Author: Kufre Etuk

The Managing Director/CEO of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, says the Board and Management of the commission are ready to work hand-in-hand with the Federal Government for what he described as unprecedented, efficient, and transparent development of the region. Ogbuku noted that if given the trust and the flexibility to operate within a responsible, tailored financial framework, the commission will deliver results faster and more efficiently than ever before. Speaking at the Board and Management Retreat held in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, 9 – 10 February 2024, the MD/CEO of NDDC, Dr. Ogbuku disclosed that…

Senator Aniekan Bassey of the Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District has pushed for the establishment of a Federal College of Fishery Technology and Aquaculture in Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State for the benefit of the state and its people. The Senator made the move during Tuesday plenary where he sought an amendment to a bill, the Agricultural Research Council Act (Amendment) Bill 2024, which has passed through first reading. https://crestnews.ng/akwa-ibom-first-lady-extends-oluremi-tinubus-pet-project-to-elderly-persons-in-the-state/ According to Senator Bassey, who is the Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development, the Bill seeks to amend the Agricultural…

Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo on Friday met with a delegation of promoters and top officials of the Brass Petrochemical and Gas Project to be located in Bayelsa State. The team was led by its Managing Director, Chief Ben Okoye and the Chief Gas and Power Investment Officer of NNPC Ltd., Dr. Salihu Jamari. A statement by the Minister’s spokesman, Louis Ibah, quoted Ekpo during the meeting as restating the commitment of the Federal Government in supporting private sector investments geared at unlocking the gas potential of the country for the overall benefit of the…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has constituted the Governing Council of the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF) with Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo as Council Chairman. The Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund is a creation of the famous Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2021. The Fund is domiciled under the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). https://crestnews.ng/akwa-ibom-first-lady-extends-oluremi-tinubus-pet-project-to-elderly-persons-in-the-state/ It was established essentially to bridge the gas infrastructure gap in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. Its core mandate is in the funding of key gas infrastructure investments with potential to fast track the transition to clean energy and…

The immediate past Senator representing Uyo Senatorial District, Obong Bassey Albert, OBA, has congratulated the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno on his victory at the Supreme Court. OBA, a governorship candidate on the platform of Young Progressives Party (YPP) in 2023 governorship election, had emerged second with 136,262 votes while Akanimo Udofia of the APC scored 129,602. Dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, OBA had dragged pastor Umo Eno of PDP to the election petition tribunal challenging his victory, but the case was finally dismissed on Thursday January 11, by the supreme. https://crestnews.ng/crisis-rocks-the-apostolic-church-uyo-field/ In a released titled;…

One Hundred and Seventeen Thousand  Seven Hundred and Eighty-Two beneficiaries from Akwa Ibom State will be enrolled in the ongoing  Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer (RH-CCT) Programme of the Federal Government for rural/urban poor and vulnerable. This was disclosed during the just concluded one-day capacity enhancement  training organised for the 31 Local Government Facilitators in the State at the Women Development Centre, IBB Uyo during the weekend. https://crestnews.ng/akwa-ibom-state-first-lady-showers-christmas-baby-with-gifts/ RH-CCT Programme is an immediate intervention by the Federal Government to cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal and other economic shocks on the rural/urban poor and vulnerable where beneficiaries will be…

Akwa Ibom First Lady, Pastor Patience Umo Eno on Christmas Day followed the age-long tradition of her office by making an early morning visit to General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene, to welcome the State’s Christmas baby with love and gift items. The bundle of joy, male, born to the family of Mr. Isaac Okon from Ikot Otu, Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area was delivered at exactly 00:03am, weighing 3.8kg. Pastor Patience Eno while making the presentation, expressed joy and happiness at the safe arrival of the baby and prayed that he would herald God’s blessings on the family and the state…

Hope was rekindled on Thursday for the people of Akwa Ibom State as the House of Representatives, during its plenary, urged the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, to ensure that the Channel 35 Station in Eket commence full digital operation by the 2024 fiscal year. This followed a motion brought before the House by the Member representing Eket/ONNA/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency, Hon. Okpolupm Etteh, on the need for the resuscitation and resumption of operations of the Eket Station of NTA, which was established 17 years ago. The House, which was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, also…

The Chairman of Etinan Local Government Area; Hon. Uko Umoh has assured civil servants under the employ of the local government of his readiness to provide a good working environment and incentives for them to function effectively. The Council Boss who gave this assurance on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at the Millennium Hall, Etinan during an interactive session with the leadership and members of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), charged them to take their work seriously in order to enable the repositioning of the local government area. https://crestnews.ng/akirs-targets-n60-billion-in-2024/ Hon. Uko Umoh said “Thank you very much for…

The Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service (AKIRS, has ended a-one day strategy session to fashion plans to meet the N60 billion IGR budget in 2024. Akwa Ibom State collected about N35 billion IGR in 2022, ranked 10th on the States’ IGR ranking table released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in October 2023. AKIRS’ target, as disclosed at the strategy session held on Tuesday 19th December, is to exceed N60 billion in 2024 fiscal year, to ensure the government has sufficient funds to implement the ARISE Agenda. Some of the plans for achieving her target as discussed at…