Rivers
FG inaugurates PH-Aba Rail Project … As Train Service Begins
The Federal Government has inaugurated the 6.2 kilometre (KM) Port Harcourt-Aba railway project, marking the start of train operations between Abia and Rivers States.
The Minister of Transportation, Sen. Saidu Alkali, who said this at a ceremony in Port Harcourt, noted that the project was a crucial part of the 1,443km Port Harcourt to Maiduguri narrow gauge rail project.
He said the Port Harcourt to Aba section of the project was the initial part of the Eastern narrow-gauge railway, aiming to connect five geo-political zones of the country.
“The Federal Government is pleased to inaugurate the train service from Port Harcourt to Aba, a key priority area of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“We are grateful to God for the completion of the Port Harcourt to Aba section, which will bring succour to the people.
“The Eastern narrow gauge covers five geo-political zones of the country, including South-South, South-East, North-Central, North- West and North-East”, he said.
Alkali said following the completion of the first segment and the start of commercial operations, work on the remaining part of the rail line would begin immediately.
“Shortly, we will take a train ride from Port Harcourt to Aba, which means that from today, passenger train service has commenced.
“We will continue the project from Aba to Enugu and from Port Harcourt to both Onne and Port Harcourt seaports for freight services.
“The ministry is currently in discussion with an investor to convert our locomotive from diesel to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to reduce transportation cost further”, he said.
The Minister assured Nigerians that arrangements were being made with security agencies to ensure adequate security along the rail routes.
He also announced free train rides from Port Harcourt to Aba between May 1 to May 4.
“The train will depart from Port Harcourt to Aba at 8 a.m. daily, while it will leave Aba to Port Harcourt at 3 p.m. daily.
“Full commercial operations will resume on May 7, 2024″, he said.
Muhammad Zakari, the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, said the project when completed would boost trade, enhance mobility and connectivity between the Southern and Northern part of the country.
He said the segment of the project was contracted to Messrs China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) on October 16, 2020, with a 36-month completion timeline.
“But due to technical and contractual issues, the project commenced in March 2022, involving the construction of modern stations and procurement of new rolling stock.
“The railway line will also connect the seaports of Onne, Bonny, and Port Harcourt to facilitate evacuation of goods and sundry freight through the Eastern corridor”, he said.
Zakari emphasised that upon completing the Port Harcourt to Aba railway, the Federal Government would push CCECC to expedite the completion of the 181km Aba-Enugu section of the project.
He said he was optimistic that inauguration of the Port Harcourt to Aba rail service would stimulate economic activities between the South-South and South-East zones of the country.
Continue Reading
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.
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
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
-
Niger Delta2 days ago
Oborevwori’s Legacy Projects Already Manifesting In Delta – Commissioner
-
News2 days ago
Let’s Use Politics To Develop Rivers -Fubara …Inaugurates Okocha Road, Spurs In Obio/Akpor
-
News2 days ago
RSG Set To Employ Fresh Teachers In Public Schools
-
Politics2 days ago
Ex-Inc President Harps On People-Centred Governance
-
Sports2 days ago
Musa, Shehu Ineligible For CHAN – Ilechukwu
-
Niger Delta2 days ago
LIFE-ND Inaugurate Agric Forum To Boost Jobs, Farming In Bayelsa
-
News2 days ago
Bring More Cultural, Arts Events To PH, Fubara Tasks Abuja Carnival Organisers …•To Launch Talent Hunt For Rivers Youths Soon
-
News2 days ago
RSHA Moves To Investigate Oil Spill In Bonny …As Two Bills Pass First Reading