COMMUNIQUÉ RELEASED BY NTUM OHA AFTER A TALK– SHOP HELD ON THE 29TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2001 AT EGWUENA GIRLS’ SECONDARY SCHOOL, ABIRIBA.
In Ntum Oha’s effort to re-engineer the minds and energies of Abiriba citizens towards sustained developments in education, Health and Politics in Abiriba and return prestige to life in the community, Ntum Oha organized a Talk Shop titled “Abiriba In The 21ST Century”. The talk-shop brought eminent personalities in Abiriba community to deliberate on the major problems and proffer solutions to the collapsing system and structures in Abiriba.
The objectives of Ntum Oha harp on restructuring Abiriba through promoting Education, Health and Politics as a pressure group. Ntum Oha made sure that the Talk was guided along those disciplines. Discussants talking along those disciplines were unanimous in accepting that Abiriba has fallen into an eclipse and needs emergency operations to rescue the town and her people. Situations and Remedies suggested by participants and Ntum Oha’s ACTION PLANS on EDUCATION, HEALTH & POLITICS are listed below:
EDUCATION
SITUATIONS:
1. Our schools lack teachers especially post primary schools.
2. Number of students on roll calls is so small that instead of sending teachers Education Board withdraw teachers.
3. Performances in WAEC and GCE are poor.
4. Students are highly undisciplined.
5. Schools infrastructures are in state of disrepair.
SUGGESTED REMEDIES:
1. Encouraging our adults to send their wards and children to public schools Abiriba.
2. Indigenes and organized bodies to take up renovation works in schools.
3. Raise funds to recruit teachers (full- and part-timers).
4. Encourage Principals to swap teachers and students amongst schools.
5. Principals to use Corpers, Undergraduates and bright students to teach the students.
6. To protest the lack of teachers to Education Board.
7. Encourage good working relationship between public and private schools.
8. Encourage the formation of Old Students Associations.
9. Explore possibilities of attracting Federal and State establishments to Abiriba, e.g. The Proposed Command School.
10. Organize regular Seminars/Symposiums to create awareness and sensitize Abiriba citizens.
11. Old Students should interact and talk to students in schools, (Value re-orientation.)
ACTION PLAN:
Ntum Oha;
1 Shall organize Seminar and Workshop to sensitize the Abiriba community on the importance of Education within the year.
2 Shall run a paid commentary on Radio, TV or Newspapers to highlight the level of system Breakdown and property decay in our schools.
3 Will write and visit; The Age Grades, Well-meaning individuals, Schools management Boards, NGOs and Public agencies on the dilapidated infrastructures at Abiriba and get them committed towards renovating these facilities and also undertake projects to help the schools. (Action effective date is July 2002.)
4 Is liaising and reasoning with progressive unions and philanthropists to find solution to the problems on ground.
5 Shall meet with Principals and Proprietors of private schools to formulate methods of improving education standards. (Meeting date is April 2002.)
6 Shall meet with Abiriba Students in Institutions of Higher Learning, and encourage them to start extra mural classes during vacations. NYSC would also be encouraged to take part.
HEALTH
SITUATION:
1 Akahaba General Hospital buildings and laboratory machines are dilapidated.
2 Absence of Doctors, Nurses and Administrative Staff in both the Akahaba General Hospital and the Onyiba Health Center.
3 PTF drugs are not given to patients because unscrupulous persons share the drugs amongst themselves.
4 Hospital staffs show nonchalant altitude to work.
REMEDIES:
1 Abiriba community should establish a body to co-ordinate activities in
the Akahaba General Hospital and the Onyiba Health Center.
2 Withdraw the General Hospital from the Government.
3 To petition the health management board about the lukewarm attitude of the only doctor in Akahaba General Hospital and the nurses.
4 Encourage formation of associations of indigenous medical practitioners.
5 To carry out health awareness campaign to educate the public on prevention of epidemics and good sanitary practice.
ACTION PLAN:
1 Ntum Oha is making contact with medical and paramedical practitioners to ginger them into forming associations that can help the community. Already a member of Ntum Oha (Dr. Bassey Ukiwo, a medical doctor) is currently discussing with fellow doctors towards this end. The association when formed would take care of all health related problems.
2 Ntum Oha has slated an awareness campaign for September 2002 to highlight the deadly HIV/AIDS, TB, STD diseases and common epidemics pervading the town.
3 Ntum Oha would complain to the Health Management Board about the condition of infrastructures in Akahaba General Hospital and the absence of doctors, nurses and administrative personnel. (Action is immediate.)
POLITICS
SITUATION:
1. Age Grades and traditional bodies are yet to transform into political instruments this is hampering political maturity of the community.
2. Councilors, assemblymen, local government authorities, etc. are not given proper recognition by indigenes of Abiriba.
3. Councilors and other political appointees are busy fighting against one another.
4. Traditional rulers do not understand the prevailing political trends in the state and country at large and, so far have not made much effort to achieve relevance in the present political dispensation.
5. Abiriba citizens show little or no interest in modern democratic politics and political matters
ACTION PLAN:
1. Ntum Oha shall address letters to the ACIU and the Age Grades to recognize and empower political appointees and other elected representatives to confidently demand for our share in government allocation of resources and infrastructure as opposed to the current communally initiated projects. (Date of commencement is April 2002.)
2. Ntum Oha shall visit the Enachioken-in-council as soon as installed to encourage them to become vocal and emulate their counterparts in other communities to be able to demand for government presence in Abiriba Community.
3. Ntum Oha shall organise public enlightenment campaign to educate the public on the need to exercise their franchise by registering to vote, voting en-mass and voting according to their conscience. This will be done through the distribution of flyers and leaflets. (Action time is December, 2002, before the in-coming 2003 elections.)