Rivers Govt Embarks on ‘Operation Kill All Rats’ to Curb Lassa Fever

Rivers State Government on Tuesday flagged off “Operation Kill All Rats’ campaign to educate, curb and prevent the spread of lassa fever in the state.

This was made known by the State Commissioner for Environment, Roseline Konya, during a press briefing in her office in Port Harcourt.

Konya said that apart from lassa fever, rats,which are the carriers of the virus were also vectors for other diseases such as urine typhoid, Eboni Plague Fever and others, hence, the need for the killing of all rats from our environments.

Konya said that caretaker committee chairmen of the 23 local government councils have been directed to enforce the ‘Operation Kill All Rats’ campaign in their respective areas.

According to her, the council chairmen have been charged to ensure that all communities are kept clean, while refuse dumpsite are cleared and fumigated to ensure that there are no more breeding grounds for rats and other vectors.She also urged residents of the state to keep their surrounding clean, by clearing all bushes around their homes, while all holes and crevics in individual houses should be properly covered to ensure no hiding place for rats.

The commissioner, who warned against further consumption of rats, also said that people must no longer use bare-hands to remove dead rats, while food must be properly covered by households across the state.

Rivers NMA: Doctors Commence on 3-Day Strike to Protest Kidnapping of Members

Following the incessant kidnapping of medical practitioners across the state as alleged by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Rivers State chapter, the association has embarked on a warning strike beginning Thursday through Sunday.
Chairman of the association, Dr Furo Green, while speaking to newsmen after an emergency general meeting of the association, said NMA was constrained to believe that there was a conspiracy against doctors.

According to the chairman, the association has agreed that if their kidnapped colleagues were released as at 17th January, 2016, another emergency meeting would be convened by Monday to review the situation.

He on behalf of the association pleaded with the government and all relevant agencies to kindly intervene in the issue of the continuous kidnapping of doctors.

Sadly, Celine Dion's Husband Dies at 73

World renowned and powerful vocalist, Celine Dion lost her husband today Thursday 14th January, 2016, to the cold hands of throat cancer that they have fought for over 17 years.

Her late husband, Rene Angelil, died at the age of 73 in the early hours of today.
He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1998.

Lassa Fever Claims Doctor's Life in Rivers

Lassa fever has claimed the life of a medical doctor in Rivers State, Ehivai Njamala.

Njamala who was until his death a resident doctor with the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH), Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital died on Thursday, January 14, 2016 while treating a patient infected with the virus.

IG Says Police Officers Mental States Will be Checked From Time to Time

Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has indicated that the Nigeria police new recruits and old members may henceforth undergo mental scrutiny before been considered or retained in the force.

The IG made this known at the Nigeria Police Force Health Policy Revalidation meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

This he said became necessary after the continued rise of number of extrajudicial killings by men of the Nigeria police.

He said the force was working towards establishing a Trauma Centre for its officers because of the nature of their job: “The Police should be concerned about the mental health of officers,” he said.

Rivers First Female CJ Retires 10 Days After Oath of Office

Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice Daisy Okocha will be retiring on Thursday, January 14 after ten days of taking the oath of office as the state chief judge.
Okocha who is the state first female chief judge was appointed by the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, after the Appeal Court’s ruling on December 23, 2015.

She took her oath of office as a substantive Chief Judge of the state on Monday, January 4, after serving her two terms in office as the acting Chief Judge of the state from June 1, 2015 to January 4,2016.

A statement from the office of the High Court Registrar said a valedictory church service in honour of the retiring state Chief Judge would hold at St Paul’s Cathedral Church, Garrison in Port Harcourt by 10.am tomorrow and would be preceded by a Special Court Session at the Chief Judge’s Ceremonial Court Hall at the state Judiciary Complex, Port Harcourt.

Two other serving judges of the state High Court, Justice Ben Ugari and C. Uriri, bowed out of the service on Tuesday after attaining the mandatory retirement age.