The Nation Newspaper

Tag: rehab

  • Ikpeazu okays road rehab

    Ikpeazu okays road rehab

    Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has opened the rehabilitation of a major road after eight years of its neglect, reports SUNNY NWANKWO.

    With well laid out roads and bypasses, the colonialists did a good job in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State. The commuter had no problems whatsoever moving from one place to another. Sadly, that is all in the past. Enyimba City now boasts a nightmarish network of impassable roads, leaving residents in utter anguish. Port Harcourt Road, one of its most prominent and also its worst, is flooded in rainy and dry seasons.

    The state governor Okezie Ikpeazu has discussed the road with Minister of Works Babatunde Fashola who has also visited the state and the road in particular.

    Ikpeazu and Fashola reportedly agreed that the state was going to fix the road, though the condition of the agreement was not made known to the public.

    Following the conclusion of the paper work on May 5, Governor Ikpeazu has flagged off the rehab work. Ikpeazu, who came in the company of Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi, said the work would be completed in 18 months, adding that the 6km road would be six lanes complete with concrete pavement with drainages that would empty water into the Aba River.

    Should he fulfil his promise, Ikpeazu would be making history.

    The governor expressed his full confidence in the construction company; Setraco Construction, saying the federal road on completion would boost commerce and economic activities in Aba and the state.

    He further said he would be flagging of construction of Omuma and Osusu roads soon.

    Speaking at the event, Governor Umahi told the cheering crowd that he came to witness the flag-off, adding that Ikpeazu “is a special breed”.

    Umahi said he was impressed with the infrastructural strides of the Ikpeazu administration, urging Abia residents to support him. Other speakers at the event said they were happy the governor flagged off the road work.

  • Water project rehab takes off in Ebonyi

    Water project rehab takes off in Ebonyi

    Ebonyi State will spend N2.1 billion on the rehabilitation of water facilities, said Governor David Umahi in Abakaliki, the state capital.

    He was speaking while flagging off the state’s Sustainable Development Goals water projects in the three senatorial zones of the state.

    The project is dubbed “Operation Water Ebonyi State.”

    Addressing the people during the ceremony, the governor said Ebonyi was among the 10 lucky states which accessed the SDG grant of N600 million each.

    According to the governor, the beneficiary states were expected to match the grant with additional N600m each in order to access the fund. He explained that Ebonyi did not only do so; it injected additional N900m into the pool, thereby having the N2.1bn for the water projects.

    The sum, he added, would be used to fix the Ezillo water plant, the Sacamori water station,  the Juju hill water scheme and the Ohaozara water station.

    He said: “Let me put it properly that Federal Government gave N600m and we were expected to match it with another N600m.

    “We did and we also provided another N900m. So altogether, the three lots of the projects are going to cost us about N2.1bn; so Federal Government N600m; Ebonyi State Government, N1.5bn.

    “Let me say that the scope of this job is, part one, rehabilitation of Ezillo water treatment plant, and Sacamori pipeline network facilities. We tend to have storage tanks in Ichichi forest, which will supply the federal university at Ndufu Alike, supply the local government of Ikwo, supply some areas in Izzi, supply our rice mill and that of Engr. Ugwu as we make efforts to get our rice millers to also take over the UNIDO rice mill. The Sacamori pipeline has its network through Ezza North, Ezza South, Ishielu, Izzi,Ohaukwu, and even FUNAI .

    “We want to do proper integration of Ezillo water scheme and that of Oferekpe to ensure that if we have problem with Oferekpe and it is shut down, Ezillo will start supplying. But most importantly is the distribution network in Abakaliki.”

    Umahi also revealed that the third part is to address the water challenges in Ohaozara, stating that already, there is a water treatment plant in the area.

    “The third one is to address the water challenges in Ohaozara. Already, we have water treatment plant there. So what we want to do is to build a storage tank at Agukwu and build another storage tank at Ugwulangwu. So with these two storage tanks, we can network the entire Okposi, Uburu and Ugwulangwu.”

    The governor, who lauded President MuhammadU Buhari and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, for including Ebonyi State as a beneficiary of the grant, the aforementioned projects constituted the first major phase of the “Operation Water Ebonyi State.”

    He also disclosed that  the Ishiagu water project had  been  redesigned and re- awarded to a competent contractor at the cost of N1.2 billion, stressing that the arrangement was to integrate all water projects.

    He stated that the  Oferekpe and Ukawu water scheme would be completely ready to provide water.

    Umahi also  emphasised that the distribution process of the pipelines had already  started.

    “We just  started a process to do some distribution network of our pipelines .And I have directed Ministry of Water resources to immediately tell us the balance of the distribution,so that within the next one year,we should beat our chests and say,every body,especially within the capital city is drinking water.”

    The governor assured the remaining local government areas that are not benefiting in the SDG water projects that they would  be considered in other areas such as provision of electricity.

    He frowned at poor quality of some road project being handled by some contractors in  the state and warned that any contractor who was not ready to keep to specification and standard would  be shown the way out .

    Focal Person of SDG in Ebonyi state, Dr Ngozi Obichukwu attributed the realisation of the project to Umahi’s determination develop the state. She urged the people to ensure that the projects are properly maintained and protected.

  • Buhari’s largesse boosts IDP rehab

    Buhari’s largesse boosts IDP rehab

    Amid the rebuilding of communities destroyed by Boko Haram, President Muhammadu Buhari ships out trailer-loads of grains to Internally Displaced Persons in Gombe State. VINCENT OHONBAMU reports

    The worst is over for people forced from their homes by the terror group. Boko Haram is in retreat, their spine broken by relentless Army fire. This necessitated the plan to rebuild the much devastated communities of the North, especially those on its eastern flank. But while this plan is on, President Muhammadu Buhari brought more cheer to those displaced in Gombe State. He shipped in trailer-loads of maize and rice, which were distributed to the expectant beneficiaries. The trailers delivered 15,000 50kg bags of  grains to 4,779 registered IDP camp households.

    The Minister of Environment, Dr. Amina I. Mohammed who represented President Buhari in presenting the food items at the state Operations Office of the National Emergency Management Agency in Gombe metropolis said the gesture was to acknowledge that the leadership of the country was with the IDPs in their plight. She said she hoped the gesture would alleviate what Gombe State has been doing to help.

    The Minister also acknowledged God’s intervention in the fight against Boko Haram and urged Nigerians to remain steadfast in praying for the return of peace and tranquility to the country as well as for God to grant President Buhari the strength and wisdom to accomplish his mission of bettering Nigeria.

    “We have started enjoying the fruits of Mr. President’s tireless efforts as insurgency is being contained and IDPs have started to return to their respective homes,” she added.

    Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo substantiated her views on the Islamist fighters’ fate when the Minister paid him a courtesy visit, and congratulated the President for drastically addressing the issue of insurgency in the Northeast.

    “I must say in the last one year, a lot of efforts have been put in place to contain the activities of Boko Haram and other terrorists group whose activities have drastically affected the growth and development of the Northeast.

    “With the various efforts that have been put in place, I think the days of these insurgencies are numbered. I want to [say] that we will as state do our best to support all the efforts of Mr. President in this regard.”

    A beneficiary of the presidential gesture, Adamu Jilda, a state government hospital worker from Gwoza in Borno State appreciated the gesture and other activities to help the IDPs. He said he and his family would feed on the maize because they need food, shelter and many other things as long as he left everything back at home has not been working since being in Gombe. He implored Mr. President to put more efforts on security and their returning back home while praying for him to end his tenure well.

    Abudulmumini Alhassan, also   from Gwoza, said they were happy to receive the gift.

    “Since arrival, we have not been troubled by anybody in any way; we have found peace in living among the people of Gombe state. The only additional request we have is how to further beef up security in our areas, because if this is done, we can return home,” he said.

    Another Gwoza beneficiary, Safia Hammasale, said, “We thank God, we thank Muhammadu Buhari and we are praying that God will bless him and bless us too. We will eat this, and would want to go back anytime the security issue in the area is fully settled. She said they enjoyed peace in the state, though they sometimes have problems with landlords over maintenance of houses and also co-tenants.

    Chairman of the IDPs, Alhaji Jato from Damboa Local Government in Borno State was full of thanks to God for the gesture and its timing. “We thank the President for being kind and knowing what to do per time. We are praying that God should grant him strength that God should enable him accomplish his good intentions for Nigeria,” he added.

    He said the IDPs who wanted to go back were constantly ready to do so as soon as their places were certified habitable in every sense. He would remain grateful to the people of Gombe for making their stay peaceful and exhibiting high level of kindness, peaceful coexistence and understanding towards them; to the extent that intermarriages now take place between amongst them.

