Ibom Power Company Limited has reiterated its commitment to the restoration of power supply to Ikot Abasi communities this year.
Its Managing Director and Special Assistant on Power to Governor Udom Emmanuel, Meyen Etukudo, said Ibom Power took delivery of a 30MVA transformer last year which would be used in the construction of a brand new power substation at Ikot Abasi this year.
“This transformer will provide dedicated steady and quality power supply to Ikot Abasi communities,” the MD said.
Etukudo, who was a former Assistant General Manager (AGM) 330kV lines at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), said the 30MVA transformer has the capacity to distribute 24megawatts of electricity.
He added: “The electricity load demand at Ikot Abasi is estimated at 10megawatts therefore the excess electricity will be used to relief overloaded transformers within Ikot Abasi communities and to power emerging industries.”
Etukudo added that Ibom power plant produces about 112megawatts with plans to add additional 38megawatts when the unit #2 of the plant is back on stream.
The Board Chairman , Etido Inyang, who also spoke on the development in an interaction with stakeholders in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, said the initial plan of the Akwa Ibom State government was to install a 15MVA transformer in Ikot Abasi.
Inyang said: “Ikot Abasi is an industrial hub for the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel. It is not a coincidence that the power plant is at Ikot Abasi the reason being that without power there is no industrialisation.”
Everything he's saying about Ibom Deep seaport is already the policy. The state government already has free trade zone licence for Ibom industrial city. Then ICRC already named preferred bidder. Essentially he will stay the course which is good.
Im glad he plans on taking over Ebughu Fishing Terminal. I think it would be better to have the FG just cede it to state or local government. Having a full fledged naval base would be cool. Its a known fact piracy is an issue in region and sea robbery is an issue. The navy will need to patrol waters to keep business flowing.
The gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State, Obong Nsima Ekere, has promised to do everything possible to make Ibaka Deep Seaport, in Mbo Local Government Area of the state, a reality if elected governor on March 2, 2019.
Speaking during the APC campaign rally in Mbo, the host community of the proposed seaport, Ekere lamented that the seaport has remained on newspapers and books for too long.
“We will do everything possible, as long as God lives, to remove all the impediments to make that project work. Ibaka Deep Seaport will no longer be on newspapers and books. It will become a reality,” he said.
Ekere hinted that he planned to turn Mbo into an industrial hub by building an industrial city around the seaport.
He promised to liaise with the federal government to fast track the resuscitation of the Ebughu Fishing Terminal and the upgrade of the Forward Operations Base at Ibaka to a full-fledged naval base.
The APC flagbearer also promised to provide Mbo, largely a fishing local government area, with a fishing processing industry.
He expressed delight that as Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), he was able to complete the construction of the Uko Akpan – Unyenge Road and the first phase of internal roads in Enwang, the local government headquarters, while work was ongoing on the second phase of the internal roads.
He stated that he was coming with an agenda to bring prosperity and create employment opportunities for the people of Akwa Ibom State.
Amitez: They cannit impeach Ambode. Anyone threatening is just rambling. They need the SCJ to complete the act. The SCJ is Ambode's acolyte, same as commissioner of police. So matter is DEAD ON ARRIVAL.
The SCJ isnt a trump the panel she has to raise has to prove he didn't spend money that wasnt budgeted. This a clear cut case of did he break law or not. He already admitted he did spend money. Unless the panel wants stall or lie for him. The State assembly all want him gone. 28 are calling for his impeachment and the other 6 are told him to resign.
(5) Within seven days of the passing of a motion under the foregoing provisions of this section, the Chief judge of the State shall at the request of the speaker of the House of Assembly, appoint a Panel of seven persons who in his opinion are of unquestionable integrity, not being members of any public service, legislative house or political party, to investigate the allegation as provided in this section.
within three months of its appointment, report its findings to the House of Assembly.
In comparison, a former grade level 15 retired civil servant who served the state for 35 years is given is entitled to N80,000 monthly as pension.
Adding a past governor’s monthly pension to his annual salary and furniture allowance equates to N90 million. This excludes the cars and houses.
The pension is outrageous. Why should the state provide him with 6 cars and 2 houses. Lol why dont the pay for his insurance while they're at it. These guys are well paid while in office they should settle for reasonable pension. Giving all these crazy allowances doesnt make sense they should pay their own stuff.
Lagos isnt the only state with extremely generous pensions. Akwa Ibom has outrageous pensions for ex governor and deputy governor. 200 millon naira yearly, 2 cars replacable every 4 years, a cook and aide etc. These guys should get lump sum and pay for own stuff.
Ambode is being accused of implementing a budget that had not been approved by the House of Assembly.
The State assembly has every right to do its job. His feeling on the matter are irrelevant. If Ambode broke the law he should face the consequences or simply resign. Whining about conspiracies doesn't absolve him. He has his chance Monday to defend himself.
Ambode was the account general before he became governor. He can't feign ignorance about the topic. If he's innocent he should be able to easily defend himself. If he's guilty he can kiss that lavish pension goodbye.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode could walk away from his Lagos State job without any pension benefits to fall back on, if lawmakers make good their threat to impeach him over what they say is “misconduct,” in respect to the 2019 budget.
Ambode is being accused of implementing a budget that had not been approved by the House of Assembly. Of the 34 lawmakers who spoke at the plenary on Monday, 28 called for the impeachment of the governor, while six others called on him to resign.
In the event that Ambode is impeached, he risks missing out on nearly a billion naira of pension benefits reserved for past governors of Lagos state.
The Lagos state pension law stipulates that a former governor will enjoy the following benefits for life: The first of the robust list of benefits are two houses, one in Lagos and another in Abuja.
Work done by land surveyors on the properties of some of the past governors of Lagos state, say the Lagos house could be worth N500 million and N700 million for an Abuja house.
Past Governors are also to be given six brand new cars replaceable every three years, which works out to two a year. If each of those cars cost say N10 million.
There is also furniture allowance, which is 300 percent of the Governor’s annual salary and is to be paid every two years.
Assuming the Governor earns N24 million yearly, his furniture allowance would be N72 million for two years and N36 million each year.
Finally, there is N2.5 million in monthly pension which implies N30 million a year. In comparison, a former grade level 15 retired civil servant who served the state for 35 years is given is entitled to N80,000 monthly as pension.
Adding a past governor’s monthly pension to his annual salary and furniture allowance equates to N90 million. This excludes the cars and houses.
Given that these benefits are for life, Governor Ambode, born 14 June 1963 and aged 56, could earn over a billion naira, according to a conservative estimate by BusinessDay.
The average life expectancy for a Nigerian is 55 years, according to 2018 data by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Seeing that Ambode has surpassed that age, we assumed that if he lives till 70, then he could earn N1.26 billion for another 14 years.
If he is impeached, however, he leaves the job with no pension, according to legal experts.
“The provision of the law on the eligibility of an impeached Public Office Holder (Governor or Deputy Governor) is clearly provided for in Section 1(2) and Section 4 of the Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension) Law 2007 and Section 124 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended),” said Afolabi Araromi, an associate at Lagos-based legal firm, Templars.
“These sections stipulate that where a Public Officer Holder is removed from office by the process of impeachment or for a breach of any provision of the Constitution, such Public Officer shall not be entitled to a grant of pension or gratuity under the law. Consequently, where the Public Officer is impeached by a democratic process, such Officer will not be entitled to a grant of pension or gratuity,” Araromi told BusinessDay in an emailed response.
Ambode’s planned impeachment comes amid a frosty relationship between him and the lawmakers who did not support his re-election bid during the primaries.
The lawmakers opted instead to endorse Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who would later beat Ambode to the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial ticket.
Sanwo-olu will now battle main contender, Jimi Agbaje, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), at next month’s elections.
Ambode, who was seeking a second-term, is said to feel betrayed by the House and their relationship has gone downhill since then, prompting some to say his impeachment ploy is political.
The lawmakers, through a voice vote Monday, expressed their intentions to impeach Ambode because according to them, he has been making drawdowns from a budget that has not been approved by them and is yet to be signed into law.
The House Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, and his colleagues have now given Ambode one week to show up before them to explain why he’s been spending unapproved funds from the 2019 budget.
“If it is true that Ambode actually spent unapproved funds, the House of Assembly has the right to initiate impeachment,” a legal expert told Business Day.
“However, due process must be followed.”
Ambode is yet to respond to the lawmakers’ invitation.
I dont expect a mouth breather like yourself to understand. Since the comment doesn't fall into your binary good guy bad word view it will naturally go over your head. Did Ambode spend money not budgeted for under the law? If he did them the state assembly has every right to go after him. Everyone is shouting Tinubu conspiracy like this absolves him like a buch of clowns.
He cant feign ignorance since he was account general. He understands the law. He is great position to defend himself on charges if he's innocent. If he's guilty he should resign or he forfeits lavish entitlements.
Jimi prenting like an impeachment will cause chaos in state is laughable. There will be protest sure but no riots. He's has chance to explain himself Monday. Then there's elections soon to replace him. There's a reason deputy governors exist. Hope this helps you understand.
Lol The guy probably ran out the country by now. Why do they afford these criminal suspects such privileges to begin with. Just hold people like this in jail and explain to court they're a flight risk. These EFCC agents are woefully inept if they let him escape.
The scheduled arraignment of the former head of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, Ayodele Oke, and his wife, Folashade, on Friday could not go on as the defendants failed to present themselves to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
An EFCC prosecutor told journalists the commission would issue a statement shortly about the development.
The couple had been scheduled to be arraigned before a federal court in Lagos on a four-count charge of money laundering running into millions of dollars.
A source within the EFCC told PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday that they had been waiting for Mr Oke and his wife to report to the agency’s Lagos office but without success.
Mr Oke was removed from office in October 2017 after millions of dollars belonging to the NIA were found in an apartment in Lagos.
In count one of the charges filed by the EFCC, the couple were accused of hiding $43 million belonging to the federal government in an apartment in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The second count stated that the couple indirectly used $1.6 million of government money to acquire an apartment in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi.
The government listed 13 witnesses including those who would give evidence of how they received almost $300 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria and delivered to Mr Oke.
Was this a paid endorsement? Does she have any sort of proof or is this just baseless ranting. If these are paid endorsements doesnt she have to disclose that fact? Lol she's incriminating herself if the answer is yes.
I dont understand why everyone is caping for Ambode. The only question that we need to ask is did he break the law or not. He's free to resign like Kemi Adeosun. Lol maybe jimi will pardon him like Nixon.
The state wont blow into chaos. The Deputy governor steps in for a 2 weeks then newly elected governor takes over after that. All the fear mongering is dumb.
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Jimi Agbaje, has asked members of the House of Assembly and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) not to plunge the state into chaos over moves to impeach Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
Reacting to reports that lawmakers this week issued Ambode a seven-day ultimatum to defend his supposed inability to submit the 2019 budget to the House, Mr Agbaje sued for peace, saying the move was capable of jeopardising the smooth running of the state.
Mr Agbaje said: “Of course, the way Lagos politics has been structured over the last two decades, government actions are often dictated by open and covert objectives. That the legislators are hinging their action on the purported delay of the budget is simply a smokescreen for a very shameful undertone that the Honourable assembly members will not want to make open. They are yet to tell us their actual motivation for this superfluous move to shame the Governor.”
The governorship hopeful, who made this known in a statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Publicity on Thursday, added that the timing of the planned impeachment was wrong with elections just a few weeks away.
“I received the news of the impending impeachment of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode with a lot of reservation, especially with its timing and motive. This is just 19 or so days to the Federal elections and the governorship, a fortnight thereafter. So the natural questions to ask are: Why this haste? And what is the motive?” Mr Agbaje said.
He stated that although the Legislature reserved the right to perform oversight functions, “such a responsibility should not be abused. It should be carried out in a manner that places the citizens’ interest above any pecuniary benefit to a vested interest.”
Calling on Lagosians to note what he termed an unfolding tragicomedy, Mr Agbaje urged them to choose his party, PDP, as a viable alternative to the ruling APC that had proved incapable of putting its house in order.
He noted: “Governance has ground to a halt owing to the schism between the two arms of government, both of which are dominated by APC. From all indications and from the findings that I have conducted, the action of the lawmakers is nothing but self-serving as dictated to them by the cabal ruling the state.”
Mr Agbaje carpeted the state chapter of APC for allowing the schism between both the Executive and the Legislature to fester for this long, saying, residents had been made to bear the brunt.
“The situation, in which we Lagosians find ourselves, calls for prayers. But more than that, the people of the state should take the practical step of voting PDP into office as the viable alternative,” Mr Agbaje said.
Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, said on Wednesday that anti-open grazing laws in some states would be reviewed for compatibility with the Nigerian Constitution.
The former vice president said at a town hall Wednesday night that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees free movement of citizens, and suggested that herders should not be an exception.
Mr Abubakar said if the governments through extension services could educate herders, the income the latter would generate from beef and milk would be higher.
Mr Abubakar’s proposal could conflict with the position of Benue, Taraba and Ekiti states, where strict anti-open grazing routes have been in enforcement since 2016.
The states have said they would not back down on the law, despite repeated warnings by President Muhammadu Buhari that the law was antagonistic towards the predominantly Fulani herders.
Mr Abubakar, a Fulani, is also widely believed to own large investment in livestock.
The governors in Taraba and Benue States are of the same Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Mr Abubakar, but it is unclear how they would react to Mr Abubakar’s position, which they had countered when Mr Buhari suggested it.
Ekiti State’s anti-open grazing law was implemented by Ayodele Fayose of the PDP while governor, but the state is now being run by Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress who was elected governor last July.
Still, Mr Abubakar said, if elected, he would implement policies geared towards establishing reserves for nomadic herdsmen.
Even though he acknowledged that open grazing is a way of life for the Fulani herders, the nomadic education would help reduce the culture while increasing interest in grazing reserves for modern rearing of livestock, he said.
He should tell the state assembly to vote on local government autonomy. Local government are the most dependent on oil revenue as percentage of budget. They'll need to raise their IGR but it will be worth t if they handle business. Then existing for sake f existing doesnt make sense.
In the first half of interview he speaks on need to adjust revenue formula. This isue should have been hashed out at least a decade ago.
Approved for LG autonomy: Benue, Plateau, Niger, Bauchi, Sokoto, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Kwara and Ogun
I have always been a firm believer as a person and even as governor that there is a need to give autonomy to local governments. I believe in it but some other of my colleagues do not believe in it, everybody has its own reasons. Probably because I have been a local government council chairman in the past and I believe truly that they ought to be autonomous on their own and to be able to run their processes on their own, but I know that many local government councils are not able to survive on their own particularly in the South in the South States.In my state if you want to grant autonomy to the local governments themselves now and they look at the financial situation they may not want the autonomy to come because they know that they are going to run into a lot of problems and they may not even be able to pay their salaries. I believe in it because it will lead to healthy conditions and I'm not saying that it could not be regulated. Let them have a reasonable level of autonomy where they can perform on their own and to test their capacity to bring development to the people and to reach out to the people.
In the face of the case of the prosecution that the appellant received such funds and diverted same to his personal use, it is no defence for the appellant to say that such funds are not accounted for, so cannot be stolen.
These guys are truly insane. They guy admitted he's a thief. This was a great ruling if state assemblies hold their governors accountable. Security votes were a catalyst for corruption since the state government didnt have to account for the cold hard cash they recieved.
It is noteworthy that the notion that certain Public Funds meant to be used for the security of the State are not accounted for and therefore cannot to be stolen is not correct. Security votes being Government Funds to be used for the security of the State must be accounted for by the recipient . The recipient accounts for it by showing th at every bit of it was used for the purpose it was meant. In the face of the case of the prosecution that the appellant received such funds and diverted same to his personal use, it is no defence for the appellant to say that such funds are not accounted for, so cannot be stolen. Such a defence suggests that the appellant believed that as Governor, the Security Votes were his personal entitlement to be used as he pleased without any responsibility to explain how he used same and that since it is his entitlement, he cannot be said to have stolen same. This belief is completely wrong. ………If the recipient of such funds cannot account for the use of such funds for the purpose it was meant and has not returned same to the Government treasury, then that is a clear case of stealing of public funds. In our country, Nigeria , there is a pervasive proclivity of public officers to regard or treat Security Votes given to them for the security of the State as their personal entitlement or funds, the expenditure of which they are not accountable to the government that gave them the funds to be used for the public purpose or the citizens for whose security it was meant.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has debunked online sale of tickets for Abuja-Kaduna train service.
Its Managing Director, Fidel Okhiria, yesterday in Abuja, said dismissed an website circulating on social media asking passengers to purchase tickets online, saying it is a fraudulent site and urged Nigerians to disregard it.
He stated: “It is not true and have been making efforts to let people know that we have not started. That is a fraudulent website and when we do it, we will tell people.”
Okhiria stressed the need for ticket sale channels to be very secure, so that people cannot hack into it and do ugly things, noting: “We have not started and Nigerians should know that we have not started the e-ticketing.
“I appeal to passengers not to patronise a site for ticketing issues, as we still sell our tickets in hard copy at the stations.”
He, however, disclosed that NRC has initiated the e-ticketing process was ongoing and would be under Public Private Partnership (PPP) after going through due process.
Okhiria stated that by the first quarter of the year, all the processes would have been concluded to enable the commencement of automated ticketing.
Manager of the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service, Paschal Nnoli, appealed to passengers to desist from fake messages requesting them to buy and reserve tickets online, as such messages didn’t emanate from NRC.
“For clarity sake, NRC train tickets, for now, are obtainable in hard copy only from designated railway stations. Prospective passengers are, therefore, advised to buy their tickets only from NRC designated ticket offices and not through any other means,” he said.
All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom, Obong Nsima Ekere, has reaffirmed his commitment to financial autonomy for the third tier of government in the state. Ekere, who is also the managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), restated his commitment to financial autonomy for councils during his campaign rally in Itu and Ibiono Ibom local government areas of the state.
He also stated he would resuscitate ailing industries, infrastructural development, safeguard the state, and pay bursaries to students.
At the Ibiono Ibom rally at Okoita, Ekere, a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom state lamented that local government despite being the third tier of government have been starved of funds.
According to him, this has led to underdevelopment of the grassroots.
“The Local Government is the third tier of the government. we want it to be independent so that people at the grassroots can feel the impact of good governance which an APC government in this state will offer.
”Ibiono Ibom is very large, but because of paucity of funds, nothing is being done here and in other Local Government Areas,” he stated.
He regretted the area has lagged behind developmentally and promised to make Ibiono Ibom one of the development Areas under his administration.
Ekere called on the people of Ibiono Ibom to vote enmasse for all candidates of the APC in the elections.
In Itu Local Government Area, where the gubernatorial candidate addressed the rally at Primary School, Mbak Atai, he promised to bring permanent peace to tackling the protracted boundary clashes between communities in Itu local government area and neighbouring communities in Cross River State.
