Rivers
Council Boss Vows To Uphold Oath Of Office
The Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Council (LGA) of Rivers State, Engr Samuel Nwanosike, has said he and his team of executive believe in the oath of office they took in delivering dividends of democracy to the people.
Nwanosike, who stated this last Tuesday, at Ward 1, Isiokpo, when he financially empowered 50 people to go back to farm, 20 people to go back to school, and 10 people to start up small scale businesses, said his administration believes in the oath of office after being re-elected.
He assured the people of his administration’s determination to continue what he called the good work of his administration in the local government, saying that “because I took Oath of Office to protect lives and property of the people of the local Government, stand on that oath.
Nothing, no political party, no friends and well wishers would make me to derail from making sure that that oath is upheld”.
The chairman noted that the empowerment programme was aimed at giving back to the people in order to continue their farm works, go back to school and establish small scale businesses.
“We are here today to give back to our people because, as Ikwerre people, we are traditionally farmers. We are not in mechanised agriculture yet, but we have a culture and tradition and a custom in which a lot of our dignitaries and big men have been trained, which is peasant agriculture.
“That’s what we have been doing as a people. Before Mr President will bring his tractors and the seedlings from IITA and other mechanised equipment, let’s continue what has been keeping us alive by assisting our people to do the peasant farming they are used to and make life easy for them.
“We are here to say that despite the going back to farm programme, we are also going back to school, because a community that has abandoned there people from education has created room for crisis.
“So, we are saying because we have fought insecurity in Ikwerre Local Government, Isiokpo in particular, we must send our people back to school.
“The Councillors and F & GPC have also approved that we should send Ikwerre people back to school. That is why you can see that Ikwerre people came out in their numbers, those that will be writing JAMB and those that will also be writing WAEC in different schools.
“Whether they attended those schools or not, we have made arrangements for the principals of those schools to give our people opportunity to write JAMB and WAEC”, he said.
Nwanosike also disclosed that his administration is supporting the people to improve in their businesses with “little capital”.
The Council boss charged the beneficiaries to utilise what has been given to them, stressing that no government in the world can provide all the people’s need at once.
“To those who were not part of the beneficiaries now, we encourage them to wait for next turn of the empowerment programme.
“Despite the infrastructural development we have done in the 13 Wards and in the Local Government Headquarters, we also believe that we need to impact in our people”, he noted.
While revealing that his administration has successfully destroyed 284 illegal refineries in Ogbodo Community of Isiokpo, and ensuring at oil bunkery become a thing of the past in Ikwerre LGA due to the war declared by the State Governor on illegal refinery, Nwanosike beseeched the member representing Ikwerre/Emuoha at the National Assembly, Hon Barr Boniface Sunday Emerengwa, to take the gospel back to Abuja.
By: Ike Wigodo
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.