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Author: benchris njoku

  • Sallah: FRSC deploys 520 personnel, vehicles in Cross River

    FRSC officials addressing drivers at the popular Peace Park on Friday in Calabar

     

     

    Sallah: FRSC deploys 520 personnel, vehicles in Cross River

    Sallah
    By Christian Njoku
    Calabar, June 14, 2024 (NAN) The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has deployed 520 personnel including the regular and special marshals to various locations in Cross River to ensure safety during the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
    This was disclosed by Corp Commander Istifanus Ibrahim, Sector Commander, FRSC Cross River in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Calabar.
    NAN reports that the Corp had earlier embarked on sensitisation campaign in parks and around major cities in the state to enlighten the people on the importance of ensuring their safety as they travel during the festive period.
    Ibrahim said the Sallah celebration which would be for two days was a public holiday and so, a lot of human and material resources would be on the road.
    He said due to the anticipated high volume of vehicular movement, the commission had also deployed three ambulances and tow trucks to seven locations in the state from Ogoja to Calabar.
    “FRSC is always proactive when it comes to emergency, we already had a tow truck in Odukpani before now but we are putting in more to ensure that there is no congestion on the roads during the festivities.
    “The Calabar Itu road is under construction and we experience a lot of vehicular breakdown on that axis so we have stationed our tow trucks, we have also deployed patrol teams for the purpose of traffic control and emergency response, he said.
    FRSC officials sensitising a mini bus driver on Friday in Calabar 
    Speaking further, the sector commander assured Nigerians of the corp’s commitment in solving the challenges faced by motorists in the area of obtaining driver’s license and number plates.
    While appealing to Nigerians to use the corps’s toll free number, 122 and the national emergency number, 112 in the case of an emergency, he added that the new leadership of the commission was assessing the current challenges of the Corp to address them soon.
    Similarly, Mr Chibuike Chukwuemeka, a commercial driver in one of the parks in Calabar who spoke to NAN said he was very grateful with the sensitisation carried out by the commission urging that it should be regular.
    According to Chukwuemeka, some of the challenges they encountered in their daily work was the deplorable state of the roads between Calabar and Akwa Ibom and the excess luggage carried by some passengers embarking on journeys.
    He appealed to the Federal Government to promptly fix the Calabar/Itu road as it was damaging their vehicles and making travelling difficult. (NAN))
    CBN/EAL
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    Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi

  • Cleric says Nigeria’s democracy mainly in favour of politicians

    Democracy
    By Christian Njoku
    Calabar, June 13, 2024 (NAN) Bishop Emmah Isong, the Publicity Secretary, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has said that Nigeria’s democracy has mainly favoured politicians.
    Isong made the statement in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar in Thursday.
    He said that the 25 years of uninterrupted democratic rule in the country had no remarkable positive impacts on the citizenry.
    “Only a few Nigerians, mainly politicians have enjoyed the dividends of the 25 years uninterrupted democracy in the country,” he said.
    The PFN publicity secretary said that Nigerian politicians had used the reign of democratic rule to impoverish the masses and illegally enrich themselves.
    Isong, also the Presiding Bishop, Christian Central Chapel International, Calabar, said that the political leadership in the country had failed to prioritise service delivery.
    “They want to remain in office, they are not interested in doing any other thing, their interest is to remain in charge of public funds,” he said.
    He said that although the choice of democratic governance was in order, the absence of sincerity on the part of the leadership was the challenge.
    Isong said that there was need for some constitutional adjustments to enhance patriotism, discipline and commitment in leadership.
    “Such adjustments will definitely sanitise the electoral process too. We can’t get leadership right if the electoral process is faulty,” he said.
    He said that the political class should take deliberate steps towards promoting citizens welfare, equity and fairness in service delivery.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    CBN/NCI/AZU
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    Edited by Nkiru Ifeajuna and Azubuike Okeh

  • Amnesty International is not against government – Official

     

