Rivers
Ex-Perm Sec Gives Reason For Early Retirement
The former Permanent
Secretary, Ministry of Works, Chief Mike Elechi, has said that quest for entrepreneurship made him retire four years before his terminal date from the civil service.
He gave the reason when the Leadership of Law Students Assocation of Nigeria (LAWSAN), Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt Chapter, led by its President Mr. Endurance Okanzi, paid him a courtesy visit in his home-Town, in Elele at the weekend.
He said after considering the need to explore the entreprenurership world, he left the civil service for a private life.
According to him, his real retirement date would have been April this year, saying that the journey so far had paid off.
He told his guests that over 120 families were on his pay roll, pointing out that this would have been impossible, if he had remained in the civil service.
The former Permanent Secretary, who also served in the Ministry of Sports, urged his guests, to ponder seriously on life after school as to enable them impact positively on society.
He said gone were the days when one glued to his profession and stressed on the need for diversification.
The civil servant turned businessman, and a Knight in the Anglican Communion, hinted that another way to make impact on the world, was to dedicate one’s life to God.
On the area of politics, he advised them to tread with care in other not to be distracted, as he kicked against vindictive politics.
Earlier, the LAWSAN President, expressed satisfaction at the huge success of their host within four years of private life, and promised on behalf of the association to join in the crusade for business adventurism.
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The Rivers Peace Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has urged chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas (LGA) to prioritise accountability and people-oriented governance at the local level.
The Convener of the group, Mr. Obinna Ebogidi, made the remark during the launch of the 5th edition of “The Rivers We Want Town Hall Series” in Port Harcourt.
He said the stakeholders’ meeting was organised by the group in collaboration with Super 93.3FM Port Harcourt and the Centre for Security and Studies, University of Port Harcourt.
Ebogidi explained that the town hall series, with the theme “The First 100 Days of Leadership at the Local Government Level”, aimed to bring stakeholders together to assess progress and challenges in grassroots governance.
He added that the meeting also aimed to promote constructive civic engagement and rebuild trust between leaders and citizens, thereby fostering a culture of accountability and transparency.
“This is to remind our elected LGA chairmen in the state of the need for people-oriented governance in areas such as security, education, healthcare, and infrastructure development, with active participation from citizens”, he said.
He emphasised the importance of ensuring that peace translates into tangible improvements in citizens’ lives.
He said: “Peace is not the finish line. Peace is only meaningful when it reflects in the daily lives of the people.”
Also, the Business Manager of Super 93.3FM Port Harcourt, Dr. Segun Owolabi, commended the Rivers Peace Initiative for organising the town hall series, noting that it provided a platform for citizens to contribute to the development of the state.
Owolabi said Super 93.3FM and the Rivers Peace Initiative shared a vision of making a positive impact in the community and contributing to the growth and development of Rivers State.
He stressed the importance of citizen engagement and urged local government chairpersons to take note of the concerns and suggestions raised during the town hall series.
“The people have spoken, and they know what they want. It is now up to the chairpersons to deliver, because history will judge their performance.
“We are committed to giving citizens a voice; we want every Rivers person to have a say in the kind of leadership and state they want”, Owolabi said.
In his response, Chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, Dr. Gift Worlu, emphasised the need for local governments to prioritise financial prudence and explore internal revenue sources.
Worlu noted the importance of motivating teams and providing visionary leadership as essential drivers of development.
He identified real estate, markets, and technology as potential areas for revenue growth, urging local government chairmen to tap into these opportunities to augment federal allocations in the state.
The Chairman noted that most local governments in Nigeria lacked savings, stressing the need for financial discipline at all levels of government.
He advised other LGA chairmen to adopt a personal approach to saving by setting aside a portion of funds each month to ensure financial stability and security.
“This calls for a shift in mindset, one that focuses on sustainable revenue generation and responsible financial management to drive development and growth in the state”, Worlu said.
By: Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso
The Eze Oha Evo III of Evo Kingdom, Nyerisi Eli Woji (Eze Woji XII), His Majesty, King Prof. Leslie N. Eke, JP, Eze Gbakagbaka, has applauded the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, for what he described as “consistent and result-driven contributions” toward advancing the State’s health sector.
He stated this recently during Rivers State’s presentation at the 2025 Nigeria Health Sector-Wide Joint Annual Review (JAR) held in Port Harcourt.
