Month: June 2023

The Chairman of GFO Orim Foundation, Dr Martin Orim in conjunction with Industrial Training Fund (ITF), have kick-started orientation for 30 teen mums and 15 youths selected from Bekwara, Obanliku and Obudu Local Government Areas of Cross River State.

 

According to the Project Coordinator, Hon. Phydel Aben, the orientation exercise was part of the training activities to mark the official commencement of the 10th Edition of the GFO Orim empowerment program.

“This training will equip selected teen mums with skills in Hairdressing and Beautification (Makeup), while the other 15 youths will undergo training in solar power installation, and empower them with the necessary tools to start their businesses at the end of the training”, Hon Phydel Aben noted.

 

On behalf of the Chairman of the GFO Orim Foundation, Chief Dr Martin Orim, Hon Aben encouraged the beneficiaries of the empowerment program, to make use of the opportunity by paying attention on the processes and learn with dexterity.

He further assured them of monthly stipends for transportation within the period of training and also added that start-up kits and certificates will be provided at the end of the programme to enable them become self-reliance for Nation building.

 

“We are thankful to GFO Orim Foundation and Industrial Training Fund (ITF) for partnering to empower us, teen mums. We are grateful for this life changing opportunity and we promise to make good use of it.”, the beneficiaries stated.

Also along the project coordinator was the Obudu Chapter Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Mr. Henry Ublibli, the Head of Training, Engr. Rex Nwigboji Nwafagu and Mr. Innocent Adie.

The member representing Bekwara, Obanliku and Obudu federal constituency, Hon Peter Akpanke, need assessment tour across the three Local Government Areas in the  constituency came to an end yesterday with Obanliku as its endpoint.

In a statement released by Mr Awade Friday, SSA Media and Publicity, Chief  Akpanke noted that he was having a social contract with the people, and while the people have fulfilled theirs, it was incumbent on him to initiate moves towards the fulfillment of his pact with them.

Akpanke also appealed for more support and cooperation from the people as that will aid the process of delivering on the people’s mandate.

”The assurance and renewed hope of the people was again consolidated with the MP’s remarkable speech, what he promised in time past, and how he has been able to interface with them endlessly”.

According the release,  high points of the engagements captured the different concerns raised by leaders of various political wards, religious leaders, and youths across all the clans in Obanliku.

The needs assessment tour also featured engagements such as brief meeting with traditional rulers council forum, special prayers from God’s vessels of honor, inspiring conversations from various ward leaders, youths/students and women and also, award presentation from different socio-political groups.

 

 

The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu has celebrated H.E Mrs Adejoke Adefulire (Former SSA SDG ) on the conferment ceremony of the Sustainable Development Champions Award, vested on her by the United Nations in Nigeria.

The First Lady, who was represented by the APC National Women Leader, Dr Betta Edu lauded H.E Mrs Princess Adejoke Adefulire as a rentless servant, who is committed and devoted to humanity.

“She is a great personality with a proven track record of transcendence and real-time governance. H.E Adejoke Adefulire has diligently served Nigeria in many fronts, and capacities, making invaluable contributions for the good of the society”

She recalled that H.E Adejoke Adefulire has given meaning, honour and dignity to the agenda of achieving the sustainable development goals.

Sen. Oluremi Tinubu stressed that Progress had been made in poverty reduction, maternal and child health, access to electricity, and gender equality with previous administrations; and the Tinubu Administration will raise the bar higher to achieve the SDG goals by 2030 and beyond. She added that the Tinubu administration will pay adequate attention to fast track the achievement of the SDGs in Nigeria.

The event was hosted by the UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Mathais Schmale, others dignitaries in attendance include the Country Representative of WHO, UNDP, UNHCR, UNFPA and other heads of UN Agencies in Nigeria. The Representative of the SGF, HOS, Rep of former First Lady H.E Aisha Buhari, Deputy Gov Ogun state, and wife of Governor of Ogun state amongst other dignitaries.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the immediate retirement of all service chiefs and the inspector-general of police.

