The chairman of Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Hon. Shaban Tete has appealed to residents to support the council during the economic meltdown.
Tete said that the economic issues in the country are not only causing hardship in other states but also in the FCT.
He further gave the assurance of more and better developments on ground in the area council when allocations to the council’s improve because, according to him, no form of developmental intentions can be met without funds.
The council boss made this known through his special assistant Media and Publicity, Hon. Yusuf Dabo who divulged the issue to newsmen in Abuja.
“But, we are doing our best to affect the lives of our people positively. But, people will not understand what is going on in the council, particularly Kuje area council that is sharing border with Nassarawa state. For instance, we are presently grading a ten kilometre road from gigbe in Kwali area council to Kwaku up to Takwa.
“We sunk boreholes in Kwaku, Pasu, Gadoro and Sabo villages and also rehabilated some broken down boreholes in Lanto village and in Kayada in Kuje town. We are building a health centre in Chibiri village and also provided rural electrification in Kango village.
“Since our administration, we have purchased six 33kva transformers that have been installed in various locations of the central ward, like Unguwan Gade, behind central mosque, Unguwan Gade Kassa, Kayada Primary School, Low cost housing Mentobal.
“All this have been achieved within the meager amount of money that is coming to the council coffers. We will definitely do more in future, all we need is for residents to support and always pray for our administration,” he said.
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Zakari Angulu Dobi has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint an indigenous Abuja person as minister.
Hon. Dobi’s appeal was contained in a letter, part of which read, “Mr. President…for the purpose of all-inclusiveness in your administration, followership, equity, fairness and justice of the indigenous people of the FCT, Abuja who have a firm root in history, culture and tradition, I humbly hope and pray that you will…appoint an indigene of FCT, Abuja as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in your proposed cabinet.”
In the letter made available to The Nation, Dobi said the issue of having a minister who hailed from Abuja has been raging for a long time.
The letter read further: “Mr. President the mantra of our revered political party All Progressives Congress (APC) through which…you gained widespread and national acceptance is change. It is in this view that I am writing this piece with all passion to appeal to your humble self to consider appointing an indigene of the Federal capital territory, Abuja as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in your proposed cabinet.
The fiscal discipline machine is alive and revving. It is no longer news that President Muhammadu Buhari rejected the purchase of new cars for his personal use when he took office.
He had insisted on using the cars left behind by former President Goodluck Jonathan. By that singular act, he saved the country N400 million. Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also cut their salaries by 50% at the beginning of their tenure.
While Buhari is still pursuing looters of the commonwealth of Nigerians, stolen from the national treasury under former President Jonathan, he has also remained focused on blocking or cutting down drastically any area of leakage or wastage under his watch.
One of his ways of blocking financial leakages was the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) for all non-exempted Federal Government’s revenue generating agencies to pay in their revenues, rather than using multiple accounts, which are susceptible to fraud.
Complying with the TSA directive was a sort of bitter pills to swallow for some of the civil servants as they hesitated and tried to dodge the Presidential order.
The latest area where President Buhari has cut down wastages, which is in the public domain, is the expenses to be incurred by Nigeria towards her 55th independence celebration billed for Thursday, October 1.
As he cut down the budget for the celebration to N70 million, Buhari harped on the need to avoid frivolity and the importance of channelling such resources to good use for the benefit of the man on the street.
To him, having a low-key independence celebration and using the money that would have been spent on elaborate celebration for tangible infrastructure and development is the way to go.
This N70 million budget is in contrast to most costs expended on past independence anniversary celebration in the country.
The costs of such annual celebrations under the immediate past administration had been in billion naira range.
The celebration, then often go with a lot of fanfare and drains on the treasury despite the fact that the country was suffering from many infrastructural decays and poverty in the land.
But announcing the low-key 2015 independence celebration last Tuesday, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, through the Permanent Secretary (Political) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (OSGF), Ibukun Odusote said: “Let me emphasise that this year’s celebration is indeed low-key.
“This is because the present administration appreciates the economic hardship that Nigerians and indeed the nation is confronted with today.
“To address the situation, government has adopted a general policy to be very prudent in the management of our financial resources. This year’s celebration is therefore, in consonance with the cost saving policy direction of this administration.
“To ensure a successful commemoration, four sub-committees have been constituted to handle the preparations for each of the four event. The events are: Jumat prayers, international thanksgiving service, ceremonial change of guards and a children’s party.” He stated
The Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) has urged government to de-emphasise the indigene concept, saying such reversal will help reduce, if not eradicate, mediocrity in the society.
FOMWAN at the end of its 30th annual national conference in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, called on government to create an enabling environment for businesses run by women to thrive, and also to empower women, especially widows.
In a communiqué signed by its National Amirah (President) Hajia Amina Omoti and National Secretary Dr Umaimat Momoh, the group lamented the low involvement of women in decision making and other aspects of national development
FOMWAN urged women not to neglect their primary responsibilities of proper child upbringing and making an ideal Islamic home.
According to the FOMWAN, Muslim women should actively pursue learning and be involved in community development.
The communiqué reads: “FOMWAN recommends that parents and governments at all levels should respect the rights of youths and children by implementing the Child Rights Act which is in consonance with the principles of Islamic Human Rights except pegging the age of marriage.
“Government should ensure the rights of Muslim woman to dress in accordance with her religious tenets as provided for in section 38 of the Nigeria Constitution be protected. Likewise, the examination authorities in the country especially West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) to be mindful of religious obligations with regards to timing while setting examination time-tables.”
The group bemoaned the high rate of insecurity especially in the North-East and commiserated with all the victims of the insurgency and their families.
Corruption, FOMWAN said, is an impediment to national development.
Renowned for communal efforts, the people of Offa, Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State rebuilt the popular Owode Market in the ancient town after it was razed down by an early morning fire.
It cost them N500m to rebuild the 302-shop facility, it was learnt.
The inferno which was said to have started around 1:30am in May 2014 reportedly burnt down a larger part of the market.
The fire was said to have been caused by a power surge from an electric pole. Traders had earlier reportedly complained about the damaged pole to the electricity officials to rectify the problem.
The National Emergency Agency (NEMA) has also put smile in the faces of the over 648 victims of the incident.
Though, the community’s indebtedness on the ongoing project is in the neighbourhood of N32 million, the community disclosed that it had expended about N500 million on reconstruction work.
Secretary General of the Offa Descendants Union (ODU), Mrs. Wasilat A. Mcarthy who conducted NEMA team round the market recently said the state government had redeemed its pledge of N10 million.
Mrs. Mcarthy said: “We feel highly elated and appreciative of NEMA for coming to give relief materials to the fire victims. We know that the federal government in his wisdom has put in this agency to bring succour and joy to disaster victims.
We have about 648 people who were victims of the inferno and who will benefit from the NEMA largess. 302 shops were burnt. Some of them share shops, that is why we have 648 victims.
“We lost close to N2 billion as a committee was put in place. Some of the victims even left money in their shops.
“My advice is that we should take proactive action to forestall future occurrence of that. We should insure our goods.
“The reconstruction of the market so far is strictly on community efforts. All sons and daughters of Offa even those that are not resident in Offa have been contributing money. We always wake up to the cry of ourselves.
We have a listening government. Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed came immediately the fire occurred, he saw it and he was touched.”
Speaking, Zonal Coordinator NEMA, Minna Operation Office, Mr. Slaku L. Bijimi said that the agency is worried by incessant fire out break across the country.
NEMA boss added that “it is advising that we take preventive measures so that we curb disasters. We do not like to come to assist people because of disasters because we do not take pleasure in the loss of lives, property of the people. No amount of material or money you give can bring back life. We want people to be safe than to be devastated by disasters.”
Mr. Bijimi said: “A few months ago we came for an assessment here and we saw that a good part of the market was burnt and we promised to come back.
“We are impressed by the fact that work is almost completed and we are hoping that the small assistance we brought…will go a long way in speeding up the remaining work and the market will be commissioned.
“For the market we have cement, roofing sheets, nails, and for the affected victims, we have food and non-food items…What we came with is worth millions of naira.”
One of the cardinal targets of the President Buhari administration is to ensure the security of lives and properties of all Nigerians and other nationals residing in the country.
The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended also backed President Buhari in that direction.
That is why he is leaving no stone unturned in the efforts to defeat the terrorists, Boko Haram as soon as possible.
Boko Haram, which have claimed the lives of many Nigerians, injured others and destroyed billions of naira worth of properties in the country in the past 5 years, have in recent times been carrying out their evil attacks in neighbouring countries.
