Niger Delta

Expert Alerts On TB’s Prevalence In Edo

Published

11 years ago

May 27, 2015

L-R: Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Rivers State, Barr. Chuma Chinye, Bishop Emma Ogu, Perm. Sec. Policy and Strategy, Office of Head of Service, Rivers State, Sir Samuel Egbe, Chairman Editorial Board RSNC, High Chief Clinton Dagogo, during a send-forth party organised by Ministry of Commerce and Industry at Delta Hotel, Port Harcourt, last Monday. Photo: Egberi .A. Sampson

The Edo Tuberculosis (TB)
and Leprosy Control Officer, Dr Osagie Igbinigie, has expressed concern about the high rate of tuberculosis infections in the state.
He expressed the concern in an interview with newsmen in Benin.
He said that there were many cases of the infection in the state and noted that more than 2, 000 cases were registered in the state in 2014.
The control officer said that the figure might be higher because some cases were recorded in private hospitals.
“There are many cases of TB in the state, in 2014, we registered slightly above 2, 000 patients. “We know the cases are more than that because there are cases that are treated by private medical practitioners who do not use drugs supplied by the donor agencies’’, he said.
Igbinosa said that there were 197 centres in the state that offered free TB services to patients under the national TB control programme.
He, however, said that a major challenge affecting the success of the national programme on tuberculosis in the state was the fear of stigmatisation against sufferers.
The control officer said that stigmatisation had prevented sufferers from accessing treatment, and advised against it.
He said: “People are aware of the disease because we carry out campaigns at the state and local government levels.
“One of the challenges we have is fear of stigmatisation, the way people react to someone that has the disease. TB is like any other disease and it can affect anybody.
He said that other challenges affecting the programme in the state included poor accessibility to some rural areas, unfriendly behaviour of some health workers to TB patients and shortage of manpower.
Igbinigie advised patients suffering from the disease to adhere strictly to their medications, noting that improper medications often resulted in drug-resistance.
He said that the commonest symptom of the disease which was transmitted through the air was persistent cough that must have lasted for two or more weeks.
“When people inhale the TB bacteria into their body, they may or may not come down with the disease. “Some factors make it possible for a person to be infected such as weak immune system, amount of bacteria inhaled and length of exposure to the source of bacteria,” he said.
“According to the expert, “people who have diabetes and HIV that are not well managed can easily come down with TB”, adding that, “ there is no vaccine to prevent TB; the BCG that is given to children is to prevent the severe form of the disease occurring in children.
“Adults who took BCG when they were babies can still come down with TB”.

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.