Rivers Plans PH Centenary Celebration

Plans are in top gear by the Rivers State Government to celebrate the 100 years of the founding of Port Harcourt City.

State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari dropped the hint while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the Executive Council Meeting on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.

She disclosed that the State Government was making arrangements to commemorate the founding of the city 100 years ago as programmes would be unfolded in subsequent weeks. “It is important that we rejoice and celebrate the founding of Port Harcourt…It remains our pride as a city of major national and international interest”.

According to her, once the programme of activities was concluded, it would be made public.

Port Harcourt, it would be recalled, was founded by Lord Lugard in 1912 but was named after the then British Secretary of State for the Colonies, Sir Lewis Viscount Harcourt in August 1913. Since then, the city has grown to be an oil centre and second largest city in the South after Lagos.

Meanwhile, the state government has called on residents of the state to fully participate in the polio eradication exercise at the weekend.

Information and Communications Commissioner made the call during a chat with newsmen, stating that the exercise would be in two phases, as the second phase would be flagged-off on the 18th of February.

She said the state government would continue to encourage its citizens to fully participate in the exercise. and therefore called on mothers, parents and care-givers to ensure that their wards were immunized, “we can not afford to allow polio ravage the state because this is the war that all of us must be part of,” she added.

In making sure the exercise succeeds, she noted that sufficient vaccines to cover all nooks and crannies of the state had been acquired, saying, they would be enough to cover the two phases of the programme.

Governor Chibuike Amaechi is expected to flag-off the campaign   tomorrow being the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum(NGF), while that of Saturday, February 18 is a joint campaign with the Federal Government taking the lead. It is going to be a nationwide event.

Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN),Rivers State, Apostle ZillyAggrey (left) with the Chairperson, National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ),Rivers State, Enale Kodu, during the thanksgiving service by the association at the Royal House of Grace International Church, Port Harcourt, last Sunday. Photo Chris Monyanaga