The Nation Newspaper

Category: Abuja Review

  • Residents urge Buhari to restore checkpoints

    Just weeks after President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the removal of military checkpoints from roads across the country, some Abuja resident especially those living in satellite towns have asked that the roadblocks be restored.

    Barely two days to last Christmas residents discovered that military security checkpoints had been mounted at various strategic inter-changes and junctions within perimeter of the nation’s capital in addition to some existing checkpoints at various entry points to the city.

    According to findings, the development was due to the prevalence insecurity caused by the Boko Haram sects.

    Throughout the Yuletide and even before the removal of the checkpoints, soldiers mounted roadblocks mounted by soldiers forced motorists to drive at slow speed, while suspicions vehicles were pulled over for checks.

    Pedestrians, especially those carrying bags, were also subjected to extensive scrutiny.

    A cross section of residents, who spoke with Abuja Review in separate interviews, said there are doubts over the rationale to relax security checks, which culminated in the sudden disappearance of the military check points from the city centre.

    The residents argued there is still need for them to continue checking,  because of the increasing mass movement of people (old and new settlers) into the city, giving that the greater percentage of the residents are yet to return from the yuletide break.,

    A resident, Emmanuel Ona who expressed worry over the development, noted that there were still more security threats in the air, as people are still moving into the city with a lot of bags and other things, which may be used to smuggle dangerous weapons into the city.

    He said he was shocked and sad when he discovered that the military check points in Kuje and other parts of the city were nowhere to be found.

    “I was very sad when I discovered that there were no longer military check points that were mounted before Berger and Apo Roundabouts, along the Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway and Kuje.

    “Because the emergence of the check points gave me and other residents a great sense of security in the city, especially while plying the route on a daily basis. And, most of us had wished that the military checkpoints stay.

    “I am appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to bring back the military check points, to help beef up security within the city centre, given the prevailing security challenges in the land.”

    Another resident, Peace Omole said although, the check points mounted within the city centre and other parts had brought a lot of hardships on commuters, but the current peace we are enjoying is better.

    According to him, the people are ready to pay any kind of sacrifices that would help lessen the current security threats they are faced with, while pursuing their daily bread.

    Omole: “It is better to have these military checks on our streets, if it would allay our fears over the rising insecurity in the country, that’s was why am still to come to terms on the reasons for their sudden removal by the government.”

     

  • Matching word with action

    Those who have any skeletons in their cupboards regarding the running of public offices in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan now have reason to be concerned.

    This is because President Muhammadu Buhari last week earnestly began probe into some fraudulent practices that have almost milked the nation dry.

    Buhari, during his campaign period prior to the March 28 Presidential election, had put no one in doubt as to his determination to kill the corruption monster that has dwarfed Nigeria and prevented it from adequately providing basic infrastructural facilities for Nigerians over the years.

    Knowing Buhari as a no-nonsense man and one who means what he says, some of the key actors in Jonathan’s administration, probably out of fear of what they have done wrong in office, did not wait for the May 29 handover ceremony to take place before jetting out of the country.

    While many ex-government’s agency heads in this group have not returned to the country after five weeks that Buhari assumed office, many others in Jonathan’s administration, under one guise or the other, have also travelled out of Nigeria since May 29.

    Though some Nigerians might have misconstrued part of Buhari’s inaugural speech to mean that the sins of corrupt officers in Jonathan’s administration have been forgiven and that he will only look ahead, signs from the seat of power in the last two weeks have shown that it is not going to be the case.

    Buhari, who kept his plans against corruption in the past administration to his heart, at the beginning of his government had stopped immigration and other government agencies from preventing members of Jonathan’s cabinet from travelling out of the country.

    Even if he wanted to close his eyes to financial wrongdoings under Jonathan’s administration, what he met in the treasury on assumption in office couldn’t allow him.

    What he met on the ground was so bad that his administration could not pick up and move with the speed it wanted to.

    Unable to keep calm over the issue, Buhari a forthnight ago raised the alarm that he virtually met empty treasury on assumption of office.

    As if the empty treasury left behind by the last administration was aimed at crippling the nation, Buhari then vowed to recover the stolen money.

    Seeing the predicament of Buhari’s young administration, the United States and other nations, where most key actors in Jonathan’s administration have relocated to, have promised to help Buhari in his drive to recover the stolen money.

    While these happened two weeks ago, the Buhari’s administration last week Monday put action to its words.

