Niger Delta
HYPREP Interfaces With Ogoni Church Leaders
For the first time in its history, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has interfaced with Ogoni church leaders drawn from four local government areas of Rivers State, as a way of keeping them abreast of what it is currently doing in Ogoniland and carrying them along in the scheme of affairs.
The meeting, which attracted several church leaders from the Ogoni ethnic nationality was held at Casoni Hotels in Port Harcourt recently.
While the church leaders commended HYPREP for the bold initiative to interact with them for the first time, they urged the Project to involve them in its activities, as they are important stakeholders in the development trajectory of Ogoniland.
To facilitate robust interface and participation with the agency on a regular basis in what is currently going on in Ogoniland, they said mobility was key, and requested for provision of a bus to ease their movement as a group.
They essentially praised HYPREP for the several projects and programmes it is carrying out in the area, and urged it to build an Ecumenical Centre in Ogoniland, to enable the people of God from the area to congregate on a regular basis irrespective of their denominations.
The church leaders also noted that as Ministers of God, they are more in touch with the people at the grassroots, who are mostly peasants, and therefore, lend helping hands to them to cushion the effects of the harsh economic conditions in the country. This, they said underscores the need for HYPREP to carry them along in its empowerment programmes.
The church leaders, who spoke at the event included the Chairman of Ogoni Church Leaders Council and Bishop of the Diocese of Ogoni Anglican Communion, Rt Rev Solomon Gberegbara; the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) Representative for Gokana and Area Superintendent of Apostolic Church, Apostle Joseph Leemfe; and the President of Ogoni Ministers, Peace and Advocacy Forum, Venerable Joseph B.Johngbo.
Speaking at the event, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Deinibarini Zabbey thanked the men of God for gracing the occasion, and assured them of the readiness of the Project to always carry them along. He said it was intended to seek for their guidance and support.
He explained that HYPREP decided to interface with them considering the important place they occupy in the Ogoni society, and urged them to disseminate relevant information on the activities of the Project in Ogoniland to the people through their respective platforms.
Zabbey used the forum to brief the church leaders on the core mandate of HYPREP, as enunciated in the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) Report on Ogoniland, as well as how it has kept faith with the recommendations therein to give the Ogoni people a new lease of life.
He enumerated the several projects and programmes the agency is carrying out in Ogoniland, contending that the Project is even going beyond its mandate by accommodating communities not impacted by oil pollution, especially in the provision of potable water for the people.
Similarly, the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project(HYPREP) has organised a procurement and business strategy workshop for Ogoni entrepreneurs to enable them to take full advantage of the benefits accruing from the procurement sector of the economy in the country.
The workshop, which took place at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Port Harcourt recently, attracted participants from all walks of life.
Speaking at the occasion, the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Prof Deinibarini Zabbey said the ultimate goal of the workshop is to ensure that there is a thriving ecosystem in Ogoniland so as to address low community participation in the activities of HYPREP.
According to him, there is the need for Ogoni people to understand the procurement intricacies and nuances in the competitive market of bidding for HYPREP’s jobs and contracts, stressing that the workshop is also intended to address community quota concerns.
Zabbey, therefore, urged the beneficiaries to come together to build business partnerships and clusters, as well as relay and teach others what they had learnt.
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
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has restated his administration’s commitment to providing more support to security agencies operating in the state.
He stated this on Tuesday when he received heads of security agencies, including Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Rear Admiral N.M. Madugu, Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ahmed Gaya, and the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 16, Yenagoa, Tolani Alausa, in Government House, Yenagoa.
The Governor assured security agencies across board that his administration would collaborate with them to protect lives and property as well as critical national assets on land and the waterways by providing patrol vehicles, boats and other necessary logistics.
He informed the new OPDS Commander that the task force had a responsibility to protect critical national, state and community assets contributing not only to the daily oil production output for the federal government but also to development and growth of the state.
The Governor stressed that the partnership between the state government and the task force had ensured that crime rate in the state was reduced.
“As a government, we are working round the clock with the security agencies so that our people can sleep with their two eyes closed and also ensure that national assets are safe for the benefit of the people and the government.
“Often, it is misconstrued as though these assets are only for the federal government. Rather, they are for the state, communities and the federal government. So we must work hand-in-gloves to ensure they are safe.
“Therefore, it is our responsibility to always ensure that these critical national, state and community assets are kept safe”, he said.
Responding to the request of the Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ahmed Gaya, the Governor stated that he had signed the Certificate of Occupancy of the land allocated to the Nigerian Navy at the New Yenagoa and approved a secondary school at Toru-Ebeni in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.
He said the State Government was waiting for the naval authorities to commence development of the land.
The new JTF Commander, Rear Admiral Madugu, stated that the visit was to formally introduce himself and to solicit the government’s support to achieve his aim of protecting the critical oil and gas facilities in his area of operation and fulfil the presidential mandate of increasing oil production to 2.5mbpd.
While promising to work with the Nigerian Police to maintain peace in the state, Diri admonished AIG Tolani to be repentant and be more professional in his duties having attained a top position in the force.
The Governor, who recalled the role Tolani played when he was Commissioner of Police in the state during the 2023 governorship election, said: “Let bygone be bygone and work according to your conscience. Ensure that you are repentant and do what is right. Your zone covers Bayelsa and Rivers states and let the interest of both states be uppermost on your mind.”
On disputes among community youth associations, the state’s helmsman wielded the big stick and announced the dissolution of such body in Famgbe Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area.
He directed the Commissioner for Youth Development, working with the Commissioner of Police, to ensure a proper election is held in the community.
Diri also warned that traditional rulers whose communities were embroiled in conflicts would be sanctioned.
“Every other feuding community, including Ogboinbiri, we are still watching you. I have told all traditional rulers, if you cannot ensure peace in your domain but waiting for my wrath to dangle on you, then both traditional rulers and youth bodies will be sacrificed”, Diri said.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa
The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has said no profession in the health sector was superior to others, saying there was need for cooperation among workers in every health facility to achieve optimal results.
He stated this during a courtesy visit by the Bayelsa branch of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) to his office in Government House, Yenagoa, on Tuesday.
He assured that a good number of certified and competent medical laboratory scientists, as well as other medical and health practitioners would be employed based on the needs assessment indices at government’s disposal in the ongoing civil service recruitment exercise.
While appreciating their contributions to quality healthcare service delivery, he said government was ready to collaborate with the Association and other critical stakeholders in the sector to make health services more affordable and accessible to people of the state.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, said the current recruitment drive was aimed at addressing manpower needs in some critical sectors, including health, to improve service delivery in the state.
“We’re making progress in the health sector in Bayelsa. But we also admit that there is still much room for improvement.
“As you’re aware, applicants are applying to the state civil service, and some employment slots have been approved for Medical Doctors and Laboratory Scientists to be employed.
“We need competent and highly qualified personnel to be employed into the service to provide quality services.
“Every health worker has a role in health promotion. No profession in the health sector is superior to another. We are ready to collaborate with you to make health services more affordable and accessible to all Bayelsans”, he said.
Earlier in her presentation, the State Chairman of the AMLSN, Eunice Ayamaere Lelei, said there was need for government to employ more qualified laboratory scientists, and provide modern laboratory equipment in all its medical facilities across the state.
Lelei, who emphasized that laboratory scientists play a critical role in healthcare services in Nigeria, called for the implementation of the approved call duty allowance for members of the Association, and funding support for their Mandatory Professional Continuing Development programmes.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells,
Yenagoa