Author: Isah Mukhtar

LUTH workers protest as JOHESU begins strike

NAN-H-61

Protest

By Oluwakemi Oladipo & Omowunmi Alake

Lagos, Sept. 21, 2017 (NAN) Health workers at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on Thursday staged a peaceful protest at the commencement of the nationwide strike embarked upon by the Joint Health Sector. Union (JOHESU).

The union, whose membership included other hospital workers apart from doctors, were demanding payment of their promotion and salary arrears as well as teaching and uniform allowances, among others.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that four affiliate unions of JOHESU participated in the peaceful protest at the Idi Araba premises of LUTH.

These were the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) participated in the protest, Medical and Health Workers’ Union(MHWUN) and Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI).

Mr Kehinde Adegoke, Lagos State Coordinator of JOHESU, said that the indefinite strike became necessary following Federal Government’s failure to meet the union’s demands after a seven-day ultimatum.

“The Federal Ministry of Health has been frustrating the implementation of the court’s judgement by introducing same scale promotion.

“As we speak, the federal government has not paid arrears of the skipping salaries to our members.

“We expect government to attend to every issue raised in the health sector and not separate one association from another.

“It is unfortunate because we really feel for the patients but there is nothing we can do because our members can no longer exercise patience, “he said.

Chairman of LUTH Chapter of JOHESU, Mr Johnson Shaba, said that efforts made through several committees to get the federal government to implement the agreements reached were been frustrated.

“We have tried our best to make sure that government answers us and honour all the agreements that had been on the ground since 2012.

“Doctors are now the one enjoying our struggles on skipping allowance and we were the ones who went to court to fight for it

“We are saying `enough is enough’ because everybody is important in the health sector, ” Shaba said.

Also, LUTH Chapter Chairman, NUAHP, Mr Adegoke Akinfeleye, said that all health professionals deserved equal rights and service condition for stability.

“We sued the federal government to court for skipping of levels, appointment of consultants from other health professionals and professional autonomy, “he said.

LUTH Chapter Chairperson of NANNM, Mrs Yemisi Adelaja, said that the strike was to draw Federal Government’s attention to the plight of workers in the health sector.

“We are fighting for our rights because federal government refused to meet our demands since 2012.

“The threat of `no work no pay’ can never scare us because we are not cowards and it is a national strike and not individual association’s strike

“Other associations went on strike and nobody threatened them,” Adelaja said.

NAN reports that among other JOHESU demands were payment of skipping arrears and review of the CONHESS table and elongation to accommodate CONHESS 16.

When Contacted, LUTH Public Relations Officer, Mr Kelechi Otunme, said that the management of the institution was yet to react to the protest. (NAN)

AOI/OKG/OSA/WOJ

(Edited by Shittu Obassa /Wale Ojetimi)
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NAN – H – 75

Strike

Lokoja, Sept. 21, 2017 (NAN) The organized Labour in Kogi State has directed workers in ministries, agencies and parastatals to commence an indefinite strike as from Friday, Sept. 22.

The Chairman of the state chapter of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Ranti Ojo flanked by his Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), counterpart, Mr Onu Edoka gave the order while briefing newsmen in Lokoja On Thursday.

He asked the workers to shun offices indefinitely until directed otherwise.

He said that labor was forced to call out workers on strike because of refusal of government to invite them for negotiation over their demands.

According to him, the strike is the only lifeline left for the workers to negotiate their survival in the hands of the administration of Gov. Yahaya Bello.

Ojo directed the workers to ensure maximum compliance, saying that all government establishments, offices, facilities and institutions be shut down by workers.

The organized Labour had on Sept. 13, issued a seven -day strike notice to the state government to meet its demands or risk industrial action by its members.

In its reaction to the notice , the state government through the Director -General , media and publicity to the governor, Mr Kingsley Fanwo described the tone of the lanour’s notice as harsh and described signatories to the notice as unknown.

The state Head of Service , Mrs Deborah Ogunmola made a last minute ditch to halt the strike when she called the Labour leaders for a meeting in her office on Sept. 21.

The meeting, however, failed to stop the workers to declare a strike.

The Labour is demanding among others , full payments of salary and allowances to workers being owed between two and 21 months arrears. The workers are also demanding payment of outstanding leave, yearly incremental allowances and reinstatement of workers unjustly treated during the recently concluded screening exercise.

“Be prepared to stay at home till eternity if it takes government to eternity to meet our demands,” Ojo admonished the workers.

The Labour lampooned the government for its poor attitude to workers’ welfare , saying that never in the history of the state has civil service records the massive hunger -induced deaths as being witnessed currently.

“Workers and pensioners are going through trauma, anguish, pains, sickness, penury, truncation of children’s education , huge unsettled house rent/medical bills . We must rise against these now or never , he said.

