Umo Unveils Plans To Partner With GIFA To Boost Water Supply In Akwa Ibom

Umo unveils plans to partner with GIFA to boost water supply in Akwa Ibom… says State’s Oil wells safe.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has directed the Ministry for Water Resources and Sanitation and the Akwa Ibom State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, (AKRUWATSAN), to partner with the Golden Initiative For All (GIFA) in ensuring that a functional water borehole is established in each of the 369 Wards of the State.

Governor Eno gave the directive during the 2nd Anniversary celebration of GIFA, at Ibom Hall, Uyo.

He said, “We would agree that GIFA has done exceptionally and exceedingly well. So, a job well done means more job to be done. As a Government, and to immortalize the desire of my dear wife , H.E. Pastor ( Mrs.) Patience Umo Eno, we will partner GIFA to ensure adequate water supply in all the 369 Wards of the State.

He directed the AKRUWATSAN, and the Ministry of Water Resources And Sanitation to immediately set up modalities to collaborate with GIFA “to ensure that within the next one year, every Ward in every Local Government Area of the State has a GIFA Water Project for the benefit of our people.

“GIFA has truly shown leadership in this direction, and we will strongly partner with you. The 369 Wards of the State will have a GIFA Water Project,” he assured.

The Governor commended Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady and Chairman of GIFA, Noble Lady Helen Obareki for her commitment in advancing the vision of her mother saying, “I am happy to note that this Initiative is living up to the foundational ideals and objectives of its founding. You have kept faith with the implementation of the eight thematic areas and the record of achievements so far recorded as attested to by the statistics and the impact you have just reeled off.

“Please permit me at this point to deeply and most profoundly commend my daughter and the Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady, Mrs. Helen Obareki for the great work she and her team have done in keeping this dream alive,” he added.

Governor Eno used the opportunity to appreciate the First Lady of Nigeria, Distinguished Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, for the mentorship, and guidance extended to the Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady, and also congratulated her on her award as the Leadership Newspaper “ Person of the Year” 2026.

He also appreciated the Nigerian Governors’ Wives Forum, especially the wives of the Governors of Abia, Plateau and Edo States who were in attendance, for the love shown; the GIFA partners for their faith and steadfast support, and the people of Akwa Ibom State for their prayers and support.

Speaking on the oil wells issue, he reassured the people that the State’s ownership of 76 Oil Wells is absolutely incontestable and sacrosanct based on two valid judgments of Nigeria’s Supreme Court to that effect.

“Let me take this moment once again to reassure our people concerning the much- talked about oil wells. Let me say this loud and clear: there is no cause for alarm concerning our God-given resources.

“We have two Supreme Court judgments affirming our State’s ownership of the 76 Oil Wells. No committee and no government parastatal can overturn Supreme Court judgment. Akwa Ibom State does not have a maritime boundary with Cross River State but with Cameroun.

“Any attempt to shift that boundary will be tampering with the International Court of Justice’s judgment, and Nigeria as a law-abiding country will never go there.

He expressed trust in the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, as a strong lover and believer in the rule of law, declaring that “Akwa Ibom State will not cede any inch or one oil well belonging to the State to anyone.

“Our society is guided and shaped by the rule of law. Supreme Court has given his ruling twice on the oil well issue in our favour, and those rulings are sacrosanct. And, those oil wells belong to Akwa Ibom State.

The Governor went on to reaffirm the support of the Government and people of Akwa Ibom State for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, stating that “ we are rooting, supporting, and campaigning for him, and our State is working effectively to ensure he is returned for 2nd term come 2027, alongside our illustrious son, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, GCON.”

While he enumerated some of the life – touching projects of the State, the Governor implored the citizenry to continue to pursue the path of peace as continued development and progress of the State can only be sustained in the face of peace, love and unity.

Speaking on behalf of the wives of Governors in attendance, Wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs.Priscilla Otti, commended Coordinator of the office of the First Lady, Lady Helen Obareki for the impact recorded by the pet project, and assured of support and collaboration where necessary to achieve more.

In her remarks, the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, on behalf of the women, felicitated GIFA for its impactful projects and programmes, appreciated Governor Eno for his gender- friendly disposition and assured that women will continue to remain strong partners of GIFA.

Umo Eno

Also speaking, Senator Effiong Bob eulogized the legacies of the departed initiator of GIFA, Pastor Patience Umo Eno, and the good works of GIFA, and assured of continuous support for more impact.

The emotion -laden event which coincided with the posthumous birthday of the departed First Lady, featured anniversary lecture by Amb. Mfon Ekpo, Chief Executive Officer, the Discovery Center/Founding Partner & Executive Director, Maxwell Leadership Certified Team, testimonies of the impact of the organisation within the last two years, cultural dance, and presentation of awards to winners of different events.

