Niger Delta

A’ Ibom Set To Host 2nd S’ South Agric Expo Summit

Published

7 years ago

June 14, 2019

As measure put in place to diversify Akwa Ibom State’s economy from crude oil and create other means of income generation, plans have been concluded to host the 2nd South- South Agric Expo summit in Uyo come November 2019.
The summit which is planned to hold in Ibom Hall grounds, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital is intended to expose real farmers to opportunities that would enable them expand their investment in agriculture.
The 2nd South South Agric Expo, organised by the Nigeria Agribusiness and Agro-Industry Development Initiative (NAADI) in collaboration with the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Agriculture and other private partners is also intended to open doors for farmers and other agro-based dealers to exhibit their produce.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Expo in Uyo last Monday, the South-South Zonal Coordinator, Nigeria Agribusiness and Agro-Industry Development Initiative (NAADI), Mr Howard Usen, said a majority of Akwa Ibom people were unaware of the opportunities that abound in investing in agriculture.
Usen said many people in the state had not invested in agriculture because they were uninformed of the money making and tax free loan opportunities in the agricultural sector to key into.
He regretted that previous administrations in the state failed to utilise the opportunities offered by the Bank of Industry in the area of agriculture by refusing to contribute to the counterpart funds available in the sector.
The zonal coordinator further regretted that loan facilities for Agribusiness and Agro-Industry development in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the state was lying dormant as many people were ignorant of the existing facilities for that purpose.
He explained that the summit would expose the people to the opportunities available in agriculture and how to tap from them, among other things.
His words, “With all the wealth we have in the South- South, where are we, our people here do not understand the language of counterpart funding that is why we do not have Bank of Industry here.
“NAADI in Central Bank of Nigeria is a very strategic organisation, just give them a desk officer so that people can access information. It is information that prospers the people, not money. Bring money and distribute to the people, after one year they will be poorer, but when they are liberated mentally, their fortunes are changed forever.
“At the end of the summit, We hope to set a clear path for the development of agribusiness in Akwa Ibom State. We will change the mentality of the people about agriculture, so that people do not see agriculture the way they used to see it.
“There are people who are not farmers but are using herbs to make millions like farm crowding; they are not farmers but they have the intelligence. They set up a system for people to donate money; they do farms for people professionally.
“By the time we finish, you will see that there are a lot of potentials in some of the agric products we have. The palm oil we have does not go out of Nigeria because it contains metals. So if you are producing palm oil and you want to export it, you need a small refinery and that refinery is less than N5 million; that oil that comes out will be pure oil”.

Niger Delta

Navy Pledges Improved Patrols, Welfare Boost For Personnel

Published

9 hours ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has pledged to ensure improved welfare for personnel and more patrols on the maritime corridors of the nation.

He disclosed this during an on the spot assessment of things at the Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Calabar, on Wednesday.

According to him, there is the need for officers to always be ready, by improving on their welfare, in a bid to keep the country secured.

“I am here for an on the spot assessment of our operations and like you have seen, I have also gone round to check the ongoing buildings.

”These are welfare issues and for us to be able to have our men ready and keep us secured, their welfare needs to be catered for.

“So, we are here to kill two birds with one stone, which are basically operations and welfare issues.

”I am happy with what the command is doing; it is doing well in terms of keeping the maritime environment safe.

“We will continue doing what we are doing and improve on that, which is patrol of the waters and increase in the area of surveillance”, he stated.

As part of his visit, Abbas commissioned the 12×1 Junior Rates Accommodation Block A and B, at the Navy Barracks at Atimbo in Calabar.

The naval chief also inspected other ongoing projects in the Akim Barracks, 1006 flats and the Navy hotel, all within Calabar.

Niger Delta

Delta Begins Uromi Junction Flyover Construction

Published

12 hours ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The Delta State Government says it has began construction work on the long-awaited Uromi Junction Flyover Bridge in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area of the state.

Director-General (DG) of the Delta State Bureau for Orientation and Communications, Dr. Fred Oghenesivbe, confirmed the development to newsme in Asaba.

According to him, heavy-duty construction equipment have arrived the site, a project which is being handled by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, one of the country’s leading construction firms.

Oghenesivbe, described the flyover as a massive infrastructure project with far-reaching socio-economic benefits for the area.

He said the project would significantly transform the Agbor metropolis by easing traffic congestion, improving the city’s aesthetics, and boosting commercial activities within the local government area.

He described the State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, as a promise-keeper and pragmatic leader whose administration remains committed to infrastructure development and economic growth across the state.

The DG expressed confidence in Julius Berger’s capacity to deliver the project within record time and according to the highest construction standards.

“The Uromi Junction serves as a major link between different parts of the country but has recently been plagued by severe traffic congestion, making vehicular movement increasingly difficult”, he noted.

He urged residents to cooperate with the contractor and safeguard construction materials and equipment to ensure the timely completion of the project.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Rejects Ekid Ownership Claim Of Stubbs Creek

Published

12 hours ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State Government has rejected claims by the Ekid People’s Union that it owns land within the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, describing such assertions as “false, misleading and a distortion of the judicial record.”

In a recent statement, signed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, the state government said it was compelled to respond in the “overriding public interest,” despite a pending court case instituted by the same group.

The government stated that contrary to claims circulating in the media, the historic case of Ntiaro and Ikpak vs. Ibok Etok Akpan and Edoho Ekid, decided by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in 1918, did not vest ownership of Stubbs Creek land in any ethnic group or community.

“The final judgement merely dismissed the claims before the court and granted title to no party whatsoever”, the government stated, adding that “any assertion to the contrary is false, misleading and a distortion of the judicial record.”

According to the statement, the land was lawfully reserved by the colonial government under Forest Reserve Order No. 45 of 1930, later amended in 1941, 1955 and 1962, with “the principal rights of the land forfeited to the Government upon the change of status.”

It said the area has since been administered under applicable laws by the Akwa Ibom State Government, which “has at all times acted within its lawful authority in the management and allocation of land in the area for legitimate public and economic purposes.”

Citing the 1999 Constitution and the Land Use Act, the government stated that all land in the state is vested in the governor to be held in trust for the common benefit of Nigerians, noting that claims of absolute ancestral ownership are subject to existing laws.

The government “categorically denies allegations of fraud or misrepresentation” regarding Stubbs Creek or investments there and warned it would take “appropriate legal steps” against any individual or group publishing false or defamatory material capable of undermining public confidence or discouraging investment

The statement also assured the federal government of “full access and Right of Way” for the proposed Coastal Highway through any part of the state.

The government statement followed an earlier report in which the Ekid People’s Union accused Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State of making comments that allegedly linked the community to terrorism, while he was defending the Coastal Highway project passing through the Stubbs Creek.

Ekid People’s Union maintained that the people of Ekid are the original owners of the land known as Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, arguing that their ancestral ownership predates colonial rule.

The group cited historical occupation, customary ownership and a 1918 Privy Council case, which it claimed affirmed Ekid rights over the territory.

The union also accused the Akwa Ibom State Government of misrepresenting history to justify taking over the land for commercial interests and the proposed Coastal Highway, an allegation the state government has denied.

The group rejected any suggestion linking the Ekid people to criminality or terrorism, insisting they were peaceful citizens defending their ancestral land through lawful and civic means.