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PEOPLES DAILY, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014
News
Kogi youths congratulate Sen. Adeyemi
World Humanitarian Day: Support the vulnerable, Nigerians told
By Albert Akota
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By Mohammed Kandi
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s the world observed World Humanitarian Day yesterday, Nigerians have been called upon to show generosity to the less-privileged and distressed among them, to curb their adversity. The call was made during a press briefing, jointly organised by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) on Monday, in Abuja. Speaking at the event, meant to commemorate the 2014 World Humanitarian Day, the Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) Hadiza Sani Kangiwa, called for more awareness campaign on the humanitarian service. She said: “On behalf of DG, NEMA, myself and the humanitarian community in Nigeria, I call on our messengers of humanity to take an important humanitarian action today.” Kangiwa, who recalled that the United Nations had on December 11, 2008, set aside 19th of August each year as World Humanitarian Day, following the brutal terror attack on the UN Headquarters in Baghdad in 2003, where at least 22 people were killed. “The recent security challenges in the country leave us with no choice but to honourhumanitarian workers who have lost their lives or have suffered injuries in the line of duty,” she added. Also speaking, representative of the ECOWAS, Mr. Alozie Johnson, who called on Nigerians to show more concern on the plight of the weak among them, said, “there are more people in need of help and the issues of humanitarian, disasters, and over crisis—disease and epidemic are on the raise so I am calling on citizens to assist the weak among them.” Representing the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Special Assistant to the Minister, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said “It is incumbent on all of us that we indeed have a responsibility regardless of our status to contribute our quarter in the support of humanitarian services.”
L-R: Executive Director, Project Alert, Mrs. Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, former Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Ghali Umar Na’abba, President, Women Arise for Change Initiative, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, and Country Director, Ford Foundation, Professor Friday Okonofua, during national stakeholders’ meeting on gender based violence affecting young persons, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Justin Imo-Owo
Edo initiates stakeholders on Ebola E By Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin
do state government has initiated stakeholders on Ebola prevention and control in the state. Code-named: `Rapid Response’, the committee is charged with the responsibilities to offer remedial assistance in case of any outbreak of deadly Ebola Virus disease (EVD). Ebola was recently declared a national emergency in the Country, following the death of Patrick Sawyer, the American-Liberia national in Lagos hospital last July, who infected some Nigerians
with him with the disease, giving way to anger and frustration. The committee’s spokesman, Mr. Louis Odion, during the inauguration of the Committee on Monday, in Benin City, the Edo state capital, said the state government was determined to prevent the disease from spreading into the state. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Aihanuwa Eregie said a Special Isolation Unit at Stella Obasanjo Women and Children Hospital in Benin City has been remodeled for the exercise at the moment. The Centre will collaborate with
the National Centre for Disease Control, according to Aihanuwa, who was represented by Dr. Peter Ugbodaga. She noted that only Lagos state University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has a diagnostic centre to treat the ailment currently. The Commissioner clarified that it was not true that the state government had handled Ebola with kid-gloves. The state Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Ernest Morti assured that doctors will participate in the exercise despite the on-going nationwide strike.
ogi state West Group, under the auspices of Senator Smart Adeyemi (SSA) Continuity Frontier, has commended the senator as he celebrated his birthday with the less privileged. Speaking on behalf of the group, in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday, the coordinator, Mr. Oladele John Nihi said, for the senator to celebrate his birthday in the orphanage and less-privileged homes, shows his level of humility and selflessness. “We thank God over the life of our distinguished Senator and heartily congratulate him as he adds another year today. He is indeed a role model to us and an epitome of selfless service who has not only represented us well as a legislator but has added value to our constituency. I humbly on behalf of the frontier wish him happy birthday.” Meanwhile, Senator Smart has stated that the situation of the country and the world at large currently informed hiscelebrating his birthday with the less-privileged. The Senator, who spoke through his aide, Mr. Ayodele Demokun, said: “My conscience will not allow me to celebrate, because Nigeria and indeed, the entire world is passing through a terrible period of high level of unemployment, poverty and insecurity.” Appreciating people of his senatorial district and other well-wishers, he promised never to relent in his effort of championing the course of the masses,
Open University trains facilitators in Kaduna From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
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n its bid to key into the Information Communication Technology (ICT world, the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), in collaboration with Fiztman Education Consult and Schulportal Technologies, recently organized a 2-day workshop on ICT to enable facilitation of the Open University in the northern zone. The workshop, said to be part of the vision of the Vice
Chancellor, Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe’s administration, in making sure NOUN is not left behind globally in using the latest technology available to open and distance education (ODL) and in transmitting quality and accessible education in Nigeria, held at the NOUN campus in Kaduna state, with over 50 participants from across the northern zone of the country. In his address, the resource person, who is the Director, Open
and Distance Learning of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Dr. Suleiman Ramon Yusuf, said the purpose of the workshop was to ensure that facilitators of the NOUN are made to understand their roles as facilitators, so as not to confuse facilitation with lecturing as he has seen most of them do in several occasions. Responding shortly at the close of the workshop, some of the participants, who spoke to newsmen said the exercise was
very enriching, and has helped to give them a better understanding of how to interact with their students, how to use the software to make learning and teaching easy for them. The participants, however, used the occasion to point out some of their challenges to include the absence of Internet connectivity in their centers, inability of some of their students to use computers and most importantly, the lack of salaries.
Gombe NAFDAC warns citizens on counterfeit drugs From David Hassan, Gombe
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he National Agency for Food Drug Administration and control (NAFDAC) in Gombe state has warned that its agency would not spare anyone that engages in counterfeit drug activities, even as they said fifteen years’ jail term or a fine of five hundred thousand naira awaits anyone found wanting.
The state coordinator of the agency, Pharm. Garba Abdu made this known on Monday in Gombe, while presenting a paper on counterfeit drug activities, held at the Multipurpose Hall of Gombe state University. He said the agency has presented a Bill in that regard to the National Assembly so as to make it a law, in order to amend the Act for
the benefit of the agency. According to him, from October this year, all drugs produced in Nigeria must have a scratch number with codes, in order to verify its safety to the public. The NAFDAC boss, who was represented by one of the officer in the agency, Umar Shu’aibu pledged sustenance of public enlightenment on the danger of counterfeit drugs
as well as collaboration with global agencies in order to get rid of the trend in the country. Speaking at the event, the state chairman, of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Pharm Bakari Dahiru also decried the effect of drugs abused in the society, saying it causes untimely death, disability and resistance of drugs in treatment of ailments.