News
200 Persons Benefit From Rotary’s Medical Outreach
A total of 200 persons have benefited from Rotary’s Family Helath Days Outreach held at Model Primary Health Centre, Oginigba, Trans-Amadi, Port Harcourt.
Among the beneficiaries was 24-year-old Itoro Ime, who came with her baby.
“When I heard of the free medicals, I rushed down because I’ve been sick but didn’t have money to come. But through this programme, they gave me malaria drugs so I’m very happy. May God Bless you all”, Ime said, saying that she also received a free treated mosquito net for her 10 month old baby.
The three-day Rotary Family Health Days was done in partnership with the Federal and State Ministries of Health, Hepatitis Zero World Eradication Project, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Rotary Action Group for Family Health and AIDS Prevention, in collaboration with Rotary Clubs and Districts in Nigeria.
Rotary Family Health Days is a free health outreach by Rotary and her partners to provide basic health services free to indigent communities in line with their efforts at diseases prevention and treatment.
Site Coordinator for the 15 Rotary Clubs and two Rotaract Clubs who organised the outreach, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Shittu, said Rotary provided some drugs, lab reagents and medical personnel volunteers to offer free treatment to the people of Oginigba Community.
Rtn. Shittu, who is also the President, Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Express, said the three-day outreach, which started on World Polio Day on October 24, also celebrated Rotary’s efforts at eradicating Polio in the world.
“As part of our service to humanity we carry our medical outreach to our host communities about twice a year. The aim is to reach out to the less privileged in the community and attend to their health needs free of charge”, he said.
President, Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Metropolitan, Rtn Oghenero Emu, noted that the outreach targets those at the rural areas who do not have easy access to medical services so they can benefit.
President, Rotary Club of Rumuomasi, Rtn. Taiwo Olayeni, added that the outreach would help reduce maternal and child mortality as treated mosquito nets were given to nursing mothers while children were given deworming medicines among others to protect them.
Medical officer in charge of Model Primary Health Centre, Oginigba, Dr. Cecilia L. Nwibubasa, lauded the efforts of Rotarians in providing the free health outreach, saying it would encourage members of the community to access healthcare.
She observed that due to the present harsh economic climate, many did not seek health services for fear of the costs and encouraged Rotary to continue the health outreach more regularly.
“Health is wealth and this programme, I believe, would help everyone of us, both us at the facility and those in the community, because if you leave them to themselves, they would not come to hospital with their health complaints.
“But when they hear that there is a free medical outreach, you would see everybody turning out for it because they are getting the service free of charge”, she said.
Health services provided include Polio immunisation, malaria screening and treatment, HIV testing and counselling, diabetes, glucose level and hypertension screening, prostate cancer screening for men, vitamins A administration and deforming of children.
Other services provided include family planning, counselling and distribution of condoms, distribution of sanitary pads for girls, as well as distribution of treated mosquito nets and free eye tests.
For the President, Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Garden City, Rtn. Karina Igonikon, the excitement and response of the community was encouraging as they patiently waited to be attended to despite the heavy rains.
Rotary clubs that volunteered at the Model Primary Health Centre, Oginigba, include Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Express, Rotary Club of PH Downtown, Rotary Club of PH Garden City, Rotary Club of PH Mid-Town, Rotary Club of PH Central, RC PH Phoenix, and Rotary Club of PH South.
Others are Rotary Club of PH Mother And Child, Rotary Club of Rumuibekwe, Rotary Club of PH Metropolitan, Rotary Club of Esara City, and Rotary Club of Rumuomasi.
Also with them were Rotary Club of Trans Amadi, Rotary Club of Oyigbo, Rotary Club of PH Skyfield, as well as the Rotaract Club of Port Harcourt Silver Valley, and Rotaract Club of Port Harcourt Township.
News
NDDC Begins N50,000 Monthly Payment To 10,000 N’Delta Youths
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has begun the payment of N50,000 monthly stipends to 10,000 indigenous youths from the Niger Delta under its Youths Internship Scheme.
The Director of Corporate Affairs at the NDDC, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, disclosed this to journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, yesterday.
She explained that the beneficiaries would undergo practical, hands-on training across the various organisations for 12 months to develop critical skills.
Recall that during the inauguration of the scheme on July 31, 2024, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had announced the Federal Government’s approval of a N50,000 monthly stipend for the trainees.
According to Thompson-Wakama, the commission has successfully completed the selection process and has begun placing trainees in organisations to gain practical experience.
“Consequently, with the completion of these phases, the payment of the monthly stipends has also commenced,” she announced.
She revealed that the 10,000 beneficiaries were transparently selected from over 3.2 million youths who registered for the empowerment programme.
“This unprecedented response highlights the immense potential and aspirations of our youths to improve themselves.
“NDDC remains steadfast in ensuring this life-changing opportunity reaches the most deserving candidates, creating a lasting impact and paving the way for a brighter future,” she stated.
Thompson-Wakama explained that the scheme had enabled the commission to collate essential data, including the qualifications, skills, interests, needs, and employment status of the youths in the region.
The data, she explained, would guide the commission in designing programmes tailored to address the unique challenges faced by young people.
She disclosed that the NDDC partnered with KPMG, a global audit and consultancy firm, to enhance the commission’s corporate governance framework.
“KPMG has produced a Governance Advisory Report that will serve as a tool to support the commission’s transition from a transaction-based to a transformation-focussed policy,” Thompson-Wakama added.
The director commended the youths for their patience and cooperation during the selection process for the scheme.
News
Fubara Attends PDPGF Meeting In Asaba …..Back Court Verdict On National Secretary Position

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, last Friday, attended the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF) meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
The Rivers State Governor, who is the Vice Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, attended the meeting, alongside 10 other Governors of the party’s controlled states across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The first PDPGF meeting in 2025, was held at the Government House in Asaba, at the end of which a seven-point resolution was reached.
Reading the communique at the end of the meeting, the Chairman of the Forum, and Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed urged the National Working Committee (NWC) to put every machinery in place to ensure a hitch-free NEC meeting on March 13, 2025.
The communique stated:
“The Forum, having examined all the notices required by law to be given to validly convoke NEC, advised NWC to reschedule NEC to the thirteenth (13Th) of March 2025.”
The Forum further noted the Court of Appeal judgment affirming Udeh Okoye as the National Secretary of the party, saying that as a party that believes in the rule of law, it will respect the position of the Appellate Court on the matter.
“The Forum noted with delight the ongoing efforts at resolving the crisis in the National Working Committee, NWC, on the position of the National Secretary, and has reaffirmed its support for the Court of Appeal judgment; consequently, the Forum advised the NWC to set up the machinery for the effective implementation of the court judgment.
“While commending the country’s valiant and patriotic Armed Forces and Security Agencies for maintaining the frontline in securing the country and the gains of our gallant personnel against bandits in parts of the country, the Forum viewed with deep concern, the resurgence of brazen non-state actors. It, therefore, calls for the strengthening of the nation’s security architecture.”
Governors in attendance include: H.E Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed (Bauchi State); H.E Sir Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers State) – Vice Chairman; H.E Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta State) – Host; H.E Dr. Agbu Kefas (Taraba State); H.E Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa State); and H.E Dr. Dauda Lawal (Zamfara State).
Others are H.E Senator Ademola Adeleke (Osun State); H.E Senator Douye Diri (Bayelsa State); H.E Pastor Umo Eno Ph.D (Akwa Ibom State); H.E Dr. Peter Mbah (Enugu State); H.E Barr. Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau State);
and H.E Bayo Lawal (Deputy Governor, Oyo State), who represented Governor Seyi Makinde.
News
NGO Implants Free Pacemakers Into 22 Cardiac Patients In PH
A United States based Non Governmental Organisation, Cardiovascular Education Forum, in collaboration with the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), has successfully implanted free pacemakers into 22 patients with different cardiac cases in Port Harcourt.
This is in a bid to save lives and encourage patients with low heartbeats to live longer.
The implantable device, which costs $20,000 each, was inserted free of charge on the selected patients.
Speaking during a Special Hospital Ground Rounds at the UPTH with its Theme, “Recent Advances in Cardiac Pacing,” a cardiac Physiologist, Dr Neil Grub, said the NGO was in Nigeria to improve training and learning on cardiac issues and help patients with cardiac problems.
Accompanied by a team of experts comprising a cardiologist and cardiac device implanter, Dr Jagdeep Siagh, and UPTH interventional cardiologist, Dr Edafe Emmanuel, Dr Grubb said pacemakers were inserted on patients with low heartbeats to boost their heart rates.
Earlier, the Chief Medical Director, UPTH, Prof Henry Arinze Ugboma, said each of the implantable devices cost over $20,000.
Ugboma, represented by the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, UPTH, Prof Datonye Alasia, said the partnership between UPTH and the foreign NGO was to build networks, and improve services in terms of healthcare delivery, training and learning.
According to him, there is now a ray of hope in terms of treatment of patients with cardiovascular cases in the hospital.
He said the UPTH started the collaboration with Cardiovascular Education Forum in 2018 to boost health, training and learning on cardiac health.
He assured that, “in coming years, the scale of our collaboration with the mission will be higher.”
Chinedu Wosu
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