The Nation Newspaper

Tag: screening

  • Bay Lounge stages special World Cup screening

    IN what it calls a blend of world cup action, fashion, music and grilled meals, management of The Bay Lounge, Admiralty Way, Lekki, Lagos, says it will be offering residents of Lagos metropolis an exceptional weekend viewing of the last World Cup matches.

    Tagged ‘Grill and Chill’ World Cup Weekend Special, the 3-day event, will hold from July 11-13, as the 2014 World Cup reaches fever pitch.

    The event, which is being supported by Sovereign Trust Insurance, Smooth FM, Classic FM, Metro FM and Inspiro productions, will have one mega screen, situated at the lounge, for a life-size football viewing.

  • Imo begins screening of food vendors

    The Imo State government has begun a compulsory medical screening for all public food vendors under its Food Safety Initiative (FSI).

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr JonnyIhebereme, told journalists in Owerri that the screening was aimed at ensuring the safety of the food served by all public food vendors.

    He noted that many people had died of food poisoning, while others now survived on constant drugs’ intake after eating contaminated food from public food vendors.

    Ihebereme said that the programme would prevent people from being infected with ailments as a result of eating food bought from food vendors.

    “We will make sure that food sellers are thoroughly screened and certified because some of them can contaminate food through their saliva.

    “Some of these food vendors are so careless that after using the restroom, they don’t wash their hands with soap before handling the food,’’ he said

    lhebereme said that the ministry was on course in efforts to ensure public health safety, as proposed by the state government.

    He said that under the FSI, every food vendor in the state was expected to undergo a medical test, adding that those found with any disease would be sent for treatment.

    He said that the exercise was compulsory for all public food providers, adding that the government would not fail to sanction those who refused to participate in the programme.

    The permanent secretary said that the ministry would issue safety logos and certificates to owners of food outlets that passed the screening for smooth operation.

    Ihebereme, however, stressed that the exercise was not meant to witch-hunt anybody, adding that it was in compliance with the directive of Governor Rochas Okorocha to raise the life expectancy of the citizens.

  • Applicants lament screening test

    The first post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), under Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), was held penultimate Monday. The results were released a few hours after the exercise.

    Thousands of applicants besieged the computer-based test (CBT) centre, the venue of the test, to participate in the process.

    For the first time, the university lowered its cut-off mark to 180, which gave many candidates the opportunity to write the entrance test after paying between N2,000 and N4,000 for the exercise.

    The Students’ Union Government (SUG) members were on hand to ensure the success of the process. The union officials were led by the President, Hameed Lawal.

    The candidates moved into the CBT centre in batches to write the test. Abdulazeez Popoola, an applicant from Abeokuta, said: “Majority of the questions I answered were basically on Biology, which I never did in UTME. I had expected the school to give us a test based on the subjects we did in UTME. This is not the best way to test candidates’ ability.”

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that a large number of candidates got less than 50 per cent pass mark, a failure which many of the applicants attributed to the format the university used in testing them. Many of the candidates, who wanted to study social science courses, complained that they were tested in science-based subjects than general questions.

    Meanwhile, the university is yet to set its cut-off mark for the post-UTME.

     

  • Senate summons FCC chief for screening

    The Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs has summoned the Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Prof Shuaibu Abdulrahman Oba, for fresh screening, it was learnt yesterday.

    Although Oba was the chairman of the commission, he resigned to contest the 2011 governorship election in Kwara State, but failed.

    His return to the office generated a lot of controversy as the then Acting Chairman of the FCC, Alhaji Mohammadu Ari Gwaska, accused him of breaching civil service rules which prohibit an officer who resigned to contest an election from returning to the seat he willingly vacated to go into politics.

    However, Oba had his way, while the Senate charged Gwaska with insubordination and was shown the way out of the commission.

    Gwaska was then the National Commissioner representing Nasarawa State.

    Part C of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) states that the Chairman and members of the FCC shall be appointed by the President, subject to the confirmation of the Senate.

    But there are fears that Oba may not have a smooth sail this time round becuase two senators from Kwara State are said to have opposed his reappointment.

    A source close to the Senator Dahiru Kuta-led Committee on Federal Character said there were petitions before the committee against the former University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Vice-Chancellor.

    Another source close to the FCC chief said he may have “bitten the fingers that fed him”, prompting the stiff opposition to his clearance by the Senate.

    The summons by the committee was said to have caught the FCC chief by surprise.

    The source said Oba is presently doing all he can to appease the leadership of the Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to retain his job.

    The source added: “After he served out his term as the chairman of FCC, which he got through the political leader of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, he went lobbying the Presidency to serve a second term that he knew he might not get from the state due to zoning arrangement of political offices in the state, which did not favour him.

    “He started a cold war with Senator Saraki and he was able to get a second term from the Presidency through a letter from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

    “He organised a prayer session at the Emir’s palace in Ilorin, which was not attended by the party leadership. He also commissioned news stories and opinion articles in many online portals, saying the party leadership in the state did not have input in how he got his second term appointment, having it in mind that he needed not to be confirmed by the Senate.

    “But his joy was short-lived two weeks ago when he was informed by the SGF that he would need to go back to the Senate for confirmation.

    “This shocked him and his supporters, who had believed that he didn’t need the two-thirds of the state or at least the support of two senators from the state to get Senate’s confirmation.

    “With this new development and having known that he altered the state political zoning formula, he reached out to a party leader in the state to help him beg Senator Saraki.”

     

  • World Kidney Day: Firm offers one month free screening, discount for treatment

    A medical firm based in Ikeja has offered one month free screening for renal and kidney- related ailments as well as a huge discount on renal and kidney dialysis ahead of the World Kidney Day holding next Thursday.

    The exercise, which has already taken off at the Renal Dialysis Centre Ikeja, will last until March 31, 2013.

    Addressing newsmen at the weekend, administrator of the centre, Ms Olutope Aina, said the Centre will also avail persons on long term dialysis treatment the opportunity of review by its in-house consultants and kidney specialists during the period.

    According to her, patients requiring kidney transplant will also have the opportunity of discussing with a transplant nephrologist.

    She added that the centre has taken steps to ensure that patients’ care is given priority by encouraging pre-booking.

    On why the centre decided to embark on the humanitarian venture, Aina explained: “The incidence of renal disease is on the increase as a result of complications from diabetes, hypertension, malaria, over consumption of some medications, exposure to certain toxins, to mention a few.

    “We at the centre are conscious of the fact that not many people realise the symptoms of these deadly killers until, perhaps, it is too late.”

    She said with the free screening, members of the public would be given the opportunity to discover the symptoms and hopefully nip it in the bud while those already manifesting the disease would be offered expert dialysis.