    It sets up a four man panel comprising state governors, Edo – Adams Oshiomhole, Gombe – Ibrahim Dankwambo,

    Kaduna – Nasir el-Rufai and Akwa Ibom – Emmanuel Udom, to probe the oil sales and expenditure of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) between 2012 and May 2015.

    The panel, which is expected to report back to the National Economic Council (NEC), headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, by 23rd of this month, is also to probe expenses and other payments out of the Excess Crude Account.

    Briefing journalists on behalf of NEC last week Monday, Oshiomhole said: “This is the first time we had a National Economic Council meeting in which under the instructions of the President, NNPC and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation was compelled to provide information in black and white on issues as it relates to the total sales of Nigeria crude from 2012 to May 2015. This has never happened before and for us this is profound.

    “What we saw from those numbers, which I believe Nigerians are entitled to know, is that whereas the NNPC claimed to have earned about N8.1 trillion, what NNPC paid into the Federation Account between 2012 and May 2015 was N4.3 trillion and NNPC withheld and spent N3.8 trillion.

    “Which means the cost of running NNPC is much more than the cost of running the Federal Government. That tells you how much is missing, what is mismanaged, what is stolen, there are huge figures.

    “President Buhari has promised to do that henceforth all monies must go to the federation account. What you need, you budget for. Nigeria cannot continue with you earn the money and spend it. Where is transparency? Where is the role of the National Assembly?”

    On Excess Crude Account, he said: “We looked at the numbers for the ýExcess crude account, the last time the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, reported to the Council and it is in the minute, she reported by November 2014, that we had $4.1 billion but today the Accountant General Office reported we have $2.0 billion. Which means the Honourable Minister spent $2.1billion without authority of the NEC.” He added

    But barely 24 hours after the move by Buhari’s administration to look at past records, fuel scarcity and long queues, under whatever guise, appeared in many petrol stations across the country.

    It is not clear whether the fuel scarcity is a way the marketers, who are mostly used to hoarding fuel in their filling stations, wanted to fight Buhari’s anti-corruption drive in the sector, which may end up with total deregulation of the sector.

    Many Nigerians, no doubt, trust Mr. President will not allow the few saboteurs to continue to hold the country to ransom and make Nigerians to suffer the man-made fuel scarcity for long.

    No matter what is really causing the fuel scarcity, the masses on the street are fully behind the government in the effort to fight corruption to a standstill for the betterment of the country.

     

    Depleting Boko Haram’s foot-soldiers

     

    Besides going all out in military battle against the terrorists, Boko Haram, the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is also  embracing ways to deplete the sect’s foot-soldiers without firing bullets.

    This move is in line with the positions of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some other retired army generals, who believed that military option alone cannot end terrorism in Nigeria.

    The Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Department in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has started to disabuse the minds of some Boko Haram members and rehabilitate them back to the society.

    Apart from drawing out those already operating within the sect, the department is also concerned with shrinking Boko Haram’s recruitment pool.

    The aims of the CVE programme in Nigeria include identifying the underlying causes of radicalization likely to be social, cultural, religious, or economic factor, and developing strategies to tackle them.

  • Council chief’s election upheld

    The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) election petition tribunal sitting at Wuse Zone 6 Magistrate Court, has upheld election the victory of the chairman of Abaji Area Council, Alhaji Yahaya Garba, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the duly elected chairman of the council in the March 16, 2013 polls.

    Chairperson of the tribunal, Chief Magistrate Binta Moahmmed, while delivering a three hours judgment, which was read by Magistrate Musa Jobbo, said the chairmanship candidate of the defunct Action Congress Nigeria (ACN), Alhaji Abdulrahman Ajiya, has failed in his petition to prove the allegations of the non-resignation of the council chairman as class teacher before contesting and over voting.

    According to him, the allegation of over voting is not proved by virtue of the provision of section 53 (2) of the electoral Act (Supra), which, he said, provides that the basis of nullification of the results of an election shall be when the number of votes cast is higher than the number of registered voters.

    He added that the allegation of the petitioner of ballot box snatching/stuffing, thuggery, intimidation, allocation of votes, harassment and security threat are criminal in nature, which, he said, require prove beyond reasonable doubt.

    “Finally, we note that the petitioner called only four witnesses. We also note that there are 43 polling units in the 7 wards complained of. This burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt has not in our view being discharged by the petitioner, as this petition therefore failed and is hereby dismissed,” he said.

