Nation
Uche Nwosu: Police Owe Explanations On Bullying -Analyst
The recent abduction of AAC governorship candidate in the previous Imo governorship election, Mr. Uche Nwosu has been condemned by Mr. Carl Umegboro, a public affairs analyst stating that it was shocking that up till now, no strong explanation has been given to warrant such ill-treatment likened to a military junta.
In a statement on Friday in Abuja, the public affairs analyst said that the actions of the Nigerian Police at the Anglican church in Imo state looked like that of kidnappers, bandits and criminals adding that it was a national embarrassment and disgrace for the Police to act the way it did, and impudently owned up.
He said that no matter the political squabbles going on in Imo state, it is unjustifiable for a public institution as delicate as Police to become a tool of oppression for settling political scores, and wondered why the Imo State Commissioner of Police has not been queried and sanctioned accordingly including immediate redeployment.
Umegboro said that the excuse by the Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba of having no knowledge is flimsy, absurd and inconsequential considering the volume of embarrassment the Police under his watch brought to the nation by the silly act even when federal government was marketing the nation in the international arenas.
Mr. Umegboro argued that irrespective of what may have transpired in the state during Rochas Okorocha’s administration as alleged, that they do not justify the Police intimidation and excesses witnessed in the state recently which may escalate to a worse situation if not controlled. He added that oppression and intimidation are not part of benefits offered to a state that belongs to a ruling party.
He therefore appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to watch the video to see how his Police played a role of political thugs in a broad day which initially, was accurately reported in the media as kidnapping.
“The nation is no longer in a military era where oppression and intimidation against perceived enemies used to be the order of the day. Obviously, what Nigerian Police did in Imo state during a church service is a national embarrassment.
“In fact, President Muhammadu Buhari should watch the video to see how the Police under his watch bullied a citizen of the country convincingly to settle scores. If a citizen’s attention is needed by the Police, there are procedures to fetch the fellow, and not acting as witnessed which was similar to that of scripts in the Animal Farm by George Orwell”, the analyst fumed.
He queried the rationale for the traumatic action during a church service which put many including elderly people into severe fear even without any Police invitation extended to the victim earlier which showed that it was merely to cause embarrassments to the victim in the presence of his invitees and to frustrate the occasion.
“The question begging for answer is when has a church become the ideal place to arrest a citizen, sadly, one that was neither invited nor a warrant of arrest issued against, and then during a thanksgiving service in the church in honour of his deceased mother. From stories, nothing showed that Nwosu was at large, hence, unacceptable.
“Whatever issues going on between Senator Rochas Okorocha, the victim’s father in-law and the present government cannot justify the barbaric Police actions during a church service except the nation is going backwards. There are avenues to demand for stewardship from a former public officeholder, and not bullying. If not controlled, the ugly pattern could resuscitate, and who knows who will be the next target or victim, thereby destroying the gains of democracy. This is not about Rochas Okorocha but civility and nationalism.
“Essentially, we cannot be condemning bullying in secondary schools when those in authority openly promote and exhibit the same vices against political enemies. Recently, five ELAN engineers working on the AfDB project in Ebonyi state went missing only to hear from the Ebonyi State government that they were killed and buried, and nothing has been said about such barbarism. These are heights of irresponsibility”, Umegboro lamentably said.
With significant achievements recorded across thematic areas of the Ogoni cleanup programme being executed by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), the Project Coordinator of the Project, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey, has said that all these are enabling pathways to the development of Ogoniland.
This is coming on the heels of milestone achievements in the following areas and their impact on Ogoni communities. They are mangrove restoration which is 94 percent complete; shoreline remediation which stands at 67.1 percent; and the phase 2 land remediation progressing to 36.55 percent.
Moreso, HYPREP has constructed 14 water facilities, providing potable water to 40 communities. With the commissioning of the water schemes in Bane and Gwara communities, the number of communities with access to clean and safe drinking water will be 45. The process of operationalising the Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration (CEER) which is at 92 percent complete, is ongoing. The same for the Ogoni Power Project which is progressing with wayleave compensation and construction works at Bodo and Wiiyaakaara substations ongoing
Similarly, the Ogoni Specialist Hospital and Buan Cottage Hospital are at 76.8 percent and 98.7 percent respectively.
This is alongside other public health interventions and the Human BioMonitoring Survey also in progress.
Under the livelihood
programme, over 7,000 direct jobs have been created for Ogoni women and youths, while over 5,000 have been trained in multiple skills and provided start-up kits, workshops, education grants, scholarships and other empowerment programmes. This quarter, training will commence in other demand-driven skill areas, such as cybersecurity, full-stack development, mud logging, software development, commercial diving, and underwater welding.
Zabbey had reeled out these achievements, during the third quarter interactive session between the Project Coordination Office engagement with Ogoni youths in Port Harcourt on Friday, in line with HYPREP’s strategic stakeholders policy to provide an interface opportunity to abreast Ogoni youths on the Project’s activities, while garnering their feedback.
Zabbey noted that, “This
quarterly engagement was,therefore, designed as an inclusive strategy to ensure that youth voices are heard, concerns are addressed, and progress updates are provided transparently. Also, it reflects our firm belief that a project of this magnitude must be people-centred, accountable, and participatory”.
” I am delighted to inform you that the Project remains on course to achieve its mandate as outlined in the UNEP Report on the Ogoni environment and the official gazette establishing HYPREP. HYPREP is committed to transparency and accountability in the implementation of the cleanup projects and activities”, he said.
