Determined to maintain her position as the best performing state in the South-South region in the Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge contest, the Rivers State Government has promised to continue investing heavily in health care infrastructure. The stated reason is that it touches lives, protects communities and builds a healthier future for the people of the State.
Rivers State Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Odu, made the disclosure while inaugurating the newly installed Solarised Walk-in Cold Room, and Vaccine Vial Crushers at the headquarters of the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board along Aba Road in Port Harcourt. She also commissioned nine operational Hilux vehicles and ten motorcycles for disease surveillance in the 23 Local Government Areas of the State.
Professor Odu, who represented Governor Siminalayi Fubara at the unveiling ceremony, restated the commitment of government to build and bequeath a functional and accessible basic health care system to the people and residents of Rivers State. The Deputy Governor praised the Management of the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board for winning the South-South Leadership Challenge for a second consecutive time, and also emerging as national runner-up, only behind Anambra State. For emerging the champion in the South-South for the second year running, Rivers State received $500,000 each for both 2023 and 2024, demonstrating the consistent hard work of the health teams the State.
The Deputy Governor, who is also Chairman of the Rivers State Task Force on Primary Health Care, disclosed that the installation of a modern cold chain facility at the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board, represents the State Government’s dedication to maintain vaccine efficacy, and ensure that every child or adult receives potent, life-saving immunisations, pointing out that the event was not just a mere inauguration of equipment, but a determined effort to strengthen the foundation of primary health care delivery in the 23 LGAs.
“Under the watch of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the administration has consistently prioritised health care infrastructure that would directly impact communities in the State. This comprehensive approach of combining storage facilities, vaccine management equipment, and mobility solutions reflects the administration’s understanding that effective health care delivery requires robust systems, infrastructure and a dedicated workforce,” Professor Odu told the gathering.
She expressed deep appreciation to such global partners as the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children’s Educational Fund Fund (UNICEF), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), among other development partners for their commitment and unflinching support, adding that their valued partnership has given the State great mileage in achieving her targets in the critical health sector.
Professor Odu commended the Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, the Board of Trustees (BoT) and Management of the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board, and staff for their concerted efforts in ensuring that Rivers State maintained the leadership position of primary health care in the South-South zone, and aiming to conquer the centre.
The event was organised under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), and supported by UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Aliko Dangote Foundation, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
The initiative is anchored on the Seattle Declaration agreement for stronger sub-national leadership in primary health care in Nigeria and aims to revitalise the Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) policy, which aims to galvanise stronger commitments from State Governors to promote a progressive increase in PHC funding and delivery. The initiative is geared towards ensuring improved infrastructure in all primary health care centres with strengthened human resource capacity.
In her remarks, Rivers Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Comfort Mekele Igwe, stated that the commissioning of the equipment and vehicles would greatly enhance vaccine storage, disease surveillance, and effective health care delivery in the State. “The commissioning of these equipment and operational vehicles today represents Government’s commitment to improving the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of the primary health care system in Rivers State. The Ministry of Health will continue to closely monitor the health indices in the State to ensure proper health care delivery to our people,” Dr Igwe said.
In his address, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the RSPHCMB Professor Blessing Jaja, restated the resolve of the Board to ensure that all Rivers people have access to adequate and cost-effective health care. “Under the leadership of the Deputy Governor and the State Commissioner for Health, the Board has attained greater heights in effective service delivery to the people. I wish to thank Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his robust support towards efficient and accessible basic health care in the State,” the Chairman said.
Executive Secretary of RSPHCMB, Professor Kinikanwo Green, who described the Solarised Walk-in Cold Room as one of the best in Nigeria, stressed that the vehicles and motorcycles will help Medical Officers of Health (MOH) and support staff to access hard-to-reach areas of the State.
“The equipment, vehicles and motorcycles being commissioned today will help to strengthen primary health care delivery, ensure access to universal health care, give wider accessibility to immunisation and help to reduce the disease burden in the state.
“I wish to commend Governor Fubara for paying close attention to basic health, which covers about 80% of the entire health care needs of the populace. The Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Odu and the Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, have been quite exemplary in their total commitment to propelling us to where we are today in primary health care delivery,” Professor Green said.
In his contribution, Chairman of Port Harcourt Local Government Area (PHALGA), Ezebunwo Ichemati, pledged continued support from his colleagues, pledging to stand solidly behind the Government in its determined effort to make affordable health care accessible to all Rivers people. Ichemati, who is also Rivers State Chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), expressed happiness that the RSPHCMB was working assiduously to immunise all children. He promised that ALGON would continue to support the Board to deliver on its core mandate.   South-South Zonal Coordinator of the World Health Organisation, Dr. Oluwafunmilola Kolude, and UNICEF representative, Dr. Anselem Audu, commended the remarkable commitment to health care by the Rivers State Government, promising more partnerships to significantly improve access and coverage of immunisation.

