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Foundation Offers 2,365 Visually Impaired Free Eye Care

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3 years ago

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An estimated 2,365 visually impaired people in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, have received free eye care services ranging from free eye tests to treatment and surgeries at “Lulu Briggs Foundation”.
Chairman of the Foundation, Dr Siene Lulu Briggs, said the foundation’s goal was to help treat vision impairment and prevent blindness among Nigerians by encouraging timely access to quality eye care rehabilitation.
Briggs, who stated this during a 3-day free eye care outreach to both adults and children in Port Harcourt, noted that the exercise was to commemorate the celebration of the foundation’s 21st anniversary of its service to humanity.
She said a free eye care team comprising optometrists and ophthalmologists were on ground to attend to those who were experiencing problems with their visions at no cost to the patients.
She lamented that people took eye care for granted, which she observed had resulted in preventable visual impairment and blindness.
“We tend to take our vision for granted. Sight is the most prominent of human sense organs, it is central to every aspect of our lives.
“In Nigeria, routine eye checks are uncommon, access to quality eye care is constrained by the wider challenges in our health care system.
“Nigeria has only four thousand optometrists and seven hundred ophthalmologists serving our population of two hundred million.
“Apparently, eighty percent of these eye care professionals are in private practice with high financial cost and additional barriers to those seeking eye care”, she said.
Briggs also said one billion of the world’s population of 2.2 billion cases of vision impairment and blindness are preventable according to the Nigeria Optometrist Association, while about fifty million Nigerians have one form of vision disability or the other with the commonest conditions being cataract, glaucoma, dry eye and conjunctivitis”.
The Lulu Briggs Foundation, she said, has since 2005 provided free medical care to Niger Delta dwellers, including eye clinics which have provided 39 eye care clinics, free surgeries, medicines, dispensed 29,096 glasses and raised awareness about the importance of preventive eye diseases.
It used the opportunity to award 114 law students in the region the sum of N120,000 and a brand new laptop each to assist them in their studies.
The 3-day screening, diagnostics and provision of medicine and dispensing of glasses exercise attended to 2,365 people, 991 glasses were dispensed, while 214 eye surgeries and other hospital based procedures were scheduled to be carried out at a later date in batches.

By: Tonye Nria-Dappa & Theresa Frederick

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Rivers

Group Seeks Police Support to Tackle GBV

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7 days ago

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February 16, 2026

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The Rivers State Multi-Stakeholder Action Committee on the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), a non-profit organization dedicated to combating gender-based violence in the State, recently paid a courtesy visit to the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, to seek his support and partnership for a planned sensitization programme for Police GBV Desk Officers.
The delegation was led by the Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Lauretta Davies Dimpka, alongside the Committee’s Coordinator, Barr. Evelyn Membere Asimiea.
Speaking during the meeting, the Coordinator explained that the committee comprises various stakeholders, including FIDA, the media, security agencies, and traditional and religious institutions.
She noted that the initiative is funded by ActionAid Nigeria with support from the Ford Foundation, with the goal of strengthening efforts to eliminate gender-based violence in Rivers State.
“We have carried out several engagements, including community advocacy programmes and the training of female cultural influencers, among other activities,” she said.
In his response, the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, pledged his full support for the initiative and assured the committee of the Police Command’s readiness to collaborate in strengthening GBV response mechanisms across the state.
Members of the delegation also included heads of sub-committees within the group: Barr. Ere Boma (Advocacy); Dr. Mary Obisike (Response); Martha Igbiks ( Information and Awareness); and Brown Musa Afonyagha (Religious/Traditional).
Observers described the engagement as a significant step toward enhancing coordination and improving the response to gender-based violence in Rivers State.
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Rivers

Youth Body Condemns Killing Of Member … Demands Immediate Suspension Of Bike Operation

