Rivers
HYPREP Commissions Water Project In Ogoni Community
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has commissioned a potable water project in Barako Community in Gokaana Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr. Ibrahim Yusufu, who performed the commissioning ceremony in the community on Wednesday said the water project was the second completed lot in Ogoniland by HYPREP out of the six projects in the first phase of the emergency water intervention for Ogoni communities which was flagged off on March 2, 2022.
He said the commissioned water project has an installed storage capacity of 250 cubic metres of water to guarantee a sustainable supply of good quality water to all households in the serviced community.
According to him, following the presidential inauguration of HYPREP on June 2, 2016, the Federal Ministry of Environment has consistently made deliberate efforts to recover lost grounds and ensure timely delivery of emergency intervention projects in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on the environmental restoration of Ogoniland.
He noted that it is, therefore, the Ministry’s fervent commitment to expedite efforts in delivering the rest of the four water lots of the emergency water intervention projects before the end of the year.
The remaining water projects, he sad include Alesa and Agbonchia booster station awarded to Cobel International Limited; Nsisioke, Ogale and Ebubu booster station awarded to Duliz Dredging and Construction Limited; Tarabor, Bera and Biara booster station awarded to El Sunnic Integrated Resource Limited; and Bori, Kpean and Bieri booster station awarded to Geokcoy Nigeria Limited.
Yusufu indicated that all contractors handling the various projects have been mandated to expedite execution and delivery of the remaining water plants in line with the projects stipulated specifications and global best practices.
He, however, hinted that the Ministry would be handing over 14 lots under the phase 2 to contractors for the construction of additional 14 potable water schemes, covering 52 communities across the four local government areas of Ogoniland, stressing that the Ministry and HYPREP Project Coordination Office have exhaustively engaged the beneficiary communities in decision making process with a view to ensuring inclusive ownership, long-term functionality and sustainability of the water supply facilities.
The Permanent Secretary further stated that while efforts are being intensified to cover more milestones in the HYPREP implementation framework, it has become exigent to find lasting solutions to challengies of theft and vandalisation of project items and incessant sponsored agitations, which have over the years encumbered the procurement process and effective delivering of emergency and livelihood support projects.
In his opening remarks, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey said are of cardinal mandates HYPREP, in line with the recommendation of the UNEP Report on Ogoniland is the provision of potable water that meets the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, stressing that the project was guided by this fact to embark on the provision of potable water in its phase 2 water scheme with the award of six water contracts in March, 2021, adding that the Barako water scheme is one of the projects in the phase 1 of the water scheme in Ogoniland.
He said the completion and commissioning of the water project is a further affirmation of the commitment of the Federal Government through HYPREP to the full implementation of the UNEP Report, stressing that the water scheme has an over head tank with a strong capacity of 500,000 litre and a reticulation stretch of more than 10 kilometres.
Zabbey further indicated that since last year, the Alesa water station had been running and supply clean water to the community and neighbouring communities of Alode, Aleto, Agbonchia and Ogale, stressing that work on other water stations in Korokoro, Nonwa, Bori, Zaakpon and Kpean has reached advanced stage of completion.
The Project Coordinator said to ensure the sustainability of these projects, HYPREP would continue to collaborate with communities in the design and execution of projects and would hand over the water projects to the respective communities for effective management while it will manage the facilities in the next two years, within which period it would train community workers and set up the Water Consumers Association ( WCA) for their continuous management and sustainability.
He assured that the project would continue to provide a robust, accountable and transparent stakeholders engagement interface to identify and address potential issues that would not impede the successful implementation of the projects, stressing that issues of re-pollution occasioned by oil theft and illegal refineries must be collectively tackled to guarantee the successful clean-up of Ogoniland.
The Permanent Secretary, Mr. Ibrahim Yusufu also handed over to contractors project sites for the Ogoni power project; specialist/cottage hospitals; Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration; and mangrove planting.
He was lavishly treated to the traditional Ogoni hospitality by the people of Barako community.
By: Donatus Ebi
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.