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Health Watch Dialogues With Journalists To Strengthen Nigeria’s Epidemic Preparedness

Mercy Chukwudiebere
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Nigeria Health Watch has engaged Journalists in a three-day training on Strengthening Epidemic Preparedness and Response Reportage.

The event brought together media professionals from Online, TV, Radio and Print as well as stakeholders in the health sector to Abuja.

The workshop aimed to equip journalists with the needed information to report stories bothering on health security, especially in the area of epidemic prevention, response and funding.

The Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, Vivianne Ihekweazu, said Journalists have an essential voice in reporting infectious disease outbreaks in Nigeria.

She reiterated that “effective health communication is an integral part of health security, especially in epidemic preparedness and response.”

The Director, National Reference Laboratory, Mrs Olajumoke Babatunde reiterated the organisation’s determination to safeguard the health of Nigerians.

Mrs Babatunde said; “We are doing a lot to ensure we protect the health of Nigerians in terms of disease outbreak confirmation, surveillance, and response activities.”

She said; “Funding at all levels is crucial in health security especially when it comes to epidemic prevention and response. The lesson derived from the Covid-19 pandemic has shown that when it comes to an epidemic, it is not necessary if it happens. Therefore, the government at all levels must play a more active role in funding the health sector.”

The three-day event also included visits to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, the Nigeria Research Laboratory and the National Biosafety Management Agency, where journalists saw how the organisations handle health security, especially in the areas of surveillance, prevention and response to the epidemic in Nigeria.

 

 

Mercy Chukwudiebere

Sheroes Cup: Dannaz, Eletu, others record early victories

Emmanuel Ukoh
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The opening day of the 2023 Sheroes Cup for Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) championship clubs, organised by Ratels Sports Development Foundation (RSDF) witnessed goals galore as all participating sides tested action on Monday, April 3.

At the Old Parade Ground and Area 3 venues in Abuja, a total of four matches were decided with four clubs pulling kick-off victories, out of eight of them.

In the first two encounters from both groups A and B, Delta Babes suffered a 1-3 defeat against Dannaz Ladies, just as Prince Kazeem Eletu edged Honey Badgers 2-1.

Later on, Imo strikers thumped Paul E Football Academy 3-0.

The match between Dream Stars and Nazareth Queens ended 1-0 in favour of the former.

On Tuesday, action will continue with Honey Badgers taking on Imo Strikers at Old Parade Ground Area 10.

At the same venue, Paul E will trade tackles with Prince Kazeem Eletu side later on.

Inside Area 3 playground, Dannaz Ladies will face Dream Stars, while Nazareth Queen’s battle Delta Babes thereafter.

Women’s football development 

Earlier, during a short kick-off ceremony with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) executive board member, Rt. Hon Margaret Icheen as special guest, RSDF President Barr. Paul Edeh underscored the import of the pre-season tournament.

He said, “It’s our desire to always provide this platform to enable clubs that might have recruited new players the opportunity to access them in order to get ready for the new season.”

Also speaking, Rt. Hon. Icheen while commending the initiative, reiterated the readiness of NFF to partner with stakeholders in ensuring continuous women’s football development in the country.

Each participating club had received a feeding allowance and free accommodation, courtesy of RSDF, with FCT Football Association secretary coach Haruna Ilerika as organising chairman.

At the end of the competition, winners are expected to smile home with at least N500,000, while runners-up and the third-best team will pocket N300,000 and N200,000 respectively.

Sheroes Cup which transformed from Flying Officer’s Cup is in its 5th edition with mainly NWFL Premiership and Championship clubs taking part.

 

 

 

 

Emmanuel Ukoh

Nigeria’s Anti-graft Agency Secures Conviction of Internet Fraudsters

Dominica Ijeoma Nwabufo
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The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC has secured the conviction and sentencing of three cybercriminals.

 

The criminals are Salaudeen Yunusa Olamilekan, Tobiloba Isiah Seyi Adams and Toheeb Olalekan Adeleye.

 

A statement by the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, says while Olamilekan and Adams were convicted and sentenced to various jail terms before Justice Mohammed Owolabi of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan; Justice A.A. Babawale of the Ogun State High Court, sitting in Abeokuta, convicted Adeleye.

 

The convicts were prosecuted by the EFCC between March 6 and March 30, 2023, on separate one-count charges. They all pleaded “guilty” when the charges were read to them.

 

Consequently, prosecution counsels reviewed the facts of the cases, tendered several documents that were admitted in evidence and urged the courts to convict and sentence the defendants as charged.

 

While Adeleye was convicted and sentenced to one-year imprisonment, Salaudeen was convicted and sentenced to a fine of N40,000. Adams was convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment. He was, however, given an option of a fine of N50,000 only.

 

The courts ordered that the convicts restitute their victims and forfeit all items recovered from them to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

 

Dominica Nwabufo

 

NGO seeks to partner with Commission on Executive Training

Dominica Ijeoma Nwabufo
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The Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria SCGN is seeking to partner with Nigerian Communications Commission NCC on specialised and industry-specific training for Executives and the Board of Directors in the telecom industry.

The NGO made this known, when it paid a courtesy visit to NCC, in Abuja, Nigeria

 

The President of SCGN, Mohammad Ahmad, represented by Tijjani Borodo, a Director and a fellow of the society, said that the NGO would also like to partner in the area of capacity-building initiatives for the sector.

 

“The Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria would like to partner with the Commission on capacity-building initiatives for the sector and the organisations regulated by the Commission.

 

“The Society hereby expresses her interest to partner with the Commission on Specialised and industry-specific training for Executives, Board of Directors, and the Executive Management of organisations in the Telecommunications industry around Board Leadership, Governance and sustainability.

 

“The Society would like to express her interest in collaborating with the Commission to sensitise and create awareness of the guideline within the sector and organisations regulated by the Commission.

 

We can provide a framework for compliance and reporting the anticipated corporate governance guideline.”

 

Ahmad said that the partnership was to promote good corporate governance and foster best practices in the communications sector and the country.

 

“We strongly believe that the partnership will strengthen the commission’s position as a promoter of good corporate governance and setting an example to other regulators as a champion of excellence and progress,” he said.

 

In his response, NCC’s Executive Vice-Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, represented by the Executive Commissioner Stakeholders Management Mr Adeleke Adewolu said the visit was one of great importance for several reasons.

 

Danbatta said that the SCGN and the Commission had had a fruitful professional relationship, adding that the NGO is instrumental in the development of the telecommunications Industry Code of Corporate Governance issued by the NCC in 2014.

 

He said that it was a pioneer Code, which was carefully designed to enhance governance in the Nigerian communications industry and which led to the development of similar instruments by other sectors.

 

He said NCC commenced the development of Guidelines for the communications sector, adding that members of the SCGN have been part of that process.

 

He said the NCC had recognised that critical elements of its statutory mandate could only be realised when sector players adhere to the best corporate governance and ethical standards.

 

“This is why we pioneered the development of sectoral Corporate Governance Codes and this is why we insist on the highest possible governance and ethical standards for our licensees.

 

“This is also why we consider it of utmost importance to strengthen our relationship with stakeholders like the SCGN.”

 

He said one of the most important strategies that the NCC had adopted was to harness stakeholder’s views in the development of its regulatory interventions.

 

Danbatta also said that SCGN, in its role as a frontline advocacy group for sound governance and ethical business conduct, had been a worthy partner of the Commission.

 

He said that the Commission looked forward to many more years of fruitful professional relationships with the SCGN and its members at large.

 

Chief Executive Officer, SCGN, Mrs Chioma Mordi, said that the NGO had corporate membership, which spread corporate governance across various sectors.

 

Mordi called on the NCC to be a part of the Society for continuous access to information in corporate governance both locally and internationally.

 

According to SCGN, it is committed to developing and promoting corporate governance best practices and business ethics founded by Prof. Fabian Ajogwu.

 

The Society has collaborated with some institutions to develop sectorial corporate governance codes and guidelines as well as organise capacity-building training for their sectors and industries.

 

Dominica Nwabufo

2023 Polls: Nigeria Admonishes International Media To Eschew Misinformation

Lateefat Ibrahim
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The Nigerian government has admonished the international media to stop re-reporting false, fake and misleading content about the country’s 2023 general elections as harvested from social media and other questionable sources.

 

 

This was disclosed by the country’s information and culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Monday, in Washington DC after several meetings and engagements with selected  international media outfits.

 

Unnecessary tension

Speaking with reporters who accompanied him on the trip, the Minister accused the opposition political parties, their candidates and the naysayers for causing unnecessary tension in the country’s polity and warned that they stop threatening the country’s peace and stability.

 

He said losing an election does not warrant a true democrat to tag the election as fraudulent.

 

Alhaji Lai Mohammed described the actions and comments of the the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates of the Labour party in particular as undemocratic and dangerous to the polity and country’s unity.

 

“We have observed that misleading narratives have been promoted by naysayers and opposition elements. They have been asking for the elections to be canceled. In another breath, some were even calling for an interim government. These are generally inciting comments and very undemocratic.”

 

Most transparent 

Alhaji Lai Mohammed who remarked that he was in the USA to counter and balance the false narrative about the election, affirmed that the 2023 election was one of the fairest, freest and most transparent  in the history of the country.

 

“On day one of my official visit, we have been able to meet with four major international media organisations notably the Washington Post, Foreign Policy magazine, the  Associated Press and Voice of America and the message was clear, the opposition were not sport manly in the contest. The opposition are misrepresenting the facts on ground.”

 

The Minister said the election stood out because of the introduction of a technology.

 

“Also the resolve of Mr President to leave behind, a legacy of free and fair election all contributed to the standards  recorded as he created a level playing ground for the election to take place.”

 

The indicators are there. The ruling party lost the President’s state, the party chairman’s state, the state of the President-elect as well as that of the Director General of the campaign organisation”

 

According to the Minister, when INEC observed and  suspected sabotage on the cyber system, it withheld access to the system with a view to preserve the integrity of the data and immediately proceeded to float an alternative platform before the restoration of the initial glitch.

 

Without any proof

The Minister further said people are making wild allegations about the election without any proof whatsoever to discredit this election.

 

“I  took the opportunity of my meeting with these four media outlets to explain why neither Obi nor  Atiku can be declared winners because the Constitution of  Nigeria has stringent and very clear  criteria for anybody to emerge president and all the opposition failed to meet that.Only the President elect Ahmed Bola Tinubu met that.”

 

Not only was he able to realise the plurality of votes cast, he also scored one quarter of votes cast in at least twenty five states of the federation and other criteria spelt out lawfully.

 

The Western media must deliberately stop believing some of the false narratives being dished out there.

 

The Minister said it is delusional for the Labour Party candidate, Mr Peter Obi to claim that he won the election.

 

“Mr Obi has continued with his fake news that he  won the election which is absurd and delusional.”

 

Tangible success

The Minister said that the result of presidential election and that  of the National Assembly election has  shown clearly that Labour party is a regional or sectional party that needs to reach out and build bridges for any tangible success to be recorded.

 

“He needs to reach out if he wants to remain relevant in politics. Please he should  stop disturbing the peace of Nigeria. You can not in one breath go to court to seek redress and also be seen  inciting people. As a  Democrat you  should not only believe in democracy when you win elections.”

 

The organisation and members are allowed to lobby congressmen and lawmakers and even raised funds for illegal activities that can harm democracy in Nigeria.

 

Lateefah Ibrahim

Sierra Leone Bans Political Parades

Christopher Ojilere
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Authorities in Sierra Leone have announced that they have banned political street parades, a tradition during election campaigns in the West African country.

This comes less than three months before the presidential elections.

“Election periods are not a time for dancing and joy’, but rather a time for deep reflection”, the Political Parties Regulatory Commission, said in a statement announcing the ban.

Meanwhile, during campaigns the country’s two main parties the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party, SLPP, and the All People’s Congress, APC typically hold parades through towns.

The new rules now require parties to designate a fixed location (stadium, community center, etc.) to hold their campaign rallies.

“Playing on the credulity of our people, politicians have for years used these street circuses to cloud the thinking of the electorate, especially young people, by using drugs and other intoxicants,” says the commission.

The spokesperson for the commission, Lucien Momoh, said the ban could “reduce violence to a minimum.”

“Year after year in Sierra Leone, campaign street parades have become an increasingly serious threat to the safety of ordinary people,” he said.

“These rallies were marred by violence and insults and threats towards political opponents, “he added.

Presidential, parliamentary, and municipal elections in this country of some 8 million people will take place on June 24. President Julius Maada Bio will run for a second term there.

His main opponent, APC leader Samura Kamara, is currently on trial for corruption. If convicted, he cannot stand for election or hold office in the state.

 

AFRICANEWS/Christopher Ojilere

Stakeholders X-ray Security Awareness In Maritime Sector

Lateefat Ibrahim
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The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Navy and other stakeholders have x-rayed Maritime Domain Awareness in the country.

They gave their submissions at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs Conference Hall in Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.

The Guest Speaker, Rear Admiral Francis Akpan who spoke on the theme : Maritime Domain Awareness for Africa’s Maritime Security Architecture, said Maritime security represented one of a number of peace and security related policy fields that could enhance effective trade and commerce in Nigeria’s maritime domain.

Unauthorised fishing

Mr Akpan also said the threats to maritime security are Irregular and unauthorized fishing, resource theft, trafficking of drugs, narcotics, human beings, money laundering, illicit financial activities, and unemployment.

According to him, the surge in piracy from the year 2000 revealed how African maritime states have been unable to prevent piracy and other maritime crimes.

He, therefore, beseeched African countries to come together to combat these issues.

 

Rear admiral Akpan also said the threats to maritime security are Irregular and unauthorized fishing, resource theft, trafficking of drugs, narcotics, human beings, money laundering, illicit financial activities, and unemployment.

“The surge in piracy from the year 2000 revealed how African maritime states have been unable to prevent piracy and other maritime crimes. Let me also point out the need to continue to develop capacity, taking seriously the issue of environmental degradation into consideration.

He said Nigeria should take the matters of maritime domain awareness very seriously.

Also speaking, the Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, who stated that the domain involves territorial waters of the maritime sector such as people, infrastructure, explaining that everyone must accept the vulnerability and openness of the coastal line.

He further explained that Nigeria used to experience attacks on its coastal lines but it became history with the efforts of the Naval Force.

Dr Jamoh, therefore, urged the sister agencies on collaboration regarding information sharing and intelligence gathering.

The Chairman of the Occasion, Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo disclosed that the maritime architecture is the better pathway to achieving the desired economy.

He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to make investment in institutions that will strengthen the maritime architecture, stating that the country has a long coastal line it needs to monitor.

Prince Adewole while identifying five areas where maritime security is being threatened, maintained that the Navy is an important platform to conquer the mysteries.

He said that the country’s revenue could be tripled if its inland waterways were properly managed.

The Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, Professor Eghosa Osaghae gave assurance that the country’s maritime domain would be conquered with NIMASA’s effective policy regulations.

He expressed the Institute’s readiness to be part of the contributors to the world’s bilateral relations.

The DG stated that the Institute now has a formidable Sports Diplomacy Desk for, adding that Science diplomacy will come into being soon.

The event which drew participants from different sectors hadin attendance maritime experts, Nigerian Navy, Civil Society groups among other dignitaries.

 

Lateefah Ibrahim

Tunisia’s leader reappears to deny ill health claims

Jide Ibitoye
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President of Tunisia, Kais Saied, has used his first public appearance in nearly two weeks to criticise opponents who were questioning the state of his health.

The president described speculation that he was ill as “utterly crazy” and accused the opposition of trying to create a crisis,as he has posted in a video online.

Coughing occasionally during the address, he said that a power vacuum was not created if he caught a cold.

President Saied has ruled by decree since seizing power in 2021 and last year forced through a law giving his office unlimited powers.

 

BBC/Jide Johnson.

The Vulnerable In England To Lose Care Funding

Oyenike Oyeniyi
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Council Chiefs in England have warned that the vulnerable and frail people will go without the care they need.

This comes after Chiefs after ministers in England set out funding plans for care.

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (Adass) criticised a decision to hold back half of the £500m promised to help plug staff shortages.

The government’s commitment to the system for supporting disabled adults and the elderly, came after ministers unveiled £2bn of grants for the next two years. A total of £600m has been held back by the Department of Health and Social Care. However, Some £250m of it came from the £500m originally promised last year to support the workforce through measures such as extra training places.

About one in 10 posts are vacant with staffing shortages rising by more than 50% in the past year.

There are currently more than 500,000 people waiting for care.

Adass President, Sarah McClinton said; “This plan leaves the government’s vision in tatters. It ducks the hard decision and kicks the can down the road until after the next election. Adult social care is in crisis now’s not the time to be holding funding back.

Many more people won’t get the quality care and support they need, forcing more family and friends to step in where they can, more people deteriorating and being admitted to hospital and further damage to the NHS and economy.”

‘Not remotely enough’

The funding, which was first announced last year, includes money for digital social care records, home adaptations, and for councils to pay for care places – most care is provided by private and voluntary sector organisations.

But the £2bn of investment is just a fraction of what is normally spent on social care grants from the Department of Health and Social Care represents just one funding stream councils rely on alongside others such as other central government grants, council tax and business rates.

In the past year more than £20bn was spent on care services and over the past 10 years councils have had to reduce the amount they spend on social care once inflation and the rising demand from the ageing population is taken into account, according to the Health Foundation, because of the squeeze on their overall funding.

Co-chair of the Care and Support Alliance Caroline Abrahams- which represents more than 70 charities  and charity director of Age UK, said the measures announced “aren’t remotely enough to transform social care”.

Millions of older and disabled people and their carers “needed something far bigger, bolder and more genuinely strategic to give them hope for the future”, she said.

She continued: “With quite a chunk of the money originally promised for care now no longer available, our members are telling us this is just the latest in a long series of disappointments so far as recent government performance on social care is concerned.”

The government said the £600m being held back would still be invested in social care, but it was now assessing where best to invest it in the system.

But health minister, Helen Whately said the investment would make a difference.

“This package of reforms focuses on recognising care with the status it deserves, while also focusing on the better use of technology, the power of data and digital care records, and extra funding for councils – aiming to make a care system we can be proud of,” she said.

 

 

 

BBC/Oyenike Oyeniyi

NHIA Pledges To Support Health Insurance Coverage

Oyenike Oyeniyi
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National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has reiterated its commitment to leaving no one behind in efforts to provide financial protection to Nigerians against the cost of ill health.

The NHIA Coordinator in Kaduna State, Malam Aminu Tanimu, gave the commitment in an interview he said that the authority has different health insurance packages for different categories of people in both the formal and informal sectors toward the attainment of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

According to him, there is a package for the formal sector, informal sector, community-based, retirees, and students of tertiary institutions, among other packages for all categories of persons and individuals.

Tanimu said, “This is to ensure that no one is left behind in the Federal Government’s efforts to provide health insurance cover for all citizens.”

He urged Nigerians to embrace the program and access quality healthcare services at affordable cost without exposure to financial risk.

He particularly urged Kaduna residents that are not covered by any of NHIA’s packages to subscribe to the Group, Individual, and Family Social Health Insurance Programme (GIFSHIP).

He explained that GIFSHIP was designed for small-scale enterprises, associations, unions, and institutions outside the organised private sector, self-employed individuals, families, and groups.

Others, he said, were retiree and retiree associations, diaspora groups, and foreigners living in the country, as well as those who’s premium would be covered by philanthropists or members of the National Assembly (NASS).

The coordinator further explained that “under the package, contributions for an individual with two dependents is 45,000 per annum, while a family of four would pay N60,000, with each member of the family enrolled at N15,000.

“Group enrolment is pegged at N15,000 per person per annum, with a minimum number of 10 persons per group,
except for small-scale enterprises with less than 10 employees.

The benefits package is huge and can be accessed in any NHIA facility in any part of the country.”

The state coordinator also said that the authority was doing all it could to improve the quality of services across NHIA accredited facilities in the country.

He added that Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the authority Prof.Nasiru Sambo, was already strengthening states with the required manpower – doctors, pharmacists, lab scientists, and nurses, among others.

He said that NHIA officials would be going around facilities to assess the level of service delivery, adding that any facility found
wanting would be sanctioned according to the NHIA guidelines.

Tanimu appealed to enrolees who were not satisfied with the quality of services or felt short-changed to report to their Health
Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) or the nearest NHIA office, assuring that necessary action shall be taken.

‘‘An enrolee who has complaints at a healthcare facility on issues relating to service delivery should first contact his or her HMO.

If the complaint is not resolved or the case is an emergency, the enrolee should register the complaint with the nearest NHIA
office,” he advised.

 

 

NAN/Oyenike Oyeniyi

 

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