The Nation Newspaper

Tag: govt’s

  • Club urges govts on cancer care

    Club urges govts on cancer care

    Nigeria could do with more diagnostic equipment, especially for cancer, the old students of Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School, also known as Landers ’88 Reunion Club, have said.

    The President, Mr Soji Adekogbe, who spoke at the third edition of Omolara Jolaoso Memorial Lecture, urged federal and state governments to provide adequate funding to equip hospitals with tools required for early diagnosis and prompt treatment of cancer.

    He also said the status of cancer care was worrisome as few centres with equipment were not offering services due to one reason or the other.

    Adekogbe, who was represented by his Vice President, Mr. Dipo Komolafe, said some time ago, two institutions with radiography equipment experienced a break down for months.

    “We are aware that only two teaching hospitals: Lagos University Teaching Hospital -LUTH and University College Hospital (UCH), Ibandan have radiography equipment, and there was a time when the two equipment broke down for months. My last check revealed that it is only the one at LUTH that is functional at present and patients are held up on waiting list for several months.

    “You can imagine someone coming from Maiduguri to Lagos for treatment and there is only one machine functioning in the whole of Nigeria. Sadly, many die before it gets to their turn. This definitely cannot be the blue print for cancer treatment in Nigeria. The Federal and state governments need to wake up to their responsibilities and declare a purpose driven state of emergency in the health sector,” he said.

    Komolafe noted that their classmate’s death from cancer, still lingered in their heart. “This lecture is in memory of our dear member and friend, Omolara Jolaoso, who was diagnosed with breast cancer around 2010 and later died in 2013 as a result of late detection.”

    Komolafe said: “Omolara was a dedicated member of Landers ’88 and was desirous of sharing her experience and providing succour to those that newly discovered their breast cancer status, which was the role she played effectively until her death on December 3, 2013. It was her desire that inspired Landers ’88 to partner a reputable Cancer Foundation, Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria, to immortalise her name by institutionalising a breast cancer awareness lecture in her memory.”

    Managing Director, Apapa General Hospital, Dr. Adebajo Adewole, called for more awareness and regular medical check-ups, considering that early detection of the disease is vital to its treatment.

    Dr Adewole said: “In Nigeria, members of the public still see cancer as a disease of the wealthy, the elderly and developed countries. Many sufferers  still regard it as their fate and as such, a death sentence. But cancer is a global epidemic that affects all ages with low and middle income countries.

    “Nigerians should be enlightened on what causes the condition, preventative measure and available treatment options. The disease should no longer be treated as a death sentence or something that has to do with fate. The public should be sensitised on predisposing lifestyle factors like smoking, drinking, obesity, lack of exercise and exposure to carcinogenic products and elements such as body creams with mercury or lead.”

  • Lawmaker urges govts, individuals to invest in agriculture

    A lawmaker, Mr. Hilary Bisong, has urged governments to prioritise the agricultural sector, to ensure food security.

    Bisong, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member representing Boki II Constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar that according priority to the sector would improve food production, food sufficiency, reduce unemployment and poverty and boost socio-economic development.

    He said if attention was given to the sector, the majority of unemployed graduates would venture into agriculture and become self-reliant.

    The legislator said for the country to overcome economic challenges, governments and individuals must increase investment in agriculture to improve the living standard of Nigerians.

    “Before the discovery of crude, agriculture was the main source of our national revenue, but with the discovery of oil, we relegated it to the background.

    “The three tiers of government must place premium on agriculture. Irrespective of our positions in the society, we must go back to agriculture to ensure food security.

    “If youths and other Nigerians embrace farming, it will not only reduce over dependence on oil, hardship and economic challenges facing the nation will become a thing of the past.

    “Prices of food items have sky-rocketed. There is need for the government to invest in agriculture.

    “The planting season is around the corner. As a stakeholder and politician, I will support my constituents who are into farming with yam seedlings and other grains to enhance their productivity,’’ he said.

    Bisong advised youths to shun idleness, embrace skill acquisition programmes and engage in other meaningful activities to make them self-reliant.

    He assured his constituents of his commitment to initiate people-oriented programmes that would improve their standard of living.

  • ‘Govts advised to develop residential estates’

    To reduce housing deficit in the country and cut the soaring rental value of apartments, governments at federal, state and local levels have been urged to develop residential estates for their workers.

    This was the submission of the new  President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Dr. Bolarinde Patunola-Ajayi.

