadside.

    “So we are doing this mangrove thing as a means of restoring back the ecosystem, mitigate climate change and provide social economic benefit to the community, as well as defend them from erosions and floods as sea level rise.

    “We are collaborating with Plogging Nigeria to carry out the planting exercise today at Esierebom community, funded by UNICEF, UNICAL and others”.

    He explained that “it takes about six years for a newly planted mangrove trees to get to maturity” and on how they intend to preserve the trees, “that’s why we did a lot of sensitization campaigns, not just going in to plant mangroves”, Oko added.

    “If these people don’t know why you are planting mangroves, they will still go in there tomorrow. So that’s why we carry out a lot of advocacy, sentization  to let them know the disadvantage of cutting down the mangroves. They see the sea floor, they see like this area, if it rains heavily, they get water full of this place, you can’t pass this road.

    “So they themselves experience this action, this climate action, but they may not know that, that was the cause. So we try to make them know this is the cause of it. And, thank God for the community leadership that are cooperating with us.

    “They are also trying to, they are working very well, they are accommodating, working with us, and they are trying to make bylaws to protect the mangroves. So these bylaws were one of the things we look out for to restrict entry into the mangrove to reduce deforestation of the mangroves”.

    On his part, the Executive Director of Plogging Nigeria Muyiwa Iyamolere commented UNICEF and others for the climate change programme saying, “we are the implementing organization for this project. This project is powered by UNICEF through the Green Rising Initiative, which is a project to mobilize youths to take climate action around the world. We are working in Nigeria, mobilizing youths here in Calabar today to plant mangroves”.

    He said, “we are planting mangroves in Eserobom because they are very important for the environment. So the mangroves help to sequestrate carbon, which is a very important thing to mitigate the climate crisis we are experiencing.

    “And also for this community, being a coastal one that is very close to a large river that enters into the ocean, the mangroves help to serve as a barrier to prevent or to reduce the level of flooding that affects this community. So they absorb water, serve as a fence around the community, and we are trying to help to restore those mangroves because of nipa palms that have invaded the area.

    “They are invasive species, so we are cutting those ones down, planting mangroves for the benefit of the community, to mitigate the climate crisis, and also animals, creeping animals, and other different species of animals that reside in the mangrove habitat is restored, and everyone is happy”.

  • OPINION : Can the New NNPCL Board Tackle Industry’s Critical Problems?

    OPINION : Can the New NNPCL Board Tackle Industry’s Critical Problems?

    By Etim Etim

    The new directors of NNPCL appointed by President Bola Tinubu last week has been widely welcomed by Nigeria’s oil industry chieftains and analysts for their cognate experience and impressive private sector background, but they are taking over a corporation buffeted by chronic political problems and unethical business practices.

    These directors are from the other side of the table, as they had been dealing with NNPCL while they were in the leadership of some of the subsidiaries of the IOCs in Nigeria. The new board chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, rose in the industry to become Total Nigeria’s Deputy Managing Director of Deep Water Services in 2015. Last year, he became the an independent non executive director at Pan Ocean-Newcross Group. Bayo Ojulari, the new Group CEO, was until his appointment Executive Vice President and COO of Renaissance Africa Energy Company. The Renaissance Group recently led a consortium of indigenous energy firms in the landmark acquisition of the entire equity holding in the Shell Nigeria worth $2.4 billion. I wrote an article on this transaction in January titled, ‘’The exit of Shell’’. Ojulari himself is a Shell veteran, just as all other board members have worked at senior levels at other IOCs.

    They are therefore well informed about the deficiencies of NNPCL and are well equipped technically to turn it around into another IOC, or a semblance of it. They can bring the best practices in the IOCs to bear on NNPCL. But they will have to overcome political interferences; opaque organizational culture; chronic industry problems and huge corruption, among many other typically Nigerian challenges. Here are a few of the problems they will face. Here are a few of them:

    1)    The Upstream sector

    a)     Oil theft is a major problem and the new board will face many obstacles as it tries to fight it. Every barrel of crude oil must end up in one refinery somewhere in the world. The crude oil stolen from Nigeria is not refined in Nigeria.  The refineries that buy them must know where the crude came from. Therefore, the syndicates stealing the Nigerian crude oil must be known within the Nigerian and global intelligence community. The new NNPCL Board members have worked with Shell (HQ in London), ExxonMobil (HQ in USA) and Total (France). The home country intelligence networks of these IOCs do know how these thefts have been perpetuated over the years in the Niger Delta and the offshore oilfields. Since these new Board members have worked at the highest level in the Nigerian subsidiary of these IOCs, they can seek help from their HQs on how to identify, name and shame the thieves thereby undermining their network. Of course, the Board has to have the support of the Presidency for this move.

