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Healthcare Delivery: Mrs Wike Seeks PPP For Dev
Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike has called for public-private partnership in the health sector to ensure that more people have access to quality healthcare facilities and fast-track development in the state.
Justice Nyesom-Wike also advised women to submit themselves for early screening for breast cancer, pointing out that successful treatment depends on early detection.
She spoke, yesterday, at the Christ Church, Port Harcourt, after she commissioned the Mammogram Centre built by the Christ Church Women’s League.
She explained that the administration of Governor Nyesom Wike has invested in the development of the health sector, but added that private sector participation was required to cover more grounds.
The wife of the Rivers State governor commended the women’s league for investing in the provision of a mammogram to help in the early detection of breast cancer.
While calling on other public spirited organisations to emulate the women’s league of the Christ Church, Justice Nyesom-Wike, urged the operators of the facility to be professional and humane in the way they carry out their functions.
“With this intervention, women in Rivers State now have another facility where they can be screened for breast cancer. I call on women to avail themselves of this opportunity to screen themselves for breast cancer”, she said.
She called for the location of a federal cancer treatment centre in Port Harcourt, as the three existing cancer treatment facilities are located in the the South-West and North-West geo-political zones of the country.
Also speaking, the state Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo said the Wike administration has been committed to the welfare of the people through the provision of basic amenities.
In his sermon, Prelate of the Methodist Church, Most Reverend Samuel Kanu Uche, urged government officials to always work to promote the wellbeing of the less privileged.
The commissioning of the mammogram centre by Justice Nyesom-Wike was attended by the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Most Reverend Samuel Kanu Uche, Primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh, Anglican Archbishop of Niger Delta Province, Most Reverend Ignatius Kattey, commissioners and special adviser of the Rivers State Government.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.