Rivers

How We Restored Peace, Security In Andoni -Awortu

Published

2 years ago

October 13, 2023

The chairman of Andoni Local Government Area, Barrister Erastus Awortu, has attributed the peace and tranquility being currently enjoyed in the local government area to proactive measures he put in place.
Awortu disclosed this on Wednesday when he received a delegation of journalists who visited the council on an assessment tour of the local government area.
Recall that prior to Awortu’s administration, the local government area was ravaged by cult wars, with eight communities totally sacked by cult boys.
Giving insights into how peace was restored in the area after protracted cult wars that sacked some communities, the council boss said that apart from engaging warring youths and community elders in dialogue, his administration deployed contingents of police and soldiers to maintain peace in the area.
He also said that the council provided vehicles for both the police and soldiers to assist them in providing security in the various communities.
Awortu recalled that before he came to office, there was high level of insecurity in the area with eight communities sacked by cult wars and many people relocated to a nearby community called Kaa.
According to him, “Before I came into office, this area (LG) was ravaged by insecurity and all kinds of negative impressions, such that the cult boys were parading guns and collecting taxes. Even to allow you or your visitors come into the local government, you had to settle the boys.
“In fact, there was high level of insecurity in eight communities in the area, they were sacked by cult wars such that the whole area was totally deserted; everybody had scampered for safety. We had our people as refugees at Kaa.
“So, the first task before my administration was to provide relief materials for them at Kaa and later brought them back to their various communities. We had to deploy and maintain several contingents of police in the communities for security for close to two years”.
He continued, “You can see there is peace in the area now, but this took a lot of efforts maintaining security presence at various areas. We have three divisional police offices in Andoni; we have provided vehicles for two of them while the third division will be provided vehicle at the end of this month.
“For detachments of soldiers, we also provided vehicles for them; now we have the civil defence (National Security and Civil Defence Corp), we are going to provide Hilux vehicle for them at the end of the month”.
In the area of empowerment, Awortu said that the council has provided many indigenes across the various communities in the area with generators, 50-inches television sets and DSTV with subscription to encourage them to set up small scale businesses and viewing centres to keep them busy and watch premier league.
“We also sent 15 cadets to Charkin Maritime Institute for training in maritime and other engineering courses. They have done a two-year diploma programme and will soon aboard international vessels. No one was less than N10million, but we have an arrangement with the institution, we are paying gradually. Luckily, all of them came out well, no one failed. About 40 or 50 graduated from the school, the best ones are from Andoni. We are very sure they are going to be gainfully employed very soon”, he said.
To further stimulate the economy, the council boss said his administration has empowered several groups of women, widows and people with disabilities with between N100,000 and N200,000 each.
According to him, “We have not done less than 50 for each group each time. The last one we did was for about 50 people living with disabilities. We trained them for one week with PoS and starter pack of N100,000 each”.
Awortu also disclosed that his council revived the abandoned magistrate court and general hospital in the area while paying the NYSC medical doctors and nurses he engaged N100,000 and N50,000 each per month, respectively.
Earlier, the visiting Journalists under the aegis of Like Minds Journalists had told the chairman that they were in Andoni on assessment tour of what Awortu’s administration had been able to record in the last three years.
The spokesperson of the group, Ilaye Jumbo, at the end of the tour, said they were not disappointed by what they saw.
She urged other local government chairmen in the State to emulate Hon. Awortu, and also embark on peer review mechanism for the development of their respective council areas.

By: Boye Salau & Susan Serekara-Nwikhana

Rivers

Insecurity: Paramount Ruler Seeks Profiling Of Residents

Published

4 days ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

A Paramount Ruler in Rivers State, Nyenweli Elele-Alimini, in Emohua Local Government Area, Eze Peter Wagbara CP (rtd.), has called for the profiling of residents in his domain in order to forestall security threats and challenges.

The Nyenweli made the call at the weekend during the Ogbakor Elele Alimini 2026 first meeting held at their Kingdom Civic Centre in Elele, Alimini.

According to him, the step would help relevant authorities to keep tabs on residents and curtail criminality in the area.

The Paramount Ruler promised indigenes and non-indigenes living and doing business in the area of adequate security of their lives and properties.

“Inspite of the negative reports about insecurity in part of the country, I want to assure the people and residents of Elele Alimini of adequate protection of their lives and properties, hence the need for water-tight security throughout the nooks and crannies of Elele Alimini.

“Following the influx of people into Rivers State, particularly Elele Alimini right now, I want to charge chiefs and landlords in our kingdom to profile their tenants, religious leaders of the various faith-based organizations and commercial transporters in our domain”, Eze Wagbara said.

The retired Commissioner of Police stated that despite the violence and banditry in parts of the country, chiefs and elders as well as leaders of thoughts within his area would work closely to ensure peaceful co-existence among residents of Elele Alimini, adding that “it is one God, one Elele Alimini, and one destiny” under his reign.

He commended members of Elele Alimini Council of Chiefs and Elders as well as the CDC Chairman and the Youth President for their contributions toward the socio-economic development of the area.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Elele Alimini Gospel Ministers Forum (EAGMF), Apostle Hope Abikari, said there were a lot of churches serving God in Elele Alimini with different doctorines and practices and stressed on the need for confidentiality in handling of religious matters and related issues in the area.

“Eze Sir, I want to inform you that there are a lot of churches at Elele Alimini today serving God. In fact, this invite to religious leaders at Elele Alimini is very crucial. There is need to arrange for a fresh private meeting with religious leaders in Elele Alimini, which should be confidential. I suggest that a committee be set up to look into the activities of churches in Elele-Alimini”, he added.

He described Eze Wagbara as a Monarch who has the interest of his subjects at heart, and lauded Eze Wagbara and his Council of Chiefs, as well as members of Ogbakor Elele Alimini for their quality leadership in the kingdom.

On his part, the Chairman of Motor Cycle Operators Union of Nigeria, Elele Alimini Branch, Comrade Obuah Emeka, said members of the union who operate within Elele Alimini and Elele Okinali would render efficient services to commuters/passengers in the area.

Comrade Emeka explained that members of the union were not involved in crimes, noting that they do not constitute nuisance to the society.

He, however, promised to co-operate with the leaders of Elele Alimini in order to ensure safety within the area.

Rivers

KENPOLY Matriculates 4,350 Students

Published

4 days ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

The management of Kenule Beeson Saro Wiwa Polytechnic (KENOOLY), Bori, has matriculated a total of 4, 350 students into the 2025/2026 academic session.

The management said the matriculation ceremony is officially admitting students into various National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) courses in sciences, Engineering, Environmental and Management Technology, spreading in five different schools of the institution

Speaking at the event, the Acting Rector of the school, Dr. George Chile Wadike, told the matriculants that “the matriculation marks the beginning of a long and challenging, but fulfilling journey in your academic development. I implore you to be resilient, focused and dedicated to the primary reasons you are here”.

The polytechnic, Wadike said, “does not tolerate any form of indecency from students, social vices like examination malpractice, theft, cultism and other violences in any form, which attract outright expulsion.

“The Polytechnic is a place where you enjoy a lot of freedoms, but that freedom often comes with some corresponding obligations as your freedom ends where another person’s freedom begins.

“So, not only must you protect your rights, privileges and freedom, you must also ensure that you do not trample on the rights, privileges and freedom of Others.

“I, therefore, recommend that you emulate the examples of your mentors and lectures in self discipline, self care, good mode of dressing, fedelity to studies and work and general comportment so that you will not be found wanting.”

He continued that “Kenpoly is positioned to be a trailblazer in good governance, accountability and transparency within the firmament of Nigeria’s educational system.

“We have no doubt that this polytechnic is strongly positioned to solve some of the nations problems of unemployment by graduating not only self-employable youths, but also youths that are themselves employers of labour.”

He announced to the matriculants and parents that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has introduced a new intervention line with the Career Development Centers.

Wadike said the new intervention is purposely for the initiation, taking-up and continuous maintenance of Student Career Guidance.

By: Chinedu Wosu

Rivers

Group Seeks Traditional Medicine Hospital Establishment In Rivers

Published

4 days ago

March 23, 2026

The Tide

A group under the aegis of the Modern Traditional Medicine Practitioners of Nigeria (MTMPN), Rivers State Branch, has called on the state government to build a designated traditional medicine hospital in the state.

They said this will enable the state government actualise full realisation of its healthcare service delivery programmes and maximize the potentials of its members in the state’s health sector.

The State Chairman of the MTMPN, Eze Stanley Munoye Ogbu, made the call after the group’s general meeting in Port Harcourt, weekend, noting that the modern traditional medicine practitioners in the state are ready to partner with the government to contribute their own quota towards the development of the health sector.

Eze Ogbu, who is a member of the Rivers state government approved Board of Traditional Complimentary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM), urged members to choose area of specialisations and not be jack of all trade, while also exhibiting a high sense of professionalism in their practice, and conducting their operations in a clean environment.

The Onye Ishi Agwuru of Okehi Kingdom in Etche Local Government Area of the state hinted that a committee has been set up by the TCAM Board to clamp down on unlicensed practitioners and use the opportunity to call on the state government to invest in traditional medicine to boost revenue and create jobs.

Also speaking, the Chairman of MTMPN, Obio/Akpor LGA Chapter, Dr. Dede Temple Owhadah, said the association is training members on modern practices in order to improve their efficiency in the treatment of patients across the state.

He called on herbal and traditional medicine practitioners in the state to get trained and be educated in their areas of specialisation to remain relevance in the practice

Owhadah warned that the taskforce will go after unlicensed practitioners after the training period and urged governments at all levels to work with the registered professionals in their domain to flush out unqualified practitioners and to tap into the profession’s human resources to improve the healthcare delivery system in the state.

He stressed that members of the group are celebrated researchers who have manufactured certified drugs as cures for various diseases and ailments.

“What we are doing is that we are training and educating our members to improve on their proficiency and modern practices they desire to operate with. After this, we are going to come after those unqualified practitioners and clampdown on them across the entire state.

“Whether you are selling herbal medicine in the street, bone setters, or using any form of herbs and alternative medicine to treat people, we are going to shut such areas down without any recognised government approval at the end of the training session”, he stated

On her own. Dr. Gorgeous Chinyere Adichie commended the group for the education and training of their members to update them with the needed professional experience in the practice.

By: Akujobi Amadi