The Nation Newspaper

Category: Abuja Review

  • FCTA to employ 500 health workers

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said that it would employ 500 health professionals to improve service delivery to residents and visitors of the Territory.

    Secretary, Health and Human Service Secretariat, Adamu Abubakar Bappah dropped this hint during inspection of FCTA hospitals and other health facilities in Kubwa General Hospital.

    The Secretary revealed this while responding to requests on employment of more staff for the hospitals, a request that was also made by all the generally hospitals visited by the Secretary and his teams, with a special request for priority to be given to locum or casual staff already rendering services to the hospitals.

    Bappah who disclosed that the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello has already given the Secretariat go ahead to employ, however, appealed for patience from job seekers, explaining that not all of them from the FCTA’s 14 hospitals would be absorbed because their number was quite high. He added that other Nigerians too would be considered.

    On the abandoned accidents and emergency unit in Bwari General Hospital, Bappah said he relied on a suggestion from Head of Works, Hospital Management Board, Effiong Ita to revoke and re-award the project, adding that the earlier contractor died.

    He directed that representatives of the late contractor be called for a meeting with the view to revoking and reawarding it.

    In all the hospitals that requested expansion and acquisition of modern facilities to shore up service delivery, the Secretary pointed out that most of the hospitals lacked space for expansion, promised that the Administration would consult with appropriate authorities with a view to expanding the structures.

    Bappah also paid homage to traditional leaders of Bwari: Sarkin Bwari, Awwal Musa Ijakoro II, and Esu of Bwari, Ibrahim D. Yaro (JP), and solicited their cooperation and support for government hospitals within their domain, which they all obliged and promised to sensitise their subjects on the need to visit only hospitals for treatment and births.

    The team never had it tough until it got to the palace of the Agaba of Jiwa, Alhaji Idris Musa. The fearless and flamboyant royal father who does not mince words, almost scolded the team and the FCT Administration, accusing them of abandoning his ancient chiefdom in the provision of basic amenities, especially health facility.

    The royal father urged the FCTA to provide his area with at least a secondary hospital.

    He said, “It is a shame that as a polio ambassador, I do not have any hospital within my domain. My people are dying, our women and children are dying, and the government is not doing anything. Look at the access road, in case of emergency, how can anyone survive in trying to access Kubwa or Gwarinpa general hospitals.

    “And this is where you have the international timber and building materials market and others. Railway is just 5km away from here.”

    Speaking on plans by the FCTA to relocate him, the royal father warned: “Then you want us to move to where? It will be anarchy because there will be problems between us and the people already living where you want to take us to. We are not going anywhere. We want integration”.

    According to rhe traditiinal leader, lack of government healtj facility within his area has been responsible for proliferation of quack health personnel such as pharmacists, medicine stores and even medical doctors, whom apart from worsening his people’s health conditions, carry abortions, which sometimes led to death.

    The traditional ruler also regretted that Jiwa chiefdom which dates back to 1450 and has a clinic which was established in 1944, but has not been improved upon and has become grossly inadequate due to population increase.

    The royal father therefore tasked the Secretary to quickly apprehend and punish, particulrly the two identified offenders in Jiwa, one of whom the Agaba revealed was suspected to be the same one who disappeared from Kwali and  ran to Jiwa to continue his quack practice when authorities clamped down on such illegal practice there, following an earlier tip of from the Etsu of Kwali, Dr. Shaban Audu Nizazo III during a recent visit.

    The Secretary therefore directed the relevant authority to investigate, fish out and punish the offenders accordingly.

    While responding, Bappah pledged: “Your requests will be looked into with all seriousness”, adding that he would table same, and those of other traditional rulers and medical directors, to the FCT Minister for further action.

    Bappah also commissioned a newly constructed pharmacy unit at Gwarinpa General Hospital and charged the staff to continue to support the medical directors in the delivery of health care service to the people.

  • Four days to presidential election

    With the 2019 Presidential elections just four days away, more support appears to be going the way of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    This definitely was boosted by the campaign rallies embarked upon by President Buhari and his team.

    Earlier, some members of his camp, who felt that he would not be strong enough for the tough rigours of campaign rallies, had proposed only zonal rallies for the President, while the much younger Vice President Yemi Osinbajo should do more of the door-to-door campaigns across the country.

    But Buhari, to the surprise of many Nigerians, had insisted that he would physical embark on aggressive campaigns to every state of the Federation.

    Four days to the election, Buhari had physical campaigned in over 30 states of the Federation for his reelection into the number one political office in the land.

    While he was doing that, Osinbajo had intensified his door-to-door campaigns for second term to every nooks and crannies of the country.

    Not even the chopper crash in Kabba, Kogi State, last upper Saturday could deter Osinbajo.

    Like the normal difficulty experience when trying to place a cat on its back, Osinbajo cheated death and rose from the rubbles of the crash to continue his campaign in Kogi State the same day and hour.

