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The Guild of Medical Directors (GMD) has restated its commitment to collaborate with government to build world class hospitals in Nigeria to reduce foreign medical trips by Nigerians.
The GMD is a body of medical doctors who own and run private hospitals and clinics in Nigeria.
The new President of the guild, Dr Tony Phillips, made the pledge in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the activities of the body.
Phillips recalled that at the guild’s last general conference held in November, 2012, it stated that 60 per cent of healthcare delivery in Africa was provided by the private sector.
Jigawa
The new president of Royal Equestrian Club of Nigeria, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed-Sani, has mandated the club to encourage the game of horse racing in the northern part of the country.
Mohammed-Sani, who is also the Emir of Gumel, Jigawa, gave the charge while inaugurating the horse racing club last Sunday in Gumel.
He said that with the mandate, the club would promote horse racing in the area.
the president explained that a similar club was formed in the past with the same goal to develop the game of horse racing.
Kano
The Legal Aid Council, Kano State Office, and Northern Nigeria Flour Mills have sponsored skills training for 27 inmates of Kano Prison preparatory to their release.
The Kano State Coordinator of the council, Alhaji Abubakar Umar, said in Kano that the inmates were trained in baking and textile technology, known as tie and dye.
“We are trying to make sure that inmates are trained in various trades to enable them be self-reliant after reuniting with their families.
“The council is also making effort to see that the state government gives the trainees capital to start their own businesses when they return home,’’ Umar told newsmen.
Kebbi
The Kebbi State government said that it had concluded plans for the payment of N18,000 minimum wage to workers.
The State Head of Service, Alhaji Buhari Jega, said this after a meeting with officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Birnin Kebbi.
He called on the labour leaders and stakeholders to present a workable payment timetable for implementation.
Jega, commended the state NLC and entire workforce for their patience and understanding over the implementation of a uniform minimum wage.
Kogi
Nineteen awaiting trial inmates remanded in the six Federal Prison formations in Kogi State have regained their freedom folllowing the intervention of the state Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah.
Ajanah, who spoke in Idah at the end of his two-week prison decongestion tour, also granted conditional bail to 12 inmates.
The chief judge told newsmen that the unconditional release of the inmates was not a grant of amnesty or pardon.
He said that some of the inmates were unjustly and unconstitutionally incarcerated for allegedly belonging to faceless gangs of thieves without concrete charges.
Kwara
The Kwara State Government has approved the establishment of Public-Private-Partnership Office (PPP) to encourage investors and promote job creation.
The Commissioner for Finance and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Communications, Dr Muideen Akorede, said this in Ilorin at a post-executive council news briefing.
Akorede explained that the framework of the office of the PPP was the engagement of the private sector investors in key sectors of the state’s economy.
He mentioned human capital development, economic development and infrastructure as key areas of interest to the government.
Lagos
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the Nigeria Police the judiciary and prisons should be reformed to reflect modern standards obtainable in developed countries.
Obasanjo was quoted as saying this at his investiture as the Life Grand Patron of the Prison Rehabilitation Mission International (PREMI) by its Chairman, Oba Adedapo Tejuosho, the Osile Oke Ona in Abeokuta.
The former president further said that the ill-treatment of citizens of any country could best be known through visitations to their prison yards.
‘’If reformation must to be achieved in Nigerian prisons, these three public sectors namely the police, the judiciary, and the prison must be seriously reformed.
Nasarawa
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nasarawa Command, said last Sunday that it had arrested two men for stealing 43 iron doors and four windows at the Karu International Market, Karu.
The state Commandant, Mr Andekin Amos-Musa, who disclosed this to newsmen in Lafia, said that the arrest was made possible by officers of the Karu Division, following a tip-off by a good Samaritan.
Amos-Musa said that the suspects were arrested while trying to sell the stolen items to a trader at the scraps market, Mararaba.
The commandant said that the complainant, who is also a contractor in the market, had earlier reported the incident at the Karu Divisional Office of NSCDC before the arrest was made.
Ogun
The wife of the Ogun State governor, Mrs Funsho Amosun, has called on women in the state to support moves to end violence against the female gender.
Amosun made the call in Abeokuta during the 2013 International Women’s Day celebration, with the theme: “Time For Action To End Violence Against Women’’.
The wife of the Ogun governor expressed regrets about violence against women and described it as a major challenge confronting womanhood.
Millions of women and girls suffer from violence both in times of peace and war.
Oyo
A Federal High Court in Ibadan last Friday sentenced a 20-year-old tailor turned drug trafficker, Fatai Adetoro, to seven months imprisonment for being in possession of 800g of cannabis.
Justice Abimbola Obaseki-Adejumo found Adetoro guilty of the crime and sentenced him to imprisonment at the Oyo prison without an option of fine.
The judge said that her decision followed the evidence before her and the guilty plea of the convict and ordered that the sentence was to commence from the day he was arrested.
“I have, however, considered that the convict is a first time offender and that he had undergone counselling from the NDLEA,’’ she said.
Sokoto
The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said that the maternal mortality rate in Nigeria dropped from 704 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 487 per 100,000 live births in 2011.
The minister spoke in Sokoto recently during the inauguration of Kwannawa Primary Health Centre (PHC) to symbolise the inauguration of 230 such projects executed by Sokoto State Government.
