AHEAD of the 2023 general elections, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto Mathew Hassan Kukah and other religious leaders have urged Nigerians to resist polarization along ethnic and religious lines.
Speaking at the Society of African Mission (SMA) 166th-anniversary thanksgiving in Lagos, Kukah noted that division along religious and ethnic lines has continued to impede national development.
The SMA, one of the missionary groups of priests of the Catholic Church worldwide, has been known for its social services that have benefitted members of the Catholic Church and people from other faiths.
SMA Fathers, a leading humanitarian organisation, apart from establishing pro-human facilities, have also been at the forefront of national cohesion through inter-faith dialogue to foster unity among the people.
The theme of the event, which aims to sensitize Nigerians towards having credible and free elections in 2023, is ‘Conversation on the Role of Faith in Nation Building’.
Kukah spoke of the need for Nigerians to strengthen national cohesion so that the country can develop evenly.
Describing the nation’s diversity as an asset, the cleric urged Nigerians to promote things that could heal existing social disharmony in order not to pass the problems to the younger generation.
“I still don’t understand how religion has been turned into a weapon of social upheavals in our country without such happening in our neighboring countries.
“As a people, we should reject the antics of politicians trying to use our faiths to keep us disunited for their selfish ends.
“There is nothing wrong with religion but what is wrong is our relationship with other faiths.
“Our people should learn to resist those politicians with evil agenda by peaceful protest in order to change them from the old order for a better Nigerian society,” he said.
The Chief Imam of Mende Central Mosque, Maryland, Lagos, Habeeblan Awofeso, said Nigerians should learn to live in peace with one another in any part of the country they find themselves.
Noting that he was a product of a Catholic missionary school, Awofeso said, “By landmass, there were no parts of the country designated by nature as a Yoruba land or Igbo land.”
Also speaking at the event, Bishop of the Orthodox Anglican Church, Anthony Awe, said the church had remained steadfast in its teachings and appealed to political leaders to always emulate the church for a better state.
THE BOARDS of Editors of THISDAY/ARISE News have accused the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to bully independent media organisations in the country ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The THISDAY/ARISE News Boards of Editors made the accusation in a joint statement titled ‘Tinubu and THISDAY/ARISE Media Group and the Attack on Free Speech’.
The editors condemned what they described as the unprofessional conducts, and continuous attacks on the news platforms, by the Director of Media and Publicity of the APC PCC, Bayo Onanuga, and the Director, Strategic Communication, Dele Alake.
“The more we have ignored them the more they have mistaken our silence for cowardice and continued their unrelentless attacks with virulence, even threatening us with The Nigerian Press Council.
“A Press Council that has been completely rejected by the mainstream independent Nigerian media precisely for this reason: misuse and abuse by an incipient dictatorship.
“They are wrong. Truth and the pursuit thereof, and the reporting of facts are not biased. The duo has taken unprofessionalism, recklessness, picayune politics and blackmail to a new art form.
“After their first press statement, we ignored them; but they authored a second statement, which we again ignored, not wanting to insert ourselves into the political discourse,” the statement said.
The THISDAY/ARISE News editors added: “Imagine these insecure duos of Onanuga and Alake already threatening the free press when they are seeking our votes. What will they do if Tinubu was elected President? Kill independent media or take their markets over using the power of the state and replacing them with media platforms they control and which kowtow to them?”
Commenting on drug trafficking allegations against APC presidential flagbearer, Bola Tinubu, the editors stressed the need for the candidate to clear the air on the matter.
They also urged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to publicize their reports on the matter ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“Have the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) investigated this? We need their reports and clarity, one way or the other, in this most important national security question on the 2023 elections with implications for our democracy.”
Tinubu had refused to take part in the Presidential Town Hall Debates organised by Arise Television and its partners.
The debates have been graced by Tinubu’s counterparts in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, respectively.
The APC campaign council had accused the organisers of the debates of bias against the party’s presidential candidate.
But, in the joint statement, the editors noted that seeking the truth on allegations concerning Tinubu is not bias.
“They are wrong. Truth and the pursuit thereof, and the reporting of facts is no bias. The duo (Onanuga and Alake) has taken unprofessionalism, recklessness, picayune politics and blackmail to a new art form. After their first press statement, we ignored them; but they authored a second statement, which we again ignored, not wanting to insert ourselves into the political discourse.”
