Rivers
Rivers Backs Large Scale Farming, Food Production
The Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has announced plans by the State to train and support young entrepreneurs, corporate and commercial organizations, research institutions that may want to engage in commercial farming.
Speaking through the Acting Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Maurice Ogolo, he said: “My administration will support fish and other aquatic farming and live stock farming.
“Goverment will stimulate the growth of agro allied industries, encourage large scale production of palm oil, cassava, rice, sweet potato, and plantain, which the State has comparative advantage to undertake along their value chain.
“The government will also ensure that farmers have regular supply of fertilizers, improved seedlings, and other agriculture imput and support services”, he stated.
The State Governor, therefore, called on farmers, stakeholders, captains of industries and stakeholders to contribute in making food security achievable in the state.
He noted that the meeting would afford government opportunity to know the challenges the farmers are facing, and the achievements they have made to enable government proffer solutions to them.
Also speaking at a Town Hall meeting and Exhibition of Farm products from Rivers State, Chairman of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Royal Majesty, Ohna Sergeant Awuse, stated that farming had been the tradition of the people long ago and today has huge potentials for economic growth.
Ohna Awuse said, “today, oil exploration had denied the people of the state some of the good things they used to enjoy as farmers”.
He commended them for refusing to give up in spite of the many challenges they are facing.
Represented by His Royal Majesty, King Suanu Baridam, Gbene Mene Bangha, Ohna Awuse called on Government at all levels and captains of industries to give support to Rivers State farmers in order to boost productivity to grow local economy and to guaranty food security.
He charged the youth to avail themselves of the opportunity provided by agriculture to better their lives.
The Chairman, Catfish And Allied Farmers Association Of Nigeria (CAFFAN), Dr. Momoh Mustapha, who underscored the importance of fish farming to the country, stated that Rivers State has the capacity to produce quantum of fish the country needed.
“Oilwell would dry up, stock market would fall, but the fresh water body that abound will remain in the states for fish farming. Disappointingly, 64 percent of the fish we eat in the country is imported”, Momoh said.
He emphasized that the greatest challenges the farmers face are the bottle neck in accessing loan from financial institutions, lack of storage facilities, poor funding by government, and yearly flooding that have forced farmers out of business.
Dr.Momoh appealed to Government at all levels to invest genuinely in Agriculture.
By: Kevin Nengia
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.