Local languages will improve quality academic development – A’Ibom Deputy Governor

Feb. 22, 2018

By Ijendu Iheaka

Mr Moses Ekpo, the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom, on Thursday called for the use of local languages or  mother languages as medium of instruction in Nigerian schools.

According to him, this will encourage access to education and contribute to quality academic value development in Nigeria.

Ekpo, made the call while speaking on the sidelines of an event to mark 2018 International Mother Language Day at the National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN) campus at Akpaa Mbaato, Obingwa LGA, near Aba, Abia.

According to him, languages are a major tool for education, communication, social integration and business hence the need to develop mother languages for deeper benefits.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) refers to local languages as “the language spoken in the homes and marketplaces of a community, as distinguished from a regional, national or international language.

“Mother tongue or mother language refers to a child’s first language, the language learned in the home from older family members,’’ it says.

The Akwa Ibom deputy governor said that the use of mother or local languages would improve quality of life for Nigerians by aiding the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Using mother tongue to teach students will help them appreciate reading, writing and numeracy needed for social development.

“A strong foundation of mother tongue   prepares children with the skills needed to learn additional languages; this allows them to transfer their understanding of the structure of language to other new languages.

“The UNESCO says that multilingual education based on mother tongue contributes to achieving all SDGs by linking the local knowledge with the global knowledge, addressing common challenges and acting together to find solutions,’’ he said.

Ekpo urged the global community to take action that would establish mother language communications as citizens’ rights.

Also, Prof. Chinyere Ohiri-Aniche, Director, NINLAN, who was represented by Prof. Obiajulu Emejulu, Deputy Director of the institute, called for the re-visitation of NINLAN Act to enable the institute serve the nation better.

She said that unless the Act was reviewed, the institution would not effectively fulfil its mandate, which is to develop Nigerian languages.

She said that since 1999, the world celebrated mother languages based on research findings that showed mother language as the greatest gift a child received at birth.

She urged parents to speak their mother tongues to children to prepare them for quality educational development.

The Guest Lecturer, Prof. Eno-Abasi Urau charged governments to use local languages to make laws and policies to increase people’s participation.

According to Urau who lectures at the Department of Linguistics and Languages, University of Uyo, “when policies are translated into mother languages, it will ensure mass interest in governance’’.

Abia seeks presidential approval for Enyimba Industrial City

Feb. 20, 2019

By Ijendu Iheaka

The Project Consultant, Enyimba Industrial City, Chief Darl Uzu, has said that arrangements are in top gear to get the President’s approval for an Export Processing Zone licence for the project.

Uzu, who disclosed this during an interview with our reporter said there might be delays in realising the project because of its nature which would take a long time to achieve.

He said that the handlers submitted a Free-Trade Zone application to Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) which had been processed and passed to the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment for approval.

“We are going on to follow-up on that because he has to make recommendation to the President who would take the project to the Federal Executive Council for approval.

“Every other thing is coming up. Aside the infrastructure, we are putting all things together. The likes of Dubai have joined us and Group Five of South Africa and AFC have come out to show interest.

“World Bank also has a stake but what happens with World Bank is that you have to get the private sector just like a guarantor. Anything you are doing has to be bankable for World Bank to come in.

“But we have been engaging them. We have had a meeting with them in Abuja here and we have also had a meeting with them in Washington DC in November 2017,” he said.

Uzu said that the proposed commencement of work at the site had been shifted to February.
The Abia state government had earlier said in December 2017 that work on the project was billed to start in January 2018.

He said that although the project involved a Singaporean Urban, Industrial and Infrastructure firm (Surbana Jurong), they would work with local town planners.

Uzu said that he would leave for Singapore sometime in February to finalise all the design arrangements with the company.

Abia government had earlier said that the federal government had approved N5 billion to support the Enyimba Industrial City project in the 2018 budget.