    Reacting to the judgment, Counsel to the respondent, Mahmud Magaji (SAN) represented by Barrister Chris Kelechi, commended the tribunal for delivering sound and transparent judgment.

    He urged the tribunal to award a cost N500, 000 to the petitioner for the expenses he incurred in prosecuting the case, saying senior advocates were involved in prosecuting the case, which, he said last for two years.

    But counsel to the ACN Mr Y.G Haruna, a lawyer, said the judgment passed by the tribunal did not captured the areas as contained in the petition, saying he would challenge the judgment at the Appeal court.

    On his part, the chairman of Abaji council, Alhaji Yahaya Garba Gawu, who was in court after the judgment was delivered, commended the tribunal for delivering a sound and transparent judgment.

    He said the outcome judgment has proved to his people that he truly won the March 16, 2013 council election, while calling on his opponent to join hands with his administration in order to move the council forward.

    “As the outcome of today’s judgment has brought a big relief to me in order to use the remaining one year left to dividend of democracy to the good people of Abaji area council, ‘’ he said.

    It would be recalled that the ACN chairmanship candidate, Alhaji Abdularahman Ajiya, had filed a petition to challenge the victory of the incumbent council chairman, Alhaji Yahaya Gawu, of the PDP, after he was declared winner in the March 16, 2013 council election.

    Ajiya, alleged irregularities, over voting across the seven wards out of ten wards of the council, alleging further that the chairman did not resign as a class teacher before contesting the election.

     

  • Firm launches mobile emergency medical care

    A non-governmental organisation (NGO) under the auspices of Doctors on Call Health Initiative has developed a new innovation, known as Telemedicine, to carter mostly for rural dwellers and address cases of medical emergencies.

    The organisation said it has assembled more than 50 doctors aside hundreds of nurses and other medical personnel as part of the team to respond to any emergency from residents of the FCT.

    The firm’s Principal Consultant and Project Head, Dr. Adeloye Adejobi, said the purpose of the innovation is to bring health care access to rural locations by enabling practitioners evaluate, diagnose and treat patient remotely using the latest telecommunications technology.

    He also revealed that their latest discovery was as a result of more than two year research, which he said has received two awards from both the World Bank and the IMF.

    Adejobi further explained that the new medical technology allows patients to receive expert medical care without having to travel.

    “Rural health care practitioners can use telemedicine products to capture and transmit medical data and images to peers and specialists whenever necessary, allowing for cost-efficient expert consultations and improved patient care.

    “Telemedicine enables practitioners to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients remotely using the latest telecommunications technology. In many situations, telemedicine offers numerous benefits as an alternative to traditional in-person medical care.

    “Many patients find it difficult to travel to clinics, hospitals, or doctors’ offices for any number of reasons. Telemedicine can be a great option for patients with unique challenges or in situations making it difficult to travel to receive traditional care.”

    According to him, the new health care service can be used to monitor discharged patients and track patient recovery and also facilitating communication between doctors and patients.

    He added that “Research shows that the use of telehealth technologies results in many positive outcomes is including fewer hospital re-admissions, more faithful following of prescribed courses of treatment, and faster recovery than that of patients not receiving remote intervention.

    “Telemedicine allows hospitals to create networks to provide each other with support. By easily sharing their expertise outside their own institutions, doctors can offer incredible value to their medical colleagues and those colleagues’ patients.”

  • Task team warns criminals

    The FCT Special Task Team on City Cleaning and Management has assured that it would do everything possible to safeguard life and property in the territory.

    This assurance was given by the chairman of the city cleaning team who is also the Terrritory’s Police Commissioner, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu after an emergency meeting.

    The Police Commissioner reiterated that no stone would be left unturned to safeguard all the residents of the Federal Capital Territory; noting that anything that poses danger to the well being of the residents of the Territory won’t be spared.

    Inalegwu called for cooperation by partnering with the members of the Special Task Team to weed the Federal Capital City of all environmental nuisances.

    The Police Commissioner emphasized that the Task Team has put some viable mechanisms on ground to identify bad eggs within its members.

    He remarked that those selling petrol in jerry cans will make the city unsafe and ‘we will go after them’ as well as those operating unpainted taxis, because such can be used for ‘One Chance’ or kidnap purposes.

    His words: “We must have records of all commercial taxis operating in Abuja and that is why the Task Team and particularly the officers and men of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (VIO) are enforcing it”.

