Rivers

Bayelsa LG Polls: BYSIEC Issues Return Certificates To Chairmen, Others

Published

8 months ago

April 22, 2024

The Bayelsa State Independent Electoral Commission (BYSIEC), Monday and Tuesday issued certificates of return to Chairmen-elect, Vice Chairmen-elect and Councilors-elect of the eight Local Government Areas of the state.
In his speech at the event, which was attended by political actors and their mammoth supporters across the state, Chairman of the state’s electoral umpire, Dr Peter Singabele, reiterated the resolve of the Commission to continuously serve as an unbiased umpire in the conduct of Local Government elections in the state.
He noted that it was based on the premise of the mandate given the Commission by the extant legislations of the state that the commission conducted the April 6th, 2024 Local Government polls.
“I congratulate all the Chairmen-elect, Vice Chairmen-elect and Councillors-elect on their victory at the April 6th 2024 Local Government elections in the state.
“I want to assure everyone here today that just as the Chairmen-elect and Vice Chairmen-elect would be issued with their certificates of return today, councilors-elect of the respective Local Government Areas would also receive theirs on Tuesday.
“The essence of the issuance of the certificates of return was to further prove that they won the polls in their respective Local Governments”, the BYSIEC Chairman said.
It would be recalled that the BYSIEC on April 6th held the state’s Local Government elections in which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) swept all the Chairmanship positions of the eight Local Government Areas of the state.
The Tide reports that the newly Elelected Chairmen of the eight Local Government Areas of the State whose certificates of return were presented to are, Hon. Target Segibo, Southern Ijaw LGA; Chief David Alagoa, Nembe LGA; Hon (Mrs) Alice Allen Tangi, Sagbama LGA; and Hon. Isaac Oniye, Ekeremor LGA.
Others are, Hon. Leilei Tariye, Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA; Hon. Lucky Febo, Brass LGA; Hon. Golden Jeremiah, Ogbia LGA; and Hon. Bulodiseye Ndiwari, Yenagoa LGA.
Responding on behalf of the Chairmen-elect and Vice Chairmen-elect, the Yenagoa Local Government Chairman-elect, Hon. Bulodiseye Ndiwari, commended the electoral umpire for the processes of the election, describing it as free, fair and credible.
Ndiwari, who also commended the State Working Committee (SWC) and entire leadership of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), said his colleagues and himself would continue to hold in high esteem the mandate given them at the elections by the electorate across various wards and communities of the state in the discharge of their functions when they are sworn-into office.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner in charge of Media and Publicity of the state’s electoral body, Hon. Augustus Elliot Osomu, charged Councilors-elect of the Ogbia Local Government Area not to betray the confidence reposed on them by the electorates.
Osomu, a onetime member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, gave the charge Tuesday in Ogbia Town, headquarters of the Ogbia Local Government Area of the state while presenting certificates of return to the 13 Councilors-elect of the Local Government.
The spokesman of the BYSIEC said there was need to present the incoming third-tier legislators with their return certificates so that their electorates would know that their votes actually counted during the polls.
He advised them to tow the path of peace and tranquility, honesty and love amongst themselves in the discharge of their constitutional functions when finally sworn into office.
Responding on behalf of the incoming Ogbia Local Government legislators, the Councilor-elect, Ward one(1), Rebhon Frank Benson, assured the political class and electorate of the Councillors’ readiness to cooperate with the incoming Local Government Chairman-elect and Vice Chairman-elect to fast track development in the area, promising also to work for the peace and unity of the Local Government Area.

Rivers

MNCH Week Ends Today … As Rivers Prepares For Malaria Vaccination In Jan

Published

2 days ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

The 5-day Maternal and Neonatal Child Health (MNCH) Week, which started last Monday, comes to a close today in Port Harcourt.

The MNCH Week, which is part of healthcare campaign and interventions for Rivers people, witnessed interventions for pregnant women, non-pregnant women, children under five years old, and men as well.

Disclosing this during the 2024 last quarter strategic meeting of the “Media Advocacy For Health in Rivers State”, the State Health Educator, Dr. Diana Babbo, of the Primary Health Care Management Board, said, the MNCH Care Week, is part of several health campaigns and interventions planned for Rivers people.

“We call it MNCH Care Week. Our ‘one-stop-shop’, from 9th to 13th December, we will be in the health facilities, we hope that our care givers and mothers will bring their children, and partners/spouses to come amd access care in our facilities”, she stated.

