Move Higher Institutions’ Campuses To Rural Areas – Cleric

The Bishop Diocese of Niger Delta, Rt Rev Ralph Ebirien, has called on the Rivers State Government to move the campuses of some higher institutions in the state to the rural areas.
Ebirien, who said this in a press briefing to mark his 10th consecration anniversary in Port Harcourt, said the proposal would open up the rural areas for development as well as check the present high rate of rural-urban migration.
The cleric also called on both the federal and state governments to put in place programmes that would give more attention to rural development.
While commending Governor Nyesom Wike for his effort to reduce insecurity in the state, he said that the diocese would continue to partner with the government to promote peace in all parts of the diocese.
Ebirien also called for massive investment in agriculture and skill acquisition to create job opportunities for the youths in the state.
He said that the diocese within the last ten years had made some strides in evangelism through the creation of two Archdeaconries and a number of parishes while more churches were being planted across communities in the diocese.
He said decent places of worships had been provided across the diocese while clerics are being encouraged to upgrade themselves.
Ebirien further said the diocese’s educational policy has paid off as students from the Nyemoni Anglican Grammar School Abonnema are coming top in external examinations while facilities at the Diocese’s hospital in Port Harcourt have been upgraded to meet the needs of the teeming number of patients using the facilities.
He listed the challenges facing the diocese to include mass exodus of people from the diocese to other dioceses as well as the problem of mobility.
Ebirien, however, advised parishioners who migrated to other dioceses to always identify with their home diocese in all activities.
He commended Governor Wike for upgrading facilities at Nyemoni Anglican Grammar School Abonnema and advised youths in the diocese to desist from further involvement in violence.

John Bibor/Amina Ngoma/Josephine Nsirim