The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • NCS disagrees with Okah on medical treatment 

    The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) has expressed shock over the claim by Charles Okah that he is dying slowly in prison due to lack of access to medical treatment.

    NCS described the claim as false, adding that he is receiving proper medical attention.

    Okah, who is currently confined to the Maiduguri correctional facility was jailed for life with his co-defendant, Obi Nwabueze, for masterminding the bomb blasts which occurred in Abuja on October 1, 2010 and earlier in Warri, Delta State, on March 15 of the same year in a court presided over by Justice Gabriel Kolawole.

    The two convicts were said to have conspired with Henry Okah who was the leader of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND).

    Henry was jailed by a South African court in 2013 for similar offences and sentenced to 24 years’ imprisonment.

    The conviction is currently before the Court of Appeal.

    Okah’s claim was contained in a September 3, 2019 letter to the Controller General of the NCS, Ja’afaru Ahmed, by his counsel, C.A Mishael.

    He pleaded to be transferred to either Abuja or Lagos for better care. He also said he had been living with a kidney in the last 37 years and his condition was deteriorating in prison.

    The NCS Public Relations Officer (PRO), Francis Enobore, who spoke with our correspondent on the development, said Okah is receiving best medical attention in Maiduguri.

    Read Also: ‘NCS Act 2019: Bold step towards international standards’

    Enobore said: “There are teaching hospitals all over the country. It is not only Lagos or Abuja that we have teaching hospitals.

    “We have qualified medical doctors all over the country that can take care of inmates. Any sickness that our facilities cannot handle, we take it to the nearest government hospital and that is what we have been doing.

    “We have not lost any inmates on account of poor medical attention. Yes, it is possible for an inmate to be given treatment and the person may not recover from it which, of course, is not peculiar to a prison environment.

    “People in the society also fall sick; they make use of medical facilities and sometimes they are not able to pull through. They do not die because of poor medical attention. The health of every inmate is very important to the Controller General of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) because we do not pray to lose anyone or have any of our inmates undergoing poor health. It does not even pay us because, if the inmate in not feeding well, the officer in-charge and his men will be disturbed.

    “So what I am trying to tell you is that wherever our inmates are kept, we have a standby medical team assigned to take care of them. Should everybody in Maiduguru be transferred to Lagos or Abuja before he gets medical attention?”

  • Minister, NFF agree to rejig football

    The Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare on Friday met with members of the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in a bid to give new direction to football in the country.

    The meeting which was at the instance of the minister was attended by 15 board members of NFF led by its President, Amaju Pinnick.

    In a communique signed by the Minister and NFF President, the meeting was aimed at ensuring smooth administration of football in the country, as well as charts a new and dynamic focus for the game.

    Read Also: Veteran Journalist Sunday Dare is new sports minister

    Basically, the communique stated that efforts would also be geared towards re-positioning the domestic league, youth development as well as ensuring early preparation for participation in tournaments and championships.

    Also efforts would be made to develop  sporting facilities particularly football pitches and other infrastructure across the country.

    Improving the positive perception of football administration and ensuring the NFF Bill with the National assembly is transmitted for assent by the president speedily were among the issues raised at the parley.

    Efficient management of resources and deepening private investment in sports development are other issues expected to be worked on.

  • Ogun govt pledges good governance

    The Ogun State Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, has said the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led government is committed to good governance which can only be achieved, if the right process is in place for effective implementation.

    Engr. Salako-Oyedele stated this during a courtesy call to her by the Conference of Auditors-General for Local Governments of Federation,  South-West Zone,  led by its chairman, Mr. Francis Adaramola, at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

    She said the present administration’s focus was to improve the quality of the civil service in the state.

    The Deputy  Governor, who received the delegation in company with the state Head of Service on behalf of the Governor, Prince  Dapo Abiodun, noted that the present government was concerned about improving infrastructure and creating an enabling environment , adding that effective legislation would go a long way in improving the lot of the auditors-general.

    In his remarks, the chairman, South-West Zone, Mr. Francis Adaramola, called on the government to put in place the audit law which would ensure the independence of the Office of the Accountant-General for effective performance.

    Read Also: Governor Abiodun’s ‘Oko Owo Dapo’

    Meanwhile, Engr. Salako-Oyedele has restated the present administration’s commitment to broaden the scope of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) across public secondary schools in the state in order to achieve qualitative education that parents desire for their wards.

    Engr. Salako-Oyedele, who made this known while receiving the executive members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT),Ogun State wing, who paid her a courtesy visit in Abeokuta, said plans were underway to introduce quality assurance in secondary schools, as the governor would appoint consultants to look into ways of upgrading the schools into the 21st century status.

