Nation
Insecurity: Heed Counsel Of Statesmen, CNG Tells Buhari
Following the alarming insecurity in northern Nigeria, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to heed the counsel of genuine statesmen instead of relying on those it called close-knit circle of family, friends and psychopaths.
They lamented that the North “has been abandoned at the mercy of a murderous insurgency, rampaging banditry, dare devil kidnappers and marauding rapists.”
These were contained in a letter to the President presented to Katsina State Governor, Hon Aminu Masari, when students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, were abducted.
According to the letter signed by BoT Chairman, Nastura Ashir Shariff, CNG said the millions of young people who followed the President with faith that his leadership will address their hopes and aspirations, have lost confidence in his ability or willingness.
The letter reads: ”It is worth recalling here that in 2015, Nigerian voters trusted you to lead our nation through and out of its limitations, into a future in which we will live secure lives and pursue livelihoods in a united Nigeria whose resources will be protected by leaders.
“The North in particular, voted you massively hoping for the possibility that we could look to a future without Boko Haram; that our young will get good education, acquire skills and get jobs; that corruption will be arrested, contained and eliminated. Unfortunately, five years afterwards, we regret to say that we celebrated what we presumed to be an end of poor governance and to leadership that run away from threats, much too early.
“Whereas the foundations of a nation are rooted in the perceptions of citizens that its leaders can address at least their minimal needs which are security, for us in the North today, policing lives and livelihoods of communities is now a major problem. We make bold to remind Your Excellency that with security, we can feed ourselves and feed the rest of Nigeria, but when, as is the case today, threats to lives limit productive capacities, people are killed and kidnapped, herds are stolen or limited by hostile and damaging political interests, cost of living generally become prohibitive, the entire Northern viability suffers.
“The prevailing scenario in the North today is such that the general population feel genuinely betrayed and abandoned at the mercy of a murderous insurgency, rampaging banditry, dare devil kidnappers and marauding rapists with no sign of political will and capacity by your government to challenge them.
“This informs the audacity with which school children of Kankara Science Secondary School in Katsina were abducted in hundreds right under your nose. Heightening the concerns that top administration officials drive pecuniary interests in the general and pervasive insecurity that has been going on ceaselessly across the country, especially all over the North. This is confirmed by the trend of mobilizing and arming non-state actors against any attempt to find solutions to the deadly security situation as happened to the Security Review Meeting planned by the CNG in Kaduna recently.
“While we respectfully remind you of your primary responsibility for the protection of citizen’s lives, we regret to note however, that the current structure of the national security is not in any way serving that purpose. At this point, we wish to call your attention to the reality that the millions of young people who followed your campaign trails, pledging to you their unquestioning support and loyalty with full faith that your leadership will address their hopes and aspirations, have today lost confidence in your ability or willingness.
“Northerners today wonder how it has become possible to quickly forget the picture of hundreds of thousands who turned up in Maiduguri defying the threats of bombs and bullets, to register their faith and support for you; to forget adolescents and children who defied parents and security agents to catch a glimpse of a Buhari they had been brought up to believe had the solution to Nigeria’s problems. We conclude by reminding you that every leader shall ultimately be called by posterity to account for the manner he discharged the responsibility and trust saddled on him.
“In this regard we call your attention to the general feeling that neither you nor any official of your government is particularly having the slightest concern over the theft of the Katsina children and it will take much more than talking from the confines of the Villa to reclaim that lost public confidence.
“It is our hope that Your Excellency would begin to give listening ear more to the public and heed counsel from genuine statesmen and not concentrating attention to a handful of aides and close-knit circle of family, friends and psychopaths.
“Meanwhile Sir, we restate here that our willingness and commitment to sustain the struggle for a peaceful Northern Nigeria in the context of a nation that operates unencumbered by problems it should not live under will be sustained even in the face of severe challenges.”
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.