The Nation Newspaper

Category: Northern Report

  • Chair-elect’s wife to help orphans

    Wife of the chairman-elect of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC ), Aisha Nse Adamu Candido has promised to offer scholarship to orphans in the council.

    She also pledged to work with the council in ending unemployment.

    This, she said, will be done  through the building of women development skills acquisition centres in the 12 wards of the council.

    Mrs Candido said this while celebrating her birthday at the Refuge Home Ophanage home Durumi, adding that her decision to celebrate with orphans was in line with her agreement to God.

    She insisted that no event is worth celebrating except the poor and less privileged are part of it.

    Mrs Candido also said the gesture will be continuous.

    She reinstated that every electioneering promise made by her husband  during his campaign will be fulfilled once he takes office.

    She equally said that in the first year of her husband’s tenure, great efforts will be made to drastically reduce mortality rate in the council, adding that there will be full collaboration with professional health workers to find out areas where clinics are urgently needed in AMAC communities.

    She said, “Women will be trained in each community of the council on skill acquisition programme that will start immediately my husband is sworn in as the council chairman and for those who are  women traders, the council will create opportunities for them to access zero-interest loans.

  • Foundation, Unilever help students with disability

    Foundation, Unilever help students with disability

    In Ilorin, Kwara State-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Survivors Foundation has partnered Unilever Nigeria Plc to   bring succour to students with special needs as well as internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country.

    Unilever has donated relief materials worth about N45 million to the foundation for onward delivery to students and orphanage homes.

    The materials distributed recently to sthe needy include bathing soap, detergent, body lotion and body spray.

    The beneficiaries are Kwara State School for Special needs, Ilorin; Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Health Centre, Ile-Ife; Kwara State Children Reception Centre, Ilorin; internally displayed persons’ (IDPs) camp, Bauchi State, among others.

    The Survivors Foundation is pursuing its vision of reducing the pressure on the Nigeria’s economy and its health system as one of the key strategies for developing the country’s economy. This the foundation is achieving through health relief materials mobilisation and distribution to schools, orphanage homes, internally displayed persons’ (IDPs) camps, among other places.

    Founder of foundation, Biola Mohammed said that the NGO does more than just mobilising and distributing relief materials to schools and others places, it also spares nothing in educating the public on sickle cell anaemia health through awareness creation among unmarried people and ending stigmatisation among those vulnerable to the ailment.

    Founded in August 2015,  Mohammed said that “a strong health system is the first ingredient for any nation’s building which informed its establishment. The programmes of the Survivors Foundation had since its establishment planned to achieve its objectives through awareness creation and materials mobilisation. Ultimately, it seeks to improve on Nigerian economy through a strengthened health system.”

    The founder added during the distribution at the Kwara State School for Special Needs, Yakuba, Ilorin, that “part of the foundation’s vision was to have a society free of sickle cell anaemia patients which, he added, is achievable through awareness creation and partnerships with corporate organisations with like minds.”

    He also disclosed that the foundation would achieve its set goals through pampering the victims with care and supports towards helping them overcome the challenges and stigmatisation.

    Mohammed urged support for sickle cell patients, adding that the society’s attitude towards them has been very discouraging.

    He said the sickle cell anaemia patients traditionally suffer a great stigmatisation from the society which normally discourages them from receiving treatment that could aid their survival. He encouraged parents who have sickle cell children to bring them forward for treatment, counselling and help, saying that the nature of their sickness is just like any other health challenge.

    He charged the public to support them towards ending stigmatisation against them.

    “Because of the nature of the sickness, the behaviour of the society, and the stigmatisation, we don’t get to see them for their regular treatment. We have a quite number of them who are suffering from the sickness in the society but they cannot come out openly because of stigmatisation. There is nothing to be ashamed of about sickle cell anaemia. It is just like any other health challenge. Those who are suffering from sickle cell should come out for treatment and counselling. It is not a death sentence. They can still live a normal life. Sitting at home cannot help them; it would only deprive them of so many things which could affect them and even their future. They should come out, meet with people and socialize.”

    He said that the foundation’ support would get to the targeted individuals through collaborations with other foundations, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), local governments and non-governmental organisations across the country.

    He added that with the materials donated by the Unilever Nigeria PLC., the realisation of its goals is beginning to be assured.

    While receiving the donation, the Principal of the Kwara State School for Special Needs, Ilorin, Mrs. Folake.O Aroyehun, thanked the foundation for selecting the school among the benefiting schools in the state.

     

  • Hope for in communities

    The Netherlands has a unique plan of providing water for Abuja rural communities: selling pictures of the deprived settlements and sinking boreholes with the proceeds. GRACE OBIKE reports

    The challenges of communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are well documented. Their roads are nearly impassable. Electricity supply is unreliable. Schools are poorly equipped where they exist. Water supply is woeful.

    What is less reported is what is being done to solve the problems.

    That is where the Netherlands comes in. The country wants to help by providing safe drinking water for the communities, but it aims to achieve the plan in quite a style.

    Its media partner, Media Information Narrative Development (MIND),  went to several such villages, took so many pictures and plans to sell them to people who sympathise with the deprived communities and want to help.

    Residents of such villages as  Kubwa, Karu, Nyanya, Karamajiji, Kuchigoro and a lot of other places buy water from vendors at a huge cost.

    In some communities, residents trek for miles in search of water everyday, something the ambassador of Netherlands John Groffen believes affects their productivity, prevents them from working and being productive enough to make money.

    He explained that unlike most countries, the Netherlands understand the merits and demerits of water since theirs is a country that has experienced several floods of which they have been forced to understand how to manage the excess water to their advantage.

    “It is about raising awareness about the position of poor women living in Nigeria, so we thought of combining the International Women’s Day and Waters Day and come up with a common team and so we came up with water, women and works. So what we try to do with this event which is part of a series of events is to show how fetching water on a daily basis, affects the productivity of women, prevents them from working, from being productive and making money, this exhibition is second in the part of the series of events where we try to raise awareness about the issue.

    “We choose the combination of work, water and women because the Netherlands is a country that is known for water management, we have learnt since centuries to fight against water, we know the importance of water, our country has been flooded many times and we have found ways of protecting our country from flood, we know the danger of water but we also know that water can bring a lot of good.

    “We looked at the similarities, the importance of water in the Netherlands and the importance of water in Nigeria. We decided on the FCT because we have the idea that there are areas in Nigeria that are affected more by the lack of water and if you just travel five minutes, ten minutes out of Abuja, you will be confronted with the reality. So the more people that buy the pictures, the more money we raise, the more that can be done for the specific purpose.

    “MIND is our media partner, we do a lot of programmes with them, the position of women and children, vulnerable elements in the society is something that we focus on and we have been working with them on a couple of projects, also daughters of the Niger delta which is a movie about the situation of women in the area, we do a lot of these projects and this is one of them,” Groffen said.

    The kingdom of Netherlands recently collaborated with MIND to provide potable water to as many communities in the FCT as possible. They visited several of such communities and chronicled their everyday struggle to fetch water, sometimes miles away from their homes. They took pictures of such everyday struggles, enlarged the pictures which where framed and displayed in a gallery, the proceeds from the sale of the pictures will be used to sink boreholes in communities like Kuchigoro, Karamajiji and a lot more.

    Programme Director, MINDS, Ilse Lamoen-Isoun explained that the advantage of these women carrying gallons of water everyday does not only affect their productivity but health because it can lead to severe body aches.

    She said, “The exhibition portrays the water problems that many women here in the FCT face, by water problem we mean inadequate access to clean water, we are trying to show how that impacts women, it’s no news that there is access to water, I think most people already know it but somehow not much is done about it so, we say maybe if we bring out some of the human stories and we really make people feel what it’s like to have to carry all that water for hours through communities or to pay for water with your hard earned money which some of this people don’t have much of anyway but now they have to pay for each and every drop of clean water they want to use, we want to make people feel what it means.”

     

  • Kano iron dealers, council split over market master plan

    Business activities have been very low lately in Kofar Ruwa Iron and Rod Market, Kano State following the conflict between members of the iron dealers association (KRIRDA) and the authorities of Dala Local Government Council where the market is located.

    The Nation gathered that trouble started when the Dala Council chairman built more lock-up shops inside the market, a decision which did not augur well with traders in the over 45-year-old market which has been serving not only customers from the North but also businessmen and rod dealers from neighbouring countries like Niger, Chad, Sudan and Cameroon.

    KRIRDA  has called on Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to intervene in the dispute with Dala Local Government Area over plan to build additional shops in the already jam-packed rod market. Speaking to reporters on the issue, KRIRDA president, Chief Anayochukwu Ike described as improper, the unilateral decision of the Chairman, Dala Local Government Area to build lock-up shops in front of their shops.

    According to him, embarking on such a project will not only disorganise the entire market, but will also hinder access to trailers bringing in their goods to the market, stressing that the frontage of their shops remains the only space they display iron and rods.

    Chief Ike, who said members of his association pay all taxes and levies to the state and local government as at when due, lamented that erecting another structure within the market means getting them out of business.

    “If there are plans to relocate us, they should come out clear and explain to us. There is no way we can remain in this market with those structures there, unless they have decided to get us out of business; may be, because they don’t like our face. We have been in this market for a very long time. We have maintained cordial relationship with the authorities of Dala Local Government.

    “We have been generating revenue for the development of the Local Government and Kano state government. We now wonder why they want to stampede us out of business,” Chief stated.

    According to him, after exhausting all possible means of negotiation, “while they remained adamant, we went to Court and got an injunction restraining the Council authorities and their representatives from erecting any structure within the market, but immediately the injunction expired, they started digging holes in front of our shops.

    On Friday, 8 April, they came with Yandabas (area boys), armed with arrows and knives as they were digging foundation in front of our shops. That action generated unprecedented tension within the market and the entire state as many of us hurriedly locked our shops and ran for our dear life.”

    Chief Ike lamented that despite several appeals by the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG)  in charge of Zone One, Dala Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Suleiman Dan Isli  remained adamant and went ahead erecting illegal lockup shops in the market, blocking shops and offices.

    He, however, appealed to Governor Ganduje and other stakeholders, as well as opinion leaders in Kano state to intervene and stop the erection of more structures in Kofar Ruwa rod market, “because if they go ahead to build that shop, they have crippled our markets. “Besides, we all know the dangers inherent in jam-packed markets.

    We don’t sell Cray fish, what we sell are iron and rods, which are naturally packed in open space, now if you block that space, simply because you want to generate revenue, how and where do we then pack our goods; we are very much disturbed and therefore we are calling on Governor Ganduje to use his good office to save our business,” he appealed.

    Also speaking on the matter,  Chief Alphonsus Ubaneche, member, Board of Trustees (BoT), Kofar Ruwa Iron and Rod Dealers Association, (KRIRDA), whose office is located on the affected Alphamic line speaks on the need for Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and other stakeholders to stop the chairman of Dala Local Council from altering the original master plan of Kofar Ruwa iron and rod market.

    His words: “I am deeply disturbed and surprised over what is happening. I keep on wondering why Dala Local Government chairman is taking this action. I have been in this Kofar Ruwa market since 1987, that is over 29 years; and I am aware that this market has existed for the past 35 years.

     

  • Poll orderliness excites minister

    The Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Minister, Malam Muahammad Bello has praised residents of the FCT for the peaceful manner they conducted themselves during the FCT Area Councils’ election.

    It was just as well that such warm words were coming from  the authorities, for observers believe they will go a long way in encouraging civility and good conduct in a country which often has violent polls.

    Casting ballots in the country has been anything but peaceful in several elections. Guns and other weapons have been deployed by people believed to be hired by desperate politicians.

    The minister monitored the election at the Gwarinpa I District (Life-Camp), Kubwa satellite town and Jiwa Polling Stations.

    He lauded the residents for the mature way they queued up to observe their civic responsibility.

    According to a statement issued by Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Sule, the minister urged them to keep the peace as they await the outcome of the exercise.

    The minister said that FCT residents have shown that they are responsible torch-bearers.

    The minister was not happy with the residents; he was excited by the way the security agents ensure peace during the exercise.

