Government Set to Renovate 10th Anniversary Hotel

BY TOROBONG EKPO.

The State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Renewal, Prince Enobong Uwah says his ministry, will by December this year, convert the dilapidating structures of 10 Anniversary Hotel, to a modern secretariat.

Prince Uwah, who disclosed this to newsmen, during an on-the-spot-assessment of the facility, noted that, the property, when renovated will house some of the government, owned ministries, currently, situated at rented apartment across the state.

The commissioner, who was accompanied by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Mrs. Valerie Obot, Directors and staff of Urban and Renewal ministry, admitted that, the renovation was in tandem with the state governor’s policy of ensuring that, state funds are not used for frivolous and avoidable projects.

While commending Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel for the foresight, the Commissioner said, the project when completed, will recycle governments funds, previously used to pay rented apartments to providing employment opportunities for teeming youths.

Uwah, commended the governor for consolidating on the gigantic strides of the previous administration, and express optimism that, Governor Udom Emmanuel will take the state to a greater height.

He noted that, so far, the ministry, via the recommendation of the governor has renovated two blocks as well as built a new block in Anua Hospital, stressing that, after converting the 100 anniversary hotel to a secretariat, the ministry will do same to other wasted facilities owned by government within and outside the state.

The commissioner stressed that, measures have already been provided towards the displaced people, who had used the dilapidating 10th anniversary hotel as their habitat, adding that, workers at the sites will adhere to safety measures.

“I have told them already, we are not going to allow contractors to come into the site without safety helmet. The era that this work will be completed is four months, because, all things being equal, by January next year, civil servants will resume here.

“My boss, the governor, does not want wanton use of resources for frivolous and avoidable projects. He is a kind hearted man, who thinks well for the state. I thank him for consolidating on the gains of previous administration.
“In Anua, we have renovated two blocks and we are currently building one block in honour of late Doctor…” The commissioner stressed.

The ministry, had in a letter number MHUR/ESD/AD/72/VOL1/8, notified the unlawful occupants of the hotel to steer clear from the premises and the properties.

10 Anniversary Hotel, is situated at 100 Udoudoma Avenue, Uyo.

AKS TRIBUNAL: ICT Expert Says INEC Adhoc Workers Not Well Trained

An information technology professional, Mr Pius Nwankwo, has told the Governorship Election’s Petitions Tribunal in Abuja that human error, among other factors, led to the malfunction of the card readers during the last governorship election in Akwa Ibom State.

Mr Nwankwo who heads the department of Information Communication Technology of INEC State Headquarters in Uyo also said most of the errors during the general elections were caused by the insufficient training acquired by the ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC.

The ICT expert explained that the permanent voter card (PVC) is embedded with a micro chip where data about a voter is being stored, and that an antenna in the micro chip communicates with the smart card reader.

“If the PVC is manhandled, like being put in the wallet, it affects the micro chip and affects the correspondence between the PVC and the card reader and could make it not to be readable,” said Nwankwo who appeared as INEC’s first witness at the tribunal.

Nwankwo, whose explanations were occasionally punctuated by objection calls by the petitioner’s counsel, Solomon Umoh, also informed the tribunal that the INEC ad hoc staffers were barely knowledgeable on the working of the new technology as they had been trained for about a day.

He said also that a mistake in the internet protocol address would cause the data not to be read on the server at the INEC headquaters in Abuja.

While being examined by Counsel to the PDP Mr. Tayo Oyetibo SAN Nwankwo admitted that they had observed such listed challenges during preparations for the 2015 elections.

Nwankwo while being referred to Exhibit 317 (card reader data),revealed to the tribunal that the data uploading process was still in progress, whereas Exhibit 317 before the tribunal contains only the data obtained as at April 27 & after the date, they were still uploading data to the card reader.

The Petitioner’s lawyer who raised another objection by asking that questions should be limited to the month of April, was rebuffed by Mr.Oyetibo who replied that the statement of the witness clearly states that the uploading of the data to card reader data is a continuing process. The tribunal judge Sadiq Umar, had to restrain APC lawyer from making unnecessary interjections, saying he should reserve his arguments for the address.

During cross examination by one of Umana’s lead counsel, Mr Dayo Akinlaja SAN, Mr Nwankwo said he said he made efforts to visit several polling units on the day of elections, but that he was unable to get to the over 1000 units in the state.

Nwankwo also stated that the card readers where operated by the electoral officers (EOs), and were currently at the INEC headquaters in Uyo.

by Mfonobong Ukpong

DSS Discovers Stockpile of Hard Currency in the Akwa Ibom State Government House

Open then link below to see where the image used by Global Concord and most of the anti-government bloggers came from.

http://infosthetics.com/archives/2009/01/one_billion_dollar_physically_visualized.html

We still await an official statement from the State Security on the raid and may God deliver us from useless propaganda.

Oron Taditional Rulers Place Injunction on Disgruntled Youths

- Extol Buhari for Re-appointing Dr. Joshua Okpo as Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron

Following the wanton character assassination on the integrity of the Rector of Maritime Academy in Oron, Ambassador Joshua Okpo by one Francis Otoro, the Oron Traditional Rulers Council says it will not fold hands and watch as the uprightness of the re-appointed Rector is battered by some recalcitrant youths in the area, insisting that, it will invoke traditional curses upon the culprit(s), if caution is not well taken.

Oro Youth Group Rises Against the Reappointment of Mr. Joshua Okpo as Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron

Financial Misappropriation, Fraud, Sex Scandal and Misuse of Public Office in the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron

Sen Akpabio Debunks News Report on Rift with Governor Udom Emmanuel

The immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio has dismissed as a ruse, a news story purporting that he is angry with his successor over U.S trip.

In a chat with newsmen, Akpabio who now represents

AKSG, NLC to Establish National Labour College

Akwa Ibom State Government has expressed its readiness to partner the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in the establishment of a National Labour College, an institution that will train and retrain workers within and outside the country.

COME, LET’S BUILD TOGETHER

Being an Address by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, During the Akwa Ibom State Association of Nigeria, AKISAN Convention in Philadelphia, USA, on July 31, 2015.