Author: Isah Mukhtar

NAN-HG-6

Healthcare

By Dada Ahmed

Abuja, Sept.15, 2017 (NAN) Dr Patrick Ezie, Publicity Secretary, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Federal Capital Territory branch, has called on the Federal Government to implement the National Health Act.

He made the call in a statement in Abuja on Friday.

Ezie said that the call was imperative to ensure that ‘’healthcare is made available and affordable to the most vulnerable population of our society’’.

He described the Act as a beautiful piece of legislation that strengthened the framework for healthcare provision, but said that non-implementation of it remained a big setback.

According to Ezie, the Act also provides one per cent of the nation’s Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) to the Basic Healthcare Provision fund.

‘’The National Health Act is to ensure that the most vulnerable are taken care of.

“This Act provides for free emergency services, free maternal care and treatment for under-fives and the elderly in the society as well as a robust strengthening of healthcare institutions.

“This will greatly complement the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) if we find the political will to implement it,’’ he said.

‘’NHIS and Health Management Organisations (HMOS) can be encouraged by developing health polices with specific mandate to cater for the unique conditions of the vast majority of Nigerians.

‘’If such a scheme is successful, majority of unemployed Nigerians will have access to healthcare and this will bring us a step closer to Universal Basic Health Coverage.’’

On how to reinvigorate NHIS, Ezie called for increased effort on the part of government ‘’to ensure that we are moving in the direction of achieving universal basic health coverage’’.

He said that the health scheme was a vision that all responsible governments had for their citizens, adding that the Nigerian nation could not be left out in such essential service.

The NMA scribe also stressed the need for huge investment in the health sector, warning that ‘’if we fail today to invest in our health system, we will all suffer the consequences tomorrow’’.

He called for increased spending in the sector and strict and efficient utilisation of resources allocated to the sector through open contracting standards as part of good governance.

According to him, adopting such method will ensure efficiency in the sector and enable government and people to derive greater value for the money spent on health.

Ezie added that Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) should be encouraged in the health sector, and made as transparent and efficient as possible.

‘’This will ensure that the areas the public sector cannot delve into as a result of lean resources, they can be augmented by the private sector.’’

He further called for the establishment of a National Social Security System that would mandate all citizens to enrol for healthcare in institutions, with special tax levied on the working class.

According to Ezie, such system will also enable the unemployed and the most vulnerable members of the society to benefit from the most basic level of care in the country. (NAN)

DUA/OPI/OPI

Fadama III begins distribution of livelihood packages to farmers in Yobe

NAN-AE-2
Beneficiaries
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Sept. 13, 2017 (NAN) The Fadama III Second Additional Financing (AFII) has begun the distribution of food assistance and livelihood packages to 1200 beneficiaries in 30 communities of Yobe state.

Mr Musa Abubakar, Communications Officer for the Fadama 111 AF11 programme, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

Abubakar said FADAMA’s intervention aimed at restoring hope and dignity of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and those that returned to their localities after the insurgency.

“The distribution comes under third batch of additional 27 Community Action Plans where 1200 persons will benefit from packages such as small ruminant, irrigation, poultry and fisheries in 14 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across the State.

“ The beneficiaries of small ruminants had received either four goats and one buck or three sheep and a ram.

“ Irrigation farmers get water pump, hose, herbicides and insecticides, other are assorted seeds, fertilisers and sprayer,’’ the communication officer said.

He said beneficiaries from poultry business received 34 broilers at seven weeks and 40 layers as well as feeds and medication.

According to him, fish farmers get 350 fingerlings, feeds, plastic container and medication.

The statement quoted Mr Dauda Yusuf, the village of Nannawaji in Gujba LGA of Yobe, also a beneficiary, as commending Fadama III AF II for the various interventions given to 80 households in his village.

“Yusuf said many families were able to concentrate on their farms and not going for menial labour because of the food assistance given to them which had also help in safeguarding their livelihood,’’ it said.

Mrs Yafal Mata, a widow and mother of eleven children, said her children would undertake rice farming as they received the packages from Fadama.

“ When my husband was alive, we used to cultivate the farm but lack of means has hindered us from doing it,’’ she said.

Earlier, Malam Musa Garba, the State Project Coordinator, led inspection team to Gujba and Damaturu LGAs to supervise distribution of the livelihood packages,

Garba said that the project had set a standard, adding that compromising contract would not be tolerated.

