THE PATRIOT NEWSPAPER...Sharing the Nigerian Experience

Ukeme Anwan This is to me the first step in the right direction to solve the challenges of Nigerian Agricultural sector, the enumeration of farmers. It been quite heartwarming as the Akwa Ibom State Government sets in motion the system to capture the bio data of real farmers in the state. Pastor Umo Bassey Eno Agriculture is the bedrock of the Nigerian economy and the way out of Economic woes. This has been so from the 1960s that we were known for Economic crops, the groundnut pyramids in the North, cashew nuts production in the East, cocoa production in the west and oil palm production in the south. Nigerian has drifted over the years completely from this God given natural resources to crude oil without investing or giving a second thought to agriculture as its alternative means of livelihood. As the oil price drops and vessels abandoned in different ports, this is a rude awakener. The farmers enumeration exercise has started in already, it is expected th...

… Describes Him As A National hero By Patrick Albert The late Elder statesman and one-time Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Major General Edet Akpan (rtd.) has been described as a national hero. Late Major General Edet Akpan (Rtd) The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Works, Akparawa Ephraim Inyang-eyen, who spoke in an interview, said the late two-star army general had served Nigeria conscientiously in several areas of endeavours while in the Nigerian Army as well as in the field of education. Inyang-eyen, while mourning his demise as a great loss to Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria in general, recalled that late General Akpan had lived a worthwhile life that inspired many to stardom. He said, “As a great statesman, he did his quota and he's gone and it’s left for us now to look at what he had done and see how we can make it better. He was my hero." Mr. Ephraim Inyang-eyen, Commissioner for Works According to the commissi...

From www.legit.ng by Mary Ikande Toyin Lawani biography will be interesting for anyone who admires her entrepreneurial and creative skills. This impressive woman has managed to become a multimillionaire and one of the richest stylists of Nigeria. She works in Lagos and runs her own company which includes a fashion academy. She is also involved in the tourist and hospitality industry. Toyin deserves great respect for her philanthropic inclinations. stylist Toyin Lawani Interesting biographical facts. Toyin was born in 1982 into a rich family in Ekiti state. The girl had relatives that served as her motivation for making money. Her late mother ran her own textile business until the very last day of her life in the US. She also sold gold, cars and had a salon. The woman taught her daughter all she needed to be successful. Father Olanrewaju Lawani wanted Toyin to be a lawyer. He occupied an important political post and even worked with General Gowon. Toyin had everyt...

The Akwa Ibom State Government, Saturday announced the discharge of two of the 29 persons undergoing treatment for the dreaded COVID-19 from its medical facilities. The State Incident Manager and Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong said those discharged have been certified negative by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control,NCDC, bringing to 16, the total number of those treated and discharged of the v iral infection since the first set of cases were recorded on April 1, 2020. Add caption Dr. Ukpong explained that Governor Udom Emmanuel has expended so much in healthcare delivery and in emergency operations, and that accounts for the 100% recovery rate currently being experienced in the state. “Yesterday, you saw the magnificent 300 – bed facility that the Governor put up at Ituk Mbang, and I told people that it is going to compliment the services provided in the earlier facilities provided at Ikot Ekpene and the one here at the Ibom Specialist Hospital...

On behalf of the Senior Citizens, stakeholders, the entire people of the District and my family, I very heartily congratulate and salute Our Distinguished 'Ambassador' and Performer Extraordinaire, His Excellency Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel as he marks his fifth year on the saddle as the Chief Servant of Akwa-Abasi Ibom State. Governor Udom Emmanuel Sir, if doubters ever had any reason to shout nay, the peace Akwa Ibom has known in the past 5 years has calmed their nerves. Akwa Ibom elders and senior citizens have had cause to thank God that they are allowed to air their views. You have indeed been used by God to heal Akwa Ibom of the strange doctrine of politically motivated violence. We are proud of Ibom Air, Jubilee Syringe, Metering Solutions, Plywood Factory, Coconut Refinery, Flour Mill, the Infectious Disease Centre (Isolation Centre) with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Laboratory ready for commissioning at Ituk Mbang, the rebranded secondary ...

By Admin The social media platforms are awashed with stories that the governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade has built houses for displaced Bakassi citizens. Of course, several government has embarked on many housing scheme in the country but looking at the quality of houses built by the governor to the displaced Bakassi returnees especially the aged with furnishing and decorations is a justification that the governor really care for his people. He stole the show by going down to earth to interact with these elderly people, embracing them and even eat with them sharing the same plate of food. This is unprecedented of political office holders in Nigeria especially those who occupied the No. 1 position in the state. Governor Ben Ayade of recent have shown the world that he love his people and will continue to better their lot. For this show of love to the aged, he is rated among the best governors in the country. He deserves on the commendation for showing human kindness an...

