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September 12, 2024 Tricycle Operators Decry the State of Ikpa Road

Tricycle Operators Decry the State of Ikpa Road

Tricycle Riders also known as Keke Riders plying the Ikpa Road axis in Uyo local Government Area have decried the damage done to the road by heavy duty vehicles.

The complaint is coming on the heels of heavy duty vehicles taking the Axis as a diversion due to the ongoing construction of 0.97 kilometer underground drainage system at Tabernacle road, which is advancing towards the discharge point at Calabar – Itu dual carriageway.

You would recall that in May 20, this year, the State Government closed a section of the Calabar – Itu Highway following the construction, urging mini buses and light vehicles to use Ikpa road through Uyo village road, while Heavy duty vehicles, including long buses are to do so through Calabar – Itu – Ibiakpan Junction in Ikot Ekpene.

Frowning at the non-compliance to the Government’s directives, some of the Keke Riders who with INSPIRATION FM News decried that the damage done on the road have affected them greatly.

They called on the Akwa Ibom State government to intervene, and direct the Heavy duty vehicles, including long buses coming in to Uyo from Cross River State, to enter through Calabar – Itu – Ibiakpan Junction in Ikot Ekpene and those leaving Uyo to Cross River State, to use Uyo – Ikot Ekpene Road – Ibiakpan Junction to link Itu – Calabar highway as earlier directed.

Our correspondent, ENDURANCE OKON reports that some part of Ikpa road, from Traffic light, also known as Big Daddy Junction to Oku Village Road has been rutted due to its constant usage by the Heavy duty vehicles.

September 11, 2024 Trade Union Congress Calls for Special Exchange Rate for NNPCL

Trade Union Congress Calls for Special Exchange Rate for NNPCL

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to grant the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) a special foreign exchange rate.

TUC President FESTUS OSIFO, in an interview with Newsmen, maintained that the special foreign exchange rate would significantly lower the cost of petrol importation and gradually reduce fuel prices across the country.

OSIFO said the current official exchange rate of 1,600 naira per a dollar is unsustainable and has led to an increase in fuel prices, arguing that if NNPCL is granted a special forex rate of about 1000 naira per a dollar, the cost of petrol importation will crash, and fuel prices will drop to around 600 naira.

OSIFO, who is also the President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), attributed the high fuel prices primarily to the devaluation of the naira, rather than the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023.

September 11, 2024 Federal Housing Authority to Begin Document Regularization

Federal Housing Authority to Begin Document Regularization

The Management of Federal Housing Authority (FHA) has revealed plans to commence the regularization of property documents of some of its allottees in Lagos State and the Federal Capital Territory.

It said the exercise is for allottees in the affected zones who built without approval, carried out development outside the granted approval, engaged in unapproved land annexationand alteration of prototype houses among other things.

The affected estates in Lagos State are: Festac Town, Gowon estate, IsheriOlofin One and Two; Satellite 2 and 6 Navy Town, Egan A to F, Esuti and Abesan.

The estates affected in Abuja are: Gwarinpa, Lugbe, Kubwa, Maitama, Asokoro, Karu and Apo/ Guzape Five.

While affected persons in Lagos are to visit the office of the Zonal FHA office in Festac Town, those in Abuja are to go to the FHA Head Office in Asokoro, FCT.

September 11, 2024 Governor Umo Eno Doles Out Handsome Rewards to Akwa Ibom Youths

