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LG Poll: Monarch Decries In-House Fighting Among Politicians In Khana 

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A first class King of Bagha, His Royal Majesty, King Suanu Baridam, has frowned at the in-house fighting over who becomes the next Executive Chairman of Khana Local Government Council.
King Baridam, who was addressing newsmen after a stakeholders’ meeting in Bori on Wednesday, said the current in-house fighting among the political class in the area is unacceptable.
He noted that what the Ogoni people need, especially the people of Khana, is unity that can make the State Government look after them.
According to him, “Ogoni is a place that all of us love, especially Khana. So, the in-house fighting that is happening in the local government among our political class is unacceptable. We want a united Khana front for anything we are doing.
“Irrespective of political parties where we are, what we need is unity that can make the government look after us.”
The monarch warned that the State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, would not be happy or take the people of Khana serious “if everyone here starts in-house fighting.”
He advised the people of Khana to channel their energies into developmental issues such as security, electricity and education of the youths.
He also advised the political class including members of the Caretaker Committee in the local government to work together and leave the issue of who becomes the next Executive Chairman of the Council to God and the people of Khana, saying “it is God who gives power.”
 “When the time of who contest local government election comes, the Khana people will choose who they want. But for now, Marvin has been appointed the CTC chairman. Let everybody relax until his tenure ends and election is conducted”, King Baridam added.
Recall that some youths allegedly sponsored by anti-government elements staged a protest in Khana, on Wednesday, over who becomes the next Executive Chairman of the Council.
The Tide reports that the local council election across the 23 local government areas in the State is scheduled to hold on October 5, 2024, according to the timetable released by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
Recall that the tenure of the former Executive Local Government Council chairmen ended on midnight of June 17, 2024, prompting the State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara to appoint caretaker committee chairmen for the 23 local government councils.
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Rivers

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

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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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Rivers

Expert Advocates  IT Driven Security In Rivers

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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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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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