Rivers
Peace C’ttee Raises Alarm Over Insecurity In Community
The Peace, Reconciliation and Rehabilitation Committee set up by Eze (Dr.) Felix Enene Otuwarikpo, Eze Igbu Upata III to reconcile aggrieved groups in Ula Ikata community in Ahoada East Local Government Area, Rivers State has raised alarm over the massive destruction in the community.
The committee lamented that the incessant killings and destruction of lives and property in the community had created a 35 year retrogression of development.
The Chairman of the committee, Dr. Chigozie Edward-Odoi who visited the community with other members of the committee, condemned the perpetrators of the violence that killed over 20 persons and destroyed the entire community.
Edward-Odoi bemoaned the carnage. “As I stand here, Ula Ikata people have no ancestral home. They killed children, old and young men and women and went on to destroy every building including churches and shrines. There is no human being in this village”,he noted angrily.
Describing the situation as a major setback especially as hired mercenaries sacked the people and took over the place as their hideout, he questioned why the hoodlums refused to take advantage of the state government’s amnesty to turn a new leaf.
He commended Eze Otuwarikpo for his bold peace efforts, expressing anger on what he termed “senseless adventure” that has reduced the community to rubbles.
He appealed to non-governmental organizations, National Emergency Relief Agency (NEMA), United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNICEF), local authorities and Governor Nyesom Wike to back the peace initiative of the Igbu Upata monarch.
He however advised indigenes of the village to accept the peace now offered by Eze Otuwarikpo, warning against further escalation of violence.
Edward-odoi further urged the people to always be vigilant and report suspicions to appropriate authorities, even as he stressed the need for them to build synergy among themselves.
In his remark during the committee’s boundary tour of the community,a member of the committee, HRH Kelvin Anugwo called for collaboration in efforts to rebuild the community, saying that the worst affected victims of the crisis are the children who are traumatized and are no longer in school.
Anugwo who decried the total destructions caused by the crisis, pleaded on well placed Nigerians, groups and governments to rally round in support of Eze Otuwarikpo by providing relief materials,shelter,food,building materials to enable the people come back home.
Recall that the Ula Ikata once a peaceful community was plunged into violent land tussle. The people are now refugees scattered in neighboring communities but the emergence of Eze Otuwarikpo as Eze Igbu Upata seem to have given the people hope for early return of peace.
On ascension to the throne,Eze Otuwarikpo inaugurated a special committee to among other things reconcile and rehabilitate indigenes of the crisis ravaged community. The committee members while on tour of the village,made their way through overgrown weeds that hitherto was paved pathway.
Rivers
PH Airport Users Lament Deteriorating Facilities
Users of Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa have decried continuous deterioration of facilities at the airport, saying that rather than improving, such facilities are deteriorating continuously.
Some of the airport users who interacted with The Tide on the matter pointed out that the state of some facilities like electricity at the airport, network of announcement, access to banking and access road network among others have seriously gone down.
Reacting to the situation while interacting with The Tide, a protocol officer with one of the multinational oil firms in Port Harcourt, Julius Nwoye said rather than improving, the state of electricity at the airport currently, is downwardly unimaginable.
According to him, an international airport like the Port Harcourt Airport, ought not to be experiencing continuous epileptic power supply, because of the business activities being undertaken.
“ For over six years, I have been in this airport, I have not witnessed this kind of situation where there will be outage of power every now and then, some time, up to three hours almost every day, since late 2023 till now, that is what have been experiencing here.
“ Before now, you will hear flights announcement at the VIP lounge, as well as at the Genesis Fast Food, and even at the car hires office, but now, even the announcement at the terminal building is not loud enough, and nothing is being done about it, and this is not so in other major airports in this country”, he lamented.
On his assessment, Mr Tonye Dokubo, a travel agent at the airport lamented over the state of banking at the airport, stressing that the UBA is now the only bank operating at the Port Harcourt airport.
According to him, there were four banks operating at the airport, but that the new tax regime has pushed them out of the airport, as well as other business outfits that have left the airport because of high taxation and rental charges.
Dokubo also lamented that the service being rendered by only UBA, is not enough for the entire airport, as compared to the volume of users, like other major airports in Nigeria, and urged the authorities to take urgent steps to address the setbacks.
Currently also, access to food and drinks has become difficult at the airport, as users are compelled to trek some distance to get them, as the management had ordered total relocation of the vendors, and this has forced prices of things higher.
Meanwhile, several efforts were made by aviation correspondents to speak with the Airport Manager, Michael Arewa on these issues, but he has repeatedly shown no interest to speak with the press.
By: Corlins Walter
Rivers
Indorama’s Jossy Nkwocha Wins Environmental Sustainability Award
Group Head of Corporate Communications at Indorama-Nigeria, owners of Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals and Fertiliser group, Dr Jossy Nkwocha has won the maiden Distinguished Spokesperson’s Award in Environmental Sustainability.
At the International Conference Centre, Abuja, he was announced as winner of the Award among three finalists from other organisations in Nigeria. He was thereafter presented a gold-plated, plaque and a certificate.
Dr Nkwocha also emerged finalist in Oil and Gas category.
The Award ceremony marked the end of a three-day National Spokespersons’ Summit organised by the Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), which was declared open by the Vice President, Alhaji Ibrahim Shetima.
Various resource persons from abroad and Nigeria, all of whom were former spokespersons in the public and private sectors shared their practical experiences and perspectives in the art and science of being a spokesperson especially in crisis communication, stakeholder engagement, among others.
President of NIPR, Dr Ike Neliaku said the 17 Awards categories were instituted to encourage Spokespersons in government and corporate organisations to be professional, responsive, ethical and creative in their Spokesperson’s roles and responsibilities to achieve impactful result.
“This healthy competition will produce impactful results,” he said.
Dr Nkwocha’s entry for the Award was how he and his team deployed the tool of stakeholder engagement to eliminate the false narrative that Indorama-Nigeria’s Petrochemicals and fertiliser operations were emitting soot in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The professional handling of the issue showed all the journalists, radio on-air personalities, the academics, professional bodies and concerned NGOs that Indoram’s operations were green and the company is environment friendly and environmentally sustainable.
Dr Nkwocha dedicated the prestigious award to his team members and management of the petrochemicals and fertiliser group.
Rivers
PH NiMECHE Inaugurates 9th Executive
The Port Harcourt Chapter of the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Enginers (NIMECHE) has inaugurated its nineth Executives with Engr Promise Jumbo as Chairman.
The investiture ceremony which took place in Port Harcourt has as its theme,” Challenges of Mechanical Equipment Maintenance and Abandonment in Nigeria”.
National Chairman of NiMECHE, Engr. Alhassan Muhammed praised the Port Harcourt Chapter of the body for contributing towards the growth of the institution in the country.
According to Engr Muhammad, who was chairman of the investiture ceremony, NiMECHE in Port Harcourt was a beacon of excellence as far as the institution was concerned.
Represented by Engr Dan Entire, he said the ceremony represents the transfer of responsibilities and charged the new executive to put in place measures that will further advance the interest of mechanical engineering in the region.
Also speaking chairperson of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Port Harcourt, Engr (Mrs) Idaeresoari Harriet Ateke said the event signified a major milestone in the growth of the institution not only in Rivers state but across the country.
While urging for full support to the new executive, the NSE chairperson expressed confidence in the ability of the new executive to take NiMECHE to greater height.
She also described the theme as apt, and urged them to put in place programms that will improve mechanical engineering contributions to Nigeria’s transformation.
In his inaugural address, NiMECHE new chairman Engr Dr promise Jumbo said the chapter is poised to distinguish itself as the best in the country.
“As a professional institution, our focus is to distinguish ourselves and be outstanding in our operations.
“We will strive to surpass the achievements of our predecessors and creat new heights for those coming after us to also surpass us”.
He said the institution will maintain cordial relationship with others, particularly the Nigerian Society of Engineers Port Harcourt branch, relevant Government Agencies and Allied Industries.
Jumbo said the chapter will carry out activities that will impact positively on the professional wellbeing of members and as well provide quality mentorship for the young professionals.
He also said the impact of NiMECHE is already being felt across the state as the institution had in the recent past embarked on career talks to schools and institutions as a way of giving back to the society.
The event was attended by people from all walks of life.
By: John Bibor
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