Governor Umo Eno Doles Out Handsome Rewards to Akwa Ibom Youths

Governor Umo Eno has presented a new charter of empowerment for one hundred thousand (100,000) youths across the 31 Local Government Areas of the State, beginning in October 2024.
Governor Eno presented the audacious plan at a youth appreciation and engagement rally held at the Uyo Township Stadium to express his administration’s gratitude to the youths for their non-participation in the recent #Endbadgovernance protest.
He directed the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Development and the office of the Senior Special Assistant on ICT to create a database for youth employment, through which names, based on required qualifications, will be harvested for employment both by the State government, investors, and other organizations operating in the State.
The Governor explained that 60,000 youths (5,000 monthly) will be selected from the database for a one-off business support scheme of ₦50,000 each within 12 calendar months.
In addition, Governor Eno, who is a seasoned entrepreneur, stated that 10,000 youths will be supported through the ARISE Entrepreneurial Scheme, an empowerment initiative for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) based on needs assessment.
Similarly, he announced that 3,000 youths will be employed (100 per LGA, excluding Uyo LGA) through the Ibom Community Watch to provide crowd control and complementary intelligence gathering at the grassroots, in addition to the 550 youths already engaged from Uyo LGA.
According to him, other aspects of the scheme include paid training at the DAKKADA Skills Acquisition Center (DASAC) for 1,000 participants across 31 LGAs, with a monthly transport allowance of ₦20,000 per person throughout the training duration.
Increased bursary for students in public tertiary institutions from ₦10,000 to ₦20,000 for undergraduates and from ₦10,000 to ₦30,000 for professional students (Law, Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture) for 20,000 students in the 2024/2025 academic session.
Furthermore, there will be an educational grant for 1,000 public tertiary institution students living with disabilities at ₦250,000 for undergraduates and ₦300,000 for professional and postgraduate students.
While 2,000 youths will benefit from the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Programme (EAP) organized by IBOM-LED with a ₦500,000 grant and ₦250,000 start-up capital, and 3,000 youths will receive support in agribusiness.
Expressing delight over the recent promotion of the State’s female team, Ibom Angels, from the second division to division one of the Nigeria Women Football League, Governor Eno announced his administration’s donation of ₦20 million and a coaster bus to the team.
He also reaffirmed his plans to unbundle the State Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, maintaining that his administration will create a separate Ministry for Youth Development in the next dispensation of the State Executive Council, to be headed by a Commissioner not older than 45 years.
He thanked the security agencies for their cooperation and support in ensuring peace in the State at all times, as he condoled with the Nigeria Police over the demise of the Commissioner in charge of the Akwa Ibom State Command, CP Waheed Ayilara.
Appreciating the youths, the Governor said, “We are here to say thank you to all the Akwa Ibom youths. In all your different groups, thank you so much for showing good followership.
“Most times, we talk about leadership in our country, but we do not take time to look at followership. I believe that when we have good followers, we will have good leadership.
“Today, we are inspired by your followership, your obedience, and your love from every local government in Akwa Ibom, from every group and every campus. We are inspired by your love and support, which has ensured we have one Akwa Ibom State.
“We are inspired by the fact that you listened to our plea not to join the protest, not because we don’t believe in protest or are unaware of what is going on in the country, but because we know that there are people always on standby to hijack even the most peaceful protest to destroy and vent their anger on government facilities.
“Our leaders have worked so hard in the past 37 years of the creation of our dear state to put this infrastructure in place, but you know that one minute of anger could destroy all the hard work. Just like our past national anthem said, ‘the labours of our heroes past must never be in vain.’ So we thank you,” he added.
Setting the tone for the event, the Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Sir Monday Uko, recalled the protest, the non-involvement of Akwa Ibom youths, and the Governor’s promise to celebrate them. He described the event as an affirmation of Governor Umo Eno’s integrity as a promise keeper.
Also speaking at the event, a former President of the Student Union at the University of Uyo and former Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke, emphasized the importance of the rally within the context of incarcerations, lives lost, and properties destroyed during the #EndSARS protest.
He noted that Akwa Ibom youths were saved from such troubles by heeding the Governor’s plea not to partake in it, and thus, he described the event as a worthy celebration.
Other stakeholders in youth affairs who also thanked the Governor and reassured him of the youths’ commitment to good followership were: Chairman, House Committee on Youths, Sports and Security, Hon. Uwemedimoh Asuquo, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Mobilization, Comrade Iniobong Akpan, SSA Grassroots Mobilization, Mr. Aniefiok Iwaudofia, SSA on Female Youths, Comrade Esther Nta, SA Youths for Etinan Federal Constituency, Comrade Udeme Ubom, PDP Chairmanship candidates in the forthcoming Local Government elections, representatives of Civil Society Organizations, student leaders, representatives of Ibom-LED beneficiaries, and the non-indigenous community, Ibom Community Watch, among others.

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