Blog

Bauchi, June 9, 2020 (NAN) Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State on Tuesday inaugurated a 21-man Committee to look at the implications and implementation framework of the autonomy of the legislature and the judiciary as contained in the Presidential Executive Order 10.

Mohammed, while inaugurating the committee in Bauchi, said he was pleased with the Executive Order, describing it as a “welcome development”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that as part of efforts at making state legislature and judiciary more independent, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, May 22, signed an Executive Order which ensures finances of the two arms of government at the state level, get directly to them.

NAN reports that the new order is a brainchild of a Presidential Implementation Committee constituted to fashion out strategies and modalities for the implementation of financial autonomy for the states’ Legislature and Judiciary in compliance with section 121(3) of the Constitution.

The governor said that when implemented, the Presidential order would save him from “a lot of management problems”.

“We are here to inaugurate a committee that I have set up to look at the implications and implementation framework for the autonomy of the legislature and the judiciary, as contained in Presidential Order 10, signed by Mr President.

“This development has very serious implications and other insinuations that we need to bring to the public in terms of transparency and good governance.

“However, before I announce the inauguration, I must say that it is important for these two arms to have autonomy because, personally, I will be saved from a lot of management problems.

“I am not comfortable with the insistent visits to the government house or resort to the office of the Secretary to the State Government. I want them to have their autonomy and then I will have my peace.

“I want more responsibilities bestowed on the various heads like the Chief Justice and the Speaker of the House of Assembly,” Mohammed said.

The governor, who stressed that the legislature remained the most important arm of government, said that it was important to give them powers to deepen separation of powers.

“The legislature is the most important arm of government under democracy and under military rule. All other arms are always there but the legislature is absent when the military is in power.

“So, to give them some sort of powers in terms of deepening separation of power is very important,” the governor said. (NAN)

Lafia, May 9, 2020 (NAN) Resident doctors and other health workers at the Daltatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH), Lafia on Tuesday embarked on a seven-day warning strike to press for adequate  provision of Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) and improved welfare.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the striking health workers included the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), among others.

Mr Alizi Maga, chairman of NANNM at the hospital, who spoke on behalf of the various unions told newsmen in Lafia that the strike became necessary following the expiration of a  seven-day ultimatum given to the state government.

Maga explained that their demands included provision of adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), implementation of COVID-19 hazard allowances as well as insurance scheme for their members fighting the pandemic.

He added the unions also want the implementation of their pending  promotion  for 13 years, among others.

Maga said that the  unions would embark on an indefinite industrial  action  after the  Seven-day warning strike  if the state government failed to meet their demands.

Collaborating Maga’s position, Dr Idoko Peter, Chairman of ARD in DASH, said the alleged negligence by the government had led to their members being infected with coronavirus.

Peter said that due to lack PPEs, 21 health workers in the state  had been infected with COVID-19 while carrying out their  duties.

He urged the state government to address the issues raised to avoid a shutdown of the hospital.

Reacting to the development, Dr Hassan Ikrama, Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital said the health workers were negotiating with the state government to address their concerns.

When contacted, Ahmed Yahaya, Commissioner for Health, appealed to the workers to consider the plight of patients in the facility and suspend the strike.

He gave assurances that the state government was working toward meeting their demands soon. (NAN)

Abuja, June 9, 2020(NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the death of President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi, saying Nkurunziza was a true patriot that steered the country through turbulent times with wisdom and foresight.

In a condolence message by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Tuesday, the Nigerian leader condoled with the family, government and people of Burundi

He said: “It is with profound grief and sadness that we received the news of the death of President Pierre Nkurunziza.

”President Nkurunziza was a true patriot that steered the country through turbulent times with wisdom and foresight.

“At this time of great pain and loss, the government and people of Nigeria as well as myself, express our deepest condolences to the government and people of Burundi. Our thoughts and prayers also go out to the family of the President.

”May God grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.’’

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Nkurunziza, aged 55, died after suffering from a heart attack on Monday.(NAN)

Abuja, June 9, 2020 (NAN) The All Progressives Congress (APC) has inaugurated screening and appeal committees for the June 22, Edo governorship primaries.
APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, performed the ceremony on Tuesday at the party National Secretariat in Abuja.
Oshiomhole urged the committees to do a thorough job.
“I want to encourage you to take this exercise very seriously. I’m sure you can only imagine how we felt as a party after we won an election in Bayelsa.
“There were no questions, in fact, best election ever conducted in Bayelsa .
“There was no violence, people voted but we lost it because the deputy governor according to the Supreme Court had contradiction in his document and we lost it.
“So, the screening is not a formality and we expect you to be very meticulous in every material in particular to protect our party so that let it not be said that we did not learn anything from Bayelsa.
“As you know, sometimes, when things go wrong, everybody sees it that the National Working Committee (NWC) did not do a thorough job,” Oshiomhole said.
According to him, the leadership takes the blame if anything go wrong.
“For me, the important lesson is that we take steps to correct any mistakes we may have made in the past.
“So, we will give you copies of our party Constitution. This constitution is the basis of our action. We will make it available to you.
“We will also make the guidelines available to you, that have been developed for the purpose of conducting primaries.
“So, I trust that giving your calibre, that you will help the party to do a thorough job, so as to protect us as an institution from any possible judicial reversal of anything arising from the process,” he said.
The screening committee headed by Prof. Jonathan Ayuba would screen the six governorship aspirants of the party before the primaries, while the appeal committee headed by Prof. Abubakar Fari, was expected to handle appeals or disagreements arising from the primaries.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the screening of the aspirants will take place at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja between June 10 and June 11, while the appeal committee will begin sitting on June 12.
The aspirants included -Godwin Obaseki, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Mr Osaro Obaz, Dr Pius Odubu, Mr Matthew Iduoriyekemwe and Mr Chris Ogiemwonyi.(NAN)

By Hassana Yakubu

The Chika-ji Rohugi community in Kaduna State on Monday urged the state government to provide residents with infrastructure like roads, electricity and hospital, to enhance their standard of living.

Alhaji Lawal Tanimu, District Head, Chika-ji community in Igabi Local Government Area of the state, made the plea while addressing newsmen in the area.

According to him, the provision of such facilities will help in reducing some of the health challenges being faced by most pregnant women, while going for ante-natal and other medical checkups.

He said that people in the area were being transported through tipper vehicles and motorcycles because of the bad state of roads in the district.

Tanimu stated that the community, being inhabited by the Hausa-Fulani, Gwari, Adara and other minority tribes, had been existing for decades.

“Farming, cattle breeding, fishing and sand extraction from the river are our main business, while some women are into petty trading to support their families.”

Apart from the bad roads, the community leader identified insecurity and lack of youth empowerment programme as some of the problems facing residents in the area.

He said the poor state of the 20-kilometre road, linking the community to major cities in the state, had hampered the transportation of their farm products to urban centres for sale.

Another resident, Malam Idris Chika-ji, called on the Kaduna State Government to build a primary health care centre in the area, to reduce the problems being faced by women, especially while going for treatment in the city centre.

He described the road as usually bad during rainy season, to the extent that some women had to abandon going for ante-natal and other medical checkups.

“When the roads are bad during rainy season, we usually put our pregnant women on our back and take them to the hospital for treatment.

“We also carry the corpses of family members from the city hospitals to the village on commercial motorbikes.

“We need a hospital in this community to save the lives of residents,” Chika-ji said.

By David Adeoye

The Oyo State Government says is addressing issue of rape to protect girls and young persons from abuse.

The state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr Seun Fakorede, disclosed this on Monday in Ibadan.

Fakorede spoke while receiving protesting members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by the National President of the association, Mr Bamidele Akpan, ay the State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

He said the state House of Assembly is working on laws to tackle the menace of rape incidents in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the students were protesting the death of an 18-year-old Barakat Bello, who was gang-raped and murdered on June 2, at Akinyele area of Ibadan.

Bello until her death was a student of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production, Ibadan.