    He particularly showed appreciation to the state Governor for opening camps for them, and subsequently closing the camps to free them of stigma and being used as cover by evil minded persons and also for paying their rents upon closing the camps. He equally appreciated the

    Emir of Gombe for his kind gestures in the past and the plans to do more for the IDPs

    “On the whole, for each individual with their wives and children, we now have around 31,000 IDPs remaining in Gombe officially. Many have gone back and many are still around that did not register with us,” he said. Dr. Dalami Arabs Rukujei, Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) once said the number of unregistered IDPs in Gombe state far outnumbered those on official records.

    Meanwhile, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo has closed the IDP camps in the state, explaining that the closure was to avoid stigmatising the IDPs. The governor also said closing the camps would end the adverse conditions under which IDPs lived.

    Dankwambo said, “On the issue at stake (IDPs and their camp), we always have a different approach and that has resulted from maybe some of the studies that we have seen over time. When some studies were conducted in 2012 and 2013, we found out that 92% of the people who have been displaced in one way or the other and found themselves in Gombe were not prepared to go back, even if normalcy returned to their respective villages or towns or states.

    “And if that is the case, then we felt the need for camps may not be necessary. And also we had a lot of issues with camp – social, religious, cultural issues that are associated with people living in camps and we felt as people that: it is not good, for somebody to be identified with those kind of issues, especially in this part of the country where you can easily be identifiable by the circumstances you find yourself.

    “Also, there is the issue of some funny people or bad guys trying to find a way to mix up with the camp population and cause havoc in the state. As a result, we tried to dismantle the camps, arrange for housing accommodation for them with our people, so that they can integrate, and secondly, our people can monitor them to know those who actually came in peace or otherwise

    “And also very importantly, we want to make them, to a larger extent, forget the agonies that have befallen them. Substantial numbers of them have been integrated; we paid rent for them and we agreed that after some number of years, when they would have been established or integrated, they will continue to cater for themselves and be very good citizens of Gombe state, that is those who wish to remain behind.

     

     

  • Traders await road rehab

    Abia State Government has concluded plans to dualise Faulks Road, a major road leading into the popular Ariaria International market, Aba Abia State.

    That has left left the traders looking forward to the take-off of the project.

    One of the renowned construction companies in Nigeria, Setraco Constructions Company,  will handle the job, it was gathered.

    Ariaria which serves as a melting pot for traders from Southeast and Southsouth, including others from nearby West African countries, suffered neglect by previous governments resulting to perennial flooding and defacing of the market which the present administration in the state on assumption of office said it was going to address it.

    Though The Nation was yet to gather when the project would take off and how much it would cost the state government to execute, government sources disclosed that the state government and the contractor had completed the signing of the MOU and other necessary documents of the road project.

    According to a source who pleaded anonymity, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu visited Ariaria on Monday with the contractor for inspection of the market and the road to be rehabilitated after which it was expected that the construction company would move in their earth moving equipment to begin the construction work.

    Speaking further, the source told our correspondent that part of the agreement reached by the Abia State government and Setraco was that they were going to dualise Faulks road to ease off gridlock usually associated with the road which serves as a major entrance and exit route for vehicles moving in and out of the market and stressed that the road when completed would have positive impact on trading activities in the market.

    However, traders at the market have expressed their happiness over the news about the state government’s intention to reconstruct the road leading to the market and awarding the contract to a “reputable” construction company.

    They however called on the state governor to set up a taskforce team that would consistently carry out on the spot assessment of the project to ensure that the contracting firm builds the road according to specifications on the contracts terms of reference.

    The traders recalling that previous administrations in the state had reconstructed the road while their administrations lasted and attributed the use of substandard materials, lack of proper supervision and monitoring amongst others as reasons why the road especially “Ukwu Mango” continues to fail a few months after it was rehabilitated.

     

  • Chibok girl Amina for rehab

    Chibok girl Amina for rehab

    •Sarah Luka too

    Mohammad Hayyatu, the self-acclaimed husband of a rescued Chibok girl, Amina Ali Nkeki, has been taken into military custody for interrogation, The Nation learnt yesterday.

    The young mother will be sent to a special rehabilitation centre.

    Hayyatu is being treated as a suspected Boko Haram terrorist. Intelligence officers have been grilling him.

    Hayyatu might be separated with Amina and her baby for life if he is found culpable of dastardly conduct as a Boko Haram “commander”.

    For security reasons, the 19-year old Amina will be put in a rehabilitation facility with her mother to enable her take care of her baby.

