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  The European Union (EU) has appointed Professor Aniebiet Inyang Ntui as an unpaid Volunteer Stakeholder Member of the Polifonia Project. Polifonia is a 3M€ project funded by the EU Horizon 2020 Programme that will run from January 2021 until April 2024 to recreate the connections between music, people, places and events from the sixteenth century to modern day. The Funds of the Research Programme under grant agreement N. 101004746 is not meant for any individual or group but rather, the finances will be used in the development of AIs for enhancing the understanding of musical heritage from 1500s to 1950s. Members of the Stakeholder Network will voluntarily devote hours into supporting the Research Initiative.  The appointment was made public through the project website. The Polifonia consortium is an interdisciplinary team of passionate researchers and music lovers: computer scientists, anthropologists and ethnomusicologists, historians of music, linguists, musical heritage archivist

Our attention has been drawn to an onslaught of malicious, defamatory fabrication of lies, misrepresentation of facts and outright demonstration of crass ignorance aimed at tarnishing the hard-earned image, name and reputation of our highly esteemed and respected man of God, His Lordship, Bishop Josef Bassey Ordinarily, we would have completely ignored it as the Lord whom we serve knows the truth and is the ultimate defender of his own; but so that people of goodwill and good conscience do not get deceived or swayed by this ignominious perpetuation of these agents of Satan obviously doing the bidding of their master, we therefore feel obliged to set the records straight as follows; 1. That the first marriage of our man of God ended since October, 2016 after the former wife abandoned the marriage. 2. That all attempts at mediation and reconciliation through different authorities and persons within and outside the church were rebuffed by her, including those by some of the most highly re

  With no end insight to the current industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), efforts made by students like Miss Promise Ekpong, can only be considered as a brave one. ASUU had embarked on strike February 14, 2022, which has crippled students progress and also affected the time for their academic pursuits thereby causing a lot of Nigerian students to seek other survival methods with some engaging in entrepreneurial ventures. This is the case of Miss Promise Paul Ekpong, a female final year student of the University of Cross River State, UNICROSS who has embraced the part of dignity using the current nation wide industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU to her favour. Promise, who is a final year student in the department of Microbiology, University of Cross River State UNICROSS, is an indigene of Ekumtak Mbube, in Ogoja Local Government Area of Cross River State, said she decided to seek for employment i

  The credibility, popularity and acceptability of the senatorial candidate of Cross River South, Mr. Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr., and of course, other candidates of the All Progressives Congress is navigating with great waves and attracting the attention of electorates, with overriding mass defection of people from the major opposition PDP and other political parties.  Mr Ekpenyong's visit at its inception was in response to an invitation by the leadership of Ehom Ward, to inaugurate a ward-based ad-hoc committee that would be saddled with the responsibility of monitoring political activities within the ward. Apparently, his appearance attracted tumultuous crowd, where the people trooped in and changed the atmosphere to a gathering that turned out to be an extensive interaction with party faithfuls and scores of defectors from the irredeemable People's Democratic Party. In his usual passion for the people, he took time out for a productive dialogue. The defectors dumped the PDP over

National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress APC, Dr Betta Edu, the deputy National Women Leader,  hon Zainab Ibrahim and the national leader of people living with disabilities,  hon Tolu Bankole earlier today  hosted members of the APC Women With Disabilities Forum in her office at the APC national secretariat, Abuja.  In a statement by the special Adviser to the national women leader on Political Matters, Seun Bosede Osamaye,  the group comprising of women with disabilities whose membership were drawn from the 36 states  of the federation and the FCT were on a courtesy visit to the National Women Leader in solidarity with the activities of the office of the Woman leader and in support of the Presidential Candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.  The leader of the group who led the delegation, Hon. Lois Auta reaffirmed confidence in the office of the woman leader, stating that members of the group are proud of the leadership qualities of Dr Betta Edu and are in full

Report by: Okpokiri Peter The State Commandant Patriot (Dr.) Okweche Dominic Odey thanked the Governorship candidate for the visit. He commended him for outlining blueprints that have direct benefits for the people. He urged him and the team to continue to hope for the best, for, in the end, he is confident that the best candidate would emerge.  "And Peace Corps of Nigeria, Cross River State will support the best Candidate and will make a valid statement and the statement will run from the command to the divisions.  Earlier the Cross River State Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Comrade Effiom Okokon described Peace Corps as an endearing organization that had attracted many because of its activities, aimed at changing and repositioning society to part of Peace and harmony.  He said this when he visited the State Command Office in Calabar, to consult and seek support and partnership for the 2023 election.  Comrade Okokon who hails from Akpabuyo Local Government

