Rivers
Town Planning Expert Urges Effective Physical Planning in Rivers
Prominent urban planner and member of the Nigeria Institute of Town Planning (NITP), Emmanuel Ikechukwu, has expressed serious concern over the state of physical planning in River State.
Ikechukwu, in a statement in Port Harcourt, yesterday, called on the State government to prioritize physical planning and development as a matter of utmost urgency.
He urged the state to tap into the potentials of the Town Planning profession to address global challenges associated with rapid urbanization and ensure a better quality of life for all its residents.
“It is high time Rivers State recognized that effective physical planning is not a luxury but an absolute necessity for the sustainable growth and development of the region”, he said.
Ikechukwu highlighted the historical neglect and lack of awareness surrounding the importance of physical planning in the state, emphasizing the dire consequences this negligence has had on the well-being of its citizens.
Ikechukwu traced the origin of the issue back to the early seventies when there was a growing awareness of the need for comprehensive planning.
He noted that during this period, the state government initiated the development of master plans and physical plans for settlements.
“However, despite these efforts, the lack of political will and funding led to these plans gathering dust on government office shelves, never seeing the light of implementation”, he said.
He pointed out that this persistent lack of commitment to effective physical planning has significantly contributed to the poor state of human settlements in the State today.
“Even the River State Physical Planning and Development Law of 2003, which was signed into law by then-Governor Sir Dr. Peter Odili, remains largely unimplemented 20 years later.
“This lack of enforcement reflects the government’s limited belief in the importance of physical planning to the overall well-being of its citizens”, he said.””Ikechukwu emphasized that the situation in Port Harcourt and Rivers State as a whole requires nothing short of a state of emergency declaration.
“Instead of appreciating and coordinating land use activities, the region is plagued by the consequences of inadequate physical planning. These manifest in various ways, including poorly-sited projects, narrow streets, dysfunctional infrastructure, building collapses, unplanned settlements, avoidable flooding, and other disasters, all of which lead to stressful living conditions and a high mortality rate”, he noted.
He posed the critical question of why the number one priority for development has been relegated to the background.
“Is it a deliberate ploy or a lack of political will to improve the well-being of the state’s inhabitants through effective planning and physical development activities capable of transforming the social, physical, and economic fortunes of the state?”, he queried.
Ikechukwu also expressed surprise at the ignorance surrounding the physical planning profession in the State, even among the educated elite.
He highlighted the absurdity of hearing the term “urban renewal” being misconstrued as referring to funerals that have been expanded, emphasizing the urgent need for awareness and education in this vital field.
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.