    Bello described their action as proactive and professional.

    It was noted that the security agents did not get in the way of the voters nor obstruct the candidates, neither were there any reports of their interference with INEC staff.

  • Budget palaver

    With about a year into the life of the administration of President Muham-madu Buhari, the expected turnaround in the country’s poor profile has been hinged on the implementation of the 2016 Budget.

    The executive believes that its 2016 budgetary proposal to the National Assembly will start to turn around the fortunes of the Nigeria economy when implemented.

    Based on its conviction, it also declared that its main achievements should be measured from the first budget it will implement, which is the 2016 Budget.

    But the fate of the 2016 Budget is now hanging in the balance as massive grey areas between the executive proposal and the figure passed by the National Assembly is working against its assent.

    Beside the removal of N17 billion by the National Assembly from the N6.08 trillion proposal presented by President Buhari on 22nd of December, 2015, the Presidency is grossed that the legislature introduced other projects which were against its core infrastructural development targets.

    Some of the problems the executive uncovered in the budget passed by the legislature included National Assembly’s removal of N60 billion counterpart fund for Coastal Railway project, the Calabar – Lagos rail line project, and reduction of allocation for Idu-Kaduna rail project by N8.7 billion.

    While it reduced allocations for the completion of major road projects in the country, National Assembly was also said to have introduced new road projects whose studies have not been conducted.

    It was also said to have dropped proposals for the purchase of essential drugs for major health campaigns like Polio and AIDS, cancelled and reduced, in some cases, some allocations for diversification projects under Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources.

    Funds for rural health facilities and boreholes were also said to have been diverted by the National Assembly to other projects.

    There is no doubt that the National Assembly is not barred by the constitution from looking at the budgetary proposal from the executive and amending it the way it deems fit.

    Even when there is no need for amendment in a particular budget proposal, the National Assembly may not want to pass the exact figures from the executive in order not to be seen as the rubber stamp of the executive.

    But for executive and legislative harmony and for the interest of the nation, the grey areas in any proposal and any appropriation bill passed by the NASS ought to be minimal.

    The executive now believes that what has been passed by the National Assembly as the 2016 budget has mutilated the executive budget proposal beyond recognition and now impossible to implement.

    With the possible adverse effects delay in implementing the budget will have on Nigerians, it will not be out of place here to dwell a bit on the possible factors that could have led to the wide difference in the President’s budget proposal and what was passed by the National Assembly.

    The reasons for the wide difference might be found in the following posers.

    Has the wide difference got anything to do with the earlier allegation of budget ‘padding’ believed to have been carried out by some civil servants  between the period of the President’s presentation of the budget proposal and when National Assembly resumed from its Christmas and New Year’s break to begin work on the budget?

    Knowing that the National Assembly had raised alarm that a different version of the budget proposal was what it saw before starting work on it, is it possible that it actually worked with a wrong version which introduced the new projects in contention and removed key projects listed in the President’s proposal presented to the National Assembly?

    President Buhari, while addressing the Nigerian Community in Saudi Arabia on the 23rd of February 2016 had vowed to deal with civil servants involved in the budget padding.

    Buhari had said: “The culprits will not go unpunished. I have been a military governor, petroleum minister, military Head of State and headed the Petroleum Trust Fund. Never had I heard the words budget padding. Our Minister of Budget and National Planning did a great job with his team.

    “The Minister became almost half his size during the time, working night and day to get the budget ready, only for some people to pad it.

    “What he gave us was not what was finally being debated. It is very embarrassing and disappointing. We will not allow those who did it to go unpunished.” He stated

    But it is not clear whether those involved in the budget padding then have been identified and silently dealth with by the Presidency or they are still doing what they know how best to do in the system.

    Another possible factor that would have gone a long way to reduce the grey areas in the budget is the issue of lobbying in the preparation of the budget.

    Was the National Assembly properly lobbied and carried along in the preparation of the 2016 budget.

    If that was properly done, it would have made the legislature see things more from the view point of the executive and reduce or totally eliminate grey areas in the two versions.

    The earlier the problems with the 2016 budget are urgently tackled, the better for the country.

