Business
Firm Organises Free Healthcare Services In Rivers Community
As part of efforts to promote healthy living in its host and neighbouring communities, oil giant, Total E&P has kicked off a one week free health care programme in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The well attended event which held at the Opobo General Hospital last Wednesday, as part the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was graced by the Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Royal Majesty King Dandeson Douglas-Jaja, who is also the Amayanabo of Opobo Kingdom.
The Deputy Managing Director, Port Harcourt District of Total, Mr. Francois Le-Cocq, in his keynote address at the third day of the week-long mass free medical service for the company’s offshore neighbouring communities of Opobo and Nkoro, revealed that it was the first time the life-saving medical outreach was holding in the local government area.
Le-Cocq, who was represented by Total’s Community Affairs Manager, Offshore, Okechukwu Obara, said: “As a company, Total E&P Nigeria Limited, shares in the universal saying that healthy people make a wealthy nation.
He said:, “We are sustaining the noble efforts of the joint venture to reach out to the critical needs of our people and support both preventive and curative healthcare delivery policies and programmes of government, despite the challenging business environment.
“After two days of this programme, available statistics indicate that 450 patients have so far been attended to. 85 were pediatric cases, 112 ophthalmological, four ante-natal cases, while four patients have already undergone successful surgeries, while others are awaiting further review, preparatory for surgery. The figures will rise as the days go by, which is a testimony that the programme is very popular and it is highly patronised by the people.
The deputy managing director also hailed the joint venture partner, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), for the continuous support, and thanked the Rivers State government for approving the team of medical personnel and volunteering its facility for the programme, while commending other partners for the success of the event.
Le-Cocq further said that in order to have healthy citizenry, other oil companies, multinationals and other critical stakeholders should emulate Total, since a stitch in time saves nine.
In his welcome address, Chairman of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Community Representative, Alabo Godwin Bupo, disclosed that many development projects by Total were ongoing in the area, while expressing gratitude to the oil giant.
Also speaking, the Programme Facilitator, Dr. Daniel Onyetulem, stated that he had passion for saving lives and medical missions, after he saved an eight-year-old boy, who was diagnosed of Typhoid fever perforation and at the point of death, but with poor parents who could not afford the bill, many years ago at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, making him to donate blood to save the life of the patient.
Onyetulem said: “One of the major challenges of people not going to hospitals for treatment is because they could not afford the bills. The Opobo medical mission is coming at the right time, as the patients are leaving happier than they came.
“Unwanted pregnancies, rape cases and substance abuse are rampant in this area and other parts of Rivers State, and they must be quickly addressed, especially by creating awareness through continuous campaigns.”
The medical doctor also lauded the oil giant for the initiative and people of Opobo for the cooperation and warm reception.
The Opobo first class monarch who was represented by the Vice-Chairman of Opobo Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Alabo Princewill Dappa, in his goodwill message on the occasion, urged the people not to be careless with their health.
King Jaja stated that health should be taken seriously by people, in order to live longer, thereby meaningfully contributing for societal development.
The Opobo king also urged the oil giant to extend the programme to other communities in the area, while lauding Total for the initiative and thanked the volunteers for attending to the people, thereby making the programme to be a blessing to many persons.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Rosemary Wilcox, said: “The free health programme is very encouraging. It is timely and good for many of us who do not have money to go to the hospitals for check-up or treatment of various ailments, but we are being treated free of charge and given free drugs, including surgeries for critical cases.”
Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro local government council, Eugene Joseph Oko-Jaja, in his goodwill message, pleaded with Total to consider for employment opportunities, the teeming qualified youths of the area, who he said were currently jobless and hungry.
Oko-Jaja, who was represented by a top official of the council, Francis Allison, called on Total to make the free health programme an annual event, while assuring that he was ready for synergy with development agencies, to move the LGA forward.
Dennis Naku
Business
Food Vendors, Others Relocate To New Site At PH Airport
The raging controversy between the Port Harcourt International Airport Management and restaurants/canteen operators and theirallies over relocation has been brought under control, as the operators have commenced relocation to their structures at the new site.
Recall that there had been serious feud over a directive by the Manager of the airport, Mr. Michael Area, for food vendors and their allies to relocate to the new site.
They insisted that the new site was too distant and hence, would negatively affect patronage from customers, with possible loss.
They further also insisted that it wouldcost them much money to put up another structure, given the economic situation in the country, since the airport management did not build any structure for them, apart from providing the empty land they have to also pay for.
The situation had led to flexing of muscles, which made the Airport Manager to order for sealing of all shops, resulting in scarcity of food, as airport users could not find a place to eat, apart from the only Genesis fast food spot available.
As at last Friday, The Tide observed that most of the food vendors had transferred their structures to the new place, and had started doing business there already.
Meanwhile, customers have started settling down at the new location as they were seen patronising shops for foods and drinks, in spite of the distance.
Few of the remaining structures at the old site, The Tide further gathered, will also be removed as quickly as possible, and the owners are making efforts to get funds for the job to be done.
One of them, Mrs Aka Love explained that she was going to relocate to the new place before the end of March.
Currently, business activities at the old site have come to null, as the place which was usually a beehive of food, drinks and relaxation, has completely winded down.
By: Corlins Walter
Business
MOWCA Strengthens Maritime Crime Prevention
Secretary General of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA), Dr. Paul Adalikwu, has stepped up interaction with the United States Government to lift restrictions placed on some member countries allegedly implicated in illicit shipping activities.
Adalikwu, who led a delegation from the MOWCA Secretariat to the US Embassy in Abidjan for a first leg of the strategic consultation aimed at promoting seamless participation of MOWCA countries in international trade within the global maritime space, reiterated the organisation’s commitment to the best ethical and lawful maritime practices.
Addressing the U.S Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire, H.E Mrs Jessica Davis Ba, the MOWCA SG stated the organisation’s interest in promoting the International Ship and Port facility Security (ISPS) code which aims at enhancing security of vessels and their ports of call.
He expressed the commitment of MOWCA in promoting environmentally friendly, safe and cost effective shipping without any encumbrance that may limit the economic potential of member countries.
Dr Adalikwu recalled that at the instance of the U.S. Department of State invitation, MOWCA participated in the 2023 Registry Information Sharing Compact (RISC) Conference in Larnaca, Cyprus, on February 28–March 1, 2023, and a virtual meeting held on June 6 2023, with Mrs Jennifer Chalmers, Officer in change of Counterproliferation Initiative.
He recalled The U.S. DOS willingness to support MOWCA’s effort for preventive maritime security through the establishment of the Center for Information and Communication (CINFOCOM) with the aim to ensure a maritime situational awareness domain within MOWCA’s member states’ waters.
He added that MOWCA under his watch is committed to training and retraining of maritime practitioners and experts to enhance the human capital capabilities of member states.
The CINFOCOM will help prevent transnational crimes committed at sea like sanctions evasion by North Korea and other state actors, who exploit poor enforcement due diligence by ship open registries to circumvent United Nations and U.S. trade restrictions.
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Business
Nigeria’s Public Debt Hits N97.3trn – DMO
The Debt Management Office (DMO) has hinted that Nigeria’s public debt increased by 10.7 per cent from N87.87 trillion in the third quarter of last year, to N97.34 trillion as at December 31, 2023.
DMO, in an update data released last Friday, said the increase in the debt stock was largely due to new domestic borrowing by the Federal Government to part finance the deficit in the 2024 Appropriation Act and disbursements by multilateral and bilateral lenders.
The office noted that the N97.3 trillion public debt comprises of domestic debt of N59.12 trillion and external debt of N38.22 trillion. The sum of $3.5 billion was used to service external debt during the review period.
“Nigeria’s Public Debt Stock as at December 31, 2023 was N97.34trillion or $108.229 billion. This amount comprises the domestic and external debt stocks of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), the 36 States Governments, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“There was an increase of N9.43 trillion over the comparative figure for September, 2023, which was largely due to new domestic borrowing by the FGN to part finance the deficit in the 2024 Appropriation Act and disbursements by multilateral and bilateral lenders.
“At N59.12 trillion, total domestic debt accounted for 61 percent of the total public debt stock, while external debt at N38.22 trillion accounted for the balance of 39 percent.
“Consistent with the debt management strategy, Nigeria’s external debt stock was skewed in favour of loans from multilateral (49.77 percent) and bilateral lenders (14.02 percent) or total of 63.79 percent which are mostly concessional and semi-concessional.
“Whilst the DMO continues to employ best practice in public debt management, the recent and on-going efforts of the fiscal authorities to shore up revenue will support debt sustainability”, DMO stated.
By: Corlins Walter
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