Rivers
Govt Unveils six-Year Plan To Curb HIV/AIDS
Following success recorded in checking the menace of HIV/AIDS in the state, the Rivers State Government has unveiled a six year plan to tackle the malaise head on.
State Commissioner for Health, Dr Sampson Parker at a rally to commemorate the World AIDS/HIV Day in Omoku disclosed that the State government would not relent to combat the disease until it is reduced to its barest minimum.
To this end, he stated a mass anti-AIDS/HIV campaign would be embarked upon to educate the rural populace, saying the disease is now more prevalent at the grassroot than the city, where awareness have gone up.
Already, he stated, Local Action Committee on AIDS/HIV had been established in 21 local government councils and that the state spends over N100 million yearly on HIV/AIDS campaign and programme.
A report made available to The Tide from the Ministry indicate that the sum of N23 million was released by the State Government to the State Agency on Control of AIDS (SACA).
About N120 million worth of anti-retroviral drugs were also purchased within the period for the eight ART/Sites in the state.
Currently about 6,721 subsides on ART drugs offered free of charge by the State government to patients. HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) centres have now swollen to 110.
The report also reveal that centres for the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMCT) have now increased to 61 in the state.
Out of the 25,713 pregnant women that were tested about 1,407 were positive, while 868 babies passed through PMTCT services.
Last year, out of 14,860 people that were tested about 1,281 tested positive with 2,755 children under ART care.
The Chairman of Emohua Local Government Council, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, has congratulated the Paramount Ruler of Emohua Kingdom in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, HRM Ohna Sergeant Awuse, on his recent appointment by Rivers State Government as the new Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers.
The immediate past Governor, Nyesom Wike, made the announcement during the last State Honours and Awards held in Government House, recently.
Lloyd on behalf of the government and the people of the local government expressed appreciation to Wike for what he called “a well deserved appointment”.
The council chairman, in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Bright Elendu, expressed optimism that the State Traditional Rulers Council under the leadership of Ohna Sergeant Awuse will consolidate on the achievements of the administration of King Dandeson Jaja (Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom) to further strengthen the traditional institution in the State.
He assured Awuse of the support of the government and people of the area, while wishing him a successful tenure.
The statement also appreciated the government of Rivers State for the recognition of four traditional rulers in the local government.
The newly recognised traditional rulers who are all in the Second Class category are Eze (Dr) Wobodo Sunday Jonah, Nye Nwe-Ali Ibaa/Obelle; Ohna Christian Okachineke Elechi, Nye Nwe-Eli Odegu; Eze Damian Azike Ejiohuo, Nye Nwe-Ali Rundele XII, Nogbo II, Eze Christian Amadi Evekwuru, Eze Chigu Rumuekpe.
Lloyd said his administration looks forward to partnering with the traditional institution to foster peace and improve security across the communities in the local government.
By: Theresa Fredrick & Charity Amiso
In response to the need to enhance the professionalism of women journalists in Nigeria through the improvement of skills, the Institute for Media and Society, IMS, has trained another group of broadcast women journalists in digital multimedia storytelling with the funding support of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Project II.
Welcoming the participants to Port Harcourt Rivers State, the Institute for Media and Society, IMS, Programme Manager, Mr Timothy Bamidele, submitted that so far 78 women broadcast journalists have been trained in digital storytelling, since the beginning of the second phase of European Union Support to Democratic Governance.
The Programme Manager highlighted that the training activity is under Component four in the EU-SDGN Project II and aimed at providing support to media in Nigeria.
Mr Bamidele stressed that the action is intended to contribute to strengthening democratic governance in Nigeria through increased engagements and improved capacity of a wide range of media stakeholders in Nigeria, including media professionals, and targeting the following results areas: Professionalism of media practitioners, especially women Enhanced; Strengthened media professional capacity to deal with electoral misinformation/disinformti-on; enhanced media platforms’ ability to diversify, deepen the coverage of the electoral process and delivery of civic and voter education.
The activity will further help to meet the demand for more capacity building and production of professionally, digitally, and inclusively developed content for the electoral process by female broadcast journalists, focusing on post-election issues, Bamidele, submitted.
Two digital trainers, Mr Usifo Omozokpea and Mrs Ehi Ohiani took participants through areas such as reporting the electoral cycle, digital tools for content creation and the digital storytelling process among others.
They urged the participants to take advantage of the new media space to crowdsource, connect, create and distribute content relevant to social discourse for national development.
Broadcast women journalists from nine states including Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa, Oyo, Ondo, and Ekiti attended the two-day digital capacity training.
The participants thanked IMS and the European Union Support to Democratic Governance for providing the platform, which they described as having a high impact.
The Zonal Director, Christ Embassy, Port Harcourt Zone III, Linder Okocha, has said the aim of the Church’s Royal Banquet Outreach is to bring peace to people of Woji and its environs.
Okocha disclosed this at the Royal Banquet Outreach it organised at the palace of King Leslie Nyebuchi Eke, Eze Gbakagbaka, at Woji in Obio/ Akpor Local Government Area recently.
She said the church was out to preach peace among the people, irrespective of their background.
“I am happy that the event is taking place today. I have looked forth for it. It is not an ordinary gathering or meeting, but a spiritual one”, she said.
Suggesting that everyone is a Minister of God, she urged them to use the opportunity and speak blessing to all.
Making allusion to ‘Romans 10 v 9-10, she called on all to always confess the supremacy of God in order to overcome evil.
On plans to sustain the programme, she said it will be given an accelerated attention to enable the church meet its target in the area.
Meanwhile, Eze Leslie Eke has proclaimed Woji and the entire Kingdom as a Christian entity.
He also appreciated the church for their choice of the palace for their programme and assured them of any assistance at the Kingdom’s reach.
Free customised decoders of the church were donated to each community head in Evo Kingdom.
By: King Onunwor