    The campaigns were definitely intensified in the past few weeks to leave no stone unturned and get the support of the majority of Nigerians.

    One of the latest endorsements for the Buhari/Osinbajo reelection bid came from retired military officers in the country.

    With the former Head of State and President, Olusegun Obasanjo, opposing Buhari’s reelection, one would have thought that all the retired military soldiers would have bought the idea and stay away from Buhari.

    But that was not the case, as 71 retired military officers stormed the Presidential Villa last week Monday to endorse Buhari.

    The retired military officers included 1 Vice Admiral, 2 Lt-Generals, 15 Major Generals, 2 Rear Admirals, 8 Air Vice-Marshals, 12 Brigadier-Generals, 3 Commodores, 9 Air Commodores, and 17 former military governors/administrators, among others.

    The most senior of the retired officers, former Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Jubril Ayinla, at the occasion, said future generations would acquit President Buhari “most creditably.”

    “On behalf of the generals here today, I congratulate you on the tremendous work done by this administration, and wish to state unequivocally that we are proud of you and fully behind you in the presidential elections next week. We pledge our full support and continued loyalty.” he stated.

    Also in the Council Chamber venue of the meeting, the leader of the delegation, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (Rtd), said the retired top officers thought it right to visit the President, “to say that you have represented your constituency very well. You announced a simple three-point agenda upon assumption of office namely security; fighting corruption, and the economy. You have kept your words as an officer and a gentleman.

    “We the retired armed forces officers, representing 99.9% of our colleagues say that we are proud of you; proud to be associated with your administration; and proud to witness this era of Nigeria rising again under your able leadership.

    “We support you fully and totally in the presidential elections next week and will do whatever we can within the law to contribute to your emergence as the victor in the election in order to take Nigeria to the next level,” he added.

    Marwa, after the meeting told State House correspondents that the endorsement for Buhari was based on the fulfillment of all his promises.

    He said: “As an officer and a gentleman, his word is his bond. After winning the elections, he brought out simple three-point programme – security, economy and fighting corruption. He led the fight and is leading the fight by personal example that is the height of leadership. Do as as I do not as a say, he has demonstrated that.

    “On security, I have touched on the advances made the period before and when he took over from 2015 till date. I put the question, the bombings that use to go on in this FCT, Kaduna and so on, where is it today?

    “The herdsmen crisis up and about, the hues and cries, where is it today? Where is IPOB today? The Boko Haram are not flying their flags like they did before. They were in my local government for eight months, actually they even lived in my house believe it or not but they have been chased off and now they are just in the fringes of Lake Chad. Things are better.

    “You look at the infrastructure is it the same thing, things are happening everywhere, highways are coming up, there is no state of the federation that there is no work going on, the railways the same thing.

    “So the long and short of it is that when you demonstrate what you say you will do and you are from our own constituency, we must stand up and be counted.

    “And therefore, the retired military officers today with former military governors, retired military officers from the ranks of brigadier general and their equivalents from other officers are here today, to tell him and to tell Nigerians that we are fully behind him in the elections next week and we will do whatever we can within the law to see that he is victorious in the elections.” he said.

    Maintaining that the endorsement was not out of fear, Marwa said, “Absolutely not. Every human being is political, we maybe non-partisan, we all want a good country for ourselves, our children and grandchildren and even for those yet unborn.

    “Look at the drug abuse thing for instance, he was the first president that launched a war against drug abuse in Nigeria through the committees, one of which I chair.

    “Unless you have compassion, you will overlook the matter of drugs and think that these are the dregs of the society. But he did.

    “Look at the Biafran Policemen who left the Nigerian police before the war, he remembered them. Airways workers, he remembered them.

    “His first concern when he took over was not the huge projects but for the civil and public servants to be paid. He even said it on one occasion and I heard it clearly, that he wonders how governors sleep with workers not paid and suffering. And now, the national minimum wage, he has approved it.

    “And you can go down to what he is doing for the masses. Have you seen the Vice President in Nigeria enter the markets to give succour of N5,000, N10,000, we have never seen until this time.

    “So, it is because he has performed. If he did not perform you will not see us here,” he said.

    He went on “Some of us our politicians already and belong to political parties. I am already in the APC and I’m fact chairman of the central working committee of the Women and Youth Presidential Campaign Team.

    “But people like Admiral Ayinla who said they are not partisan but they know what is good and so they will work for his success.”

    Advising Nigerians ahead of the elections, Marwa said, “Peaceful elections is what we call for. Allow process to run, allow the people to elect their own leader. There should be no ‘mago mago’ and all those fake things that use to happen. Happily, we have the machine that will make sure that nobody who does not vote matters than somebody that voted.

    “We ask Nigerians to come out in their numbers and vote for your candidate peacefully and after that protect your vote by remaining present until it is counted and announced before you go home,” he stated.

    While Nigeria survived the break-up doomsday prophecy for the country in the period leading to the 2015 general elections, the nation in the next few days should use the 2019 general elections as a springboard to rise to greater heights in all ramifications.

