The Cross River State People’s Democrate Party (PDP) has concluded arrangements to inaugurate its Campaign Council, promising to reclaim the State in 2023 polls.
The Campaign Council is made up of 1, 080 members and with 18 Sub-committee, is headed by the former Governor, Mr. Donald Duke, as Chairman and former Deputy Governor, Efiok Cobham, as Director-General.
The campaign structure has Ekpo Ada, Esq, Ntufam Gabe Orji and Hon.Mom Olom as Southern, Central and Norther Senatorial Districts Co-ordinators respectively.
In a press statement made available to newsmen through the State Party Chairman, Venatius Ikem, Esq, the members would be inaugurated on Friday, November 25, 2022 at the Venetian Mall, Murtala Mohammed Highway Calabar at 2:00pm.
Ikem enjoined the members, who would work in the various directorates of the Campaign organisation, to be prepared to work assiduously towards recaliming the state.
He said: “I congratulate all members of the council for meriting the onerous task of reclaiming Cross River State from the abyss.”
The State-wide Campaign is expected to roll off after the inauguration and would be followed with ward-to-ward campaigns.
The distinguished senator representing BAYELSA East Senatorial District, Senator Biobarakuma W Degi Eremienyo has described former President Goodluck Jonathan as a pillar and ICON of democracy in Africa.
Sen Degi Eremienyo made this assertion in a goodwill message he sent to Dr Goodluck Jonathan on his 65birthday.
Sen Degi stated that he believes African nations will experience greater Socio economic and political stability if Leaders emulate his style of demonstration of sportsmanship in politics.
Sen Degi who is the chairman senate committee on host Communities producing oil and gas on behalf of his family and the good people of BAYELSA east senatorial District including the celebrant expressed profound felicitation to Dr Goodluck Jonathan as he celebrates his day wishing him good health long and prosperous life adding that society needs more and and more of his invaluable contributions for growth and development.
Katsina state Deputy Governor QS Mannir yakubu attended inaugural meeting of Ahmed Bola Tinubu Northwest contact and mobilisation commmittee held at Abuja.
Speaking at the meeting QS Mannir Yakubu expressed happiness with the enthusiasm shown by members towards realization of the committee’s work.
Alhaji Mannir Yakubu who is also the Deputy director of the contact and mobilisation council described Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a gentleman and competent to lead the country.
He noted that Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid his dues to the northwest and it is now time to pay him back.
Alhaji Mannir Yakubu urged the committee members to go back and meet all relevant stakeholders ,groups and associations for further mobilisation and support.
Earlier the Director of the Tinubu Contact and Mobilization Council Chairman, Northwest Chapter Alhaji Sani Jaji explained that the objectives of the council is to take steps towards creating good rappour with groups, associations and individuals to achieve the set objectives. He further stated that the North-west region region will determine the next President of Nigeria and therefore note that the region is indebted to Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This is by the support he gave in ensuring that President Muhammadu Buhari succeeds in becoming Nigeria’s President I’m 2015 and in the last 7 and half years as President. The North-west must therefore mobilise support and deliver victory for Tinubu/Shettima ticket in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election.
Furthermore, while addressing the meeting, Jaji, expressed that Tinubu will succeed the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari by the grace of the almighty.
Accordingly, the North-west has one of the most populated States in the country (Kano) which is currently under the APC and looking at the 2015 and 2019 elections results, APC will definitely coast to victory in 2023.
Hon. Jaji said: “The best thing that we can do in 2023 is to pay back to Tinubu who has supported our son (President Muhammadu Buhari) to be President twice. It is time to pay back, therefore, it is time to give unconditional support to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and to ensure that he is going to make Northern Nigeria, most especially, great.”
While urging the committee members to work assiduously to achieve victory at all levels for the APC candidates, the former chairman, House Committee on Intelligence and internal security said the North-west committee has a task taking Tinubu’s manifestos to the grassroots.
He reiterated that, “I’m extremely concerned that the task before this important committee considering the fact that the North-west constitutes the majority of the electorates in Nigeria and is the determinant for whoever is going to be the next president of this country.
Former Minister of Transportation and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has advised the Party’s Governorship Candidate, other 2023 election candidates and leaders of the party in Rivers State to pay more attention to winning and seek ways to make the State better, rather than indulge in malice.
Amaechi gave the advise at the inauguration of the Tonye Cole/Innocent Barikor governorship campaign council and manifesto launch in Port Harcourt, Wednesday.
Amaechi encouraged the party members to be steadfast in spite of the challenges and work for the victory of the Party at the 2023 polls.
“How many of you have seen me succeed politically without travails? In 2006, didn’t they leave? They left, but God said to me ‘you must forgive.’ So I said to God if you make me the Governor, I will forgive. And I forgave people. One thing you must do now is to listen to God. The next thing you must do is work, because faith without work is dead.
“My advise to Tonye Cole is that he should not look back. (If he becomes governor), he doesn’t need to punish anybody, he should focus on how to govern Rivers State, because the state is at its worst. He should not bother about me and those who say they are my political enemies, because it’s not his business. He should not inherit any grudge, he should rather look at how to change Rivers State and make Rivers State progress.
“I came to tell you that the struggle is not new. We have passed through this before. We passed through it when I was to be governor, we passed through it when Buhari was going for President. But if we work together we will win by God’s grace.
Amaechi further noted that the Poll by Atedo Peterside’s ANAP Foundation shows that APC can win the governorship in Rivers State, urging party members that it’s time to come home and strategise, and go all out to win.
“I don’t know if i agree with Atedo Peterside’s (ANAP Foundation) poll, but if you saw his poll, you’ll know that we will win. We have not gone out to campaign, we have done nothing, and PDP is leading us narrowly. We have not campaigned since 2019, but thay have been campaigning. They have a sitting governor, they’ve been spending money, and the lead is still narrow. What happens if we go out and campaign? We will beat them.
“The poll says 37 per cent of Rivers people are undecided. What it means is that 37 per cent of them are waiting for you, because if they wanted to vote for PDP, they would have gone there since. They are waiting for you to come to them, talk to them and convince them, and they will join you, because there’s nothing new the PDP will offer them.
“We need to come back home and strategise on the way to go, and we will win,” Amaechi said.
The Rule of Law Advocates (RoLA), a civil society group has petitioned the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking resumption of trial of Alex Okoh, DG Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) over financial crime. RoLA in a petition addressed to the Chairman of the commission, Abdurasheed Bawa and signed by its chairman Dauda John, drew the attention of the EFCC to case no: ID/1432/C/2015, which was filed at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja on the 25th of April, 2015 by the EFCC. The case, the group said, was between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Bolanle Babalakin, Alex Okoh, Stabilini Vision Limited, Bi-Courtney Limited and Renix Nigeria Limited which bothered on fraudulent retention of proceeds from a criminal conducted. RoLA, wondering why this particular case has lingered in the shadows since 2015, charged the EFCC to immediately resume prosecution of the case, adding that ‘people must be held accountable for their actions no matter whose ox is gored’. “We as matter of public interest, call on the EFCC to immediately revisit case no: ID/1432/C/2015, filed at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja on the 25th of April, 2015 by the EFCC, between the Federal Republic of Nigeria versus Bolanle Babalakin, Alex Okoh, Stabilini Vision Limited, Bi-Courtney Limited and Renix Nigeria Limited; bothering on fraudulent retention of proceeds from a criminal conducted. This particular case has been lingering in the shadows since 2015 and we wonder why. “Although, we understand, attempts allegedly have been made in the past to stifle the case, we urge you to please proceed with the prosecution of this case. The enforcement of the law is mandatory, and there should be no sacred cows. People must be held accountable for their actions no matter whose ox is gored,” the group said. Querying Okoh’s integrity, RoLA expressed discontent over his appointment as DG BPE in spite standing trial for financial crime which predated Buhari’s administration. “According to our laws, people are innocent until proven guilty. However, to appoint into public office people like Alex Okoh, DG of Bureau of Public Enterprise, undergoing trial, lowers the bar in the quest for probity and accountability. Even though the Alex Okoh’s trial for financial crime predates the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, yet he was appointed the DG of BPE, thereby, making a mockery of Buhari’s stance on the fight against corruption”, the petition read. RoLA commended the Bawa led EFCC for the level of moral fiber exhibited so far in the fight against corruption, despite pressures from high quarters to compromise the commission. “As far as we know, the EFCC under Abdulrasheed Bawa remains the conscience of the war on corruption in Nigeria” the group asserted.
According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), illicit drugs with an estimated value of N200 million in Cross River State have been seized between January and October 2022.
This was made known by the State Commander of the NDLEA, Mr Kupi Maulse, during an interview with newsmen in Calabar on Monday.
Maulse said that the narcotics seized included: 77.9 grammes of cocaine, 104.9 grammes of heroin 23.4 grammes of methamphetamine, 162.52 kg of Cannabis Sativa, and 216.12 kg of psychotropic drugs all valued at N50 million. He further said that the command also destroyed two farms measuring 15 hectares used for the cultivation of cannabis at Akamkpa and Odukpani Local Government forest areas of the State and valued at N150 million, with 159 persons being arrested within the same period.
He also said that from the number of suspects arrested, the command had secured 21 convictions while six cases were currently under investigation.
“The remaining cases are awaiting final determination at the Federal High Court in Calabar,” he said.
The commander, who bemoaned the lack of operational vehicles, said that this had hindered the routine operation of its personnel in the State. “The mode of operations of the drug dealers in the state include street drug peddling, operating drug joints at the river banks, and using of football fields as smoking joints. They also retail and sell drugs inside family houses, especially in the older neighbourhoods”.
“Hawking around night clubs and mobile dealers, who do delivery services to their customers on request through mobile phones, are also some of their methods.”
Maulse further said that the lack of rehabilitation centres and facilities also hinders the command’s drug demand reduction activities.
He said that no fewer than 50 persons were currently undergoing counselling at the command’s Drug Demand Reduction unit (DDR).
,.. addressing waste trafficking and ennvironmental crime.
Oru Leonard
The international community gathered in Egypt yesterday to attend the opening of the 27th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (COP27), which will continue until 18 November.
COP27 aims to raise the global ambition to meet the climate goals, which rely on climate mitigation and adaptation measures. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is participating in COP27 through various events and activities. UNODC aims to highlight: 1) the importance of ecosystem-based climate mitigation and the need to address crimes affecting the environment to increase ecosystems’ capacity to withstand climate change; and 2) the importance of addressing illegal trafficking of waste and sound waste management practices to promote the circular economy as a climate mitigation strategy.
Waste impacts all Sustainable Development Goals. It is a priority issue for Egypt’s COP27 presidency, which will launch the global waste initiative ‘50 by 2050: For Africa for A Global Impact’ during COP27’s ’solutions day’, on November 17. In support of the 50 by 2050 initiative UNODC is partnering with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions (BRS Secretariat), and the environment ministries of Egypt, the European Union, and Ghana in a high-level event on November 11 titled ‘Unmanaged waste – a hidden cause of climate change’. The event will discuss how combating waste trafficking and supporting environmentally-sound waste management can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting the circular economy as a climate mitigation strategy.
Another event focuses specifically on plastic waste and is titled ‘How combatting plastic pollution and illegal traffic in plastic waste can help reduce carbon emissions’. This event will take place on 10 November and is co-organized by UNODC jointly with the UN Conference on Trade and Development, UNEP and the BRS Secretariat. Environment ministers from Ecuador, Palau and Seychelles and a high-level United Kingdom environment representative will form the panel.
Ecosystem-based climate mitigation to protect people and planet will be the theme for the two other high-level events UNODC is co-organizing. “Crimes that affect the environment are destroying ecosystems, threatening biodiversity, and exacerbating pollution, and in doing so undermining the global response to climate change, while destroying lives and livelihoods and fueling violence and conflict,” said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly. “As the international community gathers in Sharm El-Sheikh to pursue effective climate action, now is the right time to ensure that our response accounts for the illicit activities damaging our planet, and the corruption that enables them,” she added.
On November 9, UNODC will stress the importance of addressing crimes that affect the environment and discuss positive outcomes of its work in a session on deforestation, protected areas, heritage sites, climate and security in the Congo basin. This session is a partnership between the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Regional Office for Central Africa, the Secretariat of the Economic Community of Central African States, UNODC and the African Development Bank.
UNODC’s side event on ‘Eco-system-based climate mitigation to protect people and planet – raising the ambition for nature’, organized in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), will take place on 11 November and discuss challenges and opportunities related to nature’s capacity to mitigate climate change. Building on commitments to curb deforestation and biodiversity loss made at the previous COP, the event will reinforce the biodiversity-climate nexus, highlighting key approaches to increasing ecosystems resilience for climate mitigation, and sharing key messages for the COP27 biodiversity day on November 16. This event will see the release of a UNODC and WWF discussion paper, Crimes that Affect the Environment and Climate Change, which includes eight priority recommendations for mitigating or reversing negative trends in biodiversity loss and climate change.
The Conference of the Parties of UNFCCC is the world’s largest annual gathering on climate action, bringing together Heads of State, ministers and negotiators, along with climate activists, mayors, civil society representatives and CEOs. It seeks renewed solidarity between countries to deliver on the landmark Paris Agreement.
PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY Parental responsibility for a child is defined as all the duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which you as a parent legally have in relation to your children. This includes the ability to make decisions regarding your child’s name, living arrangements, education, medical care and upbringing.
In a standard Family Law Parenting matter, certain issues may need to be determined, including the parental responsibility of each party, living arrangements for the child/children, visiting arrangements for the non-resident parent and the way decisions regarding the child/children are to be shared between each parent.
Parents negotiate as to who has care of the child and responsibility for certain things before applying to the Court for Consent Orders to ensure their arrangement is enforceable.
Here are some important things to consider:
Divorce only separates you from your partner. It does not divorce you from your parenting responsibilities. The courts presume shared parenting and a meaningful relationship with each parent is in the best interests of the child. This presumption can be refuted in limited circumstances but should be remembered when forming an arrangement. When arrangements are made, the courts consider always what is in the best interests of the child.
The Family Court and the Federal High Court will not approve orders considered contrary to your child’s best interests, so ensure you always keep this principle in the forefront of your mind during negotiation. The best interests of the child are determined with the primary considerations of needing to protect the child from harm and the benefit of a meaningful relationship with both parents in mind.
Barr Akpa is an advocate for the right & dignity of women and children and a Human Rights Lawyer. margaretakpa77@gmail.com
Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme, the Chief Medical Director of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) has blamed the sale, distribution and consumption of fake drugs in the country on weak and porous control systems.
Prof Ikpeme, who said this in a chat with journalists pointed at “chaotic’’ distribution networks as another reason why sale of fake drugs had become seemingly permanent in Nigeria.
He noted that at every layer of drug distribution, the rules guiding production and distribution of drugs were never followed.
He also advocated for closer monitoring and inspection of manufacturing processes and facilities, especially in offshore drug manufacturing companies, to ensure adherence to strict standards.
In his words: “Quality assessment and assurance laboratories should be set up in the country to conduct sporadic checks on imported or locally-manufactured drugs”. “Regulatory agencies should also be strengthened while the use of special identification items like holograms and identification numbers which can be activated toll-free should be encouraged,’’ he stated.
The Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Party(SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo has promised to reform the Pharmaceutical industry if elected into power.
Prince Adebayo, who spoke during the 95th Annual National Conference of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria on Thursday, November 3, 2022, in Jos, Plateau State said that his administration will create a stable environment in order for the pharmaceutical industry to be able to conduct research that will benefit the health sector and the economy.
In his words: “for the pharmaceutical industry to thrive, you need a stable environment where the country has to be secure for investors to be come in and set up structures that will enable research and production of life-changing drugs.” “The first thing we will guarantee you is stability; your neighborhood will be safe. There will be no riots, unrest, and kidnapping. You will be able to set up concerns from possible research to production, even to dispensation where you have your pharmacies across”. Speaking further on his plans to enhance the health sector, Adebayo said, “I will ensure that public hospitals, including public dispensaries, are well-stocked and they are up to date. “I would ensure that after education, professionals will go into private practice and proper training so that the best health care people will be retained by the government. Prince Adewole said his government will support the pharmacy profession so that it will be self-regulating and have the highest standard of professional training given to pharmacists within the country and internationally. He said, “Because pharmaceutical field is also an employment both in the public and private sector, we will ensure that you have living wages and people who practice pharmacy do not automatically sign the oath of poverty”.
The theme of the conference was: “Synergizing Healthcare Professionals For Effective Delivery: Nigeria Post 2023 In Context”.
