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Rivers LG Crisis: APC Chieftain Declares Fubara’s Action Constitutional

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6 months ago

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An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Rivers State, Barr. Sogbeye Eli, has declares as constitutional the action of the State Governor, Sir Siminalaiyi Fubara, in the ongoing political crisis over the expiration of the tenure of chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the State on Monday, June 17, 2024.
Speaking exclusively in a telephone interview, recently, in Port-Harcourt, Eli said there was nothing unlawful about the action of the Governor in directing the newly sworn-in Caretaker Committee Chairmen to take over the reign of affairs in the 23 LGAs.
He noted that the Law No. 2 of 2024 made by the estranged Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, and the sacked 26 members of the Assembly, extending the tenure of the outgone  Chairmen by six months had been expunged from the laws of Rivers State by Justice DG Kio of the State High Court.
“That law has been expunged by Honourable Justice Kio from the laws of Rivers State, it means that it does not exist.
“So, the outgone Council Chairmen cannot rely on a law that is not in existence to continue to stay in office when their tenure had elapsed constitutionally.
“That law conflicts with the 1999 Constitution as amended, and  in Section 9(1) of the Rivers State Local Government Law No.5 of 2018.
“The Local Government system in Nigeria is more like a department of a state. Governors have a hand in the affairs of the Councils. The Constitution allows a 3 year tenure for the Chairmen and there is  room for second term.
“But the tenure of these guys elapsed on the midnight of last Monday, June 17, 2024. That is the law and the Constitution”, he said.
Eli, who was the spokesman of the APC Campaign Council in the 2023 general elections in the state, said he relyed on the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of the Attorney -General of the Federation versus the Attorney -General of Abia State, which ruled on the tenure of the Council Chairmen in the state in 2021, adding that the judgment applies to all the states of the federation.
He, however, noted that there were few former Chairmen who are still eligible to seek re-election into the Councils whenever election is scheduled by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
Bethel Toby
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Rivers

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

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December 13, 2024

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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.
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Expert Advocates  IT Driven Security In Rivers

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December 13, 2024

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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
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Diaspora Group Wants Respect For Ogoni Traditional Rulers

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December 13, 2024

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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
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