Fakorede, while addressing the students on behalf of Gov. Seyi Makinde, described rape as a very condemnable act, assuring that the state will do everything possible to bring the perpetrators of Bello to justice.

“As part of measures to bring the perpetrators to book and nip such dastardly acts in the bud, the state government, in collaboration with the police, has swung into action.

“All concerned institutions will deal with this seriously and I want to say that Oyo is one of the states leading and giving adequate direction to how we are meant to handle this dastardly act.

“Of course, this act is very condemnable and we deeply condemn it as a state. I can assure you that we will do everything to bring justice for Barakat.

“It will not only be for her but a whole lot of people that are victims of these unfortunate incidences.

“I salute you, NANS President and everyone that is part of this entourage. I bring you the greetings of Gov. Makinde,” the commissioner stated.

Earlier, Akpan said students from different parts of the country were in Ibadan to protest the unfortunate killing of Bello.

“The dastardly act of the rapists who chose to go the other way by raping our students to death.

“This we are doing as our own contribution to the sustenance of the society and of government because they say evil thrives when the good people stay quiet,” he said.

He extended NANS’ condolences to the deceased family, the Federal College of Animal Health and Production, the Oyo State government and the people of the state.

Akpan also called on the Nigeria Police and other relevant authorities to speed up the investigation process and fish out those behind the dastardly act.

By Grace Alegba
Environmentalists have called on business owners and governments in Nigeria to take advantage of the huge investment opportunities in waste management to promote biodiversity and overcome post-COVID-19 economic challenges.

They made the call on Monday during a Zoom virtual meeting organised by the Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Institution of Environmental Engineers (NIEE) to commemorate World Environment Day (WED).

Dr Vishwas Vidyaranya, Technical Director, Value Investment, Colombia, said it was important to link circular economy with waste management while promoting public health.

Vidyaranya called for establishment of effective, sustained and decentralised waste management modules that created jobs and wealth while targeting alternatives that would promote healthy environment.

Speaking on the topic, “Green Recovery and Waste Management“, he said that challenges of the COVID-19 was going to open up huge business opportunities which Nigeria should not miss out on.

He said that economic prosperity of emerging mega cities usually increased pressure on waste management infrastructure but noted that it usually created opportunities in the various waste value chains which developing countries were not exploring.

The expert explained that organic wastes were easier to manage and Lagos State could leverage on its huge population to begin to use the ones from millions of households to produce various useful products.

He said that Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa generated more organic wastes which were easy to manage with Lagos accounting for the highest.

“Lagos in Nigeria generates the largest waste, about one kilogramme per person daily,’’ he said.

Vidyaranya said that sustainability in investment drive could lead to massive post-COVID-19 global economic recovery through investments in the wastes value chains.

“It is important to go for green recovery; green energy could drive COVID-19 recovery with 100 trillion dollars boost. Speeding up investments could deliver huge gains to global GDP by 2050 while tackling climate change emergency,’’ he said.

He highlighted the importance of exploring the business, scientific and engineering opportunities in nature preservation and conservation.

Dr Neeraj Mannie, Executive Director, Munch Innovation (Pty) Ltd., South Africa, called on businesses to focus more on manufacturing products less destructive to the environment.

Mannie explained that manufacturing environment-friendly products would promote sustainability, saying that there should always be consideration for adding value to nature.

“Nature does provide us with capital to use and not abuse,’’ he said.

He said that nature was constantly creating opportunities for new businesses but stressed the need for adoption of green business models that would not further degrade the environment.

On her part, Dr Tania Li Cheng, an expert from Portugal, suggested the need to monetise natural resources and find a balance between profit-making and preservation of the biodiversity.

She cited farmers and fishermen as examples of those who used pesticides to destroy soil or overfish to destabilise aquatic biodiversity.

“It is a challenge but it is possible to make plans that respect both our bio-diversities, communities and economies,’’ Cheng said.

She called for interdisciplinary solutions to environmental problems with experts in various fields coming together to protect most of the world’s endangered aquatic species.