The minister said there was also a decline in the mortality rate of children aged below five years to 141 per 1000 in 2011.
He said that the progress toward improving maternal and child health in realisation of MDGs 4 and 5 could not be sustained without giving primary healthcare the attention it deserved.
Taraba
Alhaji Ibrahim El-Sudi, representing Gashaka, Kurmi and Sardauna Federal Constituency of Taraba in the House of Representatives, has appealed to aggrieved members of the PDP in the state to unite.
El-Sudi told newsmen in Jalingo on Monday that a divided party could not win election in a competitive political arena.
He wondered why members of the PDP would engage in internal crisis when opposition political parties were forming strong alliance ahead of 2015 general elections.
“Our party is in control in the state but we cannot continue to be strong when divided.
Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has commended the efforts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) to apprehend and prosecute the immediate past governors of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, over an alleged N80.2 billion fraud.
This is just as she also hailed the EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, for ceding 14 properties that were initially forfeited to the federal government to the government and people of Enugu State.
Reacting to Bello’s excuse for not honouring the EFCC’s invitation, the lawmaker emphasized the need for the commission to investigate other corrupt public officials to avoid the impression that their actions against former governor were meant to witch hunt him.
In a now-viral video, the EFCC chairman had claimed Belloh told him that a female senator (name withheld) allegedly gathered journalists to humiliate him anytime he was at the agency’s Abuja office for interrogation.
“I called Yahaya Bello, as a serving governor, to come to my office to clear himself. I shouldn’t have done that. But he said because a certain senator had planted over 100 journalists in my office, he would not come.
“I told him that he would be allowed to use my private gate to give him a cover, but he said my men should come to his village to interrogate him,” Olukoyede was quoted as saying.
But Senator Natasha in a statement signed by her Chief Press Secretary, Arogbonlo Israel and issued at the weekend in Abuja, reminded Yahaya Bello of the importance of respecting Nigeria’s laws and constitution, given his former position as the chief security officer of Kogi.
“I was surprised to hear that Yahaya Bello evaded the invitation from the EFCC, despite having served as Kogi’s former chief security officer. As a former governor, he should understand the importance of respecting Nigeria’s laws and constitution.
“It’s a well-known fact that ‘he who comes into equity must come with clean hands’. As such, I advise him to honour the invitation and clear his name while he still has the chance.
“I’d also like to take this moment to appreciate the diligence of the EFCC in handling the case so far. No Nigerian is above the law, and therefore the agency must see this case through to the end if they are to gain the trust of both Nigerians and the international community in the fight against corruption,” she said.
Worried over the latest depreciation of the Naira against major foreign currencies, the Senate through its Committee on Finance, has stated that the Legislature is exploring a range of policy options to mitigate the impact of Naira depreciation and foster economic stability in the country.
These, according to the committee, in a statement signed by its chairman, Senator Sani Musa (APC Niger East) and released yesterday, includes robust oversight of fiscal policies, engagement with key stakeholders, and the formulation of targeted interventions to support key sectors of the economy.
Senator Musa said the statement became necessary “to address the current state of the economy and the need for concerted efforts at tackling the instability and continuous depreciation of the Naira.”
This is even as he hoped that the “economic managers will adhere strictly to the norms and standards set by this administration to ensure that we achieve the desired outcomes in taking Nigeria to its economic growth and prosperity”, pledging the support of the National Assembly to the executive arm of government to achieve the set goals.
He, however, urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and resilient as they navigate these uncertain times, saying “together, we can overcome the challenges facing our economy and chart a path towards prosperity for all.”
The statement titled: “State of the Nation Economy and Naira Depreciation’, reads “The Nigerian economy is facing significant challenges, exacerbated by both internal and external factors.
“Despite efforts to stabilize and bolster economic growth, the numerous initiatives and bold but necessary steps and policy decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, the persistent depreciation of the Naira against major foreign currencies has become a pressing concern.
“The recent depreciation of the Naira underscores the need for proactive measures to safeguard the stability and resilience of our currency.
“The Senate Committee on Finance is closely monitoring the situation and is committed to working collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to implement effective policies and strategies.
“It is imperative that we address the root causes of Naira depreciation, including but not limited to fluctuations in global oil prices, fiscal deficits, and structural imbalances in the economy.”
The Senator, representing Rivers West Senatorial District at National Assembly Sen.Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo has advocated for legislative backings to enforce immunisation as a pre-condition for admission into nursing, primary and secondary schools in Nigeria.
Banigo made the assertion recently in a statement to commemorate this year’s week-long immunisation campaign in line with the World Health Organisation advocacy.
Banigo, a Harvard-trained Public Health personnel, explained that such legislation would strengthen the National Immunisation Policy in the administration of vaccines, saves lives, helps in the child normal growth, prevents serious illness and disabilities such as poliomyelitis .
The former Deputy Governor of Rivers State who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), noted that Nigeria must attain at least, 90 percent vaccine coverage for all childhood and adolescence; stressing that a fully vaccinated child should have received BCG, Mussels and three doses of DTP and Polio .
She emphasised the need for collective efforts by stakeholders in the campaign against preventable diseases .
The theme for this year’s World Immunisation Week is “Humanly Possible: Saving Lives Through Immunisation” while the national theme is “Vaccine Works For All”.
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