The Nation Newspaper

Category: Uncategorized

  • NMA urges emergency in Kano health sector

    The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has urged the Kano State Government to declare a state of emergency in the health sector, to stop brain drain in government hospitals.

    It said it was lamentable that 100 doctors disengaged from the service in the last six months.

    Addressing reporters in Kano yesterday, the Chairman of the local chapter of the NMA, Dr. Shehi Ali Abubakar, said the exodus of doctors to federal Institutions and neighbouring states was due to the “systemic decay in the available facilities.”

    He said following the collapse of infrastructure and lack of manpower, the Pediatrics ward at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano has been closed down.

    Abubakar added that only 65 doctors attend to patients in a facility adjudged as one of the busiest government hospitals in the state.

    According to him, “Dr. Shehu Ali Abubakar ward, the largest and busiest in a government hospital in the state, has fewer than 65 doctors and it is estimated that with the current exodus rate, fewer than 40 doctors will be working in this facility by the end of the year.”

    The Chairman of the NMA said there is a low morale among the doctors working for the state government, adding that Kano remains the only state in the Northwest yet to implement the CONMESS despite several agreements with the medical practitioners.

    Dr. Abubakar noted that the situation in the government health facilities had put pressure on the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, designated as a tertiary institution and intended to be a research-based facility, which now treats patients from primary facilities.

    He assured the public of their readiness to carry on with the service to humanity and enjoined the Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso-led administration to fix the infrastructural decay and begin the full implementation of CONMESS to health workers.

    Asked his reaction to the issues raised by the NMA, Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, said: “I am attending a meeting and will not comment on the issue for now.”

  • Supreme Court dismisses Audu’s petition against Wada

    The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed an appeal by Prince Abubakar Audu challenging the victory of Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State in last year’s governorship election.

    It also struck out a separate appeal by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

    The court arrived at the decision after dismissing the application for the extension of time within which to file the notice of appeal.

    The appellants claimed they received a copy of the Court of Appeal’s judgment two days to the expiration of the time, thereby causing delay in filing the appeal.

    In a lead ruling by Justice Mahmud Mohammed, the apex court held that it lacked the jurisdiction to grant the application because the appellants failed to file the notice of appeal within 14 days.

    The judge held that the notice of appeal filed outside the time is incompetent, adding that granting the extension would contravene the practice direction. “I therefore hold that this court has no jurisdiction to grant the application sought.”

    The Supreme Court held that the failure to obtain the judgment of the Court of Appeal in time was not a reasonable ground to grant extension.It dismissed the application by Audu and struck out that of the ACN after it was withdrawn by its counsel, Muiz Banire.
    The Court of Appeal, Abuja, had held that it had no reason to interfere in the decision of the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that affirmed the election of Wada as the Governor of Kogi State.

    In the three-hour judgment, the court held that 74 of the 88 witnesses called by the appellants gave hearsay evidence, which no court would rely on.

    The Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal Chairman, Justice Suleiman Anbursa, had declared that the petitioners failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

     

    He said the onus is on the petitioners to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt, adding that the allegations cannot be substantiated.

    Justice Anbursa said the allegations of multiple voting, electoral violence, rigging and inducement of voters by the petitioners were neither here nor there, as the testimonies of the witnesses were contradictory.

    He added that whether by oral or documentary, the petitioners have failed to prove their allegations. He gave judgment in favour of the respondents.According to him, the petitioners could not also tender another result to show that they won the poll, by bringing forward another result to reverse the one declared by the electoral umpire.

    The tribunal chairman said based on the facts before them, they had no choice but to agree that the last governorship election complied with the electoral guidelines.

  • Petrol price hits N140 in Calabar

    The price of petrol has hit N140 per litre in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
    Black market operators sell the product for N200 per litre, while the few filling stations that have the product sell for, at least, N140 per litre.
    Consequently, the cost of living has risen.
    A resident, Mr. David Effiong, said he paid N200 for a haircut instead of N100.
    The few commercial vehicles on the streets have hiked their fares from N50 to between N80 and N100. Many residents have resorted walking long distances.
    Chairman, Cross River State Petrol Tankers’ Association, Mr. Abdullahi Akomaye alleged that the petroleum products meant for the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot in Calabar were diverted to private depots, which sell at exorbitant rates.
    Akomaye said the NNPC depot sells at N88.1 per litre, while the private depots sell for over N100 per litre.
    He said 5,000 metric tons of petrol meant for the depot, which arrived last Wednesday, had not been released for reasons unknown.
    Efforts to reach the depot manager proved futile, as he did not pick his phone calls or return text messages.
    When The Nation got to his office at 3:55pm, he was said to have closed for the day.

  • Illegal bunkering: JTF burns diesel tanker

    Operatives of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Rivers State yesterday burnt a tanker loaded with 33,000 litres of illegally-refined diesel.
    They also arrested two suspected illegal bunkerers.
    The JTF operatives seized the tanker and the suspects on Sunday night on the Eleme-Akpajo Road, near Port Harcourt, the state capital.
    They burnt the tanker yesterday about 3pm, near Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Company and Nemco Filling Station, causing heavy traffic on the ever-busy road.
    It was learnt that the suspects were conveying the diesel to an undisclosed location.
    Spokesman of 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, Maj.
    Michael Etete confirmed the incident. He said the tanker and its content were burnt to serve as a deterrent to others in the business.
    Etete said there would be no respite for criminals in the state.

  • FCTA appoints Mamman as 2012 Amir Hajj

    The Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, has approved the appointment of General Abdullahi Bagudu Mamman (rtd) as the Amir Hajj for the FCT Muslim pilgrims to the 2012 Hajj.
    The minister, who gave the approval yesterday, said General Mamman, who was the FCT Amir Hajj last year, got reappointed following the success recorded by the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board.

    In a letter signed by the minister and made available to reporters, Oloye Akinjide said: “Your appointment was based on your performances as evidenced in the Amirul-Hajj 2011 report.”

    She noted that the report had given her an insight into hajj operations generally and made her to take some initiatives.

    The Minister said General Mamman’s reappointment would afford him the opportunity to evaluate the operation and bring up areas of improvement.

    She added that she was counting on his forthrightness, ideas and dynamism.

    She assured of her continued support for the Amir Hajj, saying: “While praying for success on this challenging task, please be assured of my support and cooperation towards the achievement of your objectives.”

    General Mamman was a Minister of Internal Affairs during the military era.

  • Baby abandoned in church

    A day-old baby boy has been abandoned at Victory Church in Afunwa, Benin, Edo State.
    The baby’s cries were heard by a passerby, a woman, who found him in the church covered with birth fluid.
    It appears the baby was delivered by a young girl, who left him behind.
    The passerby said she met the girl at the church entrance and asked her whose baby was crying, but the girl said the baby’s mother was inside the church.
    The police confirmed the incident. They said the Good Samaritan reported the case at Ugbekun Police Station and the child had been taken to an orphanage home.

  • Akingbola’s trial: No query raised on money paid to Tropics Securities

    Lagos High Court, Ikeja was told yesterday that no query was raised on the payment of N18.6 billion made by the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank) to Tropics Securities Limited.
    This, according to a former Chief Financial Controller of the defunct bank, Mr Akin Fabunmi, was because the transaction followed due process.
    Fabunmi was giving evidence before Justice Habeeb Abiru. He said the payment made by the Bank to Tropics was for the buying of shares.
    Akingbola and an associate, Bayo Dada, are standing trial for allegedly stealing N47.1 billion belonging to the bank.
    Fabunmi defended some of the transactions carried out by the bank under its former Managing Director Dr. Erastus Akingbola.
    Led in evidence by Akingbola’s counsel, Chief Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN), the witness debunked the claims of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that the N18.6 billion paid by the bank to Tropics allegedly owned by Akingbola and his wife, Anthonia (now at large), was without due process.
    He said: “The transfer of a total amount of N18.6 billion to Tropics between May and June 2009 for the purpose of shares purchase followed the normal payment process.
    “For each payment, a payment request was received from Tropics Securities and I raised memos for the commencement of the payments.

    “All the transactions were captured by the bank’s input forms and they complied with the banking procedure.
    Under cross-examination from EFCC counsel, Mr Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), Fabunmi maintained that no amount was paid into the account of Dada, who was the general manager of Tropics Securities.
    “No single query was raised based on the payments because they complied with the bank’s transaction method which was in existence before I assumed office.”
    Further hearing in the matter has been adjourned till today, Tuesday.

  • Obama campaign gets a lift in Florida

    Is this the lift President Obama was looking for on his campaign bus tour through Florida?
    In this key swing state, Obama stopped at Big Apple Pizza & Pasta Italian Restaurant, where he was greeted by owner Scott Van Duzer, a muscular man dressed in a gray T-shirt and matching athletic shorts.
    Van Duzer was so smitten by the president that he embraced him in a bear hug, leaned backward and lifted the 6-foot-2 president a foot off the ground. Photos of the moment show Obama with his arms spread wide and palms turned upward, as if to say he’s at the mercy of the pizzaman.
    Van Duzer has a broad smile on his face, and a woman in the background has a look of sheer surprise. Reporters lined up on the other side also had a clear view of the lift.
    Afterward, a reporter at the scene reported that Van Duzer, 46, from Port St. Lucie, stands 6-foot-3 and weights 260 pounds, and he can bench-press 350.
    “Everybody look at these guns,” Obama said, pointing to Van Duzer’s chest. “If I eat your pizza, will I look like that?”
    “Look at that!” Obama exclaimed after Van Duzer put him down. “Man, are you a powerlifter or what?”
    Obama told reporters that he stopped at the restaurant because the owner has set state records for donating blood.
    “Here’s an example of somebody who is doing well, but he’s also giving back. So we just want to say how proud we are of him,” Obama said. “I still wonder how he got these biceps, but what we know is that the guy’s just got a big heart along with big pecs. So we’re very proud of him, and we just want to say thank you for all the great work.”

    Van Duzer is a registered Republican, but he voted for Obama in 2008 and said he will do so again in November.“I don’t vote party line, I vote who I feel comfortable with, and I do feel extremely comfortable with him,” he said. Apparently, the Secret Service gave him the go-ahead to lift Obama “as long as I didn’t take him away.”

  • Your Sexual Health & You: Novelty Tips, Questions & Answers

    I am thinking of proposing to my girlfriend and settling down. But this girl and I have had some wild times.
    She is a real party girl. Do you think she is wife material? Ejike

    Dear Ejike, there is a common misconception that girls who party once in a while do not make good wives and it is not true. You will also be surprised that the same men who married the ‘homely girl’ who was a virgin, are the ones who complain today that their wives are boring in bed.

    Partying is part of a young adult’s development. Human’s party to blow off steam, make new friends and fill the void of loneliness. It doesn’t make them bad people. The moment girls get married and start having children, their priorities change. They become different and start thinking inwards while prioritising their families and domestic responsibilities over individual fantasies and desires. If you love this girl and you both get along, then you have a good thing going. Give her a chance. If she gives you a wild time, that is good news too. That means you will not be one of the men writing me a few years from now to complain about the boring wife. Take care and good luck – Uche

    I have some issues bothering me and I need your professional advice. I don’t have erections when I wake up in the morning. Am I still vibrant as a man? I am also a quick ejaculator and after one round of sex, it takes me a long time to get back another erection. My libido is also not what it used to be. I want to be charged each time I am with a woman. Thanks – Engineer Olamide

    Dear Olamide, the absence of morning erections does not necessarily indicate a problem, provided you get erections when you want to have sex. There are some people who don’t experience morning erections but still have a healthy sex life. You also did not mention your age. If you are middle aged or older, it can explain why your libido is no longer what it used to be. But you can maintain a high libido and boost your sexual performance by taking testosterone boosting supplements like Max Intense Testosterone. To curb your quick ejaculation, use a penis sleeve like the Stud Extender, a delay condom such as the Pasante Delay condom or a delay cream like Prolong Plus Delay Cream. These are all good options that will enable you last longer – Uche

    My boyfriend has a really small penis and I just don’t like it. How can you help him? Jennifer
    Dear Jennifer, I hope you have not told him that he has a small penis because if you do, things will never be the same between the two of you. If he willingly wants to enlarge his penis, then he can do so with a variety of novelties such as Penis Pumps, enlargement Creams like Maximus Enlargement Cream and supplements such as Big Bam Boo. But he must make this choice himself – Uche

    I experience sexual dryness and pain during intercourse and my husband has a soft penis – Naomi
    You need a lubricant Naomi. Get the Smooth & Slick Lubricant. It will solve this problem. For your husband, tell him to look for Virillis supplement or Xzen 1200. Any of these two will give him rock hard erections whenever he needs it – Uche

    Sir please what does a man of 22 years need to know and do to satisfy his girl? Edwin
    Edwin, for your sex education, get the film More of What Women Want and the book Sex Secrets – Uche
    That’s it for today. The names of the people featured here have been changed for their privacy. Adults in need of these treatments/novelties can call 08027901621 or 08051924159 or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia.com. Zee Virtual Media delivers to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries, send your emails to custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com – Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

  • 9/11 anniversary marked under cloud of health problems, funding fights

    Eleven years after the September 11, 2001, attacks, New Yorkers will mark the anniversary on Tuesday against a backdrop of health concerns for emergency workers and a feud over financing that has stopped construction of the $1 billion Ground Zero museum.
    While notable progress on redevelopment of the World Trade Center has been made since early disputes over financial, design and security issues, the project remains hobbled by political battles and billions of dollars in cost overruns.
    A major sticking point is the museum at the heart of the World Trade Center (WTC) site redevelopment. Construction has been suspended because of a feud over finances between the National September 11 Memorial and Museum foundation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
    When the foundation announced recently that for the first time, politicians would be excluded from having speaking roles in the September 11 anniversary ceremonies, it was seen by many victims’ families and others in the 9/11 community as a public reflection of these behind-the-scenes disputes.
    Overall site redevelopment costs have grown to nearly $15 billion, up from $11 billion in 2008, according to a recent project audit.
    But for many of the families of 9/11 victims and ailing Ground Zero workers, the redevelopment disputes are a disheartening sideshow to the rising loss of human lives.