    Earlier, the chairman of union, Comrade Titilope Adebanjo, thanked the government for the approval of the 2016 and 2017 promotions, prompt payment of teacher’s salaries and capacity building of teachers.

  • Anchor borrowers’ programme: Farmers ‘ll make profit — Govt

    In its bid to make Ogun State the food basket of the nation through increase in food production, the Ogun State government has disclosed that its Anchor Borrowers Programme is designed to ensure participating farmers make profit as well as propagate mechanised farming.

    The consultant to the governor of the state, Dr. Adetunji Oredipe, who made the disclosure, while fielding questions from journalists at the training programme organized for agriculture extension officers across all the local government areas in the state held at the Ministry of Agriculture complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, stated that the programme would assist rural smallholder farmers to grow from subsistence to commercial production levels.

    Dr Oredipe, who revealed that there is a ready market for the produce, said farmers would be trained at the various local government areas, said the economic value of the programme would  boost the state’s internally generated revenue.

    Read Also: CBN Anchor-Borrower is a loan scheme, not a free package – AFAN

    “We have gone through the economy of production and established the fact that farmers would make profit from those ventures. What we are doing today is to train the frontline workers who would undertake the verification exercise for the participants that have shown interest at their local government areas, “ Dr Oredipe said.

    Earlier in her opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Abosede Ogunleye, noted that the programme is a developmental function of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to support Ogun State farmers, especially the smallholder farmers engaged in the production of identified commodities, linking them with anchor companies which play the role of offtakers.

    She expressed satisfaction with the success recorded so far particularly with the level of commitment of the youths as well as the new and existing farmers, noting that the programme would create a new generation of farmers and entrepreneurs, while creating employment.

  • Philanthropist donates mosque to police

    A philanthropist, Alhaji Akanni Moruf Toluwaloju, has donated a mosque to the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) operating in Lagos.

    The mosque, located at the South West Office of the team in the GRA Ikeja, Lagos, was handed over to the IRT Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari by the philanthropist.

    The handover was witnessed by Chief Imam, Ogun State Police Command, SP Omikunle Waheed; IRT South West Coodinator, CSP Philip Rieninwa; DSP Balogun; ASP Ibram, among other officers.

    The philanthropist said he made the donation in order to promote Islam and encourage people to move closer to God.

    “With this mosque, the IRT operatives will have their place of worship near them. They will no longer go out to offer prayers They will pray here in their office.

    I believe the mosque will gain many souls for Allah”, Alhaji Toluwaloju said.

    DSP Kyari expressed his gratitude to the donor on behalf of the police and urged the operatives to make good use of the mosque and worship there with the fear of Allah.

  • Presidency faults UN rapporteur report on violence in Nigeria

    The Presidency on Friday faulted the United Nations rapporteur report on violence in Nigeria.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, described the report as disappointing.

    He said: “We have read press reports of the UN rapporteur on violence in Nigeria.

    “While we agree that the violence in Nigeria, or in any country, is a major concern and that there is a rippling effect, we are disappointed that the rapporteur was silent on intra-group violence.

    “In Benue, Taraba, Cross River States and many parts of the country, most of the casualties result from intra-group, inter-group and community violence.

    ‘Many of the displaced persons across the nation are also victims of these conflicts.”

    He pointed out that the Federal and State governments have handled violence in the country effectively.

    “There is absolutely no doubt that violence between farmers and herders, which has a long history in our country spiked in recent years but the effectiveness with which the Federal and State authorities responded made a big difference.

    “Calm has virtually returned to all parts affected by the peculiar violence.

    “Therefore, we are saddened that the rapporteur did not address intra-ethnic conflicts and cattle rustling as key elements in herder/farmer conflicts. In Benue State for instance, the Tiv/Jukun conflict and kidnapping is a major problem.

    Read Also: Igbo presidency: Ngige, Sagay disagree on zoning

    “We are glad that local communities have fully realized this, and scholars with a strong motivation for peace and stability in their communities and the nation are trying to address the problem.

    “Ignoring the salient issues will not help to solve the problem. If you are going to address violence and the general insecurity in Nigeria, incidents everywhere should be part of the narrative. Not addressing this might make it easier to blame the Federal Government, but national peace and security is community based and a collective responsibility.”

    According to him, arrests, prosecution and locking people up are only small parts of National Security and Safety strategy.

    He went on: “In Benue State as cited earlier, the work of a US scholar of Tiv extraction, Professor Dick Adzenge deserves special mention for attempting to get aspects of violence addressed.

