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Tag: Akwa Ibom

  • Gunmen abduct monarch in Akwa Ibom

    Unknown gunmen on Tuesday kidnapped Chief Mfon Udoessien, the village head of Ikot Edet in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.

    Udoessien was said to have been abducted from his palace by the assailants after a fierce gun battle with the security agents drafted to provide security in the volatile area.

    It was learnt that the monarch is a brother-in-law to a former Head of Civil Service in Akwa Ibom.

    A resident of the area, identified as Eno, told newsmen that the monarch, a retired headmaster and former chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers in the area, might have been abducted following his stance against cultism.

    According to him, Udoessien has relentlessly been waging war against the activities of gunmen who have kidnapped no fewer than eight people in the village.

    He said the whereabouts of the monarch remained unknown as the kidnappers were yet to contact the victim’s family.

    “We think the kidnappers came after the village head because of how he has been opposing their activities.

    “As of now, we don’t know his whereabouts as the kidnappers are yet to contact any members of the monarch’s family,” said the village resident.

    Spokesman for the State Police Command, DSP Odiko Macdon, confirmed the incieent, saying that the incident occurred in the morning.

    Macdon said a meeting of local government chairmen and security chiefs in the area had been convened to address the security challenges.

    “Security measures are in place; we just concluded a meeting with all the local government chairmen and the security chiefs in the state.

    “That issue came up during the meeting; it is being addressed.

    “The monarch kidnap happened this morning and our men went into action immediately. The DPO led a team to the place,” he said.

     

  • Akwa Ibom Governor, Emmanuel signs N646bn 2018 Budget

    Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Mr Udom Emmanuel, has signed the 2018 Appropriation Bill of N646.65 billion – 0.74% lower than the original proposal of N651.50 billion earlier presented to the state House of Assembly.

    The Bill which had earlier been pass into law last week was signed by the Governor at a brief ceremony at the Executive Council Chamber of the Government House, Uyo the state capital.

    According to the budget, N43.1 billion is being allotted to capital expenditure and N94.6 billion for recurrent expenditure while consolidated fund charges stand at N120.8 billion.

    In his remarks, Governor Emmanuel thanked the House and the Committee On Finance And Appropriation, for the robust deliberations which he said resulted in the speedy passage of the budget.

    He, therefore, gave the assurance that his administration will ensure full implementation of the budget.

    “I must commend the leadership of the House of Assembly and the Committee on Finance and Appropriation for the robust engagement of stakeholders which led to the timely passage of the budget.

    “Let me also thank the MDAS (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) for their contributions to the success of the entire exercise and I assure you that as a government, we will do our best to ensure full implementation of the budget”.

  • FRSC apprehends 361 traffic offenders, convicts 144 in A’ Ibom

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Akwa Ibom Sector Command, arrested 361 traffic offenders and convicted 144, for violating various traffic offences during its end of year special operations.

    The Sector Commander, Mr Sunday Oghenekaro, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo on Sunday.

    Oghenekaro however said that all the convicts were given options of fine, depending on the offences committed.

    He said the offences committed by convicts were driving without valid driver’s license and non-use of seatbelt while driving.

    He said they were also convicted for use of expired and worn-out tyres, use of mobile phones while driving and operating with forge documents, among others.

    According to him, there was 14 per cent decrease in the number of traffic offenders arrested compared to 418 recorded in 2016.

    He said that the command had adopted the use of mobile court as strategic measure to curb road crashes especially during the end of year special patrol.

    “There was a decrease in terms of traffic offenders and offences committed during the 2017 end of year special operations.

    “The use of mobile court has really helped us to reduce road crashes in the country especially during the end of year special patrol.

    “We will not relent in using it in prosecuting traffic offenders. Oghenekaro said.

    He appealed to motorists and all road users in the state to adhere strictly to safety rules and regulations to stay alive.

    The commander urged them to begin their journey on time, check their tyres pressure and brakes before embarking their trips.

    Oghenekaro said that the command lacked tow trucks and appealed to the state government to provide it with one. (NAN)

     

  • JUST IN: Governor Emmanuel fires Akwa Ibom SSG

    Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom has fired the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and announced the immediate appointment of Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem in his stead.

    This is contained in a press statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Charles Udoh.

    “This appointment is part of a continuous effort to rejig the governance structure of state which started with the swearing-in of 2 new commissioners less than two months ago,” the statement read.

    Dr. Ekuwem; who replaces Sir Etekemba Umoren, holds a Bachelors degree in Engineering Physics, Masters Degree in Physics, Masters Degree in Electronic & Electrical Engineering (Microcomputer-based Instrumentation and Control Engineering) and a Ph.D. in Electronic and Electrical Engineering (Computer-based Instrumentation and Control Engineering).

