Niger Delta

S’South Govs Wives Review Women Dev Plans

Published

15 years ago

May 23, 2010

The Forum of South-South Governors’ Wives met in Yenagoa to review their action plan for improved economic development and social health status for women and children in the region.

The forum, which met on Wednesday, was hosted by the Bayelsa Governor’s wife, Mrs Alayingi Sylva in conjunction with UNICEF, NDDC, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

Sylva appealed to donor agencies to assist in financing the various projects of the governors’ wives to improve the welfare and socio-economic wellbeing of Niger Delta women and children.

She said that the creation of the Ministry of Gender and Social Development in the state had effected a significant change in the status and level of matters relating to the welfare of women and children.

She specifically appealed to UNICEF to support the initiatives of the forum in their various projects “to bring succour to the living conditions of women, children and the physically challenged persons.

“The UN made a declaration to make the world a better place in 2015, with its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), yet with just five years left to 2015, our women are still battling to achieve these goals.

“Governor’s wives have therefore, resolved to support their husbands to ensure that the MDGs are met,” Sylva said.

In her presentation, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Nigeria, Mrs Pelucy Ntambirweki, enumerated the various positive inputs that the forum could make in addressing the development challenges facing women and children in the region.

In her presentation entitled “Achieving Strategic Results for Children: The Role of Governors’ wives,” she expressed regret over the incidence of malnutrition among many children in rural communities.

Ntambirweki said that diseases posed great challenge to the government and the development agencies.

She said: “We can mobilise the governors’ wives to redouble their efforts in their respective states in tackling the challenges facing women and children, especially those from poor backgrounds.”

The UNICEF chief stressed the need to intensify efforts toward raising the issues of the vulnerability of children and women to the highest point and make them the priority of government.

While assuring them of UNICEF support, Ntambirweki called on the first ladies to evolve more result-oriented measures that would help them to actualise the objectives of their development projects.

In their contributions, the wife of the Cross River Governor, Mrs Obioma Imoke and her Rivers counterpart, Mrs Judith Amaechi, highlighted the “impressive submissions on our pet projects, the Mothers against Child Abandonment (MACA) and the Empowerment Support Initiatives (ESI) respectively’’.

Imoke pointed out that the governor’s wives had been restricted by lack of funds and solicited for renewed partnership between donor agencies and their offices in the region.

In her solidarity speech, the Community Relations Officer of Brass LNG, Mrs Ruth Benamaisia-Opia, reiterated the company’s readiness to partner with the governor’s wives.

She said the company was ready to assist them in their pet projects and the provision of welfare packages to children and women.

The meeting ended with a nine-point communiqué, urging the forum to develop an economic empowerment strategy for women with the introduction of micro-credit and conditional cash schemes.

Niger Delta

Fouchee Celebrates Asari’s Recognition

Published

14 hours ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

The Amayanabo of Fouchee Community in Degema Local Government Area, Rivers State, HRH. A.C.Blakk-Iwerima, says the recognition of Alabo, Alhaji Mujaheed Dokubo Asari as the Amayanabo of Torusarama Piri is the icing on the achievements of the Rivers State Governor in 2024.

HRH. Blakk-Iwerima, who was speaking recently to newsmen after the annual thanksgiving service of the Fouchee Community, said the recognition of Dokubo Asari was fit and proper and sounds like music in the ears of all people of Ifoko ancestry.

He commended the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialaye Joseph Fubara, for the recognition of Dokubo Asari, whose leadership role, he acknowledged, stands out.

He also commended the Governor for the many steps being taken to restore sanity in governance and dousing desperation through people-centered policies in the State.

According to him, “the Kings, Chiefs and people of Fouchee and Ifoko Communities in the Kalabari ethnic nationality are very proud of Alabo, Alhaji Dokubo Asari, whose links with Ifoko has been most rewarding”.

HRH. Blakk-Iwerima promised to give all the support needed to enable the team working on the Fouchee Atlantic Project to succeed, and expressed hope that the Rivers State Government would also give the needed backing.

He further called on Asari to use the recognition to strengthen the Kalabari Se Kobiri and bring all aggrieved persons and communities to see the need to work together.

