Daily Times Nigeria Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Education : Anambra honours best performing students John Ndu Awka
ÏÏÏAnambra
State Government has made cash presentations to the students of Anambra State who scored highest in this year’s Federal Common Entrance Examination, as well as the State’s Debate Team who emerged victorious in the just concluded World Schools Debating Championship, held in Bally, Indonesia where 53 countries participated. The two pupils who scored 189 out of 200 in the examinations were Miss Chinazom Onubogu aged 10, who hails from Obosi is a pupil of God’s Wisdom International School, Nnewi and Miss Chinecherem EmekaEgbuna from Ichida, aged 11, is a pupil of Tendercare International School, Nk-
welle Ezunaka. The Debate Team comprised three students from Secondary Schools in the State. Receiving them during the State Executive Council meeting at the Governor’s Lodge, Awka, the State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano expressed satisfaction for making the state proud, saying it explained the high quality education offered to students in the state schools. Announcing the awards, the Governor said “each students in the Debate Team will receive cash prize of N100,000, while their two coaches will get N150,000 each.” “ For the two pupils who made us proud in the common entrance examination, both of them will receive the sum of N50,000 each,
as well as secondary school and University scholarships subject to their performance, while their schools will get the sum of N150, 000 each.” Governor added. The Governor who commended the students and pupils for the laudable feats attained, said his administration would continue to reward distinguished achievements that would attract honor to the state. He encouraged the students and pupils to continue to excel in their studies, reminding them that with hardwork, belief in God and their ability, the sky would be their limit. On her part, the Commissioner for Education, Prof Kate Omenugha said the achievements bear eloquent testimony to the fact that the state education
sector under the present administration was moving forward. Responding on behalf of the Debate Team, Miss Precious Chigozie thanked the governor for recognizing them and supporting them to garner international experience in debating by sponsoring them to the World Schools debating Championship. In their remarks, the pupils, Miss Onubogu and Miss Emeka-Egbuna shared their dreams of becoming important persons in future, said the governor’s appreciation would spur them to greater achievements in honor of the state. The pupils later received some medical books from the State Ministry of Education in support of their academic ambitions.
Pupils of School Without World, IDPs Camp, New kushingoro at the assembly ground, during the school’s resumption in Abuja… on Monday. PHOTO: TEMITOPE BALOGUN.
News 9
WFP wants increased efforts to overcome Northeast crisis Azubike Nnadozie Abuja
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After talks with top officials and people left destitute by the crisis in Northeast Nigeria, UnitedNations World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director, David Beasley, has hailed the massive and joint push by Nigerian authorities and humanitarian workers to save lives, but warned the momentum must continue in the face of a complex and challenging emergency. “We are seeing the power of humanitarian assistance,” said Beasley, following a trip to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State that is hardest hit by the Boko Haram-driven crisis. “It has changed the lives of malnourished children whose mothers once worried about whether they would survive,” he said. “It is giving hope to many displaced and hungry people, and to others who are now returning home. Together, we are making a difference, but we must build on these fragile successes.” Beasley’s two-day visit to Nigeria — his first since being appointed to head WFP in March — included meetings with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Borno State Deputy Governor Usman Durkwa. He also spoke with community leaders and young mothers at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp in Maiduguri, a city that shelters hundreds of thousands fleeing hunger and conflict.
Across Northeast Nigeria this year, WFP through its partners has been delivering monthly food and nutritional assistance to more than a million extremely vulnerable people. Thanks to generous donor contributions, our steady support helps to stabilize lives. But the overall situation remains extremely worrying. The June-September lean season has worsened malnutrition in many places. Insecurity, poor roads and a backup at Lagos port are thwarting WFP’s current ability to reach more remote areas and deliver imported specialized nutritional supplements to some of the children who need it. Beasley warned of the broader impact of the crisis that goes beyond Nigeria and spreads across the fournation Lake Chad Basin region that also includes Niger, Chad and Cameroon. “This is a major crisis that needs a security, humanitarian and development component — these are key to resolving it in the short and long term,” he said. “The international community cannot afford to ignore this problem, or it risks getting much worse.” Beasley also noted the Nigerian government’s significant hunger-fighting commitments, which include a recent donation of 5,000mt
of rice to WFP’s operations. Authorities have launched a separate relief initiative aimed to distribute 30,000 mt of rice to hungry people in six Nigerian states.
Lagos Commissioner commends Cedarcrest Hospitals Azubike Nnadozie, Lagos
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The Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. Babatunde Durosinmi Etti, has commended the management of Cedarcrest Hospitals for establishing a branch of the hospital in Lagos. He made the commendation recently at the official commissioning of the hospital situated on Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. Durosinmi Etti stated that the establishment of an arm of the hospital in Lagos aligns with the strategic roadmap of the administration in Lagos which has the health and welfare of all its citizens
at heart. He enjoined Lagosians to take advantage of the qualitative healthcare delivery that the hospital, through its specialized services, is bringing to the state. Also speaking at the commissioning, the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Felix Ogedegbe said the hospital has played a critical role in saving Nigeria foreign exchange through the spacialised services offers. This, he pointed out, has reduced the number of Nigerians going to other countries for medical tourism. Beyond that, he said Nigeria now earns foreign exchange as patients from neighbouring African countries now pa-
tronize the hospital. “We have patients from neighbouring countries that come here for treatment. Some patients previously operated abroad unsuccessfully, have had to be re-operated here in Cedarcrest. Our operations in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt have catered for nearly 40,000 new patients and over 70,000 returning patients over the last 10years, saving the country huge amounts in foreign exchange.” He added that serving Nigerians diligently is at the heart of what the hospital stands for. “As a result of our specialized services, some Nigerians, who hitherto travel outside our shores, are now
assured that they can get the best here even though they have the resources to travel abroad for treatment. We have worked tirelessly to change the perception Nigerian patients have toward our local hospitals. Our business does not end in treating the rich only; we look after all shades of Nigerians - rich and poor.” He further said since inception in 2008, Cedarcrest hospitals have been at the forefront of promoting the local availability of world class healthcare to Nigerians. “Why really do our people need to go abroad at great costs when we have the capacity to do so much at home?” Ogedegbe queried. He pointed out that Ce-
darcrest has grown in leaps and bounds from a monospecialty 12 bed hospital in Garki, Abuja. “We commenced operations in Port Harcourt working out of the Shell Hospital in 2009, became multiepsccialty in 2010 and opened the first Lagos hospital in Ikeja in 2012. Today we boast of about 110 beds. Our flagship purpose built is now 95% complete with trauma centre, major radiologic modalities including MRI, CT scan, digital X rays, bone densitometry, USS and modern admission wards.” Furthermore, he added that it is common practice to hear Nigerians castigating our hospitals for falling short of
expectations because of the problems inherent in the environment we work and live in. Rather than bemoan the situation, he noted that Cedarcrest chose to take a holistic approach to providing quality healthcare delivery that has earned it an enviable place in the health sector. “We make our own oxygen; we generate our own air power and run multiple electrical backup systems for our equipment.” He also revealed that the hospital has also established a factory where prosthetic limbs would be produced here in Nigeria. The facility will produce prosthetic limbs in conjunction with Ottobock of Germany.