After many months of despair, Oyo State workers can now heave a sigh of relief following the commencement ofpayment of salary arrears owed civil servants by the state government and the renewed assurance from Governor Abiola Ajimobi on prompt payment of salaries. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU reports.
For many, the failure of the Oyo State government to pay workers’ salaries is both unjust and insensitive to the plight of workers. An average civil servant felt depraved and unfairly treated, even in the wake of fresh screening exercise of workers when they were still being owed four months’ salary arrears.
They believed the governor had misspent state resources on electioneering campaigns and bogus contracts for projects spread across the state. But it goes beyond that.
Before workers’ salaries accumulated, civil servants in the state had received their salaries on or before the end of each month. States began owing their workers when the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan slashed allocations to states by over 50 per cent; an action which the government attributed to the sudden and unexpected fall in oil revenue.
As a result, about 27 state governors were caught in the web; failing to pay their civil servants. Some states owed their workers up to 10 months. Till date, Oyo State government owes its workers salaries for April, May, June and July.
The workers converse in their offices, sharing their bitter experiences in the wake of the harsh economic condition occasioned by non-payment of salaries. Some find it extremely hard to make their way to the secretariat, while others relate their inability to feed and pay their children’s school fees and so on.
“We cannot but express our gratitude to God for seeing us through all these weeks and months of hardship. We cannot say all that we have been going through these months to keep body and soul together.
“But we are glad that eventually the government is now prepared to pay the arrears. Many of us have been evicted from our houses, many school children could not sit for examinations due to the inability of their parents to pay school fees. This is because the government could not pay salaries.
“So, you can see why an average worker in the state will be happy on knowing that the government will begin payment of three months salaries to them. Yes, it is true that prompt payment of salary is our right, but is there any sanction provided in the Constitution against any employer of labour who fails to pay workers their salaries?
This is where the problem lies. Until we have a law that forbids any employer of labour from owing workers salaries, workers will continue to suffer,” one of the workers who didn’t want his name in print for security reasons said.
However, the dark, long tunnel ended with hope and promises. The workers’ morale came alive once again. And excitement filled the air with renewed vigour.
Just last week, workers received salary payment alerts for the month of March. This resulted from consultations between the government and leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Commenting on the development, the chairman Oyo State chapter of NLC, Mr Waheed Olojede said the exercise would begin with the payment of March salary to workers in the mainstream on grade levels 13 and above.
According to him, salaries of members of staff of local government areas who had already collected their March and April salaries are not included.
“With the sustained consultation of labour union with the Oyo State Government over the weekend, it is now clear that payment of the balance of March salary to workers in the mainstream of public service on grade level 13 and above, pensions and subventions to the judiciary and state higher institutions will commence with immediate effect,” Olojede said.
The development was cheering for the workers. The payment elicited wild excitement among them, some of who rushed hastily to their banks.
One of the workers, who pleaded anonymity, described the commencement of the salary payment as long overdue, even as he expressed his happiness over the ability of government to offset backlog of salary arrears.
But just as the workers’ nightmare seems to abate, the government, last week, issued a new circular requiring all civil servants to be screened before they will be certified for payment.
The verification exercise, which was carried out from one ministry to the other, according to the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Ismail Alli, is to ensure that there is orderliness in the civil service.
“The aim of the screening exercise”, he further explained, “was not to witch-hunt anybody but to have a dependable data base and consolidate government’s record to know who are on ground and ensure their positions. That is why we are doing it where they resume duties every day.
“Secondly, we want to know whether people have acquired the right qualifications over the years. So, it’s just to ensure that people are in the right places. There is no interior motive behind it,” he said.
However, the labour union has cautioned against any attempt by the government to use the ongoing screening exercise to victimise or witch-hunt any civil servant, adding that such development or action will be vigorously resisted by the entire labour movement in the state.
A group, Campaign 2015+International has called on Federal Government to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are successor goals to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), that expires in September.
The group said 15 years on from the original adoption of the MDGs at the 2000 Millennium Summit, and less than eight weeks left to September this year, it seems all efforts by stakeholders towards achieving MDGs are not enough.
The convener of the group, Dr Tola Winjobi spoke while addressing journalists at the Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan on the engagement of Nigerian political leaders and stakeholders towards accelerated implementation of SDGs in Nigeria.
Winjobi lamented that Nigeria has failed to meet some of the MDGs goals, noting that: “Nigerians are still living below poverty line both in relative and absolutes while infant mortality rate for the total population was 69/1000. Unfortunately too, a mere 28 per cent Nigerians have access to improved sanitation facility.
“The need for all to look beyond 2015 MDGs is paramount as emphasised in the 2010 annual report of the United Nations Secretary-General.”
According to him, it must be underscored that many organisations across 40 countries in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia met and had a group sessions and deliberations which led to the successor goals to MDGs called SDGs.
By tomorrow, it will be exactly 50 years that the first high rise building in Nigeria, Cocoa House, was inaugurated. BISI OLADELE examines its importance and how well the iconic superstructure has fared .
It has stood for 50 years and has dictated the pace for 50 years. It still stands strong and imposing, even at 50.
When Cappa and D’Alberto, a European construction giant, turned the sod on the soil of what is known today as the Central Business District (CBD) of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital in 1961, only a few elite in the government knew that a skyscraper that would become a source of pride for the Yoruba was to be born.
Standing strong and towering above every other building around, and in the entire city, Cocoa House is one building that continues to mould business, commerce and tourism in the city and the state.
Without oil money or federal allocation of any sort, the 25-storey superstructure was among the heavy projects undertaken and completed from cocoa proceeds by the defunct Western Region of Nigeria. Others, which were constructed to prepare the region for modern socio-economic activities and bring Western civilisation to the Yoruba nation, include the Western Nigerian Television (WNTV) and the Liberty Stadium (now Obafemi Awolowo Stadium). With the projects, the government, led by the late chiefs Obafemi Awolowo and Ladoke Akintola, became the most outstanding in the history of Nigeria.
Subsequent administrations have not only been unable to surpass their feats, they have been unable to meet the standards laid by the performance of the two late leaders.
Today, the current owners, Odu’a Investments Company Limited, can roll out drums to celebrate the success of its founding fathers over Cocoa House as it continues to render relevant contributions to the growth of business, commerce and tourism, 50 years after.
The building
•Cocoa tree
Cocoa House, an imposing building, stands on a total land area of over 1.7 hectares in a fenced enclosure tagged “Cocoa House Complex.” It perches at the heart of the Central Business District (CBD) and surrounded by regional headquarters and branches of banks, multi-nationals and major business organisations.
The 25-storey building is made up of a ground floor, 23 floors, a pent house and basement with two functioning lifts serving the floors.
Two years ago, the pent house was converted to a museum christened “Odu’a Historical Museum and Hall of Fame.” It was inaugurated by the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka.
The complex also comprises three-storey annexes named “Kokodome Restaurant” used for office and commercial purposes. It has two floor annexes with a functional swimming pool supported with relaxation bays and other amenities.
Cocoa House was inaugurated on July 30, 1965 by the then Premier of Western Region, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola, who was the AareOna Kakanfo of Yoruba land.
The monument is described by municipal numbering as Number 1, Bank Road within the CBD. It stands at a vantage position on the major J-Allen Junction where Obafemi Awolowo Road, Oba Adebimpe Road and Iyaganku/Abeokuta Road converge.
•Cocoa seeds
Prominent landmark within the highbrow neighbourhood which features the highest prime properties include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) building, First Bank Regional Headquarters, Skye Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Zenith Bank and local construction giant, Kopek Construction Limited.
The regional headquarters of the Nigerian Postal Service sits opposite the building while the regional headquarters of the Federal Radio Corporation is adjacent to it. Behind it is the Ibadan Business School of the Lead City University while the popular Aje House and Broking House are within the 500 meter radius.
Currently, Cocoa House is 100 per cent owned and managed by Odu’a Investments Coy Limited. The company, which later metamorphosed into a conglomerate playing in several sectors of the economy, was fully incorporated in July, 1976 to take over the business interest of the former Western Region of Nigeria, comprising Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states. It commenced business on October 1, 1976.
The company has its group headquarters on floors 20-23 with her historical museum and Hall of Fame sited at the pent house.
Like any important project, Cocoa House went through its own bad time when it was engulfed by fire on January 9, 1985, 20 years after it heralded a new vista in business and commerce in the South West Region.
But three years after the setback, renovation work begun. The exercise was completed in 1992. The restoration and modification exercise was undertaken by Cappa and D’Alberto PLC as the main contractor, Adebayo and Adebayo as the architects, Adeleye and Partners Interlink Consult as civil/structural engineers, Kabeaco Associates as mechanical engineers and Molecular Consultants and Associates as electrical engineers.
Immediately after its completion in 1965, Cocoa House attracted thousands of tourists who stood bewildered at the sight of the imposing building. It was the first of its kind in Nigeria.
Farmers, whose sweat indirectly produced funds for the building, trooped to Dugbe in large number to catch a glimpse of the new magic building tagged: Ile Awon Agbe (farmers’ building).
After visiting the sky scrapper, it was common for the visiting farmers to describe it as ‘awo si fila’ (a house that makes cap to fall off while attempting to see its full length).
Cocoa House was then the tallest building in tropical Africa. Hence, it has been a major source of pride for the Yoruba.
It was built from proceeds from commodities chief of which was cocoa. Hence, it was renamed Cocoa House. Other commodities include rubber and timber. They are all farm produce which were the sources of wealth of the Western State Government. Agriculture was the mainstay of government’s economy.
Wearing chocolate colour which communicates cocoa, the source of its finance, Cocoa House has since maintained an impressive presence in the district, still affirming the leadership ingenuity of Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his team.
From the 25-storey building, an aerial view of the city reveals a sprawling Ibadan with its seven historic rocky hills that once tucked the town. They were later swallowed in view by rapid expansion of the city in the 20th Century. Ibadan is the largest city south of Sahara.
Historically, the city was the place where the armies of Ibadan unified to defeat the Fulani Caliphate in 1840 when they attempted to expand further into the southern region of modern-day Nigeria.
But the January 9, 1985 inferno forced business organisations that occupied it to relocate. The fire incident dealt a heavy blow on its beauty, importance and splendour, just as it also battered its economic strength. It brought tears to the eyes of many Yoruba, thinking that a major achievement of the Awolowo leadership and a major pride of the region had been destroyed. It lay in ruins for seven years before it was rehabilitated for use in August, 1992.
The rehabilitation notwithstanding, businesses refused to return fully to the building due to poor performance of facilities such as lift, water and electricity supply.
The latest renovation was undertaken by the business arm of the Western State Government, Odu’a Investments Company Limited, which was also occupying floors 20, 21 and 22 as at the time of the fire incident.
The conglomerate put the building back in shape in 2010. The company joined other tenants by occupying the topmost flours of the building to demonstrate confidence in the new facilities and attract more clients.
The new facilities, among others, include installation of two new KONE lifts to complement the existing ones, installation of a new 800 KVA electricity generating set to serve as an alternative power supply, uninterrupted water supply scheme with installed capacity of 200,000 litres, construction of new sewage treatment plant, expanded car park space and seven-days-a-week security surveillance.
The renovation and occupation by both owners and tenants have kept the building in good shape and functional for business activities.
Occupants of the building include African Independent Television (AIT), mobile phone retailers, travel agents, public relation firms, educational consultancy firms and other business concerns.
Cocoa House also retains its attraction for tourism in the city with its aesthetic splendour and central location.
Its fortune recently soared by the conversion of the former Odu’a Group headquarters and the former Sketch premises to a massive modern shopping mall named Heritage/Cocoa Mall. They are both located beside Cocoa House in the complex. The anchor tenant in the N3 billion malls, Shoprite, is the next door neighbour to Cocoa House.
The location of the malls has increased human traffic around Cocoa House to add to its prominence.
•Raji
The current Group Managing Director (GMD) of the conglomerate, Mr Adewale Raji, described the monument as the symbol of pride for the Yoruba nation; being the first skyscraper in Nigeria.
He, however, posited that Cocoa House should have been replicated in other states in the region as a way of building on the efforts of the founding fathers.
On how better the building can be in the nearest future, Raji said: “I believe we need to enhance the value to be the first choice in Ibadan for office accommodation, business, leisure and entertainment. We, as an organisation, are committed to achieving it by collaborating with the Oyo State Government to lift up the CBD for business and entertainment.”
On the goal and efforts of the conglomerate to reposition the entire business, Raji said: “Odu’a Group is poised for a better future to transform over the next five years to a successful business conglomerate that every Yoruba son and daughter will be proud of, based on its mantra of growth, profitability and sustainability.”
The Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission currently occupies the 10th floor of the building.
•Famakinwa
Reminiscing on the historical monument, the Director-General of the commission, Mr Dipo Famakinwa, said: ”The story around Cocoa House in those days was very fascinating, and of course, must be to a young person who grew up to be proud of his heritage, especially through the stories that he was told by older people.
“The sight of Cocoa House then, one of the very few high-rise buildings in Nigeria, sitting majestically in Dugbe, was something to behold. And in school, one of the popular questions then was always for us to mention the first high-rise in West Africa, and the answer of course was Cocoa House. My perception of Cocoa House then was a building that manifested the industry, the resourcefulness and the possibility of a future that should be bright.”
Famakinwa expressed satisfaction with the growth and management of the building over the years in spite of the travails it went through, and which consumed many public utilities that came after it.
“It is a sort of testimony. That it is standing in spite of the travails of the past is a feat. It could have been sold cheaply, it could have failed to rise from the fire that consumed it at some point and it could have fallen completely decrepit. But today, it is not.
“That it is today housing the office of DAWN Commission, the body managing the integration of the states of Western Nigeria makes me proud indeed. And every time we host meetings and events involving officials of the region, I like to remind them of the fact that Cocoa House is home. As a matter of fact, the building works – the elevators, the water system, the power system and the entire basic infrastructure for convenience and comfort still work and that is heart-warming.” he said.
Aside foreseeing a situation where the most important corporate institutions in the region have their offices in the building in the nearest future, Famakinwa insisted: “Cocoa House must continue to inspire great possibilities and reinforce the essence of our collective industry and enterprise beyond even Nigeria.”
But he believes that the Cocoa House idea with its economic importance should be replicated across the region to galvanise its socio-economic potential.
His words: “The fact that we have failed to replicate many of such in the region is a sign that there is still so much more to be done across the states of Southwest Nigeria. We must not only have Cocoa House, but in the future, we must have structures and monuments that continue to show that we can do better than we are currently doing. We must not just have a Cocoa House, but Cotton House in Ogun, Aqua-Marine House in Lagos, Innovations House in Osun, Energy House in Ondo, Agbeloba House in Ekiti – all of them signposting that we are a proud people of purpose.
“Cocoa House challenges us all. It continues to remind us that we have lagged behind the successes of our forebears and it tells us that come what may, we must not lose sight of the great work that is ahead of us all. I and the organisation that I lead, DAWN Commission, are indeed proud that today we are beneficiary of the vision that the building represents, and we have an opportunity to leave our own footprints in the sands of time.”
Secondary school students representing Oke-Ogun in Iwajowa Local Government Area of Oyo State were rewarded with laptop computers as prizes for winning quiz competition.
The competition, held at the Iseyin Local Government Secretariat, was organised by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) on behalf of Chief Kazeem Owonikoko Foundation, was keenly contested by representatives of four local government areas. The pupils competed in Mathematics, English language, Biology and Current Affairs.
Pupils for the fifth edition of the competition were drawn from schools in Itesiwaju, Iseyin, Iwajowa and Kajola local government areas.
The late Owonikoko, a retired police officer, was a lawmaker at the Western Region House of Assembly and was the first council chairman to offer scholarship to 12 Iseyin indigenes.
Representatives of Iwajowa Local Government Area came first while those of Kajola, Iseyin and Itesiwaju came second, third and fourth asý they scored 85, 70, 65 and 60 points respectively.
Abdulazeez Ajibola of Hyrank International Laboratory College; Olaniran Stephen of Baptist High School and Adetunji Bernard, all in Igannaý, represented Iwajowa Local Government Area. They went home with a laptop. Representatives of Kajola also went home with a laptop while those that represented Iseyin went home with Samsun phones.
Other participants also received consolation prizes.
According to the sponsor and son of the late community leader, Mr. Abduljelil Owonikoko (SAN), the competition was instituted in order to ensure that students take education seriously.
The Aare Bamofin of Oke-Ogun land, who was represented by Mr. Waheed Shittu, said his father was an ardent believer in formal education, noting that it was during his tenure as chairman of the then Iseyin District Council that the famous Iseyin District Grammar School (IDGS) was established.
On how to sustain the competition, the Abuja-based lawyer said: ”By next year, we would extend the ýgesture to all the 10 local government areas in Oke-Ogun zone. Also the prizes would be increased. We are happy that most of the past winners of this competition have gained admission to various higher institutions of learning and are doing well.”
Earlier in his welcome address, the local government inspector of NYSC in Iseyin Local Government Area, Mr. Adepeju David, said he was happy that the competition was a success. He pointed out that through the competition, “many stars have been made. We enjoin other wealthy Nigerians to sponsor such programmes in order to discover more talents.”
Fourteen-year old Abdulazeez Ajibolaý, who spoke on behalf of the Iwajowa team, said they would continue to cherish the feat.
“We never knew we could win the contest until the 2nd round. But we thank God. We will continue to train for future contests. It is good that we won, even though it was keenly contested. We thank the organisers, sponsor and our teachers for this,” he said.
The Iwajowa team coach and corps member, Ameh Martin praised his students, stressing that the award will motivate them to do more.
Ekiti State residents have access to good healthcare delivery following a gradual but thorough transformation of the major hospital in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital from a state hospital that had just one consultant to a teaching hospital that now boasts of many consultants in major fields of medicine. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.
Health care delivery is one of the major components of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and one of the most important indices of standard of living of any populace.
The health of the population should be of paramount concern to any responsible government because it has far-reaching effects on the productivity of its citizens.
That is why government at all levels deploy enormous resources to the health sector in a bid to provide and maintain health facilities, provision of drugs, training and re-training of health personnel, among others.
From the days of Western Region, Western State, old Ondo State to the present-day Ekiti State, healthcare delivery had occupied a front burner in government’s commitment to the welfare of the citizens.
This explains why the former Military Governor of Old Western State, Maj- General (then Brigadier) Robert Adeyinka Adebayo built and inaugurated a district hospital for Ekiti on March 9, 1971 to cater for the increasing population of Ado-Ekiti then.
At the time it was inaugurated, the hospital had very limited facilities and manpower and was patronised by people from all parts of Ekiti as many towns and villages then lacked such a facility they could make use of in times of emergency.
But the mustard seed planted by Adebayo was nurtured by successive administrations and it has grown to a big tertiary hospital which competes favourably with its counterparts in the West African sub-region.
As it widens its scope, operations and the number of patients patronising it, it was transformed into general hospital in the Second Republic, specialist hospital and now teaching hospital.
Attaining such status resulted from long, winding process of its evaluation and readiness to provide sound training for future medical personnel and availability of the required facilities, among others.
As the population of the city and, by extension, the state widen and the quest for medical education increases, the administration of former Governor Segun Oni saw the need to upgrade the hospital to a teaching hospital to meet these needs; hence the establishment of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Ado-Ekiti.
The Kayode Fayemi administration, which built on the foundation laid by the Oni regime by providing more facilities for it, even as it renamed the institution Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) following the consolidation of the three hitherto state-owned universities into one.
The current Ayo Fayose administration is also spreading the tentacles of the operations of EKSUTH to the grassroots with the recent approval of the takeover of the Joan Taiwo Daramola Hospital, Ire-Ekiti by EKSUTH management to make quality healthcare delivery available to many communities in Oye and Irepodun/Ifelodun local government areas.
With the upgrade and transformation of the hospital from a “glorified state specialist hospital to a teaching hospital”, the inconveniences experienced by patients on referrals to tertiary health institutions in nearby states have been consigned to history.
Critical surgical operations that were not hitherto performed in the state can now be enjoyed by needy patients at EKSUTH as a result of the commitment of the state government and members of staff of the hospital.
EKSUTH took off officially on April 1, 2008 with a mission “to preserve and improve the dignity of human life through the provision of a comprehensive programme of quality patient care, academic excellence and innovative research environment that is respectful of others.”
This is to make the teaching hospital operate uniquely in a friendly environment without compromising quality. The institution has been forging ahead in the actualisation of its mission despite the enormous challenges.
Up till March 31, 2008, the hospital had only one Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) consultant in the person of Dr. O. Olajuyin and other supporting staff.
The change in status on April 1, 2008 was effected with the aim of serving as the clinical laboratory for the College Medicine of the Ekiti State University Ado-Ekiti.
The pioneer Acting Medical Director of EKSUTH, Dr. Patrick Adegun, a consultant Urologist assumed office in April, 2008. He became a substantive Chief Medical Director in July, 2010.
The first management board of the hospital was inaugurated in March, 2010 by the Oni-led government. The board was chaired by an emeritus Prof., Adelola Adeloye; a Neurologist.
In order to achieve its primary objectives in service, research and training, an administrative structure comparable to other teaching hospitals was put in place to superintend its day-to-day activities.
In January, 2010, the Ophthalmology Department of the hospital was inaugurated. The centre was successfully manned by Cuban eye specialists for 15 months as their Nigerian counterparts understudied them.
On June 15, 2010, the Ophthalmology Department made surgical history by successfully repairing retinal detachment in a young female undergraduate of the Ekiti State University, Ado–Ekiti.
The Ophthalmology Department has been acclaimed to be one of the best in Africa by the West African College of Surgeons (WACS).
With its short period of existence, EKSUTH has modified, renovated and constructed modern buildings on the premises of the old specialist hospital which it inherited.
A new expansive accident and emergency building was built, equipped and inaugurated. This facility is currently providing an ideal setting for the operation of emergencies comparable to any world-class accident and emergency complex in the world.
The complex is a mini-hospital as it has 50-bed wards–male and female, medicine and surgery, a triage room, a gynaecological ward, a state-of-the-art theatre, a large reception area, a pharmacy outlet, a radiology room, a plasta–room, a conference room for doctors and paramedics.
The maternity complex has undergone lots of modification and repairs. The complex boasts twin-theatre suites for emergency obstetrics care, elective obstetrics and gynaecology cases.
It also has a modern ultra-sound machine, resurcituire and cardiogram. Water is available 24 hours as the complex has the management sunk some boreholes for it.
Also, new modern mobile beds were procured to replace the old rusty ones inherited from the specialist hospital at the natal, post-natal and isolation wards of the maternity.
The Mental Health Department (psychiatry) has been relocated to a newly completed building with the needed infrastructure. A modern laboratory was built and equipped with the internally-generated revenue of the hospital. The laboratory complex houses the haematology, histopathology, chemical pathology, anatomic pathology departments of the hospital.
Currently, the hospital boasts consultants in all areas of specialisation and eight Professors.
Over and above this, the management prioritises staff welfare.
Also, a capacity building committee has been put in place to enable members of staff to attend trainings, workshops and seminars periodically to update their knowledge in various areas of endeavours.
The Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Ophthalmology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology departments have been accredited by the West African College of Physician and West African College of Surgeons respectively; while other clinical departments have applied to these colleges for accreditation.
The automation of the departments and units of the hospital has begun at the Directorate of Accounts; with a view to extending same to other sections.
These departments would be linked to Medical Record Department, General Outpatient Department, Specialist Clinics, Accident and Emergency, Pharmacy, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Main Theatre and the Data Bank of the Ministry of Health.
The automation aims at achieving paperless consultation, prescription and record retrieval.
As part of the management’s development effort, the TUR equipment was procured to kick-start the endoscopy unit while business districts were created at the general out-patient and medical wards.
There are four suites complete with anaesthetic machines, bed monitors, suctioning machines as well as recovery room at the main theatre.
A new Mammogram Centre, named after the late Funmi Adunni Olayinka, a former Deputy Governor of the State who died of cancer in April, 2013 was put in place.
The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art GE mammogram machine, scanning machine, cosposcopy and endoscopy machines, echo-cardiogram machine as well as gymnasium equipment.
On July 29, last year, Dr Adigun completed his tenure and was succeeded by Dr. Kolawole Ogundipe, a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and chairman, Medical Advisory Committee.
•Dr. Ogundipe
Upon assumption in office as the CMD, Dr. Ogundipe set out to reposition the hospital as the ‘preferred health care centre of excellence of world standard”.
The hospital’s vision changed to “to be the “preferred referred centre for quality, affordable tertiary health care, ethical medical research and training in Nigeria”.
The mission statement changed to “to provide quality, affordable tertiary health care topical medical research and ethical training services for our stakeholders with innovative technological processes and personnel integrity”.
The CMD identified three essential components of a teaching hospital which are training, services and research. He worked towards increasing the internally-generated revenue of the hospital by blocking all financial drain pipes.
Dr. Ogundipe made accountability, prudence and transparency his watchword. This has tremendously increased the internally-generated revenue of the hospital while the monthly subvention has also increased.
Achievements recorded by EKSUTH management under Dr. Ogundipe’s leadership include restoration of the accreditation status of the School of Midwifery. The West African College of Surgeons (WACS) granted full accreditation to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in EKSUTH.
Renovation of the burnt administrative block of the School of Nursing, construction of Works Department, construction of the General Outpatient Department Annex building, construction of EKSUTH library and renovation of School of Midwifery hostels, construction of Patients’ Pavilion, construction and staffing of the new laboratory reception, setting up of a two-bedded intensive care unit (ICU) at the main theatre, intra-hospital communication system and opening of a well-furnished patients’ waiting area at the maternity complex are some of the achievements of the hospital under Ogundipe.
The rest are renovation and re-organisation of the Specialist Outpatients’ Clinic, renovation of the Radiology Department and renovation of the old Accident and Emergency Department to accommodate the Health Information Management Department.
The Directorate of Administration was restructured for better performance while the management has succeeded in maintaining industrial harmony with various unions in the hospital.
Some of the patients, their associates and family members praised the turnaround of EKSUTH which they noted has rubbed off positively on people seeking quality health care services.
To Mrs. Celina Olojede, services at EKSUTH have improved as against what obtained in the past, urging the authorities not to rest on their oars.
“We commend the successive administrations for their contributions in making this hospital what it is today,” she said.
Another visitor, Ademola Onifade, commended the staff of EKSUTH for their commitment to service delivery, even as he advised that they should not rest on their oars if the health institution would sustain the momentum.
“The members of staff are trying their best possible, especially with the employment of more doctors in various fields. My area of concern is frequent visits to the cash centres to make payments for everything purchased in the hospital.
“I advocate that the points of payment be decentralised so as to reduce the stress we go through in making one payment or the other. Though the step was taken to ensure accountability, our convenience should also be taken into consideration”, Onifade pleaded.
Speaking with Southwest Report, Dele Osatimehin said he was impressed with the infrastructural development at EKSUTH; especially the new Accident and Emergency Ward.
He said: “I know how Accident and Emergency Ward here used to be but this ultra-modern one built has helped in reducing loss of lives.
“This is how an Accident and Emergency Ward should be. The former one was an eyesore. It shows that Ekiti State is no longer a backwater state and our people deserve the best.”
Commenting on the EKSUTH Ophthalmology Centre, an eye patient, Pa James Ajogbeje, explained that he didn’t know that such a facility existed at the hospital until a relation of his told him to come and be treated of cataract.
“I am a native of Ikere and I have been having problems with my eyes for about 12 years now. It was my nephew who told me that we now have an eye centre in this hospital where my problems can be attended to.
“I came and they conducted tests on me and I was booked for eye surgery. Initially, I was afraid but I was encouraged by the testimonies of others who had been treated,” he said.
Despite the new gains recorded with its upgrade to a teaching hospital, the management is not resting on its oars as it has envisioned various development plans for the future; such as construction of a three-floor building to serve as office and wards for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and a building to accommodate the staff working with the Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria (IHVN).
Also on the cards is an 80-room office complex for consultants and the establishment of a medical oxygen plant trough public-private partnership (PPP) to serve the hospital and others contiguous to it.
There is also need to renovate, expand and equip the Dental Department of the hospital.
But as lofty and laudable the plans of the management are, the major challenge is funding, especially as states and its institutions are grappling with acute financial constraints.
An inside source said: “As good as the management’s plans are, the money to execute them is not readily available. The monthly subvention from the state government, though increased recently, is only enough to pay workers’ salaries.”
Despite the challenges, EKSUTH has upped the ante and taken health care delivery, medical research and training of future manpower to another level and the people of Ekiti State are yearning for more.
Pharmaceutical giant, Neimeth International has announced a 50 per cent reduction in cost of its hypertension medications. It said the gesture aims at reducing the ever- increasing cases of hypertension in Nigeria.
Neimeth’s Managing Director, Mr Emmanuel Ekunno, spoke at Ibadan, the Oyo State capital during the conferment of FITGAH ambassador on Prof. Babatunde Salako, the Provost College of Medicine University of Ibadan.
Ekunno, who remarked that 70 per cent of Nigerians on hypertension medications usually go on drug holiday as a result of their inability to purchase the drugs due to high cost, saying such action, exposes them to complication of the disease such as stroke and kidney damage.
He also said the price reduction was to increase affordability, availability and accessibility to hypertension medications.
While urging individuals to know their status by regularly having their blood pressures measured, the Neimeth boss advised that Nigerians should not be victims of hypertension, but victors by equipping themselves with information on the disease and taking appropriate steps to regulate their blood pressures.
He said: “You need to equip yourself and be a better patient. By losing 10 per cent of body weight translates to 10 per cent reduction in blood pressure.”
Ekunno said the company had decided to embark on the fight against hypertension through a multi-pronged approach, including mass screening, establishment of cardiovascular support units and collaboration with clinics and pharmacies to make drugs available, adding that Neimeth’s dream is that anti-hypertensive drugs will be free in Nigeria.
The Vice-Chancellor University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who commended the company’s collaboration with scientists at the university, described hypertension as a disease that is rife with many dos and don’ts, urging that the firm comes up with hypertension medication which its use is once in a year.
He canvassed more research into the incidence of hypertension in the community, saying that ordinarily, it was expected that hypertension cases should be more in urban areas rather than in rural areas.
Appreciating his conferment as FITGAH ambassador, Prof. Salako said Neimeth should be commended for championing the fight against hypertension, adding that the price slash was exemplary and epitomises a robust approach to taming hypertension, which he described as a silent killer.
In a bid to ensure better oral health in children, Unilever Nigeria, makers of Pepsodent toothpaste, has embarked on a 21-day behavioural change campaign to educate children on the usefulness of brushing their teeth day and night.
Speaking at the launch of Pepsodent Oral Health Schools’ Programme in Lagos, Brand Building Director, David Okeme, said the 21-day behavioural change campaign aims at preventing oral health challenges that affect children’s learning ability.
“The campaign is borne out of the need to reduce the impact of dental cavities as available data revealed that almost 100 per cent of adults globally suffer from dental cavities and 60 to 90 per cent of school children have cavities,” he said.
Continuing, he said: “This is part of Unilever’s global oral care social missions agenda to improve the oral health of 100 million people by 2020; by convincing them to brush their teeth day and night to stay healthy and happy and live a more enjoyable and fulfilled life.
“In partnership with the Nigerian Dental Association, Universal Basic Education Board and the Federal Ministry of Health, Pepsodent is committed to improving the oral health of 10 million children in Nigeria by 2020 through the Brush Day and Night Schools’ Programme. One million school children will be reached directly in 2015.
“We believe kids can change the world by adopting healthy oral habits and they, in turn, can convince their parents to do same.”
In the same manner, President, Nigerian Dental Association (NDA), Dr. Bode Ijarogbe said children are more vulnerable to dental cavities because they consume more of sweetened food.
“Children are the ones that have flair for sugar-based products like sweets, cakes, chewing gum, candies, chocolates and even some of the syrups that are taken as medicine. But in this case, we refer to fermentable sugar, that is, sugar that can be acted upon by the bacteria in the mouth.
“Normally, everyone has bacteria in the mouth and other parts of the body. But as regards formation of cavity, the bacteria in the mouth only become very dangerous in the presence of fermentable sugar-based diet. The sugar acts as diet for the bacteria and produces a by-product of dilute acid which eventually results in cavity formation, resulting in holes which gradually become larger and eventually into tooth ache.
“If this is not quickly addressed, it results in severe pain which could lead to loss of manpower at work for adult and school absenteeism for the child. The kids are the major target in this programme because they have more cravings for sweet foods. And when these children adopt the habit of a healthy oral lifestyle, they can then spread the message to their parents,” he said.
Dr. Ijarogbe advised the public to brush their teeth twice daily to reduce the incidence of cavities.
“We often advise that people should brush their teeth twice a day; probable in the morning and night after dinner. They should brush with fluoridated toothpaste. NDA wants to be sure that when people brush, they brush with fluoridated toothpaste. As such, we have subjected Pepsodent toothpaste to test before we endorsed its use by the public. We are sure that it contains fluoride. Fluoride is an active ingredient in toothpaste that helps to prevent tooth decay,” he said.
Commenting on the value proposition of Pepsodent toothpaste, Category Manager, Oral Care, Unilever Nigeria, Bunmi Adeniba said the Pepsodent Triple Protection is one big breakthrough formulation that gives three benefits that one would ordinarily have gotten in three different toothpastes.
“Pepsodent gives you three benefits in one brush. The unique formulation of Pepsodent Triple Protection guarantees protection against cavities, stains and bad breath. These are the most prevalent oral care needs in most homes,” she said.
Worried by the high cost of drilling boreholes which makes provision of potable water for Nigerians difficult, the Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners (AWDROP), has urged Nigerians who have sunk boreholes in their homes to request for an incentive from either state or federal governments.
AWDROP, which is also bothered by the plight of victims of insurgency in the Northeast equally called on the Federal Government to urgently provide bore-holes for the Internally displaced people in order to avoid epidemic.
The National President of AWDROP, Mr. Michael Ale spoke in Ibadan while addressing journalists. He assured that his association was ready to collaborate with the Federal Government in that regard.
Ale stated that the federal and state governments were not doing enough to provide clean water for the masses.
Ale, an expert in water resources, said indirectly, the private, the masses, and the Nigeria citizens have supported government even more than government can do in providing water for the masses through drilling of boreholes in their homes and offices.
”So, every individual that has sunk boreholes to provide water for themselves should demand incentives from governments because it is government’s responsibility to make potable water available for the citizens of the country.
“For instance, certain individuals have begun establishing sachet and bottled water factories. So, where government cannot reach, water is being provided in those areas. Also some do not wait for government to provide pipe borne or borehole water because if they wait, they may wait for ages. Therefore, those individuals have sunk boreholes for themselves using their hard earned money.
“Digging or sinking of boreholes in the cities in Nigeria is an indication that the state governments have failed in the provision and distribution of water supply for its citizens. Nigerians are spending much on water generation and that is why governments need to assist them,”he said.
Ale appealed to the Federal Government to implement the National Water Resources Masterplan by Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) of last year in order for Nigerians to have access to potable water in the next 15 years.
The AWDROP boss, who further stated that no state government in the country has a water masterplan, noted that the state governments have been losing free international water grants as a result of this.
“No State government needs to spend tax payers’ money to provide water for the masses if only they can regulate and have a formidable water policy that will attract water development partners. The role of the Federal Government is to focus on water advisory and regulation, while the state governments shouldprovide good water policy for international grants and the local governments supplies water to the people,” he said.
To improve water distribution in the country, Ale urged government to set up a water rig drilling agency that will subsidise borehole drilling for the masses or support their association to dig for the masses at a lower rate.
“My rating of the government on water distribution to Nigerians from World Health Organisation (WHO) report shows that the government has really improved in meeting with the yearnings of the masses concerning water distribution. Also, going by the prevalent low activities of water-borne diseases and low death rate as a result of water-borne diseases in hospitals indicates that there is improvement. Nevertheless, the improvement has not been possible without certain individuals that have taken their destinies in their own hands to provide water for themselves,” he said.
The AWDROP president emphasised that the Federal Government must sink boreholes for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) centres to avert water-borne and communicable diseases.
He noted that the IDP centres are few and AWDROP is ready to partner with government to subsidise borehole drilling for the centres.
Ale, who also lamented on the duplication and abandonment of water projects by international development partners in the country, noted that such acts could be attributed to lack of co-ordination among players in the water sector and lack of sustainable plans.
“There are a lot of duplications in the water sector as far as the development partners is concerned. The root of this problem is lack of trust and that is why the development partners executes the projects themselves.
“So, they will have to go straight to sink boreholes and willl boycott the middlemen, “ he said.
To address these anomalies, he noted that the development partners must see that the ministry involved in their operations are critical to the development of getting results they desire.
According to him, they must build the capacity of the ministries saddled with water supply, build a relationship with them, lecture them, monitor them and evaluate the results.
Assessing the performance of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources on irrigation project in the country, he said the ministry is saddled with the responsibility of co-ordinating, developing, designing, planning and carrying out critical activities relating to water to Nigerians, stressing that the ministry has performed excellently well.
He said: “Irrigation is crucial to farming, and farmers need to have access to water in order to boost food production. The Ministry of Water Resources has been doing well because we have not experienced famine in the country so far. Nigerians may not know the role of the irrigation department of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources until we have famine.
Ogun State government has advised residents of Isheri Estate in Isheri, a border community with Lagos State, to show prove of ownership or title documents of the properties they occupy.
Government also asked those carrying out building projects in the area to stop until a verification exercise has been conducted to establish genuine title holders of the landed properties.
According to government, this would help to address complaints about encroachment into people’s properties, among other issues.
The government, which equally faulted claims by the residents that “it is reselling or revoking” lands earlier allotted to property owners, said it had not demolished buildings in the area in recent years, even as it challenged the residents to point out any building that has been pulled down as they alleged.
Speaking through the Managing Director of Ogun State Property and Investment Corporation (OPIC), Jide Odusolu, who met the occupants, was shocked that they were crying wolves where none existed.
Odusolu said the present administration has not and will not extort anybody, adding that Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s administration intends to re-develop the area and relocate some people who were allotted plots of land. He urged those with genuine allotment documents to present their title deeds for immediate regularisation.
He said: “We will not be involved in the business of extortion. My boss doesn’t do that and no one who works with him will dare try it. What we are doing here is to develop and modernise towns and it means that, you have to re-plan, you have to re-district and sometimes, you have to relocate people because they are in wrong locations.
“We did not, at any point, demand N1 from anybody and we will not demand N1 from anybody. This is an attempt to bring modernisation to Isheri and 99 per cent of the area being used for MTR Gardens (a new housing project in the state) is vacant. So, no one was told by me or any of my members of staff to pay money, so that they can re-allocate land.
“What we told anybody that claims to possess papers is to submit such papers and he will be treated fairly. What we have also told everybody in this area is to stop work on ongoing projects until the verification exercise has been conducted.
As part of measures to enhance the well-being of residents of Ikeja Local Government Area, Lagos State, the Executive Secretary of the council Mr Adekunle Dally-Adeokun has urged the people to ensure that their surroundings are neat at all times. This, he said, would prevent them from being affected by some life-threatening health challenges, even as he added that clean environment would ensure their good health.
Mr Dally-Adeokun spoke while inspecting the extent of compliance by residents of the area to the monthly environmental sanitation exercise held last Saturday. He appealed to the residents to co-operate with the council in its efforts to rid the area of filth and garbage, so as to promote healthy environment.
The council chief also pledged to work towards ensuring that residents of various communities have attitudinal change on the environment.
He noted that “clean environment translates to having access to safe water, low risks to health from micro-organisms proliferating in the environment as well as the physical cleanliness of the individuals. It also entails a conscious attitudinal change towards safe disposal of generated domestic wastes.
“Our failure to adequately manage the environment contributes enormously to the burden of health care related infections; a burden of disease that we know can be substantially reduced to the benefit of both the affected persons and the health care system itself.”
Mr. Dally-Adeokun maintained that sustainable development evolves through a realisation that there is a great relationship between the environment and the economy; where the environment is poorly maintained, there is the likelihood that there would be extreme poverty. Our economy is facing towering challenges that call for bold, constructive ideas on how our environment can best be taken care of.
“Having a clean environment has many benefits. These benefits are long-lasting and guide us to a healthy living. These include prevention of diseases such as cholera, malaria and also tetanus,” he added.
He, however, expressed regret that some residents, almost always have disregard for proper waste disposal system, even as he said they indiscriminately dump garbage in water channels, an action he said could result in some discomforting health challenges for the residents.
‘’We are appealing to residents to strictly observe environmental sanitation exercise. Today, we are not satisfied with the level of compliance, especially in Ward D and Ward P. We are going to enforce the law. We are giving final notice to those who flout the law.
‘’The residents should co-operate with the council to rid the council area of dirt by removing garbage thrown in the drainage system; especially in front their houses.”
The council would help to evacuate the garbage and also work towards making residents of various communities in the council to maintain clean environment,” he said.
Corroborating the council chief’s view, the chairman Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr Osinberu Salukaleen said in their monthly Landlords’/ Tenants’ meetings, they would continue to enlighten them on the benefits of keeping their environments clean.
He lamented the nonchalant attitudes of some of the residents who block water channel through dumping of domestic wastes in them.
He urged residents of the community to imbibe good sanitation habits as a way of staying healthy and keeping environmental hazards at bay, saying cleanliness is next to Godliness.
Mr Salukaleen, therefore, urged people of the community to ensure clean environment, saying a dirty environment is a threat to health of children.
Meanwhile, the council chief, in company of some council officials, inspected some streets such as Obafemi Awolowo, Ipodo and Iiori Moses, among others during exercise.
