Niger Delta

Diri Hails Teachers As Alumni Hold Fund Raising For Alma Mater

Published

4 years ago

March 16, 2022

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said teachers play a very significant role in the moulding of their students to become leaders.
He said leaders and professionals could not have been successful in their careers without the discipline and tenacity of teachers.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, said the governor spoke on Saturday night at the gala/awards of the alumni of his alma mater, Government Secondary School, Odi in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state.
The event held at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa, was to raise funds for the building and equipping of the school’s science laboratories as part of activities marking its 50th anniversary celebrations.
The Bayelsa governor urged the alumni members to remain united and committed to sustaining the association and to continue to give back to their alma mater, saying the school laid the foundation of who they have become in society.
He appreciated King Alfred Diette-Spiff, who as former military governor of the old Rivers State, initiated the policies that gave children in rural areas access to education.
The governor also thanked the principals and teachers of the school, who he said moulded the students of the school to become responsible and productive members of society.
Senator Diri urged members to reflect on their days as students in the school and thank God for who they have become, noting that in spite of the non-conducive learning environment, most of them have excelled in various fields of endeavour.
His words, “Let us hold this association very strong. What we have done in Odi today will produce more Professors, doctors and politicians. What you have done is giving back to our children by motivating them to have role models.
“The journey of 50 years from 1972, as we can all attest, is a worthwhile one. Some of us have left.
“Let us appreciate God for keeping us alive and allowing our alma mater, Government Secondary School, Odi, to continue to turn out very useful manpower for our society.
“I would like us to retrospect on our days at GSS where we drank stagnant stream water. There was no pipe-borne water, no electricity and we were using lanterns to go to prep.
“In spite of the difficulties we passed through, the school produced people who became Rear Admirals and Generals in the military, lawyers, doctors and legislators. Most of us have distinguished ourselves in one area or the other. It can only be God.
“I feel very happy that our secondary school was established under the leadership of King Alfred Diette-Spiff in the old Rivers State, who had the educational policy that children that were far from Port Harcourt, the state capital, and who did not have the opportunity to be admitted into schools, had access to education. Today, virtually all of us are what we are because of those policies.
“We are what we are because of the principals and teachers that moulded us during our stay in that school. I pay tribute to our principals and teachers that moulded us academically.
“On behalf of the alumni association, we say thank you for making us who we are academically. You moulded us very well.”
Earlier, chairman of the GSS alumni association, Professor Ebimieowei Etebu, stated that the golden anniversary celebration provided an opportunity for members to reunite and reminisce on their days in the school.
According to him, the school formed in the students the capacity to withstand difficult situations, which has resulted in their great exploits in different facets of life.
He further stated that the association was formed to motivate members to give back to the institution and urged members to work together to further develop the school.
Awards were presented to former staff and students including Governor Diri, former Speaker of the House of Assembly and member representing Kolokuma-Opokuma Constituency 1, Dr. Tonye Isenah, the state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Moses Teibowei, retired Rear Admiral Geoffrey Yanga, Brig-Gen. Eric Angaye as well as former principal and teachers of the school among others.
More than N30 million was raised in pledges to support the school’s science laboratories project.
On Saturday morning, the governor was joined by past and current students of the school for a march past and novelty football match in Odi community by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Rear Admiral Yanga (rtd), Prof. Etebu, Gen. Angaye among other dignitaries.
The football game was between former students of the school and the All Stars International Football Club of Yenagoa, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
Governor Diri scored the second equaliser for his alma mater from the penalty spot and was voted the most valuable player of the match.
Speaking to journalists, he said: “It feels very great to be back, to reunite with those I met at a very tender age. Now we are all fathers and some even grandfathers and mothers.
“I like to commend my school mates for this event. It is a take away for every other school. We believe that those who benefited from this school are what we are today because of the discipline. I am sure a lot of the young ones today will see models among us.
“We will act as a bulwark for galvanizing the students of GSS to let them know that wherever you are you can be what you want to be.”

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Eno Recommits To Private Sector Investments

Published

2 days ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, says his administration will continue to promote private sector investments in order to enhance economic prosperity.

Eno, who stated this recently at the inauguration of a new Zenith Bank branch in Uyo, said private sector growth was critical to employment generation and the overall development of the State.

He said his long-standing business relationship with Zenith Bank exposed him to the critical roles that banks could play in supporting private sector growth.

“The bank played a laudable role in the growth of Royalty Hotels, a brand I pioneered and led until I joined public service.

“It is my hope that the bank will accord the same support to other private sector investments in the state, be it micro, small or medium-scale enterprise”, he said.

Earlier, the Group Managing Director, Zenith Bank PLC, Dr. Adaora Umeoji, described the new business office as a significant milestone in the life of the bank.

She thanked successful administrations in the state for their support to the bank over the years, saying, ”We thank the Governor for creating a conducive environment for business to thrive.

“We opened our first branch in Akwa Ibom about 25 years ago, we have enjoyed a very good relationship with the government and people of the state.

“Akwa Ibom stands out as a major business friendly state. The state is clean, accommodating, and fast developing, we commend the government for this”, she said.

The Zenith Bank chief reiterated the bank’s commitment to sustain its partnership with the government and people of Akwa Ibom in order to make mutually impactful and meaningful progress.

She urged business owners in the state, especially women, to leverage the initiatives being offered by the bank to grow their businesses.

Niger Delta

Delta Prioritises Primary Healthcare Over Flyover Projects

Published

2 days ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

The Delta Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening primary healthcare services across the state, dismissing claims that it was focusing more on visible infrastructure projects than grassroots healthcare delivery.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme, made the clarification while reacting to comments by health influencer, Aproko Doctor.

Aproko Doctor recently suggested on social media that political leaders often prioritised flyovers and modern hospitals while neglecting primary healthcare centres.

Onojaeme said the claim did not reflect the situation in Delta, noting that healthcare remained a central pillar of the Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori administration’s development agenda.

According to him, although road projects and flyovers are visible across the state, deliberate investments have also been made in healthcare infrastructure and services.

He said that within two years, the state government had renovated 150 primary healthcare centres across the three senatorial districts out of the 441 public health facilities in the state.

According to him, another 150 centres are already undergoing planning and preparation for renovation.

“The effort will bring the number of upgraded primary healthcare centres to 300, thereby improving access to quality healthcare at the community level and reducing pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals,” he said.

The commissioner said that the state’s free maternal and under-five healthcare programme continued to yield positive results, including reductions in maternal and infant mortality, while easing financial burdens on families.

“Gov. Oborevwori recently approved the release of N2 billion to sustain the programme, alongside regular funding to strengthen Universal Health Coverage in the state,” he said.

Onojaeme also said that state-owned hospitals were granted autonomy to retain and utilise their internally generated revenue, enabling them to procure drugs, maintain equipment and respond more efficiently to patient needs.

“In specialised healthcare delivery, dialysis machines have been installed in state hospitals, helping to reduce waiting time for treatment while lowering dialysis costs from about N70,000 to N45,000 per session,” he said.

He said that CT scan machines installed at Warri Central Hospital and Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, were already improving diagnosis of conditions such as stroke and internal injuries.

“While newly procured echocardiography machines are strengthening early detection of heart-related conditions.”

The commissioner said the government had ordered three Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines for installation at Asaba Specialist Hospital, Central Hospital Warri and DELSUTH, Oghara, ensuring coverage across the three senatorial districts.

“While some states do not have a single MRI machine, Delta State is procuring three at once, with delivery expected by April as site preparations are ongoing,” he said.

Onojaeme said the government was establishing a new College of Health Sciences in Ovrode, Isoko North Local Government Area, to complement the existing institution in Ofuoma and boost the training of middle-level health manpower.

“The long-abandoned Mother and Child Hospital in Ekpan was nearing completion, while another Specialist Hospital was being developed in Osubi, Okpe Local Government Area, modelled after the Asaba Specialist Hospital.

According to him, Delta remains the only state in the country with more than 60 functional government-owned hospitals, adding that the current administration is determined to further expand healthcare access.

On health insurance, Onojaeme said enrollment under the Delta State Contributory Health Scheme had surpassed 2.78 million residents as of January 2026, making it one of the leading state-supported health insurance programmes in the country.

He explained that the scheme covered both formal and informal sector workers, while prioritising vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, children under five and the elderly, through the Equity Health Plan.

The commissioner added that the scheme recently enrolled 10,000 widows and continues to register indigent residents across the state.

He also disclosed that the Delta State Contributory Health Commission had introduced facial recognition technology at accredited facilities to improve efficiency and transparency in service delivery.

Onojaeme reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage and delivering affordable and accessible healthcare services to residents across the state.

Niger Delta

C’River Assembly Seeks Crackdown On Drug Abuse

Published

2 days ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State House of Assembly has urged the State Government to urgently enforce drug laws to curb the rising menace of substance abuse.

The resolution followed a matter of urgent public importance raised by Yakurr I lawmaker, Mr. Cyril Omini, during plenary in Calabar.

Omini cited a tragic incident in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area, involving a 23-year-old man allegedly under the influence of drugs.

He said the suspect, Ubi Bassey, allegedly beheaded his father, Bassey Okoi, on February 2.

“Drug abuse has become widespread among youths, with alcohol, cannabis, cocaine and tramadol commonly abused.

“In spite of warnings by health and government agencies, illicit drug trading and consumption persist across many communities”, Omini said.

According to him, the trend has led to early deaths and, in extreme cases, violent crimes against innocent persons.

Omini warned the incident had caused fear in Ugep, cautioning that failure to act decisively could worsen social decay.

He, however, commended the State Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Okoi Obono (rtd), for efforts to restore peace in the area.

Lawmakers called for sustained drug sensitisation, youth-focused campaigns, stronger partnerships with non-governmental organisations, and stricter enforcement against drug peddlers and users.

The Speaker, Elvert Ayambem, expressed sadness over the incident and urged prompt prosecution of the suspect to deter other youths.