Monday, 8 February, 2016 Nigerian Tribune 40 news Lassa fever: 110 people under watch in Ogun APC, Fayose bandy words over workers’ salary
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Olayinka Olukoya-Abeokuta
GUN State government has said that the number of people who had contact with a 28-year-old lady (nameswitheld) with Lassa fever case, had increased from 60 to 110. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye, said the numbers of primary contact with the patient were under close watch. Nigerian Tribune recalled that the affected lady was admitted into Central Specialist Hospital and Rubee Hospital, both in Ota axis of the state, before her case was reported to the state Ministry of Health. He said the number increased because those that were on admission at the two private hospitals where the main contact received treatment, had to be placed under monitoring. The commissioner said the victim who is on admission, at the Isolation Centre of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, was fast responding to treatment, at the hospital’s Isolation centre. Ipaye said the case would have gone out of hand, had it not been for the promptness of the state government, based on the information got from the two private hospitals. He added that each of the primary contacts had surveillance officer attached to them with a themometer each, to monitor their temperature. The commissioner said the two private hospitals had been decontaminated by the state health workers, adding that they would be re-opened as soon as possible. He stated further
that the state government regretted any indirect inconveniences the issues might have caused the hospitals. The Director of Public Health in the Ministry, Dr Yusuf Quudus, said the lady was fast responding to treatment
compared to when she was brought in with so many complications, adding that the over 100 persons under surveillance would be watched closely between six and 21 days incubation period, before they would be handed over to their family members.
Anthony Ubong- Calabar
last hope of the common man, regarding the recent ruling in the case between medical laboratory scientists and the management of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) which granted medical laboratory scientists the franchise to operate as an independent body. Raheem called on the Federal Government and the various health institutions to ensure immediate implementation of this and other judgments in favour of medical laboratory scientists. The AMLSN also noted with dismay the inadequate diagnostic laboratories in the Nigeria, a country of over 170 million people, yet, coping with few ill-equipped diagnostic centres for public health emergencies. The Association also appealed to all states in the federation to create directorate of medical laboratory services in their respective ministries of health, and to appoint the most senior medical laboratory scientist as a substantive director in the ministries of health and health management boards, as being done in nursing, pharmaceutical, clinical and other services. “This will ensure conformance to quality management system in all medical laboratories and the implementation of ISO 15189 standard for all medical laboratories.”
Take pre-emptive measures against Zika spread, AMLSN urges FG THE Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) has called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, institute a system for screening for Zika virus, especially among pregnant women, in view of the information from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the virus is rapidly spreading to other countries of the world. The Medical Laboratory practitioners made the call in a communique issued at the end of their National Executive Council meeting (NEC)/public lecture held in Calabar, the Cross River State Capital, at the weekend. National President of the Association, Alhaji Toyosi Raheem, who signed the communique also called on governments at all levels to constitute active surveillance teams that would ensure holistic surveillance at all times, to detect early warning signals of disease outbreaks to avoid health emergencies that might impact gravely on Nigerians. The national president also called on the Federal Government to abide by the provisions of the National Health Act, noting that its implementation is a sure recipe to overcoming the perrenial challenge of low budgetary provision to the health sector. He, however, commended the judiciary for being the
Redeemer’s varsity comes up with improved Lassa fever diagnosis By Kehinde Adio
FOLLOWING sudden outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria, recently, the Redeemer’s University’s World Funded African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) had intensified efforts to subside the effect of the virus on Nigerians. At a press conference organised by the university recently, the Director of the research centre in the institution, Professor Christian Happi, disclosed that the centre had come up with an improved
diagnostics test for Lassa Fever infection. “This year, we have developed a pan-Lassa fever test that is highly sensitive and specific. A prototype has been produced for use by any interested health care centres in the Nigeria. “It has been established that Ribavirin that is currently used to treat Lassa fever was not designed for the disease. This prompted us to take advantage of our current knowledge of genomics technology to have better insight into the virus genome and eventually
identified the potential drug targets. “ Furthermore, studying B-Cell repertoire (immune response) from Lassa fever survivors, we have identified four neutralising antibodies that significantly inhibit the Lassa fever virus. These findings have been reviewed for publication in the prestigious scientific journal Natural Immunology. “However, efforts in our research team at ACEGID, Redeemer’s University, is also ongoing in the area of Lassa fever vaccine development.”
Sam Nwaoko-Ado-Ekiti
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HE Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the state government have exchanged angry verbal volleys following the inability of the state government to pay workers’ salaries up to date. The APC in a statement on Sunday, said Governor Ayodele Fayose should “stop deceiving workers over payment of their salaries and entitlements,” and alleged that it was persecuting union leaders. The party in the statement by Chief Taiwo Olatunbosun, its spokesman in Ekiti, claimed that Fayose was “persecuting union leaders for demanding for workers’ rights,” warning that this “is a needless provocation that can rupture peace in the state.” The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Fayose, Mr Idowu Adelusi in a reaction, however, described the APC and its allegations as “unwise”, saying it was often better “not to be reacting to every foolish talk of APC because doing so is to make it feel important. “Ekiti workers understand us and we understand them. Since the inception of this administration, the labour has not been kept in the dark in the running of the government,” Adelusi said. Olatunbosun had warned that the union leaders had a responsibility to the workforce, adding that they had acted constitutionally in defence of workers. He stated that “sending security agents after union leaders was fascist conduct capable of forcing citizens to an act of rage for a slide to anarchy.” Olatunbosun claimed that last week’s payments of two months salaries was made
into workers’ accounts and later withdrew the payments, saying this was “fraudulent conduct to sustain his grip on the “thoroughly abused” people of Ekiti people.” Accusing Fayose of playing games with the lives of the workers, Olatunbosun said: “The governor said the state was broke but suddenly paid two months salary, after learning that the teachers were bent on embarking on protest over failure to pay their salary arrears, even though he quickly reversed a month salary from their accounts, after workers were
celebrating payment of two months arrears.” Reacting, Adelusi said: “The labour is a member of the appropriation committee that sits every month to share allocations from Abuja. Is it not the mess left behind by the Fayemi administration that is causing problem to Fayose government, N950 million is deducted monthly by those who Fayemi administration took loan from. “If N950 million is added to N1.3 billion that came last month, it will go a long way for Fayose administration.”
Bola Badmus- Lagos
ABIA State governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has urged the opposition and other detractors of government not to distract again, but allow him to focus on his mission of rendering services to the people of the state. “Henceforth, let no man trouble me, for I bear in my body the mark of our lord Jesus Christ,” the governor said, while quoting a section of the Bible, Galatians 6: 17. According to Ikpeazu, who spoke through a statement made available by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Godwin Adindu, the protracted legal battle that ended at the Supreme Court was a huge distraction. The governor said, having come out of such distraction, he needed all the time and energy to focus on the onerous task of rebuilding Abia State, declaring that the era of politics in Abia State was over and dead with the verdict of the Supreme Court. Governor Ikpeazu said all the resources and time would be channelled towards full governance, stressing that he could discern the yearnings of the people for services, through their
massive solidarity to him throughout the elections and the protracted legal battle. While noting that opposition groups hardly give up on their antics, the governor stated that the era of hauling stones should be over in the state, and called on the opposition to sheathe their sword and join him in his crusade for development of Abia. He enjoined them to redirect their energy to something positive and meaningful for the collective good of the state. He disclosed that his infrastructural renewal drive would receive an impetus with the kick off of the construction of three roads in Bende Local Council , saying this would bring to 50 the number of active roads being constructed by his government in the last eight months, with over 20 commissioned. The governor further revealed that he had to focus more attention on road construction because of the deplorable condition of the roads, especially in Aba, and the need to change the narrative of Aba from a city of lamentable meltdown to a city of promise and hope.
State is the safest state in Nigeria. We pay adequate attention to security in the state. Despite the size of the state, we have been able to maintain law and order. There are isolated cases of crime, but such cases are not threat to foreign investors. We are also very hospitable people.” He also urged them to take Niger State as their preferred investment destination in Nigeria in agriculture, infrastructure, mining, tourism, vocational training, water resources and education. “If you decide to have a look at any investment module in Nigeria, Niger State is ready for such opportunity. We have taken steps to make the state attractive to investors,
which include reducing the size of government to make it more efficient by reducing the number of ministries from 24 to 13; reducing permanent secretaries from 56 to 30. All these steps were taken to change the ways business is done in government by reducing bureaucracy and making it more transparent and effective. “Niger State has huge potential for investors in agriculture, mining, infrastructures, mining, tourism, vocational training, water resources and education, and we are ready and willing to partner with international community to make the state hub for various products in agriculture, mining and tourism.”
Let nobody trouble me again, Ikpeazu tells detractors
Niger safe haven for investors —Gov Bello Adelowo Oladipo-Minna
NIGER State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has assured British investors of safe investment climate in the state. Governor Bello gave the assurance when he met with members of the British Parliament on the platform of All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) -Nigeria and Westminster Africa Business Group, WABG, at the House of Parliament in the United Kingdom. This was contained in a press statement made available to newsmen by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Malam Jubrin Baba Ndache, on Sunday, in Minna. According to the release, Governor Bello said, “Niger