The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Bayelsa police barrack gets water as CP retires in style

    A retired Police Commissioner in Bayelsa State, Mr. Austin Iwar, cannot be forgotten in a hurry. He left indelible memories in his brief stint as a police boss in the state. For residents of the Police Barrack in Yenagoa, Iwar was God-sent.

    Since its establishment even before the creation of Bayelsa, the police barrack had no potable water. In fact, there was no water at all even for cooking and washing. Police families in the barrack spent a lot of money daily buying water from vendors.

    But recently, they heaved a sigh of relief. Iwar, who retired recently from the force, inaugurated a water project in the barrack. The State Secretary, Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA), Mrs. Pauline Ebenuwa, said the wife of a former Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Janeth Amba, started the project.

    She said the wife of Iwar through her husband ensured the completion of the project. “There was no support from any agency. We only relied on the Commissioner of Police, Austin Iwar, to complete the project”, she said.

    The POWA secretary confessed tags residents of the barracks suffered untold hardship for many years because of lack of water. She said they relied on vendors from the northern part of the country for water.

    She said: “Our people have been suffering because of water. Our chairperson thought about giving them water which is life. That was why she started this project. It has been challenging for men and women in this barrack because of lack of water.

    “Janeth Amba initiated the project. It was completed by Mrs. Iwar. We are grateful for what God has done for us. We have been buying water from vendors. We didn’t have any borehole. It was expensive. We were spending about N500 to N1000 daily on water. But now, water is free”.

    Iwar, who inaugurated the project, described water as very critical to human existence. He commended the leadership of POWA for identifying a problem in the barrack and initiating a solution.

    He said: “Water is very critical to human existence and it is very important that wherever you are if you don’t have water, you have many problems. Granted that there is water everywhere in this state but not all the water everywhere can be useful.

    “This barrack has been existing for a long time even before the creation of the state. The police families living here have suffered over the years getting good drinkable water that can also be used for cooking.

    “So this project was initiated by POWA to support the people that are living in this barrack. From their own little contributions, they were able to raise money to build this project so that their colleagues will benefit from good water.

    “Residents in the barrack should use the water judiciously. They should not waste water. The water should be used properly. We should respect water because it is life”.

    Also the Officer in charge of Works DSP, Ebenuwa John, gave a brief history of the project. He said Mrs. Amba started it, others made their contributions but that Mrs. Vivian Iwar ensured its completion.

    He boasted that the project was executed by the Engineering Department of the Police. “We did it ourselves. It can easily be maintained and it is designed for everybody to have access to it”, he said.

    Also at a brief retirement ceremony in Yenagoa, friends of Iwar gathered to celebrate him. The Governor of Bayelsa State, who was represented by his Deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd), government officials and police officers from across the country sang Iwar’s tributes.

    The officers and men of Bayelsa police command were particularly happy at the professionalism deployed by Iwar in crime-fighting. Iwar started his career in the Nigeria Police as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1984 and bowed out in October 2018 as CP on the attainment of the mandatory retirement age of 60.

    Iwar within the short period he served in Bayelsa created six divisions in Ekeremor and Sagbama local government areas of the state. In Ekeremor, he established Aleibiri, Peretorugbene, Egbemo-Angalabiri and Ogbo-Tobo divisions under the Ekeremor Area Command. In Sagbama, he set up the Toru-Orua Division under the Sagbama Area Command.

    At the retirement ceremony, Iwar expressed mixed feelings about his retirement, thanking God for a successful career after 33 years of service in good health.

    He also said that his experiences in the Police made him realize that Nigerians are peace-loving people, stressing that Nigeria has some of the best police officers in the world. Iwar thanked the state government and the people of Bayelsa State for their cooperation and support during his short duty tour in the state.

    The deputy governor further commended Iwar for his professionalism. He harped on the need for security agencies to partner and work in synergy and share information with one another for the common interest of peace and security of the state.

    He described Iwar as a thoroughbred, committed and dedicated police officer. Jonah  stated that policing in Nigeria was a very risky job. He added that Iwar should therefore thank God for a successful career in the Nigeria Police Force. He wished the retired CP success in his future endeavours and requested him to be an ambassador of the state government, having served in Bayelsa as CP.

    In his tributes to Iwar, the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, in a statement described him as one of the best police officers to have served in the state.

    Iworiso-Markson  said Iwar was an unusual crime fighter, a professional police officer and strict disciplinarian who served diligently in various commands and formations throughout his remarkable career.

    He noted that despite the brief stay of the retiring police boss in the state, he worked so hard to ensure that crime and criminality was drastically reduced. While congratulating him on his successful service to the country, Iworiso-Markson said the government and people of Bayelsa would not forget his disposition to ensuring the safety of the state.

