Rivers
Company Distributes Relief Materials To Flood Victims In Rivers
The Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) has distributed food and non-food items to the various communities affected by flood in Rivers State.
The Chief Executive Officer/Corporate Managing Director of the company’s representative, Mr Osaho Okubo coordinated the distribution of the materials in Ahoada West, Emuoha and Abua Odual Local Government Areas of the State.
He said it was part of the company’s corporate social responsibilty (CSR) to support flood victims.
The Tide’s source reports that the items distributed are: 50kg of rice, Indomie noodles, 50kg of garri, salt, maggi, vegetable oil, foot wears, cloths.
Okubo, represented by retired Adm. Akinjide Akinrinnade, the Project Lead of the company, said they were key partners in the fight against pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the Niger Delta.
“The Federal Government recently assigned us the responsibility of providing surveillance and maintenance of the Trans Niger Pipeline due to our track record of excellent service delivery.
“As a socially responsible company, we are not insensitive to the plights of our partners who have been rendered homeless, besides losing human lives as a result of the flood.
“We can only be happy if our host communities are happy since we are in business to achieve a mutually beneficial goal.
“Suffice it to say that we are partners in progress to sustain production of crude oil which remains the major source of revenue to governments at all levels.
“We are also to save the communities from environmental pollution arising from the activities of illegal crude oil refiners.
“Our action is further informed by our social obligation (as good corporate citizen) to support efforts of government in providing solutions to current multifaceted socio-economic challenges in the midst of dwindling revenue, ” he said.
Okubo assured the traditional rulers, chiefs, CDCs, youths and women leaders of the affected communities of their determination to carry everyone along with transparency and accountability.
He thanked the people for their unflinching support and cooperation since inception of the project.
The CEO wished them speedily recovery from the physical and psychological trauma occasioned by the flood.
A community leader, Mr Daddy Green, commended PINL for the donation of food and non-food items to the host communities of pipeline infrastructure.
He said that the gesture was the first of its kind and urged other oil firms to emulate the goodwill of PINL to their host communities.
Chief Stephenson Ikah, who received the items on behalf of Ahoada, thanked the company for the move and advised other companies to follow suit.
King Christian Amadi, the Paramount Ruler of Rumuekpe in Emuoha LGA, said this was the first time he was seeing such a gesture from an indigenous oil firm.
He said that the community had been very peaceful after the crisis in 2011, and urged the company to always consider their youths for employment opportunities.
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.