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Why herdsmen invaded Benue communities after general elections – Govt

Sinafi OMANGA
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Why herdsmen invaded Benue communities after general elections – Govt

BENUE State Government has given a two-week ultimatum to herdsmen who invaded rural communities after the 2023 general elections to leave the state.

About 130 villagers were reportedly killed and several communities plundered last week when the state witnessed renewed attacks by suspected armed herdsmen.

Governor Samuel Ortom had on Tuesday, April 11, suspended the operations of Livestock Guards, the state’s security outfit that prosecutes herdsmen and impounds cattle for violating the Benue anti-open grazing law.

“The action is part of measures to ensure that all those who invaded the state with cattle leave so that Benue people would have peace and go about their legitimate and lawful businesses”, according to a statement by Ortom’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Terver Akase, on Wednesday, April 12.

The statement added that the suspension of the security outfit “is only a grace period” to reduce the influx of herdsmen and cattle into the state.

Akase who was clarifying the suspension of the Livestock Guards, said “majority of the pastoralists who came into the state said that after the February 25 and March 18, 2023 elections, they were told that a new government was in place in Benue State and the ban on open grazing of cattle had been lifted”.

He noted that the misinformation paved the way for herdsmen and cattle to move into the state without hindrance.

Meanwhile, reacting to the development in an interview with The ICIR,  the director of publicity of the Arewa Youth For Peace and Security, Salihu Mahmoud, said Ortom’s decision to suspend the operations of the Livestock Guards is politically motivated.

“Benue State does not have any approved grazing route for herdsmen. For you to suspend grazing, you must have a legal grazing route across the state from Benue to Makurdi,” Mahmoud said.

Earlier, The ICIR reported that after a period of relative calm in the build up to the recently concluded 2023 general elections in Nigeria, killings, abductions and other forms of violent attacks on defenceless Nigerians have resumed.

The development is brewing concerns and anxiety among citizens. At least, 364 deaths resulting from no fewer than 97 violent attacks have been recorded across the country since the general elections was rounded up with the governorship and state assembly elections on March 18.

These figures are based on an analysis of data collected by the Nigeria Security Tracker (NST), which has monitored insecurity in the country since 2011 through local press reports.

The data which was accessed by The ICIR on April 11 shows the significant resurgence of killings and kidnapping across the country. The incidents recorded range from bandit attacks, farmer-herder clashes, unknown gunmen attacks on security operatives, and Boko Haram attacks, among others.

Nigeria’s health care sector needs urgent restructuring – NMA

Ijeoma OPARA
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Nigeria’s health care sector needs urgent restructuring – NMA

THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called for an urgent restructuring of the medical sector in Nigeria.

Reacting to a proposed review of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) Act during The ICIR Twitter Space on Wednesday, April 12, the FCT NMA Secretary Michael Olarenwaju said challenges within the sector were major reasons for the massive emigration of doctors from the country.

“The healthcare challenge has been a perennial problem in Nigeria. It is something that we all know. These things have been there since we were children. The sector needs an emergency restructuring,” he said.

Describing the bill as discriminatory and ill advised, Olarenwaju urged lawmakers to carry out adequate research into the root causes of brain drain in the country.

“It is repressive and also anti-common sense. Its anti-people, it is an obnoxious bill. It is like burning down one’s house to exterminate rodents. The Honourable that attempted to sponsor that bill obviously has something against doctors. Because if you do not research appropriately, how will you attempt to sponsor such a bill?

“If we talk about patriotism, the leaders of the country should also be patriotic. Those that are at the National Assembly should stop going for medical tourism. The man that attempted to pass this bill, should also sponsor a bill to stop members of the House and Senators should stop going on medical jamborees abroad,” he said.

A bill seeking to amend the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) Act passed second reading on April 6.

The bill, sponsored by House of Representatives member representing Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency in Lagos Ganiyu Abiodun Johnson, seeks to prevent Nigeria-trained medical or dental practitioners from getting full licenses until they have worked for at least five years in the country.

Anti-migration bill poorly researched, ill-advised — NARD, NMA

Beloved JOHN
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Anti-migration bill poorly researched, ill-advised — NARD, NMA

THE National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) have said the anti-migration bill was ill-advised, poorly researched and would not benefit the health sector.

