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  • Applauding the Godwin Obla Foundation Kidney Centre in Benue 

    The date was January 20, 1961, and the occasion was the inauguration of the 35th President of the United States.

    After taking his oath of office, the young incoming President John F. Kennedy called out to his people- “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” 

    This call continues to resonate with every patriotic citizen with a commendable sense of “civic action and public service”.

    Last April 17, 2023 was a memorable day in the ancient city of Otukpo, the traditional headquarters of the Idoma nation, Benue South Senatorial District. Long neglected by succession administrations at both federal and state levels, Otukpo town is currently enjoying some reawakening in infrastructure, following the siting of a Federal University of Health Sciences (FUHS) by President Muhammadu Buhari. 

    Further to the flurry of amenities that are being put in place to support the effective takeoff of the university, a private individual made a humongous intervention of a magnitude never witnessed in the annals of individual philanthropic gestures in Idomaland, if not the entire Benue State.

    This was the commissioning of an ultramodern Kidney/Dialysis Centre, built and equipped by the GODWIN OBLA FOUNDATION, initiated and funded by Chief Godwin Odumu Obla, SAN, in furtherance of his ceaseless philanthropic giving-back-to-the-society Program, and donated to the Teaching Hospital of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo. 

    Some of the dialysis machines at the centre

    It was a day of sober reflections, a day of long but inactive political knives, a day of nostalgic regrets, and a day of hope, as well as a day of appreciation. Indeed, it was a day of mixed emotions. Most of all, 17th April 2023 would go down as a day of realization and challenges. 

    The premises of the former General Hospital, where the Centre is located, is a colourful beehive of activities as people from far and near thronged the venue to appreciate Chief Godwin Odumu Obla, the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria from Benue South Senatorial District for his show of love towards his late wife, expressed in his determination to provide such needed health care facilities, the absence of which led to her untimely demise.

    The JUDITH OGWA OBLA KIDNEY CENTRE is named after Chief Godwin Obla’s wife who passed on in the United States of America on 21st March, 2022, due to complications arising from a protracted battle with diabetes which resulted in kidney failure.

    Her passing on to eternal glory was a glaring manifestation of the unacceptable gap between health facilities in Nigeria and other more advanced societies, prompting her husband to promise a well-equipped health Centre for his people back home. 

    For a man who has always regarded a promise to be a debt, Chief Obla pulled all available resources together and within four months the Centre became ready for handover, Project fully completed and appropriately equipped and furnished. Apart from handing over the state-of-the-art KIDNEY CENTRE to FUHSO’s Council, the Vice Chancellor of the first Federal Government-established Medical University, Prof Innocent Ujah, had a memorable 17th April 2023, as an avalanche of academic endowments totaling N40 million naira was thrust at FUHSO, still by the GODWIN OBLA FOUNDATION. 

    Some of these included the Judith Ogwa Obla Prize for Best Graduating Student in Nephrology; Joseph Elagbaje Obla Snr Prize (to honor his late father) for Best Graduating Student in Internal Medicine; GODWIN ODUMU OBLA Prize for Best Graduating Student in Urology; and Dr Idoko Edwin Obe Prize for Best Overall Graduating Student (in memory of the first Idoma Medical Doctor).

    Each of the four endowments is to attract an annual cash gift of not less than a million naira. 

    The GODWIN OBLA FOUNDATION and FUHSO signed agreement papers to legitimize the handover, which also included the public presentation of the real bank cheques to Prof Innocent Ujah. 

    The Director General of GODWIN OBLA FOUNDATION, Elder Michael Uba Obande, JP, had, in his speech while welcoming dignitaries to the historic occasion, given a brief exposition on the FOUNDATION which is committed to upholding the biblical Good Samaritan principle of extending assistance to the needy. He told the audience that GODWIN OBLA FOUNDATION has already impacted lives positively through its Projects in such areas as the Benue Judiciary, St Francis College, Wesley High School, and New Vision Institute of Technology (all in Otukpo).

