City Crime
…Pledges Cooperation With Media
The Rivers State Government has reiterated its commitment and interest to see that all accredited practicing journalists in the State are given the needed cooperation to enable them deliver on their jobs.
The State Information and Communications Commissioner, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari who gave the assurance yesterday during an official visit to the office of the Federated Correspondents Chapel on Ikwerre Road, stated that she is proud of the favourable Press friendly disposition of the present administration to the welfare of journalists in the State.
Mrs. Semenitari explained that the rumour that the State government preferred some media houses to others was totally unfounded and in bad taste as far as the Amaechi-led government is concerned.
She enjoined not only members of the Correspondents Chapel but the entire media constituency in the State to discountenance the activities of rumour mongers and concentrate to work for the progress of the State.
The Commissioner who used the opportunity to commend those who have continued to report stories about the State professionally, advised that it was entirely unethical for a story to be put out without due confirmation from those who are expected to do so.
On the complaint that some Commissioners and heads of government agencies hardly take their calls to clarify stories about their agencies, Mrs. Semenitari assured that she would do everything officially possible to change the ‘situation for the good of the State.
Earlier in his address the Chairman of the Federated Correspondents Chapel, Mr. Lawson Heyford had commended the Commissioner for the visit and assured of the Chapel’s preparedness to work as partners in progress with the Information and Communications Ministry to move the State forward.
Meanwhile, as part of her policy thrust to motivate staff and encourage hardwork and dedication to duty, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari on assumption of duty late last year instituted a staff of the month Award Scheme for the Ministry and its Parastatals.
A total of six staff drawn from the Ministry and its parastatals were the first batch of beneficiaries of the Award Scheme.
The beneficiaries for the month of December, 2009 include Messrs Owupele Benebo and Faa Lekara of the Publications and Accounts Department of the Ministry respectively.
Others are Mr. Austin Tolofari of Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Kingsley Okeagwu of the Rivers State Television Station and Isaac Esuka of Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation as well as Maxwell Gbode of the Government Printing Press.
Speaking to newsmen in her office on the importance of the Staff of the Month Award initiative, the Commissioner, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari said that the Scheme was put in place to set a new performance agenda for Information Officers and other career staff in the Ministry and the Parastatals.
Mrs. Semenitari who stated that it was not compulsory that there must be winners each month, said the key idea behind the scheme was to make Information Officers and their counterparts in the government-owned media acknowledge and effectively rise to the occasion to deliver on their duties as public sector communicators, irrespective of the departments where they are redeployed to serve.
She therefore enjoined those who did not make it in the month of December 2009 to do their best to win in subsequent months and congratulated the maiden winners of the Staff of the Month Award, stressing that they should sustain the tempo of work.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that the other party to the Supreme Court judgment; Rivers State House of Assembly, needed to know that they are also to comply with the ruling, and do so with commitment that prioritises the interest of the State.
The Governor maintained that such resolve must engender collective action towards achieving peace in the State because it serves as the potent medium through which all the arms of Government can function properly while creating public goods that benefit everyone.
Governor Fubara, who spoke at the inauguaration of the 85-year-old Okrika Grammar School in Okrika Local Government Area on Thursday, emphasised that without an enduring peace, sustainable development will be hampered practically, while the sense of security, respect, tolerance, stability, and well-being to pursue goals will suffer.
The Governor said: “Let me thank everyone, and also say this, it is important at this stage that we all embrace peace. The Supreme Court has made its judgment, we don’t have any option than to abide by it.
“And, by the special grace of God, we have started the process. We are appealing to other parties, consider the interest of Rivers State, it is important. The only thing that we owe this State is peace and development. I am open any day, any time for total peace in our State, because if I have to govern well, there is need for peace to prevail.”
Commenting on the project, Governor Fubara recalled how the planning committee of the 20th Anniversary of the Diocese of Okrika Anglican Communion visited, and appealed to him to give the school, dilapidated for a long time, a facelift.
Governor Fubara said he considered their request on the premise of the place the school filled in history and the importance of quality education in addressing some social vices among idle and uneducated youths.
The Governor stated: “I felt the least, as a government, we can do is to uplift the standard of this school. And, it is not out of place, because it is part of our agenda. The key things in this administration’s agenda are healthcare, education and food sufficiency (agriculture).
“So, we immediately keyed into it, and to the glory of God, we are here today to unveil one of the things that we have done, even in the face of these situations confronting our administration, which we didn’t bring upon ourselves. But we give God all the glory.”
Governor Fubara assured the Anglican Church that whatever that is remaining, within the scope of what has been approved in the institution, will be completed, stressing that education has remained the bedrock of development in any society.
He added that if the key ingredients (facilities) to boost education are properly managed, crime will be reduced drastically, saying: “So, I believe that when all the facilities put in place in this school are put into full use, the level of crime, the level of criminality would definitely reduce, not just in Okrika but other neighbouring communities that will benefit from this school.
“I want to assure you that we will continue to do our best because the interest of our State is the most important thing to us. This school is being managed by the church. I believe the church would protect every facility that we have put in this place. The church should see the facility as its own. As a matter of fact, the school belongs to the church, it is not government anymore. What government is doing today is to compliment their effort.”
The Rivers State Governor assured the leadership of the Anglican Church in the area that he will send experts to assess the shore protection concerns expressed by the Bishop, and see what can be done to safeguard the surrounding land of the school from being washed away.
Governor Fubara also challenged the Old Boys of the school to be bold and courageous to take up some strategic projects, especially those they had listed in their address, including establishing a centre for computer-based examinations for external examinations.
Providing the project description, Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr Ovy Orluideye Chukwuma, pointed to the massive remodelling and reconstruction work achieved, which has restored the cherished glory of Okrika Grammar School to confirm the commitment of Governor Fubara to quality education of children.
He said, “The construction and equipping of Okrika Grammar School, Okrika in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State was awarded in April, 2024 to various contractors, and was duly funded to completion by the Rivers State Government under the administration of Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
“The project consists of an Administrative Block, 24 Classroom Blocks, Laboratory, ICT Library Block, Assembly Hall, 100-bed Male Hostel, 100-bed Female Hostel, Kitchen and Dinning Hall, Matron’s Quarters and Sickbay, Principal’s Quarters, Senior Staff Quarters, Junior Staff Quarters, perimeter fencing, gate, generator house and power supply with extension of electricity, including solar-powered streetlights.
“There are also Vice Principal’s Quarters, sports facilities such as lawn tennis, basketball and school field. Revamping for facelift some of the old buildings such as the old dinning hall, repainting of various old structures and buildings within the premises.”
Dr Chukwuma also said: “There is road network and landscaping of about 1.8kilometers with 1.5kilometer drainage, interlocking connecting buildings, completed road pavements and parking lots, water supply to all the buildings within the compound.
“There is also furnishing and equipping of the entire 14 structures with standard students’ desks, hostel beds, quality and standard furniture, electronics such as 86 air conditioning, both inverter and 1.5 horsepower and 75 smart television sets, 60 computer sets and standard science laboratory.”
In her welcome address, Head of Local Government Administration, Okrika Local Government Area, Mrs Obianime Appollos, said the Okrika Grammar School in Okrika, established in 1940, had remained an iconic institution known for academic excellence, and thanked Governor Fubara for remodelling structures and restoring the status of the institution after years of neglect of all facilities, which demonstrates his commitment to providing quality education, investment in the future of Rivers children and improving the well-being of the people.
Speaking for the Old Boys Association, Mr Golden Iruayenama, said the years of neglect and dilapidation of structures at Okrika Grammar School were worrisome with promises to fix them never materialized until Governor Fubara changed the narrative.
Also speaking, Bishop of Diocese of Okrika Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Enoch Atuboyedia, said it will be remembered that it was when the school attained 85 years of existence that Governor Fubara, magnanimously remodelled and resuscitated Okrika Grammar School to help the shaping of the future of Rivers children, educationally.
Gunmen, who recently abducted the winner of the National Qur’anic Recitation Competition, Abdulsalam Rabi’u are demanding the sum of N30million ransom as condition for his release.
The Tide’s source recalled that the criminal elements had on Tuesday kidnapped Rabi’u along with his father and brothers near Labin Bangori in Katsina State.
Rabi’u, an indigene of Katsina State and a medical student at Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria emerged winner of the competition, Hizb 60 with Tajweed, earlier held in Kebbi State.
He was kidnapped after Governor Dikko Umar Radda invited him and his father to the Government House for a special recognition ceremony.
The gunmen reportedly picked Rabi’u alongside his father and other members of his family while returning home after the ceremony.