Niger Delta
First Class Female Graduate Gets Bayelsa Scholarship, Employment
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has announced automatic scholarship to Barr Ebizi Blessing Eradiri for her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in any university in Nigeria or abroad.
Miss Eradiri is the first female First-Class graduate from the Faculty of Law of the state-owned Niger Delta University (NDU), a feat she repeated at the Nigerian Law School.
This indication was contained in a statement sent by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Daniel Alabrah, and made available to The Tide.
According to the statement, the governor also offered Miss Eradiri automatic employment to lecture at the NDU Facility of Law after her further studies.
It said the governor made the offer of employment while formally receiving the young lawyer and her father, Mr Boloupaye Eradiri, at the Government House, Yenagoa.
Diri assured her of the state government’s support in advancing her educational career in any university of her choice anywhere in the world.
His words: “I hereby announce automatic scholarship for Barr. Eradiri’s Master’s and Doctorate degrees, which will not be restricted to Nigerian universities but any university in any part of the world.
“As a Visitor to the NDU, I also direct that she be given automatic employment to lecture.
“You have the support of your family and your government to fly higher because what you have achieved is just the beginning,” he said.
Diri, who also named Miss Eradiri as the New Face of the Bayelsa Girl Child, said the gesture is aimed at making her a role model for young girls in the state and the entire Ijaw nation to emulate.
He equally dismissed speculations, particularly in the social media, about his government’s choice of honouring Miss Nengi Hampson of the last edition of Big Brother Naija fame while refusing to recognise Eradiri as blatant lies.
“Today has brought to an end speculation, especially in the news media, about our refusal to honour Barr Eradiri while we have honoured Nengi of the Big Brother Naija fame. This is a blatant lie.
“It is unfortunate that everything has to be politicised. For us, education is our number one priority.
Diri, who expressed concern about politicisation of issues in the state, however, assured that his administration’s investments in the educational sector would remain a priority.
Describing Eradiri as an exceedingly brilliant and rising star, the governor congratulated her for making history in bagging first class honours not only at the NDU but also at the Nigerian Law School.
He also sought the Federal Government assistance towards the young lawyer’s development beyond what the state government can offer to enable her add value not only to her state but also to the entire country.
In his remarks, the Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Clan, Bubaraye Dakolo, said they were proud of the breakthroughs achieved by their daughter from primary to the tertiary level, saying that she deserved to be encouraged.
Dakolo, who described Eradiri as exceptionally good, said she had won over 50 laurels during her primary and tertiary education.
“Today, we are presenting to you Barr Eradiri. She collected every single prize that there was from her primary, secondary and university days,” he said.
Dakolo, who stressed that Eradiri deserved support both from the state and federal governments, however, announced the passage of her mother, Mrs Rose Eradiri, last week Tuesday.
In her brief remarks, Miss Eradiri expressed gratitude to the governor for the honour done to her, attributing her success to God and her exposure to good educational infrastructure.
The high point of the event was a minute silence in honour of late Mrs Eradiri.
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and an agency of the World Health Organisation(WHO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have launched a three-year public health study, to investigate the health impacts of hydrocarbon pollution in Ogoniland in Rivers State.
Speaking at the kick-off meeting with IARC team at the Project Coordination Office in Port Harcourt, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, noted that the initiative is in line with the key recommendations of the 2011 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoniland, which highlighted the need for a long-term, focused medical study to track health impacts across the Ogoni population.
He said the study is aimed at conducting a comprehensive health risk assessment linked to hydrocarbon pollution; build capacity for local health professionals; and provide clear recommendations for public health responses based on the findings at the end of the day.
According to him, community involvement is a cornerstone of the project.
“Community leaders, civil society groups, and health institutions must be brought into this process from the onset to ensure trust, ownership, and relevance,” he intoned.
He further indicated that the project would prioritise transparency, continuous stakeholder engagement, and ethical compliance throughout the study.
“HYPREP will provide necessary technical, logistical, and institutional support to facilitate smooth project implementation. The project schedule will be jointly reviewed and finalised, and a steering and technical coordination team will be established to oversee the study.The study is expected to drive policy interventions, public health planning, and long-term monitoring of the Ogoni population’s wellbeing. The outcomes of the project will be credible, actionable, and globally recognised, thanks to IARC’s international expertise and scientific rigor,” he said.
The Project Coordinator said the project is expected to bring healing, hope, and progress to Ogoniland and beyond.
“In addition to the public health study, HYPREP is constructing the Ogoni Specialist Hospital, which will feature state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, including cutting-edge MRI machines. This facility will significantly improve healthcare services in the region,” he said.
Also, IARC leader of the team, Dr. Joachim Schuz, in an interview after the meeting, noted that the study aims to provide concrete evidence of the impact of environmental pollution on the health of the people.
“We do not want to be speculating, we need to show it, we need to prove what is going on beneath,” he emphasised.
He explained that the study would collect blood samples from approximately 4,000 people to measure the levels of hydrocarbon exposure and assess the damage already caused.
He noted that they would also gather information on the living conditions of the people, including their exposure to pollutants and other health risks.
He ,however, urged the people of Ogoniland to participate in the study, which is expected to provide valuable information for public health planning and disease prevention.
Schuz further noted that the study is an investment in the health of the people, stressing that it would provide critical information for developing effective public health programmes.
“Without this study, we do not have the information to do a proper planning for good public health planning for the benefit of the people in the long run,” he said.
A member of the team, Mr Mike Cowing said samples would be taken from areas where groundwater and crops are contaminated with hydrocarbons.
According to information pierced together, the study will include men, women, and children, and will aim to capture the different ways in which hydrocarbon pollution affects various segments of the Ogoni population.
Another member of the medical team, Ann Olsson noted that children can be affected differently from adults due to their smaller body size and higher exposure levels.
She said the team is working to ensure that the study is a representative of the entire Ogoni population, with a focus on finding solutions to sample representatives from the four local government areas.
As part of efforts in ensuring that the people of Ogoni get the right water quality, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has organised a training programme for laboratory technicians working in all its water stations in Ogoniland.
At the training held in Port Harcourt, HYPREP’s Director of Technical Services, Prof Damian-Paul Aguiyi, who explained the essence of the training programme said it would ensure that laboratory attendants strictly observe standard protocol for water quality test before reticulation.
He noted that the training would sharpen their skills for better performance in the supply of quality water to the Ogoni people.
“The essence of this training workshop I want to emphasise is for us to be sure that the people who operate the treatment plants in our water facilities know what to do and do the right thing all the time.So, we are taking extra pain to train you on laboratory practices that you will subject the water you give our people to, and our expectation is that you will need to understand this and when you do, make sure we are giving our people quality water.We want to be sure that while you are doing your work, you ensure that the quality of water we give our people meets international standards, meets WHO drinking water standards, and so, we feel that a key component of it is the laboratory management where you will taste the water before and after dosage; and that would guide what you dose and the quality.Make sure that our people get the right quality water to drink and in doing so, ensure that they are healthy because if you drink clean good quality water, you are most likely not to be exposed to water borne diseases, and so, we want you to pay attention,” he said.
The Director of Technical Services reaffirmed HYPREP’s commitment to providing potable water that meets best standards, saying the Project is optimistic that the training would benefit the participants, and urged them to apply the knowledge garnered for the good of Ogoni communities.
On his part, HYPREP’s Head of Potable Water, Mr Lucky Ikue, while echoing the views of the Director of Technical Services, harped on the need for standardisation in the quality of water supply in Ogoniland.
As it were, participants were guided on water sampling techniques, analysis and use of laboratory equipment, affording them the opportunity to upscale their skills in the collection and test of water samples; perform physical, chemical and microbiological tests, and understand the result, to improve technical capacity, develop and maintain practice in laboratory analysis.
The trainees equally explored physiochemical parameters such as chloride, total hardness, alkalinity, nitrate, sulphate and phosphate, microbial hydrocarbon and heavy metal analysis.
HYPREP is gearing up for the next round of its water projects commissioning. This month, four water stations would be commissioned in Uegwere-Boue and Taabaa communities in Khana Local Government Area, Bodo community in Gokana Local Government Area, and Eteo community in Eleme Local Government Area. This is even as the Project continues in actualising its target of providing more potable water to more Ogoni communities by the end of the year.
