Rivers

RSG Urges Children To Speak Up, Defend Their Rights

Published

8 months ago

May 27, 2024

In commemoration of this year’s International Children’s Day, Nigerian children have been urged to speak up and defend their rights.

The Assistant Director, Department of Planning, Research and Statistics, Rivers State Ministry of Education, Dr. Alice Altride, gave this advice at an event organised by Christ Embassy, Port Harcourt, for school children to celebrate this year’s Children’s Day.

Speaking on the theme of the celebration, ‘Empowering Young Minds’, Dr Altride urged children to always speak up, defend their rights and stand for truth and justice, saying there are laws that protect children’s rights.

According to her, “Rivers State Government has enacted laws promoting children’s rights, the awareness and sensitisation is ongoing, but it’s sad that some parents are still in denial.

“Rights of children include rights to life, education, good health, survival and development among others. Rivers State Government also practices inclusive education for the physically challenged, hence, there should be no discrimination.”

On his part, the Group Pastor, Christ Embassy City Centre Group, Port Harcourt Zone 1, Pastor Strong Daniel, charged children on the need to engage their minds with productive and positive things as these are keys to their successes in life.

Pastor Daniel, who was represented by the Zonal Director of the church, Pastor Amaechi Udeaku, advised children to meditate on the words of God and guard their hearts with all diligence.

“What you see and what you hear are determinants of what goes on in your mind, hence be careful of what you watch and what you listen to. You must empower your minds to be successful by thinking on right things, obey your parents, yield yourself to instructions, obey God’s words, then the sky is just the beginning”, he said.

He also charged teachers to teach the children Godly virtues as contained in the Bible so that when they are old, the virtues will not depart from them.

The pastor explained that the mission of Inner City Mission and the Children Arm of Christ Embassy Church was to reach out to indigents children, bring them out of the slum and empower them with God’s words.

“All of these is our own ways of extending the love of Christ to the people”, Pastor Daniel stressed.

Also speaking, the Programme Director and Educationist, Rita Daniel Strong, described the theme as apt, noting that the children are tomorrow’s leaders and deserve to be empowered with God’s words to enable them have positive mindsets.

‘It all starts from the mind, if our younger ones can harness their thoughts and work on their minds, they will fulfil their goals in life because they will be able to use their minds positively”, she said.

A keynote speaker and Chairman, Nigeria Institute of Architects, Rivers State Chapter, Arc. Toku Fiberesima, enlightened students on who an Architect is and why it is important for them to take up Architecture as a career.

Speaking on the topic: ‘The Role of an Architect’, Fiberesima said: “Architecture is an integral part of our lives, without an Architect, there will be no where to live. With an Architect, we are able to build our cities, schools, markets, airports, among others.”

Highlights of the events include Bible quiz and Spelling Bee competition and debates.

At the end of the keenly contested competitions, the following schools: Dayton Model College, Noble Learning Int. School, Beryl Brooks Premier School, Readon Int. School, St. Maria Goretti Int’l School, Divine Anteo School, and Increase Int’l School went home with cash gifts and stationery materials.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana

Rivers

Julius Berger reiterates commitment to Bodo- Bonny Road Project

Published

5 days ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has reaffirmed its steadfastness in its mission to delivering transformative infrastructure projects that align with Nigeria’s developmental priorities.

