Niger Delta

Deltans Task Okowa On Healthcare For Rural Dwellers

Published

4 years ago

August 8, 2022

Delta State Youth Parliament has passed a resolution urging Governor of the State, Ifeanyi Okowa, to strengthen the State’s healthcare services to ensure that rural dwellers, especially those living in coastal areas, have unfettered access.
The resolution was sequel to a motion by member representing Patani Constituency, Mr Paul Ohwofataro, during plenary on Thursday in Asaba,
The Governor had on September 8, 2020 inaugurated the first assembly of the State Youth Parliament with a call on it to use the platform to create awareness, build confidence and leadership capacity in youths.
Moving the motion, Ohwofataro urged the Governor to direct the State Ministry of Health to employ and deploy more health workers to all the rural areas of the State, especially the coastal communities.
He said deploying more health workers would go a long way in reducing the rate of deaths in the rural communities.
Ohwofataro recalled how some ‘minor ailments’ had resulted in the death of many residents in most of the rural communities, particularly the riverine dwellers.
He said except an urgent step was taken to address the trend, the situation might escalate.
Seconding the motion, member representing Ndokwa West constituency, Mr Chukwubueze Obi-Ojinka, stressed the need for the State Government to address the health needs of residents of the area.
Obi-Ojinka, while underscoring the importance of health in any given society, expressed regrets that some residents in the rural communities in the state were allegedly denied access to good health.
“In some health facilities in some rural areas, there may be a medical doctor, but fewer health assistants/workers, while some other areas do not have doctors at all. The situation is indeed worrisome.
“We call on the State Governor to direct the State Ministry of Health to engage in massive recruitment of health workers and ensure that our primary health care centres are equipped with the requisite health care facilities,” he said.
The motion was unanimously adopted by the Youth Parliament when put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Dr George Ohwoekvwo.
Also at Thursday’s plenary, the parliament passed a resolution calling on Okowa to direct the State Ministry of Basic and Primary Education to employ and deploy more teachers to schools in coastal areas.
The resolution followed a motion by the member representing Ndokwa East Constituency, Mr. Princewill Ogbolu.
Moving the motion, Ogbolu said recruiting and deploying of teachers to the areas would help to address the increasing educational gap in the area.
He said that insufficient teachers in most schools in the rural communities was a major challenge in the area.
Ogbolu said that some schools in his community have few pupils because parents were withdrawing their children and wards to the city where there were enough teachers.
The member, representing Bomadi constituency, Miss Besta Ekede, seconded the motion.
She appealed to the parliament to support the motion, saying that most of the schools in the rural communities do not have teachers for core subjects.
The motion was also unanimously adopted by the parliament when put to a voice vote by the speaker.

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.