Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has waded into the Ballon d’Or conversation for this year.
According to the Spaniard, Rodri deserves to win it ahead of players like Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior.
Guardiola insists that Rodri’s consistency has been “brutal”.
He said: “I can’t deny how happy I would be if Rodri could get the Ballon d’Or”.
“His consistency is just brutal.
“Being in the race, being nominated, or winning the Ballon d’Or is fantastic.”
Rodri was a key member of the City team that won the Premier League for the fourth consecutive season and the Euro 2024 trophy with Spain.
Ballon d’Or 2024: Guardiola names player that deserves award
Ballon d’Or 2024: Guardiola names player that deserves award
Alia appoints Gbamwuan DG of Homeland Security
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has approved the appointment of Air Commodore Jacob Gbamwuan (retd) as the Director General of the Bureau of Homeland Security.
TVN recalls that during the last Benue State Security Council meeting, the governor declared the establishment of a Bureau of Homeland Security to be domiciled directly under his office.
The appointment was contained in a statement on Monday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula.
According to Kula, Gbamwuan is a graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna; Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, Zaria; University of Jos; and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
He is a specialist in law enforcement and criminal justice.
“He served the Nigerian military meritoriously and retired into community service before the present appointment.
“It is the belief of His Excellency that Commodore Gbamwuan will use his wealth of experience, national and international connections, as well as security expertise to bear on his vision of tackling insecurity in the state,” Kula added.
The appointment takes immediate effect.
Alia appoints Gbamwuan DG of Homeland Security
Primary Health Care: Taraba Govt urged to pay counterpart fund
The Executive Secretary of the Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency, TSPHCDA, Dr. Tukura Nuhu Nyigwa, has identified non-prompt payment of counterpart funding as a major challenge bedevilling Primary Health Care, PHC, in the state.
He stated this during a one-day retreat with state and local government policymakers on PHC performance and the sustainability of the PHC memorandum of understanding implementation.
Speaking at the retreat that took place in neighbouring Adamawa State, Nyigwa highlighted that PHCs in the state, are struggling due to the non-payment of counterpart funds by the previous administrations.
Optimistic that the incumbent administration will do the needful, he called on the current leadership of the state to endeavour to fulfil the MoU it signed with GAVI.
Expressing concern that three years after the MoU was signed, the state has yet to fulfil its part of the agreement, he stressed that it has become necessary for the current administration, under the leadership of Governor Agbu Kefa, to take the bull by the horns.
While GAVI has reportedly provided the necessary funding, the Taraba State Government, at the time of filing this report, has yet to meet its obligations.
The agreement, which includes the engagement of 450 health workers that ought to be executed by the state and GAVI, was said to have been left for the latter alone.
“GAVI has already hired 300 workers, but the Taraba government has yet to fulfil its part by engaging the remaining 150,” he stated.
Also emphasising the acute shortage of manpower in most of the PHCs in the state, he urged the state government to go the extra mile to fulfil its part of the agreement.
He also pointed out the lack of office accommodations for agency staff and called on the government to construct suitable offices urgently.
He stressed the importance of retaining the 450 health workers and ensuring that they are all on the payroll of the state government. These, and building a befitting office for the staff of the agency, are, according to him, crucial to the project’s sustainability beyond GAVI’s involvement.
The retreat brought together members of the state chapter of the Association of Local Government in Nigeria, ALGON, traditional rulers and critical stakeholders from the state’s health sector.
Primary Health Care: Taraba Govt urged to pay counterpart fund
Court declines to bar Fubara from spending state funds
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, declined to grant a motion to stop the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, from spending from the state’s consolidated revenue fund.
Rather than grant the motion ex parte marked FHC/ABJ/CS/984/24, Justice James Nwite asked the plaintiffs to put Fubara and other defendants in the suit on notice.
The suit was filed by the faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to ex-governor Nyesom Wike.
The factional Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, had during its plenary on July 15, resolved to bar Fubara from spending from the Rivers State consolidated account following his refusal to present the 2024 budget afresh.
The 25 pro-Wike lawmakers had at their previous sitting given Fubara a seven-day ultimatum to present the budget, threatening to take action against him if he refused.
Fubara, however, said he would not present afresh the N800bn budget already passed in January by the factional Assembly loyal to him.
He described the pro-Wike lawmakers as illegitimate, saying they had lost their seats as legislators following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
The pro-Fubara factional Assembly, led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, also countered the call by the pro-Wike lawmakers on Fubara not to spend state funds.
Oko-Jumbo insisted that his faction of the Assembly was the legitimate Assembly and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct by-elections to replace the pro-Wike lawmakers.
In his ruling on Monday, Justice Nwite said he would not stop Fubara from spending the state’s revenue.
The defendants in the suit are the Central Bank of Nigeria, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank PLC, the Accountant General of the Federation, the Rivers State Governor, Fubara, the Accountant-General of Rivers, the Rivers Independent Electoral Commission, Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice S.C. Amadi, Chairperson of RSIEC, Adolphus Enebeli, and the Government of Rivers State.
The pro-Wike lawmakers, through their lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN), also prayed the court to order substituted service of court papers on the defendants, a prayer the judge granted.
Justice Nwite, in his ruling, ordered that the Motion on Notice be served on the 5th to 10th defendants by substituted means.
He said, “Leave is hereby granted to the plaintiffs/applicants, to serve the 5th to 10th defendants/respondents with the plaintiffs/applicants’ Motion on Notice, and any other process(es) filed or issued in this suit by substituted means to wit: by publishing same in the Nation newspapers.”
The judge subsequently adjourned the matter till August 7 for the hearing of the Motion on Notice.
Meanwhile, the pro-Wike lawmakers, on Monday, demanded the arrest of the caretakers appointed by Fubara to run the 18 local government areas of the state.
The pro-Wike lawmakers made the resolution at their sitting on Monday.
They declared that the use of caretakers to run LG was a violation of the recent Supreme Court judgment upholding LG autonomy.
The resolution of the lawmakers was contained in a statement on Monday by the Speaker’s media aide, Martins Wachukwu.
According to the statement, the resolution followed a motion moved by the House Leader, Major Jack, and deliberated by members.
They described the LG caretakers as impostors and entities unknown to the law.
The statement reads, “The Rivers State House of Assembly at its 7th Legislative Sitting of the Second Session of the 10th Assembly, Monday, deliberated on a statement by the House Leader, Hon. Major Jack, wherein he drew the attention of the House to the illegal activities of some persons in the state, masquerading as Chairmen and members of Caretaker Committees.
“These individuals, the Leader said, go about imposing and collecting fees, levies and rates from unsuspecting members of the public, in breach of the recent Supreme Court judgement, and the provisions of the Rivers State Local Government (Amendment)Law, 2023 that prohibit Caretaker Committees in whatever guise or nomenclature.”
The Speaker, Amaewhule, in his contribution, said it was worrisome that ‘these individuals not known to the law go to the banks and withdraw money meant for the Local Government Councils’ for wanton squandering in the name of non-existing Caretaker committees.”
Amaewhule urged the police and other security agencies to swing into action and arrest the impostors to avoid a breakdown of law and order in the state.
He said the House would not fold its arms and condone the “crass disregard for the laws of the state and the judgment of the Supreme Court of the land by some impostors.”
Nigeria’s athletes taking part in combat sports in Paris 2024
Nigeria’s athletes taking part in combat sports in Paris 2024
In continuation of According Sports Extra’s countdown to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to be held from July 26 to August 11, PETER AKINBO profiles Nigeria’s athletes vying for honours in combat sports at the quadrennial sports fiesta
BOXING
Adam Olaore
Event: Boxing (heavyweight, 92 kg)
Based in the UK and a university graduate, Olaore joined the Nigeria Boxing Team in 2023. He has won all the bouts he fought for Nigeria, with the distinction of being the undisputed African heavyweight champion. Known for his intelligence, confidence, speed, and sharp reflexes, Olaore is poised to make a significant impact in Paris.
Cynthia Ogunsemilore
Event: Boxing (lightweight, 60 kg)
Ogunsemilore is a young, promising world champion discovered through youth competitions. She made her mark at the elite level by winning a bronze medal in her first appearance at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in London.
Since then, she has continued to grow in experience and maintain an undefeated record. Her recent achievements include winning gold at the last All African Games in Ghana.
WRESTLING
Blessing Oborududu
Event: Wrestling (68 kg)
Oborududu, the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, secured her spot in Paris with a 2-0 pinfall victory over Uilau I. Tarkong of Palau. As a veteran Olympian, she brings a wealth of experience to the Nigerian team.
Oborududu made history in Tokyo by winning Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic medal in wrestling. She is a 12-time African champion and has multiple gold medals from the African Games and Commonwealth Games. Her experience and proven track record make her a strong medal contender in Paris.
Odunayo Adekuoroye
Event: Wrestling (57 kg)
Adekuoroye, the reigning African champion, qualified for Paris following her bronze medal win at the World Championships in Belgrade last year. She will be looking to improve on her previous Olympic performances.
This will be her third Olympic appearance, having competed at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
Nicknamed “The Dancing Wrestler” for her celebratory moves, Adekuoroye is a multiple Commonwealth Games gold medalist. She has also won silver and bronze medals at the World Championships, making her one of Nigeria’s top medal prospects in Paris.
Hannah Reuben
Event: Wrestling (76 kg)
The World Military Champion secured her Olympic berth with a 6-0 victory over Amy Youin of Côte d’Ivoire. Reuben also won gold at the African Games in Accra, Ghana.
She has been a dominant force in her weight category on the African continent, consistently performing well in regional competitions.
Reuben’s military background has instilled discipline and resilience in her approach to wrestling, attributes that could prove crucial in her Olympic debut.
Esther Kolawole
Event: Wrestling (62 kg)
Kolawole qualified for Paris after overcoming Angelina Rodrigues Miranda of Cape Verde with a 10-0 superiority win. She adds this achievement to her African Games and African Championships triumphs.
A rising star in Nigerian wrestling, Kolawole has shown remarkable progress in recent years. Her technical skills and aggressive style have made her a formidable opponent on the continental stage, and she’ll be looking to make a strong impression in her first Olympic appearance.
Ogunsanya Christianah
Event: Wrestling (53 kg)
The African Games champion secured her Olympic berth by defeating Egypt’s Shaimaa Atef Barakat Mohamed with a 10-0 superiority win.
Ogunsanya has been making waves in African wrestling circles, pulling off explosive performances. Her gold medal at the African Games underscored her potential, and she’ll be eager to prove herself on the global stage in Paris. Her speed and agility in the lighter-weight class make her an exciting prospect for Nigeria.
Ashton Mutuwa
Event: Wrestling (125 kg)
The American-born wrestler, who recently pledged allegiance to Nigeria, qualified for Paris with a spirited 16-8 pinfall victory over South African Justin van Zyl. This will be Mutuwa’s first Olympic appearance.
His decision to represent Nigeria adds an interesting dimension to the team. Mutuwa’s experience in the competitive American wrestling scene could prove valuable as he takes on the world’s best heavyweights. His raw power and technical skills make him a dark horse in the heavyweight category.
TAEKWONDO
Elizabeth Anyanacho
Event: Taekwondo (67 kg)
Anyanacho will be Nigeria’s sole representative in taekwondo at the Paris Olympics, making history as the first Nigerian female taekwondo athlete to compete in two Olympic Games. She secured her spot at the African Qualifying Tournament in Dakar, Senegal, where she was drawn against Kenya’s Jully Musangi in the women’s -67kg, and she showed her class against her opponent with a dominant display that handed her the victory in the second round of the three-round contest. Anyanacho recently won gold at the African Games in Ghana and the Luxembourg Open and is determined to improve on her performance from Tokyo 2020.
Taraba to sustain primary health care funding
Taraba Deputy Governor and chairman, Task Force on Primary Health Care, Aminu Alkali on Saturday, said government will do everything possible to sustain the gains the UNICEF/GAVI health support project has brought to the state.
Alkali made the pledge at the end of a one-day retreat with state and local government policymakers on Primary Health Care performance and the sustainability of the PHC Memorandum of Understanding implementation between the state government, UNICEF and GAVI held in Yola, Adamawa State.
According to him, “The administration of Governor Agbu Kefas, appreciates the intervention of UNICEF/GAVI in funding and technical support to the state Primary Health Care Development Agency and we are determined to sustain the gains of the project as the MoU come to a close.
“Health care delivery is at the heart of our moving forward agenda and that is why the government is investing heavily in the area of health care. We inherited this MoU and we are determined to sustain the implementation,” he said.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Taraba State Primary Health care Development Agency, Dr. Tukura Nyigwa, said poor release of funds to the agency was responsible for the ineffective functioning of primary health care centres in the state.
Nyigwa revealed that PHCs in Taraba were facing significant challenges due to the non-payment of counterpart funds, adding that despite GAVI providing the necessary funding, the Taraba government has not met its commitments, including the engagement of 450 health workers.
“GAVI has engaged 300 workers and as the MoU comes to an end, the Taraba State government needs to absorb them to ensure sustainability.”
“We need a stand-alone office accommodation for the agency and I want to appeal to the Governor to urgently construct suitable office accommodation to attract more funding from our partners to the agency,” Nyigwa added.
Our correspondent reports that the retreat had in attendance Local Government Council Chairmen and other stakeholders in the health sector.
Paediatricians insist overcrowding, incomplete vaccination fuelling measles outbreaks
Paediatricians have warned that children who are unvaccinated, malnourished, and live in crowded environments are at a higher risk of measles.
The experts also noted that children living in overcrowded areas were at increased risk of spreading and contracting the highly contagious disease caused by a virus.
The child surgeons decried the recurrent measles epidemics in Nigeria, attributing them to incomplete or non-immunisation children due to several factors.
The paediatricians reassured parents that the vaccine was safe, stating that the disease’s complications, such as blindness, and kidney and liver diseases, far outweigh any fears about the vaccine.
According to the World Health Organisation, measles is a highly contagious airborne disease that could lead to severe complications and deaths.
It adds that although measles can affect anyone, it is most common in children and can be prevented through vaccination.
Despite the availability of vaccines, the WHO noted that about 136,000 measles deaths were recorded globally, mostly among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children under the age of five.
Recently, the WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund, noted that there has been a reduction in the vaccination rates against measles, leaving about 35 million children with partial or no protection.
In 2023, the health agency reported a 79 per cent rise in measles globally and drops in the measles vaccination, warning that the disease was still a global threat.
According Healthwise gathered that already, Nigeria has recorded since the beginning of the year, about 29 children in Adamawa and Abuja have died from measles-related complications.
UNICEF ranked Nigeria as number one in Africa and second in the world with the highest number of malnourished children.
Malnutrition, which is the deficiency, excesses or imbalances in nutrient intake also includes wasting, stunting, underweight and deficiencies in vitamins and minerals.
About 12 million Nigerian children out of the 35 million under-five children globally suffer from wasting which makes them more vulnerable to disease and death.
Speaking on the issue, a paediatric surgeon at the Bayero University, Kano, Kano State, Prof Aminu Mohammad, stated that malnutrition lowers immunity in children, making them more susceptible to communicable diseases and infections.
Consequently, malnourished children who were unvaccinated for measles had a higher risk of contracting the disease.
He noted that the rate of unvaccinated children coupled with the current economic situation in the country, which is increasing the rate of malnutrition among children, would further escalate measles-related complications and deaths.
The don said, “Now that the situation in the country is hard, natural immunity is also affected by malnutrition. Due to the huge number of children that are malnourished, there are chances that we are going to be seeing more cases and even more complicated cases are on the high increase. Malnourished children who are not or completely vaccinated, have a higher risk of measles.
“Malnutrition on its own lowers immunity in children, and makes them prone to communicable diseases and infections. Therefore, malnourished children are more likely to develop diseases.”
The don further noted that malnourished children due to their reduced immunity required more protection from vaccine-preventable diseases through immunisation.
He added that measles was highly contagious, emphasising that complete immunisation was necessary to ensure adequate protection from measles and other vaccine-preventable illnesses.
The child surgeon reassured parents that immunisations were safe and posed no present or future harm to children.
He urged parents to avail their children the benefit of being protected from vaccine-preventable diseases, complications and deaths.
“Just like the way we are on our way to eliminating polio in our environment because of the active involvement and ensuring that the nooks and crannies and hard-to-reach areas are reached. In the same vein, parents should avail their children the opportunity to have them fully immunised against these preventable diseases that can cause morbidity and mortality.
“We still have a very significant number of children that are not immunised. Therefore, we need to tighten our belts to ensure that we have reached every child and they are immunised. Otherwise, that is the reason why we have had recurrent epidemics of measles in Nigeria for decades.
“But if we are immunising our children, you will find out that even the few ones that will develop the disease, will develop a milder disease than those who are not immunised,” Mohammad said.
Mohammad who is also the President of the Medical and Dental Consultants of Association of Nigeria urged stakeholders to create more awareness of the need for child immunisation and to dispel the rumours and fears parents had about.
Also, a professor of paediatrics at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Christopher Yilgwan, asserted that malnutrition increases the risk of contracting, suffering complications and dying from measles.
He explained that measles triggers malnutrition since it affects the inner lining of the respiratory and digestive tract.
The don stated that this was the reason children with measles had diarrhoea which makes them lose essential body fluids and calories.
“Malnutrition comes with reduced immunity and reduced immunity increases the risk of having measles. The reason you see most children under five coming down with measles, especially those who are not immunised is because their body’s ability to fight infections is reduced. If an adult has a condition that reduces their immunity, such as Human immunodeficiency virus or diabetes, for instance, they are also at high risk.
“Malnutrition is a very big issue and of course where there are economic problems are parents are struggling to make ends meet, when measles comes, it will be very devastating,” he said.
The don also stated that since measles is spread by respiratory droplets, children living in overcrowded areas were at more risk of contracting measles.
Yilgwan noted that the misconceptions about vaccines, cultural myths and poverty were factors that impacted communities’ acceptability of the vaccine.
He further noted that until factors fuelling the uptake of vaccines in some communities are dealt with, there will be progress in resolving vaccine-preventable deaths.
The paediatrician urged public health departments in every Local Government Area to increase awareness of measles and other vaccine-prevention illnesses.
The don said, “They need to enlighten people through health promotion on the need to take their children for vaccination. We can use community and religious leaders, school teachers, and peer educators to spread the gospel of vaccine-preventable illnesses.”
He advised public health departments in communities experiencing measles outbreaks to conduct house-to-house visits to ensure every child is vaccinated.
Symptom-based treatment may lead to wrong diagnosis, warn experts
As the brain drain in the health sector popularly known as japa syndrome remains unabated, medical experts have said the disturbing trend will continue to impact negatively on treatment outcomes.
The experts pointed out that as a result of a shortage of manpower and equipment; many physicians just treat their patients based on symptoms, warning that relying only on such a treatment approach could lead to wrong diagnosis and medication.
They noted that owing to the lack of personnel and state-of-the-art equipment in the country’s health facilities, Nigerians with deep pockets continue to seek medical care abroad.
Chief Executive Officer of Diamed Healthcare Centre, a new multi-specialty facility in Lagos, Dr Abiola Olorode, disclosed this at an event on the forthcoming launch of the health facility.
She identified a lack of advanced medical tools and over-reliance on symptom-based treatments as key drivers of medical tourism in Nigeria.
“This unfortunately reduces doctors to just symptom-based treatments, which can lead to misdiagnosis and unnecessary medications,” Olorode said.
No fewer than 10,296 Nigeria-trained doctors are presently practicing in the United Kingdom, according to the Nigerian Medical Association.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, in 2023. said the country still needs about 400,000 health workers to cater to the healthcare needs of Nigerians effectively.
The Diamed CEO said that if Nigeria must reduce medical tourism, the healthcare providers must anchor treatments on evidence-based tools.
She stated that the facility would have state-of-the-art equipment and this allows for a wider range of tests, leading to more accurate diagnoses and improved treatment outcomes.
Olorode said, “Diamed Diagnostic Centre which will be officially launched soon is a multi-specialty facility offering a wide range of diagnostic services, preventive care options, and consultations with experienced healthcare professionals.”
Sharing her experience, the medical director said she had spent her career witnessing the challenges of limited diagnostic tools and a reliance on symptom-based treatments in Nigeria.
“This approach can lead to misdiagnosis, unnecessary medications, and drug resistance and Diamed’s vision is to provide Nigerians with high-quality, evidence-based medical care in a comfortable and accessible environment.
“I have been on this journey for about 10 years with the feasibility study, the planning, and the construction. So, the major reason this came to me is that I believe that, because I trained in the UK and the US, the type of healthcare you get abroad should be available to Nigerians.
“That’s one of the things that made me think of it because if you look at this, you can get all the state-of-the-art technology to do evidence-based management of patients”, she said.
Giving further insight into the importance of offering evidence-based care to patients, Olorode noted, “What do I mean by evidence-based? When you see a patient, they come full of symptoms, and based on the symptoms, you now do what we call examining the patient.
“And then we have what we call a science, you pick from the examination. Based on the symptoms and the science from the patient, you now look at trying to formulate a diagnosis.
“What should normally happen is you now have a series of tests to confirm what you’re thinking is going on with the patient. “
According to her, due to a lack of diagnostic tools or equipment in Nigeria, people moved straight from the symptoms and science to giving medication.
She added, “Also, it is focused on preventive care. Diamed encourages annual checkups and early detection of health issues and we are huge in patient-centered care. The centre prioritises patient comfort and emphasises a personalised approach to care.
“The centre is conveniently located and easy to reach. It also has skilled healthcare professionals. We had a team of highly trained doctors, including in-house doctors and a network of consultants and specialists.”
The Facility Manager at the centre, Joseph Adeyanju stressed the need to stop medical tourism in Nigeria.
Adeyanju explained that the facility has specialised divisions for neurology, orthopaedics, cardiology, and oncology, which are among other salient features.
He said each department is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and staffed by highly skilled medical professionals trained both locally and internationally.
“For instance, we have put in place the first 3D mammography machine, known as the 3 Dimensions Mammography System in Nigeria. The new technology will help deliver a higher state of care by providing enhanced images to help detect breast cancer when it is in the earliest, most treatable stages.
“3D Mammography will improve our ability to better detect dangerous cancers, and at the same time reduces the likelihood of further testing for suspicious findings that turn out not to be cancer,” the facility manager at Diamed Centre.”
Ekiti nurses lament discrimination in salaries, allowance payment
The Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, and nurses in the state’s public health sector have been at loggerheads over the non-payment of some categories of allowances since 2023.
The nurses under the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives also accused the state government of discriminating against them in the implementation of the new salary scale for health workers.
Speaking exclusively with According Healthwise, the state chairman of NANNM, Comrade Samuel Adegbuyi, lamented that only the medical doctors have been enjoying the increased health salary structure known as the Consolidated Health Salary Structure and hazard allowance.
Adegbuyi explained that the association had written several letters to the government since October 2023 without any positive response.
He described the commissioner’s claim that the new salary scale had been implemented for all health workers as false.
The NANNM chairman said the nurses in the state are also demanding the domestication of the scheme of service for nurses in the state civil service, which would ensure that graduate nurses are absorbed at the appropriate grade level 10 instead of starting from scratch.
He explained, “The only thing peculiar to nurses in Ekiti state at the primary and the secondary health facility is the issue of graduate nurses coming into the state civil service. There is a level that that person must be absorbed, such a person is not expected to start from scratch. If you come up as a graduate who has spent five years in the university, spent one year doing an internship, and another year for your youth service, you are supposed to start on grade level 10. But it has not been domesticated in Ekiti state civil service.”
Explaining further on the alleged discrimination in salary upgrade and allowance for nurses, Adegbuyi added, “You know in general civil service, anybody who is promoted, they use Consolidated Health Salary Structure known as CONHESS which is the current salary scale for health workers. That one was not observed until the Federal Salary and Wages Commission was approached and they effected the correction with an enabling circular. And so it was effected, but they didn’t do it for nurses and other health workers, it was only effected for doctors.
“Since October 2023, we have written several letters to that effect without any positive response.
“And so each time the commissioner has access to any media, he will say that it has been effected for all health workers, whereas it is only the doctors that are enjoying it. That is the reason we responded to his media broadcast.”
When asked if the nurses would embark on strike if nothing is done despite several appeals, the NANNM chairman said the association would follow due process and protocol to demand their rights if the government continues to ignore their demands.
He urged the state government to intervene and resolve the issue to avoid a strike action that may have far-reaching consequences for the health sector.
“For now we are not embarking on strike, because there are rules of engagement. We only use that one as a reaction to that letter. If you want to embark on any industrial action, you must follow the due process; and the lay down protocol for that. We are going to write to the appropriate authorities as regards that.
“Since we responded on Tuesday, there has not been any response from the government because what we said is the truth. So, we don’t expect any reaction. And if there is any, we are ready to face whoever is asking us questions as regards the allowance,” he noted.
Adegbuyi, however, lamented that over 70 nurses have migrated from Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital alone, with many more from other facilities, making Ekiti the second highest in nurse migration after Lagos.
He stated, “From Ekiti State University teaching alone, not less than 70 nurses have migrated to greener pastures. And from the other facilities, those that have migrated are more. My findings from the Nurses and Midwifery Council of Nigeria where nurses do verification is that Ekiti is second to Lagos on this migration issue.”
When contacted, the health commissioner told our correspondent that only clinical health workers are enjoying the hazard allowance.
Responding to a claim by the nurses that he said all health workers in the state are enjoying the allowance, the commissioner said he was misunderstood.
He stated, “I said the government is paying hazard allowance to all clinical health workers. The hazard allowance is being paid, and we have also reviewed the salary for medical doctors. I think I was misinterpreted in the said broadcast.”
NBA warns Gombe students against substance abuse
The Nigerian Bar Association Gombe State Branch has expressed worries over the growing use of substance abuse, especially among youths.
As a result, the NBA has harped on the need to “catch them young” in its crusade against the use and abuse of drugs.
Speaking during a sensitisation campaign to commemorate 2024 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which held at the Hassan Central Primary School, Vice Chairperson Mwalin Abdu, called on the students to abstain from the use of illicit substances while also highlighting the inherent dangers of such abuse.
Arewa According reports that this year’s commemoration, which has the theme: The Evidence is Clear; Invest in Prevention and the sub-theme, titled: ‘Effect of substance abuse on the prospects of the leaders of tomorrow,’ witnessed participants receiving books and pens as souvenir to stimulate their interest in the campaign.
According to Abdu, abuse of substance could mar the future of the younger generation from becoming qualitative and responsible leaders.
She added, “You are to abstain from drug abuse because it will affect the desired future you want. As NBA Gombe Branch, we feel it’s incumbent to tackle the menace through sensitisation.”
While fielding questions from the students about the legal profession, Abdu encouraged them by explaining that “the legal profession is a noble one. To become a young lawyer, you need to have a sound mind for good arguments.”
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