Rivers
ICRC Trains 25 Youth On Photography
Some 25 youth living at the Prison Waterfront Community in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, have been trained by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on digital photography in order to engage them in meaningful ventures.
The event, organised by the Rivers State branch of the ICRC, was mainly to showcase the talents of the 25 youth during a one-day photographic training at Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt.
According to the Head of Sub-Delegation, ICRC, Mr Tim Filip Ros, “the Prison Waterfront Community has its share of challenges related to poverty and violence, and ICRC sees the youth of this community as an important group, and has tried to seek for an innovative way of engaging these 25 kids in photography, after which, disposable cameras were handed over to them to display to the world their lifestyles in the shanty town.
“Since November 18, 2016, when these disposable cameras were given them, they went out to photograph their shanty community, and the resulting photographs are succinctly captioned “Shanty in a Frame,” Ros added.
He stated that apart from the training of the youth in photography, ICRC has also built a staircase to enable the people walk steadily to their homes, as well as executed good drinking water projects for the community.
In her remarks, the Communication Coordinator, Nigeria, Mrs Aleksandra Matijevic Mosinmann, said ICRC has done a lot of work over the last two years in the Prison Waterfront Community by building staircases and completed work on some water projects to enable the less privileged people have good drinking water despite the polluted environment they find themselves.
She stated that the Abuja office team of ICRC had visited Rivers State to also take part in viewing the 48 photographs on exhibition, which depict life in the shanty town, adding that “ICRC decided to give them some voice by giving them disposable cameras in order for everyone to see, feel and hear their voices, and today, by the exhibition of these photographs, their voices have been heard.”
Also speaking, one of the residents, who declared the event open, Little Miss Ethel Martins said her life has changed since the disposable camera was given to her by ICRC, adding that she has decided to take to photography as a profession after her studies.
Martins thanked ICRC for empowering her life positively, but wished that the cameras were not disposable, saying that giving them permanent cameras will enable them perfect their new skills, and exhibit more expertise in their future endeavours.
The Rivers State Branch Chairman of the Red Cross, Mr Otoru Ikemenjima, said the photo exhibition of the life in the shanty community coincided with the birthday celebration of the founder of the Red Cross Movement, Henry Dunant, adding that this year’s celebration in the state was packaged with lots of activities such as dramas and school competitions.
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Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
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.