Niger Delta

Eno Flags Off One-Project-Per-LGA In Uyo …Tasks Contractors On Compliance

Published

1 year ago

November 17, 2023

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has laid the foundation for the construction of a Primary Healthcare Centre, flagging-off of the government’s “One Project-Per-Local Government Area” programme in Uyo Senatorial District.
He charged contractors handling works in the programme to ensure strict compliance to the models and specifications for the projects in line with the rural development goals of the ARISE Agenda.
Eno gave the charge at Oboyo Ikot Ita, Nsit Ibom LGA where he laid the foundation for the construction of Primary Healthcare Centre.
He clarified that the choice of the healthcare facility project for Nsit Ibom was the collective wish of the Nsit Ibom stakeholders in line with his administration’s rural development goal of availing communities in the state with functional primary healthcare facilities.
The Governor assured of government’s commitment to funding the project to ensure its completion within record period of 12 weeks, saying that this will be dependent on attainment of measurable milestones and strict compliance with specifications and that machinery has been put in place for monitoring and evaluation.
“We are so happy to be here today to flag off one of our rural projects in Nsit Ibom, using this to flag off others in Uyo Senatorial District.
“We are ready to fund this project as you meet the milestones. We expect that this projects will take just twelve weeks. So, from today, and the next twelve weeks, we should come and commission this project.

“Please note, we have Projects Monitoring and Evaluation Team from the Governor’s Office and we have the Ministry for Special Duties monitoring this project.

“Those two groups must endorse your IPC before one Naira is released. They will come for assessment. Please stay within the specifications”, Eno charged.

The State Governor informed communities across the state that government will only undertake projects selected based on collective interest and resolution of stakeholders in the area, which must be within the budget size appropriated for the One Project-Per-LGA Programme, while urging Council Chairmen to take responsibility for projects sited within their domains.

“I would like to say again that this projects are chosen by the stakeholders. We have given power back to you so that you can also know how power is.

“All we are asking is, sit down together, bring everybody together and choose one project for your Local Government. If you cannot choose, then don’t blame the Governor. The days have gone when one man will answer we. ‘We’ must be total of all the stakeholders in a community.

“Don’t expect the Governor to be involved in a situation where one person who has access to the Governor will appeal to him and bring one project and then brag tomorrow that he brought the project. Let it be ‘us’ that brought the project. That is what I want across this state”, he stated.

The Akwa Ibom State Governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to furthering the agriculture component of the ARISE Agenda towards achieving food sufficiency and therefore solicited the cooperation of communities with the State Government in providing lands for the Ibom Model Farm Projects.

Presenting an overview of the project, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Ibom Deep Seaport, Dr. Bassey Okon, said the Oboyo Ikot Ita Health Center upon completion will be equipped with male and female wards, injection room, a pharmacy, kitchen, restaurant, two semi-detachable bungalows and the premises furnished with a good landscape and good parking space for the staff and patients.

Stakeholders, including the Member representing Nsit Ibom State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Eric Akpan, and General Paul Isang rtd., in their goodwill messages, expressed the profound gratitude of the people of the area to the Governor for favouring Nsit Ibom as starting point for the programme for Uyo Senatorial District.

They acknowledged the siting of the healthcare facility in the rural Oboyo Ikot Ita Community as a timely response to the yearnings of Nsit Ibom people.

By: Christopher Tom, Uyo

Niger Delta

Bayelsa Charges Environment Ministry To End Bush Burning

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

The Tide

The Bayelsa State Government has ordered its Ministry of Environment to take necessary measures to identify and arrest individuals or groups indulging in indiscriminate bush burning in the state.

It also directed its Taskforce on Livestock Management to take proactive steps to checkmate the activities of cattle rearers to prevent the destruction of crops and farms across communities in all the local government areas of the state.

Acting Governor of the State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the directives while presiding over the 146th Session of the State Executive Council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa.

A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, quoted him as emphasizing on the dangers of bush burning to the environment, ecosystem and human health.

The statement added that the state’s number two man also warned those perpetrating the act to stop forthwith or face the wrath of the law.

To this end, Atasi added that the Acting State Chief Executive directed the Ministry of Environment to activate the taskforce, with a view to apprehending those found culpable and to ensure they are brought to justice.

On cattle rearers encroaching on farmlands and destroying crops, Senator Ewhrudjakpo noted that the law on anti-grazing was still in force and should be implemented in all ramifications.

