…Police tighten security, as youths dare Chairmen to resume

By Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt

Anxiety has gripped Rivers State following the ultimatum issued to Local council Chairmen to vacate their offices following the expiration of their tenure.

Some youths on Monday prevented the Chairmen from resuming at the office while singing war songs, appeared battle ready as they insisted that they would not allow the chairmen to remain in office after serving out their tenure.

The angry youths said they will remain there to ensure the outgoing local government chairman does not return to the council.

Singing in their local dialects, the youths chorused that the council chairman has failed, saying, ‘He is a failure. You must go.’

At Asari-Toru Local Government Area, hundreds of youths stormed the council headquarters in Degema and occupied the facility.

Many of the youths were seen in different groups in front of the secretariat and the entire stretch of the road leading to the entrance, even as some could be heard saying, ‘Asawana’ a popular slang among the Ijaws which signifies solidarity, even as others arrive the scene in droves.

The youths said they will remain until Wednesday when work resumes and dared the council chairmen to come to the secretariat.

Reports from the 23 LGAs indicate that the Chairmen of councils, councilors and the entire council workers did not turn up for duties given  the fact that yesterday was a public holiday to mark Eid-el-Kabir.

NewsDirect  gathered that ex-agitator and warlord, Alh Asari Dokubo and his boys had as early as 6am besieged headquarters of the three Kalabari local government areas of Asari-Toru,Akuku-Toru and Degema, baricading  their gates to prevent the chairmen and their aides from gaining access into the council premises.

Asari was quoted to have told the outgoing chairmen to go home, as their tenures have expired.

It was also reported that the Police  took over the council headquarters of Port Harcourt City, Obio-Akpor and Ahoada East local government areas, possibly to prevent breakdown of law and order in the State.

This came on the heels of threats from some council chairmen that they won’t leave office at the expiration of their tenures.

Notable among them were Ikwerre Council Chairman, Samuel Nwaosike,Emohua- Council Chairman, Dr Chidi Lloyd  and Eleme Chairman, Abarilor Mate Ollor.

However, feelers from the closed door stakeholders meeting at Government House, presided over by Gov Siminalayi Fubara indicated that the Council Chairmen will be given up to 12midnight today to vacate their seats,or risk the consequence of disobedience.

Responding to the perceived political instability that may erupt, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Olatunji Disu, declared his readiness to protect the lives and properties of the people of the state.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, Disu warned individuals against taking the law into their hands. He stressed that anyone found doing so would face the full wrath of the law.

Disu said, “My job as a police policeman is to protect lives and properties. And that is what we have gone out to do since morning.

“We are aware of the crisis that has to do with the tenure of the Local Government Chairmen and we have gotten one court order or the other.

“And the Court of Appeal has given an order for everybody to exercise restraints till the 20th of this month — just three days.

“So we expect everybody to respect it and not take laws into their hands and allow peace to continue as it is,” he said.

By Seun Ibiyemi

A recent survey commissioned by the Independent Project Monitoring Company (IPC) Limited has ranked Fidelity Bank Ple fourth out of 29 Nigerian banks in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices and reporting. The bank achieved a score of 57.73 percent.

The result shows that ahead of Fidelity Bank, Zenith Bank was ranked first at 65.22 percent, followed by Access Bank at 60.33 percent and Stanbic IBTC Bank at 60.16 percent.

The United Bank for Africa (UBA) was ranked fifth at 57.19 percent.

In a post hosted on MSN.com, the IPC stated that the ratings were benchmarked against the leading global ESG rating companies such as S & P Global and MSCI Sustainability Ratings.

These weightings were determined following a comprehensive analysis of both global rating standards and the specific nuances of the Nigerian business landscape, resulting in allocations of 13 percent for environmental factors, 43 percent for social factors and 44 percent for governance factors.

In his welcome address at the launch of the ESG report in Lagos, Managing Director IPM C, Mr Robert Ode Odiachi, said the Nigerian banking and insurance sector have played key roles in the economic stability of the country.

He said in the midst of growing challenges facing the two sectors, there is a growing need for banks to integrate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices into their operations especially in the area of risk management and reporting.

“This proactive approach helps them stay adaptive to changing regulations, amidst the rising expectations of consumers,” he stated.

Also speaking at the event themed, ‘Driving Impact: Harnessing ESG for Sustainable Finance,’ Rukaiya el-Rufai, Special Adviser to the President on NEC and Climate Change, said companies that prioritise ESG are not only contributing to a more sustainable and an equitable world but are also positioning themselves for value creation that not only ensures greater financial performance but embeds value levers that will sustain the performance.

