The Nation Newspaper

Tag: bemoans

  • Lawyer bemoans absence of medical council

    •Osanyin is association’s VP

    A medical law expert, ‘Laolu Osanyin, has decried the Federal Government’s failure to constitute the Medical and Dental Council.

    He said the Medical and Dental Disciplinary Tribunal has not sat for almost four years as a result of this.

    According to him, failure to constitute the council and the abysmal budgetary allocation for health are two major challenges faced by patients in Nigeria.

    Osanyin, who chairs the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Committee on Medicine and the Law, spoke to The Nation, following his election as World Association for Medical Law (WAML) Vice- President. He was elected at the association’s world congress on medical law in Tel Aviv, Israel in September.

    WAML, the global body of experts and scholars in medical law, was established in Ghent, Belgium, in 1967 to encourage the study and discussion of medical law, legal medicine and ethics for the benefit of society and the advancement of human rights.

    Osanyin is the first and only African on the association’s Board of Governors. He is saddled with the responsibility of developing the body of knowledge of medical law on the African continent.

    He is also a member of the WAML Education Committee responsible for setting the global curriculum and modules for the study of medical law.

    Osanyin is the founder and convener of the Nigerian Medical Law Summit and the African Medical Law Summit.

    He is the organiser of the Medical Law Seminar Series – a medicolegal training platform for Nigerian health workers.

    The lawyer is a member of the Nigerian National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC), the American College of Legal Medicine and Senior Partner of First Counsel Solicitors, a medical law consulting firm.

    According to him, poor funding of the health sector is tantamount to a death penalty itself, while the failure to constitute the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria has hampered the regulation of medical practice.

    “There is a prevalence of gross malpractices and misconducts on the part of practitioners. For almost four years, the Medical and Dental Disciplinary Tribunal has not sat because there is no Council in place. Doctors, who have cases before the Tribunal are forced to practice defensive medicine to the detriment of their patients.”

  • Group bemoans lawlessness in Ekiti

    The Ekiti Rebirth Organisation, (ERO), an Ekiti-based political pressure group, has expressed worry over current happenings in the state which it described as a dangerous time bomb capable of causing fatal implosions with dire consequences, if urgent and adequate measures are not taken to stem the tide.

    The group posited that happenings in the state before and after the political parties’ primary elections are build-ups to a climate of uncertainties which has already been manifesting through assassinations, kidnappings, armed robbery cases, cult activities and sundry societal vices of recent time.

    Rising from an emergency meeting in Odooro Ekiti in the Ikole Local Dovernment Area of the state, the group said it had resolved to confront the situation and stressed that ERO will not relent in efforts to arrest a further depletion of the state’s image and resources via social vices and brigandage occasioned by lingering bad leadership and governance.

    Director General of ERO, Chief Ranti Adebisi, said: “The group had been silent watching the drift of events since political activities came alive shortly after the party primaries to date. We are miffed by the dangerous trend events are taking and we realised it is time we rise to save the situation before it goes beyond control.”

    Adebisi said the emergency meeting was prompted by the recent armed robbery operation in Ilawe Ekiti where two persons lost their lives.

    ”We are worried by the fact that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government that has brought nothing to table for the people other than poverty, squalor and hopelessness in the past four years is still flaunting itself as the people’s choice when apparently the people have stamped disapproval to their ignoble rule through the ballot by voting them out of power.

    ”The show of shame that came to bear with another violence carried out by some party members at the inaugural seating of the Ekiti Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which held in Ado Ekiti is worrisome. It was so bad that the chairman of the tribunal said that the continued seating in the state would put the lives of lawyers, litigants and court workers at risk and as such moved the seating on our Election Tribunal to Abuja.

    ”This is a big shame and a reflection you get from a state where order and decorum have already taken flight

    ”We cannot fold our arms and watch while all the shenanigans continue unfettered. We have decided to act fast as a group that is determined to lead our deprived people to liberation. We shall lead the Ekiti people out of the current excruciating situation we found ourselves to freedom,” Adebisi said.

  • apbn bemoans non-involvement of professionals in national development

    Last week, the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) held its presidential retreat in Asaba-the Delta State Capital.

    The 3-day retreat, which was attended by over thirty professional bodies from across the federation, had as its theme, “Roles of Professionals in the Economic Recovery and Growth”.

    The retreat featured paper presentation by renowned professionals from different sectors of the Nigerian economy.

    Delta Deputy Governor, Kingsley Utuaro, who declared the event open in an address admonished participants to cooperate with government at all levels in shouldering the task of economic recovery and growth.

    Utuaro was represented by Executive Assistant, (Boundary Matters), Chief Gweke Akudihor.

    He praised APBN for organizing the event stressing, “That this gathering is timely and long overdue considering the economic constraints, unfriendly regulatory policies, lack of professional touch to drive the economy, falling Naira rate, lack of consistency and continuity has led to the impoverishment of the Nation’s economy”.

    He bemoaned the lack of involvement of professionals to redirect the economy, stressing that their wealth of experience is required to salvage the Nigerian economy.

    He said the State government has through its SMART agenda revitalized the various entrepreneurial skills acquisition for unemployed, adding that it has also encouraged the establishment of various self-sustainable jobs for her unemployed.

    President, APBN, Dr. Omede  Idris said the retreat  was an annual capacity building program for the leadership member bodies of the association, stressing that the event “is a conscious effort to appreciate and address perceived limitation in our professional organization and pratices”.

    He said the themes and subthemes were carefully crafted to cover most or all aspect of our economies, professions and polity, adding this will further “stimulate our thoughts, interactions and contribution to nation building.

    He said the retreat will proffer recommendations on ways government can partner and collaborate with individual professional associations with its high pool of professional resources and competences while serving the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.

    Olutoyin Ayinde, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, in a paper titled – “Developing Sustainable Human Settlements: Organise or Agonise”, examined the non-involvement of professionals in national development.

    Ayinde said  Nigeria has over 840 urban centres with well over 10 cities with populations of over a million…In another  decade, four additional cities will qualify as mega-cities, adding that most of them are unplanned and undergoing degradation.

    He said the “inevitable result of neglecting physical or urban planning is chaos in the settlement system”, stressing that this neglect is demonstrated in the failure of the physical and economic infrastructure of the Nigerian State.

    According to him, “No economy has ever grown to maturity if the human settlements fundamentals to development are dysfunctional or unorganised, because unsustainable human settlements and economic development are inversely related just as poor management and development are mutually exclusive.”

    He argued that the problem with Nigeria is not a lack of resources but inadequate planning and bad management of resources for the development of human settlements.

    Tony Agenmonmen, President, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, in his paper titled, “Promoting Locally Made Products as Strategy for Recovery and Growth: The role of Marketing Professionals posited that under the prevailing economic climate, promoting locally made products was crucial, adding that it will stimulate the economy ,while strengthening local business and conserve foreign exchange.

    According to Agenmonmen, while the efforts of some state governments in promoting locally made products are laudable, there is still the need for proper product presentation in order for locally made products to gain increased visibility, acceptance and patronage.

    He noted that the present economic situation presents an opportunity for local products to thrive if only their presentations conform to defined standards, and their unique selling points efficiently communicated to an identified target audience through the various promotional tools.

  • ILO bemoans rising unemployment

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has alerted that youth unemployment is rising and would likely reach 13.1 per cent this year.

    Its Director-General, Guy Ryder, at the G20 Summit in Beijing, China, said leaders from across the G20 countries spoke frankly about the economic and political risks caused by slow growth and weak employment prospects.

    According to the global body, unemployment this year is inching close to a historic peak of 71 million jobless young people.

    Ryder said: “The agreements reached at the Hangzhou Summit showed signs of a shift towards a more balanced policy response to the challenges of slow growth, high unemployment and underemployment, inequality, and continuing rapid structural change”.

    He pointed out that globally, unemployment and underemployment was high and rising, wage incomes stagnant, and inequality widening.

    “The importance of social dialogue in translating global agreements into sustainable solutions cannot be overemphasised. This is feeding back into weak consumer demand, weak investment, pressure on public finances and continued slow growth.

    “This slow growth has created social tensions, not the least among them young women and men looking to get started in working life. It is driving people to leave their communities and seek work elsewhere, often far away,” Ryder said.

    The ILO head also pointed out that frustrated expectations provided the tinder that inflammatory political forces used to undermine support for open economies and societies that respect and value diversity.

    He added that G20 leadership was vital in reversing these trends, and its support for the United Nations (UN) with the G20 Action Plan on the 2030 Agenda for  Sustainable Development was key.

    Ryder also highlighted the Declaration of the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers, which recommended policies on combating working poverty, ending discrimination, and narrowing gaps in working conditions.

    It also recommended reducing inequalities, enhancing minimum wage mechanisms, and social protection that will be critical in shaping the future of work.

    Ryder also congratulated China on engaging business and labour in the preparations on the summit. “The importance of social dialogue in translating global agreements into sustainable solutions cannot be overemphasised,” he concluded.

    The summit’s communiqué committed the G20 to work in order to ensure that the economic growth serves the needs of everyone and benefits all countries and all people, including in particular, women, youth and disadvantaged groups.

    It also committed to generating more quality jobs, addressing inequalities and eradicating poverty so that no one was left behind.

    It also emphasised that for sustainable development, strengthened labour market institutions and policies could support productivity and promote decent work, and therefore, higher sustainable wage growth in particular, for the low-income workers.

  • Olujoungbe bemoans ‘poor’ draw

    Olujoungbe bemoans ‘poor’ draw

    Sunshine Stars caretaker coach, Kayode Olujoungbe has called his side’s draw against FC IfeanyiUbah a ‘poor result’.

    The Owena Waves held the Nnewi-based side to a 1-1 draw in Sunday’s NPFL match-day 5 clash at the Akure Township Stadium.

    Okereke Maduabuchi scored the match opener for FC IfeanyiUbah while central defender, Kunle Odunlami scored the equaliser to extend the Akure side’s search for a win to five matches.

    Olujoungbe said the new players in their fold are yet to fully learn the top-flight ropes.

    “The 1-1 draw against visiting FC IfeanyiUbah is a poor result playing on our home ground.

    “My thinking is that we should have picked up all three points at stake in the encounter.

    “However, the draw is not a totallly bad result as it would have been worse to lose all three points.

    “I think the team has not yet blended with the newcomers among them. They are yet to fit into the game.

    “I believe with time they will come good and deliver the goods.

    “FC IfeanyiUbah played wonderfully well and I’m sure if the team is to play at the continent they will certainly go far in the competition.

    “The Nnewi side gave us a lot to worry about throughout the crunch encounter,” said the Sunshine Queens and Stars caretaker coach to supersport.com.

    The point against FC IfeanyiUbah adds to the Akure side’s points haul. They now have two points out of 15 in the five-week-old top flight.

  • Faleke bemoans Kogi infrastructural decay

    Faleke bemoans Kogi infrastructural decay

    APC deputy governorship candidate for the November 21, 2015 governorship election in Kogi State, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, has bemoaned the level of infrastructural decay in the state.

    Speaking in Olle Bunu during a visit to the palace of the Olubunu of Bunu, HRH Oba J.A Ikusemoro, Faleke described as shameful and unacceptable the level of decay and underdevelopment in the state.

    ”For the past 13 years the PDP held sway in Kogi, the state has not recorded any worthwhile development, rather it has been moving in the reverse direction, thus bringing sufferings and hardship to our people in spite of the huge resources at its disposal.

    “What has the successive PDP governments done with the resources accruing to the state, both from the Federation Account and the internally generated funds in the last 13 years? The roads are bad, salaries are not paid, and where they are paid, only a fraction of workers’ monthly emoluments are released. The same applies to the traditional rulers who are paid as little as 10-20 percent of what is due to them. Workers in the state are presently owed between 18 and 20 months salaries.