He, therefore, directed the taskforce on livestock management in the state to operationalize all machineries to ensure that herders carry out their trade within the limits of the law to avoid unnecessary destruction of lives and property, including crops.

“We want to use this opportunity to alert the public about the danger of bush burning. The hazards are quite known by everybody.

“Nobody should, for the sake of their farms which they want to keep clean and cultivate, jeopardize the health of other citizens. And so, the Ministry of Environment is hereby directed to activate the taskforce on anti-burning.

“The ministry must make sure that all those who are involved in bush burning are discouraged, and where they fail to comply, they should either be brought to justice or justice taken to them.

“In a similar vein, we are aware of the influx of herders into our state. The state taskforce on livestock management is hereby also directed to activate all machineries to ensure that herders don’t come into our state to destroy our farmlands.

“The law on anti-grazing remains in force and should be enforced in all ramifications. So, livestock management committee, both at the state and local government areas, should be activated and make sure that they curtail and contain every unnecessary grazing that is not permitted in our state”, he said.

Niger Delta

Stakeholders Caution Delta Over Propose Mangrove Forest Sale

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

The Tide

The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has cautioned the Delta State Government over its proposed sale of 258, 000 hectares of mangrove forests, for billions of naira.

According to the Tide’s source, HOMEF stated that carbon trade pollutes the environment, and it is dangerous to human nature.

The Executive Director, HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, who was a Guest Speaker at the Environment outreach magazine public lecture/annual award at Spring Hills Hotel in Asaba, explained that carbon trade is a killer disease which is bound to affect human beings including rivers.

Basse said through Blue Carbon or carbon trade, which is the sale of mangrove forest, people will calculate the carbon in the mangrove, then sell it as carbon credit.

“Delta State is proposing to sell 258, 000 hectares of mangrove forests, one of the biggest in the country to some companies whose intentions we believe is to sell the carbon to oil companies, and when they buy the credit, then they have the right to pollute.

“Carbon credit is set to upset the pollution that is why it is a false solution.

“So, it doesn’t work. We have to do what is right to nature, and not necessarily because of money. Don’t allow carbon trading, don’t allow waters pollution”, Basset stated.

Earlier, Bayelsa-born Noble Akenge, the publisher of Environment Outreach magazine, lamented the negative effects of environmental pollution in the State.

Akenge said the state, being the heart of petroleum activities, had suffered a lot of ecological damages due to oil spills.

The Environmentalist noted that the people’s major preoccupation of fishing and farming have been impacted seriously as most of their farmlands and even rivers and streams have been polluted by oil spills.

“The destruction of the rivers in Delta State represent the phenomena in most Niger Delta States where oil and related activities take place”, he added.

The source reports that Awards were presented to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the Managing Director of Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA), Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, among others.

Niger Delta

Eno Recommits To Accountability, Effective Service Delivery

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

The Tide

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, says his administration will remain committed to ensuring effective leadership, service delivery and be accountable to the people.

He made the remarks at the maiden edition of his administration’s ministerial briefing and end of year review in Uyo on Monday.

He said his administration would remain purely committed to delivering democracy dividends to Akwa Ibom people in line with its campaign promises.

The Governor stated that the ministerial briefing was to enable the administration to present its scorecard in the past 18 months.

According to him, the briefing is an enlarged executive council meeting aimed at presenting government’s scorecard and gaining new ideas.

“The exercise will enable Akwa Ibom people to evaluate and assess our government’s performance so far.

“In the past 18 months, this administration has been accountable, transparent and prudent in managing public funds.

“Release of funds must be tied to ideas and projects that will benefit the generality of Akwa Ibom people”, he said.

Eno stated that his administration is open to constructive criticisms, saying, ”I mean criticisms that will put government on its toes, and not smear campaign and condemnation.

“I must say that we have done well. It is left for critical stakeholders to analyse what we have done. We have tried to keep to the ideals of the ARISE Agenda”.

He said his administration is currently working on three major projects such as the Aviation Village, Ibom Deep Sea Port and Ibom Medical City.

Eno continued that the three major projects were capital intensive, and that his administration had to give priority attention to the airport project following its quick return on investment.

He commended his predecessor for embarking on projects that had strategic investment value.

According to the Commissioner, in 2025, his administration would be holding town hall meeting twice in a month to ensure public inputs to governance.

In his presentation, the Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Capt. Iniobong Ekong (Rtd), said the State Government had religiously settled compensations for lands acquired from citizens.

Ekong stated that the government had successfully reclaimed all government lands that were acquired illegally.