Rivers

NDDC Warns Pregnant Women Against Malaria Scourge Celebrates 2024 World Malaria Day

Published

1 year ago

May 29, 2024

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has called on mothers, especially pregnant women, to treat malaria as a dreaded scourge that must be nipped in the bud.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, NDDC, Mr Samuel Ogbuku, gave this advice during the celebration of the 2024 World Malaria Day at Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State at the weekend.
Although the World Malaria Day is internationally celebrated on every 25th of April, the NDDC boss said the commission decided to celebrate the event in Ogu/Bolo LGA a month later in order to create awareness and drum support against the dreaded scourge.
Ogbuku, who was represented by Dr Asela Agala, stressed the need for the people of Ogu/Bolo to take good advantage of the awareness and malaria drugs given to them.
He said that the Ogu/Bolo World Malaria Day celebration was in collaboration with the former NDDC director, Boma Iyalla, with a view to bringing malaria treatment to his people.
Also speaking, a lecturer in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), Dr George Ela, highlighted some precautionary measures to be taken by pregnant women against malaria.
According to him, “pregnant women must sleep under insecticide mosquito treated nets; they must take preventive therapy also known as intermittent therapy for malaria which is done with the use of sulphurous paramintamin, that is the drug commonly known as Fansidar. This is giving once every four weeks to pregnant women within their first four months of pregnancy until they deliver.”
Dr Ela further advised pregnant women who were tested positive of malaria by the team of doctors deployed to Ogu/Bolo to get proper malaria treatment, warning that malaria not properly treated can cause a lot of harm to pregnant women.
“Those who actually come down with malaria must go and receive treatment, they must go to the hospital and be properly treated because sometimes malaria can cause miscarriage, death of the baby inside the womb, because the immunity of pregnant women is lower, so they are very vulnerable to malaria attacks. That is why they must do everything possible to prevent malaria by treating it under special medical supervision”, he advised.
The lecturer added that non-pregnant women also need all the measures mentioned against malaria, saying environmental sanitation is also key to healthy living.
“People must avoid throwing waste inside drainages to enable the drainage system flow easily. Our environment must be kept clean as dirty environment makes it possible for you to have water receptacles where mosquitoes breed and then go into people’s houses to bite them and transmit the mosquito germs.”, he warned.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to our correspondent commended the NDDC and Iyalla for the awareness and free treatment.
They noted that the awareness and free diagnosis of many women by the NDDC has made many of them to know their malaria status.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana

Rivers

NSE Members Tasked On National Dev

Published

5 days ago

July 11, 2025

The Tide

Members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, have been urged to work hard towards contributing to national development. This call was made at the recent induction of new members by the Port Harcourt branch of the Society. The induction ceremony was used to formally welcome new members and celebrate its elevated new fellows.

Speaking during the ceremony held a in Port Harcourt, the Branch Chairman, Engr. Idaeresoari Ateke Harriet, FNSE, called on members of the NSE to actively participate in the Society’s professional and technical activities in order to contribute meaningfully to national development. He congratulated the new inductees, describing their admission as a testament to their hard work and resilience.

Engr. Ateke also commended the new Fellows for their immense contributions to the engineering profession, reminding them that their elevation is a call to greater responsibility as mentors and role models.

The event featured a lecture by Engr. Prof. Steve Odi-Owei, FNSE, on “Opportunities and Challenges in Nigeria’s Blue Economy.” The Chairman noted that Nigeria’s maritime and aquatic resources remain largely untapped, adding that engineers have a crucial role to play in harnessing these resources for economic growth and environmental sustainability.

He thanked the first female President of NSE, Engr. Margaret Aina Oguntala, FNSE, other dignitaries, sponsors, and families of inductees for gracing the occasion.

Also, engineers, especially those in Rivers State have been advised to adhere strictly to the core ethics of the profession and to always uphold the professional ethics of the body.

This advice was given by an engineering expert, Basoene Benibo, in an interview with at the sidelines of the induction ceremony and Fellowship celebration of the Port Harcourt Branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

Benibo stressed the need for young engineers in the state to learn and improve on their skills by tapping from the wealth of experience of older professionals in the field to enable them excel.

Benibo, who is a one-time Chairman of the Port Harcourt Chapter of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, also noted and hailed the efforts of the society in eliminating quackery in the engineering profession.

Some of the new fellows include Prof Jackson Akpa, Pereowei Jose’s and Telema Osima, while the inductees, Engr Mrs Lizzy Onwuso, Engr David Jonathan jnr and Worlu Emmanuel expressed joy in being found worthy to become full NSE members, believing that it would enable them have access to more knowledge, practice rightly and impact the society positively.

Rivers

VALVA Restates Commitment Education Advancement, Literacy In Nigeria

Published

5 days ago

July 11, 2025

The Tide

The President and Chairman of Council, Nigerian Library Association (NLA), Dr. Dominic Amenaghawon Omokaro, has expressed deep commitment to the advancement of education and literacy in Nigeria through the library system.

Speaking through his state Chairman Dr. Chidara Okachukwu Nyemezu, at the formal Launching/inauguration of the Vanguard for Library Visibility And Advocacy (VALVA) at Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic in Port Harcourt recently, Omokaro discribed the inauguration of the new body as a significant and passionate movement aimed at shining the spotlight on one of the underappreciated yet critical institution in Nigeria’s educational system and national development.

“We are gathered here not just to launch a group, but to launch a vision and ignite a movement to reinforce a mission to make libraries visible and valuable again for our people”, he said.

Dr. Omokaro stated that the birth of VALVA is based of the recognition that libraries, particularly school libraries, are the bedrock of promoting a reading and research culture that includes innovation and lifelong learning in the society, though the system is grossly underfunded and poorly equipped in many cases.

He recalled the theme of its first week under his watch, “Library System for National Development in 2022”, which he hinted was driven by the state chapters.

He explained that the inauguration of VALVA shows an important mission to promote the visibility and development with impact on schools and other libraries through strategic advocacy that will advance quality education and foster lifelong learning culture in Nigeria.

“The vision is clear to promote the visibility where every school and indeed every community will have access to a functional library managed by a professional Liberian”, he said.

Speaking with journalists at the sideline of the event, the founder of the VALVA, Dr. Juliet C. Akex-Nmec, stressed that no society can grow without a functional and effective library.

She urged government at all levels to ensure the establishment of effective and functional libraries across the country.

Dr. Alex-Nmec, who is also an Associate Professor of Library and Information Science, Rivers State University, called for the appointment of a Special Adviser on Library matters by the state government in order to assist the government on Library matters.

High point of the event was the formal inaugural of the new body and oath of offices to the new executive.

Akujobi Amadi

Rivers

Rivers Judiciary Denies Issuing Court Order Stopping SOLAD from Swearing in RSCSC Members

Published

5 days ago

July 11, 2025

The Tide

The Rivers State Judiciary has denied a media report claiming that Justice Frank Onyiri of the State High Court issued an injunction order restraining the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), from inaugurating the newly appointed members of the Rivers State Civil Service Commission (RSCSC).

In a statement issued by the Deputy Chief Registrar in charge of litigation at the High Court, Menenen Poromon (Esq), the state Judiciary disassociated itself from the report, describing it as malicious and fabricated.

The statement emphasized that the report was a falsehood and a misrepresentation of what transpeared in the court.

Poromon clarified that no such order was issued by Justice Onyiri or any other judge of the High Court of the state and urged the public to disregard the information, as it lacked any iota of truth.

The statement however advised the public to verify any information concerning the state Judiciary directly from the office of the Chief Registrar, High Court of the State, to avoid spreading of misinformation.