No One Gave Me Any Car; I Have Been Using Family Cars Since 2015 – Aisha Buhari

October 26, 2017

Aisha, the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari has put to lie, allegation by a senator in the National Assembly, that the Inspector General of Police gave her two SUV cars.
Aisha, in a statement by her media aide, suleiman Haruna, made it clear that since the assumption of office of her husband as President of Nigeria, she had never received such vehicles.
“Furthermore, the vehicles I am still using belong to the family and were the ones used during the campaign for 2015 elections, including the one for my entourage.”
She dismissed such allegation, which she regretted, was widely circulated and attributed to a member of the Senate.
Meanwhile, the Police Force had declared that at no time did the Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari directly or indirectly request for vehicles for her use from its Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
It said that there was no vehicle whether Jeep or SUV that was ever given to Mrs Buhari for her personal use and therefore described the allegations by Senator Hamma Misau as outright falsehood, misleading, unfounded and a deliberate attempt to misinform the public as well as drag the name of the Wife of the President, Mrs Buhari and that of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim K. Idris into controversy and disrepute.
In a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood, the Police high command however explained that the IGP is empowered by the 1999 Constitution as amended and the Police Act and Regulations, precisely Section 215 (1)(a&b) and (2) to allocate vehicles for operational use throughout the country.
Moshood said: “the Nigeria Police Force shall be under the command of the Inspector General Police” and the Deployment and Control of the entire Operations of the Force, including allocation of Police vehicles for operational use throughout the country shall be under the purview of the IGP.
“It is within the powers of the Inspector General of Police as stated above that when on the 17 January, 2017, SP Sani M Baba–Inna, the ADC to the Wife of the President requested for two vehicles for Police Personnel in the convoy of the Wife of the President for convoy movement and security purposes.
“Two Police Vehicles (i) A Toyota Sienna Bus with Reg. No. NPF 2406D (ii) A Toyota Hiace Bus with Reg. No. NPF 3363D were approved by the Inspector General of Police to the ADC to the Wife of the President, SP Sani M Baba–Inna for the purposes requested and not to the person of the Wife of the President or for her personal use as alleged by Misau.”
The Police spokesman said that all the allegations by Senator Misau against the IGP and Wife of the President, as to the purchase of two Jeeps were done in bad faith to misinform and mislead the public, and called on Nigerians to disregard the claims.
On IGP’s retirement age, the Police spokesman described Misau’s allegations as ill-motivated, adding that for the avoidance of doubt, the Police Force Secretary Office wrote the Chairman of the Police Service Commission on January 18, 2017 drawing his attention to the observation on the current Staff list of Senior Police Officers whereby the date of birth of IGP Idris, was incorrectly stated as 3/01/1959 instead of the actual date of 15/01/1959.
According to Moshood; “All documents and records of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, has 15/01/1959 as his date of birth, except the staff list of Senior Police Officers and this is the reason why the approval of the Honourable Chairman, Police Service Commission for correction of the error was sought in this regard.
“The difference of dates between 3/01/1959 and 15/01/1959 is just 12 days which is very insignificant in 35 years that a public servant can be in service. Attached is letter Ref No. CH.7080/FS/FHQ/ABJ/SUB.3/30 dated 18 January, 2017 written by the Force Secretary to the Honourable Chairman Police Service Commission on the subject matter for media ease of reference.
“Furthermore, the Public will note that Issa Hamma Misau deliberately refused to prove the allegations he previously levelled against the Inspector General of Police on the floor of the Senate for which he was invited by the Senate Ad-hoc Committee but instead brought up other falsehoods to distract the Committee and the members of the public.”
The Police spokesman assured that IGP Idris, will not be distracted or deterred by mischievous and misguided individual(s) from carrying out his statutory responsibilities for the benefit of the entire Police personnel and all Nigerians. [myad]

