The Empire Naija

  By Edet Okpo  Major Stakeholders and political heavyweights across Akwa Ibom South (Eket) Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State have applauded the Chairman, Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, Senator Ekong Sampson, for disbursing ₦100 million in educational grants to 500 students and selected  teachers drawn from the 12 local government areas of the district. The event, held on Monday, December 1, 2025, at the senator’s constituency office in Eket, was described as historic and symbolic, the first of its kind in the history Of Representation in the Senatorial District. Each beneficiary Of the grant received not less than ₦200,000 under the Ekong Sampson Empowerment Programme (ESEP). Former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Barr. Bassey Dan Abia, who chaired the occasion, praised Senator Sampson for what he termed a “whopping and unprecedented” investment in education, describing the lawmaker as “the pride of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial...

  By Asuquo Edem  In what forms part of a series of ongoing engagements aimed at properly sensitizing citizens on Nigeria’s new tax reforms, the Akwa Ibom Internal Revenue Service (AKIRS) on Wednesday held another extensive interface with professional bodies and business associations in Uyo. The session, which took place at the ICT Conference Room of the Accountant-General’s Office, brought together representatives of key groups as preparations intensify for the commencement of the new tax regime on January 1, 2026. The meeting drew participants from core professional bodies including the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN). Also present were associations of private schools owners, community pharmacists, private medical practitioners, and other business groups. Addressing the gathering, the Executive Chairman of AKIRS...

  The South-South Development Commission (SSDC) has strengthened its push for accelerated regional development after a high-level engagement with the Dangote Group culminated in major commitments on investment, energy expansion and youth training. The two-day working visit, led by SSDC Managing Director Ms. Usoro Akpabio, featured an extensive tour of the multibillion-dollar Dangote Refinery complex in Lagos over the weekend. Welcoming the delegation, President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, pledged deeper involvement in the South-South region, announcing that plans were already underway to establish a stronger operational presence across the six states. Dangote also said the Group would scale up training opportunities for young people from the region, equipping them with globally competitive technical skills that could secure high-value employment both locally and overseas. He noted that such skills export would contribute significantly to national development through...

By Asuquo Eden At least 50 items have been exempted from tax under the New Tax Acts which is billed for implementation from January 1, 2026. This is to boost economic growth and development as it will attract more persons and investors into business, ease pressure on individuals and open up the space for SMEs. Some of the exempted items include basic needs and services like food, education, health and pharmaceutical material, diesel, petrol, and solar power equipment, transportation, agricultural products, etc. Also, individuals earning less than 1 million annually;  While addressing journalists recently at Press Centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Uyo, the Executive Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service (AKIRS), Mr. Okon Okon, lent voice to this positive development, noting that the New Tax Acts was designed to relieve Nigerians of many burdens while giving incentives for robust economic activities. Okon, a Member of the Presidential Committee on Fi...

  By Asuquo Edem Worried by the resultant effect caused by the inferno and the plight of affected traders of Ikot Expene Main Market, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has called on the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to immediately assess the damage and provide relief materials to assuage the conditions of affected traders. The Speaker, Elder Udeme Otong who prisided over Plenary mandated the Clerk, Mrs. Nsikak Orok, to officially notify SEMA through the Office of the Deputy Governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi. The directive followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. Jerry Otu, member representing Ikot Ekpene/Obot Akara State Constituency. Hon. Otu while presenting a Matter of Urgent Public importance before the House, described the incident as a crippling blow to hundreds of traders, many of whom had stocked goods on loan ahead of the Christmas season. He appealed for prompt intervention to cushion the impact and restore the livelihoo...

  By Asuquo Edem  Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly today rejected a motion brought before it by the member representing Etinan State Constituency, Hon. Uduak Ekpoufot. The motion presented before the House seeks to discontinue the consumption and sale of dog meat in Akwa Ibom State has failed to scale through the floor of the State House of Assembly after it received no seconder during plenary. Hon. M Ekpoufot, raised strong concerns over the inhumane slaughter of dogs, the unhygienic conditions involved, and the serious public-health risks associated with dog-meat consumption. He argued that the methods used to kill dogs were cruel, often involving strangulation, blunt-force trauma, or repeated blows, leading to severe animal suffering. The lawmaker further warned that poorly processed dog meat exposes consumers to dangerous pathogens such as rabies, salmonella, trichinella and other parasites, stressing that the practice has been banned in several countries due to safety co...

  By Edet OKPO  Driven by his unwavering commitment to place education as one of the major focal points of his quality representation in the red chamber of the National Assembly; his huge investment in the sector and his sustained efforts in boosting human capital development, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Solid Minerals and Senator representing Akwa Ibom South ( Eket) Senatorial District in the National Assembly ( Senate), Senator Ekong Sampson, on Monday, December 1, 2025, disbursed the sum of (100, 000, 000), One Hundred Million Naira to about 500 Students and Teachers drawn from the 12 local government areas of Akwa Ibom South (Eket) Senatorial District, with each beneficiary collecting not less than #200,000 ( Two Hundred Thousand Naira) Only.  In a well attended ceremony which took place at the Senator's Constituency Office in Eket, stakeholders at the event who described the gesture by the senator as symbolic, first in the history of representation in the...