    Patunola-Ajayi, who spoke at the institution’s council meeting in Abuja, argued that if governments could house their staff, the cost of rent will come down drastically.

    “The problem of rent control is in the area of demand and supply of housing units. If there is no constant supply and there is high demand for housing, it would affect the cost. If federal, states and the local governments can house their staff, the cost of rent will come down and those who are looking for houses will have options,” he said.

    NIESV, he further said, applauded the  administration’s attention to housing, saying the pledge by the minister of housing that government will build 7000 units this year is a welcome development. He said if this is done repeatedly over a period of four years, a lot of housing units would be added to the existing housing stock and private developers will have no option than to reduce their rent.

    Patunola-Ajayi decried the huge number of completed housing estates lying unoccupied, especially in Abuja, calling for the establishment of the Office of Valuer-General of the Federation where all property would be identified. He also canvassed a private developer tax for all vacant houses, stressing that all vacant property should be subjected to tax payment.

    He said the institution, as the only profession licensed to carry out valuation of property in the country, would map out plans on how to pilot its affairs over the next three years adding that, his administration would focus more on capacity building to ensure that members are well trained to meet up with international best practices.

    “We want to keep to professionalism. Professionalism is a global issue; there is global framework and standards on how to render services in the surveying profession,” he said.

  • Afe Babalola hinges Nigeria’s growth on regional govts

    Afe Babalola hinges Nigeria’s growth on regional govts

    •Malaysia hails Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade

    Nigeria will overcome its social, political and economic problems with the operation of regional system of government, the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), said at the weekend.

    Babalola spoke at the maiden edition of Diplomatic Dialogue, a programme organised by the university’s Department of International Relations and Diplomacy.

    It featured Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Nigeria Lim Juay Jin as guest speaker.

    The legal luminary argued that Nigeria, as presently constituted, was too large to be managed by one central government.

    But he noted that establishment and strengthening of regional governments under a loose federalism would help accelerate its growth.

    According to him, Malaysia, which has a population of 30 million people, could develop at a record pace because it has a manageable population, hence its ability to compete in terms of development with many western countries.

    Babalola said: “I have attended three constitutional conferences in Nigeria and return to regional government has always been my position. Nigeria consists of over 300 ethnic groups and with different religious bias. So, what we need is confederation or loose federalism, where each region will be allowed to grow at its own pace and contribute to the centre.

    “This has been the practice in USA, Australia and Canada. But in Nigeria, we have a central government, where only one person determines what happens everywhere. In the past, we had regional governments where each was allowed to develop and Nigeria was better off then.

    “Nigeria has six geopolitical zones and these can be allowed to function as component parts and Nigeria will be good for it.  During the regional government, Nigeria was growing faster. Malaysia is a very small country with a population of about 30 million and this makes it easy to govern.

    “If Nigeria has been operating the regional government, we would have developed even better than Malaysia. Our fore-fathers considered the population, land and resources as very large; that was why they introduced regional government. It has always been the smaller, the better.”

    In his lecture, Jin assured that Malaysia would strengthen its business relations with Nigeria because of the integrity of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and its anti-corruption crusade.

    The ambassador added that no fewer than 9,000 Nigerian students were studying in Malaysian universities because of quality tertiary education, which obtains in the Asian country.

    He said the students were studying at all levels of education, including undergraduate, masters as well as doctoral studies.

    The envoy attributed the development to availability of facilities, affordable fees, friendly learning environment, quality tutors, good governance and stable economy, comparable to what obtained in Europe and America.

    Jin said the GDP of his country with a population of just 30 million people, stands at $237 billion while her per capita income is $8,800.

    He said Malaysia was also doing well in the areas of agriculture, especially palm oil, which he said his country that gained independence from Britain in 1957 had been able to use to its advantage.

    The diplomat, who expressed the desires of his country to further deepen its bilateral relations with Nigeria, noted that a total of 450 Nigerians had so far attended Nigeria/Malaysia Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP).

  • Implement AU’s recommendation on health, agric, govts told

    The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has urged governments to implement the African Union (AU) recommended 15 per cent budgetary allocation to health and agriculture sectors.

    Its Senior Programme Officer, Mr. Okeke Anya, spoke in Keffi, the Nasarawa State capital, during a Northcentral Media Roundtable.

    He said if governments complied with the AU standard in allocation of funds to the two sectors, it would not only boost the health status of the people but also reduce unemployment and food shortages.

    “Our mission is to strengthen the link between civil society and the legislature through advocacy and capacity building for civil society groups and policy makers on legislative processes and governance issues to ensure good governance.

    “The aim of this parley was to engage the media on the need to sensitise governments at all levels and Nigerians at large to comply and implement African Union standard of 15 per cent total budget allocation of funds to health and agriculture sectors in the interest of development,” Anya explained.

    He said it was unfortunate that from 2012 to last year, the allocation of funds to the sectors had nosedived.

    “For example, in 2012 budget, N280 billion was allocated to the health sector, while in 2013, 2014 and 2015 budget only N278 billion, N260 billion and N255 billion, was allocated to the health sector, and this show a decrease in allocation of funds to the health sector every year in Nigeria,” he said.

    The Programme Officer of the Centre, Austin Erameh said: “The forum was intended to stimulate citizens’ interaction and awareness on key performance of government against democratic principles that include economic, social, civil and political policy standard.”

  • Tambuwal seeks concession of dams to govts

    Tambuwal seeks concession of dams to govts

    Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal yesterday sought the concession of dams to state governments interested in managing them.

    He said such dams with prospects and value would be better used for the benefit of the citizenry if concessioned to states.

    The governor urged the Federal Government to concession the dams under its care to the states interested in managing them, saying they would put such dams to better use.

    He spoke at the inspection of irrigation at the Goronyo Dam in Sokoto.

    Tambuwal noted that it would be viable if states managed dams, since they benefited from their resources.

    He said: “Almost all the citizens who use dams for irrigation and other purposes are under the care of the state governments. So it will be economically wise if the Federal Government can concession the dams and allow us to manage them.”

    The governor, who addressed farmers and fishermen in Goronyo on the significance of water resources, said: “The dam is a great asset to Sokoto State. It boosts farming and adds value to people’s lives.”

  • Govt’s decision on sand mining okay

    Govt’s decision on sand mining okay

    The Ikorodu Division of the Association of Miners in Lagos State has said a report in a national newspaper on January 28, with the headline: “Group kicks against Lagos State government on Sand Mining” did not reflect its position.

    The association was reacting yesterday the report attributed to Joint Lagos State Miners Association.

    It said this rebuttal became necessary because of the alleged bias it contained.

    The Association of Miners noted that the report had “gained frantic, orchestrated spread in social and traditional media in Nigeria”.

    The chairman of the three chapters in the Ikorodu

    Division of the association – Alhaji Balogun Moshood Ademola, Adewale Micheal and Apanishile Tunde – urged the public to disregard the report because it did not emanate from them.

    “We are not aware of the decision taken by the group. There was never a time we agreed and decided to disregard the directive from the Lagos State government,” they said.

  • Bakare urges govts to reduce cost of governance

    Bakare urges govts to reduce cost of governance

    •Cleric advises Buhari to adopt conference report

    LAGOS preacher Pastor Tunde Bakare has advised governments to cut cost by reducing political appointees and what they earn.

    The Overseer of Latter Rain Assembly, in his State of the Nation broadcast during yesterday’s church service, said: “If we are serious about sound financial management, a more significant reduction in the size and cost of running government will be required than this administration has been able to effect.

    “The government re-sizing process has been hampered by structural anomalies and constitutional constraints.  For instance, of what use is a bloated legislature that could potentially gulp 25 per cent of the national recurrent budget?  Of what use is a profligate governmental structure characterised by minuscule but treasury-draining federating units? Of what use is a constitutional provision for the appointment of 36 ministers even when we have no need for so many?

    “As for the state governments, care must be taken not to provoke the rage of poorly paid civil servants by reducing the minimum wage of impoverished workers. What they should do is devise a reasonable policy direction that will lead to a reduction in the salaries of politicians and political appointees, reduce security votes, trim the size and cost of governance, and embark on revenue mobilisation strategies.”

    To rise out of the financial conundrum, Bakare suggested that President Muhammadu Buhari should pursue true federalism, empowering the geopolitical regions to develop economically as in the past.

    The cleric urged the President to consider the report of the 2014 National Conference, which he said reflected the pre-election promises of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He said: “I appeal to Mr. President not to ignore the report of the 2014 National Conference! God went ahead of you to provide a navigational map with which you can begin to steer the ship of state to a safe destination.

    “The APC may have refused to participate in the 2014 National Conference, but the report of that Conference is in tandem with the promise of the APC manifesto. The APC manifesto and the report of the 2014 National Conference are a tag team in waiting, not a thesis and antithesis.

    “Just as this government adopted the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and the Treasury Single Account (TSA) , which were conceived by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, the Buhari-led government should embrace the report of the 2014 National Conference. That report may have been produced under a PDP government but it is not a PDP document. It is a Nigerian people’s document. Delegates to the 2014 National Conference, East, West, North and South endorsed the report without a single vote on any issue.”

    In addition to Buhari’s efforts on deregulation and diversification, Bakare advised him to add devolution, which would involve reviewing the structure forms of government.

  • NSE to govts: engage local engineers

    The chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Mr. Bola Olowe,  has called on  governments at all levels to engage Nigerian engineers in their projects.

    He argued that the local professionals are equally good as their foreign counterparts.

    Speaking at the 21st Lawrence Arokodare Memorial lecture, with the theme: “Commitment of engineering into the hands of stakeholders: A catalyst for national development and improved living standards,,” Olowe condemned previous administrations, engaging foreign firms at the expense of indigenous professionals.

    He said to ensure a smooth take-off of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and improve the standard of living in the country, governments at all levels must stop patronising foreign experts.

    To Olowe, if governments and other stakeholders patronise local engineers, the nation can leapfrog into the league of developed nations and reduce capital flight to the barest minimum.

    Olowe  urged governments to  make deliberate decisions to ensure that indigenous engineers are patronised and given opportunities to handle engineering development projects.

  • Govt’s funny funding pattern

    Govt’s funny funding pattern

    The catchphrase for some years now regarding funding of public education has been: “Government cannot do it alone.”  In the course of my journalism career I have lost count of how many times I have heard it repeated over and over again by government officials (Federal, State and Local) at various events.

    I am beginning to think that it has become a way for the government to shirk its responsibilities from doing even those things it should do.  I am referring particularly to the Federal Government in this piece.  I have met many managers of our educational institutions – especially secondary and tertiary – who have complained about the way government funds them.  They are usually wary of indicting their employers, but in moments of desperation, they let the real situation of things slip.

    The only thing the Federal Government seems to be good at is funding salaries of workers, which falls under recurrent expenditure.  Capital projects as well as funding for maintenance, consumables, running costs, and the like, are not usually given due attention.  I have been at programmes where principals of Federal Unity Colleges lamented that they barely get enough from subventions to feed their boarding house pupils.

    After budgets are approved and allocations for the year announced, the allocations are not released on time.  Even when released, it is done piecemeal such that the institutions have to find alternative sources of funding or do without providing services vital to quality education delivery.  Once, a principal complained that for almost a whole session, the Federal Government released only about N3 million out of N45 million.  Then the session ends, and the money is not released.  Another time a principal appealed to parents to contribute food items to feed the pupils.

    Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities have made similar complaints.  They have to fall back on internally-generated revenue to run their institutions.  Many do not generate enough income to run their institutions smoothly without government subvention.  Regarding capital projects, the Federal Government funding is grossly inadequate. It is no secret that most public tertiary institutions in Nigeria are able to provide infrastructure thanks to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).  Ironically, though the money disbursed by TETFund comes from taxes of corporate organisations, the Federal Government never fails to take the glory for what TETFund has been able to achieve.  To the best of my knowledge, the last administration of President Goodluck Jonathan negotiated with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) based on TETFund grants.  It was not as if the government provided special funding to meet ASUU demands for massive infrastructural upgrade from somewhere else.  So what actually is the Federal Government doing about education?

    Back to Unity Schools!  The total fees (including PTA Levy) charged new students in Federal Government Colleges in Lagos State now averages above N200,000.  Subsequently, the fees may not go above N50,000 in a term.  However, for a public school, the amount is above what some parents whose children are admitted can afford.  This, in addition to sharp practices in some schools, forces some parents to forfeit the admission because they cannot pay.

    New parents bear the brunt of paying huge amounts as development levy.  This is because Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) now has to build hostels, refurbish class rooms, and pay teachers and other non-teaching support workers because those employed by the Federal Government are inadequate for the large population of pupils in the schools.  New parents also buy mattress, lockers and bunks each year – as if all those who graduate yearly carry their bunks, mattresses and lockers home.

    The Federal Government should be alive to the responsibility of funding education.  The inefficiency in the system should be addressed; loopholes for siphoning money blocked; and accountability mechanisms put in place so that we can achieve progress.