In a statement issued by the leading construction firm and signed by its Head, Corporate Communications, Mr. Emeiseifa James Agama, Julius Berger noted that, “For over 50 years, we have partnered with the Federal Government, communities, and stakeholders to deliver transformative infrastructure solutions with professionalism, transparency, and adherence to the highest standards”.
“The Bodo-Bonny Road project exemplifies our unwavering commitment to progress, despite significant operational and financial challenges. Extreme inflation, rising input costs, and FX volatility necessitating the declaration of Force Majeure and the suspension of works in November 2023. Nevertheless, Julius Berger resumed work in good faith in August 2024, five months before the formal execution of the contract, following a verbal agreement with the Federal Ministry of Works to adjust the contract value from NGN200 billion to NGN280 billion”.
“Although inflationary pressures on materials have risen between 200% and 600% (and even higher in some cases), the relatively modest adjustment to the contract value was a welcome step. Julius Berger’s acceptance at the time reflects our commitment to addressing challenges impacting projects and fostering mutual agreements with the Federal Government to ensure their successful delivery”, the statement further read.
Julius Berger further noted that, “The absence of a tripartite funding agreement between the Federal Government, NLNG and Julius Berger continues to impact payments, requiring Julius Berger to pre-finance significant portions of the project. Despite these challenges, we have continued to make progress, including through the yuletide season, reaffirming our commitment to delivering this critical national asset”.
“It is important to note that Julius Berger is the only contractor to have taken on this project in a challenging terrain previously abandoned by other contractors. Connecting Bonny Island to the mainland for the first time underscores our commitment to innovation and national development.
We remain focused on fostering constructive engagement with all stakeholders to ensure the timely and successful delivery of the Bodo-Bonny Road, a project critical to Nigeria’s economic and social advancement and a cornerstone for the long-term development and prosperity of the Niger Delta”, the statement read.

Rivers

JONAPWD Elections: Commissioner Inaugurates 5-Man Committee

Published

5 days ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

The Rivers State Commissioner for Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Mr. Ilamu Arugu, has inaugurated a 5-man electoral committee to oversee the forth-coming elections of the Joint Association of Persons Living with Disabilities in the State (JONAPWD).

Members of the committee were carefully selected from five clusters, representing various categories of persons with disabilities, including visually and hearing impaired, spinal cord injury, physically challenged, and persons with albinism, to ensure that the electoral process is inclusive.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held in his office in Port-Harcourt, Mr. Arugu emphasized the importance of transparency, accountability, and fairness in the electoral process and charged the committee members to “conduct the election with integrity, impartiality, and the fear of God”.

The Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Commissioner also tasked the committee with developing a comprehensive plan for the election within two weeks and to report any challenges they encounter within the same timeframe to ensure prompt solutions to facilitate a seamless election.

In his acceptance speech, the newly appointed Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Mr. Nwankwo Ndubuisi, expressed his gratitude to the Commissioner on behalf of his colleagues for entrusting them with the mandate and pledged to work tirelessly to ensure a free, fair, and credible electoral process.

“I’d like to thank the Commissioner for this opportunity, and I assure him that we’ll work diligently to ensure a successful election”, the Chairman said.

Mr. Ndubuisi also thanked his colleagues for their support and cooperation, saying, “We’re dedicated to making this election a reality, and we’ll work together to achieve our goal”.

This inauguration marks a crucial milestone in addressing the leadership vacuum created by the expiration of Mr. Kie Obomanu’s tenure as Chairman of JONAPWD.

A statement by the Head of Press, Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Martha Igbiks, said, “the Ministry’s initiative is a welcome development which demonstrates its commitment to promoting inclusivity, transparency, and accountability in governance, ensuring that persons with disabilities have a voice and are actively involved in the decision-making process”.

Rivers

Orazi Gas Explosion: 3 Confirmed Dead

Published

5 days ago

January 10, 2025

The Tide

Three persons have been confirmed dead in the Orazi Gas explosion in Port Harcourt , Rivers State, which occurred last weekend.

Recall that the Rivers State Government confirmed that 16 persons were initially admitted into the hospital as a result of the explosion.

According to information, the dead, which include a father and two of his daughters, were among those receiving treatment at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH).

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, saying the 16 survivors from the incident were carried immediately to the RSUTH.

She also confirmed that some of them were in critical conditions when they were taken there.

“In fact, we are currently managing 16 patients that arose from the explosion at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.

“They have various degrees of burns and thankfully we have a highly specialized unit that is providing expert attention and care to the patients”, she said.

Dr. Oreh said the explosion took place in a residential area without proper guidelines.

“The gas explosion took place in a residential area without adherent to guidelines on how gas cylinders that are commercialized should be operated.

“This is definitely beyond the ministry of health and that emphasizes the fact of what we call social determinants of health and so we work very closely with other ministries”she said.

She also said the Rivers State Government, through the various ministries, is carrying out activities with the view to streamlining the activities of such service providers so that clear guidelines are communicated to them to ensure that the lives of and property of the people of Rivers state is protected.

John Bibor