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  • ‘Nigerians have a right to know treasury looters’

    Nigerians have a right to know those who looted the treasury, the Federal Government said yesterday.

    It added that no amount of pressure would distract the government from releasing more looters name.

    “Nigerians must know those who have wrecked the country and mortgaged the future of their children,” the government said in a statement by Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

    The statement said: ‘’We are not underestimating the desperation of the looters, but we

    wish to assure Nigerians who are justifiably outraged at the mindless plundering of the nation’s wealth also of our determination not to back down.”

    According to the government no amount of pressure, including the antics of hack writers and threats of litigation, will prevent it from releasing more names of looters of the treasury.

    Mohammed said following the release of the two lists of suspected looters, there have been overt and covert attempts to intimidate and blackmail the government into discontinuing the release of more names.

    ‘’Hack writers have inundated the social and traditional media with articles casting aspersion on the lists, while some newspapers have even resorted to writing editorials against the Federal Government over the release of the lists. Most of the write-ups have accused the government of politicising the anti-graft war by releasing the lists. We strongly disagree with them.

    ‘’We do not have the power to try or convict anyone. That is the exclusive preserve of the courts. But we have the power to let Nigerians know those who turned the public treasury into their personal piggy banks, on the basis of very concrete evidence, and that is what we are doing,’’ he said.

    Mohammed said the government had always known that corruption would fight back, “fast and furious”, hence it is not surprised at the hiring of hack writers to attack the very idea of naming and shaming the looters, or the hysterical threats of litigation

    ‘’All the fuss about politicising the anti-corruption fight is aimed at preventing the government from releasing more looters’ names and at the same time muddling the waters. But 1,000 negative write-ups or editorials will not deter us from releasing the third and subsequent lists. For those who have chosen to give succour to looters, we wish them the best of luck with their new pastime,’’ he said.

    The minister said the pressure being mounted on the government over its decision to expose looters was not unexpected, adding: ‘’We know where the pressure is coming from. However, the die is cast. We will not stop until we have released the names of all those who have looted our commonwealth. Those who have not looted our treasury have nothing to be afraid of.”

    He challenged anyone who felt that he or she had been wrongly accused to “seek redress in court, rather than engaging in exhibitionist sophistry.”

    The minister also reminded Nigerians that it was the PDP that challenged the government into releasing the looters list, “hence the argument that the list only contained the names of PDP members falls short without proper contextualisation.”

  • Getting it right

    Getting it right

    Title: +234 An Awkward Guide to being Nigerian
    Author: Atoke 
    Reviewer: Yetunde Oladeinde
    No of pages: 166
    Publisher: Ink Fontain

    A book on Nigeria and the citizenry would be interesting any day. That aptly describes this new book that captures our experiences, challenges and the things that make us tick as a people. The aesthetics on the glossy cover depicting a gentleman playing football, a couple relaxing, three ladies taking a selfie in aso-ebi all says a lot about of lifestyle and things that we value.

    In the book +234 – An Awkward Guide to Being Nigerian, the first attraction to the reader is the good, the bad and the ugly, depending on what side of the coin that you are.

    As you read this collection of essays that takes you into the heart and soul of Nigerians, you get amused, perturbed and sometimes wish you could change some of the negative values that have become part and parcel of our daily lifestyle.

    What makes it interesting and exciting is the fact that the writer uses humour, sarcasm, and sometimes seriousness, to reveal the little nuances that make Nigerians unique; with topics ranging from feminism in Nigeria, to culture and a number of moral issues that you can identify with.

    The satirical flavour of the book starts in the first part and chapter titled, the Green that so easily besets us. Some of the issues discussed here include Welcome home, Just a woman, Unpaid salaries, Abandon Nigerian ways when you go to have American babies, as well as the Naija foster system.

    Apart from the awkward feeling, you also notice that there is the fear of the unknown. “As a Nigerian, the very Nigerian thing to do would be to look for fellow Nigerians in the city I’d chosen, at least to help me integrate, but I have a terrible fear of Nigerians in diaspora. I had heard so many horrible stories of my kinsmen maltreating new immigrants and I didn’t want to form part of the statistics.”

    In the second part, the writer looks at what she calls Bonds of Adhesion, and some of the issues here include How to identify yourself, Kneeling down to greet as a form of respect, Fate and karma, Building a house in the village, as well as Attending Christmas with the family.

    The book ends with chapter eight where the writer talks about the things that can make Nigeria great again. “Every year on the 1st of October, Nigerians celebrate.” In parts three and four, Atoke talks about the Shade of being human and Gliding across a rainbow. Crying is for girls, I don’t want to have kids and Parents in a care home are some of the interesting issues she x-rays here in a very breezy manner.

    “Independence from its colonial masters. We deck out in any variant of green-white-green we can find and shout on the rooftops about how proud we are to be Nigerian.”

    Patriotism in spite of the many odds, like power cuts and failing systems and infrastructure, she observes, makes the task daunting. In her words, this and many more obstacles give many Nigerians, especially those who have lived or still live abroad, a reverberating headache.

    Some of the problems, the author identifies here, include the dearth of a spirit of excellence; we don’t also demand excellence as well as the fact that we won’t admit that we are actually suffering.  Also important is the fact that very little value is placed on human dignity.

    Just before she closes it all, Atoke makes some recommendations that include personal hygiene, need to have a positive community spirit and be kind and loving.

     

  • ‘Get your sitting right’

    ‘Get your sitting right’

    Many organisations do not give  ergonomics priority in the workplace and has led to low productivity.