    It was gathered that a rehabilitation facility has been built for strategic victims of Boko Haram, especially the Chibok girls.

    A top military source said: “Hayyatu is being treated as a Boko Haram commander and he is being interrogated at a military facility. He is a suspected insurgent and if he is culpable of all these atrocities, he will face trial accordingly.

    “The military has detained him for profiling by the Intelligence Unit. He can be released only if at the end of the day he is innocent.

    “With this development, there is no opportunity of reuniting with Amina or the baby.”

    On the girl from GSS Chibok, Sarah Luka, the military source said: “Once we rescue Boko Haram victims, we hand them over to relevant civil authorities and agencies. She will also undergo a rehabilitation process like Amina.”

    Amina will be put in a designated rehabilitation facility alongside her mother.

    Another source said: “For security reasons, we will relocate Amina and the mother to a safe rehabilitation facility which has been created by the government. I cannot tell you whether this rehabilitation facility is in Abuja or Maiduguri.

    “What is important is that they will be put in a facility where Amina can be psychologically secured and under the guidance of her mother because she is a kid-mother. The facility will enable her to raise her child under the care of her mum.

    “We have to work on her psyche to forget about this forceful marriage, the trauma in Sambisa Forest and to allow her to think of how to go back to school for a brighter future.”

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday assured Amina of the best medical and emotional care.

    He said: “Although, we cannot do anything to reverse the horrors of her past, the Federal Government can and will do everything possible to ensure that the rest of her life takes a completely different course.

    “Amina will get the best care that the Nigerian government can afford. We will ensure that she gets the best medical, emotional and whatever care that she requires to get full recovery and be integrated into the society.”

  • UK minister’s visit enlivens Kaduna rehab centre

    UK minister’s visit enlivens Kaduna rehab centre

    Everyone in the community and at the centre was excited. The District Head received the visitors himself. The management and inmates were keen not just to hear what they had to say but also share a few bits of information with their guests.

    It was a day to remember at the Kaduna State Rehabilitation Centre, Makera, Kakuri, where people living with disability are trained in skills to help them lead meaningful lives.

    The United Kingdom’s Minister For Africa and the Department For International Development (DFID), Hon. Grant Shapps and top British High Commission officials visited the rehabilitation centre to assess its progress and ensure that the programmes outlined for the inmates meet their needs and standard set to make life more meaningful for the less privileged.

    Shapps was received at the facility by the District Head of Kakuri, Alhaji Shehu Tijjani, officials of the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) and the management of the centre.

    Mr Shapps who interacted freely with the inmates, taking photographs with them, told journalists that the UK government would be paying special attention to the physically challenged people because of the impact of violent conflicts on them and the fact that they would come in handy in peace building.

    Mr Shapps who later inaugurated a 100m pounds public sector accountability and governance programme at the state Government House, said he was impressed by the ability of the inmates to learn quickly and pass the knowledge to those in rural areas.

    The Nation gathered that the centre which was established in 1980 has a population of 150 students who are trained according to each of “the broad categories of the special needs from the visually impaired, physically challenged, to ones with acute mental challenges.”

    For about one and half to two years, students in the centre have learnt various skills that are designed to take them off the streets, reduce the incidence of stigmatisation against them and make them to be more useful to themselves and the society. Besides the skills they have acquired, they have also become change agents in their communities as others who are not as privileged as they are run to them to learn about the school in the centre.

    Queen Davids, one of the visually impaired students at the centre, said she has learnt about the rights of women through various advocacy programmes initiated by the school.

    Davids said she also learnt cake baking, weaving and knitting, keeping the home and environment clean and her communication ability has improved since she came to the school. She said parents of physically challenged people in the rural areas are always sceptical releasing their children for training, but that on several occasions, she has become a reference point as they now listen to her whenever she visited the rural areas and talked about her experiences in the school.

    Zainab Ahmed from Makarfi who has spent one and half years in the school called on government to improve the facilities. She recalled that she was always moody and unhappy about her condition (physically challenged) before she was brought to the Centre, but haven met with people and interacted with them, she now sees life from different perspective.

    The Nation learnt that based on the commitment of the teachers and the students, there has been a reduction in the number of gender-based violence in the centre, teenage pregnancy and pregnancy rates within students have dropped drastically, while the students have learned about self esteem, entrepreneurship, human rights, safety and security.

    The NSRP supported by DFID has Inclusive Peace Club in the Centre to deal with gender issues, advocacy programmes and capacity building for the vulnerable and marginalised sections of the communities. Other non-governmental organisations such as Alpha Care, coordinated by Hon. Hassan Abubakar, it was learnt also play significant roles in peace building initiatives in Kaduna state.

    Hon Abubakar told The Nation that the collaboration between NSRP and DFID has benefitted so many non-governmental organisations in the state especially on peace building initiatives and support for the physically challenged.

    Alpha Care, he said, has been able to use drama presentation (Magawatta) on radio and television to promote conflict resolution, democracy and good governance besides creating health awareness and respect for the rights of women and children. He commended the NSRP and DFID for supporting its advocacy programme, saying youth restiveness would reduce if there is adequate investment in capacity building, and free education.

    He urged Governor Nasri el-Rufai to build on the achievements of past administrations in the state, especially in sustaining peaceful coexistence among the various ethnic groups by bringing stakeholders together. Hon Abubakar said noted that the government should not wait until crisis situation before building on the relative peace in the state.

    He said the governor should support initiatives that would make the local government councils’ authorities work together with traditional rulers, religious leaders, youths, women groups and other non-governmental organisations in other to confront the problems of insecurity, unemployment, drug abuse, armed robbery, etc.

     

  • Enyeama returns to France to begin rehab

    Enyeama returns to France to begin rehab

    Nigeria skipper Vincent Enyeama has returned to France to begin his rehabilitation after sustaining an injury in the Super Eagles clash with Uganda.

    Thenff.com says the Lille shot – stopper was unhappy with the loss to the East Africans on a day marking his 100th appearance for the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions.

    The Federation has also reported on its official webpage that he visited  the Uyo office of Globacom on Thursday to give out N5,000 recharge cards to 100 subscribers of the telecommunications company.

    The telecoms giants presented him with an i-Phone 6 on which he will be able to make calls for free for the next one year.

    Enyeama is the second Nigerian player to reach 100 caps, following in the footsteps of ex skipper Joseph Yobo.

     

  • Succour for Kwara rehab centre

    Succour for Kwara rehab centre

    The challenges at the centre are typical of the care-giving sector. The idea is noble: providing care and hope to the needy, but such centres often find themselves in dire need of charity from the larger society. Such is the plight of the Amoyo Rehabilitation Centre on the outskirts of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, but help has come its way. The Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) donated a block of kitchens to the centre.

    Also, items worth thousands of naira were presented to the over three-decade-old facility. That should bring some relief.

    In a remark during the donation, the Managing Director of NDIC, Umaru Ibrahim urged public-spirited Nigerians and philanthropists to come to the aid of the less-privileged and persons living with disability across the country.

    Mr. Ibrahim, represented by the corporation’s Director, Insurance and Surveillance, Mr.  Zaccheus Anate, said that the gesture is part of the organisation’s social responsibility in marking the 25th anniversary of the corporation.

    The MD said the NDIC decided to support its Ilorin zonal office to upgrade the status of the rehabilitation centre by giving it a befitting kitchen as well as food items for the upkeep of the inmates.

    Earlier, Ilorin zonal Controller, Ferdinand M. Jego said that the zone has in the last two years,  donated food items and essential materials to the center on a monthly basis.

    “We decided to make this year’s donation formal as part of activities to mark the corporation’s silver jubilee celebration.

    Jego added that the decision to employ a mender and cook, who is on the payroll of the zonal staff, was informed by the request put forward by the management of the center.

    He also urged faith-based organisations, philanthropists and others to make it a duty to visit such centres to know what they need, adding that government alone cannot do the job of taking care of the less privileged in the society.

    Also speaking, Director, Rehabilitation, Kwara state Ministry of Social Development Mr Olarewaju Ajani thanked the corporation for its gesture, promising to make the maximum use of all items donated to the centre adding that this will in no little way motivate other companies around in coming to the aid of the less privileged in the society.

    Olarewaju recalled the history of the centre, saying that the idea for the building of the centre was conceived by some medical youth corpers in 1981.

    He further stated that but for their initiative, such a center did not occur to government as at that time.

    He said that the gesture is putting the name of the corporation and that of the initiators in the sand of time “because it takes a godly person to extend such to the less privileged in the society.”

    The Principal of the school, Alhaji  A. B. Idris who was visibly happy at the gesture of NDIC showered  prayers on all members of the corporation present, adding that he was sure in his spirit that God is happy with people who put smiles on the faces of other.