The Nation Newspaper

Tag: tackle

  • ‘How to tackle underdevelopment’

    The need to fight corruption and materialism by Africans has been emphasised as the only solution to tackle the under-development being encountered by many African countries.

    A political scientist, Dr. Olufemi Badru of the department of Politics and International Relations of Lead City University, Ibadan spoke at a discussion programme tagged “Rhythm of the Black Race,” held at the Arts Theatre of the University of Ibadan.

    While presenting a paper titled:”Africa and the Burden of Underdevelopment: Philosophical Diagnosis and Prognosis,” Dr. Badru stated that Africans must collectively and conscientiously determine to fight the systemic corruption that has eaten deep into the system of many Africans.

    He added that Africans must eschew bad values, such as high- level of materialism, exploitative interaction, social irresponsibility, among other things, adding that they must embrace desirable values such as altruism, fellow-feeling, social responsibility, which, he said, were largely lost in Africa.

    “Intellectuals in Africa must be more committed to Intellectual Social Responsibility, that is, the duty of intellectuals to consign and confine their intellectual resources to the resolution of socio-political problems that beset their societies. Western thinkers did these and succeeded in transforming Europe during the Renaissance and the enlightenment periods,” he said.

  • ECOWAS SOCCER TOURNEY: Nigeria to tackle Ghana again

    ECOWAS SOCCER TOURNEY: Nigeria to tackle Ghana again

    Nigeria is to battle perennial arch rivals Ghana in this year’s ECOWAS Soccer Tourney billed for July 22-29 in Lome, Togo.

    National Executive Secretary of The Federation of Youth Soccer Clubs of Nigeria (FEYSOC), A. S. Luya, who confirmed this on Friday in Kaduna, added that Kontagora Emirate football team will represent the country at the championship. Nigeria emerged champions last year and will be hoping to re-enact the feat beating Ghana in the finals.

    “Last year we won the tournament and this year with the support of NFF we are going to build on the success recorded so far and we believe the Kontagora Emirate team will not disappoint,” said Luya even as he called on sponsors of the event to make good their promise to ensure a hitch-free participation of the Nigerian contingent

    He gave The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) a pat on the back for constantly supporting grassroots sports which has made it possible for the Youth Soccer Clubs to flourish and compete both within the country and outside. The week- long championship is open to all countries within the ECOWAS sub-region

  • Police urged to tackle child abuse

    A former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Adejoke Orelope–Adefulire has urged law-enforcement agencies to co-operate with residents of the state to bring the perpetrators of domestic and sexual violence acts to book.

    She spoke at a public lecture on child abuse prevention organized by the Centre for Rural Development and Community Transformation at the Yhelo House, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

    The programme tagged Preventing Child Abuse in Nigeria: My Role, Your Role brought together civil society experts, community grassroots initiatives, youth groups, lawyers and government agencies.

    According to her, the battle to reduce child abuse in Nigeria can be effectively won when parents, rape victims, and law-enforcement agencies work together to track down sexual offenders.

    She said: “We will allow rape which is unacceptable and intolerable in any sane society to fester when law enforcement agencies cover up sexual offenders or discriminate against rape victims, particularly minors”.

     

    Mrs Orelope-Adefulire lamented that that in many cases, sexual offenders are always close relatives which made it hard for victims to open up or pursue the case to a logical conclusion for others to learn.

    Speaking on the unwillingness of many parents to report cases of abuse when they occur, which she attributed to the fear of stigmatization of victim, she said “we will only encourage the perpetrators to continue in this evil act if we keep quiet”.

    She noted that in 2014, over 900 sexual and domestic violence were recorded in Lagos, which according to her poses a lot of challenges to all stakeholders to brace up in the discharge of their duty in the effort towards ridding our environment of sexual violence in any guise.

    Mrs Orelope-Adefulire was represented by Deputy Director, WAPA, Mrs. Adefunke Odutola.

  • Buhari urged to diversify economy, tackle corruption

    Buhari urged to diversify economy, tackle corruption

    The Diocese of Badagry, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to diversify the economy to reduce dependence on oil.

