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Violence Against Women: Banigo Urges Synergy
Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs) Ipalibo Harry Banigo has charged stakeholders in the women and children affairs to step up awareness on the issue of gender based violence against women in the state.
Dr. Banigo stated this at a stakeholders meeting held at her instance in Government House, Port Harcourt, on how to reduce the prevalence of cases of gender violence against women and stigmatization.
The Deputy Governor explained that the interactive meeting was to proffer solution on how to bring help and hope to those abused in different forms with a view to ameliorating their predicament.
She further noted that the forum afforded Stakeholders the opportunity to appreciate what each Ministry and Organization are doing and how to harmonize issues of public enlightenment and enforcement of existing legislation.
“The issue of gender base violence is huge and over- whelming. I want us to come together and see how best to salvage the situation because it is so bad. It is happening before our own eyes and we have to do something about it”. She stated.
Dr. Banigo lauded the various Organisations for working in different ways to reduce the menace of violence against women and children, adding that the coordinated involvement of the State Government would bring succour to the communities.
In their separate presentations, the immediate past President of Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Rivers State branch, Dr. Adebiyi Obelebra, Field Coordinator, Doctors without Borders, Dr. Imri Schattmez and FIDA representative, Ms. Enelusace Dan-Jumbo, said 332 cases of violence against women were reported between February and November 2015 in the state.
They noted that several cases of gender abuse are not being reported because of the culture of silence, feeling of guilt and stigmatization, and called for appropriate punishment for the perpetrators of violence against women and children.
High point of the meeting was the setting up of a three man Committee made up of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Special Adviser, Legal to the Deputy Governor and a representative of the World Health Organization to produce a communiqué that would form the basis for actualising the action plan.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Deputy Governor has felicitated with the sole Administrator of Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) and Chairman of the State People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Bro. Felix Obuah on his birthday anniversary.
Dr. Banigo, In a statement by her Press secretary, Paul Damgbor said Bro. Obuah has impacted many lives even before his political exploits in the State Stressing that his nickname ’’GO ROUND” was a true reflection of his gregarious, transparent and wide acceptance by the people.
The Deputy Governor lauded Bro. Obuah for redeeming the Party image and sanitising the state from the environmental mess and financial burden left behind by the previous administration who refused to pay refuse contractors for about 3 months and prayed God to continue to grant him good health and wisdom to serve humanity.
She urged Rivers people to support the RIWAMA boss in the renewed move by the state government to restore the glory of PH as the Garden city of Nigeria by keeping their environment clean always.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, Mrs. Caroline Wali has called on the citizens of Etche, Omuma, Okrika and Ogu-Bolo Local Government Areas to take advantage of the week long Mass Administration of Medicine (MAM) as Preventive Chemotheraphy for Soil Transmitted Helminths (Intestinal Worms) and Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis) in these L. G. As.
The MAM exercise which is done in collaboration with the World Health Organization, (WHO) is for all residents of these areas from Five years and above.
According to the Permanent Secretary, the Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) which is on-going in these LGAs is important as the de-worming of citizens is the first step towards breaking the transmission of these neglected tropical diseases in the State.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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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
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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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