According to the State Health Educator, the second part of the campaign and intervention is the roll out of MPox or Monkey Pox vaccination which is a targeted immunisation campaign, and scheduled to last for ten days in Rivers State.

Dr. Babbo, said the Monkey Pox vaccine will be rolled out in six states: Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Bayelsa, FCT, and Benue States.

She stated that the MPox vaccines roll out, which started on the 2nd of December, will also end today.

She explained that the MPox vaccination is targeted at communities, health workers, who are the frontline workers, and key population.

Such key populations include: commercial sex workers, People Living With HIV, transgender community, People Who Inject Drugs (PWID), and Men who have Sex with Men (MSM).

“We’re also saying that after the COVID-19 year, we noticed that there was a drop in immunisation generally worldwide. So, the world is trying to catch up”, she explained.

Towards this end, she stated that a team of Nigerians have been put in place with an aim to quickly close the gap, through intensification of routine immunisation.

Dr. Babbo said, “we will go to different communities where they are found and carry out what we call ‘Zero Dose Children'”.

Zero Dose Children, Babbo said, “means that they have not got their series vaccines, which are pental vaccines. They are those that have not completed their vaccines despite having started. So, we are going to target those categories of children”.

She further disclosed that in continuation of the interventions, malaria vaccines will be rolled out in Nigeria in January 2025, with Rivers State being one of the beneficiaries to have the vaccines in the public space.

Rivers

Expert Advocates IT Driven Security In Rivers

Published

2 days ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

A security expert and analyst, Charles Inkoh-Tariah, has recommended an Information Technology (UT) Communications driven security network in Rivers State.

Speaking during a live interview, “Viewpoint”, on radio, he said IT is very useful in reducing all forms criminality.

According to him, IT driven security is proactive and not reactive, while expressing regret that weakness in the security system stems from failure to adopt a modern and updated relevant IT-driven technology like other developed climes.

He also observed that there’s a lot of gap between the people and security agencies leading to weakness and failure.

Inkoh-Tariah, therefore, recommended a consolidated intelligence gathering system that will enhance effectiveness through adoption of technology and support of the people.

The security expert emphasized the need to revive the Neighborhood Watch , which, he said, is backed by law made by the State Assembly in 2008.

He insisted that there is need to also upgrade security facilities and improve performance of security personnel.

Furthermore, he called for adoption of Artificial intelligence, “which is more effective than all local or former security systems”.

By: Kevin Nengia

Rivers

Diaspora Group Wants Respect For Ogoni Traditional Rulers

Published

2 days ago

December 13, 2024

The Tide

A United States of America-based socio-cultural organisation, Gbaaloo Nyo-Khana, which is an umbrella body of Ogoni, in Rivers State, Nigeria, has called on the people of Ogoni Kingdom to accord traditional rulers their deserved respect.

A statement jointly signed by the group’s President, Comrade LeBari Nzidee, the Secretary-General, Comrade Samuel Nwibana, and the Public Relations Officer, Barineka Akponi, condemned several utterances and derogatory statements by some youths against traditional rulers in Ogoni land, who they described as “natural custodians of Ogoni cultural heritage”.

The organization said such statements and behaviour doesn’t accord the high respect due traditional rulers in Ogoni land and called for a change of attitude towards traditional rulers who have the traditional blessings of the land.

According to the statement, the association condemns in its totality, recent unwholesome statements against a frontline traditional ruler in Nyo Khana Kingdom, saying it does not demonstrate a show of respect for traditional institutions in the area.

The statement said, “in as much as the organization will not support the ills or misbehavior of any traditional ruler, there’s the need for their subjects to address any act of misconduct with serious caution.

“If traditional rulers in other parts of the country are treated with dignity, such treatment should be accorded Ogoni traditional rulers and leaders at home and in the diaspora by the Ogoni people.

The group also accused some Ogoni indigenes in diaspora who are believed they be sponsoring the charade to get political recognitions because of their selfish interest to contest for elective positions in 2027.

Describing their intentions as “wild elephant dreams”, the group promised to expose such people.

The statement read in part: “some disgruntled ogonis in the diaspora are disrespecting our traditional rulers to score cheap political recognitions.

“We have come to realize that their intentions are borne out of the fact that they have an intention to contest 2027 elections, using falsehood, unscrupulous allegations to instigate fake news, through which they seek popularity in Ogoni”.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to “stand against any action that is not healthy in Ogoni land, especially when it has to do with not according traditional rulers their due respect and honour, specifically in Nyo-Khana Kingdom, and Ogoni at large”.

By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos