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World TB Day 2024: Nigeria’s tuberculosis scourge persists

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World TB Day 2024: Nigeria’s tuberculosis scourge persists

TUBERCULOSIS, a lung disease that afflicts millions of people worldwide, is dangerously on the march in Nigeria. A new report by the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme noted that Nigeria alone accounted for 23 percent of deaths resulting from TB in Africa. This burden is huge.

The report states that undetected TB carriers in the country are capable of infecting between 12 per cent and 15 percent of the country’s population annually. This is disturbing, primarily as other diseases like Lassa fever, malaria and meningitis are ravaging Africa’s most populous country.

In 2022, 1.3 million died of tuberculosis, per the World Health Organisation, which has set aside March 24 (today) annually to raise awareness about the disease. The WHO says, “The theme of World TB Day 2024 – ‘Yes! We can end TB!’ – conveys a message of hope that getting back-on-track to turn the tide against the TB epidemic is possible through high level leadership, increased investments, and faster uptake of new WHO recommendations.”

The National Coordinator of NTBLCP, Laraban Shehu, at the 2024 Pre-World TB Day news conference in Abuja, the country’s capital, revealed that Nigerians are dying daily from the disease.

Shehu, who regrets that Nigeria has a huge funding gap as 17 percent of its TB budget is not funded, states that the country requires $300 million to bridge the gap. For Nigeria, this is a massive sum in an era of naira depreciation.

“The meaning of this is that in Nigeria, every five minutes, one person dies of TB,” Shehu said. “So, this is the disease killing people more than the number of people that died of COVID. And the regrettable thing is that this is a disease that is curable and can be prevented.” This is alarming.

In an updated list released in June 2021, Nigeria remained among the 30 countries named by the WHOas “high burden countries for TB” along with several countries (Sierra Leone carries the heaviest burden) and Brazil. The list is for the 2021-2025 period. Nigeria is also among the list of countries burdened with HIV-resistant TB. However, Cambodia, the Russian Federation and Zimbabwe “transitioned out” of the worst-burdened list in 2021.

A contagious lung disease, TB is caused by a bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which can attack any part of the human body such as the spine, the brain, or the kidney. The infection creates either of two conditions: the TB disease, ora latent TB Infection that luckily, may not result in sickness.

But the TB disease, if untreated or not treated properly, can be fatal, warns the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It remains a major public health problem globally and is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. An estimated 9.9 million people developed TB in 2020, with Nigeria having the highest number of TB cases in Africa and accounting for 4.6 per cent of the Global TB burden (WHO Global TB report 2021) alongside a high triple burden of TB, Drug Resistant-TB, and HIV-associated TB.

The European Respiratory Reviewposits that thetotal eradication of the disease is far off “due to the lack of a completely effective vaccine and large reservoir of people infected with latent tuberculosis.”

The symptoms of the disease include persistent cough, chest pain, tiredness, night sweats, fever, and appetite and weight loss.

The TB Disease is often more severe in children less than 15 years, with higher mortality amongst those less than five years. The notification of children with active disease and latent TB has remained abysmally low, accounting for just 6.0 per cent (out of the country’s total of 450,000) of all forms of notified TB cases in 2021, according to KNCV Nigeria, a non-profit non-governmental organisation focused on the eradication of the disease in Nigeria.

For now, Nigeria is ranked the sixth country with the highest number of TB cases globally. The country, in 2021, contributed 4.4 percent to the total TB cases globally.

Data from the WHO show that two-thirds of the global TB cases are found in eight countries. These countries are India (28 percent), Indonesia (9.2 percent), China (7.4 percent), the Philippines (7.0 percent), Pakistan (5.8 percent), Nigeria (4.4 percent), Bangladesh (3.6 percent), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2.9 percent).

Earlier this year, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammed Pate, noted that in 2023, the country reported over 300,000 new cases of TB, marking the first time in history that such a number will be recorded.

Thankfully, TB is both preventable and curable. National and sub-national initiatives should therefore be stepped up to locate all infected persons through increased testing and place them on treatment.

Public awareness programmes should feature collaboration among the three tiers of government, NGOs, international aid agencies, faith-based organisations, communities and educational institutions.

The Federal Ministry of Health in its 2019 Annual TB Report bemoaned the low treatment coverage of 27 per cent nationwide and the huge number of missing TB cases. It should partner with its 36 state counterparts to reverse this trend.

There should be increased funding, training of health workers and outreach activities. As persons living with HIV are more susceptible due to weakened immunity, special attention should be paid to them.

Children should be regularly tested. States and local governments should revive the primary heath care centres.

Government at the three tiers should key into multilateral programmes aimed at subduing the TB scourge, attracting financial, material, and technical support. They should create awareness programmes and sustain such through the traditional and social media platforms on the dangers and care for TB.

There should be special programmes to curtail the spread of the disease in the prisons and detention facilities. Animals designated for sale should be vetted to determine whether they are not infected with latent TB.

Furthermore, the government should support local manufacturing of TB drugs in Nigeria to reduce dependence on importation and the proliferation of fake medicines. Through concerted efforts, the TB advance must be halted.

How gunmen killed cops, destroyed patrol vehicle in Imo – Police

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How gunmen killed cops, destroyed patrol vehicle in Imo – Police

No fewer than two policemen attached to MOPOL 18, Owerri, Imo State, were on Saturday killed by gunmen in the Okigwe area of the state.

It was learnt that the gunmen, suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and its affiliate, Eastern Security Network, threw dynamite at the police patrol vehicle and engaged the policemen in a gunfight along old Gariki Road.

Four other policemen were said to have sustained multiple injuries during the incident.

The police spokesman, Henry Okoye, who confirmed the incident, said, “The officers were ambushed in the early hours of today, March 23, 2024, while on patrol duties along old Gariki Road, Okigwe, by the disgruntled elements who threw dynamite on the officer’s patrol vehicle and engaged them in a protracted gunfight.

“In the process, two officers paid the ultimate price while four others survived the attack.”

Okoye said the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, condemned the attack, adding that the commissioner and the Commander, MOPOL 18 and 64, immediately led men of the command’s Special Tactical Unit to the crime scene for an on-the-spot assessment.

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Abia depends on loans to finance 2024 budget – Gov

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Abia depends on loans to finance 2024 budget – Gov

Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said the state’s 400bn loans should be reduced to the barest minimum if the state’s Internally Generated Revenue is carefully crafted.

Otti said this on Saturday at a special presentation of the outcome of the state’s two-day retreat for IGR stakeholders in Ministries and Departments in the state.

Otii also charged the participants to craft an enduring strategy that would lead to improvement in the state’s IGR to make the state fiscally viable.

Otti said, “Two weeks ago, the first round of the retreat took place in Umuahia. A lot of progress was made, but much is to be done. Government expectations are great revenue. What you have in your state is what you use to run your state”.

He added that in other climes, the government-generated income is used to run the economy, stating that it was a misnomer for subnationals to go to the centre cap in hand for allocations.

The governor said, “A large chunk of the 2024 budget is to be financed by loans and advances. I believe that at the end of the year, we will not borrow as much as put in the budget. If we do what we should do and we do it right, then there is no reason why the over 400 billion that is supposed to be raised as loans should not be reduced to the barest minimum.

“So, we expect a situation where our IGT would spike up and take over our provisions for loans. We believe that by the end of the year, we will not have borrowed as much money as we had put in the budget.”

Speaking on stopping the payment of entitlements to former governors and deputy governors, he said he believed he made the right decision.

“Very soon, my deputy and I would also be ‘former’.  So, the new policy is not targeted at anyone. It is for good governance and reduction in the cost of governance. Quite frankly, we believe it is the right thing to do.

“We don’t believe that politics is a business. We believe that people should have things they are doing before coming to serve. And if you have offered yourself to serve, then you should be willing to make the required sacrifices.

“If you find yourself in this place, you should count yourself lucky that people believe in you, and give you their support and their votes. It is a privilege, and the least that is expected of you is to make sacrifices for the betterment of the state. So, the days of sharing money are over. The days of blood tonic politics are also over. This is the time to make sacrifices for the interest of the state.”

Scammers posing as officers to demand money – NDLEA

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Scammers posing as officers to demand money – NDLEA

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has raised an alarm about scammers who it said are impersonate officers of the agency to demand money from citizens whose loved ones are based in foreign countries.

The Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, adding that these scammers often claim to have arrested loved ones who arrived in Nigeria with illicit drugs.

 He said, “The NDLEA wishes to alert members of the public especially those who have loved ones abroad to a new scheme by scammers who impersonate NDLEA officers and call unsuspecting citizens to inform them of the arrest of their relatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos or any other international airport in Nigeria with illicit drugs upon arrival in the country.

“After throwing the family members into panic, the scammers then make a demand of millions of naira to facilitate the release of such persons from NDLEA custody. We have thwarted a number of such bids in the past when the family members called the Agency’s official contacts for help or clarification.

“At the moment, there is one such scenario the Agency has just investigated. In this case, the picture of a Nigerian man based in the US is being circulated with audio of a purported NDLEA officer negotiating the payment of N5 million with a female relative for the release of the US-based Nigerian man purportedly arrested at the Lagos airport on Friday 22nd March upon his arrival with a ‘contraband.’ Just like in previous instances, our investigation has also shown that the current incident is the work of scammers.”

Babafemi further stated that no NDLEA officer was involved in the audio conversation and urged the affected family not to part with their money to the impersonators.

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Govs, CJs free over 800 inmates in three months – Reports

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Govs, CJs free over 800 inmates in three months – Reports

No fewer than 882 inmates were freed from different custodial centres in Nigeria between January and March 2024, Sunday According learnt.

According to the latest summary of inmate population on the website of the Nigerian Correctional Service, the total inmate population was 78,519, out of which 54,067 inmates are awaiting trial and 24,452 are convicted.

In the spirit of the New Year, the governors of Benue, Nasarawa, Gombe, and Taraba states, granted amnesty to 96 inmates serving various jail terms in different custodial centres.

Benue Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, granted pardon to 12 inmates at the correctional centre in the state.

Also, the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, pardoned 14 inmates.

In Gombe State, 39 inmates were also granted clemency by Governor Inuwa Yahaya.

Similarly, Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State, on Monday, announced clemency for 31 deserving inmates.

On March 19, it was reported that a Non-Governmental Organisation, Headford Foundation, facilitated the release of 628 wrongfully detained inmates in the past five years. The inmates were released from custodian centres in Lagos, Ekiti, Delta, Ogun, and Rivers states.

On March 20, the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Iyabo Yerima, granted amnesty to 38 inmates at the Oyo Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abolongo, Oyo town.

On March 22, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, freed 96 inmates.

Similarly, on March 22, the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi, freed 24 inmates from the Port Harcourt Maximum Custodial Centre.

Speaking with Sunday According, the spokesperson, Nigeria Correctional Service, Federal Capital Territory Command, Adamu Duza noted, “Pardon is exercised by the executive like the Presidents and state Governors. It is also exercised by Chief Justices. The aim is not to free a criminal but to decongest the custodial centre.

“It is carried out after due diligence, to free those who have no business being in custody in the first place.”

A security expert and Managing Director of Beacon Consulting Limited, Kabir Adamu, advised that there should be “checks and balances so that the objectives of pardoning inmates are not abused.”

Military shouldn’t convert Okuama community to barracks – Senator Dafinone

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Military shouldn’t convert Okuama community to barracks – Senator Dafinone

Senator Ede Dafinone, who represents the Delta Central Senatorial District of Delta State at the National Assembly, speaks to DELE OGUNYEMI on the incident at Okuama community in the Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state resulting in the killing of 17 soldiers

How did you feel about receiving reports about the killings of 17 officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army on a peace mission to the Okuama community under your senatorial district?