    Inalegwu said that commercial motorcycle (Okada) is banned in the Federal Capital City and remained banned; while the Keke NAPEP operators must remain in the restricted designated areas.

    He warned that pedestrian bridges are for road crossing and not for commercial activities; stressing that anyone caught would face the full wrath of the law.

    According to the Chairman, the Task Team was set up to keep the city clean and any unwholesome practices would be kept at bay.

    The Police Commissioner assured that the Task Team will never work to inflict hardship or discomfort to any resident of the Federal Capital Territory.

    Meanwhile, the Chairman paraded two vehicles fitted with about two hundred litres of PMS (Petrol) drums each totaling 400 litres, earlier arrested by the Task Team and therefore used the occasion to advise residents to stop all those illegal activities.

  • Council boss woos residents

    The chairman of Abaji Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hon Yahya Garba has urged residents to unite, irrespective of their religious and ethnic affiliations in order to achieve sustainable development in the council.

    Garba made the call while speaking with youth groups, women organisation, party stalwarts and community leaders when they paid him a courtesy visit after the election petition tribunal upheld his election as chairman of the council.

    The council boss said he dedicated  his victory to God and the good people  of the council for giving him the opportunity to serve, calling on the opposition party to join hands with him as his administration, that doors are open to accommodate every individual  in respective of party affiliation.

    “Abaji area council belongs to all of us let us put away political difference away and come together as citizens of the council and think of how we can develop and take the council to the next level,” he said.

    He added that his administration is poised to offer quality services to improve the well-being and quality of living through the provision of social basic amenities.

    Garba said that the administration has embarked on construction of meaningful projects, like the upgrade of Abaji main market, fencing of I’d praying ground, construction of Give road, electrification in various location, renovation of council secretariat amongst others.

  • Buhari urged to withhold assent to TETFund Amendment Bill

    Buhari urged to withhold assent to TETFund Amendment Bill

    The Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group (ISDMG) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to withhold assent to the amendment of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Act passed by the Seventh National Assembly.

    The group argued that Buhari’s assent amendment of the act was counter-productive and would drag the government into an unwanted industrial crisis.

    “We appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari not to assent to this bill for the simple reason that it is not only counter-productive but will drag this government into unwanted industrial crises.”

    Speaking at a news briefing in Abuja, ISDMG Executive Director, Dr. Chima Amadi, claimed that the group’s position was in view of fact that the bill will be a set back for higher education development in Nigeria.

    Amadi noted that assenting to the bill might impose a greater financial burden and exposure to the TETFund much worse than the ETF regime.

    He said: “The most bewildering aspect of the amendment is the explanatory memorandum. Once allowed to stand, it will take us back to the old Education Trust Fund (ETF) era which was restructured owing to the limitation brought on her activities as a result of interventions in too many institutions. This law will bring about the proliferation of institution, which will negate the change from ETF to TETFund.”

    He said that the fact that the bill was rejected in 2012 by stakeholders and unions was a pointer to its unacceptability by the unions and civil society organisations.

    Amadi said “The big question is, how come an amendment that was rejected and thrown out find its way into the National Assembly for it to even be passed? Does it mean that the aspiration of Nigerians as reflected in the public hearing does not matter? If it does matter, why waste taxpayer’s money in organizing a public hearing only to do what you thought was right?”

    The group also faulted the amendment of the bill to redefine tertiary education to include universities, polytechnics, collages of education and the Nigeria Law School.

    He went further: “Have we paused to reflect on the wider implication of allowing this amendment to stand especially in the face of several other institutes that regulate the license of professional? This may just be the opening of the floodgate since they are established by law.”

    His word: “the right of the National Assembly to make laws for the nation is not under contention here; it is their responsibility enshrined in our laws to make laws for the country, we are only looking at the implications of some of this laws and the processes we went through in the passage of the law before we got to where we are.”

    A member of the group, Mr. Olajuwon Babatunde, also urged the president to shun the bill. Babatunde said the amendment was aimed at weakening TETFund, which had revamped the tertiary institutions in the country.

    “I appeal to the president to shun the amendment of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Act which was passed by the 7th Assembly. TETFund is one of the most effective institutions we have in this country which has totally transformed tertiary education and taken it to another level. This bill is bent on reducing the impact that it has. We will no longer feel the benefits of this institution. We should focus on critical issues that will boost our educational system in Nigeria and not seek to weaken TETFund,’’ Babatunde said.

    The Tertiary Education Trust Fund Bill was among the 46 bills passed by the 7th Senate in a last minute flurry of activities recently.

    The bill sought to change the board’s structure to include a representative of the Nigerian Law School; Redefine tertiary education to include the Nigerian Law School; and define university to include the Nigerian Law School and any institution established by law which runs full time programme which leads to formal qualification prescribed by law.

  • Residents celebrate end of fuel scarcity

    Residents celebrate end of fuel scarcity

    A huge sigh of relief coursed through the capital city following the ease of fuel scarcity and the long queues at filling stations, some even suggesting it is the Buhari touch. AYORINDE HOPE reports

    For months on end, the people suffered and hoped. Fuel scarcity upset homes and the order and rhythm of life at the nation’s capital. Power supply dropped, worsened by the fact that there was no petrol to run generators. Businesses suffered, some folded up. Going to work was herculean. Prices of foodstuff went up. Those who were initially hopeful that the dark cloud would soon blow over had reason to despair as weeks turned to months with no hope in sight.

    The precious liquid is available and the long-winding queues have disappeared. Nigerians especially those in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) can now heave a huge sigh of relief. Residents can hardly contain their joy. Some reckoned that the scarcity was going to be the longest trying time for the country’s sovereignty.

    The fuel scarcity overran all sectors of the economy, crippling businesses, shutting down power and testing the courage and strength of Nigerians.

    The social media could not help but further set agenda on the issue, although one wouldn’t have expected less. Nigerians posted hilarious pictures and statuses while hoping that the change they had envisaged would finally arrive, and not just arriving but also sweeping the ills and vices left in Nigeria away so that democracy would start to pay its dividends.

    •Where are the queues?
    •Where are the queues?

    The transport sector was the hardest hit, of course. Vehicles were on long queues for days. This was not because of their love for queues nor the lack of money to purchase fuel. No. The lingering scarcity was a shadow that just would not disappear.

    A visit to the federal capital city a few weeks ago, would present a city whose streets, roads and other places crawled with fuel merchants who sold fuel at exorbitant prices, a 10-liter jerry can selling for N2,500. Motorists stopped by the roadside to patronise them.

    The lingering shadows have now vanished, and Nigerians have now found respite from their travails. You no longer find cars waiting in long queues at the petrol station. Bus fares have gone back to normal and the economy is back on track.

    This week, Abuja Review met with some residents of Abuja who described how they were adjusting to life in the absence of fuel scarcity, some believe it was the long awaited change and the president that was instrumental to its disappearance others believe it is still affecting them in one way or the other.

    Mr. Saheed Adelakun said that during the scarcity of fuel he experienced difficulty in transporting his merchandise from Suleja to Kubwa, but he is happy to say that things have gone back to normal.

    “I thank God that fuel is now available; I transport meat from Suleja to Kubwa here. Transportation cost during the period of fuel scarcity was so high. Normally it shouldn’t be more than N2,500 but it went as high as N5000 which also made us sell meat at a high price. Government should always consider the masses before allowing things to go out of normal,” he said.

    Mr. Zakaria Bahago had a different view to the whole matter. According to him the issue of fuel scarcity affected him both personally and business-wise. He said, “It affected me personally and in my business. I paid a high price for transportation to my place of work every day for weeks; you can imagine summing up the amount you paid every day for transportation and comparing it to your salary for the month, it was a hard time for us all”.

    He added that the availability of fuel has brought relief to him and his family.

    While reacting to whether the coming of the new president was responsible for eliminating fuel scarcity, Mr. Bahago said, “We the masses usually say that if the president wants it to work, it will, so we can say it was his [President Buhari’s] coming and we can thank God because we are seeing the change we envisaged; our businesses are moving fine and power supply is getting better”.

    Another resieent simply known as Mama Kuburat said that the scarcity so affected her business that she sold off her foodstuff on credit to customers because they were unable to pay her immediately.

    “Business is moving fine unlike before when the fuel was scarce. I sold on credit to customers because I could understand the situation even though the prices of foodstuff increased but I thank God I was able to manage to feed my family and the prices of foodstuff have returned to normal,” she said.

    The end of the fuel scarcity of course, has however shown the commitment of the government in meeting the needs of the masses. It has also shown that the government should put in place proactive means of maintaining the availability of fuel.

