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Tag: Federal government

  • FG, Partners working to tackle Noma in Nigeria

    The Federal Government says it is working with the World Health Organisation African Region (WHO Afro) and other partners on the best strategy to tackle Noma scourge in Nigeria.

    The Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, made this known at an event to commemorate the 2018 National Noma Day.
    Ehanire said elimination of Noma in Nigeria, and by extension the West African sub-region, is a task for all stakeholders.

    He added that ministry would involve the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), dental professionals and other healthcare providers in respect of surveillance, management and rehabilitation of the affected people.

    The minister said the ministry was also working with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in respect of health promotion and awareness creation on Noma in the country.

    Ehanire said prevention and early detection of this devastating disease, like of many other disease conditions in Nigeria, were given high priority, to reduce incidence and improve the chances of those who contract.

    The minister noted that the second commemoration of the National Noma Day which was aimed at raising awareness of Noma in Nigeria was done in collaboration with Medicines Sans Frontiers and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

    Read Also: Fed Govt targets five million youths for nomadic education

    Noma, otherwise known as Cancrum Oris, is a fulminating, gangrenous infection of soft tissue around the mouth, predominantly affecting younger persons with poor oral hygiene and predisposing serious illness.

    “Epidemiological data on Noma is still scarce, but a current estimate of the global incidence is some 30,000 to 40,000 cases per year.

    “It has a mortality rate of approximately 85 per cent and a disease burden estimated to cost anywhere between one and 10 million disability-adjusted life years,’’ he said.

    Ehanire said Noma was a scourge of communities with poor environmental sanitation and hygiene practices, occurring as a result of a complex, not fully yet understood interaction between poor nutrition, infection and immunodeficiency.

    He added that common diseases like malaria, measles, severe diarrhoea and particularly, necrotising ulcerative gingivitis commonly precede the development of Noma.

    “In the acute stage, it can be managed relatively easily by administering antibiotics, which may prevent or limit the extent of gangrene.

    “Noma can be prevented by a combination of common measures like creating more national awareness of the disease, reducing poverty, improving hygiene, sanitation and nutrition,’’ he said.

    The representative of WHO Nigeria, Dr Clement Peter, said the Regional Noma Control Programme was re-launched in 2010 to support countries with Noma within the African region.

    He added that Hilfsaktion Noma e.V has been supporting the WHO Regional programme since 2013, adding Nigeria joined the regional programme in 2016, bringing the number of countries being supported to 10.

    He said the WHO’s strategy to fight against Noma is based on a 5-prong strategy, including prevention and early detection, immediate care, informing and educating the public.

    Others are epidemiological data collection and the creation of a referral centre for treating its after effects.
    He said WHO has been supporting the ministry in its fight against Noma in Nigeria.

    According to him, some of the support include the development of a triennial action plan for Noma, supported the maiden edition of the first No Noma day.

    Other supports are stakeholder meetings, supported the national training of trainers for healthcare workers/social actors and produced training manuals, and IEC materials to improve early diagnosis and management of Noma cases at primary healthcare level.

    Peter said integration of Noma activities into other key programmes such maternal and child health, vaccination, nutrition, Neglected Tropical Diseases within the Ministry of Health were also critical to controlling this scourge.

    NAN

  • FG okays N60 billion for rice subsidy 

    ….National Food Security Council faults USDA report on import

    The Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh on Friday disclosed that the Federal Government has approved N60 billion subsidy to support rice industry in the country.

    He briefed State House correspondents after a meeting of the National Food Security Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Read Also:Senate panel seeks subsidy removal, price deregulation

    Ogbe who was flanked by the Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu explained that the purpose of the subsidy was to help bring down price of the commodity in the country.

    He said “There is a subsidy programme coming up. Government has approved some money N60 billion to support the rice industry to bring down prices. But we are going to handle it differently.

    “We don’t want to get into petroleum subsidy problem. So, a committee is looking at it with the Ministry of Finance.

    “We think that it is better for us to loan money to the millers, farmers and distributors at a very low interest rate, so that the capital doesn’t disappear, so they have cheaper credit to do their business that should impact on the price of rice in the market.

    “When we are ready we will let you know,” he added.

    On the plan to ban fertilizer NPK 151515 which has been in use in the country for many years, he said that the ban became imperative because it adds no value to crops.

    He said “We call for the ban of fertilizer NPK 151515 which has been used in the country for many years but recent research revealed it’s not useful for any crop or any soil.

    “Soils differ and so do crop, to believe there is one uniform fertilizer you can spread for every crop is a fallacy.   And it’s because we have done soil test and change the formulations of fertilizers, local blenders that some of the yields we are getting now are rising from two tonnes per hectares to five and six.

    “So the president is looking into that and to how we can deal with it.” he said

    On his part, Governor Bagudu said the council’s attention was drawn to the report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) which suggested that Nigeria remains a heavy importer of rice despite government’s claim to the contrary.

    He said: “We drew the attention of the council to a report by the US department for agriculture which suggested that Nigeria has been importing rice or about to the tune of about three million tonnes.

    “We informed the council that contact has been made with the US agency to tell us the basis for the report because it’s not consistent with the report available to us.

    “The only official importation in Nigeria is about 4,000 metric tonnes of rice. Secondly, the biggest exporter of rice, Thailand exported 1.1 million metric tonnes of rice to West Africa between January to October this year and India exported 402 million metric tonnes of rice to West Africa between January to end of July this year. That is a total of 1.5 million metric tonnes.

    “Even if all was smuggled into Nigeria, that was the total amount of importation one could attribute to Nigeria.

    “So, the US authorities responding by saying that their assessment  was based on satellite imaging of flooded areas and consideration that we are about to enter electioneering period and that demand for rice by politicians or for political purposes will increase.

    “Thirdly, that most West African countries depend on Nigeria. So, because of the flooding, they concluded based on those assumptions that Nigeria will import more.

    “Certainly, that is an erroneous report. Even in spite of the flooding, the upland rice production has been quite strong this year. Even though prices have increase in response to flooding, we still have adequate paddy rice in Nigeria,” he said.

  • Minimum wage: Buhari promised to study report, says Minister

    The Federal Government on Wednesday clarified the position of the President on the new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers saying the President will study the recommendation submitted to him by the committee before making government position officially known.

    Briefing state House Correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said what was presented to the President was a recommendation which he promised to study and get back to the committee.

    Organised Labour had suspended its planned nationwide industrial action after the conclusion of the work of the tripartite Committee which recommended N30, 000 as the new national minimum wage.

    While submitting its report to the President, Chairman of the Committee, Ms. Ama Pepple told the President that after extensive deliberations, the committee was recommending N30, 000 which organised labour said was a compromised figure.

    While receiving the report, President Buhari promised to send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly on the recommendation as soon as possible for consideration and approval, but he was silent on whether he endorsed the N30, 000 new wage.

    Asked to clarify the position of government in the issue, the Minister of Information said the president will study the recommendation and get back to the Tripartite Committee.
    According to him, “I think it was a recommendation. Mr. President will consider it and will make his views known in due course.”

    Pressed further, he added: “I said a recommendation was submitted. Mr. President will get back to the committee after he has studied the recommendation.”

    On whether the revenue sharing formula might be reviewed if the new minimum wage is approved to enable the states to pay, the Minister stated: “Once again, like I said, a recommendation has been made and in responding to the recommendation, all these views will be taken into consideration.”

  • Senate endorses FG’s $2.786 bn foreign loan

    The Senate Wednesday approved the request of the Federal Government to secure $2.786 billion foreign loan.

    The loan is to be sourced ‎from the International Capital Market as approved in the 2018 Appropriation Act.

    Read Also:Senate investigates pipeline explosion in Abia

    The upper chamber also endorsed another $82.54 million to refinance ‎the balance of $500m matured Eurobond in the international capital market.

    The approval followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, headed by Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central).

    Sani who presented the report prayed the Senate to consider the report of his committee:

    (a)           “The implementation of the New External Capital Raising of $2.786 billion from the International Capital Market approved in the 2018 Appropriation Act.

    (b)The External Capital Raising of $2.54 million to refinance the balance of $500 million matured Eurobond in the International Capital Market.”

    The Senate asked the government to reduce or limit its external borrowing.

    It urged the government to ensure full utlitilization of the loans to be obtained for the benefit of the country.

