The Nation Newspaper

Tag: team

  • My son brought Nigeria Olympic team luck in Rio – Shehu

    My son brought Nigeria Olympic team luck in Rio – Shehu

    Dream Team VI star, Shehu Abdullahi has told AfricanFootball.com  that the birth of his son brought luck to the team for them to beat Japan 5-4 just hours after they arrived Brazil from Atlanta.

    Shehu’s wife delivered a baby boy hours before the Uniao de Madeira of Portugal ace featured in Nigeria’s opening Rio 2016 Group B game against Japan in Manaus.

    “I am happy to be a father, it’s a thing of joy to me and the entire family. My son will be named Shehu Abdullahi Junior. He brought us luck in our first game against Japan because he was born few hours before the game,” Shehu told AfricanFootball.com.

  • Council gets revenue mobilisation team

    The Sole Administrator Mushin Local Government Area, Olayinka Kazeem has inaugurated a new revenue mobilisation team to improve the council’s revenue base for the residents’ benefits.

    Inaugurating the team, Kazeem enjoined its members to be diligent in their duties. He also solicited the support of the residents to pay their rates, levies and dues promptly in order to sustain ongoing development.

    He announced that the team will be headed by the Council Treasurer, Mrs. Babs-Ogunleye who will be assisted by the council’s Internal Auditor and the Head of Budget Department.

    He said the team is required to incorporate all revenue units and points of the local government in order to make total success of the exercise. He further stressed that the new team will be monitored by his office and the Head of Administration.

    Kazeem said part of the policy and the official instruction of the Lagos State Government currently is that all franchised revenue bodies working on behalf of the council stipulates the use of statutory members of staff of the local government to mobilise, monitor and draw all revenues, rates, dues and levies into the coffers of the council.

    Head of Administration of the council, Prince Adegbola Olujobi said the new policy directive by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode indicates that the new team must live up to expectation in order to trust them.

    “To whom much is given, much is expected”, he said.

    Olujobi implored members of staff and residents of Mushin to co-operate with the Kazeem-led administration in order to enjoy dividends of democracy.

  • Ondo gets justice reform team  

    the Ondo State Justice Sector Reform Team (OSJRT) will be inaugurated today in Akure, the state capital.

    It will be a prelude to a three-day retreat for members that will end on Wednesday.

    Commissioner for Information Kayode Akinmade said the inauguration will take place at the State Development and Property Corporation (OSDPC) Event Centre, Ijapo Estate, Akure.

    The team, in partnership with the Justice for All Programme (J4A), will address some of the challenges in the administration of justice in the state.

    The programme will be carried out in conjunction with the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC).

  • Time for economic team

    •It’s high time the government constituted one

    Nine months into the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the need for an economic team to give verve and direction to the economy has never been more urgent. With barely 38 months left of its 48 months tenure, the apprehension – if not frustration – of citizens about the snail pace of governance, and the lack of coherent economic direction is as palpable as the clock ticks.

    Today, the economy is in dire straits with no discernible path out of the woods. The price of oil, the major source of revenue, continues on the path of free-fall, leaving the economy virtually on hold. As for manufacturing, the story has been one of perennial decline with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) reporting capacity utilisation as decreasing from 59.50 percent in the second quarter of 2015 to 54.90 percent in the third quarter. The operating environment continues to be as harsh, with very little done to address the stifling policies that have rendered manufacturing a nightmare.

    Only last week, the nation’s foreign reserve hit a new low of $27.8 billion –with signs that things might even get worse in the absence of real capacity to produce for export to earn foreign exchange. To compound the situation, the naira last week hit the nadir at N400 to the United States dollar at the parallel market – no thanks to the currency speculators who have settled on making fortunes from betting on the currency.  Presently, so dire is the infrastructure situation that it would require an annual outlay of $15bn to bring it up to scratch.

    Meanwhile, unemployment – particularly of youths – has reached a crisis point with the latter believed to be close to 50 percent –the highest ever. The same is true of corruption that has grown into cancerous proportions.

    Thursday last week, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, called on President Buhari to convene an emergency economic conference to enable experts brainstorm on the way forward and the future of the economy.

    His words: ‘‘I agree with those who say the economy is bad. It is obvious and it is so bad. We really need an emergency economic conference, bringing experts together to march the nation forward. I think the economy is not encouraging. Quite frankly, I think most economists will agree with this”.

    The eminent Laureate merely stated the obvious; the Nigerian economy requires fresh ideas to move things forward. It requires fresh hands on deck to get things moving. With due respect to the individual qualities of the members of the federal cabinet and the activism witnessed in some sectors of late, we are hard put to see the kind of bold initiatives on which the envisaged future prosperity can be firmly anchored.

