Niger Delta
NGO Wants Laws To Protect IDPs In S’South
A non-governmental organisation under the aegis of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called on governors of the South South zone to make laws that will protect persons in their states who are Internally Displaced.
Executive Director for CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa made the call at the end of a media round table discussion which ended in Calabar yesterday morning.
Musa who spoke on the topic “ internal displacement in Nigeria” said that development of phenomenon of returnee migrant in the region with particular focus in Cross River State has no doubt become a source of concern to humanitarian actors operating in the region.
CISLAC, an organization that receives support from embassy of the Netherland in Nigeria is noted for fighting for the rights and privileges of persons who are internally displace either by war or natural calamity.
CISLAC’s Executive Director said that thought the organisation is not aware of any existing law in the region that makes it possible for persons concern to be adequately catered for adding that a situation where the governors wait until crises erupt in the region before they begin to run helter-skelter looking for where to lay their hands to salvage the situation was not a welcome development.
He called for the leadership of the various state houses of assemblies in the region to come up with a law if there was none in their state to ensure that people internally displaced are taken care of before they constitute a problem to the society.
“Agreed that bags of rice, cartons of indomies, kilos of sugar, packets of toilet tissues were at regular intervals distributed to the IDPs, what happens after the receipt of these items, when the persons concerned are allowed to be on their own. Are those items sustainable? No! The items cannot sustain them and their families.
He urged the South South governors not to wait until there is outbreak of IDPs before they begin to look for “where to scratch” to solve the problem suggesting for workability of a solution before problem crops up.
“While the state still plays host to internally displaced persons(IDPs) that emanated from the ruling of the International Court of Justice(ICJ) which ceded the Bakassi region to Cameroun, other conflict and environmentally induced displacement cases have further exacerbated the need for a multi-pronged approach for protection and assistance to persons of concern in the region,” CISLAC executive director stressed.
The NGO called for the collaboration of stakeholders to generate a policy frame work that can help humanitarian actors in the region provide assistance to the IDPs.
The executive director asked, “As state governors, what have you done in terms of legislation to address all the humanitarian crises concerns to tackle humanitarian crises”?
According to him, states still lack policies that take care of humanitarian crises which arises as a result of IDPs stressing that unless that is done states will still continue to fail in its responsibilities of tackling humanitarian crises in states.
He said, “Something has to be put in black and white to tackle the IDPs’ problems before they become a security risk.” Whether they are IDPs or refugees they may make you join them when they burn down your house”
The non-governmental organisation decried state governments’ inability to do something tangibly to better the lots of the internally displaced.
In a brief interview shortly after the media chat came to an end, one of the participants, Mrs. Linda Tambe recounted her ordeal in the hands of the IDPs in one of the camps in Bakassi, saying that the IDPs almost got her beaten up if not for the security agents close to the camp who rescued her.
According to her, her friend and her had gome to one of the IDPs’s camps in Cross River State to do a little empowerment, and equip the IDPS with some skills, unknown to them that the IDP,s have now become enraged because of neglect from the society. On getting to the camps the IDPs held them hostage saying that they were tire with the ill treatment meted on them by the government and the society.
“if not for the quick inter
The Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board (RSPHCMB) says it will commence Supplemental Immunization activities on Saturday, May 3, 2025, to vaccinate children from 0-5 years across the State.
The State Health Educator, Dr. Diana Babbo, who stated this during a sensitisation meeting with Media Advocate for Health, Rivers State, on the update of immunization exercise in Rivers State, said the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) is a re-enforcement of the routine immunization at the health facilities.
According to her, it is aimed at boosting polio immunisation against the circulating variance of polio virus currently threatening the total eradication of polio in the country.
She further stated that there are four pillars of polio eradication, namely routine immunization (administered on babies in the health centre), supplemental immunization activity (supplements to boost the babies), surveillance (searching for children that have weakness in their legs or some oart of their bodies), and outbreak response.
The Health Educator noted that the Novel Oral Polio Vaccination Type 2 (NOPV 2) will be administered to children under the age of 0-5 years, which targets a specific polio still in existence in communities and capable of causing paralysis among the stated categories of children, despite the country being certified a polio-free nation.
Dr. Babbo further stated that this year’s NIPDs will address the high number of unresolved non-compliance cases in the State.
She debunked what she tagged a false rumour by mischief makers which claimed that the vaccines are responsible for the development of autism in children.
She said, “vaccines are not known to be responsible for the development of autism. We’re just hearing that. The truth is that one cannot know everything.
“That aspect that has been found, have we looked into other aspects, such as genetically modified foods, drinks, and milks that our children are taking?
“Have we also looked at genetic compatibility between couples before we now say vaccines are causing x, y, z things?
“Are we looking at the environment where these things are happening, what they are peculiar to?
“It must not be peculiar to all the families, there could be something also that’s happening around that we have not known. Research is evolving, let us not accuse our precious vaccines that have succeeded so far in my knowledge, to keep as many sicknesses at bay.
“The reason we do not have small pox in our world today, apart from the lab (a bio-lab) is because we vaccinated to the point where we were able to move small pox totally out of existence from human beings. We can succeed with that same pattern with all kinds of viruses”.
She stated that the connection between autism and vaccination could merely be coincidence.
Babbo, therefore, urged all parents, churches, and school owners to avail their children/wards the opportunity to be vaccinated against polio the stated exercise.
Sogbeba Dokubo
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has restated his administration’s commitment to providing more support to security agencies operating in the state.
He stated this on Tuesday when he received heads of security agencies, including Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Rear Admiral N.M. Madugu, Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ahmed Gaya, and the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 16, Yenagoa, Tolani Alausa, in Government House, Yenagoa.
The Governor assured security agencies across board that his administration would collaborate with them to protect lives and property as well as critical national assets on land and the waterways by providing patrol vehicles, boats and other necessary logistics.
He informed the new OPDS Commander that the task force had a responsibility to protect critical national, state and community assets contributing not only to the daily oil production output for the federal government but also to development and growth of the state.
The Governor stressed that the partnership between the state government and the task force had ensured that crime rate in the state was reduced.
“As a government, we are working round the clock with the security agencies so that our people can sleep with their two eyes closed and also ensure that national assets are safe for the benefit of the people and the government.
“Often, it is misconstrued as though these assets are only for the federal government. Rather, they are for the state, communities and the federal government. So we must work hand-in-gloves to ensure they are safe.
“Therefore, it is our responsibility to always ensure that these critical national, state and community assets are kept safe”, he said.
Responding to the request of the Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ahmed Gaya, the Governor stated that he had signed the Certificate of Occupancy of the land allocated to the Nigerian Navy at the New Yenagoa and approved a secondary school at Toru-Ebeni in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.
He said the State Government was waiting for the naval authorities to commence development of the land.
The new JTF Commander, Rear Admiral Madugu, stated that the visit was to formally introduce himself and to solicit the government’s support to achieve his aim of protecting the critical oil and gas facilities in his area of operation and fulfil the presidential mandate of increasing oil production to 2.5mbpd.
While promising to work with the Nigerian Police to maintain peace in the state, Diri admonished AIG Tolani to be repentant and be more professional in his duties having attained a top position in the force.
The Governor, who recalled the role Tolani played when he was Commissioner of Police in the state during the 2023 governorship election, said: “Let bygone be bygone and work according to your conscience. Ensure that you are repentant and do what is right. Your zone covers Bayelsa and Rivers states and let the interest of both states be uppermost on your mind.”
On disputes among community youth associations, the state’s helmsman wielded the big stick and announced the dissolution of such body in Famgbe Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area.
He directed the Commissioner for Youth Development, working with the Commissioner of Police, to ensure a proper election is held in the community.
Diri also warned that traditional rulers whose communities were embroiled in conflicts would be sanctioned.
“Every other feuding community, including Ogboinbiri, we are still watching you. I have told all traditional rulers, if you cannot ensure peace in your domain but waiting for my wrath to dangle on you, then both traditional rulers and youth bodies will be sacrificed”, Diri said.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa
The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has said no profession in the health sector was superior to others, saying there was need for cooperation among workers in every health facility to achieve optimal results.
He stated this during a courtesy visit by the Bayelsa branch of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) to his office in Government House, Yenagoa, on Tuesday.
He assured that a good number of certified and competent medical laboratory scientists, as well as other medical and health practitioners would be employed based on the needs assessment indices at government’s disposal in the ongoing civil service recruitment exercise.
While appreciating their contributions to quality healthcare service delivery, he said government was ready to collaborate with the Association and other critical stakeholders in the sector to make health services more affordable and accessible to people of the state.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, said the current recruitment drive was aimed at addressing manpower needs in some critical sectors, including health, to improve service delivery in the state.
“We’re making progress in the health sector in Bayelsa. But we also admit that there is still much room for improvement.
“As you’re aware, applicants are applying to the state civil service, and some employment slots have been approved for Medical Doctors and Laboratory Scientists to be employed.
“We need competent and highly qualified personnel to be employed into the service to provide quality services.
“Every health worker has a role in health promotion. No profession in the health sector is superior to another. We are ready to collaborate with you to make health services more affordable and accessible to all Bayelsans”, he said.
Earlier in her presentation, the State Chairman of the AMLSN, Eunice Ayamaere Lelei, said there was need for government to employ more qualified laboratory scientists, and provide modern laboratory equipment in all its medical facilities across the state.
Lelei, who emphasized that laboratory scientists play a critical role in healthcare services in Nigeria, called for the implementation of the approved call duty allowance for members of the Association, and funding support for their Mandatory Professional Continuing Development programmes.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa