FG to Nigerians: Undergo medical tests before taking antimalarial drugs

 

The federal government has asked Nigerians to always undergo medical tests before taking antimalarial drugs as not all fevers are symptoms of malaria.

Chinelo Ogbodo, chief community development officer of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), gave the warning at a meeting in Akwanga, Nasarawa state.

Ogbodo said treating every form of fever with antimalarial drugs is an abuse of the drug since such a person does not know the nature of the ailment.

She advised that medical tests should be done to ascertain whether the feverish symptom is malaria before taking antimalarial drugs.

“So you need to run a test; every individual presenting symptoms of malaria or fever must be tested before you give them antimalarial drugs, when they test positive,” she was quoted to have said by NAN.

”Nigerians must understand that malaria is not common, there are various types and levels of the disease, like complicated and uncomplicated malaria, we also have severe malaria.

”When you treat fever with malaria drugs, without going for a test before treatment, you have succeeded in treating blindly without knowing what you are treating or the level of what you are treating.

”When somebody has malaria, and treats without testing, he or she has abused the drugs because you do not know the level of the malaria you are treating. When death occurs as a result of malaria, people term it as witchcraft or spiritual causes.”

On her part, Samuel Owoya, a staff member of NMEP, asked Nigerians to sleep under long lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) every night.

Owoya said malaria is a major cause of mortality in the country, adding that the country must adopt the right health-seeking behaviour to eradicate the disease.

- THECABLE

Doctors suspend surgeries at UCH as water scarcity hits facility

 

Medical doctors at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan have suspended all surgical operations in the hospital till further notice, DAILY POST reports.

Our correspondent reliably gathered that the reason for the suspension of the surgeries is due to lack of water supply to the hospital.

On Wednesday our correspondent discovered that the teaching hospital has been experiencing water scarcity in the last few days.

DAILY POST found that at the UCH, hundreds of patients on admission and their relatives have had to go through stress for the lack of potable water in the health facility.

Some of the patients who are currently on admission in the hospital said they buy bags of satchel water to bathe and flush the toilets in the hospital.

A relative of one of the patients told DAILY POST on Wednesday that doctors in the hospital told his family member that they have suspended surgical operations in the hospital as a result of scarcity of water.

He said, “Someone who has been on admission at UCH for days just called me now that there has not been water supply to UCH for four days now.

“Patients buy bags of satchel water to bath and flush toilet. He is on admission for surgery and because of the water situation, doctors told him no surgery for now.”

One of the patients in the hospital told DAILY POST on Wednesday that he was admitted on Tuesday but there is no water to bath or flush.

He said, “I was admitted to the haematology daycare unit in UCH yesterday. There was no water to even flush the toilet.”

The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Toye Akinrinlola when contacted told DAILY POST that the water scarcity was caused by ongoing renovation in the hospital.

He added that the renovation is expected to be completed in the next three weeks.

“When you visited UCH what did you observe? You will observe that there is a massive renovation ongoing. We are replacing the sewage system, that is why we have to shut down some facilities.

“When such renovation is ongoing, we have to shut down five blocks. We do not admit patients except for a few critical cases.

“The renovation is to be completed in three weeks. The issue of water scarcity that came up this morning is very strange to me. We have shut down our water plant and we cannot bring water from outside because we have our own water treatment plant. The best is for our patients to be patient with us.”

DAILY POST recalls that the suspension of surgical operations in UCH occasioned by water scarcity is coming few hours after President Muhamadu Buhari left Nigeria for a medical checkup in London.

Buhari had on Tuesday left the country for his health needs despite the huge amount of money budgeted for the State House clinic and other health facilities in the country.

- DAILY POST

Law enforcement officers to start wearing body cameras in Lagos

 Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos governor, has rolled out the plan for law enforcement officers in the state to use body cameras.

The governor announced the plan to train the law enforcement officers on Tuesday.

He said they will be trained by the Lagos state Law Enforcement Training Institute (LETI).

Olajide Oduyoye, general manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), had in February said the officers will use cameras to capture traffic violations.

“This year, we are going to be having body cameras on officers to capture incidences because things happen so fast,” he had said.

“You can’t really say let me get my camera. But if you have your body camera on that is recording, then you can capture all sorts of different things that you can use against offenders.

“Those who willfully disobey traffic signs go in the middle of the night to remove those signs. When they are caught, they will say that there were no signs. They go and remove the signs to prove they aren’t aware of the signs. This happens all the time.”

- THECABLE

Nigerian high commission in UK unreachable via telephone — ALL eight numbers

 Nigerians in the UK have been unable to get through to the Nigeria High Commission via telephone to resolve important travel issues.

Several UK-based Nigerians have made futile attempts to contact the high commission to resolve issues like passport processing, renewal, among others.

The development has heightened the worries of some diaspora Nigerians who have pertinent and urgent issues to resolve.

TheCable has observed the situation for the past one week and found that the complaints are justified

All the telephone numbers on the website of the high commission were out-of-reach when TheCable dialled them.

None of the five numbers listed for the immigration section, chancery, and consular services was reachable. Three other lines, including those for visa and general enquiries, also failed to connect.

Some of the numbers were switched off, while those that are voicemail-based responded with the comment that no personnel was available to attend to the caller.

Meanwhile, TheCable contacted the embassy via its email address and a response was received.

The embassy said it has “continually answered all calls and responded to all emails as received”.

In another email sent to inquire why the telephone numbers of the high commission were unreachable, TheCable got a response which said “all the lines are very active during working hours, however, you can send your request here”.

Subsequently, a series of calls were put through to the eight telephone numbers during working hours — but it was to no avail.

As of Wednesday morning, TheCable again tried the telephone lines but they were unreachable. - THECABLE

EPL: Guardiola takes decision on signing Messi as Aguero departs

 

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has abandoned his pursuit of Lionel Messi and the whole episode is now seen as “case closed”, according to Sport.

ManCity has been seen as favourites to be Messi’s next club, should he make an emotional exit from the Nou Camp this summer.

Messi tried to force his way out last summer, but under new manager Ronald Koeman and the returning president Joan Laporta, he appeared to be enjoying his football once more and looked set to stay.

City was keen on signing Messi last summer but “they are throwing in the towel, convinced that the Argentine will renew with Barca”.

Instead, Guardiola will now look to either Erling Haaland, Romelu Lukaku or Harry Kane to replace the departing Sergio Aguero.

The Etihad club confirmed on Monday that all-time leading goalscorer Aguero will move on at the end of the season once his contract expires.

- DAILY POST

UK fines Oyakhilome £125,000 over COVID-19 sermon

 

The United Kingdom’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) has fined Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and his religious channel, Loveworld £125,000.

Ofcom in a statement said that the station was fined £125,000 (N65.6m) for breaching the country’s broadcasting code by disseminating misinformation on COVID-19.

The statement in part reads, “Today we have fined Loveworld £125,000 for this breach of the broadcasting code. This was the second time in a year that the broadcaster breached our rules on accuracy in news and harm in its coverage of the coronavirus.”

On December 1 2020, Loveworld aired a 29-hour programme called the Global Day of Prayer, during which claims were made about the COVID-19.

These claims according to the agency included the notion that the outbreak was ‘planned’, that the ‘sinister’ vaccine can be used to implant ‘nanochips’ that can control and cause harm to members of the public and the debunked theory that the virus was somehow caused by 5G.

The agency said it was unfortunate that the station could continue to spread such information despite previous warnings.

The statement further reads, “Ofcom stresses that legitimate debate about the official response to the coronavirus pandemic is fundamental to holding public authorities to account during a global health crisis - particularly when public freedoms are curtailed and complex policy decisions are being taken.

“However, the inaccurate and potentially harmful claims made during this programme were unsupported by any factual evidence and went entirely without challenge.

“Ofcom was particularly concerned that this breach followed previous, similar breaches in 2020 during the investigation of which, Loveworld Limited gave Ofcom a number of assurances as to how it would improve its compliance procedures.”

Oyakhilome, who is the Founder and President of LoveWorld Incorporated, also known as Christ Embassy, based in Lagos, has in the last one year encouraged his members to ignore COVID-19 protocols.

He recently asked his members not to take COVID-19 vaccines.

- PM NEWS

Oduduwa security outfit launched in Ogun State

 Oduduwa Nation Security Force with the code name “Operation Paramole”, meant to protect citizens of Oduduwa Nation has been launched.

The security outfit was launched on Wednesday, Mar 30, 2021, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Operation Paramole was launched by a set of Yoruba Nation agitators who stormed the palace of the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo on Tuesday.

