Rivers
Youths Continue Agitation Despite Harassment
The Patriotic Youth of Ubima in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the State has vowed to continue to agitate for the rights of the youths despite harassment and intimidations over their stand in ensuring accountability and transparency.
The President of Ubima Youths, Wisdom Chimakpa Igwe, who stated this, said the Patriotic Youth of Ubima was agitating against the under development and high rate of unemployment in the community despite the numerous companies operating in the community.
The youth president demanded that the community’s leadership and the elders must make details of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed with the various companies in the community or else peace would not be guaranteed.
According to him,” Starvation of youths and denial of their rights in conspiracy with some security agencies were considered torture and intimation but we will not relent in our struggle to liberate the community.
He called on the various levels of government to urgently call the leadership of Ubima Community Development Committee (CDC) and some elders to order to avoid further crisis in the community.
Igwe lamented that the majority of the youths had been passing through difficult times in the community because of what he described as bad and corrupt leadership.
“The youths are still waiting for the leadership of the community to make known and public the details of implementation of the MoU signed with various companies operating in the community. We have no light, no water, no scholarship for youths and no developmal plans, yet we have SIAT, Agip Oil Company, All Grace Energy and Western Ord, etc”, he said.
Igwe further alleged that the revenue generated as royalties from the companies operating in the area for the development of the community were misused.
He said the youths had endured and kept mute for a long time.
When contacted the Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman of Ubima, Barrister Mono Akono, said the CDC was handicapped over the implementation of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) because it does not give them power to interface with the company.
Barrister Okono explained that when he took over leadership of the community in 2015, the MoU had been signed with All Grace Energy and Western Ord Limited.
According to the CDC chairman, part of what is in the MoU is that the community would interface with the company through what he described as “MIC”.
He further explained that he was not a member of the body called MIC and each time he wrote to the company, they would reject his letter and ask him to pass through the right channel.
According to him,” I have made a written complaint to the ministry of chieftaincy and community affairs on this issue and I am waiting for them.
“Reports we gathered said that the company has an internal issue in the court between the financial partners and the technical partners. Their issue is that one partner will not implement the MoU with the community”, he said.
Okono regretted that the community was losing but cannot do otherwise based on what is in the MoU.
He revealed that All Grace Energy and Western Ord are owing the community over N200 million but had paid N50 million only.
By: Ike Wigodo
The Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board (RSPHCMB) says it will commence Supplemental Immunization activities on Saturday, May 3, 2025, to vaccinate children from 0-5 years across the State.
The State Health Educator, Dr. Diana Babbo, who stated this during a sensitisation meeting with Media Advocate for Health, Rivers State, on the update of immunization exercise in Rivers State, said the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) is a re-enforcement of the routine immunization at the health facilities.
According to her, it is aimed at boosting polio immunisation against the circulating variance of polio virus currently threatening the total eradication of polio in the country.
She further stated that there are four pillars of polio eradication, namely routine immunization (administered on babies in the health centre), supplemental immunization activity (supplements to boost the babies), surveillance (searching for children that have weakness in their legs or some oart of their bodies), and outbreak response.
The Health Educator noted that the Novel Oral Polio Vaccination Type 2 (NOPV 2) will be administered to children under the age of 0-5 years, which targets a specific polio still in existence in communities and capable of causing paralysis among the stated categories of children, despite the country being certified a polio-free nation.
Dr. Babbo further stated that this year’s NIPDs will address the high number of unresolved non-compliance cases in the State.
She debunked what she tagged a false rumour by mischief makers which claimed that the vaccines are responsible for the development of autism in children.
She said, “vaccines are not known to be responsible for the development of autism. We’re just hearing that. The truth is that one cannot know everything.
“That aspect that has been found, have we looked into other aspects, such as genetically modified foods, drinks, and milks that our children are taking?
“Have we also looked at genetic compatibility between couples before we now say vaccines are causing x, y, z things?
“Are we looking at the environment where these things are happening, what they are peculiar to?
“It must not be peculiar to all the families, there could be something also that’s happening around that we have not known. Research is evolving, let us not accuse our precious vaccines that have succeeded so far in my knowledge, to keep as many sicknesses at bay.
“The reason we do not have small pox in our world today, apart from the lab (a bio-lab) is because we vaccinated to the point where we were able to move small pox totally out of existence from human beings. We can succeed with that same pattern with all kinds of viruses”.
She stated that the connection between autism and vaccination could merely be coincidence.
Babbo, therefore, urged all parents, churches, and school owners to avail their children/wards the opportunity to be vaccinated against polio the stated exercise.
Sogbeba Dokubo
Engr Obi Fortune, a renowned philanthropist, has donated 80 desks to four secondary schools in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State. The donation is part of his commitment to advancing education in the area.
The schools that benefited from the gesture includes- Community Secondary School Umuoye.
Community Secondary School Akwa- Government Secondary School Ozuzu and Community Primary School Okehi 2 and all the schools got 20 units each of the desks.
Speaking during the brief handing-over ceremony held recently in okehi recently, Engr Obi stated that the donation fulfills his promise to use proceeds from his book sales to procure desks for schools in the LGA.
He disclosed that more desks will arrive soon and expressed his continued commitment to supporting education in the area.
Obi urged the schools to make good use of the desks and called on other individuals to contribute to the educational needs in the area.
This gesture demonstrates Engr Obi’s dedication to improving education in Etche LGA.
A professor of social and political philosophy at Rivers State University (RSU ) Nkpolu Oroworukwu port Harcourt, Prof Agha Eresia _Eke has emphasized that citizenship participation is crucial for achieving true democratic government. He stressed that citizens’ involvement in exercising their basic rights, such as freedom of speech, assembly, and religion, is essential for a democratic institution to thrive.
Eresia _Eke stated this while presenting his inaugural lecture at the 111 university’s inaugural lecture series with the topic “Nigeria Democratic practices:a contextual paradox”held at the university senate auditorium in Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
According to him, core democratic values which include:,- Respect for individual rights and freedoms, Protection of human rights and fundamental freedom, Equality before the law, Freedom of speech, assembly, and association, Protection of privacy and personal autonomy.
“Through out history, the problem that has agitated social and political philosophers has been to work _out a model for the realization of the common good of man.
Man has always sought and developed methods and systems of organising himself according to his true nature as a rational being.”he stated.
Eresia-Eke notes that Nigeria is not practicing a true federalism and highlights the importance of a pragmatic approach to democracy, where ideas and solutions are tested and refined in real-world environments.
He emphasized that citizens must hold their leaders accountable and demand respect for human rights, stressing that by doing so, citizens can undertake their civic obligations and responsibilities, strengthening society as a whole.
Earlier in his address, the Vice chancellor of the university, Prof Zeb _Obipi commended the lecturer for his brilliant performance, adding that he has justified and proven that he is a professor in his area of specialization.
The VC averred that the university has been consistent in the inaugural lecture monthly and assured that his administration will continue to continue to keep the trend.