    As the elections start with the Presidential one in the next four days, it is expected that all the political parties, candidates and their supporters would respect the rules and regulations guiding the elections in the country.

    More than ever before, the candidates should now show respect for the peace accord they signed few weeks back by holding peace and security of the nation paramount.

    As power belongs to God, they should not cause or encourage  mayhem in the country by their actions or in actions.

  • 2019: Lalong warns against inciting violence

    Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong has urged the media to help avoid violence in the General Elections draw closer.

    Lalong spoke on Monday last week in Jos, Plateau State at the UNDP capacity building workshop for media group on conflict sensitive reportage ahead of 2019 General Election.

    The governor, who was represented by the Director-General Research and Documentation, Prof. John Wade, noted that media role was to success of election of any country.

    He stressed the need for media practitioners and journalists to present their reports in such a way that would not fan the fires of conflict.

    “Conflict sensitive reportage for media organisations and journalists is not only apt but timely considering the fact that we are in the season and threshold of electioneering campaigns.

    “And, there is an urgent need for politicians to conduct themselves in line with certain values that will make them become better leaders in the overall interest of the country.

    “Covering an election requires greater analytical depth and skills to report on it without engendering violence or overlooking peace building opportunities,” he said.

    According to him, reporter must therefore be above board and truly professional in his coverage and reportage.

    “The importance of conflict sensitive reportage in a period of elections in our value system and attitudinal reawakening cannot be over emphasised, given the fact that good or bad reporting can make or mar an election.

    “Conflict sensitive reportage constitutes the traditional role of journalism, as far as the agenda-setting is concerned.

    “Elections are often prone to violence and so in reporting elections, the media and journalists are expected to present their report in  such a way as not to fan the fires of conflict,” he said.

    According to him, as professionals, media practitioners owe the public the responsibility of self-censoring reportage to avoid vitriolic sentiment.

    “This is even most critical as during elections, tension are often high among contending political parties, hence the public can only make well informed decisions, based on the accuracy and quality of the stories disseminated by the media.

    “In this critical period of electioneering, as media organisations and journalists, you must continuously strive to redefine a new value system.

    “This based on God’s desire for us to love one another, serve one another, and be honest to one another; else, we will be shadows in our quest for objective reportage, sanity and greatness,” he said.

    According to him, it is indeed, a known fact that electoral violence or conflict usually triggers greater challenges for journalists, particularly when opposing sides seek to control the media.

    “Information can be unreliable or censored. This worsened by the old journalism adage that ‘he who pays pipers dictate the tune’. Media owner may want to dictate for journalist on how and what they should report,” he said.

    The UNDP Nigeria Acting resident representative, Betty Wabunoha, also urged media practitioners  to ensure that their reports do not incite violence.

    Wabunoha called on reporters to ensure an open and diverse media that can provide balanced and impartial coverage and equitable access for competing candidates and parties during the forthcoming election.

    According to her, in conflict sensitive electoral environments, the media holds the key to prevention of election related conflicts from occurring and escalating.

    She noted that this could only be possible through carefully calculated reporting of events around elections.

    Wabunoha said that the media also play crucial role in enabling citizens make informed choices as well as fostering peace, especially where there are election related disputes.

    She said that the call became imperative based on the fact that voters and candidates rely heavily on access to the media to both impact and receive information.

    “The media has a unique role to play as both the conveyor and recipient of information.

    “It does not only have an essential watchdog function that increases the transparency and accountability of the process, it also, if responsibly and appropriately used, helps strengthen the democratic process and contribute to a more credible and inclusive election,” she said.

    Over 160 Journalists from the six north-central states were taught on conflict sensitive reportage over a period of three days.

    At the end of the capacity building workshop, journalists were enjoined to present factual, balanced and accurate reportage of the 2019 elections in addition to reporting it with a positive mindset.

     

  • FCT minister commiserates with NUJ over death of members

    The Minister, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, has commiserated with members of FCT council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) over the death of their three colleagues in two months, describing the deaths as  losses to  journalism.

    Bello, who was at the council secretariat in Utako, Abuja, on a condolence visit, said the three fallen journalists were friends of the administration.

    The minister presented letters of condolence on behalf of the FCT administration, to the council chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Ogbeche, for transmission to the families of the deceased journalists: Grace Nwodo, aka Madam Waka of Love FM; Olajide Fashikun of Gong News and Chris Edoga of FRCN, all of the FCT council, who died between late December 2018 and January 2019.

    Bello, who was accompanied to the event by the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Umar Gambo Jibrin, expressed disappointment at the state of the secretariat, used the occasion to also assure the Council that all hindrances to the completion of the FCT NUJ Secretariat have been cleared and that the contractor would mobilize to site for the speedy completion of the secretariat complex in a couple of weeks.