    The upper chamber empowered its relevant committees to ensure proper oversight of the loans to ensure that previous loans taken by the country were judiciously utilised.

  • We did everything possible to save killed Red Cross staff – FG

    …Expresses shock, sadness over the dastardly killing by Boko Haram

    The Federal Government has expressed shock and sadness over the killing of another aid worker by the Boko Haram despite all actions taken to avert the shedding of blood.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the killing as dastardly, inhuman and ungodly.

    In a statement issued in London yesterday, the Minister of Information and Culture, described the killing as dastardly, inhuman and ungodly, saying nothing can justify the shedding of the
    blood of innocent people.

    He commiserated with the family of the aid worker, and said the Federal Government did all within its powers to save her life.

    ”It is very unfortunate that it has come to this. Before and after the deadline issued by her abductors, the Federal Government did everything any responsible government should do to save the aid worker.

    Read also: Air Force Strikes Boko Haram members in Borno

    ”As we have been doing since these young women were abducted, we kept the line of negotiations open all through. In all the negotiations, we acted in the best interest of the women and the country as a whole.

    ”We are deeply pained by this killing, just like we were by the recent killing of the first aid worker. However, we will keep the negotiations open and continue to work to free the innocent women who remain in the custody of their abductors,” the Minister said.

    He thanked all the friendly governments that have continued to work with Nigeria for the safe release of the abducted women, and the clerics across religious lines who have been pleading for their release.

     

  • We are intensifying efforts to secure release of Leah Sharibu – FG

    The Federal Government said yesterday  it is intensifying efforts and enlisting the support of international community and friendly governments to secure the release of Leah Sharibu and others in captivity.

    Information Minister Lai Mohammed said government has employed both formal and informal channels to ensure that Leah and the two aid workers in captivity are not hurt and are safely reunited with their families.

    Mohammed spoke when he led a high-powered  federal government delegation  to the family of Leah in Dapchi, Yobe State.

    Mohammed  said the delegation was on a mission from the president to reassure the parents that government would leave no stone unturned until Leah was safely reunited with her family.

    But he said   government could not  disclose publicly some of the efforts being made to secure Leah’s  release and others.

    “Government is doing everything possible to ensure that Leah Sharibu and the two aid workers are not hurt and they are returned safely to their families,” he said.

    “We are appealing to them using both formal and informal channels to spare the lives of these innocent people.

    “Mr. President is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure the safe return of Leah Sharibu and all others in captivity, ” the minister said.

    He commended the military and other security agencies for making supreme sacrifices in the Defence of Nigeria and its citizens , adding that they had continued to make the nation proud.

    The minister expressed satisfaction with the resilience of students of Government Technical Girls Secondary School Dapchi, who returned to school to pursue education.

    Mrs Rebecca Sharibu, Leah’s mother who broke in tears, appreciated the federal government and the personal commitment of President Buhari to ensure her daughter’s safe release.

    She appealed to government to further intensify action as the deadline issued by the insurgents got closer.

    “Save the family from this agony, you should not allow anything to happen to Leah,please, ”Rebecca cried out.

    Alhaji Zanna Abacha, Chairman, Dapchi Local Government, commended the efforts of the Buhari administration in rescuing the Dapchi schoolgirls.

    “We are optimistic government would equally secure the safe release of Leah and to be reunited with her family and community.

    “We also appreciate the sense of belonging and assurance accorded to the community by the federal government,” Abacha said.

    The minister of information was accompanied by Khadijah Ibrahim, Minister of State for Foriegn Affairs, and Minister of State for  Industry, Trade and Investment, Aishatu Abubakar, who is overseeing the Ministry of Women Affairs.

  • FG delegation visits Leah’s parent eight months after abduction

    A Federal Government delegation led by the Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed has visited Mrs Rebbeca Sharibu, mother of Leah Sharibu, the only Christian Dapchi girl still in the custody of the Boko Haram insurgents at Dapchi, Yobe State.

    Alhaji Lai Mohammed who was on Friday  accompanied on the journey by the minister of State Foreign Affairs, Hajiya Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim and the minister of Women Affairs, Aishatu Abubakar re-assured the traumatized mother of the Federal Government’s commitment to rescue her daughter.

    According to Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Federal Government has employed both formal and informal channels to ensure the safe release of Leah Sharibu and others in captivity of Boko Haram.

    “Government is doing everything possible to ensure that Leah Sharibu and the two aid workers are not hurt and they are returned safely to their families.

    Alhaji Lai Mohammed  however disclosed that  government can not disclose publicly some of the efforts being made to secure the release of Leah and others, stressing that  “we are appealing to them using both formal and informal channels to spare the lives of this innocent people.

    “Mr President is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure the safe return of Leah Sharibu and all others in captivity”, he said.

    He commended the military forces for making supreme sacrifices in the Defence of Nigeria and its citizens “you have done this country a lot of proud.”

    The minister described as impressive, the resilience of students of Government Technical Secondary School Dapchi, who surmounted all dangers and fears and  returned back to school to pursue education.

    Mrs Rebecca Sharibu, amidst tears called on the Federal Government to work hard and beat the dateline of the insurgents earlier issued to execute her daughter on the 15/10 2018.

    She also appreciated the Federal Government and the personal commitment of President Buhari to ensure her daughter’s safe release.

    “Save the family from this agony, you should not allow anything to happen to Leah please.

    “I want to plead with the federal government to please make a way for my daughter’s release, because I was told they kill them all by 15th of this month if federal government did not agree to their request.   Since I heard of this, I find it difficult to eat”, Rebecca appeal.

    Chairman Dapchi local government council,  Alhaji Zanna Abacha, commended the efforts of the Buhari administration in rescuing the Dapchi schoolgirls.

    “We are optimistic government would equally secure the safe release of Leah and to be reunited with her family and community.

    “We also appreciate the sense of belonging and assurance accorded to the community by the federal government”, he said.

    The Nation recalls that President Buhari had two week ago called Mrs Rebecca Sharibu and gave her assurance of the release of her daughter.

  • NLC urges FG to accelerate implementation of new minimum wage

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged  the Federal Government (FG) to accelerate the implementation of the new minimum wage proposed by the tripartite committee on the issue.

    NLC National President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, made the call at a news briefing on Wednesday in Lafia.

    Wabba, who was in Lafia for the ground breaking of the affordable housing estate by the Federal Mortgage Bank, said the tripartite committee had already finished its assignment.

    “The committee has already completed its assignment and had to submit the reports first to federal government onward action.

    “So, we expect the FG to accelerate the process of implementation and transmit same to the National Assembly for other legislative actions,” Wabba stated.

    The NLC boss, however, commended the contributions of the private sector throughout the duration of the committee work.

    Read Also:NLC: ‘Fed Govt to announce new minimum wage soon’

    Wabba said that the union would not make the agreed amount public until all the processes were completed.

    He assured Nigerian workers that the union would not relent until success was achieved.

    Meanwhile, the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, has said  that no agreement has  been reached on the exact amount that should be paid to workers as new  minimum wage.

    Speaking after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, Ngige said this was because the proposals ranged from N30,000 by the organised labour to N20,000 by state governments and  N25,000 by organised private sector.

  • UI to adopt alternative funding, to reduce dependency on govt

    Upgrades PG school to College

    As the nation’s premier university, the University of Ibadan begins the official programme to celebrate the 70th anniversary; the management on Saturday said arrangements have been concluded to adopting a culture of two-pronged revenue generation drive.

    The management said the strategy was to reduce the institutions dependency on government funding and also achieve prudent management of available resources.

    Vice Chancellor of the Institution, Prof Idowu Olayinka made the disclosure while addressing an International Press Conference to herald the activities lined up for the celebration.

    The activities which officially begins on October 5th with a lecture would run through to November 17, 2018.

    Prof Olayinka who noted that the 70-year-old would need as much as N30billion annually to achieve its goal of attaining world class standard however said, the institution is already restrategising to open up diverse streams of income to complement what it gets from the Federal Government.

    He also stated that the institution’s council has approved the conversion of its Post Graduate School to Post Graduate College, saying, “with this development, the college will now be headed by a provost who will be assisted by two deputy provosts and two registrars.”

    Olayinka said, “We are exploring ways that UI can make itself less dependent on government funding. We are adopting a two-pronged approach involving a resource mobilization plan and prudent management of the available resources.

    Read Also: Colleges of education shutdown as COEASU joins NLC strike

    “Elements of these include a regular income from commercial and increasing the endowment fund, research grants and the strategic funds that UI has available to use as it deems fit, to direct our course through these troubles and difficult times and beyond.

    “In particular, we are partnering with industry, government and other stakeholders; strengthen our Consultancy services, encourage grantsmanship, mobilize funds from willing individuals and organisations including alumni, friends and the general public, consolidate the business established by the University such as UI Microfinance bank, UI ventures, UI water, Animal Production Venture, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Sawmilling which also provide training in entrepreneurship for  students.

    “The UI publishing House, UI endowment fund and the UI bookshop will be re-organised to operate optimally with definite targets. We encourage departments to engage in business sprinted consultancies and support collaboration with industry.

    “Following approval by the Council of the University, a holding company Platinum UI Commercial Enterprises limited is being registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission under which umbrella all the commercial-oriented outfits in the university will operate.

    “For us to be a world class university, we need to invest heavily in physical and infrastructural facilities, to address the acute shortage of office spaces for staff, classrooms and laboratories.

    “Presently the institution’s subvention is about N13b, which is a far cry from what is needed to maintain the institution. Out of this N13b, salaries are paid, electricity bills which run to millions of naira is paid, water and healthcare are provided among other things.

    “If the premier university is properly funded, within a shortest possible time, it would be among the top five in Africa and top 100 in the world.”

     

  • FG to establish permanent electoral offences tribunal

    The Federal Government is set to establish a permanent electoral tribunal that would be saddled with the main responsibility of addressing issues relating to electoral fraud and offences.

    Special Adviser to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mohammed Kuna, Tuesday said that the Federal Government had proposed a bill for the establishment of the outfit.

    Kuna, who delivered a keynote address during a training organized for INEC legal and police officers on prosecution of election offences in Calabar, said, “This is a welcome development to the Commission because it would mean that some of the cases we have been seeing of electoral fraud and offences, would be addressed by separate body that would be fully staffed and funded to do address exactly the issue of electoral offences.”

    The training was organized by INEC with support from the European Centre for electoral Support (ECES) within the context of Component One of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN)

    Kuna said there was need to collectively address the problems of electoral impunity, which has become so much in the system, by ensuring that electoral offenders are diligently prosecuted.

    According to him, to move the democratic process forward, it must be ensured that those who break the law are brought to book, and this, he said, was part of what the training programme sought to address.

    “The issue of the electoral offences tribunal is something that has been recommended since the Uwais Commission and INEC after the 2011 registration given the number of multiple registrants thought it was not capable technically and resources-wise to prosecute all the 870, 000 cases of multiple registrants at that time. So it lent its voice to the implementation of that aspect of the Uwais Commission that said that there is a need to create an electoral offences tribunal.

    After the 2011 general elections the aftermath of that election, the government set up the Lemu Commission, which also recommended that an electoral offences Tribunal be created,” he said.

    He also said the commission was also working hard to check the problem of vote buying during elections.

    Cross River State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Frankland Briyai, said it was not just important to institute legal proceedings against electoral offenders, but far more important to successfully arraign, prosecute and secure conviction against such offenders.

    Briyai, who was represented by the Administrative Secretary of INEC in the state, Mrs. Irene Oghuma, urged the participants of the training to make best use of the opportunity.

    Senior Electoral Expert, ECES, Maria Teresa Mauro, said the perpetration of election offences undermines the smooth conduct of the elections and has impact on the integrity of the electoral process.

    “Election offences constitute a violation of the laws and regulations guiding the conduct of the elections, thus may lead to the disruption of elections, sometimes destruction of election materials and so forth. They can degenerate to a point of constituting a threat to the security of voters and election personnel. The perpetration of election offences constitutes to voter insecurity and the distortion of election outcomes.

    “There, clear, properly understood and followed mechanisms for prosecution of election offences committed by voters, candidates and election officials are necessary to render the electoral process less controversial and contentious as possible. Offenders need to be punished according to the law to make the electoral process ever more credible,” Mauro said.