Several millions of Naira has been spent in aid to support displaced people of Bakassi in Cross Rivers State.The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Friday donated relief including pharmaceuticals, bags of rice, power generating sets, slippers, tubers of yam, blankets, mosquito nets, plates, buckets, palm and groundnut oil, cartons of tin tomatoes, toilet tissues, baby foods, among others, to the people at the premises of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) in Calabar.
The Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority, Malam Habib Abdullahi who was represented at the presentation ceremony by the Calabar Port Manager, Engr. Musa Wada said that the donation was in line with the Authority’s corporate social responsibility policy. According to Wada, “The Nigerian Ports Authority in line with directive of President Good Luck Jonathan also recently responded to the plight of flood victims by donating relief materials to the people.”
Receiving the relief materials on behalf of the Bakassi people, Senator Florence Ita Giwa said that she was proud to be identified with Nigerian Ports Authority and described the NPA as a socially responsible organization. She appreciated the Authority for the prompt manner in which they responded to the desperate call for assistance by the Bakassi returnees. Speaking further, the Senator lamented the deplorable living conditions of the Bakassi returnees saying, “As we speak today, we have about 3,679 refugees at the camp; and I must say that the items donated by Nigerian Ports Authority are most appropriate because most of the female returnees came back pregnant and have had deliveries at the camp.
Restoring hope to the people, Senator Giwa disclosed that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan recently heeded to the cry of Bakassi people by setting up a committee to look into the actualization of their demand for their resettlement.She thanked the people of Akpabuyo in Cross River State for allowing the Bakassi people to co-exist peacefully with them; adding that a rotation arrangement has been put in place for the governance of the Local Government Area to ensure equity and fairness.
Senator Ita Giwa further commended the State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke for his compassionate disposition towards the Bakassi people; explaining that past agitations by the people was not intended to embarrass government, but was purely products of protracted agony and pain which the Bakassi people had been enduring over the past 12 years. ItaGiwa appreciated the efforts of the Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Vincent Aquahfor for his numerous assistance since the Bakassi incident began, and urged the government to ensure that basic amenities were provided at the Day Spring settlement site to ease the life of the returnees when they eventually settle there.
In his response, the Director General of SEMA, confessed that the relief materials donated by NPA were the largest consignment ever received from any organization for this present batch of returnees. The Director General called on other organizations to emulate the Nigerian Ports Authority to continue to see to the welfare of Bakassi returnees and make every effort to resettle them. Later in his goodwill message, a Board member of Nigerian Ports Authority , Alhaji Mohammed Abana said he was greatly impressed by the efforts of Senator Ita Giwa in the struggle for the welfare of her people, and learnt his voice to the call for the resettlement of the Bakassi people.
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Chief Tony Anenih Geriatric Centre Marks One Year Of Excellent Service
The Chief Tony Anenih Geriatric Centre (CTAGC) University college hospital (U.C.H) Ibadon has registered and treated about 3,000 patients since inception in 2012.
According to the Acting Director of the Centre, Dr.L.A. Adebusoye, preventive services such as Osteoporosis prevention through the measurement of the bone mineral density by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) are on-going and surgical procedures have been carried out at the centre.
Similarly, the (CTAGC) received resident doctors and postgraduate students from University College, Ibadan and the University of Ibadan, respectively for short term training according to the Acting Director.
In his own views, at the first year anniversary ceremony of (CTAGC) the Chief Medical Director Professor Temitope Alonge said the relative increase in life expectancy in Nigeria is premised on the marginal improvement in health care, despite the Unacceptable increase in under five Motability. Adding that the improvement in adult health has a lot to do with life style adjustments and relative increase in the literacy in Nigeria.
Professor Alonge added that the Centre provide care for Senior Citizens with chronic diseases as outpatient clients. The Financial burdenfor attendees at the Centre has been lessened by the buy-in of 50% by Chief Tony Anenih as rebate for services provided knowing fully well that most of them are pensioners.
He added that living to old age may be attained with a lot of challenges but the main focus should be on aging gracefully and this is the purview of geriatricians. Professor Alonge also said the study of geriatric medicine is at its infancy in Nigeria and that Chief Tony Anenih Geriatric Centre is the first purpose built geriatric outfit in Nigeria.
The Chief Medical Director also highlighted the fact that the research focus of the Centre is encouraging and they span various unit of the centre. Also confirming that within the short span, the (CTAGC) has so many achievements and that the staffs of the centre are hardworking and that sooner the place will become a world class centre.
It would be recalled that, the chief Tony Anenih Geriatric Centre (CTAGC) was officially commissioned on 17th November, 2012 by the Hon. Minister of Health Professor OnyebuchiChukwu. The Centre was endowed by Chief Tony Anenih CFR and Clinical Services for Senior Citizens aged 60 years and above commenced on the 13th December, 2012.
Present at the ceremony are representative of Chief Tony Anenih, Pharm. Mathew Urhoghide, senator Odion ugbesia, mrs Temitope alonhr of the U.C.H. and a cross section of geriatric patients in Ibadan Oyo State