    Until his appointment, Dr. Ekuwem was the Founder and CEO of Teledom Group, a former National President of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and a former President of Nigeria Internet Group (NIG). He is the immediate past Chairman of the Board of Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority ( NEPZA ), NEPZA.

    He hails from Ofi Uda in Mbo Local Government.

    According to the statement, the newly appointed SSG will be sworn-in at 2pm on Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at the Government House Banquet Hall, Uyo.

    The Government of Akwa Ibom State thanked the erstwhile SSG for his services to the state and wishes him well in his future endeavours.

     

  • Akwa Ibom jailbreak: 28 inmates still at large – NPS

    The Controller General of Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS) Mr Jaffaru Ahmed, has disclosed that 28 inmates of Ikot Ekpene Prisons that escaped during jailbreak on Dec. 27, 2017 were still at large.

    Ahmed disclosed this to newsmen after an inspection of facilities in Ikot Ekpene Prisons on Friday.

    The controller general, who described the facilities in Ikot Ekpene Prisons as well fortified, attributed the jailbreak to lapses on the part of prison staff.

    “About 40 inmates found their way out of Ikot Ekpene Prisons in a broad daylight around 11.45 a.m.

    “They took on the lapses that they saw, perhaps they have been planning it for a very long time and actualised it on December 27, 2017 when they saw the opportunity.

    “The 28 that are at large are very hardened criminals; some of them are kidnappers awaiting trials, some are facing capital offences and therefore it is something to worry,” Ahmed said.

    He lamented that those still at large supposed to be in custody to allow the other members of the society to live in peace.

    He assured Akwa Ibom people and the entire nation that the fleeing inmates would soon be recaptured to face their trials.

    He added that any staff found wanting would have to face the full wrath of the law.

    The controller general debunked insinuations from some quarters that the jailbreak was due to infringement on the fundamental rights of the inmates.

    He said, “These prisoners were not rioting because there was maladministration in the prison system, but they organised it in order to get freedom illegally. That is what actually happened.

    “It was not that they were not being fed or given medical attention or not taken to court.

    “Any insinuation anywhere, I state that investigation I have here before me, that there was nothing than they took lapses on the part of staff and organised to escape.”

    Ahmed commended the Akwa Ibom Government for the support given to the Nigeria Prisons Service and appealed for more.

    He thanked other sister security agencies for their cooperation and sought for more to enable the service to recaptured the fleeing inmates, to ensure peace and tranquillity in the state.

     

    NAN

  • Jailbreak: NPS re-arrest 14 out of 47 Akwa Ibom prison inmates

    The Akwa Ibom Controller of Nigeria Prison s Service (NPS), Mr Alex Oditah, on Thursday, has announced the re-arrest of 14 out of the 47 inmates who escaped from the Ikot Ekpene Prisons.

    The inmates escaped from the prison on Dec. 7.

    Oditah also told the News Agency of Nigeria in Uyo that three-man committee had been inaugurated to ascertain the immediate and remote cause of the incident to forestall future occurrence.

    “Some inmates escaped from Ikot Ekpene prison on Dec.7, at about 12.45 p.m.; To ascertain the total number of those that escaped we have to do a headcount.

    “We discovered that 47 inmates had escaped from the custody. Immediately search party swung into action and 14 were recaptured,” Oditah said.

    The controller added that four of those who escaped died from bullet wounds when they tried to overpower prisons officers on duty.

    Oditah added that some of the prisons officials, who sustained different degrees of injuries, were receiving treatment an undisclosed hospital.

    He explained that the escaped inmates seized utensils like knives, machetes and other dangerous materials to aid their escaped.

    The controller of prisons disclosed that the 400 capacity Ikot Epene prisons, currently houses 831 inmates.

    “The capacity for Ikot Ekpene Prisons is 400 but as of Dec. 27, the prison custody 831 inmates, most of the inmates are awaiting trials.

    “The Prison facilities are overstretched and requires urgent attention, ” he said.

    He assured that prison officials other security agencies were working extra hard to recapture the remaining inmates.

    Oditah appealed to members of the public to assist the authority with useful intelligence that would aid the arrest of the fleeing prisoners.

    He noted that security had been tightened in and all prison formations in the State to forestall breach of security.

    The controller appealed for logistics assistance from the Akwa Ibom state government to ease its operational duties.

  • Four prisoners die, 36 others escape in Akwa Ibom jailbreak

    There was pandemonium on Wednesday at one of the prison facilities in Akwa Ibom as four inmates lost their lives in a fracas between the prisoners and a kitchen staff on duty.

