‘No Attacks Can Distract RSSDA’

Authorities of the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), have expressed concern over what they called discredited attacks being unleashed on the agency and its programmes by a Port Harcourt-based tabloid.

RSSDA’s Manager, Media and Communications, Kingsley Uranta, in a statement in Port Harcourt said that the tabloid’s attacks on RSSDA would not distract the agency from its primary and over-arching objectives of tackling high level poverty, unemployment and rural development in Rivers State.

Uranta said much as the agency had nothing against the tabloid and its right to freedom of expression, it was disappointed that the newspaper failed to actually investigate the truth or seek the agency’s reaction to the “fresh news stories” for balance and right of response, which according to him, form part of the guiding principles of the practice of true journalism.

He described the newspaper’s “fresh news stories” as unsubstantiated allegations and fabricated stories originated from an unreliable source which had already been debunked in the media by the RSSDA’s Executive Director/CEO.

Uranta, however, used the forum to restate the commitment of RSSDA in the development efforts of the state government in the areas of poverty, grassroots empowerment of the state.

He highlighted the flagship programme of the agency which include the state Governor’s Special Overseas’ Scholarship Scheme in which over 1,000 young Rivers men and women including the physically challenged are currently studying in eight overseas countries for degrees in Medicine, Engineering, ICT and Geo Sciences.

Another critical area of mandate of RSSDA, he said was the development of sustainable agro-allied potentials of the state. He noted that the Songhai farm at Bunu Tai being developed would be the hub for all agricultural programmes in the state.

He also spoke of the Workmanship and Technical Training Centre (WTTC) at Bori where the agency was promoting skills acquisition for young men and women in critical areas such as fabrication, pipe fitting, welding, carpentry, masonry, tiling, catering, etc.

He added that the RSSDA also runs other training programmes including overseas skills training schemes in Norway and Namibia in partnership with United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

The RSSDA’s spokesman said the agency’s small and medium scale enterprises were designed to provide opportunities for self employment of youths through skills acquisition, business training and access to capital to own small businesses.