NMDC DG Celebrates God's faithfulness at 70 ... urges youth to remain steadfast to their creator

 

By  Freshgist 

The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Metallurgical Development Centre, Jos, Plateau State, Prof Linus Asuquo, has celebrated God's faithfulness at his 70th birthday.

Asuquo who is also a senior Pastor with Redeemed Christian Church of God,  Region 8, headquarters Plateau State, 

recently gave a special thanksgiving service to God at RCCG, Jesus Power Parish, Province 6, Akwa Ibom State.

Speaking with newsmen in his Residence in Ewet housing estate, Uyo,  as part of activities to mark his birthday, Asuquo accounted his blessings to God .

The former commissioner of Science and Technology during Governor Victor Attah's regime recalled how he used to trek long distance to school without shoes, adding that God is the source of the preservation of his life. 

"Life is full of ups and downs, a lot in of people see from outside thinking it has been rosy. The way I started it was very tedious, i used to trek from my village where you have the timber market to Practising School (now University of Uyo) without shoes but i thank God for today. 

"First, i have to give glory and honour to God, our creator, because Iam what Iam today by His grace, i return all the glory to Him because He is the one that has preserve my life and kept me for this past 70 years".

He enjoined the youths to always stick to their creator, adding that part of the reason why there is a problem today is that the creature want to be higher than their creator.

"Today the younger ones are in a hurry and they don't want to trust God, the moment you disconnect from your creator; where the creature wants to be higher than the creator, then there is a problem and that is what is happening today. People want to know more than their creator.

" My advice  is for people to return back to their creator and know that He is supreme, omnipotent omniscient; whatever we do He has  a record of us and we cannot do anything without Him"

Professor Asuquo was born on March 18,1954 in Mbak Utam 3, Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. He was educated at Practicing School, Uyo, now University of Uyo and graduated in 1965.

 He also attended Holy Family College,Oku-Abak between  1968 and 1969 and St Patrick's College. Calabar between 1970 and 1972.He then taught Physics Mathematics and Chemistry briefly at Christian Technical College, Oyubia, Oron in 1973 before preceding to College of Technology. Calabar, between 1973 and 1975 from where he obtained the London GCE (advanced level)

He taught Chemistry and Mathematics briefly at Immaculate Conception Secondary School, Itak in 1976 and obtained the Bureau for External Aid Scholarship to study Metallurgy in Technical University, Kosice in the then Czechoslovakia and graduated in 1982 with MSC distinction and also as the best graduating student in the University. 

He returned to Nigeria in 1982 and completed his national service year between 1982 and 1983 at Delta Steel company, Aladja, Warri. 

Prof Asuquo who has held various offices was appointed by the former President Mohammadu Buhari as the Director General of the National Metallurgical Development Centre, Jos, and he currently serving his second term.

Rights Group Faults Government Over Demolition of Shops by UCCDA

 

A civil rights group in Nigeria, the Center for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN), has faulted the ongoing demolition of shops and stores along Oron Road, Udo Udoma Avenue, particularly at the traffic light area, and other areas within the Uyo metropolis by personnel of the Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA) on Tuesday, 5th March 2024, accusing the Pastor Umo Eno-led Government of Akwa Ibom State of being insensitive to the hardship and sufferings of Akwa Ibom people.

This assertion was contained in a press release issued by the group on Tuesday, 5th March 2024, signed by its Director and Secretary, Otuekong Franklyn Isong and Barr. Christopher Ekpo, respectively, and made available to newsmen in Uyo. 

The CHRAN stated that the State Government should have first provided alternative locations and shops for the affected shop owners before pulling down the shops, which, according to the CHRAN, served as the only means of livelihood for the affected traders.

The CHRAN noted that if the officials of government had the interest of the downtrodden and the long-suffering masses of Akwa Ibom State at heart, they would have considered that embarking on such swift demolition exercise at this critical time of the country's economic downturn, would be counterproductive as it would further aggravate the high level of unemployment and push many more families into hardship.

The CHRAN called for a halt to the demolition exercise, stating that it could be perceived generally as a heartless exercise by the Umo Eno-led administration.

The CHRAN urged the Akwa Ibom State Government to mitigate the plight of the affected traders by paying compensation to all those whose goods and shops were destroyed during the inhumane exercise by the UCCDA.

FRB lauds USAID Nigeria-State2State impacts in Akwa Ibom

 

By Freshgist 

The Akwa Ibom State Fiscal Responsibility Board Director-General,  Mr. Victor Edet has Commended the United States Agency for International Development, Nigeria - State2State activities over their development strides in the state.

In a Quarterly Conflict Mitigation and Prevention Dialogue in Uyo yesterday, Mr. Edet, who is also the Secretary of State Transformation Committee told newsmen that State2State activities has helped in the development of the state working budget calendar and that of the Local Government Areas .

