The Nation Newspaper

Tag: practitioners

  • Fed Govt urges PR practitioners to promote Africa’s image

    Fed Govt urges PR practitioners to promote Africa’s image

    President Muhammadu Buhari has urged public relations practitioners in Africa to fashion out practical ways of changing the negative narratives about the continent.

    Delivering a goodwill message at the opening of a four-day conference of the African Public Relations Association (APRA) in Calabar yesterday, Buhari said “one key problem centres on the negative narrative that shapes the perspective of Africa. Africa is often perceived as a continent of strive, war, pestilence, anarchy, corruption and massive poverty and our challenges continue to be opportunities across areas of infrastructural development, social welfare, education, manufacturing and agriculture, to mention just few.

     “Yes, a lot of these are prevalent, but the truth is that these are also good stories about us. Across the globe, Africa and Africa are achieving phenomenal feats in their various endeavours. It is, therefore, time for us to change that narrative. It is time for us to sell a positive Africa, one that is full of hope for a brighter tomorrow”.

     Buhari, who delivered his address through Mrs. Nkechi Ali Balogun of the Lagos chapter of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), said: “For this new Africa to emerge, her citizens will have to embrace change. We can no longer do things the way we used to and expect different results. We must modernise by modernising. I mean we must embrace knowledge. Knowledge means education and technology.”

  • Improve your service, alternative medicine practitioners told

    Improve your service, alternative medicine practitioners told

    Complementary and alternative healthcare and healing practitioners have been advised to improve on their practices to enhance public health.

    Nigerian Council of Physicians of Natural Medicine President Bishop Magnus Atilade gave this advice at the council’s commendation ceremony at the MRC Hall, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.

    Bishop Atilade described complementary and alternative healthcare and healing practices (traditional medicine) as relevant to survival.

    He said: “This area of health represents a vast and as yet unrealised sector of the public health systems of developed and developing nations. Moreover, the limits of our current biomedical knowledge and capabilities cannot be denied. We do not, as yet, have all the answers, or even, for that matter, know all the questions. There are more things in heaven and earth than can be dreamt of in our current biomedical philosophies. Stagnant biomedical orthodoxy cannot achieve the fullness of public health’s potential and has no role to play in human progress. Maintaining openness to this reality may serve to help marshal the resources of indigenous, complementary, and alternative health practices in the service of public health, now and in the future.”

    Prof Atilade added: “For us to be taken more seriously, let us hone our skill. Our professionalism will stand us out and thereby uproot the charlatans among us.  That progress, like a moving train will reposition us in the scheme of things, at the Federal and we will be able to get the bill passed into Act, and one day get minister for traditional and alternative/complementary medicine, as it obtains now in China.”

    Vintage Press, publisher of The Nation was a recipient of an award for its extraordinary performance in the promotion and development of Healthcare, Education, Science and Humanity coverage.

    Other recipients  include Dr Olufemi Bankole, now a professor of Complementary and Alternative Medicine,  specialising in Osteopath; Prof Adebukunola Adefule-Ositelu of Guiness Eye Centre for her innovative orogbo (garcinia cola) eye drop, an iridologist, Dr Titi Oduye, Acupuncturist, Dr Adewale Bade, Dr (Mrs) Ani Adepeju Kuju (DC) among others.

    An ophthalmologist, Dr Mosunmade Faderin, enjoined the practitioners to know their limitations when treating patients, especially those with eye complaints or diseases. “I have seen a lot of patients that were badly managed. Some even ended up with blindness just because they patronised some of your colleagues. Please know when to refer appropriately. Do not introduce  strange preparations that have not been proven scientifically as being beneficial to your patients,”she said.

    Present at the event were Mr. Babatunde Ogara, a legal practitioner, Mrs Nwokeke Chinyere represented the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Adeleke Ipaye represented the Osun State  Governor, Dr (Mrs) Omotosho represented Chairman of the occasion, Chairman, Bond Chemicals Limited, Sir Debo Omotosho, Chief medical Director (CMD), Prof Chris Bode represented the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osibajo, Dr G.O Ajayi represented Provost, LASUCOM and others.

    Students of the School of Complementary Health Science of the lagos State College of Health Technology, Yaba were also inducted.

  • Traditional practitioners seek credible leadership

    Traditional practitioners seek credible leadership

    The Chairman, Electoral Committee, National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP), Dr Idowu Ogunkoya, has called upon members to get set and vote in credible executives in the forthcoming election of the association. He gave the admonition at an exclusive interview at Idiaraba in Lagos.

    Dr Ogunkoya said the available posts  to be contested for are:  Presidency, Deputy President, and Vice President for each geographical zones, Secretary, Treasurer, Financial secretary, P.R.O, Auditor and others according to the constitution of the association.

    He said the tenure of the former administration has elapsed which necessitated the Board of Trustees, chaired by Archbishop Adeyemi  Atilade, to dissolve it, and urgean an electoral committee  to conduct an election before the end of a  year of dissolution of the  previous executive.

    Describing the qualities being expected of  a potential candidate, Dr Ogunkoya said: “We are looking for a candidate that will uplift the standard of NANTMP. Right now, the association does not have a national office, even the website- http://nantmp.org.ng/  is not functioning. We also do not have a traditional medicine college in Nigeria; all these are available in a sister country, Ghana. The association was founded by the Obasanjo administration in 2007 and till date no outstanding feat has been achieved. That is why we are sacrificing our time and money to get a credible candidate to lead NANTMP this time. We seek someone who is able and capable to perform as arrow head.”

    Expressing his views on the previous administrations, Dr Ogunkoya said he found out from the past administrations that most of the officers did not really hold the office. “I found out that the President was doing the work of the treasurer, secretary and others. In such  a set up, there can never be any progress. Now, we want a proactive executive whereby all of them would perform their legitimate functions so that things will go on well.  It was also found that there was dispute between the national executives on supremacy. This actually went down to the states because in each state we have a minimum of three chairmen. Due to this, the board dissolved everybody. The Board was confused on who to communicate with.

    “For instance, in the Southwest, I held a meeting with the leaders. It came to a point, I told them to go and solve their disputes so that when they come back they can speak with one voice. They came back after one hour to tell me that they could not resolve their disputes and started quarrelling all over again, in my presence. I do not understand what they are fighting for. I was left with no choice than to dissolve that particular executive and that is how it happened in almost all the geographical zones. That is how the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) dissolved everything. Once the national executive is inaugurated, it will go to states to reform the chapter associations and conduct elections for them.”

    Dr Ogunkoya further set agenda for the in-coming executive, “The thrust of the new EXCO in the era of change is that we really want NANTMP to get involved in the credible treatment of our citizens, through members that know their onions in this period of Change. We want an executive that would get there, work, get the money budgeted for and improve the standard of traditional medicine in Nigeria. They should be able to get into governance sway interested parties to regulate traditional medicine.

  • Yoruba movie practitioners sign MOU

    Yoruba movie practitioners sign MOU

    The Yoruba Video Film Producers Marketers Association of Nigeria, (YOVIFPMAN), and Theater Arts and Motion Picture Association of Nigeria, (TAMPAN), last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding, to work together to get rid of non-professionals in the Yoruba film industry.

    Present at the ceremony were popular Yoruba actor, Adebayo Salami, YOVIFPMAN President, Alhaji Abdullahi Abdulrasaq and TAMPAN President, Mr Dele Odule. The MoU was signed at the YOVIFPMAN secretariat at The Arena, Oshodi, Lagos.

    Speaking at the signing ceremony, Odule said it became necessary to sign the agreement when they discovered that non-professionals were taking over the market.

    “We have done this to appreciate professionalism and drive away mediocrity. If you look at it critically, you will discover that the Yoruba movie producers are marketers have not done too well but these days we cannot differentiate between the professionals and non-professionals. This is why we have decided to come together so that we can do away with the mediocre and be able to identify the professionals,” Odule said.

    He also noted that now that they have signed an MoU, there will be better production from the producers which will in turn lead to acceptability by the marketers and cinemas.

  • Practitioners advised on manufacturing standards

    Practitioners advised on manufacturing standards

    • NAFDAC lists criteria for herbal drugs production

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged the National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP) to reconstruct its herbal hall to meet manufacturing practice standards.

    Its Director-General, Dr Paul Orhii, said it was a prerequisite for the association to be allowed  to produce  herbal drugs at the site.

    Orhii, who was represented by the principal regulatory officer, Mr Joseph Okereke, at a special inspection of the facility, built in 1982 by NANTMP pioneer chairman, Lagos State branch, the late Dr Joseph Lambo, said the factory must have a structural flow – from changing room to production room and packaging room.

    The association, he said, can only produce powdery and solid herbal drugs at the facility as it is not equiped for liquid drugs or syrups.

    “There is also space constraint and lack of hi-tech equipment.  NANTMP may find it difficult to meet those conditions at the moment,” he said.

    Besides, there is the need for water purification plant and stainless machine for mixing compounds to avoid residue, Orhii said .

    The agency, he assured, will collaborate with the association to develop the sector but, “our job is to ensure that the centre conforms to the standards for having a manufacturing plant”.

    NANTMP Chairman Dr Yekini Akande said the quest to have a common production site for herbal drugs could not be over-emphasised.

    Akande said production of herbal drugs at the facility would help poor members to produce their drugs at a cheaper rate.

    The herbal hall, Akande said, has been unused since the demise of its founder, adding that people with no affiliation to the association have been using it for other purposes.

    He said the facility was being rehabilitated to meet NAFDAC standards for production sites, stressing that it would be ready for use.

    “NAFDAC’s visit is an eye opener to help us focus on the areas to touch to make our dream of having a common production site a reality,” Akande said.

    Akande urged the Federal Government to hasten the passage of traditional medicine bill so that the practice can progress to the desire height.

    “We are appealing to the government to come to our aid so that we can develop traditional medicine to the level of China and India,” Akande said.

  • Agents petition IGP over practitioners’ fees row

    Agents petition IGP over practitioners’ fees row

    THE Association of Nigerian  Customs and Licensing Agents (ANCLA) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), protesting the new fees regime at the ports,’ The Nation has learnt.

    ANCLA’s petition, it was learnt, followed the Federal Ministry of Transport’s directive to the Council for the Registration of Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (CRFFN) to collect Practitioners Operation Fees (POF) at seaports, airports and borders.

    The order, it was learnt, varies with the agreement reached by the five freight forwarders and the CRFFN when they were invited to Abuja by the police on July 2.

    In a July 22 letter, obtained by The Nation, ANCLA alleged that some individuals were planning to disrupt the peace at the ports, urging the IGP to place his officers on red alert.

    The letter, signed by ANCLA reads: “At an interview, which was held in your office with all parties involved in attendance, it was agreed that all actions towards the commencement of the collection of the POF should be suspended, while efforts should be intensified to ensure that election is held into the Governing Council of the CRFFN. This is sequel to all acknowledging that the governing council is imperative for a complete CRFFN as approved for in its Act 16 of 2007.

    “Surprisingly, we received a letter from the Federal Ministry of Transport purporting to authorise the immediate commencement of POF collection.

    “We, therefore, wish to call your attention to this apparent reneging on the agreement reached in your office and the threats it portends to the freight forwarding industry,” Oparah said.

    ANCLA’s National President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, told The Nation that association’s board has ordered its members to resist any attempt to collect the fees from them since the election and composition into the Governing Council of the CRFFN as required by its Act are yet to be met.

    He said ANCLA had sued CRFFN over the plan to circumvent the law setting up the Council.

    Meanwhile, ANCLA’s National Publicity Secretary Dr Kayode Farinto has raised the alarm over the appointment of a consulting firm to collect the fees

    Farinto also alleged that the firm would retain 40 per cent of the fees.

    “We have just received information that there was an arrangement to give a company the collection of the controversial POF. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the firm was that the company will collect 40 per cent of the money generated.

    “Some of those behind this company are high-ranking officers in the Ministry of Transport. That is why they are insisting that the POF must be collected by all means,” Farinto alleged.

     

  • CAM practitioners set up task force to curb charlatans

    Can quackery be routed in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)? Yes, says the National Complementary and Alternative Medical Association (NACAMA), which has set up a task force, the National Practitioners Verification and Hospital Re-certification Committee (NPVHRC), to sanitise its practice.

    The association’s president, Prof Peter Katchy, said charlatans were ruining the image of the profession, which underscored the need for some regulations.

    Katchy, who represented the country’s alternative medicine at the 25th International Medical Conference in India, spoke on arrival in Lagos.

    The committee, according to him, would ensure practitioners comply strictly with the Code of Conduct and Ethics for Good Complementary and Alternative Medical Practice in Nigeria.

    He said the practice has been invaded by quacks, who were practising under the pretext of   attending some ‘recognised’ schools.

    Katchy said the committee would act as a functional national team to redeem the association’s image and correct misconceptions from well informed people about the profession.

    Besides, it would also flush out fake manufacturers of medicines labelled Alternative Medicines and Mobile College Centres, such as, Centre for Traditional Medicine Practitioners, which has  metamorphosed into Centre for Alternative Medicine Practitioners.

    “Also, any other of such mobile medical institutes that ascribed alternative medicines to such dubious centres, which move from one hotel to the other in states collecting money from ignorant subscribers on a one-day workshop to become doctors and issue such valueless and worthless certificates to them as medical practitioners.

    “The terms of reference of NPVHRC is to shut such institutions and bring the criminal operators to book,” he said.

    He said it would also ensure that duly registered complementary and alternative medicine hospitals and clinics comply with the laid down formats for CAM hospitals and clinics.

    Moreover, it would stop wanton abuses and misrepresentations of  drug peddlers, who claimed that their concoctions are alternative medicines.

    Katchy urged the Federal Government to reopen the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (FEDCAM) in Abuja to support the training of practitioners.

    He said: “The former Minister of Health for State, Dr Khaliru Alhassan, has rectified the curriculum of the latent college and approved for the payment of outstanding rents and staff salaries. Sequel to this development it is expected that any moment from now, the present administration will allow FEDCAM to be reopened for academic activities.”

    He reassured that NACAMA was the only legitimate medical association for practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine in Nigeria.

    Besides, the Federal Ministry of Health and state ministries of health recognised the association’s  certificate.

  • NANTAP to honour practitioners

    NANTAP to honour practitioners

    The celebration of World Theatre Day is an opportunity to draw attention to the arts and culture sector, chairperson of the National Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), Lagos chapter Ms Eki Eboigbe, has said.

    She spoke with arts writers at a briefing in Lagos. She explained that the celebration which would have held on March 27 was shifted to June 26due to the exigency of election in the country.

    She said the celebration would be in tandem with the globally theme, Celebrating people behind the scene of theatre. This, she said, madeNANTAP Lagos chapter to adapt Theatre and Conflict Resolution in the 21st Century as its theme.

    Among those to be honoured are founder of Terra Culture Centre Mrs Bolanle Austen Peters, Teju Babyface, Femi Odugbemi, Yemi Shodimu, Mrs Laja Adedoyin, Debon Lexandra and Dr Osita Ezewanebe for their contributions to the sector.

    Chairman Planning Committee of World Theatre Day, Shaibu Hussein stressed that since 1991, the celebration has been used by NANTAP to call attention to the theatre and advocate a more sustainable policy for theatre in the country.

    “We felt that we could use theatre to resolve political, economic and religious conflict so also can it be used to proffer solution to the problems in Nigeria,” he said.

    He noted that Bolanle Austen Peters has been chosen to be recognised and celebrated as the ITD personality of the year due to her inestimable contribution and commitment towards theatre in the country as well as other genres of art. “So also has she provided space through her terra culture and has funded a production that featured about one hundred and twenty members of NANTAP,” he said.

    Shaibu said two sets of people would be recognised during the celebration. They are the ambassador and certified practitioners for the Nollywood industry, adding that their contributions of people like Don Pedro Obaseki, Ejike Azogwu, Rita Dominic helped in the smooth take-off of Nollywood.

    He disclosed that on the celebration day, the association would work on the start-up of an Endowment Fund for the theatre profession, noting that  as it would help fund projects and render aids to theatre practitioners with challenges on the field.

    He said community theatre project would only come to reality only if the endowment fund is in place and once it is started, it would be encouraged at the national level because the country doesn’t have an Endowment fund for the art which has made it look as if when money is given to the art it looks like a token.

    “We know that theatre has a lot of roles to play in the area of uniting this country, creation of job which interestingly is one thing the incumbent president is interested in. We are rest assured that if we set up theatre in the 774 local governments, it would create job opportunities like carpentry, set designing, light designing, make-up artiste, props managing, etc for the youths as well as people in the community. When government invest in theatre art, it would assist in curtailing unemployment in the society; we have a new government of change so what we hope for is that most of those things we are hoping to do would be changed for the better as theatre practitioners and performing artistes,” he said.

     

     

  • Cleric tasks media practitioners on professionalism

    Catholic ArchBishop of Ibadan , Rev Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin has said media practitioners must be professional and ethical in issuing information to the public.

    Abegunrin who spoke at the 2015 World Communications Day Reception at St. Mary’s Cathedral Hall, Oke Padi, Ibadan said in real reportage, the standard expected of journalists does not allow for the slightest degree of sloppiness or carelessness.

    He appealed to journalists to adhere strictly to the ethics of news reporting in the reportage of any event.

    The ArchBishop said it is necessary that information passed to the public must go through the most thorough  search in order to ensure factuality, saying information must be presented in a manner that would not cause undue anxiety in the society.

    Abegunrin said journalists are expected to undertake self-regulation, adding that the commission, as a media consumer and source of information for public consumption, is concerned about what is taken into account in what is published or broadcasted.

    “A piece of information has to be analysed critically in terms of source and veracity, among others. Journalist need training and retraining, you will see some journalists that speak bad English and even broadcasters that pronounce words poorly on television” he said.

    The Archshop also called on political gladiators to use the sacredness of the season to bring sanity to the on-going democratic activities in the country.

    He, however, charged Nigerians irrespective of their religions, to engage in fervent prayers,especially at this period, to salvage the country from social evils for the success of the proposed general election.

  • Outdoor Advertising practitioners for top US varsity

    T0 give Outdoor Advertising  Marketing Communications, members of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) have mapped out for training, starting with a forthcoming Executive Education workshop in the United States.

    Focusing on the theme of “The Art and Science of Outdoor Advertising in the Age of Digital Media”, the five-day Training Event will hold from April 12 to 17, at the Department of Communication, North Dakota State University (NDSU), with Resource Persons drawn from other American Universities and the field of American Professional Outdoor Advertising Practitioners.

    North Dakota State University is ranked among the top two percent of American public and private universities.

    The curriculum for the training, which was drawn up by OAAN members and NDSU Advertising Professors, shows that participants will be exposed to topics that include business aspects and return on investments in outdoor advertising, managing the creative Process, working with governments and public institutions.

    Other include: Innovations in outdoor advertising practice, media relations for outdoor agencies, and leadership paradigms for outdoor agencies.

    The Professor/Chair of NDSU’s Department of Communication Dr. Mark Meister, said his team was excited about the opportunity to collaborate with OAAN in co-hosting this special training, which demonstrates the university’s commitment to serving its publics, locally and internationally.

    He added that since Communication Coursework started at NDSU in 1907, making it one of the pioneers in providing university-level education in communication, the emphasis has always been on leveraging Professional practices with high quality academic instruction.

    OAAN President Mr. Charles Chijide, expressed optimism that the forthcoming training would be  beneficial to its members and their clients in Marketing Communications.

    In recognition of the collaboration in the sector, Chijide has extended invitations to OAAN’s peer associations in advertising, marketing and media to encourage them the proposed training.