Rivers
ACOMIN Seeks Functional Primary Healthcare Facilities -SPO
State Programme Officer (SPO) of the Association of Civil Societies in Malaria Control, Immunisation, and Nutrition (ACOMIN), Mrs Maryjane C. Akwuaka, has said the ultimate target of the body is to ensure that health services are easily accessible, particularly in Primary Healthcare Facilities.
Akwuaka, who disclosed this recently in an exclusive interview shortly after the 5th monthly Coordination Meeting of ACOMIN with Civil Society Organisations (CBOs) working on its AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (ATM) Project in Port Harcourt, said so far the CBOs have recorded successes towards the ultimate goal.
According to her, “what we’re looking out for is what the CBOs achieved in the month under review. From our discussions, most of them reported their achievements, though some of them were not able to achieve as they should this month.
“However, what matters in our project is the performance in a quarter. So, if you didn’t achieve as you should this month, you still have the opportunity of making up for it next month.
“Most of them got commitment from the community stakeholders about issues that they went to advocate for, through them. We’re hopeful that with a follow up visit, these commitments will be remedied.
“ACOMIN’s expectation as far as this project is concerned is to see improved health system, particularly at the Primary Healthcare facilities, where a common man can go to, and have access to quality healthcare services”, she said.
Buttressing the success story, the Executive Director, Association of Positive Youth In Nigeria (APYIN), Mrs Rejoice Sunday, said APYIN has recorded notable successes in Ebubu Community.
“Yes, we have recorded successes. This project is not just aimed at seeing that the gaps are closed by the government. The major aim is to see that the community comes in to take ownership of the facility, to see how they can contribute their quota as a community in the areas they can, apart from the areas the government has to come in,” she explained.
Sunday, who is the Coordinator for ACOMIN in the project in Ebubu Community, Eleme LGA, said APYIN has recorded successes notably in making Ebubu Community taking ownership of its health facility, and also provided other services.
“We have recorded successes in the areas of the community taking ownership. For instance, they never had security at the Ebubu primarily healthcare facility. They had the challenge of vandalization ot the facility in the past. Currently they’re making do with the Town Hall, but there was no security to ensure that whatever they had to keep the facility functioning was safe.
“But after our intervention, the community has taken ownership by ensuring that their vigilante services are extended to the facility. The vigilante is now readily available from the evenings to see that the facility and drugs are safe”, she stated.
Another gap discovered, she explained, was lack of cleaners.
“But after we had Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with members of the community, they’ve also taken up ownership by ensuring that the facility is always clean. They also come out to sanitize the facility”.
The same effort, she continued, aslo ensured that individuals donated such items as chairs, waste bins, buckets, etc. to makeshift health center.
She, however, noted that there are challenges for which the State Government would need to intervene.
Such challenges include provision of such items as Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLITN) in the interim to prevent malaria, and drugs for tuberculosis.
Ultimately, she called for renovation and equipping of the existing health center for the community.
On his part, the State Chairman, ACOMIN, Chief John Ihua-Maduenyi, said the meeting “is a review of our activities for the month in the various communities”.
While acknowledging the successes recorded so far, he urged the CBOs still lagging to sit-up.
“They should take their work more seriously than they are doing now: the Executive Directors (EDs), for instance, must know what their officers are doing in the field, and ensure that they review their report at all times”, he said.
The CBOs currently working with ACOMIN are: “Arinze Maduenyi Foundation”; “Dawn of Life Foundation”; and “Rivers of Hope and Humanitarian Initiative” in Obio/Apkor.
In PHALGA, they are: Connecting Peace Initiative; Gods Gift Support Group; and “Support for Mankind Development Initiative”, while Eleme LGA has “Support for Sistanable Development Initiative”; “Dynamic Charity Foundation”; and “Association of Positive Youths in Nigeria”.
“Center for Development Strategies Initiative”; “Center for Education and Support Initiative”; “Mercy of God and Humanitarian Initiative”, are in Tai LGA, while “Christian Help International Foundation”; “Ke-Dumle Support Group”; and Society for Women and Youth Affairs are in Khana LGA.
By: Soibi Max-Alalibo
The Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, says the state judiciary has a total of 23,870 cases pending in various courts in the State.
This figure includes all cases pending in Magistrate, High, and Customary Courts, as well as Customary Court of Appeal in the State.
Justice Amadi stated this while presiding over a special court session held to mark the comencement of the 2024/2025 new legal year held at the auditorium of the High Court in Port Harcourt, Thursday.
The State Chief Judge, while giving the breakdown of performances by the Judiciary in the last year ended, revealed that the stastics of the cases brought before the courts from October 30, 2023 to 30th September 2024 is 31,886, while cases filed stood at 14,791 and cases disposed in the period under review is 22,725.
He further disclosed that the State Judiciary and the customary courts generated a total of #525,322,478,83 as revenue in the last judiciary year under review.
He described the special court session as an annual ritual of the judiciary marked to herald the beginning of a new legal year, stressing that it affords the judiciary and all stakeholders the needed opportunity to take stock of the activities of the judiciary in the past one year in order to improve, with a view to strengthening the justice administration.