According to him, "prior to USAID Nigeria-State2State intervention, we did not have what is called Budget Calendar at the state level talkless of the Local Government Areas. The Budget Calendar helps us to know where and when the account circulation will commence, and when the account of threshold will be submitted for audit purposes, including when the account of the state will be published".

He also mentioned that, budget process manual guides explains how budget is conceived, executed and how budget is being monitored and plotted out.

According to him, "we commend the activities of State2State organization for its intervention so far. This has been a great help which has leverage us through the programme called States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) in States

SFTAS programme is a World Bank intervention programme which states were compelled to key into and Akwa Ibom State could not have recorded the performance if the State2State activities were not deployed".

He disclosed that prior the intervention of State2State programme, the state government used to engaged the services of consultants in the production of Medium Term Expenditure Framework (M - TEF) but after training and capacity development, they were able to produce the 2022 M-TEF by state officials for the first time.

"With that idea also, the 2023/2025 M-TEF was also produced. The amount of money the state government used to spend in hiring consultants to make M-TEF documents now became utilized in the development projects in the state.

"So, the first Public Finance Management Assessment in Akwa Ibom state was through the intervention of S2S in 2021; it helps us to identify the gap areas and also sustain their capacity building towards the gap Area.

Declaring open the event earlier, The State Team Lead- State Accountability, Transparency and Effective State2State Activity, Mr Borve Paago- Imabel disclosed that the quarterly Conflicts Mitigation and Prevention Dialogue was expedient to appraise its contributions in conflicts resolution in the state especially, after the 2023 general elections and current Economic Crisis in the state.

The Team Lead who was represented by Dr Iboro Nelson urged the government to ensure timely payment of Salaries to people working,  palliative should also be given to those that don't have a job not people that are able to do already , to avoid protest and other demonstrations.

"We will also look at the conflict issues arising from the last quarter and the land dispute issues sourounding Eket itam, Wait Eket and Ibeno, is already affecting the Economy important of the area and this is one of the reasons this meeting becomes necessary.

"We will also discuss the LGA budget taking to cognizant the drivers of conflicts and implications of the budget  because what government should be doing now is to see how his people can survive to a large content because survival is the only important thing now." She added 

She commended the State government for it's initiative in resolving the Eket- Ibeno crisis amongst others in the state. 

Also speaking, the State2State Conflict specialist Akwa Ibom, Mr Cosmos Dinee said "We expect that as part of Budget processes as the government budget for service delivery area of Primary Health, Basic Education and WASH, we want to see how those budgeting provision addresses infrastructural needs, so that  people will be employed in the three areas to curb conflicts, because from our findings, unemployment is the major driver of conflicts in Akwa Ibom state."

AKWA IBOM: CHRAN Applauds lawmaker for distributing palliatives to constituents; Vows to expose horders

 

Hon. Patrick Umoh PhD Lawmaker 

Representing Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Abuja

By Freshgist 

Rights Advocacy group in Nigeria under the auspices of Center for Human Rights and Advocacy Network (CHRAN) has applauded the National Assembly lawmaker representing Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Abuja, Hon. Patrick Umoh PhD for distributing presidential palliatives to constituents in Akwa Ibom state.

In a press statement signed  by the CHRAN Director and Secretary, Otuekong Franklyn Isong and Barr. Christopher Ekpo and made available to newsmen in Uyo on Monday, described Dr. Patrick Umoh's gesture to his constituents in Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency as an intervention which came at a time others were resorting to refutations on hunger issues by a cross section of Akwa Ibom people.

The advocacy group vowed to continue to track the presidential rice, even as it monitored the distribution of the palliative by Hon. Umoh.

The Center noted that, Hon. Umoh palliatives distribution exercise, which took place at the weekend 1st March, 2024 at Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency, was peaceful and successful.

The group noted that apart from the palliative rice, the federal lawmaker also met with the family heads (Mbong Ekpuk), youths and persons living with disabilities (PWD) from the three local government areas to merry with them.

The CHRAN stated that 510 bags of rice and a total of N2.3 million were distributed to the people.

Hon. Patrick Umoh, it is recalled celebrated Christmas with his constituents and presented them 300 bags of rice, 3 cows and the sum of four million ( N4m) Naira.

CHRAN however, urged other National Assembly members from the State, who are yet to distribute the palliative rice and other items to borrow a leaf from the federal lawmaker and be transparent and accountable to their constituents.

The CHRAN further stated that it was sanguine that the President Tinubu Palliatives had been received by all the National Assembly members on behalf of their constituents, and so urged them to distribute same to their constituents to mitigate the looming hunger in the land.

CHRAN also threatened to expose other National Assembly members from the state, who have not distributed the palliatives to their constituents stating that, it has reliable information that palliatives worth N57.8 billion had been approved for members of the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for onward distribution to their constituents and that same had been released and shared to all members of the National Assembly.

