Nation
Imo Communities Want State To Refurbish Health Centres
Isu and Abakan communities in Nwangele Local Government area of Imo have called on the state government to rehabilitate their health centres and provide them with personnel with good conduct.
The communities made the appeal at a one-day sensitisation programme on Thursday with the theme: “Improve the Knowledge of Mothers, Parents and Care givers on Essential Family Practices as stated by UNICEF”.
While Abajah community said its health centre should be refurbished, Isu community decried lack of necessary equipment, security and friendly health personnel, which it said, had hindered members of the community from meeting their health needs.
They also called for the establishment of World Development Committee (WDC) in the two communities which comprised 16 villages.
The Chairman of Eze’s Cabinet in Isu Community and Nze Charles Njoku, Eze-in-Council of Abajah community, Chief Donatus Dikeukwu, said their health centres had long been neglected and called for urgent government’s attention to the area.
They also appealed for security personnel to be posted to the health centres and regular visitation to the community by the sanitary inspectors.
The communities promised to cooperate with the health officers.
The State Director of National Orientation Agency, Mr Vitus Ekeocha, throwing more light on the WDC, said that there was growing concern by stakeholders on the decline of Routine Immunization (RI) services occasioned by misinformation, rumour and panic following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.
He said the situation was worse in the rural communities with limited access to new information and mass media platforms.
Ekeocha said the lack of awareness on what the outbreaks were all about, the basic facts about each of the diseases, the effects of the diseases, how the behaviour and practices of the people are contributing to the outbreaks, among others, had contributed towards worsening the disease burden in these communities.
He said the re-activation of WDCs became necessary as the most effective communication tools for creating awareness, debunking rumours and clarifying misinformation in respect to diseases, various antigens, what they protect and what age they should be administered, importance and benefits of prevention and care.
The NOA official said the WDCs would also to provide some form of orientation to women groups and social networks on key messages for promoting and tracking the uptake of RI and COVID-19 prevention in selected five communities in each of the three pilot local government areas.
An Immunisation Officer in Nwangele Local Government area, Mr Donatus Ohaka, highlighted the importance of immunising children from the six killer diseases.
He said that over the years, many of diseases that attacked, killed and maimed children had been completely prevented or eradicated in the communities as a result of immunisation.
Ohaka urged women, especially breast feeding mothers, to ensure their children and wards completed the immunisation doses as well as keep their immunisation cards safe.
He also advised the people of the communities to always check their health status and access available drugs to live a healthy life, adding that most deaths in the community were preventable.
Ohaka said that 570 children were immunized out of a total of 991 children expected to have been immunised in Isu and Abajah communities and frowned at the development.
The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Coordinator in Nwangele Local Government area, Mrs Mary-Stella Ofoegbu, harped on the essence of proper hygiene keeping in homes and the surroundings to avoid contracting communicable diseases.
She urged the people to guide against open defecation, imbibe regular hand washing, as well as cut down over grown trees.
A UNICEF consultant, Mrs Ngozi Dike, said that the programme was a UNICEF programme facilitated by NOA and advised members of the two communities to make use of the opportunity to access drugs for their health needs.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, has commended the orderly conduct of the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination in the state and urged schools to sustain the standard.
Dr. Nwagor gave the commendation on Tuesday during a monitoring tour of selected secondary schools in Port Harcourt and environs where the WAEC exam is ongoing.
The commissioner, who was accompanied by directors and monitors from the Ministry of Education, said he was impressed with the peaceful atmosphere at the centres visited.
“The students conducted themselves properly and wrote their papers under conducive conditions. Invigilators and supervisors also performed their duties professionally,” he stated.
Nwagor noted that the Rivers State Government had invested heavily to ensure the smooth and credible conduct of the examination across the state
He urged candidates to reciprocate government’s effort by shunning all forms of examination malpractice and focusing on their studies.
“Government has done so much to ensure successful examinations in our schools. Students should take advantage of it by remaining focused,” the commissioner said.
While no case of malpractice was recorded in the centres inspected, Dr. Nwagor warned that any principal, teacher, invigilator, or official caught aiding malpractice would face strict sanctions in line with regulations.
He also commended school administrators, teachers, WAEC officials, and security personnel for upholding the integrity of the process.
Centres visited included County Grammar School, Ikwerre/Etche; Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri; Government Secondary School, Borokiri; and Pabod Model Secondary School.
Rivers State University and the Otonti Nduka Foundation for Values Education jointly hosted a two-day National Conference on 8 and 9 May 2026 to examine the state of values in Nigeria.
The two days conference held at Rivers State University convocation arena brought together academics, policymakers, legal experts and education leaders under the theme _“Trends and Challenges in Upholding Values in Nigeria.”_
The gathering focused on policy gaps, curriculum reform, and the role of ethics in public service and education.
The event opened on Friday with remarks from Vice Chancellor Prof. Chief Isaac Zeb-Obipi, who stressed the need to address declining moral and civic values across Nigeria’s education and public sectors. A book of abstracts for the plenary sessions was also presented to participants.
Key speakers included former Attorney General Chief Dr Kanu Agabi, SAN; NERDC Executive Secretary Prof. Shehu Salisu; Prof. Hauwa Imam, FNAE, of the University of Abuja; former Rivers SUBEB Chairman Ven Dr Fyneface Akah, ; former NIMASA DG Dr Hon. Dakuku Adol-Peterside; and RSU Director of ICT Prof. Sunny Orike.
Discussions centered on integrating values education into schools, tertiary institutions and public institutions, alongside the impact of technology on moral development among young Nigerians. Panel and plenary sessions produced practical recommendations for curriculum and policy reform.
On Saturday, the foundation marked its centenary with the unveiling of the book _Otonti Nduka in History_, launched by Chief Engr. Grant Offor, FNSE. The Nigerian Academy of Education held a ceremonial procession led by its President Prof. Olu Jegede and the Ikwerre Professors Forum.
In a communiqué, participants called for stronger collaboration between government, civil society and academia to mainstream values education nationwide. They recommended reviewing teacher training curricula and expanding digital platforms to promote ethical civic engagement, with the foundation pledging to share the outcomes with education authorities for implementation.
Dignitaries present included Ogbakor Ikwerre Worldwide as Chief Host, Prof. Emeritus Chief T. Uzodimma Nwala, the Ikenga 1 of Mbaise and first philosophy student of Prof. Otonti Nduka, alongside scholars and community leaders.
Amadi Akujobi