    “The expectation that arresting and putting people in prison is the only credible response to violence is a mistake. Professor Adzenge and a few others like him are working with young people, traditional rulers and communities to seek peaceful resolution of conflicts and encourage peaceful co-existence.

    “The sort of effort we are talking about here has so far revealed interesting facts about the problem in Benue State that cannot be ignored.

    “And it is the sort of support we seek from the UN rapporteur in reporting, not the report that scratches the surface of the subject then ends up blaming the government under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

    The UN representative, he said, needed to be truthful and even-handed in her assignment.

  • How to reduce dementia’s risk — Expert

    A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), well known as the Gabi-Williams Alzheimer’s Foundation (GWAF), has, as a prelude to the marking of the World Alzheimer’s Day holding today, held a robust public awareness campaign on how to address the universal upsurge of the devastating disease.

    The foundation kicked off the annual World Alzheimer’s Day pre-activities with a public lecture that brought together key stakeholders to discuss critical issues in the field of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

    The lecture, which was delivered with the theme, “How to Reduce the Risk of Dementia,” by Prof. Gbenga Ogedegbe – a renowned professor of Population Health and Medicine and Associate Vice-Chancellor, New York University School of Medicine, dwelled extensively on effective measures to be taken to help Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers in managing the dreaded disease.

    In the lecture, Prof. Ogedegbe described Alzheimer’s as a very dangerous disease that affects the brain, disrupting the patient’s cognitive function, causing progressive death of brain cells and heavily inflicting memory loss and confusion with time or place, among other human destructions.

    Read Also: You and your mental health (5)

    The professor, who is also Director, Center for Health Behavior Change, disclosed that there is no definite cure yet for Alzheimer’s disease, but was quick to make it clear that scientific evidence indicates that the risk of the disease can be reduced by regular exercise, eating healthy food, fruits and vegetables, staying socially active and regularly getting a goodnight sleep.

    Expressing deep concern on the increased prevalence of dementia in Nigeria and its present huge burden to patients, caregivers and healthcare system, the highly acclaimed professor revealed that dementia is a rapidly growing public health problem affecting around 50million people globally.

    Going further, he pointed out that there are nearly 10million new cases every year and that the disease has been properly identified as a major cause of disability and dependency among older people.

    In conclusion, Prof. Ogedegbe observed that the disease has become a severe economic burden on society as a whole with the cost of caring for people with dementia estimated to rise to US$ 2trillion annually.

    The lecture was rounded off with arts exhibition and auction.

    Eminent personalities present at the lecture included, Mr. Eric Duru of Mental Health and Substance Abuse- Public Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Remi Desalu former Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Abisola Williams- Chairman, GWAF Board of Trustees and a host of other dignitaries.

  • APC governors to adopt uniform policies on security, education, health

    Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) plan to adopt uniform policies in their states  with a view to creating  a distinct identity for the party.

    They have already  set up a Governance Programme Steering Committee to examine how to go about the plan, advise them on improving  the governance structure in the states and at the federal level  and  ensure synergy between the states and the federal government.

    The committee is headed by the Governors of Jigawa and Plateau.

    Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Steering Committee in Abuja yesterday, Governor Simon Lalong of  Plateau State said the APC governors needed  to aggressively settle all public debates around the distinction between the APC and other parties including the main opposition, the Peoples’ Democratic Party  (PDP).

    Read Also: APC Governors set to improve governance structure

    Lalong, who was represented by his Deputy, Prof. Sonni Gwanle Tyoden, said: “Given the challenge of ensuring that we achieve the vision of making our party, the APC, emerges as a distinctly social democratic party, the policy initiatives of all APC governments, particularly at the state levels, will be the defining credentials.

    “In addition, ensuring uniformity of policy initiatives among the APC states is a fundamental requirement.

    “Between 2015 and 2019, as Progressive Governors, we made quite some efforts to adopt common initiatives. Based on assessment of initiatives from our states and critical assessments of the challenges facing our states, the forum has already agreed to some priorities, which include revenue mobilisation, funding for security, education and health.

    “Through the work of our Secretaries of Governments of APC States, facilitated by the Governance Programme Steering Committee, the forum has already adopted Prototype Bills in the four areas mentioned above for domestication in our states.”

    Also speaking, Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar of  Jigawa State said the performance of the APC governors was   in line with the progressive credentials of our great party, the All Progressive Congress, and “fulfils our campaign covenant of ‘Change’ to our compatriots.”

  • Senate may review security architecture, says Lawan

    The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has hinted that the upper legislative chamber might review the nation’s security architecture to address emerging security challenges across the country.

