Bindow And Challenges Of Decayed Health, Education Sectors, By Fidelis Daniel Bawa

October 27, 2016

Education and good healthcare are key components to the fundamental human right. And, like other human rights, these two cannot be taken for granted. Across the world, 59 million children and 65 million adolescents are out of school and lack access to good healthcare. More than 120 million children do not complete primary education and over 150 children die of poor healthcare.

Behind these figures there are children and youth being denied not only a right, but opportunities: a fair chance to get a decent job, to escape poverty, to support their families, and to develop their communities.

A few weeks ago, Adamawa state governor, Senator Muhammad Umar Jibrilla Bindow set the priorities for for a continuous development of the two sectors for generations to come. The governor took a decision to place education and health top of his administrative list.

In a progressive move to signify his administrative vision, the governor declared a state of emergency in the basic education sector, which comprises of primary and secondary schools. Towards this end, two teachers training colleges are to be established immediately.

Bindow’s live touching governance in the education sector has so far resulted in recruitment of 71 IDP teachers, transfer of 677 IDP students to 43 FUCs, relaunch of back to school enrolment, land donation to Rochas Foundation and installation of container classrooms at many primary schools in the state.

The governor has also approved the renovation of all the dilapidated secondary schools in the state and the immediate provision of learning materials to all schools across the state. A committee is also established to look at the standard of teacher’s tutor capacity.

The challenge is daunting. Many of those children who remain out of school are the hardest to reach, as they live in areas that are held back by conflict, disaster, and epidemics. But the continuous push by Bindow’s administration is likely to be have a maximum reach to these children.

Likewise, ensuring that girls are not kept at home when they reach puberty, but are allowed to complete education on the same footing as their male counterparts, is not just altruism; for governor Bindow, it is sound economics. That is why he wants to ensure that communities in the state succeed in achieving gender parity in education, which will reap substantial benefits relating to health, human development, and job creation.

Bindow already stated that he is not stopping with primary and secondary education. In today’s knowledge-driven economies, access to quality higher education and the chances for development are two sides of the same coin. That is why he has set targets for higher education, while improving quality and learning outcomes at all levels.

Better health is central to human happiness and well-being. It also makes an important contribution to economic progress, as healthy populations live longer, are more productive, and save more.

Many factors influence health status and a state’s ability to provide quality health services for its people. Ministries of health are important actors, but so are other government departments, donor organizations, civil society groups and communities themselves.

For example: investments in roads can improve access to health services; inflation targets can constrain health spending; and civil service reform can create opportunities – or limits – to hiring more health workers. It is to this end that the governor has launched a total reformation in the state’s health sector.

In just short period of time, Bindow has renovated almost all the hospital affected by the insurgency in the State, developed a strategic health plan for the state from 2016-2020 and had a 97% coverage in the last national immunization day for measles. The governor also recently approved the plan employment of 149 nurses in the state.

Governor Bindow is concerned with the impact of better health on development and poverty reduction, and conversely, with the impact of his development policies on the achievement of health goals. In particular, he aims to build support across tiers of government for higher levels of investment in health, and to ensure that health is prioritized within overall economic and development plans.

In this context, his administrative work will push more support for health policies that respond to the needs of the Adamawa people, and to further worn with donors and contributors to ensure that aid for health is adequate, effective and targeted at priority health problems.

It is imperative that the governor should not be left alone in this quest to turn around the fortunes of these two key human development sectors. Every stakeholder – from well-meaning individuals, Senators, federal and state lawmakers as well as civil societies and progressive group should all key into this progressive venture.

I wish to call on our federal and state Lawmakers to show more benevolence by also investing more constituency projects on the education and health sectors in support of this administration’s objective of pushing both sectors forward. I am sure this kind of support will encourage the governor and spur him to sustain this developmental tempo.

Together, we need to intensify efforts to bring the poorest and hardest to reach children into the education system and make available good accessible healthcare to the people of Adamawa.

Education and healthcare are rights for everyone. They are rights for men and women, for girls, just as it is for boys. They are rights for the over four million (4 million) children and youth in communities affected by crises and conflicts.

Education and healthcare are rights regardless of where you are born and where you grow up. It is time to help governor Bindow ensure that these rights are upheld.

Bawa wrote in from Yola and can be reached on fidbawa78@yahoo.com. [myad]

Nigeria’s Finance Minister Explains Tough Economy To IMF

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2016

Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun explaining some tough decisions on Nigeria economy to the Director, African Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr. Abebe Aemro Selassie, when the latter visited the Minister in her office in Abuja..on Wednesday. [myad]

Presidency To Ex President Jonathan: Let Court Decide Fate Of Dasuki

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2016

The Nigeria Presidency has reacted to the recent statement credited to the former President, Dr. Goodlcuk Jonathan in which he said that the National Security Adviser (NSA) under his government, retired Colone Sambo Dasuki did not loot over $2 billion meant to purchase arms for the soldiers fighting Bokko Haram in the North East.

In statement, the special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, said that only a competent court can decide if he (Dasuki) stole over two billion dollars.

Adesina said that Jonathan’s comments amounts to subjudice, adding there is already an existing legal action against the former NSA over how the monies in question were spent.

“The matter is subjudice. Let the courts decide,” he said.

Dr. Jonathan had said on Monday that he doesn’t believe that his former NSA could have stolen $2.2 billion.

Dasuki was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] for allegedly embezzling the said sum.

The monies were meant for purchase or arms in the fight against Boko haram in the country.

President Jonathan said: “They said the National Security Adviser (Sambo Dasuki) stole $2.2bn.

“I don’t believe somebody can just steal $2.2bn.

“We bought warships, we bought aircraft, we bought lots of weapons for the Army and so on and so forth and you are still saying $2.2bn was stolen.

“So, where did we get the money to buy all those things?”

Dr. Jonathan made the following remarks during a debate on youth entrepreneurship at the Oxford Union Society in England.

He also defended his administration’s policies, especially in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency ravaging North Eastern Nigeria. [myad]

Senate Angry With Niger Delta Commission For Operating 22 Bank Accounts Before TSA

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2016

The Senate Committee on Public Account has expressed shock and anger that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was operating 22 bank accounts instead of four approved for the Commission before the ‎introduction of the Treasury Single Account.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Andy Uba, lambasted the Commission for its disregard for accountability.
The chairman said that the committee is probing the details of contracts awarded by the Commission because ‎of series of petitions written against the agency in the award of contracts.
“The Committee as part of its mandate of ensuring accountability and transparency in the management of the Public Accounts of the Federation and on receipt of petitions of corruption on the award of contracts at the commission decided to embark on special oversight on income and expenditure of the commission.
“Sequel to the above, the committee wrote the commission on 23rd and 30th August, 2016 requesting for information on revenue, expenditure and personnel information.
“The commission was to respond within the period of two weeks, but it never responded.
“The committee wrote a reminder on the 16th September, 2016 and invited the acting Managing Director to appear before it on 20th September, 2016.
“The Commission refused to furnish the committee with the requested information and the Managing Director did not appear before the Committee.
“The Committee, again, wrote another reminder to the commission on the submission of the requested information and rescheduled the appearance of the MD to Thursday, 22nd September, 2016.
“The commission formally wrote requesting for a new appointment on 23rd September, 2016.
“The commission only made submission on the requested information on 13th October, 2016.
“It took the commission more than a month to make its submission.
“Arising from the above, it can be deduced that the commission has no regard for the Committee and by extension the Senate.
“The commission do not take matters of accountability seriously.
“The commission may not have been keeping proper records of its income and expenditure, hence the delay in submission.
“The commission may have something to hide.”
In her response, the Acting Managing Director of the Commission, Ibim Semenitari, said that the agency failed to honour its invitation due to the enormous tasks before it.
Semenitari assured the committee that all the needed documents will be provided within the stipulated time by the committee.
The NDDC boss said that a total of N23.5 billion had been given to the Commission by ‎the Federal Government in addition to N87.1 billion received from oil companies as part of their contributions to the NDDC budget. [myad]

IMF To Nigeria: Stop Subsidies, Raise Taxes To Address Recession

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2016

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked Nigeria and other African exporters of oil and commodities to remove subsidies and raise taxes to meet their economic demands.

IMF suggested that Eurobonds shouldn’t be main source of financing, even as he encouraged the affected countries to seek alternate means of funding. This will enable them to effectively absorb the impact of their slowest growth in more than two decades.

The Fund also said that African nations needed to balance commercial debt, such as Eurobonds, with other cheaper forms of financing from development institutions.

Reuters quoted the Director of IMF’s African Department, Abebe Selassie, as saying that growth could start to recover next year to three per cent.

However, that will be possible only if the battered economies carry out fiscal reforms.

Selassie said: “Should they fail to do that, vulnerabilities will heighten and the crisis of the weak economic performance we have seen so far will get even more difficult.”

The IMF cut its 2016 growth forecast for Sub-Saharan Africa to 1.4 per cent, from 3 per cent in May, as the drop in commodity prices impacted countries such as Nigeria and Zambia.

African economic growth was more than 5 per cent in the decade leading up to the commodity price slump, but it is now being dragged lower by 23 resource-dependent nations like Nigeria, South Africa and Angola.

While average growth was 3 per cent last year, countries that are more diversified like Rwanda and Senegal will continue to grow at more than 5 per cent.

Nigeria, which is in its first recession for more than 20 years, has been seeking to widen its tax base, to offset lower revenues caused by the slump in oil prices.

Selassie said Nigeria’s low debt was a source of strength, adding officials needed to offer more certainty through a “coherent and consistent policy package”.

He noted: “Fuel subsidies take out huge amounts of government resources and generally also they tend to be very regressive.”

Selassie said African nations needed to balance commercial debt like Eurobonds, with other cheaper forms of financing from development institutions.

Eurobonds “cannot be the main source of financing for countries.

“It can complement other forms of financing and importantly, you want to minimize the deficit financing,” he stated.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, said last week that the Federal Government was optimistic of selling a Eurobond worth around $1 billion before the end of the year and was in the process of appointing managers for the transaction.

The Eurobond is part of the country’s plans to borrow a total of N1.8 trillion ($5.8 billion) from abroad and locally to fund an expected budget deficit of N2.2 trillion this year. [myad]

With Boko Haram Over, Many IDPs Have No Home To Return To, Buhari Laments

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed happiness that the worst of the Boko Haram insurgency is over, but regretted with sadness that many of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who would like to return to their homes have no such homes to return to.

“Sadly, many have nothing to return to. They have lost everything to the insurgency. In addition, social and public services are also absent due to the massive destruction of public and private
infrastructure.”

The President,who spoke today, Wednesday when he inaugurated the Presidential Committee of the North East Initiative (PCNI) at the Aso Presidential Villa, said however that his government is committed to providing effective coordination and guidance towards addressing the humanitarian crisis, the resettlement and reconstruction of the North East region.
He acknowledged that the devastation to human lives and livelihoods by the insurgency in
the North East is severe, “with more than an estimated 20,000 persons killed, an estimated 2.4 million persons displaced and billions of naira worth of personal and public assets destroyed.
“Many humanitarian intervention efforts, national and international, have worked over time to assist in coping with the task of bringing succour to the IDPs in and outside the region, with most of these efforts aimed at providing short-term emergency assistance and relief to the victims of the violence and displacement. However, there remains a need for better coordination of these efforts particularly the humanitarian resettlement and reconstruction of the region.”
President Buhari said that the PCNI, under the Chairmanship of retired General T.Y.
Danjuma, would have as its members Nigerians who have been carefully chosen from a wide spectrum of stakeholders.

“The Committee will be the apex coordinating body for all interventions in the region including those by the public, private, national and international development partners. The Committee is domiciled in the Presidency and is charged with responsibility for developing the strategy and
implementation framework for rebuilding the North East region.
“The PCNI would not exist in perpetuity or isolation. Rather, it will exist for a period of 3 years, where after it is envisaged that a long-term regional development framework or entity may be established.”
Buhari said that PCNI will be funded through Federal, State and Local Government appropriation, as well as funds from the private sector and international development partners.
He asked members of the Committee to approach their task with dedication, commitment, accountability and transparency.

“The Committee should take a quick look at the conditions of the IDPs and take urgent remedial measures to alleviate these conditions. I also call on all stakeholders to give the PCNI their maximum support to enable it to deliver on its mandate.” [myad]

Buhari’s Government Has Achieved Positive Economic Outlooks In 4 Areas – World Bank

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2016

The World Bank has marveled at the ability of the Muhammadu Buhari’s government to rapidly achieve for Nigeria, positive economic outlooks in four critical areas

The World Bank, which has just conducted its ranking of Nigeria, placing it in the position it was last year, believes that various reform initiatives put in place by the Buhari’S government towards instituting a positive business environment is responsible for the gradual dividends being noticed in the economy.

The latest World Bank’s Doing Business 2017 ranking report released on Tuesday, October 25th which ranked Nigeria 169 out of 189 countries in the overall Ease of Doing Business rank is said to be a positive indication that the focus and tenacity of President Buhari to reposition the nation’s business and economic environment is working and on course.
a statement by the senior special adviser to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on media and publicity, Laolu Akande said that while Nigeria’s country’s position remain the same as last year on the index ranking, it is encouraging that Nigeria has recorded some positive outlooks in 4 critical areas of the ranking.

Such areas, Akande said, are Starting a Business, Dealing with Construction Permits, Registering Property and Access to Credit,
“The objectivity and reliability of this report coming from an international development institution lends weight to the milestone recorded in particular on the distance to frontier (DTF) metric, where the country’s score improved slightly from 44.02 in Doing Business 2016 to 44.63 in Doing Business 2017.
“According to the World Bank report, the improvements noted mean “that in the last year, Nigeria’s business regulatory environment as captured by the Doing Business indicators improved slightly in absolute terms – the country is decreasing the gap with the global regulatory frontier. This is a morale booster for stakeholders involved in the efforts aimed at removing existing bottlenecks in the business environment.
“This observation by the World Bank is indeed a recognition of the bold initiatives and untiring work of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, particularly through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, chaired by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
“The President, in August, had set-up PEBEC, which has an active collaboration with the private sector, including a Secretariat led by Mr. Seyi Bickersteth of KPMG, “to remove the bottlenecks that stifle businesses and create the right enabling environment and investment climate.”
“PEBEC comprises 9 ministers, the Head of the Service and the CBN Governor as members and is mandated to give progress reports to the Federal Executive Council on a monthly basis. The Council’s secretariat with a team comprising staff from both public and private sector, is supported by knowledge experts, and collaborates across ministries, departments & agencies as well as with other private sector stakeholders to achieve reform objectives.
“President Muhammadu Buhari is absolutely committed to scaling up its reform activities so as to continue to arrest the past decline where the country fell from No 94 in 2006 to 169 in 2016, and positively project the business climate to an enviable position in the international business community.
With the reform efforts being put in place now, indications are that in subsequent years Nigeria will scale up significantly in the ranking.” [myad]

