Court Remands Deji Adeyanju, Daniel Abobama and Boma Williams To Keffi Prison

The Nigeria Police on Wednesday arraigned Deji Adeyanju, Daniel Abobama and Boma Williams at Karshi Magistrate Court, Federal Capital Territory for criminal offences of Joint Act, Criminal defamation, Disturbance of public peace, Threat to public security and safety and inciting public disturbance under the Penal Code Law.

In a press release by the Force Public Relations Officer,  Ag DCP Jimoh Moshood,  he said that the lawyers to the suspects were equally in court. Deji Adeyanju, Daniel Abobama and Boma Williams were remanded to Prison custody in Keffi, Nasarawa State after they failed to meet the bail conditions. The matter was adjourned to 21^st January, 2019 for hearing.  

It will be recalled that Deji Adeyanju, Daniel Abobama and Boma Williams were arrested by the Police within the powers provided under the constitution, Police Act and Regulations, the Penal Code Law and Procedures to prevent crime and ensure safety of all Nigerians. The Constitutional rights of every Nigerian as stated in first paragraph above i.e Sections 38, 39, 40 and 41, these rights are not absolute as section 45 of the same Constitution provides for derogations to these rights.

The Police Spokesperson further said that  Deji Adeyanju, Daniel Abobama and Boma Williams contravene the law and were arrested for Criminal Conspiracy, Joint Act, defamation of character, public nuisance, disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant, disturbance of public peace, inciting public disturbance, threat to public security and safety, criminal defamatory and derogatory conduct against constituent authority and breach of law and order under sections 96, 113, 114, 152, 183 and 391 of Penal Code law. They are already arraigned in court in Abuja for prosecution.

DCP Jimoh Moshood further reiterated that Deji Adeyanju, Daniel Abobama and Boma Williams have been making criminal defamatory comments and utterances, that is capable of inciting public disturbance, threat to public security and safety, criminal defamatory and derogatory conduct against constituent authority and breach of law and order pasted by Deji Adeyanju on his Facebook page.

USAID Concludes Activity Supporting 625,000 AIDS Orphans, Vulnerable Children And Their Caregivers

Sonia Gambo, a beneficiary from Bwari Area Council in the FCT

In a ceremony on November 28, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) concluded a five-year activity that provided support for 500,000 children orphaned or made vulnerable by the AIDS epidemic, and 125,000 of their caregivers.  

Since 2013, the $45.3 million Sustainable Mechanisms for Improving Livelihoods (SMILE) activity, funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has scaled up support services for orphans and vulnerable children (in 47 local government areas across five states (Benue, Edo, Kogi, and Nassawara) and the Federal Capital Territory.  

Presiding at the ceremony was a representative of Mrs. Ifeoma Anagbogu, Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry for Women Affairs and Social Development, joined by Dr. Zohra Balsara, Director of the USAID Office of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis Control, along with a host of state commissioners of Women Affairs and Social Development. 

“Support to these vulnerable populations is critical for the future of Nigeria, a country whose human capital is its greatest strength,” said Dr. Balsara.    

To achieve these results, SMILE provided grants to civil society organizations under a consortium led by Catholic Relief Services.  SMILE helped establish referral networks, improve HIV/AIDS related service delivery, and support to households affected by the epidemic.  The activity worked through schools on health education and school access, provided psychosocial support to AIDS victims, and trained their caregivers on parenting skills. 

Sonia Gambo, a beneficiary from Bwari Area Council in the FCT, said she thought her life was over after her initial diagnosis.  “I was dead,” she dramatically told ceremony participants before recounting how the SMILE project helped her secure a loan and seed money to plant crops and start a firewood business, while coaching her on how to be a better wife and mother despite her illness.  “SMILE taught me how live positively with HIV.”  

Mrs Atiku Condoles With Gov. Dickson, Wife On The Death Of Ma Goldcoast Dickson

The wife of former Vice President, and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Mrs. Jennifer Atiku Abubakar has visited  Governor Henry Seriake Dickson and his Wife, Dr. Rachael Dickson, to condole with them on the Death òf Ma Goldcoast Dickson.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, said in a statement on Wednesday that Mrs. Abubakar came to visit the Governor, his wife and members of the family because the late Ma Goldcoast Dickson who passed unto glory on August 8, 2018 would be be buried on December 8, 2018.

Mrs Atiku Abubakar said that she was in Bayelsa to condole with the Governor and to pray for God to give him and the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

She stressed that it was not an easy thing for anybody to lose his or her mother no matter how old.

“I am here with my friends to condole with the Governor on the death of his mother. It is not easy to lose a mother. No matter how old our mothers are, we don’t want to allow them to go.

Speaking also, the Governor thanked Mrs Abubakar and her entourage for the visit. 

The Governor said that he and the family were deeply appreciative of the visit adding that the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, had paid an earlier visit.

He said that the family would be starting the funeral rites on December 6, 2018 while she would be interred on the December 8, 2018 in her ancestral home of Toru Angiama in Patani Local Government Area.

Masari Inaugurates 25 Brand New Commercial Buses

The Katsina State Governor, Rt. Hon Aminu Bello Masari on Wednesday commissioned 25 brand new buses for inter-state transportation across the federation.

Katsina Media and Publicity reports that the event took place today at the Katsina State Transport Authority Motor Park along Batsari road where the Governor lamented over the poor management of the Transport Authority.

Masari said all over the world, transportation is subsidised by government and in his own view, Nigeria should not be an exception to that.

He narrated his experience that led to the ban of the State Transportation Authority then in the 90's and how his effort as the then Commissioner of Works, Housing and Transport saw the re-establishment of the agency for the benefit of the common man.

Cautioning the leadership of the authority, the Governor warned against personalising the public property, adding that "we procured the buses to better the lives of the have not, and that the have not/Masses are the once that need subsidies".

Earlier, the Commissioner of works,  Alh. Tasiu Dandagoro, appreciated the gesture of the Governor for purchasing of 25 brand new buses to the tune of over N1bn explaining that 10 are coaster buses with capacity of 30 persons at a time and 15 Hiace with capacity of 14 persons and all these are 2018 model.

The General Manager, Alh. Haruna Musa Rugoji on his part said this is part of the restoration project that will have  direct impact to the lives of the good people of Katsina State.

@katgovmedia reports that Rugoji, who gave a strong warning to the Drivers as to handling the vehicles and their operations within the legal work adding "we will not hesitate to collect the vehicle and give it to who is helping us".

It would be recalled that the State Governor had commissioned 84 number of vehicles to the private sector, all in an effort to alleviate the suffering of the masses in the state.

Itesiwaju LG To Offer Free UTME Forms To 100 Best Students

As part of its commitment to educational development and rewards for good performance of her students, the Itesiwaju local government area of Oyo State under the Executive Chairmanship of Hon. Niyi Adeagbo, has started giving out free application forms for the 2018/2019 Unifed Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). 

The exercise, which kick off today will end on Friday, 31st November 2018. According to the Education Department of the council area, over 300 willing applicants across the 11 senior, secondary schools of the LG have so far picked up their forms at no cost.

Hon. Adeagbo while flagging off the exercise said, "education is primal to social development, peace and stability, progress and economic transformation globally; this is why we are giving underprivileged students this support, because when we have educated youths and populace, the local government develops politically and economically".

The council boss stated that his administration has partnered with the Local Inspectorate of Education and the school principals in the council area towards the conduct of free, fair and credible qualification examination for the applicants. "The L.I.E and the principals are the examiners for the yet-to-be announced qualification exams. Therefore, I urge all our students who are interested in the next year UTME to come to the education department of the council to obtain free forms before the deadline date" he said.

Adeagbo reinstated his commitment towards educational development in the LGA, noting that more of such developments will characterize his tenure. "The gesture is part of our administration's efforts to reward good performance of our students in the basic, secondary and tertiary education" he said.

PDP To Oyetola: You Are An Interim Governor, Lacking Legitimacy

The Peoples' Democratic Party has described the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Mr Gboyega Oyetola who was declared winner of the September governorship election in Osun state as an interim Governor whose legitimacy is questionable in the eyes of the public. 

The State chairman of the PDP, Hon Soji Adagunodo stated this in release issued on the occasion of the swearing in of Oyetola at the expiration of Ogbeni Aregbesolas tenure as Osun state governor.

The PDP said the process which led to the declaration of the APC candidate as winner of the Osun governorship election by INEC, was riddled with  the most brazen form of electoral robbery ever witnessed since the return of democratic rule in Nigeria. 

According to the Party, the shameful conduct of the supposed electoral umpire and security agents especially during the supplementary election held on the 27th of September leaves a sour taste in the mouth of everyone with  conscience and has remained a talking point in local and global political discourse.

The PDP said what further makes the legitimacy of the man being sworn in as governor  stand on a shaky ground are the myriad of damming reports issued by a combination of local and foreign observers, the Nigeria Bar Association, the US, UK and EU missions and several others who witnessed the horrendous brutalisation of voters, harassment of journalists, open display of bias by electoral and security officials as well as other infractions committed against the people of Osun state during the so-called supplementary election.

The Party said while the court of public opinion has affirmatively and loudly decided on who truly won the Osun governorship election, it is hopeful that the court of law will soon do justice on the matter and restore the mandate to the PDP candidate, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke.

Adagunodo advised Mr Gboyega Oyetola to tread very cautiously and act responsibly while he temporarily presides over the affairs of the state in order to avoid worsening the already battered condition of the economy occasioned by the wide spread corruption and profligacy of the Aregbesola administration. 

Concerned Citizens Tell Buhari To Release Basic Health Care Provision Fund To Save Millions Of Nigerians From Untimely Deaths

Mrs Chika Okoh, DFID Federal Partnership Facilitator, addressing participants at the Strategy Session on advocacy for the implementation of BHCPF

Concerned Nigerian citizens, civil society activists and experts in the health sector have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to release the Basic Health Care Provision Fund without further delay to save millions of Nigerian citizens from dying owing to inability to get medical treatment.

The Basic Health Care Provision Fun (BHCPF) is the minimum of one percent of the consolidated federal government revenue and contributions from donor grants set aside to fund the basic health need of the citizens.

50 percent of the fund is expected to be used for the provision of basic minimum package of health services under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) while 5 percent is meant to cater for emergency health interventions.

45 percent of the fund is expected to be used for provision of primary health care under the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). Out of this 45 percent for NPHCDA, 20 percent is meant for provision of essentials drugs and vaccine, 15 percent is meant for provision and maintenance of facilities, equipment and transport for eligible primary health care facilities while 10 percent is meant for the development of Human Resources for Primary healthcare.  

But the fund which was provided for in the 2018 budget was not released up till now as the year is coming to an end. The failure of the Federal Government to release the fund has continued to generate concerns amongst the citizens, particularly the experts, civil society activist and groups advocating access to healthcare delivery for the citizens, especially the pregnant women, infants under age five and the downtrodden.

The Executive Secretary of Osun Health Insurance Scheme (O’HIS), Dr Niyi Oginni sent a “Save Our Souls” plea to President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to release the Basic Health care Provision Fund to stop children, pregnant women, the aged and other vulnerable citizens from untimely death.

Oginni noted that the fund was in the 2018 budget that was passed by the National Assembly and that Osun has met all the requirements to benefit from the fund. He lamented that the Federal Government has not release the fund just one month to the end of the year.

Also, concerned citizens who spoke at a Strategy Session on advocacy for the implementation of BHCPF organised by Engaged Citizens, Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn, EC-PERL, a programme of the Department for International Development (DFID) frowned at the non-release of the fund.

The strategy session which was organised by EC-PERL in collaboration with Health Sector Reform Coalition, (HSRC) was attended by stakeholders including health experts, civil society health advocacy groups and journalists.

The DFID Federal Partnership Facilitator, Mrs Chika Okoh expressed the need to sustain the advocacy for the implementation of BHCPF so that the fund would be released and used to enhance improvement in the healthcare delivery services for the good of the people.

The National Media Engagement Adviser, Engaged Citizens Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (EC-PERL), Hadiza Abdul-Abubakar charged the media to amplify the voices of the citizens on the demand for the release of the fund.

Abdul-Abubakar said the release of the fund would enhance the delivery of healthcare services to citizens without facing catastrophic heath expenditure and prevent avoidable deaths in the country.

Also speaking, a Research and Development expert, Dr. Emmanuel Abanida has said that President Muhammadu Buhari can save lives of millions of pregnant women, children under age five, the elderly and other numerable citizens with the release of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund which is in the 2018 budget.  

Abanida who is the Senior Technical Adviser for Development Research and Project Center (DRPC) said this in lamented that the non release of the fund was delicate and dangerous given its importance to health care delivery in the country.

Abanida warned that failure to release the fund signifies means that more pregnant women, children and other citizens would die needlessly when such could be averted.  

He frowned that it was worrisome that the fund which was captured in the 2018 budget was not released a month to the end of the year and that this was a dangerous indication for provision of health care services for the citizens.

Abanida urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the release of the fund immediately to save lives of the indigent citizens who need access to health care services.

Speaking further, Abanida said failure to release the money was having a negative effect on health care delivery in the country, especially in the rural areas as it could have been handy in the revitalisation of primary health care centres. The fund is expected to help reduce out of pocket spending on health care through the National Health Insurance Scheme.

“As we move to the end of the year, if we do not get this money, obviously, when they are doing the 2019 budget they will put zero application to 2018,” he said.

He lamented that because the year is already running to an end, whatever is released now would be mopped up by December otherwise it must be returned to the government treasury.

“In 2018 we are talking of about N 55 billion and people have given reasons why it is not forthcoming, like the discordance among the three health agencies to utilise the fund when disbursed,”.

“If we see health as a topmost priority, then they should start getting their money. We cannot continue running from Geneva to London, London to Paris looking for money whereas we need to tack basic care of our people.

“I believe that the political will to make sure that it happens is not strong because if it is strong, it will certainly come. Health in Nigeria is not a priority. We prioritise security, power food security but you need to be healthy to be able to provide food. It is when you are healthy that you can solve security problem and the Human Development Index (HDI) will certainly improve,” Abanida said.