The THISDAY/ARISE News editors further accused the leadership of the APC presidential campaign media team of trying to interfere in the running of the two news organisations.
“We also note that two senior APC campaign officials had separately requested that we move THISDAY Editor and columnist, Shaka Momodu, and The Morning Show co-host on ARISE News, Rufai Oseni, from their current positions to stop the attacks or get reprieve from a future Tinubu presidency.
“The Boards of Editors of THISDAY Newspapers and the ARISE News Channel would like to state without equivocation that we do not fire journalists because of their views.
“Facts are sacred and opinions free is the age-old dictum to which all free-thinking men subscribe. We allow our editors the freedom to air their opinions unfettered and have created The Office of the Ombudsman to take any complaints and discipline any abuse of office by any of our staff members,” the statement added.
The editors said they will continue to be open, unbiased and professional. “However, we will not be intimidated by the bullying tactics of some APC campaign officials,” they insisted.
The federal government’s Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) has recorded some successes with a high enrolment rate in Gombe State. Despite the feats, the sustenance of the scheme remains shaky as staff shortages, and inadequate facilities among other challenges remain.
Zainab Babangida, a housewife from Sansani quarters in Billiri Local Government Area of Gombe State, was diagnosed in June this year with an ectopic pregnancy at the Kekkel Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC). Zainab’s life was in danger, and she needed urgent medical attention.
An ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition that requires emergency treatment, and this condition can lead to bleeding because the baby is growing outside the womb.
But due to lack of equipment and qualified personnel to handle her complicated case, she was referred to the General Hospital, Kaltungo, a distance of 10 kilometres.
But there was no ambulance at the Kekkel PHC, so Zainab’s husband, Babangida Aliyu, arranged for a commercial vehicle, to convey her to Kaltungo General Hospital.
While at the General Hospital, doctors discovered that Zainab had another life-threatening ailment – an inflammation of the appendix. Thankfully, the doctors successfully conducted a laparotomy for both conditions.
Aliyu, a peasant farmer in Billiri, was happy when he learnt that the operation was successful and the bill was taken care of by a Federal Government initiative, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
“I was scared of losing my wife because of the pregnancy and the fact that we didn’t have money to undergo proper medical examination and treatment,” an elated Aliyu said.
How BHCPF rescued peasants, pregnant women
The Federal Government created the BHCPF under Section 11 of the National Health Act as catalytic funding to improve access to primary health care.
According to the government’s official document on the programme, the BHCPF funds a Basic Minimum Package of Health Services (BMPHS) and increases the fiscal space for health, strengthening the national health system, particularly at the primary health care (PHC) level.
The scheme provides for routine daily operation costs to PHCs and ensures access to health care for citizens, particularly the poor, thereby contributing to overall national productivity. In addition, the government aims to use the scheme to achieve the universal health coverage goal.
Aliyu and his wife, Zainab, have taken advantage of the scheme through the surgery, which they ordinarily would not have been able to afford.
Gombe State launched the BHCPF scheme in 2021. Many vulnerable people in the state have enrolled and are already enjoying the benefits.
Like Zainab, Ezekiel Jummai, a resident of Dongol village in Billiri North of Billiri LGA, was also due for childbirth and reported to the Sansani PHC. She was attending her antenatal care service at the PHC.
It was her sixth pregnancy, and the five previous experiences, especially during childbirth, were characterised by severe pain.
Jummai required an emergency Caesarean Section (CS) because she had a long labour and could not give birth unassisted.
However, there were no qualified midwives or medical doctors at Sansani PHC that could attend to her case. So, she was rushed to the General Hospital Kaltungo, for surgery, where she successfully delivered her baby.
Some primary healthcare centres in Gombe State have no qualified midwives or medical doctors that could attend to emergencies despite being under the Federal Government’s intervention, the BHCPF.
Shortage of medical personnel, including doctors and nurses, has been a significant challenge to public health facilities in Nigeria. A report by The Guardian in 2021 said the country had only 99,120 doctors and 333,494 nurses and would need 149,852 doctors and 471,353 nurses by 2030.
Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Kaltungo LGA, Sunday John, 65, was diagnosed with an ailment at the Gwandun PHC but was also referred to the General Hospital, Kaltungo, for treatment.
“Upon arrival, doctors informed me that I must undergo three surgeries. I became depressed because I didn’t have money to pay for the surgeries,” John told this reporter.