The CHRAN also stated  that it has been reliably informed that N200 million worth of rice was given to Senators as palliatives for their constituents, while N100 million worth of rice was given to members of the House of Representatives as palliatives for constituents.

It would be recalled that, the Presidency while showcasing Tinubu’s scorecard in palliatives disbursement to Nigerians, had revealed each Senator got N200 million worth of palliatives for their constituents, while each member of the House of Representatives received N100 million worth of palliatives for their constituents.

Rights group appeals AKSG to Upgrade COE, Urged Management and Union to Close Ranks

 

The provost with his entourage during an advocacy visit by CHRAN to the College on Thursday, 29 February 2024.

By Freshgist 

An internationally recognized Advocacy group in Nigeria under the auspices of Center for Human Rights and Advocacy Network (CHRAN), has called on the Akwa Ibom State Government to review the law establishing the State College of Education, Afaha Nsit, Nsit Ibom Local Government Area,  with a view to upgrade the College to the status of a University.

In a Press statement signed by both the CHRAN Director, Otuekong Franklyn Isong and the Secretary, Barr. Christopher Ekpo, expressed concern that the College, established in October 1990, has been losing its students population to Universities over the years as parents seem to prefer a University that offers a four-year degree programme to the College where students enrol for a three-year National Certificate of Education (NCE) programme.

Ekpo noted that though section 2(c) of the Akwa Ibom State College of Education Law, Cap. 31, Vol. 2, Laws of Akwa Ibom State, 2022 empowers the College to award degrees, that can only be done in affiliation with a University, as can be gleaned from section 4(2)(c) of the Akwa Ibom State College of Education Law, which makes the Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Uyo a statutory member of the Akwa Ibom State College of Education Council.

CHRAN commended the Provost, Prof. Daniel Udo, and the management of the College for the relative peace enjoyed in the institution. 

The group stated that it was involved at some point in efforts to resolve the dispute between the management of the College and the trade union in 2022/2023, which arose from the suspension of some union leaders on account of their activities in the College. The Center thanked the Provost for resolving the dispute and paying the affected unionists their salaries as was directed by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly. 

The Center called on the unionists to close ranks with the College management to facilitate the realisation  of the mission and objectives of the College, maintaining that no progress can be achieved in an environment filled with rancour, acrimony and malice. 

The Center decried the lack of a master plan for the College, observing that developments are being carried out haphazardly and indiscriminately in the College due to the absence of a master plan.

The Center decried the very poor state of internal roads in the College and called on the State government to, as a matter of urgency, construct internal roads in the College also observed that the College has no perimeter fence, which makes the College vulnerable to attacks, theft, vandalism and encroachment.

The Center also made a case for steady electric power supply to the College to aid students and facilities in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Department, that is currently relying solely on solar power.

Reacting, the Provost of the College, Prof. Daniel Udo, applauded the CHRAN delegation for the visit, added that he has worked concertedly towards ensuring a peaceful and safe environment for learning in the College since his assumption of office as Provost.

 Prof. Udo lauded the State Government for providing funds for the College, which has facilitated the successful accreditation of all NCE programmes and ten (10) out of eleven (11) degree programmes. 

The Provost commended the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) for several infrastructural interventions in the College. Even so, the Provost called for increased intervention and funding. He stated that, working with stakeholders, including the host communities, he has curtailed cultism even as the Students Union Government is enhanced to function optimally. He stated that the College has discharged admirably its corporate social responsibility to the five villages constituting Afaha Nsit.

The Provost explained the misunderstanding that led to the face-off with the union leaders, saying that the matter has been resolved. 

He stated that the national leadership of the union had sent a team to the College on a fact-finding mission, saying that the report of the team, which was communicated to the branch of the union in the College, was copied to him. 

He noted that the national leadership absolved the College management of all the allegations levelled against the management by the branch unionists.

The Provost stated that the national leadership faulted the branch unionists and directed them to take steps towards working amicably with the College management. According to the Provost, the national leadership of the union cautioned the branch unionists to refrain from any attempt to operate a parallel management of the College. 

The Provost maintained that even though the branch unionists are yet to implement the directives of their national leadership, the College management under his leadership will continue to prioritise issues of staff welfare and improved work environment for workers, assuring that students of the institution will continue to enjoy good learning environment.

The CHRAN team was conducted around the facilities of the College by the Provost and management of the institution.

In the CHRAN team were: Otuekong Franklyn Isong, Director; Comrade (Barr.) Christopher Ekpo, Secretary; Comrade Theresa Donatus, Comrade Michael Bassey, and Comrade Banny Favour

The College team included the Provost, Prof. Daniel Udo; Deputy Provost (Academics), Dr Jeremiah Iweh; Deputy Provost (Administration), Dr (Mrs) Edo Ekanem; the Registrar, Barr. Augustine Udoibit; Director of Works, Architect Anietie Ukpanah, and the Bursar, Dr Emmanuel Akpan.