Suspected cholera outbreak kills 9 in Rivers

There is a disease outbreak in Rivers State that is suspected to be cholera which has killed nine persons in Andoni and Akuku-Toru Local Government Areas. Dr Ada Oreh, the state Commissioner for Health, confirmed the development on Thursday in Port Harcourt. She said that three deaths occurred in Andoni, while six others were recorded in Akuku-Toru, with 41 suspected cases currently under monitoring across the two areas. “We urge the public not to panic, as the state government has already implemented measures to contain this outbreak,” Oreh said. READ ALSO: Nigeria @ 64: walk your talk The commissioner noted that health officials were conducting tests to determine definitively whether the deaths were caused by cholera. She, however, said: “The symptoms observed align with the surveillance case definition for the disease. “The ministry is also investigating a suspected outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea caused by cholera in the Isiodun community in Andoni LGA. “The symptoms analysed are consistent with cholera.” According to Oreh, the bacteria responsible for cholera thrives in environments lacking access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, and hygienic conditions. She said that the bacteria could be transmitted through the consumption of contaminated water or food and contact with infected surfaces. “Rivers is particularly prone to outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea and cholera during the dry seasons. “This poses significant public health challenges due to the high morbidity and mortality rates associated with such outbreaks. “The ministry, in collaboration with its partners and the authorities in Andoni LGA, has activated emergency response measures. READ ALSO: CBN sanctions 9 banks for failing to dispense cash via ATMs “Our rapid response team has also been deployed to the affected areas to enhance disease surveillance, strengthen case detection in health facilities, and supply essential supplies to the communities,” Oreh stated. Oreh said the response team had distributed oral rehydration solutions, intravenous fluids, and vital medicines to health centres in the affected areas. She advised residents to practice frequent hand washing with soap and clean water, particularly before eating and after using the toilet. Oreh also urged them to drink only boiled or chorine-treated water to ensure safety. 

Rivers Political Crisis: Fubara’s Impeachment Imminent – Tonye Cole

Tonye Cole, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the 2023 Rivers State gubernatorial election expresses concerns about the potential impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Mr. hinges his concern about impeachment as the most probable outcome of the ongoing political crisis in the state.  Cole’s warnings come after a recent Court of Appeal ruling upheld a Federal High Court decision that invalidated the 2024 budget presentation and approval for Rivers State. According to Cole, this ruling places Fubara in a precarious position that threatens the stability of his administration.  He pointed out that by having to present the budget again, the Assembly led by Amaewhule is recognized as the legitimate body, increasing the likelihood of impeachment proceedings against Fubara. Cole highlighted the political fragmentation in Rivers, where the governor belongs to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), while the Assembly is predominantly APC, and local government structures are led by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APP).  This situation has created a complex political landscape that is adversely affecting governance and development in the region. He criticized the ongoing political battles, stating that the residents of Rivers are the real victims of this conflict, with essential developments stalled.  Cole argued that if the interests of the people were prioritized, the state would not be facing such turmoil.  The ongoing disputes among political factions have overshadowed the needs of ordinary citizens, leaving many without the benefits of governance.

Labour Party Suspends Nollywood Actress, Hilda Dokubo

By Doris Isreal Ijeoma The Labour Party (LP) has suspended Nollywood actress cum politician, Hilda Dokubo over alleged financial misconduct. Dokubo was suspended as a member of the Labour Party at her ward in Asari Toru Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State. She was accused of financial misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of party regulations, among others. Dokubo, the Labour Party’s acting chairperson in Rivers State, was suspended on Thursday following an emergency meeting of the party’s ward executive committee held on July 15. The suspension was conveyed through a letter addressed to the LP’s chairman of Asari Toru and signed by the ward Chairman, Ajalamonia Ibama; the Secretary, Lole Amacheer; and the Treasurer, Emmanuel Ibamathe. Other signatories to the letter include the Women Leader, Osaki Dieypiriye, and the Publicity Secretary, Osaki Dokubo. The ward executives said the decision followed a thorough investigation into the allegations against the 54-year-old actress. They argued that substantial evidence had been uncovered to support their claims. In 2022, Dokubo declared interest in contesting the Asalga/Akulga federal constituency in the House of Representatives under the Labour Party after two decades in the Nollywood industry. The thespian made her Nollywood debut during her youth service in a 1992 film titled ‘Evil Passion’, and has featured in several other films including ‘Gone Forever’, ‘End of the Wicked’, and ‘My Goodwill’.