“Fadama staff and facilitators are doing commendable work by ensuring that the right beneficiaries are the ones getting the supports.

According to him, so far not a single complaint was registered by the project, so they should continue with the good work.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the distribution is a continuation of batches one and two where 20 and 27 Community Action Plans were rolled out and over 3,000 households supported in the 14 LGAs in the State. (NAN)
ROK/ADA/AFA
Edited by Deji Abdulwahab/Felix Ajide

NAN-HE-26
Flood
By Kola Adeyemi
Lokoja, Sept. 12, 2017 ( NAN) Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State on Tuesday said that no fewer than 10,000 families had been displaced by flooding in seven local government areas of the state.

Bello, who spoke during a tour of flood ravaged areas of Lokoja, listed the affected local governments to include Lokoja, Ibaji, Igalamela -Odolu, Ajaokuta, Kogi and Bassa.

He said that farmers were particularly hard hit as they lost their houses, farmlands and livestock to the floods.

The governor said that many communities in the state were always at the receiving end anytime there was heavy downpour.

According to him, this happens once the Rivers Niger and Benue overflow their banks, saying that many of the affected houses were located on river banks and flood plains.

He said that the victims of the disaster had been moved to the IDPs in Lokoja and other parts of the state.

The governor appealed to the Federal Government and corporate organisations to come quickly to the aid of the state.

“The state is in dire need of humanitarian interventions,” he said.

Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, the state Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, said that the ministry had been stretched to the limit by the development.

“The state government is providing immediate interventions within its financial capacity, but what government has been able to do is grossly inadequate.
“Apart from Nataco, Sarkin Numa, Ganaja and other areas in Lokoja where floods have taken over communities, Ibaji communities are completely passing through the fury floods that have sacked people from their homes and farmlands.

“Some people are climbing trees to survive.

“There is an urgent need to relocate the affected people and settle them in camps. We call on the National Emergency Management Agency to quickly come to our aid,” she said.

According to her, a situation room has been established to collate the realities on ground.

“The situation is getting worse by the day. As the centre of the nation, a locked-in Kogi will affect the entire nation.

“Roads have been taken over, people now sleep on the streets and nursing mothers are gory sights to behold. We call on federal agencies and the international community to quickly come to our aid,” the commissioner pleaded.

She also reiterated the appeal that people still living in flooded homes should vacate them immediately, saying that it was unsafe to continue to sleep in flooded houses. ( NAN)

KKA/TÁ
Edited by Tajudeen Atitebi

NAN-H-31
Customs
By Abiodun Lawal
Abeokuta, Sept. 12, 2017 (NAN) The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ogun, has tasked officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to intensify efforts on reducing the spate of smuggling through the state.

Mr Wale Adewunmi, the Chairman, Correspondents’ Chapel, Ogun council of NUJ, gave this charge on Tuesday when new executives of the chapel paid a courtesy visit on the Customs Area Controller, Mr Sanni Madugu in Abeokuta.

Adewunmi said that Ogun, being a gateway between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin, was often used by smugglers to bring in contrabands.

He urged officers and men of the service to continue to do their best at stemming smuggling activities through the state.

The chairman assured that members of the chapel and the NUJ as a body, would continue to support the NCS in carrying out its statutory duty.

In his remarks, Madugu disclosed that the command had generated more than N600 million monthly into the coffers of the Federal Government.

He stated that the monthly revenue target for Ogun command was N900 million.

The controller said that the command had not been able to meet the target due to low economic activities in Abeokuta, which according to him, are mostly concentrated in the border areas.

Madugu, however, expressed optimism that in no distant future, the command would meet the target set for it.

He said that hitherto, the command was generating N400 million but was able to increase it to N600 million.

“Our revenue target in Ogun command is more than N900 million monthly, there are places where revenue target is N300 million, N400 million and N500 million.

“Then you have places as Apapa Port and Tincan Island Port, where we generate more than one billion naira every working day.

“What we are doing in Ogun is to make sure we are making efforts; we have not met our target in Ogun command, the revenue is high, the target is high but the activities are low.

“We are making efforts to ensure that we even surpass that target,” he said.

The controller appreciated the journalists for the visit, saying that the partnership that existed between them and the NCS had really assisted the service in promoting its activities. (NAN)
LKA/AOS/YEMI
Edited by Bayo Sekoni/Yemi Idris-Aduloju

NAN-H-30

Killing

By Chukwuemeka Opara

Abakaliki, Sept. 11, 2017 (NAN) The Police Command in Ebonyi on Monday confirmed the arrest of a 30-year-old man suspected to have killed his two-year-old daughter in his farm.

