Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Dr Mohammed Barau, the Rector of Federal Polytech
nic, Mubi in Adamawa, has been commended for his compliance with federal character principles in the recruitment of staff.
A community leader in Mubi, Alhaji Babangida Jibrilla, who gave the commendation in Mubi yesterday also lauded the rector for the rapid transformation recorded in areas of infrastructure and academic activities in the school.
Jibrilla said besides the compliance with federal character requirements in employment, the rector had in the last two years introduced various courses in the polytechnic that raised the school students population from 2,000 to 19,000.
“More than 20 courses run by the polytechnic were accredited within the last two years while series of physical development in terms of lecture theatres and office blocks were executed to make learning conducive.
Bauchi
No fewer than 100 youths have benefited from a skill
and vocational training programme initiated by the Bauchi State Furniture Company since 2009, as part of efforts to eradicate poverty in the state.
Alhaji Bakoji Badara, the Managing Director of the company, gave the information in an interview with The Tide’s source on Monday in Bauchi.
Badara said the youths were trained in carpentry, upholstery and metal works, under the skill acquisition scheme designed to enhance employment generation and encourage the growth of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME).
He said the trainees were paid between N8,000 and N25,000, as monthly allowances, depending on the nature of their work.
FCT
The National Council on Education (NCE) has prom
ised to map out innovative strategies on policy options and best practices for the development of education through Public Private Partnership.
Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, said this at the opening ceremony of the technical session of the 56th Meeting of the Council in Abuja on Monday.
He assured stakeholders that at the meeting “we shall consider memoranda for council’s approval with a view to mapping out innovative strategies on policy options and best practices”.
The permanent secretary expressed the commitment of the ministry for total restoration of the country’s education system to its former glory.
Gombe
The Gombe State Government has pledged more sup
port to the National Youth Service scheme.
Governor Mohammed Goje stated this on Monday while inspecting the NYSC permanent orientation camp in Malamsidi Kwami in Gombe State.
He commended the contributions of corp members to education, health and other sectors in the state.
Goje, who described the scheme as the best platform for national unity and integration, said government would ensure that the scheme continued.
The first phase of the permanent orientation camp project includes, hostels, offices and a parade ground, which is to cost N600 million and is expected to be completed by the end of March this year.
Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government plans to establish small
hydro power projects to complement the proposed 30 megawatts generation station being built at Gurara Dam, an official said.
The Commissioner for Rural Development, Alhaji Abubakar Musa Abubakar, made the information known in an interview with newsmen in Kaduna on Monday.
He said 11 spots had been identified for the projects but added that only three had been found to be viable, while others were still being studied.
Abubakar said the government and the Energy Commission of Nigeria were working on renewable energy sources.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government has uncovered 6,000
“ghost workers” and saved about N200 million since the introduction of e-payment in October 2009.
The Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Bello Tugga, told newsmen on Monday in Birnin Kebbi that government had achieved 95 per cent success in the bio-metrix system of e-payment of salary to its workers.
He said a committee, with members from all segments of the civil service, had been set up to verify any anomalies in the payment of workers salary.
Tugga said government had no intention of punishing anybody for the discovery of the ghost workers, stressing that the measure was purely aimed at sanitising its accounting system.
Kwara
Kwara Deputy Governor, Joel Ogundeji, yesterday in
Ilorin called on the private sector to assist the government in financing education as part of its social responsibility.
Ogundeji made the call when he inaugurated a building donated to ECWA Girls Secondary School, Omu-Aran, by the Deputy Governor of Anambra, Dame Virgy Etiaba, an old student.
He said that government alone could not fund education in the country.
The deputy governor called on other stakeholders and corporate organisations to contribute their quota in ensuring quality education.
“All of us are duty bound to contribute to the physical and academic development of our alma mater,” he said.
Lagos
An Ikeja High Court on Monday admitted in evidence
video tapes containing recordings of the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) proceedings on the alleged attempted murder of Chief Alex Ibru.
Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha, the Chief Security Officer to late Gen. Sani Abacha, and three others are standing trial for the 1996 alleged attempted murder of Ibru in Lagos.
The others are: former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, James Danbaba; a former Military Administrator of Zamfara, Jubril Yakubu and a Chief Superintendent of Police, Rabo Lawal.
The tapes, tendered in evidence, contained the proceedings of interrogation by the SIP of several suspects including Al-Mustapha and other accused in 1999.
Niger
Alhaji Hassan Nuhu, the Director-General, Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) in Niger, has announced the award of N1.8 billion contracts that would impact positively on the lives of the citizenry.
Nuhu announced the contract awards in Minna recently, during the presentation of the contract documents to some contractors handling the various projects.
He said the contracts included the construction of 12 comprehensive health care centres, each capable of catering for 20 admitted patients, at the cost of N600 million.
The DG said four health centres would be built in each of the three senatorial districts in the state.
According to him, the centres would be equipped and provided with medical consumables and drugs to increase the access of pregnant women and children to medical services.
Plateau
Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau has said that the state
would no longer allow unauthorised buildings in the greater Jos master plan.
Receiving the report of the plan in Jos on Friday, Jang said the government intended to pursue its actualisation very soon.
“Let me warn those who are fund of erecting buildings just anywhere that they will be bulldozed without any apology.
‘’We have told the task force on illegal structures to remove all illegal structures in the city.
“We are not joking about the matter. People will want to carry it into religion, they will term it tribal and all kinds of things but I am determined to do it, no matter what happens,” he said.
