Niger Delta
Delta Agro-Industrial Park Ready, Nov
Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa yesterday, said the Agro-Industrial Park being executed by his administration at Aboh-Ogwashi, Aniocha South Local Government Area, would be ready for inauguration in November 2022.
Speaking with journalists shortly after inspecting ongoing works at the park, the governor, who said that the contracting firm had assured the completion of the project, explained that the project was necessary to enhance the development of the state’s agro potential.
He said that basic infrastructure was being put in place at the park to meet the completion targets and lauded the host community for support and cooperation for the project “which holds a lot for mutual benefits for the community and investors”.
“Let me appreciate the level of cooperation we have had with the Ogwashi-Uku community because they gave us over 180 hectares of land for the Agro-Industrial Park.
“We thought the park was necessary because of the need to help develop our agricultural potential in this state and the Park is actually meant for agro-processing and we are using rice mill as the nucleus of the industrial production coming up in this place. But many other agro-industry processing facilities and industries are supposed to come in here and you can see that there are already mapped out commercial plots ready for allocation for companies that want to come in.
“The basic infrastructure at the centre is already being put in place, not just for the rice mills; you have service quarters, warehouses and many other things that are going to come in, including the source of power.
“The most important thing about this park is the river which means that we are able to provide irrigation services all year round from that river. I have drawn their attention to the need to start the road development in the park because of the rainy season that is about to set in because that’s the only setback they are likely going to have.
“The contractor has promised to deliver the project towards the end of November which means if they start the road project now, they will still have time during the break-in in August and in the latter part of October to finish with the road project,” Okowa said.
He pointed out that establishing a rice factory in the park would help to encourage out-growers across the state to help feed the rice mill and engender a direct positive impact on Deltans. “The process of encouraging out-growers and giving them rice seedlings that are very high-yielding and with agricultural extension support services that will be provided to our people will definitely impact directly on the families that will be engaged in the rice farming.
“This will help to create jobs and multiply the family income of the communities around Ogwashi-Uku and even across the entire state. We are also expecting that many other agro-processing companies will come in place and that will begin to stir up developments in other areas beyond rice. The park is a community of its own where you have various agro-processing industries co-sharing common facilities for agro-industrialisation in the state,” he stated.
On the Kwale Industrial Park, the governor said that it had suffered delay because of Covid-19 but expressed optimism about making it a free trade zone. He said that the state government was working with the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment to designate the park as an Export Processing Zone.
“The Kwale Industrial Park is supposed to be a gas-based park and we had a lot of setbacks because of COVID-19. For two years we have not been able to progress because not many investors are ready at the moment to come invest as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We travelled to China and we had firm commitments concerning gas-based industries but unfortunately, they were not in the mood to move our because as soon as we came back within two months the COVID-19 set in and till today they haven’t visited. We are also working with the Minister of Trade and Investment with the Export Processing Zone to see how we can turn that whole area into a free trade zone.
“We are working on that at the moment and we are setting the groundwork for the next administration to take off fully. We are doing the initial fencing and there is a lot of work ongoing and recently one of the companies in Delta has spoken to us to move to that area and we are working on giving them 20 hectares of land. Once we are able to attract one major company to that place it will stir up more companies to come,” he said.
In separate interviews with journalists, the traditional ruler of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom, Obi Ifechukwude Anishi Okonjo ll and the Chairman of Aniocha South Local Government Council, Mr Jude Chukwuwike, described the project as a landmark effort of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. While saying that the project would revolutionise the agro-potential of the state economy, they charged the contracting firm to redouble efforts with a view to delivering the project on time in line with the contractual agreement.
The governor was conducted around the various departments of the Park by the Chairman of the Implementation Committee, Professor Eric Eboh, and Project Consultant, Mr Kester Ifeadi. The project sitting over 180 hectares of land on completion, will have a rice factory, warehouses, packing house, cold storage area, offices, laboratories, guide centre, gas station, garage, storage rooms, workers’ residential areas, water house, sewage treatment plant and other agro-processing units.
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
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has restated his administration’s commitment to providing more support to security agencies operating in the state.
