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UN Security Council condemns military escalation in Yemen’s Marib

Oluwasola Akintonde
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The U.N. Security Council on Thursday condemned a fighting escalation in Yemen’s Marib, calling for the Houthis to end an offensive on the government’s last northern stronghold, and pushing for the government to allow fuel into Hodeidah port.

In a statement, the 15-member council also condemned cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia and said the escalation in Marib “threatens efforts to secure a political settlement when the international community is increasingly united to end the conflict.”

A Saudi Arabia led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 after the Iran aligned Houthi group ousted the country’s government from the capital Sanaa. The Houthis say they are fighting a corrupt system.

Since taking office in January, U.S. President Joe Biden has made Yemen a priority and appointed special envoy Tim Lenderking to help revive stalled U.N. efforts to end the conflict. Lenderking said that a ceasefire plan was before the Houthi leadership and urged them to respond.

The U.N. Security Council, which was briefed on Yemen on Tuesday, “stressed the need for de-escalation by all, including an immediate end to the Houthi escalation in Marib.”

U.N. Yemen mediator Martin Griffiths warned on Tuesday that the war in Yemen was “back in full force.” Both Griffiths and U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock also said that commercial fuel imports into Hodeidah port had been blocked since January and urged the government to allow deliveries.

The Security Council on Thursday “expressed concern over the dire economic and humanitarian situation, and emphasized the importance of facilitating humanitarian assistance as well as the movement of fuel ships into Hodeidah port.”

 

Olusola Akintonde/Reuters

2021 World TB day: Nigeria ranks 1st in Africa

Nneka Oyibo Ukachukwu
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Nigeria has been ranked number one in Africa and sixth in the world on the Tuberculosis mobility index.

The Coordinator National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme, Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike made the disclosure while rolling out planned activities marking 2021 World TB day to be celebrated on March 24.

He explained that Nigeria accounts for 11% of the global gap between TB incidences and notified cases.

Menace of tuberculosis
Dr. Chukwuma noted that out of 440,000 estimated new TB cases in Nigeria in 2019, only 120,266 were notified to the national Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme with 27% treatment coverage.

 

He said “when you put all this with the number of people affected you know that there is a problem but the good thing about Tuberculosis is that it is curable. So there is hope if we do the right thing to arrest the menace of Tuberculosis in the country”.

He warned Nigerians not to take TB for granted as it is a deadly disease. “TB is not a respecter of any person whether rich or poor because it cuts across all strata of life but is more with those with reduced immunity or nutrition and terminal diseases”, he said.

 

Curtailing spread of TB
Chukwuma identified the need for innovative approaches to TB, detecting new cases, arresting them through treatment and avoiding stigmatization as a strategy to curtailing the spread of Tuberculosis.

He urged government, NGO’s, health workers and other stakeholders to join efforts in changing the negative record and fighting the menace before 2022.

 

“All hand must be on deck if we must achieve the sustainable development goals and also join other countries in achieving the universal health coverage”, he added.

 

Killer disease
In her contributions, the Vice Chairman Stop TB Partnership Nigeria, Dr. Queen Ogbuji while highlighting activities to mark the World TB day in Nigeria, identified TB as number one infectious killer disease in the world and among the top ten causes of death worldwide.

She explained that one quarter of the world’s population is infected with TB adding that ten million people develop TB every year with approximately 1.1 million children and 860,000 people living with HIV are affected.

She added that three million people miss out of TB care and treatment.

 

Dr. Queen said “now more than ever we need redoubled efforts to raise awareness and ambitious commitments to mobilize the very needed resources to help achieve the UN high level mission target of ending TB by 2022.”

She identified awareness creation, addressing 70% domestic funding gap and facilitating inter-ministerial agency collaboration as priority focus.

 

Country representative of World Health Organization WHO, Dr. Walter Kazadi, TB team Leader USAID Nigeria, Dr. Temitayo Odusote and Executive Director KNCV TB foundation Nigeria, Dr. Bertrand Odume, re-affirmed commitments to collaborate with relevant organizations to end Tuberculosis in Nigeria.

The theme for the 2021 World TB day is ‘clock is ticking’ with a pidgin slogan: ‘cough fit be TB not Covid , check am ooo’.

 

Nneka Ukachukwu

Biden sends US senator to Ethiopia over humanitarian crisis

Oluwasola Akintonde
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U.S President Joe Biden is sending Senator Chris Coons to Ethiopia to meet with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and convey the president’s “grave concerns” over the humanitarian crisis in the Tigray region, where thousands have died following fighting.

Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said in a statement on Thursday that Coons ; a longtime Biden ally, would also consult with the African Union.

“Senator Coons will convey President Biden’s grave concerns about the humanitarian crisis and human rights abuses in the Tigray region and the risk of broader instability in the Horn of Africa,” Sullivan said.

Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, this month described acts carried out in the region as ethnic cleansing, an allegation rejected by Ethiopia.

“The accusation is a completely unfounded and spurious verdict against the Ethiopian government,” Ethiopia’s foreign ministry said on March 13, reacting to the allegation of ethnic cleansing.

“Nothing during or after the end of the main law enforcement operation in Tigray can be identified or defined by any standards as a targeted, intentional ethnic cleansing against anyone in the region,” it said. “The Ethiopian government vehemently opposes such accusations.”

Coons, who is expected to depart on Thursday, said that he looked forward to engaging with Abiy and conveying Biden’s concern.

“The United States is gravely concerned by the deteriorating situation in the Tigray, which threatens the peace and stability of the Horn of Africa region,” Coons said.

Ethiopia’s federal army ousted the former regional ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), from the capital Mekelle in November, after what it said was a surprise assault on its forces in the region bordering Eritrea.

The government has said that most fighting has ceased but has acknowledged there are still isolated incidents of shooting.

Ethiopia and Eritrea have denied the involvement of Eritrean troops in the fighting alongside Ethiopian forces, although dozens of witnesses, diplomats and an Ethiopian general have reported their presence.

Thousands of people have died following the fighting, hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes and there are shortages of food, water and medicine in Tigray, a region of more than 5 million people.

 

Olusola Akintonde/Reuters

Encomiums pour in for the late veteran Broadcaster

Mercy Chukwudiebere
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Family members, friends and fellow broadcasters have gathered in Lagos for a requiem Mass held for the late Ben Egbuna, the pioneer Executive Director of News of Voice of Nigeria, VON and a former Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN.

Dozens of mourners also paid tributes to the late veteran Broadcaster at the Mass held in Catholic Church of the Transfiguration, Victoria Garden City in Lekki, Lagos State.

Some of them spoke to Voice of Nigeria on what they remember and miss most about the late veteran broadcaster.

A retired Director of News of Voice of Nigeria, Mr Frank Ilogu said; “We had a very good working relationship.

“He is somebody who is highly disciplined and he never believed in cutting corners. We shall really miss him.”

Mr. Egbuna was described as one of the most accomplished broadcasters Nigeria ever had.

Many remember him as a thorough-bred broadcast journalist with an uncompromising disposition to the ethics and standards of the profession.

“He doesn’t go out of his way to say you are doing a good job, except you are really doing it,” a Senior Officer in VON, Mrs Monica Nwabuze stated.

Mrs Nwabueze said; ”I will really miss him. He made me a better person because he was a perfectionist. He wants you to be your best and he keeps pushing you until you are refined.”

“He lived a life of integrity,” Chike Wumem, a close friend and associate told VON at the end of the requiem held in Lagos.

”I was a co-author of a book with him. I miss him a lot,” he added.

The late Ben Egbuna was among the staff of the External Service of the then National Broadcasting Corporation, now the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, who pioneered what is known today as the Voice of Nigeria, the nation’s external broadcasting station.

The ace broadcaster was also a former President, African Union of Broadcasting (AUB).

Mr. Ben Egbuna, died in Lagos on 28th of January, 2021 at the age of 71.

 

Mercy Chukwudiebere

President Buhari calls for effective utilisation of Global funds

Dominica Ijeoma Nwabufo
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President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Minister of Health to ensure effective utilisation of Global Fund’s generous provision of $890 million, over the next three years, to support Nigeria’s fight against HIV-AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria.

President Buhari issued the directive on Thursday at the virtual launch of the $890 million grant, for the period of 2021-2023, which will also support the establishment of resilient and sustainable systems for health in the country.

”Let me also emphasize here that this administration has zero tolerance for corruption and inefficient use of resources.

”In this regard, I hereby direct the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire to set up an accountability framework, to monitor the use of this fund and provide periodic performance reports to my office,” he said.

The President, who assured donor agencies and development partners of judicious use of the grant, said the funding would complement investments in the health sector, help curb new infections, and reduce HIV-AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria-related morbidity and mortality.

