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Wike Abolishes Fees for Antenatal, HIV/AIDS Treatment in Rivers
Rivers State governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, says his administration is committed to meeting all the healthcare needs of Rivers people.
He noted that his government has made significant progress in curbing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Niger Delta state.
Wike stated these during the kick-off of waiver of user fees and antenatal care charges at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital in Port Harcourt on Friday.
The Rivers governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, reiterated that when he assumed office in 2015, there were only 15 sites for Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT), but that they had now risen to 112 sites.
He said: “Our aim is to extend PMTCT services to every health facility in Rivers State. All user fees for persons living with HIV/AIDS, who are accessing services, including antenatal registration, have been abolished in Rivers State. We are also on the verge of permanently kicking polio out of Rivers State and Nigeria.”
Wike also disclosed that Rivers immunisation coverage had risen from 44.6 per cent in 2016 to 82.6 per cent in 2018, while giving assurance of more improvement.
He noted that his administration was encouraging baby-friendly initiative in health facilities across the state, while pointing out that his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette, was the number one nutrition champion stressing that his administration was developing creative ways to reach communities with family planning services.
He also hailed all the stakeholders for their support and continued participation towards improved access to quality health services for all.
In their goodwill messages, Dr. Jahun Jbrahim of the Centre for Disease Control and Dr. Patrick Dakum, the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria, lauded the Rivers government for the bold initiative, noting that it would not only give succour to people living with HIV/AIDS, but would go a long way to stemming the spread of the disease.
The Permanent Secretary of Rivers Ministry of Health, Mrs. Caroline Wali, in her remarks, noted that the waiver of user fees for persons living with HIV/AIDS by Wike was unprecedented in the country.
The Nation
Oba Oladipo Olaitan, a leader of Yoruba Socio-Cultural Organization, Afenifere, has blasted the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking during an interview on ‘Sunrise Daily’, a programme on Channels Television, Olaitan said APC is good at deceiving people and manipulating figures.
“APC is good at what they know how to do – deceive people, manipulate figures, conceal issues, that’s their job and they know how to do it.
“The question I have is, do you feel safe where you are now?
“The last administration before the current one, the story is out there that just because they want to rule this nation by hook or crook, they go to the extent of imposing foreign nationals – Fulanis to be precise, coming into this country to destroy the nation if they could not get power.
“If anybody has that type of mind, nothing good can come out of him. And the current President, when he was campaigning, he told Nigerians that it was his turn. What that means is it’s either me or nobody else,” Olaitan said.
The embattled Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, has accused Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah, of masterminding allegations of certificate forgery leveled against him.
Speaking through his spokesperson Dr. Robert Ngwu, the minister described the allegation as a politically motivated witch-hunt aimed at discrediting him ahead of the governor’s alleged plan to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Mbah wants Nnaji out of his way. He has given a new name to all his problems. He is seeking a second term in office, and the only way to achieve this is to get Nnaji out of the way. He wants to join APC, but knowing that Nnaji is there, he is not comfortable,” Ngwu alleged.
An online news medium had earlier reported that Nnaji forged the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) certificate he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly during his ministerial screening.
Reacting, the minister urged the UNN authorities to uphold their integrity and resist political manipulation by reaffirming the authenticity of their official records.
“This is not just about one man’s academic record; it is about protecting truth, preserving institutional honour, and ensuring that no university in Nigeria becomes a pawn in partisan politics,” he stated.
Ngwu maintained that Nnaji graduated from UNN in July 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology/Biochemistry, a fact reflected in the university’s official records and its 1985 convocation brochure.
He cited a letter issued by the university on December 21, 2023, during Nnaji’s ministerial screening, confirming that “Mr. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji, with registration number 1981/30725, was admitted in 1981 to study Microbiology/Biochemistry and graduated in July, 1985, with a Bachelor of Science, Second Class (Honours) Lower Division.”
According to Ngwu, the letter remains the only authentic communication from UNN on the matter.
He, however, alleged that another letter surfaced in May 2025, purportedly from the university, claiming that there were no records of Nnaji’s graduation — a development he attributed to political interference.
He further accused the Vice Chancellor of UNN of being a card-carrying member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) allegedly acting on the governor’s instruction to tarnish the minister’s image.
Ngwu also disclosed that the Minister had approached the court when he got wind of attempts to tamper with his academic file.
He said that on September 22, the court granted an injunction restraining the university’s management from altering his records and issued an order of mandamus compelling the release of his academic transcript — which, according to him, the school has refused to obey.
“Rather than adhering to the valid court order, the Vice Chancellor, a lawyer by profession, resorted to cyberbullying and politically motivated media trial against the Minister,” Ngwu said.
He added that the entire episode was politically driven: “It is increasingly clear that this entire issue is not about education or integrity but about political desperation disguised as academic inquiry.
“The timing, the sources, the false documents, and the paid narratives all point to a coordinated campaign to drag a reputable public servant into the mud of partisan politics.”
Senator representing Kogi central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Tuesday, returned to her seat in the Senate to resume her legislative duties.
According to TheCable, the Senator walked into the senate chamber at about 11.42am with a smile and smirk, made her way to her seat and after making herself comfortable, exchanged pleasantries with a few senators.
The legislator was accompanied to the senate by a handful of activists and loyalists, including Aisha Yesufu, who was spotted in the gallery.
Some of the lawmaker’s supporters were, however, not allowed into the senate gallery.
The senate had earlier unsealed her office to pave the way for her return, days after the national assembly insisted that she remained suspended, citing ongoing litigation.
Her resumption comes amid longstanding controversy over her allegation of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
