News
Flood: RSG Predicts Hard Time
The Rivers State Government says, the state is in for a hard
time as flood continue to ravage some communities in the state.
Commissioner for Environment Dr. Nyema Weli who said this at
the weekend while addressing newsmen during this month’s environmental
sanitation exercise also said that government is helpless in keeping away the
water from submerging the communities.
He however said that gov ernment would continue to advise the
people in the impacted areas to move to higher grounds for their safety, while
efforts would be made to provide the needed assistance to them.
“We would be educating them on measures they can take to
help themselves, in addition to whatever help that is coming from government.
“I want to use this medium to communicate to our people that
the flooding season is not over, first thing you must do, is to make sure you
and your family evacuate and go to a higher ground, where it is safe for you”,
he said.
Meanwhile the Rivers State Ministry of environment says, the
state environmental sanitation Authority has no power to issue exemption letter
to anybody during sanitation exercise.
Speaking against the background of claims by some company
drivers especially from Onne axis, that
they have been exempted from the exercise the commissioner said that
such exemption letter must emanate from the ministry of Environment.
He also deplored the attitude of some secretary officials
particularly the police for violating sanitation rules, staressing that such
situation is not in the interest of the state.
Dr. Weli however said that the state would soon come up with
a legal fromeword that would check all unwholesome activities during sanitation
exercise.
The chairman Eleme local government area, Hon. Orji Ngofah
said that the council is working hard to ensure cleanliness in the area 33
persons were arrested during he exercise.
Following the ungoing flooding sweeping across the state,
the people of Enughan in the Abual/Odual local government area of the state has
lost their farms to the flooding.
Investigations revealed that all the communities that make
up Enughan Clan were now into forced harvesting of Cassava, yams and other farm
produce.
Beginning from Okoboh, Emabu, Obarany,Emesu, Egunughan,
Aminighoko and Owerewere, farmers were seen paddling canoes full of farm
produce.
A cross Section of
the farmers spoken to said in times past, they had time to harvest their
produce at their own pace, but now the reverse is the case.
He said most of them lost substantial parts of their farms
to the flood due to the speed with which the water was moving.
According to the Community Development Committee chairman of
Aminigboko, Mr. Chukwudi Georgewill, “hard times awaits the people” because
they have harvested and even lost a lot of farmlands and crops to the flood.
King Osila
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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