However, he said that , only workers under the umbrellas of NLC, TUC, and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council will be marking on the strike while members of the National Union of Teachers , National Union of Local Government Employees and the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria will join on Sept. 27.

He urged workers to resist any form of threat, intimidation and blackmail from the state government , urging them to put on uncommon courage, perseverance and resoluteness to confront the bad situation.

Ojo asked all civil servants and members of the public to pray in mosques and churches on Sept. 22 and Sept 24 to God to deliver the state from bad governance.

The TUC, NOC and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council will not budge until their demands are met by the government.

“Our fidelity to this struggle is non-negotiable ,” the TUC Chairman said and accused the government of insincerity in its dealings with the workers all these years.

The state President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Mr Tade Adyemi who was also present at the briefing said that teachers, local government workers and workers in the health sector will join the strike on Sept. 27.

Adeyemi said that workers in the sectors issued a separate strike notice to the 21 local government councils in the state who were their employers.

Mr Thomas Ayodele, the state NUT Chairman said that workers at the local government level were solidly in support and party to the strike declared by the TUC , NLC and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council. ( NAN)
FDJ / KKA/MTM
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Edited by Tukur Muntari.

Stop multiple taxes on private hospitals, doctors urge govt.

NAN-H-20

Private

By Oluwakemi Oladipo and Omowunmi Alake

Lagos, Sept. 20, 2017 (NAN) Medical practitioners on Wednesday called on government at all levels to stop all forms of multiple taxation on private hospitals in the country.

Dr Frank Odafen, National President, Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN), made the call at the 2017 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the association in Lagos.

The medical doctors said that curtailing multiple taxation on private hospitals would help lift the structural and functional development of private health care facilities in the country.

“Private medical practice is more of a social rather than a commercial business venture.

“It is certainly not an overstatement to continue to re-echo the unassailable statistical fact that our members cater for over 70 per cent of the health care needs of the state.

“Government also need to allocate funds for training and capacity enhancement of our members who significantly contribute to the gross domestic products in the country.

“Creating hazard insurance for all private medical practitioners is also very important.

“This is because private medical practitioners are very reliable, efficient and readily available field commanders during peace time and medical emergencies,” Odafen said.

The association commended the Lagos State Government for providing universal health coverage by enacting the law that made health insurance compulsory for workers.

“This will in no small measure ignite a positive change in the health seeking behavior of the people.

“It will also scale up the desirable and cheering trend of reversing the poor health indices of maternal, infant and under-fives mortality rates as well as improving life expectancy in Nigeria,” Odafen said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference was themed – Identifying the Time Bomb:Reward of Westernisation.

Earlier, Dr Tunji Akintade, AGPMPN Lagos State Chapter Chairman, urged the government to invest more on private medical practitioners being major players in health service delivery.

“Most of the private practitioners are being financed and supported by their spouses or friends or folks from other professions.

“The theme was chosen based on the prevalence and the rising cause of sudden deaths from related diseases among medical practitioners.

“The disease is no respecter of career, age or sex and that is why government should support medical practitioners both in private and public sector by providing manpower, availability of diagnostic tools and other management options.

“Private practitioners started their health facilities with nothing but we equally generate lots of funds to the government purse from taxes, registration and so on,” he said.(NAN)

AOI/OKG/WOJ
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(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)

CCC Spiritual Head, Owodunni, tasks Nigerians on prayers
NAN-H-83
Prayer
By Egbogota Clara
Lagos, Sept. 19, 2017 (NAN) The Spiritual Head of the Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide (CCC), Rev. Kayode Owodunni, has enjoined Nigerians not to relent in their prayers for peace, progress and poliitical stability of the nation.
Owodunni said this while briefing newsmen on the church’s 70th anniversary at its International Headquarters in Ijeshatedo, Lagos.
He said that it was only when Nigerians come together in prayers that its citizens could move the nation forward and achieve the desired change.
He urged Nigerians to pray and work towards the unity of the nation, saying that no nation or economy could grow without prayers.
According to him ‘’what Nigeria need is prayers so as to overcome our challenges as we set our priorities right.
“We must not confess negatively for this country; we must always be optimistic that beyond the tunnel, there will be light; there will be a better tomorrow.
“What we need in our country is prayers, without prayers we as people are helpless, let us put our trust in God.
“It may be tough now, but the end result will lead to joy, breakthroughs and blessings,’’ he said.
He urged Nigerians to eschew the spirit of pride, saying that pride fights against the spirit of God which is humility.
“Pride destroys in church, state and even in the family; Nigerians must imbibe the spirit of humility, humility promotes, it does not destroy,’’ the CCC leader said. (NAN)
ECO/FF/WOJ
(Edited by Fela Fashoro /Wale Ojetimi)

NAN-H-5
Congress
Lokoja, Sept. 19, 2017 (NAN) The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) in Kogi said on Tuesday that  its ward and local government congresses would  hold between  Oct. 14 and Oct. 17.

Mr Bode Ogunmola, the state Publicity Secretary of the party, made this public in a  statement released   in Lokoja.

The statement said the congresses are for the election of new ward and local government officers that would  take over from current  executives whose tenure expired in November  2016.

It  blamed the delay in holding the congresses on the leadership crisis that engulfed the party, adding that  this had  since been resolved by the Supreme Court. (NAN)
KKA/OJO
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(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)

Synergos helps farmers to fix challenges, boost production – Official

NAN-AE-2
Challenges
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Sept. 19, 2017 (NAN) The Synergos Nigeria, a global non-profit organisation, said that it has been helping farmers to fix agricultural challenges by the themselves and maintain their standard of living after its programme end.

Mr Adewale Ajadi, Synergos Nigeria Country Director, made this known in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ajadi said that the Synergos through its project tag: State Partnership for Agriculture (SPA), did not fix challenges for farmers, but helped them to learn how to solve and build their capacity with solution centre.

Synergos has presence in Kogi, Benue and Kaduna states, with the special intervention on rice, ginger, yam and cassava production in the country.

According to Ajayi, one of the major challenges facing farmers in the country is unavailability of markets for their farm produce to reduce post-harvest loss.

“Synergos is working with the state governments to ensure that there is destination for agricultural produce and this will encourage investors to come and invest in agriculture.

“ We normally connect farmers with off-takers to take off what they produced and we have more than 1,000 of such cassava farmers in Kogi.

“ We are setting up conditioning centre for ginger in Kaduna state to ensure international standard and set up the capacity to process it.

“ We are helping them to identify international standard for their export, the volume they can produce because  there is already made market waiting for their produce and when they produce, it goes there’’ he said.

Ajadi added that the project has set up pioneering factories for cassava peels as livestock feeds in Kogi and Benue and these are the first of its kind in the country.

The Country Representative said that they are working on another innovation in ginger farming in Kaduna to make agriculture viable in the country.

Ajadi further explained how to process the livestock feed and boost the economy of the country.

“ You grind the peels three times to get the fine product, which is for poultry and fishing feeding, you get the rough one by grinding two times and is will serve as cow, sheep and goat feed.

“Once you grind, you will drain the water, which is the starch and can be used as building materials for moulding blocks.

“The farmer sell based on the economy production on the average rate between N20-50 per kilogramme (kg) but the expert says that the price of a bag should sell at the rate of price of halve bag of maize.

“ For now, a bag of 50kg is about N2,500 and the demand is even increasing, so we are thinking on how to step up production to meet the market demand,’’ he said.

According to him, all these serve as the source of income for farmers and also increase the cassava production in the state. (NAN)
ROK/AFA
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Edited by Felix Ajide

NAN–H–76
Killed
Lokoja, Sept. 18, 2017 ( NAN) The Kogi Police Command said it had launched a manhunt for the killers of an expatriate, his police orderly and driver on Lokoja-Ajaokuta road on Sept. 16.

The command’s Public Relation Officer, ASP William Aya who confirmed this to newsmen on Monday in Lokoja said that the expatriate was traveling with the other victims when they ran into a roadblock mounted by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers.

He said that the police orderly resisted the attempt to kidnap the white man and this led to a gun duel between him and the kidnappers.

According to Aya, the gunmen were able to kill the policeman, the white man and his driver on the spot before the arrival of a nearby police patrol team.

“The gunmen on sighting the police patrol team also opened fire on them and in the process inflicted serious gun injuries on some policemen,” he said.

Aya said that the perpetrators of the dastardly act will be fished out and be made to face the full wrath of the law.

The police, however, did not give the nationality of the expatriate. (NAN)
KKA/IS
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Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz

NIMASA laments Niger, Kebbi boat mishaps
NAN-HE-9
Mishaps
By Kola Adayemi
Lokoja, Sept. 18, 2017 (NAN) The Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ( NIMASA) has described the recent boat mishaps recorded in Niger and Kebbi States which claimed over 100 lives as unfortunate.

Its Chairman, Maj-Gen. Jonathan Garba, expressed his displeasure with the incidents in a statement sent by e-mail to newsmen in Lokoja on Monday.

The statement, signed by his Personal Assistant, Mr Adakole Ejegbudu, said that the two accidents came at a time when all hands were on deck to improve safety standards in the maritime sector.

He commiserated with the people and governments of the two states, urging those who lost loved ones in the accidents to see it as act of God.

