29092020 - Anger as labour leaders abort strike, mass protest

Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, , 2020 — 33
Ths creek blocked by water hyacinth
Residents protest as water hyacinth
barricades Bayelsa creek
•Govt move to tackle menace —Ewhrudjakpo
BAYELSA…
THE JERUSALEM OF
IJAW NATION
By Samuel
Oyadongha, Yenagoa
ONOPA- RESIDENTS
of Onopa, Yenagoa Local
Government Area, Bayelsa
State, have protested the takeover
of Epie Creek, by water hyacinth,
which poses a threat to their means
of livelihood.
The creek runs through the entire
length of Yenagoa, the state capital,
from Igbogene and empties into the
Ekoli River.
Sad turn of events
NDV finding revealed that the
initial plan of the pioneer civilian
administration of the late Chief
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and his
successor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan,
was to transform the creek into a
tourist haven by making the water
navigable all year so as to encourage
residents to take a boat cruise from
the gateway town of Igbogene to the
heart of the capital, thereby easing
pressure on the Mbiama-Yenagoa
expressway.
It had planned to plant whistling
palms along the creek to give the
capital city the look of a mariner, but
today, the reverse is the case, as the
creek with rich tourism potentials for
the state, is in a sorry state.
Sadly, in most sections of the creek,
THE TEAM
Emma Amaize - Editor
Samuel Oyadongha - Yenagoa
Jimitota Onoyume- Warri
Gabriel Enogholase- Benin City
Festus Ahon- Asaba
Egufe Yafugborhi- Port Harcourt
Emmanuel Una- Calabar
Akpokona Omafuaire- Warri
Paul Olayemi- Sapele
Harri-Okon Emmanuel- Uyo
Chioma Onuegbu-Uyo
Ike Uchechukwu- Calabar
Davies Iheamnachor- P/Harcourt
Emem Idio- Yenagoa
Brisibe Perez- Ughelli
Theresa Ugbobu- Agbor
Ochuko Akuopha- Oleh
Chancel Bomadi Sunday - Bomadi
Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu- Benin City
Nath Onajoke, Asaba
Chijioke Nwankpa, Port Harcourt
Barnabas Uzosike, Benin City
apart from during the flood season,
there is hardly any water. Instead,
household wastes, overgrown
grasses, shrubs and trees dominate
the creek.
This creek which could have been
of enormous benefits to the residents
as natural drain during the flood and
means of transport for the farming
folks as well as income to anglers is
completely blocked.
Pained by the turn of event,
indigenes of Onopa were forced to
stage a peaceful protest penultimate
week, to draw government attention
AKWA IBOM …
THE LAND OF
PROMISE
By Chioma Onuegbu
ETINAM- AKWA-IBOM State
Government-owned College of
Health Technology has curiously
been neglected by government, over
the years.
NDV finding showed the 32-yearold
institution is housed in some
makeshift and dilapidated
structures built by preindependence
missionaries of Qua
Iboe Church with only one bus
serving as the provost’s official
vehicle and general purpose for the
institution.
Until recently, ex-students of the
school have no prospects and hardly
eligible for employment in the state’s
health sector because of poor
training occasioned by lack of
facilities, non-accreditation of
courses and lack of qualified
professional lecturers in appropriate
departments.
It was gathered that even some
professional lecturers hired on parttime
are paid stipends from the
meagre sundry fees the students pay,
as government allegedly stopped
paying imprest and subvention to
the school since September, 2016.
Gov yet to sign bill
However, the general opinion in
the state is that the many problems
to their plight as some of their folks
who went to their farmlands were
trapped in the forest as they
navigated through the blocked
creek.
We’ll find lasting
solution to Menace
—Bayelsa Govt
Meanwhile, the state government
while empathizing with
communities along the Epie Creek,
promised to find lasting solution to
of the school could have been solved
if the government assents to the Bill
for a law to establish Akwa Ibom
State College of Health Technology,
which had been passed into law by
the state House of Assembly.
Unfortunately and like many other
laws passed by the state House of
Assembly, the College of Health
Technology Bill, is gathering dust on
the governor’s table despite the
enormous benefits it would have
brought to the institution.
Reacting, the sponsor of the bill,
Mr Aniefiok Dennis, representing
Etinan State Constituency, explained
that the idea of changing the
institution from school to college
was to enable it attract project from
TETFund and other interventionist
agencies like the Niger-Delta
Development Commission, NDDC.
He further explained that it would
enable the institution have its
governing council, employ qualified
lecturers and increase the number
of courses, which is currently nine in
number.
How I administer
college —Udoh, provost
Fielding questions from reporters,
provost of the college, Mr David
Udoh, explained that he was able to
run the school because of his
expertise as a health professional.
Udoh, who denied allegation of
extortion in the school published by
some local tabloids, which caused
the Ministry of Health, Uyo, to query
the school management, said: “As a
government-owned health training
institution, all fees paid by students
Some residents clearing thewater hyacinth.
the problem.
Speaking at a meeting last week,
with some community leaders of
Epie Kingdom, the Deputy
Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo,
lamented the negative impact of
water hyacinth in the Epie creek on
the livelihood of the people and
urged them to cooperate with
government to address
environmental challenges in their
area.
His words: “While we empathize
with the communities over what has
happened, it does not mean that we
are not willing to do something
about the water hyacinth. The water
hyacinth on your river has become
a source of embarrassment both to
you and to us.
“I also need to let you know, even
before the flood, I and Honourable
Oforji have been working together
to clear water hyacinth since 2012.
It was only last year we couldn’t do
so because of the demands of
election.
“Already, we have a paper before
us on how to remove this water
hyacinth. I have also sent it to the
appropriate quarters, so it is not a
question of government not being
mindful of the problem you are
facing.”
Also speaking, Member
representing Yenagoa-Oforji-Oboku
remarked that government was
are prescribed and approved by
government through the Ministry of
Health. Students are given
government receipts on
presentation of bank tellers/
printouts.
“Authority to pay are usually given
to students to effect any payment.
Let me tell you what happened. In
2017, somebody was involved in
fraud by embezzling examination
money here. We reported to the
ministry, he was punished,
suspended and removed from this
school.
“He has been the brain behind
these allegations and even the
publication in the press. Since he left
here, I have faced about five panels
and each time I was cleared because
I am not here to lie.”
We want govt
presence —Enoobong,
Benjamin, students
A 200-level student of the
Department of Community Health,
Esther Enoobong, lamented: “It
appears that the state government
has forgotten about the school. We
want to feel the presence of
government through the provisions
of infrastructure. It will give us a
sense of belonging when
government participates in our
programmes.
“This is a government-owned
institution. Where there are health
challenges in the state, government
should use us as volunteers.
Currently, the bulk of academic
staff are on part-time basis and as
students, we do not have access to
concerned about the plight of the
people of Epie and assured that a
long term solution is imminent.
He called for calm on the part of
the people in the face of the
difficulty caused by the water
hyacinth, saying government is
equal to the task and would take
appropriate steps to address the
problem.
Also, Secretary to the State
Government, Rt. Hon. Konbowei
Benson, noted that the presence of
the water hyacinth in Epie creek was
of great concern to the government
because of its multiplier effect on the
state at large.
Villagers call for
temporary solution
Various
community
representatives, who spoke at the
meeting, suggested the engagement
of youths to clear temporary paths
through which farmers can access
their farms in the short term, while
in the long term, the water hyacinth
should be cleared when the water
recedes.
Speaker after speaker including
the Commissioner for Environment,
Hon. Iselema Gbaranbiri, the
Paramount Ruler of Onopa
Community, Chief Morris Tamama
and his Amarata counterpart, Chief
Ignatius Buseri-Edege, identified
A’Ibom govt neglects 32-yr-old health institution
•Students study in makeshift, dilapidated structures built by missionaries
•Stopped paying subvention, imprest to College of Health Technology in 2016
them whenever we need them for
assistance”.
Similarly, a 200- level student of
Department of Health Information
Management, Benjamin noted:
“The major problem we are facing
in this school is insufficient
classroom blocks. The 100-level and
200-level students most times use
one hall during lectures, and the
consequence is noise making
because different lecturers will be
teaching at the same time.
“We need free WiFi for online
learning and power supply. In my
department, we have only three
professional staff out of 10
recommended. This is grossly
inadequate as we do not have extra
classes. As students, we need vehicle
to ease transportation problem
whenever we have competition with
our sister institutions in other states
like Cross River State,” he asserted.
Community leader
appeals intervention
A community leader identified as
Rev. Idongesit Etukudoh appealed
to the state government to salvage
the school from poor state of
infrastructure, noting that the
community has even donated a land
for the main campus.
Health commissioner yet
to speak
Meanwhile, the state
Commissioner for Health, Prof.
Augustine Umoh, requested that all
areas of media interest be sent to him
for robust response, but despite
several reminders, he was yet to
respond to the enquiries.