    “I am surprised that the building is still like this because I thought that by now it would have progressed more than this. But, I assure you that in the next two weeks, the contractor will be mobilised to site to complete at least the first phase because we agreed that the complex will be completed in phases. I can also assure you that when the first phase is completed, the building will be more benefitting than any other in the country,” he said.

    Ogbeche thanked the minister for his  support to the council, especially in his efforts to ensure the speedy completion of the Council’s secretariat.

    He lamented the lack of a befitting secretariat for the council and the slow pace of work at the site, calling on the Minister to make good his promised to complete the secretariat complex.

    Ogbeche also called on the Minister to provide the Council with buses for conveying members to and from union events as well as for sustainable investments that would take the union to the next level.

    A former Chairman of Council, Comrade Jacob Edi, commended the minister for his accessibility and purposefulness.

    He expressed confidence that the minister would  fulfil his promise of ensuring the completion of the FCT NUJ Complex which, according to him, should be befitting of the status of the Federal Capital Territory.

    Highlight of the occasion was a tour of the uncompleted secretariat complex by the Minister, accompanied by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Sir Chinyeaka C. Ohaa and other management staff of the FCTA, the Executive Secretary, FCDA, U.G Jibrin and members of the FCT NUJ.

     

  • Buhari, Onnoghen and the rule of law

    Some Nigerians now appear to be finding it difficult to keep pace with happenings in the polity in the past few weeks.

    They wake up almost every day to have something new to ponder over and talk about.

    The latest of these saga was the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen’s case, which has taken many dimensions in the past few weeks.

    Among the issues against him was the tracing to his personal bank accounts of suspicious transactions running into millions of dollars and other foreign currencies.

    The bank accounts were said to be either undeclared or improperly declared as required by law.

    Onnoghen, who admitted that he made mistakes and forgot to disclose the accounts, refused to immediately appear before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

    While many Nigerians have declared that his excuse was not tenable in law, others felt the discoveries few weeks to the general elections are politically motivated.

    Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and other lawyers, who should know more about interpretation of the laws of the land, were also sharply divided over the legality of Onnoghen to appear before the CCT.

    To ensure Onnoghen appear before the CCT and clear his name, the Presidency on Friday 25th of January, 2019 suspended him from office.

    Also to ensure no vacuum, President Muhammadu Buhari immediate swore in Ibrahim Tanko Mohammad as acting CJN the same day.

    This again caused more division, especially among SANs and lawyers in the country, who spoke for or against legality of the action of the President.

    In a twist of events, the National Judicial Council (NJC) in an emergency meeting last Tuesday directed Onnoghen and Muhammad to respond to the petitions against them within seven days.

    The Council at the meeting had elected former President of the Court of Appeal, Umaru Abdullahi, as Interim Chairman to preside over the meeting.

    The Court of Appeal, in its ruling on Onnoghen last week, okayed his trial by the CCT.

    With events fastly unfolding, not only stakeholders within the country, but outside the country have linked the various issues been thrown up to the forthcoming general elections.

    The United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) have also issued coordinated statements on Onnoghen’s suspension, criticising the decision by the Federal Government.

    “The EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) is very concerned about the process and timing of the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Walter Onnoghen, on 25 January.

    “With 20 days until the presidential and National Assembly elections, political parties, candidates and voters must be able to have confidence in the impartiality and independence of the judicial system.

    “The decision to suspend the Chief Justice has led to many Nigerians, including lawyers and civil society observer groups, to question whether due process was followed. The timing, just before the swearing in of justices for Electoral Tribunals and the hearing of election-related cases, has also raised concerns about the opportunity for electoral justice.

    “The EU EOM calls on all parties to follow the legal processes provided for in the Constitution and to respond calmly to any concerns they may have,” it stated.

    Many Nigerians have also claimed that the Onnoghen issue has not been allowed to die down purely because of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s moves to ensure a transparent and corrupt-free Nigeria.

    Reacting to the coordinated statements, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said “We also note that friends, when not properly informed or acting in haste, can indeed make serious mistakes even with the best of intentions. Such is the case here.

    “The statements by the three seem more driven by unfounded assumptions and to be honest, a certain condescension to this African democracy. This is unfortunate. But this gives us an opportunity to clarify some points in the hope that these three friends reach a deeper understanding of the situation.

    “The statements by the US, UK and EU speak of their respect for constitutional practice and fair elections. However, the positions they stake tend to contravene rather than strengthen these laudable objectives.

    “CJN Onnoghen’s situation is one of his own making and, to a large degree, his own choosing.

    “The CJN was brought before the CCT because of a serious breach of law regarding his assets declaration. This is not a mere technicality like innocently placing a document in a wrong file or mistakenly placing yesterday’s date on a document.

    “All credible evidence indicates the CJN owned and operated several secret bank accounts. Unexplained large sums of money, exceeding several million dollars have passed through these accounts. Several thousand dollars are currently parked in the accounts. Multiple deposits of equal sums of money were deposited in some of those accounts during the same day. Such rapid and equal deposits are indicative of a person attempting to evade banking reporting laws and regulations.

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    “Given the amount of money involved and the CJN’s inability to explain the source of the funds, the most plausible explanation at this point is also the most unfortunate explanation. No one did this to CJN Onnoghen. He and he alone is to blame for this turn of events.

    “Because of this he has been thoroughly discredited. It is untenable that a person in such compromised circumstances would be allowed to preside over the entire judicial system of a great nation. That would travesty the nation and what it stands for.

    “Had the situation been reversed and the US, UK or any EU member government found that its chief judicial official is the recipient of large sums of money of questionable origin and Nigeria suggested that you retain the person in that position, you would question Nigeria’s bona fides.

    “You also would swiftly move to suspend the official pending final determination of the causes against him. Not one of your nations would allow a person enmeshed in legal uncertainty to preside over your legal systems until the cloud has been cleared from him. That would incentivize corruption and assault the rule of law.

    “Last, the three make a curious direct linkage between the CJN suspension and the elections. However, in Nigerian law there is no such linkage. The CJN does not run the election. Nor is he the first arbiter of any electoral complaints. He and the Supreme Court will only get involved as the final arbiter at the end of the appellate process,” he said.

    Adding his voice to the issue last week Monday, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole said “But Nigeria is not a colony. We will not accept any foreign interference in the internal affairs of Nigeria.

    “When they dismiss judges in Europe…judges have been dismissed in the United States when they are found guilty of corruption and the Western world cannot on the one hand, when it suits them, describe Nigeria as fantastically corrupt and when a corrupt judicial officer is being charged, people want to interfere.

    “What anybody can insist on is, is anybody being framed? Is the suspended CJN guilty of the allegations made against him? Or is it something being cooked out from nowhere? Now, if a Chief Justice of the Federation admits that he has breached the law, if a Chief Justice of the Federation admits that he has several foreign domiciliary accounts, even though he also admits that by nature of his office, he is not s trader, what is he doing with accounts in British pounds, US dollars and in Euros and to the extent of forgetting that he has those accounts?

    “If he has such memory failure about the size of his number of accounts as to fail to declare them, you and I know that even ignorance is not an excuse in law. So, why are we being hypocritical?

    “And at a certain level of responsibility, it’s not even about legal technicalities. It’s about the moral weight, the moral burden you carry. So, nobody should make us feel as though we are at the mercy of any other country. The future of Nigeria is in the hands of Nigerians and our laws are clear. Our laws are meant to be obeyed,” he said.

    While the drama on the Onnoghen’s case is still unfolding, some Nigerians last Wednesday welcomed the moves by the Federal Government to press charges against Babachir Lawal and the former Head of the National Intelligent Agency (NIA), Ayo Oke.

    Even though some Nigerians believed that the latest move was long overdue, others, who commended it, believed that it has shown that the government was not selectiveness in its anti-corruption campaign.

    Nigeria would really be the best for it if the anti-graft battle treats everyone alike and have no special treatment for any member of the kitchen cabinet or any top government official.

     

  • Osinbajo calls for unity ahead of elections

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has stressed the negative consequences of hate speech in any polity, while emphasizing the need for Nigerians to focus on the issues that bind rather than those that cause division in the country.

    Osinbajospoke on Friday at the public presentation and launching of the book, The Making of a Million Smiles: Reflections on Rwanda’s Rise from Ashes by Rear Admiral Samuel Ilesanmi Alade at the National Defense College, Abuja.

    Represented by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello,  Osibanjo said there are lessons Nigerians should learn from the Rwandan genocide of 1994; and the mistakes and the success story. He also said the book would be useful to every Nigerian.

    According to a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, to the minister, Cosmas Uzodinma, the Vice President commended the author for the worthy contribution to the nation’s body of literary, adding that the work is a practical reminder, which could not have come at a better time as the country prepares for the 2019 elections.

    The Chairman of the occasion, a former Federal Commissioner for Information and Culture, Major General Ibrahim Bata Malgwi Haruna (rtd), said the book gave a good account of the Rwandan genocide and how the people have moved on, giving the hope that no matter the circumstance, trust can be regained through consistent seeking of the truth and peace as well as working towards inclusiveness and cooperation.

    He called on Nigerians to shun hate speech in its entirety as well as all other utterances that could cause discord and heat up the polity.

    Haruna said the launch presented an opportunity to draw and share the experience of Rwanda, urging all Nigerians to support the author’s effort.

    Rear Admiral Alade (rtd) said the book was an admonition to all and sundry that the Rwandan genocide did not just happen overnight but was as a result of hate speeches which persisted over time, pointing to what Nigeria is experiencing at the moment.

    He stressed the need for a complete departure from such a trend.

    Tthe Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Stanislas Kamanzi, commended the author for writing his thoughts on the lessons to be learnt from his country’s period of great grief. He expressed the hope that Nigerians would learn from past mistakes and go on to make the country great.

  • Govt moves to tackle challenges in hospitals

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has called on FCT residents to always visit its hospitals to seek medical services, instead of going to herbalists and prayer warriors for medical attention.