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7 days ago

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February 16, 2026

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Youths from Igwuruta Community in Rivers State have condemned the killing of the Secretary of Omuolu-Omunwei Community in Igwuruta,  Mr. Nchelem Samuel Festus, describing the incident as tragic and unacceptable.
In a communiqué issued on February 12, 2026, the youth body said Mr. Festus was allegedly murdered on Tuesday February 10, 2026, by commercial motorcycle operators identified as “Aboki bike riders” within the community.
The group expressed sadness and outrage over the development, stating that the killing has heightened tension in the area and disrupted the peace for which Igwuruta has long been known.
According to the communiqué, the incident is part of what the community described as a growing wave of criminal activities, including rape, kidnapping and other violent crimes allegedly perpetrated by the same group.
The youth body said Igwuruta has historically maintained a reputation as a peaceful and hospitable community where residents and visitors carry out their daily activities without fear.
It, however, noted that recent events and what it termed as “escalating violence” have created fear among residents and necessitated urgent intervention.
The communiqué called for the immediate suspension of all motorcycle operations by the group within Igwuruta.
It also demanded the closure of scrap-dump sites in the community allegedly operated by the said individuals.
Furthermore, the youth body urged security agencies to ensure the arrest and prosecution of those involved in the killing of Mr. Festus and perpetrators of other alleged crimes in the area.
It also called on cattle herders to vacate farmlands in Igwuruta and urged herdsmen to stay away from bushes within the community with immediate effect.
While pledging to uphold the rule of law and refrain from self-help, the youth body gave security agencies a 48-hour ultimatum to act on some of its demands, particularly the suspension of motorcycle operations and closure of scrap sites.
The communiqué appealed to security agencies, local government authorities and other stakeholders to treat the matter with urgency and collaborate with the community to restore peace and ensure justice.
As at the time of filing this report, the Police has not issued any official statement about the incident.
By: King Onunwor
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Rivers

NDDC, REA Seal Pact On Sustainable Electricity Expansion In N’Delta

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7 days ago

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February 16, 2026

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The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to expand access to reliable and sustainable electricity across the Niger Delta region.
The agreement, signed at the headquarters of the REA in Abuja, is intended to strengthen institutional collaboration in accelerating development in underserved communities in the region.
A statement by the Director, Corporate Affairs of the NDDC, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, said the pact underscores renewed efforts by the two federal interventionist agencies to deepen cooperation and fast-track infrastructure delivery.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, described the MoU as a strategic step towards realising the Commission’s vision to “light up the Niger Delta” in line with national priorities on distributed energy expansion.
Ogbuku said “the agreement represents a shared institutional responsibility to deliver reliable energy solutions that will enhance livelihoods, stimulate local economies and create broader opportunities across the nine Niger Delta states.”
According to him, electricity remains a critical enabler of national development, support for job creation, healthcare delivery, education and inclusive economic growth.
He noted that the collaboration would help unlock the economic potential of rural communities while advancing broader national development objectives.
The NDDC boss added that the Commission has consistently adopted partnership-driven approaches in executing projects in the region and is prepared to support the implementation of the MoU by leveraging its community presence and infrastructure development capacity.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to working closely with the REA to ensure the timely and effective execution of the agreement.
The NDDC delegation at the event included the Executive Director, Projects, Dr Victor Antai; Executive Director, Corporate Services, Otunba Ifedayo Abegunde; Director, Legal Services, Mr. Victor Arenyeka; Director, Finance and Supply, Mrs. Kunemofa Asu; and Director, Liaison Office, Abuja, Mrs. Mary Nwaeke.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of the REA, Dr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the MoU as a natural collaboration between two agencies with complementary mandates, reflecting a shared commitment to expanding access to sustainable electricity in rural communities.
“The Niger Delta remains central to Nigeria’s economic fortunes and must be supported by infrastructure capable of driving productivity, enterprise and improved living standards”, Aliyu said.
He adding that the partnership signals readiness to deliver stable power to communities that have long awaited reliable electricity supply.
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