‘Your comments will escalate brain drain’ — NMA tackles Ngige

 The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) says the comments of Chris Ngige, minister of labour, regarding the doctors strike is capable of escalating brain drain in Nigeria.

The doctors embarked on an indefinite strike on Thursday over salary arrears, among other issues.

The minister had threatened the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) that he will invoke “weapons in the labour laws” if they refuse to back down on the ongoing strike.

He had also claimed that resident doctors in the US foot the bill for their residency training programme.

In a joint statement, Innocent Ujah and Philip Ekpe, president and secretary-general of NMA, described Ngige’s comments as hate speech.

“In as much as we appreciate the efforts being made by the government to resolve the issues that have led to this avoidable and unnecessary industrial action by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) wishes to clarify the misinformation by the Minister in the interview, which is seriously viewed to be a hate speech capable of bringing down the health system in Nigeria and thereby worsening the health care delivery and further escalate the rather unimaginable current brain drain,” the statement read.

“In the United States of America and other developed countries, Resident Doctors work as they are being trained and they are paid by their employers.

“In the United Kingdom, the employer of Resident Doctors is the NHS, which is similar to what is obtainable in Nigeria.

“Furthermore, Residents also pay to take their postgraduate Medical examinations in the developed countries, which is what also obtains in Nigeria.

“The NMA is totally in disagreement with the way and manner some government functionaries carry out their duties which is completely insensitive to the plight of the people.

“Accountability is the fulcrum for good governance in all facets and we do not demand anything less from those charged with the responsibility of governing the people.”

TheCable had visited hospitals in Lagos, Oyo and Abuja following the commencement of the strike — and discovered that patients had been abandoned to their fate.

- THECABLE

Nigerian Army removes journalist from WhatsApp group for questioning N2.6tn funds

The Nigerian Army has reportedly removed a journalist, Amadin Uyi from a WhatsApp group its communications unit created and operates for the benefit of newsmen.

The Director of Public Relations, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima, and other spokespersons in the Army utilise the platform to disseminate information to reporters.

Uyi, the Abuja Bureau Chief of News Central TV, drew the WhatsApp group administrators’ irk after enquiring about arms funds.

He had asked Yermia to provide details of how the Army spent N2.6 trillion budget for counter-insurgency from 2015 till date.

“The COAS conference has posed many questions needing answers. The Chief of Army Staff says he will work towards addressing logistic challenges; this is really shocking, considering the fact that about 2.6 trillion naira has been spent between 2015 and 2019. We really want to know what he really means by this statement,” Uyi had asked.

The pressman was, however, removed from the group shortly after his message by an officer, Muhammad Isa Yahaya, a development News Central condemned in a statement.

The company noted that Uyi has covered the Nigerian military and defence operations for close to a decade.

It said the staff raised the question about the comment by the COAS, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru at a press conference and even volunteered to send a reportorial crew to get his reaction.

“With such a huge amount expended within the period, Amadin Uyi also questioned the COAS’s remark that directives had been given for “more weapons to be procured”, when the initially disbursed funds could have purchased enough armaments.

“Because the public will want details, Uyi also asked if the army had previously abandoned the damaged and unserviceable equipment in the theatre of war after the COAS talked about back-loading them and instructing that they be repaired immediately.

“Rather than address these concerns to satisfy public curiosity and accountability, the Nigerian Army Public Relations Unit simply took Amadin Uyi off the platform after challenging him for asking what they described as “irrelevant questions.”

The media house urged the Nigerian Army to address the questions raised, adding that the journalist had conducted himself with utmost professionalism.

Journalists and members of civil society have criticized the action.

The Nigerian Army has remained silent on the issue.

- DAILY POST

EPL: Guardiola chooses between Messi, Haaland

 

Manchester City have abandoned their quest to land Lionel Messi from Barcelona.

Pep Guardiola now favours a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland, according to the UK Mirror.

Messi had long been linked with a reunion with his former manager since last year, when he tried to engineer a move away from Spain.

City were one of Messi’s two feasible destinations alongside Paris Saint-Germain.

Now however, with talk that Messi may yet remain at Camp Nou, City have moved to make Haaland their first choice.

Haaland’s representatives are expected to fly into England to hold talks with up to four clubs, as Haaland looks set to depart Borussia Dortmund imminently.

- THECABLE

Lagos-Badagry Expressway: Fashola says FG owing contractor

 

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has assured that the ongoing Lagos-Badagry Expressway rehabilitation/reconstruction project was not forgotten but on the 2021 Sukuk funding priority list.

Fashola gave the assurance in Lagos on Saturday during an inspection tour of road projects in the state.

He said that major drainage works were ongoing and progressing to upgrade the highway from its old status to ensure durable construction, saying that funding challenges were being resolved.

“Lagos-Badagry Expressway is the real challenge. Again it is funding.

“We are owing the contractor. That is why I said if we can expand the Sukuk this year, we are going to look at a few more roads to add to it.

“If we succeed Lagos-Badagry Expressway is one of the top roads we are penciling down for the Sukuk in 2021.

“If that happens, then the contractor will do his work but I think it is important to help us communicate to the people who use that axis that they are not forgotten.

“Work has started. There was a time when there was no contractor there, so, there is now a contractor,’’ Fashola said.

According to him, that is the first step to progress to show that they are not forgotten.

He said that the road was now a superhighway due to development on the axis, hence the diligence to ensure quality durable construction with adequate drainage channels.

Speaking on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the minister said that about 85km had been completed out of the 127km project being funded by Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund.

Commenting on the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway, he explained that the highway was recording accelerated construction because of the Sukuk funding.

- PM NEWS

Falana: CCT chairman liable to 5-year jail term over ‘Biafran boys’ comment

 Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, says Danladi Umar, Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) chairman, risks a five-year jail term for using “Biafran boys” to describe persons he had an altercation with.

On Monday, Umar was caught on video hitting a security guard at Banex Plaza, Wuse 2, Abuja.

Ibraheem Al-Hassan, CCT spokesperson, had released a statement saying the security guard was rude and prevented Umar from using a vacant parking space.

Al-Hassan had said the guard threatened Umar, while some “Biafran boys” also harassed him.

The CCT spokesperson later said it was Umar who asked him to use “Biafran boys” in the statement.

In a statement on Saturday, Falana said the use of the phrase constitutes xenophobia which contravenes the cybercrime law.

“The use of the words “BIAFRA boys” in the statement (produced through a computer system or network) on the instructions of the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal and distributed to the media last week constitutes a contravention of section 26 of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 which prohibits the use of “racist or xenophobic material” in any written or printed material which advocates, promotes or incites hatred, discrimination or violence, against any individual group of individuals, based on race, color, descent or national or ethnic origin, as well as religion if used as a pretext for any of these factors,” Falana said.

“The person alleged to have suggested the use of the xenophobic words is liable to be prosecuted for the serious offence. The penalty for the offence is 5 year’s imprisonment and/or a minimum N10 million fine.”

- THECABLE

Domestic debt: Ogun borrows over N58billion in 18 months

 

A report published by the Debt Management Office has revealed that the Ogun State Government borrowed N58billion as domestic debt in 18 months.

The latest report, which was released on March 15, indicated that Ogun State domestic debt stock was N153,490,666,025.15 as of December 30, 2020.

However, the DMO had earlier reported that Ogun was owing a total domestic debt of N95,174,172,678.30 as of June 30, 2019, a month after the incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun government came on board.

The DMO report simply signifies that from June 30, 2019 to December 30, 2020, the Ogun State Government under Gov Abiodun has acquired a total of N58,316,493,347 debt locally.

Findings by DAILY POST confirmed that money borrowed domestically by the State stood at N97billion in March 31, 2019, two months before former Governor Ibikunle Amosun left office.

The DMO was established to centrally coordinate the management of Nigeria’s debt.

The office said the domestic debt data report was generated from the signed-off submissions received from each state.

- DAILY POST

Active COVID-19 cases plunge to 9202: NCDC

 

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said the active COVID-19 cases have plunged to 9,202, with confirmation of 50 new cases on April 3.

The country’s daily new cases continue to follow a downward trajectory.

It has gone down south from an all-time high of 2,314 on 22 January to 48 on 29 March.

The public health institute said that the 50 new cases were reported from six states.

Lagos reported 27 cases, Plateau 11, Bayelsa 7, Gombe 3, Nasarawa and Ekiti, one each.

The agency said that till date, 163,113 cases had been confirmed, 151,853 cases discharged and 2,058 deaths recorded.

The country has also tested 1,767,694 people since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was announced on Feb. 27, 2020.

- PM NEWS