Lagos Traffic Radio has unveiled live feeds from cameras installed across the state by the government to bring more accurate and believable traffic updates to her listeners, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE
With the launch of the Live Camera Update (LCU) penultimate Thursday, Lagos Traffic Radio 96.1 FM, Africa’s first traffic-focused radio station, has taken another giant step in leveraging the state’s robust investments in technology infrastructure to deliver more travel advisory to its increasing listeners within and beyond the state.
Determined to sustain the smart city dream of his predecessors, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has embarked on the laying of 6, 000 kilometres of fibre optics around the state in its attempt to improve internet penetration and accessibility to residents.
Not only has it delivered 3,000 kilometres of optics, which effectively linked all government institutions and agencies, it has delivered about 300 Closed Circuit Cameras (CCTV) around the city’s strategic roads to complement its efforts at effectively “capturing real time,” developments as they happen across the state.
In partnership with the State’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, headed by Tubosun Alake, the Lagos Traffic Radio has further deepened the bouquet of service of the government with the innovative deployment of CCTV coverage of the state to bring live feeds of traffic situations across the covered areas to its listeners.
In other words, right from its studios, the radio station could see the state’s roads’ traffic and use it to relay travel advisory to millions of its listeners to make informed decisions about their travels or journeys even before they leave their homes.
Before the coming of Lagos Traffic Radio in 2012, residents were often at the mercy of other stations which offered traffic reports just as tokens of social service only during rush hours–mornings and evenings.
Before this giant leap, which the station’s General Manager, Tayo Akanle admitted has taken over two years of careful planning and training, the radio station had relied on live feeds from the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) personnel posted to various road beats to relay live feeds straight to the studio, traffic situations in their various areas.
For more robust coverage, the station also enjoys a strategic partnership with the Ogun State’s Traffic Regulations and Compliance and Enlightenment Agency (TRACE), and the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) both of which helped to cover roads, especially in the border communities lacking LASTMA’s critical presence.
Akanle averred that the station, from inception has been partnering with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, whose officers are often referred to as “Traffic Managers” collate traffic information, while the station uses the power of radio to communicate to the public, who in turn, uses such information to plan their journey.
This effort is also complimented by officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, TRACE Monitors in neighbouring Ogun State and motorists who also supply traffic information using the “Eyewitness Report Strategy.”
Challenged by the need to sustain the THEMES + agenda of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration, and make more robust travel information available to its listeners, the station partnered with the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology to deploy the state’s huge technology to install the CCTV in travel/traffic coverage.
Akanle believed that the live camera project would boost traffic reportage and updates including travel advisories by providing real-time traffic information for the motoring public and commuters within and outside the state.
Corroborating his boss, the Deputy Director of Programmes and Presenter of Your Side Mirror, Victor Oteri recalled several instances where callers had given wrong information which had been relayed only for LASTMA officials on the ground to counter much later.
Oteri believes the deployment of technology would remove such doubts and make its audience believe it more as real-time feeds from the cameras would give life situations on the roads.
Akanle said the governor’s approval of the project has further gone to show his commitment to ensuring that citizens have accurate information that could help make informed traffic management decisions.
He said from its studios, Traffic Radio will receive these feeds directly and translate them into real-time traffic information for commuters and motorists.
The process of connection, he further stated, entails an initial site survey, laying of fibre cables to connect the station’s studios, termination and configuration of connection to the data centre, software installation and testing, and staff training among others.
He said: “As part of its operational reforms towards finding a solution to traffic congestion in the state, the station birthed Motorbike Live Report in which trained Motorbike Live Reporters, give prompt and adequate information live from incident scenes across the metropolis.
The General Manager noted that the station also explored new vistas of opportunities in a bid to expand the horizon for her teeming audience and reflect the Traffic Management and Transportation “T” pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S PLUS agenda by introducing the provision of live reports from the waterways to encourage Lagos residents to embrace water transportation to further decongest the roads.
Akanle hinted that “the station also provides information on flight schedules for local travellers to plan their journey, as well as shipping position on the number of ships berthing at the Ports,” adding that “due to the current realities, the station has also moved from the initial provision of 15 minutes interval for traffic updates to 10 minutes.”
This, according to him, was achieved by re-energising the official social media platforms through the application of tried–and–tested social media strategies and home-grown initiatives, pointing out that this has greatly provided the much-needed leap in the radio’s audience on these social media platforms such as Facebook, which grew from 4,000 likes in 2019 to 76,000 likes in 2023, X (formerly Twitter) which had 15,000 followers in 2019, also grew to 56,000 followers, while live streaming has also been embraced in all the station’s programmes; thus giving its online audience a new experience as they can now view all programmes and presenters through live video from the studio.
While inaugurating the service, Sanwo-Olu praised the Traffic Radio and its management for its commitment to driving the transportation and traffic management component of the THEMES plus agenda and for deepening the Smart City initiative by deploying cameras to road traffic coverage.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi said the project would further boost the administration’s determination to continue to deploy technology to drive effectiveness and efficiency in every facet of government’s operations and service delivery.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso said the inauguration of the ‘Live Camera Update’ will assist commuters to plan their journey and reduce their travel time drastically.
Omotoso, under whose ministry the station is, noted that the ‘Live Camera Update’ will cover over 300 roads and highways in the state in the first instance; and this is expected to grow to about 3,000 roads shortly as more cameras are installed around the state.
He commended the management and members of staff of the station for always thinking out of the box in their determination to bring more comfort to the people of the state who are usually stressed out in traffic.
The Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Tunbosun Alake saluted the doggedness of the station’s General Manager for the actualisation of the project.
Alake, who was represented by Adeyinka Sorungbe, a Director in the ministry, pledged more support for the station. He noted that more cameras will be installed in line with the THEMES Plus agenda of the state government.
During the build-up to the 2023 general elections, some dyed-in-the-wool critics of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had dismissed his policy document or manifesto as something unattainable. On assumption of office, President Tinubu unveiled a more vivid eight-point agenda to turn around the economy and make life comfortable for all Nigerians. In this piece, STANLEY NKWOCHA, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice-President) writes that efforts by the President and Vice-President to realise their dreams of pulling the country out of the woods are paying off through a flurry of economic diplomacy
In his 80-page Renewed Hope policy document released in the build-up to the 2023 general elections, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu listed some action plans.
Top on his priority lists were national security, economy, agriculture, power, oil and gas, transportation and education. He said his objective was to foster a new society based on shared prosperity, tolerance, compassion, and the unwavering commitment to handling each citizen with equal respect and due regard.
And to ensure his campaign promises unfold into a pleasant reality, the President, at the maiden Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held in August, unveiled a more vivid eight-point agenda to turn around the economy and make life comfortable for all Nigerians.
Encapsulating the action plans in the 8-point agenda, he relisted the eight priority areas to include food security, ameliorating poverty, economic growth and job creation, access to capital, improving security, rule of law, fighting corruption and improving the playing field on which people, particularly companies operate.
Since assuming office, President Tinubu has unleashed a flurry of economic diplomacy stemming from his notion that the prestige of any country among the comity of nations is proportionally dependent on its social and economic realities, which explains why governments around the world embark on missions to create an enabling environment to attract local and foreign investments.
Beyond the avalanche of domestic reforms being implemented to create an investment-friendly Nigeria, the President and his deputy have also assumed the position of Nigeria’s marketers-in-chief.
At the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held from September 20-23, 2023 where he delivered his maiden address to the General Assembly on September 20, President Tinubu shot straight, telling the world that “the greatest economy is Nigeria with immense investment opportunities.”
He noted that Africa is not a problem to be avoided or pitied. He said: “Africa is nothing less than the key to the world’s future.”
The Tinubu government is only five months old in office, but within this period, V-P Shettima and his boss have struck a balance never seen in this part of the globe.
The cumulative effects of this synergy are the positive issues arising from the presidential global engagements that have continued to dominate headlines and possibly for some time to come. Some of the high-hanging fruits, which have resonated well with Nigerians, came in handy by way of the recent bumper achievements recorded by the Nigerian delegation under the leadership of President Tinubu to the 3rd Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Forum in China, as well as the Norman Borlaug International Dialogue, World Food Prize 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa, United States of America.
In China where significant milestones in the nation’s journey towards economic prosperity were made, V-P Shettima joined world leaders from over 130 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America at the forum to deliberate on the theme “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity.” The Vice-President availed Nigeria of the platform provided by the forum to woo investors for more developmental projects at high-powered bilateral meetings with other world leaders. He also promoted Nigeria’s trade and investment relations in line with the economic development agenda of the Tinubu administration.
One of the most significant breakthroughs was China’s renewed commitment to the completion of the long-awaited Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kano and Port Harcourt-Maiduguri railway projects, as well as the Lagos-Ibadan railway.
This, economic experts believe, will not only revolutionise the country’s transportation sector but also foster regional connectivity and economic integration. Moreover, the commitments in power generation and digital economy mark crucial steps towards addressing Nigeria’s energy challenges and advancing technological innovations, crucial for sustaining long-term growth.
The signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) valued at $2 billion, alongside the $4 billion worth of letters of intent, reflects the substantial inflow of foreign direct investment into key sectors such as technology, automotive and infrastructure, underlining the growing confidence of international partners in Nigeria’s economic potential.
These agreements, which include partnerships with the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and various Chinese corporations, are poised to drive job creation, technological advancements and overall economic diversification.
Furthermore, the agreement on the construction of the Lekki Deep Blue Seaport contract is a testament to the enduring appeal of Nigeria as a premier investment destination. Such projects not only bolster Nigeria’s status as a regional economic powerhouse but also solidify its position as an industrial hub; attracting diverse industries and promoting sustainable economic growth.
The collaborations with renowned Chinese companies, encompassing fields such as technology, construction and communications underscore the multifaceted nature of the strengthened Nigeria-China relationship, ushering in an era of enhanced technical capabilities, infrastructure development and knowledge transfer.
At the Norman Borlaug International Dialogue, World Food Prize 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, it was another bumper harvest, as Vice-President Shettima wooed investors from the United States and other countries.
He said Nigeria remains the best place to invest given its 70 million hectares of underutilised arable land, which he said is 75 per cent of the country’s total land mass. He told them that, under President Tinubu’s watch, Nigeria has since demonstrated that the Agrifood sector is a top priority.
An instant gain from the V-P’s engagement in that country was the resolve by an American company, John Deere to invest in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, first by setting up a tractor assembly plant in Nigeria. The decision was taken during a meeting between V-P Shettima and top officials of the firm led by its Vice-President of Production Systems, Mr Jason Brantley.
The meeting was facilitated by the Chairman of Flour Mills of Nigeria, Mr John Coumantaros, a long-time investor in Nigeria.
Just as one would think it was already enough takeaways, the African Development Bank (AfDB), Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development announced at the Norman Borlaug International Dialogue that they have voted a whopping $1 billion to further deliver on the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) in 24 states of Nigeria.
President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina said the decision to pump such huge funds was to develop SAPZs in 13 countries.
President Tinubu’s administration’s strategic efforts to create an environment conducive to business and investment have, undoubtedly, paved the way for these remarkable achievements. The emphasis on fostering mutual international cooperation and the removal of bureaucratic bottlenecks demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to building robust partnerships that prioritise respect, mutual benefit and non-interference. These are essential pillars for sustainable global relations.
Just as V-P Shettima told the investors in the United States that Nigeria is committed to transforming agriculture as a pathway to tackling insecurity and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, President Tinubu is, indeed, taking the courageous decision to revamp Nigeria’s economy. There may be painful reforms as certain opposition elements are trying to project them before the citizens, but they are necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the country’s economy.
Tony Blair, a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, once said: “Anyone can say yes, but the hallmark of leadership is the ability to say no when you should.”
This statement underscores the inevitability of courageous decisions in leadership, and it is a quality that President Tinubu has demonstrated in unmistakable terms.
On the other hand, Vice-President Shettima is another leader who embodies the qualities of loyalty, courage and vision. In a country where tribalism and regionalism are often used to divide and conquer, Shettima remains a staunch believer in the unity and progress of Nigeria.
The VP has consistently demonstrated his commitment to a united Nigeria where every citizen is treated equally, regardless of their tribe or ethnicity.
As the country progresses on this path of growth and innovation, it is imperative to sustain this momentum, ensuring that the benefits of these partnerships are effectively harnessed for the holistic advancement of Nigeria and its people as the power of strategic alliances and international cooperation in fostering sustainable development and economic prosperity cannot be overemphasised.
The phasing out of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) subsidy has saved Nigeria the embarrassment of unending queues around retail outlets as speculations of imminent pump price increase have lost the potency for triggering significant panic buying, JOHN OFIKHENUA reports
As unstable, dreaded and persistent as the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) petrol market headache was till May 29, this year, Nigerians were optimistic that, at last, the removal of its subsidy would halt all the associated pain of payment of the subsidy support.
In the coming months, the Federal Government was already heaving a sigh of relief as it saved N400 billion monthly from the courage of halting the age-long payment.
Besides, the eye-catching reality of declining petrol consumption volume excited the government. It was an indication that the courageous phasing out of the payment paid off after all.
Since the government also unified the exchange rates, it fascinated importers of PMS to secure licenses from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
In a jiffy, they joined the hitherto sole importer of the product, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in the business. The operators were jubilating that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) which has since August 2021 paved the way for them to remain only at the mercy of demand and supply was eventually in force. They cheered up over the industry’s full deregulation.
That ecstasy was, however, short-lived. Although the customers were enduring the petrol pump price of N540 per litre with the veneer of hatred, they patched along.
As of August, market fundamentals fueled by soaring exchange rates jacked the price to N617/litre. From murmuring, this triggered audible complaints before the straw that broke the camel’s back, the news that the pump price would hit N700 per litre. However, with a listening ear, the government skillfully halted the soaring wings of the pump price hike.
Thus, on August 15, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Ajuri Ngelale said: “The President wishes to assure Nigerians, following the announcements by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), just yesterday that there will be no increase in the pump price of petroleum motor spirit anywhere in the country.
“We repeat, the President affirms that there will be no increase in the pump price of petroleum motor spirit.”
President Tinubu also acknowledged that there are inefficiencies within the downstream sector that are contributing to the fuel price controversy. He assured that all loopholes associated with the smooth delivery of petroleum products in the country will be addressed without delay.
“The President also wishes to affirm that there are currently inefficiencies within the midstream and downstream petroleum sub-sectors that once very swiftly addressed and cleaned up will ensure that we can maintain prices where they are without having to resort to a reversal of this administration’s deregulation policy in the petroleum industry.”
Consequently, this announcement edged private imports out of the business since they reasoned they would not recoup their money under a sealed pump price regime. They thus quietly quit from further petrol importation.
Similarly, the President of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Alhaji Yusuf Lawal Othman issued a press statement calling on the Federal Government to remove the 7.5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) charge on the Automotive Motor Spirit (AGO). According to him, since the marketers could not hike pump prices, there was no way for an increase in haulage cost.
His words: “This is because without looking at the pump price, marketers cannot increase transportation price. And if they do not do that, we have no choice but to continue to park. And if we continue to park, it will create unwanted disruption of supply and we don’t want that.”
He expressed concern that the cost of operation in the face of a sealed price was unbearable, urging the government to quickly remove the VAT charge.
Othman said: “We are talking about an immediate solution. The instant intervention is the removal of 7.5 per cent VAT on the diesel because it is increasing the cost of the diesel. NARTO is complaining that the high cost of diesel is unbearable.”
Again, President Tinubu removed the VAT charge on diesel to ease its impact on its costs and that of petrol. Since the implementation of the PIA which abhors government regulation of petrol prices is in force, Tinubu intervenes in checkmating whatever acts as a catalyst to petrol pump price hike.
Despite this intervention, the petrol price still wants to surge in a hurry. It wants to slip out of control. As of early October, the marketers would not heed to the plea not to further increase the pump price. While some closed shops, others radically adjusted their pump prices above the N617/per litre. While some marketers said only N630/litre in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) could be cost-reflective, others insisted that the PIA should run its full course. In other words, petrol should sell as much as N1000/litre.
In the next weeks, aside from the NNPCL retail outlets, only a few independent marketers could cope in the business. It was evident that the product was getting scarce. The first to cry out was the Natural Oil and Gas Supplier Association of Nigeria (NOGASA).
Its President, Mr Benneth Korie said depots were deserted, retail outlets were shutting and petrol tanker drivers were parking their trucks down for the unsustainable cost of doing business.
Seeking urgent government intervention to save the market from total shutdown before December, he warned that there may be no petrol in Nigeria in January should the government fail to address the challenges of reducing the cost of diesel before 2023 ends.
He said: “NOGASA is seriously worried that between now and December this year, in the absence of government’s urgent intervention, the increasing loss of lives, businesses and jobs with the accentuation by mass shut of filling stations and packing up of petroleum tankers, all due to unattainable high cost of importation, lifting transportation and distribution of petroleum products.”
In the meantime, as the groaning under higher prices persisted, the President of the Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners’ Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Mr. Billy Harry told The Nation on the phone that accessing the product had become taxing.
He attributed the dearth in supply to a lack of access to the product at the depots. According to him, apart from the NNPCL’s, all other tank farms were dry. The PETROAN boss also attributed the situation to difficulty in accessing foreign exchange and the transaction circle of petrol importation that takes some time.
On why PMS was getting scarce, he said: “I said earlier that every import transaction is dollarised. And we are running an economy that is based on the Nigerian naira. So, every import must have to be equated with dollar value. The dollar value every day is eating into the naira efficiency.
“Today, you cannot get one dollar for less than N995. So, there is no way you can have a little of the product for less than that amount and then you are not going to be able to sell above that price (N617/litre) to make a profit.
“So, clearly, those who have been given licenses could not import if they did not have foreign exchange to back their transactions. That is just the simple reason.”
Similarly, the National Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chief John Kekeocha explained that only NNPCL could sell the product for N617 per litre. According to him, at a point, only AYM Shafa was the only independent marketer vending the product for N617 per litre as others had hiked the prices to N619 to N625/litre. He also blamed the increase on the cost of diesel.
He said: “In Abuja, since yesterday (Tuesday) many filling stations shutdown, including A.Y Shafa. But later in the evening, they started selling. It changed its pump to N625. I don’t know any other station that is still making sales.
“The scarcity is because many independent marketers are not selling. And even the tank farm owners, it is only Shafa that I know who is selling. I don’t know of any other one.
“The product is not much there and the cost of landing the product is quite high because the cost of diesel is very high. A litre of diesel is above a thousand naira.
“For you to move a truck of fuel for instance from Warri to Abuja, you will be talking about N300,000 or more.
“I wonder how many people will make that expense and still come and be selling about N600 or there about.”
On whether the government has not moved against those selling above the official pump price, he said the government has been silent about it perhaps for its inability to cushion the cost of diesel.
“I am sure that adjustment is to accommodate the cost of landing, which the government is silent about because they (the government) cannot make provision for diesel. The government cannot cushion the difference.
The only marketers who might cope with the prevailing prices were those close to the depots.
According to him, their expenditure on diesel was minimal.
Okeocha said: “The diesel cost is high and therefore that makes the landing cost of the product very high, especially at far places…Areas such as Lagos and others can afford to sell at the normal price because the proximity of the source of the product is close.
“They will not incur much cost in diesel. But those who are selling like those staying in Maiduguri, Katsina, Kano Abuja and others, you cannot tell them to sell within N600 or N610 because the landing cost of the product is high because of the high cost of diesel. So, the government is not saying anything about that.”
As most of the marketers have opted out of the business, NNPCL, the single importer of the product, has insisted the product is enough in stock.
Responding to The Nation’s inquest on why PMS was getting scarce, NNPCL Head of Corporate Communication, Iyabo Ojo noted that the company had a product that could last 30 days.
“We have about 30 days sufficiency; so supply isn’t an issue. Road conditions have, however, made trucking quite challenging for all marketers,” she said.
She also attributed the apparent scarcity of PMS to the deplorable condition of the roads which made haulage of the product hectic for marketers.
Despite the gloomy scenario, the removal of subsidies has recorded some enviable gains. Not only the smuggling of the product has reduced, but other evidence of the gain is that neighbouring countries are weeping over President Tinubu’s action.
In addition, phasing out subsidies has checkmated the lifestyle of reckless consumers of the product. This has freed the roads of vehicular congestion and minimally reduced fossil fuel emissions.
The greatest gain so far is the controlled consumption figure. Although the NMDPRA has not opened up the average volume consumed in the country daily, it is obvious that the figure keeps crashing daily.
To further earn public confidence, the NMDPRA needs to lay bare the country’s average daily PMS consumption figure. This can encourage the enduring citizenry that their patience pays. Again, Nigerians are already upbeat that savings from subsidy removal will be deployed to massive concrete road construction across the country.
Above all, the removal of subsidies has saved the country the embarrassment of endless queues around petrol stations across the country. For the higher pump prices, speculations about imminent further hikes no longer induce significant panic buying.
Thus, it is obvious that the government needs to put on a thinking cap to arrive at measures that can reduce the pump prices for the benefit of the citizens.
Access to quality healthcare is a fundamental right that every citizen deserves. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, the lack of adequate health care coverage has been a pressing concern for years. Addressing this challenge head-on, the Yobe State Government took a decisive step in 2017 by establishing the Yobe Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (YOCHMA). In this report, JOEL DUKU examines the substantial impact this agency has made since its inception, exploring the growing number of beneficiaries, the extent of coverage and the unwavering commitment of the government to ensure its success
Establishment and objectives
Established in June 2017, the Yobe Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (YOCHMA) prides itself on the primary objective of fast-tracking the attainment of Universal Health Coverage by providing access to quality healthcare for civil servants and reducing their out-of-pocket expenditure in the state. The agency’s inception marked a milestone in the state’s healthcare sector, as it aimed to alleviate the burden of medical expenses for public servants and their dependents.
Number of benefiting civil servants
Over the past six years, the YCHMA has made significant progress in expanding its coverage and reach. As of the latest available data, more than 96 per cent of civil servants and their family members have enrolled as beneficiaries of YOCHMA. This development has not only improved the health and well-being of these public servants but also eased their financial strain in terms of medical expenses.
Coverage of health facilities
One of the key achievements of the YOCHMA is the establishment of a vast network of health facilities under its coverage. The agency has partnered with numerous public and private healthcare providers, including hospitals, clinics and primary healthcare centres to ensure a comprehensive healthcare system for its beneficiaries.
Currently, the YOCHMA covers over 300 health facilities across the state, thus ensuring that beneficiaries have access to medical services in both urban and rural areas. The Yobe State University Teaching Hospital (YSUTH), the state specialist’s hospital, all the general hospitals across the state and 178 primary healthcare centres are all facilities that are being used by YOCHMA.
Commendations from other agencies
The YOCHMA’s efforts and achievements have not gone unnoticed by other agencies and stakeholders in the healthcare sector.
In the circumstances, the agency has received commendations from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for its effective implementation of health programmes and commitment to improving healthcare access for civil servants. These recognitions have further bolstered the agency’s reputation and motivated it to continue its endeavours in expanding healthcare coverage. During the 50-year celebration of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), YOCHMA received an award for being the most impactful agency in the state.
One of the critical factors contributing to the YOCHMA’s success is the unwavering commitment of the Yobe State Government to the agency’s mission. Since its establishment, the government has allocated substantial funds and resources to support the agency’s operations and ensure that it operates seamlessly. This commitment is evident in the timely disbursement of funds to healthcare providers and consistent monitoring of the agency’s performance to maintain transparency and accountability.
The Executive Secretary’s role
The Executive Secretary of the YOCHMA, Dr. Babagana Tijani has played a pivotal role in the agency’s growth and impact. Dr. Tijani has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a deep understanding of the healthcare sector’s challenges. Under his guidance, the agency has achieved remarkable milestones, including the expansion of its coverage, successful partnerships with healthcare providers and the implementation of innovative healthcare programmes.
His commitment to the agency’s vision and mission has garnered recognition from various stakeholders and has earned the agency’s trust and respect for both the healthcare community and the beneficiaries.
Due to the commitment of the agency’s Chief Executive, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have committed N229 million and N30 million respectively for the enrollment of more vulnerable people in the scheme for the state.
“I am happy that the Agency has created a huge awareness base in the state which has caused the enrollment of 96 per cent of the population of civil servants.
“Our major concern is that we have zero-tolerance for out-of-stock in our facilities,” Dr. Tijani said.
Impact on healthcare accessibility
The establishment of the Yobe Contributory Healthcare Management Agency has had a transformative effect on healthcare accessibility for civil servants and their families. According to the Yobe State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Mohammed Gana, YOCHMA has strengthened the quality of healthcare delivery services.
“Beneficiaries of the scheme now have access to a wide range of medical services, including preventive care, consultations, diagnostics, and treatment, without enduring financial hardship,” Dr Gana said.
Reduction in out-of-pocket expenses
Dr Gana also said that the scheme has significantly reduced out-of-pocket expenditures on the civil servants. “Before the agency’s implementation, civil servants had to bear the brunt of medical costs, leading to significant financial strain on their families. However, with the introduction of the YOCHMA’s contributory healthcare system, civil servants now contribute a portion of their salaries towards their healthcare coverage and the government provides subsidies to cover the remaining expenses. This has not only eased the financial burden on beneficiaries but has also encouraged more civil servants to seek timely medical attention, thereby preventing health issues from escalating into more severe conditions,” the commissioner said.
Its impact on the system
The YOCHMA’s collaboration with various healthcare providers has not only increased the number of covered facilities but has also encouraged investments in healthcare infrastructure.
As the demand for quality healthcare services increased, many health facilities upgraded their equipment and services to meet the required standards for inclusion in the agency’s network. This improvement in healthcare infrastructure has had a ripple effect on the entire state, benefitting not just the beneficiaries of YOCHMA but also the general public.
The YOCHMA’s focus on preventive care and maternal health has shown promising results. The agency has implemented programmes to ensure regular antenatal care for expectant beneficiaries, leading to a reduction in maternal mortality rates.
Additionally, access to quality pediatric care has resulted in improved child health outcomes, including increased immunisation rates and better management of childhood illnesses. The agency’s efforts in these areas have been recognised by national and international health organisations and have contributed to the overall improvement of healthcare indicators in Yobe State.
On the impact of the scheme, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Yobe State Specialist Hospital Damaturu, Dr. Usman Abba Geidam said it has created access to healthcare services in the state, improved facilities at the hospitals and improved training of members of staff.
His words: “Look at this facility, (Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital Damaturu) as big as we are, our monthly overhead from the government of Yobe State is N125,000. That is what the hospital management board gives us every month to run the affairs of the entire hospital and we cannot overcharge patients for the services that we render.
“As a result of what YOCHMA does, the number of patients coming to the hospital has increased. This means that more citizens are accessing more healthcare services through the YOCHMA scheme.
“So, you can see that we make some profit out of that business partnership that we have with YOCHMA. We use the proceeds to develop our skills and the facilities at the hospital because YOCHMA clients can be admitted to any ward of the hospital. So, we make sure that those wards are maintained to the best standard for our clients.
“We also use part of the money for training and the re-training of the members of staff which is crucial. During the 129 days that I have been the Chief Medical Director of this hospital, we have had four different training sessions from YOCHMA. We trained the entire nurses’ leadership, 47 of them who are heading units. We invited a consultant who trained them and everything that was required was presented to them.
“Imagine a security man who earns N32,000 and has one wife and seven children and he is contributing just 1,100. His deduction of five hears cannot afford him surgery but with YOCHMA, he can afford that comfortably. If you go to YOCHMA clinic, it is the most crowded because there is access,” the CMD said.
During a visit to the YOCHMA clinic which is located within the specialist hospital Damaturu, this reporter saw a number of families who came to access the services of the Agency.
Those who spoke with this reporter attested to how the scheme has almost made them feel they are accessing free medical care.
“My three children developed a fever. I brought them here for medical care. They were treated free because YOCHMA has already paid from my monthly contribution. I do not feel it at all. It looks as though everything is free,” Mustapha, a resident of Damaturu said.
“We are no longer afraid to come to the hospital because YOCHMA has got me covered,” Abdullahi said.
Hajiya Ladidi with her two daughters was leaving the facility when the reporter met them at the exit door. She was overheard telling a man who apparently was her husband that “this YOCHMA scheme is the best thing that this government has done for us the talakas (common people). “Look at the drugs and the treatment we received and we are walking away as if it’s free.” Her husband replied “Gaskiya ne Hajiya!”
Future prospects
Looking ahead, the YOCHMA has ambitious plans to further expand its coverage and improve the quality of healthcare services for its beneficiaries. The agency aims at increasing the number of partner healthcare facilities, particularly in underserved rural areas, to ensure equitable access to healthcare services.
In addition, the YOCHMA plans to introduce more specialised healthcare programmes and health awareness campaigns to promote preventive care and disease management,” the Executive Secretary, Dr. Babagana Tijani said.
In conclusion, the Yobe Contributory Healthcare Management Agency has proven to be a game-changer in the healthcare landscape of Yobe State. By providing accessible and affordable healthcare for civil servants, the agency has improved health outcomes, reduced financial burden and demonstrated the potential of a contributory healthcare model.
The commitment of the Yobe State Government under the leadership of Governor Mai Mala Buni and the exemplary leadership of the Executive Secretary of the YOCHMA continues to pave the way for a healthier and more prosperous future for its beneficiaries, setting an example for other states in Nigeria to emulate.
`In a significant development within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), Vice-President Kashim Shettima has pledged to overcome the challenges posed by electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos). He aims to establish bilateral electricity sales directly to end-users at the Agbara industrial cluster within the next six months. This initiative will be facilitated through power generated by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) power plants, as reported by JOHN OFIKHENUA`In a significant development within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), Vice-President Kashim Shettima has pledged to overcome the challenges posed by electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos). He aims to establish bilateral electricity sales directly to end-users at the Agbara industrial cluster within the next six months. This initiative will be facilitated through power generated by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) power plants, as reported by JOHN OFIKHENUA
If Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s assurance holds true, the Agbara Industrial Cluster will soon enjoy a direct power supply from the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) within the next six months. This promising development is expected to alleviate the long-standing challenges faced by industrial customers, who have struggled with the high costs of off-grid power due to the national grid’s inconsistent supply.
The Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) has traditionally relied on electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to provide power to end-users. However, these DisCos have often failed to meet their supply obligations, leaving industrial and residential customers without reliable electricity. Additionally, the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Power to bypass DisCos through initiatives such as the Eligible Customer Regulation and the Meter Asset Provider Regulation faced significant challenges. With the enactment of the 2023 Electricity Act, the path is now clear for states and private investors to enter the power sector, thereby relieving the national grid of its persistent strain.
On October 12, 2023, Vice-President Shettima, who also serves as the Chairman of Directors at NDPHC, led the NDPHC management team to a business roundtable at the Ogun State Property Investment Corporation (OPIC) Industrial Estate in Agbara, Ogun State, marking a significant step toward this transformative initiative. There, Shettima assured industry owners of the determination of the Federal Government to bypass infrastructure obstacles and supply electricity to them through NDPHC in a cheaper and sustainable manner. The bilateral power purchase agreement will ensure that those businesses get power at 60 per cent cheaper than what they currently pay for energy. None of the businesses currently operating within the Agbara industrial cluster consumes energy from the national grid.
Thus, Shetima promised that NDPHC, which is jointly owned by the three tiers of government (federal, state and local governments) will give them needed power within the next six months. The NDPHC Managing Director, Mr. Chiedu Ugbo noted that the business meeting signified the unwavering commitment and preparedness of the firm, under his watch, in strategic collaboration with esteemed partners to undertake bilateral electricity sales to end-users. According to him, the primary objective of the initiative is to ensure a consistent, reliable and cost-effective supply of electricity from NDPHC’s power plants to the extensive industrial and business clusters in Agbara and throughout Nigeria. His words: “NDPHC is a wholly-owned government company responsible for implementing the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), which aims at enhancing electricity generation with associated electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure, for the benefit of Nigerians.”
NDPHC has successfully constructed eight power plants with a combined capacity of approximately 4,000 MW, as well as various transmission and distribution infrastructures. A significant portion of the capacity remained stranded due to constraints within the transmission and distribution system, distribution losses, gas limitations and the financial burden on the Federal Government’s balance sheet through NBET, the FG-owned primary bulk purchaser of electricity that on-sells to electricity distribution companies in Nigeria.
With the evolving regulatory framework of the NESI and the declaration of eligible customers, NDPHC has identified opportunities to revolutionise the industry through end-to-end solutions that increase electricity access for Nigerian homes and businesses and reduce the financial burden on the Federal Government’s balance sheet. “This event is a public manifestation of the months of diligent work by the NDPHC team and our project partners, devising creative and viable solutions to address power supply challenges in NESI. NDPHC remains at the forefront of the industry in pursuing bilateral power sales and other projects that ensure efficient and targeted power delivery to end-users. We are delighted to witness the incremental results of our collaborative efforts with our partners during today’s events.
“We are grateful for the Federal Government’s support, represented by our Board Chairman, the Vice-President and the state governments, represented by the governors of Ogun and Lagos states. We are fully aware that beyond the celebrations of today’s event, there remains a substantial amount of work to be done to successfully implement this programme and deliver steady, reliable and affordable electricity to Nigerian industrial clusters,” Ugbo said.
He affirmed NDPHC’s unwavering commitment to the successful execution of the project, not only in Agbara but also in various locations across the country. Continuing, he revealed that the company is prepared to distribute power to other industrial clusters in the country. According to him, the step will prune the technical and commercial losses.
The Managing Director said: “Aside OPIC industrial cluster at Agbara, we are ready to supply electricity to other industrial clusters in Nnewi, Port Harcourt, Kano and others. We recently signed an agreement with Ibadan Distribution Company. We will put a system in place that will allow us to collect our tariffs and also ensure the security of supply. Just a few days ago, we signed a framework agreement with Ibadan DisCo to supply power directly to industries around Shagamu. We are equally ready to work with partners in supplying electricity to residential areas directly on a bilateral basis. All it takes is to minimise technical losses, which has to do with poles and wires; commercial losses, which has to do with technology in order to ensure that there is no power theft or that power theft is reduced and of course, eliminate collection losses, which has to do with metering.”
Furthermore, a press statement from the State House on the roundtable noted that Shettima explained that the ongoing power projects to light up industrial clusters across the country are an indication that the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration is on a journey of rekindling the flames of enterprise. He added that the Federal Government’s commitment to revamping Nigeria’s infrastructure framework was the much-needed drive in empowering Nigerians and strengthening the country’s economic policies. According to him, while the government has embraced the past as a lesson in mapping a new path for a robust power sector, the historical mistakes that have brought Nigeria to the point it is are rather an inspiration to work harder.
The Vice-President said: “For too long, some of these ventures were forced to pack up, their potential stifled by the persistent energy constraints. Today, we embark on a journey of empowerment aimed at rekindling the flames of enterprise and ensuring that the promise of prosperity prevails over the darkness of past hindrances. We have gone a full cycle in the search for solutions to our energy crisis. We have unbundled and privatized the power assets in generation, transmission, and distribution. We have also implemented the National Integrated Power Project through the NDPHC.”
He vowed to closely monitor the progress of work in the ongoing power projects to light up industrial clusters across the country, with a view to holding every relevant official accountable. “I assure you that, in my capacity as the Board Chairman of NDPHC, I will hold every relevant official accountable and closely monitor the progress achieved in this project. We owe Nigerians this success story,” the Vice-President said.
Senator Shettima reiterated the commitment of the Tinubu administration “to provide the necessary institutional and policy support to ensure the successful delivery” of the project. In his address titled “Lighting the Path to Economic Development,” the Vice-President expressed gratitude to the Governors of Ogun, Lagos and Oyo states where the NDPHC was already developing similar projects, as well as the companies involved. He noted that the partnership between state-owned power companies and the private sector was an embodiment of progress, teamwork and commitment to fostering synergy to enhance the productivity of businesses and institutions.
The partnership, according to him, doesn’t only align with the vision of the Federal Government to transform Nigeria into a premier investment destination but also to serve as an industrial benchmark in Africa. He added that it was an affirmation of President Tinubu’s resolve to revamp the country’s infrastructure framework. Shettima said: “The launch of this strategic collaboration between the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC) and its key partners for the design, development and operation of projects to supply dedicated, steady and quality power to major industrial and commercial clusters in Nigeria echoes President Tinubu’s pledge to reinvigorate our country’s infrastructure framework.
“The choice of Agbara, Ogun State, as the pilot site of this owes to its function as an artery of Nigeria’s industrial structure. This is our resolve to breathe new life into the enterprises that sustain our economy.”
Noting that addressing the supply deficit in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) is an intervention that aims to reverse “the generational setbacks that businesses with immense promise have endured,” Shettima said it was one thing to attract investors to the country and another to make them stay. He further assured that lighting up industrial clusters across the country signposts the beginning of a promised opportunity for Nigeria. “By mobilising private capital, harnessing the generation portfolio of NDPHC, and utilising the existing power delivery infrastructure, we aim to provide a consistent, reliable and high-quality power supply to specific customer clusters with substantial capacity demands.
“This effort has initiated an industrial revival of significant magnitude. In essence, it implies that, after a considerable period, the NESI will experience a substantial increase in supply levels without the necessity of injecting public funds, delivering nearly continuous power precisely where it’s most critical for our economy,” he said.
Senator Shettima described the host community, Agbara, as an archetype of what private sector investment, innovation and entrepreneurship could accomplish in the economic and infrastructural development of a nation, noting that other planned industrial clusters are a manifestation of how private capital could “drive industrial development and foster economic prosperity.”
The Vice-President revealed plans by the Federal Government to ensure the industrial clusters unfolded into a reality. “We are not only committed to providing the institutional and policy support necessary to enable, promote, and sustain this private sector-led initiative but also to paving the way for the emergence of synchronised development in transmission and distribution infrastructure, aligned with the demands of industrial customers. “This infrastructure is designed for the efficient and reliable transmission of power from NDPHC’s plants. We will deploy the appropriate technology to ensure the efficient operation of the networks and to minimise commercial, collection, and technical losses that have plagued the industry,” he said.
Earlier, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun said the location of the pilot phase of the initiative is due to the viability of the Agbara Industrial Area as the most successful industrial estate in the country. He said the initiative aligns with his administration’s drive to provide critical infrastructure in industrial clusters across the state. He thanked President Tinubu and Vice-President Shettima for prioritising the power sector, noting that it will unlock potential in different sectors of the economy.
The Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, said the interaction with stakeholders around the Agbara Industrial Estate was part of efforts by the Federal Government to deliver safe and reliable electricity to industrial and heavy-user clusters across the country. He expressed optimism that the initiative to ensure effective power supply to the Agbara Industrial Estate would be achieved and can be a model to be replicated across the country.
The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat said the challenges experienced in the power sector can be surmounted with effective collaboration and partnership as well as adherence to set standards and due process. He urged all stakeholders to be cautious in their comments and opinions about systems and institutions in Nigeria. Aside from the roundtable, the V-P held interactions with representatives of the different clusters in the industrial area. He had earlier on arrival at the Strong Pack premises, the venue of the event, toured the production lines at the factory.
Recall that the NDPHC which manages the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) was conceived in 2004 as a fast-track government-funded initiative to stabilise Nigeria’s electricity supply system while the private sector-led structure of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA) of 2005 took effect. It is an emergency intervention scheme to tackle the deficit and expand the power sector infrastructure in the country. The company’s key mandate was to develop 10 power plants with a designed ISO capacity of 5,067MW. It has so far completed eight power plants with a capacity of about 4,000MW.
In power generation, eight of the 10 power plants in the NIPP portfolio, along with associated gas transmission metering/receiving infrastructure projects to support commercial operation, have been commissioned and connected to the national grid contributing over 22,000,000kWh of energy daily subject to the availability of gas. NPDHC has over 3,000MW of generation capacity available for deployment if the grid permits and this represents the best opportunity for the rapid improvement of power supply to the teaming Nigerians. It should be noted that completed power plants include 750MW Olorunsogo II, 450MW (Ogorode) Sapele, 434MW Geregu II, 450MW Omotosho II, 450MW Ihovbor, 450MW Alaoji, 563MW Calabar and 225MW Gbarain. The 225MW Omoku, 338MW Egbema and 530MW Alaoji steam machines would wrap up the total available capacity of the plants to 1,774MW on full completion. Many of the NIPP power plants on the national grid also provide ancillary services like spinning reserves to support the system operations, a contribution critical for stabilising the national grid.
The NDPHC has completed 2,194km of 330kV transmission lines and 809km of 132kV transmission lines. This represents an increase of 46% and 13% respectively over the pre-NIPP status of grid infrastructure. A total of 10 new 330/132kV substations and 7 new 132/33kV substations have also been completed with several other existing substations significantly expanded thereby adding 5,590MVA and 3,313MVA capacity to the national grid. NIPP contributions to the transmission grid system have transformed the hitherto radial 330kV/132kV grid into a more robust grid system with significant provision of alternative power flow routes which now serve as redundancies and have resulted in a more reliable and stable Nigerian grid.
Of note in these respects are the inauguration of the over 220km long 330kV Double Circuit (DC) lines providing alternative thermal power into Abuja and the FCT from Geregu, through a new Lokoja sub-station, a new Gwagwalada sub-station into the existing TCN Katampe and Apo sub-stations with several significant expansion works on existing substation developments along this route.
Those present at the occasion include Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun and Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Minister of Power, Commissioners from Lagos and Ogun states, captains of industry from Agbara, Lekki-Epe industrial cluster, Shagamu industrial cluster and traditional rulers from Ogun and Lagos states.
The World Bank-assisted Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project ends this September after a six-year operation in six states. OYEBOLA OWOLABI, who toured some of the project sites in Lagos, reports on the success stories and why beneficiaries pray for continuity.
The World Bank-assisted Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project began in 2017 in six states of Nigeria. It was a tripartite agreement among the World Bank, the Federal Government and the states, each of which paid a counterpart fund.
The project focused solely on three value chains of aquaculture, rice and poultry. But beyond this, the Project Office in Lagos State went the extra mile to empower beneficiaries by building physical infrastructures; beneficiaries received capacity-building training on bookkeeping, insurance, group dynamics, cooperatives and others. The project has also established a micro-finance bank so that beneficiaries can get second-level financing.
Interventions
One distinct feature of the project was that it didn’t support individual farmers; there had to be a cluster of farmers who must have started their businesses before the project would intervene with fresh workable solutions to boost the venture. It also did not work alone; it partnered with some other agencies such as the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NISPRI) to bring its ideas to bear.
Badagry
Farmers at the fish cottage processing centre at Afowo were supported with cages, all male tilapia and feed. Rice farmers at Gberefu were supported with nets for bird scaring, herbicide and improved seed.
Epe
Fish cottage processing centre at Ebute Afuye, farmers were supported with cages, all male tilapia and feed. Rice farmers at Itoikin were supported with nets for bird scaring, and herbicide and improved seed and poultry farmers were supported with aggregation centres comprising blast freezing technology, cold room and other technologies.
Ojo
Farmers in Ojo Military Cantonment were supported with fish processing centres, pelletised feed and nipple-fitted drinkers, while fish farmers were supported with collapsible and probiotic feed. Also, at Aiyedoto, the project supported the cluster with waste processing centres.
Ibeju-Lekki
Rice farmers in Ibeju and its environs were supported with nets, herbicides and improved seeds. The Aboriji cluster was supported by a cottage rice processing centre.
Ikorodu
Poultry farmers in the Erikorodo cluster were supported with an egg aggregation centre, comprising equipment for sorting and conditioning eggs. Poultry farmers at the Itamaga cluster were also supported with a cottage processing centre, while fish farmers were supported with collapsible and probiotic feed.
Alimosho
In Alimosho, fish farmers were supported with collapsible and probiotic feeds. The Mosan cluster and its environs were supported by a fish cottage processing centre. Also, bird and egg marketers were supported with haulage trucks. The market clusters for bird marketers were supported with de-feathering machines, modern iron cages and generators.
Waste to wealth
The APPEALS project also empowered the beneficiaries in turning waste into wealth. Women and youths were trained in turning broken rice into flour, rice cake, noodles, kunu and some other products. The rice husk is also used as a substrate for mushrooms and can also be used as a briquette to smoke fish.
The fish farmers were also taught how to harvest water hyacinths and turn them into fertiliser for rice farmers, and build barriers around their cages to prevent the water hyacinths from entering them.
Besides, they could also make fish crackers, fillets and fish meal from the fish.
So, nothing is a waste in the value chains supported by the project.
Six years later, beneficiaries are testifying and counting their gains. They are full of praise for the project for empowering them beyond expectation.
‘We are no longer dependent on our husbands’
Farmers at the Ojo Barracks are all women and wives of top military officers. They are proud of their achievements and happy that APPEALS emboldened them to expand their subsistence fish and poultry farming. Now they are better off financially. Their aquaculture and poultry farms sit on an expanse of land that cannot be simply measured. The project assisted the women with an aggregation centre which has a blast freezer, cold room and smoking kin, with a stand-by generator. They were also given improved feeds and chicks.
The C oordinator, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Oloyede said they are no longer dependent on their husbands but have become women who have begun to contribute and enhance the country’s food security.
She said: “APPEALS has done great things for us. We have really enjoyed the intervention. In fact, many others joined us when they saw what we were doing. We are also practising the waste-to-wealth system because waste from poultry and fish farms is used for farming. And the good thing is that we don’t have to pay for land.
We have been greatly helped and we will continue to do great things through this business.
“But, similar to Oliver Twist, we will ask for more. Our major constraint on the farm is power. We are yet to have electricity on the farm. We appeal to APPEALS to help us in that regard.”
Another beneficiary, Mrs. Adesola Bello was full of praises for APPEALS.
“I appreciate the World Bank/APPEALS project for this great support. I’m very grateful because I wouldn’t have been what I am today if not for the support. From the subsistence farming in our backyards, see how much we have grown. Now, I can boldly bring out money from my pocket for better things, all thanks to the APPEALS project.”
The State Project Coordinator, Mrs. Oluranti Sagoe-Oviebo was particularly excited about the progress the women have made so far. She recalled their humble beginning and praised them for staying true to the cause.
She said: “When the APPEALS project came on board, we encouraged the women to come together as a group and have an estate. The result is what we’re seeing today. The project has supported over 80 of them in the areas of aquaculture and poultry. The aggregation centre is also NAFDAC-approved, and they can export their fish because it has met international standards. Everything here is certified, from start to finish.
“The women said they wanted to smoke and blast-freeze some of their broilers. So, the aggregation centre was purpose-built. We also supported them with improved day-old chicks, pelletised feed and nipple-fitted drinkers and in six weeks, they’re able to sell their broilers at an average of 2.5kg/2.8kg, as against the 2kg they got in eight weeks before the intervention. This is a major success story for us.
“It also means they can produce broilers all-year-round, since they can blast-freeze; unlike before when farmers could only produce broilers during festive periods.
“We have also engaged the business alliance technique, where we have off-takers whose sole responsibility is to buy from them, blast-freeze, and sell. This is a major success story for us because two years ago, things didn’t look this way. Now, there is a huge transformation.”
Sagoe-Oviebo, however, advised the women to own the business to ensure continuity and sustainability.
“The NAOWA women have been very supportive and encouraging. They went the extra mile to fill in the gaps beyond what the APPEALS project has done. I encourage them to own whatever support they have been given. Ownership is crucial.
“Whatever they have gotten is a grant, but a loan to the government. So, we cannot allow these things to be wasted. That’s why we preach group dynamics. We have done a lot as regards group dynamics, operation and maintenance, and also taught them the need to form committees.
“I’m sure that they will be glad to be able to contribute to the food basket of Nigeria. So, I implore them to keep owning the business. Agriculture is a business and not a hobby. So, if they see it as a business, we will go all the way out.”
‘I sponsor my children’s education with proceeds from rice farming’
For rice farmers in Gberefu Badagry, their story changed for the better after the intervention by APPEALS. The farm sits on about 400 hectares.
The project supported them with fertilisers, ripe seeds, chemicals, nets, weeder and a combined harvester.
The Vice-Chairman of the Rice Farmers’ Association Lagos State chapter, Raphael Hunsa described the intervention as Godsend.
He said: “APPEALS has done so much beyond our expectations. I’m very proud to be a rice farmer because without food we can’t live. Our rice farm sits on about 400 hectares of land. Before APPEALS’ intervention, we were farming for consumption. But APPEALS made us know we can go commercial. They supported us in the journey. The combined harvester has particularly been helpful.
“I’ve been paying my children’s school fees with the proceeds from this farm. I won’t relent in my efforts. I and my fellow farmers will continue to contribute our own quota to ensure that there is food sufficiency in Lagos State. As it stands now, there are other 100 farmers willing to join us. With them, I am sure we will go places.
“I also want to really appreciate the State Coordinator, Mrs. Oluranti Sagoe-Oviebo and her team for standing with us through it all. I promise we will not let you down.”
‘Our return on investment doubled to 40 per cent’
The aquaculture system in Afowo Community Badagry is another success story to come out of the APPEALS Project. The success encouraged some private people to copy the APPEALS model in their own investments too.
The farmers were focused on catfish until APPEALS showed them a better option. They were supported with new breeds of all-male Tilapia fish, and a new cage culture different from the earthen ponds they were used to.
The project also built an aggregation centre for post-harvest procedures. The centre boasts of a standard blast-freezer, cold room, laboratory, processing and packaging room (descaling and filleting) and a standby electricity generating set. The project also built an access road and a new jetty to access the water.
The President of the Lagos State Catfish and Allied Farmers’ Association (LASCAFAN), Sejiro Michael said their ROI rose to about 40 per cent following the novel ideas introduced by the APPEALS project team.
He said: “Seeing makes one to believe. We all can see how much investment has been put in here. Our contribution as farmers is less than 10 per cent. This intervention by APPEALS has generated boundless opportunities because it’s a boundless chain. So many people are making it within the value chain so much so that we can’t quantify it.
“The project has transformed the community beyond our expectations because other businesses sprang up after this was established. Marketing, construction, net-making and other aspects of the project are now handled by the natives. Everyone is making their own money.
“But with the APPEALS intervention, our profitability has improved. If you put 1,000 fingerlings in your cage, you can expect between 900 and 950 because mortality is expected, but not like we had in the era of the earthen ponds, when our profitability was around five per cent ROI. But now, we record about 30 to 40 per cent ROI, which is a very good one for any business.
“In all, we are grateful to APPEALS project and the team for their help, they really made us better.”
‘The fish cycle begins with us’
To get a good harvest, it is important to have a good brood stock. This is where the hatchers come in. The APPEALS project also intervened in the hatchery department by helping this set of farmers with their specific needs to make their work easier.
The President of the association, Olumayowa Jolaoluwa thanked the project team for listening to them and making their business more profitable.
He said: “We are grateful to the APPEALS project team for listening to us. And since the intervention, it has been from good to good. Our production strength has improved greatly and now we have customers from Cotonou, Ghana, and even Cameroon.
“The project assisted us with water treatment plants, new brood stock, quality feed, a good water tank, and a solar panel to pump water because we need water round the clock. We were also supported with a quality brood stock bank that will boost our production of quality breeds.
“We promise to build on this legacy and do more to improve ourselves.”
Going forward
In summing up the essence of the APPEALS project, Mrs Sagoe-Oviebo said the project was intended to make a great impact. So, the success stories will continue even after the project ceases to exist.
She said: “The APPEALS project which began six years ago ends this month, but the success stories will continue because the beneficiaries have been so empowered to guard and nurture their businesses.
“At the outset, APPEALS was focused on teaching farmers the best way of doing things, coupled with new technology to aid their efforts. No two aggregation centres are the same; each one is unique to what that cluster requires.
For instance, the one in Ojo Barracks has a smoking kin, a blast freezer and a cold room, while the one in Afowo does not have a smoking kin.
“One of the legacies the project is also leaving behind is the Eko APPEALS Microfinance Bank which will be ready soon. We want every beneficiary to be part of it so that they can easily access second-level financing. This will help fill whatever gaps that the APPEALS project could not meet. They can always source funding from the bank so far as their records are clean and complete.”
Mrs Sagoe-Oviebo also thanked the Lagos State government for being fully committed to the project from start to finish. She hinted at the government’s willingness to continue with the project, especially after the success stories recorded in six years.
She said: “APPEALS will always be here by God’s grace. The Lagos State government is passionate and I know they will not leave you just like that. And we will not leave you just like that. It is only Lagos that has contributed the highest amount of counterpart funding.
“But you must own this enterprise. You must desire to make an impact and change the narrative of agriculture in Lagos and Nigeria.”
Since the surveillance contract for the protection of and prevention of oil theft was awarded to TSSNL, the issues of pipeline vandalism, crude adulteration, racketeering and profiteering have become things of the past. There has been relative peace and calm as well as a reduction in the number of oil barrels that the country loses to oil thieves. For continuity, stakeholders urge the Federal Government to expand the scope and renewal of the contract to Tantita Security Service Nigeria Limited (TSSNL). CHINAKA OKORO reports.
The Niger Delta region has been in the news for long. Most times for the wrong reasons. Its oil accounts for almost 90 per cent of the value of Nigeria’s exports, but the area, according to economic watchers, remains one of Nigeria’s least developed regions.
As a result of what pundits described as “perceived structural injustice,” in the region, agitation and conflicts sprout in almost every part of the area that constitutes the Niger Delta region.
The youth of the areas were unhappy about the low level of infrastructural development. They, therefore, felt sidelined in the state of affairs of the area. Agitations were said to have been activated by the youth, though without no support from the elders who feel sad about the sidelining of the region despite its huge contributions to the country’s economic growth. Their support was tacit, though.
The region became notorious for its agitation for resource control and armed conflicts in the mid-1990s.
To provide a solution to the intractable problem, the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo established the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2000. The creation of the Commission was also aimed at ending the violence and spur socio-economic development in the area.
Exacerbated by poverty, political disenfranchisement, and the easy availability of firearms, armed groups fought one another over the control of illegally acquired oil, otherwise known as “bunkering” and engaged in violent acts against oil companies.
Committed to the development of the area, the Obasanjo administration also developed the Niger Delta Peace and Security Strategy, which was to complement the Niger Delta Master Plan, an outline of plans for economic and social development in the region.
Although Obasanjo did his best in terms of quelling the restiveness of the youth, it was the late President Musa Yar’dau that, in 2009, established the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) for the youth and people of the Niger Delta.
The programme was intended to assuage the feelings and yearnings of the rising population of the Niger Delta, particularly as it concerns the material and human development in the region and to stem the tide of armed struggle.
Added to the reason for the establishment of the PAP by Yar’Adua was the growing need to integrate the people whose wealth, as it were, is the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy into the mainstream of the country’s political developments and possibly end agitation engendered by years of alleged marginalisation.
The programme was all-embracing and that deeply etched President Yar’dua in the hearts of the people.
Those indigenous to the Niger Delta region regard the late Yar’dua as a man who had the well-being of the people at heart. They reason that he thought through the need to assuage the ugly feelings of the people; hence the need to calm frayed nerves. The programme, by their reckoning, remained largely successful.
Incidentally, it was an era when the criminal enterprise of oil theft was at its peak. The illicit trade in oil theft became a thing of pride as men and women of the region proudly stole and traded in crude which belongs to all Nigerians.
The ripple effect of the oil theft grew to its crescendo when successive administrations looked the other way; which made security agents flourish in the trade.
It has been alleged that some of them bribed their way into serving in the region, and examples abound where a police sergeant, within three months of posting to the oil-rich region acquired multi-million naira properties in choice areas in the country.
The flourishing circle of oil theft in that region came to a crescendo when Nigeria’s oil quota plummeted drastically largely due to theft in the oil industry.
Pipeline vandalism, crude adulteration, racketeering and profiteering were the order of the day, while the country’s vault bears the brunt while oil thieves smiled to the banks. The illicit trade didn’t exclude men and women within the corridors of power as it became known that a large percentage of oil theft was allegedly perpetrated by men in the corridors of power.
The trend continued until 2016 when a group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) struck, taking the country by storm. They wreaked havoc on the country’s commonwealth; targeting the same oil facilities that were under the siege of criminal elements.
While oil theft continued unabated, the damage on oil facilities was immeasurable. But for the strength of the military, in conjunction with groups in the region, particularly the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-agitators (NCNDE-A) led by Eshanekpe Israel (also known as Akpodoro) who, currently is the Mayor of Urhobo land the NDA would have crippled the country’s oil industry.
The Yusuf Burattai army displayed gallantry in the theatre not without Akpodoro’s team and peace returned to the region, leaving the legion of oil thieves to thrive. Oil theft went on between the international network of criminals and the locals championed by the petroleum marketers whose members delighted in stealing petroleum products.
The Group Executive Officer of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Nigeria Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari initiated the idea to engage private security firms in the surveillance and security of oil facilities to pave the way for a new regime in both the upstream and downstream oil industry.
Being a commendable initiative, the Federal Government keyed into this laudable idea and Tantita Security Service Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) was handy through the vehicle of logic and accurate reasoning.
Since TSSNL came into the picture, it has proven to be efficient in its operational area, which is the Western axis of the Nigerian Coastal region.
The firm established by Chief Government Ekpemukpolo (also known as Tomopolo) has left no one in doubt about his capacity and drive to cut down the strength of oil thieves. He employed a community-based approach and this has paid off; considering the sabotage allegedly perpetrated by the security agencies hitherto.
TSSNL has rubbished the operations of the enemies of the state in its evidence-based achievements since taking charge of the surveillance and security of oil facilities in that region.
However, these achievements have never gone down well with those agents of oil theft as they chose to undermine the authority that awarded the surveillance security to the resilient Tompolo who has done well for the good of Nigerians.
Oil thieves are not happy because TSSNL is thwarting their chances of success in their nefarious activities in the oil industry. The enemies of the state have recruited many faceless groups to fight Kyari, who, in their warped judgment, must be made a scapegoat and possibly sacrificed for their inordinate ambition. They are sponsored groups that bear a series of names, with varying demands from the Federal Government.
The latest of such kicks was the recent ill-fated rally in Warri by a group of young men under the aegis of RNDA. It threatened fire and brimstone, seeking the sack of Kyari due to his no-nonsense stance against undue sense of entitlement.
The same group that took arms against the government, destroying every visible infrastructure in 2016, is asking for the sack of Kyari, a man who fixed all they destroyed in the Niger Delta region.
To allow a group to plunge the region into anarchy again would be suicidal.
The people of the Niger Delta should not allow any self-serving group to goad the region into arm confrontation against any sitting government rather. The people shall employ the highest level of diplomacy and peaceful engagement as it is done in civilised countries to drive home their demands.
No country will award security contracts to unpatriotic people or groups with in-depth roots in anarchy and economic sabotage. When due diligence is conducted prior to the award of the contract, such a group will be screened out and this underscores why this RNDA can never be trusted with the country’s oil facilities.
Integrity and credibility are crucial in any national agenda. The time for soul searching is now. Also now is the time for value rebirth and character reformation. We have gone past the era when demands are made on the government with morbid threats.
This government must consider the imperatives of the renewal of the TSSNL contract, expand the operational scope to cover another axis of the Nigerian coastal areas, and engage more youths and people to give them a considerable sense of belonging in favourable engagement.
The Federal Government shouldn’t pander to blackmail and empty threats but should rather engage our youths in empowerment and training to exit them from drugs which is rampant currently. No region or country develops under the atmosphere of chaos. The RNDA should guide its members not to swim against the tide.
Everyone’s duty and focus should be geared toward the promotion of peace and tranquillity in the Niger Delta. It is a duty for all. No amount of subterfuge or blackmail can be removed from the successes and achievements of the TSSNL and Mele Kyari, who are currently on a rescue mission.
Kyari, as a top-notch technocrat, has been able to stabilise the energy sector of Nigeria’s economy since his appointment. Kyari stepped on toes when he awarded the surveillance contract to TSSNL; ignoring the rabble-rousers and economic saboteurs. No wonder you see their agents in the form of pseudo-pressure groups.
Stakeholders are of the view that the Federal Government should expeditiously expand the scope of the TSSNL contract, renew same and increase the contract sum. This, they argued, will engender ripple effects on the economy.
Groups that are commercial agents for protests will be out of a job and that will end the reign of mischief and misinformation, as their target is the destabilisation of the national economy.
Many Nigerians are drinking their ways into destruction combining herbal concoctions with orthodox medicines to get quick cure from malaria, typhoid and other illnesses. The practice is believed to be spiking the challenges of organ failure in the country even as users of the mixtures flagrantly defy warnings by certified health practitioners, INNOCENT DURU reports.
One out of every seven Nigerians has chronic kidney disease, says expert
Research exposes dangers of powdery drugs on liver
Choice is customers’, not ours – Herb sellers
Quozeem, a barber, rushes to herbal medicine sellers each time he suffers malaria or typhoid parasite attacks. On each visit, he does not need to go through any laboratory tests to determine what is wrong with him. All he does is tell the herb seller he has feelings that suggest he has malaria.
For this, he gets a mixture of herbal concoctions known in local parlance as ‘agbo’ and a popular salicylate powdery orthodox medicine as a solution to his health challenge. This could come as a single dose cures all or a large quantity of the mixture to be taken over a period of time.
The combination, Quozeem believes, is efficacious and capable of flushing out malaria or typhoid parasites within a short time.
“You know the powdery medication cures fever. ‘Agbo’ is also potent against malaria parasites. When you use the two together, you will sweat out the malaria or typhoid and instantly feel relieved. You will also urinate and marvel at what will come out of your body,” the barber said as he took our correspondent through how he started using the combination of traditional and modern medications for self-help against sicknesses.
“Before now, I was always taking anti-malaria and anti-typhoid medications, but they really never cured the sickness.
“Those medications don’t cure malaria and typhoid. They just suppress them.
“It is only herbs that flush out those parasites, especially when you mix them with the powdery medication,” he said, beaming smiles that revealed his absolute trust in the unscientific concoctions.
Asked if he was aware that such a mixture could be inimical to his internal organs, Quozeem shook his head vigorously before he said no in a reverberating baritone voice.
“Laye (never)!” he thundered in Yoruba language and added: “It does not pose any health problem. I have been using it now for years without any issues.
“It is natural, safe and potent. It is not mixed with chemicals like those chalks (tablets) that are being sold as anti- malaria.”
The strong opinion of Quozeem on the efficacy of the combination of herbal and powdery medication is also held by many other people in the society, who often do not hesitate to dismiss warnings issued by certified health practitioners to the effect that such practice could be harmful to vital organs of the human body.
Empirical evidence from research work validates this. One of them, as would be shown later in this report, shows how the use of the powdery medicines on rats led to organ failure.
Abbey, a trader, is obstinate about using the mixture. Apart from expressing his fate in the mixture of herbal and orthodox medicines, he also deifies the sellers.
Abbey said: “It is herbs that can address malaria, typhoid and other health challenges effectively. If you are able to get a sound herbal medicine seller, you will say goodbye to malaria. The mixture, from my own point of view, is also part of their research and how traditional and orthodox medicines can jointly help to address health problems.
Abbey argued that orthodox medicines, rather than herbs, have been largely responsible for organ failure.
“Do you hear about organ failure in villages? It is impossible even though they live on herbs. It is in the cities where people take orthodox medicines that you have those problems. All this is calling a dog a bad name in order to hang it.”
Another strong believer in the safety and potency of the herbal and orthodox medicine mixtures is a respondent who gave his name simply as Femi.
He said he started taking agbo and the powdery mixture in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That was what saved me from coronavirus,” Femi said, recalling how his efforts to get rid of the weird feelings associated with the pandemic using tablets were unsuccessful.
He said: “Without going for any test, I knew that I had contracted COVID-19 during the period.
“I had a ‘masculine’ malaria that defied all medications. I took different tablets but it wouldn’t go.
“I was informed about an ‘agbo’ woman whose herbs are antidotes for any kind of sickness. She added the powdery medication to it and immediately I took it, I felt relieved.
“I would have questioned the addition of the powdery medication to the herb but I couldn’t because all I was after was a freedom from the unhealthy feeling that I was having.
“If I had continued to depend on tablets back then, I would have either died or ended up in one of the quarantine centres.
“I have trusted and kept faith with the mixture thereafter because it proved capable of delivering one from stubborn malaria and typhoid than tablets have done.”
Umaru, a fruits seller, also spoke glowingly of the mixture.
“It helps me to clear malaria from my body very well. It deals with headaches within a short time.
“It is good; I won’t tell you lies,” he said.
Tetracycline mixture for piles
Aside from mixing powdery orthodox medicines with herbs for treatment of malaria, findings revealed that many herb sellers also mix tetracycline with herbs for treatment of pile-related problems.
“It is efficacious,” Biola, a user of the mixture, said.
“I take it and it works. That is what I can tell you.
“I can’t explain the relationship between the two, but all I know is that it works very well.”
Another user who goes by the name John said: “If it doesn’t work, you will not see people patronising the sellers. The sellers would have closed shop and ventured into other things if their products are not potent.
“You don’t have to work with what the orthodox medicine practitioners are saying about herbal medicines. I think they are hell bent on demarketing them and running them out of business.
“But people have seen through their lies and continued to patronise herbal medicine and its new discoveries.”
We don’t force mixture on customers – Sellers
Some herbal medicine sellers who spoke with our correspondent said consumption of herbal and orthodox medicine mixture is by choice.
“It is when customers demand it that we mix it with their ‘agbo’. Customers have various reasons for demanding those powdery medications,” Ajoke, a herb seller, said.
Many ‘agbo’ hawkers were fear-stricken when our correspondent opened discussion with them on the subject matter. They said they have stopped selling the mixture as they are easily accosted and apprehended by security operatives.
A seller who gave her name simply as Shery said: “I don’t sell it anymore because security operatives pretending to be customers use the opportunity to arrest us and extort money from us.
“Once they ask if you have the powdery medication for them to add to their herbs and you say yes, they will allow you to start mixing it so that they can have evidence to hold you.
“To avoid all that, I have stopped adding the powdery medicines to my wares and no longer do the mixture.”
‘Herbal, orthodox medicine mixture can cause organ failure’
Medical practitioners who spoke with our correspondent warned against the consumption of herbal concoctions mixed with orthodox medicines.
A public health physician, Dr Rotimi Adesanya, said there is no medical basis for adding all those things to the herbs.
He said: “What is the basis for combining one malaria drug with another malaria drug? The liver that is processing all these things will be forced to come down.
“Some of the users have the substance of addiction in them and it is common among the low socio-economic class in the society and around motor parks.
“Motor park touts mostly patronise these people. They have ulterior motives including being high. Those agbo have their own effects in addition to what the powdery medications will do.”
He added that the most popular of the powdery medications has caffeine and aspirin as ingredients.
“Caffeine is a stimulant, and most of those herbs too are soaked in alcohol to act as a stimulant to make them strong.
“By the time they mix two stimulants together, there will be a synergistic effect – it will have more effects on the body but there is no basis for adding it.
“Even the manufacturers did not state anywhere on their label that they should mix their product with ‘agbo’.”
Dr Adesanya said there are health implications for use of excess stimulants.
He said: “Excess stimulant makes one hyperactive. Heart rate will increase and the user will have more energy to do what he has not been doing.
“Stimulant, from the name, stimulates the body, the brain and the system. The person will be high.”
The physician strongly thinks the “purpose for which they are mixing the two has gone beyond bringing fever down. They are using it for other things.
“There is stimulant in the powdery medications, and there is stimulant in the herbs. When mixed together, it is used for other purposes and not just for treating fever and pain.”
Several studies, Adesanya said, have shown that “many of these herbs, when they are mixed with orthodox medicine, affect the kidney and the liver.
“The liver does the work of detoxification by removing wastes from the body. When you bombard the liver with too many chemicals, it will come down.
“All those herbs, concoctions, mixtures with one thing or the other are implicated in causing liver failure or kidney failure.
“If you list the causes of kidney failure, this will come as number one or number two. That is, indiscriminate use of herbs and concoctions will come either as number one or number two as a cause of kidney failure. These things have bad effects on the body.”
He noted that the government is trying in raising awareness about the dangers of drug abuse.
“There was a time they brought out laws that citizens should stop patronising these people especially at motor parks where they are often seen. These people are the ones that are making us to have an alarming rate of kidney and liver failure.”
Doctors, he said, don’t criticise the use of herbs because it is there in the public that most of the orthodox tablets are made from plants and herbs.
“The issue that we have with them is that those drugs should be subjected to NAFDAC certification.
“If they are subjected to NAFDAC certification, people can use them. And it doesn’t even mean that it will cure sicknesses but it is just to say that it is safe for the body.”
Continuing, he said: “One thing about plants and herbs is that when you put them in something like alcohol, for example, it is going to dissolve both the good and the bad.
“The people that are taking them will also get the bad side of those herbs as a result of the solvent that they are using to dissolve it and for the fact that they are not regulated, and there are no dosages.”
As a result of all these, Dr Adesanya said the problem they cause for the society is so much.
Another medical practitioner, Dr Olushina Ajidahun, also condemned the combination of herbal and orthodox medicines. He said it could spell doom for the users and the country at large as it could spike the rising challenge of organ failure.
“It is not a good idea that people mix all these things and drink them. Some people take it because their forefathers took ‘agbo’, but we as medical practitioners know that those things don’t help and they are dangerous.
“Apart from the fact that this ‘agbo’ can really damage the kidney, some of those powdery medications can cause ulcer and bleeding, among other problems.”
Ajidahun also said the use of tetracycline can be very dangerous, especially if a pregnant woman takes it.
“The ‘agbo’ sellers are doing all these things because they believe that they are trying to help, but they are really not helping because those practices are not good,” he said.
In the course of practice, he said, “we have taken some of these things to the lab and analysed them and it was shocking what we found in them. A lot of people who take these things have kidney problems.”
One out of seven Nigerians has chronic kidney disease – Ex-NAN boss Bamgboye
A former President of the Nigerian Association of Nephrologists, NAN, Dr. Ebun Bamgboye, recently raised the alarm that one out of every seven Nigerians has chronic kidney disease.
According to the former NAN boss, “chronic kidney disease is very common in our country. Over 15 per cent of people have chronic kidney disease.
“That is, for every seven people, one has kidney failure. And it is estimated that over 100 people per million people every year require kidney transplantation.
“Ideally, 22,000 people should be on dialysis, and the total number of people on dialysis is less than 5,000. “Ninety per cent of people who require dialysis and don’t get it will be dead within two weeks.” So it is not surprising that so many people are dying from kidney failure.
“Kidney failure is an expensive thing to deal with. Even America spends over $40 billion. So we have to focus on prevention.
“We need to detect early and screen our population, like schoolchildren, pregnant women, and undergraduates. Let’s detect early.
“The average transplant will cost nothing less than N20 million in two years. If 20,000 people develop kidney failure every year and require a transplant, you can multiply 20,000 by N20 million, which will give you the sort of figures we are looking at. You know the country can’t afford that.”
Research confirms deadly nature of salicylate powder
A research by Adeleye, Ajamu, Odetola, Ayanlade on the Effect of Simultaneous Administration of a salicylate powder (product’s name withheld) and Ethanol on Hematological Parameters and Liver of Adult Wistar Rats (Rattus norvegicus) showed that there was liver damage.
The research described the salicylate powder as a local drug containing 760mg acetylsalicylic acid and 60mg caffeine, saying “this drug has been highly abused by Nigerians as analgesic and majorly for delaying intoxication when simultaneously taken with alcohol.
“However, very scanty or no literature is available especially with the simultaneous combination of these drugs despite their high degrees of abuse and misuse.
The present investigation, the researchers said, was therefore undertaken to study the effect of ethanol and the product (salicylate powder) on the hematological parameters and liver of adult wistar rats.
“In this study, a total of 25 adult wistar rats of average weight 160±20.5g acclimatized for two weeks were divided into four treatment groups T1, T2, T3, T4 and one control group (N=5). Group C serves as control which were given only distilled water while group T1 received 31 mg /kg of (salicylate powder) only, group T2 received 25% ethanol in 2% sucrose solution for 14 days as their drinking water, group T3 received 31mg/kg of salicylate powder and 25% ethanol in 2% sucrose solution as their drinking water for 14 days while group T4 received 31mg/kg of salicylate powder and 25% ethanol in 2% sucrose solution as their drinking water for 7 days and withdrew for another 7days.
“The animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and their blood sample were collected directly from the heart for hematological parameters while their liver were dissected out and processed for routine histological techniques. The drug reduced the RBC count, HGB and HCT values of the treated group compared to the control group. The histological result showed that there is liver damage.”
Herbal concoctions can pose health risks -Medbury Medicals
Writing on 10 truths and myths of agbo, Medbury Medicals Services said some believe that ‘agbo’ is a cure-all drug and can treat any ailment.
“However, this is far from the truth because it does not affect most diseases.
“There are several reasons why ‘agbo’ may cause serious side effects:
“Some of the ingredients in the herbal concoction contain heavy metals, including mercury, lead and arsenic, which may cause serious health problems if consumed over a long time.
“The other ingredients in ‘agbo’ have known carcinogens that can cause human cancer if ingested over a long period or at high doses.
“The high doses needed to produce certain results can lead to severe health complications like organ failure and even death, which should never be taken lightly, especially when there are more effective treatments available such as antibiotics or antiviral medications
“The biggest risk associated with herbal concoctions is that the FDA does not regulate them. There is no standardization of the ingredients used in these products, and the quality and safety of the herbs and other ingredients can vary.
“Herbal concoctions can interact with other medications. Many herbs have powerful active ingredients that can interact with prescription and over-the-counter medications, leading to potentially dangerous side effects.
“Agbo can also cause allergic reactions in some people. Herbs can contain a wide variety of allergens, such as pollen, mold, and other substances that can cause an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals.
“Symptoms of an allergic reaction to ‘agbo’ can range from mild to severe and include rash, hives, difficulty breathing, and swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.
“If you experience any of these symptoms after taking a herbal concoction, stop using the product immediately and seek medical help.”
From the foregoing, it may not be difficult for one to see the dangers that the combination of herbal concoctions and salicylate orthodox medications can pose to the users, especially those who are addicted to them.
A first time visitor would find it hard to believe that Umusharam Umuozocha Igbodo community is part of Rivers, the oil-rich state renowned for its infrastructural development, particularly under the immediate past administration of former governor Nyesom Wike. The miserable life in the said community is a complete contrast with what obtains in most others around the state. Lacking every basic amenity, it looks every bit like abandoned habitat.
Accessing Umusharam Umuozocha is a herculean task. The road that stretches to the area is decrepit. Despite all the community development efforts of former Governor Nyesom Wike, who even constructed the first link road to Rumuodogo community from the East-West road in Emohua Local Government Area, the state government seems to have forgotten Umusharam Umuozocha in Etche Local Government Area.
In the ancient community, potable water remains a pipe dream with ponds as the only source of water. Neither has it been connected to the national grid for electricity since the nation gained independence. There is also no health facility in the community.
Yet of all the developmental challenges that are of concern to stakeholders and residents of the communities, the absence of a primary school and the sorry state of their only secondary school are the cause of the residents’ biggest headache on a daily basis.
The community primary school, Umuozoche has totally collapsed. All the roofs covering the buildings, including the classrooms, have been blown off. Some structures have since caved in. Trees and weeds have taken over the school as rodents, snakes and other bush animals assume the roles of pupils.
Teachers have since deserted the community primary school, abandoning the pupils. Parents who can afford the bills are now compelled to relocate their children to the private primary schools in the area.
Amid tears, Elder Umunagbu Samuel, who spoke for the chief of Umuozocha community, Chief Emmanuel Agughara, lamented the lack of primary school in the community. He said the pupils were stranded after their school’s structures collapsed and sacked the teachers.
Samuel said the primary school, which was founded in 1952, was functional until 2000. He said from the year 2000, however, the buildings in the school started collapsing following lack of government’s attention.
Samuel noted that the school was bubbling with high population of pupils but the teachers withdrew their services when its dilapidation endangered their lives. He said the pupils finally stopped coming when all the teachers failed to turn up.
He said: “Before the school started having problems of dilapidated buildings and lack of teachers, the pupils were very many and all the classrooms were filled up. But when they were coming to school and there were no teachers to teach them, coupled with lack of needed facilities to arouse their interest, they stopped coming.”
Samuel said the community’s leadership made many appeals to the state government to intervene and save the children but their efforts yielded no positive results. He said: “The community made serious efforts to make sure that the school is restored to what it was supposed to be. The community has written and submitted applications requesting the government to come to the aid of the school irrespective of what the community has been doing themselves.
“The efforts made by the community to maintain the school was not enough and that is why the school eventually collapsed.
“Apart from writing letters, we also went in person to express our views and problems. We went to the local government many times but all they said was ‘we have heard you, we would look into it’. But they have not done anything tangible.”
But Samuel says the entire community is still begging the government to intervene and bring back the primary school. He said the situation had increased the number of children lacking interest in education.
The Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman of Umusharam, Igbodo, Comrade Uzoma Samuel Chukwunenye, expressed fear over the rising apathy of children towards education. He blamed such attitude on lack of primary education, which he described as the foundation of learning. He said since the advent of democracy in 1999, the primary school has remained the same.
He said: “Since 1999 when we started experiencing democracy in this country, since the government of Dr. Peter Odili as the Governor of Rivers State, that community primary school in Umuozoche has been in that condition till date, and that is why we are calling for government attention to come and at least renovate the school for us.
“Most of our children here are not attending primary school because their parents don’t have money to pay the fees for private schools. That means if we continue like this, our children will not be able to attend primary school in future, much less secondary school or the university.”
Apart from the primary school, the condition of Community Secondary School Umuozoche has also deteriorated. Although skeletal academic activities are still ongoing in the school, evidence that it will soon suffer the fate of the primary school is glaring.
Like the primary school, all the classrooms are uninhabitable. But all the junior and senior students squeeze themselves into one block of classroom, which was renovated by the community.
One of the secondary school teachers, who spoke in confidence, lamented the sorry state of the school. He said the only block of classroom available has a leaking roof, adding that whenever it rains, the students and their books are soaked.
He said: “This is how dilapidated our buildings are. But under this condition we still deliver our lectures because of the passion we have for the children. So, we are asking the government to pay attention to the school and renovate it so that we can have a conducive atmosphere for learning.
“We expect our children to study higher to become medical doctors and good ambassadors of the nation. But that will be difficult if we don’t give them the right enabling environment. So we are urging the government to remember the school and give it a good facelift so that we can be happy, the students too can be happy and the nation can be happy.
“When it rains in school, we would be running helter-skelter because the roof for this block that the community managed to repair is still faulty. It will soak the books of the students and no learning will take place because the classrooms will be flooded and impossible to manage because of the water. It’s really not funny.”
It was observed that significant part of the school premises had been overtaken by trees and vegetation. Even the principal’s quarters are now occupied by rodents, snakes and other bush animals.
The teacher said: “Those ones are gone. It is only rats and other animals that enjoy that place because it is no go area for humans. There are no quarters for the teachers and we don’t even have a toilet facility.
“In this 21st Century, we still ease ourselves in the bush; both students and the teachers. So it is as bad as that.
“Going to the bush to ease yourself is dangerous. We usually encounter reptiles and some other things could happen.
“But we thank God He has been showing us mercy that we have not recorded any casualty. Let the government help us. We are also human beings.”
Getting to the school every day from Port Harcourt has not been easy for the teachers. There is no accommodation for the teachers who live in the Rivers State capital city hence they spend about N4,000 daily on transportation. They struggle to teach the students without basic facilities like library and laboratory.
The teacher said: “I don’t live in the community. I come from outside everyday and the transportation is very exorbitant.
“To come here once costs between N3,000 and N4,000. Multiply that by how many days. So it’s really not funny.
“But if there were quarters, at least it would be easier for the teachers to reside here and do all that is required of them.
“All the basic learning facilities are lacking in the school. We don’t have any functional laboratory. There is no sign of a laboratory or library.
“You were talking about computers; the children have not even seen it here before. They don’t have an idea except they have seen it elsewhere, but not in this school.”
Another secondary school teacher, who also spoke in confidence, said many teachers abandoned the school, leaving a few of them to teach all subjects and all classes even outside their areas of specialization.
She said: “When I came here newly, there were many teachers. They came and met the environment and many of them were not comfortable so they left.
“But for us, we saw that the best thing is not for us to leave and we decided to manage and stay.
“Before we got the job, we were all in Port Harcourt also looking for greener pastures. And as God would have it, we were employed here.
“For those of our colleagues who were here but left, they decided to find schools close to where they are.
“For us, we saw that leaving this place was not the best thing to do and we decided to remain, and that is making us spend more than N3,000 daily based on the current economic challenges.
“Initially we had teachers in all subject areas, but because some of them couldn’t stay, they decided to leave. Those of us who have refused to leave have no option but to augment in some of those subjects without teachers.
“As you can see, I teach from SS1 to SS3 and some of my colleagues also teach outside their areas of specialization. They also handle some other subjects that other teachers would have handled ordinarily.”
Iheanyichukwu Divine, the Senior Prefect of Community Secondary School Umuozoche Igbodo, lamented the ordeal of the students, saying their lives were in danger.
He said: “When the rain is falling, it leaks from the sheets into the classrooms, and sometimes we even run from one desk to the other for safety
“Sometimes when we are cutting grass in the school we usually see dangerous snakes, and if you don’t run away, they can bite.
“Last term, while we were in class, we saw a snake coming down from the roof and everybody ran out from the class. I don’t know how the snake ran away. But we did not kill it.
“I want the government to come and rebuild our school. Almost all the buildings have fallen. Let the government come and rebuild them so that our school would be in order.”
Johnson Ledum Bubari, who is the Chapel Prefect, also said the school does not have Physics and Economics teachers.
He said: “Our teachers are not enough. I have not seen the Physics teacher since I got to SS3 and also the Animal Husbandry, even Economics, I have not seen them. We are managing the subjects we see for now.
“We need better classrooms because anytime our teachers are teaching us and rain falls, it always soaks the blackboard and there will be no way to write. When it rains, everywhere in the classrooms is usually flooded.”
But prominent people, who had occupied political offices in the state government graduated from the schools. The CDC Chairman, Chukwunenye, said the school had produced a local government chairman and an incumbent member of the House of Assembly.
He pointed out that a former Commissioner for Agriculture, who served in the administration of former Governor Wike hails from the area and graduated from the school.
Speaking about prominent persons that graduated from the community schools, Chukwunenye said: “This school has produced a National Assembly member, the late Jerome Eke. It has produced a local government chairman and an existing Assembly member, Hon. Ignatius Onwuka, the member representing Etche Constituency 1. “This school has also produced a Commissioner for Agriculture, Charles Nwogu, who served in the government of Nyesom Wike, who is also a son of this community. Throughout his government, nothing had been done.”
Chukwunenye insists that the road to the community is so deplorable that each time the rain falls, it becomes inaccessible.
He said: “If I say that this kind of road is not in this state, I don’t think that I’m lying. The major road is blocked and people are passing through here. The road is manageable now because for one week there has been no rain here. If there is rain, you cannot pass the road.
“Our women are suffering on that road. Our aged fathers, even the youths are suffering. People are wounding themselves on that road daily. We need the government to come and help us.
“Every December, the community usually spend about N2 million in grading that road. That is why if I see all these big trucks using the road, I am always annoyed because big trucks destroy the road quickly.
“And now with the cost of diesel, as we are planning to grade this road this Christmas, we will spend nothing less than N3 million.
“But we have a government and these are the things that they are supposed to do for us. That is why we elected them into different offices.
“In this community, we have four polling units that have about 5000 voters, but we vote for them and after all, nothing will be done.
“So we need the government to come and help us to renovate our primary and secondary schools. We don’t have enough teachers, we don’t have a library where students can read, no water in our schools, no hostel.
“Our schools are not fenced. You can enter the school from any direction and also leave the school from any direction. There is also no toilet for the children and the teachers.
“We are part of the state. At times I ask myself if this area we are is part of Rivers State, because if you go to other schools, you see that their schools have been renovated. But ours, since it was established in 1980, nothing has ever been done there again.” Elder Samuel, who spoke earlier, further raised the alarm that children of Rivers origin from the communities are gradually losing their interest in education. He begged the government to urgently save the situation.
He said: “We are begging the government to remember our schools. They are in a very bad state. They should help us fix the schools and send us teachers for the sake of our children. The primary school has only one teacher. The headmaster cannot manage six classes alone.
“As a result of this, the children found it difficult to come to school and they lost their interest, since they did not see teachers to teach them as required.
A non-political pressure group, Sharam Abroad Residents, which is working for the development of the community, said it had written many letters to the local government chairman, Obinna Anyanwu, on the plights of Umusharam Umuozoche, to no avail.
Chibuike Akujobi, the group’s Assistant Publicity Secretary and Coordinator, Diaspora Wing, said: “We wrote a letter to the former Governor and it was delivered. Since then there has been no response.
“We have written many letters to the local government Chairman, Dr. Obinna Anyanwu, but to no avail.
“Because of the dilapidated state of our schools, most of our children are out of school and on the streets. Some of them are taking different substances just because there is no place to call a school where they can be educated for them to know the dangers of some of those substances they are taking.
“We are calling on the government to come and renovate the existing schools which we had years back that were functioning but today are no longer functioning.
“We are calling on the executive governor of Rivers State, Sir. Siminalayi Fubara, and the Chairman of Etche Local Government Area, Hon. Obinna Anyawu, to help us.
“We are not calling on them to be paying us salaries, we are only appealing to them that they should use the money generated in Etche and in our community here to renovate the school for our brothers, our siblings and our children to go back to the classroom.”
Akujobia observed that the community’s lack of roads and health facilities have increased the mortality rate in the area.
He said: “The mortality rate in this place is high because we don’t have access to healthcare facilities. Imagine a community like this, there is no single health centre, our people have to travel from here to Port Harcourt before we can access healthcare facilities.
“We are also calling on the government to demand electricity. We have not had electricity since the inception of Nigeria. Today, Nigeria is 63 years old and we have never seen electricity in this community.
“Our people fetch drinking water from the ponds in the bush, because there is no borehole water. We don’t have access to water.
“We are also appealing to the government to give us an access road. A journey of 35 minutes turns to over two hours just because there is no access road. So we are begging the federal government to come to our aid.”
Investigations, however, revealed that there has been massive renovation of schools across the state by the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who is barely five months in office. It was also learnt that contracts for other school renovation projects had been awarded and works on them will soon take off.
The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Chinedu Mmom, said Fubara was passionate about education and would not abandon any community in the state. He confirmed that massive renovation of schools was ongoing in the state and appealed to communities, whose schools were yet to be renovated, to exercise patience.
He said: “Many schools are undergoing renovation across the state and contracts for others had been approved and work will soon start on them. We went round the state to carry out a need assessment and we visited all affected communities. We won’t abandon any community”.
Ambazonian Vice-President, Yerima Darbney says the United Nations, United Kingdom and others have abandoned the Southern Cameroon while suffering under French Cameroon’s rule of tyranny, war crimes and state-instituted terror. He also speaks on why his people want independence. ASSISTANT EDITOR Bola Olajuwon reports
This is not the best time to live in Southern Cameroon, an area which has been part of the Republic of Cameroon since 1961. Since 1994, pressure groups in the Southern Cameroons claim there was no legal document (treaty of union) binding Southern Cameroon and French Cameroon together in accordance to UNGA RES 1608(XV) paragraph 5. Therefore, they are seeking to gain independence from the Republic of Cameroon. They renamed the area as Ambazonia on October 1, 2017. But its leaders remain operational from abroad.
Mr. Julius Ayuk Tabe, the first president of the Interim Government (IG) of the country was, before his arrest, living in Nigeria from where the council was arranging meetings. In September 2017, he called on the takumbengs – groups of older women protecting protesters from troops – to lead the processions. From Nigeria, Ayuk Tabe took the lead after Cameroonian authorities arrested lawyers and teachers. He also made several appearances on local and intern On Friday, January 5, 2018, Nigerian forces held him and nine members of his cabinet at the Nera hotel, where they were holding meetings. They were charged with terrorism and secession and then delivered to Cameroon’s Kondengui prison where they have been serving life terms since January 2018. Cameroon’s military also responded with a crackdown, and rebels took up arms, claiming to defend the English-speaking minority. The International Crisis Group, an independent organisation based in Brussels working to prevent wars and promote peace, said the conflict has killed thousands of people and displaced 750,000.
Speaking in an online chat with The Nation, Ambazonian Vice President, Yerima Darbney, blamed the UN for the crisis in Southern Cameroon. He called the international organisation as a toothless bulldog. According to him, it is an institution created to run the imperialists agenda by making sure that there is over-exploitation and the complete destruction of the African continent, “the richest continent in the world.”
‘UN turns a blind eye’
Arguing on the link between the alleged genocide in Cameroon and the UN, he said: “Where was the UN during the genocide in Rwanda? Where is the UN as the genocidal war declared by Paul Biya of French Cameroon in Ambazonia rages on? It is six years now, where is the UN? Where is the UN when Ambazonian refugees in Nigeria have no access to good medical facilities, a situation that has resulted in the death of many?
“Where was the United Nations when the leaders of Ambazonia, including Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, were abducted in Nigeria and extradited to French Cameroon against international law? Since then, he and others have been serving life sentences. The sad thing is most of them had refugee status in Nigeria. When the Russian Ukrainian war broke out, I wish you were in America, Canada or Europe to see how these countries took care of Ukrainians fleeing the war and how Africans were maltreated.
“The UN doesn’t serve the purpose of Africa. The UN turns a blind eye because there is serious awareness going on in Africa and it defeats the purpose for her existence. Africans now understand better how these organisations operate. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, UN peacekeeping forces have been accused of looting the natural resources instead of fighting those responsible for killing the people and exploiting their resources.”
The UN Security Council, the Ambazonian Vice President noted, has failed to assume its responsibility under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations to deal with French Cameroon’s colonial war in the Southern Cameroons. “In the circumstances, it is not inconceivable that the Southern Cameroons abandons the self-defence posture to which it has so far restrained itself, in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter. It may eventually broaden its offensive posture by targeting economic and social infrastructure in French Cameroun that supports that country’s war effort in Ambazonia, in the same way social and economic infrastructure in the Southern Cameroons (Amabazonia) continues to be targeted by the French Cameroon army.
“The objective of this new offensive would be to bring it home to Emmanuel Macron and Paul Biya that their fanciful claim that “l’Ambazonie est Camerounaise” (Ambazonia belongs to Cameroun) is a pipe-dream and that pursuing it will be very painful for French Cameroon in 2023 and beyond, in the same way as the French claimed in 1962 that “l’Algerie est francaise” (Algeria belongs to France) was for France. The people of the Southern Cameroons strongly reject any idea or suggestion, explicit or implicit, that the Southern Cameroons is an area under French influence given that the Southern Cameroons does not have and has never had any ties, colonial or otherwise, with France,” he said.
‘Biya after 42 years in power is unpopular, frail’
On how he sees President Paul Biya and his government, which has been in office in the last 42 years, Darbney said: “Paul Biya after 42 years in power is unpopular, frail, and begging for death to take him. His legacy is and will be that of the worst President, who ever existed in French Cameroun. He took a vibrant country from Ahidjo and for 42 years, Paul Biya and his tribal junta has reduced the country into a failed state with huge external debts and dilapidating infrastructure.
“French Cameroon is seriously divided internally because President Biya is very tribalistic. Biya started the genocidal war in Ambazonia in November 2017, and he will likely die while the war rages on. The killings in Ambazonia have all the hallmarks of what Paul Biya’s marauding tribal troops are doing on behalf of their neo-colonialist and imperialist master, France, whose only interest is natural resources in Ambazonia.
“As a puppet of France, nothing really changed since he took power regarding French Cameroon’s annexationist, assimilationist, colonisation agenda for six decades in our territory. What has changed is the war declared on our people in November 2017 by Paul Biya. The six years old ongoing war of extermination in the territory of the Southern Cameroons has finally redefined itself. It has redefined itself from a war simply of self-defence against the predatory onslaught of France and its vassal state of French Cameroun, to a decolonisation war.”
40,000 civilians dead so far
According to the Ambazonia leader, as of August 2023, 40,000 civilians have lost their lives in the Cameroon’s attack on Southern people. About 1,000,000 persons, he claimed, have fled to Nigeria and other countries as refugees, and about 1,500,000 are internally displaced (IDPs).
“About 550 towns and villages and countless homes have been burnt down by the French Cameroon military. Hundreds of females have been raped – a good number deliberately infected with HIV and other STDs-, scores of children killed in targeted killings, food and food crops, and livestock destroyed to impose conditions of famine, water sources defiled and polluted to provoke a pestilence, and mass graves punctuate the landscape.
“Genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity are committed in the Southern Cameroons by French Cameroun military, which systematically continues to kill women, teenagers, and even babies, the elderly and the infirm. Presidents Macron and Biya bear direct responsibility for these heinous crimes.
“Six years into the deadly conflict, Paris and Yaounde are still dreaming of forcing the territory and people of the Southern Cameroons to remain their colony for resource looting and plundering. Paris and Yaounde are attempting to pin down the Southern Cameroons as a French sphere of cultural influence and economic backyard. France seeks to impose on the Southern Cameroons, via French Cameroun, its evil colonial ‘accords de cooperation’. France seeks to impose the continued use of France’s colonial currency, the Franc CFA, which is a key tool of colonial control by France. The Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) was never a French colony.
“In a rare lucid internal moment, Biya admits that his colonial forces in Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia are terrorists from the French Cameroun State. He transformed French Cameroun into a terrorist state with serious instructions from his imperialist master, France, to implement black on black colonialism and assimilation of Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia. His rule with a sinful vanity for close to half a century is akin to that of an emperor without clothes. The present wave of change in Africa gives him sleepless nights.”
On whether people of Southern Cameroon are enjoying their rights, he said: “There is no freedom of speech in that country. Many journalists who wrote about the right to fight for self-determination, which is our basic human rights, are arrested, brutalised, locked up in jail and put under serious torture. A typical example, Wazizi, an Ambazonian journalist was tortured to death in jail. Kingsley Njoka, another Ambazonian journalist is still in prison for just being an English-speaking journalist.”
The way forward
On possible solution, he noted: “Our strongest hope is a peaceful solution to the conflict by the establishment of a United Nations Internationally Mandated Fact-Finding Mission to our territory. Although we are determined to keep negotiations high on our agenda, we must agree that the regime in Yaounde is not ready for any negotiation because war is good business for some of them and their partners.
“The people of the Southern Cameroons strongly believe, and are convinced, that Britain should be actively involved in resolving the Southern Cameroons problem. The Southern Cameroons have historical ties with Britain going as far back as 1833. It developed cultural ties with Britain during nearly half a century of British rule, from 1914-1961. Britain is a world power and a major player in the world. They believe in a post-independence mutually beneficial partnership with Britain in key sectors such as oil and gas, minerals exploration and exploitation, infrastructural development, especially roads, rail, air and seaports, security in the Gulf of Guinea, as well as capacity-building in sectors such as education, agriculture, energy, policing, legal and judicial system, and public administration.
“The people of the Southern Cameroons firmly believe that Britain, working together with its many friends, can ensure the release of all citizens of the Southern Cameroons arbitrarily seized and being held hostage in French Cameroon prisons. Britain has the necessary leverage and can pressurise that country to abandon its colonial adventure in the Southern Cameroons. Republique du Cameroun should be required to respect international law, the unquestionable and inalienable right of the people of the Southern Cameroons to self-determination, their right to sovereign title to their territory, and their right to economic, social, and cultural development.
“Republique du Cameroun must be called upon to respect the Charter of the United Nations, UNGA Resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, UNGA Res 1541 (XV) of 15 December 1960, and the Constitutive Act of the African Union, Article 4b which lays down the foundational principle of intangibility of African borders as obtained on the date of independence (French Cameroun obtained independence from France on 1 January 1960 and her borders were frozen at the UN on 20 September 1960 and Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia was never a part of that).
“The people of the Southern Cameroons further believe French Cameroun should be required to withdraw its troops, police and colonial administration from the Southern Cameroons.”
‘Ambazonia want complete independence’
On why does Ambazonia want complete independence Darbney, declared: “Again, as a servant leader, that decision of total independence has been taken by the people. The people of Southern Cameroons in a very rare kind of referendum made that decision on 22 September 2017, when they all came out in all the cities, towns and villages of the territory with peace branches to declare they all wanted complete independence.
“Personally, I think independence is the only way to permanently resolve and restore peace because the two Cameroons are incompatible in many ways, the trust between the people has been irreparably shattered. Our forebears tried the middle ground for a federation, but the incompatibility and distrust within the system and the people culminated in the present predicament. So, another middle ground this time around will be simply passing the war and hostilities to the next generation. We, the never-again generation have resolved not to pass this on to the next generation. It’s total independence for us now.”
