Rivers

Expert Identifies Solutions To Nigeria’s Integration Crisis

Published

2 years ago

August 26, 2022

A Management and Communications specialist, Dr Jossy Nkwocha, has identified solutions to Nigeria’s integration crisis.
Nkwocha, who was speaking at a two-day Citizens Summit for National Integration, Peace, and Security, organised by the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Wednesday, noted that the key measures in rebuilding the country to achieve desired unity, economic prosperity, and social cohension is for government to muster the political will to re-order Nigeria in line with the national anthem, motto and constitution.
In his lecture titled, “Building Reputation of Excellence as Core National Asset: Framework: Strategies, Tools and Actions”, he implored leaders to put the country first.
“Let social justice, equity, federal character and all the ideals enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) be respected and implemented to reduce cries of marginalization.
“Let the Federal Government manage our diversities appropriately, knowing that the country has over 250 ethnic groups, each of which wants to enjoy the commonwealth.
“Let excellence, merit, best practice, innovations be the hallmark of government at all levels in Nigeria,” he said.
To achieve economic prosperity, Nkwocha, a Fellow of NIPR, suggested that Government should create incentives for local and foreign investors and do away with policy summersaults and harsh investment decisions that put investors out of balance.
The paper, delivered on Dr Nkwocha’s behalf by Chinedum Emeana, a corporate communications professional, also spoke on how to achieve political stability.
“Let politics of ideas, politics without bitterness and inclusive politics be the ethos of Nigeria’s national politics”, he said.
The lecture, which was moderated by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Lagos State, Mr Olushina Thorpe, also identified solutions to the security crisis in Nigeria.
“Let the Federal Government declare a national emergency on insecurity and deal decisively with all manner of banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, unknown gunmen, etc to stop the current bloodletting in the country.
“Let crime and criminality across the country be treated with equal intensity and severity, with no sacred cows whatsoever,” he declared.
Dr Nkwocha further stated that when there is peace, unity and security in Nigeria, tourists and investors will be attracted.
“Let the Government develop all our tourism sites across the country to attract tourists.
“Let us use sports, movies, creative arts, our beautiful cultures and traditions to recreate and project a New Nigeria of our dream,” he said.
The paper President Mohammadu Buhari to appoint a Minister on “Brand Nigeria”, whose responsibility would be to help the Government to build, monitor, manage and sustain positive reputation for the country.
“Let the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria know that he is the Chief Reputation Officer (CRO) of the country and all his utterances, actions and inactions can affect the reputation of the country.
“The NIPR should act as moral compass across the country to get government to do the right thing at the right time,” he advised.
President of NIPR, Mallam Muktar Sirajo, said the Summit was the institute’s initiative to rebuild the nation into bringing about national integration, peace, unity and security.

By: Ike Wigodo

Rivers

MNCH Week Ends Today … As Rivers Prepares For Malaria Vaccination In Jan

Published

2 days ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

The 5-day Maternal and Neonatal Child Health (MNCH) Week, which started last Monday, comes to a close today in Port Harcourt.

The MNCH Week, which is part of healthcare campaign and interventions for Rivers people, witnessed interventions for pregnant women, non-pregnant women, children under five years old, and men as well.

Disclosing this during the 2024 last quarter strategic meeting of the “Media Advocacy For Health in Rivers State”, the State Health Educator, Dr. Diana Babbo, of the Primary Health Care Management Board, said, the MNCH Care Week, is part of several health campaigns and interventions planned for Rivers people.

“We call it MNCH Care Week. Our ‘one-stop-shop’, from 9th to 13th December, we will be in the health facilities, we hope that our care givers and mothers will bring their children, and partners/spouses to come amd access care in our facilities”, she stated.

According to the State Health Educator, the second part of the campaign and intervention is the roll out of MPox or Monkey Pox vaccination which is a targeted immunisation campaign, and scheduled to last for ten days in Rivers State.

Dr. Babbo, said the Monkey Pox vaccine will be rolled out in six states: Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Bayelsa, FCT, and Benue States.

She stated that the MPox vaccines roll out, which started on the 2nd of December, will also end today.