By George Odok Jnr The Cross River Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) says it had arrested one suspect for alleged attempt to vandalise a pipeline. Mr Samuel Fadeyi, state Commandant of the corps, made this known on Monday in Calabar, while briefing newsmen on the activities of the corps. Fadeyi disclosed that the suspect was arrested on Aug. 26, in connection with an attempt to vandalise a pipeline of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) at the tank farm in Calabar. He also disclosed that the suspect was the security personnel of the moribund tank farm, owned by Mettle Energy and Gas, where the pipeline was connected to. He explained that the suspect was arrested by his men on surveillance patrol alongside the maintenance unit of Latee Jay company, a private outfit involved in the monitoring of pipelines in the state. According to him, during the surveillance, they noticed a small collapse hole around the area, suggesting that there was a pit

Yesterday at the Vatican, Peter Okpalaeke, Bishop of Ekwulobia, was installed as a Cardinal of the Catholic Church by Pope Francis.  That effectively made him a Prince of the Global Catholic Church and one of the few who take part in the conclave that produces a new Pope.  He is the 5th Nigerian ever to become a Cardinal. The first 4 were Cardinals Dominic Ekandem (late), Francis Arinze, Anthony Okogie and John Onaiyekan.  Peter Okpalaeke, from Anambra State, was named Bishop of Ahiara Diocese in Imo State, some couple of years ago.  His appointment was flatly rejected by the Mbaise Catholic Community who make up that Diocese.  It was an unprecedented and open challenge to the authority of the Pope as the Mbaise Catholic Community put their feet down and insisted that a son of their Diocese be made their Bishop or someone from the Owerri Ecclesiastical Province. According to them, they would not accept any person from the old Onitsha Archdiocese as their Bishop in what they described a

   Boki born Decency Nkyiji Tom-Onabe has won the maiden edition of little Miss Cross River pageantry contest held at the Etaval hotel in Calabar. The maiden event was organized by Amolife entertainment. Decency defeated 11 others to emerge the winner after several rounds of contest which included; cultural dressing/display, intelligent quotient and public speaking. The 7-year-old Decency won the crown as the most outstanding queen of the contest. Aside the crown, she also got a cash prize, a school bag and a set of lunch box. She will also be representing Cross River in Little Miss Nigeria by November. Decency is a Primary Four pupil of Prof. Florence Banku Obi Academy. Interestingly, she won the 1st Miss Florence Obi Academy Beauty Contest and only handed over the crown on July 26th after her one year reign. No doubt, Decency can best be described as a “Queen with beauty and brain”. During the contest, even when the adult audience protested that the question asked were way beyond the

 The Executive Chairman of the EFCC Abdulrasheed Bawa has charged political parties in the country to ensure that the 2023 general election is free and fair.   Bawa made the appeal today, August 24, 2022 when he received a delegation from the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria, led by its Chairman, Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sani at the EFCC headquarters, Jabi, Abuja. The EFCC Chairman who spoke through the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. George Ekpungu, noted that the visit underscores the importance which the EFCC and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians attach to political parties, especially as the 2023 general election approaches. “We need political parties to work in ensuring that the forthcoming general election is free, fair and credible,” he said. He advised the political parties to strengthen their internal democracy, shun godfatherism and ensure that the process of leadership selection is credible. For details of this and other stories visit our website: www.efcc.gov.ng

  By Onigah Joseph Whenever a new administration comes into power, expectations are usually high because it is expected to right the wrongs of the previous administration and reposition it for effective service and delivery. Owing to these high expectations, people often than not set an agenda for a new administration all in a bid to ensure it hits the ground running and effects necessary changes within the shortest possible time. While some administrations are phenomenal from inception, others take time to fully settle before delivering on the much-needed change craved for by the people. Upon assumption of office in December 2020,  the quintessential first female and eleventh Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof Florence Banku Obi hit the ground running in a grand style.  It is trite that everything rises and falls on leadership. Despite assuming office at a time the world was ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic, Prof Obi's achievements are monumentally phenomenal in al

APC Cross River South Senatorial Candidate, Asuquo Ekpenyong has accepted the Campaign Secretariat donated by Friends of Suki to serve as a central coordinating point for Calabar South LGA. The Senatorial Candidate who visited the secretariat located at Calabar Road immediately he arrived Calabar assured the donors of utilizing the place for his Campaign activities. The group which describes Asuquo Ekpenyong as highly qualified and competent for the job, pointed out that his vast experience in the private sector, as a successful businessman and an entrepreneur of repute stands him out and makes him the candidate to beat, adding that he will not only sustain the legacies of Cross River State South in the national and state space, but will also improved on them. Asuquo Ekpenyong who described the gesture as unprecedented and thoughtful at a time he was searching for a place to house his Calabar South Campaign Office. He called on party members in the Senatorial District to rise up and en