    Without question, the CBN has done a fairly good job of mobilising and channelling funds to the real sector, bridging the perceived gaps as well as helping to reduce the cost of lending. Again, on its part, the Federal Government has done a commendable job of tackling corruption headlong, streamlining the processes of governance and cutting avenues of wastes. These are certainly laudable steps.

    Yet, as laudable as they are, the same real sector continues to complain of lack of access to credit; of being ill-served by the restrictive policies of the apex bank; of lingering uncertainties and inhibitions in the economic environment; the unfriendly government policies, etc.

    These issues deserve to be put on the front burner. Without doubt, the economic crisis cannot be blamed on the Buhari administration because things were in a mess as at May 29 last year when it took over. We also agree there cannot be a quick fix, but at least there should be a think tank working for the government that is trying to put together policies towards addressing the economic challenges.

    Indeed, a competent economic management team that will put ideas to work has become a sine qua non. It is the least that the administration can bring about.

     

     

  • Fed Govt to raise action team on Lassa fever

    Fed Govt to raise action team on Lassa fever

    •Doctors demand rapid response  

    •Lagos Speaker advises residents 

    Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole has called for an emergency National Council on Health meeting today, as  part of efforts at containing the outbreak of Lassa fever.

    The meeting will focus on how best to deal with the disease, which seems to be spreading fast.

    Health commissioners and chief medical directors (CMDs)/medical directors (MDs) of tertiary health facilities are expected to attend the meeting at the Rotunda Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    About 50 persons have died of the killer-disease in the country since its outbreak in August 2015. As at the weekend, more than half of the country had experienced an outbreak of the disease.

    The meeting, according to a statement by the ministry’s Director of Media/Public Relations, Mrs. Boade Akintola, will also witness the inauguration of the National Lassa Fever Action Committee.

    The minister blamed the failure of early notification for the high mortality rate recorded by the country.

    Prof. Adewole noted that it was failure of the notification system that made it impossible for the ministry to respond promptly to the situation in Niger State, reiterating that the Federal Government’s mission and mandate in the health sector was to keep Nigerians safe.

    Also yesterday, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) called on government to improve response mechanism to ensure rapid response to disease outbreaks.

    NARD’s President Dr. Muhammad Askira made the call at a news conference yesterday in Abuja.

    Askira said the disease had claimed 43 lives in 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

    He decried the emergency response arrangement set up by the government to tackle outbreaks of disease.

    Askira said such outbreaks did not require ad hoc arrangements or committees, “rather, there should be a strategy to cushion the effect in any emergency or epidemic situation”.

    According to him, astrategy would reduce the death toll arising from such cases.

    He explained that there should be well structured strategies from the governments to ensure that prompt attention was given to such situations.

    “There should be on ground  well-structured strategic system from governments, from the primary health care level to tertiary health care, whereby the team is on alert for prompt and effective response to this type of epidemic.

    “We should not wait until there is an outbreak before we start rushing to address the epidemic.

    “This involves a lot of logistics, which comes from the society, health care providers and the government itself.

    “It can be in the form of financing, appropriate equipment and facilities, well and adequately trained manpower to handle suspected and confirmed cases, and so on.

    “So whenever these are not adequate or properly applied, we have pockets and periods of epidemic of this nature,’’ he said.

    On the death toll being higher than the case of Ebola, Askira said the rodent transmitting the virus was endemic, while Ebola was imported to the country.

    Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa yesterday appealed to Lagosians to keep their houses and surroundings clean and ensure they eat well-prepared food.

    Obasa’s admonition came on the heels of the confirmation of a reported case of Lassa fever infection in the state.

    The Speaker, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Musbau Rasak, urged Lagosians to remain calm since the state government has put its health workers on the alert.

    He added that the state also possessed the medical institutions and equipment to tackle the disease.

    Obasa urged doctors, nurses and other medical personnel to brace themselves for the challenge posed by the disease, noting that their swiftness in arresting the scourge would allay fears among the people.

    Also yesterday, Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria (EHOAN) yesterday vowed to prevent spread of Lassa fever by ridding Lagos of rodents.

    Its Lagos chapter President, Samuel Akingbehin, said the exercise would begin tomorrow.

    The group said proactive and preventive actions were needed to be taken.

    “It is scientifically proven that these rodents harbour the Lassa fever virus and spread it by their body fluids on foodstuffs and food items, surfaces, beddings, clothing, furniture etc,” it said.

    The group said it would embark on daily environmental exercise on a “one local government per day basis with attention on markets, schools, and hospitals with a view to reducing rat infestation, thereby reducing the chances of Lassa fever spread in Lagos”.