Besides relocating the headquarter of Nigeria’s Armed Forces battle against Boko Haram from Abuja to the heart of the war, Borno State, Buhari also gave the new service chiefs mandate to crush the sect before December, 2015.
He did not hesitate to seek the support of neighboring countries under the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin Republic to defeat terrorism in the sub-region.
The cooperation in the commission is mainly geared towards deployment of Multinational Joint Task Force against terror.
Apart from the immediate Nigerian neighbours, Buhari also took the campaign against terror to the world stage.
He visited Germany on the invitation of the G-7 leaders, where the world leaders opened a new chapter of diplomatic relationship with Nigeria as they promised technical and material support to quell Boko Haram and assist in rebuilding the Nigerian economy.
Buhari also visited the United States of America (USA) in July 2015 and did not fail to seek the support of the US against Boko Haram.
As a fallout of the visit, the United States pledged $5 million to the fight against Boko Haram, in addition to other material support.
Buhari’s newest campaign against Boko Haram at the world stage is at the ongoing 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in the United States of America.
Terrorism is among the top issues he tabled at the session.
This campaign is directly to the right forum as the United Nations (UN) has the primary responsibility of maintaining international peace and security.
Optimistic that the end of Boko Haram was really in sight, President Buhari in his Eid-el-Kabir message to Nigerians said: “Boko Haram’s reign of terror in parts of the country will be finally over very soon as the ongoing military onslaught against the terrorist sect will continue relentlessly until total victory is achieved.”
Residents of once squalid police barracks in Kogi State will have fond memories of the state’s redeployed Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeyemi Samuel Ogunjemilusi who initiated the rehabilitation of the blocks. JAMES AZANIA reports
You could see their relief in the smile on their faces and the gratitude in their voices. Families of police officers from the ‘A’ Division of the Kogi State command were happy with the state government for listening to the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeyemi Samuel Ogunjemilusu, who advised that something be done to alleviate the suffering of the force’s rank and file in the state.
The barracks upgrade was the last major thing the CP did before he was redeployed.
One major concern of his upon taking office in February was the woeful accommodation of his officers and men. Another was insecurity in the state. But in his assessment, the CP saw that his officers and men were struggling with low morale, part of which traceable to their squalor.
The CP approached the state governor, Capt. Idris Wada. Two months after the story had changed for the better, and the smile returned to the faces of the occupants of Block F, A Division.
The joy of Mrs. Sarah Jibrin, Acting Chairperson, Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) in the state, was palpable as she went around congratulating the occupants of the once derided Block F.
The renovation lasted two months, starting from June. Before the upgrade, barracks accommodation was horrible. For more than eight years, facilities, including windows, doors and lightings were absent in some of the quarters.
•Some occupants of Block F
The governor who supported the renovation effort had expressed indignation over the state of police residential quarters in Lokoja and pledged that that state government will renovate them, beginning from ‘A Division barracks.
One of the occupants of ‘Block F’, Mrs Aisha Abdullahi praised the CP under whose tenure the renovation took place, saying that the fortunes of those residing there have been turned around.
She said, “Before, we were the butt of laughter because of the squalor in ‘Block F. One night, the zinc blew off and it was as if I was living outside. The breeze passed through the roof and we were all despondent, but we are now rejoicing. All the things that our self-efforts could not achieve have been made possible.
“This barracks has been there before the creation of the state, governors and CPs have come and gone but none did it. To my greatest surprise, the best CP so far, the best governor so far, they can do this. I have never seen this kind of CP and this kind of governor.”
The CP said, “I assumed office as CP in the state on February 11, 2015, when criminality was at its height in the state. But for your (the governor’s) intervention I don’t know how the command could be run. What we are witnessing today is part of the measures that is too short we introduced to turn things around and I am happy to tell you that though five months is too short a time to measure success, but we have achieved a lot within the period.
“Through community efforts we were able to renovate the state police headquarters (N15 million). All the traffic wardens in the command were issued two uniforms each by the command, also through community efforts. I approached His Excellency for the repair of the barracks and without hesitation he did it. His Excellency released a total of N17 million and within one and a half months we achieved it, and now, for the first time, there is water running.
“The effort was achieved through the input of professionals in the police, including architectural and redesign work”.
The CP called for a minute silence for the 19 police officers who died in service, fighting criminality, within the period of his tenure in the state.