It would be recalled that the accidents occurred at different times in Munya Local Government area of Niger State and Bagudo Local Government area of Kebbi State.

According to him, the accidents and other recent events on the country’s waterways have further weaken the public confidence in marine transportation.

He said that NIMASA stood with the management of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) in this period of mourning and share in its renewed resolve to make marine transportation safer.

“ For Marine transportation to be seen and utilized as a sustainable and viable mode of transportation, it must be safe.

“ This is the challenge that all stakeholders must rise up to. Preserving the sanctity of life is the responsibility of every entity and a reflex for all well meaning persons,” he said.

Garba reiterated the resolve of NIMASA to collaborate with other stakeholders to improve the efficiency and safety of transportation and for greater good of the country.

He advised NIWA to step up its sensitization and awareness programmes for stakeholders and waterways users to improve safety in the nation’s Inland Waterways.

The NIMASA chairman  also appealed to the civil society organisations and well-meaning citizens to volunteer and play a role in the sensitization programme.

“Besides sensitization, there are other issues to address such education/ training of operators, utilization of safe and stable vessels, enforcement of rules and regulations and provision of relevant infrastructure and navigational aids,” he said. (NAN)

PR/KKA/TÁ
Edited by Tajudeen Atitebi

NAN-H-34
Duty
Lokoja, Sept. 18, 2017 (NAN) The new Kogi Commissioner of Police, Mr Ali Janga, on Monday assumed duty with a pledge to do his possible best to improve the state’s security situation.

Janga, who was formerly in charge of the Mobile Force Unit in Abuja, succeeded Mr Wilson Inalegwu who was redeployed to the Police College, Jos.

At the handover ceremony in Lokoja, the commissioner of police solicited the support of officers and men of the state police command and the general public to enable him to succeed.

In his remarks, Inalegwu described Kogi as unique.

He noted that the state had boundaries with 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory, saying that this was largely responsible for some security challenges facing it.

He said that many crimes in the state were being perpetrated by outsiders, describing the people of the state as peaceful.

Inalegwu who was appointed Kogi Commissioner of Police in March, said that his greatest achievement was bringing the police closer to the people.

According to him, the closeness made the people to have more confidence in the police.

He said that this development helped the command in intelligence gathering and reduced violent crimes, especially kidnapping.

Inalegwu commended the state Gov. Yahaya Bello for support for the command, saying that the support help the command to succeed.

He also thanked the command’s officers and men in for dedication and loyalty, and urged them to cooperation with his successor.

Inalegwu advised the new commissioner of police to sustain the cordial relationship between the police and other security agencies for greater efficiency. (NAN)
KKA/IGO
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(Edited by Ijeoma Popoola)

NAN-H-24
Partnership
Lokoja, Sept. 17, 2017 ( NAN) Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has pledged to partner with National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to develop and make the nation’s inland water ways economically viable, NIMASA Chairman, Retired Maj -Gen. Jonathan Garba, said.

The pledge was in a statement by Garba’s Personal Assistant , Mr Adakole Ejegbudu, on Sunday in Lokoja.

Ejegbudu quoted the NIMASA boss as saying “the partnership would focus on how to make the existing 10,000 kilometres of inland waterways in the country navigable.”

Garba also said the development and utilisation of waterways, which cut across 28 states in the country, became necessary to complement ongoing efforts by Federal Government to link all states by rail.

He lauded Federal Government’s decision to dredge River Benue after successful dredging of the upper River Niger.

According to him, dredging the river will reduce the risk of flooding, improve navigability of the water ways, increase value of water fronts and promote economic activities along the river banks, as well as the coastal communities

He said that the recent flooding in Benue and Kogi should not be allowed to repeat itself by ensuring timely execution of the dredging plan.

The NIMASA chairman commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the quick response to the plight of Benue flood victims, which he said prevented the situation from getting out of hand.

“The President’s directive to National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide emergency aid to the flood victims brought succor and prevented the situation from deteriorating further.

“The visit of Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo to Makurdi showed the Presidency’s commitment to the well-being of the people and is in keeping with his loyalty and exemplary leadership demonstrated in the President’s absence.”

Garba said NIMASA remained committed to fulfilling the mandate of the Cabotage regime in its four cardinal points which stipulated that vessels for coastal and inland trade must be built in Nigeria, owned by Nigerians, manned by Nigerians and be registered in Nigeria.

According to him, the new Cabotage Compliance Strategy (NCCS ) and the proposed amendment to the Cabotage Act of 2003 currently before the National Assembly when passed into law would strengthen the Cabotage regime to the benefit of Nigerians.

It would also make the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund more accessible to enable more citizens to acquire vessels, he added. (NAN)
KKA/HA
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