Rivers
Don Seeks Faculty Libraries Establishment
A university teacher, Prof Anthonia Eghieso Omehia, has called for the establishment of Faculty Libraries in tertiary institutions for research effectiveness, specialisations, visibility, and ease of harnessing knowledge.
She made the call while delivering the 51st inaugural lecture of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) on yesterday at the university auditorium.
The Professor of Library and Information Science disclosed that such libraries should be headed by qualified librarians or information professionals.
She also called for compulsory training and retraining of librarians for effectiveness, review of library school’s curriculum to attune with the future library where robots do most of the library activities.
Omehia challenged professional bodies, such as the Nigeria Library Association (NLA), International Federation of Library Association and Institutes (IFLA), and others to ensure that library budgets are released on time, library fully equipped with modern technology, and different areas of African knowledge harnessed and represented in the digital global sphere.
While hinting that harnessing knowledge in timeless catalyst is the pathway for innovation and creativity in Nigeria, the 51st inaugural lecturer urged Government and all stakeholders to attune with the knowledge society demands.
She advised the Nigeria as a nation to embrace knowledge creation and application for prosperity, adding that a nation that relegates information and knowledge is a lost nation.
According to her, untapped indigenous knowledge, poor harnessing of knowledge by librarians, intellectual property theft, the ills of plagiarism, misinformation and poor use of library information resources by students, researchers, industrialists and stakeholders in the timeless catalysts are the visible setbacks of this knowledge era.
Omehia emphasised that repositioning libraries as a learning hub is now because the library is a sanctuary for intellectual exploration, a catalyst for academic achievement and a cornerstone for lifelong learning.
Harnessing the intellectual output in a timeless library, Omehia said it is the way to remediate education and other developmental ventures.
She stated that failure to harness the knowledge resources in the timeless library makes one a very ignorant personality (VIP).
In his speech, the Acting Vice Chancellor of IAUE, Prof Okechuku Onuchuku, commended the 51st inaugural lecturer for what he described as a five star presentation.
He stressed the need to encourage absolute utilisation of knowledge and for people to use their discovery for societal problems.
Onuchuku, while declaring that knowledge-driven economy is what powers development in contemporary society, noted that the inability to utilise knowledge attained, or transform what we generate as knowledge in the university and research centres is a major setback in the country.
The Vice Chancellor advocated for the building and establishment of community library and rewarding academic excellence for reading culture to be taken more seriously and also for people to develop knowledge from which society can apply to solve problems.
Also speaking, the Acting Registrar of IAUE, Mr Donald Okogbaa, lauded Professor Omehia for her scholarly presentation.
By: Sogbeba Dokubo
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.