Rivers

Oyigbo Councillors Eulogise Army Over Humanitarian Service

Published

4 years ago

July 21, 2021

The leadership of Oyigbo legislative Assembly has eulogised the Nigerian Army, 6 Division over its free medical outreach to Oyigbo residents.
The leader, Rt Hon Nwaorgu Felix made the commendation after receiving the free medical outreach at Afam , the council headquarters yesterday.
Rt Hon Nwaorgu, accompanied by other councilors described the free medical services as a welcome development.
The ward 8 councilor said the people were elated over the renewed relationship between the Army and the civilians.
He urged the army to make it a regular exercise aimed at addressing healthy challenges of the people.
Hon Nwaorgu thanked the 6th Division for choice of Oyigbo and advised the people to ensure the opportunity was maximally utilised.
Earlier, the councilor representing ward 10, Hon Amaechi Nwakanma said the people remained grateful to the Nigeria Army, 6th Division for rendering one of the essential services as part of its cooperate social services.
Hon Nwakanma expressed his optimism that the exercise would achieve its desired objective.
The Ward 10 councilor called on the people to avail themselves of the rare opportunity to make their lives better.
On his part, Hon Chukwudi Oyegorom said it was one of the best things that had happened to the people of Oyigbo
Hon Oyegorom who represents Ward 9 said it would go a long way to addressing healthy challenge of the people
Hon Oyegorom, the only returning officer assured more collaboration with the Military to making lives of the ordinary people better
He obliged his ward to embrace the exercise as it was designed for their good.
Ward 9 councilor commended the organisers for the choice of Oyigbo.

Rivers

NDDC Charges Youths On Sustainable Peace In The Region

Published

4 days ago

September 13, 2025

The Tide

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has charged youths across the nine states of the commission to be ambassadors of peace building initiatives .
This move is to sustain the existing peace to propel development across the region.

The NDDC managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr Samuel Ogbuku,gave the directive while declaring open a capacity building program for Niger Delta stakeholders on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and inclusive peace for sustainable development organised by the department of dispute and conflict resolution ( DCR) of the commission held in port Harcourt, Tuesday.

The program which is part of activities to mark the silver jubilee celebration of the birth of the commission has the theme: fostering lasting peace through ADR : lessons from the past, building future opportunities to advance the renewed hope agenda.

The NDDC managing Director/chief executive officer represented by his chief of staff,Rev Omeya Oworibo advised the youths of Niger Delta region to be vanguards of peace and avoid actions that could jeopardize the existing peace achieved in the region.

He emphasised that sustainable development can only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace devoid of rancour and acrimony, stressing that as critical stakeholders in the region, they are to seen themselves as agents of development and to build frontiers with the commission to advance the developmental needs of the people of Niger Delta region.

He averred that the various developmental achieved by the commission was associated to the prevailing peace and stability noticed in the region.

He opined that the essence of the workshop is to brainstorm with the various stakeholders in the region ,especially the youths, on how best to ensure that the existing peace in region is sustained and how we can best manage ourselves without being confrontational.

According to him,the commission is open for positive and constructive engagement , adding that dialogue and meditation remains the key to finding a lasting peace in the society.

” I am excited on the level of people in this workshop and our core mandate is how to build and sustain the existing peace in the region.How do we keep and maintain this peace already achieved.”he stated.

The NDDC managing Director and chief executive officer urged them to carry the message of peace and stability to their various communities and villages so as to assist the commission achieve it’s core mandate of development in the Region.

Earlier in his welcome of address, the acting director, Dispute & Conflict Resolution (DCR),Ogedegbe Ayewumi Godwin(Esq), said the gathering is with shared commitment to harness the power of alternative dispute resolution ( ADR)as a critical instrument for sustaining peace, unlocking development and advancing the renewed Hope Agenda across the Niger Delta and beyond.

He stated that we stand at a consequential moment in our national journey, noting that the theme for the workshop “fostering lasting peace through ADR: lessons from the past, Building future opportunities to advance the renewed Hope Agenda”calls us to reflect deeply on what has worked, what must be reinforced and how we can leverage ADR to translate policy intentions into tangible, peaceful, and prosperous outcome for communities that have borne the brunt of conflict for too long.

