Osinbajo: FG plans to expand NHIS

Yemi Osinbajo, vice president, says the federal government plans to expand the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cater for the health of Nigerians.

The vice president was speaking in Bauchi while inaugurating the Bauchi state health contributory scheme, Bauchi state trust fund and agencies’ office on Saturday.

“We will expand the NHIS during our next level to ensure that the scheme covers all Nigerians,” he said.

“The modern way of easy access to health facilities is either through contributory scheme or Trust Fund, which Bauchi State has introduced both the Contributory Scheme and went ahead and equally introduced a Trust Fund.

“Bauchi State has also diligently queued into all federal government social investment programmes.”

He said that all state governments should have their own health insurance scheme to complement federal government efforts at delivering qualitative, accessible and sustainable healthcare services.

Osinbajo noted that Bauchi state has the highest beneficiaries of social investment programmes introduced by the federal government.

“The 14,075 youths in the state had benefited under N-Power programme while 618,214 students are being fed daily under the school feeding programme,” said the vice president.

“No fewer than 9,799 farmers have accessed funds under the micro credit and 29,000 traders have been assisted under the trader-moni while 23,000 vulnerable ones have been assisted under the conditional cash transfer scheme.

“These are all under what the president’s ways of taking care of the commonman.”

Muhammed Abubakar, governor of the state, had earlier said that the scheme was introduced to enable people of the state have access to quality health services.

Abubakar said that the scheme would assist both the poor and rich have same qualitative health services.

- THECABLE

FAILED NATION ! 11 soldiers’ killed as Islamic State launches fresh attack in Borno

One week after Islamic State claimed responsibility for the death of 10 soldiers in Borno state, the group says it has carried out yet another attack in the north-eastern state.

The group disclosed this via Amaq, its news agency, on Saturday.

According to the information, the insurgent group struck at a barracks in Gajiganna local government area of Borno state, killing 11 soldiers and leaving many injured.

It released pictures of burnt barracks and dead bodies which it claimed were those of soldiers.

Although the army is yet to comment on the attack, an official of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital(UMTH) said some of the persons involved in the attack are currently receiving treatment at the hospital.

“We have been attending to the victims of the unfortunate attack from Gajiganna and they are responding to treatment,” said the official who craved anonymity because he was not authorised to speak.

Boko Haram joined Islamic State after Abubakar Shekau, leader of the sect, pledged allegiance to the group in 2015. It, however, split with the group in 2016 over leadership issues.

In March, the IS sacked Abu Mus’ab Al-barnawi as the leader of ISWAP, a faction of Boko Haram.

Ahmad Salkida, a journalist known to have access to the leadership of Boko Haram, said the new leader of the group is Abu Abdullah Ibn Umar Albarnawi.

- THECABLE

TRANSFER NEWS : Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich identifies Hazard’s replacement

Chelsea billionaire owner, Roman Abramovich have identified Barcelona star, Philippe Coutinho, as Eden Hazard’s replacement at Stamford Bridge.

DAILY POST had reported that Abramovich, is ready to lose Hazard to Real Madrid this summer.

Hazard has developed into one of the finest players in Europe since he joined the Blues from Lille in 2012.

The Belgium captain has gone on to win two Premier League titles: the Europa League and the FA Cup with the West London club.

Real Madrid have sustained interest in Hazard for a number of years and returning manager, Zinedine Zidane, is a huge admirer.

However, Catalan radio station, Cadena SER is now reporting that Abramovich has accepted that Hazard is leaving Chelsea for Real Madrid this summer and will immediately reinvest the funds on Coutinho.

The report claimed that Abramovich believes the Brazilian is the ideal man to replace Hazard at Chelsea and to lead the club’s next cycle in the 28-year-old’s absence.

- DAILY POST

African Union begs Nigeria to join new trade zone

The African Union has urged Nigeria, the continent’s biggest economy, to join a new pan-African trade zone before the agreement comes into effect at the of the month.

The African Continental Free Trade Area will cut tariffs to zero on 90 per cent of goods for member states in an effort to bolster intra-African trade and growth. So far, 52 African countries have signed up, with only Eritrea, Benin and Nigeria still holding out.

“We are encouraging [Nigeria] to be among the founding parties and sign the agreement before May 30,” Albert Muchanga, the AU trade commissioner, said in an interview with the Financial Times at the regional body’s headquarters in Addis Ababa.

“Africa’s share of global trade is going to increase as a result of enlarging the domestic market,” he said. “It is in their interests to ratify.”

Intra-African commerce, which was worth about $170bn in 2017, accounts for approximately 15 per cent of the continent’s trade, according to the African Export-Import Bank. This compares with 67 per cent in the EU and 58 per cent in Asia.

