AKWA IBOM @ 26: WHAT IS ‘UNCOMMON’ ABOUT GOVERNOR GODSWILL AKPABIO TRANSFORMATION?

It is all well to copy what one sees, but it is far better to draw what one now only sees in ones memory that is transformation in which imagination collaborates with memory
…Edgar Degas
Fejiro Oliver
I had gone to the one of this failing network office to sort out a problem; why I’m even hiding the name? Airtel, that network that deserves to be in the dustbin, had made their scratch panel so hard that I scratched it wrongly. When I placed a call to their customer care, the guy at the other end told me to go to their office, somewhere in the East to sort it out, since I could not give him ten visible number of the wrongly scratched pin. I was livid but what will I do than go there, since I needed to load my internet subscription for my phone.
Just when it got to my turn to be attended to, I received a call and when I said “Fejiro Oliver on the line”, some heads turned and I went out to answer my call. When I came in to continue my business, a lady walked up to me, introduced herself as a physician, working in one of the Federal Medical Centres. I felt honored meeting her, just the way she felt, expressing how her colleagues are wondering who this F.O is that has come to pour sand in their garri, with his consistent report on the health sector. I asked her of own opinion and to be candid, she wasn’t happy on the blunt reports, but was happy meeting me at last to vent her mind.
She asked me what I felt about the Akwa Ibom State Governor, and why I had not written anything to praise the Governor for his “Uncommon Transformation” in the state, especially as the State will be celebrating her 26th anniversary in a weeks’ time (as at when we met). I promised to get back to her. To you Anna Imebong; this little note from me to you is the answer to what I and millions of Nigerian think about Akwa Ibom State.
There is no disputing the fact that Governor Godswill Akpabio has done well in the governing of his state. We cannot argue the fact that he has raised the pride of the Akwa Ibom man to a high level, and taken away the housemaid mentality which they were known for from the minds of many Nigerian. It will be foolhardy to throwaway his political prowess among his fellow governors, just as it will be untrue to say that the man who self named himself ‘uncommon transformation governor’ has not done what Napoleon could not do. At least in the eyes of Nigerians as seen mainly through the media, Akwa Ibom ado ok! (A slang which means, ‘Akwa Ibom is Ok’)
But I refused to be moved by the media and I embarked on various trips to the State to see things for myself, asked questions and settled down, especially, when I have a little root in the state.
One major problem with Nigerian is believing that the government deserves to rule the way they want, thus when a governor builds a road or flyover just like Akpabio has been doing; they praise him to the high heavens from afar, even if what they see are only media propaganda. They forgot that the governor is only using their money to make life better for them. To make the state better is the duty they are paid to do and failure to do that should be a criminal offence. So lets stop the praises and challenge them to work.
This brings us to the question, what is uncommon about Akpabio’s transformation? Is it an uncommon transformation that over 125 persons have died and hundreds kidnapped in political related matters which have been linked to the governor himself? The state was one of the most peaceful in Nigeria, but I can recollect that when I visited during the last general election, I was warned not to mention anything bad about Akpabio, lest I will be declared a missing Journalist.
Is it uncommon transformation that Akwa Ibom State receives the highest Federal allocation, yet infrastructures on ground do not reflect the trillions gotten from her oil revenue? For crying out loud, we deserve an explanation on how our collective wealth is spent by Akpabio, and not sing his praises for merely doing what we elected him for. It amounts to praising a civil servant who is a secretary for typing the materials given to him to do. Let’s wake up.
What manner of uncommon transformation is it that the Governor develops his senatorial district and leaves out the goose that lays the golden egg (Eket Senatorial District), a place I have visited many times without any meaningful development? The only visible project there is the Akwa Ibom State University, located at Mkpa Enin. The uncommon transformation by the governor to me smacks of uncommon fraud?
Is it uncommon transformation that during the silver jubilee of the state, the state governor made various citizens of the state to play, to enable them win houses at the Silver Jubilee Estate, along Idoro Road, yet one year after, none of the winners have been given the keys to their houses? Calls which I placed to the various winners yesterday indicated that the governor in alliance with Skye Bank and Papi Events have just conned them of their hard earned money.
Is it uncommon transformation that one the contract awarded for the flyover at Itam called Goodluck Flyover was inflated by the governor and the money siphoned to foreign bank accounts? Excuse me Nigerians, lets learn to hold our leaders accountable than allow them spend millions on publicity. Personal investigations reveal that the governor has wasted over 380 million Naira for publicity stunt since 2007 when he was elected. Tell us; is that the uncommon transformation?
Is it uncommon transformation that Akwa Ibom State is filled with the Keke Napep, while the gold cabs which was bought by the governor has suddenly disappeared into thin air with many of them in the houses of his commissioners and cronies in Ewet Housing Estate? Is it part of the uncommon fraud that the Tropicana project which was started by former Governor Victor Attah is now solely the glory of Godswill Akpabio?
What manner of uncommon transformation that a governor like Akpabio will rig a national election in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district and no law enforcement agencies raise an eyebrow? Do we call it uncommon rigging transformation? Akpabio may have built roads in Uyo, but is Uyo the only resident area in Akwa Ibom State?
We all cannot be deceived and if all are falling for such, I just refuse to be blinded! The alleged 3 billion given to the tribunal judges to impose him on the people has not been forgotten. No one forgets the Ikot Ekpene-Abak road which was a true transformation of the governor, but we do not also forget that there was an agreement by the company that constructed the road, that they will take Nna-Eninites land for sand and gravel while in exchange they will build an access road from Abak-Ikot Ekpene road to the village and this would include a bridge over stream that divides the road into two. Instead, the company built a makeshift bridge to allow their heavy duty vehicles transport construction materials from the bank of the stream to the main road. When the rain came, the bridges washed away, while the people now have their source of water polluted for consumption. Is it an uncommon transformation of giving with the left hand and taking with the right hand?
The AMAKPE refinery project at Eket was shut down by the governor on October 27, 2007 by the governor, without minding the millions of dollars the principals of AMAKPE in America has spent on the project. Is this also a case of transformation agenda, by denying over 2000 people jobs which would have been created by the company? Is it part of the uncommon transformation mantra that the governor build a mini residential estate in Abak but its overgrown with bushes, as no one is living there?
The Tropicana project was initially contracted for 33 billion Naira, but was raised to 40 billion Naira; do we call it also part of the uncommon transformation? Same project cost 12 billion Naira in Abuja and was funded by Silver Bird entertainment group, not the Federal Government. The case of inflating project is not a new culture in Nigeria (though I loathe it), but most Akpabio inflates his so much to the detriment of the citizens? This to me is a case of uncommon high level looting.
And I ask again; while Akpabio has many journalists in his payroll, was it part of the uncommon transformation agenda to throw into prison Mr Essien Ewoh who distributed Fresh Facts Newspaper, which published a negative story against the governor? Lest I forget, the publisher, Mr Sam Asowata was arrested in Abuja and tucked into the truck and driven to Uyo, a distance of 500 kilometers. His daughter was also arrested in the raid. .
As the state continue in their celebration of the 26th anniversary, may I ask the uncommon transformation governor of the whereabouts of the 31 industries he promised to build while campaigning for his second tenure? And may I also ask on whose account this man of uncommon creature has been spending the millions he is using to prosecute the anti governor Rotimi Amaechi war?
As the governor set straight to hand over the baton and celebrate one more year of the state anniversary, we of the progressives urge you to straighten your path and mend your ways. Till we see personally; one on one, I wish you and the state a big happy birthday.

Blades of gory: The story of 'lethal' hybrid boots that caused injury to Wayne Rooney

The former Liverpool player Craig Johnston invented concept but says evolving footwear could now end a career

Ed Aarons

Friday 27 September 2013

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It's now nearly 20 years since Craig Johnston changed the appearance of football boots forever. While most players who retired in the 1980s used to buy a pub or sports shop, the Australian midfielder who was part of Liverpool's 1986 double-winning squad instead turned his hand to innovation.

Johnston had been coaching kids in Australia when he hit upon his big idea to attach rubber strips from a table tennis bat to the forefoot of his boots, instantly improving the amount of spin and power that could be applied to the ball. Having finally convinced adidas – by calling in German World Cup-winning legends Franz Beckenbauer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Paul Breitner – to test out his prototype for a promotional film, the "Predator" was an instant success when it launched in 1994.
Within two years the new boots also featured Johnston's pioneering "Traxion" soles that were a hybrid of traditional studs or cleats and blades, which enabled a player to turn in tight spaces and at high speed. Yet even as global superstars including David Beckham, Jonny Wilkinson and Zinedine Zidane ensured that Predators became the must-have item for a generation of schoolboys, their creator was growing increasingly concerned.
Johnston sold his patents to adidas for a significant fee in 1998 but left them with a warning that the never-ending quest for improved performance through new technology was becoming increasingly hazardous.
"As I was in the process of selling up, I told them about my fears that the way these boots were developing could become dangerous for players' health," Johnston, who now lives in Florida, remembered this week. "The studs were getting deeper and started to be made out of a different plastic which was basically a Pebax plastic material. When the ground is a bit sandy or there are rocks in the soil, they tended to sharpen up the plastic cleats and they became like lethal weapons. I even told the Fifa doctor when we had lunch together four or five years ago that they had to do something about the materials and the shape of all the new cleated configurations."
Since the turn of the century, there have been numerous injuries caused by blades or hybrids to back up his theory. In 2002, Burnley striker Andy Payton was forced to retire after needing 38 stitches in his leg – "It was like a carving knife slitting it open," he said last year. Gillingham player Andy Hessenthaler had suffered a similar injury the year before, with a cut so deep he reported that he could fit a whole mobile phone inside it, while last month 13-year-old schoolboy Kavan Ryan was rushed to hospital with a 10-inch gash sustained in a youth match in the Midlands.
But while Sir Alex Ferguson went as far as banning blades at Manchester United in 2005 after he claimed they were responsible for Roy Keane breaking his foot and several junior leagues around the country followed suit, it wasn't until Wayne Rooney suffered a horrific gashed leg against Fulham last year that the problem was once again highlighted on the big stage. In the immediate aftermath of that incident, PFA chief executive, Gordon Taylor, called for tighter regulations and raised the issue in a meeting with the FA's Medical Committee, although no action was taken.
Head of PFA Gordon Taylor, second from right, will speak with Fifa over the safety standards of boots
"Bearing in mind some of the nature of the accidents there have been I feel it is incumbent on us to have some kind of measure of regulation and a Kitemark," Taylor said.
"They've been forewarned with the potential dangers and we should be doing all that we can to protect against this problem."
The International Rugby Board introduced law 4.3 last summer stating that "studs/cleats of player's boots must...not be longer than 21 mm, and must not have any burring or sharp edges". Now Johnston believes it is time football followed their example.
"The geometry and the depth of the cleat has got to be formalised, regulated and deemed safe. And they have to change the material used because it's dangerous," he added.
"Mass production of these boots means that it's drifted to the cheaper kind of plastic compounds, which tend to fray around the edge and become very sharp. There have been so many incidents in the professional game but we can only imagine how many there are every weekend involving kids in local parks that never get reported."
There have also been concerns that some new-style boots have contributed to an increase in serious foot, ankle and knee injuries among footballers. "You've got much more powerful players and the forces coming through their body are just too much to take, so what happens is the most vulnerable part has to give, which is usually a knee ligament or the metatarsals.
"The problem is not going away," Johnston added. "Players have adjusted and are a bit more careful. But it's still an accident waiting to happen."
A slice of history: Injuries timeline
July 1996 Adidas release the first boots with bladed studs – known as a Traxion soleplate.
Feb 2001 Sunderland youth team goalkeeper Craig Turns needs 33 stitches after a bladed boot slices his face open.
Jan 2005 Sir Alex Ferguson bans bladed boots at Manchester United after a series of injuries.
Apr 2005 Annan Athletic goalkeeper Charlie McCulloch comes close to losing an eye when his head is sliced open. He needs 16 stitches and is scarred for life.
Oct 2008 Accrington Stanley call for blades to be banned after losing both Phil Edwards and Ian Dunbavin to gaping leg wounds which needed stitches.
Aug 2012 Wayne Rooney needs 10 stitches after being caught by Fulham's Hugo Rodallega.
Aug 2013 Rooney again needs stitches after his head is sliced open by Phil Jones' boot in training.

NNPC sold $20.9bn crude oil in seven months

September 27, 2013 by Everest Amaefule, Abuja 1 Comment

   

GMD, NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation realised a total of $20.91bn in the first seven months of this year from the sale of 191,939,235 barrels of crude oil.

The Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, disclosed this in a presentation to the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) in Abuja on Thursday.

In the presentation, which was done behind close door but obtained by our correspondent, Yakubu said 92,395,063 barrels of oil valued at $10.07bn were allocated for domestic consumption in the first seven months of the year.

The sales statistics of the corporation showed that in the month of January, it realised $4.34bn from 37,675,591 barrels of crude oil. In February, $2.36bn was realised from 20,590,812 barrels of oil.

In the month of March, the corporation sold 30,901,111.67 barrels for $3.35bn. The earning went down to $2.58bn from 25,116,194.39 barrels in the month of April, and $2.98bn from 28,411,526.25 barrels of oil in May.

 In June, the NNPC made $2.6bn from 24,708, 531.8 barrels, while in July, it realised the sum of $2.69bn from the sale of 24,535,468 barrels of oil.

The amount realised for the period, according to Yakubu, did not include the Petroleum Profit Tax for the NNPC Joint Venture, which, he said, was paid directly to the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

He said, “The projected budget revenues have not been realised due to significant production shortfall. The 2013 planned production was 2.45 million barrels per day. Year-to-date July 2013 production has averaged 2.19mb/d.

“Although oil prices have averaged $108/bbl, which is about $38/bbl above the budget benchmark, this has not led to improvement in government revenues due to production shortfall occasioned by crude theft and pipeline vandalism.”

Statistics presented by the NNPC boss showed that the corporation lost a total of 11,753,217 barrels of crude oil between 2010 and 2012.

At a price of $110 per barrel, this means that the nation lost about $1.29bn to crude oil theft.

On year by year basis, the nation lost 2,316,281 barrels of oil in 2010; 6,391,311 barrels in 2011; and 3,045,625 barrels in 2012.

Yakubu said the corporation had progressed with plans for the rehabilitation of the refineries, beginning with the Port Harcourt refinery.

He said, “Pending completion of the rehabilitation projects, the various interventions carried out in the refineries have already resulted in improvement in performance as follows: Average annual capacity utilisation has increased from 21 per cent in 2010 to 31 per cent in 2013.

 “It is significant to state that but for the incessant vandalism of the crude supply and product evacuation pipelines, the average capacity utilisation would have been much higher.”

The NNPC boss added, “Contribution to in-country product supply from the refineries has grown from about four million litres per day of Premium Motor Spirit in 2010 to about 10 million litres/day as of the first quarter of 2013. This has reduced the expenditure on fuel importation.

“Other benefits of the turnaround and refineries revamping include improved on-stream availability, improved unit throughput/capacity utilisation, improved finished product yield, and improved financial performance.”

For domestic use, the NNPC allocated 19,553,358 barrels of oil for the month of January. At $115.11, this was valued at $2.25bn. In February, 10,077,881bbls were allocated for domestic consumption valued at $1.15bn.

A total of 16,018,099bbls valued at $1.73bn was allocated in March; 10,176,614bbls valued at $1.04bn was allocated in April; 12,537,509bbls valued at $1.32bn was allocated in May; 12,596,553bbls valued at $1,32bn was allocated in June; and 11,435,049bbls valued at $1.25bn was allocated in the month of July.

Speaking to journalists at the end of the oversight visit to the NNPC, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Mr. Muraino Ajibola, said the lawmakers would help the Federal Government to tackle the menace of oil theft in order to increase the funds available to the federation.

Ajibola said, “They have presented the facts to us and we have also been presented with their challenges of which several of them we are aware of and you know the steps we have taken, particularly on the issue of oil theft.

“As a proactive House, we had taken steps on that matter to set up a joint petroleum committee and came up with resolutions and called on the government to make sure that the resolutions were implemented.

“We have been assured that in conjunction with the NNPC, the Federal Government is already implementing many of these resolutions and they have also assured us that as a result of this implementation, there is a downward trend with regards to oil theft, and we hope and pray that these efforts will continue so that we can continue to generate more revenue for the use of our country.”

He added, “The position of the NNPC in all these is very strategic. There are hardly any of those resolutions that they will implement without the input and support of the NNPC, and there are some of them that can be implemented with little efforts like the proposal for dedicated telephone lines.”