    The mammoth crowd which witnessed the great event included Benue State Deputy Governor Benson Abounu, Deputy Governor-elect Sam Ode, Distinguished Senator Abba Moro, House of Reps Member Ottah Agbo, Och’Idoma V, Catholic Bishop Michael Apochi and other members of the clergy as well as members of both Obla and Ugbo families.

    The Obla, the centre benefactor had advised the Vice Chancellor of the university, Innocent Ujah, a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, to set up a team of eminent medical professionals based in the US to fashion out “a proper clinical governance structure.”

    To ensure staff discipline, Mr. Obla said Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras would be installed at the centre to capture medical personnel activities as they relate to patients’ care.

    He explained that the facility would serve as a research and training centre to assist government in planning, policy and decision-making.

  • N300m FG projects in progress – Tracka

    Three Federal Government projects worth N289.5 million are currently going well, according to three different reports on the projects by Tracka.

    Nigerian Anchor reports that the projects include: Procurement and Installation of 300KVA Transformer at Umueze Eziala Obizi, Ezinihitte, Imo State; Construction & Furnishing of General Hospital with Solar Inverter & Borehole in Lemu, Gbako LGA, Niger State; and Construction of Solar Streetlights in Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Constituency, also in Niger State.

    Reporting on the N8.5 million project in Imo State, Tracka said that the residents are pleased with the project..

    “N8.5m was allocated to the Procurement and Installation of 300KVA Transformer at Umueze Eziala Obizi, Ezinihitte, Imo (State) in the 2022 FG Budget.

    “We tracked and report that the transformer has been installed, and now serving the community.

    “Residents say the power supply has improved compared to when they had only 1 transformer,” it tweeted on its official handle @TrackaNG on Thursday.

    On the health care project in Niger State, Tracka noted that the project is ongoing at a slow pace.

    Tracka also reported that the contractor of the N94 million project has not been seen on-site since February 2023.

    “N94m was allocated to the Construction & Furnishing of General Hospital with Solar Inverter & Borehole in Lemu, Gbako LGA, Niger (State) in the 2022 FG Budget.

    “We report that the project is ongoing but at a slow pace and the contractor has not been seen on-site since February 2023. This is the third year since the project started.

    “We urge the @NphcdaNG (National Primary Health Care Development Agency), the implementing agency, to ensure the project is completed in due time to cater to the resident’s health needs,” it tweeted.

    Tracka reported that the N187 million electricity project in Niger State has delivered 100 streetlights installation so far.

    “N187m was allocated to the Construction of Solar Streetlights in Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Const., Niger in the 2022 FG Budget.

  • Concession of Abuja, Kano airports will generate $800 –Minister

    Concession of Abuja, Kano airports will generate $800 –Minister

    The concessioning of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano will fetch about $800 million for the Federal Government.

    The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who dropped the hint, said that the concessioning of the two international airports was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

    Sirika said the Abuja and Kano airports would be concessioned for 20 years and 30 years, respectively, by the Corporación America Airports (CAA). 

    He also said the approval was part of the Ministry’s roadmap aimed at putting the nation’s assets under concession rather than privatisation.

    The concession, he said, would generate $797.4 million (N368.8 billion) as fees and taxes from the concessionaire.

    “Put together, it is about $800 million. And this is equal to the amount of money that we borrowed to build those four airports.

    “The consortium that won the bid is Mssr Corporación America Airports consortium and in the consortium, they have Mssr Mota-Engil Africa and Mssr Mota-Engil Nigeria and this is through a PPP, and it’s for 20 years for Abuja, and 30 years for Kano,” he said.

    Speaking further on revenue expected from the deal, Sirika gave a breakdown of the amounts payable to the government as fees and taxes. 

    “The concession fees or upfront fees for Abuja is $7 million while $1.5 million will be given for Kano. The fixed concession fee is $401.2 million for Abuja and fixed fees for Kano is $21 million. 

    “The variable costs concession fee is $154 million for Abuja, and $26.9 million for Kano. Tax $111.2 million for Abuja and $42.7 million for Kano. The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) supervision fees for Abuja is $16.4 million and $5.3 million for Kano.

    “So, the total amount of money that is accruing to the government is $700 million for Abuja and then $97.4 million for Kano,” he added.

    Sirika also said the aforementioned fees are different from the direct fees the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) would continue to earn from passenger service charges, which is projected to be $4 billion (N1.84 trillion).

  • Name Change: Ministry of Aviation now Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace

    The Ministry of Aviation will now be known as the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.

    This was disclosed on Thursday in a statement on the Ministry’s Twitter handle @fmaviationng.

    According to the statement, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the change of nomenclature of the Federal Ministry of Aviation to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace with immediate effect.

    “The new nomenclature is in line with the nature of the sector, being under the exclusive management and regulation of the Federal Government,” the statement added.

  • Presidential Tribunal: Tinubu, APC, INEC kick against live coverage

    *Say the Court is not a theatre, crusade, or Big Brother Naija

    The Presidential Election Petition Court sitting in Abuja has reserved ruling on the request of PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Abubakar Atiku for live telecast of his petition challenging the declaration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as winner.

    The court reserved the ruling on the matter to a later date which is to be communicated to the parties after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) all kicked against the application.

    Arguing his brief, counsel to the applicant, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), posited that “the matter is of national importance and public interest, involving citizens and voters in the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, who voted and participated in the said election; including the International Community who have regards to the workings of Nigeria’s Electoral Process”. 

    Therefore, Uche relied on and adopted his written addresses and replies to point of law as his arguments and prayed to the court for an order allowing the live coverage of the proceeding given its monumental national importance, as well as an order directing the modality for its implementation.

    “The nation is interested in the matter and we have nothing to suppress. We urge you to consider the issues raised.

    “The fact that it has not been done before does not mean it cannot be done now. Recall the Oputa Panel was broadcasted live and the nation benefited from it.

    “If the results of the election were not transmitted live, at least let the proceeding be transmitted live,” he said.

    In their arguments, the Respondents, in their separate objections, insisted that the solemn nature of the court would be put in jeopardy if granted.

    Tinubu, in his vehement objections raised by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), said that Atiku’s request was not only surprising but dangerous as it was capable of prejudicing the Court itself.

    Olanipekun prayed to discountenance Atiku’s move to turn the Court into a football stadium, a crusade ground a theatre, or a film ground where all manner of telecast could be permitted.

    He further asked the Court not to grant an order that it cannot be enforced or supervised, adding that the present moment is not the best time for such a request to be granted.

    Olanipekun warned that the request if granted could expose judicial officers to avoidable dangers and demanded that heavy costs be imposed on Atiku for making the request.

    “We urge you to dispose of the application with a cost. It is very intriguing and surprising that the motion was brought here. 

    “The court is not a theatre, stadium or crusade ground. We are here for serious business.

    “We pray my lords not to make an order he cannot enforce and supervise.”

    On his part, Counsel to the APC, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, faulted the request, adding that the facility and policy documents are not there for the application to be granted.

    He said that Atiku failed to disclose injuries he would suffer if the request was not granted, adding that at the moment, nobody, including Atiku had not complained of inadequate coverage of the proceedings so far.

    Fagbemi insisted that Atiku did not deserve to be granted the request, adding that the court proceeding is not Big Brother Naija. 

    “The application is annoying. This is the fifth time we are conducting presidential elections.

    “There is no allegation that there is no adequate coverage of the proceeding as required by law. 

    “There is a difference between a trial for the public and a trial in public. I adopted trial for public. It will be like opening a floodgate if my lords grant the request. This is not the Big Brother Naija that requires live coverage,” the APC lawyer submitted.

    Similarly, counsel to the INEC, Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud SAN said that Courtroom is for serious business and not a marketplace where anything goes, adding that the request for live coverage is unnecessary and uncalled for and should not be granted.

    Asking the court to dismiss the application, he described it as unnecessary, uncalled for and a move to defect the essence of the administration of justice.

    “The courtroom is for serious business and not a theatrics space.

    “We are very committed and serious and committed and do not want to be subjected to more pressure with cameras in our faces,” Mahmoud submitted.

    In the meantime, Justice Haruna Tsammani has reserved a ruling on whether to grant Atiku’s request or not.

  • US state of Montana bans TikTok

    Montana Governor, Greg Gianforte signed a bill into law

    Montana has become the first U.S. state to ban the Chinese-developed social media app TikTok, as its Republican Governor Greg Gianforte signed a bill into law.

    According to the Governor, the decision is to protect personal and private data from the owners whom are a Chinese company called ByteDance.

    “To protect Montanans’ personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party, I have banned Tiktok in Montana,” Gianforte tweeted after signing the bill.

    The new rule prohibits app stores from offering the video-sharing app from January 1, 2024 and prevents TikTok from operating as a business in the state.

    For those who violate and the social media platform is still available, app providers would have to pay a $10,000 fine.

    Users do not face a fine and those who already have the app on their own device are not affected.

    Lawsuits challenging the ban based on the right to freedom of expression are expected.

    Owned by Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok has already been banned on government-issued devices in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Britain and the U.S., amid cybersecurity concerns.

    The app has more than a billion users worldwide and is widely used in the U.S. and Europe, fuelling fears that Chinese authorities and secret services might use the app to collect information from users or to spread influence.

    The company has rejected such allegations.

  • Mexican woman jailed 6 years for killing her rapist

    Mexican woman jailed 6 years for killing her rapist

    An indigenous woman in Mexico was sentenced to six years and two months in prison for the murder of her rapist.

    The court acknowledged that the woman, named only as Roxana Ruiz, acted in self-defense when she killed her attacker in 2021, but said she used excessive force.

    The woman, 23, first knocked the man unconscious, then strangled him and finally tried to dismember his body.

    She kept the body for at least 20 hours before putting it in a plastic bag on the street.

    The court said that it took into consideration the woman’s “vulnerability as a woman and as an indigenous person” in its sentencing.

    “It was my life or his life,” the woman said. “I only wanted to defend my life from a rapist,” she said, adding that she acted out of fear.

    She can still appeal the verdict.

    The single mother from the southern state of Oaxaca is supported by women’s organizations.

    She had already spent nine months in pre-trial detention before being released for the duration of the trial.

  • Governors’ Wives commit to improved nutrition in Nigeria

    Chairperson of the NGWF, Mrs. Maryam Tambuwal

    The Nigeria Governors’ Wives Forum (NGWF) has pledged to change the narrative by working towards ensuring the prompt release of nutrition budgets in the 36 States of the Federation.

    The Chairperson of the NGWF, Mrs. Maryam Tambuwal, gave the pledge at a one-day National Conference on Women in Power held in Abuja.

    Tambuwal also pledged the forum’s commitment to the establishment of nutrition departments in state Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

    The governor’s wives also promised to champion the practice of exclusive breastfeeding and adoption of six months of paid maternity leave for working mothers, as well as empower more women and girls by providing them access to continuous education, Inclusion in decision-making, and economic opportunities.

    Tambuwal, who emphasized the importance of exclusive breastfeeding and why every child should have access to good nutrition, especially within the first 1000 days, noted that the Forum was paying attention to women in rural areas to ensure their children have access to good nutrition at the early phase of their lives.

    “We are calling for accountability in terms of funds allocated for nutrition. We will ensure that there is proper disbursement of funds meant for nutrition at the state level.

    “As governor’s wives, we are role models and would ensure that children have access to good nutrition”, she said.

    She further called for collaboration and partnerships among relevant ministries and agencies to ensure good nutrition at state levels.

    She charged mothers to ensure that their children have access to good nutrition, especially in the early phase of their lives.

    “We need to ensure that every child has access to good nutrition, especially within the first 1000 days. We are paying attention to women in the rural areas.