    According to him, Iwar deserves to be honoured for his quintessential role in molding young police officers who see him as a role model and called on the Federal Government to consider him for higher responsibilities. He also wished the former police commissioner well in his future endeavour and prayed God to continue to direct him in the right path.

    Speaking at the event, the new Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ebere Onyeagoro, assured the people that he would be very professional in carrying out his duties. He noted that standards already achieved by his predecessor would not be lowered.

    In their separate goodwill messages, Chief Robert Enogha, Chairman, Eminent Persons Forum; Chief Ernest Samuel, Chairman, Police Community Relations Committee ; Chief Boma Spero Jack, Special Adviser on Security to Governor Dickson and Mr. C. Chiabua, Controller of Prisons, Bayelsa State Command, all congratulated Iwar for his distinguished service to his father land.

  • Sympathisers bring succour to Bayelsa flood victims

    There is no doubt that Bayelsa is heavily hit by flood. Many communities have been submerged. In fact, more than 70 per cent of the state is under water according to the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson.

    Thousands of residents have been displaced and most of them are living in camps erected for internally-displaced persons. Schools have been closed till further notice. The flood water destroyed farmlands, fishing ponds and markets. There is hunger and starvation in the state.

    The government has moved in to ameliorate the situation. But the flood victims are also not alone following the intervention of few spirited individuals and companies to compliment the efforts of the state government. One of the individuals and philanthropist, who had shown love to the flood victims, is Mr. Keniebi Okoko.

    Okoko recently took truckloads of relief materials to the displaced families of Obunagha and other cluster communities in Gbarain in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. He donated several items worth millions of naira to the residents who lost their means of livelihood to severe floods.

    During the event on Saturday, many of the affected families lamented that their homes, farms and livestock had been taken over by the incessant floods. Okoko, who is a pastor and governorship aspirant, told the crowd of displaced persons that his gesture was not politically motivated.

    He said even before he indicated interest in politics, he had made it mandatory to attend to the needs of his people every year.

    The relief materials he gave to the affected victims were 200 bags of rice, 200 bags of noodles, mattresses, pillows, toiletries and other food items. The items were received by the leaders of the affected communities at the Obunagha community town hall.He said: “God has blessed me and there are less-privileged in our communities going through this suffering. So, it is only proper and morally right for me to do this and not about showmanship. Its impact on the lives of the people is what I am interested in.

    “It is wrong to use people’s suffering to score political points. It is wrong for people to use other people’s suffering to win votes. I understand the pains the people are going through. Their property has been destroyed and their means of livelihood affected.

    “I am not here to play politics, but to respond to the suffering of my people. God will punish me if I can help these people and I sit back and watch them lose everything. It is not a one-off thing. This will continue.”

    Speaking for the affected communities, the Paramount Ruler of Gbarain Clan, King Gabriel Akah, described the gesture as unprecedented and commended Okoko for his love for the people affected by the flood.

    “In 2012, what happened was worse than this, but we didn’t receive any help like this. Today, our son has chosen to help us. We thank him for this visionary action,” he said.

    In a similar gesture, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) led by the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Mr. Simbi Wabote, took relief materials worth millions of Naira to some of the camps in the state.

    Wabote conveyed two trucks of mattresses, food items, beddings, disinfectants and sundry items to the camps in Amasomma, Tombia and Igbogene. He appealed to oil firms to assist people displaced by flood in the Niger Delta region.

    Wabote implored oil industry operators, including oil servicing firms, contractors working in the region to come to the aide of thousands of flood victims who, were in need of food, clothing, beddings and toiletries.

    He said that NCDMB was complimenting the efforts of Bayelsa Government in providing the items to flood victims. Wabote noted that natural disasters present a challenge to the society to care for the vulnerable people describing humanitarian gestures as a universal phenomenon,

    He urged the victims to see the disaster as a phase that would pass and challenged them to be strong and optimistic to overcome their situations. Wabote, who handed the items over to leaderships of the camps urged them to ensure that the items were distributed to the victims in dire need.

    He said: “We are concerned about the impact of the ongoing flood on the people and as a socially responsible agency of government we are here to assist with these items, we appeal that the materials be distributed to the people who really need them. The number of people impacted from what we are seeing is so much and we felt the need to compliment the efforts of Bayelsa government”.

    Responding, Bayelsa Commisioner for Environment, Mr.Ebipatei Akpaingolo applauded the NCDMB for responding to the humanitarian challenges caused by the ongoing flood and urged others to emulate the board.

  • Rivers to tackle mental health

    Rivers Deputy Governor Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo has called for collaboration with relevant stakeholders in tackling mental health issues in the state.