He touched on the issue of corruption, saying the malaise was gradually finding its way out of the force.
Governor Wada said the sight of the ‘Block F’ had long assailed him and hence he did not waste time when the need for him to be of use presented itself.
He said, “This building has confronted me every day over the years that I passed on the way to Government House. When the rain falls it is a big problem for them and so, when I was approached I did not hesitate in supporting the renovation and refurbishment of the barracks.
“Despite our lean resources we do our best. Our own part of the bargain has been completed, it is now left to the occupants to see to it that the place is well kept. When little things are damaged, they should attend to them so that little expense will not grow to big, in a situation where money is scarce”.
Hitting the insurgents from the air and outgunning them on the ground are just fine, but in Gombe State, the Directorate of State Services (DSS) is involving everyone, including council chiefs and residents, in strategies to keep the terrorists at bay. VINCENT OHONBAMU reports
This is not Boko Haram’s finest hour. A rejuvenated military offensive is posting good results against its fighters, hitting them so hard that many of them are laying down their arms in surrender. Still, the authorities in Gombe State are not sitting back and waiting for the latest success story from the federal troops. They are constantly initiating their own anti-Boko Haram strategies.
For instance, the state government is building better protected markets and parks to make it harder for violent criminals to strike as they did months back, killing scores. Now, the Department of State Services (DSS) is driving a fresh campaign with everyone playing a part. One point stressed at a workshop with caretaker council chairmen in Gombe, the state capital, was how to ensure that the bloodthirsty insurgents do not cash in on the state’s open vast land to enter its communities unnoticed.
The characteristic short trees, shrubs and parched sandy plains of the Sahel Savannah of the Northeast make it easy to stand at one point and see as far as the eyes could travel, save for the abundant rocky ranges that adorn the terrain. The sparse vegetation made possible by the thin rainfall of the vegetative belt makes it possible to crisscross the terrain with or without established roads or pathways. The rocky or undulating nature of the zone’s topography also makes for good hideouts because of the obstacles to smooth movement.
The DSS told the council chiefs to take the vigilance message to their areas and ensure that their people at the grassroots imbibe it. On noticing anything suspicious, they should quickly pass the information to the appropriate authorities. That way it would be easier to contain the schemes of the bad guys.
That was not all. Close circuit cameras are being installed to make kidnapping more difficult. Also, there are emergency numbers for residents to call. And when you speak in public, be careful in whose company you are and what you say. Do you feel like giving out cash to people? Good idea, but just be careful what information is passed on to characters who might use it against you or your loved ones.
Located in the expansive savannah belt, Gombe shares common boundaries with all five states in the northeast: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Taraba and Yobe, all interconnected through bush paths. The Udawa herdsmen who in the past created so much trouble and concerns for farmers, government and people of the state had no other routes but these bush paths.
Aware of this vulnerability, the new State Director of Security (SDS) in the state DSS command, Mr. Reuben Amao convened a two-day workshop to enlighten the newly constituted caretaker chairmen of the 11 local government areas of the state on security tips and how to deal with security situations that may occur in their domains.
The SDS said the workshop was informed by a thorough analysis of trends and manifestations of security threats which indicated that Boko Haram insurgents and other criminals usually enter the states through bush paths in rural areas.
“The idea of convening the workshop by this command was informed after a thorough and meticulous timeline analysis of the trends and manifestations of security threats, particularly those of insurgency being orchestrated by Boko Haram group, which indicated that the insurgents and other members of criminal gangs usually accessed the state through bush paths along villages at the rural areas.
“To effectively checkmate movements of these elements into the state, there is the need to alert and re-awaken the consciousness of the newly appointed Caretaker Committee Chairmen, who are the Chief Security Officers of their respective local government areas”, said Amao who was bringing to the fore his experience, having been the Director of the state command.
Objectives of the workshop according to him, included: “To equip the newly appointed Caretaker Committee Chairmen with requisite security tips to aid in the discharge of their responsibilities.
“To sensitise them on security threats prevailing in their areas and proffer practical solutions; to adopt security strategies collaboratively to achieve security goals and to critically examine security lapses at the LGAs with a view to nipping them proactively.”
The Chairmen were also given tips on personal security, security of home/office environments and security of documents as well as the need to properly use the security apparatus (operatives) at their disposal so that others do not hijack the apparatus and turn them against the council bosses.
The Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Mr. Charles Iliya who declared the workshop pen on behalf of his boss reminded the Chairmen that much was expected from them in every respect. He urged them to put the lessons into practice, adding that the workshop was the first of its kind in the state.
He told them to be careful, patient, tactful and logical in dealing with people in order to get the best of their cooperation, especially in the area of security tips.
Reverend Timothy Burak, the Caretaker of Shongom Local Government Area who responded on their part described the workshop as exhaustive and that they had definitely learnt a lot, while promised bring the lessons to bare in the discharge of their responsibilities at their respective localities.
Ifeanyi Chiazor hoped for the good life leaving Delta State for Abuja. On arrival, he was asked to mind a shop owned by his aunt, who would allegedly batter and slash him with a blade. VINCENT IKUOMOLA and FAITH YAHAYA report
Not all the boy’s dreams crashed. Nine-year-old Ifeanyi Chiazor dreamt to see the big city, its huge buildings and sleek cars cruising on paved roads. He achieved that because he was taken to the Federal Capital City (FCT) to live with an aunt who promises matched his ideas. So he did see the glitzy nation’s capital, though he headed straight to the suburbs of Dape, Gwagwa where his relative lived with her family.
It was the second arm of his dream, which was to continue his primary school and one day become a successful man that misfired terribly.
What Ifeanyi got was assault and battery.
At the time when the entire world was uniting against child abuse and violence, somewhere in the rusty settlement of Dape in Abuja Municipal Centre, her aunt was reportedly busy perpetrating crime against her defenseless nephew, inflicting cuts on him.
For an offence whose gravity could not be ascertained yet, Ifeanyi’s aunt beat him severely, using a razor blade to cut him in several parts of his body.
One account said the boy spilled palm oil. Ifeanyi’s version was that it was the aunt’s son who actually poured out the oil, while Ifeanyi got the beating for spanking the aunt’s two-year-old son who spilled the oil.
What he thought was a correctional measure for his aunt son resulted to injury that is sure to leave a scar that will probably last a lifetime.
Ifeanyi spoke to our cur correspondents at Our Lady Clinic and Maternity Home in Gwagwa where he was rushed to.
He said, “My name is Ifeanyi Chiazor, and I am nine years old. My aunt (name withheld) inflicted this wound on me because her son spilled oil and I spanked him and then packed the oil and then the son reported me to my aunt and that was how she started beating me.
Continuing, he said: “She used belt to beat me but in the process the belt cut, and she then used wooden kitchen stool to hit me and when that one broke, she carried lamp and after that, she took me to the room, she locked the door and started using razor blade to cut my body.”
Asked how neither her aunt’s husband nor the neighbours heard him shout and came to his rescue, the boy said: “If neighbours come, she will pick up a fight with them. Her husband was around but he could not help me. All he did while my aunt beat and cut me with the blade was to cry.
He continued: “After cutting me, she went to look for vehicle that will bring me to the hospital but the [driver] charged her N1500, but she said she could only afford N100. So, she looked for a tricycle (Keke NAPEP) to bring me here.”
Ifeanyi also disclosed to our reporters that contrary to the promise his aunt made to his parents before he came to Abuja, that he will be registered in school, all he has been doing ever since was to assist his aunt in selling in her shop instead of going to school.
The boy who could not communicate properly because of the pain he was going through, said: “I used to be in school in the village but my education stopped when I came to Abuja. I was in Primary 3 in Agbogidi Primary School in Ogboani, Delta State and my aunt promised my parents that she would enrol me in school immediately I got to Abuja but when I came to Abuja, I was not enrolled; rather, I was helping her sell provision in her shop.”
When asked if he would still want to stay with his aunt, Ifeanyi said, “I will like to go back to the village because the suffering here is too much. I came to Abuja from Ogboani in Delta State. My father is an okada rider and my mother makes and sells garri,” he said.
The owner of the clinic and nurse who attended to Ifeanyi, Mrs Virginia Ugwu described his situation as very bad.
•Some of the stitches
She said, “The situation of the boy when he was brought in was very bad. She cut him in several places like the abdomen, the buttocks down to his back thigh, lower abdomen, and because of the condition, we started treating him without even demanding for anything.
“When the police officers in Gwagwa came, they said I was supposed to report the incident before I begin treatment but I began the treatment because the boy was in a bad shape and he had lost so much blood.