   The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), has exonerated Mrs Alami Frank Ayade, from any involvement with one Barrister Pascal Aboh, who was said to have allegedly sat for the Nigerian Bar Examination for the Cross River State Governor’s in-law. In a suit marked FCT/BW/CR/35/22, Idoko Odeh and Barrister Paschal Bekongfe Aboh, were mentioned as 1st and 2nd defendants respectively, with five count charge, bothering on criminal conspiracy, forgery and impersonation. Recall that it was reported that Barr Aboh, a suspended law lecturer at the university of calabar, was nabbed and arrested for allegedly impersonating and re-sitting an exam for a student at the Nigerian Law School in Bwari, Abuja A source had claimed that the student was Mrs Alami Ayade, the sister in-law to the Cross River state governor, Ben Ayade. Alami, however denied any involvement with the defendants, noting that she sat for her law school examination, which was held in May 2022, from the start to finish. Gladly

The Cross River State Governor, Senator Ben Ayade is set to be Honoured as Cross River State emerges the best immunization-compliant state in South-South Nigeria after a thorough assessment conducted by both local and international health partners through 2022. The award which is to encourage state governments, health agencies, and the private sector to support Immunization in their respective states is being supervised by a team of a private and in-corruptible panel of judges using various variances yearly. This year's award comes with some prestige as Cross River State did not only emerge best-performing state in the covid-19 S.C.A.L.E 1.0 exercise but also emerged as the best performing in the S.C.A.L.E 2.0 and is currently in a good position for the latest launched S.CA.L.E 3.0 Some of the yardsticks for assessment Includes Immunization compliance, accurate vaccination records, vaccine storage, potency check, hard-to-reach areas coverage, outreach, special intervention strategi

  Friends of Suki, Southern Senatorial District  have donated a magnificent edifice to serve as a Campaign office for the Cross River South APC Senatorial Candidate, Asuquo Ekpenyong in Calabar Road just after the Watt Roundabout, Calabar South LGA. Reacting to the gesture, the former Commissioner for Finance disclosed that he is just hearing it for the first time as he was yet to visit the place. He commended the initiators for their support and vowed to make good use of the place especially as the electioneering activities is gearing up momentum. On ground to witness the edifice were Chairman of Odukpani LGA, Hon Justina Edem,  Chief Asuquo Asibong (SABATA), former Chairman Calabar South Security Committee, Prince Eyo Ita, Special Adviser Public Affairs and Charles Ekanem, Special Assistant Public Infrastructure among others. #The Standard Media.

  It was an evening of pomp and pageantry as the Speaker, Cross River State State House of Assembly and APC Senatorial Candidate, Central Senatorial District of Cross River State, Rt. Hon. Eteng Jonah Williams received the Democracy Heroes Award Africa as the Best Speaker of the Year 2022 at the awards ceremony held at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja on the 18th of August 2023. The Democracy Heroes Awards which also celebrated its 10th anniversary is held annually to recognize leaders who have upheld the ethos of democracy in their nation and across Africa.  Speaker Eteng Williams was nominated alongside other Speakers of State Assemblies from Lagos State, Delta State, and Kano State where he emerged the winner after voting by the general public and was presented a certificate of nomination by the organizers last month in Abuja. The Award was presented to the representative of the Speaker in recognition of his outstanding performance in the legislature. It's worthy of

The 2022 New Yam celebration of the Boki nation may have come and gone, but the worthy memories will leave for a long time. For years, Boki 2 State Constituency was under siege by a militia group that held the constituency to ransome. This militia group reigned in Boki 2 for years, branding AK47, cutlasses and other weapons to deter whoever stood against them. They killed innocent citizens, sent some on exile, burnt down houses, left others with amputated legs and hands while some traditional chiefs were dethroned and their loyalist installed. The activities of this sect could not allow for any major gathering within the constituency, people were afraid to assembly in large numbers, night life and social activities were also lost. The media space was saturated with with too many gory pictures and negative stories emanating from the deadly activities of this then militia sect. But, he who kills by the sword, dies by the sword, hence the kingpin and his lieutenant were killed like cockro