    Secretary, Health and Human Service Secretariat, Adamu Abubakar Bappah made this call while at Kwali General Hospital inspecting the condition of FCT health facilities, last week.

    The Secretary explained that the tour of the facilities was to enable the FCTA fix all challenges facing them.

    The Secretary and his team made up of the MD Health Management Board, Dr. Aminu Mai and other directors of the secretariat, visited general hospitals in Rubochi, Abaji, Kwali, Gwagwalada and Zuba, where they inspected facilities and interacted with the Medical Directors of the hospitals and other health workers.

    The team also paid homage to traditional rulers and appealed to them to sensitize those under their domain, particularly Rubochi residents, to always visit the hospitals, instead of seeking solution to their health challenges with herbalists and prayer warriors.

    Abuja Review gathered that, all the hospitals visited generally complained about similar problems, ranging from lack of constant power and water supply, inadequate staffing, and insufficient accommodation to irregular posting of staff, and overpopulation, among others.

    However, while other hospitals needed expansion to accommodate more patients, the Medical Director of Rubochi General Hospital, Dr. Ita Edim decried lack of patronage from members of the community, adding that the hospital also has a challenge constant power supply.

    The secretary therefore visited and appealed to traditional rulers, especially the Sa Rubochi, Ibrahim Mohammed Pada and the Agape of Ugbada, Hussaini Agabi Mam, to convince their subjects to visit the hospital for treatment of illnesses and delivery of babies, instead of seeking health care from prayer houses and herbalists.

    The duo who responded separately, pledged to sensitise their people to patronise Rubochi Hospital, even as they seized the opportunity to appeal to the secretary to consider their people for employment in sensitive positions, not only in the hospital, but also in other organs of the FCT Administration, adding that such a gesture would give the people a better sense of belonging.

    Apart from the General Hospitals of Abaji, Kwali, Kuje and Zuba, which were visited and inspected, all the major traditional rulers of these areas were also visited, their cooperation and understanding sought in ensuring the successes of the health facilities.

    The secretary, while commissioned an administrative block at the Kwali General Hospital praised its MD, Dr.Halima Bello for inovation and advised other medical directors to toe her path of excellence.

    Accordingly, the Ona of Abaji, Adamu Baba Yunusa; Etsu of Kwali, Shaban Audu Nizazo III; Gomo of Kuje, Haruna Jubrin Tanko; Agora of Zuba, Aliyu Mohammed Ringim and the Aguma of Gwagwalada, Mohammed Magaji who was represented by the Hakimi (district head) of Gwagwalada, Muhammmadu Lakayi.

    While noting that Abaji was a major gate into the FCT and shares boundary with other States, the Ona requested for the upgrading of the Abaji General Hospital to a medical centre to enable it carter for the huge demand for health services occassioned by population increase and accidents on the expressway.

    His Zuba counterpart, Mohammed Ringim, thanked the FCTA for heeding their requests for upgrading the hitherto Zuba cottage hospital to its present general gospital status, and appealed for further expansion of the institution, owing to influx of people to the area due to its position as a boundary town.

    Bappah also expressed satisfaction with the cleanliness and maintenance of facilities at the Zuba hospital, and promised to assist the hospital to get certification from NAFDAC for a drug (Methylated spirit) produced by this young hospital.

    Just like the other chiefs, they also requested for special consideration of their subjects for employment as workers in the hospitals and other bodies of the administration.

    At the FCT Schools of Nursing and Midwifery, Gwagwalada, the team was greeted with a myriad of challenges similar to those of the hospitals, including lack of enabling law for the establishment of the twin schools, inadequate hostel accommodation, absolate equipment, lack of training and 50: 50 sharing formula for the two schools, instead of the present ratio of 3:1, which represents 75: 25 percent.

    The two schools also requested that sale of forms for entrance examinations should be domiciled with the institution, not the FCTA; promotion of staff should be handled directly by the Health Secretariat, instead of the Health Management Board, among others.

    The principals, Dambatta Binta Bello (Midwifery) and James Lakereks (Nursing) who separately berated non-conduct of matriculation and convovation for many years, among other problems, suggested that if it was not possible for the schools to get enabling law, they should be affiliated to the FCT University of Science and Technology, Abaji.

    Bappah, while responding, promised to ensure that the last sessions of the schools celebrated these ceremonies, even as he pledged the determination of the FCTA to resolve all the problems bedeviling the schools.

    He also promised to ensure right placement and utilisation of the schools’ only PhD holder, Dr. Shammah Monday.

    The tour of FCT hospital facilities and related institutions would continue this week in the Abuja Municipal and Bwari Area Councils.

  • General vs General

    President Muhammadu Buhari and former President Olusegun Obasanjo last Tuesday displayed part of the military trainings they underwent during their military days.

    They showed to all in the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa that they didn’t simply pick the title ‘General’ on the streets or bought it with money, but worked hard for it.