The president also approved the replacement of the comptroller-general of customs.

According to a statement signed by George Akume, the secretary-general of the federation, the president also announced their replacements with immediate effect

The new service Chiefs are:

1. C.G Musa – Chief of Defence Staff

2. T. A Lagbaja – Chief of Army Staff

3. E. A Ogalla – Chief of Naval Staff

4. H.B Abubakar – Chief of Air Staff

5. DIG Kayode Egbetokun – Acting Inspector-General of Police

6. Nuhu Ribadu – National Security Adviser

OUR THRUST, OUR BOND: AN INAUGURAL SPEECH BY THE SPEAKER OF THE CROSS RIVER STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY RT. HON. ELVERT AYAMBEM ON THE INAUGURATION OF THE TENTH ASSEMBLY ON JUNE 14 2023.

Protocol

Gathered at the threshold of history, we have come to add an extra push to how much we can as a people achieve for our fatherland, Cross River State, the nation’s Paradise; as members of the 10th Cross River State House of Assembly who through the goodwill of our people have earned the onerous task of working the progress of this piece of God’s own estate, to which we thank the Almighty God, who has remained our help in ages past, and whose help, even on this new assignment will neither wane nor wither.

It was Abraham Lincoln who said that “when a man forgets the language of gratitude, he is not in speaking terms with his creator”, to which I greatly accept in the expression of my deep gratitude to his Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Prince Bassey Otu, whose benevolence and patriotism overlooked self-serving sentiments that could have threatened our journey to a partnership that promises our people a future of wholesome sweetness. Your Excellency, let me on behalf of my colleagues put on record that we will make you and our people proud.

I am not any less grateful to our stakeholders, whose contributions from our evolution as South-Eastern State to this day have facilitated our journey thus far. This beyond political sentiments of the moment seeks to recognize the state as a single constituency, where men and women defied sleep and personal comfort in the making of a paradise out of Africa’s troubled giant. We affirm that our resolve to preserve the labours of our heroes past has not found more expression than it would in the 10th Assembly, which I cristen the Peoples’ Assembly.

Drawing from my all time most motivating scripture in Phillipians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” I remember with nostalgia my journey to this day; not much of hard work, but divine grace of God that spotted me at the lowest ebb, where the certainty of next meal was much more a phantom than its possibility. I will forever be grateful to the gallantry determination of my parents who strived to ensure our economic realities did not define our future. Today,I am here and can boldly exclaim, “na me be dis”? Many thanks to Mr Sylvanus and Caroline Ayambem; not forgetting my ever praying wife Nelly Ayambem and my family. Your Boy Elvert is the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, I hope my story motivates more young people, even those who think the future as bleak.

To my colleagues, I am neither your boss nor leader, but just a privileged first among equals. I do not take this confidence you have reposed in me for granted, conscious it could have been any of us in this hallowed chamber. From the high mountains of Obudu to the estuaries of Odukpani, from the agrarian settlements of Ikom to the swampy neighbourhoods of Bakassi, thick forests of Akamkpa to the fertile lands of Bekwarra, cosmopolitan neighbourhoods of Ogoja, Calabar South and Municipality, twenty-five of us are here gathered. Whatever vehicles of political persuations facilitated our coming this far, must at this point lose its relevance to the bipartisan conversation of a greater Cross River State.

This is to emphasize that our membership of the tenth Assembly must not be lost on the realities of time; hunger, insecurity, underdevelopment, unemployment and weak institutions respect no political alignments. This is the reason this assembly must overlook political differences and give priority to project Cross River where everyone finds what will be more than put food on our tables, guide our growth trajectory towards what is sustainable and profitable.

The joy of this day is replete with burdensome expectations from men and women who braved the elements at the long queues to ensure their votes were cast, the least we can do to reward these patriots should be getting our institutions to work at optimal levels to assuage the pull of a downward socioeconomic realities on a people that have shown desired determination at championing a change that will serve more than a generation; all they are asking for is a functional system, and this does not look like what we cannot give.

