Nation
Electricity Employees Allege Invasion Of Facilities By IDPs
The National Union of Electricity Employees says victims of bandit attacks displaced from more than 30 communities of Niger State are taking refuge in some facilities of the Shiroro Hydro-Electric Power Station located in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.
The Northern Zonal Organising Secretary of the union, Mr Eyurentosanren Godwin, told The Tide source yesterday that many of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were taking shelter in Day Secondary School, Shiroro and Day Secondary School, Zumba.
The area showed that the facilities, where the IDPs are occupying, are located within the area of operations of the Shiroro Hydro-Electric Power Station.
Godwin observed that the IDPs had been using the camps for the past one month, constituting threat to the power station and they had yet to be profiled by the state government.
But the Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Ahmed Inga, said that the state government had not received official report on the IDPs from Shiroro Local Government Area.
He also said that the agency would send its desk officer in the area to visit the camps were the IDPs are residing to enable the agency to do profiling of the IDPs and know their population size for intervention.
Asking for quick government intervention, the union said that the IDPs had constituted a threat to Shiroro dam.
“They are also disrupting teaching and learning activities of students of the secondary schools because they are using the classrooms as camps,” the union said.
Godwin, therefore, called for urgent intervention from the three tiers of government to come to the aid of the IDPs by providing camps as well as addressing the security challenges to enable them to return to their communities.
One of the victims, Malam Aliyu Bala, from Gwalami-Kogo, said that he and others ran from their communities because of bandit attacks.
He said that since their arrival in the school, they had not received support from government.
“Our houses were burnt down by the bandits as well as our food stuffs and our animals were killed in the attack.
“The only supports we have received is from officials of the power station such as food and medical assistance,” he said.
Godwin noted that the Shiroro power station is “very strategic to Nigeria”.
He said that it was important for the station to be given “maximum protection from security threat presently going on in Shiroro Local Government Area”.
He also said that there ought to be an urgent need from the federal and state governments to ensure that “the power station is given a serious attention in terms of provision of adequate security”.
He said that the Government Day Secondary School, Shiroro, was recently renovated by the power station and about two blocks of twenty classes were also constructed at Government Day secondary school, Zumba, as part of the station’s corporate social responsibility.
The Rivers state Government has identified six local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and Neonatal mortality in the state.
State Commissioner for Health Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh said this in an interview with newsmen at the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction innovation initiative ( Mamii)Rivers state activation workshop and state engagement meeting in Port Harcourt.
The event was organized by The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with its Rivers state counterpart in Port Harcourt.
Dr Oreh also restated the preparedness of the state government to support current efforts by the federal government towards the reduction of maternal and infant mortalities in the country.
She mentioned the affected Local Government Areas to include, Andoni,Akuku Toru and Ahoada West
The rest according to the Commissioner are, Bonny, Etche and Emohua Local Government Areas.
She said the workshop will enable the team from the federal ministry of health and social welfare to brainstorm with the view to finding solution to the problem.
The Commissioner also gave reasons why the Mamii initiative was the best as far as finding solution to maternal mortality was concerned.
“The uniqueness of the Mamii initiative driven by the federal ministry of health and social welfare was that we used evidence to elicit the reasons for this deaths, so that the solutions will be context specific and tailored to the particular environment where those deaths are occuring
“For us in Rivers state we have six Mamii LGAs , nationally we we have 172 local government areas “the Commissioner said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,Dr Oreh said the state government is prepared to work with the federal ministry of health and social welfare to check the rate of maternal mortality in the state.
She commended The Minister of Health and Social welfare Professor Ali Muhammad Pategi for driving the Mamii initiative across the country and expressed optimism that the programm will see to the end of maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking the National Coordinator Nigeria health sector Renewal Initiative Dr Adam Ahmed said Rivers state is the last state among Mamii states in the country to host the team.
He said the team will visit the affected Local Government Areas with the view to interacting with the people on how to check the trend.
He expressed the hope that with continuous efforts, maternal mortality will be checked.
Also speaking the permanent secretary Rivers state Ministry of Health Professor Justinah Jumbo said the government is not leaving any stone unturned towards reduction in maternal deaths.
The permanent secretary said Governor Siminalaye Fubara is a health friendly Governor who is desirous in improving the quality of health of Rivers people.
John Bibor
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rivers state has declared a one day fasting and prayer to seek divine intervention on the political crisis rocking the state.
The Association said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt.
State chairman of the Association,Most Rev. Dokiboeriya B. Kaladokubo said the fasting and prayer which holds February 5th at the Ecumenical center Abonnema wharf was in furtherance of the Association peace, advocacy, good governance and political stability in Rivers state.
He said the Association has observed with disappointment the dangerous trend and and gradual descent of governance in Rivers state into uncertainty and near oblivion, adding that the trend has exposed Rivers citizens to insecurity, economic hardship, loss of livelihood and the destruction of lives and property.
Kaladokubo said the association has also watched with dismay the unfolding political crisis in the state, stressing “what we see today is not merely a disagreement among political actors,it is a dangerous drift that threatens the very foundation of governance, peace, security and the collective well-being of our people”
According to him,”as the custodians of the spiritual and moral conscience of Rivers state,we can not remain silent while the state is pushed steadily towards chaos, institutional breakdown and avoidable suffering
“We are not oblivious of the fact that Rivers state like some other states in the federation often experience tension between the Executive and the Legislature “adding”when disagreement escalate they can hinder governance, delay budgets ,erode public trust and impede peaceful, constructive development”
The Christian body stressed the need for parties involved in the conflict to seek for peaceful resolution, stressing that as Christians and children of God “we should seek the path of peace and reconciliation as Christ Himself taught us”it said
The Association further encourage the both arms of government to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness and prioritize good governance in Rivers state
“We also advised all the parties in these conflict to call their supporters to exercise restraint in all their utterances and de-escalate tension in the interest of peace in Rivers state ”
CAN also described as disturbing the role some elder statesmen and individuals in the state have played and continue to play in the crisis when they should have serve as voices of wisdom, restraint and unity
“Rather than guiding the process towards peace, some have taken sides,fueled division and encouraged instability becoming more dangerous than those currently holding power”,it said.
John Bibor
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