    The former Ojodu LCDA Chairman added that all the major infrastructural developments in the state were put in place by Prince Audu between 1999 and 2003 when he was the governor of the state. This include Kogi State University, Kogi State Polytechnic, Kogi State General Hospital, among others.

    Faleke promised that the state would witness massive development if the APC is voted into power come November 21.

    Other traditional rulers present at the occasion were the Obaro of Odo-Ape, Oba Jimoh Meseko; the Olu of Okebukun, Oba Ige Omonile and Obaro of Olle, Oba Dan Baba.

  • Expert bemoans hostile actions on environment

    The former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Olukayode Oyediran has enjoined Nigerians to protect their environment against hazards that undermine human health.

    Prof. Oyediran, who is also Chairman, Board of Trustees of Nigeria Network for Awareness and Action for Environmental Health (NINAAFEH) gave the advice at a programme held at Zontal Club House, Ibadan to sensitise the public to unhealthy environment. The programme was held to commemorate this year’s World Environmental Health Day whose theme was “Children are our Future; Let’s Protect Their Environment and Health.”

    According to him, three components of environment affect mankind. These, he said, are physical, biological and social environment, saying humans have a reciprocal dynamic relationship with their environment.

    He added that the environment has a profound effect on humans while humans in turn make varying alterations to the environment to meet their needs and desires.

    Corroborating Prof. Oyediran’s view, Prof. Sridhar Mynepalli of the Department of Environmental Health, University of Ibadan said an unhealthy environment increases mortality rate in Nigeria, especially among children.

    He noted that girls are the most vulnerable. He noted that according to a 2008 report whose commission was led by Prof. Michael Marmot, girls born in some countries could expect to live more than 80 years but in others just 45 years”.

    Prof. Sridhar said children’s health, safety and the protection of their environment is a highly important topic to all peoples in the world, adding that International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH), that mooted the idea of world environmental health day wants to highlight this issue and focus on how to reduce exposure from the surrounding environment by announcing this year’s theme of “Children are our Future; Let’s Protect Their Environment and Health.”

    He added that children are one of the most vulnerable segments of our society compared with adults. “Children have low resistance to infection, poor diet and nutrition; chemical contaminations, air pollution from traffic as well air pollution in general and other allied environmental hazards,” he said.

    Also speaking at the occasion, President of Zontal Club, Prof. Olufunke Egunjobi said without a clean and healthy environment, human beings cannot survive. Environmental components, which comprise air, water and others, are created by God to support human existence.

    She maintained that the current climate change and global warming are traceable to man’s mismanagement of the environment when ozone-depleting substances created by man deplete the ozone layer which protects the earth planet from the direct heat of the sun.

     

     

  • Ex-ASUU boss bemoans poor education

    A former Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) boss has said the educational system is dysfunctional to make the nation a forerunner in the global education system.

    The ex-president of the union and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the National Education Summit, organised by the four unions in the universities, Dr. Dipo Fashina, spoke in Ibadan at the weekend while briefing reporters on the coming summit holding in Abuja between October 27 and November 1.

    Fashina said the summit would review the educational system with a view to restructuring it to liberate Nigerians.

    According to the former ASUU leader, the educational system is one sided, promoting the interests of the world’s powers, who colonised Africa, making the need to develop an educational system, which can serve the interests of Nigerians a necessity.

    He said: “The four main unions in tertiary institutions are organising a national education summit, the purpose of which is to look for what will be a liberating educational system in the country.

    “We want to look at the educational system, whether it is universities, colleges of education, education teaching institutes, polytechnics, primary and secondary schools.”

    Fashina noted that Nigerians need an empowerment through an educational system, which can make them live a decent life.

    He lamented that the ruling class toyed with education by only emphasising profit-making and entrepreneurship and not quality service.

    The ex-ASUU chief said for the country to be a stakeholder in the global system, it must restructure its educational system to promote development.

    “There is a way in which social scientists talk about education. They talk in terms of functionalism. Education in Nigeria is dysfunctional. It is one sided in the sense that it promotes the interests of the powers in the world, who have ruled Africa since slavery and after slavery. It has only functioned to reinforce the colonial rule. This means we do not have an educational system that can serve Nigerians.

    “What do Nigerians want? They want to live a decent life, good food, jobs, shelter, medical facilities, etc. This is where education is essential. For any sphere of life, we are thinking about, health, agriculture, even things that seem obvious, which keep the family going.

  • LCCI bemoans worsening unemployment

    LCCI bemoans worsening unemployment

    The worsening unemployment in the country, especially among youths, put at 54 per cent, poses great dangers to the economic, social and political stability of the country, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has said.

    In a communiqué at the end of the chamber’s council meeting chaired by its President, Alhaji Remi Bello, LCCI expressed concern over the situation, warning that there is a correlation among unemployment, poverty and insecurity.

    The Council, therefore, called for the adoption of appropriate policies to fix the unemployment problem, especially through the creation of an enabling environment for the private sector, especially the small and scale medium enterprises (SMEs) to retain jobs and create new ones.

    The Council expressed worries that the productivity and competitiveness of enterprises in the economy have been trending downwards, thus affecting the capacity to create jobs.

    Acknowledging the various initiatives of the government, such as the Youth Enterprise for Innovation (YouWin) programme, the Council said it believes that given the magnitude of the problem, a more fundamental and sustainable strategy is necessary.

    It proposed, among other policy options, support for SMEs to retain existing jobs and create new ones; critical areas of support include funding and capacity building; the government should accord higher priority to investments in infrastructure to reduce the high infrastructure deficit and moderate the cost of doing business in the economy.

    The Council noted that quality infrastructure would improve private sector productivity and competiveness, which in turn, will boost the capacity to create new job.

    “Council also called for a concentrated and sustained effort to increase the foreign reserves to enable a downward review of the tight monetary policy to boost credit availability and reduce interest rates, it said.

    It affirmed that the stimulation of economic growth is more paramount now to create jobs.

    Continuing, it said: “Council proposed that the educational curriculum in the nation’s tertiary institutions should align with contemporary demands of enterprises in the economy.

    “There should be a good fit between the curriculum and industry requirements. “Council stressed the need to promote sectoral linkages to create the desired multiplier that would translate to the creation of more jobs. There should be stronger linkages between the agricultural sector and the industrial sector. Policies of backward integration in all sectors should be accelerated.”

     

     

     

     

     

  • Expert bemoans loss of N600b to tax, waivers in Nigeria

    THE loss of about N600 billion to custom and tax waivers in the last ten years is dangerous for the country’s economy, former senior special assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan (Financial Sector Development), Dr Biodun Adedipe, has said. He added that this year alone, the country lost a princely sum of N62 billion to waivers granted to business operators, and described the development as fraught with high scale corruption. The renowned economist of the BAA Consulting spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at a budget retreat organized by the stateowned business conglomerate, Harmony Holdings Limited, blaming government officials for using waivers to enrich themselves. Speaking on the topic: “An overview of the Nigerian economy and economic projections for 2014”, he said the country had failed to maximise its value of budget projections because of financial indiscipline, adding that the way the 2014 budget is being handled is “very worrisome.” He, however, identified emerging veritable opportunities immediately obvious in government policies, especially for entities whose activities have direct connection with government’s expenditure heads in 2014. The commentator on government budgets and economic policies in the last 25 years, cautioned that only such entities which envision and design value propositions that will enable them gain a defined percentage of the proposed relevant expenditure to their business will benefit from the opportunities. He said that such oppor-tunities will exist in the areas of transportation, general merchandise, hospitality, telecommunication, capital market and property development among others. He said Nigeria economy has experienced growth without development despite the 6.8 per cent growth in GDP in 2013.