Group Threatens To ‘Occupy’ Courts Presided Over By Judges Accused Of Corruption

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2016

A group under the umbrella of Forum of Non-Governmental Organizations in Nigeria has threatened to occupy courts presided over by the seven federal judges accused of judicial corruption, if they failed to step down within seven days.
The Chairman of the forum, Wole Badmus, issued the threat at a news conference in Abuja today, Wednesday after the group’s match to the Supreme Court was truncated by security forces.
Badmus said the group, consisting of 50 non-state actors, had mobilized to express its displeasure at the manner in which the National Judicial Council handled the allegations against the accused judges.
“We have a protest letter which we want to submit to the CJ, unfortunately the security arm of the government prevented us from matching down to the Supreme Court.
“Failure of the NJC to stop all the judges under investigation from sitting, we would have no choice than to occupy the courts – the courts that these judges are sitting because, when we are talking of rule of law, you have to obey the rule of law first before we can obey your rule of law.”
Badmus said that the consequences of the continued adjudication of cases by the accused judges could be dire, adding that it is time for them to step aside.
“You cannot be presiding over cases. You have been accused of doing certain things; the first thing for you to do is to step aside and let investigation be concluded.
“If you are found clean, you will come back. If you are not found clean, you will be prosecuted.
“So you cannot continue sitting there, perverting the (course of justice).
“From today, we are giving a one-week ultimatum for the judges and justices, who are under investigation to step aside.”
Badmus called on the NLC, the TUC and other trade unions to join in the battle, adding that judicial corruption is worse than economic corruption.
“Judicial corruption is worse than terrorism, judicial corruption is worse than armed robbery and kidnapping because, with corrupt judiciary, all categories of alleged offenders cannot be made to face justice.
“We need to ask the question: Why the Special Anti Robbery Squad are killing armed robbery suspects on the spot. This is largely because such cases are always frustrated in courts.
“Unreasonable bails are granted these armed robbery suspects and they have to go back to kill, loot and use the proceeds to pay lawyers and judges.”
The Department of State Services (DSS), in what it termed: “sting operation” raided the houses of five Federal High Court judges and two justices of the Supreme Court, following allegations of corruption.
In his reaction, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, expressed displeasure at the manner in which the operation was carried out.
The CJN and the Chairman of National Judicial Council insisted that the council has its internal mechanism to deal with erring judicial officers, saying that the council would resist attempts by external forces to dictate to it.
The NJC on Tuesday unveiled a National Judicial Policy that will regulate the conduct of judicial officers. [myad]

Fake Bishop Mathew Kukah Dupes Lawyer Babalola Of N2.5 Million

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2016

One Abdulrahaman Muazu, who allegedly posed as Bishop Hassan Matthew Kukah of the Sokoto Catholic Diocese to dupe a prominent Lagos lawyer, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has landed at a Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti.
According to Prosecutor, Femi Falade, the accused person, and others who are now at large, had sometime in June 2016, obtained N2.5 million from Babalola, the founder of Afe Babalola University in the town.

He said that they impersonated Kukah and under false pretences defrauded Babalola.
“The accused presented himself as Bishop Kukah, who is preparing for the welfare of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-East, and obtained the sum of N2,500,000 from Chief Afe Babalola.”
He told the court that he had assembled two witnesses to proceed with the prosecution of the case and asked for an adjournment to enable him to prepare.
The accused, who was represented by a lawyer, Tinuade Baderin, pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge.
The offences are said to have contravened Sections 1(3) and 11 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
The trial Judge, Justice D.U. Okorowo remanded the accused in prison and adjourned the case to November 16 and 17 for hearing. [myad]

Mourinho Describes His Life In Manchester As ‘Bit Of A Disaster

Greenbarge Reporters

October 26, 2016

Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, has said he has struggled to adapt to life in Manchester, describing his living arrangement in the city as “bit of a disaster.”
The Portuguese has endured a mixed start to his stint as United’s boss, having lost three of his nine league games, including a 4-0 hammering in the hands of Chelsea on Sunday.
The 53-year old said that he was far from settled in England’s north-west city, staying without his family for the first time.
“For me it’s a bit of a disaster because I want sometimes to walk a little bit and I can’t.
“I just want to cross the bridge and go for a restaurant. I can’t, so it is really bad.
“Buy a house? I do not know, I do not know. The reality is that my daughter will be 20 next week; my son will be 17 in a couple of months.
“They are very stable. So, they are in an age where they can’t chase me like they did before. So, for the first time the family lives in a different way.
“We try to feel it, we try to see the evolution of our feelings and see how we cope with the situation.”
Mourinho also expressed frustration at dealing with the constant attention of the paparazzi.
“You know the history of the paparazzi. For the hotel and the brand that sponsors me, the clothes brand, it’s amazing because they are there every day.
“Everybody knows the name of the hotel. Everybody knows the last arrivals of that brand. So, for them, it is amazing.”
Mourinho will seek a quick response from his side after the defeat against his former side when they take on rivals Manchester City in the League Cup this Wednesday. [myad]

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