He stressed that HYPREP’s achievements are pathways to a better Ogoniland, assuring that the Project’s goals are aimed at benefiting all categories of Ogoni youths, whether in business, farming, advocacy, education, entrepreneurship or community development.
”This Project belongs to all of you, and its success depends mainly on your participation, unity and constructive engagement. And with your support, we are confident that all challenges will be addressed in the overall public interest,” Zabbey said.
The Project Coordinator urged Ogoni youths to continue to support the Project by promoting peace, discouraging misinformation, and collaborating with project teams working in the communities, and address challenges through dialogue, rather than confrontation.
Prof Dinebari Badey, a Professor of Development Sociology in the University of Port Harcourt, delivered the keynote address, linking the nexus between HYPREP and youths in the development of Ogoniland through unity of purpose while Engr Solomon Akere, gave a talk on Ogoni youths in business.
Participants raised questions concerning the maintenance of the water projects, remediation efforts, and compensation for the Right of Way (RoW), among others.
In attendance were management staff of HYPREP who provided responses to the interventions.
Members of the Association of Community Health practitioners of Nigeria (ACHPN),Rivers state Chapter have marked the 2025 Community Health week with a call for the state government to employ more community health practitioners to mann the various health centres across the 23 local government areas of the state .
The theme of one week event “strengthening the Nigerian healthcare system,the role of community health practitioners in reducing maternal and under _five mortality in line with sustainable development goals”attracted community health practitioners across the state.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event held at the conference hall of the state primary healthcare office in port Harcourt, the state chairman of the Association,Dr Justina Onuwa appeal to the state governor,Sir Siminalayi Fubara to approve the employment of more community health practitioners in other to effectively mann the primary health centres in the state.
Onuwa stated that the call become imperative following the decline in community health practitioners in the civil service and the need to ensure that the people in rural communities have more access to primary healthcare services in their localities.
The state chairman of ACHPN averred members of the association were not captured in the employment scheme during last employment of medical health workers by the state government.”our people need to be employed like other health care service providers”
She appeal to the state government to provide vehicles and office secretariat for its association and as well ensure that their members are promoted as at when due.
Also speaking,the state Health Educator,Dr Babbo Diana who represented the commissioner for health and Executive secretary RSPHCMB while congratulating them on their celebrations called them to partner with the state government to build more efficient healthcare services in the state.
She urge them to be passionate with their work, stressing that all hands must be on deck and everyone must play their roles in other to ensure the success of government primary healthcare services in the state.
In his good will message,the representative of the state Director of Health planning Research and statistics, Dietician Buduzhi Gift Oguzor described members of the association as foot soldiers of health services care providers in the state.
He called on them to be more dedicated in their responsibilities especially in the areas of infrastructure development, noting that the state of infrastructure under their custody are in a detoriating conditions despite the huge of resources released to them by the state government.
Earlier in her lecture on the theme “strengthening the Nigerian healthcare system,the role of the community practitioners in reducing the under _five mortality in line with the sustainable development goals”prof Alice Nte urge them to review their association curriculum in other to upgrade their profile and become more relevant and attend to the optimum value in the profession.
She opined that the WHO according to the Nigerian Demography survey didn’t included members of the association as stillbirth attendant, adding that they should restrategise and look into their curriculum and see where it can be updated.
The climax of the week long celebrations ended with road work,free medical care services and church thanks service.
Akujobi Amadi
The President of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Bldr. Daniel Abimbola Kolade, FNIOB, has called on Nigerian builders to embrace innovation and entrepreneurship as key drivers for addressing the nation’s housing deficit.
Speaking at the inaugural council meeting of the Institute held at its National Secretariat in Abuja in his speech themed, “Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Key Driver to Housing Delivery,” the NIOB President said the Institute is poised to lead transformative change in the nation’s housing delivery system.
Bldr. Kolade described the meeting as a strategic platform for redefining NIOB’s policy direction for the next two years, stressing that the housing challenge presents both a national problem and a professional opportunity.
“We, as custodians of building production management, must reposition ourselves not only as technical experts but as innovators, entrepreneurs, and national solution providers,” he stated.
He emphasized that innovation must now be embedded in the professional DNA of builders, urging practitioners to embrace sustainable technologies, research-based construction methods, and digital project management tools.
According to him, the Institute will promote innovation through research collaborations, innovation labs, and pilot projects that showcase emerging construction techniques.
On entrepreneurship, Bldr. Kolade noted that competence alone was no longer sufficient, and that builders must evolve into enterprise creators capable of driving employment and economic growth through construction-based ventures.
He further outlined the Institute’s five key policy pillars for the next two years, to include innovation
and research; entrepreneurial
development; professional regulation and ethics; advocacy
and policy influence;
capacity building and youth empowerment.
The NIOB President also paid tribute to past leaders of the Institute for laying the foundation upon which the current administration will build, saying leadership must go beyond preservation to purposeful expansion.
“If we can harness innovation, embrace entrepreneurship, and strengthen our professional unity, we will not only close the housing gap — we will redefine the standards of housing delivery in Africa,” he affirmed.
He called on builders nationwide to view themselves as not only craftsmen but nation builders, visionaries, and entrepreneurs committed to delivering sustainable housing and national development.
The NIOB President earlier led the National Council members to a site visit to the NIOB construction site at Idu, Abuja.