    Participants of the human rights clinic by Amnesty International in UniCal 

    Government
    By Christian Njoku
    Calabar, June 11, 2024 (NAN) Mr Gabriel Aniabi, Cross River Coordinator, Amnesty International, Nigeria says the organisation is independent of any government, political ideaology and economic interests.
    Aniabi who spoke during the inauguration of a Human Rights Clinic in the University of Calabar (UniCal) said the organisation is not anti government nor being sponsored by any.
    The coordinator said Amnesty International is for everyone and had at some point,  saved some great Nigerians such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Fela Ransome- Kuti, and Agba Jalingo among others.
    He said Amnesty International became handy when people needed somebody to speak for them in protection of their rights when they were being violated.
    According to him, ”we have  to beam our searchlights on Nigerian Universities after the disturbing trend of sex for grades was exposed by a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reporter few years ago.”
    “This spurred Amnesty International to take this fight against human rights to the universities to enable the students know what their rights are, how to stand up for their rights and channels they can pass through to access justice,” he said.
    On her part, Prof. Florence Obi, Vice Chancellor of UniCal said she was very pleased with the human rights training of the students in the institution.
    Represented by Prof. Anthony Eyang, Dean of Student Affairs, Obi said she is a strong promoter of justice and human rights
    She noted that  training of the students was in tandem with the environment she was working hard to establish in UniCal.
    “With over 40,000 students and 7,000 staff, there will be issues among people, so, I hope that those of the students that have been trained by Amnesty International in this clinic will shine their  light on campus in promoting human rights and justice,” she said.
    Similarly, Miss Nwaobi Obioma, President of Amnesty International, Human Rights Clinic in UniCal said as a group in the institution, they wanted to ensure that whenever they heard  complaints of human rights abuses it was promptly investigated.
    Obioma said with their link with Amnesty Nigeria and Amnesty International, they wanted to ensure that justice was effectively served, adding that, they hoped to reduce human rights violations in the institution to the bearest minimum.
    “We will carryout lots of campaigns,  advocacies and debates  to sensitise people on the issues of human rights abuses.
    “We will also ensure that sexual abuses,  discrimination from associations and segregation are parts of issues we will look into,” she said.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the clinic is entitled:  “Empowering Students: Understanding and Asserting Your Human Rights on Campus.” (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    CBN/CHOM/EAL
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    Edited by Chioma Ugboma/Ekemini Ladejobi
    08037668753

  • CASWI establishes cassava processing plant for Cameroonian refugees in Calabar

    CASWI establishes cassava processing plant for Cameroonian refugees in Calabar

    Officials of Cross River government and CASWI inspecting one of the grinding machines in the plant

    Plant

    By Christian Njoku

    Calabar, June 11, 2024 (NAN) Care for Social Welfare International (CASWI) has established a five ton per hour garri processing mill for selected Cameroonian refugee women in Calabar.

    The initiative which was implemented by CASWI with funds from Women Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) and technical support from UN Women was titled “women household empowerment project.”

    Inaugurating the plant on Tuesday in Calabar, Mrs Eyoawan Otu, Wife of the governor of Cross River said that the initiative was beautiful adding that it was all about the women.

    Represented by Dr Inyang Asibong, Special Adviser to Gov. Bassey Otu on Gender Mainstreaming, she said the plant was teaching the women to fish and not just giving them fish.

    “This is an economic empowerment and economic sustainability for the women and we really appreciate CASWI for the project while hoping they do more.

    “The women have mentioned some of their challenges and areas that can make the project even better for them, so, I call for more support so that this project can be scaled-up,” she said.

    Meanwhile, His Highness Esimfam Kasuk Efficient Ntiero, Village Head of Kasuk community in Calabar Municipality, where the plant is located said he had to donate the land for the project because he believed in the empowerment of women in the society.

    Ntiero said his father did something similar so many years ago when he donated a parcel of land to the government to build a hospital which did not only serve his community but all the neighbouring communities as well.

    “This project is important because we have to start helping people, if we don’t, we will be making our society more unsafe as we see today with the growth of street children popularly called “Skolombo” for the boys and “Alakasera” for girls,” he noted.

    One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Esther Akun, a Cameroonian refugee and a cassava farmer said she was very grateful for the project as she could now harvest her cassava from her farm and easily process it in the plant.

    While appreciating CASWI for the project, she appealed for a truck to be provided for the women to enable them transport their cassava from the farms to the plant and also a borehole in the plant for constant water supply.

    “Paying trucks to move cassava from the farms to the plant is very expensive, the women will not be able to afford it.

    ”Constant water is also needed for easier washing of the cassava and very importantly a toilet around the plant for the women to ease themselves,” she said.

    Speaking on the project, Mr Ifeanyi Damian, Project Manager, CASWI, said the project was borne out of the desire to ensure financial independence for selected refugee women.

    Damian said this would in turn increase their voices and participation in peace building and economic recovery in their host communities.

    He appealed to other stakeholders to support the initiative and the women who had been divided into three separate groups with starter kits such as raw cassava besides the ones to be provided by CASWI. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

    CBN/DCO/EAL
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    Edited by Deborah Coker//Ekemini Ladejobi

     

     

     

  • Nigeria’ll see changes with women in power – UniCal VC

    Nigeria’ll see changes with women in power – UniCal VC

    Women
    By Christian Njoku
    Calabar, June 8, 2024 (NAN) Prof. Florence Obi, the Vice Chancellor, University of Calabar (UniCal), says Nigeria will see more positive changes if women are given leadership positions.

