STATE GOVERNMENT PLACES MEASURES TO COMBAT SPREED OF LASSA FEVER DISEASE

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge on Wednessday 24th 2016 has confirmed the outbreak of the deadly disease caused by Lassa fever as one person has been confirmed dead from the disease in Delta State.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Azinge made the revelation today in his office during a press briefing on the outbreak of the disease in the State.

He said the victim who is a male, hailed from Anambra State and was a medical practitioner resident at Umuaji Quarters, Asaba where his private clinic was also situated.

According to the Commissioner, the late victim was taken to El – Comfort Hospital located somewhere at Bonsac, Asaba  with a two weeks history of fever, weakness and drowsiness for treatment but was later referred to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State where his condition deteriorated and he later passed on after 3 hours on admission.

He said that a blood sample earlier collected from the victim was confirmed positive for Lassa fever at the Institute of Lassa fever, Irrua, Edo State.

Dr. Azinge assured Deltans and residents that his Ministry is on top of the matter as the state’s Emergency Preparedness Response (EPR) Team is coordinating the State’s response to contain the spread of the disease.

He said a blood sample was taken and tested from the late victim’s wife and it came out negative at the Institute of Lassa Fever, Irrua, Edo State, adding that a total of thirty-two (32) persons have been placed on surveillance, explaining that this numbers includes eleven (11) persons from the immediate family of the diseased, eighteen (18) persons who were at El- Comfort Hospital while the victim was there for treatment and 3 persons at General Hospital, Ibusa that conveyed him to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Anambra State.

The Commissioner said that two (2) Local Government Areas (LGA) Disease Surveillance Officers in Oshimili South and Oshimili North are actively involved as part of the State response team, stressing that they have been monitoring the temperature of those under surveillance, and this will be done for a period of 21 days as the two hospitals the victim passed through in Asaba have been temporarily shut down and fumigated to check the spread of the disease.

He said that his Ministry is collaborating with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi (NAUTH) officials, the Institute of Lassa fever, Irrua, Edo State, the Anambra State Ministry of Health and the State Nigerian Medical Association on the disease as events unfold.

Dr. Azinge said the State has reactivated the Emergency Preparedness Response (EPR) Team while sensitization of Health workers in the State is ongoing for them to have a high index of suspicion and take preventive measures when managing infectious cases.

According to him, awareness creation through the various mass media will commence immediately so that the general public can understand how the disease is transmitted and therefore take preventive measures to forestall its spread.

In addition, the Commissioner stated that outbreak prevention materials have been pre-positioned in high risk disease outbreak Local government Areas (LGAs) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), non-contact thermometers and other items have been distributed to the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers in all of the 25 Local government (LGAs) in the State by the State Ministry of Health. The Lassa fever drug - Rivabirin has been procured for immediate case management.

He advised residents to make efforts to keep their environment clean, keep their food away from the reach of rats, and exterminate rats in their environment as they are the main carrier of the disease. He further counselled that those who had formed the habits of drying food stuff outside should discontinue that habit so that rats do not have access to human consumables. He used the opportunity to thank the Governor, Sen. (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa for his efforts in providing the necessary support and logistics towards the containment of the disease and assured the general public not to panic since the situation is under control.

RESEARCH ON ALTERNATIVE ENERGY INSTEAD OF OIL, ONUESOKE ADVISES FG

People democratic party(PDP) Chieftain and  Delta State  PDP Governorship aspirant in 2007 general election, Chief Sunny Onuesoke on Wednessday 24th has advised the Federal Government of Nigeria to intensify  research on establishment of alternative energy instead of spending funds in researching for discovery of oil in the Northern part of the country.

Giving the advise while reacting to Federal Government directive to Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to embark on exploration on discovery of oil in the Northern part of the country, Onuesoke said it is a waste of fund  conducting  exploration for the  discovery of oil in the Northern part of the country that has no oil, when other countries are diversifying to less expensive and pollution effect  source of energy like sugar ethanol, solar energy and  electricity driven cars and airplane.

The PDP Chieftain argued that when other countries are saving money by conducting research on discovery of alternative energy,   it is now Nigeria is capitalizing on exploring oil as source of energy and revenue.

“Nigeria has abundant sources of alternative energy such as solar energy, biomass, as well as wind energy. The only problem is that the country does not have the equipment to convert these forms of energy into power.  If that be the case, fund expended in conducting research for exploration should be diverted in procuring equipment for the aforementioned sources of alternative energy that is abundant in the country,” Onuesoke suggested.

 He advised that   funds   budgeted  on  searching for oil  that is no more marketable should be channel to research on  alternative  energy  like solar energy,  sugar ethanol  and electricity source of energy.

“The money government is spending on researching for oil in the North is a waste. They should channel such fund on research for alternative energy.  We should emulate countries like   Mauritius that has been using sugar ethanol  as source of energy   to power electricity for the past  30 years, America  using solar energy to power unmanned plane and  Germany which using  electric power gas,” he disclosed.

Onuesoke who pointed out that  most countries are now using   electric powered energy, said Nigeria  should   research on technology    of how  to convert  its  flared gas for  powering of   turbine  for the supply of electricity  energy instead of  wasting the flared of gas.

He disclosed that the world is turning against production of oil because the pollutant effect of production of oil and high cost of exploration of petroleum, adding that petroleum gas flaring as pronounced in Kyoto declaration is against the policy of climate change.

TRIGGER HAPPY MOBILE POLICE SHOOTS APPRENTICE

A bizarre incident occurred at Effurun when an apprentice to a tipper driver who was affecting repairs in his principal's tipper opposite a popular motor park was allegedly shot on one of his foot by a trigger happy mobile police man attached to the said ever busy motor park on the afternoon of Tuesday 16^th August, 2016.

It was gathered that a commercial bus driver who parked at the front of the said motor in an attempt to pick up a passenger was apprehended by a tout in the motor park who together with other workers of the motor park allegedly beat up the commercial bus driver to a pulp destroying the wind screen of his vehicle in the process, to the annoyance of passersby and even travellers in the motor park.

Trouble started for the said apprentice who was affecting repairs on his principal's tipper at the opposite side of motor park when he was said to have condemned the alleged manhandling of the commercial bus driver by the workers of the motor park like others as he was said to have asked that if it is an offense for a vehicle to park at the front of a motor park to the hearing and annoyance of the trigger happy mobile police man who cocked his gun and allegedly went to the tipper at the opposite side of the motor park and fired a bullet at one of the foots of the harmless apprentice 'for opening his mouth too wide on the matter' to the annoyance of motorists and on lookers who witnessed the bizarre incident which consequently triggered  a public protest in the area.

It was also gathered that it was the intervention of soldiers attached to a tent close to the motor park who were said to have also condemned the act of the trigger happy mobile policeman and an Uvwie born patriot Hon Collins Igharakpata that brought the situation under control.

Meanwhile the injured apprentice was said to have been receiving treatment at a nearby military hospital and the matter was reported to the police, as at the time of filling this report.

DELTA @ 25 GRAND CELEBRATIONS BEGIN AUGUST 24

The organizing committee charged with the responsibility of putting in place worthwhile activities for the silver jubilee celebration of the creation of Delta State has released the programme for the event. 

Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah, who is also the Chairman of Publicity sub-committee for the ceremony, in a statement, disclosed that the week-long activities will begin with a children’s party to be hosted by the wife of the state Governor and Founder, 05 Initiative, Dame Edith Okowa, on Wednesday 24th August, 2016 at The Event Centre, Asaba, by 10 am.

This will be followed by a Cultural Parade on Thursday 25th August, 2016 at the Cenotaph, Asaba.

The high point of the celebration will be the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit scheduled to hold on Friday 26th and Saturday 27th August 2016 at the Event Centre, Asaba, from 9:00am each day.

A Grand Gala and Awards Night will also take place on Saturday 27th August 2016 at Event Centre, Asaba, by 5:00pm.

According to the statement, the milestone celebration will be concluded with a thanksgiving service at St. Phillip's Anglican Church, West End, Asaba, on Sunday 28th August 2016 by 10:00am.

Mr. Ukah urged all Deltans and non Deltans alike to be part of celebrations of 25 years of tremendous progress and prosperity.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016 DELTA @ 25 GRAND CELEBRATIONS BEGIN AUGUST 24

The organizing committee charged with the responsibility of putting in place worthwhile activities for the silver jubilee celebration of the creation of Delta State has released the programme for the event. 

Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah, who is also the Chairman of Publicity sub-committee for the ceremony, in a statement, disclosed that the week-long activities will begin with a children’s party to be hosted by the wife of the state Governor and Founder, 05 Initiative, Dame Edith Okowa, on Wednesday 24th August, 2016 at The Event Centre, Asaba, by 10 am.

This will be followed by a Cultural Parade on Thursday 25th August, 2016 at the Cenotaph, Asaba.

The high point of the celebration will be the Delta State Economic and Investment Summit scheduled to hold on Friday 26th and Saturday 27th August 2016 at the Event Centre, Asaba, from 9:00am each day.

A Grand Gala and Awards Night will also take place on Saturday 27th August 2016 at Event Centre, Asaba, by 5:00pm.

According to the statement, the milestone celebration will be concluded with a thanksgiving service at St. Phillip's Anglican Church, West End, Asaba, on Sunday 28th August 2016 by 10:00am.

Mr. Ukah urged all Deltans and non Deltans alike to be part of celebrations of 25 years of tremendous progress and prosperity.

THE CRIES OF NDOKWA NATIONS

The present Nigeria is full of hope, because the Nation was blessed by heaven, a lot of natural resources that is capable of sustaining the Nation,  generation upon generation, enough to develop the Nation infrastructure and develop her citizen to the highest level.

Therefore, the fall of oil today, should not be seen as the fall of the Nation, while there is still enough quantum of Gas,  we should all note that the Nation her selves, knows the best for her citizens, and would not allow us to be enslaved by hunger.

Which was the more reason while we chose to start our diversification with No constant electricity supply, no good live.
And it is imperatives to state it categorically clear with the page, that we are beginning to see some elements of tricks, on the process of the discussions of the internal mechanism that was constituted to extensively deliberate on the subject matter referred to as "step it down or shut it down".

Titled the electrification of Ndokwa Nation, from the independent power plant, at which the good people of Ndokwa Nation today remains the host, to such magnificent facility well protected by the people, by the said (IPP) KWALE/OKPIA POWER PLANT. And they also supply the needed Gas, used in generating the constant power output of 480MW to the National grid and by right deserved to enjoy from the proposed facilities, why denying us the National cake?

And we the agitators, would also not forget, to acknowledge/appreciates all the effort and support been rendered by the Nigeria police force, with the help of the former police boss, the person of IGP, Solomon Arese retired, his DIG, and the police AIG FORCE HEADQUARTERS, commissioner of police FCT, for their total contribution/dedication throughout their tenour of moderating the discussion's within Federal government, and the people of UKWANI over electrifying our ethnicity Ndokwa Nation to enable us  diversify with ease.

And we won't be afraid to speak of the present situation of the discussion within the nominated personal from different ministries, that makes up the technical committee, that was brought together to look into the possibilities of the said project, #lightingupNdokwa.

And we therefore, urge the present police boss to raise an ultimatum latter to these concerned ministries, urging them to report back their outcome with immediate effect to the appropriate venue, where the discussion its been holding, since the beginning of the negotiations over the electrification project of our ethnic.

Please dear Ndokwa Son's and daughters, lend us your voice, by liking and sharing until it gets to our father, uncle, big brother, the police boss.