Rivers

RSG Tasks NIPR To Project Rivers Good Image

Published

6 months ago

June 26, 2024

The Rivers State Government has called on members of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Rivers State Chapter, to always project the image of the State in good light.

This was contained in a press release signed by the Press Secretary to the Head of Service, Dr Eric Godam, and made available to The Tide.

According to the statement, the Head of Service, Rivers State, Dr George C. Nwaeke, made the call while addressing the Executive members of the NIPR who were on a courtesy visit to his office in Port Harcourt.

Dr. Nwaeke explained that the NIPR was in a vantage position to market the image of Nigeria as a nation and Rivers State, especially, as the emerging energy hub of the country due to its long term experience in image and reputation management.

According to the Head of Service, many prevailing crisis in the world today are traceable to poor Public Relations management and urged the Institute to galvanize more effort in ensuring effective communication in the society.

He assured the readiness of the Rivers State Government to synergize with the Institute to ensure proper cadrerization of its members in the State Civil Service as ordered by the National Council on Establishment.

Dr. Nwaeke also charged the Institute to lobby the National Assembly to make laws that would ensure the eradication of quackery from the system to pave way for the engagement of professionals in Public Relations management in the country.

He, described the Institute’s visit to his office as apt, especially now that the State was battling with the opposition’s determined efforts to demarket the state.

The Head of Service further assured that the State Government was ready to partner with the Institute to ensure the workforce is trained on issues of reputation management for better service delivery.

Earlier in his address, the Chairman of NIPR, Rivers State Chapter, Reverend Francis Asuk, had thanked the HOS for hosting the Institute and congratulated him on his appointment as the Head of the Civil Service in the State.

He intimated the HOS of NIPR’s readiness to partner with the government in managing the image of the State in order to preserve its hard earned reputation.

Rev. Asuk sought the support of the State Government in domesticating the 2023 Memo from the National Council on Establishment regarding the proper cadrerization of its members practicing Public Relations in the Civil Service.

According to him, the cadrerization will assist the Institute in driving home its efforts in combating quackery in the practice of Public Relations in the State and indeed, the nation at large.

Adding his voice to the narrative, former Chairman of the Institute and currently a Member of Council, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, eulogized the effort of the HOS in galvanizing swift changes that have ensured good governance in the civil service in the state.

He advised the State Government to key into the domestication of the cadrerization process in order to avoid picketing from the National Council.

In her vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare, Office of the Head of Service, Dr I. Mrs Inyingi Brown, thanked the Institute for the visit.

She assured that the State Government would be ready for developmental partnership with the Institute in order to build the capacity of the state workforce.

John Bibor

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