    It said the new administration must tackle corruption ‘as a matter of urgency’, urging the National Assembly to give priority to a speedy passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law ‘to help us solve various issues emanating from the petroleum sector’.

    In a communiqué issued at the second session of its fourth synod held at the Cathedral Church of St. Thomas, Badagry and signed by the Lord Bishop, Rev. Babatunde Adeyemi; Chancellor, Justice S.O Hunponu-Wusu and Lay Secretary Mrs. O. A. Akinliba, the synod observed that “the state of the economy is very poor and recommended a diversification to other sources of revenue such as agriculture and solid minerals. Over-dependence on crude oil should be discouraged as any fall in price affects the economy”.

    The church said private companies should be encouraged to build additional refineries while existing ones should be privatised to help fight fuel scarcity.

    On electricity, the synod said: “Power generation should be improved on by harnessing other sources such as solar, coal, wind, etc. Prepaid meters should be installed in homes to ensure that users pay only for what they consume”.

  • Parallel govt allegation: Arewa chair Coomassie, Ango Abdullahi tackle Jonathan

    Parallel govt allegation: Arewa chair Coomassie, Ango Abdullahi tackle Jonathan

    •Presidency has no moral right to accuse APC of wrongdoing, says Coomassie
    •Ango to Buhari: sign documents with caution
    •South South Assembly backs President

    Prominent northerners yesterday lashed out  at President Goodluck Jonathan  for accusing President-elect Muhammadu Buhari  of running a parallel government following the outcome of the March 28 election.

    The Federal Executive Council,rising from its meeting on Wednesday, had said the Jonathan Administration was not comfortable with some  terms of reference of the incoming government’s transition committee which tend to create a parallel government.

    National Planning Minister Suleiman Abubakar said  government took exception to “some  utterances, to some of the terms of reference that look as if the current government is being stampeded or intimidated.”

    But reacting to the government’s position yesterday, the Chairman of the apex northern socio-cultural organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji  Ibrahim Coomassie,  said there was  nothing wrong in Buhari’s approach and that the government itself had been making  some questionable  appointments  at the twilight of its tenure.

    He said: “They are sacking incumbents and making new appointments at this period of transition.That is very wrong too.”

    He cited no instance,but President Jonathan has, within the last two weeks, appointed an acting Inspector General of Police and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) after sacking the incumbents.

    Coomassie advised  the government and the incoming administration to  “leave the blame game and allow a peaceful and successful transition to enable Nigeria move forward.”

    Also reacting,the  Secretary of the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Professor Ango Abdullahi,  dismissed the Federal Government’s  allegation against Buhari as an attempt to force the incoming President to sign dubious  documents.

    Professor Abdullahi, a one-time Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), said: “The allegation of attempting to run a parallel government is the most pedestrian accusation  I have ever heard.

    “ One thing is fundamental: If you are leaving office and handing over to another person, it is paramount that you leave a proper handover note to enable the new government take off properly.

    “It is expected that  the incoming government will be asking for a sound and complete handover note or document as the case maybe. So, I expect the outgoing government to provide that.

    “But as it is, what it seems the Jonathan government is telling Buhari is that he should investigate wherever he is not happy with. Certainly, I will not expect Buhari to sign any document where facts are incomplete.

    “Of course, he will take over the government, but it means the people leaving government are open for questioning.

    “So, I think the whole  thing is to force  the incoming President to sign documents that are suspicious because when it boomerangs, people will fault the new government that  ‘were you sleeping when you signed it?’ “

    Similarly, human rights lawyer and  a member of the APC in the transition committee, Mr. Solomon Dalong, insists that  the Buhari camp has  not requested for too must to warrant the accusation of running a parallel government.

    He pointed out that  if  the transition committee had not delved into such government’s functions as generation  and expending of resources, the power to arrest and prosecute, it could not be said to be running a parallel government.

    Dalong said  the accusation  was  laughable and a mere distraction to prevent the committee from doing a thorough job.

     

    Meanwhile, the South-South Peoples Assembly (SSPA) said   that the Federal Government was right to  warn  the transition committee of the President-elect  against forming a parallel government.

    The National Secretary of the organisation, Chief Ayakeme Whisky, said  government must have uncovered tendencies of the Buhari’s committee to take over the role of the incumbent before issuing the warning.

    He asked the incoming government to wait for its inauguration before seeking sensitive information from ministries, parastatals and agencies.

    “Whatever information the incoming government needs should wait till the end of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration,” he said.

    “They should only begin to act when they come on board. If they want to conduct probes, they can’t do that now until they are inaugurated. So, the Federal Government is right to have warned against a parallel government.”

    Whisky also condemned the criticisms trailing last-minute appointments being made by the President.

    He said: “It is an affront on the executive authority for anybody to question the appointments made by a president whose tenure has not expired.

    “This administration has a lifespan and it terminates on May 29 after the formal handover to the incoming government. So, people should respect the constitutional rights of the government.”

    He said the President could not have woken up to fire the officials and appointed new ones.

    “It is a normal cause of business of government. Those crying blue are just heating up the polity. It is a display of rascality for anybody to question the appointments. There is nothing wrong in them”, he said.

    It was gathered that  President Jonathan’s anger at the transition committee stemmed from  its request  for an overview of  some government agencies such as the Central Bank, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Customs and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) alleged on  Thursday that Jonathan’s accusation that Buhari was running a parallel government was part of a grand plan to hinder a smooth handover.

    The party also said the outgoing government was set to blackmail its successor.

    It spoke of  an act of hostility, a patently misplaced aggression and  unnecessary  vituperations against the incoming Buhari  administration by the Federal Government “ostensibly because of the terms of reference  of the Buhari Transition Committie, but in reality part of an orchestrated plot to sabotage the transition.”

  • Tenants tackle landlord over controversial ‘distressed’ building

    Occupants of a building at 13, Alhaji Bashiru Street, Ojodu, a suburb of Lagos, have faulted the claims by the owner of the building that it was distressed.

    The owner of the two-storey building, Pa Ganiyu Bolaji Davies, alleged in a report published penultimate Saturday by The Nation that his tenants had refused to move out of the building after it became distressed following a fire disaster that ravaged it in 2013.

    Some of the tenants of the building, including Kolawole Usman, Olusola Tuase and Sunday Okeke, said Pa Davies was spreading falsehood about the true state of the house.

    “The building used to be a bungalow until it was renovated in March 2013 by a developer,Hassan Habeeb, who was contracted by Pa Davies, popularly called Gabovies. Habeeb was to manage the property for 18 years. We moved into the building in April 2013 and to our dismay a few months later, Pa Davies asked us to move out of the house following a disagreement with the developer, whom we had paid two years rent.

    ‘’We told him that he cannot ask us to quit our apartments on the ground that he was not known to us and that our rent was paid to Habeeb. We asked him to settle his differences with Habeeb but he has refused till date.

    “Pa Davies went ahead to disconnect electricity supply to the building and even invited officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LSBC) to inspect the building  alleging that it was distressed. The Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory (LSMTL) also carried out tests on the building and its report did not indicate that the building was distressed.

    “When Pa Davies found out that his efforts to forcibly eject us had failed, he wanted to use a fire outbreak, which ravaged a portion of the top floor of the building, to ease us out of the house. The truth is that, Pa Davies had taken the developer to court in order to repossess his house from him, but the court  presided by Justice Bola Okikiolu asked Pa Davies to refund the sum of N30 million to Habeeb in respect of the 18- year lease agreement.

    ‘’As we speak, Pa Davies has not paid the money to Habeeb and our tenancy is still valid.Towards the end of last year, he invited some men of the Criminal Investigation Department(CID), Alagbon, to eject us but we explained to the officers that our rent _was still valid and that Pa Davies had not refunded our rent as promised.All the allegations he made against us in your publication last week were lies and figment of his imagination. At the moment, he has no right over the building because he has not refunded the N30 million to the developer as directed by the court, hence, Habeeb remains the person we know as being in charge of the building.’’

    In a telephone conversation with our correspondent, Habeeb said Pa Davies was spreading outright lies in a bid to take his building from him through the back door.

    “He contracted me to develop and manage the building. We signed an 18-year lease agreement and I paid him the sum of N500,000 to seal the agreement. After I had completed the job and got tenants into the building, he suddenly wanted to severe the agreement and I refused. He filed a suit against me and the court has asked him to refund the sum of N30 million being the value of what I spent to renovate the house from an uncompleted bungalow to a two-storey building. Instead of paying me the money as directed by the court, he has been troubling the tenants all in a bid to forcibly take the house from me. The truth is that he cannot have his house back until he pays me my money.’’

    Pa Davies, however, told our correspondent to disregard the remarks of his tenants and developer, citing the judgment of the court which empowers him to make refund to occupants who are yet to secure apartments after paying money to Habeeb.

    “I gave the job to Habeeb in 2012. He was to manage the building for 18 years but part of the agreement was that he would give me three mini-flat apartments on each of the floors of the building. Instead, he rented out all the 27 mini-flats without giving me mine as agreed. I then got   a _judgment to retrieve the building from him and I was ordered to pay N30 million to those who have paid him money but are yet to take possession of their apartments.

    “A portion of the building was set ablaze by one of the tenants. As a result of this, the building has become deplorable,hence, I asked them to move out. I asked them not to pay any rent to Habeeb and because of that, the tenants started subletting their apartments. They have refused to vacate their apartments even when their rents had expired. I did not disconnect electricity supply to the building, on the contrary, the tenants were the ones that raised the alarm over poor installation of electric wire into the building.

    ‘’When they came to me, I asked that light be disconnected from the building pending the time the problem would be fixed. Light has since been restored to the building after the error was corrected by electricians from a public electricity distribution company.’’

    In a judgement delivered by Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile of an Ikeja High Court on June 27, 2013, the court, among others, ruled that the claimant(Pa Davies) “shall pay the sum of thirty million to the defendant (Habeeb) being the sum for the developed property in respect of the 18-year lease period executed in favour of the defendant as contain in the said lease agreement.”

  • Bayelsa United to tackle Nembe City in final

    Bayelsa United to tackle Nembe City in final

    Bayelsa United will contest the Bayelsa State 2015 FA Cup final with defending champions Nembe City on Sunday at the Kolo Ground, Ogbia.

    The Restoration Boys defeated Kolu United FC 2-0 in the semi-final played on Thursday through the goals of Lekan Agunloye and Frank Egharevba.

    Only three clubs registered for the competition and Nembe City, who beat Bayelsa United to the title last year, drew bye and qualified automatically for the final while the remaining two slugged it out for a place in the final.

    Gabros International FC and Ikpeazu Redoubtable have also booked places in the final of the Anambra State FA Cup after defeating their opponents in the semi final ties.

    The newly promoted top flight side beat a tough Obosi United FC 2-1 in the last four with Chukwuma Ukatu and Stephen Chukwude scoring their goals while Ikpeazu Redoubtable eliminated FC Jimbas 3-2 in a thrilling semi-final tie.

    The final will take place at a date to be announced later after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) stopped the grand finale from going ahead owing to the leadership crisis rocking the Anambra FA.

  • Health sector chiefs tackle wrong diagnosis

    Key players in the health sector are seeking ways to stop wrong medical diagnosis.

    They spoke at this year’s diagnosis awareness forum, organised by the Initiative for Medical Diagnostic Awareness (IMDA) in Lagos.

    The theme of the event,  tagged Diagnostic Business Forum, was “Partnership for medical diagnostic development in Nigeria.”

    Guest lecturer Dr Olusola Akinniyi called for collective response to tackle the problem.

    According to him, medical diagnostics have the potential to save many lives through detection of diseases at early stages.

    “But rather than save lives, it takes lives when it is wrongly carried out,” he said.

    The effect of an unreliable result, he said, can be dangerous, adding that it is better not to have a diagnostic result than having a false and misleading one.

    Akinniyi, represented by a Director at Union Diagnostic and Clinical Services Plc, Dr Abiodun Oyeneyin, said early diagnosis ensures that patients get right treatment quickly, and as such can curb the over-use of inappropriate drugs, which is critical in the fight against drug resistance.

    “To get the best medical outcome, advanced diagnostic examinations must be applied to diagnose the patient’s underlying health problems,” he said.

    Akinniyi identified lack of basic tools, poor allocation of fund to diagnostics in public and private hospitals and manpower as bane of diagnosis in the country.

    Quoting the Registrar of Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), Prof Anthony Emeribe, he said there are 10,000 medical laboratories but majority of them operate below global standards. “Even worse, only 3,000 are in the council data base,” he said.

    He said diagnostic results are at the centre of putting science into healthcare practice, stressing that only accurate and reliable result can justify healthcare practice.

    Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Public Health Dr Yewande Adeshina said medical diagnosis, which is the identification of nature and cause of an illness may jeopardise effective healthcare and delivery if not properly handled.

    She said the programme was coming at a time precise and apposite diagnosis is at low ebb in clinical management amd practice.

    Adeshina, represented by Dr Kolawole Oyedeji, noted that lack of public and private sector coordination and commercial pressures in the latter leads to poor quality result.

    Aside, work environment contributes to low motivation, less than optimal productivity and high attrition.

    “These challenges are further compounded by health practitioners’ survival of the fittest dictum.

    The absence of a common forum to discuss the issue, she said, has been the bane to correct the anomaly, hence the lack coordination in information gathering.and sharing.

    Nigeria, she said, has developed strategy to ensure continual availability of human resources for health.

    She therefore effective implementation of the strategies need the active engagement and involvement of stakeholders, especially the private sector.

    She said something should be done to provide Nigerians the kind of healthcare system that is betting for any self-respecting people.

    Adeshina said it was time the country adopt, a public-private partnership (PPP).

    “Rising levels of chronic diseases and multi-morbidity, concerns about the quality and safety of patient care, the need to measure and assure value for money for investment in health and the need to allocate health system resources wisely are too important to leave without good information for decision making,” she said.

    IMDA Executive Director, Dr Abimbola Adekoya, identified poor funding, inadequate infrastructure and limited access to new technology and poor link with development partners as bane of medical diagnosis

    He said this was responsible for why foreigners have taken over the sector in the name of partnership.

    Adekoya said many people have passed a vote of no confidence on the sector because it promoted medical tourism.

  • ‘Only Nigerians can tackle Boko Haram’

    International support against terrorist sect Boko Haram notwithstanding, the Presiding Bishop of Rhema Christian Church and Towers, Ota, Ogun State, Dr Taiwo Akinola, has declared that only Nigerians can tackle the insurgents.

    He spoke last week ahead of the annual convention of the church, which begins today.

    The convention ends next Sunday.

    The ministers expected at the convention include: Bishop Olanrewaju Obembe, Bishop Mike Bamidele, Bishop Victor Akilla, Dr. Kunle Adesina, Apostle Tomomewo  and others.

    Akinola said Boko Haram is backed by a malevolent spirit that Nigerians can conquer through prayers.

    He also stated that the negotiations with the terrorists will not work, urging the federal government to deal decisively with them.

    He said: “The federal government must also be very stern in dealing with the group; terrorism in any form is criminal and not justifiable. The carrot method is obviously not working as we just witnessed with the ceasefire that backfires.”

    On the 2015 general elections, Akinola advised Nigerians to be determined to make them free and fair.

    He urged political parties to be sensitive to the needs of people in presenting candidates while urging Nigerians to vote for only credible candidates.

  • GAIN urges more action to tackle malnutrition

    GAIN urges more action to tackle malnutrition

    To commemorate this year’s World Food Day marked yesterday, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Nigeria has called on the federal and state governments to scale up nutrition intervention programmes in the country as a panacea for the prevalent micronutrient deficiency.

    Its Country Director, Larry Umunna, in a statement issued lamented that micronutrient deficiencies remain a major public health issue in Nigeria as more than half of women of childbearing age are anaemic (62 per cent) and almost a third (29.5 per cent) of children suffer from vitamin A deficiency, a leading cause of childhood blindness.

    Umunna lamented that despite a slight reduction in stunting levels of children under the age of five, 10 million children (two in five) still fail to achieve their full potential height, resulting in lifelong impacts on their health, their ability to learn and their potential to earn a living.

    According to him, to combat high levels of malnutrition, GAIN has provided technical and financial assistance to Nigeria to ensure that food fortification regulations are monitored and enforced.