    In an effort to contain any outbreak of Lassa fever in Abia State, the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, has said it would start the construction of additional isolation centre to take care of patients.

    During a sensitisation campaign organised by its Department of Community Medicine, Chief Medical Director Dr. Abali Chuku said the additional isolation centre was part of the hospital’s plans to handle such cases.

  • AGF pledges reforms as Idris meets World Bank team

    AGF pledges reforms as Idris meets World Bank team

    The Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris has pledged to continue with  reforms to improve public financial management.

    Idris gave this assurance when he met with the Budget Support Mission from the World Bank at the Treasury House in Abuja, to discuss the implementation of the 2016 Budget.

    A statement by the Deputy Director (Press), Mrs. K.N. Offie, said Idris described the World Bank as a partner, whose role in promoting sound economic and fiscal policies was unparalleled.

    Idris said the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, being on the driver of reforms in public financial management, had made progress in implementation.

    He said the transition from IPSAS cash basis to IPSAS Accrual basis from January 2016, Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS),  including central personal cost monitoring, had led to reduced cost of personnel.

    The AGF also cited success in Government Integrated Financial Management Information System, (GIFMIS), which is a platform for e-payment and e-Collection as well as the Treasury Single Account Implementation.

    Idris  said  the reforms were necessary to bring the country at par with acceptable global best practices.

  • Don’t build team around me -Chikatara

    Don’t build team around me -Chikatara

    Injured Super Eagles B forward, Chisom Chikatara has suggested his shoulders are not healed enough to shoulder the responsibility of leading the team as he rejects offers to build the team around him.

    The Abia Warriors star man who played a part in Nigeria’s 3-0 win in a test game against PSL side, Tuks FC fears an unfortunate stroke of injury could scuttle the team’s plan if he became the centerpiece of the team.

    ‘”I don’t think it’s a good idea to build the team around me as a striker. I could cop an injury and that will turn things on its head dramatically. It’s not a wise thing to build a team around a single player,” he noted.

  • NTF names team for Davis Cup in Egypt

    Majority of theplayers that represented Nigeria at the last African Games in Congo Brazzaville has been named by the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) as part of the four-man team for this year’s Davis Cup Group III Championship holding this month in Cairo, Egypt.

    The list of players published on the website of Davis Cup tournament, CBN Open Champion, Thomas Otu made the cut while he will be joined  by Clifford Enosoregbe, Christian Paul and Emmanuel Audu, while the non-playing captain is Rotimi Akinloye.

    The team will contend against host – Egypt (106) as well as the highest ranked team in the group, Algeria (88), Benin (97) and Namibia (97) who are all rated higher than Nigeria. Other teams in the group are Mozambique (108), Ghana (112) and Tunisia (114).

    According to the President of NTF, Sani Ndanusa, the team would be supported to do well in Egypt as plans are in top gear to commence camping for the team.

    “We will surely take part in the Davis Cup and we hope to assemble a formidable team. I believe the experience that I have had during the African Games by playing on clay court would surely be helpful to the team. But we are working to get funds from the National Sports Commission (NSC) and our sponsors so that the team can start preparation for the championship,” Ndanusa said.

    Meanwhile, SportingLife leant yesterday that the team may begin camping this week in readiness for the championship holding between October 26 and 31.

    It will be recalled that in 2014, Nigeria failed to make it to Group II and according to the rules of the tournament released by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the tournament will be played on a round-robin basis with the teams drawn into two pools.

    The winners of each pool will engage in a play-off against the runner’s up to determine the two nations that will be promoted to Europe/Africa Zone Group II in 2016.

    For the positional play-offs, teams will compete in the classification to determine the relegated teams. Smash Tennis Academy in Cairo will host the one-week tournament.

    Nigeria’s maiden appearance in the Davis Cup was in 1974 while the best outing of the team was reaching the Group I semifinals in 1988 and 1989.

  • Give this NNPC team a chance

    SIR: I wish to congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari for his choice of Ibe Kachikwu, and his crack team of Executive Directors in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). I refer to Messrs Maikanti Baru, Group Executive Director, Exploration & Production; Isiaka Abdulrazaq, Group Executive Director, Finance & Services; Dennis Nnamdi Ajulu, Group Executive Director, Refining & Technology; and Babatunde Victor Adeniran, Group Executive Director, Commercial & Investment.

    I am convinced, as with other well-meaning Nigerians, that on the basis of the antecedents of the entire NNPC team and the undisputable overarching sterling leadership of the present administration, there is no doubt that there are brighter days ahead for the oil sector which, incidentally, is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy. It is important to state that how well the corporation is managed will, to a large extent, contribute significantly to nation’s economy and the well-being of the people generally.

    It is often said in Africa that the morning determines the day and this adage has found resonance in the NNPC appointments. From what is published in the media, no sooner had the team come on board that they hit the ground running. The new management has drawn up a robust framework to promote the principles of accountability, transparency and good governance in the organization with clear cut achievable milestones. It is heart-warming that the core business of NNPC has been restructured to engender growth, sustainability and profitability and unlike the times past, this is not sacrificed on the altar of waste, nepotism and other such base considerations.

    More importantly, one is hardly surprised at the zero tolerance of the new NNPC management for corruption as this is in line with the vision espoused by the management team and this is also in tandem with the marching orders of President Muhammadu Buhari. Moving forward, the management should be emboldened to rid the organization of the remaining rotten eggs in its different strata in view of the fact that one bad apple may indeed spoil the entire basket. All those with soiled reputation should be shown the way out of the organization as this may perhaps be the last opportunity for the country to get things right in the sector.

    The net effect of the on-going re-organization championed by the new NNPC team has been salutary. We have seen steady supply of petroleum products in dispensing stations all over the country since they came on board. It is indeed a new dawn for Nigerians as everyone can, without fear of equivocation, attest to the availability of PMS, diesel and Kerosene and other products in virtually all stations in the entire geo political zones of the country and most significantly, these products are sold at the approved rates.

    The government should use the gains from this sector to develop the non-oil sectors like agriculture, smart technologies and areas where the country enjoys comparative advantage over others. The way to go from now is for our country to move from its near total dependence on oil and thereby increase the resource base of the country which will naturally make life better for all.

    The new NNPC management team should stay the course and not be distracted by the antics of mushroom and amorphous groups and their disgraced paymasters under the guise of shameless activism and opportunistic watchdog politics. Nigerians are solidly behind the quiet revolution going on in the new NNPC as they are in full support of their beloved President.

     

    • Musdapher Bello,

    Kaduna.

  • Govt calls for health team’s unity

    Govt calls for health team’s unity

    The Lagos State Government has called for the unity of all members of the health service team to achieve effective medicare delivery in the state.

    The Permanent Secretary Lagos State Health Services Commission (HSC) Dr. Jemilade Longe said this while declaring open the second National Conference of the Association of Medical Laboratory Technicians and Assistants of Nigeria (AMELTAN) and the National Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (NLSCN) Workshop, which held at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Ikeja, Lagos.

    Describing medical laboratory technicians as the most underrated in the healthcare chain, Longe said the technicians being the first contact between a patient and the health team, must ensure they comply with basic universal safety precautions and work in unity with other members of the health team to get accurate diagnosis of any medical issues presented to them.

    He said though many in the sector have a wrong impression about the technicians, they (practitioners) are critical as they are the gateway to proper medical laboratory diagnosis.

    He charged the technicians not to be limited by their present calling but to aspire to be the best even in their calling through scholarship.

    Longe who admitted that the profession is fraught with risk, cautioned that the technicians must adhere strictly to basic universal safety precautions to protect their patients and not to be unduly exposed to infections through contacts with dangerous body fluids.

    He charged the laboratory technicians and assistants to think outside the box in riding the profession of quacks, who have found themselves providing illegal services at many hospitals across the country.

    NLSCN Registrar/Chief Executive Officer Prof Anthony Emeribe decried the influx of quacks, adding that about 150 per cent of laboratory technicians who have been trained by the council are still jobless because their places are being filled by people who have no business in medical laboratory services.

    To rid the industry of the menace, Emeribe said the council would be partnering with the Federal Ministry of Justice to intensify inspection of medical facilities across the country and arrest anyone suspected to be operating without the Council’s certification.

    “Six months ago, we arrested a suspect in Delta State and he had been sentenced to six months imprisonment by the courts. We are going to storm Abuja and all the 36 states of the country in our renewed commitment to rid the industry of quacks because the lives of Nigerians are in danger if those who are not qualified continue to issue medical results or open medical laboratory facilities as is being presently done,” Emeribe said.

    He said he was satisfied with the success recorded by the association, adding that technicians and assistants should continue to work together in the interest of the people who demand their services.

    Dr Oloruntoba Ekun of the Department of Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, University of Lagos in his keynote paper titled: Phlebotomy and its associated risk, said because these technicians carry out minor surgical operation procedure which deals with the withdrawal of blood or the introduction from a sample, they are open to several risks.

    Ekun, who was represented by Dr Oluyemi Akinloye said the technicians and assistants must be aware of the risks and mitigate them by putting in place quality assurance programme, ensure availability of medical laboratory consumables and the avoidance of used or contaminated samples.

    Liking laboratory technicians and assistants to a building foundation, Ekun said if the technicians get the diagnosis wrong, everything else would be wrong and the result might be fatal and irreversible.