 ”It is my wish that in the next three years, these three diseases are taken much further down the path of elimination,” he said.

The President also applauded the Global Fund for their contribution of the sum of $51 million during the early stages of Nigeria’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to procure Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), test kits and scale up diagnostic capacity.

”I acknowledge the support of Development Partners, namely; the United States government, the United Nations System, Bilateral Agencies and various Local and International Foundations.

 ”I am pleased to say that, on our part, we are on track to fulfilling our co-financing commitments to the Global Fund for this new funding cycle and meeting our other commitments as and when due,” he said.

Commending the work of Nigeria’s Country Coordinating Mechanism, under the leadership of the Minister of Health, President Buhari reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

He pledged that his administration would continue to work with fellow Heads of State and Governments across the continent to ensure sustained high-level political engagement to achieve the SDG goals.

The President recounted that the strong partnership between the Government and people of Nigeria and Global Fund, dating back to 2002, had contributed immensely to saving lives, especially of women and children.

According to him over the last two decades, joint efforts with the Global Fund, the United States Government, the United Nations and other Development Partners, had succeeded in bringing about significant reduction in new infections, morbidity and mortality from HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

He attributed the improvements to the effective alignment of our various national investments, using the most recent evidence to inform policies, strategies and plans.

”The thrust of our Government in the health sector is to ensure that investments get a health systems strengthening focus, as the most efficient way to utilize available resources and position Nigeria on the path to sustainability of health programmes.  ”The Minister of Health is pursuing this trajectory,” he said.

On Nigeria’s contribution to the Fund, the President announced that he approved $12 million to the last Global Fund Replenishment held in Lyon, France, representing a 20 per cent increase on the country’s immediate previous contribution.

”Ladies and Gentlemen, our administration is committed to increasing domestic financing and exploring other innovative ways of increasing financing for health, to ensure Universal Health Coverage,” President Buhari said.

In his capacity as the boss of the Country Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund programmes in Nigeria, Ehanire said Nigeria recently signed eight grants amounting to $890 million to support HIV, TB and Malaria programmes and build resilient and sustainable systems for health.

Giving an overview of the grant, he said two of them are for HIV management, amounting to $310 million, and will be administered by two principal recipients namely the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and Family Health International.

According to the Minister, $180 million of the 310 million was earmarked for procurement of antiretroviral medicines, which will maintain 1.4 million Nigerians living with HIV on lifesaving antiretroviral treatment.

Further, the Minister of Health explained that three of the grants, amounting to $153 million, are for TB, to be administered by three principal recipients including the National TB and Leprosy Control Programme, the Institute for Human Virology in Nigeria and the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

Similarly, the Minister said two of the grants for malaria elimination, amounting to $439 million will be administered by two principal recipients- the National Malaria Elimination Programme and the Catholic Relief Services while the eighth and final grant worth USD 35 million for Resilient System for Sustainable Health (RSSH) has NACA as principal recipient.

In her goodwill message, Kathleen FitzGibbon, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S Embassy in Nigeria, described Nigeria’s recent contribution to the Global Fund as an important commitment to end all the three diseases and to ensure a healthy and prosperous country.

”We hope the achievements made in Nigeria in the fight against HIV, TB and Malaria, with support from the Global Fund, will inspire and motivate health workers and other partners alike,” the representative of the U.S. government, which is the largest single donor to the Global Fund, said.

Speaking virtually from Geneva, Peter Sands, the Executive Director, Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria while commending the partnership with Nigeria, said in addition to the $890 million grant, the Global Fund has disbursed $2.6 billion to support HIV, TB and Malaria and strengthening of RSSH, since 2003.

 

 

Dominica Nwabufo

Covid-19: WHO tells Europe to keep using AstraZeneca vaccine

Oluwasola Akintonde
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The benefits of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine far outweigh any risks and countries across Europe should continue to use it to help save lives, the World Health Organization’s European director said on Thursday.

Hans Kluge noted that Europe’s medicines regulators are investigating a small number of cases of blood clots in the region that have prompted around a dozen EU governments to suspend us of the AstraZeneca shot.

“As of now, we do not know whether some or all of the conditions have been caused by the vaccine or by other coincidental factors,” he said, adding: “At this point in time, however, the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine far outweigh its risks – and its use should continue, to save lives.”

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has said so far it has found no causal link between the vaccine and any clotting or blood coagulation reports.

Despite these reassurances, at least 13 EU member states, including Germany, France and Italy, have suspended use of the shot pending the outcome a fuller EMA investigation expected to be completed on Thursday.

Kluge said gaining and maintaining public trust was “crucial”.

“We need to renew confidence, if it’s lost, to restore it especially for AstraZeneca,” he said.

“Basically we do this by transparency, so communication from day one is very important,” he added. “Number two is showing empathy with the people. And number three is to be competent.”

AstraZeneca said a review of safety data of more than 17 million people vaccinated in the United Kingdom and European Union with its vaccine had shown no evidence of an increased risk of blood clots.

 

Olusola Akintonde/Reuters

Kwara Deputy Governor inaugurates Transition Chairmen 

Nneka Oyibo Ukachukwu
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The Kwara State Deputy Governor, Mr Kayode Alabi has inaugurated the Transition Implementation Committee, TIC Chairmen of 14 out of the 16 Local Government areas of the state with a charge to be prudent, transparent, accountable and fair to all.

Mr Alabi who performed the inauguration ceremony at the Council Chamber, Government House in Ilorin explained that the TICs have been appointed by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to hold forth pending election into the Local Councils within shortest possible time.

Grassroots development
He enjoined the appointees to justify the confidence reposed in them by government by working assiduously to engender sustainable development at the grassroots.

“These appointments thrust upon you the responsibility to galvanise our Local Government Areas for sustainable development in the grassroots. This administration is concerned about deplorable conditions of socioeconomic development across the local government areas.

It is important that you all build public trust by being accountable, prudent, transparent, fair to all and key into the various policies and programmes of the government for maximum benefit of the people at the grassroots”, he said.

The Deputy Governor also charged the TIC Chairmen to prioritize their workers salary and the overall wellbeing of the people within the available resources.

Responding on behalf of the Committees, Honourable Jide Asonibare who is the TIC Chairman for Ifelodun Local Government Area, appreciated the government for the confidence reposed in them and pledged to live up to the expectations.

List of Chairmen
The newly inaugurated TIC chairmen are Hon Jare Olatundun; Offa, Hon Victor Gbenga Yusuf; Oke-Ero, Hon Jide Ashonibare; Ifelodun LG, Hon AbdulGafar Tosho; Ilorin West, Hon Abdulrasheed Lafia; Baruten, Hon Isiaka Alikinla; Moro, Hon Timothy Olatunde Fadipe; Isin and Hon Muhammed Aliyu; Edu.

Others are Hon Kehinde Boyede; Ekiti, Hon Dr. Waheed Ibrahim; Oyun, Hon Jide Oyinloye; Irepodun, Hon Sulaiman Gado; Kaima, Hon Gani Saadu; Asa and Hon Ayobami Seriki; Ilorin East.

The TICs for the remaining two local government areas; Ilorin South and Patigi which are yet to be inaugurated would have their turn in a later date.

 

Nneka Ukachukwu

 

Covid-19: Ukraine’s capital imposes tough restriction due to spike

Oluwasola Akintonde
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New coronavirus infections spiked to their highest level in Ukraine since November on Thursday, prompting the capital Kyiv to impose a tight lockdown for three weeks starting on Saturday.

Kyiv’s lockdown echoes similar measures to be introduced by Lviv, the largest city in the west of the country, on Friday including closures of cafes, restaurants, non-food stores and a ban on public events.

“We need to gain time and do everything to prevent the collapse of the medical system,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Theatres and shopping centres will be closed, spectators banned from sporting events, cafes and restaurants limited to providing takeaway food, schools will begin remote learning and all state employees will work from home, Klitschko said.

The former Soviet republic of 41 million people has been hit by a sharp increase in coronavirus cases in recent weeks that Prime Minister Denys Shmygal has said is the third wave of the pandemic.

Critics blame the pandemic surge in Ukraine on a lack of uniform nationwide lockdown measures and patchy compliance with social distancing and mask-wearing rules.

On Wednesday, Ukraine registered a record new daily high of 289 coronavirus-related deaths, and the death toll was 267 on Thursday, Maksym Stepanov, Health Minister  said.

’’Ukraine has recorded a total of 29,253 deaths from the respiratory pandemic as of Thursday and the total number of infections since the pandemic began a year ago crossed the 1.5 million mark,’’ Stepanov said.

He said the number of Ukrainians hospitalised for COVID-19 remained high with 4,376 new admissions in the past 24 hours, though down from a record 4,887 the day before.

With the surge in new infections and deaths, the prime minister has urged regional authorities to impose stronger restrictions on movement to contain the disease.

 

Olusola Akintonde/Reuters

NCC to partner with Academic community on digital innovations

Dominica Ijeoma Nwabufo
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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has welcomed the proposal of Nile University seeking collaboration in the areas of software engineering, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and programming.

As the Commission is set to announce the winner of its one year guest research fellow from the university next week.

During a courtesy Visit from Nile University Nigeria, led by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Osman Nuri Aras, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta, said the proposal for collaboration between the two institutions is one the Commission welcomes.

“One of the cardinal pillars underpinning the Commission’s Strategic Management Plan is strategic partnership with relevant stakeholders, through mutually sustainable collaborations. At the Commission, we are always open to ideas and innovations, which is the hallmark of the academic community which the University represents.

Represented by the Director Human Capital and Administration NCC, Usman Malah, Danbatta restated commitment to bridge the knowledge gap between theories and practice. “As a life-long diligent member of the academic community, I look forward to every opportunity for bridging the knowledge gap between the academia and the practice community. As different sectors of our nation’s economy struggle to overcome the temporary challenges occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, we shall continue to build the necessary relationships and also establish the measures that will enhance the performance of critical stakeholders within different sectors of the Nigerian economy,” he explained.

According to Him, “in the wake of the lockdowns and other restrictions occasioned by Covid-19, we have all witnessed, first hand, the potential positive impact of telecommunications and ICTs across all the key sectors of the Nigerian economy, with the education sector becoming a major participant in the phenomenal use of ICTs to drive performance.

We are also witnessing how the need for further self-development in a Covid-19 era, has prompted our staff to seek further capacity enhancement programs with educational institutions, such as the Nile University of Nigeria.”

Danbatta assured the Management of Nile University of the Commission’s determination to partner all stakeholders for development of the country. “The Commission, will therefore, continue to remain fully committed to ensuring synergy, through its strategic collaborations with relevant stakeholders, such as the Nile University of Nigeria, in order to ensure that the overall socio-economic development objectives of the Federal Government of Nigeria are met”

Meanwhile, the Head Academia Research Support, Research and Development department, NCC, Mr. Kelechi Nwakwo, revealed,
that the Commission will by next week announce the winner of the university lecturer that will spend one year in the Commission’s research and development department as a research fellow.

“We invite university lecturers to come and spend one year as research fellows in the Research and Development department of the Commission. This has been approved by management and request was sent to all universities in Nigeria and a winner has emerged and will be announced next week.”

Professor Aras said they are here to improve Nile University’s relationship with the NCC which in turn will favour Nigeria and the future of Nigeria. “We want to improve our relationship with public and private institutions and that’s why we are here. Our collaboration is in favour of Nigeria and the future of Nigeria, he said.

He added that Human capital resources is key to socio-economic and peaceful coexistence in developing countries which can only be achieved through synergy and collaboration.

 

Dominica Nwabufo

Public spending: Nigeria plans Monitoring, Evaluation Policy

Nneka Oyibo Ukachukwu
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The Nigerian government plans to formulate a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Policy to among other things, reduce waste and improve the quality of public spending.

This followed the presentation of a memorandum by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, to Thursday’s virtual meeting of the National Economic Council, NEC, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Governor of Nassarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, who briefed the media after the meeting, said that the policy would also provide “independent objective assessment of the merit of public policy strategies, programme as well as projects” and “a source of reliable meaningful information for the citizens in order to assess government policy.” 

Objectives of the M&E Policy
According to Sule, the objectives of the National M&E Policy were “to establish monitoring and evaluation as a source of credible information so as to guide government’s decisions, planning, resource allocation and expenditure; to strengthen accountability and feedback by the government to Nigerians;  and to provide effective guide for the MDAs for the conduct of M&E functions. 

The policy will also enhance coordination of monitoring and evaluation processes within the Nigerian public sector for standardization in practice of M&E.

We noted that the policy recommends that policies by our key programmes and projects must be evaluated and summary of evaluation shall be presented to the Federal Executive Council and the State Executive Council at the state levels. 

We also noted that there’s going to be the need to establish a National Council on Evaluation under the chairmanship of the Minister of Finance who is responsible for the M&E.” 

Sule said that state governments were expected to domesticate the National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy for effective performance tracking as well as continuous monitoring.

 

 

Nneka Ukachukwu

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