“I have been living with the same ailment for over seven years because I could not afford to pay for the medical procedures.”
“But through the BHCPF, the surgery was conducted free of charge. Even the doctors were surprised that I survived those years without being treated,” he added.
Also, at Bambam in Balanga LGA, 35-year-old Audu Esther had not been feeling well since she conceived some months ago. She attended a PHC in Bambam for her ante-natal care services and did not spend any money.
“However, during delivery, I developed a problem that required me to be referred to the General Hospital Talasse, which is a whole day’s journey,” Esther recalled.
On arrival after the hectic trip, doctors at the hospital recommended surgery. But, according to them, they suspected that the baby was already dead.”
“But after several tests, it was discovered that the baby was still alive. Therefore, the doctors arranged an emergency CS, and I was delivered successfully, without paying a kobo.”
With 50 Primary Health Centres in five local governments in Gombe State, residents like Zainab, Jummai, Sunday and Esther have been enjoying the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) scheme. However, they are not paying to receive medical services.
About 25,000 vulnerable Nigerians are enrolled under the health intervention scheme and benefit from it across the 11 local governments in Gombe State.
Lack of qualified personnel threatens scheme
While beneficiaries are singing the praise of the scheme, the little gains recorded so far are under threat.
Before the scheme’s launch in the state, as required by the programme, the Gombe State government had renovated one PHC in each of the 114 political wards of the 11 local government councils of the state.
The PHCs now operate 24-hour to provide essential health services to people at the grassroots.
After the launching of the BHCPF, each of the 11 LGAs had a certain number of enrolled beneficiaries to benefit from the free healthcare services offered by the scheme.
Although the services are free, findings by Daily Trust on Sunday revealed that all the benefitting PHCs in the five LGAs visited lack qualified medical doctors and ancillary healthcare workers to provide healthcare services.
In Gombe State, PHCs receive funds quarterly through the Gombe State Contributory Health Management Agency (GoHealth). The fund, according to state authorities, is meant for purchasing the required drugs and essential operations of the facilities.
According to GoHealth desk officers at the respective LGAs, each PHC receives the sum of N300,750 every quarter to cater for running expenses.
Under the scheme, the government pays the sum of N570 for each beneficiary to purchase drugs.
“Before the release of the fund in each tranch, the facility has to send what we called a business plan detailing how they will spend the money. We will also monitor how they spend the previous fund before we can forward it to the GoHealth for the release of the money,” one of the desk officers said.
Beneficiaries under the BHCPF would be able to receive antenatal care. Other services include delivery and postnatal care for pregnant women, immunisations and treatment for malaria, pneumonia, measles, and dysentery for children under-5, malaria treatment, hypertension and diabetes screenings, and family planning for all adults.
Gadawo-PHC-Akko-LGA
Dilapidated structure, staff shortage, water shortage at Billiri PHCs
In Billiri LGA, 1,682 residents registered for the programme, and 203 of them were posted to Kelkel PHC to access services like immunisation, treatment of malaria, and typhoid, ante-natal care and family planning.
However, the Kelkel PHC is in a deplorable state, with some structures on the verge of collapsing. There is no running water. Officials said they rely on unclean water from water vendors for medical activities and personal use.
According to UNICEF, poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) remains a significant challenge, contributing significantly to high levels of diarrhoea-related deaths. As of 2015, 57 million Nigerians were without access to improved water sources, while 130 million people were without access to improved sanitation, it said.
Only one midwife at the Kelkel facility attends to many pregnant women who come daily.
The facility also lacks electricity, and was in an unhygienic condition at the time of this report. Many residents say the poor state of the PHC discourages them from accessing healthcare services there.
Lilian Joshua, the officer-in-charge of the PHC, told Daily Trust on Sunday that there are only 16 health workers at the facility, whereas it needs at least 30 to run its three shifts effectively.
“We have all the essential drugs for the services we are rendering, but we lack the required number of qualified staff to operate the facility. Most of them are middle-class health workers,” Joshua explained.
“And despite the high number of pregnant women visiting for delivery, we have only one midwife, and most of our staff are either on contract or working voluntary, hoping to be employed,” she added.
Timothy Lakulde, Desk Officer of the programme in Billiri LGA, admitted that there was a shortage of the required personnel.
He said the BHCPF commenced in the LGA in April 2021. According to him, 1,682 vulnerable persons like widows, IDPs and the elderly have been accessing the services in the ten selected PHCs across the LGA.
At Kaltungo LGA, about 2,028 IDPs, including women, children and the elderly, were registered under the scheme at different PHCs. However, some local facilities do not have enough health workers to provide vital services to the residents.
In one of the PHCs in Kalargu, Talatu Fada Feson, the Facility Manager, said 473 beneficiaries are accessing free healthcare services at the PHC.
“We provide antenatal care services to pregnant women from conception to childbirth at zero cost,” Fada said in an interview.
“For the under-five, some of the diseases are being treated free of charge, and for the elderly and the IDPs, we referred cases we can’t handle here to the General Hospital Kaltungo.”
“There are all the essential drugs for the diseases that were identified before the takeoff of the programme and they are being given free of charge.”
Fada, however, identified some of the problems affecting the smooth running of the programme to include the absence of a perimeter fence and shortage of qualified health workers.
The facility manager said, “We have ten health workers, whereas the facility needs at least 19 permanent staff to perform its functions effectively.”
The Desk Officer for the BHCPF at Kaltungo LGA, Lynus Jonah, said there are over 50 healthcare centres in the LGA, but only ten were selected for the BHCPF.
“There is a need for more because of the difficulty of the terrain, which makes it difficult for some people to access the services,” Jonah said.
He added that “most facilities are not adequately staffed.”
Faulty ambulance, only two midwives at Filiya Cottage Hospital
In Filiya town in Shongom LGA, the healthcare facility selected for the programme was recently upgraded to a cottage hospital to serve as a referral centre for nine other PHCs running the BHCPF programme in the LGA.
Fatsuma Isa, the second officer-in-charge of the Filiya Cottage Hospital, said there are only 34 healthcare workers in the hospital, comprising a Community Health Officer (CHO), four Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs), two junior CHEWs and others.
“But only two midwives in the hospital are posted specifically for the BHCPF programme. The hospital needs at least 50 health workers to work effectively,” Isa complained.
Ya’u Ahmad, the Desk Officer for the BHCPF in Shongom LGA, said the main challenge is inadequate personnel.
“Most basic illnesses like hypertension and diabetes, which are the common ailments reported by the elderly, are not covered by the programme. Most of them resort to out-of-pocket expenses to buy the drugs,” he said.
PHCs operating without a midwife in Balanga LGA
The PHC in Talasse, Balanga LGA, started with only 133 beneficiaries in June 2021.
According to the Facility Manager, Isa Buba, there are 22 trained staff at the PHC, out of which 17 are permanent. However, only two midwives are serving the hospital, despite the high number of pregnant women trooping to the centre due to its proximity to Talasse town.
“We need not less than 30 staff to run the three shifts effectively, including off days. There is also a need for pharmacists, laboratory scientists and at least one midwife on each shift. We manage the few numbers and place most of our staff on alert, even if they are not on duty,” Buba said.
“People have embraced the programme, but the staff challenges threaten the success earlier recorded. There is also no staff accommodation for the midwives and other workers. There is also no perimeter fence, hence the lives of the patients and the health workers are in danger.”
Idris Nuhu Ahmad, Desk Officer of the BHCPF in Balanga LGA, said 2,326 people are registered in the ten health facilities across the LGA, with one PHC per ward.
“There are 58 health centres in the whole LGA. But only ten facilities are running the programme, and we felt that the number is grossly inadequate, considering the large landmass of the LGA.”
The facilities are receiving funds on a monthly or quarterly basis. There are two midwives in all nine facilities, and some PHCs don’t even have a midwife. The midwives were specifically posted for the BHCPF.
The desk officer stated that there are no ambulances for the referral services, during which many women lost their lives while being conveyed to other referral centres.
While Nigeria represents 2.4 per cent of the world’s population, it currently contributes 10 per cent of global deaths for pregnant mothers, UNICEF said in a report.
Long distances discouraging beneficiaries from accessing PHCs
At the Gadawo Primary Healthcare Centre in Akko LGA, the facility registered 292 people from about 40 rural settlements surrounding the Gadawo village.
The Facility Manager, Aishatu Ya’u, lamented that most beneficiaries live far away from the facility. As such, transportation costs discourage many from visiting to access the services.