    Obi said this on Saturday in Calabar at the First National Conference and Roundtable of the Association of Female Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two-day conference, which started on Friday, has the theme: “Female Leadership in Higher Education Governance: Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges”.

    She said that as the nation elects two or three female governors, everyone would see the difference, adding that women are good managers of human and material resources.

    The Vice Chancellor said that she was not referring to women that lacked capacity, but those who merited the opportunity but discriminated against because of their gender.

    According to her, the conference becomes necessary for them to mentor young women in education governance and also encourage them to aspire to any position they desire in academics, politics and other spheres.

    “Higher education governance has been in the hands of men since the days of University College, Ibadan, and as at today only about 40 women have been given the opportunity to lead institutions of learning, since the inception of university education in Nigeria.

    “From inception, we have had close to 500 or more men head such institutions. So, now that for the first time we are having 24 women serving as vice chancellors, we taught it wise to mentor other women to aspire for greatness,” she said.

    Obi said that being a female leader in a Nigerian university came with peculiar challenges, as some men did not believe that a woman should be on top.

    Obi said that they would also use the opportunity to network among themselves, which would open up more opportunities for the women.

    On her part, Prof. Lilian Salami, the Chairperson of the conference, said that women are dogged and gradually many organisations were picking women to head.

    Salami, who is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin (UniBen), said the conference would also serve as a ground where women in academics get encouraged.

    She said that sharing experience was a significant method in mentoring more women to aspire to get to the peak of their educational pursuit.

    “We will share experiences to help other women surmount their challenges in their institutions.

    “The communique of this conference will not just end on the shelves, but would be used for the development of the nation’s universities,” she said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    CBN/FON/IS
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    Edited by Florence Onuegbu/Ismail Abdulaziz

  • Environmental expert says high-level deforestation ongoing in C’River

    Deforestation
    By Christian Njoku
    Calabar, June 7, 2024 (NAN) Mr Ken Henshaw, the Executive Director, We the People, an environmental advocacy group, has raised alarm over the level of deforestation in Cross River.
    Henshaw made the expression on Friday in Calabar at a round table discussion on the theme: “Fostering Strategies and Partnership for Forest Protection in Cross River”
    He said that the current level of deforestation in the state could be described as ‘the fastest anywhere around the world’
    Henshaw who was quoting data from the Global Forest Watch Platform, described the situation as ‘alarming and disturbing’
    “Logging has taken an unbelievable dimension since the current administration in the state lifted ban on it.
    “The administration merely set up a new forestry commission without addressing the key drivers of the illegal activity,” he said.
    The executive director said that the state government introduced a scheme that permitted people to log identified trees and pay taxes to it.
    “This means that the illegal activity has yet to be addressed. At the moment, the report we get from the field is even worse than that of 2023.
    “The state government should not see the forest as a resource that can only bring revenue through logging,” she said.
    Henshaw said that there were other non timber revenue sources that could be legally explored and tapped from the forests.
    He said that the challenge of deforestation had taken a new twist as hundreds of young men had invaded the forests mining for solid minerals.
    On his part, the Chairman, Cross River Forestry Commission, Mr George Oben-Etchi said that massive sensitisation was needed to educate rural communities on the dangers of deforestation.
    Oben-Etchi said that the commission was challenged by the issues of poor funding, dearth of manpower and outdated laws.
    He said that irrespective of the challenges, the commission would continue to do its best to tackle logging activities in the state.
    A Calabar-based environmental expert, Mr Odigha Odigha, said that residents of the state should rise up in defence of their environment by tackling the growing level of logging.
    “It will be wrong to blame the government alone, the problem is our own, we should rise up to tackle it,” he said.
    Odigha, a former Chairman, Cross River Forestry Commission, called for collaborative efforts to fight illegal logging activities in the forests.
    “Before now, it used to rain in Calabar all year round, but gradually the rains are getting scarcer and giving way to intense heat,” he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    CBN/AZU
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    Edited by Azubuike Okeh

  • C’River partners research institutes for agric dev

    Partnership

    By Christian Njoku

    Calabar June 5, 2024 (NAN) The Cross River Government has entered a partnership agreement with the Lake Chad Institute of Research and the Ahmadu Bello University Institute of Research to boost agriculture.

    The partnership is aimed at providing improved maize, wheat and cowpea seeds to boost productivity.

    Speaking at a brief ceremony to sign the pact, Gov. Bassey Otu, reiterated the importance of agriculture to the economy of the state and the livelihood of the people.

