Business

Firm Organises Free Healthcare Services In Rivers Community

Published

7 years ago

May 27, 2019

As part of efforts to promote healthy living in its host and neighbouring communities, oil giant, Total E&P has kicked off a one week free health care programme in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The well attended event which held at the Opobo General Hospital last Wednesday, as part the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was graced by the Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, His Royal Majesty King Dandeson Douglas-Jaja, who is also the Amayanabo of Opobo Kingdom.
The Deputy Managing Director, Port Harcourt District of Total, Mr. Francois Le-Cocq, in his keynote address at the third day of the week-long mass free medical service for the company’s offshore neighbouring communities of Opobo and Nkoro, revealed that it was the first time the life-saving medical outreach was holding in the local government area.
Le-Cocq, who was represented by Total’s Community Affairs Manager, Offshore, Okechukwu Obara, said: “As a company, Total E&P Nigeria Limited, shares in the universal saying that healthy people make a wealthy nation.
He said:, “We are sustaining the noble efforts of the joint venture to reach out to the critical needs of our people and support both preventive and curative healthcare delivery policies and programmes of government, despite the challenging business environment.
“After two days of this programme, available statistics indicate that 450 patients have so far been attended to. 85 were pediatric cases, 112 ophthalmological, four ante-natal cases, while four patients have already undergone successful surgeries, while others are awaiting further review, preparatory for surgery. The figures will rise as the days go by, which is a testimony that the programme is very popular and it is highly patronised by the people.
The deputy managing director also hailed the joint venture partner, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), for the continuous support, and thanked the Rivers State government for approving the team of medical personnel and volunteering its facility for the programme, while commending other partners for the success of the event.
Le-Cocq further said that in order to have healthy citizenry, other oil companies, multinationals and other critical stakeholders should emulate Total, since a stitch in time saves nine.
In his welcome address, Chairman of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Community Representative, Alabo Godwin Bupo, disclosed that many development projects by Total were ongoing in the area, while expressing gratitude to the oil giant.
Also speaking, the Programme Facilitator, Dr. Daniel Onyetulem, stated that he had passion for saving lives and medical missions, after he saved an eight-year-old boy, who was diagnosed of Typhoid fever perforation and at the point of death, but with poor parents who could not afford the bill, many years ago at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, making him to donate blood to save the life of the patient.
Onyetulem said: “One of the major challenges of people not going to hospitals for treatment is because they could not afford the bills. The Opobo medical mission is coming at the right time, as the patients are leaving happier than they came.
“Unwanted pregnancies, rape cases and substance abuse are rampant in this area and other parts of Rivers State, and they must be quickly addressed, especially by creating awareness through continuous campaigns.”
The medical doctor also lauded the oil giant for the initiative and people of Opobo for the cooperation and warm reception.
The Opobo first class monarch who was represented by the Vice-Chairman of Opobo Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Alabo Princewill Dappa, in his goodwill message on the occasion, urged the people not to be careless with their health.
King Jaja stated that health should be taken seriously by people, in order to live longer, thereby meaningfully contributing for societal development.
The Opobo king also urged the oil giant to extend the programme to other communities in the area, while lauding Total for the initiative and thanked the volunteers for attending to the people, thereby making the programme to be a blessing to many persons.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Rosemary Wilcox, said: “The free health programme is very encouraging. It is timely and good for many of us who do not have money to go to the hospitals for check-up or treatment of various ailments, but we are being treated free of charge and given free drugs, including surgeries for critical cases.”

Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro local government council, Eugene Joseph Oko-Jaja, in his goodwill message, pleaded with Total to consider for employment opportunities, the teeming qualified youths of the area, who he said were currently jobless and hungry.
Oko-Jaja, who was represented by a top official of the council, Francis Allison, called on Total to make the free health programme an annual event, while assuring that he was ready for synergy with development agencies, to move the LGA forward.

Dennis Naku

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members In Brass Water

Published

5 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways

The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and members of his church were in a programme.

?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet to be recovered

as search party are still ongoing.

Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report, our Correspondent gathered that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.

The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit

The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s on the sad accident

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

5 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.

Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.

Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.

He noted that the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.

According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.

He also informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.

“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.

Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.

The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.

He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.

The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.

He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.

Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

1 week ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.