However, Alake was said to have travelled out of the state for a presentation at the Senate in Abuja.

Recall that Sunday Igboho’s spokesperson, Olayomi Koiki, had recently threatened that Yoruba youths would invade the palace of the Alake for not supporting Sunday Igboho’s call for a Yoruba Nation.

Tuesday’s march to the Oba’s palace was a peaceful demonstration devoid of any act of violence as the group affirms that they are not violent and can never support violence.

The Yoruba Nation agitators in series of tweets shared photos of the newly unveiled security outfit while giving details on how to join the squad to interested members of the public.

The group in a tweet said, “Yoruba Nation Warriors Ogun State Chapter. This is the first batch  - pmfrom Ogun State.”

Boko Haram throws Maiduguri, other Borno towns into darkness again

 The Boko Haram sect has knocked off electricity in Borno State capital, Maiduguri and surrounding towns, the second time in 2021.

On Saturday, terrorists vandalised two towers on the Damaturu-Maiduguri 330kiloVolt (KV) Transmission Line.

Transmission Company of Nigeria General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, confirmed the attack in a statement.

Mbah said that the incident occurred after TCN made concerted effort and restored power to Maiduguri on March 24.

The spokesman disclosed that the explosion recorded at about 5.56 a.m on Saturday, cut power supply to Maiduguri and its environs.

“This time, the insurgents bombed two other towers; T152 and T153 on the same line route of the other incident,” she said.

The TCN assured that engineers would ensure power supply was restored to the affected areas.

Last month, two TCN staff were injured at Mainok in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State when their vehicle hit a landmine buried by Boko Haram.

They were part of a team from the TCN and Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC).

The latest sabotage has affected the power outrage the engineers fixed a few days ago.

- DAILY POST

Lagos panel awards N16.25m to four victims of police brutality

 

The Lagos state judicial panel has awarded a total of N16,250,000 to four victims of police brutality.

Doris Okuwobi, chairperson of the panel, gave the ruling on Saturday.

The names of the petitioners are Tolulope Openiyi, Blessing Esanbor, Felicia Opara, and Tella Adesanya.

The panel awarded the sum of N10 million to Openiyi, N5 million was given to Esanbor; Opara received N750,000, while Adesanya got N500,000.

Tolulope, a widow, had approached the panel over the death of her husband, Olusegun Openiyi, whom she said was shot by one Jide Akintola, a police sergeant with the force number 32405.

The widow had told the panel that her husband, who worked for Celtel (now known as Airtel), was shot on his chest, while on his way back from an official outing at the University of Lagos in August 2007.

On her part, Esanbor had approached the panel to narrate how a police officer shot her on February 10, 2012, during an argument, adding that she sustained injuries, and had spent over N5 million in the hospital for treatment.

In his testimony, Adesanya said police officers seized his car while driving along LASU/Ibadan road in June 2018, after some persons accused him of hitting someone along Igando junction.

Adesanya said he spent three days in a police cell, after which he alleged that he paid N10,000 for bail, and his car was damaged at the station.

He added that he wrote letters to the police, office of the public defender, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the presidency, seeking justice, but nothing was done earlier.

In Opara’s account before the panel, she said some police officers assaulted her with guns after she was arrested for using her phone to record during the #EndSARS protest.

She was one of the ladies dragged to the Ojuelegba police station during the #EndSARS demonstrations, and her experience was captured in a video that went viral on social media at the time.

See photos of the other petitioners below.

 

- THECABLE

You have no right to decide who stays in Nigeria – Nnamdi Kanu blasts FG

 

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB, has said it is not the duty of the Federal Government to decide who stays or leave Nigeria.

Kanu made the assertion on Saturday via a tweet on his official Twitter handle.

According to him, the decision of whether the country would disintegrate or remain integrated should be determined by the people via a referendum.

The founder of the Eastern Security Network, ESN, said not even the military has such power.

“Dear Nigerian Govs
It’s not your business to decide whether the people of your State should remain Nigerians or not. It’s not even the business of @NGRPresident or the @HQNigerianArmy.

“Instead, it’s the business of the PEOPLE, freely expressed through a process called REFERENDUM”, the tweet reads.

Recall that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. -Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru recently said the military was ready to deal with all separatists disturbing the cooperate existence of Nigeria.

He vowed to ensure that those inciting disintegration such as the Yoruba activist, Sunday Igboho who recently declared the Oduduwa Republic and his South South counterpart, ex-militant, Asari Dokubo are all dealt with.

 - DAILY POST

Woman dies, six wounded in shocking knife-attack in Vancouver

 

A woman died and multiple others were wounded in a stabbing at a public library in Canada’s affluent Vancouver suburb on Saturday.

A suspect, who apparently acted alone, was taken into custody.

Canada’s Global News reported the death of the woman, citing homicide police, who were not immediately available to confirm. No details were provided.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said “multiple victims” were stabbed inside and outside the North Vancouver Library and that one suspect was in custody.

It “appears this was a lone suspect,” the RCMP said on Twitter, adding that it was still looking for “potential additional victims.”

Amy Robertson of B.C. Emergency Health Services said six people were taken to the hospital and that she was unable to release details on their condition, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC) reported earlier.

“We were driving up … and there was a woman right beside her car with a 7-year-old boy, multiple stab wounds and bleeding profusely … She said it was a random stabber who was running down the street,” a witness who gave his name as Steve told Canada’s Global News.

North Vancouver is a mostly quiet and wealthy suburb with about 85,000 people on the north side of Burrard Inlet, Vancouver’s primary port.

In 2019, North Vancouver was ranked 10th on Maclean’s magazine list of the richest Canadian communities with an average household net worth of nearly C$2 million.

Two bridges and a foot ferry connect North Vancouver to the city of Vancouver. North Vancouver is also a popular destination for hiking and skiing, with part of the North Shore mountain range within its boundaries.

*Source: Reuters/NAN

NDLEA arrests ’70-year-old’ man ‘who sells drugs to bandits’

 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested one Mohammed Wada, for his alleged involvement in the sale of illicit drugs to bandits.

Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesman, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

Wada, identified as a native of Niger Republic, was reportedly arrested in Niger state, where he was found to be in possession of “skunk”.

Skunk is sometimes used to refer to a brand of cannabis.

“A 70-year-old drug trafficker, Mohammed Rabiu Wada, who supplies illicit substances to Boko Haram insurgents and bandits, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in Niger state,” the statement reads.

“The suspect who hails from Dallawa town, state of Agadez, Niger Republic, was arrested on Thursday with 10 pallets of skunk in Jebba, Niger state. He had brought into Nigeria hides and skin from Niger Republic to sell in Lagos.

“During interrogation, the suspect claimed he sold his goods for N300,000 in Lagos and used the fund to buy 10 pallets of skunk at N25,000 each.

“He was on his way back to Niger Republic through the North West where he sells drugs to bandits when he was intercepted in Jebba.”

Aloye Isaac, Niger state commander of the NDLEA, is said to have described the arrest as “further confirmation of the nexus between drug abuse and the security challenges in parts of the country”.

- THECABLE

Bandits place N50million ransom on kidnapped RCCG members

 

Members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Kaduna kidnapped by bandits on their way to Kafanchan from Kaduna have been placed on a N50million ransom.

A senior Pastor of the Church who confirmed the contact and the amount, explained that the eight members were kidnapped from the church bus at about 6:00 p.m while on their way for a church assignment.

The RCCG cleric, who is a Special Assistant to the General Overseer assured, “It’s true. It happened around 6:00 p.m. They are asking for N50 million.”

He said that the abducted persons were adult missionaries, male and female, from Kaduna Province 1 going to Kafanchan for prayer work.

Recall that an engineer, Mr Eje Kenny Faraday, said “he narrowly escaped being a victim,” had broken the news on his Facebook wall with the photograph of the empty bus around 7.00 p.m. on Friday.

He posted on his Facebook wall, “All passengers in the bus are just kidnapped along Kachia Road, Kilometre 63 from Kaduna.”

The inscription on the side of the bus reads, “The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Region 30, Trinity Sanctuary, Kaduna.”

- DAILY POST

Ogun Police reveal new tactics of kidnappers

 

The Ogun State Police Command has revealed new tactics employed by kidnappers to abduct their unsuspecting victims in the state.

The command revealed this in a press release issued by its spokesman, DSP Oyeyemi Abimbola to newsmen in Abeokuta.

“The Ogun State police wants to reiterates the need for the general public to increase their level of security consciousness in view of the prevailing security situation in the Country and the nonchalant attitude to security issues exhibited by some people.

“It is to this end that the following security tips are hereby provided to members of the public to keep you abreast of the new tactics of criminals.

“All the good people of Ogun State are enjoined to take precautions to minimize, if not completely eliminate, the chances of falling victims of the criminal gang. The new tactics are as follows”

“Hoodlums, including kidnappers now lay wait in isolated area, where they ambush innocent person(s) to either rob or abduct them for ransom. It is advisable that all such isolated roads are avoided as much as possible, especially at night.

“OKADA WITH AN ACCOMPLICE PASSENGER: With this system, kidnappers will pretend to be an Okada rider while his accomplice will pretend to be a passenger. In doing this, the accomplice passenger who had already laced his back with a sedative substances will be in the middle while their victim who will now sit at his back will fall asleep having inhaled the sedative substances.

“The kidnappers are now targeting business men and women who always close late from their shops and places of business.

“To this end, the Command hereby appeals to members of the public to always avoid travelling alone on isolated roads, especially at night. Also, those whose cars are not in good mechanical condition should avoid night travelling, because if such vehicle breaks-down, such person(s) may have unknowingly given the kidnappers opportunity to attack them,” the statement said..

The police added that members of public are advised to always avoid being the third person on a commercial motorcycle, most especially when the two other persons are not known to them.

“Our business men and women should as well endeavour to avoid closing too late from their business places pending when those marauders who are making life difficult for our people will be apprehended.

“Conclusively, the Command is working round the clock to ensure the safety of residents of the State and the support of the general public is therefore needed to achieve this onerous task,” the statement said.

-PM NEWS

SHEGE BUHARI !!! Federal Character Commission chairman, secretary are northerners – CSOs

 

The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CCSOs) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint a southerner as substantive Secretary of Federal Character Commission (FCC).

The coalition said since the creation of the commission in 1996, the tradition had always been the Chairman from the North and Secretary from the South.

The bodies noted that both the current Chairman, Muheeba Dankaka, and the Secretary, Muhammed Bello, whose tenure ends next week, are Northerners.

Addressing the media on Friday, Oluwole Oladapo, the Convener of Values of Unlimited Restorative Justice, advised the President to appoint a Southerner as Bello’s successor.

He said the FCC, according to Section 153(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, is meant to be the custodian of the principle of federal character and ensure compliance by federal agencies, departments and parastatals.

“Charity should ordinarily begin from the home of the commission by respecting the provision of the law and appoint its Secretary from the Southern part of Nigeria”, NAN quotedOladapo as saying.

Ayo Ologun, the Convener of Oodua Youth Initiative, appealed to Buhari to reflect equity and fairness in his decision.

Last month, Mrs Dankaka was accused of nepotism by 20 out of the 37 FCC commissioners.

In a petition to the Buhari, they accused the chairman of carrying out a secret recruitment and giving majority slots to her kinsmen from Kwara State.

They alleged Dankaka unilaterally recruited 22 employees out of which 11 of were from her senatorial district.

The petitioners stated that her action was a breach of the FCC Act and urged Buhari to investigate.

The FCC fifth Board chaired by Dankaka assumed office in July 2020 after inauguration by the President.

- DAILY POST

EFCC arraigns insurance company CEO over ‘N6bn PHCN benefit fraud’

 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Cecilia Osipitan, chief executive officer of Great Nigeria Insurance Plc, for alleged fraud.

Osipitan was arraigned before a federal high court in Abuja on Friday on a nine-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and conversion of funds.

She was alleged to have diverted funds belonging to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), to the tune of N6 billion.

The EFCC alleged that she and PJO Ventures Limited, said to be her company, diverted the money meant for insurance premiums and claims of deceased and incapacitated PHCN staff.

She allegedly committed the fraud between 2014 and 2016.

She, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read.

Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, granted her bail in the sum of N200 million with one surety in like sum.

The surety must be a responsible citizen, and must own a landed property worth the bail bond.

Osipitan was directed to deposit her international passport with the court and prohibited from travelling out of the country without the court’s approval.

The matter was adjourned till May 24 for commencement of trial.

In 2015, TheCable reported how N27 billion retrospective payments of the insurance premiums were not provided to the defunct PHCN.

Since then, the EFCC has arraigned two persons, including Benjamin Dikki, former director-general of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), and Mohammed Wakil, a former minister of state for power, over the matter.

- THECABLE