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COVID-19: Rivers State Inter-Ministerial C’ttee, UNICEF Partner In Community Mobilization

Published

4 years ago

May 16, 2020

The Rivers State Inter-ministerial Committee on COVID-19 and UNICEF have agreed to partner in creating more awareness and mobilizing Rivers people in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic through the communities in the 23 Local Government Areas.

Taking the decision for the partnership on Saturday in his office during a meeting with a delegation of the UNICEF Field Office in Rivers State and its partners, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, siad the community sensitisation and mobilization is one the Committee had planned as its next line of action.

This, the Commissioner explained, is because of the realisation that in spite of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world and Nigeria, and the level of awareness creation made by the Interministarial Committee, some people still do not believe it exist.

He said: “Consistently we (the Committee) have been working round the clock to ensure that people are sensitised and mobilized. In fact, the next project we want to emback on now is to get vehicles … that will be going round the communities to broadcast prevention messages. It will shock you to know that there are still people who don’t believe that this virus is here.

“So, we want to see how UNICEF will partner with us. Let’s get these open vans that would go round into the 23 LGAs of the State to ensure that this prevention message gets to everyone, just to lend weight to what we have done with the Traditional Rulers Council, because we had a strategic meeting with them, where we gave them tips on how to use town announcers, which a good number of them have been doing”, he said.

He noted that not long ago, the State Governor, Nyesom Wike, had ensured that communities in the State are brought into the fight against the pandemic by setting up the Local Government Task Forces for COVID-19, saying, “there’s no State in this country that has gotten this kind of model of leadership in this season”.

Responding to the level of partnership UNICEF proposed, Nsirim clearly outlined the areas within the purview of the Committee and the extent to which the Committee will go in the partnership.

According to him, in “scaling up of awareness and how to create community watchdogs in electronic platforms for surveillance and all, we’re ready to partner with you in this direction. The only area that may not be within our purview is the one of empowering communities for socio-economic impact.

“What we can do with you along that line is to also create some messages that would make people to accept the social impact things that will come, and also encourage them to prepare for post-COVID-19, like you said.

“Everything that would be required to make our people to survive post-COVID, We’re ready to partner with you, because you spoke extensively on the things they can produce, and also noted that we had Ebola some time, nobody knew there’ll be coronavirus.

“Whatever way we can partner with you to drive that behaviour change Communication in a manner that our people will not just only imbibe the appropriate behaviour change, but also be empowered to be able to cope, peradventure any strange ailment comes again, we, this committee, are prepared, because we’re here to serve Rivers people”, he stated.

This, the Commissioner noted, is in line with the Governor’s determination “to ensure that this State does not enter community transmission”, saying that, “that’s why he is the Chairman of the Monitoring Task Force. He does it in both day and night. No Governor has shown that kind of passion in this country”.

Earlier in his speech, the leader of the delegation and UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Rivers State, Dr Guy Yogo, had commended the State Governor over steps taken in checking the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that it has set the stage for a successful partnership.

Dr Yogo, who is the leader of the Risk Communication and Community Engagement Pillar on COVID-19 in UNICEF, stated the areas in which they seek partnership with the Interministarial Committee.

Such areas, he said, include “to scale up, raising public awareness, and listening to communities on how best every citizen in Rivers State can be fully informed and empowered for the right behaviour change that we need to do it.

“We want to be able to do an extensive network with knowledge management and monitoring of what is going on in each of the communities in Rivers State, establishing in each community what we call ‘Community Watchdog’ to survey anything going on in that community, provide the necessary solidarity framework, because we might be moving into the need to prevent Community transmission”, he stated.

What this means, he explained, is that “we’re going to set up an electronic platform that the entire Inter-ministerial Committee will be able to monitor on a daily basis exactly everything that is going on at alert in our communities. To provide the necessary proactivity for other teams: surveillance team, Case Management team, to act quickly and decisively to prevent and isolate and assist our communities”.

He also stated that among other things, they will also empower members of communities to be able to produce such items as soap, hand sanitizers, masks, hand washing facilities, and to improve on all supplies that are necessary at this critical time to prevent the spreading of COVID-19 and community transmission.

“What will happen in the future? We need to organise ourselves and get those kind of responses that will be lasting and sustained. In terms of the quality of response, to add to what the State has already done, we’re ready to deploy some additional technical support to the State, taking further the response team that we have currently to 23”,he said.

Meanwhile, they will also make sure that each LGA has its Rapid Response Team, they will “deploy 250 technical Social mobilizers to support the LGA Chairmen and committies to set up in every LGA, every Ward, what we need at the platform of stakeholders coming together”.

Other members of the Interministarial Committee present at the meeting were the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Igbiks Tamuno, and his Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development counterpart, Barr Olisaelloka Tasie-Amadi.

Also in the entourage of the UNICEF delegation were the Lead Coordinator, Risk Communication and Community Engagement, Mr Modekai Oluwole, and the General Manager, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA), Rivers State, Mr Napoleon Ada.

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Rivers’ll Be Known For Peace, Not Crisis -Fubara

Published

1 week ago

April 10, 2024

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that peace has prevailed because he draws strength from God to resist insults and tantrums thrown at him while frustrating attempts by some disgruntled persons who wanted to plunge the State into unending crisis.
The Governor also said that because he has anchored his Government on promoting peace, the enabling atmosphere has been provided for investments and sustainable development to flourish.
Governor Fubara made the assertion when he received a delegation of members of the Bishops and Gospel Ministers’ Association International Incorporated, Rivers State Chapter, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Represented by the Head of Rivers State Civil Service, Dr George Nwaeke, Governor Fubara said while most people took his meekness for weakness, his stance on peace has unarguably enhanced harmonious atmosphere of concord as residents sleep with their two eyes closed, and investors and shareholders are happy with the returns on investment.
He said, “Before, what they hear of Rivers State is that they are fighting, and some genuine investors will not come. Some people even ask you: How are you coping in Rivers State?
“But now”, he asserted: “The Governor has brought about a lot of changes in the State. One of the most important things is that he has changed the negative narrative. It is no longer Rivers of blood. It is now Rivers of peace.
“We are enjoying our lives here. Why? Because there is a change in the narrative. We have peace. The Governor is, as much as possible, absorbing any level of insult at him only for one purpose: that Rivers State may have peace; that we may grow; that this state will experience genuine development.”
Governor Fubara urged them, as members of the Christian family in the State, to continue to pray for the State and the Government so that the enemies of the State will be put to greater shame.
“This peace is what I want you to embrace. Go and continue to pray, because when the sower of the seed went and sowed, the enemy went in the night and sowed tares inside there. But the Governor is sowing peace.
“When I listened to the leader of the team, His Grace Eddy Ogbonda, he said you came all the way from Eleme Junction, and stopped at major junctions, and you uttered prayers for the peace of Rivers State.”
He also said: “I, hereby want to thank you for identifying with the Governor at a time like this. At a time when it looks as if someone wants the Governor’s peace posture misunderstood as weakness.
“When someone has the strength to fight back, but refuses to fight back. That is a bigger strength; that power of restrain does not just come, it can only come from God.
“You cannot give peace, if you do not have peace within you. The Governor is not interested in any form of trouble or violence. What he is interested in is known, and it is: let there be peace in Rivers State,” he said.
In his address, leader of the group, Archbishop Eddy Ogbonda, said they had observed a week-long intensive prayers that culminated into a peace rally, which brought them to Government House, and assured the Governor that God will continue to give him victory over his adversaries while preserving Rivers State.
“It is Rivers State Prophetic Prayer Convocation and Rally 2024 with the theme: ‘Peace be still’. Of a truth, everyone of us understands that we live in a time when we need peace much more than any other thing.
“Rivers State needs peace. Everyone as individuals need peace. The country needs peace, and the world at large needs peace. So, we are here to do a peace march. We pray that God will command His peace to reign in Rivers State,” he said.

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Hoteliers, School Owners Charging In Dollars Risk Arrest -EFCC

Published

1 week ago

April 10, 2024

The Tide

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has stated that hotels, schools, and other establishments that accept payments in dollars from their customers are at risk of facing arrest.
The Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, said this in the agency’s publication called EFCC Alert on Monday, adding that action would be taken against individuals involved in the dollarisation of the economy.
According to him, the exception is if foreigners come in to transact business and the only means of transacting is their credit card and dollar but to charge local customers in dollars or other foreign currencies would no longer be allowed.
He said charging local activities and customers in dollars is against Nigeria’s constitution.
The EFCC chairman said, “Schools that charge Nigerians in dollar, supermarkets that trade in dollar, estate developers that sell their property in dollar, hotels that are invoicing in dollar, we are coming after you and we have made arrests in that area.
“Yes, if foreigners are coming in and the only means of transacting is their credit card, and dollar, why not? You will get that.
“But document it properly as against selling things within the system, local economy and you will be using dollar as the medium of exchange, it is illegal.
“Our law does not allow for that. And we have also affected some arrests.”

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Eid-El-Fitr: Fubara Felicitates Muslims, Calls For Unity, Tolerance

Published

1 week ago

April 10, 2024

The Tide

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has enjoined Muslim faithful to remain steadfast to the lessons learnt during the holy month of Ramadan.
Governor Fubara stated this in his message of felicitations to Muslims as they celebrate the 2024 Eid-el-Fitr Sallah, which marks the end of the one-month Ramadan fasting.
The Governor emphasised the importance for Muslims to also uphold the tenets of Islam by exhibiting the fear of God and showing piety in their daily work.
Governor Fubara said, “We must all continue in the good attributes imbibed during the holy month of Ramadan as directed by God through His Prophet, so as to ensure peace, unity and harmony in the society for a better future.”
While praying that the essence of the festival offers them happiness, peace and prosperity in all aspects of life, Governor Fubara said he recognises and appreciates the critical role that the Muslim community continues to play in the development of Rivers State, and indeed, Nigeria at large.
Governor Fubara charged them to remain unwavering and steadfast in their commitment and positive contributions to advance the development of the State and the country.
“I enjoin you all in the State to remain calm, be patient and continue to do what is right,” the Governor added.
He wished the Muslim faithful in the State and across the country a happy Eid-el-Fitr celebration.