    Banigo spoke in Port Harcourt on Wednesday during the 2018 World Mental Health Day celebration organised by the Department of Neuropsychiatry/Mental Health, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.

    Represented by the Director, Administration in the Office of the Deputy Governor, Ben Roberts, Banigo said the rising cases of youth involvement in anti-social activities had become worrisome.

    She said that stakeholders must work together to curb the rising cases as drug abuse, cultism, gangsterism and rape in the society.

    Banigo said the state government had through the Ministries of Youth and that of health put measures in place to address mental issues, especially as it concerned youths.

    October 10 is used annually to commemorate the World Mental Health Day. The theme for this year celebration is “Young people and mental health in a changing world.’’

  • Rivers rural dwellers get skills to participate in budgetary process

    To get community members to participate actively in governance, a civil society group,  Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, held a two-day capacity training workshop on “community needs assessment,  taxation, influencing and participatory budgeting” in Port Harcourt,  the state capital.

    Some of the communities at the seminar  are Khana, Gokana, Eleme, Tai, Ahoada East,  Andoni as well as Ogu/Bolo. Other CSOs were equally in attendance.  The programme was sponsored by Dutch embassy and supported by Oxfam Novib.

    The Executive Director of the group,  Emem Okon, disclosed that other benefitting states are  Enugu, Delta and Cross Rivers.

    She said:  “This is the fourth in the series of the capacity building training on community men and women in Rivers state since September 2016, with over 200 persons benefiting.”

    Represented by Nelly Umoren, Okon said the workshop was  meant to empower and encourage community dwellers to participate actively in government yearly budgets, noting that it was a livelihood, community needs assessment and shadow budgeting enlightenment workshop, whose results cannot be overemphasized.

    “It is expected that the project at the long run would impact on,  empower more women in Nigeria  to participate in decision making processes in the country,  with the view of contributing meaningfully in Marion building and also benefit from better living standards through increased availability of petroleum ssential services.

    “The partway to change has been planned at five various levels- improved government policies,  improved private sector policies, strengthened Civil Society Organisations(CSOs), increased citizens’ voice as well as building wider and stronger alliances,” she noted.

    Ms Okon explained that Kebetkache’s interest borders on inncreasing the voice of  citizens  in the demand for  fairness in taxation polities and implementation,  and budget participation for enhanced transparency and accountability.

    According to her,  the concept of the seminar is to ensure community involvement in the process of budgeting for inclusive community needs in the state’s fiscal year plan.

    “Therefore, Oxfam and her partners by this project are encouraging all of you who are carefully selected for the budget implementation training are expected at the end to among other things,  take action to demand fair taxation practices and/ or take up a state government budget document to identify projects budgeted for your community and monitor and confirm if they have been implementated, this is the kind if participation in governance that promotes accountability,” she urged them.

    Speaking to the Niger Delta Report shortly,  participants lauded the efforts of CSOs in educating and enlightening members of the public especially,  rural women on the need for active participation in governance.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget, Mrs Titilola Kalio,  who represented the commissioner in the ministry,  Isaac Kamalu,  said: “Kebetkache has tried in trying to support the efforts of government in this area, especially by trying to educate the participants on the need and how to prioritize their numerous needs in the face of very meagre funds,  resources, and using it to educate them on how to present their communities need assessment for inclusion in the governments yearly budget,  bearing in mind that as their many personal,  fantastic needs are chasing after small resources in their homes so is the government battling with several state needs with meagre budget, hence the need for need assessment.

    “This is also why the government in harping on the fact that the days of oil boom is over,  the days when government used to run deficit and administration,  when it used to say that the problem is not money,  but what to spend it on,  the oil price fall in the international oil market has made it difficult for a country like Nigeria that is running on just oil money to have all the money they need to spend on just anything, so any project  of the government to communities now must be projects of priority need to the people.”

    She urged women  to take advantage of the various government town hall meetings and others to articulate the pressing needs of their areas at every given time  for inclusion in the state budget for possible implementation.

    Also speaking, a Director in the state Ministry of women affairs,  Dr. Carmelita Abrobere, assured that the issues raised in the workshop were realistic should the women stand up to their responsibilities in the country.

    “All what they have discussed about budgeting,  neutrality,  reduced taxation and doing things rightly are achievable in the country. Often time rural women  approach the ministry to request for one thing or the other,  if this requests come during the budget call letter we include those requests into the ministries budgets for the year,  but if they came after, we have a notebook in my office where we document all requests made to us, it is from the documented record we draw the next budget from,  bringing in the pending need requests first into the budget proposal of the ministry for the particular fiscal year,” she stated.

    One of the community women, Syndia Amadi, expressed gratitude to the group for  the opportunity to know what their rights in budget passage and also  how government yearly budgets were generated and passed for implementation.

     

  • 2019: Bayelsa trains corps members on violent-free elections 

    The Bayelsa State Ministry of Information and Orientation has commenced a two-day specialized training for new members of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) on violent-free elections in 2019.

    The training was designed to cover strategic public engagement, civic enlightenment and new media campaign on the need for voters in the state to elect the right leaders during the election.

    The training also involved modalities of  conveying messages on the effect of violence during elections and the importance of a peaceful electoral process.

    Inaugurating the training in Yenagoa, the Commissioner in the Ministry, Daniel Iworiso-Markson said it became important to raise the level of awareness on the need to elect credible people that would help sustain the legacies of the present administration.

    He explained that Bayelsa could not afford to go through another path of retrogression adding that the people must be wise in their choice of representatives in the state and National Assembly.

    The commissioner further explained that part of the problem that bedevilled the state in the past was the inability of persons elected to work together to bring development because of parochial interest and unnecessary political mudslinging.

    He said: “The conversation on the performance of the Restoration Government and the huge investment it has made in key sectors should be brought to the fore, to remind Bayelsans that all of it will be wasted without having people who share the same vision of the new Bayelsa.

    “Everything needs to be done to avoid a repeat of what characterized the last general elections that claimed several  innocent lives and loss of properties”.

    Iworiso-Markson disclosed that at the end of the training, the corp members would be exposed to basic tools in political communication.

    He said they would be integrated into the ministry’s new media team to enable them unleash what they have been taught via the social media.

    While urging the corp members who are mainly from Batch B Stream 1, to see the training exercise as a great opportunity to enhance their capacity, Iworiso-Markson added that they would find it useful even after their service year.

     

  • Cross River: Group petitions APC over governorship primary

    the election monitoring team of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has petitioned the national leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) over its governorship primary elections in the Cross River State, calling for the cancellation of the entire process.

    The leader of the team, Comrade Kingsley Edet, in a statement made available to The Nation in Calabar yesterday alleged the election did not hold in over 84 wards of the 196 wards  in the state.

    According to the team, the exercise was marked by hijacking of materials as well as display of thuggery across the state.

    “An observer who gave reports from the Central District said he was almost killed when he questioned the disenfrachisement of one of the guber aspirant, Prof. Eyo Etim Nyong.

    “It was also observed that party membership registers were not available for use in almost all voting points.

    “We are calling on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to, as a matter of urgency cancel the exercise. IPAC presented some picture documents of Ward 9, Calabar South as one amongst several others, whereupon a particular candidate who won on vote cast was not announced as winner in the said ward. We pray the NWC to critically look into all the issues the process has raised,” Edet said.

     

  • Safe motherhood takes front seat in Bayelsa 

    Bayelsa State is out to reduce maternal and child mortality. The campaign is powered by the Ministry of Information and Orientation, reports MIKE ODIEGWU

    It has been weeks of grueling campaign to get Bayelsa State out of the woods in the area of maternal and child mortality. The campaign is a state project powered by the Ministry of Information and Orientation.

    For the first time since the creation of Bayelsa, the ministry has experienced a rebirth. No time had the ministry been deployed to deliberately market the activities, policies and programmes of the government as it is happening under the present Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson.

    In fact, workers in the ministry for the first time are busy. They are no longer redundant. They are living their professional dreams following activities created by the commissioner to realise the vision of Dickson’s administration. The town hall meetings on the public sector reforms were part of the activities.

    The meetings, which kept information workers on their toes took place in all the local government areas of the state. At the end it achieved its aim and was adjudged a huge success by stakeholders. The singular initiative doused the tension created by the reform policy and dispelled all rumours associated with it.

    Iworiso-Markson immediately discovered that Dickson was passionate about reducing the maternal and child mortality rates in the state. Having monitored the enthusiasm of his boss, the commissioner launched a statewide advocacy to enlighten and educate the people on all the health programmes and polices rolled out by the governor to force down the mortality rates.

    The aim was to let people know the existence of the interventionist programmes and how they could take advantage of it to stop the menace. Again, directors and other categories of workers in the ministry, which is living up to its bidding as an orientation agency, became the foot soldiers to drive the policy.

    In fact, the advocacy committee on safe motherhood campaign is headed by a director in the ministry, Chris Odi, popularly known for his effective communication skills. Other sub-committees representing each local government area were created and headed by seasoned communication officials. Members of the committee in conjunction with health workers have been on door-to-door, creek-to-creek and street-to-street campaigns for safe motherhood.

    They are visiting communities in far-flung parts of Bayelsa and speaking different dialects to help people shun dangerous birth traditional practices for safer methods of child delivery. They wade through waters to get to fishing settlements and other difficult terrains to spread the message of safe motherhood.

