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Category: Politics

  • VVF centre treats 15,000 patients

    VVF centre treats 15,000 patients

    The Laure Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) Centre in Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano, has successfully treated 15,000 fistula survivors in the state from 1987 till date.

    The Coordinator of the centre, Dr Amir Imam-Yola, made this known at the commemoration of the 2023 International Day to End Obstetric Fistula (IDEOF) on Tuesday at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital Kano.

    The day was designed in 2013 by the United Nations General Assembly with a view to create greater awareness globally about obstetric fistula and intensify actions toward eradicating the problem.

    Every year on May 23, the global community celebrates the day, fixed by the United Nations (UN) to appreciate the struggles of women living with the condition.

    Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) or Obstetric Fistula, also known as fistula, is a childbirth complication which leads to abnormal opening between the bladder and the vagina, causing continuous and unremitting urinary incontinence.

    The condition is among the most distressing complications of gynecologic and obstetric procedures; however, it can be repaired through surgery.

    Some common causes of VVF are obstructed or prolonged labour, lack of prompt access to medical care, and poverty in some cases, as well as unsafe obstetric or gynecological surgery.

    The condition can cause discomfort, and if left untreated, it may cause serious bacterial infection, which may result to sepsis, a dangerous condition that can lead to low blood pressure, organ damage or even death.

    The theme of this year’s celebration is “20 years on – progress but not enough! Act now to end Fistula by 2030.’’

    Imam-Yola, therefore, said “the centre provides activities such as fistula repair, advocacy, prevention of fistula activity, training, documentation and research opportunities.’’

    He urged the state government to provide drugs and rehabilitation centre for fistula survivors.

    On his part, the Executive Director, Fistula Foundation Nigeria (FFN), Mr Isa Musa, said obstetric fistula is a public health issue in Nigeria with the country having the largest burden of untreated women and girls.

    He said “without treatment, fistula can severely impact a woman’s health and well-being.

    “We have an estimated 332,000 women awaiting treatment, compounded by annual incidence of 13,000 new cases.’’

    He called on the Kano State Government to make free fistula care services a priority, especially provision for training of additional indigenous doctors and nurses on surgical management of fistula.

    He also urged the government to upgrade the Laure Fistula Centre with additional wards (bed capacity), saying that the centre initially had 48 beds but was now left with only 10 beds.

    He requested for the provision of equipment and other supplies to improve the physical, social and vocational aptitude of women affected with fistula.

    Musa commended Prof Idris Suleiman of AKTH, Dr Amir Imam-Yola and the team for providing continuous fistula repair services at the centre.

    Dr Zahra’u Muhammad-Umar, the Kano State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, said the state government had done a lot in the provision of welfare packages to survivors of fistula and in terms of their feeding, shelter, clothing and empowerment.

    The ministry also presented the award of excellence to the executive director of FFN and other doctors for their contributions toward ending fistula.

    Maryam Adam, who spoke on behalf of the survivors, said she had been struggling and managing VVF for 12 years and had done 10 surgeries.

    She said “My husband divorced me and married another woman, I have been going from one hospital to another in search of cure.

    “Before, I pass urine and faeces uncontrollably, but now I only urinate at a minimal level. There is an improvement.

    “I was also trained as a tailor, which helped me in getting medication and have remarried for two years despite my condition.

    “I thank God and thank Fistula Foundation Nigeria.’’

     

  • Ugwuanyi directs political appointees to hand over before May 26

    Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has directed all political appointees in the state to hand over on or before May 26, ahead of the expiration of the second tenure of his administration on May 29.

    This is contained in a statement by Ugwuanyi’s Special Aide, Mr Louis Amoke in Enugu.

    The directive was conveyed through the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Simon Ortuanya, when the SSG met with Heads of Boards, Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions in his office in Abuja Building and Government House, Enugu.

    Prof Ortuanya listed the affected political appointees to include all Commissioners of Ministries, Special Advisers (SPAs) to the Governor, Chief Executive Officers of Government-owned Companies, Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) and Special Assistants (SAs) to the governor.

    Others are Technical Assistants to the Governor, Technical Assistants to Commissioners, Technical Assistants to Special Advisers and Technical Assistants to Enugu State House of Assembly Members.

    Others are Board Chairmen and Board Members of Government-owned Companies, Executive Secretaries of Parastatals or Government-owned Companies, and State Project Coordinators of World Bank-Assisted Projects.

    The SSG said “The above-mentioned political appointees are to hand over their affairs to the Permanent Secretary or Director of Administration or Director of Personnel Management, as the case may be.”

    The state government also directed all civil servants holding political positions to return to their parent ministries.

    Prof. Ortuanya explained that the decision was in line with established procedure, as the second tenure of Governor Ugwuanyi expires on May 29, 2023.

    “Enugu State Government expresses gratitude and sincere appreciation for the contributions you have rendered towards the development of the state.

     “The state wishes you well in your future endeavours,” he added.

  • FMC Keffi conducts open heart surgeries on 14 indigent patients

    Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa has described as a rare feat the open heart surgeries which the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Keffi, Nasarawa had on 14 indigent pediatric patients suffering from different heart ailments.

    Sule, in his remarks on Monday after a tour of the operation theatre and the intensive care unit, lauded the management of hospital.

    Represented by his deputy, Dr Emmanuel Akabe,  the governor called for the feat to be sustained.

    “I am quite impressed with what I heard and what I have seen. I have thanked the team handling this project for what they are doing in Nasarawa State.

    The governor, who called for more collaboration with other organisations to complement government’s effort in healthcare delivery, said that his administration would support the health facility to enable it to succeed.

    Similarly, Dr Yahaya Adamu,  the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the medical centre, said the project, which started on April 28, 2023, would be concluded on May 26 with more surgeries to be carried out.

    He, however, said that so far 14 surgeries had been successfully done on 14 indigent paediatric patients suffering from varying heart diseases.

    The CMD appreciated “Hospitals For Humanity“, an international non-governmental organisation, for collaborating with the hospital in carrying out the surgeries.

    He also praised the combined efforts of paediatric surgeons, nurses and other health specialists in the health centre for the success achieved so far.

    “This is the second phase of the project. We started the first phase on April 28. The team that did the first set of surgeries came from Saudi Arabia. They were volunteers, they did theirs and left.

    “Now we have a second set of team from the US and India. So far, in this second phase we have done five surgeries. In the first phase we did nine surgeries. We hope to do more before the project is concluded on May 26,” he said.

    Adamu explained that the ailments suffered by the patients included various anomalies within the heart, as well as both simple and complex cases.

    He listed the diseases to include ventricular septal defect, double chamber right ventricle and a patient who had a device placed somewhere in his body but moved to his heart.

    Adamu said that the medical centre planned to collaborate with the state government and well-meaning Nigerians to fund the project.

    He also said that there were plans by the health centre to develop capacity through periodical heart surgeries thereby affording the surgeons the opportunity to perfect the skills learnt from foreign partners for the benefit of Nigerians.

    Meanwhile, Dr Myna Shegos, Executive Director, Hospitals for Humanity, Geogia, US disclosed that the organisation had been in Nigeria since 2021.

    Shegos explained that the organisation  had been operating in the Garki General Hospital, Abuja; Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Plateau;  Ibom Specialist Hospital and University of Uyo Teaching Hospital; Akwa Ibom State.

    She said that the organisation was focused on providing free pediatric open heart surgeries and cardiac catheterisation for children.

  • Fight for the unity, security of Idoma- AVM Toni Adokwu

    Fulani herders have lefts trails of tears and blood in Benue State

    Bothered by the rising spate of killings orchestrated by suspected herders, Air Vice Marshall Toni Adokwu (rtd) has charged the Idoma, at whatever position of significance, to fight for the unity and security of the Idoma nation. 

    Stressing that no one deserves to be killed extra-judicially, AVM Adokwu, who spoke in Otukpo at the weekend, after being inaugurated for another term of two years as the President of Ochetoha K’Idomo, called on Idoma from all walks of life to close ranks and fight to keep their enemies at bay. 

    The leader of all Socio-Cultural Unions of Idoma nationwide observed that without unity and focus on the common purpose, all efforts to secure the land and attain progress and general well-being of the people may never materialize.

    There have been several reports of incidences of mass killings in several parts of Benue state, mid into the current Fourth Republic. The epicenter of the gory incidents had been Agatu and Apa Local Government Areas in the South of Benue State.

    After a brief lull, the ugly episodes resumed last April, just immediately after the General elections, when about 51 indigenes were murdered at Umogidi Entekpa, a village in Otukpo Local Government by daredevil terrorists suspected to be Fulani militia.

    The killings are however not limited to the Idoma-speaking part of Benue state but spread right across the state.

    Unfortunately, the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari is accused of not doing enough to curtail the orgy of herders/farmers’ clashes that have persisted in the lush green grassland of the Middle Belt of Nigeria.

    Ochetoha K’Idoma, and other ethnically based Non-Governmental Organisations like Afenifere, for the Yoruba or Ohaneze Nd’Igbo have gained prominence in the past eight years of the Buhari Presidency, following a sudden rise in herders’ violent attacks on indigenous rural, farming communities, nationwide.

  • 2023 Hajj: Kwara to airlift 1st batch of pilgrims May 26

    The Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has said the first batch of intending pilgrims from the state will be airlifted to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on May 26.

    The Executive Secretary of the board, Alhaji Abdulsalam Abdukadri, announced this while speaking during the enlightenment programme for intending pilgrims held at Gerewu in Adewole Area, Ilorin.

    He said that the distribution of bags and uniforms would begin on May 24.

    The executive scribe added that the pilgrims would be vaccinated on May 23.

    Abdulkadri advised the intending pilgrims to be law-abiding and have good intentions of going there to serve God.

    He however warned them against engaging in acts capable of tarnishing Nigeria’s image.

    “We enjoin you to avoid fighting with anybody, avoid indecent dressing and avoid the use of abusive words in the holy land,” he said.

    Dr Abdulkadir Sambaki also advised intending pilgrims to be law-abiding and conscious of Allah in all their undertakings while in Nigeria and the holy land.

    “They should abide by the law of Nigeria and Saudi Arabia authorities because there is no room for disobedience for all intending pilgrims,” he said.

    He said that 3,740 pilgrims would perform this year’s Hajj from the state.

    The Officer in-charge of the state National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Ilorin airport, Hajia Abibat Babaita, also cautioned them not to go to Saudi Arabia with illicit drugs.

    She urged them not to go to Saudi Arabia with contraband drugs like cocaine, lexotan and tramadol, among others.

    Babaita said that any intending pilgrim on recommended drugs should come with a doctor’s prescription and not go with a commercial quantity.

    In his lecture, the Grand Khadi of Kwara, Justice Abdullateef Kamaldeen, advised all intending pilgrims to return any property kept in their care before going to Saudi Arabia, saying that returning from the journey is in the hands of God.

    Kamaldeen also urged them to pay off their debts or put them on record for their families to see before leaving for the holy land in case of any incident so that the family will repay the debt.

    The Grand Khadi also enjoined them to settle any misunderstanding they have with anybody before going to perform the Hajj.

  • Police arrest 2 notorious criminals, recover 48 mobile phones

    Katsina State Police Command has announced the arrest of two notorious criminals, locally known as Kauraye, who burgled a shop and stole 48 mobile phones.

    The Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Gambo Isah, made the disclosure in a statement on Friday in Katsina.

    He said that the suspects, Abubakar Haruna, 23, and Ibrahim Sani, 22, were arrested in Katsina based on credible intelligence.

    Isa alleged that the suspects conspired with one Tayi, now at large and burgled a mobile phone dealer’s shop at Tsohuwar Tasha, Katsina, and stole the 48 mobile phones found in their possession.

    He claimed that the suspects had confessed to the offence, and said they wanted to dispose of the stolen phones in a neighbouring country.

    The Command spokesman said the two suspects and others still at large, would be traced, apprehended and prosecuted.

  • Fire guts FCTA ICT Unit

    A minor fire incident has occurred at the server room of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Unit of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

    The Director, Information and Communication, FCT, Malam Muhammad Sule, made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

    Sule explained that the fire incident was as a result of electric power surge at about 8pm, Thursday May 18th.

    He said the incident, which partially affected the server room, was contained in less than 15 minutes by the combined efforts of Federal and FCT fire services, and security men on duty.

    “The Administration wishes to assure its clientele that the incident will not in any way interfere with its daily operations as there exists adequate redundancy.

    “To this end, there is no cause for alarm as the incident will not in any way hinder the smooth operations of the ICT Unit nor any function of the Administration.

    “The Administration wishes to use this medium to commend the prompt intervention of the gallant officers of the FCT and Federal Fire Service officials for their prompt response and action.”

  • We collected N58.1bn revenue in 2022, not N77.1bn – KADIRS

    We collected N58.1bn revenue in 2022, not N77.1bn – KADIRS

    The Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS) has refuted the Auditor General Report on IGR which put the revenue generated by the state in 2022 at N77.1 billion.

    The Executive Chairman of the service, Dr Zaid Abubakar refuted the figure in a statement in Kaduna on Thursday.

    He said that the actual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for 2022 was N58.1 billion.

    The Citizens Accountability Report (CAR) on the implementation of the 2022 budget claimed that the government generated N77.1 billion IGR in 2022.

    According to the report disseminated to citizens on May 10, the N77.1 billion represents 87.1 per cent of the N88.5 billion targeted IGR for the year.

    CAR is a series of graphic and tabular illustrations of the content of the Audited Financial Statements prepared by the State Audit Office for citizens, to ensure accountability of public funds.

    The accountability report is based on the 2022 financial year and reports on state budget, revenue, and expenditure.

    Similarly, the 2022 4th Quarter Budget Performance Report, produced by the Office of Accountant General with support of the State Planning and Budget Commission, puts the IGR figure at N59.98 billion.

    According to the report, published on the Planning and Budget website in Jan. 2023, the N59.98 billion represents 80.5 per cent of the N74.5 billion IGR target for the year.

    Abubakar, however, said that the reports citing IGR collection figure for 2022 different from N58.1billion did not emanate from the authorised agency of the Kaduna State Government and should be disregarded.

    He said that the Kaduna state has maintained a steady trajectory of growth in its IGR – N44.9 billion in 2019, N50.8 billion in 2020, N52.9 billion in 2021 and N58.1 billion in 2022.

    “These remarkable strides owe much to the legal and institutional reforms undertaken since 2015 to strengthen the ability to collect revenues and to block leakages.

    “The Tax Codification and Consolidation Law enacted by Gov. Nasir El-Rufai Government appointed the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS) as the sole collector of government revenues.

    “It also outlines all the taxes and levies payable in the state and prohibits the cash collection of revenue by any public officer.

    “These efforts have been remarkably successful, quadrupling the IGR from less than N13 billion in 2015 to N52.9 billion in 2021 and rising to N58.1 billion in 2022,” the chairman said.

    The KADIRS boss noted that the unprecedented levels of IGR collection in the state have been a notable feature of the El-Rufai administration.

    According to him, the reforms that led to the successes in IGR have created a viable platform for the incoming government to build on for further progress in expanding state revenues.

    Reacting to the conflicting 2022 IGR figures released by different government agencies, Mr Yusuf Goje, a public finance analyst described the development as “very disturbing”.

    Goje blamed part of the problem to the unrealistic budget of the government, leading to suspicion on the credibility of published budget performance data.

    He said the development shows lack of synergy and coordination around data management among relevant government agencies.

    Goje stressed that if KADIRS refuted the Budget Performance Report and Auditor General Report on IGR, “then it means someone is fabricating the data. Who could this be?

    “This calls for reform on information management such that responsible government agencies would validate all data before it would be made public,” he said.

    According to him, putting out conflicting data by different government agencies only deepens citizens’ suspicion on published government data.

    “This is disturbing because the essence of the Open Government Partnership that the state government signed unto is for citizens to have accurate and unquestionable data.

    “When we are talking about transparency, we are talking about data that is usable for citizens to effectively engage the governance process.

    “This conflicting data has cast a doubt on the credibility of official government data.”

    Goje called on the government to urgently explain the situation to rebuild citizens’ confidence on available government data.