The bill, according to NARD vice president, Dr Nnamdi Nd-Ezuma, is an oppressive approach to solving the brain drain crisis in the country’s health sector.

Nd-Ezuma spoke during a Twitter Space organised by The ICIR on Wednesday, April 12.

The anti-migration bill, otherwise known as ‘A Bill for n Act to Amend the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act’, primarily seeks to reduce the rate at which medical professionals leave Nigeria for greener pastures abroad by withholding full licences until they have worked for at least five years in the country.

The bill passed the second reading in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, April 6.

Speaking on this bill during The ICIR Twitter Space, Nd-Ezuma accused the Federal Government of trying to stop the movement of doctors rather than address the root factors responsible for the brain drain.

“The bill is ill-advised. One thing we can agree on is that we have realised that there is a problem, but how to go about it is where we have a challenge. You can’t be making a bill concerning doctors and not calling the stakeholders together.”

He said the research for the bill was abysmal and that the government excluded stakeholders in the medical sector from the process.

“We shouldn’t discuss such bills; we must go back to all the committees and policies set up and see how far we can’t implement those policies.

“NARD resists this bill; we are not accepting it, and we don’t even consider it a thoroughly researched bill,” he said.

Also, the vice president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Daniel Olarewaju, who also spoke during the Twitter Space, described the bill as oppressive and anti-people.

He classified the bill as “burning a house down to exterminate rodents”.

He noted that the bill is wrong and discriminatory and “should never be allowed to see the light.”

“They know the root causes of brain drain, and you are going around trying to pass a bill to stop doctors from leaving the country.

“Before passing such a stifling and repressive bill, you must address the cause of the mass exodus of Nigerians, not just doctors, from the country.

“You need to research and know why doctors are leaving the country in large numbers,” he said.

DMO reopens four FGN bonds at N360bn targeted at budget financing

Ehime ALEX
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DMO reopens four FGN bonds at N360bn targeted at budget financing

THE Debt Management Office (DMO) said it has reopened for subscription four FGN bonds valued at N360 billion, as the Federal government intensifies borrowing to bridge the budget deficit.

The DMO, which disclosed this in a circular on Wednesday, April 12, added that the auction date is April 17, and settlement date, April 19.

According to the debt office, the first offer is a February 2028 FGN Bond valued at N90 billion, at interest rate of 13.98 per cent per annum (10-year re-opening).

The second offer is an April 2032 FGN Bond, valued at N90 billion, with an interest rate of 12.50 per cent per annum (10-year re-opening).

The third offer is a January 2042 FGN Bond valued at N90 billion, with an interest rate of 13.00 per cent per annum (20-year re-opening).

And the fourth offer is the March 2042 FGN Bond, also valued at N90 billion, at an interest rate of 12.98 per cent per annum (30-year re-opening).

The debt office raises bonds to finance Federal government’s budget deficit, as well as to refinance its maturing obligations during a fiscal year, The ICIR can report.

In January and February, the DMO raised a total of N2.129 trillion from issuances of FGN bonds, Nigerian treasury bills, and FGN savings bonds.

Of the sum, N1 trillion was deployed for deficit financing, which represented 14.2 per cent of the total requirements of the N7,043 trillion deficit funding for this year.

FGN Bonds are debt securities (liabilities) issued by the Debt Office for and on behalf of the federal government, with obligation to pay the bond holder the principal and agreed interest as and when due.

In re-opening the bonds, the DMO said, “For re-openings of previously issued bonds, successful bidders will pay a price corresponding to the yield-to-maturity bid that clears the volume being auctioned plus any accrued interest on the instrument.

“Interest is payable semi-annually, while bullet payment is made on maturity.”

Listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange Limited and FMDQ Securities Exchange Limited, the bonds qualify as securities in which trustees could invest under the Trustee Investment Act.

“They qualify as government securities within the meaning of Company Income Tax Act (CITA) and Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) for tax exemption for pension funds among other investors,” DMO added.