Sunday Bako, 74, was enrolled for the BHCPF under the Kekkel PHC, Billiri LGA.
He said the distance from the healthcare centre to his home makes it difficult for him to visit the PHC regularly for his follow-ups.
“Even though they don’t have an eye clinic in the PHC, I visit to get drugs for malaria and typhoid because most of the time, it is these ailments that trigger my eye problem,” Bako said.
“However, the location of the PHC is far away from my house and now that we are in the rainy season, the poor access road makes it difficult for me to visit as at when due for my follow-ups,” he added.
Amina Shuaibu, 42, was enrolled in the Filiya Cottage Hospital for the BHCPF, where she attended her antenatal care services from conception of her pregnancy until her delivery.
“I was getting all the required care, tests, counselling and the drugs free of charge at the Filiya Cottage Hospital, but during delivery, I was asked to go to Kaltungo General Hospital to avert any complication.
“I was already in labour, and because of the bad road to Kaltungo, I almost delivered inside the vehicle on our way to Kaltungo. Had there been enough staff and equipment at the hospital, I won’t have to go elsewhere to deliver,” she said.
Salamatu Ali Danburam, 72, is also registered at the Filiya Cottage Hospital. Most of her ailments are not being treated at the centre where she registered.
“I have typhoid, malaria, high blood pressure and ulcer. Unfortunately, they do not treat BP and ulcers at the facility, and I have to go to Kaltungo if I want to consult doctors and access the drugs,” Salamatu lamented.
“But the money I will spend on transport is enough for me to purchase the drugs at the medicine stores, even though it is much more like self-medication.”
We need more health workers – WDC chairman
Despite the challenges, Ward Development Committee chairmen in the five local government areas said the scheme is impactful.
While they praised the government for the initiative, they called for recruiting more qualified health workers to drive the project.
Mohammed Danladi Filiya, the WDC official for Filiya Cottage Hospital, said as the fourth tier in primary healthcare, they ensured that the PHCs are performing their functions satisfactorily.
“As representatives of our respective communities, we make the communities take ownership of the programme. We look at the issues at the respective PHCs, to ensure that the workers are doing their job,” Filiya said.
On his part, Paul Twaling Lakirya, chairman of WDC in Kaltungo LGA, said the less privileged and People Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) have benefitted from the programme.
According to him, before the programme came on board, people hardly visited healthcare centres because of financial constraints.
“Hitherto, people preferred taking herbal drugs, which greatly affected their health.
The BHCPF is attracting people to the hospitals, especially those enrolled for the scheme,” Lakirya said.
He appealed to the government for employment and deployment of more health workers to provide better services for the teeming people registered for the programme.
Despite the positive feedback, one Ward Development Committee Chairman faulted the scheme’s implementation.
Joshua Jerry, WDC chairman in Balanga LGA, said identifying only one PHC per ward was not enough considering the large size of the LGA. The cost of transport, he said, has been discouraging people from coming to the facilities.
According to him, even though the programme had immensely benefitted the people of their respective LGAs, the failure of the government to consult the right stakeholders before the PHCs were selected was ruining the programme.
We have enrolled over 25,000 beneficiaries – GoHealth
Currently, the Gombe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (GoHealth), the agency that oversees the implementation of the BHCPF programme, has enrolled 25,000 vulnerable and over 70,000 beneficiaries under the contribution scheme in the formal sector, a fraction of the 3,472,223 that is the current population of the state.
In an interview, Dr Abubakar Musa, the Executive Secretary of GoHealth, said there are plans to enrol about 40,000 poor, vulnerable, less privileged and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the second phase of the programme.
“Last year, when we implemented the first phase of the BHCPF, we were able to take 25,000 poor and vulnerable,” he said.
“For this year, we are targeting to enrol at least 40,000. We were able to identify over 100,000 potential beneficiaries.”
Government working to solve the challenges – Health Commissioner
Dr Habu Dahiru, the Gombe State Commissioner for Health, said the state government is aware of the problems confronting the implementation of the scheme and was already working to address them.
“We are looking into the human resource issue, focusing on the schools and colleges that produce the medical doctors and other health workers where the nurses, midwives and CHEWs were produced,” he told Daily Trust on Sunday.
“We will provide them with enough equipment to get accreditation and enrol more students. They will be subsequently posted to the healthcare facilities. So, that will solve the problem of shortage of human resources.”
