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NEWSXTRA Nigeria Needs Political Will to Tackle Immunisable Diseases, Says WHO DG Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri The Director General of World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus has called for stronger “political wills” by all tiers of the Nigerian government to ward off threats from diseases that could be immunised. He said it was unfortunate
that diseases that can be immunised continue to claim lives in the country. The WHO DG was in Maiduguri recently to assess the progress of intervention of the United Nations agency and put a plan in place to arrest any health challenges that the proposed relocation of internally displaced persons to their homes might bring.
Ghebreyesus, who paid a visit on Borno State Governor, the Shehu of Borno and one of the IDPs camps within Maiduguri, said it was sad that immunisation rate in Borno state stood at 48 per cent, and below the global minimum standards of immunising children against six child-killer diseases. The WHO DG told the Borno
State Deputy Governor, Usman Durkwa who received him on behalf of Governor Kashim Shettima that with the pledge of political will from Borno State Government, the UN health agency will boost routine immunisations in the Boko Haram insurgency liberated communities across the state. He said: “The political wills
of all tiers of Government, will definitely overcome the challenges of immunisations and inaccessibility to liberated communities in the Northeast region. “It will also facilitate and fast track the boosting of immunising children below the age of five in camps host communities and homes of returning Internally Displaced Persons
(IDPs) at Bama, Damasak, Mafa, Damboa, Gambouru / Ngala and Dikwa. “We will boost immunisations in this region, provided that there is the political will to address most of the health issues and challenges in the insurgency affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe,” he added and assured that WHO will ‘raise and expand’ routine immunisations. Speaking at the Emergency Health Centre, Dr. Ghebreyesus said the Borno State Ministry of Health should use the same data on containing outbreaks of diseases and block all transmission points to save people’s lives. He said the recent containment of cholera outbreaks in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno with 700 cases was commendable, as only three deaths were recorded. He said: “We will support you and being proud of you on containing cholera in this state.
In Brief Falana Flays Banks,Churches
ADIEU MAMA L-R: Pastor Sunday and Mrs. Comfort Gbolagun; eldest son, Prof. Bola Akinterinwa; his wife, Fehintola; and Mr. Olamide Akinterinwa, during the funeral service of their mother Iyaloja General of Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo Mrs. Grace Akinterinwa-Buleye; at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Ile-Oluji, Ondo State...weekend
PHOTO: Yomi Akinyele
Renowned human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN) has hit hard on the private sector and churches as being nests of corruption, more than government institutions. Falana made the remark at the 2018 edition of the Vanguard Economic Discourse, themed: “Economy in Recession: Pitfalls, Trajectories and Resetting” The event held at The Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Bayelsa Govt to Sue FG over $1bn ECA Fund Deductions Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa The Bayelsa State Government may in the coming weeks drag the federal government before the courts, if its request that the 13 per cent derivation fund due oil-producing states from the $1 billion Excess Crude Account (ECA) fund is not deducted and sent to the benefiting states before withdrawal of the money. The government said it had exhausted other avenues for an
amicable settlement, including a visit to the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who heads the National Economic Council (NEC) and officially following it up with a letter thereafter, noting that withdrawing the $1 billion without deducting and paying the 13 per cent derivation to the oil- producing states would amount to ‘armtwisting’ them to make double contributions to the security funds. A statement signed by the State
Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, on Saturday said Governor Seriake Dickson was insisting that the 13 per cent derivation component of the money should be removed and disbursed to the various oil-producing states in the Federation as earlier demanded. Dickson had explained that the wholesome withdrawal of the funds, inclusive of the 13 per cent derivation would mean that the oil producing states
would be making double contributions because they would be contributing their allocations like all other states and then the 13 per cent derivation constitutionally provided for, to address security and other pressing needs in the states. He also demanded that the 13 per cent derivation component of the funds be deducted and deployed in the oil-producing states to address the peculiar security challenges in the region.
The governor had pointed out that while Bayelsa was not opposed to the withdrawal of the funds to enhance national security, “the utilisation of the funds involving the armed forces, intelligence services and police must cover every part of the country.” According to yesterday’s statement: “The Bayelsa State Government will approach the court to enforce deduction of the 13 per cent derivation component from the $1 billion
ECA funds which the Federal Government claims it plans to withdraw to tackle insecurity. “We have held meetings with the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on this issue. We even backed it up with a formal letter to the President through the Vice President which was taken to Abuja by the Deputy Governor and delivered by hand to the Vice President to underscore the importance we attach to the issue in question.
Firm Petitions N’Assembly, Alleges Violation OGIRS Deploys Electronic Device for Nagode Foundation Partners FSD of PPA in $44m Warri Port Contract on Entrepreneurship Training 5% Consumption Tax Collection DamilolaOyedeleinAbuja
A firm, Dredging Atlantic Limited/Westminster Dredging and Marine (DAW), has accused the Bureau of Public Procurement, Ministry of Transportation and the Nigeria Ports Authority of violating the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007, in the award of the contract for remedial Works at Escravos Channel. The contract includes replacement of navigational aids and minor dredging at the Delta Port, in Warri, and is worth about $44 million. The firm claimed that while it was the winner of the bid, the contract was awarded to Dredging International Services Limited (DISL), one of lowest ranking bidders, during the opening of the bid, in a process manipulated by the three govern-
ment bodies. According to a copy of the petition signed by the company’s legal adviser, Mr. Liborous Oshoma, the BPP ignored an official complaint made by DAW, and hurriedly concluded the administrative review of the bid process. It also accused the NPA of manipulating the publicly announced tender figures of DISL for the contract bid.“How come the lowest bidder as publicly announced (DAW) had “errors” and or additional figures (increase) of N11,709,932.84 ($38,393.23) to arrive at $44,918,741.22 as against $44,880,348.21, while the highest bidder (DISL) had “errors” and or subtracted figures (a reduction) of $136,456.95 (N41,619,369.75) to arrive at $44,861,596.81, as against $44,998,053.73, from their announced figures,” it read.
Femi OgbonnikaninAbeokuta To enhance the collection of its five per cent consumption tax, Ogun State Internal Revenue Service (OGIRS) has pledged to deploy technology to effectively enforce compliance in its operations. Addressing journalists in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital recently, the Chairman of the service, Mr. Adekunle Adeosun, disclosed that an era whereby the burden of passing the five per cent consumption tax on the final consumers are over, just as the operators of hotels, bars, even centres, restaurants and others operating within the state would henceforth be electronically monitored to pay on every food and drink consumed. According to him, “we have
consumption tax of 5 per cent in Ogun state which is chargeable on hotels, restaurants, bars and event centres for food and drinks that the public consume on their premises. It is not payable by the establishments, but it is paid by the consumers. So, if you go to these places to have drinks, they are supposed to pay 5 per cent consumption tax on it now. The law was passed in 2012 and we started the implementation in 2016. So, the next process for us now is to have electronic monitoring of those sales for those establishments. “It will also help those establishments because the sales for those establishments, the people that work there, also under-report them.
UgoAliogo and Lawal Kehinde Nagode Foundation in collaboration with Field of Skills and Dreams (FSD) has empowered youths in its entrepreneurship training programme in fashion designing, hotel and catering management, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and web designing, hair styling, cake baking, catering, and electrical installation. Speaking at the induction ceremony in Lagos recently which featured the presentation of startup equipment to the inductees, the Managing Director Nagode Industries, Sandeep Kapoor, stated that the public and private sector have failed in tapping into the entrepreneurial spirit of Nigerians
despite having a strong work force. He also stated that Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) are strong creators of employment opportunities; therefore government should actively support the SME sector, while commending the FSD for organising the event. He said as part of the foundation’s plan to support the training programme, they decided to support the FSD surmount the huge financial challenges they may be facing in training the entrepreneurs. In her remarks, the Founder of FSD, Mrs. Omowale Ogunrinde, said the academy began in 2003 as an idea to support teenagers in her local church, adding that she felt a longing to take the initiative to the larger society by engaging the youths.