By Onuoha Ukeh It is most apparent that the dreaded coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19, did open the eyes of northern state governors to the undesirability of the Almajiri system. Rising from a teleconference meeting in March, governors from the 19 states on the upper belt of the country pronounced a ban on the Almajiri system, as one of the measures to curb the spread of coronavirus. They highlighted the risk children, under the Almajiri system, are exposed to and therefore decided that they should not only be taken off the streets but also sent back to their states of origin . Unveiling the governors’ decision, Makut Simon Macham, Director of Press and Public Affairs to Governor Simon Lalong, said in a statement: “The governors also discussed the risk...

* To employ 4,500 persons The Rivers State Cassava Processing Company located at Afam, Oyigbo Local Government Area will soon come on stream. Governor Nyesom Wike who stated this Thursday after inspecting the plant, pointed out that the company when fully operational would employ 4,500 persons and also boost agriculture in the state. He stated that the State Government has 70 percent equity share in the project which is in partnership with Shell Petroleum Development Company(SPDC) of Nigeria. "We are quite happy that this project which was initiated by the previous administration in 2012 and abandoned has come to the stage of completion. "When we came on board and saw the usefulness of this project to our economy, we did not hesitate to release funds to complete it. "As you can see this project which is about 90 percent complete would have been commissioned this month if not for the COVID-19 pandemic which has negatively impacted global ...

May 30, 2020 Cletus Ukpong At the dead of the night, on Sunday, May 24, people living in Ekpri Nsukara and the adjourning communities, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, were woken up from their sleep by the sound from heavy gunshots. Ekpri Nsukara, like every part of Akwa Ibom, has been under curfew imposed by the state government during the lockdown put in place in the wake of the novel coronavirus. Residents of the community, gripped by fear, could not step out of their houses that night, while the gunshots continued for hours. It was raining heavily, too. At dawn, when the morning sun began to rise, the truth revealed itself – some people had invaded the community under the cover of darkness and pulled down several buildings. All the demolished buildings were newly built, with some of them already roofed. Some other newly constructed buildings were, however, left untouched by those who carried out the demolition. Nobody knew why the demolition was selective. “...

Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu on Friday dismissed the chances of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as possible candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in this year’s governorship candidate, saying the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) is not qualified to fly the party’s flag. Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Governor Godwin Obaseki According to Shaibu there is no record anywhere in the state that Ize-Iyamu is a party member and wondered how he could then represent the APC. But Ize-Iyamu, in a swift reaction, said he is not only a bona-fide member of the APC, he was “one of those who did not only form the APC but drafted the constitution of the party.” Speaking to reporters in Benin, Shaibu said: “The constitution says for one to be a member of the APC in the state, he or she must be registered member of the party in his or her ward. “Ize-Iyamu is not a member of the Edo APC because he is not registered in his ward. The constitution is clear ...

The General Court Martial, GCM, sitting at the NAF Base, Abuja, has sentenced six Nigerian Air Force, NAF, personnel, who were aides to the former Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Late Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh. Late Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh Ibikunle Daramola, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, who made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said the sentences were subject to confirmation by the Appropriate Superior Authority. Mr Daramola, an air-commodre, said the six NAF personnel, who were standing trial for various offences, were; Sqn Ldr Tom Gwani, Flight Sergeant Amu David, Flight Sergeant Philemon Degema, Flight Sergeant Sabo Simon, Sergeant Mukhtar Abdullahi and Sergeant Alfred Alexander. He said the charges included failure to Perform Military Duties, by absconding from the convoy of the deceased former CDS while it came under attack as well as Conduct to the Prejudice of Service Discipline, for giving false statements. “Th...

By News Agency A legal practitioner, Mr. Ojeh Godwin, has lamented what he called flagrant abuse of statutory procedure and due process, calling for an urgent investigation of the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). ‘’It is disheartening that the leadership of the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which was supposedly set up to restore sanity and rescue the body has taken over the sam...

By James Edet Spending the evening with Governor Udom Emmanuel can be very interesting. In my over twenty five years of anchoring broadcast interviews, I have had the rare privilege of talking to and grilling some prominent Nigerians in the political cum leadership class. My takeout from such conversations are motley and multidimensional, depending on the object and subject of the programme, and of course the content and the contextual outcomes of the experience. As a rule, an interviewer must be properly prepared for his guest. The kind of groundwork you do depends on who the interview is with, as the outcome of all interviews may not always be the same. You have to know the characteristics of the interviewee; his attitude and altitude to issues and balance them with the intensity of your style and delivery. The toughest interview subject is sitting in front of an intellectual giant who knows more than you do! Compering such prime guest on an interview pro...

by Admin   The governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade has commissioned and handed over 300 housing units to the displaced people of Bakassi. Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State with one of the displaced returnee The event which took place at the Internally Displaced People's (IDP) Camp in Ikang, Bakassi Local Government Area of the State was attended by Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, popularly known as Mama Bakassi and other dignitaries. The governor who was highly fulfilled to see his dream of resettling the people of Bakassi come to reality, faulted the federal government for ceding Bakassi  Peninsula to Cameroon without following due process, describing the act as null and void. "The ceding of Bakassi did not follow any legal authority. It is inconsistent with the provisions of our constitution because the Constitution is very clear that for you to cede any territory of Nigeria you must have a proper plebiscite, you must have the...