Blog

‎NAN-H-20
Test
‎By Mercy Osajiugo
‎Minna, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The Niger Ministry of Health on Wednesday said it spent
N20 million to procure HIV testing kits for residents.‎

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Mustapha Jibril, disclosed this at a news
conference in Minna to mark the Dec. 1 World AIDS Day which had “Hands up for HIV Prevention” as its theme for this year.

‎Jibril ‎said the procurement of the testing kits was a continuous move toward universal access to HIV counseling and testing.

He added that the theme for this year was apt and called for collaboration among stakeholders for increased testing.

He, however, noted that “Niger experienced progressive decline in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS from 6.2 per cent in 2008 to 1.2 per cent in 2014, the lowest in North Central Zone.‎

“This great achievement is the result of the combined effort ‎of the state government, partners and other stakeholders.”

The commissioner noted that the ministry had concluded assessment of 145 primary healthcare centres, in line with the state government’s health policy.

He explained that the aim was to scale-up the prevention of mother to child transmission
of the virus in the 274 wards of the state.

He said access ‎to treatment was the crux of a new global target aimed at ending AIDS epidemics as public health threat by 2030.

He noted that stigmatisation and discrimination had remained enormous barriers to effective prevention and control measures.

“Quite a number of individuals still have difficulties in disclosing their HIV status due to the fear of rejection and economic exclusion,” he said

He said this posed a threat to the ‘90-90-90’ global target.‎

Jibril further said that the state had reenergised its ‎capacity to detect and treat tuberculosis with support from partners as three thirds of AIDS related deaths were caused by tuberculosis. (NAN)
MNO/CEO/HA
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Edited by Chidi Opara/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

NAN-HG-19
Cancer
By Alex Enebeli
Enugu, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) A radiologist at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Prof. Ifeoma Okoye, has said that Africa’s cancer mortality will double in the next 20 years if not tackled.

Speaking in Enugu on Wednesday during the Physicians’ Week organised by the Nigeria Medical Association, Enugu branch, Okoye noted that if cancer infections continued to rise without adequate modalities to control it, the country’s gross domestic product would be affected.

“This is because if those in productive age bracket are infected with cancer, their level of growth and productivity will be affected and this will in turn affect their individuality, community and the government,” she said.

She regretted that many chronic diseases were not adequately addressed in the country, especially in the rural areas as many people living with cancer did not have access to primary health care.

Okoye said that the UN Cancer Control Programme was not implemented in the country and urged the governments to invest in health care to develop its own cancer plan.

The professor of radiation medicine said that tobacco intake, excessive alcohol, environmental factors and people’s lifestyle were the major causes of cancer.

She said that early detection, medical check-up and supportive medicine would make a difference as she urged the government to promote Hepatitis B immunisation which was capable of impacting on cervical cancer.

She advised the NMA to use the programme and reach out to the people, especially those in the rural areas.

Declaring the week open, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State promised to partner with the association to enhance healthcare services in the state.

Ugwuanyi, who was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Sam Ngwu, challenged the NMA to come out with a robust strategy that would move the health sector forward.

In his keynote address, the Chairman of the state assembly committee on health, Dr Emeka Ogbuabo, attributed the poor health situation in the country to corruption and lack of transparency.

Ogbuabo said that the assembly would intensify its oversight function to boost the sector.

Earlier, the Chairman of NMA in the state, Dr Cajetan Onyedum, said the programme was aimed to tackle healthcare challenges in the state and Nigeria in general.

Onyedum said the association presented a copy of the National Health Act passed in 2014 to the Enugu State House of Assembly to bring the attention of the government to the need to speed up its implementation without further delay.

The theme of the week is `Health Care in a Frail Economy: Challenges and Way Forward’. (NAN)
AAE/MNA/MVO
(Edited by Maureen Atuonwu/Mbadiwe Okwor)

NAN-H-72
Football
By Nicholas Obisike
Enugu, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) Golden Boys FC of Nkanu East in Enugu State has qualified to represent the state at the forthcoming Olympic Football Five-A-Side tournament in Lagos from Jan. 20 to Jan. 21.

The Project Manager of the championship, Patrick Okosodo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Wednesday that seven states and the Federal Capital Territory would participate in the project.

Okosodo listed the states as Edo, Enugu, Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Oyo and Rivers.

He said that the project, sponsored by Olympic Milk and powered by Indo Sports of the Indomie Noodles producers, was aimed at fishing out talents and training them for national and international competitions.

