Our Reporter

BAYELSA State Governor Douye Diri has directed the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to repair the collapsed portion of the bridge on the Edepie-Otuasega-Imiringi road in Ogbia Local Government.

The governor, who gave the directive at the weekend during an inspection of the failed portion, said he asked the ministry to carry out remedial work on the federal road project, as its users were Bayelsans who suffered the effect of the damage.

The road, which links three local governments, was cut off by erosion last Wednesday, leaving commuters stranded on both sides.

The governor’s spokesman, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted him in a statement as saying that his administration would not fold its arms and watch Bayelsans suffer as a result of the collapsed bridge.

He said the level of damage indicated that thorough work was not done by the contractor and the engineers that supervised the construction.

“Recently, the Federal Government told states not to repair their roads. But this road links three local governments and the primary users are Bayelsans. So, while we know it is a federal road, we had to take immediate action.

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“To ameliorate the suffering of our people, the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure mobilised down here to ensure that remedial work is done to allow our people move.

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“It is, however, unfortunate that the job that was done appears not to be a very concrete one. I’m sure if the engineers come here, they will know where the problem lies,” the governor said.

Responding to questions from reporters, Senator Diri said with the pace of work, the failed portion would be fixed in about one week.

He was accompanied by Speaker of the House of Assembly Abraham Ingobere, another legislator, Tonye Isenah, the Chief of Staff, Government House,  Chief Benson Agadaga as well as the Commissioner for Special Duties (Bayelsa East), Preye Broderick and her Communication, Science and Technology counterpart, Dr. Promise Ekio, alongside other top government functionaries.

 Okungbowa Aiwerie, Asaba

NO fewer than 15 people have died following the outbreak of haemorrhagic fever at Ute Okpu and Idumesa communities in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, the Delta State Government has said.

It said outcome of the samples collected by the Ministry of Health officers would give an indication of the disease and determine the next line of action.

Health Commissioner Dr. Mordi Ononye, who spoke on Sunday at Ute Okpu in Ika North-East Local Government, said the state government had constituted a team to unravel the mysterious disease that had claimed 15 persons from 18 to 25 years in the past two weeks.

He said: “Delta State Government has received information about seemingly mysterious deaths at Ute Okpu and Idumesa communities of Ika North East Local Government, which prompted Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to direct the Ministry of Health to investigate these deaths, identify the  cause/causes and effect containment measures.”

Ononye said a directive has been given by Governor Okowa to upgrade the Comprehensive Health Centre in Ute-Okpu to a full-fledged hospital, and called on members of the community and residents of the state to observe good hygiene, as the dry season approaches, by covering their food, cutting grasses around their surroundings, eliminating rats in their houses and observing the COVID-19 safety guidelines by washing their hands with soap and running water.

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But Dr. Richard Ikwuogu, the state epidemiologist, said his office sent officers to the community immediately the information reached the Ministry of Health, adding that the active case search that began the previous day continues.

He said his team had visited the families of the affected persons in the community, collected their samples and interviewed them.

Ikwogu said although a suspicion of viral haemorrhagic fever, or substance abuse, the outcome of the test on collected samples would give clear information on the disease and that would determine the next line of action.

Our Reporter

THE lawmaker representing Enugu North, Senator Chukwuka Utazi and the monarch of Nkpologu community, Igwe Simeon Idu, have thanked Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for his special attention in Uzo-Uwani Local Government through landmark development projects.

Speaking when Senator Utazi received Governor Ugwuanyi at his country home at Nkpologu, Igwe Idu thanked the governor for the ongoing massive work on the long-neglected 39km Umulokpa-Adaba-Ukpata-Uvuru-Nkpologu road, which links communities of Uzo-Uwani Council to their headquarters at Umulokpa.

The monarch, who expressed the joy of the people of the community to the governor, disclosed that “before now, we have not gone to our headquarters in Umulokpa without passing through four local governments of Nsukka, Igbo-Etiti, Udi and Ezeagu.”

He said because of governor’s special love for the people of Uzo-Uwani, “the building of the road (Umulokpa-Adaba-Ukpata-Uvuru-Nkpologu) is ongoing and has reached advanced stage” courtesy of the state government, in collaboration with Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP II).

Igwe Idu also thanked Governor Ugwuanyi for asphalting of the 26.665km Ukpabi-Nimbo-Ugbene Ajima-Eziani road as well as the Edem Ani-Urobo-Abbi road (earthwork).

While maintaining that no past government has channelled infrastructural development to the rural communities as the current administration has done, the royal rather appreciated the governor for choosing Uzo-Uwani as one of the seven benefiting local governments where Type-3 primary health care centres are being constructed.

He also hailed the governor for siting the all-important health facility in Nkpologu.

He assured the governor of the unalloyed support and solidarity of the people of Uzo-Uwani Local Government and applauded his visit to the community.

Receiving Governor  Ugwuanyi in his country home, Ama-Ezikeani, Senator Utazi endorsed the speech by his traditional ruler, stressing that the governor’s achievements in infrastructural development in Uzo-Uwani Local Government are unprecedented and commendable.

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The lawmaker said Ugwuanyi’s administration has executed “the longest earth road in Enugu State” in the council area and reassured him that they will not take such considerations for granted.

Dignitaries at the event included the former Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Chief Okechukwu Itanyi; the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Augustine Nnamani; the member representing Enugu East/Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency, Prince Cornelius Nnaji; the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo; the former state Chairman of PDP, Chief Vita Abba; former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Okey Ezea; members of the House of Assembly, EXCO and council chairmen from Enugu North Senatorial District, among others.

By Bisi Olaniyi, Southsouth Bureau Chief

Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, is preparing for his November 12 inauguration, while assuring that human capital development will dominate his second term.

He noted that the inauguration, along with that of his deputy, Philip Shaibu, would hold alongside the annual Alaghodaro Summit.

Obaseki, yesterday in a press statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy, Crusoe Osagie, noted that the inauguration was fused with the yearly Alaghodaro Summit to showcase the “numerous” achievements, reforms and initiatives of his administration and engage with key stakeholders in assessing progress made in the governor’s first term in office.

He reassured that his government would in the second term continue on the economic trajectory of fiscal discipline and prudence, prioritisation of human capital projects and driving impactful social welfare programmes.

Edo governor noted that the Alaghodaro Summit, in its fourth edition, was anchored on his “Making Edo Great Again” manifesto, thereby focusing on the government’s delivery on promises in education, healthcare and job creation, among others.

He said: “Plans are in top gear for the inauguration. Benin City has become a beehive of activities. The Alaghodaro Summit, which showcases reforms, policies and programmes implemented by the administration, aims at opening up the space for private investment, inclusive economic growth and improvement of the people’s livelihood.”

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Obaseki also stated that giving priority to human capital development in his second term was part of efforts to place Edo state on a sustainable path of development and economic prosperity.

He said: “In the next four years, we will consolidate on the achievements recorded in basic education, as more teachers are being recruited to teach in rural and remote communities, under the Edo Supporting Teachers to Achieve Results (Edo STAR) teaching fellowship programme across the state’s three senatorial districts.”