Rivers
NGO Moves To Resuscitate Health Centre
Seven years after operations came to abrupt end at Luawii Primary Health Centre in Khana Local Government Area, due to community crisis, a Non-Governmental Organisation,(NGO) under the aegis of the Association of Civil Society Organisations on Malaria, Immunisation and Nutrition (ACOMIN) is collaborating with other stakeholders to ensure that services resume in the healthcare centre soon.
At a meeting organised by the NGO in the community recently, the State Chairman of ACOMIN, John Ihua Maduenyi, emphasised the need for the community people to see the health facility as their own and do everything possible to protect it and access its services for their own benefits.
Our correspondent who covered the event reports that traditional rulers, youths, women, religious organisations, the National Union of Road Transport (NURTW), and health workers, were represented at the stakeholders meeting.
According to Maduenyi, “Luawii has been a peculiar health facility in the community. There was crisis in the community and everybody ran away, workers in the facility were withdrawn and the place was locked up.
“Years after the crisis was resolved, they tried to access the facility but it was still under lock until our CBOs were sent to the area.
“They got there and continued advocacy visit with the community people. They were able to identify the cause for the lockdown of the health facility.
“Though due consultations were made to make sure that the facility was opened and cleaned, the issue of health workers was still outstanding”, he said.
Maduenyi noted that during further advocacy visits to the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) in the Local Government Area, he promised to send health workers back to the facility but needed assurances that there would be sustained peace, protection of the workers and preparedness of the people to access services in the health center.
“All these were done and there was agreement that the people would attend the facility. The surrounding that was bushy and unkempt was cleaned. We expect that very soon work will commence fully in the community,” he said.
Acting Paramount Ruler of the Community, Chief Cook Nwiepih, commended the NGO for its efforts towards ensuring that the facility comes back to life and assured that the people would be further mobilized to see that they enjoy services of the facility again.
At Beeri Primary Health Care Center, which the body inspected at the end of the meeting at Luawii, the NGO expressed satisfaction with the state of things in the area.
The State chairman, TB Network for Rivers State, Messiah Fynface Musan, said, “it was remarkable what the CBOs on ground achieved. Youths in the community were mobilized to clear the premises, pulled out a big tree that fell on a structure in the premises, and provide good security.”
Muzan advised the people of any community with such health facility provided to them by the government to see it as their own and protect it instead of letting it rot away.
Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), through its Directorate of Research and Development, has trained lecturers and Postgraduate Students on scholarly writing and research commercialisation.
The three-day Training Workshop, themed, “Research Commercialisation and Digital Project Supervision”, which kicked-off on October 13, 2026, provided an opportunity to strengthen lecturers’ research capacity, in addition to embracing innovative approaches to academic practice, according to a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Dr. Ngozi Okiridu, which quoted the Director of Research and Development, Professor Nduka Wonu.
The Director noted that the discussions focused on supporting students and lecturers to improve academic writing and publication through effective mentorship and the development of publication-ready research teams.
It also focused on supervising research projects smarter with digital systems by leveraging digital dashboards, cloud collaboration and project tracking tools to improve supervision and feedback.
According to the Director, the discussions further “focused on setting standards for the responsible and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence among academics to promote academic integrity and guide the appropriate use of emerging technologies.
“Finally, on writing concept notes and grant proposals, identifying funding opportunities and building partnerships to strengthen research funding, collaboration, commercialisation and societal impact.”
These focus areas, he said, are essential for improving research productivity, strengthening institutional capacity and enhancing the University’s research profile.
Professor Wonu encouraged all to participate actively, share experiences and apply the knowledge gained in teaching, supervision and research activities.
While declaring the workshop open, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of IAUE, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, praised the Directorate for the training programme, which he emphasised is very important for research ethics and the growth of academic staff.
He encouraged staff to take advantage of research grants, to partner and collaborate with others, and to go into consultancy as a way of earning additional income and improving society.
He also encouraged those in Environmental Science and Oil and Gas related fields to involve industries in their research or work in conjunction with industries for exposure to modern research techniques.
Also speaking, the Local Organising Committee Chairperson, Dr. Anne Chidinma Williams, said the workshop explored practical ways to improve academic writing, develop grant concept notes and proposals, increase the visibility of publications, use Artificial Intelligence responsibly and strengthen digital research supervision.
