Niger Delta
Oshiomhole Re-Registers, Salutes People’s Patriotism
Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole at the weekend, re-registered at Ward 10, Unit 1, Iyamho Community Secondary School in Etsako West Local Government Area because of fault in the Direct Data Capture (DDC) machine when he first registered at the beginning of the voters’ registration exercise in the state.
Oshiomhole, who spoke to journalists shortly after his re-registration exercise explained that he has to re-register because of hitches of the first few days of the exercise.
“We can excuse INEC because there is what we call learning period. On the first day you may not be perfect but the good news is that those involved in this village were not up to ten. It was convenient for me to come back to register again and that is the little sacrifice one has to pay to get the electoral system clean,” Oshiomhole said.
According to him, INEC, at the level of design and planning has done better in 2011 than they have planned in 2007 because in 2007, in this village, “We were hearing that four, five days into the registration exercise machines has reached Auchi and some other day you hear it had reached Jattu and you are waiting for the machine to reach your own village”.
“The beauty this time around is that every polling unit has a machine, so there is no fear that someone is delaying the machine in his place so that before it gets to your place the registration is over. I think at the level of planning and quality design, INEC was comprehensive”, he said.
The governor acknowledges in some local government areas, like Owan East, Owan West, Uhunmwode and few other places where they did not have one machine, one polling unit, but they have been assured now by the REC that machines have arrived to be deployed to those areas.
He recalled that from INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega’s public statement, if for the reason of their own fault machines are not available, they will naturally have to make allowance for those communities where these machines were not available to enable everybody register re-assuring all with the comment by President Goodluck Jonathan that every Nigerian of adult age would be registered and nobody would be shut out for technical reasons.
“I believe for now from what I have seen and heard, this exercise as imperfect as it is represents a substantial improvement over what happened in 2007. I also find a citizenry that is more determined, demonstrating a level of patriotism, that we should all be proud. When I find ordinary people raising funds to buy a small N12,000 generator, where they see that there is no power and the battery has failed, it shows that Nigerians are determined and this time we would get it right,” he enthused.
Oshiomhole also observed that, there are clear signals that politicians who are not electable but are in government and even those who seek to enter government by all means are working hard to try to defeat this comprehensive arrangement that INEC has put in place.
The challenge for INEC leadership, according to the Comrade Governor is to search to ensure that ‘Judas’ within its ranks are identified and cited example of an electoral officer at Uromi who used the children of political party members to replace National Youth Corps members who were posted for the exercise.
The governor said, “She unilaterally allowed these people who are children of party members to function as registration officers and of course you know the purpose. I am satisfied that INEC has dealt with it by chasing those characters who are not employed for that purpose away”.
“This time around, if it is Oshiomhole or anybody else that is trying to cheat on the rules, they should be dealt with because the country is greater than anybody and no one is above the law. INEC should be capable of applying the red card for any of its functionaries who is incapable of reform”, Oshiomhole added.
Ben-Ose Ogbemudia, Benin
Niger Delta
Community Lauds NDDC, Cleric On Project Execution
Ayama Community of Gbarain Clan, Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State has joined the league of communities which have been lit-up by the solar-powered street light projects of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The community has praised the successful completion of the project, while also thanking the Managing-Director/CEO of the commission, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, and the entire management of the interventionist agency for considering the community amongst many others which have benefitted from the ongoing projects being executed by the commission across the Niger Delta region.
The Tide learnt this, Sunday, while speaking with the Ayama Community leadership during a tour of select communities across Bayelsa State which have been impacted by the NDDC’s “Operation Light Up Niger Delta”.
Speaking with newsmen, the trio of the paramount ruler of the community, HRH Kawari Apina-Owei, his Deputy, HRH Jeremiah Selesai, and Chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC), Comrade Geseye Apina-Owei, commended the NDDC Management for not only awarding the project to the community, but for also awarding it to a contracting firm, Doncont Nig.Ltd, who, according to them, delivered the project timely and within specifications.
Ayama is one of the communities in the twin clans of Gbarain/Ekpetiama oil and gas hub of the Yenagoa Local Government Area of the State.
“Some relief came our way when the NDDC awarded the solar-powered street lights to this community. This is the first time we’re feeling the impact of the leadership and management of the NDDC from inception.
“We thank the Manging-Director/CEO of the NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, and the entire management of the Commission for remembering our community, Ayama, in the award of this solar light project.
“Before now, we’ve been in total darkness, and so snakes and other dangerous reptiles were roaming at night. We couldn’t move at night before the execution of this solar light project once it’s night in this community, but now from here to Okotiama, Ogboloma we can move at anytime of the night.
“This is the first NDDC project this community is benefitting. As we speak, we don’t have water, no health facility, no good school. We also need internal roads in this community.
“We call on the NDDC management led by Dr Samuel Ogbuku, the hardworking MD/CEO of the NDDC, to reconsider this community on these other infrastructure we don’t have”, the community said.
The trio, who also expressed their appreciation to the Vicar, St. Luke’s Anglican Church, Ayama, Rev. Paul Edidi, described him as God sent, noting that the clergy facilitated the award of the project by the NDDC to the community when they least expected.
“We also want to thank God for the life of Rev. Paul Edidi, who facilitated the award of this project by the NDDC to our community. Rev. Edidi is God sent to our community.
“We thank the contractor, High Chief Osigwe Bayefa, of Doncont Nig.Ltd for the timely execution of this project according to specifications.
“We’ll continue to pray that whenever the NDDC want to award other projects it should consider Doncont Nig. Ltd and High Chief Osigwe Bayefa, the contractor for this solar project for doing a great job”, the community added.