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that integrating Ogoni people in all the processes geared towards remediating their land to bring lasting respite to years of environmental degradation they had suffered will truly make them own the projects without sabotaging them.

Governor Fubara made the remark when he received on courtesy visit, the Minister of Environment, Mr Balarabe Abbas Lawal, and his delegation, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

The Minister of Environment was accompanied by the Minister of Regional Development, Hon Abubakar Momoh, the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohamed Malick Fall, and HYPREP Project Coordinator, Prof Nenibarini Zabbey.

Governor Fubara noted with delight the progress reports that have been reeled out by the Minister of Environment, which indicated the seriousness given to remediating the effects of pollution occasioned by oil exploration and production in Ogoniland.

He said, “We all know the situation of Ogoniland. They don’t have good water, they don’t even have the farmland for agriculture anymore, their rivers are already polluted.

“If they have anyone that is remaining, the fishes there are already contaminated. The life expectancy is also cut short because whether we like it or not, the food we eat, when contaminated; the water we drink, when contaminated; also affects the elements in our system.

“So, I want to appeal that while we go on with this programme, it is not just coming to commission the water project and the few other things that have been outlined here, the Ogoni people, the people directly affected should be part of it. There should be buy-in, they should own what you are doing.”

Governor Fubara stated: “And how do they own it? It is not by you sitting in Abuja and awarding contracts to somebody we don’t know. Inasmuch as I don’t support issuing it to somebody who cannot deliver, but the community people should be part of the process, so that they have that sense of belonging, that sense of responsibility; it also gives the sense of protection. Because if they believe that they are not part of it, issues of sabotage come in.”

Governor Fubara said the Water Project that has been completed under the supervision of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), and now ready for inauguration, must be truly functional to serve the people who had suffered lack of portable water for years.

He promised, as a government, to convoke a meeting of critical stakeholders in the benefitting communities to emphasise the need for them to protect the projects, and never allow them to collapse, either by lack of maintenance or vandalisation.

Governor Fubara explained that his administration paid for metering of consumers in communities in Eleme, Tai, Khana, Gokana and Andoni Local Government Areas in order to ensure the availability of electricity to the people to enhance their livelihoods.

He added, “You mentioned something very important, which has been given serious attention by this administration. The issue of power. In fact, I can say it here without any fear of any contradiction that my administration paid for metering of Eleme, Tai, Gokana, Khana, including Andoni Local Government Areas for ease of power supply.

“So, I am happy that you are also doing something to that effect, because if we are talking about development coming into Ogoniland, you cannot develop the area without power. Power is the most important thing.

“Even the issue that we are talking about, effective healthcare services; power is even needed because those machines and facilities you want to install, they need constant power to function. So, not having power is just like not having life in a system.”

Governor Fubara added: “So, please I will appeal that whatever thing that you need to do, whatever you are doing, go ahead with it. When we need to come in to support you to make sure you succeed or compliment what you have already done, we will not hesitate to support you.”