“The purpose of the qualifiers is to pick teams from each of the states to battle for the finals in Lagos in January and the team will be taken care of by the sponsors.

“The overall winner will be rewarded with N1 million while the most valuable player will go home with N300, 000 with a free ticket to watch any of Manchester United’s matches in the ongoing season,’’ he said.

Okosodo decried the poor turnout of teams in spite of the publicity given to the project, adding that he did not regret it as those that made it showed good artistry.

He said that this year was the second edition of the tournament which commenced in Abuja in 2015.

The project manager thanked the four teams that participated at the state level and urged them to keep the flag flying.

The teams were United Stars of Ubahu in Nkanu East, Strikers FC from Awkunanaw in Enugu South, Barrack Boys FC and Golden Boys.

The Golden Boys FC defeated Strikers FC 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to be crowned the state champions.

The club went home with a trophy while the highest goal scorer also from Golden Boys, Nwabueze Alumona, who scored five goals, was rewarded with a golden boot.

Alumona thanked the organisers and prayed his team to win the cup in Lagos.

“We are going home to do more work on our scoring and creativity so that we will represent the state better and also improve our skills,’’ Alumona said. (NAN)
NUO/MNA/MVO
(Edited by Maureen Atuonwu/Mbadiwe Okwor)

Private sector coalition advocates passage of Competition Bill

NAN-HE-22

Bill

Abuja, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) A group of business people, Private Sector Coalition on Competition Bill, has advocated the passage of Competition Bill to ease doing of  business in the country.

The Technical Adviser to the Coalition, Mr Leonard Ugbajah, made the call at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said the Bill had been pending in the National Assembly for 16 years.

Ugbajah said that the passage of the Bill would help to check monopoly, cartel behaviour and open market for business opportunities.

“It is obvious that we are having a rapid developing sector; before now, the economy was basically government controlled.

“When you have private sector, suppliers of services and goods in the economy and in particular sector, there are certain dangers you need to guide against.

“You need to guide against what the economists called `market failures’. The logic of market failure is why you need this type of regulation,’’ he said.

According to him, the situation now is that some suppliers of good and services have dominated the market.

“ When you have concentration of market power where a particular supplier has dominated position, it will not be able to determine price and output.

“The danger is that market operators or enterprises will likely exploit consumers.

“It is not about exploiting consumers, also it makes it difficult for entrance of new line of business because of pricing technique.’’

Ugbajah said that the Bill was related to Consumer Protection which was earlier presented to the National Assembly.

He said that the 7^th Senate advised that the two Bills be harmonised since the Federal Government had established Consumer Protection Council (CPC).

“Some of the members of the 8^th National Assembly who have had interest to make sure that Nigeria has this kind of Bill have taken up same bill.

“It was first brought in as Executive Bill and they have sponsored it as private member bill now,’’ the official said.

Ugbajah said that the Bill, which had passed through second reading and being passed to a committee, would help to boost the economy once passed.

The official, however, told NAN that the coalition had been working with the CPC to advocate for the passage of the Bill.

He said the CPC Act, enacted in 1992, was outdated, adding that the new Bill had merged Consumer Protection Act with it.

“What the Bill has done is to propose the re-enactment of CPC and add the regulation part of it and transform the CPC into a Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

“CPC is the strongest advocate for the bill because from the organisation perspective, it gives the council power to address some of the market failure.

“ It will give them power to address some market failure which they cannot address within the current legal framework.

“ So, that is why we have come to good place, there is broad based concession between the public and private sector on the need to get the Bill enacted,’’ he said.

KC/CIA/IA

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Edited by Idris Abdulrahman

Eating habits: Expert recommends access to nutrition information

NAN-HG-8

Nutrition

By Talatu Maiwada

Abuja, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) Mrs Sarah Abagai, Head of Department, Dietetics, National Hospital, Abuja, has advised Nigerians to access culturally relevant nutritional information that would help sanitise their food habits.

Abagai, the Author of the launched book, titled “Basic Concepts of Healthy Nutrition, the Secrets of Eating to Live’’, made the recommendation on Wednesday in Abuja.

The author said food was recognised as the most important aspect of man’s lifestyle, adding that food is the source that sustains or shortens life.

“The motivation to write this book came when I discovered a wide gap in the flow of nutritional information that Nigerians can relate to.

“It takes awareness for people to develop and practice healthy eating habits.

“No information is as critical as the type of information that can enable us live physically vigorous, mentally and emotionally healthy,’’ she said.

According to the author, people who engage in unwholesome dietary practices are waging war against their own health.