According to el-Rufai, corporates must ensure that they attain the fine balance of creating sustainable value for their enterprises as well as for society in what is understood as share value creation.

This means that corporates must look beyond themselves to seek to understand and incorporate what value means to their stakeholders.

“Corporates can leverage frameworks, standards, ratings and guidelines to establish clear expectations and avoid blind spots in their operations.

“Companies that proactively address these issues through sustainable practices, such a s reducing carbon footprints, investing in renewable energy and promoting circular economies, are better positioned to thrive in a resource-constrained world,” she stated.

It would be recalled that in November 2023, Fidelity Bank became an official signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Banking — a single framework for a sustainable banking industry developed through a collaboration between banks worldwide and the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEPFI).

Ranked as one of the best banks in Nigeria, Fidelity Bank is a full-fledged commercial bank with over 8.3 million customers serviced across its 251 business offices in Nigeria and the United Kingdom as well as on digital banking channels.

The bank has won multiple local and international awards including the Export Finance Bank of the Year at the 2023 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, the Best Payment Solution Provider Nigeria 2023 and Best SME Bank Nigeria 2022 by the Global Banking and Finance Awards; Best Bank for SMEs in Nigeria by the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2023; and Best Domestic Private Bank in Nigeria by the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2023.

By Sodiq Adelakun

Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has disclosed that Lagos Island has recorded the highest number of suspected cholera cases, with 106 cases out of 350 suspected cases in the state.

The Commissioner made this known through his official social media account on Monday, while providing an update on the state’s cholera outbreak.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cholera is a highly infectious disease caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

If left untreated, cholera can lead to severe acute watery diarrhoea and even death within hours.

Prof. Abayomi confirmed that laboratory tests have confirmed the outbreak to be caused by cholera, with the identified strain being highly aggressive and contagious, posing a significant risk of widespread dissemination.

The Commissioner’s disclosure has raised concerns about the potential spread of the disease in the state.

Speaking on morbidity and mortality, Abayomi disclosed that 350 suspected cases of cholera were reported in 29 wards across multiple local government areas (LGAs) in the state.

According to him, there are 17 confirmed cases and 15 fatalities attributed to severe dehydration caused by delayed presentation at health facilities.

The commissioner further said that the geographical distribution of suspected cases by LGAs revealed that Lagos Island was the epicentre of the outbreak with 106 cases; followed by Kosofe 49; Eti-Osa 38; Lagos mainland 30 and Ojo 17.

Other LGAs affected are Ikorodu 16; Kosofe 16; Shomolu 11, Surulere has nine; Apapa -eight; Mushin-eight; Ifako Ijaiye -eight; Mushin -five; Alimosho -four; Ajeromi Ifelodun -four; Oshodi-Isolo -three; Ikeja three; Ibeju Lekki -two; Badagry -two; and Amuwo-Odofin -one.

“Through community-based case finding and contact tracing, we have observed that the number of cases has peaked and is now significantly declining,” he said.

He stressed that the state was intensifying its public health prevention campaigns to prevent a resurgence.

According to him, suspected cases are receiving free treatment at the state’s public health facilities, in line with public health response protocols.

Abayomi said that the state was receiving support from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and International partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF.

He added that local non-governmental organisations are actively involved in raising awareness and conducting community-based surveillance efforts.

On cholera causes and transmission, Abayomi disclosed that cholera is caused by contaminated water and food and transmission common in areas with inadequate water treatment, poor sanitation, and insufficient hygiene.

He said that common symptoms include severe diarrhoea, vomiting, dehydration, rapid heart rate, low blood pressure, thirst and muscle cramps.

“Symptoms can appear within a few hours to five days after infection,” he warned.

On prevention measures, Abayomi advised citizens to drink safe water that’s boiled, treated, or bottled and eat food that’s thoroughly cooked and hot, and avoid raw foods.

He advised citizens to maintain high hygiene by washing hands with soap and clean water regularly and using proper sanitation facilities and disposing of waste properly.

Speaking on treatment, Abayomi stressed that immediate action on rehydration was key, adding that oral rehydration salts (ORS) are crucial.

He added that medical treatment would be required for severe cases that may require intravenous fluids and antibiotics.

Abayomi advised the public to seek prompt medical help if symptoms occur and report any suspected cases to health hotlines: 08023169485 08137412348, or call 767 or 112.