The Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board (RSPHCMB) has announced plans to rehabilitate the Ogu and Bolo Primary Health Centres in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of the State.

The board also announced plans to furnish and equip the new Primary Health Centre under construction at Ele upon completion.

The Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr. Chituru Adele, made the announcement while delivering his address at the State flag-off of the 2026 World Breastfeeding Week celebration held at the Council Secretariat, l Friday.

Adele noted that the annual celebration, observed from August 1 to 7, provides an opportunity to reflect on society’s collective responsibility to support mothers and newborns.

Speaking on the theme, “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works,” the Executive Secretary said the focus should no longer be on discovering new solutions but on consistently implementing proven breastfeeding interventions.

“The challenge is not ignorance about breastfeeding but the failure to consistently provide mothers with the information, counselling and support they need during pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care . All our  Primary Health Centres across the state have been providng these services ” he emphasized.

He noted that the campaign encourages governments, health workers, communities and families to strengthen proven interventions that support breastfeeding and ensure every child receives the healthiest possible start in life.

The Executive Chairman of Ogu Bolo LGA, Chief Vincent Nemieboka, commended the Board’s decision to  commemorate the WBD in  Ogu Bolo.

“We acknowledge the efforts of the RSPHCMB in strengthening primary healthcare in Ogubolo and in Rivers State at large”, he remarked.

In his remarks, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health,  represented by Dr Hope Avunda, enjoined stakeholders to give the state adequate support needed for the success of the ongoing breastfeeding campaign.

Avunda urged participants to share the breastfeeding knowledge gained with their families and communities.

He encouraged all stakeholders to remain committed to “strengthening what works” so that every mother receives the support she needs and every child enjoys a healthy start in life.

Breastfeeding mothers who benefited from the Baby Shower held at the event expressed their gratitude to the government for the gesture.

A High Court of Rivers State sitting in Port Harcourt will today hear an interlocutory application in the leadership dispute involving the Association of Traditional Rulers of Oil Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria (ATROMPCON).

This followed an earlier order directing all parties in the dispute to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the application.

The matter comes up tomorrow before Hon. Justice E. Teetito at the Rivers State High Court, Port Harcourt, after the court, at its previous sitting, had adjourned proceedings and ordered that the subject matter of the suit be preserved pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice for interlocutory injunction.

The suit, marked PHC/2819/CS/2026, was instituted by HRH Eze Alwell Okwudiwa Owhonda, JP, Nye-Nwe-Eli and Paramount Ruler of Rumuokoro Clan; HRH King Stephen J. Tobins, Akee X Nwamo-Ema of Bukuma (Agum); HRH Mene Daniel F. Nwidag Mene Bean, Secretary of the Khana Traditional Rulers Council; and HRH King Taalor Tornwen Mene Bua Boue, a member of ATROMPCON in Rivers State.

The defendants are HRM Major General F.A. Mujekperuo (Rtd.); HRH Dr. Obafemi Ogbaro; HRH Emmanuel U.N. Assor; and HRH Ndubisi Ogbuji Ehie II, who were sued for themselves and as representatives of other members of the National Executive Council elected at the association’s 2021 National Conference held in Asaba, Delta State.

Also joined in the suit are HRM Eze Akuwueze Raphael Ikegwuruka and HRH Eze O.E. Nwagbara, who were sued as the remaining trustees of the association.

The claimants are asking the court to determine whether the National Executive Council elected in 2021 can lawfully continue to administer the affairs of the association after the expiration of its constitutional tenure.

They are equally seeking the court’s interpretation of provisions of the ATROMPCON Constitution relating to the tenure and powers of the National Executive Council, the legality of convening an Expanded Executive Council meeting, the proposed establishment of a caretaker committee, the composition of the Board of Trustees and the association’s rotational leadership arrangement.

According to the claimants, the tenure of the National Executive Council elected in 2021 has elapsed and the executive can no longer lawfully administer the affairs of the association or convene meetings for the purpose of appointing another leadership outside a National Conference.

The claimants further contend that the ATROMPCON Constitution recognises National Executive Council meetings, National Conferences and emergency meetings, but does not provide for an Expanded Executive Council meeting or the appointment of a caretaker committee.

They are, therefore, asking the court to declare any attempt to constitute such a caretaker committee unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.

Another issue before the court is the claimants’ assertion that, in line with the association’s rotational leadership arrangement, Rivers State is next entitled to produce the National Chairman of ATROMPCON, arguing that any proposed caretaker arrangement would deny the state that constitutional opportunity.

The claimants also challenged the composition of the association’s Board of Trustees, maintaining that the constitution requires not fewer than three trustees, whereas only two trustees are currently serving, and are seeking declarations that the board, as presently constituted, is invalid until it is properly reconstituted.

Counsel to the claimants is led by A.S. Abdulkadir, SAN, with O.T. West, D.N. Adangor, G.U. Otamiri, Z.N. Nalley and C.E. Adoki, while the defendants are represented by J.N. Onyebuchi for the first defendant, Femi Bobade with O.B. Wokeh for the second defendant, and B.C. Ezenwere for the third to sixth defendants.

The outcome of today’s proceedings is expected to determine the next phase of the legal contest over the interpretation of the ATROMPCON Constitution, the tenure of its executive officers, the composition of its Board of Trustees and the process for the emergence of the association’s next national leadership.

King Onunwor

The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Segun Aina, has resolved more than 5,000 pending complaints within five days, in a bid to improve service delivery to candidates.

?This is disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Acting Director, Public Affairs and Protocol, JAMB, Fabian Benjamin.

?Benjamin said the development followed Aina’s decision to strengthen the Board’s Service Compact with All Nigerians (SERVICOM) Unit to ensure the prompt resolution of outstanding complaints.

?He said the Registrar had relocated his seat to the SERVICOM Unit to gain first-hand knowledge of the nature of services being sought by candidates and other clients and to facilitate the resolution of pending cases.

?According to him, the move is in line with the Registrar’s Five Enduring Pillars, particularly the second pillar, “Service at Heart”.

He added that the Registrar’s move was to ensure his commitment to leveraging strategic communication to reposition the Board and deliver services commensurate with the fees paid by candidates.

?He noted that Aina had directed SERVICOM Desk Officers to address complaints holistically and promptly.

?Benjamin said the directive had already begun to yield positive results, with more than 5,000 pending and unresolved complaints addressed within five days.

?He said the complaints covered a wide range of issues, including difficulties in creating profile codes by candidates who had previously registered with telephone numbers to which they no longer had access.

?He added that biometric verification challenges were also addressed, including genuine cases of biometric failures encountered during the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration or examination.

?He further said that the Registrar also scrutinised the operations of the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), where issues relating to lost phones and SIM cards, candidates who converted from Direct Entry (DE) to UTME, and candidates omitted from the National Matriculation List after graduation were identified and addressed.

?He also noted that some previously unresolved payment-related issues were swiftly resolved, alongside complaints concerning inappropriate examination venues, e-PINs, technical challenges and difficulties with the uploading of documents.

?According to him, other recurring complaints relating to changes of name, date of birth, state and local government of origin were also addressed.

?The acting director said the initiative underscored the Registrar’s commitment to placing candidates and other clients at the centre of the Board’s operations.

?He said JAMB would continue to strengthen its complaint-resolution mechanisms to ensure that candidates received timely and efficient services.