    Many Nigerians are already improvised and continued delay in executing projects that will touch their lives and turn around the economy definitely will not be in the interest of the nation.

     

    Shifting the goal post

     

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has shifted its position thrice within a month on when fuel queues will disappear in the country.

    Firstly, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu briefed State House correspondents on Wednesday 23rd of March, 2016, telling them that he could not perform magic to end the fuel scarcity in the country and that the earliest time for queues to disappear would be early May.

    On the same day, Kachikwu ate his words when the heat became unbearable on him. He immediately blamed State House correspondents for misrepresentation.

    Barely a week after, precisely Tuesday 29th of March, Kachikwu, again told the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) that the fuel queues will ease off on or before the 7th of April.

    That day has come and gone, but Kachikwu was still not able to keep his words as fuel scarcity as at last Friday still persisted across the country.

    As if tired of facing the Nigerian public over the issue, Kachikwu on Wednesday 13th of April, directed NNPC management team led by its Chief Executive Officer (Upstream), Bello Rabiu, to brief State House correspondents on the fuel scarcity.

    And his message to Nigerians was that the few scarcity will end in the next few days.

    It is hoped that the ‘few days’ will not extend to May 2016 otherwise it will mean that what Kachikwu first told State House correspondents, which he later denied, was the reality and everything said after it was to deceive Nigerians who continued to suffer and sleep at petrol stations.

    The three different messages within a month appeared like shifting the goal posts in a football match.

    This, definitely, is not good for the image of the Corporation as it gives the public the impression that those in charge could not even properly assess the situation on ground let alone providing a solution.

     

  • Rural school gets library

    Rural school gets library

    As big as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) might look with all the infrastructures scattered everywhere, one of the greatest challenges facing residents is the nonexistence of a standard library.

    Also one of the furthermost problems educationalists and stakeholders face is the decline in the reading culture of the younger generation whom now prefer learning about life over television and phone screens but in some cases, this younger generations are left with no options without libraries available.

    Most schools in the country, especially some government primary schools in numerous communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) do not have the semblance of a library structure talk more of a well equipped library.

    The only books that most of these children whom sometimes are unfortunately poor is just the few exercise and textbooks in their possession, some of them can never imagine what a library looks like or imagine themselves using it and sometimes they can bearly read but finally succour will be coming the way of some of these communities in the FCT as Light Consult Ltd, a Human Resource (HR) Consulting and capacity building firm in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Arts centre have taken it upon themselves to make a change in these communities.

    Financial and HR Manager, Lyght Investment Group, Adenike Aloba explained that the group has adopted the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School, Durumi, behind Pape, a school whose classrooms have no doors and windows which they planned to convert to a library for the children.

    The group is now working on painting the structure, putting up doors and windows and furnishing the structure with library furnitures, before setting up enough books and a few computers for the village children.

    The effort which will be the first of its kind in this community will greatly improve the reading culture of the children and equally educate them on the use of computers. Lyght consult explained that What started the initiative is that for them is that they noticed the slack in the reading and learning culture in the country, realising that one can hardly force adults to read either because they are too busy to read or trying to make money, they realized that the best way to improve the reading culture is to take it to children and to the grassroots.

     

     

  • Power relief in Plateau, Bauchi, Benue, Gombe

    Power relief in Plateau, Bauchi, Benue, Gombe

    Years of epileptic electricity may be nearing an end as four northern states get pre-paid meters and transformers, reports YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU

    Like everywhere else in the country, constant electricity supply has been hard to achieve for decades in Plateau, Benue, Bauchi and Gombe states, leaving residents with sighs and gasps. Now, that seems about to end. In Jos, the Plateau State capital and headquarters of the zone, no fewer than 130,000 pre-paid meters and 400 transformers were displayed for immediate distribution to the states. There were other electrical appliances there to boost power in the zone.

    It was the launch of electricity  facilities supplied by the Jos Electricity Development Company (JED), an independent power firm. It was an event which raised hopes of improved power supply across the states.

    The meters came in single and three phases.

    The Minister for Housing, Works and Power, Babatunde Fashola was represented at the event by a senior staff of the ministry, Mr. Bako Muhammed.

    It was an opportunity for the minister to prove to Nigerians that the privatisation of the power sector was the best option for the country and that the investors who took over the sector in all the zones are determined to do business by making sure electricity gets to every home in every village across the country.

    The minister appealed to Nigerians to exercise a little patience over the recent shortfall in power supply as the current administration intensify efforts to proffer genuine and permanent solution to the challenges.

    The minister said, “Government appreciates the challenges Nigerians are facing as a result of the shortfall in electricity supply in the country, government also shares the pains associated with insufficient electricity in the country. However, government is appealing to all Nigerians to remain patient and give government a little time because government is coming up with genuine and permanent solutions to the energy crisis.

    “The ongoing reforms in the energy sector is a genuine one that will bring about constant electricity supply to every homes in this country, but a little more patience from all Nigerians is all government needed to concentrate on plans to bring about the lasting solution.”

    The minister called on all the investors in the power sector to be committed and transparent in implementing their own part of agreements for the benefit of electricity consumers in the country. The call has become necessary because Nigerians expect nothing less than quality service from the electricity distributing companies all over the country.

    In a welcome address, Managing Director and Cheif Executive of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED) Muhammed Gidado Modibo said, “the company is injecting N50 billion into the power sector to ensure consumers in the Jos zone enjoy excellent services of the company.

    Gidado said, “The official flagging off of the distribution of 130,000 pre-paid meter and 400 transformers to consumers is a demonstration of our commitment to provide efficient electricity distribution service to people of the zone. This is also a guarantee to our consumers in the zone that in the next few months power supply will change for the better, there will be improvement in electricity supply to every homes within the zone” said Gidado

    He said, “We took over electricity distribution in the zone with a commitment to revamp the company and improve the quality of service within its franchise area of Plateau, Bauchi, Benue and Gombe states.

    “We planned to install 180,000 meters by the end of 2016, already we have taken delivery of 13,000 of those meters and we have commence distributions and installations for our co stompers.

    “JED will also make it easy for our customers to pay their bills by implementing the online vending systems for all pre-paid meter to ease the hassle of going to our cash office to pay their bills.

    In a remark, Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong expressed appreciation to the company and called on private investors to take advantage of the improve power supply in the zone to invest in the state. He said, “It is power supply that drive economic fortunes of any society and now that JED has taken giant step to guarantee steady power supply, I’m expecting investors to start trooping to Plateau state for investment.

    Lalong who urge communities to take responsibility of protecting electricity facilities in their environment against vandalism by criminals applauded the federal government for providing the regulatory framework to stabilize business of the energy sector.

    Former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Yayali Ahmed who chairs the company’s board of directors was also at the event to ensure it works according to plan.

  • Hospital seeks relocation from rail line

    Hospital seeks relocation from rail line

    The operators of Daughters of Charity Hospital, Byazhin have urged the federal government to relocate their facility to a new site because of the ongoing rail line construction which has disrupted the hospital’s activities.

    Coordinator of the Catholic Church hospital Sister Mary Okoro appealed to the government to keep its promises by giving them the Right of Occupancy (R of O) and Titled Deed Plan (TDP) of the new land.

    Okoro appealed to the federal government to give them the compensation that is due to them. She also asked that “all the social responsibilities the minister asked the Chinese construction company to [fulfil] for the hospital should also be done.

    “That will give us the opportunity to start developing the new site and also relocate so that they (construction company) will continue their work,” she said.

    According to Okoro, “The minister of transport Mr Rotimi Amaechi made it open that the government is going to pay the Hospital N362 million as against N970 million to be used to construct the new hospital.

    “He also made promises that he will get the TDP of the new land within one week but up till now, we have not gotten it. Also, the 200KVA generator which the construction company promised to give to us as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility is yet to arrive the hospital premises, rather an old generator is outside the hospital premises” she said

    The hospital coordinator lamented that there was no written agreement  between the hospital and the federal government, “We had earlier sent messages to the Federal Ministry of Transport and the Chinese company to stop all work until we have come to an agreement but it’s like they have continued their work” while urging that things be written down so as to know who to hold responsible for any damages.

