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The 13th floor incarnate

  By Edidiong Udobia Triskaidekaphobia is the fear, hate, or dislike of the number thirteen (13). There are different stories about number 13 with attendant superstitions, which although not proven, have gained wide acceptance in many countries like the United States. One of such superstitions is the legend of the 13th floor. From my little research, I learnt that in the affected countries, the number 13 is considered unlucky, so most superstitious building owners purposefully omit a floor numbered 13. However, the fact that building/hotel owners deliberately refuse to number…

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Christmas In A’ Ibom: The Optimism & Hope

    By Samuel Ayara     Nothing excites more about the last quarter of the year than the expectation of Christmas. Sadly too, nothing gets people into more trouble than the vain attempt to launch a spend thrift in a bid to get the best out of the Santa Clause season as the rest of the world gets in a haste, trying to catch up with the frenzy it offers. The heartaches and sad memories that are often the resultant factors in the haste of these last days of…

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URUAN AND THE NEW DEAL

    By Joe Iniodu       The Udom administration has instituted and commenced a comprehensive process to change  the transportation narrative of the people of Uruan Local Government through the construction of roads totaling about 53 kilometers and cutting across major economic hubs within the local government as well as providing access to the largely agrarian settlement which is bounded by Uyo, Itu, Nsit Atai and Okobo Local Government Areas.   It goes without disputing that as a local government area, Uruan has for long been enmeshed in…

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Syringe, Meter Factories: Good Tales Coming Out Of Akwa Ibom

By Kirk Leigh Two pleasant but unexpected stories from Akwa Ibom dominated the media last week; one was that the South South State has built the largest Syringe factory in Africa and the other is that it has also built an electricity  meters factory. Both factories are dead on point in terms of national need and viability. This is the way all states should go if the idea of non viable states will be a thing of the past. Reports from the state, which will celebrate 30 years of its…

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#USOROUSO: REVIVING NIGERIA’S CONTEMPORARY ARTS

In bygone years, Nigeria was an epicenter of contemporary artworks. Works of arts such as pottery, paintings, carvings, textile production, sculptures and crafts formed an integral part of the society. Artists were revered in the polity even as their artworks enjoyed patronage locally and internationally. The waning commitment by relevant authorities in reviving the sector coupled with the populace’s seeming disinterest in promoting culture have pushed work of arts towards extinction. However, against the run of play, the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Culture and Tourism has been exploring and…

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AKWA IBOM, NDDC AND THE MONGOL WATER PUMP

This NDDC brouhaha is like a fairy tale without a happy ending. Let me tell you of a Mongol development story that went wrong. A certain mountain tribe in the Mongol who lived in tents would send their children many distances down the hill to fetch water from the spring. Then came a development union who put a water pump on the hill and they could have water. A month after the Mongol community has removed the pumps themselves. On research it was discovered that the down and uphill movement…

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SAI BUHARI- THE END

I want to tell you a very short story. Before then, let me ask us a weird question. Is President Muhammadu Buhari dead? It is apparent our President went to London, like most of our power elites do, for fear that, Nigerian hospitals, even that Aso Rock Clinic with billions voted to it annually, will not save his life. But Mr Death is everywhere and though I don’t wish anyman, not even our President dead, facts we can’t change remain sacrosanct. Death is everywhere. Ok! I will shortly tell the…

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