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Investment In Children, Best Legacy -Lady Fubara ….Urges Crackdown On Child Labour, Trafficking …•Hosts Rivers Children To Party
Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, has stated that the most enduring legacy is investment in children to harness their full potential for self-development and positive impact on the larger society.
This is even as the Rivers State First Lady has called on relevant government agencies to intensify measures towards achieving total crackdown on practices that promote child labour and trafficking.
Lady Fubara stated these while speaking at twin activities by the State Government to mark the 2024 Children’s Day celebrations in Port Harcourt on Monday.
Speaking shortly after taking salute during the official march past at the Sharks Football Club Stadium, Port Harcourt, Lady Fubara, who applauded the theme of this year’s celebration: “Investing in the Future Means Investing in our Children,” called for the prioritisation of the development and wellbeing of children, noting that such investment transcends the individual and has ripple effects on the larger society.
She said, “Today, when we’re gathered to celebrate Children’s Day, we are reminded of the invaluable treasure we hold in our hands, the promise of our future, embodied in their innocence, curiosity and boundless potentials of our children, the theme of this year’s celebration: ‘investing in the future means investing in our children’ underscores our responsibility towards generations to come.
“These responsibilities”, she pointed out, “involve nurturing, guiding and inspiring our children to be architects of a brighter future.”
She further explained that investing in children goes beyond mere provision of basic needs of ensuring assess to education and healthcare which are essential components, but involves creating an enabling environment that fosters their holistic development, intellectually, socially, emotionally and ethically.
According to her, “Investment in our children is about instituting in them the values of compassion, empathy and responsibility for diversity, laying the foundation of a society built on inclusivity and understanding, instilling in them the skills of knowledge and understanding to navigate an ever changing world.”
While speaking at the party organised for children in the State at Government House, Port Harcourt, with the theme: ‘For Every Child, Every Right’, the Rivers First Lady pointed to how inimical child labour and trafficking are in hampering healthy growth and well-being of children, which therefore, should be tackled head-on.
She said: “It is apparent that more efforts still need to be made to continue tackling issues related to our children’s growth and well-being, especially in the area of child labour and trafficking, which are endemic in our society today.
“I call on relevant government agencies to step up the campaign against such evil practices and ensure the safety of our children as they remain the hope of our nation and the potential leaders of tomorrow.
“I urge parents not to be unduly pressured, either by the temporary economic challenges or by societal influences, to engage in such inhuman practice of child labour or trafficking. It is not only an evil against humanity, but also a sin against God,” she said.
Lady Fubara said it is a privilege for her to host children in the State, who are the future hope of society, on such auspicious occasion, and to share in their joy on a day designated for them globally.
The First Lady of the State emphasised that in evaluating the priority of the day, it was pertinent to focus on what the Rivers State Government has started doing for them under the watch of her husband, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, particularly in prioritising their education.
Lady Fubara said: “Several policy initiatives are being taken to rebrand and reposition the educational sector, by strengthening the operations and promoting the emergence of SMART Schools through the remodeling of infrastructure and upgrading of learning equipment.
“I am aware that this administration has taken up examination fees for school children and further purchased books and instructional materials to deepen teaching and improve learning.
“We are truly grateful to His Excellency, the Governor, for always thinking ahead to cater for our children. This clearly demonstrates our determined efforts at building the future we definitely want to see, if we want a tomorrow with great men and women.”
Lady Fubara stated the need for sustained but deliberate efforts in planning for the future with greater investment made that will manifest in the well-being of children.
She recalled the recent gesture of the wife of Nigeria’s President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who, with the ‘Renewed Hope Initiative’, allowed her office coordinate the donation of 50,000 exercise books to public schools in Rivers State.
She said, “This effort was to ensure that our children do not lack the basic materials required of them to engage in the learning process.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, we are here to celebrate our children, and we must continue to pray for them and to guide them according to the dictates of God Almighty, who gave them to us to look after.”
Earlier in her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Dr Justina Jumbo, had stated that prioritizing the welfare of children was paramount, especially in this period of prevailing social and moral decadence in our society.
She said the celebration of Children’s Day helps to bring issues bothering on the welfare of children to the fore, and urged governments at all levels and the private sector to refocus their plans by investing in the future of the children.
The events featured march past, presentation of gifts to participating schools, unity dance performed by 23 children representing the LGAs of the State and other forms of games.
At the nursery category, Family Support Nursery School emerged first position in the march past, while UPE Model Nursery School, Bundu came second.
At Primary School Category, Police Children School emerged first position, while State Primary School, Elekahia, and Distinct Victory Field came second and third, respectively.
Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri, came first at the junior secondary category, while Butterstone and Sunrise Secondary schools came second and third, respectively.
For the Senior Secondary Schools’ category, Model Secondary School, GRA, Port Harcourt, came first, while Vivid Model School and Government Secondary School Borokiri came second and third, respectively.
For the paramilitary category, Police Comprehensive Secondary School, came first, while Nigeria Navy Secondary School, Borkiri came second.
Lady Fubara, accompanied by some dignitaries, cut the 2024 Children’s Day Party Cake at Government House playground.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.