    Part of the military training they received was not to let the enemy or opponent know their true feelings, ideas and plans at all times.

    So, like other soldiers, they were trained in the art of deception, concealment, and misinformation or disinformation.

    While deception in warfare have dated back to early history with great emphasis on tactics, in modern times, military deception has developed as a fully fledged doctrine.

    Misinformation and visual deception were also said to have been employed during World War I, which gained greater prominence during the World War II.

    World history also showed that the Allies executed one of the largest deceptions in military history, Operation Bodyguard, which helped them to achieve full tactical surprise in the buildup to the 1944 invasion of Normandy.

    So over the years, soldiers worldwide have been applying  military deceptions in attempts to mislead enemy forces.

    They engaged methods including creating or amplifying an artificial fog of war via psychological operations, information warfare, visual deception among other methods.

    Tactical deception is engaged when an individual is able to use an “honest” act from his normal repertoire in a different context to mislead familiar individuals.

    Strategic deception is an attempt to deceive an adversary, including possible spill-over effects of misleading the public at home, and the populace of one’s allies and friends.

    Any enemy that falls for the deception will lose confidence when it is revealed and may hesitate when confronted with the truth.

    So to stay top of the game, any good soldier must be skillful in deception, concealment and misinformation.

    Despite leaving the military few years back as Generals, Buhari and Obasanjo were still able to bury their emotions and feelings before the commencement of the National Council of State meeting last Tuesday.

    Like the saying goes, ‘old soldier never dies’, they pushed aside their hostilities as if nothing was at stake.

    Staring at one another in smiles, they shook hands and exchanged pleasantries before the meeting started.

    Photographers and cameramen in the hall didn’t waste any time to capture the moment as they clicked away.

    But many political watchers however believed that the smiles were just for the cameras as great hostilities were deeply buried behind the smiles.

    Especially, when the meeting was just two days after Obasanjo released his second time-bomb letter criticising Buhari.

    Obasanjo, in the 16-page letter, two days earlier, accused Buhari of plot to rig the February Presidential election and also claimed that Buhari was already behaving like the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.

    The letter had stated in parts “Today, another Abacha Era is here. The security institutions are being misused to fight all critics and opponents of Buhari and to derail our fledgling democracy.

    “EFCC, Police, and Code of Conduct Tribunal are also being equally misused to deal with those Buhari sees as enemies for criticising him or as those who may not do his bidding in manipulating the election results.

     

    ”I  am concerned as a democrat who believes that with faithful and diligent practice of democracy, we can overcome most of our political problems and move steadfastly and surefootedly on the course of stability, unity of purpose, socio-economic growth and progress for all.

    “Democracy becomes a sham if elections are carried out by people who should be impartial and neutral umpires, but who show no integrity, acting with blatant partiality, duplicity and imbecility.

    ”For all Democrats and those carrying out the process of elections, there must be the red line that must not be crossed in tactics and practices of democracy.

    ”I personally have serious doubt about the present INEC’s integrity, impartiality and competence to conduct a fair, free and credible election. From what we saw and knew about Osun State gubernatorial election, what was conclusive was declared inconclusive despite all advice to the contrary.

    ”The unnecessary rerun, if viewed as a test-run for a larger general election, would lead people to expect incidences of deliberately contrived, broken or non-working voting machines or card readers, confusion of voters as to their voting stations, inadequate supply of voting materials to designated places, long line to discourage voters and turning blind eyes to favour the blue-eye political party of INEC because the Commission’s hands will be tied to enable hatchet men and women to perform their unwholesome assignment.

    “The transmission and collation of results are subject to interference, manipulation and meddling.  If the INEC’s favourite political party wins with all the above infractions, the result will be conclusively declared and if not, there will be a ‘rerun’, the result of which is known before it is carried out”. He stated

    Buhari’s media handlers also replied Obasanjo swiftly in a statement the same Sunday.

    It stated “The sixteen-page letter the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari and released this afternoon is the last push by desperate politicians who can’t handle the President politically and have resorted to subterfuge.

    “Our first message to the former President is that he needs a good doctor for good treatment and to say to him, “Get well soon.”

    “As repeatedly said of him, since Chief Obasanjo left office in 1979, he never let every succeeding leader of the country function freely, and this included the one he personally handpicked against all known rules drawn up by the party that put him in the office of the President.

    “But Chief Obasanjo is jealous because President Buhari has more esteem than him and the sooner he learns to respect him the better.

    “It is a notorious fact that in dealing with any leader that he failed to control, he resorted to these puerile attacks. As the grand patron, more correctly the grandfather of corruption as described by the National Assembly, Chief Obasanjo released today’s letter purely for the reason of rescuing his thriving corruption establishment.

    “The elections starting in February will be free and fair as promised the nation and the international community by President Buhari.

    “What Chief Obasanjo and his co-travellers in the PDP should expect is that from the outcome, we will teach them a political lesson that they will never forget. This margin will be much bigger than we had in 2015.

