Odili’s daughter appointed commissioner in Rivers

Adaeze Oreh, daughter of former Rivers State governor, Peter Odili, has been appointed commissioner for health in Rivers.

She is among the third batch of five commissioner-nominees forwarded for screening to Rivers House of Assembly by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The governor submitted the names to the assembly for screening on Friday.

The other nominees are Christopher Green, former commissioner for sports; and Jacobson Barineka Nbina, former commissioner for transportation under the Nyesom Wike administration.

Mrs Oreh, a family physician, public health specialist and universal health care advocate, was recently promoted as a senior medical officer at the Department of Hospital Services in the Federal Ministry of Health.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and is an alumnus of the International Health Management at the Imperial College Business School of the  Imperial College London.

She majored in global health systems, healthcare strategy, healthcare financing, organisational management, health informatics and innovation.

Oreh also holds a master’s degree in public health obtained in the UK.

Working alongside policymakers, she advocates for blood policies that reduce maternal and child mortality rates, reduce the transmission of infectious diseases through unsafe blood transfusions and improve the distribution of safely-screened blood to remote and conflict-affected communities.

She also sits on the governing council of Pamo University of Medical Sciences.