By removing duties and addressing non-tariff barriers such as poor infrastructure and inefficient border posts, the AU hopes to help local companies grow by linking the continent’s small, fragmented economies in an integrated market of more than 1bn potential customers.

“Transform yourself to operate to the scale of the African Continental Free Trade Area. When you do that you will have the capacity to reach out to the rest of the world . . . That is the message we are conveying to the business people,” said Mr Muchanga.

Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, has yet to be convinced, concerned that free trade could hurt local industry that already benefits from a domestic market of more than 190m people.

We need to understand the costs and benefits to the Nigerian economy, so that we can take whatever actions necessary to mitigate any negative implications

Mansur Ahmed, president of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria
“I can understand the AU’s preference that Nigeria is a founding signatory — I fully understand that because Nigeria is an important anchor for Africa as a whole,” said Mansur Ahmed, president of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), a powerful trade lobby that has been the chief organisation urging caution.

“But that is also why it’s so important that Nigeria’s participation is based on a clear understanding of . . . the agreement and the implications for Nigeria,” he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari has largely supported MAN’s go-slow approach, even as the country’s other main business lobby, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, has backed the project. Mr Buhari has set up a commission to study the effect of the free trade zone and MAN said it wanted the report to be made public before Nigeria signed the agreement.

“We need to understand the costs and benefits to the Nigerian economy, so that we can take whatever actions necessary to mitigate any negative implications,” Mr Ahmed said.

The AU is aware that there will be short-term pain, particularly for countries that depend heavily on tariff revenue. It said member states would establish an adjustment facility to provide budget support to countries that faced a sudden revenue deficit.

Before that facility is in place, the African Export-Import Bank has agreed to provide a line of credit of up to $1.5bn to help member states meet any shortfall, while discussions with the World Bank are continuing, Mr Muchanga said.

“Theoretically we have about $2.5bn, which member states may or may not need,” he said.

Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank, said the facility would enable countries to “achieve an orderly adjustment” to the new regime and “facilitate expanded intra-regional trade”.

Of the 52 signatories, a threshold of 22 countries — including Ghana, Ethiopia and Kenya — have so far ratified the agreement, which will come into effect on May 30. The trade zone will then be operational for those countries from July 7.

- PM NEWS

Shocking !! Policeman rapes, murders stepdaughter

In a very disturbing case, a member of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has raped and murdered his stepdaughter.

ZBC reports that ZRP National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that the police has since launched a manhunt for 25-year-old police detail Constable Nigel Jalasi who has gone on the run since committing the heinous crimes.

The name of the 19-year-old victim is yet to be released although the mother has been identified as Inspector Regina Mhondiwa, the second-in-command at the Police Golf Club. Mhondiwa’s age has not been revealed.

PL : Liverpool hope for miracle against Man City in title decider

Liverpool are hoping for a miracle to overhaul leaders Manchester City and end their 29-year Premier League title drought on a dramatic final day of a thrilling race.

If they succeed, they will be making history as well.

It is the eighth duel for the Premier League crown to go down to the last round of fixtures, but Liverpool would be the first team to move above the leaders on the final day if Jurgen Klopp’s men get their hands on the trophy.

Pep Guardiola’s City are firm favourites to retain the title as they travel to lowly Brighton with a one-point lead over second placed Liverpool, who face Wolves at Anfield.

The last team to start the final day in first place and not win the title were Liverpool in 1989, when Arsenal’s 2-0 win at Anfield clinched the old First Division.

Whoever gets their hands on the silverware will have earned it the hard way after phenomenal campaigns from both clubs.

City, on 95 points, have won their past 13 Premier League matches to wipe out a seven-point lead for Liverpool and are on the brink of becoming the first team to win successive titles since Manchester United in 2009.

Klopp’s men, with 94 points, have recovered from a mid-season stumble to record eight straight victories and are agonisingly close to their first English top-flight title since 1990.

The 18-time league winners face the scarcely credible scenario of ending the season with the third-highest points tally in Premier League history and a single defeat yet still missing out on the title.

City look almost certain to finish off the job on the south coast and Guardiola admits he has so much faith in his players that he might not even give a pre-match team-talk at the Amex Stadium.

“I don’t have to say anything to motivate them. I think my speech on Sunday will be zero,” he said.

“They want to win the Premier League. From what I saw in the training sessions, they want to win it, knowing that we can lose it.

“We saw in the Champions League in the last week why this game is amazing. But we want to win. So we are going to go out there at Brighton to try to win the game.”

City cannot quite match the record 100 points they mustered last season but they have shown their ability to dig deep in recent weeks.

Guardiola’s side have been free-scoring for the majority of the campaign, racking up 91 goals, but three of their past four wins have been 1-0 victories.

A second consecutive title for the club, who remain on course for a historic domestic treble, would underline their status as the dominant force in the English game.

Klopp will have to re-focus his players’ minds on their clash with Wolves at Anfield after their Champions League semi-final heroics against Barcelona as they cling to the hope that City will slip up.

“We think about Wolves now,” said Klopp, who has not won a major trophy since 2012.

“It was for sure one of the best moments in football history, not only Liverpool. But it has nothing to do with the weekend except that we should be confident.”

The Liverpool narrative has changed dramatically since they overturned a 3-0 first-leg deficit against the Spanish champions to reach the Champions League final 4-3 on aggregate on Tuesday.

They now know that even if they fall short they have the chance to become champions of Europe for a sixth time if they can get past Tottenham in Madrid on June 1.

The Anfield faithful are desperate to see their team at the top of the domestic tree again, but regardless of whether Liverpool finish the weekend on top, Klopp insists he is happy with his team’s progress

“Sunday is our last Premier League game. If we can win it, it’s not in our hands what we get, but it doesn’t make our season a little bit less good. It’s just a different finish,” he said.

Behind the runaway front two, all the issues in the Premier League are virtually done and dusted.

Barring a spectacular swing in goal difference, Tottenham will finish above Arsenal and mathematically seal the remaining Champions League spot alongside Chelsea, while the highest Manchester United can finish is fifth.

Wolves, in seventh place, cannot be caught and will earn a Europa League spot provided Watford do not beat City in the FA Cup final.

Fixtures:

Sunday (1400 GMT)

Brighton v Manchester City, Burnley v Arsenal, Crystal Palace v Bournemouth, Fulham v Newcastle, Leicester v Chelsea, Liverpool v Wolves, Manchester United v Cardiff, Southampton v Huddersfield, Tottenham v Everton, Watford v West Ham

- PM NEWS

Women must accept reality of polygamy – Islamic cleric

Ustaz Sa’eed Abdur-Rauf, Director, Nigeria Office of International Institute of Islamic Therapy, has called on women, particularly Muslims, to appreciate the reality of polygamy in building lasting relationships.

Abdur-Rauf made the call on Saturday in Ibadan during the 4th Annual Ramadan Lecture organised by Oyo District of The Criterion, an association of Muslim women in business and the professions.

Abdur-Rauf, a Dawah activist and author is also the Managing Director of De Minaret International in Abuja.

The Dawah activist in a lecture entitled ‘Marital Chaos: The Islamic Antidote,’ said polygamy was a law of God.

“As a Muslim woman, you should know that there is no alternative to it. If your husband brings a new wife, you should be able to endure it. It is not easy, but you must be able to appreciate and endure it,” he said.

Abdur-Rauf, who listed polygamy, financial problem, hurtful utterances and role of the devil as factors affecting the home-front, said the most important antidote was fear of God.

He admonished couples to always be prayerful and patient in times of financial problems than collapsing their relationship for minor trials.

The Dawah activist cautioned couples against hurtful utterances, urging them to be humble and appreciate each other’s sense of pride.

“In every clime, there must be a leader. We have the father as the master of the house while the wife is meant to be subservient. The husband must treat and utilise his powers with fear of God.

“We must always be mindful of our hurtful utterances against one another. These utterances sometimes are unpardonable and aggravate the problem of the home-front,” he said.

Abdur-Rauf concluded that the problem of marriages only required the expression of piety and fear of God, adding that there would be peace and comfort when the couple are pious and could identify each other’s rights.

Alhaja Sekinat Adekola, Iya-Adinni of Yoruba land, urged couples to seek the help of God on all issues with patience, perseverance and total reliance on God.

Adekola said it was with such that anyone could grow spiritually and earn the favour of God.

“I have been in my marriage for the past 59 years and it has been very peaceful. The secret behind it has been prayer, patience, perseverance and total reliance on God,” she said.

Alhaja Falilat Olatunji, the Amirah of the association, said the essence of the topic was to reveal the solutions to marriage problems from the Islamic perspective.

She said that the importance of marriage in Islam could not be over-emphasised as lots of Quranic verses and Hadiths were pointers to the fact.

“The wife is not meant to provide sensuous pleasure only to the male, but to fully cooperate with the husband in making the life of the family and ultimately of the whole humanity significantly meaningful.

“Islam as a total way of life has ways of solving perceived problems in marriages. This and many more are the reasons for the lecture,” she said.

- PM NEWS