    Otu said that the state government was committed to subsidising factors of production within the agriculture sub-sector.
    He said that already, the state government had conducted soil mapping to determine soil textures in various locations, and to optimize crop cultivation.
    “The essence is to determine the crops that will yield better in particular soil textures,” he said.
    The governor said that his administration was implementing policies aimed at ensuring massive food production in the state.
    “Our Project GROW initiative is aimed at  enabling farmers to access finance in order to embark on sustainable and profitable agriculture.
    “Our focus on agriculture is to promote low risk and to enthrone productivity and sustainability,” he said.
    Speaking earlier, Alhaji Baba-Gana Kabir, the Executive Director, Lake Chad Research Institute, said that the state was making history in agriculture within the Southern region of the country.

    Kabir said that the partnership with Cross River would be of immense benefit to the state.

    He said that the institute had a proven record of integrity in crop research in the country, especially in the northern region.

    “One of our core mandates is the genetic improvement of crops such as maize, cowpea, sorghum, groundnut, cotton, sunflower among others.

    “We are also involved in the genetic improvement of medicinal crops. We have varieties that can do very well in almost all ecologies,” he said.

    The executive director said that Nigerians should prioritise agriculture in the interest of food production and economic recovery.

    Also speaking, Mr Johnson Ebokpo, the Cross River Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation, expressed the state government’s commitment to its part of the pact.
    He said that the partnership was dear to the heart of the state, and that the Otu-led government would fulfill its part in the interest of the people. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    CBN/BEKl/AZU
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    Edited by AbdulFatai Beki and Azubuike Okeh

  • Strikes affect persons with underlying health conditions

    Strikes affect persons with underlying health conditions -Diabetes Association

    Health
    By Christian Njoku
    Calabar, June 4, 2024 (NAN) Persons Living with Diabetes in Nigeria on Tuesday complained of the effect of the nationwide indefinite strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress.
    The strike, which began at midnight on Monday June 3, over a new minimum wage, has been total as offices, schools, airports and fuel stations have all been shut down in states across the country, while hospitals only offer skeletal services.
    Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar, Mr Bernard Enyia
    National Coordinator, Persons Living with Diabetes in Nigeria, said the strike may appear legitimate, those living with underlying health conditions like diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases among others, were the ones bearing the brunt.
    Enyia said the implication was that they could no longer access essential health care services making them breakdown with serious complications, risking avoidable deaths.
    He said Nigeria as a sovereign nation had come of age and should not be resolving issues of wages through strikes.
    “Each time we hear of strike, it sends shock waves through our spine because strikes are like weapons of mass destruction to us with underlying health conditions, and people with health emergencies, as we are left to our fate.
    “We are angry with  NLC and the Federal Government because the damage they are doing to those of us with underlying health conditions is terrible, so, we appeal that the strike be called off immediately.
    “Instead of strikes, both parties should continue negotiations until they reach a balance because the action is endangering our lives, as we can’t access care,” he said.
    Enyia added that whenever strikes were called off, families who lost their loved ones were not compensated by the Federal Government nor the labour unions. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    CBN/IFY
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    Edited by Ifeyinwa Omowole

  • Strike: Motorists in Calabar resort to panic buying of petrol 

    Strike

    By Christian Njoku
    Calabar, May 3, 2024 (NAN)Motorists in Calabar metropolis are now resorting to panic buying of petrol following the commencement of indefinite strike by the organised labour
    It would be recalled that the organised labour declared a nationwide indefinite strike effective June 3 as part of agitations for minimum wage increase.
    A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey around the city on Monday showed long queues of vehicles at the few petrol stations that opened for business.
    NAN reports that many petrol stations in the city were shut in compliance with labour unions directive for an indefinite strike while the few outlets that opened sold petrol at between N760 and N800.
    Some of the drivers who spoke to NAN said that their intention was to store up petrol to avoid running out of stock during the strike.
    One of them, Mr Andreaw Ekpenyong, a civil servant, said that there was so much uncertainty around the rift between labour and the government.
    “Nobody knows when it will end, nobody wants to be caught without petrol at a time like this,” he said.
    On his part, Mr Jones Adah, a commercial bus driver said that the strike had already made it difficult to access petrol.
    “They are hoarding the product, they are creating artificial scarcity because there is strike.
    “So I am here to buy some petrol so that I can go about my businesses during the strike,” he said.
    NAN reports that the strike brought many activities in the city to a halt with public schools, banks, hospital and others outfits completely shut.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    CBN/EBI/AZU
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    Edited by Benson Iziama and Azubuike Okeh