He stated this on Tuesday when he received heads of security agencies, including Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Rear Admiral N.M. Madugu, Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ahmed Gaya, and the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 16, Yenagoa, Tolani Alausa, in Government House, Yenagoa.
The Governor assured security agencies across board that his administration would collaborate with them to protect lives and property as well as critical national assets on land and the waterways by providing patrol vehicles, boats and other necessary logistics.
He informed the new OPDS Commander that the task force had a responsibility to protect critical national, state and community assets contributing not only to the daily oil production output for the federal government but also to development and growth of the state.
The Governor stressed that the partnership between the state government and the task force had ensured that crime rate in the state was reduced.
“As a government, we are working round the clock with the security agencies so that our people can sleep with their two eyes closed and also ensure that national assets are safe for the benefit of the people and the government.
“Often, it is misconstrued as though these assets are only for the federal government. Rather, they are for the state, communities and the federal government. So we must work hand-in-gloves to ensure they are safe.
“Therefore, it is our responsibility to always ensure that these critical national, state and community assets are kept safe”, he said.
Responding to the request of the Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ahmed Gaya, the Governor stated that he had signed the Certificate of Occupancy of the land allocated to the Nigerian Navy at the New Yenagoa and approved a secondary school at Toru-Ebeni in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.
He said the State Government was waiting for the naval authorities to commence development of the land.
The new JTF Commander, Rear Admiral Madugu, stated that the visit was to formally introduce himself and to solicit the government’s support to achieve his aim of protecting the critical oil and gas facilities in his area of operation and fulfil the presidential mandate of increasing oil production to 2.5mbpd.
While promising to work with the Nigerian Police to maintain peace in the state, Diri admonished AIG Tolani to be repentant and be more professional in his duties having attained a top position in the force.
The Governor, who recalled the role Tolani played when he was Commissioner of Police in the state during the 2023 governorship election, said: “Let bygone be bygone and work according to your conscience. Ensure that you are repentant and do what is right. Your zone covers Bayelsa and Rivers states and let the interest of both states be uppermost on your mind.”
On disputes among community youth associations, the state’s helmsman wielded the big stick and announced the dissolution of such body in Famgbe Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area.
He directed the Commissioner for Youth Development, working with the Commissioner of Police, to ensure a proper election is held in the community.
Diri also warned that traditional rulers whose communities were embroiled in conflicts would be sanctioned.
“Every other feuding community, including Ogboinbiri, we are still watching you. I have told all traditional rulers, if you cannot ensure peace in your domain but waiting for my wrath to dangle on you, then both traditional rulers and youth bodies will be sacrificed”, Diri said.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa
The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has said no profession in the health sector was superior to others, saying there was need for cooperation among workers in every health facility to achieve optimal results.
He stated this during a courtesy visit by the Bayelsa branch of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) to his office in Government House, Yenagoa, on Tuesday.
He assured that a good number of certified and competent medical laboratory scientists, as well as other medical and health practitioners would be employed based on the needs assessment indices at government’s disposal in the ongoing civil service recruitment exercise.
While appreciating their contributions to quality healthcare service delivery, he said government was ready to collaborate with the Association and other critical stakeholders in the sector to make health services more affordable and accessible to people of the state.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, said the current recruitment drive was aimed at addressing manpower needs in some critical sectors, including health, to improve service delivery in the state.
“We’re making progress in the health sector in Bayelsa. But we also admit that there is still much room for improvement.
“As you’re aware, applicants are applying to the state civil service, and some employment slots have been approved for Medical Doctors and Laboratory Scientists to be employed.
“We need competent and highly qualified personnel to be employed into the service to provide quality services.
“Every health worker has a role in health promotion. No profession in the health sector is superior to another. We are ready to collaborate with you to make health services more affordable and accessible to all Bayelsans”, he said.
Earlier in her presentation, the State Chairman of the AMLSN, Eunice Ayamaere Lelei, said there was need for government to employ more qualified laboratory scientists, and provide modern laboratory equipment in all its medical facilities across the state.
Lelei, who emphasized that laboratory scientists play a critical role in healthcare services in Nigeria, called for the implementation of the approved call duty allowance for members of the Association, and funding support for their Mandatory Professional Continuing Development programmes.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa