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Show Concern On Events In Society, Akawor Tells Medics
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rivers State, Amb Desmond Akawor, has urged professionals in the state to actively participate in decisions that would affect their future.
Akawor gave the charge, yesterday, when a delegation of healthcare professionals committed to working for the actualisation of the PDP Governorship candidate, Sir Sim Fubara, Simplified Health Team, led by Dr Justice Ohaka, visited him at the state party office in Port Harcourt.
He observed that if professionals failed to take decisions that affect them, someone else would decide their future for them.
“Many a times, people sit on the fence, saying we are professionals, we don’t care about what is going on. If you don’t care, somebody else will decide your fate, decide your future. Somebody else will take a Health policy that will not interest you”, he said.
He described the role of healthcare providers as crucial to any society, disclosing that medical doctors played a pivotal role during the 2015 general election.
The PDP chairman commended them for appreciating the good work of Governor Nyesom Wike in the state, saying, there was no well-meaning individual that would not appreciate the performance of the governor in every aspect of the economy.
“Listening to you roll out some of the projects done by the governor, I think it is something any well-meaning person, today, whether in the APC, PDP or SDP should be able to appreciate. Whether you like it or not, if someone else comes on board and begin to roll back some of these things, people will complain”, Akawor said.
He explained that when Wike told members of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) that the Dr Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases and Diagnostics Centre was ready, they were surprised because besides hearing about flyover bridges and other projects, the discovery that the best health care facility to handle such delicate aspect of health care was also in place, to them was mind bugling.
He also informed them about other important healthcare facilities undertaken by the state governor, such as the zonal hospitals, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, the Mother and Child Hospital as well as the Government House Clinic, sports, education and the Judiciary sectors, maintained that Port Harcourt has the best Law School in Nigeria.
Akawor, who lauded the group for the visit, assured them of the support of the party and inclusion in the activities of the party, especially the campaign programmes.
Earlier, the leader of the group, Dr Justice Ohaka, said the visit was to introduce themselves to the party leadership so that they could be included in the activities of the party, particularly the campaign programme.
Ohaka, who explained that the group consists of medical doctors, nurses, lap scientists, among others, said their vision is to support the governorship candidate of the PDP and ensure his victory at the polls, called for a new health policy for the state.
They commended Wike for his developmental strides and the PDP chairman for his leadership of the party.
Present at the meeting were the Deputy Chairman of PDP, Hon Chukwuemeka Aaron; the Secretary, Dr Benibo George; the Publicity Secretary, Hon Sydney Tambari Gbara; and the state auditor.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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