She explained that the MPox vaccination is targeted at communities, health workers, who are the frontline workers, and key population.

Such key populations include: commercial sex workers, People Living With HIV, transgender community, People Who Inject Drugs (PWID), and Men who have Sex with Men (MSM).

“We’re also saying that after the COVID-19 year, we noticed that there was a drop in immunisation generally worldwide. So, the world is trying to catch up”, she explained.

Towards this end, she stated that a team of Nigerians have been put in place with an aim to quickly close the gap, through intensification of routine immunisation.

Dr. Babbo said, “we will go to different communities where they are found and carry out what we call ‘Zero Dose Children'”.

Zero Dose Children, Babbo said, “means that they have not got their series vaccines, which are pental vaccines. They are those that have not completed their vaccines despite having started. So, we are going to target those categories of children”.

She further disclosed that in continuation of the interventions, malaria vaccines will be rolled out in Nigeria in January 2025, with Rivers State being one of the beneficiaries to have the vaccines in the public space.

Rivers

Expert Advocates IT Driven Security In Rivers

Published

2 days ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

A security expert and analyst, Charles Inkoh-Tariah, has recommended an Information Technology (UT) Communications driven security network in Rivers State.

Speaking during a live interview, “Viewpoint”, on radio, he said IT is very useful in reducing all forms criminality.

According to him, IT driven security is proactive and not reactive, while expressing regret that weakness in the security system stems from failure to adopt a modern and updated relevant IT-driven technology like other developed climes.

He also observed that there’s a lot of gap between the people and security agencies leading to weakness and failure.

Inkoh-Tariah, therefore, recommended a consolidated intelligence gathering system that will enhance effectiveness through adoption of technology and support of the people.

The security expert emphasized the need to revive the Neighborhood Watch , which, he said, is backed by law made by the State Assembly in 2008.

He insisted that there is need to also upgrade security facilities and improve performance of security personnel.

Furthermore, he called for adoption of Artificial intelligence, “which is more effective than all local or former security systems”.

By: Kevin Nengia

Rivers

Diaspora Group Wants Respect For Ogoni Traditional Rulers

Published

2 days ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

A United States of America-based socio-cultural organisation, Gbaaloo Nyo-Khana, which is an umbrella body of Ogoni, in Rivers State, Nigeria, has called on the people of Ogoni Kingdom to accord traditional rulers their deserved respect.

A statement jointly signed by the group’s President, Comrade LeBari Nzidee, the Secretary-General, Comrade Samuel Nwibana, and the Public Relations Officer, Barineka Akponi, condemned several utterances and derogatory statements by some youths against traditional rulers in Ogoni land, who they described as “natural custodians of Ogoni cultural heritage”.

The organization said such statements and behaviour doesn’t accord the high respect due traditional rulers in Ogoni land and called for a change of attitude towards traditional rulers who have the traditional blessings of the land.

According to the statement, the association condemns in its totality, recent unwholesome statements against a frontline traditional ruler in Nyo Khana Kingdom, saying it does not demonstrate a show of respect for traditional institutions in the area.

The statement said, “in as much as the organization will not support the ills or misbehavior of any traditional ruler, there’s the need for their subjects to address any act of misconduct with serious caution.

“If traditional rulers in other parts of the country are treated with dignity, such treatment should be accorded Ogoni traditional rulers and leaders at home and in the diaspora by the Ogoni people.

The group also accused some Ogoni indigenes in diaspora who are believed they be sponsoring the charade to get political recognitions because of their selfish interest to contest for elective positions in 2027.

Describing their intentions as “wild elephant dreams”, the group promised to expose such people.

The statement read in part: “some disgruntled ogonis in the diaspora are disrespecting our traditional rulers to score cheap political recognitions.

“We have come to realize that their intentions are borne out of the fact that they have an intention to contest 2027 elections, using falsehood, unscrupulous allegations to instigate fake news, through which they seek popularity in Ogoni”.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to “stand against any action that is not healthy in Ogoni land, especially when it has to do with not according traditional rulers their due respect and honour, specifically in Nyo-Khana Kingdom, and Ogoni at large”.

By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos