Rivers

School Beats 37 Others To Win 2018 Quiz Contest

Published

8 years ago

July 16, 2018

Jephthah Comprehensive Secondary School, Port Harcourt, has won this year’s Quiz Competition for private secondary schools in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, outclassing 37 others to clinch the top prize.
Cilia’s International College came out second while Citadel Group of Schools beat 35 others to emerge third.
Speaking at the event at the Port Harcourt Literary Library, last Saturday, with the theme: “Our History, Our Environment”, the founder of the Community Conciliation and Development Initiative (CCADI), Ada Ekpeye Logbo II of Ekpeye Kingdom, Dr Patricia Ogbonnaya, noted that the programme was aimed at championing the re-introduction of Nigerian History in schools so as to inculcate and re-awaken the Nigerian consciousness in youths of Rivers State.
She said that her NGO, initiated the competition in 2011 to inspire teaching and learning of History in private secondary schools in the state, in partnership with the Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce.
Ogbonnaya explained that the contest was founded on the beauty of the diversity of Nigeria, adding that despite the diversity, unity and sustainable democracy moulded the dreams and visions of the founding fathers of the country.
She charged Nigerian leaders to find ways to endear everyone to live together in peace, adding that to achieve this, leaders must promote peace and harmony across all communities.
In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Education, Dr Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, stated the importance of History in schools, adding that he was very happy that History has been re-introduced into the nation’s school curriculum.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Head of Service, Nnamdi Okpu, Gogo-Jaja, appealed to well-meaning Nigerians to invest in the welfare of Nigerian children to improve their capacity to contribute to the development of the country.
The Executive Director, CCADI, Kelechi Amaechi stated that the initiative was designed to bring back young people’s interest in Nigeria history, unity and patriotism, adding that the NGO intends to use the platform to empower youth to build peace in the Niger Delta region.
“We want to see our young people studying History again, so that they can understand who they are, why they are where we are, and the need for us to move forward. We are looking at how we can draw a relationship between our history and the state of our environment, especially in the Niger Delta.”
He thanked the partners, especially, the Ada Ekpeye Logbo, for making available all the resources needed to make the quiz a worthwhile competition.
The Tide reports that the event climaxed with quiz competitions that focused on the history of Nigeria between 14 private secondary schools out of 38 schools that participated in the entire contest.
Prizes were presented to the three top schools, including cash, trophies, plaques, among others.
While the Chairman of the occasion, Dr Emi Membere-Otaji presented the first prize to Jephthah Comprehensive Secondary School, Chief Okpokiri Augustine Maxwell presented the second prize to Cilia’s International College, just as House of Representatives member, Hon. Betty Apiafi, presented the third prize to Citadel Group of Schools, at the end of the competitions.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana

Niger Delta

CSOs, Bille Community Urge Solution To Persistent Underwater Gas Eruption

Published

11 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the people of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State have called for government’s urgent intervention to end the suspected underwater gas eruption in the community.

The groups, under the aegis of the Environmental Rights Action and Social Action, made the call during their advocacy visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), in Port Harcourt.

The Programme Manager of Environmental Rights Action, Mr. Kentebe Ebiaridor, said the visit was to seek clarity on the response efforts of the regulators to the development in the community.

Ebiaridor expressed concern over what he described as “inadequate response from regulatory agencies and the government concerning the incident”.

He said discussions with some officials revealed that there was still no clear timeline for action to address the situation.

According to him, in the absence of clear ownership of the facility linked to the incident, companies operating within Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 should be held accountable.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had in a statement issued on March 20 by its Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the commission had commenced an investigation into a gas bubbling incident in Bille Community.

Eyesan said the commission expressed concern over the development and assured residents of its ongoing efforts to address the situation.

Also, the Resource Justice Manager of Social Action, Dr. Prince Edegbuo, warned that the situation could escalate into a public health emergency, if urgent steps were not taken.

Edegbuo called on relevant authorities to release the results of the tests reportedly conducted in the area, stressing that residents had the right to know the condition of their environment.