He called on them to keep faith in the party
The APC governorship flagbearer promised to revive the moribund Quality Ceramics Limited which has been in coma since 1992.
Canvassing votes for President Muhammadu Buhari, Ekere said the federal government has done well Itu and Ibiono Ibom with the construction of the Calabar – Itu federal highway.
I wonder what were the monuments he was referring to in his campaign. Anyway hopefully this hotel actually generates revenue for state unlike Le meridian which didn't. That one went under new management and became Ibom Hotel.
He made known that the signing of the agreement specifying the terms of contract with the managing partners has exposed the hidden intents of a set of people to divert the ownership and management of the hotel to themselves
Chief Obaji Nyambi Akpet, noted: “We are aware of the commencement of work because our lawyer took government to court but at the last sitting, government has come to settle out of court.
We asked for N2 billion, but I think the government has started negotiation for a bulk sum.”
Oh well at least the land owners are going to be compensated. Its going to interesting to see what's left of cross river after Ayade gets reelected.
Governor Benedict Ayade is to deliver the controversial N700 billion superhighway in three years in Cross River State.
The disclosure came yesterday following the resumption of work on the road and the N200 billion deep seaport project after three years of litigation and brickbats.
His Chief Press Secretary and Senior Special Assistant (Media), Mr. Christian Ita, in a telephone interview in Calabar, stated: “Work has started on the superhighway and we are doing it in phases. We are trying to complete phase one, but we had a lot of challenges.
“We had over 50 petitions on that superhighway and people tended to criticise it and at the end of the day, we were in court and after all the court processes, we now returned back to site and the governor has promised to complete it in the next three years if he gets re-elected, as the investors are there and everything is on ground.”
He, however, declined to name the investors, stating that work had resumed from the Bakassi, Akamkpa and Okuni axes of the state.
The aide continued: “For now there are no encumbrances. We won all the cases in court and necessary conditions have been met. On the issue of compensation, the government has concluded the enumeration.
“The last time we spoke, they (communities) have submitted their memo to the executive and I am sure very soon, they will be compensated, as the amount involved is big.”
Reacting, a community leader in Okuni and spokesman of Okwa Traditional Council, Chief Obaji Nyambi Akpet, noted: “We are aware of the commencement of work because our lawyer took government to court but at the last sitting, government has come to settle out of court. I know that (Governor Benedict) Ayade has started talking with our lawyer. So, we do not want to bother him again.
“They have started the road by bulldozing, and they have about 11 bulldozers on the road right now. We asked for N2 billion, but I think the government has started negotiation for a bulk sum.”
Also speaking, another community leader and Chief Executive Officer of Rain Forest Research and Development Centre (RRDC), Mr. Odey Oyama, confirmed that negotiation was ongoing, adding that since it is government project, the state could order resumption of work.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in 2015 performed the ground-breaking, but civil society organisations (CSOs), affected communities and others immediately petitioned the presidency insisting that issues like compensation and environmental needs must be thrashed out before work could commence.
Consequently, the Federal Government last year gave the state two weeks to meet a 23-point condition for the capital-intensive project to kick-off.
The Akwa Ibom Government has pledged to unbolt the gates of the Four Point By Sheraton Hotel for 24-hour operations to hospitality industry users in the state soon. Gov. Udom Emmanuel made the pledge during the state constituency campaigns towards the coming general elections at the Ikot Ekpene Township Stadium, recently. The governor, accompanied by his deputy, Mr. Moses Ekpo, stated that his administration has incurred huge costs to secure needed franchise and the contractual agreement containing the hospitality validation service obligations of adopting the name ‘Four Point By Sheraton Hotel’, adding that everything has been put in place for operations to commence in the hotel. He made known that the signing of the agreement specifying the terms of contract with the managing partners has exposed the hidden intents of a set of people to divert the ownership and management of the hotel to themselves against the interest of the state, saying that such a mega hospitality institution cannot draw meaningful attraction and collaboration of similar institutions without a proper undertaking and assurance of the state government. The governor remarked that the interest to revive the operations of the Hotel was to consolidate on the pledge of driving industrialization to heights in the state, insisting that the economic investments of the people of Ikot Ekpene State Constituency would receive a boost with the commencement of services at the Four Point By Sheraton Hotel. Emmanuel, who had earlier paid a visit to the paramount ruler of Ikot Ekpene Local Government, Okuku Okon Ukut, hinted that his administration has completed the dualization of the 21km Uyo–Ikot Ekpene Highway in just three years, against 4.3km taken over from the immediate past administration, and urged the people of Ikot Ekpene to support the return of his administration for a second term. The director general of Divine Mandate Campaign organization, Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga, informed the people of Ikot Ekpene that the Emmanuel administration has injected integrity into the implementation of projects, explaining that Governor Emmanuel has scaled above mere pass marks to excellence in the mobilization of contractors, inspections and variations of projects in the state. Nkanga described Governor Emmanuel and his programmes as most sought after in the present era, adding that national and international democratic institutions have acknowledged the Emmanuel administration as having done exceedingly well. The chairman, Board of Ibom Power Plant, IPP, Engr. Etido Inyang, said that the votes of the people of Ikot Ekpene State Constituency would remain intact for Governor Emmanuel and the PDP candidates, assuring, “We’ll deliver Emmanuel 100 percent because he has brought liberation from the dark days”. Inyang stated that from intellectual prowess to humility and capacity of financial management, they are second to none in the candidacy of other political parties jostling for the top job in the state, adding that the performances of the governor testify to his successes in previous public positions. A chieftain of the PDP in Ikot Ekpene Local Government, Mr. Sunday Uwah, said the people of Ikot Ekpene State Constituency would not be led by sentiments but by conscience in voting for candidates in the coming elections, adding that conscience would be the yardstick of standing to protect the future, remaking that Emmanuel has adequately utilized the private sector to drive the economy of the state. A youth leader, Mr. Leo Umanah, congratulated Governor Emmanuel in advance on the victory at the coming governorship elections, saying that with God, nothing would stop the governor from being re-elected. Umanah stressed, “if anyone tries to stop you, Governor Emmanuel, God will stop them because nothing can stop the righteous man with a right vision from succeeding”, and appreciated the governor for the completion of road projects in Ikot Ekpene Local Government. Highlights of the rally were the presentation of flags to PDP candidates, the reception of defectors from other political parties, watched by Senator Emmanuel Ibokessien, the chairman of Ikot Ekpene Local Government, Mr Unyime Etim, women leader, Obonganwan Abigal Akpan, who all spoke in glowing terms about the performance of Governor Emmanuel and the need to support his re-election.
If the Uyo MRO that is 70 per cent completed were available, airlines would only fly from Lagos to Uyo for maintenance.
With or without Federal government support 15 years is enough to get projects started. Getting private sector opperator for MRO shouldn't take 2 years if you have open bidding. We know this with Ibom Deep Seaport. The project would bring millions to the state since it would have been only one in country.
It should partner the state, as initially agreed, to make the MRO functional and enhance aviation services in Nigeria and West Africa.
It should be explained why the Federsl governments doesn't care to partner with state anymore. Right now the Buhari administration is planning to build its own MRO in lagos or Abuja. This doesnt expain why Obasanjo and Johnathan didnt follow through.
Former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Obong Nsima Ekere, Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, during Ekere’s campaign flag-off in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.
Former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Obong Nsima Ekere, Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, during Ekere’s campaign flag-off in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.
Cross-section of supporters at the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Obong Nsima Ekere during his campaign flag-off in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.
Politics › ‘we Will Supply Electricity To Ikot Abasi’ by Blue3k2(op): 7:18pm On Feb 03, 2019