    Also speaking, the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen also called for an extension of paid maternity leave to six months for both private and public sector employees.

    Tallen said that promoting exclusive breastfeeding in the first 1000 days, from pregnancy to two years of age was critical to enable all children to live healthily.

    “Breast milk contributes to child brain development, increased intelligence, and lifelong productivity. The benefit of breastfeeding to both the mother, the child, and the society is quite enormous.

    ”It is essential to provide breastfeeding rooms, on-site crèches, and flexible work options to ensure baby-friendly workplaces. Empowering women and girls with education and resources to enable them to access optimal nutrition for themselves and their families”, she said.

    A doctor attends to a malnourished child at a refugee camp in Yola, Nigeria in 2015, after being rescued from captivity by Boko Haram fighters.

    The minister further added that the federal government is engaging in different initiatives to improve the nutrition indices in the country.

    “The ministry is among the five critical sectors identified to implement the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN) project.

    “It is an initiative by the Government of Nigeria with support from World Bank to increase the utilization of quality, cost-effective, and high-impact nutrition services for pregnant, lactating women, adolescent girls, and children under five years,” she said.

    Dr Mbang Kooffreh-Ada, Senior Lecturer, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, University of Calabar, said that women and girls traditionally eat last and have lower-quality food, often leading to poorer nutritional intake.

    “Under-nutrition in adolescent girls aged 15–19 years in Nigeria has been variously reported to range between 23 per cent and 58 per cent.

    Kooffreh-Ada said that socio-economic and dietary factors were the underlying determinants of under-nutrition in rural adolescents.

    “In some rural communities, negative social and cultural norms deny women and girls their right to good nutrition.

    “Women make up nearly half of the Nigerian population but remain underrepresented in policymaking, including on issues related to their health and wellbeing.

    “Stunting 37 percent, wasting 7.7 percent underweight 19.3 percent in children under five. Among Women of Reproductive ages, 38 percent of women over 18 years are overweight, 16 percent are obese, 55 percent anaemic, and 25 percent of women over 18 are diabetic,” she said.

    She said that malnutrition is a leading cause of death in children under five years old in the country

    “According to the Global Nutrition Report 2022 Nigeria Country Profile, only 56% of women aged 15-49 have minimally adequate dietary diversity (DHS 2018)

    “According to the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), the prevalence of anaemia among women aged 15-49 years in Nigeria is 29 per cent.

    The same NDHS report reveals that 7 per cent of women aged 15-49 years are underweight, and 11 per cent are overweight or obese,” she said.

    According to her, Girls are more likely to be malnourished than boys in Nigeria, with the prevalence of stunting and wasting being 38% and 7.7%, respectively, compared to boys’ 36.5% and 6.9%.

    She said that these statistics highlight the urgent need to address the nutrition situation in the country, with a particular focus on women’s and girls’ nutrition.

    She said that improving their nutrition status can have significant positive impacts on their health, education, and economic outcomes, which, in turn, can contribute to national development.

  • Aviation: Release $717.5m trapped funds, Senate tells CBN

    The Senate, on Wednesday, passed a resolution calling on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to release the sum of $717,478,606 in airline funds that are currently trapped in the country.

    The Upper Chamber also urged the CBN to allocate $25 million to airlines operating in Nigeria at its fortnightly dollar auction.

    These resolutions were made after considering a motion titled ‘Current Issues on airlines blocked funds in Nigeria’ sponsored by Senator Biodun Olujimi (PDP-Ekiti) during plenary.

    Olujimi who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation was represented by the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Bala Na’Allah (APC-Kebbi) who presented the motion on his behalf.

    The Red Chamber has urged the Federal Government to take immediate action to reverse the trend of increasing airlines blocked funds in Nigeria.

    It also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, to release the blocked funds to the affected airlines.

    Additionally, the Senate appealed to airlines operating in the country to refrain from withdrawing their services while efforts are underway to resolve the issue.

