Niger Delta

House Decries Poor Finishing Of Contracts

Published

14 years ago

June 27, 2012

Members of the Cross River State House of Assembly, have described the finishing of most jobs in Yala Local Government Council as unsatisfactory and unacceptable.

Inspecting projects in the Council Area, the Members observed that most of the contracts were not executed in accordance with the State standard.

They noted also that, the Chairman’s official residence which was one of the projects visited had very bad windows and doors while the 2600 pupil desks meant for schools in the area were poorly constructed.

The lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction that the contract for these jobs must have been awarded to incompetent contractors and certainly may not have been supervised at all.

At the Legislative site currently under construction, members condemned part of the ceiling and roofing work and called on the contractor to take steps to correct the defect.

An Architect, Mr. Robert Ule who conducted the Members round the project said the delay in the completion of work has been caused by increase in cost of the building materials and the removal of fuel subsidy.

Also speaking, the Director of Works, Engineer I. Ukam said the Chairman’s quarters was commissioned by His Excellency Navy Captain Christopher Osundu since May 19th 1999 when Ntufam Victor Ogar Ndifon was Chairman and has not been inhabited since then.

Other Projects inspected included the generator house, Staff Quarters, the ongoing 611 meter long fence, office of the Paramount Ruler, Chief of General Staff office all in the Council premises.

The State Border Communities Development Commission Project comprising an Office Block and Staff Quarters in Alifokpa were also condemned for poor window and door frames. Members queried the rationale behind the citing of the completed but abandoned Federal Government hospital under the MDGs project at the interior part of the Council Area.

The Members also visited the uncompleted hospital project in Alifokpa, the Lugard wall at Yache Gabu which is threatened by encroachment and deforestation activities of the Tivs in Benue State and also the 6 classroom blocks in South Ukele handled by Pace Surge Nigeria Limited.

Responding, the Supervisor of Works, Hon. Cyprian Uneji, said the speedy completion of the project which commenced in December 2011 was being hampered by lack of access road to convey materials as well as lack of labour.

The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Larry Odey said it was very important that immediate steps be taken to give the people access roads, health facilities, and water to improve on their welfare.

In another development, the State Head of Service, Mrs. Mary-Theresa Ikwen, has called for collaboration between her Office and the Civil Service Commission as a way of fast tracking the reformation of the service.

Mrs. Ikwen bared her mind when the Chairman and members of the civil service commission paid her a courtesy call in her office in Calabar.

She observed the need for a synergy between the two offices in relation to their functions on personnel matters and productivity in the service.

The Head of Service recalled that while on the recent retreat at the Ranch, the issue of collaboration between the two offices addressed and commended the commission for re-emphasising its importance towards the growth of the service.

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

16 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

16 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

16 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.