Dr Dahiru added that existing staff would be sponsored for refresher training and re-training to enhance their skills and get better results in their respective places of work.
This report, first published in October, was done with support from the International Budget Partnership (IBP) , and the International Centre of investigative Reporting (ICIR).
THE Accountable Leadership for Better Nigeria Initiative (ALBNI) has called for the immediate release of Ayodele Samuel reportedly detained over a publication about Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku.
Samuel, who is the publisher of Truth and Facts newspaper and chief executive officer of Rock FM 92.3, Jalingo, was reportedly arrested by the state government’s agents over a report that Ishaku had plans to sell the state liaison office.
Following the development, a human rights activist, Bako Benjamin, alleged in a statement that the state government was planning to collude with some lawmakers to enact a law that would indict the journalist.
Reacting to the arrest, ALBNI said Samuel was being incarcerated “under circumstances that are not too clear to us and others in the media industry and human rights community.”
The body said in its statement, issued by its Executive Director, Remi Adebayo, “We appeal to the Governor to explore civil and regulatory channels provided for addressing any infractions, as he might have found.
“The likes of Oloye Samuel, who after his mandatory national service, has chosen Taraba as a home, will further be encouraged in an atmosphere where his rights and privileges are not infringed upon or being made to feel unwanted among the people he has chosen to be his own.
“We, therefore, join our voices with those of media practitioners across the country and the human rights community, as well as those of the family of Mr Ayodele Samuel, in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the journalist from detention.”
THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kogi State has confirmed that six persons died and 25 others injured following an auto crash along the Okene-Ogori road on Saturday.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) today, the Sector Commander of the FRSC in the state, Stephen Dawulung, said the accident involved just one trailer conveying 45 persons and some cows.
Dawulung said the vehicle had been speeding and could not control its movement while negotiating a sharp bend.
“When the accident, which involved an IVECO trailer conveying cows and 45 persons down south occurred by a graveyard just a few kilometres to Ogori Magongo along Okene-Ogori road, Kogi, our officers and men were timely in response to it.
“Our officers, in conjunction with the police and military personnel, came to the rescue and rushed the injured to four different medical centres for medical treatment. The corpses of the dead have also been deposited at the morgue of the Ageva General Hospital, Okene,” he said.
The casualties were taken to Ageva General Hospital, Okene; Ajunko Clinic and Maternity, Ibiloand Ogbagidi General Hospital, Okene.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, Dawulung said the FRSC would carry out enforcement and enlightenment programmes to sensitise motorists on speed and overloading. He urged road users to maintain discipline and adhere to traffic rules.
The number of deaths from road accidents has remained on the rise, as 6,205 related deaths were recorded in 2021. Kogi was among the 10 states with the highest accident-related deaths in 2021.
SOME groups under the umbrella of the Concerned Civil Society Stakeholders (CCS) in Niger Delta have filed a suit against President Muhammadu Buhari over the constitution of the new Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Board.
The group sought a restraining order against the inauguration of the newly-named board in suit no FHC/UY/CS/353/2022 instituted before Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The national coordinator of the forum, Ekpuk Jumbo, said at a press conference in Uyo today that the constituted board contravened relevant sections of the NDDC Act 2000.
“Whether the nomination and appointment of the Akwa Ibom representative, Dr Emem Wilcox Wills, on Board, is not an infraction of section 12 (1) of the NDDC Act?
“Whether the purported confirmation of the appointments of Chairman and other members, is not unlawful, null and void, and a crass infraction of the provisions of Section 12 (1) of the NDDC Act, 2000?” formed part of the prayers sought by the plaintiffs in the suit.
The forum called on the President to allow equity, justice and fair play to prevail in the case.
“There shall be for the Commission, a Managing Director and two Executive Directors, who shall be indigenes of oil-producing areas, starting with the member-state of the Commission with the highest production of oil, and shall rotate amongst member states in the order of production,” Jumbo said, stating Section 12 (1) of the Act.
The forum added, “Based on this extant and clear provision, the group, therefore, sought an order of injunction restraining the defendants, be it by themselves, servants, person or persons howsoever, from further proceedings, sessions, meetings and deliberations howsoever in connection, and or relation to the purported confirmation of Chairman and other members of the NDDC Board.”
THE Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, has charged the security agencies, including the Nigerian Police, to put more efforts into preventing crime in Kano State.
The Emir, who was represented by the Walin Kano, Bashir Mahe, gave the charge on Saturday, December 10, during a courtesy visit by the newly posted commissioner of police to his palace.
The new Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mamman Dauda, stated that his purpose for the visit to the royal palace was to introduce himself to the emir.
Dauda also said it was to seek prayers, cooperation, and fatherly advice to effectively safeguard Kano State.
The Emir urged police officers and other security agents to operate with the fear of God and work diligently according to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Police Act, 2020.
He also urged them to respect human rights and the rule of law, and work according to international best practices.
Pledging his support, he said, “We assure you of the support, prayers, and assistance of all the traditional institutions across the state.”
THE owner of a demolished building in Awka, the Anambra State capital, Osita Obi, has said that government officials who ordered the demolition of his house did not give him notice to vacate.
Obi lamented the loss of some valuable items that could have been saved if he was, at least, informed of the demolition plan by officials of the state.
The Anambra State government had pulled down the newly constructed duplex located in the Executive Business District area of Awka last Wednesday, December 7.
An official of the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA), Charles Ekwunife, said the building was demolished because it was “illegally acquired”.
But speaking with journalists at the weekend, Obi said he was issued a building approval by the appropriate authority in the state.
He also insisted that his wife acquired the land legally.
“That house was built by my wife, even one kobo of mine did not go into it. My wife is a retiree from a federal government agency. She used her life savings and retirement benefits to buy the land and also construct the building. The land was very legally acquired, and even my building plan was approved by government.
“My pain is that when they wanted to demolish it, they didn’t as little as notify us so that we can remove some useful items in the house. My wife has been crying ceaselessly,” he said.
Obi, who hinted journalists of a possible compensation by the government, lamented that the demolition had already taken a toll on him and his wife.
“Now they are telling me they will pay compensation. Do they want to kill my wife so that I will use the money they will pay me to bury her?” he asked rhetorically.
Ekwunife, who heads the Development Control unit of the ACTDA, said the agency had issued more than five warnings to the developers to stop work but they did not comply.
Ekwunife added that the land on which the house was erected was meant for the construction of the new Government House.
Although the woman survived the attack, some youths who were said to be from Ikale in Okitipupa launched a reprisal on farmers residing in the community.
Villagers said a vigilante and a middle-aged man, who was identified simply as Kayode, were killed during the attack.
The Ondo police spokesperson, Funmilayo Omisanya, who confirmed the incident in a statement she issued today, said peace was gradually returning to the affected villages.
She explained that the police got wind of the attack following reports the villagers lodged at the Kajola Divisional Police Station in the area.
Omisanya said, “Police contingents were quickly dispatched to the scene, while on patrol of the villages, corpses of vigilantes were met at the palace of Bale of Koseru village, who were said to have been allegedly ambushed and killed.”
She noted that the state commissioner of police, Yemi Oyediran, who visited the scene, urged all parties involved to sheathe their sword and allow police to carry out a thorough investigation into what really happened.
She said the police boss ordered the Area Commander and Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area to arrest and prosecute culprits involved in the arson and murder.
While allaying the fears of the residents, Omisanya said that the tactical teams of the command had been deployed to aid the security duties of policemen posted to the troubled communities of Koseru, Aiyetoro and Ago Alafia areas of the state.
THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said it would establish zonal offices to curb land racketeering and indiscriminate sale or purchase of land by residents.
This was disclosed by the Mandate Secretary, Area Service Council Secretariat, Ibrahim Dantsoho, who said in an interview with journalists in Abuja that graded chiefs in the FCTA had been prohibited from selling land.
“I want to use this medium to tell those in the FCT to meet those in charge of land as the administration has an approved way in consideration of zonal office to curtail indiscriminate sales and purchase of land in FCT.
“FCTA is on top of the situation as some of the chiefs had been relieved of their titles and others suspended because of the act. So, I am telling you that the administration is not taking this lightly, we don’t encourage this, and there is a severe punishment for anyone found wanting,” he said.
He also said chiefs and other residents who indulge in the act would be made to deal with the resulting legal implications.
The ICIR had reported that many residents of the FCT had been stranded after losing homes and property to demolition due to the illegal acquisition of land.
The FCTA has described buildings erected on illegally acquired land as aberrations of the city’s master plan, thus demolition has become a regular occurrence within the territory.