It further said that the proposed Enyimba Industrial City spanning Ugwulagbo, Ukwa East and Ukwa West LGAs, would connect South-South and South- East states.

The government projects that the new city would provide jobs for 1 million citizens following massive industrial development and expanded business opportunities coming with it.

Although the Abuja office of World Bank, in a messaged signed by its Public Affairs Officer, Olufunke Olufon said “Kindly note no such project exists”, Abia government said it is working hard to realize the project.

EEDC loses N15 m to Aba power outage

February 15, 2017

By Ijendu Iheaka

Equipment failure at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Aba station has thrown most parts of the commercial nerve centre of Abia state into blackout, Chukwuemeka Eze has confirmed.

Eze who is the Head, Communications, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), made this clarification while speaking with our reporter in Aba on Thursday on the blackout.

Eze said the blackout which had cost the company over N15 million in losses happened on Saturday, February 10, 2018 following a Circuit Breaker failure at TCN, Aba station.

He said that the Circuit Breaker failure had causes a disconnection of some EEDC Feeders in Aba resulting in the blackout experienced in most parts of the commercial city since Saturday.

 Although most areas in Aba town have had power outage problems for more than a week now, Eze said that the failure affected only 91 transformers.

He noted that the affected transformers are located in areas within Aba North, Aba South and Obingwa local government areas.

According to him the areas in the town that are worst hit are Ogbor Hill, Housing Estate, Ehere, Akwarandu, Ikot Ekpene road and New Phase of Umuobe.

Eze noted that all the affected customers being served from the EEDC’s IGI 33KV and Opobo Road 11KV Feeders are out of supply now.

He said that the power outage from a Circuit Breaker failure at the TCN station in Aba was getting urgent attention to ensure timely power restoration to affected customers.

Eze said the company regreted the inconveniences the disruption had caused its customers and assured them of speedy re-connection once the problem was solved.

EEDC denies resetting pre-paid meters for increased profit in Abia

 Feb. 8, 2018

By Ijendu Iheaka

 

 The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), has denied allegations of tampering with the factory settings of new prepaid meters which Aba consumers made against its staff in Abia state.

The Aba customers had said that EEDC staff reset pre-paid meters in order to increase the company’s profits and to discourage potential customers from demanding for the pre-paid meters.

According to them, the action encourages illegal acts by the EEDC staff which includes over billing, cutting and taking customers’ cables and reselling them to others for quick money. 

The Head, Communications, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), Mr Emeka Ezeh while reacting to the allegations said that their staff do not have the technical capacity to reset meters.

“This is not true, none of our staff has the expertise to reset or work on these meters, they are hybrid meters and smart in nature...except if the fellow is ready to damage the meter. 

“Don't forget that these meters are approved and certified by Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) - the regulatory agency responsible for certifying meters before they are even brought into the country and installed for customers.

“It is also possible that there is a deliberate ploy to discourage customers from accepting the meter;

“Remember, if all customers have prepaid meter, there won't be need for the monthly disconnection of customers, except where they have been found to have bypassed their meter.

“Some of our corrupt staff are already used to this monthly extortion of customers who have not paid their bill, and the prepaid meter will bring an end to that source of extra income for them.

 “So, as a way to still retain their source of extra money, they might be discouraging customers from accepting the meter in the guise that "it is running fast”, he said.

Eze said that the pre-paid meters were designed to capture the quantity of energy a customer consumes hence its reading will be determined by the quality of appliances a consumer uses in his house.

He counseled EEDC customers to use energy saving bulbs and low-power consuming appliances stressing that they should turn off their electricity supply when not in use to reduce their electricity bill.

He said that learning to use electricity after being metered without wasting it would help metered customers to save money.

 He urged any customer who feels his meter has been "reset to run fast and consume much money", to complain to NEMSA and request a re-certification of the said meter.

Ezeh called on EEDC customers to report any of its staff found to have tampered with the pre-paid meter for proper actions.