The Nation Newspaper

Tag: eliminate

  • How to eliminate executive/legislative friction

    Experts have recommended harmonious working relationship between the executive and legislative to eliminate the recurring friction and delay in the passage of budgets.

    Two economists spoke on the controversy triggered by President Muhammadu Buhari’s allegation that the National Assembly tinkered with the estimates he forwarded to them for scrutiny and passage.

    The duo – Prof Uche Uwaleke of the Nasarawa State University and Odilim Enwegbara, an economic analyst, told The Nation that cooperation between both arms of government remains the safest way to an acrimony free budget process.

    Enwegbara, who serves as Chairman/CEO at Pan Africa Development Corporate Company (PADCC), said: “the executive will be better off involving strategic committees the National Assembly at earlier and every other stages of designing the budget so that once it comes to the lawmakers it becomes easy to sell, having participated in making important inputs at all the stages of its designing.”

    Enwegbara said he completely sympathizes “with the President, given his current frustration that our federal lawmakers have introduced projects that have not been fully given cost/benefit analysis, including procurement and implementation planning.

    “But then, I also believe that given the President’s politics that lacks broad national interest that presents all Nigerians as his equal constituents, it is understandable why our federal lawmakers have taken away from the President the allocation of projects in a way that it would be just and fair to all Nigerians.”

    Prof Uwaleke, Head of Department, Banking and Finance of the Nasarawa State University said: “There is no doubt that bringing them (legislators) in at an early stage will help solve this problem. Last year, the National Assembly increased the budget, the year before the last, the same thing happened leading to allegations of padding.

    “The important thing is that both arms have to work together. Right now, the fate of the 2018 Budget hangs in the balance it is starting late, elections are around the corner, by February (next year) we’ll have elections, this is June it means it is going to extend up June 2019 and the first term will end by May 29, we have lost a lot of ground already but let’s see how much can be gained”.

    Uwaleke, who is the first professor of Capital Market, told The Nation that he was “happy that the President, in spite of the concerns that he raised, agreed to accent to the Appropriation Bill and also promised to work with the National Assembly to ensure that the budget goes back to the January-December cycle.”

    He, however, lamented that the “implementation of the budget has been negatively affected by the delays over the years. Particularly for this one, it’s more like an ill wind that won’t blow the economy any good.

    “Every sector has been feeling the pinch, the stock market has been bleeding since January partly on the account of the budget delay because when you delay passing the budget, investors don’t have a clear direction of where the government is headed so many of them sit on the fence until a clear direction is provided by the budget document.

    “The budget document he said is a tool of government for delivering on priorities, so that direction needs to be clear before investors can take a position, that’s part of the reason why the market experienced downward trend compared to what we had in January.”

    The professor, who he did not see any justification for the cuts to critical capital elements of the 2018 budget by the National Assembly, said it was proper to hear from the National Assembly.

    He said: “We are yet to hear from them, I don’t think it is proper for the National Assembly to tinker with capital project of strategic national importance.

    “The buck stops at the table of the President, the executive formulates these policies. So, if the policies are in line with the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of the Federal Government, the National Assembly is supposed to key into it and help the president to realise his objectives. So, I am not in support of the cuts that they made.

    “Whatever the case is, whether or not they are carried along, there is no justification for cutting capital projects. What I expected them to have done is, there is projected increase in revenue, you go ahead and increase your own constituency projects because the National Assembly is entitled to being used as a vehicle for delivering dividends of democracy not just the executive arm.

    “Because when we elected them, even though their functions are well spelt out, the reality is that the people don’t assess them based on these functions. When you go there (National Assemble) and spend eight years and you have not done anything for your people they won’t happy about it.”

    Enwegbara also argued that Nigerians should “not forget that this being an election season, lawmakers being the true grassroots representatives of the Nigerian people are bound to showcase federal projects they have brought to their constituents, the same people who may or not reelect them come February 2019.

    He cautioned the executive arm of government to let this be a lesson to the executive that it’ll be better off involving strategic committees of the National Assembly earlier and at every other stage of designing the budget so that once it comes to the lawmakers it becomes easy to sell, having participated in making important inputs at all the stages of its designing.”

     

  • ‘Govt needs to eliminate barriers to accessing contraception by adolescents’

    Access and use of effective contraception provides both health and social benefits as it reduces unintended pregnancies and abortions.

    This is according to the New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NHVMAS), as it joined the world in commemorating the World Contraceptive Day.

    The non-governmental organisation said contraceptive use is of importance to adolescents, especially female adolescents.

    It said female adolescents were at risk of having unintended pregnancies and unwanted births which could lead to non-psychotic major depression (postpartum depression), feelings of powerlessness, and a reduction in overall physical health. For adolescents who have unintended pregnancies, school drop-out and complications of illegally induced abortion are some of the complications reported with dare consequences. Pregnant adolescents also have greater risks than adults for sexually transmitted infections, especially HIV-1 infection.

    According to the co-ordinator Prof Morenike Ukpong access of sexually active adolescents to contraception can make a difference. Nigeria has the highest rates of adolescent fertility in sub-Saharan Africa. Over 900 000 births to adolescents occur annually and 150 out of every 1000 women who give birth in Nigeria are 19 years old or under.

    She explained: “Sadly in Nigeria, contraception access and its promotion is limited to married women. Its association with family planning makes the public, community and health care providers thing of contraception for use only among couples who are thinking of spacing children. While there are clear guidelines and programmes that promote access of women to contraception, there are conflicting guidelines on access and programmes for sexually active adolescents to contraception.

    “Family planning centres also have limited competency to education and support adolescents’ use of contraception. Finally, the concept of parental consent prior to sexually active adolescents’ access to contraception creates a barrier to access of adolescent to education and uptake of contraception services.”

    She said Nigeria is a signatory to the FP2020 targets, as it made a commitment at the 2012 London Summit on Family Planning to achieve a modern contraceptive rate of 27 percent among all women by 2020; and updated this commitment in 2017. “It however did not make clear statements on promoting access of adolescents to contraception within its framework for increasing contraceptive rates,” she noted.

    The way out, according to the NGO is for the government to develop policies and clear guidelines that promote access of adolescents to contraception in Nigeria. The government should support the conduct of more implementation research to identify how adolescents’ access to contraception can be improved in ways that are culturally sensitive.

  • ‘We’re out to eliminate cleft lip’

    ‘We’re out to eliminate cleft lip’

    Cleft lip and palate leaves children with difficulty in eating, breathing, speaking, even hearing, apart from disposing them to infections as well. Nkeiruka Obi, Programme Director, Smile Train, which has funded and equipped corrective surgeries in Southeast and other parts of the country and West Africa, in this interview, throws more light on the organisation’s campaign to spare children the agony of the condition. Excerpts:

    ‘Our No.1 priority is to ensure the safety of the patient, and it is the guiding force behind every Smile Train programme and initiative, and our
    doctors and associated medical professionals abide by our strict standards’

    What is your assessment of Smile Train’s activities in Nigeria and West Africa?

    Smile Train System architecture anchors on four pillars: medical, technology, donors and programmes which revolve around financial help to poor patients who cannot afford the surgery and training of medical professionals to upgrade skills. What makes us unique is the fact that all of the surgeries we fund are performed by local doctors in local hospitals through free training, equipment and financial grants, we are helping communities become self-sufficient.

    Smile Train has been in Nigeria for 10 years.  Since I joined in 2011, we have been able to grow the programme in scale and numbers by over 400% by simply using the “teach a man to fish” model which has enhanced the sustainability of the programme for longer term. We empower the local medical professionals to provide free safe and high quality comprehensive cleft care to as many patients in their own local communities all year round.

    We have created over 25,000+ smiles (and still counting) in the region. And I can tell you that the impact has gone beyond creating simple smiles. It is phenomenal and revolutionary.

    On initial challenges and how they were resolved

    The West and Central Africa region is a diverse multicultural territory with an estimated 390m+ population, yearly cleft birth of 12,000 in 22 highly segmented countries of three different major international languages – English, French and Portuguese. Travelling is prohibitively expensive due to the poor transportation system. We’ve had to deal with insecurity, terrorism and unstable political climate with the attendant adverse effects on the people and governance.  In Nigeria, we keep experiencing incessant strike actions by medical professionals. And as in several areas of health care, the human resources and facilities available for the provision of comprehensive multidisciplinary care of patients with cleft lip and palate deformity on the continent are very limited.

    Initially, it was insufficient cleft surgeons and cleft care practitioners in the Francophone, Central African and some English speaking West African countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. So my first task was to identify  surgeons in these countries who are interested in cleft care and organize trainings for them so as to re-inforce the scientific foundations of cleft surgery and provide them hands-on training in surgical techniques. There has been significant progress in this area.

    Then, there was the challenge of infrastructure and equipment. Most hospitals have very poorly equipped operating theatres. And our number one priority in cleft care is ensuring the safety of the patient. Smile Train have had to provide partners with equipment such as anaesthesia machines, pulse oximeters and cleft sets/instruments.  This in no small measure has helped in improving the quality and safety of surgeries and care of our cleft patients.

    We also have issue of malnutrition and underweight babies. Many of the children come from challenging environments including IDP camps and require nutritional rehab before surgery can be performed.

    As you well know, cleft deformity comes with a lot of psychosocial problems. Many cleft children suffer discrimination and their family is traumatised. Those who manage to reach adulthood are often banished to a life of isolation. We still have a huge backlog of adult cleft patients in the region. So lack of awareness is another challenge.

    Can this deformity be detected before birth in order to tackle it immediately after?

    Yes, it is possible to detect cleft deformity in a child before birth through the use of ultrasound scan. A cleft is a harmful condition though not life threatening in which the roof of the mouth and/or top lip does not close properly. It occurs due to errors in the growth process when the different parts of the face are formed in the womb. Normal lip development occurs between 4-6 weeks of gestation while the palate develops between 6-12 weeks. The upper lip develops from the fusion of two different process. Failure of fusion results in cleft.

    Why does Cleft occur?

    No one knows exactly the cause, but most experts agree that there is an interplay between many genetic (internal) as well as environmental or nutritional (external) factors. Parents who have family history of cleft have a high risk of giving birth to cleft children. It could be environmental: poor nutrition, wrong use of drugs, folic acid deficiency, infection, habits – smoking and high alcohol in-take, exposure to ionizing radiations and even parental age. The only solution today is a simple life transforming surgery that cost as little as $250 and takes as a little as 45minutes.

    What has been the success rate of the surgeries?

    Like any other surgery, there are risks involved. At Smile Train, we have had very good success rate and near zero mortality rates.    to ensure patients receive the highest level of care possible. If a child has a cleft, he/she can live with that defect for the rest of his/her life. The only thing is that the child may not enjoy life to the fullest like a normal person.

    It is important to note that since 1999, Smile Train has performed 1,000,000+ (still counting) free, safe and high quality surgeries in more than 85 countries.

    Where to do you see cleft care in the near future?

    In addition to our dedication to safety and quality by offering a multitude of cleft education and training programmes and resources, Smile Train is also committed to ensuring that the care we are providing is comprehensive. Many may not realise this, but children born with clefts need more than just one surgery, and our local medical professionals evaluate whether or not additional nutritional, speech, dental, orthodontic, and therapeutic care is needed. Where these services are available, we do everything we can to provide our patients with access to them.

    Our vision of a cleft-free nation is to have a robust medical infrastructure and personnel easily and readily accessible to as many cleft patients especially young children who if early treated, can begin a great future without having to deal with all the stigma associated with cleft and go on to live and contribute productively as members of their communities (and also to adults to give them a second chance to at life to smile.

    Together, we can make sure every child in our region born with cleft is given an opportunity to live productive life.

  • Mission to eliminate NTDs by 2020

    Mission to eliminate NTDs by 2020

    The Federal Ministry of Health is collaborating with two organisations, Countdown and Sightsavers, to eliminate five major neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in the country by 2020. OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA reports.

    The huge number of sufferers shows the danger posed by negelcted tropical diseases (NTDs). With over billion people in 154 countries having one NTD or  the other, the Federal Government has woken up to the challenge of tackling the problem.