    A chiropath, Prof Magnus Atilade of St Luke Chiropractic Clinic, Surulere, Lagos, said low back pain is the most common cause for disability for people under 45, causing lost productivity and non-monetary costs, such as diminished enjoyment of life and the ability to perform normal daily activities.

    He said the importance of maintaining a healthy spine is paramount to all ages, especially those in offices, just like the brushing our teeth. At the core of chiropractic care are spinal adjustments. Any harm to the spine can lead to many problems, including low back pain, musculoskeletal conditions, arthritis, and repetitive motion strain, he added.

    Atilade said it was bemusing when clients described their pains as normal.“Pain is not normal. Living with pain is a sign of tissue damage, stress, injury, breakdown, or other malfunction in the body. In the chiropractic office clients will typically say they have ‘normal back pain’. No pain is normal.

    “Chiropractic patients typically come to the office initially with a compromise that has caused a symptom or pain. The chiropractic profession will aid in the relief of those symptoms to restore optimum health expression.”

    Drawing attention to the role posture plays in inducing pain, Atilade said there was the need to first understand proper seated posture. “Prolonged sitting is a frequent cause of back and neck pain. While extended periods of sitting are best avoided, it is a fact of life for many. When sitting it is important to keep the back straight, knees bent, and head centered over the shoulders. Slouching forward may be comfortable and allow the spinal muscles to relax, but it gradually overstretched spinal ligaments, leading to back and neck pain among other problems. We always encourage patients to maintain a ‘neutral spine’ position at all time, which is ideal,” he explained.

    On what to consider as important elements with seated posture, he said: “Seat height should be so that it allows you to sit all the way back in the seat while your feet are still able to reach the floor. Lumbar support built into the chair or utilising a portable lumbar pillow helps to maintain your natural lumbar back curve. Armrests provide support for the arms which helps to reduce the work load and stress on the trapezius and shoulder muscles. Take mini-breaks once an hour when you are on a prolonged sitting and remember to stretch, as well.”

    Movement is an essential part of life. However, today most office workers sit at a desk for prolonged periods of time with poor posture and never stand up. Some of the more common workplace injuries are carpal tunnel syndrome, Low back pain, tendinitis, bursitis and neck pain or headaches.

    On what causes workplace injuries he said many workplace injuries are called ‘repetitive ‘stress injuries’, which is a result of abnormal stress repeatedly placed on normal joints by poor posture or poor joint position during the performance of a task. Many of these stresses, he said are caused by poor workstation design and/or repetitive task performance.

    Atilade said ergonomics is designed for ease. “Your workstation should be designed for maximum comfort, efficiency, safety and ease of use. When working at a desk, try these  for greater comfort: Choose a desk that is of  proper height. All things on your desk should be within easy reach. Your feet should be touching the floor, with the legs and body forming an angle of 90 to 110 degrees. Keep your body straight with the head and neck upright and looking forward, not to the side. Do not hunch over or slouch.

    “If are using a computer, do adjust the height of your monitor. Look forward with your head in a neutral position. Your eyes should be at the same height as the top of the monitor. Leaning your head forward can lead to headaches and neck pain. When typing, keep your wrists straight, your shoulders perpendicular to the floor and your forearms parallel to the floor. When reading at your desk, use a bookstand or a paper holder to keep your eyes in the same neutral position you use to read documents on your computer monitor.

    “When talking on the phone, use a headset, when possible, especially if you talk on the phone for prolonged periods. Holding the phone between your shoulder and cheek will lead to neck pain and headaches. Stand up and stretch your legs with a short walk about every 20 to 30 minutes. Take micro-breaks often, stretching your neck, arms and wrists, back and legs. Simple stretches include slow neck rotations, fist clenches, arm dangles and shoulder shrugs.  If your eyes concentrate on a particular object for long periods, relax your eye muscles by shifting your focus from objects that are close to you to objects that are father away. This helps reduce eye strain. And should you still develop pains, Atilade said chiropractic can be highly useful.

    He added: “Manipulation frees restricted movement of the spine and helps to restore misaligned vertebral bodies to their proper position in the spinal column. Spinal adjustment helps to reduce nerve irritability responsible for causing inflammation, muscle spasm, pain, and other symptoms related to sciatica. Adjustments should not be painful. Spinal manipulation is proven to be safe and effective.

    “Patients of chiropractic care experience a wide range of benefits. Some of them are increased Energy and performance. Increased sense of well being and relaxation. Increased balance and coordination. Increased joint health. Increased range of motion and mobility. Enhanced tissue healing. Decrease in tissue inflammation. Reduced degeneration and risk of injury. Arhtritic joint pain relief. Headache relief and spinal and extremity pain relief.”

  • Suicide: You have no right to self-terminate

    There had been events that made headlines in Lagos State of late in respect of individuals killing themselves.  The first story is that a medical doctor was being driven on Third Mainland Bridge, the story went, and he asked his chauffeur to stop. In the middle of the said bridge, he apparently had spoken to someone on the phone earlier, got out of the car and launched a dive into the deep ocean. His body was recovered later, apparently died due to suicide. Few weeks after the first event recording the demise of the doctor, a businesswoman attempted to repeat what the doctor had done but she was saved by the vigilance and quick reaction of the people around. As it turned out, the woman had lost a substantial amount of her business funds by whatever means. The poor woman was charged to court on account of attempted suicide. Ultimately, the court freed her and she vowed not to attempt to take life ever again.

    These events represents as I have illustrated above, the tip of the iceberg of suicide rates in Nigeria. Contrary to popular belief, that is to say, suicide is not uncommon in the jurisdiction of Nigeria. Suicide is the act of taking one’s life or termination of one’s life. Suicide may be accidental or intentional. In contract, murder or homicide is the intentional killing of an individual by another person. Secondary murder (USA definition) or manslaughter (UK and other common law jurisdiction definition) is the unintentional killing of another person.

    Globally, about a million people commit suicide every year. Put more specifically, an estimated 12 individuals for every 100,000 people take their own lives every year. In Nigeria, this figure is that approximately seven persons will commit suicide for every 100,000 of the population. Sadly, suicide affects the dynamic and most energetic group of a country’s population. That is to say, the very young and productive people seem to succumb to suicide. Thus, suicide is one of the three leading causes of death among those in the most economically productive age group (15–44 years).

    Whilst individuals are often the victims of suicide, there is also a trend of joint suicidal enterprise (otherwise called suicide pact): persons who come together to take their own lives. This is yet uncommon in Nigeria but a feature of Asian communities.

    Thou shall not kill thyself: religion and the law:  There is no doubt that Nigeria is heavily a religious nation featuring different religious beliefs though about 10-13 per cent per cent having been the happiest nation on earth in recent memory, murder and suicide rates in Nigeria are not falling.

    While there is no reservation that our various religions may be stemming the inclination to commit suicide, the law, as the experience of the woman in the first paragraph shows, takes a frown and dim view of suicide or attempted suicide.

    Back in England (UK). Before the Suicide Act 1961, it was a crime to commit suicide, and anyone who attempted and failed could be prosecuted and imprisoned, while the families of those who succeeded could also potentially be prosecuted. In part, that criminalization reflected religious and moral objections to suicide as self-murder as we still have in Nigeria; in part our laws having derived from colonial legacy. The Suicide Act 1961 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that decriminalised the act of suicide in England and Wales so that those who failed in the attempt to kill themselves would no longer be prosecuted.

    Return to Nigeria: In spite of the monumental change to the law that had taken effect in the UK in respect of suicide, the law in Nigeria remain stern in respect of attempted suicide.

    Section 327 of Criminal Code Act, Chapter 77, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 states: “Any person who attempts to kill himself is guilty of a misdemeanor, and is liable to imprisonment for one year.” Also, if you assist in anyway, a person to commit suicide, you may be sent to prison for life. Of course, no charge can be brought against a person who is already dead, suffice to say.

    Causes of suicide, suicidal ideation and attempted suicide: Suicide or attempted suicide is in general a clinical indication that something is wrong with the person. Very often, the person is suffering from depression (20% of Nigerians and indeed world population suffers from depression) which may be caused by financial loses, bereavement, relationship breakdown, poor career prospects or failure, unemployment, social ridicule in whatever age group, academic failure, existing mental illness such as schizophrenia with hearing of voices, religious misdirection, existing of chronic physical illness such as HIV and cancers and chronic pain amongst others. While women tends to attempt suicide unsuccessfully, men seems to actually kill themselves.  Being unmarried also tend to push individuals toward suicide.

    Preventions: In the eyes healthcare practitioners and as it is in England of 1961 Suicide Act, suicide should not be a criminal offence any longer in Nigeria. Suicide should be seen as a cry for help which went unheard. Attempted suicide is a clear cry for help and support. Suicidal persons need credible social, healthcare and family support rather than being blamed and imprisoned. If you are feeling low in your spirit, seek urgent medical intervention. Help is available.

    The role of coroner in suicide:  If however, a person is found to have committed suicide, under the current law, an inquest, at the behest of the coroner, should be held to determine cause of death. But, the coroner or the police will first of all need to be informed of the death. What appears to be suicide, may actually in the end, be a homicide. In all, personal injuries, attempted suicide and unlawful deaths, can be remedied. Depression can be treated and social issues can be resolved. All you need to do is to ask for help. You will find it.

  • Grabbing current crisis to take right decision

    A whirlwind of mostly negative emotions is sweeping over Nigeria. While a dwindling few still see some hope in the Buhari war against corruption, most have given up on it. Daily garish stories of discovery of tomes of cash stolen from Nigeria’s treasury, and of huge super-expensive houses abandoned and denied by their owners, generate fleeting excitement and no more. Hardly anybody still believes that the recovered money and properties are being returned to Nigeria’s coffers and not to the pockets of some favoured individuals in today’s high echelons of power. Beyond the fanfare and the hoopla, no culprit gets penalized. In many cases, we are aware that looters of public wealth are successfully wielding their influences and connections to negotiate their crimes out of existence. In short, the war against corruption, once the flagship of the Buhari presidency, has lost almost all credibility among Nigerians.

    But that is only a symptom. The root and stem of the disaster exist in the fact that the Buhari government operates essentially in the dark. Even the most uninformed Nigerians know that the power of their federal executive government is being exercised from some dark room by a hidden unelected “cabal” of Buhari’s close clansmen, while the elected president himself, sick, is hidden away in some other dark room where, according to stories in the media, even his own wife is not regularly allowed access to him. Even though we pray, and should pray, for the Buhari whom most of us once admired, the truth of the condition of our country is not lost on us. In terms of governance with integrity and dignity, Nigeria has been slipping steadily downwards since 1960; today, Nigeria has reached the absolute bottom. Nigeria’s brand of governance is now no more than a comic opera – a comic opera that makes people across the world laugh.

    Chaos, poverty and conflicts are the inevitable outcomes of poor governance. The first thing that Buhari and his clansmen did in government was to disband the political party that brought Buhari to the presidency and that won the majority of the National Assembly. It has been escalating chaos since then. The National Assembly has disintegrated into a medley, engaged in an almost childlike game of ego shows, without any desire to understand and grapple with the real needs of the country. And between the executive and the legislature, an inexplicable and shameful war rages perpetually. In the midst of it all, we seem to be breeding the barons that will lead as war-lords in our country’s near future.

    The poverty has been growing in our lives relentlessly – even though our country is one of the most endowed countries on earth. Nigerians rank among the poorest in the world in access to electricity, water, transportation, dependable public administration, entrepreneurial incentive, and business support services. Nigeria’s GDP is contracting. Nigeria’s foreign reserves are being wiped out. Direct foreign investment is declining. Businesses are closing up or relocating to other countries. Nigeria’s oil production declines off and on, and it is very difficult, off and on, to get buyers for Nigeria’s oil. Jobs are being lost day by day. The inflation rate is rising relentlessly. The Naira is in shambles. The prices of food and other essentials are daily rising beyond the capability of masses of Nigerians. More than 70% of Nigerians are said officially to be living in “absolute poverty”. Destitution and street begging are skyrocketing.

    Much of these economic disasters are sustained by the loss of economic development initiatives in the regions, states, and localities of Nigeria. Because of decades of relentlessly concentrating all of Nigeria’s power and resource control in the hands of the Federal Government, regional, state and local initiatives have more or less perished, and deep-seated feelings of helplessness reign, in all parts of Nigeria.

    The conflicts are growing everywhere. In the South-east, we have the protest demonstrations by youths of the Igbo nation – in the name of “Biafra”, demonstrations pitching masses of resolute youths against law enforcement operatives, and leading to many deaths. In various influential quarters all over the world, the Biafra cause is attracting attention and gathering sympathy.

    We have the stubborn youth revolt in the North-east, which has chosen Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism as its banner. In spite of frequent optimistic reports from the Nigerian military since Buhari’s presidency began, Boko Haram remains a big problem. Its support base in parts of the North-east does not appear to be seriously eroding – and that is because youth unemployment, hopeless poverty, and Kanuri nationalism are motivating and strengthening it.

    We have the old revolt in the South-south, with its many terrorist organizations. Since the advent of the Buhari presidency, the terrorist groups in the South-south have returned powerfully to business – because Buhari continues the regime of total federal power and resource control, ignores all advice and demands for the restructuring of our federation, and believes that the use of federal power and federal bribes will crush the South-south insurgency. After some weeks of respite, those boys are now threatening to return to the war.

    We may forget (but we must not forget) recent agitations from the Arewa North. In 2014, large numbers of mostly educated youths belonging to the Arewa Youth Development Forum held demonstrations during which they decried the poverty in the North and the “discrimination” by the Federal Government against the North. Speaking through their Chairman, Aliyu Usman, they issued a call “on all Northerners to rise and support agitations for a peaceful dissolution of this union called Nigeria”. They then warned all southerners resident in the North “to relocate to their respective states to make room for Northerners who would be returning home”. Nor have those voices been isolated voices. This past week, those youths were heard again.  And even eminent citizens (such as Prof. Ango Abdullahi, spokeseman for the Arewa Elders Council) have said almost exactly what these youths have said. Recently, the august statesman, Maitama Sule, called for a revolution. And the Emir of Kano, one of the most informed Nigerians about the Nigerian economy, has been warning seriously concerning the horrific poverty in the North.

    And we must not forget the several “self-determination” groups among the Yoruba nation of the South-west. Heavily educated, heavily equipped with advanced ideas, these youths are potentially the most potent weapon of change in Nigeria. If, or when, they launch out, Nigeria cannot easily contain them. They are suffering in desperate poverty right now, or fleeing abroad in droves, but they are likely to stop and fight back at home someday – and that may be soon.

    Most immediately devastating right now, we have the Fulani terrorism, which we choose to call Fulani herdsmen’s attacks on farmers across most of Nigeria. Countless Nigerians are daily dying violently from this terror. The federal government and federal security agencies are putting up no credible defence of Nigerians, and the government of most states, intimidated by the federal establishment, are reeling in doubt and impotence while their people are being killed. In self-defence, most non-Fulani Nigerian communities are becoming dangerously radicalized and militarized.

    In totality, we are heading towards something big – something big and terrible. If we let it come, it is likely to wreck a lot of what we all hold dear, take the lives of a lot of our dear ones, and shake Africa to its foundations.

    Should we wait for it to come? My answer is No – and I am sure that most Nigerians would agree with that answer. There is news that the federal government intends to call some kind of national conference specifically on the issue of Fulani terrorism. I hope they do that. And I hope that when the conference convenes, it will seize the freedom to consider all aspects of the Nigerian crisis that has now reached dangerous heights – all aspects including whether we really want to continue to live together as one country, and if the answer happens to be Yes, then a thorough establishment of the conditions and rules for our remaining as one country. God knows we have reached such a point. Better to part peacefully than to implode in rivers of blood.

  • ‘We insist on what is right at LASUTH’

    ‘We insist on what is right at LASUTH’

    Does Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) lack basic amenities as claimed by some patients? No, says its Chief Medical Director (CMD) Prof Wale Oke in this interview with OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA.

    Patients complain of disgusting services at LASUTH. Their complaints range from lack of vintage services at the laboratory and pharmacy to lack of bed space, why is that?

    The Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, visited the hospital recently during the launch of the helipad. He toured the hospital and the college. He checked Ayinke House, drainage system and the roads.  And he was also at the utility units, including the laboratory. He held a meeting with the management and Lagos State Ministry of Health, Alausa representatives. At the meeting, Ambode said the Built and Transfer (BAT) laboratory should be overhauled. Phillips Electrics Limited, under its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Biodun Disu, has taken over the laboratory’s restructuring on PPP basis.

    Structural changes are taking place at the lab, so it can accommodate more equipment for radiology, biochemistry, haematology, immunology and others. By April, the hospital would have a standard laboratory. Because of the work going on there, we request our patients to go out to do some tests like CT scan. With Phillips, LASUTH will have two MRI scanning machine, Mammogram machine, and X-ray facilities, among others.

    What happened to DEUX Project Limited that handled same?

    Deux Project was given the contract to handle the project at LASUTH and maintain it, but for one reason or the other, the government found it wanting. And the contract was terminated. The process of termination took long, but by June, the lab would be ready.

    And what about the dearth of medical personnel?

    As I am talking to you, about 78 new personnel have been recruited into the system. About 28 are consultants, 30 to 40 nurses; others, such as radiologists have been employed to complement the workforce. Employment of resident doctors is on. About 70 are needed. This will address the issue of being overworked. A teaching hospital such as this will always need more staff. In the last two years, a stock of the hospital was taken by the government. By end of this month, the government will employ more house officers. .

    How about non-availability of drugs, especially essential and orphan drugs?

    The Joint Venture Pharmacy (JVP) cannot always have drugs because as stocks are being taken, demands keep  coming in. And then to take new stocks requires a procedure; if a patient needs same that moment the drug can’t be readily available. I am always in support of patients, for the simple reason that it could be me or anybody; I have already been looking into that Pharmacy department to see how to improve on what obtains there. That department boasts of best hands in pharmacy nationwide. I will investigate further on non-availability of medical devices or utilities, such as laryngoscope and other ‘non-invasive’ devices. It is really an embarrassment that patients could not obtain that in the hospital. Another thing is that patients or their relatives are always in haste when in need of something. If an officer is working on a request, and another comes in, same will want to hurry the system and the personnel wouldn’t want to commit any error, so the person may feel offended or walk away, concluding that his requests are not available. Also, some misplaced their medical list and will just conjecture some name. That could frustrate the person attending to them, who normally will insist on seeing the list.

    But in a situation where the patient is with the list and yet cannot obtain same at the hospital’s Joint Venture Pharmacy. How do you explain that?

    Foreign exchange (forex)is nobody’s friend at the moment. Nationwide, forex is biting local production and importation of drugs and other devices. LASUTH is not the only one experiencing devaluation. When demands are being placed and agreement signed, the next minute there is a fluctuation and scarcity of forex, and the supplier calls in to say sorry the money released to him cannot service the request, what can one do? And patients are awaiting the supplies. It is a phase in our country. Forex will stabilise. And we get our supplies directly from manufacturers or representatives, which beats the prices down, so when patients go out, they either don’t find the supply of it is expensive or an outright fake.

    Before, patients complained about nurses’ attitude but now it has shifted to the Joint Venture Pharmacy. Why is that?

    Over the years, I have learnt that when somebody needs something in a hurry, such will hurry up the system.  And every staff is careful not to make error because if a wrong device or drug is applied results could be fatal. Every year since I resumed here, we always hold three workshops on attitudinal changes.  Very bad cases are referred here without any communication despite our having a communication system. Our communication system is not used at all. And when such patients come in, their relatives want everything done straight away; there is a place for preparedness, even for emergencies, for good results. Abroad, when a patient is being conveyed from point ABC to XYZ proper communication is done to ensure readiness for the patient. We may receive four or five such cases at a go, and then we are left to decide in frenzy. These are not excuses, though. I will look into that, promptly. I want to re-state that CEO and MDs of hospitals and other heads of parastatals are put to run, investigate and resolve issues. There are points where phone numbers are placed for patients to call and register their observations.

    Why did you order that tyres of ambulances and utility vehicles that are not Lagos branded, within LASUTH premises be deflected?

    It was done just once. And the reason being that we had arrangement with some diagnostic centres, that when the hospital needs their services they will be called upon. I left instruction with the Chief Security Officer (CSO) that he should confirm with the Head of Department once such wants to come in here, if we are expecting them or not. The simple reason being that, I don’t want the system to bring in charlatans that may want to capitalise on or exploit the state of our laboratory. The one day, I went to do ward round, and guess what, I saw a branded bus fully operating a laboratory here at LASUTH. That was embarrassing, you know. I gave them five minutes to move out. They didn’t and I got their tyres deflated. That sent a strong warning that I meant business, and they now follow the procedure the hospital laid down. As a teaching hospital, we need to do series of diagnosis. So, the new arrangement is to have minimum of five LASAMBUS buses here at the hospital on standby, which take care of the lacuna. Once the BT is fully operational, that will be totally resolved.

  • Danbatta: Buhari got this right

    While many argue, and it’s true, that some appointees of President Muhammadu Buhari are mere flotsam and jetsam and therefore unfit for their positions, there are still a few who have manifested uncommon managerial élan and light-years-ahead vision in the discharge of their duties. One of such bright spots in a darkling horizon of political appointees is Professor Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    Since his appointment over a year ago, the Professor of electrical cum electronics engineering has stepped into the ring with the confidence of a skilled pugilist. And in barely one year, he has not only stamped his feet on the ground with unwavering boldness, he has also held his nerves to guide the telecom sector out of the economic storm that knocked other sectors and in fact the nation down on their knees. Experience has shown that in Nigeria’s public service space, most people come into their offices unprepared, sometimes unschooled and unskilled. But Danbatta came with the carriage and candour of a man fully primed for the job. He reeled out an 8-point agenda, a carefully crafted corpus of plans and ideas that would define his leadership. To date, he has rallied the diverse stakeholders in the sector to buy into his dream for telecom. And the results are there to show for his industry.

