Niger Delta
COVID-19: Taxi Drivers Defy CRSG’s Order
Taxi drivers in Calabar have defied the order by the Cross River State Government to carry only two passengers at a time to stop the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the state.
Our correspondent, yesterday went round the city to ascertain the level of compliance and spoke with some taxi drivers.
Our source reports that taxi drivers were still going about their normal business of carrying two passengers in the front seat and four passengers at the back, bringing the total to six passengers.
A driver simply known as Etuk said that the order was impossible to be carried out in the state.
He said that most of the drivers that were involved in commercial transportation business in the state did that with hire purchase vehicles and the owners of the vehicles were not interested in what the government was saying.
According to him, all the owners want is their weekly money as agreed.
He said: “All the owners want is their money as agreed with the driver from the beginning.
“So, how do we meet up with payment if we pick only two passengers per trip? How do we maintain the vehicle, fuel them, buy tickets and meet up with the agreed amount with the owners of the vehicles?’’
Another taxi driver, Mr Asuquo Edem, said it was not enough to just give orders, the state government should look at how practicable these orders were.
“People have been ordered to stay at home, meaning that the number of passengers have reduced drastically.
“Yet, you are telling a taxi driver who hardly sees two passengers because of the lockdown to carry just two when he has mouths to feed at home. How will they survive?
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The Bayelsa State Government has assured the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) and other development partners in the health sector of a better working relationship to further improve on healthcare delivery in the state.
The State’s Deputy Governor, Dr. Peter Akpe, gave the assurance midweek at separate meetings with a delegation of AFENET, Abuja, and the State Taskforce on Immunization at his office in Government House, Yenagoa.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, the Deputy Governor was quoted as saying that the State Governor, Douye Diri-led administration was taking measures, including putting in place a legislative framework, to ensure sustainability of health projects and programmes in the state.
He expressed hope that the state Health Sector Reform Bill, when passed into law, will address funding of health projects and other critical challenges affecting healthcare delivery in Bayelsa.
The Deputy Governor, who is the Chairman of the State Immunization Taskforce, commended members of the taskforce, AFENET, and other development partners for their efforts and support that enabled the state to achieve its current level of achievements, particularly in immunization.
He, however, urged them not to rest on their oars, stressing that the present administration was irrevocably committed to improving the maternal and child health indices of the state as well as strengthening ongoing partnerships on healthcare interventions.
“We really have to continue working together to see how we can achieve greater and better results. I don’t want our state to come down from the height we have attained.
“My team and I will always be open to your counsel and any action you (AFENET) will want to shift to us as our area of responsibility; we will always try and see what we can do about it”, he said.
He continued that “I think government co-owning projects or initiatives such as this should not be an issue we should struggle with. I believe that with the team we have, we can work it out and make it effective and beneficial to our people.
“On the issue of legislative framework, I want to assure you that we are almost there. We are working on the state Health Sector Reform Bill, which when passed into law, I believe can address the concern you have raised here.
“It will take care of the issue of sustainability of funding and other challenges affecting healthcare delivery in the state.”
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, disclosed that AFENET, which draws technical and financial support from the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, had been supporting the state’s Primary HealthCare Board since 2024.
According to the health Commissioner, the group largely collaborated with the state in the roll-out and implementation of Malaria Vaccines, optimization of outreach sessions which culminated in the immunization of over 18,000 children across the state in three cycles.
Earlier in his remarks, the National Coordinator of the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Dr. Saheed Gidado, acknowledged the state government’s achievements in healthcare delivery, especially in immunization.
While expressing AFENET’s readiness for continued collaboration, Dr. Gidado urged the state government to put in place a legislative framework to ensure sustainability for funding of the Malaria Vaccine Optimization Project and other health initiatives.
The Director, Disease Control and Immunization, Ministry of Health, Dr Gbanaibolou Orukari and her Pharmaceutical Services counterpart, Dr. Ebikapaye Okoyen, also made presentations at the meeting.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has disclosed that a total of 5,986 candidates have scaled through the Computer-Based Test (CBT) stage of its foreign scholarship programme out of 12,277 applicants.
Speaking during an assessment visit to the scholarship interview venue in Port Harcourt, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, assured stakeholders that the selection process remained free of bias, compromise and favoritism.