    The target NTDs are: Onchocerciasis (Riverblindness), Chistosomiasis (Blood in the urine),Lymphatic Flariasis (Elephantiasis), Trachoma (Blindness) andIntestinal worm.The Nigeria 2012 Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Master Plan indicates the country accounts for 25 percent of the seven major NTDs in sub-Saharan Africa.

    To ensure that the country eliminates five of these NTDs, the  government is collaborating with COUNTDOWN, a research consortium dedicated to investigating cost-effective, scale-up and sustainable solutions, necessary to control and eliminate the seven most common NTDs by 2020.  Sightsaver, an indigenous non-governmental organisation, Ogun and Kaduna Ministries of Health are also involved in the project.

    At a meeating of the NTDs Lagos, Ifeoma Anagbogu who is the Federal Ministry of Health COUNTDOWN Nigeria Lead said: “This is all about meeting the World Health Organisation global targets for NTDs control and elimination by 2020.

    “So in the true spirit of partnership, COUNTDOWN will conduct research alongside the established national NTD agenda with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Ogun and Kaduna State Ministries of Health. Research activities will be undertaken and supervised by in-country partner – Sightsavers Nigeria.”

    Mrs Anagbogu said: “The COUNTDOWN Project comes to Nigeria at an auspicious moment in her efforts to achieve the Year 2020 target for the elimination of the NTDs as a public health problem. The Nigerian government is therefore delighted to collaborate with the COUNTDOWN team in devising innovative ways towards fast-tracking the attainment of this target through implementation research. We are indeed committed to the success of this veritable project.”

    She said Kaduna and Ogun states were selected for the programme based on their differing phases of NTD control as well as to achieve variation in socio-demographic and geographic contexts.

    “COUNTDOWN will be conducting applied research which is multidisciplinary and involves a team of social scientists, health economists, clinicians and parasitologists; aimed at improving NTD interventions for major NTDs such as Schistosomiasis, Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis (STH), Onchocerciasis, Lymphatic Filariasis and Trachoma,”she explained.

    “Compared to Ogun, Kaduna has received extensive support from Non-governmental development organisations and therefore is more advanced on its NTD programme. Kaduna launched its NTD Master Plan last December.

    “The Nigeria programme will also join partners in three other African countries (Cameroon, Ghana and Liberia), Fhi360 USA and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine UK, to make up the COUNTDOWN consortium,” she said.

    Mrs Anagbogu said preventive measures can be taken to forestall some of these NTDs like sleeping under treated mosquito nets. “Plateau and Nasarawa  have exterminated Lymphatic Flariasis (Elephantiasis) through the use of nets. Poor infrastructure such as lackof good housing, poor water supply, poor hygiene and sanitation contribute to the plethora of these diseases. These diseases are common among poor people. Nigeria is not a poor country, at all. We are free from Guinea worm, but we are not resting on our oars, we even pick up animals with hanging worms such as dogs because they also harbour guinea worms.”

    She said reasons for the neglect are prevalent in poor developing countries hence they are easily overlooked; major resources mobilised for three big diseases-HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB because of their higher mortality and public awareness.

    She added the fact that many NTDs are without symptoms and have long incubation period, coupled with the fact that NTDs  have traditionally ranked low on national and international health agenda.

    “We are working assiduously through collation of evidences to prove that we have these diseases. Then review strategies in combating the diseases and strengthen the system as well sustain the success we have achieved in eliminating them.  We are going to explore multi-system approach of mass drug administration use, provision and maintenance of safe water sources, environmental management and also health education for behaviourial change. Vector control is equally applicable. Importantly we will come up with our recommendation so as to meet the 20-20 target of elimination of NTDs.

    According to the Country Director, Sightsavers , Dr. Sunday Isiyaku, the Nigerian government has set the year 2020/2025 for elimination of NTDs in Nigeria. The COUNTDWON project is coming at a time when evidence-based research is required to determine the critical factors required to achieve this. “Sightsavers is committed to the elimination of NTDs in Nigeria and believes that the outcome of the project would be a watershed in elimination of NTDs in the country.”

    Dr Isiyaku said: “The diseases have been long there because we did not put the required effort in the past to get rid of them. For instance, simple de-worming is no longer done as required throughout the federation. So also for these tropical diseases like onchocerchiasis, which a single dose of Ivermectin can treat, elephantiasis which  is transmitted from human to human via the female mosquito when it takes a blood meal. The parasite grows into an adult worm that lives in the lymphatic system of humans. All these happen mostly in the rural areas. It is obvious that most experts in research, health, treatment and service providers are no longer up and doing. Over one billion people suffer from these diseases globally, while Nigeria will rank among the first fives with the worst cases. That is why Nigeria is a priority country. That is why WHO has put up this NTD programme with the target to eliminate or control them. More so, the interventions for these are quite simple. Simple practices such as on hygiene, water treatment can prevent these diseases.”

    Chairperson of the steering committee on NTDs, Prof Adenike Abiose, stated the main focus of the collaboration to be Onchocerciasis (River blindness), Schistosomiasis (Blood in the urine), Lymphatic Flariasis (Elephantiasis), Trachoma (Blindness) and Intestinal worm adding that Nigeria is to scale up intervention against NTDs in Kaduna and Ogun state.

    Director, Countdown, Prof Russell Stothard of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine said the COUNTDOWN consortium was formed in 2014 and is a research programme consortium funded by The Research and Evidence Division (RED) of The Department for International Development (DFID).

    Prof Stothard said NTD researchers, policy makers, practitioners and Implementation Research (IR) specialists, from the UK, USA and Africa, have come together to generate knowledge about the realities of increasing the reach of NTD treatment, in different contexts.

    “To do this, we will conduct research in some African countries. Each country reflects a different level of health expenditure, diversity in disease ecologies and NTD skills, experience and programme implementation. By focusing our research on different contexts, including complex ones where there is conflict and/or unstable social and environmental conditions, we will generate transferable  knowledge that can help improve NTD programmes in other countries. In the latter stages of our programme, we will use our findings to help develop a scale-up NTD programme in Nigeria, where there is a high prevalence of NTDs, and that is where we are.”

    Another member of the committee, Director Public Health, Nigeria Institute of Medical Research Yaba, Lagos, Dr. Margaret A. Mafe said there are three major burdens facing the elimination of NTDs: the burden of the tropical diseases, effects on children and funding.

    She explained: “Nigeria accounts for the highest rate for this and it affects virtually all age groups. Ultimately it has effect on our economic growth. For instance, in a community where the citizens are blinded by onchocerchiasis, also known as river blindness, which is a disease, caused by infection with the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus. Symptoms include severe itching, bumps under the skin, and blindness. It is the second most common cause of blindness due to infection, after trachoma. So when a person suffers from that his contribution to national growth through farming is affected.

    “The other is on children. If you look at onchocerchiasis because of poor infrastructure and lack of good hygiene children are affected. This is occasioned by highly contaminated water. Also occupational hazard as seen in those who must compulsorily have contact with the contaminated waters for agricultural or fishing reasons. And they will still mingle with children who have low immunity. But there is hope. Globally not just in Nigeria, there is a global effort to ensure the 20-20 target of halting transmission of NTDs is achieved. That is why every stakeholder is joining hand to ensure every drug is seen being utilised by the end users. Elephantiasis is an infection from the filarial worm, which is transmitted from human to human via the female mosquito when it takes a blood meal. The parasite grows into an adult worm that lives in the lymphatic system of humans.

    The drug for this  a combination of albendazole and ivermectin is generally used, and can also be deployed for River blindness treatment.  So we are focusing on Mass drug administration for these neglected tropical diseases. There is focus on them all so they can be eliminated.”

    On funding, Dr Mafe said there is global funding to drive this effort, whereby drugs are made available to countries in need of such drugs. Transmission, debilitating condition of people will reduce as well, overtime.

    “This particular collaboration is a count-down race which is to generate evidence of statistics of all interventions. This is because as we drive on with the intervention at hand, there may be need to review the approach or strategy. For instance, on onchocerchiasis, we are considering now, twice a year treatment compared with once a year. That will help us to fast track the 20-20 target. Ogun and Kaduna represent two opposite situations within the same country. Kaduna has a lot of experience, technical support and commitment to rid this disease. We know that in the area of our laboratory analyses, Kaduna will come out clean. Other states like Ogun serve as a call for us to know where to bridge through generated evidences. In terms of its performance, Ogun has had challenges in terms of performance/achievements, donor support, and finance.Count down is about the time remaining to achieve a clean slate on those neglected tropical diseases which is the first quarter of 2018,” said Mrs Mafe.

  • Govt ‘ll eliminate child labour, says Ngige

    Govt ‘ll eliminate child labour, says Ngige

    The Federal Government has vowed to eliminate child labour. The Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige, said the Buhari administration has renewed its commitment to promoting internationally recognised Child Labour Rights.

    At an event marking the World Day Against Child Labour, Ngige said: “I want to use this opportunity to express and renew our commitment to promoting internationally recognised Child Labour Rights, Conventions and Protocols adopted and ratified for the elimination of child labour, enforcement of minimum age at work and promotion of the African Charter on Rights of the Child.”

    He described child labour as a socio-economic challenge affecting not only Nigeria and Africa, but also the world.

    He called on stakeholders to join the government in mobilising support for the ratified International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions No.138 on Minimum Age for Employment, and No. 182 on Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, including the implementation of National Policy on Child Labour, National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour in Nigeria and List of Hazardous Child Labour in Nigeria.

    Earlier in his remarks, the Country Director of ILO, Mr. Dennis Zulu, represented by Mrs. Agatha Kolawole, stated that ILO through its International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour will continue to support the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria with increased focus on policy support and technical advisory services.

    She called for renewed commitment of stakeholders in the supply chain, saying the implementation of the National Plan of Action against Child Labour must be strengthened to ensure the elimination of child labour and the protection of vulnerable children in Nigeria.

  • Ban finished goods import, eliminate fake products, says industrialist

    AN industrialist, Chief Erick  Umeofia, has called on the Federal Government to ban importation of finished goods and ensure the elimination of substandard products.

    Speaking in an interview in his office in Lagos, Umeofia, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Erisco Bonpet Group, manufacturers of consumer goods, said massive importation  kills local manufacturing, and creates jobs for those economies where  cheap and sub standard goods are imported from.

    He said: “Importation is doing a lot of damage to us, so, we are appealing to the relevant agencies like National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the Nigerian Customs to stop paying lip services but to control and monitor effectively the influx of these substandard products that litter our markets.”

    Umeofia pointed out that influx of foreign goods is one of the dangers local manufacturers and producers are facing, because the cost of production here is quite high. “The power situation, the  high production cost  compared  to the low  production cost in Asia make imported goods from those Asian countries cheaper and at times making our local substitutes uncompetitive,” he said.

    The industrialist argued that if the trend is not checked, many manufacturers in no distant time will go under. He, therefore, asked that fiscal policy be put in place to discourage the importation of goods and services.

    To achieve this, Umeofia canvassed high tariffs on imported goods with local alternatives.

    He said: “It is not too difficult to take a census or to sample goods that are being produced here and such goods; government should have a deliberate policy from ministry of finance hiking the tariff of the imported ones.”

    He said though the world is a global village, it has become imperative on government and policy makers to have the political and patriotic will to disallow the importation of fake and substandard goods into the country.

  • Buhari at UN, urges world leaders to eliminate hunger, diseases by 2030

    Buhari at UN, urges world leaders to eliminate hunger, diseases by 2030

    President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in New York reaffirmed his administration’s total commitment to the entrenchment of a fully transparent and accountable public revenue management system in Nigeria.

    Addressing the United Nations Plenary Summit for the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, President Buhari said his administration was taking steps to improve and streamline internal generation of revenue and to plug all loopholes that have led to illicit capital flight from Nigeria.

    He told the gathering that his government was also putting mechanisms in place to prevent oil theft and other criminal practices that are detrimental to Nigeria’s economy.

    Applauding the adoption of the Post-2015 Global Development Agenda, President Buhari, in a statement by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said that he was very pleased that world leaders had reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable development, international peace and security and the protection of the planet.

    He said: “These are really the major issues of the day. For the first time, we have at our disposal a framework that is universal in scope and outlook, with clearly defined goals and targets and appropriately crafted methods of implementation.

    “The declaration that we have adopted today testifies to the urgency and the necessity for action by all of us. It is not for want of commitment that previous initiatives have failed or could not be fully realized. What seemed to be lacking in the past were political will and the required global partnership to pursue and implement the programmes to which we committed ourselves.

    “This declaration enjoys global consensus. We have agreed to deliver as one and to leave no one behind. This is a promise worth keeping. We have agreed to create viable partnerships and to adopt the means of implementation for the goals and targets of the global sustainable development agenda in all its three dimensions; namely economic, social and environmental.

    “The Post-2015 Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) together with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda that we adopted in July 2015 offer us a unique opportunity to address the unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

    “They also provide the basis for a new set of global development priorities to usher in a peaceful and prosperous world, where no one is left behind, and where the freedom from fear and want, and for everyone to live in dignity, is enthroned,” President Buhari said.

    Stressing that illiteracy, hunger and diseases are associated evils that go hand in hand with poverty, the President urged the assembled world leaders to do everything possible “to eliminate these ills from our midst by 2030 as the declaration loudly proclaims”.

    “The bottom billion that has neither safety nets nor social protection need to be rescued from their perpetual state of hopelessness, fear and indignity. This is a task that should have been accomplished decades ago. Now that it has fallen on our shoulders to discharge this responsibility, we should do so with the enthusiasm and commitment that is worthy of the cause.

    “We must adopt targeted interventions at both policy and practical levels, to address extreme poverty and combat illiteracy, hunger and diseases. We must create viable partnerships that bring together national, regional and global actors with shared objectives to carry this forward.

    “We must also create the enabling environments for executing this global agenda, by developing the relevant frameworks for working with different types of partners and constituencies that recognize the contributions of civil society, religious and cultural bodies, private sector, academia and, most importantly, governments.

    “Just as the relative success of the MDGs was underpinned by national ownership, the Post-2015 and the SDGs frameworks must also be guided by national priorities and ownership. Domestic resource mobilization supplemented by improved terms of trade between industrial and developing economies should drive the implementation processes in both streams. The facilitation of remittances by migrant and overseas workers, as well as efficient tax collection are needed as complimentary sources of financing for development,” the President said.

    He also said that Nigeria was proud to have availed her services to the United Nations in co-chairing the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing, whose work contributed in no small measure to the expansion of financing for development strategies.

    Meanwhile, President Buhari would be among world leaders, speaking at a  special event tomorrow at the ongoing United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York.

    The event is targeted at investing in young people to secure peace and security in Lake Chad  Basin nations attacked by terrorists

    According to a statement from the United Nations media advisory, the forum is organized in support of ongoing initiatives for countries affected by the current terrorist crisis in the Lake Chad Basin area  namely Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.

    It is said that the event will make an important contribution to dealing with the crisis, building resilient communities in the sub-region and preserving their gains from the Millennium Development Goals, while helping affected countries pursue the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals.

    “In Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, insurgents are exploiting the huge youth populations which, otherwise, could be assets for employment, innovation and development.

    “It is the potential which, if combined with the right policies and demographic transitions, could provide the region with the opportunity to harness a demographic dividend that leads to rapid economic development.

    “The demographic dividend is the accelerated economic growth that could result when a country’s working age population grows larger than the non-working dependents.

    “While the crisis damages entire communities, women are particularly targeted. As of April 2015, more than 2,000 women and young girls have been abducted, according to Amnesty International”, the statement said.

    Other heads of states of affected countries expected to address the forum include President of Benin, Boni Yayi; President of Cameroon, Paul Biya; President of Chad, Idriss Deby Itno; President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou;  and the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin.

    The UNFPA event, which   proposes strategic initiatives to support and empower young people and protect them from manipulation and radicalization, holds between 10 a.m and1 p.m New York time.

  • APC alleges plot by PDP to eliminate members in Kogi

    APC alleges plot by PDP to eliminate members in Kogi

    •PDP: allegation baseless

    The Kogi State Central Working Committee of the General Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation has accused the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of planning to eliminate its notable members before the March and April general elections.

    The organisation’s Coordinator James Ocholi (SAN) said sources within the PDP informed APC on the plot.

    Ocholi said: “You may wonder how we knew this. We have our sources and we have our informants even in Government House. We have made it very clear that it is not possible for any of these criminal plans to take place before we get to know because we have our tentacles.

    “They (PDP leaders) have people who are sympathetic with us, desiring a change. When they see any criminal elements, especially in this dimension, they let us know.”

    But the state government denied the allegations.

    It urged the opposition to prove its allegation.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Mr. Jacob Edi, said PDP was not a blood sucker.

    The governor’s aide urged the APC to petition security agencies, if it was sure of its allegation.

    He said the security agencies would investigate the matter and bring the culprits to justice.

    Edi said the PDP had performed well, adding that its campaigns were based on the dividends of democracy  the electorate was enjoying.

    He said: “These men are too old to descend this low to seek relevance. Their remaining life is not worth any political value. So, nobody should take them seriously.

    “If they feel so strongly, let them go to the appropriate security agencies…”

    Ocholi stressed that the APC was informed that “16 bad boys” from outside of Kogi State had been deployed in the state for the hatchet job.

    He added: “They arrived yesterday (Saturday) and today (Sunday). They have been moved to Kogi East to begin the elimination of certain names they identified.

    “We have been told about those of us on the list for elimination: Senator Ohiare, Barrister Eneojo Ocholi, Dr Alex Kadiri, Positive Ihiabe and a few others…”

  • ‘Job creation will eliminate insurgency’

    Creation of jobs and skill acquisition programmes have been identified as antidote to insurgency and politically-motivated violence in the country.

    A traditional ruler in Ekiti State, Oba Peter Falade made the remark recently at the graduation ceremony of the Solar Energy Training Scheme (SETS) organized by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Ado-Ekiti.

    Speaking as the special guest of honour at the event, Oba Falade who is the Obaloja of Oloje-Ekiti in Oye Local Government Area expressed worry about the youths’ obsession with politics in Ekiti State.

    The monarch expressed dismay with the number of youths who showed up at the programme saying had the event been a political rally, it would have attracted the youth in large numbers.

    The royal father explained that massive unemployment in the land gave rise to the Boko Haram insurgency and the use of youths as thugs by desperate politicians.

    “We need more of this programme, assuming there is a political rally, there will be more people especially our youths here and we want this type of programme at the grassroots.

    “If the unemployment problem is addressed, crime will reduce. It is the massive unemployment in the land that has given rise to the Boko Haram menace.

    “If you graduate and have  a job, you will not want to be used as a political thug. This type of programmes will get our youths positively engaged”, Oba Falade explained.

    Speaking earlier, the NDE Director General, Malam Abubakar Mohammed, explained that solar energy has become the obvious alternative to the prevailing epileptic power problem in the country.

    Abubakar whose speech was read by the NDE State Coordinator, Mrs. Adeola Shafaru, stated that unemployed graduates of tertiary institutions were trained in solar energy generation from the abundant sunshine across Nigeria.

    He disclosed that a total number of 700 unemployed graduates across the federation were trained in the design, procurement, installation and maintenance of solar energy equipment for the harvesting of solar energy for electricity generation.

    The NDE boss described solar energy as a viable alternative source of energy as the traditional sources become scarcer.

     

  • Card reader ‘ll eliminate fraud, says Ekiti Rec

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ekiti State, Sam Olumekun, has identified the use of smart card reader as an antidote to  malpractices afflicting the nation’s electoral system.

    Olumekun spoke on the readiness of the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free, fair and credible general elections next month.

    Addressing  reporters in Ado-Ekiti, he also debunked rumour making the rounds that the general elections will be postponed. He said:  “We are not contemplating changing the date of election”.

    He explained that, although the 2011 polls were widely acknowledged to be credible, some flaws noticed in the elections made INEC to go back to the drawing board to fashion out a strategy to curtail malpractices in future elections.

    Olumekun said this necessitated the resolve of the commission to use smart card readers for the 2015 general elections.

    The INEC chief said the device would electronically confirm prospective voters during accreditation and record them centrally which would prevent over-voting and other malpractices.

    Olumekun said: “The era of electoral malpractices are gone for good and those that will be elected  will be truly the choice of the electorate and we are going to deliver free, fair and credible elections.

    “INEC went back to the drawing board after some flaws were noticed during the 2011 elections and we decided to raise the technological content of the electoral process.