    Lawan however said the proposed review would be carried out in collaboration with the executive arm of government, as he stressed the urgent need for improvement in the nation’s security situation.

    The Senate President, however, did not elaborate on the scope and sphere of the pending review. He spoke with journalists in Abuja yesterday shortly after his arrival from a foreign trip.

    Lawan said: “In the Eighth Senate, we had an ad-hoc committee that I was privileged to chair, to review the security architecture of the country. We are going to look into that report and, of course, in addition, other contemporary issues that affect security in the country.

    “We intend to do those things that would ensure that the security situation in the country improves and this we would do with the executive arm of government, as this cannot be done alone.”

    The Senate President disclosed that the National Assembly had received the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), which he said was sent by the executive while he was away.

    “I have been informed that the executive arm of government has sent the request for the MTEF to the Senate, and I am sure that will be the first thing that would be looked into when we resume next week.

    Read Also: Troops kill seven key commanders of Boko Haram terrorists in Lake Chad

    “We hope to take on the MTEF within the first legislative week.

    “Our committee on finance will be saddled with its first major responsibility; that it works expeditiously on the FSP/MTEF request of the executive arm of government, and the budget will come after that,” Lawan said.

    He also expressed the readiness of the National Assembly to receive the 2020 Appropriation Bill anytime soon, saying that the executive was working assiduously to ensure that the document is presented to the legislature by month end.

    “We are hopeful and optimistic as well as hungry and thirsty to receive the 2020 appropriation bill. I am aware that the executive arm of government is working assiduously to ensure that the appropriation bill for the year 2020 is presented to the National Assembly at the end of this month.

    “The National Assembly will work so hard to ensure that the 2020 budget is passed before we go on Christmas break.

    This is one issue that we hope to take head-on to ensure that we reverse the undesirable trend of the budget.

    “We believe this can be achieved, as doing so would make the economy better and predictable. We also think an early passage of the 2020 appropriations bill will have a desirable impact on Nigerians,” he said.

    On the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, Lawan said the Senate would look into the matter on resumption.

    “You recall that this issue was reviewed before we went on recess. The Senate felt as an institution, that our citizens’ diplomacy must be protected wherever they go in the world.

    “The government must be there for them, and I am happy that after the xenophobic crisis, the federal government was able to take a position.

    “We need to be much more resolute. Whatever the situation is, our citizens must be protected. If someone runs foul of the laws of a country, there are processes and procedures on how such a person can be prosecuted.

    “Therefore, we must try to protect our citizens. I also think we must be proactive to tell our citizens that if they choose to live in any country, they must ensure they stay within the limits of the laws of that country, just as we expect of foreigners in ours.”

  • Troops kill seven key commanders of Boko Haram terrorists in Lake Chad

    The Nigerian Army yesterday said seven key commanders of Boko Haram terrorists were killed in the Lake Chad region following their bombardment by troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force and operation Lafiya Dole.

    It gave their names as Abba Mainoik, Bukar Dunokaube, Abu Kololo and Abor Lime, said to be an Arab.

    A statement signed by Army spokesman Col Sagir Musa named the others as Mann Chari, Abu Hamza and Dawoud Abdoulaye.

    The statement reads: “The MNJTF and the Nigerian Armed Forces are in celebrative mood today and have been basking in the successes of their combined efforts of artillery and air bombardments of suspected hideouts of erstwhile Boko Haram/ISWAP at the Tumbus of Lake Chad region that neutralised many including key commanders.

    “However, it was mourning and a monumental setback for the erstwhile Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters hibernating at the triangular area.

    Read Also: Boko Haram: Army assures Maiduguri residents of safety

    “Reliable information coming out from the inner circles of the demented and criminal group’s enclave escaping to Sudan and Central African Republic indicates that no fewer than seven of their key commanders have been wasted by the superior forces of the MNJTF.

    “The neutralised commanders are said to be Abba Mainok, Bukar Dunokaube, Abu kololo, Abor Kime (said to be of Arab origin – likely their ISIS trainer), Mann Chari, Dawoud Abdoulaye (from Mali) and Abu Hamza.

    “All these were said to be commanders of various Tumbus controlling fighters before they were decisively dealt with and sent to the pit of hell by the military bombardment.

    “Although these names may not be real and may likely be nicknames or alias, nonetheless, it is an unprecedented feat in our quest to clear the remnants of these criminals in the area. Consequently, efforts are ongoing to get more information on their true identities.

    “The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Yusufu Buratai, had through the Theatre Commander Multinational Joint Task Force and the Commander Operation LAFIYA DOLE commended the troops for this great efforts and enjoined them to do more.”