Niger Delta
Activist Calls For Flying Doctors Scheme Revival
A former Niger Delta
activist, Dr Sokari Soberekon has urged incoming governments in Rivers State to revive the Flying Doctors Scheme.
The scheme introduced by the Military Administration of Ernest Adeleye was abandoned by subsequent administrations in the State.
Speaking in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, Dr Soberekon said that “the scheme is needed now than before”.
According to him, many communities especially in the riverine areas of the State are impenetrable both by land and water, stressing that only helicopters can access such areas.
The Niger Delta activist said that people in such places require the services of Flying Doctors to bring healthcare services to them.
Dr Soberekon berated past administrations in the state for abandoning the scheme and advised incoming administrations to put in place processes towards reviving the scheme.
Meanwhile, the activist has commended Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for the vision in the establishment of a banana plantation in the state.
Dr Soberekon who said he is a member of Bring Back Banana for break fast (BBB) group, based in India, he said that apart from its nutritious value, banana is also a major foreign exchange earners for many countries in the world.
Dr Soberekon cited the case of Cameroun which depended on banana for her foreign exchange, stressing that the banana plantation in Ogoni would create thousands of jobs for Rivers people.
He said that banana could be used in the production of banana chips and other industrial products.