The command’s spokesperson, ASP Loveth Odah, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki that the corpse of the girl had been taken to Mgbo Hospital morgue.

Odah said that investigations into the matter had commenced.

She said that the suspect, a native of Ukwu-Agba Mgbo in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state, would be arraigned immediately the police completed investigation into the matter.

“The act is condemnable and more regrettable is the high rate of brutal killings in Ebonyi.

“The suspect will soon be arraigned,’’ she said.

Odah added that the command would bring to book all perpetrators of heinous acts in the state.

A source close to the family told NAN on the condition of anonymity that the suspect killed his daughter in his farm on Sept.6 and the act was detected by a good citizen.

“The good citizen reported the matter to the Ohaukwu Police Division which arrested (the man) and recovered the girl’s corpse.

“The family and the community suspect that the act was for ritual purposes because he used his machete to cut the girl’s right leg.

“The act shocked and threw the community into serious mourning because it was its first time of witnessing such an act,” he said. (NAN)

RCO/AOS/EMO
============
Edited by Bayo Sekoni/Ejike Obeta

NAN -H-31

Fraud

Lokoja, Sept. 10, 2017 ( NAN) Kogi Government says the discovery of N145 million fraud in the salary voucher of the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja , is responsible for the delay in the payment of July salary of its workers.

The Director -General, Kogi State Bureau of Information and Grassroots Mobilisation, Alhaji Abdulmalik Abdulkareem, said this in a statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja on Sunday.

The government’s statement is in response to an earlier threat by the institution’s local chapter of the Academic staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) to embark on an indefinite strike over non-payment of July salary of its members.

“Kogi State Government affirmed that the discovery of N145 million fraud in the salary vouchers was responsible for the delay in payment of the July salary . This is based on facts obtained from the office of Auditor -General of Kogi State,” the statement said.

The ASUP had threatened to direct its members to embark on strike if the July salary of its members is not paid latest by Sept. 11.

Andulmalik faulted the position of ASUP and other unions in the polytechnic, saying that the delay in payment of their July salary was self-inflicted .

He alleged that some accounts staff of the polytechnic bloated the salary vouchers to defraud the state government of N145 million.

According to him, the salary is being delayed to give room for a thorough investigation into the alleged fraud.

The director-general said the state government had recovered N145m from over bloated wage bill.

He , however, assured that all staff would start receiving their July salary as from Sept. 11.

Abdulkareem said that government had directed that salary of workers in the salary unit of the polytechnic be put on hold pending the conclusion of investigation.

According to him, investigations showed that staff in charge of salary payment perpetrated the scam by transferring money into accounts of some cooperatives societies and unions.

“ Salaries of some staff of the polytechnic were also fraudulently bloated,” he said.

Abdulmalik said that there was no need for ASUP and other unions to go on strike again as government would start paying their July salary by Sept. 11.

He reiterated government’s zero tolerance for corruption, adding that no efforts would be spared to put an end to such fraudulent practices. ( NAN)
PR/KKA/AMY
—————–

Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf

NAN-H-13
League
By Sam Oditah
Umuahia, Sept. 10, 2017 (NAN) Football analysts in Umuahia, the Abia capital, have expressed mixed reactions over Abia Warriors FC’s 12th position in the just-concluded 2016/2017 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Umuahia-based club made a giant leap in the log after it pummelled Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt 4-1 in their last match of the season.

The match came up at the Umuahia Township Stadium on Saturday.
Speaking in separate interviews with NAN in Umuahia, many of the analysts expressed concern that the team had been inconsistent in its performance in the last two seasons.

Others, however, said that the team did their and should be commended for staying afloat and not relapsing into relegation.

The Chairman of the state chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Vincent Obike, said that Abia Warriors “have not been consistent in the last two seasons.”

Obike recalled that the team replicated its performance in the 2015/2016 league, during which it finished in the 13th position.

He said that the team started the 2016/2017 season on a promising note, occupying top position during the first stanza, but slumped to the relegation zone during the second stanza.

“This shows inconsistency,” he said, adding that the development could be attributed to the lack of fitness on the part of players.

According to him, it is possible that the club recruit players that lack the fitness to sustain the brilliant start in the first stanza till the end of the league.