    Women in the communities are excited about the activities of the advocacy committees. Their knowledge has increased. The various committees explained all aspects of maternity, dangers of continuing with superstitions surrounding birth, life-threatening age-long beliefs and traditions as well as ignorance of government’s programmes.

    Child spacing, teenage pregnancy and maternal mortality 

    For instance when the committee visited Adagbabiri in Sagbama, it harped on the need for child-spacing and its relationship with the lives of mothers and newborns.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Maternal and Neonatal Health,  Prof. Rose Ezonbodor-Akwagbe cited the standard of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

    She said WHO’s recommended period of interval between a child birth and another pregnancy should be at least 24 months. According to her sticking to standard would give the mother time to sufficiently recover from the previous child birth.

    She insisted that the 24-month interval would give the mother time to replenish vital nutrients that were lost during the last child birth. She advised that sticking to the duration also agreed with WHO’s recommendation of breastfeeding for at least two years. Ezonbodor-Akwagbe warned that not spacing children would greatly increase the risk of adverse maternal, perinatal, and infant health outcomes.

    “Generally speaking, before women plan to have their next baby, they should consider among other factors, their age, access to health services as well as their economic status,” she said.

    She warned girls against becoming pregnant at a very tender age, saying that according to statistics, the chances of a woman dying during pregnancy are three times higher for teenage mothers than for women in the 20-29 age group.

    According to her, giving birth too early could severely damage a girl’s reproductive and general health, causing such problems as obstructed labour, which sometimes result in bleeding to death, and vesico-vaginal fistula.

    She listed the risks for a baby in situations of teenage pregnancy to include premature birth and low birth weight stressing that waiting until at least the age of 18 years before first pregnancy would help young mothers reduce the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension and associated complications.

    Also, the leader of the Safe Motherhood Sensitisation Sub-committee for Sagbama, Mrs. Ebi Kakandar highlighted the benefits of enrolling in the safe motherhood introduced by Dickson and appealed to them to embrace it.

    132 mothers turn up in Liama community

    When the committee landed at Liama community in Brass, over 132 pregnant women, nursing mothers and Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) came out to embrace the programme. The team also visited Beletieama, Odioama, Ibidi, Dieama and Akabelekiri bringing the number of communities visited in the first phase of the exercise in Brass to nine.

    The Regent of Egwe-ama community in Brass Local Government Area, Chief Timipre Saka Yabi hailed the programme. He said the safe motherhood initiative was a big relief to expectant mothers in Bayelsa State. He said it would save them the stress of struggling to raise money for antenatal care, delivery fee and other incidental expenses.   He also appealed to the state government to sustain the programme in order to achieve the desired result.

    In his remarks, the leader of the Brass Sensitisation Sub-committee, Mr. Tarinyo Akono told the Regent that the purpose of the visit was to intimate him on the safe motherhood initiative put in place by the government adding that the committee also came to sensitize the women in his domain about the programme.

    While sensitizing the women at the community hall, Akono said that government initiated the safe motherhood policy to reduce the rate of infant and maternal death in the state.

    Speaking at Liama Community, the Secretary of the Women group, Mrs. Rachael Bishop expressed delight that the women of the community were being involved in the agenda of government. She said the community had been neglected for too long and thanked Governor Dickson for bringing safe motherhood to them.

    Also when the Safe Motherhood Sensitisation Sub-committee for Ogbia Local Government Area, it told the people in the area that the state government was working hard to reduce the high infant and maternal mortality rate in the state by providing access to decent healthcare.

    The Chairman of the sub-committee, Ogio Ipigansi said to drastically reduce infant and maternal deaths the government initiated the safe motherhood programme to open up access to healthcare, especially for expectant mothers. Ogio advised the women of Elebele to embrace the programme in order to reciprocate government’s good gesture in investing heavily in the initiative.

    The Women Leader of the community, Mrs. Amikpaoni  Markson appealed to the state government to post qualified medical personnel to the health centre and to renovate the health facility.

    At Emeyal 1 community, one of the participants, Mrs. Patience Ojoko appealed to the medical personnel to always be at their duty post to boost the safe motherhood initiative. At Imiringi community, one of the participants, Constance Adumein, called for the establishment of a health center in the community.

    The committee also paid similar visits to Kolo and Otuasega communities where the women expressed delight at the safe motherhood initiative and promised to pass the message to other women who were not present at the sensitisation session.

    Advocacy committee weathers Southern Ijaw storm

    Most communities in Southern Ijaw, the largest local government area in Bayelsa, were visited by the advocacy committee. They passed through rivulets, waterways and creeks to identify the communities and take the message to them. Members of the committee displayed courage as they navigated their way to the communities. They were, however, happy that the people embraced their message.