  Youths under the aegis of "Akpabuyo Youth Agenda" have described the APC Senatorial candidate for Cross River Southern Senatorial district Mr Asuquo Ekpenyong as "a big friend and brother who has always been there for us" The youth body hailed Ekpenyong's contribution to the fight against kidnapping and other social vices in the local government area.  Speaking on a weekly radio program monitored on sparkling FM Calabar, the president of the association, Mr Cyril Bassey Effiong commended the former Cross River state Commission for Finance for always coming to their aid on matters of security whenever he is called upon.  "We the youths of Akpabuyo have woken from our slumber and we have put ourselves together to complement the efforts of government and the security agencies to ensure peace in our local government area," Effiong said. He stated that the APC senatorial candidate has been unrelenting in this regard. According to Effiong, "I would li

1. At 14, they are the fine sweet teens. 2. At 16, they wanna roll with older ones. It's fun being the new hottie in the group. 3. At 18, they probably have had 1st sex. They cling to this one guy & talk all about how they won't leave the guy. 4. At 20, they might be at the University. They make new male friends & slowly lose interest in the former guy. 5. At 22, they make friends with girls who wear more expensive clothes & who also date expensive guys. These set of girls use porsh phones, so they get intimidated & need to join the elite school girls league. 6. At 24, they are now porsh! They now roll with rich male friends who they scam & take money from for mere sex. At this point, if a random guy chats her up, she might snub! If you ask her phone number, she makes you feel like a stalker. They prefer guys who actually want to spend a fortune on them. 7. At 26, the trend continues...fun, porsh & money remains the keywords because she has changed her m

  Nigerian politicians are truly heartless and mindless. I just watched the Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu on TV yesterday night instigating Nigerian students to take ASUU to court and claim damages for 'wasting their time'. He also informed his listeners that the federal government will not pay the 6 months salary arrears that has accrued to ASUU members as a result of the ongoing strike action.  I have been convinced over the years that the greatest challenge of the fledgling Nigerian state is the type of poor political leadership it has been infested with over the years. Leadership requires a high level of intellectual excellence and know-how. Our present crop of leaders have a strong imbecilic intellectual disposition. In saner climes Adamu Adamu should have resigned long ago as Minister of Education for his inability to resolve the crisis in the University system which has lasted up to 6 months now and counting. His poor and jaundiced brain will not allow him to

In fulfillment of her burning desire and passion to advance the interest of women, National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress APC, Dr. Betta Edu accompanied by hundreds of  APC women embarked on a medical rescue mission to the National hospital, Abuja.  In a statement by the Special Adviser to the National Women Leader on Political Matters, Seun Bosede Osamaye, the medical intervention is to reach out to women in a show of love and support. More than 100 women and children in various wards of the National hospital were direct beneficiaries of this financial support to offset  hospital bills for women and children who are unable to pay their hospital bills. Dr Betta Edu who visited the hospital with her team was able to take up most of the bills  "This gesture is born  out of APC national women's wings desire to keep the social contract between the party and Nigerian woman.. "This gesture is to show support for women and encourage them to mobilize support for t

  Secretary to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Dr George Ekpungu, has said that the activities of deforestation in Boki local government area have destroyed 75 per cent of forests in the area. Ekpungu said this on Wednesday in Boki local government area while presenting a paper at the 4th edition of the “Ochibe Banyinyi Bokyi home coming”, known as the general meeting of the Boki women worldwide. Ekpungu was represented at the occasion by Mr George Odok Jnr. Ochibe Banyinyi Bokyi is the home coming of Boki women to deliberate on their affairs and chart a way forward for the development of women in the area. The 2022 theme of the occasion was “Ochibe Banyinyi Bokyi; Our Culture Our Heritage: The Role of Women. He said that there were allegations that some highly connected timber cartels with the active collaborators of Boki sons in business and government were brazenly razing down the forests reserve. “It is important to use this forum to bring to the limelight ongoing defores

  Secretary to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dr George Abang Ekpungu, has called on beneficiaries of the East/West road in Boki local government area of Cross River to interrogate the contractors of the project. He said that the the delay in the completion of Boki East/West Road with confirmed release of about 80% of contract sum to Boki sons should attract interrogation by the beneficiaries of the road. According to him, It is not just about functionality of institutions but the active participation of the citizens. The EFCC Secretary made the call during a paper  presentation at the Ochibe Banyinyi Bokyi 4th Annual Home Coming Themed: Ochibe Banyinyi Bokyi; Our Culture Our Heritage: The Role of Women, held at Nsadop community in Boki LGA, Cross River. INTRODUCTION  Banyinyi Bokyi, asama, agafuo, bachi, osowo ojuareben kangkang.  This invitation is most gratifying to me for good reasons. First, is the discovery that our women, as custodians of our core values, a