Looking through this chamber, the most of us are products of public educational and health systems, though terribly bastardized in the interim, the fortunes of our systems are not irredeemable. In those institutions lie true testaments of the resilience and pioneering efforts of our forebearers, which we must as an assembly work to reposition. With reputable stakeholders, we will in this joint task work to return public education and healthcare in our state, to its era of glory. This is more possible than replacing them with new systems that promote capital flight in an economy that is already gasping for breathe.

We have not reported for duty without a plan; ours is an ambitious agenda that will reposition our state. These much can be achieved through ensuring members are given the conducive atmostphere their legislative duties require. This will in ways than few motivate every member of the tenth assembly for utmost productivity. Through community briefs and constituency consultative platforms, we will galvanize the entire state to the offerings of a proactive legislature, that way, there would be no arm chair legislator in the current assembly.

Sensitive to the necessity of the moment, we are conscious this is no time to proof how confrontational an assembly can be. We will deploy consultations and negotiations as we walk hand in gloves with the Senator Prince Bassey Otu administration to hasten the reinvention of Cross River State into the paradise of our dream. Achieving this will sure not come without concessions and sacrifices, but rest assure whatever will be required of the assembly under my watch to partner the executive in the development of our state is already a given.

We are not ignorant of the enormity of work on the table, outside here, across our various constituencies are people and institutions groaning under the claws of obsolete laws. This is an area, we as an assembly will be declaring an emergency on, to ensure our laws are unbundled, reviewed and made to cater for our everyday need in line with demands of time and contemporary realities. This will not happen without ruffling a few feathers, but let nothing dare our resolve, we have come as partners to help Cross River work.

In ending here so as not to bore your already stretched day, let me plead that you allow us all the access we need in your homes, offices, farmstead, hamlets and communities where we will be regular visitors on consultation and conversations; comparing notes on how better we can get this job done. While we settle into it, I am confident the tenth assembly will have the support of every citizen.

Thank you for your time and favour of indulgence, as I once again warmly welcome you all to the Peoples’ Assembly.

God bless Cross River State.

Rt.Hon.Elvert Sylvanus Ayambem.
Speaker Of The Cross River State House Of Assembly.

 

The Federal High Court in Abuja has suspended the trial of a former Minister of Aviation, Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah in the alleged N7.9 billion fraud charges brought against her by the Federal Government.

The planned arraignment of Mrs Oduah for today, June 15, was put off by Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo over alleged threat to his life by yet to be identified persons.

At Thursday’s proceedings, Justice Ekwo brought out a publication by a corporate organization in which his life was severely threatened over the planned trial.

Justice Ekwo, who was visibly angry over the developments, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, prosecuting the former Minister to fish out those behind the corporate body and bring them before the court.

The Judge also ordered the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court in charge of litigation to liaise with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, to obtain the identities of the promoters of the offending organization for the purpose of arresting them.

Justice Ekwo said that sanctity of the Court must be maintained, adding that Nigeria is not a banana republic or animal kingdom where acts of lawlessness can be condoned.

Counsel to EFCC, Mr Ofem Uket in reaction expressed sadness over the development and vowed that the anti-graft agency would do the needful to bring the culprits to book.

He, however, prayed the court not to allow unknown persons acting as external third party to scuttle the trial.

Based on the promise of the EFCC to fish out those threatening his life, Justice Ekwo fixed July 17 for report of the CAC on the owners of the organization and EFCC’S bid to fish out the culprits.

The EFCC is alleging that Mrs Oduah misappropriated the sum of N7.9B public funds while serving as a Minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

Other defendants are Gloria Odita, Nwosu Emmanuel Nnamdi, Chukwuma Irene Chinyere, Global Offshore, and Marine Limited, Tip Top Global Resources Limited, Crystal Television Limited, Sobora International Limited, and a foreign construction company.

They are charged with conspiracy and money laundering, as well as maintaining anonymous bank accounts.

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