Nation
African Parliamentarians To Meet Over MDGs
African parliamentarians are to meet in Abuja tomorrow to prepare a roadmap to accelerate urgent action toward effective development of strategies for the realisation of the MDGs.
Rep. Saudatu Sani, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on MDGs, told newsmen in Abuja on Friday that a Network of African Parliamentarians on MDGs would also be inaugurated.
Sani said that after the inauguration, the conference would also proactively engage other lawmakers in reviewing all the gaols to be met before the end of this year.
Other issues to be discussed at the conference, according to her, include the inter-connections between achieving the MDGs, ensuring food security, tackling climate change and addressing the global financial and economic crisis.
“The conference will afford participants opportunity to share ideas that will influence institutionalisation of MDGs committees in African parliaments to facilitate effective partnership with the executive arm of governments.
“The effective achievement of the MDGs is certainly not the concern of only governments and parliaments. It is a collective responsibility, which in my estimation, the media has a larger stake,’’she said.
She said that a strategic meeting of some selected African countries including Nigeria was held in Nairobi in December 2009 where progress made by African governments in achieving the MDGs were reviewed.
Sani noted that Nigerian parliament was the first African parliament to constitute a standing committee on the MDGs with remarkable efforts in popularising and developing collaborative mechanisms. She said that the National Assembly had always ensured that appropriate funds were earmarked for projects without any reduction. The conference which would be inaugurated by Speaker Dimeji Bankole and would be attended by Parliamentarians from Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi. Others are Mozambique, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Liberia, ECOWAS, AU, civil society organsations and officials of the UN millennium campaign.
In a remark, Mrs Amina Az-Zubair, Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs, said that there was a gap in allocation of resources to the MDGs project in the country.
She stressed the need for states and local governments to scale up their contributions to the project to enhance its sustainability.
The Rivers state Government has identified six local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and Neonatal mortality in the state.
State Commissioner for Health Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh said this in an interview with newsmen at the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction innovation initiative ( Mamii)Rivers state activation workshop and state engagement meeting in Port Harcourt.
The event was organized by The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with its Rivers state counterpart in Port Harcourt.
Dr Oreh also restated the preparedness of the state government to support current efforts by the federal government towards the reduction of maternal and infant mortalities in the country.
She mentioned the affected Local Government Areas to include, Andoni,Akuku Toru and Ahoada West
The rest according to the Commissioner are, Bonny, Etche and Emohua Local Government Areas.
She said the workshop will enable the team from the federal ministry of health and social welfare to brainstorm with the view to finding solution to the problem.
The Commissioner also gave reasons why the Mamii initiative was the best as far as finding solution to maternal mortality was concerned.
“The uniqueness of the Mamii initiative driven by the federal ministry of health and social welfare was that we used evidence to elicit the reasons for this deaths, so that the solutions will be context specific and tailored to the particular environment where those deaths are occuring
“For us in Rivers state we have six Mamii LGAs , nationally we we have 172 local government areas “the Commissioner said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,Dr Oreh said the state government is prepared to work with the federal ministry of health and social welfare to check the rate of maternal mortality in the state.
She commended The Minister of Health and Social welfare Professor Ali Muhammad Pategi for driving the Mamii initiative across the country and expressed optimism that the programm will see to the end of maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking the National Coordinator Nigeria health sector Renewal Initiative Dr Adam Ahmed said Rivers state is the last state among Mamii states in the country to host the team.
He said the team will visit the affected Local Government Areas with the view to interacting with the people on how to check the trend.
He expressed the hope that with continuous efforts, maternal mortality will be checked.
Also speaking the permanent secretary Rivers state Ministry of Health Professor Justinah Jumbo said the government is not leaving any stone unturned towards reduction in maternal deaths.
The permanent secretary said Governor Siminalaye Fubara is a health friendly Governor who is desirous in improving the quality of health of Rivers people.
John Bibor
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rivers state has declared a one day fasting and prayer to seek divine intervention on the political crisis rocking the state.
The Association said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt.
State chairman of the Association,Most Rev. Dokiboeriya B. Kaladokubo said the fasting and prayer which holds February 5th at the Ecumenical center Abonnema wharf was in furtherance of the Association peace, advocacy, good governance and political stability in Rivers state.
He said the Association has observed with disappointment the dangerous trend and and gradual descent of governance in Rivers state into uncertainty and near oblivion, adding that the trend has exposed Rivers citizens to insecurity, economic hardship, loss of livelihood and the destruction of lives and property.
Kaladokubo said the association has also watched with dismay the unfolding political crisis in the state, stressing “what we see today is not merely a disagreement among political actors,it is a dangerous drift that threatens the very foundation of governance, peace, security and the collective well-being of our people”
According to him,”as the custodians of the spiritual and moral conscience of Rivers state,we can not remain silent while the state is pushed steadily towards chaos, institutional breakdown and avoidable suffering
“We are not oblivious of the fact that Rivers state like some other states in the federation often experience tension between the Executive and the Legislature “adding”when disagreement escalate they can hinder governance, delay budgets ,erode public trust and impede peaceful, constructive development”
The Christian body stressed the need for parties involved in the conflict to seek for peaceful resolution, stressing that as Christians and children of God “we should seek the path of peace and reconciliation as Christ Himself taught us”it said
The Association further encourage the both arms of government to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness and prioritize good governance in Rivers state
“We also advised all the parties in these conflict to call their supporters to exercise restraint in all their utterances and de-escalate tension in the interest of peace in Rivers state ”
CAN also described as disturbing the role some elder statesmen and individuals in the state have played and continue to play in the crisis when they should have serve as voices of wisdom, restraint and unity
“Rather than guiding the process towards peace, some have taken sides,fueled division and encouraged instability becoming more dangerous than those currently holding power”,it said.
John Bibor
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