  • Scholarships for 135 students on Widows Day

    As part of activities  marking the 2015 International Widows Day,  the Rock of Ages Empowerment Foundation (RAEF)  has given scholarship to 85 primary school pupils and 50 secondary schools students in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The gesture, according to the Founder and Executive Director of the RAEF, Ignatius Newman Ezeigbo, is aimed at providing succour to the mothers of the 135 students who are widows.

    Speaking at an event marking the 2015 International Widows Day in Abuja, Ezeigbo  said his foundation have also trained 95 widows for bakery, 105 for soap making while a sum of N4, 800,000 have  also been set aside to equip the women with all the materials needed for the initial take off in their businesses.

    “The Foundation have so far spent N70 million on about 3000 widows since 2012, about ten elderly ones here will get grinding machine value at about N40,000 while 1200 bags of rice and also wrappers will also be shared to the widows today”

    Speaking on the future plans of the foundation that have been assisting widows in the last five years, Ezeigbo said it has concluded arrangements to embark on a programme tagged, “Vegetable for life” where lands have been procured in various locations in its branches to be leased to beneficiaries and crops supplied to them for planting.

    “Additionally, boreholes are to be provided in various locations to make for an all year round farming since somevegetables are grown all seasons”he said

    Ezeigbo called on Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the International Widows Day to start helping widows around them no matter how little, saying they need assistance.

    The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Ezekiel Oyemomi in his goodwill message at the session said the Federal Government has launched a widows empowerment scheme in collaboration with the MTN Foundation with a strong commitment to address the plight of widows in Nigeria and to ensure their integration into the National transformation processes.

    “In addition, the Ministry in continuation of its drive to promote the economic empowerment of women is proposing to train about 100 widows in basic skills and also give them start off grants and tools

    “I wish to call on all stakeholders to support these empowerment schemes as a sure way to ensure that widows vulnerability issues and concerns are positively addressed and be encuraged to participate in economic and other activities geared towards improving their status and ensurinh full integration into National Development”he said

    Some widows, who spoke at the event, like Sisister Faith Owoicho from Benue State and Rosemary Joseph from Cross River State, said they encountered hardship after the death of their husbands but with the help of the foundation, they now adequately feed their children, pay their school fees and started a trade of their own.

    They urged people to extend helping hands to widows.

    Other activities that formed part of the celebration includes free medical screening as well as distribution of drugs to the sick persons.

     

  • Rotary donates borehole, toilets

    Rotary donates borehole, toilets

    The Rotary Club of Abuja District 9125 has donated a borehole and seven units of ultra-modern water system toilets to the LEA Primary School, TundunMaje.

    The club made the donation during a visit to the institution as part of its 2014/2015 rotary year achievement at the school premises in Abuja.

    Rotary club is an international organisation of different professionals such as engineers, medical doctors, pharmacist among other groups whose passion is to render humanitarian services.

    Rotary District Governor, Tolu Omatsola said, during the donation that the effort was in alignment with the year Water and Sanitation, Disease Prevention and Treatment Resolution for the year.

    Omatsola disclosed that with the facilities, staff of the school, teachers and pupils can live healthier life with the advantage of keeping their hands clean.

    “Students and teachers now have the privilege of easing themselves in the comfort of their school premises. We have donated drugs to hospitals and supported widows.

    “We provided full health insurance for 1, 600 urban poor and indigent persons in Lugbe community, FCT including pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under the age of 5, elders and orphan,” he said.

    The Rotarian added that the projects were solely funded by members of the club in Abuja without government intervention.

    He urged management of the school to take ownership of the two projects and ensure they are adequately put to use.

    President, Rotary District, Abuja, Bar. Ezenwa Anummu commended donors for their supports.

    He urged teachers to intensify their efforts to educating the pupils.

    Earlier, LEA Head Teacher, Mrs. Ugwuanyi Christiana said the club, on 28th May, 2014 had donated 100 pupils’ furniture including a renovated block of two classrooms.

    She commended the Rotary club for supporting the school with additional water and modern toilet facilities.

    “We are here today to praise and glorify rotary club of Abuja for its achievement in the 2013/2014 rotary year, but for its current feat and achievements in the 2014/2015 rotary year. Apart from the sinking of a standard borehole to provide portable drinking for pupils and staff of

    the primary school, it had also constructed a set of seven units of modern water system toilet which is being commissioned today,” she said.

    According to her, Rotary Club which assists any government in power is rare in the country.

    She urged other humanitarian organisations to imbibe the generous gesture.