Sokoto
Sokoto State is to build a 30-megawatts Independent Power Project (IPP) at the cost of N3.8 billion.
Mr Ford Graham, Managing Director of the U.S.-based Vulcan Capital Energy Management, which won the contract for the project, disclosed this recently at a stakeholders’ forum organised by the state government in Sokoto.
Graham said that the state government had already paid 30 per cent of the total contract sum to his firm for the execution of the project, which was awarded in November 2008.
He said that his firm had commenced work on the project following the arrival in December 2009 of some of the equipment it ordered.
Graham blamed the delay in commencing work on the project to the delay in the acquisition of the site and in opening letters of credit.
The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has assured depositors of banks in-liquidation of speedy and prompt payment of their insured sums in the event of banks’ failure.
Deputy Director, Bank Examination Department of the Corporation, Mr Daniel Udechukwu, gave the assurance at the NDIC-Financial Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) workshop in Owerri on Wednesday.
Udechukwu said the corporation had exhibited this speed in the payment of depositors of some micro-finance banks currently in-liquidation.
According to him, recent development have demanded for more tactical approaches for distress resolution and the corporation is working to meet international standards.
“When some of these micro-finance banks went into liquidation, NDIC swung into action.
“For some of the areas, I monitored, I told the depositors that NDIC will pay them their insured sums soon but they did not believe.
“Within one to two weeks after our visit, they started receiving credit alert of their money. They inturn started calling us to thank the NDIC.
“The media have a role to play in telling these depositors that NDIC has changed. Our word is our bond. NDIC is no longer the old one, things have really changed”, he said.
Udechukwu listed some bank resolution options used by regulatory authorities to include purchase and assumption, liquidation, deposit transfer, bridge bank, merger and acquisition, among others.
Prof. Alfred Makanjuola of Department of Behavioural Sciences, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), has advocated multidisciplinary approach in management of bullying and burnout among medical practitioners.
Makanjuola made the recommendation in Ilorin during his paper presentation at the 40th Annual General Meeting/Sir Aderibigbe Scientific Conference of the the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD-UITH).
His presentation was entitled: “Multidimensional Implications of Bullying and Burnout among Medical Practitioners in Nigeria”.
He stated that workplace bullying and burnout are two conditions commonly faced, most especially by medical students and medical practitioners undergoing their residency.
The expert described bullying as the ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationship through repeated verbal, physical and social behaviour that can cause social and psychological harm.
“It is repeatedly done overtime to humiliate or undermine a group of workers”, he said.
According to him, those who face bullying are systematically exposed to humiliation, hostile and aggressive behaviour for at least once a week or six months.
Noting that doctors who are bullied perceive to see themselves at the receiving end, Makanjuola said bullying include belittling, insults, threat, physical abuse, gossips and spreading rumours.
He observed that bullying is so negative that it can precipitate burnout and stress among medical practitioners.
He also said it can lead to feeling of energy depletion, low personal accomplishment and increased mental distancing.
The Consultant Psychiatrist stated that consequences of bullying and burnout can pose psychological stress, low performance and low confidence, among others.
He, therefore, advised government and relevant stakeholders to evolve comprehensive mental healthcare system.
“There is need for training support and welfare for staff and need for institutionalisation of mentoring system”, he said.
Makanjuola, therefore, called for conflict de-escalation/resolution skills ajd mechanism and early identification of work bullying and burnout.
Similarly in her presentation, Prof. Aishat Bolakale, a Consultant Paediatrician of the Department of Paediatrics, University of Ilorin, decried the increase in the rate of assault on healthcare workers in Nigeria.
Bolakale spoke on the sub-theme: “The Looming Increase in the Rate of Assault on the Health Workers; The Role of Government”.
Wife of the Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs MaryMaudline Nwifuru, says she will provide justice to survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and other harmful practices against women.
She gave the assurance on Wednesday during an event to commemorate the 2023 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, held in Abakaliki.
The programme, with the theme, “Unite! Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls”, was organised by USAID Momentum Country and Global Leadership (MCGL) in collaboration with the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
The governor’s wife, who led a sensitisation road work to various areas in the state capital, said the current administration, led by her husband, Francis, had declared war and zero tolerance on GBV.
She added that the development called for collective action to address the root cause of the menace and proffer a sustainable solution to the menace.
She explained that her pet project, “Better Health for Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced Persons Foundation (BERWO)”, would address challenging harmful gender norms, promote healthy relationship, constant education, strengthen laws and policies that would protect Women’s rights.
“As we unite to end violence against the vulnerable groups, the theme shows the urgent need to invest, prevent and combat the deeply rooted issues of the trend”, Nwifuru said.
In her advocacy visit to the State House of Assembly, she explained the need to review the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAPP) to effect positive change in the society.
Mr Moses Odunwa, Speaker of the House, expressed readiness to amend and implement the law to ensure proper eradication of the practice in the state.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD), Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Dr Robinson Onoh, assured support in providing personnel at GBV and administrative centres in the fight to stop the trend.
Onoh commended Nwifuru for commissioning the centres, which would empower the facilities to join her and other partners in the fight against the menace.
The State Public Relations Officer, GBV Taskforce, Mrs Goodness Mbaja, stated that the commemoration of the 2023 edition of 16 days, was a global awareness to end violence against vulnerable persons and promised not to relent in the continuous sensitisation and eradication of GBV in the state.