News
Fubara Restates Support For Tinubu
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has restated his administration’s firm support to President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government people-oriented policies aimed at improving the well-being of the people and providing critical social services to Nigerians.
Fubara also emphasised that his administration was determined to build an egalitarian society where people can freely voice their opinions, be bold to criticise his government constructively to further advance good governance.
This is even as the former Governor of the State, Dr Peter Odili, has endorsed Fubara as the political leader of the State.
Fubara made the remark at the commissioning of the Comprehensive Primary Healthcare Centre in Ndoni Town, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, last Thursday.
He said, “But I thank God that whatever it is they think or imagined we are doing, we are happy we are touching lives. Everyone can attest to it. But one critical project, one specific aspect of it is the well-being of our people.
“We made a promise to Mr. President to support him, and we will continue to support him. How do we support him?
“It is to ensure that the welfare of our people is provided for. It is to ensure that our people, those in critical need, we make them happy in this harsh economic situation.
“If we cannot solve all the problems, at least, we will go as much as we can to mitigate those basic challenges. That is the only way to support Mr. President.”
The Comprehensive Primary Healthcare Centre was built and donated to the State Government by the PAMO Educational Foundation, with the former governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili, as its founder.
Drawing attention to what his administration is doing in the healthcare delivery, the governor said he increased the quota of employment of personnel into the health sector to 1,000 persons.
The action, he noted, was because the 200 personnel he met on assumption of duty was grossly inadequate compared to the prevailing needs in the sector.
Fubara also made reference to the deplorable condition of over 340 primary healthcare centres across the State when he assumed office, and explained that commendable rehabilitation work was ongoing to ensure the facilities function optimally.
To achieve the needed transformation and provision of quality healthcare services, Fubara said the contractors that handled the reconstruction of the zonal hospitals have been invited and directed to return to site to complete the projects.
He stressed that the initiative was meant to bridge the yawning gap between the primary and tertiary healthcare services in the State.
Fubara said, “But I’m happy with what the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Board has said here today.
“On assumption of office, it was different from what we have recorded. We are giving hope to the people. We are not going to stop improving that sector every day, by the special grace of God.
“We’ve gone further to improve our healthcare services by promising our people not just promising, but ensuring that we’ll see it through, that all the zonal hospitals must be put back to function.
“We have invited all the contractors that were awarded those jobs. We have asked them to return back to site so that those facilities will function to provide quality services to our people.
“The Secretary mentioned about employment. When we came on board, the number I saw allocated to you was 200. But I’ve given you 1,000 medical doctors. That will tell you that we place importance on efficient healthcare services for our State.”
Governor Fubara acknowledged as ingenious the conviction of the PAMO Educational Foundation to undertake the construction of such health facility as a private citizen deploying personal resources to give back to the society.
The governor described the gesture as the best thing that has happened to the people, which is worthy of emulation, and urged members of the community to own the project by protecting it.
Fubara seized the opportunity of the commissioning to take a swipe at those describing his administration as clueless because it is not constructing roads to personal property or serving the interest of few individuals.
He insisted that he was elected to serve the general interest of Rivers people, improve their social status and make life comfortable for them.
The governor also told local government chairmen pretending to be serving the people while worshipping the interest of one man, that they were digging a pit to bury their political career.
He particularly expressed surprise that Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government chairman was present at the event, and chastised him and some others for avoiding State government functions.
In his speech, Dr Peter Odili said he was motivated to undertake the project because two years ago, when flood ravaged Ndoni Town, the health centre in the community was destroyed, leaving people within 50 kilometer radius without immediate healthcare services.
Odili, who urged the governor to continue in his trajectory of people-oriented projects execution, declared that Fubara is the political leader of the State, insisting that Rivers people will continue to stand with him.
Speaking on the project, the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, explained that the health facility that seats on the island of Ndoni in the political Ward 14, has 20-bed spaces, and will meet 80 percent healthcare needs of the people.
Oreh said the health facility will offer such services like antenatal and postnatal services, deliveries, immunization, cervical screening, hypertension and issues of tuberculosis and other levels of health education services.
In his welcome address, Chairman of Rivers State Electoral Commission (RISEC), Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd), said history will be kind to Odili for using his personal resources to build a state- of-the-art health facility with support from his wife, Justice Mary Odili.
Justice Enebeli said that the event demonstrated effective Public-Private Partnership to build and donate the facility by PAMO Educational Foundation, adding that the health centre will serve people in all the 18 villages in Ndoni Town.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board, Dr Kinikanwo Green, said the event aligns with the policy thrust of the Fubara-led administration that has committed so much resources and motivation to making the facilities in the health sector function optimally.
After commissioning the facility, the governor took a tour of the wards, laboratories and equipment, and also performed the official launch of the State Health Insurance Scheme at the centre.
Fubara, while on his way to Ndoni Town, stopped over briefly at Elele Town to acknowledge greetings from the crowd of youths, women, men and traditional rulers, who had waited to receive him enroute Ndoni.
The governor waved at them, walked up to the canopy sheltering the traditional rulers, paid his homage and received the kolanuts they offered him.
Political leaders like the Chairman of Ocabic Group, Eze Okey Okah; and former commissioner for information and communications, Barrister Emmanuel Okah; are among indigenes of Elele Town in Ikwerre Local Government Area who joined the jubilant crowd to receive the governor.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.