Rivers
Bonny -Bodo Liaison Road Committee Faults Claims On Project
The Bodo–Bonny Road Liaison Committee has faulted claims by the Chairman of Asarama Division Council of Chiefs, Chief Mark Moses Isaiah Jawakon, on the purported ownership of portions or stretch of land along the on-going Bonny – Bodo Road Project Route.
The Chairman of the Committee, Se Alabo Barr Waripanye Val-Pepple, in a statement, described the claims as spurious, unfounded and indefensible, pointing out that there is no such community known as Asarama or any Andoni Traditional Community along the Bodo – Bonny Road Project Route. The statement said that the settlement status does not give nor accord the Asarama Community or any other Andoni Community any right of claim over land or territory along the Bodo – Bonny road project, as they are mere tenants to Bonny land owners.
“For the avoidance of doubt, let it be known and clearly too that the boundary between Bonny kingdom and Andoni and ipso-facto between Bonny Local Government Area and Andoni LGA is the Andoni River, also locally known and called as Idoni-Toru and nothing more”, it further stated.
According to the statement, the boundary between Bonny and Andoni is the Andoni (Idoni-Toru) river and the project is not in any way close to the said boundary as claimed by the acclaimed Chairman of Asarama Divisional Council of Chiefs.
It further noted that people of Asarama-Andoni Communities who are fishermen settled along the Bonny Channels, and that such does not give them any right of claim or grandstanding posture which the Asarama Divisional Council of Chiefs appeared to display, lay claims or make demands, stressing that there is no Andoni community, landlord or landowner along the Opobo channel or along the stretch of land between Bodo in Gokana Local Government Area and Bonny LGA.
“We recall that such bogus and futile attempts had been made earlier to rename the Bodo-Bonny Road Project. It is surprising that this claim is being repeated in another form even when the masquerades are fully aware that their claim is unfounded, baseless and of no effect whatsoever”,. He added that their purported claim and threat lack foundation and is inconsequential and should therefore be discountenanced and disregarded despite their effrontery and whimsical gullibilities.
The statement also noted that Asarama and Andoni Communities could be accessed by the road, and therefore as neighbors, they should not truncate the process by becoming a cog in the wheel of the road project to Bonny that is aimed at making Bonny equally accessible by road with other riverine communities. He appealed to the Asarama Divisional Council of Chiefs to allow peace to reign so the project could be completed within the stipulated time.
The Committee therefore, called on the federal government, Julius Berger PLC, the Governor of River State, Chief Nyesom Wike, all law enforcement agents to call the Asarama Divisional Council of Chiefs to order, in order to forestall any possible mayhem and destruction of lives and property among the two communities.
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.