Rivers
Stakeholders Counsel Governors On Cattle Ranches In S’South
Governors of the six Niger Delta states have been advised against the establishment of cattle ranches in the zone.
A non governmental organisation in Rivers State, the Niger Delta Good Governance Initiative (NDGGI), urged the Governors to shun the plan as it would not be in the interest of the region.
This was contained in a statement released by the group in Port Harcourt recently and signed by its Coordinator, Dr. Philip Ebizimor, Secretary, Barrister Cletus Brown and Public Relations Officer, Elder Brownson Alete after an enlarged National Working Committee (NWC) meeting.
The group which raised an alarm over the plan by the South-South Governors to establish cattle ranches, enjoined them to back out from such decision, as it will not be accepted by the people in the zone.
According to the group, South-South citizens must know about the arrangements of their leaders in giving away their ancestral lands for cattle ranches.
The group stressed that it is monitoring the Governors, leaders and other stakeholders in the zone, and their collaborators, noting that they should understand that the people will not allow the establishment of any ranches in the zone to be manage by strangers.
“If the Governor and other leaders are genuinely interested in establishing cattle ranches in the South-South zone of Nigeria, such plans must be managed privately by businessmen and women from the zone. Only citizens of the zone are allowed to own cattle ranches anywhere in the South-South geo-political zone.
The body further said that, Governors and other leaders should not allow what happened to the South-East geo-political zone two years ago to repeat itself, because of chasing a political cloud.
The group urged the Governors to put the interest of the zone above any other interest as far as the issue of cattle ranches is concerned.
“We sound it as a note of warning to anybody, no matter your position in the zone, that if you want to have a smooth and peaceful leadership regime in the zone, you must jettison the idea of establishing a Fulani cattle ranch in the states of the zone.
“NDGGI must be on the alert and wait for an order from its parent body to move into all the nooks and crannies of these states. We call on the youths of various states and communities in the zone to provide the group with useful information of any proposed site for Fulani camp or ranch anywhere around their states and communities.
“We, the NDGGI with any useful information of any ranch proposed site for ranch anywhere around their states and communities, we will stop at nothing to ensure that those who are culpable and their cohorts to establish RUGA in any part of the South-South geo-political zone in Nigeria will be resisted”.
NDGGI, however, stated that, “We are also informing other zones’ Governors and leaders to shun any perceived motion of establishing cattle ranches in any of their states and communities”.
Bethel Toby
The Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board (RSPHCMB) says it will commence Supplemental Immunization activities on Saturday, May 3, 2025, to vaccinate children from 0-5 years across the State.
The State Health Educator, Dr. Diana Babbo, who stated this during a sensitisation meeting with Media Advocate for Health, Rivers State, on the update of immunization exercise in Rivers State, said the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) is a re-enforcement of the routine immunization at the health facilities.
According to her, it is aimed at boosting polio immunisation against the circulating variance of polio virus currently threatening the total eradication of polio in the country.
She further stated that there are four pillars of polio eradication, namely routine immunization (administered on babies in the health centre), supplemental immunization activity (supplements to boost the babies), surveillance (searching for children that have weakness in their legs or some oart of their bodies), and outbreak response.
The Health Educator noted that the Novel Oral Polio Vaccination Type 2 (NOPV 2) will be administered to children under the age of 0-5 years, which targets a specific polio still in existence in communities and capable of causing paralysis among the stated categories of children, despite the country being certified a polio-free nation.
Dr. Babbo further stated that this year’s NIPDs will address the high number of unresolved non-compliance cases in the State.
She debunked what she tagged a false rumour by mischief makers which claimed that the vaccines are responsible for the development of autism in children.
She said, “vaccines are not known to be responsible for the development of autism. We’re just hearing that. The truth is that one cannot know everything.
“That aspect that has been found, have we looked into other aspects, such as genetically modified foods, drinks, and milks that our children are taking?
“Have we also looked at genetic compatibility between couples before we now say vaccines are causing x, y, z things?
“Are we looking at the environment where these things are happening, what they are peculiar to?
“It must not be peculiar to all the families, there could be something also that’s happening around that we have not known. Research is evolving, let us not accuse our precious vaccines that have succeeded so far in my knowledge, to keep as many sicknesses at bay.
“The reason we do not have small pox in our world today, apart from the lab (a bio-lab) is because we vaccinated to the point where we were able to move small pox totally out of existence from human beings. We can succeed with that same pattern with all kinds of viruses”.
She stated that the connection between autism and vaccination could merely be coincidence.
Babbo, therefore, urged all parents, churches, and school owners to avail their children/wards the opportunity to be vaccinated against polio the stated exercise.
Sogbeba Dokubo
Engr Obi Fortune, a renowned philanthropist, has donated 80 desks to four secondary schools in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State. The donation is part of his commitment to advancing education in the area.
The schools that benefited from the gesture includes- Community Secondary School Umuoye.
Community Secondary School Akwa- Government Secondary School Ozuzu and Community Primary School Okehi 2 and all the schools got 20 units each of the desks.
Speaking during the brief handing-over ceremony held recently in okehi recently, Engr Obi stated that the donation fulfills his promise to use proceeds from his book sales to procure desks for schools in the LGA.
He disclosed that more desks will arrive soon and expressed his continued commitment to supporting education in the area.
Obi urged the schools to make good use of the desks and called on other individuals to contribute to the educational needs in the area.
This gesture demonstrates Engr Obi’s dedication to improving education in Etche LGA.
A professor of social and political philosophy at Rivers State University (RSU ) Nkpolu Oroworukwu port Harcourt, Prof Agha Eresia _Eke has emphasized that citizenship participation is crucial for achieving true democratic government. He stressed that citizens’ involvement in exercising their basic rights, such as freedom of speech, assembly, and religion, is essential for a democratic institution to thrive.
Eresia _Eke stated this while presenting his inaugural lecture at the 111 university’s inaugural lecture series with the topic “Nigeria Democratic practices:a contextual paradox”held at the university senate auditorium in Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
According to him, core democratic values which include:,- Respect for individual rights and freedoms, Protection of human rights and fundamental freedom, Equality before the law, Freedom of speech, assembly, and association, Protection of privacy and personal autonomy.
“Through out history, the problem that has agitated social and political philosophers has been to work _out a model for the realization of the common good of man.
Man has always sought and developed methods and systems of organising himself according to his true nature as a rational being.”he stated.
Eresia-Eke notes that Nigeria is not practicing a true federalism and highlights the importance of a pragmatic approach to democracy, where ideas and solutions are tested and refined in real-world environments.
He emphasized that citizens must hold their leaders accountable and demand respect for human rights, stressing that by doing so, citizens can undertake their civic obligations and responsibilities, strengthening society as a whole.
Earlier in his address, the Vice chancellor of the university, Prof Zeb _Obipi commended the lecturer for his brilliant performance, adding that he has justified and proven that he is a professor in his area of specialization.
The VC averred that the university has been consistent in the inaugural lecture monthly and assured that his administration will continue to continue to keep the trend.