Represented by the Director of Education, Health and Social Services, Dr. Patience Ezugu, Ogbuku commended members of the interview panel for conducting what he described as a seamless exercise without complaints from candidates.
According to him, the scholarship selection process has consistently produced outstanding beneficiaries who have excelled in their respective fields abroad.
“The students who benefited from the scholarship scheme in previous years recorded distinctions in their various fields of study, and we have not received any criminal or negative reports about them”, he said.
The Commission disclosed that after the CBT stage, 2,492 candidates were shortlisted for the oral interview phase, from which successful applicants would emerge for the overseas postgraduate scholarship award.
Director of Education, Dr. Awele Chukwudifu, noted that the computer-based examination process enhanced credibility because candidates saw their scores immediately after completing the tests.
“As soon as the computer-based exams are concluded, the scores pop up instantly for candidates to see, which demonstrates transparency and integrity”, she said.
She added that beneficiaries of the scholarship would be encouraged to return and deploy their acquired knowledge toward the development of the Niger Delta region.
Chairman of the interview panel and lecturer at Niger Delta University, Prof. Beleudanyo Fente, praised the NDDC for sustaining the initiative aimed at improving educational opportunities for youths in the region.
Fente assured that the panel remained committed to selecting only the most qualified candidates, insisting there was no room for compromise in the exercise.
The consultant for the scholarship programme, Chief Godson Ideozu, described the process as dependable and hitch-free since its commencement.
He disclosed that out of the 12,277 applicants, 5,986 candidates passed the CBT stage, while 2,492 advanced to the oral interview stage.
He added that successful candidates would later be invited for a departure briefing.
One of the candidates, Mrs. Akindoyeni Oluwabukunmi, described the process as transparent and satisfactory, noting that the scholarship would help her acquire knowledge and skills needed to contribute meaningfully to the development of the Niger Delta region.
Some disability rights advocates have urged governors in the Niger Delta region to enact rights-based disability laws and ensure the inclusive implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to protect persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The call was made during a two-day workshop organised by the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) in Port Harcourt on Friday.
Special Assistant to the Governor of Abia State on Persons with Disabilities, Mr. David Anyaele, said the training became necessary due to the exclusion of PWDs from the implementation processes of the PIA in many host communities.
Anyaele, who facilitated the workshop, said the PIA provided for host community trusts, boards of trustees, advisory councils and needs assessments, but noted that PWDs were often excluded from such structures.
According to him, excluding persons with disabilities from community needs assessments would deny them access to development projects and programmes in oil-producing communities.
He said the workshop was designed to equip participants with knowledge of the PIA and the advocacy skills needed to engage traditional rulers, host community leaders and other stakeholders.
Anyaele said the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act required the inclusion of PWDs in governance and guaranteed accessibility to public infrastructure.
However, he noted that many public facilities across the country remained inaccessible, thereby limiting the participation of PWDs in education, governance and social activities.
The disability advocate urged governments at all levels to address institutional, environmental and attitudinal barriers affecting persons with disabilities.
He also described advocacy as a continuous process requiring sustained engagement, knowledge and strategic communication with relevant stakeholders.
Similarly, the Executive Director of Faecare Foundation, Freky Andrew-Essien, called for the enactment of a rights-based disability law in Rivers State and the inclusive implementation of the PIA.
Andrew-Essien is also Chairperson of the Spinal Cord Association of Nigeria, Rivers Chapter.
She said the workshop focused on building the capacity of PWDs, especially those from host communities, to understand the provisions of the PIA and advocate for their rights.
She said participants were trained on disability rights, disability-inclusive advocacy, risk assessment strategies and engagement approaches for effective participation in PIA processes.
According to her, Rivers currently operates a welfare enhancement law, which she said does not adequately protect the rights of persons with disabilities.
Andrew-Essien said disability groups and civil society organisations had continued to advocate for a rights-based law and the establishment of an autonomous disability commission with adequate powers and funding.
She also highlighted the impact of oil spills, gas flaring, flooding and poor infrastructure on persons with disabilities.
Andrew-Essien urged oil companies and host communities to ensure that development projects and interventions were accessible and inclusive from the planning stage.
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