Nigeria’s inclusion on UK red list won’t stop doctors from migrating – NARD

Mustapha USMAN
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Nigeria’s inclusion on UK red list won’t stop doctors from migrating – NARD

THE Vice President of the National Association of Residents Doctors (NARD) Dr Nnamdi Nd-Ezuma has said Nigeria’s inclusion on the United Kingdom (UK) red list won’t stop Nigerian doctors from migrating abroad.

Ezuma made this known while speaking during a Twitter Space themed: ‘Brain Drain and Nigeria’s Health Sector: Issues Arising’, organised by The ICIR on Wednesday, April 12.

He noted that the development has nothing to do with the anti-migration bill introduced by the House of Representatives. 

According to him, the World Health Organization (WHO) has standards that need to be followed by countries who will be poaching from smaller countries.

He said: “There may be a barrage of reasons why the UK had placed us on their red list. But one of the things that comes to mind is that there’s what we call international poaching. The WHO has also given a standard to the number and the ratio of a doctor to the population. 

“The bigger countries, if they are lacking, can easily do that (reach out) to countries they can easily take people from. So there’s a standard that still has to be maintained. And you see when you’re exceeding that standard, the WHO is bound to cry out and signal to that activity.”

The NARD vice president added, “If I am not mistaken, on a statistic collated by National Association of Residents Doctors, in the first eight months of a year, we had almost a thousand five hundred people that had left. I think that was last year. To be specific they are doctors.”

He added that the ‘bigger’ countries have a limit of which they can take from less developed countries.

“If those bigger countries continue, it actually breaks that agreement with WHO standard. I can’t categorically say that the idea of putting Nigeria on a red list was because of some activities up there. What comes to mind first of all is that because you have the capacity, you still have the limit to how much you can poach from this country and once you get to that limit a red flag should be raised.”

Asked if the recent development by the UK will put Nigerian doctors planning to travel abroad at a disadvantage, Ezuma explained that doctors can leave for US, Australia and other parts of the world, including African countries.

“Let me give you an example, the doctors in the UK are leaving for Australia. It’s not only the UK that doctors want to go to. Obviously, doctors also want to move to Australia, US. In fact, the Middle East is waiting, they come to the country and recruit. So it’s (red list) not going to stop the migration.

“In those days when we did house job, and anytime you’re paid house job money, you’re using it to see how you can set up yourself and start up something just in case you don’t get the job but now what the house officers do with their money is to register for exams. Nobody is concerned about setting up anything again. Once they spend that one year in Nigeria, doing their housemanship they are trying to raise enough funds to write exams, if it’s not enough they spend an extra year doing a local job or something but the essence is just to gather enough money that takes you out of the country.

“So at the end of the day, UK is not the only place that people go, in fact some other African countries are even advertising, not too far ago, there was an Africa country, I think it was Kenya or so with very mouthwatering salary and you will now wonder what’s happening in this country of over 200 million people with so much resources, with so much capacity. It’s appalling.”

Diasporan doctors warn against anti-migration bill

Marcus FATUNMOLE
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Diasporan doctors warn against anti-migration bill

DOCTORS in the Diaspora have warned the Nigerian government against its bill to stop doctors and dentists’ migration from the country for greener pastures.

In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, by groups of Nigerian doctors working in different countries, a copy of which they made available to The ICIR on Wednesday, April 12, the medical practitioners said the bill could worsen the nation’s health crisis.

The letter was titled, ‘Re: A Position Statement from Diaspora Medical Associations – Bill Seeking to Restrict Newly Qualified Medical Doctors and Dentists from Leaving Nigeria’.

The letter was jointly signed by Emeka Ugwu, President, Nigerian Doctors’ Forum, South Africa (NDF-SA); Chinyere Anyaogu, President, Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA); Chris Agbo, President, Medical Association of Nigerians Across Great Britain (MANSAG); Nnamdi Ndubuka, President, Canadian Association of Nigerian Physicians and Dentists (CANPAD); Al Amin Dahiru, President, Nigerian Medical Association-Germany (NMA-Germany).

The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, and Chairman House Committee on Health, Tanko Sununu, a doctor, were copied with the letter.

The proposed bill seeks to amend the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) Act to prevent Nigeria-trained medical or dental practitioners from being granted full licences until they have worked for a minimum of five years in the country, as part of measures to address brain drain in the sector.

The ICIR reported how the Nigerian Medical Association kicked against the bill sponsored by Rep. Ganiyu Abiodun Johnson, representing Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency (Lagos State), which has passed through second reading.

Similar reports published on the issue by The ICIR include the reaction of resident doctors, who kicked against the move, and the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), which described the amendment as ‘misdirected’ and ‘ill-informed.’

Amid the rage greeting the bill, The ICIR reported how the United Kingdom placed Nigeria and 53 other countries on the red list of nations from which it will not recruit health workers without the permission of their countries.

In its letter, the Nigerian doctors in the Diaspora said the bill might not be the most effective intervention to resolve brain drain. “It will be counterproductive and will not achieve its intended goal,” said the groups.

While acknowledging the problems posed by the exodus of doctors, the practitioners listed challenges pushing doctors out of Nigeria, including failure to invest in healthcare to foster a conducive environment, failure to promote professionalism, growth, work satisfaction, poor welfare packages, high levels of insecurity, limited opportunities for employment, sub-speciality training, sociopolitical and economic instability.

They argued that medical and dental professionals bear the burden of systemic failures, “resulting in the maladaptive structure fostering stress, undue burden, physical and mental anguish, lack of job satisfaction, poor working conditions and much more.” 

Besides, the doctors noted that most of the issues stemmed from outside the healthcare system and were outside of an individual’s control. 

“Indeed, good governance and commitment to future investment in healthcare would improve conditions in the country that will allow security, good education for children, and improved compensation, as described in the Abuja Declaration. 

“The migration of professionals is not limited to the medical and dental practitioners alone. So, the question is, why is the medical and dental profession being targeted? Focusing on one aspect of a problem without taking a holistic approach to a sustainable solution will be ineffective.”  

The groups urged the Speaker to ensure the nation’s health sector challenges do not worsen with the planned amendment.

House of Reps Speaker: Female lawmaker joins race

Ijeoma OPARA
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House of Reps Speaker: Female lawmaker joins race

A FEMALE lawmaker representing the Isiala-Mbano/Onuimo/Okigwe constituency of Imo State Miriam Onuoha has joined the race for Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives.

While announcing her intention to join the contest on Wednesday, April 12, during a press briefing, Onuoha said the declining number of women in the National Assembly was a call to action.

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“The emergency of the dwindling number of women in parliament calls for a deliberate action, an action that will bridge the gender gap, an action that is a call for the leadership of the National Assembly to embrace the stance for a woman of competence and experience.

“I honourably call for my fellow contestants to support me, a woman with competence, integrity, vision driven mission and a true display of diversity as well as inclusive leadership centered on equity,” she said.

Onuoha, who is a returning lawmaker, cited her political experience as a significant reason why she was qualified for the role.

“I am in this race for the speakership of the 10th Assembly to bring fresh ideas and pragmatic solutions to the harrowing current challenges of national cohesion to proffer a new Legislative Agenda for addressing the current debilitating issues of our dwindling economy, mass poverty, promoting bills that supports massive industrialisation of the economy to create more jobs, inclusivity and unity of the Nigerian State,” she said.

The lawmaker added that her election as Speaker would present an opportunity for gender and youth inclusiveness in governance

Several other returning lawmakers have indicated interest in the position of Speaker, including former Speaker of Plateau House of Assembly Yusuf Gagdi, Deputy Speaker of the House Ahmed Wase, and Chairman, House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Tunji Olawuyi.

Other contenders include spokesperson of the House Benjamin Kalu and Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation Aliyu Betara.

Five remanded over alleged kidnapping, murder, robbery in Lagos

Vincent Ufuoma
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Five remanded over alleged kidnapping, murder, robbery in Lagos

FIVE persons accused of kidnapping, murder and armed robbery have been remanded in prison by a Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Yaba on Monday, April 12.

The defendants – Lateef Kazeem, Eric Adetola, Sanusi Momoh, Samuel Anuoluwapo, and Adamson Olayinka – were arrested by men of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for allegedly committing the crimes.

They were charged on nine counts bothering on conspiracy, armed robbery, murder, and kidnapping.

The prosecutor, Thomas Nurudeen, stated that the defendants committed the offences in January and February 2023 in the Ojo and Abule Ado areas of the state.

He alleged that they conspired with others to kidnap, kill, and defraud Emmanuel Ezeike of N2m. Nurudeen also added that the defendants, while armed with a gun, also stole one iPhone belonging to one Joel Ekeh, valued at N150, 000 in the Egan area of the state.

The prosecutor further stated that the offences contravene and are punishable under Sections 287, 299, 297(B), 411, and 415 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.

The court did not take the defendants’ pleas, and the prosecutor requested that they be remanded in Ikoyi Correctional Centre, pending the Director of Public Prosecution’s (DPP) advice.

The magistrate, P. E. Nwaka, granted the request and ordered that the defendants be remanded in the correctional centre until the DPP advises otherwise.

The case has been adjourned until May 5, 2023.

 

FG to spend N6.28bn on maintenance of Third Mainland Bridge

Mustapha USMAN
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FG to spend N6.28bn on maintenance of Third Mainland Bridge

THE Federal Government has approved N6.28 billion for surface maintenance of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State.

The Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, disclosed this after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, April 12.

Fashola said the maintenance will be for 24-months and will cover 11 kilometers including interchanges, ramps, and critical links.

According to him, the decision is in line with the Executive Order 11 signed by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, in April 2022, which reinforced the national public building maintenance policy which was approved in 2019.

The ICIR gathered that the approval came barely two weeks after the Lagos State Government said it would repair failed and peeled asphaltic sections and substructure on the bridge.

However, Fashola, who is the former governor of the state, assured that there will be no duplication of efforts.

According to him, the state’s Public Works Corporation will focus on the functional structure of the bridge such as the underwater piles, while the FG will undertake surface maintenance to treat potholes and restore missing guard rails.

He said “Council approved a fresh contract for the maintenance of the pavement of the third mainland bridge and this was approved in the sum of N6.28bn for a period of 24 months.

“I have been asked about the works that have been done on the bridge before. The works are concentrating largely on the substructure of the bridge; the underwater piles, the pile caps and also the replacement of the expansion joints and the bearings.

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“These are maintenance works that are critical to the structural integrity of the bridge. What we’re dealing with now is different. It is the driving surface and also the aesthetics. Some of the rails have been stolen. Some of the pleats are misaligned at the routes that lead you on and off the bridge.”

Fashola added that there are no anticipated prolonged closures during the works.

The ICIR had on March 30, reported that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved N95.8 billion for dualization of the Akure/Ita Ogbolu-Iju/Ado Ekiti road, linking Ekiti and Ondo states.

Police foil armed robbery operation in Abuja

Bankole ABE
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Police foil armed robbery operation in Abuja

THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has foiled an armed robbery attack in Abuja.

According to a statement released on Wednesday, April 12, by the Command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, Police operatives attached to the Apo Divisional Headquarters foiled the armed robbery operation at about 6:00 am on April 12.

She said two suspects were arrested following a distress call received from Zone E Extension in Apo Resettlement.

“Police operatives from Apo Division swiftly mobilized to the scene, and the hoodlums, on sighting the police team, abandoned an ash-coloured BMW vehicle with Reg. No. ABJ 440 KX containing three (3) plasma televisions and two (2) laptops, which they had stolen from one of the houses, and fled in different directions.

“A red Volkswagen Golf with Reg. No. LUY 899 KV was similarly sighted around the vicinity with its engine running. The vehicle zoomed off upon the arrival of police operatives.

“The gallant operatives gave the fleeing vehicle a hot chase and intercepted it at the Games Village Roundabout,” the Police said.

Adeh added that the driver of the vehicle and two others, identified as Dahiru Muazu Dahiru and Halifa Hamis, were arrested.

She said the suspect and exhibits recovered are in custody while investigation is in progress to arrest other fleeing suspects.

The FCT Police spokesperson said the suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations and urged the public to remain law-abiding and vigilant.

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