Eze Eke, who is the Chairman, Supreme Forum of Ikwerre Government-Recognized Traditional Rulers, said the Commissioner’s commitment to service continues to place Rivers State among the nation’s leading performers in the ongoing health-sector reforms.
The Evo apex monarch noted that this year’s JAR, convened under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), offered states the opportunity to showcase progress under the theme, “All Hands, One Mission: Bringing Nigeria’s Health Sector to Light.”
King Eke noted that under Dr. Oreh’s leadership, Rivers State has strategically aligned with the national reform agenda strengthening primary health care, expanding health-insurance coverage, and improving service delivery across local communities.
He commended the state-level gains presented during the review, including Rivers State’s steady improvements in maternal and child-health outcomes, wider PHC utilisation, and stronger performance across key health-sector indicators, all reflecting the Commissioner’s results-oriented approach.
According to him, the remarkable growth of the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), with its consistently rising enrolment figures across LGAs, demonstrates the Commissioner’s commitment to ensuring that residents have access to affordable and reliable health services.
Eke described Dr. Oreh as “a dependable public servant whose vision and diligence continue to make meaningful impact across communities”, adding that her sustained engagement with traditional institutions has deepened public trust in health interventions.
He further noted the State’s progress in skilled birth attendance, immunisation coverage, antenatal care uptake, and family-planning access, areas in which Rivers State continues to show strong alignment with national targets.
According to him, the Commissioner’s work in revitalising primary health-care centres and expanding community-level utilisation would not have been possible without the support of the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, who he described as God-sent.
He continued that the nationwide rise in PHC utilisation is also reflected in Rivers State, where revitalised PHC centres are recording significantly improved attendance and service access across communities.
The traditional ruler praised the Commissioner for effectively coordinating the deployment of community-based health workers and ensuring that Rivers State is fully positioned to benefit from ongoing high-impact health projects under the national framework.
“We need stakeholders, partners, and government agencies to sustain their support for the Ministry of Health. Continued investment, transparency, and accountability are essential for preserving and expanding the gains already achieved”, he said.
He also expressed optimism that with Dr. Oreh’s consistency and Rivers State’s alignment with broader national health reforms, the State is well on course to becoming a model of excellence in healthcare delivery, delivering benefits to residents across both rural and urban areas.
By: King Onunwor
Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Works, Dr. Austin Ezekiel Hart, has solicited the support of Engineers in the Ministry towards the delivery of quality projects to the people.
He said this recently while declaring closed a three-day capacity building workshop organized by the ministry of works in conjunction with Chattel Associates for Engineers in the Ministry of Works in Port Harcourt.
While absolving Engineers of blame from some lapses observed in some roads in the state, he charged them to put the knowledge acquired during the three days workshop to use by ensuring quality and better supervision of government projects in the state.
Meanwhile, some facilitators at the workshop have called for regular integrity and structural tests on government projects in the state.
One of the facilitators, Engr. Clifford Njah, who spoke to The Tide at the workshop, blamed some structural failures on projects on lack of integrity tests.
“I think it’s a good one for Engineers in the society. Today I can see different challenges that are facing Engineers in our system and most of these issues have been addressed in the seminar”, he stated.
He listed some of the challenges as structural failures, high waste and shore protection, adding that “these are things that are actually impacting on the society.”
Njah said the solution lies on “constant integrity tests and site investigation. Most engineering facilities today do not meet the criteria of soil testing, every structure must pass through rudimentary test”, he said.
Also speaking, Engr, Levy Ugba of Chattel Associates said the workshop has met its desired objective of impacting knowledge on participants.
“I think we have achieved our aim of impacting knowledge”, he said, stressing that with these workshop, Engineers in the Ministry are better equipped to handle whatever they see on project sites.
On their part, some of the participants, including Engrs. Richard Ogbamgba, Quinn John Jaja, Nwachukwu Ibiene Pepple, thanked the state government for the workshop, adding that it has taken them back to their academic cycles.
They said the event has provided a platform for them to come together to express their challenges as well as update their knowledge with the new Engineering Code and measures to adopt, especially in foundational design.
They also requested for a more befitting laboratory in the ministry with a view to enabling them embark on regular researches and testing.
The participants said more of such workshop should be held for them regularly.
By; John Bibor
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