8—Vanguard, MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2013
LAGOS AWARD
Vanguard reporter emerges Best Health Correspondent BY ESTHER ONYEGBULA
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OR the third consecutive time, Vanguard health correspondent, Chioma Obinna, has emerged winner of Lagos State Government Family Health Merit Award as the Best Health Correspondent of the Year 2013. Obinna had earlier emerged winner of the last two editions of the keenly contested award held in 2008 and 2009. This year ’s edition of the award, 10th in the series, with the theme Patient-Centred Care, was held in Lagos to recognise and celebrate workers in the health sector for excellent service delivery to citizens of the state. While presenting the award, Governor Babatunde Fashola said the award was presented only to deserving individuals and corporate organisations for their involvement, activities, and achievements in health service delivery and development. Fashola emphasised commitment to provisions of quality health care to citizens of Lagos State, adding that “patient-centred care does not replace good diagnosis or excellent medication, but rather compliments clinical excellence and contributes to thorough and effective health service delivery.” Fashola noted that the government was aware of numerous complaints from Lagosians about the poor attitude and uncomplimentary service being provided in the state hospitals. He said: “It has been attributed to patient load, an excuse that is totally unacceptable. “As much as government appreciates the efforts of each individual in the health sector, it is important that there be a change in all we do, in line with the service charter initiative of this government.”
C M Y K
Obasanjo's letter to Jonathan splits Reps BY SONI DANIEL, Regional Editor, North
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BUJA— THE controversial letter by former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, to President Goodluck Jonathan is causing a sharp division in the House of Representatives. Vanguard learnt that while lawmakers sympathetic to Jonathan wanted the letter to be formally tabled and discussed in plenary and to caution Obasanjo for disparaging the President, legislators opposed to Jonathan do not want the matter brought up. Findings showed that the letter by Obasanjo had rekindled the bitter feud between loyalists of Jonathan and those opposed to him in the House. A source told Vanguard that when the anti-Jonathan lawmakers heard that the letter
might be discussed at plenary, they quickly mobilised to forestall the move, arguing that since the missive was from a former president to an incumbent, there was no need to dissipate energy on it since it was not officially addressed to them. The anti-Jonathan lawmakers, however, drew the attention of the leadership to what they termed ‘germane issues’ raised by Obasanjo in his communication to Jonathan and the need for him to address them in the interest of the nation.
A lawmaker's words
One of the lawmakers said: “What Obasanjo wrote to Jonathan clearly vindicates the position of the House of Representatives that Jonathan needs to wake up and tackle the myriad of challenges facing the nation, particularly
corruption and insecurity. “We must tell the President the bitter truth and enable him to take steps to move the nation forward instead of playing to the gallery.”
Pro-Jonathan meet
It was, however, learnt that pro-Jonathan lawmakers, who had been strategising on how to humiliate the former president for writing what they considered ‘an offensive and uncouth letter ’ to an incumbent President, met on Sunday and decided on how to effectively tackle him for his ‘indiscretion’. A crucial meeting of some pro-Jonathan lawmakers took place, yesterday, in Asokoro, Abuja, during which they discussed the Obasanjo letter in detail and decided on what step to take. A lawmaker, who is close to Jonathan, however described
Obasanjo’s letter to Jonathan as an insult and an attempt by him to distract the President from focusing on his mandate to Nigerians. “We will insist that the matter be tabled and action taken, at least to caution the former president against his wanton vituperations against the President of Nigeria,” one lawmaker threatened, last night.
House Media C'ttee
However, Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, said that the members were not considering discussing the controversial letter, since it was not addressed to the House. Mohammed said that the matter could not be listed for consideration since Obasanjo did not direct the missive to the lawmakers in the first place.
ARMY SPORTS: Chief of Army Staff, Lt-.Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (left) and Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab at the GOC 1 Division, Nigerian Army open sports tournament in Kaduna, Saturday. NAN PHOTO.
Doctors begin nationwide strike December 18 BY CHIOMA OBINNA
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OLLOWING expirationof the December 14 ultimatum to the Federal Government by the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, doctors in public health institutions across the country are withdrawing their services with effect from 8a.m. on Wednesday, December 18. Making the development known in a communique issued after its National Executive Council, NEC, in Minna, Niger State, NMA President, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, and SecretaryGeneral, Dr. Akpofuoma
Pemu, said the decision was based on the extremely poor progress in the resolution of NMA's demands. Noting that the association was constrained to declare industrial action with effect from Wednesday, they explained that in recognition of the Yuletide and appeals of well-meaning Nigerians, the withdrawal of services in the first instance would be for a period of five days but would recommence after the Yuletide. They said: “We call on members of the public and the media to bear with the association during this period
of withdrawal of services. “For over five months, NMA has engaged the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on issues bordering on some health sector challenges, workplace conditions and the conditions of service of doctors.” Stating that the association had extended her ultimatum twice, they noted that their efforts to further engage the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health (following
the invitation of the Minister of Health to a meeting) even at the 11th hour, ultimately collapsed. NMA accused the government of reneging on their agreement as they had failed to implement the report of the Presidential Committee. The statement said: “Since the report of the Presidential Committee was submitted to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, only the reconstitution and inauguration of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, has been realised.”