Street Traders, Destitutes Risk Jail Term …As RSG Inaugurates Special Sanitation Court …Reports Filiarisis Outbreak In Andoni, Opobo

Street hawkers and traders who flout government’s orders are to spend three months behind bars following a directive by an inter-ministerial forum for the setting-up of a special Magistrate Court to try defaulters in Rivers State.

Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari gave the indication yesterday while briefing newsmen on the outcome of an inter-ministerial forum meeting in Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday.

Worried by the swelling street trading and begging across parts of the state, she disclosed that the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice had been mandated to liaise with the Chief Judge of the state to designate a special Magistrate Court to prosecute offenders.

Against this backdrop, she stated that the state Sanitation Authority has been directed to ensure “that the laws of Rivers State which prescribed a three month penalty on street trading and street begging is enforced.”

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Inter-Ministerial Forum has congratulated Governor Chibuike Amaechi for winning the prestigious  ‘Vanguard Personality of the Year’ award.

She said, “ the forum noted with great delight the tremendous work going on in the primary, secondary and tertiary education sub sectors. The forum also noted the tremendous work going on in the health sector, the infrastructure, human and capital development of the state economy and therefore congratulated Governor Amaechi for putting the needs of Rivers people first”.

The forum further lauded the governor for consistently providing leadership in ensuring that the dividends of democracy are delivered to the people of the state.

Meanwhile, an outbreak of filariasis (lymphatic) ordinarily called Filaria, a medical condition that results in swelling of the foot and  genital has been reported in Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro axis of the state.

This is coming barely two weeks after measles outbreak was reported to have struck parts of Akuku-Toru, Etche and Obio/Akpor local government areas of the state.

The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, who briefed newsmen in Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday after the monthly inter-ministerial meeting, said already, measures have been put in place by the Health Ministry to isolate those infected and ensure effective treatment.

She, therefore, called on residents to sleep under the widely distributed insecticide treated nets to prevent mosquitoes bites, which transmits the disease.

Lymphatic filariasis is caused by Anopheles mosquitoes when a person is infected, the larvae move into the lymphatic cells and develop into adult worms, and may persist for years.

Signs and symptoms include Edema with thickening of the skin, a classical symptom of elephantiasis. The arms, valva, breast  and scrotum or genital area can swell above its normal size.

Mrs Semenitari acknowledged a fresh attack of Lassa Fever in the state, but noted  that the state was among the few states in the country that aggressively tackled the menace last year, and therefore, dispelled fears that the deadly diseases could spread.

On this, the Commissioner said government has beefed-up immunization, but however, frowned at the attitude of some churches which prevent their members from getting immunized”. We ask residents to avail themselves of the opportunity to immunize their wards, so we can save our population from childhood diseases, she added.

R-L: National Deputy Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Amaopusenibo (Dr) Sam Sam Jaja, member, House of Representatives, Hon Dakuku Peterside, Mayor of Port Harcourt, Chimbiko Akarolo and Vice Chairman, Opobo/Nkoro LGA, Patrick Alapuberesika, at the instatllation of chairman of Opobo/Nkoro LGA, Maclean Bethel Uranta as Head Senibo Okomogbara Group of Houses at Queen’s Town, Opobo Kingdom, last Friday