The number one state judiciary officer stated that the judiciary had undertaken a lot of capital infrastructure in the year ended to ensure the comfortablility of the workers and judicial officers, and announced that additional high courts would be constructed at Okehi and Degema to ease the challenges of numerous cases coming from such jurisdictions.
Justice Amadi further disclosed that the state judiciary has a total of 51 judges, 57 magistrates, 30 Chairmen of customary courts, and 60 presiding members, adding that the state judiciary has 12 judicial Divisions, 37 magisterial Districts, and 30 customary courts.
“We lost seven judiciary staff, Port Harcourt NBA lost 16, Okehi branch 1, Bori branch 2, and Ahoada branch 2 . Creation of a judicial Division is based on cases filed from such area and we recommend for approval of such and not for politically based”, he stated.
The State Chief Judge used the opportunity to thank the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for the support given to the judiciary in the state, noting that the success recorded by the judiciary in the state was attributed to the huge support from the State Governor.
He also appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and the media for their various cooperation and support and urged them to sustain such in this legal year .
In their various speeches at the event, the State Attorney General and Commissoner of Justice, Dagogo Isreal-Ibroma, SAN; the Leader of the body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Rivers State, OCJ Okocha, SAN; and the Chairman of NBA, Port Harcourt Branch, Mrs. Eke Cordelia, commended the achievements recorded by the state judiciary and urged that more measures be put in place to enhance speedy dispensation of justice.
The special court session was preceded by a church service.
By: Akujobi Amadi
A religious body in Rivers State, the House of Jesus Christ Ministries, has appealed to the warring politicians in the State to stop the orgy of violence over leadership supremacy and embrace genuine dialogue.
This is contained in a recent statement by the Parish Church Council (PCC) meeting of the church.
The statement, which was signed by the General Overseer, Apostle Joseph Emmanuel; Secretary, Evangelist ThankGod Akpanowoh; Parish Women Leader, Mrs. Promise Aniebet William; and Parish Evangelist, Elder Aniefiok Benneth, noted that the spate of violence witnessed across the state has taken unimaginable dimensions with the recent killings, wanton destruction of properties, and the burning down of Council Secretariats.
It said if care is not taken, the crisis could extend to homes, and therefore called on the warring parties to stop and gove room for a lasting solution.
Blaming the Federal Government under the watch of President Bola Tinubu, who it said had been seemingly passive in handling the political difference between the former Governor of the State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“The kind of crisis we are seeing cannot be rationalised. Whether in Rivers or Lagos, whether we are talking of state violence of political upheavals rocking the state, we plead as a church with the contending politicians to pull back their hatchets of indifference for the sake of peace, unity, stability and progress, and allow the possibility of genuine dialogue to begin, and lasting peace restored”, the church said.
Noting that the xurrent wind of democracy blowing in the state is one of the legacies of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and others who preach peace, love and development in the state, the Church cautioned against further crises “in the once peaceful state for posterity”.
It urged the current politicians in the country to emulate the peaceful disposition and virtues of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, which is instrumental to the prevailing peace in the state, in the face of continued provocations.
By: Bethel Toby
Rivers State has topped the performance chart in the implementation of the Nigerian Community Action Resilience And Economic stimulus (NG -CARES) programme in the South-South and Nigeria.
This was contained in a report released at the just-concluded two-day peer learning and experience sharing event in Port Harcourt.
According to the report, Rivers State performed excellently in all aspects of the programme implementation.
The state was followed by Delta State, which emerged second both in the South-South and the country at large.
Meanwhile, the World Bank has approved an additional $500million for the extension of the programme for the next three years.
World Bank Task Team leader, Dr.Lire Ersado, said at the event that the programme has lived up to expectations as it has gone along way to alleviate the sufferings of millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
Ersado, who was represented by Professor Folorusho Okumadewa, said NG CARES has gotten the right strategies and approach in making sure that poor and vulnerable Nigerians can smile.
He said the programme, which was initially setup to address suffering caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, is even more relevant today with a view to addressing the plights of Nigerians affected by flood and other natural disasters.
Ersado said the Port Harcourt meeting, which is the sixth in the series of meetings held across the country, will provide opportunity for all states in the country to cross check their performances with each, as well as learn from the successes and failures of each other.
Also speaking, Rivers State Commissioner for Commerce And Industry, Barrister John Otamiri, said the programme was in line with the State Government programme of alleviating the sufferings of the people.
He also said the government is ready to partner with NG CARES to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and vulnerable in the society.
Otamiri said also assures that Rivers State is safe for investment.
While reeling out its performances, National Coordinator, NG CARES, Dr. Abdulkarim Obaje, said the world Bank is passionate about the programme , adding that the bank has graciously extended the programme for another three years with an additional $500 million.
He said within the last three years $750 million was disbursed to the 36 states and FCT in 160 delivery platforms.
Obaje added that 9.2 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians also benefited from the programme across the country in the last three years.
Earlier, Rivers State Coordinator, RiV CARES, Mrs. Ephraim George Imaonyani, commended the delegates for choosing Rivers State for the South-South meeting.
By; John Bibor