    b)    Professionalize the Exploration and production arm of NNPCL, called NNPC E&P Limited (NEPL), formerly NPDC:  For a long time now, NEPL (formerly NPDC) has been outsourcing the funding and development of its freely assigned oilfields to third parties, thus denying itself the opportunities to develop and retain corporate competencies and professionalism in-house. NPDC (NEPL) was meant to be the National Oil Company (NOC) of Nigeria, like Statoil of Norway (now called Equinor); Petronas of Malaysia; Petrobras of Brazil; Pemex of Mexico and others of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Brunei, etc. It is not late for the new Board to position NEPL to fund, develop and operate their Nigerian oilfields competently as there are many Nigerians in-country and in Diaspora who could be brought in to run the organization efficiently and professionally. The new Board members were at the leadership of successfully operated IOC subsidiaries in Nigeria. Therefore, they have the operational template they can deploy in NEPL. If Equinor of Norway can succeed, with many Nigerians working there, then NEPL can as well.

    c) Transparency of crude oil and natural gas sales: The current opaqueness in the crude oil sales should be stopped. The opacity is at almost every facet of the business. Even Finance Commissioners of the Niger Delta States do not understand how their states’ share of the 13% derivation is calculated. They do not even have the data on which the payments are calculated and paid.  Therefore, the new Board should ensure that the federation’s share of the revenue is accessible to the federating units without them depending on the Freedom of Information request.

    d) Simply meet the funding obligations NNPCL has with their JV operators: Nigeria (NNPCL) has been a laughingstock in the global Oil Industry for not paying their 55% to 60% share for funding JV operations, yet would be the first to take their share of the JV production. The Board should simply do the right thing. Pay up NNPCL’s share of funds and then earn its share of the produced crude oil and gas.

    e) Expedite the Contracting processes: Currently it takes about two years to go through the contract award process for major projects that require NNPCL’s approval. The new Board knows how major contracts are awarded in the home country of the IOCs. They should implement such best practice in NNPCL, with recognition of local peculiarities.

    f) Merit-based hiring at NNPCL: During the eight years of President Buhari as the Minister of Petroleum, the ‘northernization’ of NNPCL in many aspects was brazen. Going forward, an annual performance review of the employees should be done and the bottom 5% let go and replaced, if necessary. New recruitments should be transparent and merit-based.

    g) Endless search for hydrocarbon in Northern Nigeria

    Since the 1970s, NNPCL has been exploring for oil and gas in the northern part of Nigeria. There is no IOC that will continuously spend its money for more than 50 years on exploration in a particular area and despite no commercial find, continue investing more money on such fruitless search. Since the new Directors are from IOCs, let them be bold enough to stop throwing good money into these  fruitless explorations. If for political reasons the searches must continue in the northern oilfields, NUPRC can award those oil blocks to private companies on a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) basis. The private companies can then take the risk and share the production with the Federation, upon success. The money saved can be used to buy shares in oilfields outside Nigeria, as done by successful NOCs in Nigerian oil fields.

    To buttress the point, let’s recall that during Mele Kyari’s tenure, there was a huge song and dance about the discovery of one billion barrels of crude oil and 500 billion cubic feet of gas in Kolmani oilfield in Alkaleri, Bauchi State. Even President Buhari, in November 2022, had to perform an official inauguration of the Kolmani Development Project where an oil refinery of 120,000 bpd, a gas processing site of 500 million cubic feet per day and a 300 MW power plant were all to be built with the US$3 Billion fund already sourced. About three years after, where are the projects? It is an open secret that doubts exist within the subsurface community of the Nigerian Oil Industry about such quantity of hydrocarbon being discovered since there has been no public declaration of the length of the pay sand encountered and at what depth, as is the standard industry publication when new discoveries are made. That same Kolmani Oil field was abandoned by Shell in the late 1990s when it could not make any commercial find. So, NNPCL should cut the losses by stopping frontier exploration up north.

    2)    Midstream Sector

    a)     Pipelines to Refineries: Pipelines carrying crude oil to refineries have been vandalized for many years now. No matter how deep a replacement pipeline would be buried, when there is a will to puncture it, it will be punctured. Therefore, the new Board should adequately and appropriately motivate every community a pipeline passes through to protect it against vandalism. The Board members have been dealing with communities their entire career, so they are now in a position to delight the oil communities in a way their IOCs or NNPCL did not allow them to.

    b) Pipelines from Refineries to Depots: Back in the 70s, there was a functioning pipeline network carrying various petroleum products from the various refineries to oil product depots situated at various cities across the country. With the depots not being in use for many years, the Board should should prioritize the reactivation of these pipelines and, again, motivate the communities to protect them all across the country.

    c) The challenge of crude oil supply to Kaduna Refinery: The Kaduna refinery’s only source of crude oil is one single oil pipeline that runs from NNPC Terminal at the Atlantic Ocean located beside Chevron’s Escravos Terminal, all the way to Kaduna. With that pipeline not in use for many years, there is a high possibility that it has been harvested just like other unused pipelines in the country. Therefore, even if Kaduna refinery is refurbished, replacement of that single source pipeline to feed the refinery with its raw material will be a financial challenge. We note that the AKK pipeline is yet to be completed. How more difficult will it be to lay a new pipeline through the Niger Delta swamp and the dry land to Kaduna. The Board should have a critical look at how to revamp the Escravos-Kaduna pipeline, if possible.