She stressed that those poor dietary habits results in disease conditions that develop slowly without the knowledge and realisation of the harm it does to the body.

“If our dietary choices, designed to nourish and sustain our bodies, begin to make us ill, then we must re-evaluate and strive to improve our knowledge of nutrition and our health.

“When diseases begin to manifest, such people will be compelled to imbibe healthy eating to treat diseases rather than healthy eating to keep healthy.

“We don’t have to be compelled by diseases to eat right we can go the preventive way, so that we eat healthy, keep healthy and live long lives,’’ Abagai said.

The expert, therefore, urged the Federal Government to employ dieticians at the primary health care level, saying that most dieticians are mainly in urban centres and tertiary health facilities.

She said trained dieticians at the primary healthcare level would help disseminate information on nutritional education in rural areas as well as guide the people into the right eating habits. (NAN)

TIM/MST/MST

Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

NAN-HE-19
Cooperative
By Mercy Obojeghren
Asaba, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN)The Delta Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mrs Mary Iyasere says the ministry has registered 37,460 cooperative societies in the state with financial strength of N38billion.

Iyasere disclosed this on Wednesday at a ministerial briefing organised by the Ministry of Information in Asaba.

“The cooperative movement constitutes the various cooperative organisations in the state and has a capital base of about N38billion, internally generated by co-operators domiciled in the various cooperative societies, unions and apex bodies.

“The cooperative societies are expected to be self-financing by generating the necessary finances for their operations through their members, but their mopped up funds are still grossly inadequate for their business operations,’’ she said.

Iyasere said that the need for state government to assist the groups through provision of micro-credit facilities to boost their capital base had become imperative.

“This is because they have been identified as veritable tools for economic growth,’’ she said.

On achievements of the ministry, the commissioner said the ministry was supervising four industrial estates which were currently undergoing development.

“The four estates are located in Asaba, Warri, Ebede in Ndokwa East Local and Ikwewu-Amukpe in Sapele local government area of the state.

“The Asaba industrial estate which is about one square kilometer has been acquired demarcated and all plots of lands have been allocated,’’ she said.

Iyasere further said the state government was in the process of providing social infrastructure to the estate.

According to her, the Warri industrial estate comprises of 100 hectres with the beacons surrounding the estate already identified.

She said that the acquisition of the land process was yet to be completed.

“The Egbede industrial estate is targeted to host industries which will harness the rich gas deposit in the area but the land acquisition is also yet to be completed.

“Those are efforts of the government spearheaded by the ministry to open Delta for inflow of investments,’’ Iyasere said. (NAN)
MOA/OMO/GY
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Edited by Martins Odeh/Grace Yussuf

NAN-HE-6
Shares
Lagos, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The market indices at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Wednesday closed higher for November with a marginal growth of 0.03 per cent.

Specifically, the All-Share Index appreciated by 8.21 points or 0.03 per cent to close at 25,241.63 against 25,233.42 achieved on Tuesday.

Also, investors staked N3.42 billion on 414.16 million shares transacted in 2,567 deals.

This represents a turnover of 511.58 million shares valued at N1.69 billion exchanged in 2,342 deals on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the market capitalisation rose by three billion naira or 0.03 per cent to close at N8.689 trillion compared with N8.686 trillion posted on Tuesday.

Mobil recorded the highest price growth to lead the gainers’ table, growing by N24.78 to close at N266.67 per share.

Total followed with a gain of N4.05 to close at N258.90 and Nigerian Breweries appreciated by N2 to close at N145 per share.

Beta Glass grew by N1.50 to close at N33.07, while Cadbury gained N1.02 to close at N11.07 per share.

Conversely, Dangote Cement topped the losers’ chart, dropping by N1.99 to close at N158 per share.

International Breweries followed with a loss of 57k to close at N18.42 and NASCON shed 34k to close at N6.66 per share.

Forte Oil dipped 14k to close at N53.85 and UAC Property was down by 12k to close at N2.34 per share.

NAN reports that an analysis of the activity chart indicated that Wema Bank drove the activity with 199.26 million shares worth N102.85 million.

It was trailed by Access Bank having accounted for 59.05 million shares valued at N324.72 million and Stanbic IBTC sold 25.86 million shares worth N387.94 million.

Guaranty Trust Bank traded 23.31 million shares valued at N526.76 million, while Zenith Bank transacted 18.59 million shares worth N254.43 million. (NAN)
JNC/GOK
Edited by Olagoke Olatoye

NAFDAC warns bakers in Jigawa against unregistered ingredients

NAN-HG-7
Bakers

By Mustapha Sumaila
Dutse, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Jigawa on Wednesday warned bakers in the state to desist from use of unregistered ingredients in production of bread.