Governor Fubara explained that his administration conducted a study across sectors to determine more pressing areas to give urgent attention to make life comfortable for the people.

He said after expert analysis was made from reports collated, there was need to break away from mere jamboree that the state witnessed for a long while, and government decided to address issues head-on, especially healthcare delivery and education.

He said, “We have to go all out to make sure that we do what is right. And I believe what you are seeing in the recent report is because of our deliberate action to make sure that we improve the state of our healthcare services in Rivers State.

“I can tell you: we have won several awards as best performing state when it comes to issue of healthcare. It is an important aspect of our administration. You need to be alive to work; you need to be alive to be productive.

“We didn’t end just in the aspect of the healthcare, knowing fully well that if the SDGs have to be achieved on poverty, and healthcare, education is also key. With education, you also reduce the level of crime, because when a lot of people are educated, they get into positive engagements. These engagements, in a way, reduce, at least, 10 percent of the number of those people that are supposed to go into crime.”

Governor Fubara restated: “In the next six months, we might be even inviting you to come and do a tour of what we are already achieving because we have a lot.

“By the special grace of God, in the next two weeks, we will be unveiling Bori Zonal Hospital. This hospital is to take care of intermediary medical cases to reduce the pressure that we are having in our teaching hospital,” he added.

In his address, the Minister of Environment, Mr Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said the delegation was in Rivers State to inspect ongoing projects, adding that they will also be inaugurating some that have been completed like the Water Projects.

Mr Lawal stated that they have been confronted with frustrating attitude put up by the people in accepting some projects or even owning the ongoing ones, which he added, has led to series of town hall meetings and community engagement fora to secure the people’s buy-in.

The Minister spoke on the Ogoni power project, and appealed to Governor Fubara for support to facilitate the distribution of electricity that will be tapped from the National Grid to serve both Ogoni people and neighbouring communities.

He added, “Tomorrow, we are commissioning water project. We have done about four before, and we believe that these projects are not just meant for the Ogoni people, but I think there are also going to extend to a number of other communities around Rivers State.

“We understand that water is critical, because when you are talking of pollution, the first victim is water. So, that is why we are putting more emphasis on trying to address the issue of water. We are also trying to address the issue of healthcare, because pollution normally comes with the issue of health of the people.

“Accordingly, we are building a state-of-the-art hospital, which has gone more than 50 percent now. It is going to address some of the bigger issues related to pollution. We also have so many cottage hospitals we are trying to do, which will link to that. In that area, we have been receiving a lot of cooperation from the state government.”

In his remarks, the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohamed Malick Fall commended the Governor for his administration’s support to ongoing work in Ogoniland, and stressed that the partnership will help all parties achieve the desired targets set out in the UNEP Report recommendations for the benefit of Ogoni people, the entire State, and indeed, the Niger Delta region.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reiterated that there will be no extension of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration beyond March 8, 2025.

JAMB spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, made this known in a press release issued in Abuja, yesterday.

According to Benjamin, the registration period, which commenced on 3rd of February, will close on March 8, 2025, as previously announced.

“This deadline has been clearly communicated in all advertisements and the official calendar for the 2025 UTME exercise,” he said.

“We wish to inform all prospective candidates that there will be no extension of the registration period. This notice is particularly important given the recent decline in the number of candidates registering for the examination.

“We urge all individuals who wish to participate to register promptly and avoid waiting until the last minute,” he added.

Benjamin disclosed that over 1.5 million candidates have already registered, which aligns with the board’s projections for the 2025 examination cycle.

“It is essential to note that the Board’s calendar is fixed, with several other scheduled activities after registration, including the examination, results processing, and admissions exercise.

“These timelines are coordinated with other agencies whose operations depend on the completion of our processes. Therefore, extending the registration period would disrupt not only JAMB’s plans but also those of our partners,” he explained.

Benjamin urged candidates to complete their registration as soon as possible and adhere to the set deadline for the 2025 UTME.