    For instance at Korokorosei in Southern Ijaw, the Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman, Mr. Francis Jephthah said the community would embrace the safe motherhood initiative, describing it as one of the best things to have happened to women in the state.

    Describing the programme as a laudable initiative, the CDC chairman called on government to introduce more of such programmes that would improve the wellbeing of the masses. He expressed appreciation to the state government for its readiness to cater for the health of both mother and child.

    Responding to the issue of non availability of doctors raised by one of the participants of the safe motherhood session, a member of the Safe Motherhood Sensitisation Sub-committee, Nicodemus Dauebi said doctors would be employed. He said the government commenced a project of building health facilities in all the communities. Included in the project according to him are residential quarters for doctors.

    At Ogboinbiri, the CDC Chairman, Mr. Pere Corporal remarked that the Restoration Government’s strides in the health sector was commendable. He, however, urged  the government to improve on the facilities in the health centres and deploy more workers to the centre.

    The CDC chairman, who is also the Acting Paramount Ruler of the community, Mr Biewari Moses said that access to quality health services was paramount to pregnant women and commended the state government for the programme.

    The sensitisation sub-committee also visited Enewari, Opuama, Polobubou and Ekowe communities, where the leadership of the various towns, in their separate remarks lauded Dickson for introducing the safe motherhood programme and promised that their women would embrace it.

    The Sagbama tour and TBA’s endorsement  

    At Sagbama, the local government area of Dickson, the committee reiterated the government’s commitment to ensure that every pregnant   in the state has access to free and qualitative healthcare.

    The Chairperson, Sagbama Safe Motherhood Sensitisation Sub Committee, Mrs. Ebi Kakandarat spoke at Angalabiri in Sagbama. She explained that the objective of the programme was to ensure that no woman died during pregnancy or childbirth.

    He added that most infant and maternal death could be prevented if women were given adequate medical attention during pregnancy and childbirth. Kakandarat encouraged Angalabiri women to register at the health centre nearest to them in order to benefit from the safe motherhood initiative.

    He enumerated some of the benefits of the policy to include monthly N3,000 incentive throughout the period of pregnancy and up to two months after delivery.

    Other incentives are free delivery pack that contains a pack of baby wipes, baby soap, jelly, baby towel, mucus extractor and umbilical chord gel.  Responding, the Community Development Secretary of Angalabiri, Mr. Anthony Yobogha lauded Dickson for the safe motherhood initiative.

    Also, Caretaker Committee Chairman of Sagbama Local Government Council, Mr. Michael Magbisa endorsed the programme. The Chairman described Dickson as a kind-hearted leader who understands the pains associated with the loss of a loved one. He called on pregnant women in the area to take advantage of the programme by registering for antenatal and attend clinics regularly to ensure healthy pregnancy and safe delivery of healthy babies.

    Magbisa, who was represented by the Vice-Chairman, Mrs. Vivian Ogboro, said Dickson was a pacesetter for approval of N1.2billion to facilitate the immediate take off of the construction of health centres across the 105 wards in the state.

    In his remark, the Amanaowei of Sagbama, King Ojo Magbisa advised pregnant women in the community to register at the designated health centres to benefit from the humanitarian scheme. Magbisa, however, warned against unwanted and teenage pregnancies saying that the scheme was not an avenue for irresponsible behaviour.

    Also speaking, the wife of the council chairman, Mrs. Joy Magbisa enjoined Sagbama women to buy into the safe motherhood initiative.

    At the Oruamabiri community in Nembe, a  traditional birth attendant, Mrs” Bogomote Otuma threw her weight behind the safe motherhood initiative. The endorsement was a big surprise especially knowing that the scheme would take away her customers and that of her colleagues.

    But Mrs. Otuma, who doubles as the woman leader of the community said the programme was a welcome development and thanked the state government for it.

    She advised all pregnant women to buy into the safe motherhood initiative and go for antenatal care at any health center nearest to them so as to benefit from the government initiative.

    Another participant, Mrs. Regina Scent commended government for bringing this initiative to the grassroot. She stated that the programme would reduce the infant and maternal mortality rate in the community.

    She called on pregnant women to embrace the initiative just as she urged government to expedite action in the building of the 105 health centres across the state, pointing out that it will enhance the wellbeing of the citizenry.

    Monarchs’ commendations 

    Traditional rulers in Bayelsa have continued to heap praises on Dickson for the safe motherhood initiative. They also commended efforts of the sensitization team to sell the policy. At each community visited by various sub-committees, the traditional rulers expressed excitement that such programme was initiated by the government.

    For example, the Traditional Ruler of Liama community, Chief Osene Osene described the safe motherhood initiative as the “morning dew”. He said that it would be beneficial to the women of the state.