IGR: Lagos Leads Other States With N651.1bn, Rivers N172.8bn  

IGR: Lagos Leads Other States With N651.1bn, Rivers N172.8bn  

*FCT Generates N124,366,774,519.25 Lagos states led other states of the federation in the amount of internally generated revenue in 2022, according to the IGR report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Monday. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Lagos, Rivers, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) stood out as the leading states in terms of IGR, ranking in  impressive amounts of N651,145,633,085.30, N172,823,232,535.44, and N124,366,774,519.25, respectively. On the other end of the spectrum, Kebbi, Taraba, and Yobe were the least successful in generating revenue, managing to collect only N9,146,249,907.83, N10,238,110,125.95, and N10,456,776,796.18, respectively. Collectively, the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) managed to generate a total of N1,925,612,626,650.76 as IGR in 2022. This represented a modest growth of 1.57 per cent when compared to the N1,895,786,762,263.80 generated in the previous year, 2021. The report further stated that the revenue for 2022 came from taxes, including various types, and the income generated by different government departments and agencies. The total revenue collected across all states and the FCT increased slightly compared to the previous year. According to the report, the main source of revenue for the year was the pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) tax, contributing a significant 67.62 per cent to the total tax revenues generated across the country. The report also stated that capital gains tax, on the other hand, played a much smaller role, accounting for only 0.24 per cent of the total tax revenue. In terms of local government area (LGA) revenue, Oyo, Lagos, and Jigawa emerged as the top three states. They reported impressive figures of N11,832,437,020.33, N11,505,586,283.35, and N8,700,993,591.78, respectively. The NBS report also noted that in the year 2022, the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) was primarily driven by two major sources: taxes and revenue from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

Hold Shell accountable for Rivers’ oil spills, Oilwatch tells HYPREP  

Hold Shell accountable for Rivers’ oil spills, Oilwatch tells HYPREP  

Oilwatch Africa has called on the Hydrocarbons Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to hold Shell Petroleum Company for recent oil spills in Rivers State. Oilwatch Africa is a civil society organization with a focus on the environment. According to a statement recently in Abuja by the CSO’s, Media and Communication Lead, Miss Kome Odhomor, two major oil spills within a week in Rivers State, is an indication that oil companies are yet to show seriousness about ensuring maintaining their facilities. “It is quite alarming that rather than remediating the harms, more investments are being made to expand the areas of threat. New investments in the fossil fuels sector and incessant new oil spills threaten to push the world into climate catastrophe and expose the wrongheaded pathway taken by nations when they gather at COPs for climate negotiations. “One oil spill was reported from a pipeline owned by Shell in Eteo community on June 13, 2023, while another occurred at Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State on Sunday, June 18, 2023, in Oke-Olebo stream which is the only source of fresh water for the community,” the statement reads. A member of the Oilwatch steering committee, Nnimmo Bassey, reacting to the spill said “We have always advocated for a cleaner environment and we charge the Hydrocarbons Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to take into account the new oil spills that threaten to derail the ongoing cleanup process. Steps should be taken to ensure accountability by offending parties”. Oilwatch Africa Coordinator Salome Nduta expressed dissatisfaction over the action of oil companies in Nigeria and across Africa. He said, “Recently at the just concluded Africa Energy Summit held in the UK, it showed that Africa is not just a geographical location but it is also a cow that should be milked dry for the gains of her captors. Polluters should be held accountable for loss and damage inflicted on communities in Africa”. Oilwatch Africa called on the Nigerian government to take charge and ensure the proper clean-up of polluted sites as well as payment of compensation for damages suffered. “As a group, we further charge all African governments to invest in renewable energy taking into consideration the true cost of extraction which is causing more harm than good to her peoples,” the group said.