Akujobi Amadi

Rivers

Technology Key to Nigeria’s Socio-Economic Development, Says Computer Scientist

Published

5 days ago

September 12, 2025

The Tide

Dr. Legborsi Emmanuel, former state Chairman of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), has emphasized that technology is the sure way for Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

He made this assertion while speaking with newsmen at the sideline of 118th inaugural lecture series of Rivers State University (RSU) held in port Harcourt, wednesday.

He stressed that the lecture, which focused on emerging technology and its impact on the socio-economic development of the country, aligns with the NCS’s economic focus.

He highlighted the importance of building an economy driven by technology, citing the success of the Rivers State Smart Economy policy as an example.

The computer scientist emphasized the need for innovation and doing things differently, asserting that “technology is the only way out” for Nigeria’s development. He praised the lecturer, Professor Mathias Daniel, for exploring the applications of technology in various sectors, including agriculture, industry, transport, and socio-economics.

Dr. Emmanuel underscores the critical role technology plays in driving socio-economic growth and development in Nigeria by leveraging technology, the country can unlock new opportunities and address pressing challenges.

Akujobi Amadi

City Crime

Association Raises Alarm Over Increasing Migration Of Young Pharmacists Abroad

Published

5 days ago

September 12, 2025

The Tide

The Nigeria Association of Pharmacists in Academia (NAPA) has called on the Federal Government to urgently address the growing shortage of academic pharmacists in the country.

National Chairperson of NAPA, Prof. Catherine Stanley, made the appeal during the opening of the 23rd Annual National Scientific Conference of NAPA, held at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), midweek.

The event had as its theme: “Pharmacy Practice in the New Global Economy: Education, Technology and Collaborations”.

Stanley attributed the shortage of pharmacists to increasing migration of young professionals to Europe and North America in search of better opportunities.

She described pharmacists in academia as “an endangered species”, citing their migration to foreign countries and the lack of replacements for retirees and deceased colleagues.

“There is an acute shortage of needed manpower in critical sectors of pharmacy education. This trend should not be allowed to continue”, she pleaded.

Stanley urged the government to prioritise the welfare of academic pharmacists to ensure sustainability in pharmaceutical education and research.

According to her, the current situation poses a threat to the future of pharmacy training and healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

In a keynote address, Prof. Charles Esimone, a former Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Enugu, attributed the dearth of pharmacists to new global challenges confronting the profession.

Discussing the theme of the conference, Esimone noted that the world was more interconnected than ever, and blamed globalisation for some of the difficulties facing the education sector.

He stressed the need to balance local requirements with a global outlook.

“This realisation has fuelled a push towards purposeful best practices in curriculum development, faculty exchanges, and addressing regulatory issues across borders.

“Our curricula must train pharmacists to be effective both locally and globally, ably to understand local health traditions while applying international standards”, he said.

Esimone explained that the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and other global bodies have been working on developing a Global Competency Framework to harmonise pharmacist training worldwide.

He said the goal was to align education with the competences required to deliver essential services in any country.

He also highlighted the impact of advances in technology, which are revolutionising every aspect of pharmacy practice from dispensing processes to patient counselling, noting that the pace of change was accelerating.

“Pharmacists have increasingly embraced digital health tools, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their services.

“However, technology in pharmacy is a double-edged sword, it can greatly enhance our practice, but must be wielded with care”, he warned.

On his part, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, called on pharmacists in the academia to adopt practical and innovative approaches that would transform pharmacy education and practice in Nigeria.

Represented by the institution’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Chukwudi Onyeasor, Georgewill urged practitioners to move beyond theoretical discourse, embrace technology, strengthen collaborations, and align pharmacy with global standards.

“This is necessary to produce professionals who are equipped to serve a rapidly evolving healthcare system”, he concluded.

The Tide reports that the conference brought together pharmacists, researchers, educators, and policymakers from across the country to discuss innovations and strategies for advancing pharmaceutical practice in Nigeria.

Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso