The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abia State

  • Whirlwind hits Aba, puts parts of the city in darkness

    Whirlwind hits Aba, puts parts of the city in darkness

    A whirlwind on Sunday afternoon swept through the commercial heartbeat of Abia State, leaving in its trail destruction of monumental proportion and throwing the city into darkness as several electric poles were brought down by the fierce wind. This is even as many house roofs were blown off.

    Also high tension cables and heavy billboard stanchions were not left out as the hurricane pulled them down along major roads in the city thereby making residents to be enveloped with fear.

    The hurricane which started late on Sunday with slight rain that did not last up to 15 minutes, however, left major areas of the city, especially Umungasi, Brass and Asa Road in total destruction and fear as transporters and commuters scampered for safety while those in their houses were rattled by the banging of the ramping hurricane on their doors and windows.

    When our reporter went round the city on Monday to ascertain the level of damage caused by the hurricane, it was discovered that not less than eight high tension poles with cables were pulled down along Aba-Owerri Road, Ajiwe Avenue, Nwogu Street and Brass Street all within the Umungasi axis in Aba North and Osisioma Local government areas respectively.

    Almost all the roofs at the popular Umungasi mini market were carried away while most of the zincs at the Okigwe road primary school being rehabilitated by the state government were also affected.

    A trader at the market, Mrs. Juliana Ike said that they have God to thank as no life was lost. “I was in the market when this thing happened. It was a miracle, when the dangerous wind started; we had to leave the area before the high tension fell. You can see how the roof of the market was damaged by the wind. I thank God that there was no electric light when this happened, then if not, my two children I, who came to help me here would have been electrocuted.”

    Also at Asa Road by Jubilee Junction, the hurricane pulled a heavy billboard and smashed it on a while Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) packed nearby, although no life was lost.

    According to an eyewitness, “We were here when the owner of the SUV parked it to repair his generator here. The rain came with a heavy wind which made everyone to run in for safety.”

    Power was yet to be restored to the city as at the time of filing the report as many people were still busy trying to replace their blown off roofs.

    Some residents speaking in an interview urged the Enugu Electrical Distribution Company (EEDC) to not only restore power to the city but also ensure speedy removal of pulled down electric poles and cables.

    Speaking on the incident, Head, Communications, EEDC, Mr. Emeka Eze with residents of the city to exercise patience as EEDC was on top of the situation and would restore light to the area in a short time.

  • ‘How to save your life’

    ‘How to save your life’

    At a health awareness forum in Aba, Abia State, experts make a case for balanced diet, exercise and regular checks, if you want to enhance your life. 

    It is not enough to merely chase the cash. You need to eat healthy food, cut down on stress, see your doctor regularly and embrace exercise.

    That was the message in Aba, Abia State’s commercial capital, where residents work like the proverbial bee.

    Over 200 participants attended a health forum in the city, with experts warning of severe consequences should people keep neglecting their health.

    A medical expert attributed the high rate of mortality in the business-minded city to pollution and inability of majority of residents to go for regular medical checks.

    The expert lamented the high rate of alcohol consumption and lack of exercise among residents, warning that without a comprehensive awareness campaign by the state government and non-governmental agencies, there may be serious consequences.

    The health awareness forum was organised by the Hon. Emeka Nnamani’s Foundation based in the commercial heartbeat of the state to educate Aba and Abia residents on how to manage their health and live a healthy life while trying to fend for themselves and their families.

    The event attracted residents of the commercial city especially within the ages of 50-70 years who thanked the organisers for such a wonderful seminar. They also called for such seminars to be regular as they hope that a continued health awareness seminars would help to save more persons from dying in ignorance.

    Speakers at the health awareness programme led discussions on high blood pressure and heart attack, two common diseases.

    They maintained that eating well along with being active can also lower someone’s risk of contracting diseases, adding that to maintain a healthy weight, people should eat a balanced diet.

    According to them, any act that would mount excess tension in the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body automatically leads to high blood pressure and heart attack, stressing that it could lead to renal failure, hardening of the arteries, eye damage, heart disease and stroke, as a result of brain damage.

    They also urged the participants to reduce their intake of alcohol, cakes, soft drinks, sports and energy drinks, fruit flavoured drinks, salt and caffeine intake, cigarette smoking, ice cream and frozen desserts among others, but to embrace exercise as the best way to live healthily.

    One of the participants, Comrade Joachim B. Anyanwu in an interview thanked God for the philanthropic disposition of the founder of the foundation whom God touched and has been using him to the rescue of the people.

    Anyanwu while acknowledging that the rate of mortality was on the high side coupled with extreme poverty said the awareness programme couldn’t have come at a better time than now that high blood pressure, prostate cancer were killing people silently and however lamented on the low level of health check attitude of the people who daily over stretched their bodies while trying to make more money and putting food on the tables of their families.

    “They have given us a comprehensive enlightenment and they even treated personal hygiene and how we will live healthy lives that can assist us to live long and live healthy lives. The medical tests were done without collecting any money from us.

    “The reading materials that they equally gave us were free and one could just sit at home to read it and be able to apply it in order to live optimal life. It is worthy of recommendation. I think that government of the day; both the local, state and national engage more in rhetoric than practical medical care provision. Most of what the government does is on paper. People don’t feel it and I must not fail to tell you that government initiate policies but the implementation is a major problem.

    “Some of the drugs that were supposed to be available at the hospitals are now diverted to their personal clinics and hospitals and government has not setup any mechanism in place to monitor these people and ensure that the proper thing is done. So, what we are witnessing is corruption in the health sector and this is causing a lot of people to lose confidence in government.

    “All the government needs to do is to provide the enabling environment and the right atmosphere for agencies that have the interest of providing healthcare for our people and should be sincere in what they are doing”, said Anyanwu.

    One of the experts, Dr. Nne Ihuoma Ngumoha, Director of Universal Mission, US; a charity organization in a a separate interview, called for people to live a moderate lifestyle.

    Dr. Ngumoha said, “The importance of the lecture cannot be overemphasised because it is High Blood Pressure and Heart attack is on the increase. Things have really changed. The main thing is what causes HBP is stress. There is so much stress in our society unlike in the past when people are comfortable and contented with what they have. But today, a lot of people want to have ten cars. They want to build a mansion with 20 rooms. They want their children to go to school in London and that is putting so much pressure on them.

    “So, once that stress comes it affects the functionality of the body and as a public health consultant, we have discovered that there are middle age death especially among men now so.

    The facilitator and founder Emeka Nnamani Foundation, Hon. Emeka Nnamani narrated how he lost his friends to heart attack and other related illnesses.

    He said, “It was actually meant not to come the way it came, having lost quite a number of friends in the last few months; between January and December, I have personally lost a couple of friends to High Blood Pressure and related diseases, so I felt that there was the need for the awareness on High Blood Pressure. Thank God that my partners, Universal Mission, USA and my very good friend, Dr. Umenwa who immediately put themselves together to package the material for the programme even within a short notice.

    “I chose the health sector because I have discovered that there is a great level of ignorance in that area which we have to address.  I’m not so sure that we have been able to articulate what it cost to the foundation to put up this programme. That is why it is a foundation and it is funded for this kind of event. But whatever the cost was, I believe the impact totally overrides the cost.”

  • 5,000 get medical care in Umuahia outreach

    5,000 get medical care in Umuahia outreach

    About 3,000 financially-challenged persons have been examined and treated in a medical outreach organised by HannahMay Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

    Speaking during the flag-off of the outreach at Umuobasi Ugba Ibeku town hall in Umuahia North Local Government Area, the chairman, Board of Trustees of the NGO, Mr Augusto Kanu said the outreach was planned for three days.

    The outreach provided free tests on HIV/AIDS, hypertension, diabetes, and eye-related ailments, treatment of malaria, typhoid, and provision of free eyeglasses free of any charge, among other things.

    Kanu commended the founder of HannahMay Foundation and wife of immediate past governor of the state, Mrs Mercy Orji for sustaining the NGO even after her husband’s tenure ended.

    He said, “Any patient who is diagnosed with any ailment which could not be handled at the outreach, such as surgery, such patient would be referred to a reputable hospital for surgical operation which the foundation would sponsor”.

    Earlier in her speech the founder of the NGO, Mrs Orji said that the medical outreach has become an annual ritual to assist indigent persons who cannot afford to pay for medical services.

    Mrs Orji who disclosed that one of the challenges facing the foundation is funding and used the forum to commend her husband, Senator Theodore Orji for his assistance which she noted had gone a long way to sustain the free medical outreach.

    She also gave kudos to other philanthropists and other donor agencies abroad who send drugs, eyeglasses and other medical equipment that have helped to sustain the programme and called on others to lend a helping hand to enable the foundation to continue taking care of the needy people in the society.

    Mrs Orji pledged to continue to fund the foundation in its effort to ensure that the indigent people in the society are always taken care of medically, stressing that one of the best things that could happen to people is to give them medical attention when they need it most.

    Mrs Orji also called on the well to do in the state, other donor agencies and corporate bodies to venture into the area of helping the indigent people in the society as one of the ways to give back to the society.

    In their separate reactions some recipients which include Chief Nduka Anya, Mrs Regina Nwagboso and Mr Charles Ezebuiro thanked the founder of the foundation for saving the lives of Abians through her medical outreach.

    They prayed God to be with HannahMay foundation founder and her family, “For taking care of people like us may God always take care of your needs including those of your entire family, your good deeds will never go unrewarded by God all the days of your life”.

    In his own reaction the national President of Abia State youth Development organization, Prince Obinna Ehumadu extolled the philanthropic gesture of the wife of the former governor for her continued sustenance of the programme.

  • Why I want to govern Abia – Nyerere

    Why I want to govern Abia – Nyerere

    Dr. Anyim Nyerere contested for the governorship seat in Abia State in 2015 but lost. In this interview with Chief Correspondent, Edozie Udeze and Correspondent, Ndidi Ukodili, he explains why he wants to govern Abia State. Excerpts

    IN 2015 you indicated interest to govern Abia state by contesting the governorship election but lost. Do you still want to actualize that dream?

    I sincerely want to actualize that dream by the Grace of God. You know the Bible said that promotion neither come from the East, West, North or South but from God. As a human being who desires to serve the people, who desire something good for his own people, my dream is to help emancipate my people through proactive and sincere leadership and governance. So the Bible says that when you write a vision it is for an appointed time, though it tarries yet it will surely come to pass. It is a vision and that is why you just have to be patient and wait for its actualization and I know by God’s Grace it must surely be actualized.

    You mean come 2019 the dream will be reactivated and pursued?

    Not only will it be reactivated, that dream will be actualized by God’s Grace. As a businessman with very tight schedule, some very critical issues may have formed your decision to contest the governorship election in 2015. Now three years into the Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration, do you think those issues have been addressed. Sincerely those issues have not been addressed. I am not here to cast aspersions on anybody but to say the truth because the Bible said that it is only the truth that can set you free. We talked about decayed infrastructure in Abia state orchestrated by the 16 years inglorious rule of PDP and its allies in that state which by extension is getting to twenty years now. These things you can see for yourselves

    Now you’re an Executive Commissioner in the National Pension Commission and that is a tall order. With the cry that pensioners are suffering what are you going to take into the place?

    First of all I want to thank the Federal Government for the opportunity to be nominated into the Board of the Pension Commission. Secondly is if we get there, we have something primarily in mind, to use the existing team structure on ground and improve on it because the pension issue is a very problematic issue so we will see what they have done and the approach and we will now use our wealth of experience because the people I saw in the Board are people who are eminently qualified and experienced who will equally have the zeal to better what we are meeting on ground and then the pensioners will heave a sigh of relief. If we are able to do that our appointments will now have meaning but if it is to go there without leaving something on the sands of time, then it will be useless going there but I believe that by the Grace of God, the people will know that a new crop of people are now in the place.

    Your party has suffered string of losses in the Southeast in recent time. Do you still see that arrangement actualized under the APC platform?

    You see, if you don’t say here I am nobody will say where are you? You will recall that in 2015, the Igbo played myopic, uneventful and dangerous politics by putting all their eggs in one basket with hole, it led to colossal loss. It drew us backward politically, we weren’t proactive. Now those of us who believed in this change and we still have faith in that change are now telling our brothers who on themselves have equally seen the light at the end of the tunnel and know that the best that can happen to Igbo man as a member of the Nigeria project is to be in mainstream politics. We are not good with opposition and that is aptly manifested in the number of people from across the Southeast defecting to APC. Agreed we did not make it at the Anambra election, that is a kudos to the APC led government by installing credible election devoid of the business as usual of the past. If it were those people before, there is no way they could have lost but President Muhammadu Buhari, a man in his inspired wisdom and integrity that he is known for insisted on a free and fair election. He is not a man that will come and use the powers he has to change the situation and he allowed the will of the people to prevail that is the outcome of what you saw in Anambra election. It is a dramatization on the new order of APC. On the Senatorial election, the candidate we have is a current Minister who said he is not interested in the election andnthe INEC could not give us opportunity to substitute that was what happened. So we are not looking at that it is just circumstantial.

    Do you think Obasanjo’s letter will have any negative effect on the fortunes of the APC in the Southeast?

    That is where political dynamism comes in, that is where wisdom comes in, that is where people should learn to separate the grain from the chaff. What is the import of that letter, it is a letter that should propel the President to address the key areas he is not doing well and do something and then the same Obasanjo that wrote the letter may not mean any evil against the President because the Bible said that it is the person you love that you chastise. You saw what happened in AU meeting, it is about dynamism in politics, it is interest that matters, we are not being sentimental about it. The Igbo shouldn’t use the letter to distract themselves from where they are going. Obasanjo had written that letter as an elder statesman, if it is accepted in good fate it will not distract Buhari from pursuing the good things he is doing. The Igbo should not also allow it to distract them because we know where we are going. It is only an uninformed that will allow somebody that is not going anywhere to distract him from where he is going.

    Aba is known for shoe making and textile, that business does not seem to be booming the way it used to in the past and you as an industrialist, what is the master plan you have to make sure that it is totally revived?

    I want to disagree with you about what is happening in Aba now. There is an orchestrated zeal for the made in Nigeria goods and prominent among it is the Aba made shoes which we are known for. The Federal Government through the Ministry of Industry has done so well in that respect and the state government has equally taken advantage of the incentive and the Federal Government policy towards the reactivation of the lost glory of made in Aba goods to equally shine and which is placing the Aba industrial climate on a high pedestal. Some of our people are in China, courtesy of the state government as claimed but we don’t want to know but all we know is that the Aba industrial hub is receiving the desired boost. If you go to Ariaria Market some areas have uninterrupted power supply, these are stimulus to the full industrialization of the state in tandem with the manifesto of APC.

  • Traders lose millions of naira as fire gut shops

    Traders lose millions of naira as fire gut shops

    Traders and sympathizers at New Market in Aba, Abia State Line 49, Lagos zone could not hold back their tears as a mysterious fire gutted 14 shops and destroyed goods worth millions of cash in the inferno.

    Our correspondent who visited the scene of the inferno on Friday reports that the traders claimed that they couldn’t save a pin from the inferno they said started when they had all gone home after their day’s business.

    While the affected traders were seen picking and packing out charred goods from their shops, others who could not hold back their emotions were seen being consoled by sympathizers at the scene.

    Some of the traders who spoke anonymously demanded that the security men on duty should be questioned. This is as some of them claimed that the inferno was sponsored.

    They wondered how the area that doesn’t have electricity supply over decades or have anyone that sells restaurant got burnt over a night. They also queried the inability of the security men on duty in the area to raise alarm when they spotted an unusual fire or smoke in a place that doesn’t even sell any inflammable material.

    One of the traders, Mr. Ifeanyi Ogbonna who was still struggling with his emotion but however, summoned courage to speak to our reporter at the scene said that he lost about N2.5m while a neighbour who sells provision lost goods worth about N8m.

    According to him, men of the Abia State Fire Service came to attend to the fire, but left when they ran out of water.

    Read Also: Traders seek better deal from govt

    He said that the fire was later quenched by sympathizers who used water from a nearby borehole operator to attack and stopped the fire from engulfing other shops in the zone.

    He appealed to the governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and other well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aid as they cannot bear the pain and weight of the loss alone.

    Okezie Uche, Head Aba Fire Service said that the cause of the fire could not be ascertained at the time of filing the report, but however stated that it could have been unconnected to the change in temperature.

    Uche advised chairmen of various lines in the market and other markets in Aba and its environs to make sure that they have materials that would enable them to quench fire at the early stage before it goes out of hand.

     

     

  • Model for oil firms-host relations

    Model for oil firms-host relations

    Against the backdrop of acrimonious relationship of oil firms and host communities, SUNNY NWANKWO reports that Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (TEPNG) has built and handed over two-bedroom flats to residents of an oil-producing community in Abia State.

    The relationship is hardly ever cordial, filled with broken promises, tales of exploitation and neglect.

    In Owaza in Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State, that used to be the scenario. In an earlier interview with this paper, the traditional ruler of the community, Eze Levi Nworgu said,

    “Our youths are unemployed. There are no good roads here, no electricity and not a single empowerment in our community by the oil-producing companies in our community.

    “We need varsity scholarship for our youths. We don’t have good drinking water here. We must go down to SPDC flow which is almost 2km from here just to fetch water. Owaza is the largest land operation of SPDC in both Southeast and Southsouth and this community is nothing to write home about since 1958. No good schools or even learning facilities. A university will not be bad here.

    “Total also has the highest gathering point of gas here in Owaza. They commissioned the biggest gas plant in West Africa here in Owaza. We have been calling them for EIA (environmental impact assessment), but they have refused to answer us. Our youths don’t know how to carry guns. We, Owaza people, don’t use guns and so is Asa. We are calling them to take advantage of this peace negotiation we are calling them for to get things fixed in this community.”

    Things are changing. Owaza residents now have something to cheer: two-bedroom flats built and handed over to them by TEPNG.

    The gesture elicited much fanfare in celebration of their new acquisitions. TEPNG collaborated with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on the project.

    The event attracted several traditional rulers including HRM Eze Dr. Jonathan Ezere, Eze Igiri of Igiriukwu community, Eze Christian Ikemefule Ukaegbu, Eze Ozuruoha II of Isi Etiti community, and HRM Eze Young N. Ogbonna, Eze Isiala II of Ipu West community also had the presence of TEPNG management.

    The Nation gathered that apart from the flats handed over to the community, Total is also handling several other projects for the people of Owaza.

    In a keynote address, the General Manager, JV Onshore Field Operation of TEPNG, Mr. Linne Ludovic said Owaza people greatly cherished the project, seeing it as probably one of the best things to happen in the community.

    He added that the project was awarded to community-nominated vendors in 2015, and that it was completed in 2017. He als said the objective of the project was to help the benefiting communities to generate revenue for self-sustainability.

    Ludovic said that as a responsible organisation, TEPNG would in fulfillment of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and continue to partner with its host communities for the development of the communities.

    “We have a policy to honour all commitments freely entered with our host and neighbouring communities and other stakeholders. The tradition is to ensure that such engagements are met within a reasonable timeframe in order to maintain our integrity and build confidence with all stakeholders.”

    In their separate goodwill messages, the traditional rulers HRM Eze Dr. Jonathan Ezere, Eze Igiri of Igiriukwu autonomous community, Eze Christian Ikemefule Ukaegbu, Eze Ozuruoha II of Isi Etiti autonomous community and HRM Eze Young N. Ogbonna, Eze Isiala II of Ipu West autonomous community commended the company for starting and finishing the projects. The added that they have started experiencing good relationship with the company.

    Eze Ezere said they want to see more of the projects and called on them to hasten up efforts to complete the construction of a town hall.

    He said if there is light and development in the Owaza community, their youths would be employed and there would be fewer chances of the youths taking to crime.

    According to Ezere, they would rent out the flats and use the funds realised to solve the needs of the community, stressing that they have equally worked out a mechanism to check abuse of the facility and funds realised from the project.

    He also demanded that the company do more for the community as the economic and social contributions of the community to the state and the federal government  cannot be overemphasised.

     

  • Community celebrates 20 years of grassroots journalism

    Community celebrates 20 years of grassroots journalism

    Some 20 years ago, a young man tinkered with a noble idea. He thought of how to help his ancient Arochukwu, Abia State community preserve its culture and civilization. Being a media practitioner, he dabbled into community journalism.

    The young man, Dr. Azubuike Okoro singlehandedly floated the AroNews. He steered the ship all alone for some years before handing it over to the community administered by Nzuko Aro, the umbrella organisation of all Aros.

    The 20 years celebration which held recently was marked with a book presentation. The book coauthored by the AroNews founder, Dr. Azubuike Okoro and the pioneer editor of  the AroNews, Mr. Ben Ezumah is titled “Perspectives on Aro History and Civilisation”.

    Prominent Aro citizens graced the occasion to celebrate AroNews, the kingdom’s foremost and official newspaper which has for the past 20 years championed community journalism.

    The event was the first to take place in the main hall of the newly commissioned Aro Culture and Civic Centre that was unveiled on Aro Day December 26, 2017. Activities that also marked the occasion included maiden lecture series, public presentation of Vols. 1, 2 and 3 of Aro News Book Series – perspectives on Aro History & Civilization, the Splendor of a great Past, 20th anniversary almanac, dinner, award for community dev, etc.

    The Aro News inaugural lecture series was led by two eminent scholars, Prof Suleiman Oji of the Law Faculty of Usman Dan Fodio University,Sokoto who is also a visiting Professor at Gregory University, Uturu and an emeritus professor of History, Okoro Ijoma. Both academics, alongside the chairman of the occasion as well as President General, Nzuko Arochukwu, Mazi George Ezumah and Chairman,Board of Directors of Aro News Publications Ltd, Mazi Emma Kanu Ivi,  jointly presented the three books written by Dr Azubike Okoro and Mazi Ben Ezumah to the public.

    A veteran journalist, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji espoused the editorial policy of Aro News and the secret that has kept the newspaper on the news stand for unbroken twenty years. He thanked Aros in Nigeria and in the diaspora for their unflinching support to the project.

    The audience celebrated the tabloid, Dr Azubuike Okoro, for his pioneering efforts and a special song composed to mark the 20th anniversary event was presented to the audience. The occasion rounded off with drinks and food.

  • Aba mart to fight drug sale in open market

    Aba mart to fight drug sale in open market

    The activities of unlicensed drug dealers including open market hawkers hurt the economy. That was why the Minister of Health Prof Isaac Adewole and his team visited Aba, Abia State, to lay the foundation stone for a drug mart and coordinated wholesale centre (CWC) in Osisioma Local Government Area of the state.

    At the event, Adewole said there would be no going back on the January, 1 2019 deadline given by the federal government to drug dealers to stop wholesale and distribution of drugs on the open market across the country.

    He said that the essence of the ban was to check the activities of fake and adulterated products on the open drug market.

    The minister who noted the role Aba medicine dealers play in the sale and distribution chain of drugs in the country, apart from Onitsha, noted that the centre which is the second biggest in the Southeast when completed, would also ensure that Abians and other citizens of the country have access to quality and original drugs.

    According to him, the project which has the support of the presidency and committee on pharmaceutical sector reform would also ensures that the drug dealers would be more organised, make their profits and also remit appropriate taxes to  government.

    Prof Adewole said, “Today is historic because we are laying a foundation for a CWC which represents a historic step forward of ensuring that the health of our people are well taken care of. The whole concept stems from our desire to ensure that we control drug distribution in Nigeria. This will ensure that the drugs that are being distributed are of good quality.

    “This will eliminate fake/substandard and falsely labeled products. It will ensure that we collect taxes. It will enable us to encourage people who want to do business, to realise value for their money. You can no longer stay in your house and do substandard things. You must come forward and let’s see you do them, this why this step is historic.

    “What’s again historic is that we have two of this CWC in the Southeast; one in Onitsha and this one in Aba today. That to me shows the importance and relevance of the Southeast to the drug distribution system in this country.

    “Last year, we agreed at a stakeholders meeting in Lagos that we’ll enforce the ban on open drug market from 1st of January 2019 and there’s no going back.

    “If we find anybody, doing distribution, wholesale marketing of drugs outside this designated centre with effect from 1st January 2019, we’ll arrest him and confiscate the products. This directive came from the committee on pharmaceutical sector reform. We didn’t just wake up to say come here without presidential backing.

    “You have less than one year to get this place done and please fast-track the development of this CWC. Work together and in unity you’ll achieve the goal.”

    In their addresses, the registrar Pharmacists Council of Nigeria,  Elijah Mohammed and Prof. Christiana Adeyeye, Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, represented by Ali Ibrahim, Director Pharmacolvigilance/Post Marketing Surveillance expressed the readiness of their agencies to ensure that they supported the federal government in eradicating sale of drugs in open market.

    According to Mohammed, one of the major targets for the development of National Drug Distribution Guideline (NNDG) was to positively turn things around the pharmaceutical sub-sector of the country’s economy through streamlining the chaotic distribution system.

    Mohammed disclosed that they decided to adopt CWC as a measure of controlling sale and distribution of drugs in Nigeria after they discovered that the model had been successful in India.

    “The choice of India was based on the fact that it is one of the countries of the world that is very successful in the operation of Coordinated Wholesale Centres for drugs.”

    NAFDAC DG stated that it was expected that stakeholders in the sale and distribution chain of drugs until it gets to the final consumer must operate within the ambience of the law to enable the full realization of the overall goal and objectives of the policy of the federal government to establish the CWC.

    The President, Enyimba Pharmaceutical and Allied Product Limited, Sir Chukwuemeka Osuagwu commended the state and federal governments for their initiatives and called on foreign investors to see the project as a way of partnering with them to take Aba to the global centrestage.

    Governor Ikpeazu who was represented by his deputy, Ude Oko Chukwu said that the government was happy for the project and the Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Laboratory and Treatment Center at Amachara General Hospital in Umuahia South Local Government were situated in the state.

    Oko Chukwu assured that the state was willing to give out its land to similar developmental project initiatives to be sited in the state by the federal.

    He also promised that the state government would ensure that the drug dealers would have adequate security, infrastructure and enabling environment that would enable to have the ease of business at the facility by the time the project is completed.

     

  • Health minister honoured in Abia

    Health minister honoured in Abia

    When the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole was coming to Abia State last week, he had two official functions in mind: to inaugurate a tuberculosis diagnostic centre at the Amachara General Hospital in Umuahia South, and to perform the groundbreaking exercise for the construction of Drug Mart for drug dealers Aba, an initiative of the federal government geared towards checking the proliferation and sale of adulterated and unwholesome drugs in Abia and the Southeast in general.

    It soon dawned on the august visitor that there other engagements to the bargain in which he would feature prominently.

    Prof Oyewole who represents the federal government would not have visited the state and gone without paying homage to the traditional institution of the land especially the chairman of Southeast and Abia traditional rulers council, headed by His Eminence Eze Eberechi Dick, Eze Udo I of Mgboko Ngwa Amaise  in Obingwa Local Government.

    At the palace, the minister was taken unawares. The traditional rulers council would confer on him a chieftaincy title.

    It was Eze Dick himself, overjoyed with the minister’s contribution to the healthcare of the people of the Southeast and the state in particular, announced the intention of the royal cabinet to honour him with a chieftaincy title.

    The reappearance of the minister in the revered “Isiagu” Igbo traditional outfit set the stage for the conferment of the traditional title of “Ogwudire” (effective medicine) on the minister.

    His Eminence Eze Eberechi Dick  performed the ceremony assisted by other traditional rulers present.

    Present to witness the conferment was the Deputy Governor of the state, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, Abia State Commissioner of Health, Dr. John Ahukanna, Registrar, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Mr Elijah Mohammed, Prof. Christiana Adeyeye, Director-General (NAFDAC) represented by Ali Ibrahim, Director pharmacovigilance/post marketing surveillance, among other government officials and individuals who witnessed the exercise.

    In his speech, Eze Dick said that the conferment of the chieftaincy title was to appreciate the minister’s good work in ensuring that lives of Abians and southeasterners were saved.

    The traditional ruler used the opportunity of the minister’s visit to urge the federal government to continue partnering with the Abia State governor Okezie Ikpeazu whom he thanked for creating the atmosphere for business to thrive, in ensuring that Abians, Southeasterners and indeed Nigerians buy unadulterated drugs.

    Also speaking, the Deputy Governor Sir Oko Chukwu who represented Governor Ikpeazu thanked the traditional ruler for honouring the minister who in a short time of being in office has been able to distinguish himself as a man that knows his onus and has been able to show how much he loved Abia State and pledged the continued support of the state for the ministry and federal government’s developmental projects in the state.

    In his response, Prof. Adewole thanked Eze Dick and other traditional rulers for the honour done to him, even though that he said it was a surprise that he would be singled out to be honoured by the Southeast and Abia traditional institution with the “Ogwudire’ chieftaincy title.

    Adewole who said that the title means so much to him, promised to do his best in ensuring that the federal government continues  partnering with the Abia State government in any way that they can in ensuring that the people of the state and southeast including other Nigerians enjoy adequate healthcare services.

     

  • I’ll enforce January, 2019 deadline for drug control centres – Prof. Adewole

    I’ll enforce January, 2019 deadline for drug control centres – Prof. Adewole

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, on Friday said he would start the enforcement of the Federal Government’s directive on drug control centres from January, 2019.

    Adewole said that this step would end the sales of drugs through the operations of drug marts in Nigeria.

    The minister spoke in Aba at the ground breaking ceremony of the Abia State Wholesale Control Centre ( CWC ) for drugs.

    He said that the final deadline for the enforcement had been fixed for January, 2019, saying that there would be no going back on the deadline.

    “There will be no going back on the January, 2019 deadline.

    “If we find anybody doing marketing or wholesale distribution in January, 2019, we will arrest and confiscate the product.

    “For those who nurse the dream that there will be another CWC in Abia State, they should wake up from the dream, because there will be no other one.

    “Please let us work together; do not write any petition to me again, because I will not read it and I will not do any business with the petition.

    “I learnt that those writing petitions are using the soldiers. I will use the Generals and not soldiers. I will use the Minister of Defence, so that we will enforce the order.

    “The directive came from the Presidential Committee on Pharmaceutical Sector Reform. We did not just wake up and say go to this place. It has presidential backing,’’ he said.

    Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, said he was glad that the centre was being set up to identify those genuine drug dealers and stop the circulation of fake drugs.

    The governor said the state government would ensure that all genuine drug dealers relocate to the centre on completion to create a safer drug distribution system in the state.

    Ikpeazu, represented by his deputy, Sir Ude Oko-Chukwu, said that Abia would provide the needed facilities for the centre to function optimally.

    The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, said that the CWCs were meant to ensure regulated and organised drug distribution at four levels, with drug manufacturers at the apex.

    Adeyeye said that NAFDAC would play its role to make the policy to succeed, urging drug dealers to play by the rules of the law for safety.

    She was represented by Mr Ali Ibrahim, the Director, Pharmacovigilance and Post-marketing Surveillance.

    NAN