He also said that the problem could possibly be due to management lapses.

Another soccer enthusiast, Mr Sunny Ogele, expressed feared that something fundamental could be responsible for the team’s unimpressive finishing.

“I feel that something is fundamentally wrong,” Ogele said, but said that it was not clear who to hold responsible.

“It is not clear whether the problem is with the management, coaching crew or players.”
“Is it due to the lack of motivation by the management or lack of commitment by players or should we blame it on the coaching crew?”

He said that the development “is not a good commentary for the club.”
Ogele, who is a Director in the Ministry of Sports, said that there was the need for the club to build synergy with its sister-club, Enyimba International FC of Aba.
The director underscored the need for the management of Abia Warriors “to understudy Enyimba management and see what they could take from the Aba elephants that could help to reposition Abia Warriors.”
He paid glowing tribute to Enyimba for qualifying for the continental championship against all odds.
Ogele said that it was gratifying that Enyimba qualified for continental competition, even when it played all its home matches away from home, due to the ongoing reconstruction of their stadium.
On their part, the chairman and secretary of Abia Warriors’ Supporters Club, Ifeanyi Onereke and Monday Keke, said they were happy the club did not suffer relegation.

Although, they expressed worry that the team could not sustain its impressive run in the first stanza, they expressed the hope that “the team will correct their mistakes next season.”
The duo called for an overhaul of the management team, in order to refit the club and build a strong and reliable team.

“It is regrettable that the club would start very well at the inception of the season only to struggle to escape relegation in the second stanza,” they said.

A former Director of Sports in the state, Mr Ejikeme Ikwunze, said that the team should be commended “for remaining afloat and beating relegation.”

Ikwunze, popularly called “Mr Football”, noted that some clubs that were on top at the beginning of the league suffered relegation, hence the team, coaches and management of the club should be commended.

Abia Warriors’ goal merchant, Effiong Ndifereke, who emerged the second highest scorer with six goals during the league, next to injured Sunday Adetunji, rated the performance of the team high.
He said that but for a few lapses, they would have made the first five teams in the log, promising that they would come out better next season.

The Chief Coach of the club, Biffo Abdullahi, attributed the team’s final result to “human mistakes.” He hoped that the problem would be collectively redressed by the management, coaching crew and players before the start of the 2017/2018 league.

Abdullahi said that the club deserved to be commended by the League Management Company (LMC) for providing peaceful atmosphere for visiting clubs to win matches in Umuahia.
“It is only here that other clubs come and freely play their games and pick a point. So LMC should write to congratulate Abia Warriors FC,” the coach said. (NAN)
USO/DUA

Edited by Dada Ahmed

Kogi Police celebrate killing of famed mastermind of 19 Christian worshippers’ massacre

NAN-H-18
Serial killer
By Kola Adeyemi
Lokoja, Sept. 8, 2017 (NAN) The Kogi Police Command said on Friday that the state would experience quiet and peace with the killing of the notorious serial killer, Lukman Issah a.k.a commander, on Sept. 3 at Obeiba.

Lukman, according to the police, had killed six policemen and 19 Christian worshippers before he met his waterloo in an operation led by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

“He was a vicious bloodletting, serial killer and arsonist.

“In the past years, he held forth in the crime world, leaving many deaths, robberies and arson on his trail.

“Countless number of uniformed personnel including policemen, soldiers and even prison officers posted to the state as well as other innocent Nigerians met their untimely death as they were murdered in cold blood by Lukman and his gang,” the police said in a statement.

The statement signed by the command’s spokesman, DSP William Aya, was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The police said Lukman, who hailed from Emani Clan of Obeiba-Ihima area of Okehi Local Government Area, “enjoyed a long reign from 2001 to Sept. 3, 2017 before it was cut short.”

Crimes committed by Lukman and his gang include the killing of two police officers on stop-and-search operation on Ogori/Magongo-Okene Road on May 15 this year.

“During the attack, the leader of the Police team ASP Adetoye Okuntade of Ogori/Magongo Division and Inspr. Ochekpo Amanyi of 37 Police Mobile Force Squadron were shot dead while the patrol vehicle used by the team was set ablaze.

““Two AK 47 riffles in custody of the two deceased officers were taken away with a total 60 rounds of ammunition.

“His gang also attacked men of 37 Police Mobile Force on special duty at Adogo in Ajaokuta Local Government Area and killed four of them — Insp. Maxwell Dan-Zaria , Sgt. Moses Usman, Cpl. Sunday Ogbole and Constable Bulus Linka.