Similarly, in separate interviews, the Chairman, Gbarain/Ekpetiama Rural Development Authority (RDA), Hon.Tolumona Engedefa, the community’s Woman Leader, Mrs Kuro Apina-owei, and the community’s Youth President, Comrade Mieyeseigha Selesai, reiterated the resolve of the community towards continuous cooperation with contractors of the NDDC and others in the future for timely execution of projects in the community.
They emphasized that the seamless execution of the solar-powered project by the contractor was a direct result of the community’s cooperation and readiness to partner for development.
On their part, Rev. Paul Edidi, who the community described as facilitator for the award of the project, and Prof. Benjamin Teibowei, Senior lecturer, Bayelsa State Medical University (BMU), Yenagoa, have described the NDDC management headed by Dr Samuel Ogbuku as a committed institution with willingness to fasttrack the developmental processes of the Niger Delta region.
The duo noted that the award of the project by the NDDC to the community which they alleged do not have any known political or economic heavy weight to lobby a project of that magnitude to, has again demonstrated that the commission under the stewardship of Ogbuku was in for a paradigm shift.
In the same vein, the Operations Manager of the contracting firm, Doncont Nig. Ltd, Mr Pereowei Bayefa, who spoke on behalf of High Chief Osigwe Bayefa, Chairman Board of Trustees, Doncont Nig.Ltd, has said the firm was noted for executing projects within specifications and timelines, thanking the NDDC and the community for the confidence reposed on the firm.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Niger Delta
No Failed Accreditation Record In UNICAL – Registrar
The Registrar of University of Calabar, (UniCal), Mr Gabriel Egbe, has said the institution had no record of failed accreditation.
Egbe, in a statement on behalf of the university’s management, was reacting to a warning allegedly made by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) in a publication.
He said the alleged warning was over the accreditation of engineering courses in the university.
According to the Registrar, the title of the alleged publication credited to COREN is “Get Properly Accredited or Risk Blacklisting, Engineering Council warns UniCal, Adamawa Varsity”.
The Registrar noted that the publication was untrue and also wondered why COREN should allegedly be credited with such publication.
He stressed that this was more pertinent as COREN was saddled with the responsibility of ensuring professional accreditation of Engineering programmes in Nigerian Universities.
According to him, when COREN’s agitation for professional accreditation last came up, the professional body was duly informed that the National Universities Commission (NUC) must first conduct its accreditation before any professional body.
Egbe said this was in line with the established procedure.
“In November 2023, NUC visited the institution for accreditation of all programmes that were due for the exercise including programmes in the five departments of the faculty of Engineering.
“The result of that exercise is still being awaited. The University has no record of failed accreditation with its engineering programmes as COREN is making people believe.
“It is on the strength of the outcome that COREN will be officially invited by the university to come for its professional accreditation.
“If COREN feels that it cannot wait for the NUC results then it should write to the University like other professional bodies are doing, giving us dates for their visits”, he said.
The Registrar asserted that using the public space to promote a campaign of ill-will and damage to the name of UniCal under the guise of rolling out a recommendation at its 181st Ordinary Council Meeting was not acceptable.
He called for caution from COREN adding that as a professional body they should be more concerned with promoting and nurturing their would-be professionals.
Niger Delta
Vet Praises Diri, Predecessor On Functional Hospital
The Principal Veterinary Officer, Bayelsa State Ministry of Agriculture/Medical Director of the state-owned Veterinary Hospital, Yenagoa, Dr Maxwell Philips, has commended the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, for his desire to continuously improve health infrastructure across the state.
Dr. Philips, who also lauded the Governor’s predecessor, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, for his foresight in establishing the hospital, described the two leaders as worthy Ambassadors of the Medical and Health profession.
He gave the commendations Tuesday during an interview with newsmen in Yenagoa, the state capital, during an assessment tour of the animal health infrastructure.
According to him, upon the establishment of the facility, through its awareness and sensitization activities, more members of the public, especially owners of pets and farm animals, have become more aware of the importance of animals’ health in connection with their personal health.
The Veterinarian noted that from 2014 to date when the facility was established, the hospital has attended to over 4000 registered patients (animals).
It would be recalled that the Bayelsa State Governor’s predecessor in 2014 built a Veterinary hospital in the Edepie axis of Yenagoa, the state capital.
The animal health Doctor, who also described the facility as the biggest and first state-owned veterinary hospital in the entire South-South zone, warned unsuspecting members of the public against the consumption of meat produced from uninspected and unapproved abattoirs in the state.
According to him, this became necessary because about 90% human diseases were contracted from animals, saying also that humans obtain over 80% of their food stuffs from animals, hence the need to thread with caution in the patronage of abattoir operators.
“Animals serve as pets and foods, so people need to be very careful in their relationships with animals, especially when these animals are sick or bought for consumption.
“In Bayelsa State, there’re currently only two Government approved abattoirs. One is the Bayelsa Palm abattoir, while the other is the Swali ultra-modern market abattoir. We want to advise against meat patronage from uninspected and unapproved abattoirs in the state.
“Veterinary Drs from the state-owned Veterinary hospital visit the Swali and Bayelsa Palm abattoirs on daily basis as early as 6am for inspection of the health statuses of animals and give approval if certified fit for human consumption before they’re butchered for sale around 7am”, he said.
He continued that “it’ll interest you to note that as a direct result of the importance the Government places on establishing this facility, the Bayelsa State College of Health Technology, Otuogidi, during the past one year has been bringing its students of the Department of Public Health for studies on animal health and diseases to this hospital.
“And, currently, the Niger Delta University’s (NDU) Faculty of Pharmacy has also made an arrangement with the management of the hospital in which it would be bringing its students to under study animal pharmacy in this facility.
“So, the effort the Government of the state has put in building this veterinary hospital is yielding very positive result. We thank His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, Governor of the state, for his commitment and dedication towards ensuring that this hospital remains functional”, he added.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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