    Senator Na’Allah, who moved the motion, stated that since January 2021, Nigeria has been the most challenged country in the world for airlines to repatriate their funds to support their operations.

    In February, Nigeria alone accounted for 44 per cent of the total airlines blocked funds in the world.

    As of March, the total amount of airlines blocked funds in Nigeria was $717,478,606, which includes matured bids that the CBN has not yet delivered, bids that are yet to mature, and cash balances in airlines’ accounts for repatriation.

    He furthered that of the total amount of airlines blocked funds in Nigeria, matured bids that the CBN has not yet delivered accounted for $186.5 million, which is 26 per cent of the total blocked funds.

    Three stakeholders, IATA, Qatar Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines, accounted for 57 per cent of the total blocked funds.

    A review of the airlines’ blocked funds in Nigeria over the last six months indicates an average month-on-month increase of $49.3 million.

    The consequences of these blocked funds are that cheap tickets are not available in Nigeria because taxes and inflation will have eroded the profit when the funds are kept for a long period of time.

    As a result of the blocked funds, tickets in Nigeria have become very expensive and limited.

    Neighbouring countries are able to get cheaper tickets because they make prompt payments due to the prompt repatriation of funds.

    Senators supported the motion and voted to approve the prayers when they were put to a voice vote by Senate President, Ahmed Lawan.

  • Tears as FCT demolishes illegal structures in Gishiri

    Seventeen years, after the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) demolition team first visited Gishiri, a community within Katampe District of the Federal Capital City (FCC) as the FCT Administration (FCTA), the team, on Wednesday, made good a second visit to cleanse the area of bad eggs.

    The team moved its bulldozers into the area to carry out demolition of several illegal structures that were sitting on land meant for infrastructure development.

    Nigerian Anchor gathered that the structures had been marked in March, April and early May in 2023.

    But most of the residents, however, feigned ignorance of the several notices, feeling that it would never be carried out like it happened when the demolition team, first, visited in 2006.

    Since then, the residents continued to build on high power tension and water channels despite warnings from the government.

    Unknown to the residents, the demolition meant business on Wednesday, and they were caught unawares, as there was pandemonium and tears from the residents.

    “I parked into this area in March 2022, and just renewed my rent in March 2023, which cost N400,000.00. Where can I park now? If I had known, I wouldn’t have come to this area,” one of the female victims, who spoke under anonymity said.

    The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Minister of FCT on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah, said that the demolition was necessitated by the need to reclaim the place for infrastructure development.

    He said that the victims took advantage of the proximity of the area to the FCC, and flouted the Abuja Master Plan rules, turning the area into a haven for bad eggs.

    Attah regretted that some of the unauthorised structures in the area were hideouts for drug dealers and suspected criminals that terrorise mostly Maitama and Asokoro residents in the city.

    “We came here today to attack the triple illegalities associated with squatter settlements, the criminals’ den inside the cashew plantation in Gishiri, where we recovered cocaine and other hard drugs.

    “Although there were tears and lamentations, we are not done yet as we are just getting warm up in Gishiri, and this is the first time the bulldozers came into Gishiri, since the days of Mallam Nasiru Ahmed El-rufai as FCT Minister.

    “The team from Development Control is  firing from all cylinders, even as those of us who are political appointees are going, we are sure that when we leave, the team on ground is set to continue the city clean up exercise,” he said.

    The Director, the Department of Development Control, Murkhtar Galadima, after the demolition, said that the exercise, which was the mother of all demolitions, was to rid the city of illegal structures.

    “The clean-up exercise is to rid the city of illegal structures. When you see demolition like, this is because of the magnitude of illegal structures in this particular area. Over 10 years ago, we have been marking and removing (structures), but no headway. But today, we got a headway.

    “This area is a water pipeline corridor coming from lower Usman Dam to various tanks in town. Some of the buildings are on flood plain. This demolition is (the) mother of all demolitions because it contains everything. Any land that is not approved by Development Control is illegal, and therefore, will be removed,” he said.