Rivers
Rivers Community Cries Out Over Gas Leakages
Residents of Tombia Community in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State have called on the state government, the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG), and the Nigerian Agip Oil to come to their aid following a gas leakage in the community.
Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, they said the gas leakage, which occurred on Saturday, the 20th of January, had within few days caused great damages to residents and the environment.
Chief Alabo Onimite Abbey, Secretary, Tombia Council of Chiefs, said the gas leakage has negatively impacted on their environment, especially the local source of livelihood.
“Last Saturday, at about 7:30pm, I was called by the DSS boss, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, that there was a gas explosion in my community. I told him I wasn’t aware. With this information, I had to quickly respond to the information and I went home.
“When I got home, I was taken to the area. It was a gas leakage, right in the river. This means it has spoilt most of our aquatic lives. Fishes are no longer alive, as well as periwinkle, tilapia fish and the rest of them. And as a result, we cannot go fishing any longer.
“So, we are pleading with the companies that own the leaking gas pipeline facility to swing into action and fix the problem”, Abbey said.
Also speaking, Vincent Simeopiri Abbey, the Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman, Tombia Community, called for immediate intervention by NLNG as well as relevant agencies to save further destruction of the environment by the incident.
According to him, in order to halt further damage that will be caused by the gas leakage, “NLNG knows the impact of gas leakage into the open space, particularly at the place where it occurred.
“NLNG does not need further education of the impact of gas leakage into the environment, they all know. The last time I spoke with them they said they’re going to check in their control room to ascertain the root cause of the leakage. But since then we have not heard from them.
“We are using this medium to tell the world what we are facing. Everybody knows that any little spark can cause huge fire that can exterminate the entire community as well as the environment”, he said.
Similarly, Comrade Owen Igbikialabo, the Youth President, Tombia Kingdom, said he personally reported to NLNG about the gas leakage incident immediately it was spotted.
He said last week he used the medium to call on the State Government to intervene in order to save lives and properties in Tombia.
“I personally called NLNG control room to report the situation. They’re yet to take care of the gas leakage incident.
“We are calling on Rivers State Government, the Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to intervene. This is a very serious issue, it can cause fire outbreak in the entire creek and burn off the habitats”, he said.
Efforts to reach the Nigerian Agip Oil company and other relevant bodies proved abortive as at press time.
By: John Bibor
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.