    Okoro said that as a hospital offering social service “the government is supposed to relocate us to a safe place before demolition so that they can continue their work but they have not done this and they are pushing in to demolish where people are, there are lives here. You don’t do this type of demolition where sick people are.”

    Okoro complained that the Chinese while excavating the ground near the hospital “overtook the parking lot where the patients park, so they have no where to park. The access road being narrowed was almost inaccessible to the hospital  and there is so much confusion and stress” adding that no proper barricade was used to indicate the ditch.

    This, she said has put lives at risk because patients coming to the hospital at night can drive into the ditch.

    On the challenges, she said “all of us here are working under terrible conditions. The space is very limited and uncomfortable. We had about 78 beds but now we have only 30. If you go to the ward you will see that we are putting children on admission, two or three on one bed, sometimes when there are many people, we have no bed to put them. They are lying on the floor, some will not like to go elsewhere. Where patients are seating and waiting are not comfortable.

    “It is affecting the convenience of both workers and patients, it has led to great reduction in the amount of money the hospital makes, from 78 beds to 30 beds, so we cannot treat enough patients. There is insecurity in the place now because we don’t know who is coming in because everywhere now seems to be porous.

    “The sisters that own the hospital are staying inside containers since 2years because the government pomised us to leave the hospital within two months, they will relocate us and we thought they were honest to their promise, we left the hospital thinking they would do what they promised, up till now we are there, we left our house to be managing the patients because we have no other place to go.”

    She also disclosed that the Catholic hospital had secured a court injunction restraining the federal government and the construction company from demolishing the hospital but the minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi appealed to them and promised to give N362 million for the construction of the new hospital.

    A medical Doctor at the HIV unit of the hospital, Patrick Ezie said “as far as our patients are concerned, this hospital in Kubwa offers top services,” noting that the HIV unit of the hospital was last year rated the best in the country.

    “You can imagine how much of a loss it would be for the FCT to loose such a facility and for us to be begging to be relocated is even very sad because where things are done properly,  that should be the first thing on the mind of the government to ensure that patients continue their care  in a facility that is providing services that government should be providing in the firstplace,” he said.

  • Joy for the needy in Plateau

    Joy for the needy in Plateau

    It was a day of joy for needy children, some of whom lost their parents during conflicts, a familiar phenomenon in Plateau State. They got toys to play with. They also got food, thanks to a non-governmental organisation (NGO) Julz Changing Fazes.

    They were not the only beneficiaries. Widows also relished the JCF moment, taking home foodstuff, clothing, jewelry and shoes, among other things.

    But perhaps the best thing they got was much-needed love.

    It was all happening in Shendam, Shendam Local Government Area of the state. The NGO assembled hundreds of the needy at the Roman Catholic Missionary (RCM) Primary School, Shendam where it distributed the items.

    The NGO started five years ago in Shendam with training of young girls in cosmetics and fashion design, among other trades.

    This time JCF reached out to orphans and widows as part of events marking its fifth anniversary.

    Director of the NGO, Juliana Aliyu said,  “Julz Changing Fazes (JCF) is all about helping the less privileged especially widows by showing them love and care which they have been lacking after losing their breadwinners. The NGO is also into encouraging and supporting girl-child education in rural areas.

    Aliyu said, “The NGO has been sustained with personal income and financial and moral support from family and friends. My focus is to concentrate on poor people who hardly get government attention; we try to give them a sense of belonging, hope and care.”

    She distributed toys and packaged food to children at the event which attracted hundreds of children and widows. Women with physical disability were also presented with wheelchairs.

    A former deputy governor of the state, Dame Pauline Tallen attended the event, as did Chairman, Management Committee of Shendam Local Government Area Hon Miskoom Alex Naantuam and his wife Mrs Regina Alex Naantuam. Hon. Johnbull Shekarau, member representing Shendam/Mikang/Quaanpan at the National Assembly was also there, as were several state functionaries.

    Mrs. Naantuam promised to partner with the NGO to be able to reach out to vulnerable widows and orphans in the locality.