“The stitches are over 30. The cut was so deep, the cut at the lower abdomen got to his tissue and after the stitches, it was difficult for Ifeanyi to urinate; I had to take him to another doctor who helped in draining the urine before he started urinating normally”.
Also speaking, the son to the owner of the clinic, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwu said: “I was here when the boy was brought in; the woman brought him on the third of September; she came in crying because the boy was in a pool of his own blood.
“She told the clinic that he is her son and that she inflicted the injury on him but she blamed the whole act on the handiwork of the devil. According to her, the boy is a stubborn type and that he does not listen to her instruction [which angered her] but she also said it was not intentional and that it was the work of the devil.
“She actually deceived us because she claimed that the boy was her son and that made people to desert the boy because they saw it as a family matter but it was when the aunt left that she was going to bring him food and clothing that the boy spoke up because it was obvious that the boy is really afraid of her.
Continuing, Mr. Ugwu said: The woman left and never wanted to come back. We later got in touch with the Mai Ungwa in Dape who helped in getting in touch with her. The Mai Ungwa called her and when she picked, she asked if the boy was dead?
”After waiting for several hours for her without seeing her, we went to report to the police station because she brought the boy around 3pm, and she didn’t come back until 1am. She was arrested thereafter but she was released the next day.
Our correspondents discovered that Ifeanyi’s case has not only attracted the attention of the National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP), the agency has rescued the boy while it has also commenced investigation which according to gathering might lead to prosecution of the boy’s aunt. The Head, Press and Public Relations of the agency, Mr. Josiah Emerole who confirmed the incident, told our correspondents that the boy was already with them and that investigation on the matter was on.
Mr. Emerole also revealed that the woman has been granted administrative bail because she is currently nursing a three month old baby. But he said she has been asked to be reporting to the agency. He also confirmed that the woman will be prosecuted at the end of the investigation.
Ifeanyi has also pleaded not to return to his aunt’s house because of the ill-treatment he gets.
Speaking on how NAPTIP got to know about the boy, he explained that the boy’s aunt wanted the boy discharged and that was when the clinic called NAPTIP and they have since taken over the case.
In section 351 of the Criminal Code Act of Nigeria, any person who unlawfully assaults another is guilty of an offence and may be liable to imprisonment for one year but it has been observed that cases of assault has continued to thrive despite the spelt out punishment.
For this act to be curbed, there is need for enforcement of the law which will serve as a example for those who indulge in this act. On the part of parents, they should also be careful of who they give their children to no matter the promise made.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Development Board (PHCDB) has revealed that about 2000 children were infected with measles in the territory last year, adding that 16 of them died of the disease.
The Executive Secretary of PHCDB, Dr. Rilwan Mohammed made this know to journalists at the Integrated Measles Campaign (IMC) stakeholders meeting in Abuja in respect to the forthcoming measles Campaign which is bid to commence in November 7 to 12, 2015.
According to Dr. Mohammed, despite the immunisation is been done at nine months, there have been a lot of outbreak of measles in the FCT, because the highest outbreak of measles in the world is in Nigeria as a result of the numbers of people infected in the states which are not reported.
“In the FCT last year, we had almost 2000 people who were infected with measles and about 16 died from our statistic. We did not know of those that were not reported. This year, we have had so many outbreak of measles from across the FCT in all the area councils.
“The federal government has said that since there are so many outbreak because the measles campaign was not done properly, we should bring the stakeholders together early and discuss with them, because it is a facility based intervention.
“Because unlike the polio immunisation we do not go to house to house to give injection, the stakeholders should come in and buy in and tell us where we can go in and improve in this campaign, because the government does not have a lot of money and we need to achieve what we want to achieve,” he said.
According to the Executive Secretary, for now they are going to be immunizing from nine months to five years old, because they do not have enough money those beyond five years, saying that if they have the money they would have immunised up to 12 years old.
“Since it is not house to house immunisation, people have to come to the facilities to get immunised and most of the ages that are infected are between 9 and 12 years, because they were not immunised at the age of nine months.
“This infection affects the eyes, ears, chest, skin will be with rashes and even the intestine and the child can die. So, we are trying to bring together the stakeholders early in order to make this year’s campaign a success, because there are two area councils the we did not do well and they are Gwagwalada and Bwari area councils and we are going to improve on that,” he said.