Niger Delta

Kalabari Media Forum Hails Recognition Of Dokubo Asari As Amayanabo

Published

15 hours ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

The Kalabari Media Forum has endorsed the recognition of Alabo, Alhaji Mujaheed Dokubo Asari as the Amayanabo of Torusarama Piri and the historical relevance of the award.

A communique issued after the 2024 end of year summit of the Forum also commends the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminialaye Joseph Fubara for the recognition which they described as the best end of year gift to the Kalabari people.

The Communique signed by the Coordinator of the Forum, Alabo Dagogo Clinton and the Secretary, Mr. Harry Awolayeofori Macmorrison states that the gesture should make the Kalabari people to get back to the drawing board and consolidate on existing inter and intra communal peace within the region.

According to the statement, Torusarama Piri was the first place where the founding fathers of Kalabari converged from different cultures, tribes and backgrounds. Adding that those saying that the Kalabari people are not united should think again.

” As the different founding fathers were able to form a formidable ethnic nationality, modern day Kalabari should be able to sink the differences between the constituent communities and with other non-Kalabari speaking neighbours to achieve the needed internal cohesion for development”. It states.

The Forum further congratulated Alabo Asari Dokubo on his recognition and urged him to use the opportunity to do even more for the Kalabari people and Rivers State as a whole.

According to the statement, the Forum is happy with the recognition of Dokubo Asari not because he is one of the patrons of the Forum, but because he is about the most Kalabari-centric figure living, who has also committed enormous resources for the protection of the Kalabari people.

They urged the Kalabari Se Kobiri and the entire people of the ethnic nationality to work with Alabo Dokubo Asari and put to rest speculations about Kalabari that some persons have exploited against the interest of the Kalabari people over the years.

Niger Delta

We’re Upgrading Tourism Sites Across C’River – Otu

Published

15 hours ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has said plans were underway to upgrade tourism sites across the state to meet international standards.

Speaking with newsmen in Calabar, Otu said this was to attract local and international tourists to the state.

He said the state was also working on creating the needed infrastructure to boost tourism in the areas of transportation and accommodation among others.

“We are currently training personnel within the state and outside the country to upgrade our tourism sites. We are partnering with investors to bring some of them to 21st century standard.

“Currently, we are trying to ensure our roads are taken care of. We are not waiting on the Federal Government again because it has become clear that priorities are too many, so, we have to help ourselves.

“We want to ensure people easily access those tourism sites with very little difficulty and we are looking at stabilising our product pricing by making sure transportation is improved. We will explore gas, electricity and train.

“We are going to improve aviation as well”, he said.

Speaking on the just-concluded Calabar Carnival, Otu commended the competing and non-competing bands for their remarkable imput which culminated to the success of the event.

He appreciated everyone who worked behind the scene in the nine months preparation period for the carnival.

According to him, with guidance from renowned professors, researchers, individual artistes and many more professionals, the carnival was improved on.

He said in view of the need to bring back the international carnival, the state would work on ensuring world-class accommodation facilities are put in place ahead of the next edition.

He noted that the state would have a post carnival review to assess the areas to be improved on and other programmes to introduce.

Otu said depending on the outcome of the review, the state would be considering establishing diaspora bands in 2025.

“International carnival is not scrapped, we are looking at the prospect of established diaspora bands in 2025. This time, we are going to have a post carnival review to put things right.

“We are aware that three to four months ahead of the Calabar Carnival, hotels were already fully booked. So, we are trying to make sure we do not only have enough hotels but also ensure they are upscaled to international standards.

“This is because next Calabar Carnival will be a bigger picture with our international carnival in place.

“We already have international hospitality facilities that are moving here, we have hotels that are almost completed which can compete with any hotel across the world”, he said.

Otu, expressed excitement over the exhilarating performance of physically challenged individuals in the carnival.

He said the possibility of having a dedicated carnival band for them in 2025 would be explored.

“We do not see them as being limited by whatever challenges they face. We are looking at some of the things they have put to us but there must be a policy.

“We are looking at setting up a proper structure in their favour. So, to encourage them on the carnival front, the chairman of the Carnival Commission will check if they actually need their own band”, he said.