The State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Alhaji Abdusalam Lawal, gave the warning during a meeting with members of Master Bakers Association in Dutse.

Lawal said that no baker should use expired additives or banned substances such as bromate in production of bread.

He stated that whoever was caught using unregistered ingredients would be sanctioned appropriately.

Lawal also warned the bakers against using other baker’s label, pointing out that such offence would attract serious penalties.

Meanwhile, in a similar meeting with sachet water producers, the agency’s head urged them to keep a good hygienic condition of their premises.

He said that use of pit toilets in water factories was unacceptable to NAFDAC. (NAN)
MS/ORO/MST

Edited by Razak Owolabi/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

NAN-H-65
Pilgrimage
By Kabir Muhammad
Abuja, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello has called on the Christian intending Pilgrims to pray for Nigeria and its leadership in order to make the country a better place.

Bello made the call a farewell ceremony for the 2016 contingent of the FCT Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem, Israel at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, on Wednesday in Abuja.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that should be used for spiritual rejuvenation to pray for oneself, the nation and those in position of authority, for God to guide them to move the nation to greater heights.’’

He urged the pilgrims to reflect on the time, amount of money spent to prepare and embark on this holy journey to make them return to be good citizens.

According to him, the spiritual change and awakening during this blessed journey would go a long way to transcend in the entire community and thereby making the country a better place.

He advised the pilgrims to be guided and humbled by the God given opportunity to embark on this religious journey, having in mind that all in this life is vanity.

The minister noted that Israel is a Holy Land for all Abrahamic religions namely: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, which should be a reason to make us more united.

“We are all children and offspring of Adam and Eve and therefore we should be united for the good of the entire humanity.”

Speaking at the occasion, the Sen. representing the Federal Capital Territory, Sen. Philip Tanimu Aduda, urged the pilgrims to be good Ambassadors of the FCT and the country at large.

He also seized the opportunity to extol the people-oriented policies and programmes of the minister particularly his effort in rescuing the 10 kidnapped persons in the Kuje Area Council of the territory recently.

The Minister of State (Aviation), Sen. Hadi Sirika who also spoke at the occasion told the pilgrims to shun anything that could hinder the unity of the country.

“We are all one, because no one can be a Muslim without believing in Jesus Christ”.

Also in his remark, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Mr. Ujah Tor charged the pilgrims not to abscond while in the Holy Land.(NAN)

KM/MTM/
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Edited by Tukur Muntari.

NAN-DS-14
Arrest
Lagos, Nov. 30, 2016 (NAN) The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) on Wednesday in Lagos arrested a commercial tricycle rider and a trader with heroin.

The suspects, according to the agency’s spokesperson, Mr Mitchell Ofeyeju, in a statement, said the arrest was in connection with unlawful importation of 6.390kg of substances that tested positive for heroin.

Ofeyeju gave the names of the suspects as Egwin Chinedu, 32, caught with 3.900kg of heroin and King Sunday, 38, found in possession of2.490kg of heroin.

“One of the suspected traffickers was caught on arrival from Kigali, Rwanda, while the other was nabbed on arrival from Nairobi, Kenya respectively.

“The drug with an estimated street value of N575m was hidden in their luggage.

“Egwin arrived from Kigali on Rwanda Airline flight while King Sunday imported the drug found on him from Nairobi during inward screening of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlineflight.

“Both suspects are being investigated,” the statement said.

The spokesperson said that preliminary investigation by the agency, however, indicated that drug trafficking cartels were gradually changing their mode of operation by turning to African countries in sourcing narcotic drugs like heroin.

“Both suspects were also recruited for a fee to import the drugs into the country,’’ the statement said.

It said that the NDLEA Chairman, Mr Muhammad Abdallah, expressed satisfaction with the arrest, stressing that drug traffickers were now turning to African countries to smuggle heroin.

“The agency successfully foiled their plan with the arrest and seizure of the drugs.

“Drug cartels thought it would be easy to smuggle the drugs into the country since heroin is not produced in Africa but I am happy that we are thinking far ahead of them.

“The agency will continue to maintain this lead until they are completely dislodged.

“The suspects will be arraigned soon,” Abdallah stated. (NAN)
HOB/MNA/AMY
Edited by Maureen Atuonwu/Abdullahi Yusuf