Nigeria began camping for canoeing in June ahead of the 10th All Africa Games. The camp was in Calabar, Cross River State. It was a quiet venture as the sport is relatively new in the country, despite the enormous coast line and numerous communities that either live near water or are locked in riverine areas.

When the Games started in Maputo, Mozambique on September 3, nobody gave the country’s contingent a chance to win anything in the sport. But Nigeria pulled the biggest surprise at the games when her contingent won one silver and two bronze medals at the end of the competition.

One woman made that possible. Little known Lilian Japhet, from Ondo State was the lone winner who bagged the three medals for Nigeria. She was surprised at her achievement.

Soft spoken and somewhat reserved, Lilian was hesitant when this reporter demanded to speak with her. But she eventually succumbed to the reporter’s persistence on speaking with her. Lilian’s story is as interesting as her present status.

“I am from Ondo State,” she began. “I come from Arogbo, in Ese Odo Local Government Area. I am from the Ijaw speaking part of the state.”

From her background, one would easily associate her with water. Although Lilian had known how to swim from childhood, she never had the opportunity to use her expertise scientifically. “I only knew about canoeing in May, this year when my brother, Gbamire Tunde came to me in May and told me that there was a new sport called canoeing, that he would like to introduce me to the sport. From Ikorodu, where I am based he took me to the national stadium and introduced me to the federation. I was lucky to be picked among those for camping. In June we were taken to Calabar for camping. We stayed there till it was time for us to travel for the Games.”

Was she disappointed by her performance? Lilian said, “No. Never. Some people trained for four years for this event and I trained under six months and won a silver and two bronze medals. I am not disappointed at all. I am happy but I believe with better preparations, I could do better.”

She said she had learnt a lot from the games. “I had a great experience. I am happy with my achievement.” Lilian called on the government to help the sport back home because Nigeria has all it takes to sweep all the medals at future games.

Though she looks like an U-18, Lilian said she is 28 and a mother of two.

Before Tunde’s intervention in her life, Lilian’s business was saw-milling. She said she buys logs, transports them on water to saw mills for sawing. She sells woods. “That is what I do,” she said, adding that she will not stop the trade, even after the games.

The Honorable Member-elect representing Ese-Odo local government in the April election Hon.  Ebi Lubi has Stated that he would work with other member of the House of Assembly to bring the dividends of democracy to his people. Lubi a former Councilor of Ese-Odo local government and the only person elected on the platform of the PDP told Coastal news during an interview that he would not renenge in his electoral promises of bringing the dividends of democracy to his people. He stated that he had gathered a lot of experiences on legislative matters as a former Councilor. He stated that even though he was the opposition party that would not stop him from playing his

role as a legislator who is poised to bring the dividends of democracy to his people. He stated that he had started holding consultations with past representatives of the area and has been properly briefed on how to go about the business. He exepressed appreciation to people of Arogbo-Ijaw and Apoi communities for voting massively for him during the last election adding that he would not disappoint them. “I would strive to do the people’s bidding at all times, because they have shown their love for me through the ballot, I cannot afford to disappoint such people, I will always be there for them.

As part of incentives to take care of medical and learning needs of Ese –Odo people, Mr.Kenedy Ikantu Peretei has distributed hospital equipment and drugs worth 10 million naira to various health centers and also distributed 7,000 school bags and 10,000 exercise books to all the primary schools respectively saying the gesture is aimed at assisting the people who have no wherewithal to procure drugs for their health care learning aids he said. Speaking at Igbekebo at the presentation ceremony, Mr. Pertei called for the employment of more medical personnel to man the various health centers spread across the local government saying “there is only one medical doctor, adding the nurses and health technician we have cannot do the work the medical doctors especially when complicated cases occur he said. Mr. Peretei said arrangement is on top gear to get another who would be operating in the other side of the local government as to take care of the terrain problems experience by the people. He said the gesture would properly take care of the aged who are in serious need of medical needs saying “giving money to them could not be sustained as giving health care to them would reduce their plight.” Receiving the learning aids on behalf of the primary schools Comrade Felix Uguh, Chairman, Association of primary school Heads of Nigeria, Ese – Odo local government chapter, said the gesture is a laudable one saying that there will be fair play in the distribution among the primary schools across the local government area. Also speaking with coastalnews the supervisor for health of the local government, comrade Israel Emokenigha said the purchasing of medical equipments and drugs was born out of the desire to meet the health needs of the people of Ese – Odo local government area who hitherto have access to the drugs and the quality of equipments so far procure to effective deliver health care services to the people. He however advised the people to visit the various health centers when they are sick as the drugs are free for people who are in need.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was harvest of tear and waiters at Arogbo recently when the remains of late Doubra Peretei Younger brother to the Chairman of Ese-Odo Local government Hon. KennedyIkantu peretei was taken to the town for interment. Doubra had passed on in the early hours of Wednesday 4^th May, 2011 at the age of 35 years during a brief illness. Family members and friends had struggle to save the life of Doubra, a promising young man without any success. He was taken to the Federal Medical Center Owo and later the Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital where he finally gave up the ghost. The youth under the co-ordinatorship of Mr. Constance Olopele gathered to give a befitting burial to their colleagues whose life and time touched them in one form or the other. Speaking during the occasion, Olopele noted “we are gathered here because when Doubra was alive he was our friend and he was very good to us, we cannot but gathered to pay our last respect to him even though the death was painful. Also, another speaker Samuel Ebidghi who coordinated the church aspect of the programmed while praying against the death of youth in Arogbo advised the youth to draw nearer to God. One of the youths, Pastor Emotonghal Abudu who delivered a powerful sermon / burial oration observed  that the rate at which that promising young men were dying at Arogbo was alarming and prayed for the powerful hand of God to put a stop to it. He noted that the wicked would not go unpunished so Arogbo people in that categories should repent am embrace Christ. The church programmed was later followed by a candle procession and social gathering. Coastalnews says Good night! Doubra.