THE NIGERIAN
7
TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2013
Lagos Lagos Nigeria’s Film Industry, Tool For Diplomacy - Minister
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN (right) and the Acting National Secretary, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Remi Akitoye (left) during the condolence visit of members of the PDP National Working Committee to the Governor over the passage of his father, Alhaji Ibrahim Ademola Bayo Fashola at the State House, Marina, Lagos, on Sunday.
LAGOS - The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Chief Edem Duke, said on Friday, that the Nigerian Motion Picture Industry (MPI) was a dynamic tool for promotion of Nigeria’s cultural diplomacy. Duke said this at a lecture organised by the National Institute of Cultural Orientation (NICO) at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos. He said that the Nigerian’s film industry had witnessed phenomenal growth in the last couple of years. “It is now ranked the second largest in the world, and there is no arguing the fact,’’ the minister said. The theme of the lecture is: ‘Nollywood as an Instrument for Nigeria’s Cultural Diplomacy: Reflections of a Cultural Administrator.”
Avoid Litigation, Medical Practitioners Urged LAGOS – Dr. Adegboyega Ogunwale, a consultant psychiatrist at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, urged medical practitioners to keep to established medical standards to avoid unnecessary litigation. Ogunwale told newsmen in Lagos that doctors could be sued for any practice not acceptable by the standard of the profession. “A doctor can also be sued for negligence by failing to achieve the established medical standard. “He can be sued for assault and battery, fraud, criminal abortion as well as other areas of infamous conduct in a professional respect. “The patient has got rights, a good doctor will always respect the rights of the patient; the patient must recognise his or her own rights and see to it that those rights are respected. “The patient should not become unduly belligerent and where there has been some misunderstanding, should not see it as a case of accusing the doctor of malpractice, instead of trying to clear such issues of misunderstanding,” the psychiatrist said. Ogunwale traced the history of litigation in the Nigerian medical practice to the late 1950s with cases like Dickson Igbokwe versus U.C.H Board Management, and Alakija versus Medical Council Disciplinary Committee. According to him, those lawsuits are first indication that medical practitioners can be called into account for their deeds or misdeeds. Ogunwale said that most liabilities were avoidable by being honest and conscientious in the medical career. He said: “While the risks for liability are always inherent in the duty that we assume toward our patients, we have adopted available defence when we get sued by patients. “The key thing would be to ensure that we obtain informed consent from our patient; we should ensure that we conform to
the standard methods, standard decorum and those things that are generally acceptable within responsible medical opinion. “In doing that, we would have been able to reduce the risk to the barest minimum. “When there is a liability suit or a legal tussle related to the
practice of a doctor or a procedure that a doctor has undertaken, then, resort to these defences would help one escape.” Ogunwale said the doctorpatient confidentiality was a problem area in Nigeria, adding that the code of medical ethics in
Nigeria was the best guide for any doctor in doubt. “Doctor-patient relationship constitutes a secret and as such must in no way be divulged to a third party, even, if the patient and their spouse are family friends,” he said. Ogunwale said that the code,
however, allowed for minimum disclosure of information in special circumstances including education, research monitoring and public health surveillance. He said that there were limits to whom information could be disclosed and what part of the information could be disclosed.
people. As you are seeing me, I am confused already. I only offered to lead the prayers for the dead out of inspiration.” Others described Nwike as a nice and cool headed man who
had no time for frivolities. Some residents of the area who spoke with our correspondent said they could not figure out what caused the midnight inferno.
Payment for Metering Implementations (CAPMI). He told newsmen in Lagos that the CAPMI would curb incessant complaints about PHCN bills. Idemudia said that the installation of CAPMI meters had commenced since July, adding that more than 1000 customers
within the zone had started using them. The general manager said that the CAPMI scheme was an intervention designed by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to eliminate problems of “estimated“ billing.
Family Of 5 Roasted To Death By RAHEEM IBRAHIM LAGOS - Tragedy occurred at Mosan in Mosan Okunola Local Council Development Area, Lagos State, when a midnight inferno burnt a family of five to death while asleep in their home. The victims were learnt to be fast asleep when the incident happened in their three bedroom Boys Quarters bungalow located at 9, F Close, Mosan. Among the victims of the fire disaster, as reliably gathered, was Chukwu Nwike, who sold female clothes at Yaba, his aunt and her three children. Nwike was said to be living with the aunt while the husband of the deceased, a pastor, was said to be on a pastoral mission outside the state. It was gathered that it took the combined efforts of Agege and Ikotun Fire Service men to put out the fire. When the door of the bungalow was eventually broken after the fire was put out, the remains of Nwike was found close to the burglary proof with one of the kids clinging to it. The remains of the victims have been removed and deposited in the mortuary. It was also alleged that their neighbours who occupy a four storey building inside the same compound with the deceased, did little or nothing to rescue them. Sources who spoke with our correspondent revealed that they were only calling the fire service men for assistance, instead of breaking the bungalow’s door when the fire was burning the family who were shouting for help. When our reporter visit the scene hours after it occurred, the neighbours had deserted the building while Nwike’s
colleagues from Yaba market were seen around. One of them who spoke with newsmen said, “I’m not in the position to speak with you my
Get New Pre-Paid Meters, Electricity Coy Advises Customers
LAGOS - The Eko Electricity Distribution Company has advised customers to register for the new pre-paid meters to stop allegations of arbitrary billing by the PHCN. Mr. Godwin Idemudia, the company’s Assistant General Manager, Public Affair Division, said on Wednesday that it was to the customer’s advantage to apply for the Credit Advance
“Films are cultural products and assets considered the most influential medium for entertainment and education. “It behoves us to take advantage of it to launder our international image and also draw attention to Nigeria as a fascinating tourism destination. “It is imperative that stakeholders see themselves as our cultural ambassadors and work assiduously to use film as a medium to project Nigeria positively to the international community, ‘’ Duke said. The minister said that the Federal Government was much concerned about the challenges confronting the film industry. On the issue of piracy and copyright infringement, Duke said government was doing everything possible to check the menace so that stakeholders could fully reap the fruits of their labour. Prof. Ayo Akinwale of the Faculty of Arts, University of Ilorin, in his lecture, urged the Nigerian filmmakers to pay attention to the nation’s cultural diplomacy when producing films. He said that some of the films paid due attention to the nation’s cultural diplomacy, while many did not. Akinwale predicted a brighter future for the Nollywood industry if necessary attention was paid to production of good films. “For a film to sell, it must be aware of its exportation capabilities, language, costumes and emotional interaction or else it will not contribute anything to the nation’s cultural diplomacy. “There is need to correct all the errors that we have noticed in our production. Such errors that came as a result of putting commerce before excellence in production must be addressed,’’ he said. The don suggested that attention should be paid to content, script writing, artiste welfare and professionalism.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN (6th right) with the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Alhaji Oyinlomo Danmole (left) in a group photograph with the Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Tunji Shelle (7th left) and other members of the PDP National Working Committee who paid him a condolence visit on the passage of his father, Alhaji Ibrahim Ademola Bayo Fashola at the State House, Marina, Lagos on Sunday.