    America’s Dwight Eisenhower’s style of leadership recognises getting someone to do something you want done because he wants to do it. Just one word: Passion! President Buhari adopted this style by appointing a man who wants and desires to get things done; and he is doing it with evidential totems to show for his stewardship.

    One outstanding highlight of the Danbatta days was the fine imposed on MTN Nigeria for the non-registration of SIM cards in its network. It was a challenging moment for the nation’s telecom regulator and indeed for Nigeria.  Prior to that moment, public perception of the NCC as an independent regulator has not been pleasant. Many Nigerians, erroneously though, would swear that the regulator has been compromised by the operators; that some of the operators were simply above the law and cannot be cautioned, regulated or exerted upon.  The engineering professor put a lie to that misconception by bringing MTN to account and instilling order in the system. That singular gesture shored up international confidence in the nation’s telecom sector. It portrayed Nigeria as a marketplace where order not disorder is the rule of engagement.

    But by far, the most remarkable feat is the resilience of the telecom sector in the face of recession. Throughout 2016 when other sectors reeled and roiled under treacherous economic strain, telecoms remained largely bullish. Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) suggest a steady growth in the sector from 2015, reversing the declining trend in total real GDP from 2010 to 2014. In the heat of the recession, telecoms contributed N 1.4 trillion to GDP in the third quarter of 2016, or 8.0%. Even this represented a decrease of 1.8% points relative to the previous quarter (Q2), when the sector contributed N 1.58 trillion to GDP or 9.8%.

    Experts have attributed the insulation of telecoms sector from recession to Danbatta’s non-combative, stakeholders’ participatory approach to regulation. Globally, the news is that Nigeria is in a recession complete with job cuts, degrading value of the naira and grossly eroded purchasing power of the people but telecom has managed to stay afloat. Investor confidence is growing. And if there was ever any doubt about this, the recent International Telecommunication Union (ITU) conference in Bangkok, Thailand (ITU World 2016) fittingly indexed Nigeria’s growing status in world telecom. The presence of the immediate past ITU Secretary General and the incumbent, Dr. Hamadoun Toure and Mr. Houlin Zhao respectively, the horde of foreign investors who thronged the venue of the Nigerian Investment Forum, an unprecedented number, and the resonating references across different conference halls to the resilience of the Nigerian telecom market in a moment of national economic recession were evidential attestations to the profile of Nigerian telecom.

    As at July 2016, the Nigerian telecom market has maintained an upbeat run, notching up to $68 billion in investment, the highest volume in Africa. The catalysts for such phenomenal growth are hinged on regulatory excellence and strict adherence to global best practices. In recent years, Nigeria has remained on the cutting edge of world telecoms as one of the markets with the highest returns on investments. The fact that out of this figure, $35b comes from Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) fittingly illustrates the global confidence on the Nigerian market.

    Such phenomenal landmarks coming from an African market have not lulled Danbatta to rest; rather he has rolled up his sleeves in a new push to birth a broadband revolution capable of doubling the investment profile in the sector in a few years. Danbatta believes that the Nigerian telecom value chain is so robust that it can accommodate more players, from small telcos to mega telcos, value added services providers to other operators providing diverse genre of services including the almost extinct Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators.

    His ceaseless exertion is not lost on the international community. Aside the ITU which has commended his regulatory leadership model that has helped to sustain good corporate governance and nurture a culture of order in the telecom ecosystem, echoes of his regulatory model resonates to far-flung jurisdictions.

    For his effort, the NCC was last year severally adjudged the regulator of the year by different organisations. The Commission also won the European Award for Best Practices 2016. The award ceremony which held in Brussels, Belgium was hosted by the European Society for Quality Research (ESQR), an affiliate of the European Union (EU).

    No fewer than 63 countries participated in the award ceremony out of which the NCC clinched the European Award for Best Practices.  The award is “in recognition of NCC’s outstanding commitment, support and results in quality management strategies” in the Gold category, the organisers said.

    The NCC’s management style, its impact on the community that it serves and the professional manner it carries out its regulatory activities in supervising a sector that contributes immensely to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation were some of the considerations for the award.

    Many Nigerians have criticized President Buhari for putting round pegs in square holes.  Senator Ben Bruce, recently on the floor of the Senate, advised the President to rejig his cabinet by redeploying some appointees and appointing persons who are ready, prepared and willing to do the job. Even in the midst of his anger, Bruce acknowledged that some appointees are up and flying and have become the tools that the nation would need to chisel its way out the crushing economic cul-de-sac. Danbatta belongs to this army of round pegs in round holes. The results speak for themselves.

     

    • Ugbechie, Executive Secretary of Africa Telecom Development Initiative (ATDI), writes from Lagos.
  • Jennifer Obayuwana still waiting for Mr Right

    Jennifer Obayuwana still waiting for Mr Right

    The continued wait of celebrity beauty, Jennifer Obayuwana, for the right man to walk down the aisle with is turning into the proverbial waiting for Godot. Since the charming Executive Director of Polo Avenue got herself engaged to Peter Saleh, anticipation has been high among social events watchers that she would finally shrug off the cloak of spinsterhood which has stuck to her like a Siamese twin.

    But the engagement seems to have become like the numerous false dawns in Samuel Beckett’s classic play which yielded nothing but dashed hopes, as the pretty lady has reportedly called off the romantic alliance with handsome Saleh.

    It will be recalled that Jennifer and Peter got engaged at Eko Signature of Eko Hotels and Suites, on New Year eve in 2015. The friends and family members who had queried their relationship will no doubt feel vindicated as Daddy Girl — as Jennifer is fondly called — has moved on and immersed herself in her business.

  • Two wrongs don’t make a right

    Two wrongs don’t make a right

    The water in the stream is dark. Very dark. It shares colour with raw oil. Joseph Kiama looks at it and feels like crying. He is 44 now and memories well up in him, memories of those days when this same stream meant everything to his people. In it, they swam. In it, they fished. In it, they got water to drink. In it, they got water to cook. In it, they also saw a medicinal juice capable of curing diseases oyinbo medicine was incapable of dealing with.

    That was then; this is now. Things have fallen apart. And the centre is not holding for anyone in Lelegege.

    Trouble started for them some 20 years ago. When the devil came looking for them, they could not recognise it as such. They thought good times were here. Oloibiri did not teach them anything.

    The devil wore a three-piece suit the day it came. He described himself as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hell Petroleum Development Company (HPDC). He promised them heaven on earth but it soon dawned on them that they would see the so-called heaven but it would only be inhabited by workers in the company and named Residential Area—with fence so high they would not be able to scale.

    One week after the man from Hell visited them, the goodies started rolling in. Some pupils in the town were awarded scholarship to study overseas. The king’s palace was rebuilt. The first tap-borne water was inaugurated. A health centre was also constructed and equipped with what they later found out were dispensary tools.

    In no time, a town hall sprang up. And other goodies rolled in. Finally, the Messiah is back, some must have thought. If there were any Doubting Thomas, he was silenced in no time.

    With the confidence of the people bought, the Hell team began work on their facilities, such as the flow stations and the Residential Areas. It was boom time for the people. With so much construction going on, there was manual labour for many to do.

    The contractors handling the jobs came with so many skilled labourers whose wives were far away in Lagos and other big cities. From time to time, they felt like feeling the warmth of women and the young ladies in the town provided the warmth. Some even became live-in lovers or temporary wives. There were even instances of married women who had affairs with the supervisors of the projects.

    It took all of three years for the Residential Areas and other facilities to be put in place. And that was the first shock for the people. With the facilities in place, the contractors left. By then, some girls had been impregnated and were left to fend for themselves. Those who made money offering one unskilled service or the other also discovered that they had to look for other means of eking out a living. Many returned to the streams to look for fishes. Some returned to till the land.

    The first ten years were without much rancor. Not with some of their children who were educated by the Hell people being employed and some other assistance coming from the company.

    Then there was the first spill. It occurred about the 11th anniversary of these people from Hell in Lelegege. The people just woke up one day and saw many of their streams with dark patches. They could not understand it. Those who drank from the water before realising the danger in it found themselves coming down with one ailment or the other.

    The Hell people tried to find a way around it. And life seemed to return to normal after some remediation work was done. And there was no cause for alarm until another one year. In one week, there were several spills and deaths.

    The Hell people blamed it on sabotage by some youths in the community. The youths blamed it on ageing pipelines, which ought to have been replaced.

    Things got to a head when there was practically no stream that was drinkable. Deaths upon deaths. Strange diseases upon strange diseases. No one needed to tell the people of Lelegege that hell was finally here.

    Something terrible later happened. The community became divided. Some supported the Hell people. Others did not. And before long, internal fights broke out among the people. Allegations of bribery and corruption were levelled against some elders.

    Angry youths later pelted some leaders with stones and all sorts and in the process two died. The police arrested some leaders for instigating the youths against the deceased. They were tried in a kangaroo court and found guilty and killed. It did not take long before the community re-united and sent the people from Hell packing.

    Recalling how they get to where they are today brings tears to Kiama’s eyes. As he sheds tears, his friend Jacob Manager arrives the stream.

    “Why are you crying?” Manager asks.

    Kiama utters no word. He simply cries on.

    “What is your problem?” Manager asks a second time.

    Still no response. So, he keeps quiet too and sits beside him.

    After about two minutes of silence, he asks: “Are you ready to talk now?”

    Kiama looks at him and smiles.

    “I am just overwhelmed looking at this stream where we used to play as kids, where we used to fish as adults, where we got water to do so many things. Now, the water has been poisoned; the fishes are nowhere to be found and only one intent on committing suicide dare drink this water,” Kiama explains.

    Manager heaves a sigh of relief and says: “I was scared. I thought somebody had died or something like that.”

    “No one died; it is just that we all died long ago but we are yet to be buried. We died the day the people from Hell came into our lives. We died the day the first spill occurred. We died the day we became divided because of pot of porridge.”

    Manager’s countenance changes. Sadness is written all over him.

    “You know our problem in this region is our leaders. Once they get their dues from the oil majors we can go to hell. They care less about us. They care more about themselves. Or is it that they love us too much to care about us?”

    Kiama looks at the water again and shakes his head. He also looks around the environment as if he is trying to mourn the state of things.

    “Some boys are recruiting for the Avengers,” Manager chips in.

    Kiama pretends as if oblivious of his existence.

    “I say some people are recruiting for the Avengers.”

    “Ehen,” Kiama mutters,” that is a bad thing.”

    “Why did you say so?”

    “The Avengers are not fighting for us. They are just frustrated. They are bombing oil facilities and before you know it there will be oil spills everywhere and life will become more difficult. The government in Abuja will also not take it lightly. Innocent people will suffer and ultimately we will be the loser for it…”

    “I don’t agree with you. I think we should send away the oil majors from our region. We need to run our own show. Call it resource control or whatever you like but we must run our own show. Enough of using our resources to develop other lands…”

    “ I see some sense in what you are saying but what has happened to the bulk of the money that our own people who have been governors have been given? How much of it have they spent developing our land? What is the guarantee that they will not end up still wasting the money if we are allowed to control our resources? Think my brother, think…”

    “Well, let us try it first and if they fail us we will treat them as saboteurs. I am seriously considering joining the Avengers. We will launch grenades, bomb Abuja, bomb Lagos and other places where our money has been used to develop….”

    “Be careful Manager, be careful. I am sad about the turn of events and that is why I am here thinking about my life. I won’t lie to you that there has been no time when I felt like resorting to violence but I have realised that dialogue is always the way out.   I have studied the history of the world. War has never settled any quarrel. It has always ended up on the round table…”

    “I agree with you but we will use violence to get the needed attention…”

    “Two wrongs don’t make a right. That is what I want you to take to heart. Two wrongs don’t make a right. I can see a silver lining at the end of this whole dark hole. I think it is time we left for our homes.”

  • Turkish tales of right abuses

    For every advocate of good governance and true democracy, the events and developments in Turkey would be of serious concern. Revelations on the happenings in that country indicated that Turkey has finally become a recluse state, where rights of individuals are not regarded.

    As a keen follower of activities in Turkey, I realized that the people of Turkey have found themselves under a government that has a penchant for abuse of fundamental human rights. It has become a recurrent occurrence. The Justice Development Party-led government has proven beyond doubt its likeness for suppressing opposing views.

    For instance, a recent report by the United States of America on rights abuses perpetrated in Turkey under the Justice Development Party (AKP) revealed that the media, the judiciary and other business interests owned by perceived enemies of the government were targeted.

    The last November election in Turkey saw the height of human right abuses. It was an event that saw the biggest clampdown on the press through forceful takeover of privately-owned media by government forces. It was a sour taste for those who chose to be in the opposition parties.  It is on record that opposition parties were denied level playing grounds as their campaign were grounded by government forces. It was not different for the judiciary; judges were coerced to do government biddings. Justice became expensive as access was denied citizens because of government’s insistence on compromising the course of justice in Turkey.

    Turks continued to lament under the draconian rule of the AKP. It was a challenging security environment as captured by the US reports on the rights abuses in Turkey. The election that produced the present government of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was, to say the least, a terror of sorts meted on the opposition. For example, reports have it that during the build-up to the election, attacks on opposition party officials and campaign staffers in some cases “hindered contestants’ ability to campaign freely”. A number of Turks expressed concern that media restrictions during the campaign period “reduced voters’ access to a plurality of views and information during the election process on November 1, which led to the formation of a government on November 24 by Prime Minister Davutoglu, even though it was considered a generally free election”.

    Another disturbing experience was that prior to the November election in Turkey, the authorities had arrested estimated 30 journalists, most charged under anti-terror laws or for alleged association with an illegal organization. What is more, Turkish government also exerted pressure on the media through security force raids on media companies; confiscation of publications with allegedly objectionable materials; criminal investigation of journalists and editors for alleged terrorism links or for insulting the president and other senior government officials; reprisals against the business interests of owners of some media conglomerates; fines; and internet blocking.

    I read with displease the reports that revealed that pressure on Kurdish-language and opposition media outlets in the Southeast reduced vulnerable populations’ access to information about the conflict with the PKK. A number of media outlets affiliated with the Fethullah Gulen movement were dropped from digital media platforms (cable providers) and five outlets were taken under the control of government-appointed trustees. Representatives of Gulenist and some liberal media outlets were denied access to official events and in some cases, denied press accreditation.

    It was obvious that the AKP led government is fighting a perceived enemy when their action led to most Gulen-affiliated television channels to lose a significant portion of their audience after the pay-television platforms dropped them, beginning with Tivibu on September 27. By October 15, four (out of six) digital pay-television platforms had dropped the channels. The government’s media regulatory institution, RTUK, had warned the operators that the removal violated broadcasting requirements for platform operators to be fair and impartial and was inconsistent with standard legal procedure. Despite the RTUK warning, a fifth pay-television platform, Turksat, dropped Gulen-affiliated channels on November 16.

    Turkish government has the culture of manipulating the legal system to get at opponent. It was emphasized in a report that Turkish authorities used the anti-terror laws during the year to detain individuals and seize assets, including media companies, of individuals alleged to be associated with the Gulen movement, designated by the government during the year as the Fethullah Gulen terrorist organization. For instance, on October 28, police used teargas and water cannons to disperse crowds of supporters in front of the office building housing the Kanalturk and Bugun TV television stations, then forced their way into the building and shut down the two channels during a live broadcast. The police action was the result of a court ruling creating a board of trustees to manage the stations’ parent company, Koza Ipek Holding. Critics of the takeover cited procedural irregularities and asserted that the media outlets were targeted for criticizing the government. Government officials denied any political motives, stating the connection between Koza Ipek Holding and Gulen justified the action.

    In the report, it was also noted that writers and publishers were subject to prosecution on grounds of defamation, denigration, obscenity, separatism, terrorism, subversion, fundamentalism, and insulting religious values. It said authorities investigated or continued court cases against myriad publications and publishers during the year. On December 15, a Gaziantep court ruled that the books of three authors, Hasan Cemal, Tugce Tatri, and Muslum Yucel, would be pulled from bookstores because the books were found among the possessions of two persons arrested for PKK membership.

    The report said that with the consolidation of media outlets under a few conglomerates that had other business interests, media entities increasingly practiced self-censorship to remain eligible for government contracts.

    Human rights organizations such as Freedom House noted that certain companies with media outlets critical of the government were targeted in tax investigations and forced to pay fines.

    The State Department report also stated that several organisations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Freedom House, reported authorities’ increased abuse of the anti-terror law and criminal code to prosecute journalists, writers, editors, publishers, translators, rights activists, lawyers, elected officials, and students for exercising their right to free expression.