    “Claims that President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have embarked on the president’s “self- succession project, by recruiting collation officers who are already awarding results based on their projects to actualise the perpetuation agenda, in which the people will not matter and the votes will not count” is not only utterly false, but a copious note from the book on the failed third term agenda of President Obasanjo.

    “A leader who took USD 16 billion “upfront” to supply electric power yet failed to add a single megawatt to the national grid and to date, there is no trace of the money is jittery that he will be called to account. He is a coward.

    “Nigerians looked up to him as a role model and a ray of hope to ethical and clean leadership until President Yar’Adua called him out to explain what happened to the sixteen billion dollars of taxpayer’s money. It is clear that with him sitting on top of the heap of corruption, he is no different from the crowd he leads.

    “This language of his 16-page letter, likening President Buhari to General Sani Abacha, a man he dreaded and the one who jailed him under military laws is most unfitting from a former President of Nigeria.

    “We are unable to get the words to describe a 90-year old liar, except to say that by the publication of this tissue of lies against the President, he Obasanjo, not the President will fall from everyone’s esteem.” it stated

    It is really hoped that the increasing political tension in the country will recede in the days ahead.

  • Minister to farmers: plan with NiMet rainfall data

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Muhammad Bello has urged farmers in the Abuja and other parts of the country to leverage the 2019 seasonal rainfall prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) in planning their farming activities for the year.

    Bello spoke at the unveiling of the 2019 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) by NiMet.

    He said the call became necessary to ensure that climate smart agricultural practices were promoted.

    The FCT minister also advised other institutions and communities to use the available professional data and information to improve their activities.

    Bello who commended the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and the Ministry of Aviation for living up to the mandate of providing valuable meteorological information for aviation and non-aviation sectors of the country, said their activities are consistent with President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda of improving the process of governance with available technology.

    According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Cosmas Uzodinma, the minister assured that the FCT Administration would leverage effectively the available information in order to add value to governance, and guide the sizeable community of farmers in the FCT.

    Unveiling the 2019 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction, the minister of State Aviation, Senator Abubakar Hadi Sirika, said it is designed to provide relevant information for planning and execution of projects and programmes in various sectors of the economy like Agriculture, air transportation, infrastructure construction, telecommunication and water resources that are sensitive to weather.

    The Minister said the early release of this vital information before the beginning of rainy season every year is to ensure effective harnessing of the climate resource and guarantee minimal losses from associated hazards which are becoming quite devastating in the era of climate change.

    He noted that the agency has been able to successfully mitigate the effects of climate change in the country through early warning systems and other critical data provided it has been providing.

    Giving further breakdown of the rainfall prediction, the minister said the country was expected to experience below normal, to normal rainfall season, adding that the rains is expected to start late, especially in the northern parts of the country, while the south-eastern zone as well as the coastal areas will experience normal onset of the rains.

    He noted that most of the Northern states would experience earlier than normal end growing season, in addition to more frequent dry spells during the rainy season in some parts of the extreme North around June and July. The rest of the country he added would also experience shorter growing seasons due to late onset of rains and early ending.

    The Minister appreciated the partnership between the Agency and the FCTA including the provision of land housing the Agency which has helped to improve its activities.

    Earlier in his address of welcome, the Director General, NIMet, Prof. Sani Abubakar Mashi, said the Agency has been delivering on its mandate since it was set up in 2012, adding that its predictions have been consistently and accurately delivered over the period.

    The DG noted that the predictions by NIMET are now being taken more seriously since the regrettable 2012 flood incident that was experienced in most parts of the country, which he said has encouraged the agency to do more  to improve on the accuracy of the predictions.

    Other highlights of the event were testimonies from very important stakeholders like the British American Tobacco as well as representatives of the Katsina and Kebbi State government among others, who explained how NiMet information have helped to improve agricultural and other economic activities in their regions.

     

  • MFM Overseer Olukoya for church dedication, crusade in Abuja

    The General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM)  Worldwide, Dr.  D. K.  Olukoya, will on January 26 dedicate the Church Auditorium of the MFM, Law School Region 41 in Bwari, Abuja.

    The General Overseer of the church is also expected to hold Deliverance Crusade on the same day tagged: ‘’Unlocking Your Hidden Treasures.’’

    According to the Regional Overseer of the church, Pastor Joel Idaye, the coming of the General Overseer is a unique opportunity which the Region will not take for granted.

    He attributed the visit of Dr. Olukoya, to the favour of God which the church enjoys and added that the Region is privileged to have him.

    According to information on the Church website, the church was inaugurated in May 2011 at an hotel in Bwari, before moving to the Nigeria Law School Chapel in June 2012.

    The church latet moved to its present and permanent location on 16th November 2012.

    “To the Glory of God Almighty, the beautiful church edifice will be dedicated by Dr. D. K. Olukoya, on the 26th January, 2019 by 10:00am”, Pastor Idaye said.