    3) Downstream

    a) Government-owned refineries: The four government-owned refineries are not functioning; not operable and more importantly, without secured pipelines to feed them with their raw material – crude oil. NNPCL has tried to bring those refineries back to life to no avail, despite having a full retinue of staff on the payroll for each of the four refineries. Furthermore, these refineries are at least 45 years old. Without the appropriate maintenance and repairs over these years, they have come to the end of their technical life. No amount of money thrown into bringing an idle 45-year old refinery back into production will achieve the purpose. The Board should simply sell off all the existing refineries and allow private companies to seize the business opportunity of keeping the country wet.

    b) Petrol Stations: NNPCL should not spend its money building and operating petrol stations for one simple reason: The petrol station attendants will expect to be paid the full NNPCL salaries and allowances. Rather, NNPCL should dispose of all its petrol stations to third parties who will continue to operate the stations under the NNPCL brand without the NNPCL carrying the operational cost on its balance sheet.

    Etim is a Journalist and Political Analyst based in Abuja.

  • OPINION : Akpabio’s Supernatural Powers

    OPINION : Akpabio’s Supernatural Powers

    Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio

    By Etim Etim

    Senator Godswill Akpabio has been in public service for over two decades, but it’s only recently that his supernatural powers have been brought to national attention. These days, the Senate President is regularly accused of doing things that would require some kind of paranormal abilities. Nigeria should be grateful for discovering this aspect of the uncommon senator.

    Last week, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan announced that Akpabio, working with Gov. Ododo and former governor Yahaya Bello, was the one orchestrating her recall from the Senate. She claimed that initially Gov. Ododo was reluctant to be part of the plot, but he eventually caved in due to Akpabio’s surreal powers. It doesn’t matter that the Senate President is not even from Kogi, his influence and abilities cover the whole nation, according to the suspended senator, who also blamed INEC for working for her downfall. Well, it turned out that the recall has failed, but Akpabio still stands accused.

    Last weekend, the same Akpoti-Uduaghan added a more bizarre allegation to the mix, claiming that the Senate President was even planning, again with Yahaya Bello, to murder her. She said the plot was hatched at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja (where else?) and that Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong from Cross River State was part of the scheme. In fact, it was Ekpenyong that drove Bello to the hotel for the meeting, according to her. While the nation was enjoying a long weekend, Superman Akpabio was busy planning Natasha’s recall and assassination at the same time; and since Ekpenyong, the young senator from Calabar is a close friend of Akpabio’s, the plot wouldn’t sound believable unless his name was mentioned. But why would anybody try to recall a senator he is planning to murder?

    I understand that the Senate President is already talking to his lawyers and has sent a petition to the Inspector General of Police to investigate the outlandish allegations. I hope that she will honour police invitation to substantiate her claims. It was in 2018 that another Kogi Senator, Dino Melaye, was invited by the police to answer to some allegations. He went into hiding for eight days before he gave up. Melaye, who represented Kogi West, was accused of murder by the police and was declared wanted after he failed to honour their invitation. The eight-day hide-and-seek drama that followed gripped national attention and ended early January 2019 when Melaye opened his front door and came out of hiding. We shall see how Natasha, from Kogi Central, will play her own cards.

    While we were still wrapping our heads around Natasha’s allegations, we heard another story of Akpabio’s powers. Senator Elisha Aboh, who lost his seat in 2023 due to a Supreme Court’s judgment, said in an interview with Arise News that it was Akpabio who influenced the Supreme Court. It was an old allegation which he had made in 2023, but had soon recanted and apologized for. But this time, he added that the Senate President had also orchestrated the sacking of five other senators and that the lawmakers in the upper chamber routinely run errands for the senate president and some even serve him tea in his residence. Talk of one man’s awesome powers!

    The story of Akpabio’s supernatural powers is quite captivating. Right from his early days in politics, he has always been attributed with breathtaking abilities to the admiration of friends and foes. Some claim that he has abundance of God’s grace, while others think that his source of power is in unfathomable.  He was a commissioner in the administration of Gov. Victor Attah when he planned to be governor. As the plan grew, he resigned the job late 2006 and devoted his full time to pursue the ambition. Initially, Attah was rooting for him, but later changed his mind and supported his son-in-law who was also a commissioner. Akapbio beat all the 56 aspirants, including the governor’s son-in-law and other heavy weights, to clinch the party’s ticket. He resisted all attempts by powerful political to take the ticket from him.

    As governor, he faced allegations of being the sponsor of the many cases of kidnappings in the state so as to weaken his opponents. That was the first and only time a governor would be so accused. Till today, with all the abductions happening across the country, no other state governor has ever been accused of sponsoring the kidnappings of his people. But my only regret is that the Senate President has not deployed his unique supernatural powers to solve Nigeria’s myriads of socioeconomic problems!

    Etim is a Journalist and Political Analyst based in Abuja.