He also said CSOs were prepared to intensify advocacy on the matter, urging the development of emergency response measures, including possible evacuation plans.

A legal practitioner and community stakeholder, Mr. Commission Deinbo, had, on March 20, said residents had continued to witness unusual signs on the waterways in the area.

Deinbo said the signs included boiling and bubbling from the ground and river, sometimes within residential areas, as well as fire outbreaks, which the residents had always managed to contain.

He appealed to relevant authorities to come to their aid and find a lasting solution to the problem.

In a response, the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of NOSDRA, Mr. Bello Augustin, assured the community that he would relate its concerns to the appropriate quarters.

Augustin also commended the CSOs for their advocacy and concerns to community development in the state.

By: Wokoma Emmanuel & Theresa Frederick

Rivers

Dep Gov Seeks Collaboration, Transparency Between RIVCHPP, PHCMB

Published

14 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, has called for renewed commitment, transparency, and stronger collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector, particularly between the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the Primary Health Care Management Board.

She made the call today, during the First Quarter Review Meeting of the Task Force on Primary Health Care, held at Government House, Port Harcourt.

She emphasized the importance of honesty in addressing challenges within the healthcare system, urging all parties to remain open and truthful in their engagements.

According to her, transparency is critical to identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting service delivery.

“If we are not truthful, we will not cure the disease, but merely cover it up,” she stated.

The Deputy Governor recounted a personal experience at a primary health centre, where a patient, despite being duly registered under the RIVCHPP scheme with completed biometric capture, was still asked to pay for services.

She explained that intervention by relevant authorities later confirmed the patient’s eligibility, thereby exposing a communication gap between the scheme and healthcare providers.

Prof. Odu warned that such incidents could discourage community members from enrolling in the scheme and ultimately undermine its objectives.

“When this happens, we are disenfranchising our people. The message that goes back to the community is that even when you register, you are still made to pay,” she stated.

While commending the leadership and staff of the Primary Health Care Management Board, the Ministry of Health, development partners, and other supporting units for their efforts, Prof. Odu cautioned against complacency.

She urged stakeholders to continuously strive for improvement, raise standards, and ensure lasting positive impact within the healthcare system.

Rivers

Experts Converge To Tackle N’Delta Business Challenges

Published

14 hours ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

As part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s economy, about 600 experts are billed to converge in Port Harcourt in a business conference to uplift middle-class businesses in the Niger Delta region.

The convener of the convergence, Lanre Oluseye, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, said the conference, scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt for the first time, would equip middle-class businesses with the knowledge required to overcome challenges and scale up their businesses.

He explained that the convergence was conceived in response to challenges stalling business growth, particularly at the mid-level.

Oluseye noted that while Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) benefited from various interventions, middle-class businesses were often neglected despite facing significant constraints.

He added that the conference would bring together accomplished professionals and business leaders to mentor mid-level entrepreneurs on how to overcome barriers and attain greater heights.

“Convergence is a conference where thoughts, ideas and strategies come together to create a catalyst that enables business people to move to the next level.

“It is a platform that accelerates growth by bringing great minds together to chart a course for others to follow.

“Our objective is to move the Port Harcourt-based middle-class businesses to cross the barriers that are holding them down”, he said.

Oluseye continued that the conference, slated for April 18, would attract about 600 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and middle-level managers to address business challenges in the Niger Delta through innovative ideas and strategies.

He emphasised that the event would not be a mere social gathering, but a knowledge-driven platform designed to transform participants and provide networking opportunities to enhance their businesses.

He assured that participants would gain new insights, build valuable networks and engage with like-minded professionals.

Oluseye further said that top industry leaders expected at the conference included the Managing Director/CEO of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Leye Falade; former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; and the MD/CEO of Aradel Holdings Plc., Gbite Falade.

Others are Tope Aladenusi of Deloitte Africa; the Partner, Chief Economist and Lead, Strategy and West Africa, Segun Zaccheaus; and a global thinker and futurist, Olakunle Soriyan.

Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso