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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
By Eric Elezuo
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has announced the kickoff of the 2026 West African Second-term School Certificate Examination, saying it would be computer-based, and decrying the decline of male participation as against their female counterparts.
The Council made the disclosure on Monday, while addressing the media at its National Office in Yaba, Lagos, on steps so far taken to ensure a hitchfree 2026 Examination.
In his address, the Head of National Office, Mr. Jacob Josiah Dangut, remarked that the 2026 computer-based WASSEC, started on April 21, 2026 with practical test papers, stressing that the nitty gritty parts of the exercise will kick off on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, therefore the reason for the sensitization of the Nigerian public on the exams.
He noted that nearly two million candidates registered to sit for the examinations.
In his words, “A total of 1,959,636 candidates from 24,207 schools enrolled for the examination.
“Of this number, 958,564 candidates (48.92%) are male, while 1,001,072 candidates (51.08%) are female. This reflects an increase in female participation and a decline in male participation compared to last year.”
Dangut called on policy formulations to take the matter serious so as to reinvent the urge for education among the malefolks.
Meanwhile, Dangut informed the public that candidates are being tested in 37 subjects across 97 papers, supervised by about 29,000 senior secondary teachers nominated by state ministries of education.
Dangut said the rise in computer-based entries followed the successful debut of the format in 2025, with more schools and offshore institutions adopting it for its efficiency and alignment with global standards.
The 2026 exercise will run through to June 19th.
The simmering political battle in Rivers State appears to have taken a fresh turn, following the screening of aspirants for the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly primaries, with several loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara failing to make the party’s final list.
In a development already stirring political intrigue across the state, former Obio/Akpor council chairman Chijioke Ihunwo and serving lawmakers Sokari Goodboy and Victor Oko-Jumbo — all widely regarded as strong allies of Governor Fubara — were among those not cleared by the party’s screening committee for various reasons.
Political observers are interpreting their failure to scale through as more than just a routine internal party exercise. They say it is the latest signal of the deepening political fault lines in Rivers, where Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Minister Nyesom Wike, remain locked in a prolonged struggle for political supremacy.
On the other side of the divide, the list of cleared aspirants appears to favour established political figures and returning lawmakers, largely seen as loyal to the Wike camp.
Among those cleared are:
Maol Dumle
Major Jack
Enemi Alabo George
Tonye Smart Adoki
Tekenari Granville
Their emergence is being viewed as a reinforcement of the influence of the former governor within the APC structure in Rivers State.
The screening exercise, announced by Rivers APC publicity secretary Chibike Ikenga, comes at a politically sensitive time, with alignments already forming ahead of future elections and control of the Rivers State House of Assembly remaining a critical battleground.
For many political watchers, the outcome raises fresh questions: Is the APC in Rivers consolidating into a single power bloc? And does this effectively shut the door on Fubara’s loyalists seeking alternative political platforms?
Fubara, elected under the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, joined the APC last year, following a political dispute with Wike.
The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has been factionalized ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The rival factions emerged after its chairman, Governor Hope Uzodimma, was reportedly removed on Thursday.
While Uzodimma insists that he remains PGF chairman, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun and his Kwara State counterpart, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, are reportedly leading a separate faction.
Another bloc within the forum has reportedly queued behind the duo of Abiodun and AbdulRazaq.
The development, which comes amid growing political realignments within the ruling party, marks a significant crack in the ranks of APC governors ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to reports by Arise TV, details surrounding the disagreement remain unclear, but sources within the party said tensions have been building over internal leadership control and strategic positioning ahead of the next election season.
As of the time of filing this report, none of the factions had made an official clarification regarding the alleged division.
