Rivers
Police Nab Culprit Over Murder In Ozuzu Clan
The Police at Ozuzu in Etche Local Government Area have arrested one Gabriel Onyema Njoku over the death of one Polycarp Nwobilor during the Ituanya Festival in Mba Asaa Ozuzu Clan, Etche, Rivers State.
A source within the police station told The Tide that the suspect allegedly knocked down the deceased with his car during the festival procession at Ihie Community in Etche.
According to a senior police officer at the Ozuzu Police Division, who spoke under conditions of anonymity, the incident also led to the burning down of Gabriel’s house at Egbu Community.
It would be noted that both Gabriel and the deceased were indigenes of Egbu Community and also initiates of the Ituanya cultural festival.
The incident was said to have happened during procession at Ihie.
The police officer further said the body of the deceased has been recovered and deposited at undisclosed mortuary at Etche, while investigation is still on going into the matter.
He said the matter has been minuted to the Rivers State Police Command, the Okehi Police Division, and Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Meanwhile the Onye Ishi Agwuru Ozuzu Clan, Etche, HRH Eze Josiah Nwagwu, has confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with The Tide.
He said he invited the police when the incident happened.
Eze Nwagwu, however, described it as an accident, adding that it has nothing to do with the festival.
He said though the incident took place within the period of the festival and in Ihie Community where the festival was holding, it was a mere accident.
According to the Second Class traditional ruler, both the deceased and the suspect were from Egbu.
Some indigenes of Ozuzu Clan, have however, faulted the traditional ruler’s claim that the incident was an accident.
According to some of the indigenes who spoke under anonymity, every year some body must die during the festival, adding that it is not in the interest of the area for the festival to continue.
According to the people, if the incident was an accident, why did the people take the laws into their hands by burning down Gabriel’s house?
They said time has come for the government to come in and stop the festival to stop further loss of lives.
Responding to the allegation that people die during the festival, Eze Josiah Nwagwu described it as false, adding that the allegation is being spread by the Christian Community in the area in their desperate attempt to stop the festival.
He said the clan has already gone to court for them to prove the allegations that the festival always claims lives.
The Traditional ruler said the festival, which holds every four years, was instituted by forefathers of the clan and urged the general public to discountenance the people’s claim.
By: John Bibor
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.