She encouraged participants to turn knowledge into solutions that benefit the University and society.
Sogbeba Dokubo
The Rivers State Police Command has rescued a 24-year-old woman who was abducted on her arrival in Port Harcourt to meet a friend she met online.
The police also arrested five suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate accused of luring victims through online dating platforms.
Confirming the arrests, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Blessing Agabe, said the suspects had allegedly confessed to their involvement in the crime during interrogation.
The victim, identified as Chinyere, reportedly travelled from Delta State to Port Harcourt on October 3, 2026, to visit the acquaintance, but was allegedly kidnapped along Igwuruta-Etche Road in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident was reported to the police on October 4, 2026, at about 9 a.m., prompting the Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, to direct operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, Diobu, to investigate the case and secure the victim’s release.
The police operatives subsequently rescued the woman and arrested five suspects allegedly linked to the kidnapping syndicate.
The suspects were identified as Gift Okeregwu, 23, from Okehi Community in Etche Local Government Area; Okeregwu Onyekachi, 27, also from Okehi; Bright Augustine, 27, from Akukabu Community in Etche; Chijoke Nwalozie, 35, from Akukabu; and Obinachi Rita, 26, the only female suspect.
The suspects were reportedly arrested at different locations following intelligence gathering and investigations into the circumstances surrounding the victim’s abduction.
She said information obtained from the suspects had also provided investigators with leads regarding other kidnapping incidents reported around the Igwuruta and Etche axis.
According to the police spokesperson, the suspects allegedly admitted using online dating platforms to establish contact with prospective victims from within and outside Port Harcourt before luring them into physical meetings and abducting them.
The development has raised concerns over the potential misuse of online dating platforms by criminal elements to identify, deceive and target unsuspecting individuals.
The Command advised members of the public to exercise caution when engaging with strangers online, particularly those who request physical meetings without sufficient verification of their identities.
It further urged residents to inform trusted persons of their movements when meeting people encountered online and to choose public locations for initial meetings as a precaution against possible criminal attacks.
The police reiterated their commitment to combating kidnapping and other violent crimes in Rivers State, urging members of the public to provide credible information that could assist security agencies in identifying and apprehending criminal suspects.
King Onunwor
The Rivers State Association of The Deaf has called on the State Government to strengthen the implementation of disability rights laws, and construct more schools for deaf children in the state.
It also called for the expansion of employment and empowerment opportunities for persons with hearing impairments in the state.
The association made the call recently at the 2026 Deaf Awareness Week held at the Women Development and Skills Acquisition Centre, Eastern Bypass, Port Harcourt,
The week has as its theme, “Declaring Deaf People’s Human Rights: Advancing Deaf People’s Human Rights in Rivers State.”
The programme, organised by the Rivers State Association of the Deaf (RSAD), was aimed at raising awareness about the rights, welfare and challenges of deaf persons and promoting theirinclusion in governance, education, healthcare, employment and other aspects of society.
The South-South Zonal Coordinator of the Nigerian Association of the Deaf, Henry Obotu, said one of the major challenges confronting deaf persons in Rivers State was their exclusion from government activities and inadequate access to public information because of communication barriers.
Obotu called for the effective implementation of disability rights legislation, stressing that deaf persons should enjoy equal opportunities and participate fully in public life.in public life.
He noted that government announcements and other important information were often disseminated without sign language interpretations, thereby making it difficult for deaf persons to understand issues affecting them.
Obotu urged media organisations to incorporate captions and subtitles into their broadcasts and public information materials to ensure that members of the deaf community were not left behind.
According to him, the establishment of specialized schools and learning centres for deaf persons, their educational and communication needs required appropriate attention and support.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Rivers State Association of theDeaf, Comrade So-oriari T. Beneth, called for greater government support for the deaf community, including skills acquisition programmes, employment opportunities and improved educational facilities.
Beneth expressed appreciation to the state government for its support for the association, but stressed the need for sustained commitment to the welfare and empowerment of deaf persons.
He identified education, economic empowerment and accessibility as key areas requiring government intervention, and urged authorities to provide adequate resources for schools serving deaf students and expand vocational training and employment opportunities.
According to him, investing in the deaf community would enable its members to become self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to the development of Rivers State.
Godslove Justice, Sunday Naomi &Christopher Kelechi
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