News
Cookey-Gam Vows To Revamp Opobo/Nkoro Health Sector

The Executive Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Council, Rt. Hon. Enyiada Cookey-Gam has vowed to redefine governance by revamping the health sector that was relegated to the background due to poor leadership by previous administrations.
Addressing staff of the primary health care of the council recently in Opobo Town, Cookey-Gam lamented what he termed poor and ugly narrative of governance in the area, stressing the poor health facilities in the LGA after the creation in 1996 which cannot meet the health needs of the people.
He explained that with the support of all in the sector, he will take up the challenge of resuscitating the health sector which he described as catalyst for a healthy living, going by the yearnings of the people noting that it was high time workers in their integrity stopped complaining about governance from the sidelines and that very little exists in the health sector of the LGA, by way of critical public health infrastructure as many key government institutions, including the sector continues to operate from the same makeshift structures they have been using over 30 years ago.
“One can only view the health sector at this time and resuscitate it for greater efficiency and productivity will be on course, especially providing modern health care facilities drugs and other demanding necessity of staffers of the sector. My administration will do all things possible to revamp the health sector to make more formidable that will provide the needed requirement for the treatment of various ailments of members of the public in the LGA”, he declared.
Cookey-Gam maintained that gone are the days when staff were neglected as problems of poor wages and paucity of funds from meeting these challenges are integrated into Nigeria’s health policy plans, adding that “In contemporary times, poverty, hunger and Covid-19 pandemic are threatening and when global efforts are tailored towards the attainment of the sustainable development goals with the mantra of leave no one behind responsible governments are fashioning policy and legal framework to ensure the inclusion of its vulnerable population healthcare.”
“My administration will do all within its power based on available resources to cater for the welfare needs of staff of the sector to allow for a productive health sector in the LGA,” he said.
In his response Head of the Primary Healthcare in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Council, Dr Adolphus Jaja, who lauded the chairman for coming out successful at the polls enumerated some of their challenges including lack of accommodation for staff, non-payment of backlogs of their allowances, poor and ailing medical facilities in the LGA and non-promotion of the staff who are due for such, among others.
Jaja appealed to the chairman to critically look into their demands by proffering lasting solutions to it and assured of their readiness to work in tandem with his administration to achieve success.
By: Bethel Toby
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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