    He assured the members of the advocacy team that the women of Elebele in Ogbia would be effectively mobilised for the sensitisation exercise. He said the least his community could do to appreciate Dickson for the initiative was to wholly embrace and support the safe motherhood programme.

    Also the Paramount Ruler of Anyama Ijaw Town in Southern Ijaw, Anyan (V) of Ayama Ijaw, Chief Amen Sariki, described the ongoing sensitization as a welcome development.

    Sariki, who played host to the sensitization sub- committee led by Nicodemus Dauebi, commended the state government for the awareness campaign, saying it would help to check cases of infant and maternal mortality.

    He assured the sensitisation team that women in the community would turn out in their numbers to embrace the programme. The Paramount Ruler directed the Compound Chiefs to pass the message to their compounds.

    He said most communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area were in a dire need of health centers to prevent and tackle emergencies during pregnancy. He added that the programme was timely, considering that two women in the community were rushed to Yenagoa recently due to complications arising from childbirth.

    At Otuan community, the Paramount Ruler, Chief Edward Tokpo expressed joy and appreciation to the state government for the programme. At Amassoma community, the Southern Ijaw team was received by the Amananaowei, Chief Graham Naingba, who thanked the team for its tireless efforts in propagating the message of good health for both mother and child.

    He pledged the readiness of the community to key into the programme and expressed optimism that it would be a huge success. Receiving the team at Obogoro, in Yenagoa, the Monarch of Atissa Kingdom, King Godwin Igodo urged members of the team to spread the good news to all the nooks and crannies of Obogoro and the Atissa Kingdom as a whole.

    He urged all expectant mothers in the area to embrace the initiative in order to reduce infant and maternal mortality in the state. He  encouraged the women to embrace the programme and called on government to build healthcare facility in the community to aleviate the plight of women there.

    Also, the Paramount Ruler of Sampou Community in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, Chief F. C. O. Usikoromugha applauded the safe motherhood programme of the state government, describing it as a deliberate policy to save pregnant women and newborns from preventable deaths.

    While playing host to the KOLGA sub-committee on the sensitization in his palace, the paramount ruler stated that the programme would greatly encourage pregnant women to patronise government health facilities to access quality health services.

    On his part, the Ibedaowei of Kolokuma clan, His Royal Majesty Agara Onya Mozi (Kala Okun III) wondered why Governor Dickson has so much passion for health related issues, even as a lawyer.

    He said the governor has brought smiles to the faces of pregnant women with the safe motherhood initiative and thanked him for making Bayelsa a destination for medical tourism.

  • Dickson advises CP 

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has urged the new Commissioner Police in the state, Mr. Ebere Onyeagoro, to be professional in managing  political pressures, especially with regard to unlawful orders.

    Dickson, who was represented by his Deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd.), spoke in a retirement dinner in honour of retired CP Austin Iwar at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Yenagoa.

    Iwar, who was replaced by Onyeagoro retired from the Nigeria Police Force after 33 years of service.

    Dickson harped on the need for security agencies to partner and work in synergy and share information with one another for the common interest of peace and security of the state.

    He described Iwar as a thoroughbred, committed and dedicated police officer.  Speaking in his personal capacity, Jonah further stated that policing in Nigeria was a very risky job.

    He added that Iwar should therefore thank God for a successful career in the Nigeria Police Force.

    He wished the retired CP success in his future endeavours and  requested him to be an ambassador of the state government, having served in Bayelsa as CP.

    In his remarks, Iwar expressed mixed feelings about his retirement, thanking God for a successful career after 33 years of service in good health.

    He also said  that his experiences in the Police made him realize that Nigerians are peace-loving people, stressing that Nigeria has some of the best police officers in the world.

    Iwar thanked the state government and the people of Bayelsa State for their cooperation and support during his short duty tour in the state.

    Speaking, the new Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ebere Onyeagoro, assured the people that he would be very professional in carrying out his duties.   He noted that standards already achieved by his predecessor would not be lowered.

    Chairman, Eminent Persons Forum Chief Robert Enogha,   Police Community Relations Committee Chairman Chief Ernest Samuel,  Special Adviser on Security to Governor Dickson Chief Boma Spero Jack and the Controller of Prisons, Bayelsa State Command, Mr. C. Chiabua,  congratulated Iwar for his distinguished service to his father land.

    Iwar started his career in the Nigeria Police as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police in 1984 and bowed out in October 2018 as CP on the attainment of the mandatory retirement age of 60.

  • Rivers rural dwellers get skills to participate in budgetary process

    To get community members to participate actively in governance, a civil society group, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, held a two-day capacity training workshop on “community needs assessment,  taxation, influencing and participatory budgeting” in Port Harcourt,  the state capital.

