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Dame Amaechi, UNICEF Hold Ebola Sensitilsation Campaign
A Non-Government Organization, Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI) founded by the wife of the Governor of Rivers State, Dame Judith Amaechi, in collaboration with United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday held a sensitization forum on dreaded Ebola virus ahead of the September 22, 2014 school resumption date across the country.
The NGO, who also collaborated with the Rivers State Ministry of Health drew participants from teachers for selected nursery and primary schools and women leaders in the 23 council areas of the state.
In her address, founder of the NGO and wife of the governor, Dame Judith Amaechi, said it was necessary to sensitize the teachers and mothers on Ebola virus ahead of schools’ resumption due to the peculiar nature of the children.
”Our growing concern is on the safety of our children whenever they return to school. This growing concern to mothers and parents has become very worrisome, especially on how to keep the children safe from the virus”, she said.
Mrs. Amaechi, who was represented by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Leader, Caroline Nagbo, said it would be disastrous to families if children contract the virus.
She enjoined women to redouble their effort in sanitizing their environment as a surest measure of preventing the disease.
“I initiated a door-to-door campaign on environmental sanitation. The objective was to inculcate and imbibe a culture of cleanliness, good hygiene and healthy living to prevent outbreak of the dreaded disease at home”, she noted.
She warned against stigmatization against suspects of the virus, adding that suspects may evade medical examination if they are ignored by the society.
Chief of Field Office, Enugu, UNICEF, Charles Izuku said it was necessary to handle children’s safety as top priority in an effort to check the Ebola virus due to their vulnerability and susceptibility to the infection, and pledged UNICEF’s determination to partner the body in effort to stamp out Ebola.
On his part, Dr Yahaya Disu of Ebola Prevention and Control Centre said the virus has been curtailed in the state, and added that the centre has consulted with general hospitals in the state to resume treatment of all patients irrespective of the illness,
Disu, who joined in the call against stigmatization, said it would become a barrier against the fight on the virus, if not properly handled.
In his presentation, an occupational health nurse, Mr. Alozie Enyinnaya, called for caution as the virus has the capacity to hide in the semen of affected persons even after treatment.
The state health education officer, Dr. Doris Nria, stated that the Rivers State Government has provided the health workers and medical personnel all logistics needed to combat the virus, and dismissed rumours that doctors in the state are ignoring to treat patients for fear of Ebola infection.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.