The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • Pharmacists urge action against quacks, fake drugs

    Pharmacists urge action against quacks, fake drugs

    The ‘Pharmacy Week’ organised by the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Rivers State branch ended its Pharmacy week with a call to place the issue of pharmaceutical care of Nigerians in the front burner of national policy in order for patients to get the best.

    The programme which has as its theme“Better Health Care Outcome through Pharmaceutical Care” gave pharmacists and other health workers the opportunity to know how to achieve better health outcomes.

    The weeklong event started with a thanksgiving service at St. Paul African Church, Port Harcourt. There was also a walk against Ebola from Rumuokuta to Ada-George, during which hand sanitisers were freely distributed to people.

    The pharmacists also visited Aboloma axis of Port Harcourt to give free drugs to the residence after screening them for HIV/AIDS, diabetes, high blood pressure and other ailments.

    At the opening ceremony, which took place at Hotel Presidential, the chairman of the occasion, His Royal Majesty, King Alfred Diette Spiff, the former governor of old Rivers State, thanked the society for its contribution to humanity and urged them to continue to play an important role in the administration and development of the health sector.

    The chairman of Rivers chapter of PSN, Chukunda Godson, said the greatest challenge confronting genuine pharmacy practice is the menace of quack pharmacists. He said the organisation cannot fight the issue of quacks alone but pharmacists have to be particularly knowledgeable enough to be able to identify and isolate nonprofessionals in their midst.

    “These people are agent of destruction, they are evil and they want to take over the society that is the more reason why everybody must be involve in the fight against quacks.

    “The major stakeholder in the health sector, pharmacists in community practice, hospitals, academia, industry, administration and other areas of the Nigerian economy, are continuously involved in the delivery of quality service in line with the ethics of the profession.

    “Our professional and social responsibilities remain sacrosanct in the numerous activities we engage in including safe drug use campaigns, education and enlightenment programmes on the prevention and management of diseases (HIV/AIDS and Ebola inclusive) and free health outreach missions to rural communities.

    While commending Governor Rotimi Amaechi for donating a bus to PSN, a gesture, which, he said, ameliorated their transport challenges, he noted the state remains the only state in the federation whose task force on fake and counterfeit products and illegal premises still operated with hired buses, adding: “This situation does not speak well for us. Our people are at risk of these fake and counterfeit products if the task force is not sufficiently mobilised for effectiveness and efficiency.”

    He also highlighted the hindrances preventing the organisation from reaching out to more communities during Pharmacy Week, saying: “The human and material demands of these programmes are usually enormous. The major constraints in our desire to reach out to more communities and towns in the state have been finance and logistics.”

     

  • Sagbama, Ekeremor defy rain, forego churches for Jonathan, Dickson

    The rain initially drizzled. Eventually, it got to a torrential level pounding roofs and drenching whatever and whoever stood in its way. Most people in Sagbama, the local government area of Governor Seriake Dickson in Bayelsa State ran helter-skelter scrambling for shelter.

    But many others were not afraid of the rain. They trudged along the streets and roads that criss-crossed the ancient city in search of the venue for the grand endorsement rally organised on Sunday by the Bayelsa West Senatorial District.

    The district comprising Ekeremor and Sagbama local government areas  organised what it called the mother of all rallies  to drum support for President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and Governor Seriake Dickson in 2016.

    The party faithful apparently forego their churches and other worship centres to be counted among persons who gathered at the Sagbama Council Park for the event.

    Perhaps viewing the inclement weather as a shower of blessing, the political juggernauts, women of influence, youth leaders and masses from the district trooped to the event centre to take a stand for Jonathan and Dickson.

    They danced in the rains. Women dressed in Ijaw wrappers and blouses with headgears to match and different colours of beads hanging round their necks and festooned to their wrists danced in excitement.

    The district boasts of many political heavyweights and opinion leaders. Many of them were on parade that day. The Chairman, Ekeremor LGA Restoration Caucus, Chief Thompson Okorotie took the centre stage as one of the brains behind the ceremony.

    The former Acting Governor in the state and member of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Nestor Binabo; Governor’s Special Representatives, Sagbama, Mr. Collins Cocodia; his counterpart from Ekeremor, Mr. Pius Jonah and the pioneer state Chairman, PDP, Sir. Charles Dorgu, who is also the Chairman of Sagbama LGA Restoration Caucus, were in attendance.

    A member representing Sagbama/ Ekeremor Federal Constituency, Dr. Stella Dorgu who replaced Governor Seriake Dickson in the House of Representatives after his election as governor of the state in 2012 was also there. The chairmen of Ekeremor and Sagbama local government areas, Mr. Billy Tobiyei and Mr. Willy Oyadongha, we’re also present.

    It was, indeed, a gathering of who-is-who in the senatorial district as the list was endless. The youths swarm like bees around the venue as they held many placards declaring support for their candidates.

    Okorotie who is also the Chairman, Organising Committee, Bayelsa West Senatorial District Grand Rally, went spiritual in his address. He said leaders are chosen by God and that the people are divine vessels for the actualisation of God’s will.

    “The choice of President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Seriake Dickson are products of God and we are the divine vessels for His purpose.

    “During the campaign for the first term of our son, father and leader, we told Nigerians that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan whom we are presenting to Nigeria is a good product”, he said.

    He said Jonathan’s achievements in governance bore eloquent testimony to he veracity of that statement. He said that President Jonathan had recorded landmark achievements in different sectors of the economy especially in agriculture, education, road infrastructure, investment promotion, railway transportation and power.

    He claimed that Jonathan surpassed the achievements of past presidents in all the areas he mentioned.  He gave Jonathan kudos in his war against insurgency.

    Speaking about Governor Dickson, he said the governor was a special gift to the state just as he described him as a man of uncommon courage and a restoration giant.

    He said: “A man who came on board on February 14, 2011 with a development storm that has been persistent, robust and vigorous. In only two and a half years, our son father and leader has achieved much more than has been done by any previous administrations in the state”.

    He commended the people of the district for their political sagacity and vibrancy saying they have always shown such qualities right from their days in the old Rivers State. He said their consistent support to other parts of the state was rewarded by the emergence of Dickson as the governor.

    So, the speeches rang on. The Commissioner for Education, Mr. Salo Adikumo, mounted the podium. He said Jonathan and Dickson had performed and deserved a second chance. For instance, he said Dickson had shown strength of character in education and infrastructural revolution.

    The former Deputy Governor, Mr. Peremobowei Ebebi; the Paramount Ruler of Ebedebiri Federated Communities, King Anderson Esemokumo and many other speakers took turns to mobilise support for Jonathan and Dickson.

    The highpoint of the ceremony was when Okorotie and some leaders mounted the podium and moved a motion endorsing Jonathan and Dickson for a second term. The motion was unanimously supported by everybody in attendance.

  • Drama as Ozolua fed 5,000 families in Edo

    Drama as Ozolua fed 5,000 families in Edo

    It was a purely charity event. But, since many are used to potential public office seekers engaging in empowerment programme, it was almost mistaken as having political undertone.

    Princess Modupe Ozolua, through Body Enhancement Foundation, just chose to touch the lives of the ordinary folks in Owan Local Government of Edo State.  September 25 was the day. The event witnessed a lot of drama which Ozolua never envisaged, but gave her a better understanding of the poverty level in the area.

    Prior to the foundation’s arrival for the distribution ceremony, some mischievous people had tried to hijack the programme by announcing to the villagers that a political party was donating the items.

    During her speech at the programme in Sabongidda-Ora, Ozolua said she is not a politician, does not belong to any political party and is not interested in running for any political office. She was also clear that the programme was not sponsored by any political party.

    Her announcement was received with loud cheers, clapping and dancing by the crowd of over 5,000 men and women.

    Ms Ozolua said she only carried the Owan West Local Government Council along since the event was holding in the area.

    The ceremony was well attended by traditional rulers and high chiefs from all parts of the local government.

    The foundation made a donation of 800 50kg bags of rice, 660 bottles of vegetable oil, 4,000 packs of salt, 2,400 packs of Indomie donated by Dufil Group and medication donated by DANA Group.

    Princess Ozolua also announced that the food and drugs scheme was not exclusive to Edo State. The foundation conducts the  programme every two months in different parts of Nigeria. The process of selecting the location to go is done by putting names of all the states in a bowl and holding an in-house raffle draw among  members of the foundation’s staff.

    According to Ms Ozolua, her father was from Sabongidda-Ora and the maiden edition of the food and drugs was held in her local government. She said the foundation would not be returning to Edo again for food donations until all other states have benefited.

    Over 5,000 families benefited from the donations. They came from all over the local government.

    Ms Ozolua was very active in the distribution and was seen standing on a huge pile of bags of rice with a microphone coordinating the distribution. Each clan came forward with representatives to collect 100 bags of rice, 25 cartons of Indomie, and so on, which they proceeded to share among their people.

    Significantly, despite heavy security at the venue, there was a near stampede at the event,  a development which shows how hungry and desperate people are.

    According to witnesses, all was going smoothly before lack of trust, desperation and hunger turned clan members against one another. Before long, a row over sharing ratio broke out and fights erupted. In the struggle for food, men and women tossed one another aside like toys. Women started beating weaker men to take the items from them. Women abandoned their children in the crowd so they could fight over bottles of oil.

    Men punched women as though they were in the wrestling ring. Women bit men. Old women given bags of rice were waylaid on their way home by young ones and their foods taken away from them.

    Heavily expectant women fought men and other women over bags of rice and salt. Bags of rice were ripped with bare hands and people got on their knees struggling to pack rice mixed with sand, stones and grass to take home and cook. It was a sad struggle for survival.

    Suddenly, the crowd lunged at the remaining stacks of foods to be donated that were surrounded by members of the foundation and Ms Ozolua. Stacks of rice she was standing on were pulled from under her feet, almost knocking her over. She sustained a cut on her thigh. Her Personal Assistant was knocked flat to the ground. Some of her male employees were thrown over stacks of rice, while others were busy trying to protect her and separate people fighting.

    A source said: “The security agents were torn between keeping order and fighting for food! It is said that even when the mob stampeded the food, they were shouting prayers of gratitude for the foundation and its president.”

    Eventually, the mob was subdued, distribution continued, and fortunately no one sustained any serious injury. Witnesses said Ms Ozolua and her staff handled the incident professionally and with understanding.

    A source said Ms Ozolua  at a point laughed and said she was thankful the foundation was able to help those they sought out to help.

    “Long before the brief disruption to the distribution process, the physically handicapped, widows, orphans and elderly had received their share of the donations,” said a source.

    Although she was shocked at how people fought one another for food, she was not upset because it simply showed there was hunger in the land.

  • Arogbo and Niger Delta

    Arogbo and Niger Delta

    Violated. Left to bleed. And now at the mercy of a son. These are my take aways from Arogbo-Ibe, the headquarters of the Ijaw in Ondo State.

    Until my visit to this community last weekend, I had always resisted the classification of any part of the Southwest as Niger Delta. For me, oil should not be a criteria for defining where is Niger Delta and where is not. I just refused to see Ondo as Niger Delta. Arogbo changed my mind. The vegatation, the aura, the language, the food, the mannerism, the dress code and the difficult terrain in Arogbo bear no semblance to other parts of Ondo State. Once you enter Agadagba, which is the upland part of the Ijaw-speaking area of Ondo State, you just have this feeling that you are in the Niger Delta.

    The people eat a lot of fresh fishes they get from the water after dipping their hooks. They swim like feral beings and have mastered the art of dodging crocodiles and other dangerous beings in the water. They love their shrimps, tilapias and croaker.

    Like their kinsmen in the Southsouth, the people of Arogbo led simple life. Comfort simply meant having a roof, good fishes and the very basic necesities of life. They did not want too much. Living on water was comfort to them.

    The story of Arogbo and other Ijaw enclaves scattered in the Southsouth geopolitical zones changed when Europeans mistakenly stumbled on many coastal communities. They came with guns and the Bible. The people had to choose between the two. Despite all the gods they were worshipping, they had no antidote that could suppress the powers of the long guns and pistles of the whiteman. So, they chose the Bible. Somehow they also did not forget their gods, even though they could not help them get rid of the whiteman.

    In no time, the whiteman established companies. First they were just interested in trading. Trade by barter was very common then. Slaves were exchanged for ephemeral things, such as mirror. The story got messsier when oil was discovered. The drillers were moved in and happiness was moved out. The people first smiled thinking oil meant blessing. It did not take time before they knew it was a curse. Waterways became polluted; farms became barren; and in no time, they had water, water everywhere but none to drink. They landlords became slaves.

    Independence soon came for Nigeria in which the Ijaw nation occupies the fourth position in terms of population. It did not improve their lot. Enter  the late Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro, who lived between September 10, 1938  and May 9, 1968. He was fondly called Boro and was a celebrated Niger Delta nationalist. He later became a Nigerian civil war hero. He was the pioneer of minority rights activism in Nigeria. He led a twelve-day revolution (through his Niger Delta Volunteer Force, an armed militia with members mainly Ijaw men) seeking better life for the people of the Niger Delta and earned a jail term from the Gen. Yakubu Gowon administration. He was freed on the eve of the civil war and made a Major in the Army. I met a classmate of his in Arogbo and he had nice things to say about him. Like this classmate, he would have been alive had death not come in mysterious circumstances in 1968 at Ogu (near Okrika) in Rivers State. The late Ken Saro-Wiwa saw him as an inspiration. Unlike Boro, Saro-Wiwa’s agitation was all about intellectual militiasm.

    Boro gave an insight into his life in his autobiography, The Twelve-Day Revolution. He wrote: “I am reliably informed that I was born at the zero hour of twelve midnight on 10 September 1938, in the oil town of Oloibiri along humid creeks of the Niger Delta. My father was the headmaster of the only mission school there. Before I was old enough to know my surroundings, I was already in a city called Port Harcourt where my father was again the headmaster of another mission school. This was in the early forties. The next environment where I found myself was in my home town, Kaiama. My father had been sent there to head a school yet again.”

    Arogbo’s most influential son, Kingsley Kuku who deserves the credit for the few good things in the town, such as concrete-slab roads, drainages and solar-powered street lights, adores Boro and has been involved in keeping his memory alive. Early this year, Kuku, in his capacity as the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman of the Amnesty Programme, inaugurated  the Isaac Boro Energy Training College in Grenoble, France. It is a collaboration between the Federal Government and Schneider Electric. It has trained many ex-militants.

    This is what Kuku said about Boro at the inauguration of the centre: “While he was alive, Major Isaac Adaka Boro showed direction to our people. He remains a legend who showed light to the people. Boro fought for a unified Nigeria during the very unfortunate Nigerian civil war and died in the process and it is only fitting that he is duly immortalised with a befitting edifice that will aid all efforts to bring light, development and progress to not just his beloved Niger Delta but Nigeria as a whole. Wherever he may be today, I know, Major Isaac Adaka Boro will be very happy with us all.”

    Boro may be happy, but certainly not fully happy. There are still many holes unplugged in Arogbo and many Ijaw communities. There are still gaps begging to be filled in the Niger Delta. Show me anyone in the Niger Delta who believes the region has got its due and I don’t need to search further for a liar.

    If only the Willink Commmission report had been implemented, if only the Oil Mineral Producing Area Development Commission (OMPADEC) and other intervention efforts had been implemented sincerely, the story could have been different. I dare say the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has not done much. It has also not got all it is entitled to from government and other stakeholders. But the token it has got has also been wasted. Largely. We all remeber the millions an ex-chairman of the board wasted on a juju priest. How can we forget the insider abuses in which contractors were encouraged by people within to sue the commision just for the purpose of extorting money through out-of-court settlement? As at the last time I checked, the commission had over 400 court cases pending. Or have we forgotten instances where money was spent on projects with no direct bearing on the lives of the people?  What on earth was NDDC doing renovating Port Harcourt Club and commissioning a study on the generation of electric power from gully erosion sites? How can we forget that the quality of some of the infrastructure projects fall below acceptable standards?

    In the commission, contracts, we are told, were awarded with no design and no specific location but with the sole purpose of collecting advance payments. I will rest my case with my final take: Arogbo and other parts of the Niger Delta will be better for it if all play their roles with the fear of God. All those with obligations to the NDDC, such as the Federal Government, Southsouth state governments, Southsouth local government areas and the oil giants, should fulfil them. Before that is done, the little the commission has should be used for deprived communities, such as Arogbo. Then, life can begin to be better for all.

  • Rivers communities protest demolition

    Landlords and tenants in Umuebule 2, Umuebule 4 Etche, Diamond Estate, Saipem Road, Umuebule in Etche Local Government Area and those in Satellite Village in Obigbo, Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State have appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi to save them from being rendered homeless following the decision by the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) to demolish their houses to pave way for gas pipelines.

    Speaking at a protest march, they said the NGC has marked their houses for demolition.

    Some of the messages on their placards read: “President Goodluck, please hear us; Governor Amaechi, governor of all governors, help us”; “Please compensate us for our properties” and “No compensation, No demolition.”

    Speaking through their lawyer, Mr Victor Ogwomo and their leader, Mr Samuel Durugo, the protesters complained that on August 14, some persons from the Pipeline Right of Way (PPROW) committee made up of some government agencies and the Rivers State Ministry of Environment came and marked their houses for demolition.

    The committee gave them only 14 days notice to move out.

    The demolition has begun.  They said four houses were demolished before they were prevailed upon to stop.

    Ogwomo and Durugo said: “We are not against the Federal Government laying pipes for its gas project but they should give the people adequate notice and compensate them adequately to enable them re-locate.”

    They claimed that the houses have government approved building plans and are outside the oil and gas right of way.

    “So, if you are pushing us out, where do you want us to go to?” they said.

    They said they should be given the same treatment their counterparts in parts of Galaxy Estate, Location 15 and Okpulor areas received from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

    SPDC, they claimed, “demolished about 500 houses in these areas but the house owners were paid adequate compensation before they moved.”

    However, an employee of NGC, who spoke on grounds of anonymity, said the company would pay compensation “but let them move out first so that the gas pipeline can go on.”

     

  • A future they never dreamt of

    A future they never dreamt of

    It won’t be out of place to describe them as women of uneasy virtues. They had dreams. Dreams of who they wanted to become. These dreams were in different proportions: small, medium or big. They were dreams their sojourn in the world of Niger Delta militancy could not bring to reality.

    Though more men played the lead role in the militancy that almost brought the Niger Delta to its knees, these women were also in the thick of it. Some were combatants; some were wives or girlfriends of militant leaders; and others were domestic hands in the militant camps. They were there, with their dreams withering away.

    Their story took a turn for the better in 2009 when they were offered amnesty by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua. These women embraced the offer and decided to do something more productive with their lives.

    Enter the Centre for Creative Arts Education (CREATE), which was established in 2004 by a frontline actress, Ms Hilda Dokubo, who hails from Buguma-Kalabari, the headquarters of Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State. The centre’s main aim is to fully equip and empower the ex-Niger Delta warlords, thereby making them better citizens. Last week, 50 of these female ex-militants graduated at the fourth graduation and exhibition of the centre in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    Uchechi Williams emerged the best graduating student in the programme. She said it was not easy to stay in a place for one year, but admitted that all the 50 women learnt a lot, with their efforts not in vain.

    While also speaking, another woman, Orune Felix, who could not speak good English when she got to CREATE, but won the award as the “Most Improved Student,” said it was good to be determined, put God first and never lose hope in life.

    Ms Dokubo, the Executive Director of CREATE, is a former Special Adviser on Youth Matters to ex-Rivers State Governor Dr. Peter Odili.

    Odili, while speaking at the ceremony, said these women have shown that the former warlords should not be written off, but encouraged.

    The women, according to Ms Dokubo, found themselves in a situation wherea they had no money, no jobs and no assets.

    The 50 women were drawn from the Presidential Amnesty Programme and sponsored by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku, who is also the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Committee.

    CREATE places emphasis on molding lives and crafting the future. It also focuses on training, consulting and advocacy.

    CREATE’s certificate and diploma programmes are licensed by the Federal Ministry of Education and accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). CREATE is also included in the brochure of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). In 2008, CREATE was ranked as the best creativity education centre.

    The graduation of the 50 women, which took place at The Arena, a highbrow event centre at the new Government Reservation Area (GRA), Port Harcourt, was witnessed by eminent personalities, with the joyous women beautifully dressed and hopeful of a better tomorrow, while the various creative and well-designed items on display during their graduation were made by them.

    The CREATE’s executive director said: “All they had were dreams. Dreams of who they wanted to become, but were afraid to walk the work towards actualising those dreams. All I needed to give birth to great marketable ideas and skills were these dreams and it did not matter to me in what proportion these dreams were: small, medium or big.

    “If they dared to dream, I was willing to work with them to ensure they actualise those dreams. My drive is in my conviction that if education is the key to success, then applied skills are the key to sustainable wealth.”

    Ms Dokubo said most of the women arrived her academy a year earlier with shattered hopes, but worked hard to redefine and rebuild the hope, their families, businesses and personalities.

    She noted that members of the CREATE team also learnt valuable lessons in building trust, understanding and patience, stressing that the fifty women worked extremely hard in the last twelve months, in spite of the fact that they faced various challenges, ranging from family needs to community demands, especially keeping the home front, while being trained.

    The executive director said: “Looking at my skilled women, my pride as a Nigerian is heightened, as my faith is rekindled. Hope rises in me, knowing that a pool of women, who will not roam the streets begging and accepting handouts, has been trained.

    “The 50 women have beaten all odds, through determination and discipline and are set to not just becoming self reliant, but also becoming employers of labour. I am pleased to inform you all that fifty female entrepreneurs have been created. Fifty employers of labour and wealth creators are here, ready to create their future.”

    Ms Dokubo also lauded President Goodluck Jonathan for remaining committed to the development of the nation’s human resource and the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku, who is also the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Committee, for placing emphasis on excellence and empowerment of Niger Deltans.

    Upon Kuku’s appointment, Ms Dokubo noted that the former member of the Ondo State House of Assembly (Kuku) engaged the services of CREATE and four principal consultants: Ibiba Don-Pedro, a renowned journalist; Hilda Dokubo; Beena Yuodowei and Ebikeduomene Gbafade, with their findings providing the platform for the development of the NGO’s (CREATE’s) course curricula, to meet the learners’ needs, assets and industry requirements.

    The executive director, who said nobody should be written off, revealed that in the last three years, members of her team had worked as consultants, evaluators, trainers and mentors, stressing that skills would amount to nothing, without discipline and that training in skills and character makes CREATE different, with the certificates indicating proficiency and character.

    The NGO’s programmes focus on women and youths, with the aim of ending poverty, discrimination and bad leadership, employing the use of skills’ training, talents’ enhancement, effective communication, mentoring and advocacy.

    CREATE works with the vulnerable, the usually-excluded persons and at risk, but talented young people, in identifying issues, designing and providing interventions, while enhancing human capacity.

    The organisation’s strategies for achieving its objectives are hinged on four programmes: street2star project, youth power network, global hands and the academy.

    One of the discoveries of the street2star project is Timaya, a popular musician, who is an indigene of Odi in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and now making waves globally.

    At CREATE academy, learning is participatory, interactive, experimental and industry based, with a repertoire of highly-reputable professionals, with many years of teaching experience, while the use of acceptable national and international curricula, teaching methods and best practices are employed.

    There are three entry points in CREATE: National Innovative Diploma, for students with five credits, including English Language and Literature in English from WAEC or NECO, while the candidate will have a pass in any of the national entrance admission examinations into tertiary institutions (JAMB or Poly JAMB) and the candidate must also pass the school’s entrance examination and audition.

    The second entry point is Direct Career, where the student is expected to have at least three years working experience as a performing artiste or media practitioner, with the candidate to have a certificate, diploma or B.A./B.Sc. in related course, but wanting a change of career.

    The third is CREATE Certified, which is for a special group. The candidates should also be talented and able to pass all oral and practical entrance examination, but may not necessarily have any basic education or knowledge of the art..

    CREATE’s Director of Studies Soki Edmond Dokubo  the women have become better individuals in character and learning.

    The director of studies said: “I remember vividly, when in their (fifty women’s) first few months of arrival, when most of them were after were their weekly allowances and show of power, which resulted to a lot of misunderstanding between them, when attending classes was more of a punishment than running ten kilometres.

    “As time went by, through the grace of God, the Executive Director of the institution and the concerted efforts and dedication of the teaching staff, it is now a different story for the better. We have been able to train our students in Literacy, Personal Development, Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Craftsmanship.

    “They are now far better than they came into CREATE. Indeed, we have moulded lives and crafted a positive future, by God’s grace. For in ignorance they came, but in enlightenment, self-reliance and believing in a better tomorrow they are leaving.”

    Kuku, who was represented by Mr. Mologe Tamarabebe, described the graduation of the women as laudable and one of the dividends of the amnesty offer to the repentant Niger Delta militants.

    Kuku assured that the Amnesty  Office would continue to support CREATE and similar initiatives in the Niger Delta.

    The special guest of honour on the occasion, Nimi Walson-Jack, a Kalabari from Rivers State and one of the governorship aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), noted that the exhibition of items produced by the women confirmed that they were adequately trained.

    Walson-Jack, a former General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), stated that the problems on the Niger Delta could be solved through empowerment of the people, who would subsequently become employers of labour.

    An octogenarian, Madam Mercy Alagoa, from Nembe in Bayelsa State, urged parents and guardians to always show love and encourage their children and wards.

    Mrs Alagoa said: “Make sure you communicate in good English. Teach children how to cook. I have trained over 25 known and unknown persons.”

    The fashion expert (Alagoa) also praised Hilda for her immense contributions to the growth and development of Niger Delta, as well as the training and empowerment of the women and youths, adding: “I am very proud of you.”

    As CREATE is planning to move from a rented apartment at No. 2A, NdahBros Close, Off Trans-Amadi Road, Port Harcourt, to its world-class permanent site in the Rivers State capital, efforts must continue to be made to ensure that the dream does not die.

     

     

  • Outrageous electricity bills in Akwa Ibom

    The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Power, Dr. Victor Udo, has urged Electricity Consumer Committees in Akwa Ibom State to cooperate with industry stakeholders to sustain the improved power supply across the state.

    He spoke when the Chairmen of Electricity Consumers Committee (ECC) from communities across the 3 senatorial districts of the state met with him at his office.

    The ECC delegation acknowledged improvements in power supply across the State but they decried the outrageous bills being issued by the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC).

    It was alleged that excessive electricity bills were issued to communities in Uyo, Eket and Ikot Ekpene senatorial districts on a monthly basis.They attributed this to estimated billing and appealed to the SSA on Power for urgent intervention.

    The SSA on Power said: “Power is being supplied to communities across the State because transformers have been installed in the various communities along with Low Tension and High Tension lines.

    “Since power is being supplied and consumed, an effective billing system needs to be implemented to pay for the energy consumed through proper metering.”

    He therefore urged the ECC to cooperate with the Business Managers of PHEDC to implement a more effective revenue collection process.

    Dr. Udo appealed to the ECC to discourage members of the community from tampering with power installationsin the communities. He said: “People should not endanger their lives by tampering with power infrastructure in the community.”

    The SSA invited the delegation to join the power sector stakeholders meeting held monthly in his office. He urged them to nominate 3 persons to represent each senatorial district at the meeting to work on billing and other power related issues across the state.

     

  • ‘Cross River’s N40 billion bond not a parting gift’

    ‘Cross River’s N40 billion bond not a parting gift’

    Cross River State Commissioner for Information Mr Akin Ricketts, in this session with reporters, talks about some controversial issues raging in the state. He speaks on the N40 billion bond floated by the state, which has received so much criticism as well on the concessioning of general hospitals in the state, among others. NICHOLAS KALU was there.

    Although the governor has explained why the state needs the bond there is still a lot of controversy surrounding it. The state government has even been dragged to court over it. What are your thought on this?

    I know that bond is in response to our critical financial situation. We have got some projects that are about to be completed. There is a need for us to infuse the resources to bring those projects to completion. That is why those bonds were taken for the betterment and the upliftment of the living standards and livelihood of our people in the state. So for me I would want to advise those who have gone to court or those who do not have a full understanding of the issues at stake to come for further clarification. The bond is premised on good intention for our people. There people that are saying because we are going we want to raise a bond so we can do all sorts of things to accommodate ourselves and all that kind of rubbish. That is not true. I think it is time people start talking. We have projects that need to be funded as at when due so that they would come to conclusion. That is why this bond was raised. You know something, if you are not credit worthy, and if those who are going to accede to this bond don’t have faith in us, I don’t think it will come to fruition. So I want to use this medium also to appeal to our brothers to understand what we are trying to do. It is easy to throw stones from a distance but if you come close to interface with us, the papers are there. We are a very transparent administration. We have a few months to go and so much to do. That is why we are taking this bond. Not as a parting gift to anybody but to accomplish all our very important projects.

    So, are you saying this is not a new bond?

    We are not taking a new N40 billion bond from the Capital Market as currently being misconstrued by a section of Cross Riverians and the general public. The State government is only approaching the Capital Market for the restructuring and refinancing of a part of an existing commercial banks’ loan with bonds.  This option would ease the pressure on the State’s cash-inflow, elongate the loan tenor and increase the State’s liquidity, to enhance the total completion of some legacy projects of the Governor Liyel Imoke-led administration as well as to service other pressing State financial obligations.

    Inspite of the challenges of the State’s lean finances and debt obligations, Governor Imoke had for a long time been reluctant to approach the capital market option. The administration’s successes in getting AMCON to take over control of stakes in Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort and a part of the State’s debt obligations, ignited the new spirit to adopt the option of re-financing the State’s outstanding loans through the First Bank of Nigeria Capital Limited.

    What Governor Imoke is doing now is very futuristic as the next State administration stands to benefit more from the loan re-structuring and re-financing.  More funds will be available to Government to undertake other critical projects with ease.  Those harbouring such misgivings should seek clarifications from relevant government officials, rather than rush to hasty conclusions.

    Governor Imoke has been one of the most prudent Chief Executive in recent times.  Governor Imoke does not indulge in frivolities.  He justifies every kobo spent on any project and I am convinced that the re-financing of the loans will do us much good and add value to our overall wellbeing as a state.

    Some are saying it is ill timed, given the few months left for the present administration. Why should it be collected now?

    I think I can appreciate where they are coming from, but you see, projects cannot wait just because an administration is on its last spin. We cannot afford to stall these projects. They must come to fruition. Do you know for instance what we stand to benefit when the convention centre is completed.

    Over time the state has been clamouring for compensation for Bakassi, and late last year, the federal government reportedly gave about N6 billion to the state and subsequently the state has been getting N400 million monthly since June last year. Now nothing seems to be done and people are worried the money is being diverted. Can you tell us why this is so?

    In Cross River State, we do not divert funds. Monies that were received for the purposes of the Bakassi situation are being applied accordingly and that is all I can say at this time in that regards. As far as I am concerned, funds that are being received are being applied.

    How are the displaced persons faring?

    How would you fare if you are displaced? Of course they would be more comfortable if they are in their natural habitat, but I am sure as a human being we can understand their plight. They were displaced for no fault of theirs and were not really consulted in that regards. But be that as it may, the federal and state governments are doing all they can to make them as comfortable as can be.

    The state government recently concessioned public hospitals. Some are saying it is not ethical and that the government is selling of its hospitals. Also many are afraid it would create an unemployment crisis as many workers would be dropped?

    The intention of the administration is to ensure our people get effective healthcare delivery. That is the bottom line. These hospitals were not sold as being purported. They were given to professionals to run. In a layman’s term, they were given to people with capacity to run them. The state would gain two fold. The people would have effective healthcare service. The state itself would benefit from this arrangement. It is a PPP arrangement. We are not in the business of selling what we have built and what we stand for. The interest of the populace is at the mind of the government. These institutions have not been sold. They have only being leased. On the part of the civil servants, the government staff there, it would also enhance their capacity. I want to believe that we have capable hands in the government service. I don’t want to believe that they will be laid off. If you are effective in what you do you will only add value to what there is.

    In a few months it will be elections. Is it true some members of the exco, which you are part of, are boxing the governor to a corner to supporting one of you to succeed him?

    You amuse me with this question, because I believe all of you know my principal. Is he the kind of man you can box to a corner? I don’t think anyone in the exco has the capacity to box the governor to a corner. He has said over and over that we will all sit down and decide who becomes the next governor of Cross River State. There is no way he can be boxed.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    between the state and federal governments because they are both PDP states and we have the worst roads in the state and all are federal roads. What is the advantage of being a PDP state under this condition?

     

    We have the best of relationships with the federal government. If you check the last elections, we actually gave a hundred per cent support and vote. However, you know some of these things take time and sometimes good intentions are misread. I am sure the president is doing all within his power. However as a state you can see our efforts. If you go towards the Odukpani axis you will see what we are doing. We have gone beyond mediating to full construction. At the end of the day we would be better off for it. I am sure the federal government is doing what they can because one would expect that after giving them the support, we would have commensurate compensation.

     

    Don’t you think the roads are killing tourism in the state? For instance, the road to the ranch is in a complete state of disrepair.          

     

    It is true the roads are in as state one would expect. However, we want to implore the state government to expedite action in their bid to fix the roads. The state of the roads actually has adverse impact on our tourism drive. People fly into Calabar and most people want to take the scenic routes. That is they want to go by road. It takes them three times the duration to cover that distance and that is sad. You know what it is with the kind of drivers plying our roads. Sometimes if we don’t have very good roads, it becomes death traps. So we are just praying the government expedite what should be done so we don’t get to that situation.

     

  • Institute kicks off to tackle gap in middle level man power

    Institute kicks off to tackle gap in middle level man power

    After being delayed for about a year, the Institute of Technology and Management (ITM) located in Ugep, Yakurr in the central senatorial district of Cross River State has kicked off to the delight of people of the area and the state.

    The institution the first of its kind in the country is an extension of the Highbury College, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.

    The Polytechnic in Calabar before it was transformed to a university did well to provide much needed middle level manpower to drive the system. With the polytechnic transforming into the Cross River University of Technology, this appeared to be lost.

    The new institute according to the state government intends to restore this and offer much more in terms of quality, especially as it moves towards becoming more industrial.

    According to Governor Liyel Imoke, the partnership a partnership with Highbury is to design a demand-driven curriculum for the institution.

    He said the curriculum would ensure that its graduates are employable.

    He said the state was partnering the college because it is the best vocational institution in the United Kingdom.

    The governor said the quality of education in the country has nosedived, thus making it compelling for the kind of partnership the state was entering into with Highbury College if the trend is to be arrested.

    The school which offers international standard facilities has just kicked off with about 60 students offering courses in Business Management and Entrepreneurship, Information Technology and Computer Management as well as Leisure and Tourism.

    Rector of the institution, William Pedley, said they decided to kick off with these three courses, because they were not capital intensive in terms of infrastructure. This he said was the first phase of the institution.

    Courses such as physics, chemistry and biology, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering and other practical heavy duty automotive courses, he said will commence in September next year, which would be the second phase. Work on a signature building which would contain all these is on-going, he said.

    A third phase would be flexible to introduce courses that would be in line with the demands of the time.

    The number of students were limited in this instance because they only had so much facilities to accommodate them. About 150 students were expected but the delay in the opening also affected the situation. When fully operational it would accommodate a maximum of 2000 students.

    What made the school unique, Pedely said, is that they are student oriented.

    “The students are going to be privileged. They are going to have fantastic student/teacher ratios. Student teacher ratio is never going to be more than one to thirty in any case. Often classes are team taught, so the student/teacher relationship is actually one to fifteen. So each teacher starts from a group of 15 students that they not only teach but see outside those lectures to deal with personal issues. Again and every student is going to have a personal learning plan tailored to their personal needs.

    “The student is at the heart of everything we do. We only exist here to answer to the needs of these individual students. So whatever they need to be successful, we would provide that for them. We are not just saying, learn this shut up and go away. We want to find out who they are and work with them. What they are telling me is that this is new in Nigeria. So that is what makes us unique.

    “We take students who have the appropriate JAMB scores and we also have an entry test.  When people apply for different courses, they don’t necessarily have to get to those courses, because we look at what they are best at. And then when they come we give them further test to check that those scores match their capabilities and if we detect that there are stronger in other areas, then we would talk to them to maybe consider something else. But that depends on the individual.”

    He said the institute was implanted with Highbury’s vision and expertise in terms of curriculum delivery. “But of course at the same time we would not be here without Cross River State government and the Yakurr people. So it is a partnership,” he noted.

    Saying more about the ITM, he said, “Here we don’t use black boards or chalk boards. What we have here are a series of different rooms equipped differently according to what we intend to happen in those different rooms. Some are conference rooms for business meeting classes. They all have IT facilities in them. We have IT laboratories and the teaching is with the use of smart boards. Lecturers with their laptops deliver information through the internet or materials created by the students themselves in association with the lecturers.

    “The teachers teach beyond the classroom. Not just theories. It is not monotonous transfer of knowledge. The primary motivation here is to see your son or daughter acquire skills which are directly transferrable and which would get them a job. When you send them here, they are going to be employable straight away. Also you will know that we would make the most of every individual. We want everybody to pass. We are not here to set impossibly high standards and only a tiny percentage pass. We are going to give them international class qualifications and competencies which should enable them to get a job anywhere in the world. We are going to make the most of the children.

    “We certainly intend work with leading companies to provide them with a future workforce. We intend to place the students to work with them on projects and apprenticeships. We also would welcome companies sending us their employees for training and so on. We would be looking to work with major companies to open the doors to our students to show them the real world and what companies need and prove to those companies as well that if you are looking for people, we have them.”

    The coordinator of the project, Prof Patrick Ukaka, said the institute was a manifestation of the vision of the governor to establish a first class, state of the art institution to take vocational training to the next level.

    Chairman of the Implementation Committee  and former Vice-Chancellor of the Univeristy of Calabar, Prof Ivara Esu, added that the courses include: Business Management and Entrepreneurship; Information Technology and Computer Management; and Leisure and Tourism. He said they were chosen after an industry survey of the state.

    He explained that the state was a flagship in tourism, ICT was the order of the day and there was need to pep up the economy through building entrepreneurial studies to emphasise encourage businesses.

  • Ikwerre buries ‘world’ oldest woman

    It was a celebration of life at Rumuorlumeni community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers state last Saturday as Ikwerre sons and daughter gathered to bid farewell to late Mrs Wordu Grace Wamanda, who at a reported age of 145 years was the oldest surviving woman in Ikwerre land before her death.

    Five months ago families and relatives of the Late Mrs. Wordu rolled out the drum to celebrate her record breaking 145th birthday. She had already surpassed the age of any living woman in her clan and the ceremony was marked with fanfare and various traditional and religious rites a day prayers for ageless woman.

    However, Niger Delta Report investigation revealed that members of the late woman’s family were unhappy about perceived non-recognition of her feat by both the local and state authorities.

    Some elders in Ikwerre land who spoke with our reporter argue that  Mrs Wordu was not only the oldest woman in Ikwerre, but in Rivers State and probably in the world.

    It was gathered that the debate on whether Mama Grace Wamanda had broken the world record for longevity resurfaced shortly after her death two weeks earlier.

    Sources within the family agreed that it was indeed difficult to ascertain the accurate account of her age due to the fact that she had outlived traditional historians and her contemporaries who are the custodians of her family records.

    “Most of those who are elders in the various families said they could not give good account of mama because they met her in the family at her old age, that means those who could give a detail account of Mama are no longer living. It is difficult to meet anybody who knew her as a young lady,” a member of the family told our reporter.

    Consequently, it was learnt that the age of 145 was unanimously adopted based on the oral accounts of her younger relatives, who have clocked 100 years and their memories of how older she was based on other historical events such as eclipses and natural events and disasters.

    But some of the elder members of the family,  especially the women folks maintained that Mama is above 145. They lamented that the Ikwerre nation had been robbed of record of producing the world’s oldest woman because of lack accurate and verifiable records.

    Mrs. Chinyere Nchelem  Manuyewhor Wordu, one of the family’s daughters-in-law, who spoke to Niger Delta Report said. “I was married into the family at the age of 25 years with the approval of Mama. But I met her as a very old woman. She was already using walking stick; she was very old and today I am above 50 years and we are still taking about 145th as her age it can’t be, mama was more than that.”

    Speaking further, Mrs Wordu revealed that longevity ran in the family, recalling that, “Mama’s father died at the age of 130 years. I will say that is part of her family’s grace. Mama was a very nice woman who cared for everyone in the family she took us all like her sons and daughters. She never antagonized anybody to the extent of being push to the wall. She was discipline, courageous and hard working woman.”

    Chief Sunday Wahunoro, 88, who is the current head of the family and kindred also averred that the late Mrs Wordu’s age could be over 145, adding that the family merely relied on the fact available to them.

    “She is older than the  age they calculated because my own mother died at the age of 135 years. Mrs. Grace was among the pioneer member of Evo-nu-Apara women meeting of Rumuolumeni in the 70s and 80s. She was the President of Evo-nu-Apara Women’s meeting in Rumuorlumeni and she was a member of Rinya Ohna Rumuorlumeni group.”

    Another member of the family,  Dr. Agwnu Justice Oduchi, a media consultant said, “Mama should be celebrated as Ikwerre world’s oldest woman, I think it sounds unbelievable to many people but it is rea. The world should know that  people in Ikwerre ethnic national  are  living with the grace of God. If what happen to us was to be other part of the country the news would have been everywhere but here it looks as if we don’t appreciate God. Mama was a peace loving woman she made a lot of sacrifice in pursuing peace in the family and the entire community.”

    The Biography of Late Mrs. Wordu, which the family presented to NDR,   showed that she had no biological children of her own, but she ‘adopted’ her stepchildren and all the children around her, who she treated with love and care as she would her own children.

    Manuyewhor Samuel Wordu, one of those she took as her children said. “Mama Grace got married as the first wife (Ogbotu) to the Late Chief Wordu Wawhnunoro in Mgbu-Iriata of Rumuorlumeni in Akpor Kingdom. Mama was very supportive to her husband who was a teacher at the time of their marriage. Despite the fact that the marriage was not blessed with a child, her husband loved her. Being a well groomed woman she understood what friends may say to her husband, so she advised her husband to take another wife on her behalf like Sarah in the bible. The second wife died after giving birth to two children and they became hers.”