by Iniabasi Umo

The people of Akwa Ibom State would soon begin to enjoy the benefits that come with owing an Independent Power Plant (IPP), as President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan formally switches on the long awaited Ibom Power Plant expected to supply uninterrupted electricity to the state.

The official switch on of the IPP will boost the generating capacity of the nation's Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) by 33 megawatts and improve on the quality of electricity supply across the country, which has been at its lowest ebb.

President Jonathan will alongside the formal launch of the IPP commission other state projects like the phase one of the Ibom International airport and the foundation laying ceremony of the main terminal building of the airport.
Announcing the President's two day visit to journalists recently in Uyo, the Commissioner for Information and Social Re-orientation, Mr, Aniekan Umanah explained that with the switch on of the IPP, the incidences of power shortage will be gradually phased out.

He noted that it would be the beginning of a process that will eventually bring about constant power supply in the state and enable PHCN, which still has the exclusive right to power distribution in the country to improve on its services to the people.

Mr. Umanah said with the switch on, the state government would be able to facilitate the process of lobbying the Federal government to issue power transmission licenses to the states that own an IPP and put an end to erratic power supply experienced in the country.

He stated that once the state was licensed as a power distributor, it would facilitate the power generation process as the state would be able to install new distribution infrastructures that had been the bane of IPPs in the country.

The Commissioner mentioned that since the present distribution infrastructure in place were old and worn out with age, it could not support the current voltage generated by IPP and any attempt at that will destroy the present distribution infrastructure in place.

The possibility of making the IPP function at full capacity with the available distribution infrastructure will therefore be a gradual process which will soon be realized so that the desired uninterrupted power supply is made possible.

Other projects earmarked for commissioning are the Governor's lodge, Fly-overs 11 and 111, new Police secondary School and Mobile Police Base, Ekid-Itam Idoro-Ikot Oku Ikono dual carriage way, Nung Udoe Itak-Okoita road, Afaha Obong-Etim Ekpo- Iwukem road, Abak - Ikot Ekpene dual carriage way amongst others.

by Glory Ekong

The President of Nigeria Union of Journalist Alhaji Mohammed Garba, has expressed readiness to responed positively to the enormous challenges facing members of the union in the provision of welfare scheme to better the lives of practicing journalism in the country.

The NUJ president made this disclosure in an address presented as the National executive council meeting of NUJ held in Uyo over the weekend, saying that journalists have been exposed to harsh condition, killed, assassinated and kidnapped in the course of discharging their duties, therefore an insurance policy is necessary and would be put in place to cater for the needs of the suffering journalists and families.

He said insurance scheme will be launched in September this year and he appealed to Akwa Ibom State Government to assist journalists in the State for protection under the policy.

Garba used the occasion to commend Governor Akpabio Administration on development strides and called on the people to maintained continued cordial relationship in peacefull co-existence to sustained Akpabio developmental land marks.

Speaking earlier, the chairman Nigeria union of journalists, Akwa Ibom State council Elder Ephraim Etti, lauded the National Executive council for holding 2010 National council meeting in Uyo and he enumerated achievements of the State council to include anti-touting war in the profession, re-commencement of International Institute of Journalism programme, free computer training, solar water project in the NUJ secretariat under inter-ministerial direct labour of State Government and creation of new chapels among others.

Governor Akpabio in his speech called on journalists in the country to uphold responsible journalism practice and shun quakery among its members, lamenting that the profession in recent time have suffered degradation due to invasion by untrained journalists, Akpabio commended jounalists in the country for their contribution to ensure democracy became a reality and urged them to sustained the investment in the face of the challenges. Feature of the events was an award on good Governance by NUJ to Governor Godswill Akpabio and inspection of projects across the State.