Federal Govt Lures Private Sector Into Road Projects In Exchange For Tax Credits

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2017

Federal Government has succeeded into luring private sector in road projects across the country by allowing private sector operators to collectively fund road provision in exchange for tax credits.
This, according to the minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun, who spoke to news men shortly after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), at the Aso Villa, Abuja, today, Thursday, will complement the Federal Government’s budgetary allocation to roads.
The minister said that the government approved a tax relief scheme to attract private sector involvement in the provision of Federal road infrastructure across the country, adding that the approval was the outcome of a Memorandum for the setting up of a Road Trust Fund (RTF), which she presented at the FEC meeting which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
She said that the Road Trust Fund concept was jointly developed by her ministry and the ministry of Power, Works and Housing.
Adeosun said that the RTF would mobilise significant capital into road provision in order to unlock socio-economic development as well as facilitate investment across all areas of Nigeria to achieve inclusive economic growth.
She said that Federal roads carry more than 80 percent of national vehicular and freight traffic, accounting for 17 per cent of the total national road network.
The minister explained that the RTF would facilitate and incentivise private sector involvement in Nigeria’s Federal road infrastructure.
“It is a form of Public Private Partnership that will accelerate the provision of Federal Roads by allowing private sector operators to collectively fund road provision in exchange for tax credits. This will complement Federal Government’s budgetary allocation to roads.
“Private sector participation is being incentivised through a Tax Credit Scheme that enables all participating companies to claim tax relief based on the amount of capital contribution (on a pro-rata basis).
“We have already consulted with the private sector in the development of the RTF and some companies have already identified roads they wish to reconstruct and are organising their funding. However, this scheme is designed such that Financial Intermediaries will be promoting Road Trust Fund projects and soliciting commitments from interested companies.”
Under the tax relief scheme, companies will be allowed to recover 100 per cent of costs incurred on road infrastructure as a tax credit against total tax payable (including up to 10 per cent for cost of funds).
Adeosun said that the tax relief would allow for cost recovery within a single year instead of three years for economically disadvantaged areas.
When completed, the minister said, the roads would be handed over to the Federal Government who may decide to toll the roads in accordance with the National Tolling Policy.
On the role of the Federal Ministry of Power Works and Housing, she explained that the ministry would be responsible for approving the road designs, monitoring all approved Road Trust Fund Projects by managing costs and timeliness as well as ensuring equal development across Nigeria by rebalancing the Federal budget, where necessary.
She said that all costs and contractors would be scrutinised and approved by the Bureau of Public Procurement in line with legal requirements.
“This will ensure that costs are not inflated and that unqualified contractors are not used on the projects.” [myad]

Abdulrasheed Maina’s Testimony Smells Moral Crime Against Humanity

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2017

The embattled Abdulrasheed Maina recently granted Ahmed Isah aka Ordinary President in ‘Berekete’ Radio Program in Abuja, the nation’s Federal Capital where took time to explain how the Task Force on Pension Fund.
The content of the conversation, transcribed by some Nigerians and has been trending in social media, is reproduced here for record purpose:
“I did not take one kobo and nobody has given me one kobo in Nigeria. Nobody has ever given me a budget. Nobody has given our office N10. The office of head of service has always been in charge of our office. Our task force includes 15 officers from EFCC, 15 officers from ICPC, four officers from SSS, two officers from NIA, 15 officers from Head of Service, three officers from Accountant General, three officers from Auditor General’s office, two officers from Attorney General’s office and Public Complaints Commission and Rep from National Association of Nigerian pensioners.
I was only the head. Anything that happened in that office must be endorsed by all these agencies before it is brought to me to endorse. So why is that people are calling my name Maina, Maina; they are not calling that team. The reason is because I refused to bend backwards.
Number one, I want the Nigerian people to know that nobody has ever given me a budget of N10. If there’s anybody in the National Assembly or budget office or the ministry of finance that has ever given me N10, let him produce that N10 and show Nigerian people and say this is the amount of money we appropriated to the team for Maina to handle. Let them show Nigerians.
Instead, I am the one: me and my team who recovered N282 billion and the Minister of Finance put it in Central Bank by Ngozi Okonjo Iweala; she’s alive, and present the emir of Kano was the CBN Governor. I was not a signatory to the account. Former Accountant General and the minister of finance were the signatories to this account. I have not seen this money in cash, I have only seen it in the pages of the newspapers, so how did I come across this money?
If there’s anybody who knows how money entered my hand or how government came and gave me money, let him come and show Nigerians. People are talking in the papers and all this is because of the following:
(1) My team was asked to restructure the police pensions office. We went to the police pension office and found out they were taking N300 million from the account every day and I reported it to the minister of finance and told her there is a certain account where there’s N24 billion for police pension arrears. She said, yes. I told her that that money was not being used to pay police pensioners; that it was being used to remove N300 million daily and these are the people who are removing the money and the matter was referred to the EFCC and the ICPC for investigation.
(2) They were giving police pension N1.5 billion every month as monthly pension and we went and found out that the actual amount was N488 million. That means that they had been stealing that N1 billion every month for so long. Definitely, I have to have enemies. We asked the minister of finance to stop this money from being paid to this people.
This N24 billion from which they have been stealing N300 million everyday I have proof to show Nigerians. I have the check stubs. I have shown Nigerians these stubs when I was on AIT (African Independent Television). Everybody has seen how they have been stealing this money.
We went and did biometric exercise. All the offices that I mentioned took part in the biometric exercise in Nigeria: the EFCC, the ICPC, the SSS, NIA, Accountant General Office , Public complaints commission, Ministry of Finance office, Head of Service office. All these offices took part in the biometric enrolment exercise. Why then is the name Maina being called?
I am not the only person in the team nor do I approve anything for the team. It is only the Head of service and minister of finance who approve money for the team. And they can go and ask minister of finance or head of service if they have approved N1 to Maina. We never had an account or operated an account.
All these people who stole money are the ones giving money to the media people to rubbish my name. They are rubbishing my name because they know if Maina is around, Maina will reveal a lot of things. We blocked leakages in government. We were able to save for the government, billions of naira.
We were able to create an e-pension management system. We said that all these verifications where pensioners are dying should stop. We created the e-pension management system. We gave pensioners e-smart cards where a pensioner will verify himself at his own convenience. Every month the pensioner will go to his local government area and slot in his card in a machine and the system will verify him. There is no need for a pensioner to go and line up and die because of verification.
Also government was going to be paid N4 billion from that. This is police pension I am telling you.
Coming back to the Head of service pension, we came and did biometric. People are saying we went to do biometric abroad. There are no pensioners abroad. In New York alone, we have 360 pensioners; these are former ambassadors and members of the diplomatic community. They are there living in the US. We found out that the Head of Service payroll was N5.12 billion per month but the actual amount was N825 million. So why should Maina go and tell the minister of finance to stop spending N5 billion? That was my crime. That was the big crime I did, because this money is being shared all over.
It was when we were doing all these that the senate found out that there’s money in pensions and there is a team investigating and the team has recovered so much. Those people who stole and are being prosecuted distributed money to the media to spoil my name.
I don’t have the money to buy the media because I don’t have money. And now they are spoiling my name.
Now, when I was coming out from the President’s office, where I went with the minister of finance to discuss these monies that have been paid…when I came out at 9 o’clock my car was shot three times, apparently by some people who wanted to assassinate me. They tried to assassinate me so that they can shut my mouth up.
After they tried to assassinate me, they sent me a text message. Thanks to the car because by then. i had complained to the President of suspicious text messages and movements around my house. He asked the Chief Security officer to give me a bullet proof car for the meantime. I was inside that bullet proof car when they shot the car. It was inside the Aso Villa. Now, because it still has the windows shattered by the bullets. I have the pictures and everybody in Nigeria knew it. The same people sent me a text message the following day that they will come and kill me whether or not they miss this opportunity, unless I stop this work I am doing. If I stop the work they said I am free. I sent this text message to the headquarters of the police and that of the SSS. I got a reply by the Police, signed by the present IGP. it was the IGP who replied me saying: “we have seen your letter about the threat to your life and we are investigating.”
I have a copy of that letter. Nobody has done anything about it but this present IGP tried.
Nobody did anything about it so I had to go under. I had to hide myself because I was going to be killed. If I am killed Nigerians will just say the thief has been killed. Nobody will know the truth.
The senate was saying I refused to come and honour their invitation and they asked for my arrest. So, I took the senate to court. I am a civil servant. I saved the government; so much money and no one has given a budget of one naira and people are saying I stole money. All these things are happening and nobody is helping me. The Head of service is not helping me and I said why should I be a lone soldier so i went to court.
If I come out and testify, half of these people will run away and leave Nigeria that is why I am being persecuted. The former President is alive, the former minister of Finance is alive let them tell us, where is the money Maina recovered?
How can they say there’s no money to pay pensioners. It was during my time we got approval for 53% pension increase. This was the money we recovered. We recovered cash, N282 billion, which the minister of finance deposited in the central bank.
Also because of the information I gave to the security agencies, we were able to recover N1.6 trillion from the pension thieves. The two security agencies did a good job.
The National Assembly is saying that I stole money because the first day i attended hearing, the pension thieves in Kuje (prison) were brought into the senate and were given coffee. They were being treated like Kings, while me and Lamorde (Ibrahim Lamorde, ex EFCC chairman) were being accused. We were in the dock.
I want all the Nigerian pensioners to know that I fought for 53% increase, why are we now talking about 33% and people are saying i should keep quiet? What have I done!?
The police pension they claimed that time was N1.5 billion monthly, but the actual amount was N488 million.
Also they collected N24 billion that they want to pay pensioners arrears. Ask Police pensioners, have they been paid arrears. NO!!!!
Instead, after they collected the N24 billion, they went and opened an account in a bank in Lagos.”
Transcribed by Ata Ikiddeh

It’s A Lie, We Have Not Postponed Our NEC Meeting, APC

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2017

The All Progressive Congress, (APC), has described as a lie, story making the round that it had postponed the scheduled meetings of it’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
Reacting to media report that the party’s National Caucus and NEC meetings, scheduled for October 30 and 31 respectively, have been postponed, the APC’s publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said there was no truth whatsoever in the report.
He told news men: “I am really surprised because there is no such thing. The caucus meeting is still holding on the 30th and NEC on the 31st.”[myad]

Transparency: President Buhari Remains Unwavery, Femi Adesina Assures Nigerians

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2017

Special Adviser to the President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has assured Nigerians that the President will remain unwavery in his transparent leadership.
He emphasised that President Buhari is committed to leaving Nigeria better than he met it in 2015 as he remains focused on programmes and projects that would make such commitment a reality.
The Presidential spokesman who received a delegation of well wishers to the President, led by Ambassador Eze N. Ebere, Adesina said that the President is determined to improve the lives of all Nigerians.
Adesina expressed the appreciation of the Presidency to all Nigerians Nigerians for the outpouring of prayers and show of goodwill to President Muhammadu Buhari when he was on medical vacation in London and since his return to the country.
“The Presidency is deeply appreciative of the prayers of Nigerians, both Muslims and Christians, during his ill health, and after his recovery.”
Adesina, who promised the visitors that a letter from them would be delivered to the President, said that the positive reviews on the President’s handling of conflicts in various parts of the country has been most encouraging for the administration.
“The President really appreciates all the prayers, and will like to say a big thank you for your support for his leadership style and handling of the conflicts.”
This was even as the leader of the delegation, who is also the National Patron of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), said that the association remains thankful to God for restoring the health of the President.
“We are here to commend the President over his leadership style, especially the way he handled the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) issue, and others, by ensuring that peace is restored across Nigeria.
Ebere pledged the association’s continued support for President Buhari’s administration.
The Justice of the Peace, an association, gave Adesina a special recognition as a “Peace Conservator.” [myad]

Ex President Jonathan Calls Buhari’s Government Uncoordinated, Rudderless

Greenbarge Reporters

October 25, 2017

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described the government of President Muhammadu Buhari as uncoordinated and rudderless for linking his government to the recall to duty of who he called ‘fugitive’ Abdulrasheed Maina.

Ex President Jonathan made it clear that such attempt to link his government to the controversial return of Maina to duty after he was dismissed was “absurd.”

Jonathan said that the fact that efforts are being made to link him to the return and reinstatement of Maina underscored how “uncoordinated and rudderless” the Buhari administration has become,” and asked: “are they saying it is President Jonathan that flew him back into Nigeria and promoted him in two levels ahead of where he was as at 2013 when he fled from civil service?”

The former president, who spoke through his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, to PREMIUM TIMES, said “they should stop insulting Nigerians or seeing them as fools.” [myad]

PDP Sells Nomination Form At N3 Million Each To Chairmanship Aspirant

Greenbarge Reporters

October 25, 2017

As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) prepares for ts national contention on December 9 this year, it has asked those aspiring to be chairman of the party to buy nomination form at the rate of three million.

The amount was approved by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, the aspirants for the post of deputy national chairman to buy the nomination form at two million naira each.

In a communiqué by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, nomination form for the office of the National Secretary is two million, even as all the national officers, including the National Publicity Secretary, National Treasurer amongst others will pay the sum of N1.5 million each while ex- officio members will pay N500, 000. [myad]

Osinbajo Gives Details Of How Jonathan Govt Embezzled Billions Days To Leaving Office

Greenbarge Reporters

October 25, 2017

“In the last administration (of President Goodluck Jonathan), two weeks before the elections, cash in excess of N100 billion and over $250 million, was released in a few days ostensibly for security purposes. The aggregate sum released was more than some States earned in a whole year. That is the enormity of the embezzlement that we are talking about.”

These were the remarks by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo today, when he spoke at jointly organized Workshop by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Judicial Institute, on capacity building, in Abuja, the nation’s Federal Capital Territory

Professor Osinbajo swore that corruption had been, for a long time, the nation’s single greatest challenge, stressing that the notion that security was a more serious challenge was exploded, “when in the last administration, it became clear that the escalation of the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast was on account of the fact that billions of dollars allotted to the purchase of arms for our military, was cynically embezzled by senior military and civilian government officials.”

Osinbajo made it clear that the reason why Nigeria built no major new roads or no new infrastructure in the last six years, despite earnings from oil in excess of $100 dollars a barrel, is largely because of corruption.

“Corruption threatens our security, health, education and even our corporate existence. GAVI, the global fund for provision of vaccines for the poorest in developing countries, stopped providing funds to Nigeria for alleged mismanagement of funds by the Ministry of Health officials between 2011 and 2013. Nigeria had to refund $2.2million. These were vaccines and drugs meant to fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, amongst the poorest of the poor of our country.

“The enormous resources in the hands of perpetrators today are being used to subvert justice; to bribe pliable senior government officials, to bribe in some cases judicial officers, to subvert the legislative process and, of course, even to subvert the press.

“The problem with corruption is that it is a cancer. It may be terminal if not checked. The failure of African States, civil wars and destruction of lives and livelihoods, is the result of failure of institutions largely caused by endemic systemic corruption.”

Professor Osinbajo said that because of the existential nature of the threat of corruption, the need for collaboration between the Judiciary, the Executive and of course the Legislature had become imperative, adding that in working together, all the stakeholders: the Judiciary, Executive and Legislature, would be mindful that by the nature of systemic corruption, all the institutions are affected one way or the other.

“But we must come together and we are coming together, as a patriotic gesture to rescue our nation from looming disaster.

“At the swearing in of the last batch of Senior Advocates, His Lordship, the Chief Justice of the Federation, announced one of the most far reaching plans by the judiciary to effectively and promptly try corruption cases. First, his Lordship directed all courts in Nigeria to designate courts to exclusively hear and determine corruption and financial crime cases expeditiously.

“And secondly, the constitution of the Corruption and Financial Crime Cases Monitoring Committee headed by the Honourable Justice Salami, and deservedly his Lordship was commended both locally and internationally.

“That plan is a crucial component of the anti-corruption agenda, proposed by the executive because impunity seems magnified when the trial of alleged perpetrators of corruption never seems to end. That such individuals can afford the best legal assistance only deepens the sense of hopelessness that the corrupt will never be punished.”

The Vice President said that with the Chief Justice’s new initiatives, alongside the earlier practice directions issued by the Supreme Court and those issued by the Court of Appeal, and the Administration of Justice Act, “and again, the recent Supreme Court decision which stopped the dilatory tactic of staying proceedings in criminal cases on account of interlocutory applications, there is certainly great hope that corruption cases will be concluded and concluded promptly.”

According to him, alll nations that have successfully confronted corruption did one thing in common and that is that the administration of the justice system changed its attitude to the investigation and trial of corruption cases.

He said that such thing is important as it is not just about the Judiciary, because investigations must be conducted properly and thoroughly before cases go to court even as when cases go to court, what is presented is the best case the prosecution can present.

Professor Osinbajo said that most of the countries that have successfully dealt with corruption have had to dispense with needless technicality and focused on the offence.

“In the case of public officers, they recognized that there can be no real explanation for a public officer, whose pay is public knowledge, to have cash and assets several times more than his earning, let alone his savings. And the reason why people can never understand the way that cases are decided sometimes, is because it goes contrary to common sense. If somebody earns in excess of what he should possibly even safe in several life times, freeing him by technicality can never make sense. It will always seem as if something has gone wrong with the system.

“I think what most nations recognise, what most judiciaries, and what most administration of justices systems recognise is that even the whole process of the decision-making process, must make sense. If it doesn’t make sense, then we undermine the very fundament of the judiciary and justice, and if this undermined, then everything is undermined.

“Why should terrorism or homicide cases be more strictly viewed than corruption cases? Clearly the misery and loss of lives on account of corruption far exceeds that of any other single crime. There is no question at all that if you look at the extent of damage caused by corruption, it surely is a crime against humanity without a doubt. If you look at the sheer loss of lives on account of what we’ve seen even in our own country, there is no question at all that it is possibly the worst sort of crime that can be committed. So it must be taken seriously.”

He said that the seminar has turned out to be a step in the right direction, adding that the timing is right to re-jig the entire system. [myad]

Presidency Suspects Hands Of PDP In The Recall Of Maina

Greenbarge Reporters

October 25, 2017

The Presidency has suspected that some influential officials loyal to the previous government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) might have been the invisible hand in the latest scandal that saw the return of Abdulrasheed Maina to the public service, despite being on the EFCC’s wanted list.
The Presidency assured Nigerians that President Nuhammadu Buhari is determined to get to the bottom of the matter of the impunity that led to Maina’s reinstatement.
“Everything will be uncovered in due course. This just goes to show us the scale of corruption that this government is fighting. And, as we can all see, corruption keeps fighting back viciously.”
In a statement today, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on media and publicity, Malam Garab Shehu, described Maina as one of the monsters created by the former PDP government, and which are still rearing their ugly heads long after the Party was soundly defeated in the 2015 elections.
“Over and over again, the President Buhari government has pointed out that the administration’s greatest problem is the mess left behind by the previous government. Maina is just one more example.”
Garba Shehu referred to document records from the investigations that led to the disgrace of the former pension boss and his being declared wanted by the EFCC, saying that Maina was not the only top member of the former government involved in the multibillion naira pensions scandal, but a man warmly ensconced in the bosom of power.
“Top officials in the PDP government, from sectoral heads, to those charged with responsibility for law and order received some of these billions of naira from Maina.
“We have all the transaction records and these are matters that the EFCC has been pursuing to ensure that they all have their day in court.” [myad]

NGO Commends Governors Of 36 States For Their Support In Maternal, Child Mortality Reduction

Greenbarge Reporters

October 25, 2017

Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), a None Governmental Organization, has expressed satisfaction with the support which governors of 36 states of Nigeria gave it in the quest to reduce maternal child mortality and other health challenges in the states across the country.
Presenting 2,000 copies of advocacy tools on reduction of maternal child mortality and other health challenges in the states, to the Director General of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Asishana Okauru, in Abuja, the Chairman of NHED, Dr. Shehu Sule described the partnership with the NGF secretariat as very supportive.
He said that the secretariat made good contributions that have helped in developing the tools.
Dr. Shehu, who led a delegation to the NGF secretariat, expressed the hope that the tools will help to further improve the health care delivery in the country.
According to him, the advocacy team would work within the two year span, 2017 to 2019 it was given to complete all the targets, to reduce maternal and child mortality and other killer diseases.
Dr. Shehu said that the Programme is funded purely by the Bill and Belinda Gate Foundation, with the sole purpose of using the NGF platform to improve commitment of governors to Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR).
He explained that Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) is to be implemented in line with the National Health Act that was passed in 2015.
“It is to help ensure that we have good advocacy for maternal and child health programmes in Nigeria.”
Dr. Shehu said that the two objectives of NHED that has to do with NGF are: to support the NGF secretariat in advocating for the establishment of Primary Health Care in line with the Primary Health Care Under One Roof objective and to work with Federal Ministry of Health and National Primary Health Care Development Agency to generate evidence and tools for advocating to the NGF.
He said that already the staff of the NHED, NGF, the ministry of health and primary health care agency have begun work to generate the much needed evidence to do the work.
He said that the materials presented was worked on for seven months which included several meetings where ideas on what best form of advocacy should be adopted for the Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR).
He said that there are nine pillars that were arrived at after feedbacks were received from all the executive secretaries of primary health care agency in the states.
Dr, Shehu said that it has been a very thorough process of consultation inclusiveness with all the stakeholders, adding that the next phase is to develop specific advocacy kits peculiar to each state of the federation. He said that these specific tools will be developed after a visit to each state to see their peculiar situations, a talk with each state governor during such visits as well as a final talk at the NGF.
In his remarks, Dr.Okauru said that the advocacy tools document were very comprehensive. He said the issues of health is a major priority for the NGF.
He said that the NGF secretariat tries to align the priorities of governments in the health sector with the kind of things expected to be seen in the states.
He said that the National Healthcare Act is a law with general applicability to all in the country. He said the Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) is central to what any state should be doing at this time.
He described as unfortunate that people tend to run to the wrong place health plate form every time there is a challenge.
He said that the federal government wants all the basic health issues like immunization, malaria, vaccination and the likes to be handled at the primary health care.
He commended the Bill and Belinda Gate Foundation for focusing on this at this time as it aligns with a number of things the NGF is doing.
The DG assured that the NGF secretariat will study the advocacy tools documents and utilize the tools effectively.
He said that already the governors are having growing confidence in the primary health care following proper brief for relevant agencies concerned.
“If we don’t get healthcare right there is little you can go on in other sectors.” [myad]

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