 At first, I couldn’t even process my emotions because it’s inconceivable that such high-ranking military officers could be rounded up and massacred in one fell swoop by some rag-tag militants or hoodlums, if you may so call them. Like most Nigerians, my initial reaction was that of shock and bewilderment, which later morphed into total indignation. It was a truly ugly and unfortunate incident. Whether it was a rescue mission or a peace mission, no one would have imagined such a gory ending. I want to seize this opportunity to once again commiserate with the families of the fallen Army officers who lost their lives in the line of duty at Okuama community. Our heartfelt condolences also go to the families of those innocent indigenes of Okuama community who lost their lives in this unfortunate incident.

It has been widely claimed that there had been early warnings of the lingering land dispute between the Okuama community and the Okoloba community of the Bomadi Local Government Area of the state. What preventive measures did you take in your capacity as the senator representing the senatorial district to de-escalate the crisis?

Although we came into office barely eight months ago, I learned that the hostilities between the Okuama and Okoloba communities have persisted for some years now. I got my first official briefing on the crisis this month when a group of my constituents from that area wrote to inform me about the brewing hostilities between them and their neighbours from Okoloba. As their newly-elected senator, I was already planning to put a team together to visit the place on a fact-finding mission when suddenly we were greeted with the news of the killings of those soldiers.

The killings made me realise the enormity of the situation on the ground. I never envisaged that the matter was that bad. I was told that the Delta State Government had already intervened and indeed brokered a truce between the warring parties. I was told that the governor invited them to Asaba to sign a peace accord in January this year. So, you can imagine the shock when we got the news that matters had got to a head with the killings of very senior military officers.

After the killings of the soldiers and civilians as well as the razing of the Okuama community, what in your opinion is the way forward to get out of the attendant problem?

Certainly, the way out is not by razing down the concerned community and neighbouring ones along the coastline. We appeal to the military to cool down tempers. As I have noted in my motion on the floor of the Senate, the first thing is for the Federal Government to set up a high-powered investigation panel to ascertain both the immediate and remote causes of the fracas to bring the agents provocateur to justice. Thereafter, the Federal Government, in conjunction with the state government, should commence a remediation plan to rehabilitate not only the Okuama community but all the neighbouring communities razed down by the military in the aftermath of the killings.

What lessons do you think stakeholders, notably the local communities, the military, and the government have learned from the Okuama incident?

There are a whole lot of lessons that I think our people have learned from this very reprehensible outcome from Okuama. First is that violence can never be a solution to any problem, more so communal. Violence will probably only escalate a problem instead of solving it. Peace is non-negotiable. Two, it is one of the accounts of the incident that the shooting spree was as a result of mistaken identity. In other words, the Okuama boys mistook the military officers for Ijaw militants because the militants most times also wear military uniforms. It is now obvious that some of these militants do adorn military fatigue to carry out their activities so it is a challenge to differentiate real military officers from impersonators. We must find a way to end this ugly practice.

There is also the issue of community warlords who leverage their political influences to foment trouble now and then. Some of them, because they have deep pockets, can afford to procure the services of some of these security personnel to do their bidding in the oppression of perceived opponents.

It is being rumoured that the military is making moves to convert Okuama to a military barracks, what is your reaction to this?

I don’t think that will be a good decision. Don’t forget that that community has been the ancestral home of a people for hundreds of years now. When you convert a people’s ancestral land to a military barracks overnight, you have in one fell swoop eclipsed the ancestry of those people; it is tantamount to ethnic cleansing. The military authority should rethink if truly they have muted the idea.

What is your message to the aggrieved military?

My message to them is first that we sympathise and truly commiserate with them and the families of the slain officers. They remain our heroes. We plead with them to temper justice with mercy, and not allow emotions to take the better part of their judgment for now. I am aware that the Presidency and the Senate have put in place recompense measures to bring some succour to the bereaved families.

What is your message to the embattled people of Okuama community?

They should always imbibe the culture of dialogue and peaceful resolution when faced with this kind of challenge in the future. They should always caution and call out their troublesome children as early as possible before they get out of control.

What is your recommendation to the Delta State Government and the Federal Government on the incident?

One thing that astounds me is the quantum and proliferation of light and heavy weapons in the hands of youths and non-state actors all over the country like we are in some kind of civil war situation. The government must find a way to mop up illegal weapons from the streets and the backwaters of our communities. Secondly, the government shouldn’t allow matters to get to a head before taking proactive steps to settle communal disputes. Early warning signs must be taken seriously and dealt with.

What are your last words on the incident?

I think our military is overstretched. Over time, our soldiers have gone beyond their primary function of defending the territorial integrity of the nation, and have now taken most functions ordinarily reserved for the police. Owing to the severe internal security situation in the country, soldiers now double somewhat as policemen. There is something fundamentally wrong with a system that allows the military to guard private persons and residences. This is what has led to a whole commander of a battalion going into the trenches to settle a communal squabble, a role ordinarily left for the police, or worst case scenario, the rank and file of the Army.

This speaks to two things: the government must seriously equip our police with modern and more sophisticated weapons to match or outrun the firepower of non-state actors, and the government should take measures to restore the dignity of our soldiers and deploy them for only very serious situations like combating insurgency and terrorism.

LP, NLC’s battle of wits over party ownership, convention

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LP, NLC’s battle of wits over party ownership, convention

ADEBAYO FOLORUNSHO-FRANCIS examines the disagreement between the Nigeria Labour Congress and Labour Party over who owns the political party among the duo

When the Nigeria Labour Congress signified that they were out to remove the Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure, from office penultimate Friday, not many took it seriously. It took a nationwide siege on all the party secretariats four days later for the message to sink home.

In an open letter signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission, Titus Amba and Chris Uyot respectively, Abure and the NWC were accused of proposing a “secret” national convention in Umuahia, the Abia State capital on March 27 that will re-elect the embattled chairman to continue running the LP as ‘sole administrator’.

Describing the planned convention as illegal, the political wing of the NLC called for Abure’s resignation as party chairman and the immediate constitution of a caretaker transition committee to organise a legitimate and all-inclusive national convention for the party.

Among other things, the unionists also alleged that Abure had in April 2023 tried to extend his tenure in office unilaterally by two years but was stopped at the instance of the LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who insisted that the right thing be done.

The drama came at the height of the leadership crisis that had seen the Abure’s camp battle for legitimacy against the Lamidi Apapa faction of the party. Expectedly, the leadership of the LP fought back to dismiss the allegations of the NLC in a statement on Saturday.

The National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, had sounded it as a note of warning in a statement titled ‘Resign as NLC President to contest LP chairmanship,’ that the party’s leadership does not feel obligated to follow the directives of the unionists.

LP secretariats’ invasion

 The bravado only lasted four days as the congress called the bluff of the LP and mobilised its members to picket the national headquarters in Abuja last Wednesday.

Brandishing different banners and chanting solidarity songs, the protesters insisted that Abure must be kicked out over his alleged financial rascality and contempt of their president, Joe Ajaero. They were however prevented from gaining access to the party secretariat by security operatives posted to the area to maintain order.

In the wake of the disruption of activities, the National Working Committee of the Labour Party faulted the action of the NLC, describing it as an abuse of power.

A disappointed National Youth Leader, Prince Kennedy Ahanotu, had expressed disappointment in the manner the union handled the situation. According to him, it is wrong for a movement that symbolises the struggle of the masses to picket secretariats of a political party.

The NWC member accuses Ajaero of being openly partisan in his approach to allegedly hijacking the party to further his “political ambition”.

But this was not the first time Ajaero would be accused of being partisan and abusing his office by using the machinery of the congress to fight perceived political enemies.

Ajaero’s Imo misadventure

 On November 1, 2023, the NLC president survived a mob attack in faraway Imo State where he was eventually whisked to an unknown destination by some policemen. His crime was not immediately known as his loyalists and other members of organised labour threatened mayhem if the police and Governor Hope Uzodimma failed to produce him.

Addressing a world press conference in Abuja, the labour leader gave an account of how he was brutalised in the state, saying police operatives handed him over to some suspected thugs for beating. Ajaero told journalists that the kind of beating he received after security agents handed him over to the thugs was better imagined than explained.

While denying that he travelled to Imo with an ulterior motive to mobilise the people against Uzodimma as being speculated, the NLC boss claimed that they wrote to intimate security agencies about workers’ protest before the fateful day.

“I went to the (NLC) secretariat around 9am after receiving reports that some workers were beaten up and their phones seized. I went there with about 20 security personnel. I called for some journalists and other workers to address the press on the situation in Imo State. It was then that some police officers in uniform and mufti came and withdrew my 20 security personnel. A policeman also arrested me and handed me over to the thugs.

“When a sergeant wanted to know why I was being handed over, they shouted at him to keep quiet. They were asking me why I was challenging a governor and that I should say my last prayer. I can’t explain the beating I received. They tied my hands and dragged me on the floor like a common criminal. I am not even a card-carrying member of any political party as alleged,” he cried.

His account, however, contradicted an earlier statement by the Imo State Police Command, which said the NLC President was taken into protective custody to save him from a mob attack. The statement was issued on the official X handle of the Nigerian Police by Imo Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Okoye Henry.

Party chieftains seek ceasefire

Reacting to Wednesday’s picketing of their party secretariats, the chief spokesman for the LP Campaign Organisation, Yunusa Tanko, called for caution, saying the baby should not be thrown away with the bath water. According to him, there was an ongoing effort at a stakeholders’ meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, to resolve the cold war between the NLC and the party leadership.

In a related development, the leader of the National Consultative Front, Pat Utomi, a frontline stakeholder caucus in the LP, also called for an end to the hostility. Utomi, who said he had been following the drama surrounding the projected LP convention, sought contributions from labour stakeholders.

The professor of Political Economy and management expert made the call in a statement on Wednesday, warning that such a crisis could not be ruled out at a period when the party emerged as the beautiful bride of Nigerian politics. According to him, the only way to shame the critics who wanted to see the LP crumble was for all contending forces, including factions, to sheathe their swords and allow peace to prevail in the party.

He also demanded that the proposed national convention be halted to give room for due consultations to ensure inclusivity in the affairs of the party for future strength and triumph.

Apapa faction backs Abure

The drama, however, took a different dimension when a dissident group, the Lamidi Apapa faction threw its weight behind the embattled Abure of the party.

While condemning the invasion of their party secretariat, spokesman for the faction, Abayomi Arabambi, called for the immediate arrest of Ajaero for allegedly planning a “political insurrection against the Federal Government through a conduct that is likely to cause a breach of peace with his call on students, market women and leaders, thugs, and other miscreants to invade the 36 states chapter of Labour Party offices.”

Arabambi made the call at a press conference on Wednesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State. According to him, the call for picketing, subsequent invasion, and destruction of the LP national office by the NLC was illegal, archaic, and not in tandem with modern democracy.

‘No retreat, no surrender’

In an exclusive interview, the NLC spokesman, Benson Upah, told our Saturday According that the Edo politician was a product of a coup and had breached many protocols over the years.

He said, “Abure ceased to be the LP national chairman a long time ago. We repeatedly invited him to no avail. We heard he was planning a convention, and he didn’t even mention to the leadership of the congress that he was planning any convention. That’s to tell you the kind of person he is.

“The NLC wants its party back and Abure has ceased to be the national chairman. The owners want their property back. Where was Abure when they were registering the party? When the then national chairman, (Abdulkadir) Abdulsalam, died, the next person in succession by the provision of the party constitution was Maria Lebake or any of his deputies, what was Abure’s position in the party then? He was just the national secretary.”

Upah’s position was shared by the Edo chapter of NLC, which equally accused the LP national chairman of running the LP as a personal business. The Edo team led by its vice chairman, Suleiman Abubakar, made the claim while picketing the party’s annex in Benin in compliance with the national directive from the congress.

Abubakar reiterated that Abure was out of order for not carrying the NLC along in decision-making despite knowing that the party belongs to the union.

Experts react

Meanwhile, the show of force between the NLC and the beleaguered political party has started eliciting mixed feelings from political observers.

Human rights lawyer, Ebun Adegboruwa, blamed the LP for not carrying what he called its parent body along in crucial matters. The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also faulted the NLC for resorting to picketing instead of finding the right channel to deal with the issue.

He said, “I think the Labour Party which is existent to Labour and Civil Societies Organisations has been a product of a long campaign for workers to be involved in the exercise of their fundamental rights to freedom of association. It is rightly believed that any politician who wants to play on the platform of such an organisation must have at the back of his mind the genesis and philosophy of such an entity. To that extent, it cannot be said that the NLC is trying to hijack the Labour Party, the latter being its baby and the outcome of its agitation.

“It is the party that should find a way towards reconciling with its parent body, being that a baby can be greater than its parent. In that regard, I believe that the current leaders of the LP are in error to the extent that they do not wish to countenance the involvement of the parent body. That is on one side. The other part is that the parent body, having given birth to the baby, must allow it to exist. The structure that has been laid for the party for the emergence of national officers and candidates must be respected.

“But if the parent body has an issue, it must follow its procedure to take over the organisation, not through picketing. Some laws guard the LP. It has its constitution, and that document must be followed if there is a need to change the executives to bring it in conformity with the original ideal and philosophy of its parent body. However, the NLC cannot take laws into its own hands by hijacking the structure of the party. It has to go through the procedure set up by the constitution.”

A political analyst at the University of Ilorin, Dr Alada Mohammed, expressed sympathy for the LP, saying it perhaps believes every member of the NLC shares the same ideology with their party. While stressing that an internal crisis is expected in any party, the expert noted that Abure and his NWC forgot that they would be a target of opposing parties following its giant strides at the 2023 general elections.

“It should be expected that in a democracy, people tend to use what they have to get what they need. The NLC, in my view, is being coerced to serve the interest of a political party. The fact that they are bearing one name does not mean they are one body. But at times when you are blinded by power, you tend to misconstrue the meaning and may want to use the machinery of a non-political association, so to say, to pursue a political ambition. Of course, when you try to do that, you may likely run into trouble.

“Again, if you are trying to constitute a political platform, it is expected that the party you are opposing will not go to sleep. It will want to use every means to destabilise you, even if it means penetrating your wing and using people or machinery from within. I think that is exactly what is playing out here. I hope you know that even NLC members belong to different parties.

“So, you just find yourself floating at the end of the day because the members you have don’t share the same political ideology. It is a wrong assumption to believe that because you have a body, therefore, it must share the same ideology with you. No, it doesn’t work that way. We all have different interests and ideologies,” he stated.

Another political scientist from Lagos State University, Prof Sylvester Akhaine, also shared his sentiment when he stated that ‘the tussle is essentially about control.’

He said, “The labour party is a product of NLC and TUC. But the control is in the hands of those who are ideologically at variance with labour values. Elements who want to constrict the political space can hijack the dissension to undermine the party that has recently emerged as a third force.”

It is hard to tell if the NLC may be willing to go as far as throwing the bath water away with its supposed ‘baby’ or allow its anger to subside while stakeholders create an enabling environment for a thorough negotiation.

But while the drama lasts, it is uncertain whether the presidential candidate of the LP, Peter Obi, whose deafening silence has got many of his ‘Obidient’ supporters worried, would be willing to mediate between the two warring camps.

Soldiers rescue 16 abducted Almajiris in Sokoto

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Soldiers rescue 16 abducted Almajiris in Sokoto

The Defence Headquarters has said troops of Operation Hadrin Daji have rescued 16 Almajiris and a woman abducted in Gada Local Government Aera of Sokoto State.

The According had reported that some terrorists had invaded the LGA on March 9, 2024, and kidnapped the rescued victims.

The DHQ, in a statement on Saturday by the Director of Media Operations, Major General Buba Edward, said the troops with local authorities and government agencies worked together to ensure the freedom of the hostages.

The statement read, “Recall terrorists invaded and kidnapped 16 pupils (Almajiris) with a woman in Gada LGA of Sokoto State.

“On 21 March 2024, the military working with local authorities and government agencies across the country, in a coordinated search and rescue operation rescued these hostages. The rescued hostages have been handed over to the Sokoto State Government for further action.”

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How hospital’s negligence led to my first-class graduate daughter’s death

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How hospital’s negligence led to my first-class graduate daughter’s death

Father of 24-year-old Rebekah Sekidika, a first-class graduate of the Benson Idahosa University, Benin City, Edo State, Sampson Sekidika, speaks to DENNIS NAKU on how his daughter died during a procedure at a hospital in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and his spirited efforts to get justice for the deceased

How old was your daughter when she passed away and what school did she attend?

My name is Sampson Sekidika. I hail from Okrika in the Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State. I work with Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas as a lead process engineer in the expansion coordination department at the head office here in Port Harcourt. I am the father of the late Rebekah Tamunotorukubu Sekidika. She was 24 years old and graduated from Benson Idahosa University, Benin City in Edo State, where she studied Microbiology and made first-class.

What led to her death?

Before February 2, 2024, my daughter had a series of clinical visits to Paragon Clinics and Imaging Diagnosis located at No. 96 Stadium Road. Paragon Clinics and Imaging Diagnosis is a retainer-ship hospital used by the NLNG. So the NLNG recommended that we use that clinic because they have been qualified to attend to their staff and families. That is why we used that place. It is part of their HMO. So what was my daughter’s complaint? She had some clinical visits and tests she did with them and since November last year (2023) she had not seen her period for nearly three months so she needed to know why. So they carried out a series of tests, including pregnancy and everything came out negative. But they decided that she should see a specialist, more like closing that part of the whole investigation.

She got the call on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, to see a specialist which she did a day before. So they said they were going to do a hysteroscopy on her, which is supposedly a simple procedure that involves using a probe with a light bulb at the end to be inserted through her private parts to see what was causing the obstruction or whatever it was, and they would be seeing it on a monitor at the same time. So that was why they did that. I didn’t know before then that she was going to be given any form of anaesthesia, spinal anaesthesia for that matter for a simple procedure. They said they just wanted her not to feel any pain.

On February 2, 2024, the doctor said she should come between 12 noon and 1pm. So I drove her and her mom to the clinic and around 12.30pm I left to attend to some other things. From what we know about hysteroscopy, the procedure takes between 15 and 30 minutes depending on the doctor handling it. So by 3.10pm I called my wife and asked why they hadn’t called me. She said the doctor had not come out. I now said if by 4pm nothing happened I would come and pick them. My daughter was having an online class at the university by 4.30pm. She had the last online classes and closed her laptop.

What happened next?

By 4.30pm, my daughter walked into the theatre; she was not sick; she was hale and hearty. She had no issues at all; she was very strong. By 5pm it was expected my daughter would have been out of the theatre but was not out. Around 5.10pm, I had already arrived at the clinic. So I went upstairs to stay with my wife. I asked her what was going on. She said they were still in the theatre. I now went to the reception area to sit. Around 5.30pm, my wife came rushing to me saying that something was not right; she heard them in the theatre shouting ‘Rebekah wake up, wake up, wake up’. Then we saw nurses running up and down.

Then it was nearly 6.20pm we saw them rolling up oxygen bottles from downstairs through the elevator. I was wondering what was going on and each time we saw the matron, we asked what was going on with our daughter, she would say our daughter would be fine. That was what she said until around 7pm when two doctors came to the reception area where I was seated. They said they did everything they could but lost our daughter. I don’t know the unusual calmness that came over me. It was just like a dream and I needed someone to wake me up from that bad dream. When I got into the theatre, what I saw was terrifying. I saw my daughter in a pool of blood. My wife rushed into the theatre and shouted, ‘God! God! You people have killed my daughter’. She was shouting and crying all over the place. The doctors and nurses all disappeared from the third floor. We didn’t see anyone.

My wife then called our sons to inform them of what had happened. They were crying. While our last born was crying, his flatmate heard it and called his father here in Port Harcourt who happens to be my colleague, Isaac Chu, who immediately drove down with his wife to the hospital to see us. We went to the reception and luckily we saw a nurse, who took us to see the doctors, who were in a room downstairs. By then, Rebekah’s younger sister, and two of my wife’s sisters with their husbands had arrived. This was around 10pm. So you can imagine that from 7pm to 10pm none of them came to even console us.

When we entered the room where they were, the doctor and the anaesthesia specialist were seated. Isaac Chu now asked the doctor to tell us what happened. He now started the story by saying they had prepared her for the procedure and he pointed at the specialist who gave her the spinal anaesthesia. I asked him why the heavy spinal anaesthesia. He now said that 30 minutes into the procedure they lost her, adding that about 10 minutes into the procedure, my daughter said she couldn’t breathe. Shortly after, she said she wanted to throw up and they brought something for her to throw up into, and what they saw was blood. At that time blood had already filled her lungs.

So apparently something happened when he was doing the procedure. It was later discovered that the anaesthesia specialist ruptured a vessel inside of her when he inserted the probe. The anaesthesia was on one hand killing her and the blood vessel they ruptured caused her to bleed inside and it went into her lungs. The doctor now said when Rebekah vomited blood the second time, he was confused about what to do because he had never seen such a thing before. That was when they stopped the procedure and tried to take over her respiratory system by which time she was already lifeless. At that point, Isaac Chu took me outside and asked me to call my sister, who is a consultant physician, and her husband is a consultant surgeon.

What happened after you called your sister?

My sister and her husband came past midnight, went upstairs, and saw my daughter. Immediately she broke down and her husband took her away. They came downstairs, saw the doctor, and started asking him questions. One of the things she asked was, ‘If you’re carrying out a procedure like this and you notice a vessel rupture or vascular rupture, what are you supposed to do to salvage the situation?’ He (doctor) said he didn’t know, and he was confused when she started vomiting blood. So she was just killed by negligence and incompetence. Then my sister asked the anaesthesiologist what his qualifications were. He said a diploma. So, he too wasn’t a consultant. My sister and her husband now asked for the death certificate. They said she died of pulmonary embolism/vascular rupture. Pulmonary embolism is when you see blood clotting in the lungs. Vascular rupture! Who ruptured the vessel? It was their procedure. So it was purely an act of negligence and incompetence that killed my daughter.

Did the hospital make any attempt to pacify your family?

Early on Saturday, we took her corpse and deposited it in the Military Hospital mortuary. Throughout Sunday and Monday, I didn’t get a call from anybody, if not for anything but to say we are sorry for what happened and this and that. So they completely ignored me and my family. At that point we were confused. What emboldens them or gives them this impunity I don’t know. It is very bad behaviour. So I got a call from my boss to go to the police since it is a state matter.

So, I reported the case to the state homicide department on Monday and raised a petition, got it approved, and raised a letter, which was addressed to Paragon Clinics and the NLNG. The one to Paragon and Imaging they gave them till February 8. They asked the administrator to come with the two doctors involved in the procedure so that they could take their statements. Paragon did not honour the invitation. That Thursday, February 8, 2024, my daughter was supposed to travel to the United Kingdom. On February 12, the police wrote a reminder to Paragon Clinic to produce the people by Wednesday, February 14, but they did not show up.

They (police) went and obtained a warrant of arrest, did all the paperwork, and stormed the hospital on Thursday. They picked the administrator, and the radiologist and the head of the cleaners accompanied their madam to the Deputy Commissioner of Police office at the state CID. I was called to listen to what the hospital administrator had to say. They asked her why she shunned the repeated invitations.

What was her response?

She said when they received the first letter on February 6, the tone of the letter was that somebody was killed in their clinic and that they should produce the two doctors, that she was afraid. So she took the letter and gave it to the legal people, who instead of producing the people involved took the letter to Human Rights International in Abuja. I don’t know what they presented before the human rights body. They obtained a court injunction there for the police not to investigate, arrest, or prosecute them on this matter. So the Deputy Commissioner of Police was confused and asked, ‘Was the injunction to protect the parents of the deceased or to protect yourself?’ The DCP was very furious. He now asked one more question: did you serve the police this injunction? She said she gave it to one of their administrative staff members who said he did not serve the police.

The DCP told the Investigating Police Officer to keep her in custody until the doctors involved in the procedure were produced. The following day, the hospital came with more than eight lawyers; the husband of the administrator flew into Port Harcourt: the Nigerian Medical Association got involved and produced the doctors, the nurse, the matron, and the administrator. So they knew what they were doing. Why did they kill my daughter? Why did they experiment with my daughter? What have they done with her? Up till today, I don’t know.

What happened after that interrogation, which you witnessed?

I heard all of them speak but I didn’t say anything. In the end, the DCP said they should take their statements and we should all go. So we put our heads together and talked about the autopsy. Finally, Paragon Clinics produced their pathologist, and I produced my own. My pathologist stood for my family and the police. Then the NMA produced its pathologist, and my company, the NLNG, produced its pathologist. My sister, who is a medical doctor, was an observer. So there were five people for the autopsy. My sister witnessed everything and signed off on behalf of the family.

When did they say the autopsy result will be out?

About three to four weeks. They performed the autopsy on February 22. The following day I applied to the police to release her corpse for burial. So they granted my application a week after we had about eight days or so to prepare for the burial.

Has she been buried and where?

Yes, she was buried on March 2 at a private section of the Port Harcourt Cemetery.

Are you satisfied with the police investigation of the incident so far?

Yes, I’m satisfied with what they are doing so far, you know, getting all the proper documentation from them, investigating and calling all the parties, and meeting with them. There is no foul play so far to be honest with you. I’m okay with the way it is going. If I were not impressed with the way it is going, I would have raised the alarm and even informed you to see what is happening.

It was reported by a blog that your daughter went to the hospital for liposuction and died in the process. How would you react to that?

Oh my God, it is unfortunate! A lot of people called me and reported what they read. I said well it’s an Instagram report. There will be lots of wrong narratives out there because these people probably are spreading propaganda through their machinery. So when you see something like that you report that page, you tell them, say what you know that that wasn’t what she went for. So I don’t know how we can get to the root of that issue or the people behind it and know who they are. But I learned that if one reports to Instagram there is a way Instagram will either close them or investigate or that if you inform the police, the police can find out who they are and pick them up and ask why they didn’t investigate before spreading false information and false narrative and diverting people’s attention. That is very unfortunate but that is the country we find ourselves in. There will be lots of false narratives that will be put out there just to divert peoples’ attention.

What is liposuction? How can she go for that kind of thing? The doctors are not there? Haven’t they given their statements? Their statements are with the police. Did they not say it before the police that she went there for a diagnosis hysteroscopy? So what are they talking about? Do they even do liposuction in that clinic? They don’t. So that is unfortunate and I don’t blame them because you know people should close their eyes and swap positions for a moment.

Has the hospital or the doctors reached you yet after the burial?

They have not. It is like I’m their enemy. They were looking at me with scorn that day, very arrogant people, after killing my daughter they are acting as if I can’t do anything to them. Anyway, we will see how it goes by the grace of God.

Hospital, NMA’s reactions

When our correspondent visited the Paragon Clinic and Imaging located on Ken Saro-Wiwa Road, Port Harcourt, a front desk officer, who simply gave his name as Chima, said he was aware of the incident, but that the manager was not in the office.

Asked if there was any other official who could speak on the matter, Chima asked our correspondent to channel any inquiry to the state chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association.

“Okay as regards the issue of Rebekah, currently our manager is not around. But you can channel all your inquiries to the NMA chairman, Rivers State chapter. That is it for now,” he said.

The state NMA Chairman, Dr Ebi Robinson, said the matter was under police investigation.

He stated that a coroner’s inquest was ongoing on the case and that the NMA would take the matter up from there when the result was out.

Robinson said, “The matter is under police investigation and a coroner inquest is already in progress.

“So, we are awaiting the conclusion of the coroner’s inquest and then we will take it up from there. The death of that young lady is quite regrettable.

“Our sincere condolences to the family. The NMA’s position is to make sure that the matter comes to a closure conclusively in a manner that will be acceptable to all involved and all concerned.”

Real estate firm partially demolished house I suffered to build

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Real estate firm partially demolished house I suffered to build

AJIBADE OMAPE speaks with Adegoke Olalekan, a bricklayer who is seeking justice after a real estate company allegedly came with policemen and bulldozers to partially destroy his and other houses in an Ogun State neighbourhood

What led to the demolition of your house?

My name is Adegoke Olalekan, I hail from Osun State, and I live in the Okeiran area of Mowe, Ogun State. I am a tiler and bricklayer, I was born into a family of Muslims, and I have five children who live with me in a house that has almost been destroyed. I cannot say in particular what circumstances surrounded the demolition of my house, but the demolition happened on Friday, February 23, 2024, after most of the residents of the community had gone to work; it took a little while before I decided to leave for work that day and the few residents still around saw some policemen at the junction to our street, who came with three bulldozers.

I was very surprised to see them and wondered what was going on. We called some other residents who had not gone too far to come back and find out what the policemen wanted to do with the caterpillars, and some men went to meet the policemen to ask them what they wanted and what happened, the policemen pointed to our sites saying they had something to do there, they refused to tell us anything else and we were not notified of their arrival before they came, not long after the little encounter we had with them, the policemen and the caterpillars went towards the houses and the caterpillars started destroying buildings, and that was what happened.

We noticed some people with the policemen and when we approached them, they claimed to be from the town planning department, but we disagreed because town planning people would not destroy houses that have the necessary documents, and there were so many buildings in the area whose owners do not have the requisite papers; we asked them to present a written document backing their action, but they refused to respond; we insisted that if they were from the town planning department, the department would have notified and served us the necessary notices.

It was in the middle of this discussion that we noticed agents of a real estate development company, who claimed that they had previously purchased the pieces of land on which our houses were built, but there were no documents to prove to us that their claims were true; the agents made several contradictory statements regarding when the company purchased the pieces of land but there was no proof.

 What were the conditions surrounding the acquisition of the plots of land and were there legal proceedings or negotiations involved?

 I was not given any conditions by the ‘omoonile’ or family when I bought my piece of land; I bought my piece of land legally and obtained the relevant papers for the purchase. I acquired the land on which I built my house with complete papers, which were handed to me by the family. When I bought the land in 2015, I made sure to involve the ‘omoonile’ as well and I have all the receipts that I received from the family, so there is no situation of fake land documents with me. I have not had any issues with the land ever since I purchased it up until when the estate agents came to destroy our place.

 Did you receive any previous notice or communication regarding the intention to demolish your house?

 To be honest, we did not receive any prior notice or communication regarding any intention by the so-called town planning department to destroy our houses. We approached them to show us a letter of demolition or any document that permitted them to demolish our buildings, but our efforts did not yield any response from them; instead, they proceeded to destroy the buildings and we could not intervene because of the heavy presence of security personnel present on the scene.

Were there any permits or approvals obtained for the demolition, and were you allowed to challenge or appeal the decision?

 No, we did not receive any papers; we requested a demolition permit from them but there was nothing presented to us and we didn’t see any papers stating their authority to demolish the houses; they refused to respond to us. When the people around tried using their phones to record the melee, the policemen seized the phones and even asked them to kneel for trying to make use of their phones; it was after the bulldozers had finished destroying the buildings that the policemen returned some of the phones and I am sure they did not return all.

They just want to cheat us as members of the lower class. I worked as a bricklayer to build my small three-bedroom house so that I could provide shelter for my wife and children because rent has become too expensive to pay; if you take a look at this area, it is bushy and not well developed; I feel that they just want to exploit us because we have not committed any offence.

 What efforts did you make to seek remedy or legal assistance after the demolition of your house?

 We have not taken any legal steps; we haven’t done anything like that. We are still thinking about the possible outcome of their action, maybe they would request some money or something else, but we have not spoken to any authorities, and besides, the majority of us here are below the middle class and we are looking to God as we have no power for any legal actions at the moment. We have made efforts to come together and think of a solution but nothing has come up yet.

 Can you describe the extent of the damage caused by the demolition in terms of property loss and emotional pain?

 The bulldozers were just destroying walls of houses and roofs; neither the policemen nor the officials from the real estate company or those from the town planning department asked anyone to leave or stay. Since the incident happened, many people have not been in sound health; a lot of the landlords collapsed and fainted as a result of the demolition. I have been nursing my wife’s high blood pressure ever since the incident, so now I am looking for money for food and also looking for extra money for my wife’s well-being; it is not easy because these houses are our investments.

Have you been given any form of compensation or assistance to mitigate the loss you suffered from the demolition of your house?

 There has been no compensation or assistance whatsoever, and we do not even have an idea of what they will want to do when they eventually come back to the area, and we do not have anyone who will rescue us at the moment and we do not know their plans when they come back and that is the fear of everybody around. The policemen, real estate agents, and other officials did not ask us to leave, nor did they tell us of the plan, they just destroyed buildings and left. According to what people have said around, the developers want to build an estate and we do not have the powers to build an estate that is why we all bought our lands separately and we still have the family receipts for the parcel of land that we bought from the ‘omoonile’ and there are no empty lands on the site, although there are several uncompleted buildings in the place.

 What impact has the demolition had on your living arrangements, livelihood, and overall well-being as a community?

 I can’t lie; it has affected the living arrangements and livelihood of my family, and almost every other person. To begin with, the part of my house that got destroyed by the bulldozers will cost me over 70 cement blocks to repair. Now I have to start thinking of how I will get that done in this economic crisis that we are facing; I know that the price of cement has increased and other building materials like sand and granite have also increased in price; it will be very difficult for some of us to even go out and work because we are not sure of the time that the real estate agent and officials from town planning would return with the bulldozers and destroy the place we live in, so we are all in fear right now.

We do not have anybody to run to, and it is not like we live in an estate, it is just a community where we all live. We are just hoping that the government will come to our aid; we had plans to do some major work on our road just before the incident occurred; we are trying to have a meeting at the moment but we are still very conscious of the time that these agents will return to complete the demolition of our place.

 How do you perceive the actions of the real estate developer and the officials from the urban and regional development about the demolition of your house?

 It is a very terrible situation that could lead to a quick death, and it makes someone question his good work and efforts. I did an honest job building my house with the money I made from bricklaying in December 2022; it has been over a year now since I moved in with my wife and children; the other people also worked in different jobs to build their respective houses, and now the estate agents want to tear down their sweat.

 What are your expectations and hopes for obtaining justice and compensation for the demolition of your house?

 Honestly, I am hoping that the government can help us because most of the people here do not have anywhere to go; initially, when the agents came with policemen and bulldozers, we tried to speak with them but they were not responding and when we requested for papers that authorised them to take action against us, nothing was presented to us so I believe if the government can come to our rescue we will get justice.

How has the community responded to the demolition of your houses, and has there been any solidarity or support on your behalf?

 Well, the neighbours have continually expressed their sympathy with us but most importantly, we have not got anyone to stand up for us; it has all just been messages from neighbours showing their sympathy, but what we want right now is for someone to help us to stop the demolition of our homes; we do not have anywhere else to go.

What message would you like to express to the public and investors regarding the importance of protecting property?

 We want the help of Nigerians who are influential in society; we need their intervention because we feel cheated by the real estate developers, who did not provide any documents before destroying our buildings. So we want the youth and other people to help us.

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