Category: Northern Reports

By Adeogun Olusola

On several occasions, I watched Kogi Government officials speak with pride and satisfaction about the newly commissioned hospital in Kogi being the best in Nigeria. At first, I thought the claim was political and didn’t give it a serious consideration. Moreso, Kogi isn’t Lagos or Rivers. How did they get such a humongous budget to build the best hospital in Nigeria.
As a concerned Nigeria, I travelled all the way to Okene to see the hospital. And what I saw was mind-boggling. The super-structure, the environment and the facilities were a testimony of excellence and uncommon commitment to greatness.
On my way back to Offa after what I saw changed my name from Thomas to Faith; many thoughts ran through my mind. “So Nigerian leaders know what is right but always shy away from giving their people the best”, it was an invasion of thoughts on one lane, anger on the other and commendation on the last lane.
For instance, the Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber is debuting for the first time in Africa. The Hyperbaric Therapy can dispense 100% oxygen and save patients from life-threatening medical conditions, such as canon monoxide poisoning, and decompression sickness which includes central retinal artery occlusion, sudden idiopathic hearing loss, chronic wounds of varying etiology, and avascular bone necrosis, air and gas embolism, cyanide poisoning, acute smoke.
Nigerians who need Hyperbaric Therapy travel to Europe to access the services and in most cases, queue for up to four months to enjoy the therapy; yet, our leaders prefer to queue abroad rather than bring the machine to Nigeria to enable Nigerians enjoy same.
The Kogi Medicare magic is a lesson for Nigerian leaders. Nothing is impossible if our leaders are creative, innovative, committed and patriotic. The Reference Hospital, Okene was made possible because a leader chose to be different. That is what Nigeria needs to truly takes her place as the giant of Africa.
I am sure many Governors won’t be happy that Kogi has blazed the trail in medicare. They have been exposed thoroughly and it is now crystal clear that with commitment, Nigerians have no business spending our resources on treatment abroad. We can bring the world to Nigeria and arrest brain drain by providing the best of facilities and conditions for our medical officers.
Nigeria can start from the Kogi example and raise the bar in healthcare delivery in Africa. Ghanaians, Togolese, Beninese , Ivoirians, Cameroonians and other Africans will now come to Nigeria for Hyperbaric Therapy. This is how to be the pride of the continent!
If Kogi with her meagre resources could fund this, why not other more buoyant states? When will our leaders stop wasting our money on frivolities and learn from Kogi State Governor?
President Muhammadu Buhari, the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces was in Kogi recently to commission projects. He commissioned roads, a viaduct (flyover) , a Model Science Secondary School and many others. What this translates to is that the Governor has been able to impact the high needs of the people with effective simultaneity. This is the efficiency at its best.
The President’s visit also revealed the management model of the Reference Hospital. As a shrewd business mogul and a billionaire before becoming Governor, Governor Yahaya Bello was smart enough to bring private management into the Hospital. It will no doubt bring jobs but also efficiently managed. Government management would have jeopardised the intent of establishing the magnificent hospital.
With private management , every Kogite and every Nigerian is treated specially without the officialdom of preferential treatment of the “big men” in Government. It will ensure professionalism and efficiency and also generate good revenue.
I also saw the school on Television stations on the day of commissioning. Top notch, smart, well equipped and a revelation of what Kogi is preparing for. I am not happy the President couldn’t commission the Confluence University of Science and Technology and also the Prince Abubakar Audu University Teaching Hospital, all built by Governor Yahaya Bello. Kogi is paying attention to Science, Technology and Medicine. They have shown that they are ready to bake quality manpower for the about to be enlivened Ajaokuta Steel Company.
The thousands of staff that will be employed at Ajaokuta and other companies in the State do not have to worry about healthcare services. Kogi has built a system to take care of that. I also heard about the super structured Kogi Health Insurance Scheme and Bello Care; properly managed by the Kogi State Health Insurance Agency, birthed by Governor Yahaya Bello to ease access to Medicare by women and children. What a masterclass!
This is how a Governor should be remembered. I was so much pissed off by the initial impression the media made me to have about Governor Yahaya Bello. He was painted as violent, corrupt and uncaring. He has answered on one single day and heads are turning. No wonder someone tweeted that the money they claimed Yahaya Bello stole has resurfaced in the Reference Hospital, Model Schools, Roads and even the first Flyover in the history of the state. Now Kogites know where their monies “flew” to. I want to urge other Governors to steal in the same manner.
Thank you Governor Yahaya Bello for making my generation witness an act of selflessness and excellence by my generation. We won’t forget this.
This piece was written by Adeogun Olusola, a Public Affairs Analyst , 30, Temidire Avenue, Osogbo, Osun State.

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the Saudi Ministry of Hajj yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for this year’s Hajj.

The MoU was signed at the Super Dome Centre in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb Zubair Dada signed the document on behalf of Nigeria.

Ambassador Dada was joined by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NAHCON Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, the three executive Commissioners – Alhaji Nura Hassan Yakassai, Alhaji Abdullahi Magaji Hardawa and Sheikh Suleman Mommoh, board members and staff of the commission.

One of the highlights of the document is the confirmation of 95,000 Haj slots to the country for this year’s Hajj with 75,000 allocated to the 36 state pilgrims’ welfare boards, agencies, and commissions including the FCT and Armed forces, while 20,000 is allocated to the private Tour operators.

The NAHCON delegation met with the Mutawwif of African Non- Arab, whose Chairman Ahmad Sindi, assured of its readiness to make the 2023 Hajj better than the previous years.

Sindi said his agency in a bid to create more rooms and space for pilgrims have adopted the use of double deck bed at the Mashair for some countries this year.

He urged the participating countries to work assiduously to achieve a hitch-free Hajj.

•’Opposition can use stadium, public facilities’

Kano State Governor of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has identified loyalty, capacity for continuity, experience, acceptability, and relationship as the factors that earned  Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

He said these factors singled Gawuna out of other contenders for the party’s ticket, adding that no other candidate has the credentials of the APC governorship hopeful.

He spoke at a fundraising dinner organised by friends and associates of the Kano APC governorship candidate in Abuja on Sunday night.

He said: “We have all the development issues that we have documented and without continuity, things will be bastardised and you will find out that you are not going far. We believe in the issue of continuity. I could remember when I was a deputy governor and I became a governor after the Kwankwaso administration. We planned all the projects he executed together and we did the implementation together. By the time he left, I did not need anybody to tell me anything about any project because I knew straight where to start, I knew why the project was concealed and I had no reason to abandon it. We started a kilometre flyover which we achieved about 20 to 30 per cent and I had to complete it almost four years ago.”

The governor, however, said opposition parties have the right to use public properties including sports complexes, for the conduct of their campaign rallies.

He enjoined any political party wishing to use the facilities to obtain clearance from security agencies.

The Nation learnt Governor Ganduje was reacting to complaints by opposition parties that they have been deprived of access to public facilities.

He said the decision to allow the opposition parties access government’s facilities is part of the commitment to ensure a level playing field.

He said the state government remain consistent on its policy of giving equal right as a mark of respect for democratic ideals.

Nigerian students in the 19 northern states yesterday threatened to embark on protest following the recent hike in tuition fees in some universities.

National Coordinator of the groups, Emuseh Gimba, said they would take drastic actions should the government fail to reverse the hike.

Gimba said: “We find it regrettable that as a result of these poorly designed policies, hunger is stalking millions of homes, inflation is making life difficult by the day, people are losing jobs, businesses are closing down infrastructure is decaying, young Nigerians are losing hope of being employed, hospitals are full of people who suffer various illnesses, and cannot afford the fees”.

They expressed worry that some universities have already announced increments in tuition fees.

Those in this category according to them, are the University of Maiduguri, Federal University Dutse and the Federal University, Lafia.

•Jaiz Foundation CEO’s mum buried

The mother of the Chief Executive Officer of Jaiz Charity and Development Foundation, Dr Abdullahi Shuaib, Hajiya Sefinat Shuaib, who died in the early hours of yesterday has been buried in Lagos.

The Janazah (burial) prayer was led by the Chairman, Chairman, Council of Ulamau of Nigeria, Sheikh AbdulFatai Thanni, took place at the Muslim Burial Ground, Jafojo, near Markaz Agege, Lagos.

The 80-year-old entrepreneur died at the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi in Lagos due to age and comorbidity.

Survived by five children out of seven, the late Hajiya Shuaib was a fashion designer and also ran a restaurant at Iponri Shopping Complex before her retirement.

Her surviving children include Dr Shuaib, Abbas, Aliyu, Aishah and Musa.

Among the dignitaries that graced the funeral include the Grand Mufti, Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO) Sheikh Dhikrullah Shafi’I; newly appointed Chairman of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Dr AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef; Mr Hakeem Otiti; Dr Sulayman Ogunmuyiwa; Prof Tajudeen Yusuf; Executive Director, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation Prince Sulayman Olagunju and wife, Mutiat; Imam Mutohir Adams; Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity & Global Health, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Ismail AbdusSalam.

Executive Chairman, Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) Mr Disu Kamor, said death is inevitable.

Kamor condoled with Dr Shuaib and his family members.

He described him as a wonderful personality and an inspiration to many people.

Jaiz Bank Plc Executive Director, Business Development, Abdulfattah Amoo, said motherhood is a great institution, hence Dr Shuaib must have learnt his good character and humaneness from his mum.

“On behalf of Jaiz Bank Plc, the board management and staff, I will like to convey our deepest condolences to the Shuaib’s families. We take solace in the fact that our mother died a Muslim. We ask that Allah forgive her shortcomings and grand her Al-Jannah Fridaus,” he said.

The pioneer Amir of The Muslim Congress (TMC) Abdurrazaq Abdussalam, who just retired as a Director of Public Affairs, Voice of Nigeria (VON), described the deceased as an active and lively person.

Abdussalam said she supported her children to be faithful to Allah and encouraged their friends to achieve their goals.

“May Allah give the families the fortitude to bear the loss. They must accept the test as Muslims, be patient, continue to relate with Allah and pray for Mama,” he said.

Benue Governor State Samuel Ortom said he is going to hand over power to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship candidate, Titus Uba.

Uba, the speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, recently returned from medical vacation.

Governor Ortom said: “I’m going to spiritually and physically follow Uba’s campaign before I return to my Senatorial campaign. I won’t hand over power to an evil man parading as a clergyman.”

What could have been the first major fire outbreak that could have destroyed property and human lives in Aba, the commercial city of Abia State, has been averted by the officials of the state Fire Service and their counterparts from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

A tanker carrying Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) overturned its content on the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Expressway.

Our correspondent reports that the incident occurred as the tanker was ascending the popular hill after the Waterside River, while heading for an undisclosed location around the Opobo junction where it will discharge its content at a filing station.

It was gathered that the compartment bearing the PMS pulled off from the head of the truck before overturning and spilling its contents on the highway and nearby drainage before emptying into the popular Waterside River.

The situation was said to have caused panic, as motorists coming from both ends of the road, which serves as entry and exit route into Aba, while trying to escape from the impending danger, ended up causing gridlock on the road.

It was learnt that some passengers alighted from private vehicles and commercial buses, including commercial tricycles, scampering for safety.

A source at the state Fire Service in Aba, who preferred anonymity, told our correspondent that nobody died, while they saved property worth millions of cash through their prompt response to the scene of the incident.

“As soon as we got information about the fallen tanker with content, knowing how busy the road is, we rushed to the scene with our vehicle.

“Because the weather was hot, we quickly tried to cool the tanker and the main road, to avoid possible fire from the already charged atmosphere.

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 ”Although some persons came to scoop the content, we chased them away and took charge of the scene. The assistance of the men of Road Safety directing cars to other alternative routes helped to prevent disaster.”

Records obtained by our correspondent show that the state recorded 65 and 41 fire incidents from the first week of December 2022 to the end of the month, at Umuahia and Aba.

According to the report, two persons died in Aba, while one person died in Umuahia.

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has hailed the officers of the state Fire Service for their response to the fire outbreak at Ukaegbu Road, Ogbor Hill, Aba, a few days ago.

The governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Onyebuchi Ememanka, said he was happy about the promptness with which the Aba Unit of the State Fire Service responded to distress calls from the area and the professionalism they displayed, as they helped put out the fire.

He directed that the victims of the fire outbreak at Ukaegbu Road be given succour to assist them.

 The victims, who are mainly small business owners, have received sums ranging between N100, 000 and N750,000 , depending on the nature of their business and quantum of loss suffered.

Ememanka, who said the governor handed over the money to the victims, expressed concern about the increasing fire outbreaks in Aba.

The Federal Government Team on the verification of state interventions on Federal Road infrastructure has visited Jos to assess the road projects carried out by the Plateau State with a view to reimbursing the state.

Minister of Transport Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, who led the team, said the visit followed the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari based on the submission made by Governor Simon Lalong requesting for the refund of funds expended on various Federal road projects and bridges such as the British-American Flyover and Dualisation to Lamingo Junction Roundabout which is nearing completion.

Other completed projects inspected include Heipang-Mararaban Jama’a Heipang, Mararaban Jama’a British American Junction, Secretariat Flyover Bridge, Polo Roundabout to Farin Gada, and British American Junction Flyover.

Others roads visited are the ongoing Construction of Demshin-Angwan Dadi-Kalong -Nyak, Shargan-Angwan Rina road (42.49km) and the Rehabilitation of Longvel-Yelwa-Mato Road (42km).

The minister described the projects as people-oriented and impactful to the citizens of Plateau State and those of other states who use them also.

The minister said as somebody who knows Jos very well, he was highly impressed by the quality of the work and would have probably missed his way if he had visited alone.

Sambo said the Plateau State government needs to be commended for carrying out the projects despite its lean resources emphasising that for these projects, the reimbursement is timely and in order.

Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Prof. Sonni Tyoden who received the team on behalf of Governor Lalong, said the verification of the projects being carried out by the committee was evidence that the Rescue Administration has been working.

He said while the state will be expecting the reimbursement of about N6 billion, it will continue with the projects that are yet to be completed and ensure they are delivered on time and with the highest quality.