“They were the brain behind the Aug. 6, 2012 bloody gun attack on worshippers at a branch of Deeper Life Bible Church,  Otite near Federal College of Education, Okene, where 19 worshippers were shot dead while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

“Lukman was also a terror to his Ihima community as he shot dead one of the traditional rulers, the Ohireba of Ihima in February 2012.

“The Ohireba of Ihima was relaxing in the front of his house in the evening when he was shot dead. The killing was linked to the stoppage of Okiri masquerade outing during the fuel subsidy crisis, ” the statement said.

It said before Lukman succumbed, he resisted arrest, while his gang engaged the police in a gun battle with the operational vehicle riddled with bullets.

“ The police purposely did not want him dead as his death has denied the Force valuable information on his exploits and accomplices over the years as well as the recovered weapons in his possession.

“He was even taken to the hospital after the encounter, but unfortunately, he did not make it.”(NAN)
PR/KKA/DA

(Editing by Dele Akinsola)

NARD Strike: FMC Lokoja deploys 138 doctors, pharmacists, others

NAN-HG-6
Strike
By Stephen Adeleye
Lokoja, Sept. 8, 2017 (NAN) The Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja, says it has deployed 73 consultants in the hospital to cushion of the effect of the strike by resident doctors on patients.

Dr Jones Taiwo, the Head of Clinical Services (HCS) of the centre, said on Friday in Lokoja that the services of the consultants were being complemented by 32 intern doctors and 33 NYSC doctors.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that pharmacists, dentists, radiologists and other categories of health workers have also been fully mobilised to fill the gap created by the striking resident doctors.

“This has really helped us a lot in keeping the services going on smoothly with minimal strike effects.

“It is only the resident doctors that are on strike, others are working and we are attending to at least 85 per cent of patients that are trooping to the centre.

“There is a directive from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria that one year of the interns should not be interrupted, and this has been strictly obeyed which has also helped us in effective service delivery,” he explained.

The official said that normal laboratory tests were conducted while doctors had been carrying out emergency and scheduled surgeries.

According to Taiwo, the Labour Ward that is always overwhelmed is being manned by consultants.

He said that the management of the hospital had no problem with the resident doctors in the hospital being on strike, saying that they are only complying with a directive from their national body.

The Chairman of the state chapter of NARD, Dr Shola Baoku, is said to be a member of the association’s negotiating team with the Federal Government over the strike.

NAN also reports that normal activities at the FMC are continuing as doctors are seen attending to patients on admission and those at the outpatient unit. (NAN)
ASA/KKA/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

NAN-HG-3
Strike
By Stephen Adeleye
Lokoja, Sept. 8, 2017 (NAN) The Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja, said that it had fully deployed 73 consultants in the centre to care for patients to minimise the effect of strike by resident doctors.

Dr Jones Taiwo, the Head of Clinical Services (HCS) of the centre said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lokoja.

He said the services of the consultants were complemented by 32 intern doctors and 33 NYSC doctors.

According to him, the centre has also mobilised pharmacists, dentists, radiologists and other categories of health workers to fill the gap created by the strike.

“This has really helped us a lot in keeping the services going on smoothly with minimal strike effects.

“It is only the resident doctors that are on strike, others are working and we are attending to at least 85 per cent of patients that are trooping to the centre.

“There is a directive from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria that one year of the interns should not be interrupted, this has been strictly obeyed and it has helped us in effective service delivery,” he said.

The head of the clinical services said that normal laboratory tests were conducted while doctors had been carrying out emergency and scheduled surgeries.

According to Taiwo, the Labour Ward which, he says is always on the receiving end anytime resident doctors are on strike, is being manned by consultants.

He said that the management of the centre had no problem with the resident doctors in the hospital being on strike, saying that they were only complying with directive of their national body.

Attempts to speak with Dr Shola Baoku, the Chairman of the Kogi chapter of the National Association of Resident Doctors ((NARD) proved abortive as he was said to be in Abuja.

NAN gathered that Baoku is a member NARD team negotiating with the Federal Government on how to end the nationwide strike.

Activities at the FMC Lokoja remained normal at the time NAN visited the hospital while doctors were seen attending to in and out-patients. (NAN)
ASA/KKA/DUA

Edited by Kola Adeyemi/Dada Ahmed