    36 of the inmates are still at large while seven others that initially escaped were recaptured.

    This was revealed in an official statement by the Nigerian Prison Service on Wednesday shortly after the ugly incident.

    Read full statement below.

    At about 1147hrs on Wednesday, 27 December 2017, there was an attack on kitchen staff that were on duty at Ikot Ekpene Prison in Akwa-Ibom State by some prisoners.

    They seized an axe from fellow inmate attached to the kitchen, inflicting a deep cut to inmates’ head in the process and immediately made for the rear entrance to the prison. They broke the door with the axe and engaged the staff that chased after them in battle.

    At the end of the scuffle, 4 of them that sustained gun shots lost their lives while 7 were recaptured. 36 are still at large and search parties have been activated to effect their recapture.

    Meanwhile, the Controller of Prisons Akwa Ibom State Command, Alex Oditah has ordered an investigation into the circumstance surrounding the unfortunate incident.

    The CP wishes to appeal to members of the public to assist the authority with useful intelligence that will aid arrest of feeling prisoners assuring that security has been strengthen in all prison formations in the State to forestall breach of security.

    ASP Ogbajie J. Ogbajie
    Command Public Relations Officer
    For: CP Akwa-Ibom State

     

  • Our 2018 budget not over bloated – Akwa Ibom Govt

    The Akwa Ibom State Government says its 2018 budget is not “over bloated’’ as being speculated by Policy Alert, an NGO based in Uyo.

    The Commissioner for Finance, Mr Linus Nkan, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Uyo on Wednesday.

    According to the commissioner, the accusation is baseless and without facts.

    Nkan said the proposals for it were anchored on estimates and not actual, which enabled the government to make adjustments.

    He said that the allegation was misleading considering the current exchange rate of the country’s currency against the dollars.

    The commissioner explained that the exchange rate was important in determining the size.

    “While the 2017 budget was based on an exchange rate of N196 to a dollar, the 2018 budget is pegged on an exchange of N305 to a dollar.

    “The NGO does not state the basis of its suggestion because the budget size of Akwa Ibom both 2017 and 2018 has different benchmarks.

    “The benchmark of 2017 budget was based on the exchange rate of N196 to a dollar but this time around, we are talking about N305 per dollar. In Nigeria, everything is subjected to the dollar.

    “If we actually want to compare the size of last year and this year’s budget in dollars, the 2018 own is smaller than that of 2017.’’

    The commissioner explained that the debt inherited by the present government was not significant and borrowing money to fund development projects was not against any financial regulations.

    “When such funds are deployed into the implementation of life touching projects, it will have multiplier effects on the economy. Refusal to borrow money will have negative impact on the economy.

    “Borrowing on the other hand and investing in life changing projects, will guarantee economic growth when the funds are judiciously used,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NGO in a statement described the 2018 budget proposal of N651.5 billion as over bloated in the history of the state.

    The organisation demanded that it should be reduced because the performance of the capital budget in the past years had been unimpressive.

  • APC candidate alleges rigging, pulls out of ongoing LG election

    The All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State, Etinan Local Government Area has pulled out of the December 2 local government election as a result of widespread violence and alleged ballot snatching.

     

    According to a statement signed by the APC leader, Chief Sunny Udo; Vice Chairman, APC Etinan Local Government Area, Mr. Idorenyin Thompson; and APC chairmanship candidate, Dr. Mrs. Esther Etuk, the party took the decision to pull out of the election as voting materials were in short supply.

     

    Udo noted that there were also no voting registers or accreditation as required by the law.

     

    “In view of the widespread violence and irregularities in the ongoing local government elections in Etinan LGA, we the executive members of the APC are left with no choice than to withdraw forthwith from this ongoing sham election.

     

    “This is because voting materials are in very short supply and there are no voting registers or accreditation, as required by the law.

     

    “Where very limited materials are issued at all, well armed thugs of the cowardly PDP government in Akwa Ibom State are going around, shooting, stabbing and snatching empty ballot boxes at gun point.

     

    “Consequently, we protest vehemently against this brutal and bloody attack on our supporters and on our democracy and therefore unanimously pull out from this fake elections with immediate effect,” the statement included.

     

     

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  • VIDEO: Osinbajo storms Uyo for Akwa Ibom’s 30th anniversary

    The Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on Saturday arrived Uyo, Akwa Ibom State for the 30th-anniversary of the state.

    The Vice President was welcomed by Governor Udom Emmanuel and other top government functionaries in the state.

    He (Osinbajo) was conducted round the traditional dancers and crowd gathered to welcome him to the state.

    See video below: