By Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja

A presidential aspirant for the 2023 general election, Victor Ani-Laju, has said Nigeria needs more visionary leaders to further sustain development and enhance peace and prosperity.

Ani-Laju, who spoke in Abuja at a news conference while declaring his intention for the topmost political seat, noted that to build a great nation that will benefit all, irrespective of region or religion, Nigeria needs to transform to a country that requires connection to aspire to be anything.

He said: “The good people of Nigeria deserve better. One hundred and eighty million Nigerians are living in extreme poverty, there are 13.5 million out-of-school children and 40 million unemployed youths. Decayed infrastructures have affected health care services and standard of education. It is time for the status quo to change. Men and women with vision to develop this nation and return its people to prosperity and peace should come on board. We must rise and save the nation”.

Read Also: ‘Leaders should stand up for the people’

Lamenting that the cost of living is abysmally high, he urged Nigerians to support a candidate with a vision to lead, as most of the political elite have failed in their mandate to rule with justice and fairness.

He stated that the lack of  basic amenities has led to high level of insecurity and since injustice has become the order of the day, hunger and starvation pervade the nation.

Ani-Laju called for unity in order to steer the country to the path of development and economic recovery.

He said: “The time has come for the status quo to change, a time when men and women with vision to develop this nation and return it’s people to prosperity and peace, must rise and save the nation.

“A time when one does not need to be affiliated to any power that be, to aspire to be anything in this country.

“A time when Nigerians will rally around and support the child of a nobody but with a vision, to lead them on the path of development and economic recovery.”

From Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado-Ekiti

EKITI State government has taken delivery of multi-million naira medical equipment and health facilities to combat COVID-19 pandemic from the Federal Government.

This is just as Governor Kayode Fayemi said the state under him, was ready to fight the pandemic to standstill, especially as second wave of the pandemic looms.

Speaking at the inauguration of the equipment, Fayemi said his government would continue to collaborate with private and public organisations to ensure better health care delivery for the people.

The items include 12,000 KN95 nose masks, 12 tricycle ambulances, 100 mattresses, beddings and pillows as well as bedside lockers among others.

The governor lauded President Muhammadu Buhari, through his Senior Special Assistant on SDGs, saying he was delighted that the donation was meant to strengthen the state’s efforts at reinforcing the health sector as well as fight any potential resurgence of Covid-19.

He noted that Ekiti had already put structures and adequate measures in place to combat the deadly disease far before the index case was recorded, adding that the preparation helped the state to check the spread ahead of time.

The governor revealed that the state government knew from the onset that it was clear that the magnitude of the challenges posed by the pandemic would require collaborative efforts of government, the private and public sectors and also good spirited individuals to enable the country to defeat the common enemy.

Fayemi reassured the people that his administration would continue to enhance their living standard and make life better for them, adding that the security of their lives would be paramount in the agenda of government through responsive and pragmatic healthcare services.

Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado-Ekiti

A Medical expert, Dr. Oluwayemi Oludare has disclosed that no fewer than 422m people across the globe are suffering from diabetes in which Nigeria has 3.9m patients.

Dr. Oludare disclosed this on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital at a press conference to commemorate the 2020 World Diabetes Day organized by the Lions Club International, District 404B2 collaboration with Ekiti State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

The expert, who lamented the rising wave of diabetes in the country, especially with the people living in urban areas, said the disease has assumed epidemic level in Nigeria, Sub-Sahara Africa and the rest of the world.

He said that the disease could further pose serious challenges to public health if the rising tides are not tackled headlong, adding that poor control of the disease could lead to eye complication, kidney disease, heart attack and stroke among other problems

He noted that diabetes has no cure for now but could be managed through proper treatment by avoiding diets with preserved foods with carbohydrates and embracing regular diabetes tests.

He enjoined patients with diabetes not to see it as a death sentence, since the disease could be managed, urging them to avail themselves of adequate treatment.

READ ALSO: Lion’s Club to establish diabetes centre

The Governor, District 404B2 of the Lions Club, Dr. Ademola Adesoye called on the federal government to make diabetes test mandatory for Nigerians to stem the tide of disease.

Adesoye who was represented by the Region 11 chairman, Taiwo Odebunmi, urged the government at all levels to collaborate with the Lions club to sensitise the people on the dangers of diabetes.

He called on stakeholders, especially government to strengthen the capacity of nurses who are the front line in the treatment of diabetes patients.

In their remarks, the Chairman, Diabetes Awareness and Action Committee, Ekiti Axis, Dr. Pius Adeojo, and the Ekiti State NUJ Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Ojomoyela said the awareness campaign over the dangers of diabetes was long overdue owing to the rising cases of the disease in the country.

They said the Lions club in collaboration with NUJ had series of activities to mark International Diabetes Day in Ekiti such as a road walk to sensitise people on the danger of diabetes and offer free diabetes tests starting from next week Wednesday.

From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

Kwara State Government has organised a three-day capacity building workshop for local contractors.

The contractors would  work with the State Universal Basic Education Board (KW-SUBEB).

The  state government recently received N7.1 billion Universal Basic Education Council (UBEC) grants after seven years of blacklist. Thus ,it is set to begin massive infrastructural renewal of basic schools across the 16 local government areas.

Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Fatimah Ahmed explained that the workshop was  to enlighten local contractors on the requirements for successful bidding process.

“The essence of the training is to enlighten our local contractors because in bidding for a contract there are requirements that will be needed from the contractors which many of them might not be aware of.

“This training was to educate them on the procurement process and what the state would  need from them before bidding for any contract. We had  over 1000 participants and the workshop was done  in batches,” she added.

Ahmed urged the prospective contractors to abide by relevant rules and requirements of the tender board to ensure successful bidding process.

Procurement Consultant and Governance Reform expert Omomofe Akintunde, said the training was designed to equip prospective bidders and vendors in Kwara State on steps to follow for a successful bidding process in line with the Public Procurement Act 2007 and the Kwara State Public Procurement Law.

“Public procurement is for the public, and government needs to interact with bidders on the way to understand the technicalities and what must be put in place before participating in procurement activities and win,” he said.

Akintunde  praised the state government for deploying the use of public procurement as a public policy and hoped it would translate to dividends of democracy.

Two of the contractors Umar Farouq Sanni and Omotayo Oladele said the training was necessary to assist them on how to manage the contract and rewrite the story of Kwara State through efficient management of UBEC funds.

By Damola Kola-Dare

The Chairman of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund) Board of Trustees (BOT), Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim Imam, has reiterated the board’s commitment to the development of infrastructure and manpower at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH).

Imam,  who led a TETfund  delegation to the institution last week Wednesday, noted that the visit was to assess the impact of TETfund on teaching and learning in tertiary institutions across the country.

He lauded the institution for  its meticulous disbursement of grants for the building and sustenance of infrastructure and manpower.

‘’Having gone round the projects, I must say that we are happy with the judicious way funds disbursed have been utilised, with this we are excited to do more,” he said.

The TETfund boss  noted that the group was poised to create a standard Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facility, a 2,000-bed hostel for students, and an accessible research grant for members of the staff and students across tertiary institutions.

The TETfund board members included Senator Ganiyu Solomon (Southwest), Alhaji Muhammad Ciroma (Northeast), Dr. Fierre Aprebo (Southsouth) and Chief Uchenna Uferoh (Southeast).

Yabatech Rector Dr Obafemi Omokungbe, an engineer, who was  represented by Deputy Rector Academics, Kehinde Osifala, thanked TETfund for its unending support to the development of the  institution.

Oshifala canvassed more support from TETfund while addressing the lack of space, old structures and equipment in the institution.

”Because of lack of space, we have decided to develop vertically so as to create room for more facilities, and we therefore appeal for more assistance from TETfund on this aspect,” he said.