    Some of the communities at the seminar  are Khana, Gokana, Eleme, Tai, Ahoada East,  Andoni as well as Ogu/Bolo. Other CSOs were equally in attendance.  The programme was sponsored by Dutch embassy and supported by Oxfam Novib.

    The Executive Director of the group,  Emem Okon, disclosed that other benefitting states are  Enugu, Delta and Cross Rivers.

    She said:  “This is the fourth in the series of the capacity building training on community men and women in Rivers state since September 2016, with over 200 persons benefiting.”

    Represented by Nelly Umoren, Okon said the workshop was  meant to empower and encourage community dwellers to participate actively in government yearly budgets, noting that it was a livelihood, community needs assessment and shadow budgeting enlightenment workshop, whose results cannot be overemphasized.

    “It is expected that the project at the long run would impact on,  empower more women in Nigeria  to participate in decision making processes in the country,  with the view of contributing meaningfully in Marion building and also benefit from better living standards through increased availability of petroleum ssential services.

    “The partway to change has been planned at five various levels- improved government policies,  improved private sector policies, strengthened Civil Society Organisations(CSOs), increased citizens’ voice as well as building wider and stronger alliances,” she noted.

    Ms Okon explained that Kebetkache’s interest borders on inncreasing the voice of  citizens  in the demand for  fairness in taxation polities and implementation,  and budget participation for enhanced transparency and accountability.

    According to her,  the concept of the seminar is to ensure community involvement in the process of budgeting for inclusive community needs in the state’s fiscal year plan.

    “Therefore, Oxfam and her partners by this project are encouraging all of you who are carefully selected for the budget implementation training are expected at the end to among other things,  take action to demand fair taxation practices and/ or take up a state government budget document to identify projects budgeted for your community and monitor and confirm if they have been implementated, this is the kind if participation in governance that promotes accountability,” she urged them.

    Speaking to the Niger Delta Report shortly,  participants lauded the efforts of CSOs in educating and enlightening members of the public especially,  rural women on the need for active participation in governance.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget, Mrs Titilola Kalio,  who represented the commissioner in the ministry,  Isaac Kamalu,  said: “Kebetkache has tried in trying to support the efforts of government in this area, especially by trying to educate the participants on the need and how to prioritize their numerous needs in the face of very meagre funds,  resources, and using it to educate them on how to present their communities need assessment for inclusion in the governments yearly budget,  bearing in mind that as their many personal,  fantastic needs are chasing after small resources in their homes so is the government battling with several state needs with meagre budget, hence the need for need assessment.

    “This is also why the government in harping on the fact that the days of oil boom is over,  the days when government used to run deficit and administration,  when it used to say that the problem is not money,  but what to spend it on,  the oil price fall in the international oil market has made it difficult for a country like Nigeria that is running on just oil money to have all the money they need to spend on just anything, so any project  of the government to communities now must be projects of priority need to the people.”

    She urged women  to take advantage of the various government town hall meetings and others to articulate the pressing needs of their areas at every given time  for inclusion in the state budget for possible implementation.

    Also speaking, a Director in the state Ministry of women affairs,  Dr. Carmelita Abrobere, assured that the issues raised in the workshop were realistic should the women stand up to their responsibilities in the country.

    “All what they have discussed about budgeting,  neutrality,  reduced taxation and doing things rightly are achievable in the country. Often time rural women  approach the ministry to request for one thing or the other,  if this requests come during the budget call letter we include those requests into the ministries budgets for the year,  but if they came after, we have a notebook in my office where we document all requests made to us, it is from the documented record we draw the next budget from,  bringing in the pending need requests first into the budget proposal of the ministry for the particular fiscal year,” she stated.

    One of the community women, Syndia Amadi, expressed gratitude to the group for  the opportunity to know what their rights in budget passage and also  how government yearly budgets were generated and passed for implementation.

  • Rivers to tackle mental health

    Rivers Deputy Governor Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo has called for collaboration with relevant stakeholders in tackling mental health issues in the state.

    Banigo spoke in Port Harcourt on Wednesday during the 2018 World Mental Health Day celebration organised by the Department of Neuropsychiatry/Mental Health, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.

    Represented by the Director, Administration in the Office of the Deputy Governor, Ben Roberts, Banigo said the rising cases of youth involvement in anti-social activities had become worrisome.

    She said that stakeholders must work together to curb the rising cases as drug abuse, cultism, gangsterism and rape in the society.

    Banigo said the state government had through the Ministries of Youth and that of health put measures in place to address mental issues, especially as it concerned youths.

    October 10 is used annually to commemorate the World Mental Health Day. The theme for this year celebration is “Young people and mental health in a changing world.’’