Ogun Assembly Pledges More Supports For Rural Healthcare Reform

Ogun assembly pledges more supports for rural healthcare reform. He also advocated improved and timely funding for primary health care centres.

Ogun State Assembly
The Speaker of the Ogun House of Assembly, Oludaisi Elemide, has assured a World Bank-led delegation of sustained legislative support for rural healthcare reform.

Mr Elemide gave the assurance on Friday during a courtesy visit by officials of the World Bank, key federal ministries and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum at his office in Abeokuta.

The delegation was in the state to review public financial management practices at the primary health care level across selected local government areas.

They later visited the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, as part of broader engagements with critical stakeholders in the state’s health governance structure.

“The Ogun State House of Assembly is irrevocably committed to collaborating with the World Bank and other stakeholders.

“We will continue to support initiatives that enhance transparency, accountability and effective healthcare delivery for our people.”

The speaker explained that the legislature was responsible for lawmaking, appropriation and oversight of government programmes and public expenditure.

He clarified that while lawmakers approve budgets, the release and disbursement of funds remain within the executive’s constitutional mandate.

Mr Elemide commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for what he described as significant investments in renovating and reconstructing primary health care centres across the state.

He said the administration’s intervention had improved access to healthcare services, especially in rural and underserved communities.

Ogun Assembly

However, the speaker called for increased recruitment of qualified medical personnel to address manpower shortages in many facilities.

He also advocated improved and timely funding for primary health care centres to consolidate infrastructure gains and ensure quality service delivery.

Earlier, the delegation leader, Maxwell Dapaah, acknowledged visible infrastructural improvements in several centres visited across local government areas.

Mr Dapaah said the team observed better buildings and equipment but noted operational challenges that required urgent attention.

He expressed concern over insufficient funding, weak financial controls and the lack of automation of patient records.

“These issues have been communicated to the executive arm for necessary action and policy response,” Mr Dapaah said.

Judge Scolds Maina, Defence Counsel For Stalling Case In Alleged N738.6 Fraud

Judge Scolds Maina, defence counsel for stalling case in alleged N738.6 fraud. Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, FCT, Asokoro, Abuja on Friday, February 20, 2026 scolded former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina and the defence counsel for their antics aimed at stalling his trial before the court and demanded that the defendant should show up in court and defend himself against the charges of corruption and fraud levelled against him.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting Maina, alongside Ann Igwe Olachi on a nine-count charge, bordering on receipt of stolen funds to the tune of N738, 612,019.99 (Seven Hundred and Thirty-eight Million, Six Hundred and Twelve Thousand, Nineteen Naira, Ninety-nine Kobo). They were arraigned in 2019.

The Friday’s proceedings, billed to be a trial-within-trial was again aborted following a request by Maina’s new counsel, Emmanuel Wuyi, for yet another adjournment of sitting, which he said would enable him to study the facts of the case as he was appearing in the matter for the first time.

“My lord, the first defendant has been ill and I understand that this case has a history of adjournments. This is my first time appearing before your lordship, being that I have just been briefed about this case. I am asking your lordship for two weeks to enable me to study the facts of the case and I am even looking at resolving this matter with the prosecution,” he said.

In his response, Kutigi said “Two weeks for what? Everybody is ready, everybody is tired. We want every party to have fair hearing and do their cases, but when there is an adjournment, he will go and hire a new lawyer and when we insist, we will go on, you will now say you were denied fair hearing.

He has changed to another lawyer now and I have lost count of the numbers of lawyers who have appeared in this case. We know the substance and the end will determine it. The integrity of what we do here is critical and important,” he said.

Prosecution counsel, Francis Usani while addressing the court, regretted the stagnation of the case by the defendant and the defence team, pointing out that the witnesses of the prosecution for the trial-within-trial were present in court.

“My lord, only yesterday we were served with an application for a stay of proceedings, application on the jurisdiction of this court, travel application and application for appeal. If he (defence counsel) has been able to file such voluminous and bulky applications, it is assumed that the counsel knows the case so that we can start, except he is going to withdraw these applications and take a decision if he wants to continue with the trial-within-trial.

I can give him the opportunity to watch the video, (statement recording video of the defendant), invite him to my office and let him watch the video, if he sees anything then he let us know so that we can save the court’s time,” he said.

Fraud

Addressing the defence counsel again, Justice Kutigi said, “How can you say you want to do this case and at the same time you filed applications of jurisdiction, stay of proceedings and so on. What do you really want? You have to decide on what we are coming here to do on the next adjourned date.”

Maina’s counsel in his response made an oral application to withdraw the stay of proceedings while confirming his readiness to carry on with the trial-within-trial on the next adjourned date.

Justice Kutigi granted his oral application to withdraw the stay of proceedings, dated February 10, 2026 and adjourned the matter till February 26, 2026 for trial-within-trial.