Posted by By Tony Amadi on
As the crusade by the state Agency for Reorientation, Integrity, Service and Ethics (ARISE) to redirect the attitudes of Rivers people makes observable impacts, many have reportedly greeted the introduction and establishment of schools in the state.
As the crusade by the state Agency for Reorientation, Integrity, Service and Ethics (ARISE) to redirect the attitudes of Rivers people makes observable impacts, many have reportedly greeted the introduction and establishment of schools in the state.
The agency's boss, Professor Godwin Tasie disclosed this to Telegraph in Port Harcourt, hinting also on a kiddies' television programme, to be known as "ARISE half hour," which will soon hit the airwaves, and is targeted to address children between the ages of 5 and 13 years.
Children from different schools, he said, would have the opportunity of featuring in different editions of the programme which would run on the channels of the state's television, RSTV, and would aim at teaching the young minds the virtues of service, hardwork, abstenance from drug abuse, and the dangers of prostitution.
ARISE cell, Telegraph was told, has come to stay in many schools in the state including Port Harcourt International Secondary School, owned by a former Principal of Federal Government Girls' College, Abuloma, with its UST chapter recently inaugurated.
Professor Tasie also spoke well of Government's rehabilitation programmes for repented cultists in the state, but flayed those who sought loopholes to abuse the programmes.
He used the forum to add his voice to the call for a south-south presidential ticket come 2007 as well as a reasonable percentage derivation on resources coming from the zone. He said: "Asking for 25% is certainly not asking for too much. Fortunately, the two major religions in the country (Christianity and Islam) preach that you should do unto others as you would want them to do unto you. But we have too much of quantitative religiosity than qualitative.
Otherwise, it would be easy to heed the simple call.
Hopefully, in God's own good time, the truth shall prevail."
The agency's boss noted that the situation for now is a matter of accepting what one thinks is convenient to one him but opposing it if otherwise, remarking that, "when you want anything, you want to get it by
hook or crook."
He alerted also on research findings which point out that in years to come, certain diseases will afflict the oil states as a result of gas flaring, oil spills and other environmental pollutions, and advised Rivers people to be "clear-eyed" so as to know where the wind is blowing from. While he agreed that the people should take their destiny in their own hands, he disagreed, however, with the methods of most cult leaders, condemning such for their potential to run counter productive to the progress of the state.