₦airaland Forum

Oh God have mercy on your people

Happy birthday to Toruki Adamawa. My mentor!

Thank God no be Nigeria police...

Sai baba

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Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court, Lagos on Monday ordered that alleged internet fraudster, Ismaila Mustapha, aka Mompha be kept in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services. The Court ordered that Mompha be kept behind bars after he pleaded not guilty to a 14-count charge of laundering N33 billion.

The court had also fixed Friday, November 29 for the hearing of the defendant bail application. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commision, EFCC alleged that Mompha laundered the funds through a firm, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd, between 2015 and 2018. Islamob Global Investments is the second defendant in the charge. The EFCC claimed that the funds, domiciled in Fidelity Bank, were moved in tranches of N18,059,353,413 billion and N14,946,773,393.00 billion.

The commission further alleged that both defendants, not being a financial institution, or an authorized foreign exchange dealer, negotiated a foreign exchange transaction in the sum of N9.416million, N20 million, N10,437,400.00, N10miillion, N2.46million, N10miillion, N100million, N61million, N100million, N40.7million and N42million. The funds were domiciled in the defendants’ Fidelity Bank account. The commission alleged that Mompha “between 2015 and 2018… procured Ismalob Global Investment Ltd to retain the aggregate sum of N18,059,353,413 in its account No. 5260000846 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Plc which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of unlawful act to wit: fraud.

Mompha, between 2015 and 2017, also allegedly aided the company “to retain the aggregate sum of N 14,946,773,393.00 in its account No. 5260000846 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Plc from Pitacalize Ltd. Both actions offended Sections 18(3) and 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act.2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act, the agency said.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/breaking-n33bn-fraud-court-remands-mompha-in-prison-custody.html

yeye man!

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been barred from prosecuting a former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Dikko. The order was given on Monday by a Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba while delivering judgement in a suit instituted by Dikko.

Justice Dimgba held that the non-prosecution agreement entered into between the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, and the plaintiff, was binding on EFCC.
The agreement was said to have been based on the return of N1.5billion proceeds of alleged crimes he committed while in office to the coffers of the federal government. The judge held that the AGF being the chief law officer of the federation has powers and discretion on prosecution matters by virtue of the provisions of Section 174 of the Constitution. Justice Dimgba further held that the claim by the EFCC that it acted on an anonymous petition to commence its investigations “cannot override the discretionary powers conferred on the Attorney-Genreral of the Federation by virtue of section 174 of the Constitution”.

The AGF, the Department of State Services, the EFCC and its chairman were the defendants in the suit instituted by Dikko. Malami did not oppose the suit, a development which the judge held indicated that he subscribed to Dikko’s case. In reference to the conflicting positions of the AGF and the EFCC on the case, Justice Dimgba admonished government agents and agencies joined as defendants in a suit on the need to be on the same page.

OAM4J, Mynd44

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/court-bars-efcc-from-prosecuting-ex-customs-boss-dikko.html

Happy birthday mr Atiku

The APC chapter chairmen in Yobe and Kogi States have denied asking the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to resign. In separate statements issued yesterday, the Yobe APC chairman, Adamu Achilare, and his counterpart from Kogi, Abdulahi Bello said they were not in support of the group that met in Abuja after the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to demand for Oshiomhole’s resignation. Achilare wondered why the group would include him and forge his signature without consent, adding that he has nothing against Oshiomhole.

The Kogi state chairman of APC, who also distanced himself from the meeting and its resolutions, said he would not hesitate to take legal action against the masterminds of the purported list. Chairman of the Forum of APC state chairmen, Bukar Dalori, had earlier issued a statement insisting that the forum never met to demand for Oshiomhole’s resignation.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/yobe-kogi-apc-chairmen-deny-calling-for-oshiomholes-sack.html

Alhaji Ibrahim T. Mohammed is the Managing Director (MD) of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN). In this interview, he speaks on his plans for the company, the challenges facing the automotive industry and how the sector can impact positively on Nigeria’s economy. You came in less than a year ago.

What was the situation you met on ground and what is your plan to move the company forward?

When I came in May this year, I met a company running fairly well. The former management met a company that was almost dead. So I want to praise the efforts made by the former Managing Director, Alhaji Ibrahim Boyi and his team, for bringing back some life into the company. I met a company operating at the SKD (Semi Knocked Down) level and our plans are to take it back to the CKD (Completely Knocked Down) level of production for at least two models.

What new light would you bring into production?

Well actually, this is a company that has installed capacity to produce 60,000 vehicles in a year; this is a company that was employing over 4,000 people and at that time, Nigeria’s population was far less than what we are today. But we find ourselves today producing less than 2,000 cars a year. For any objective manager that comes here, his target should be how to raise production to that level of 60,000 and probably even surpass it and to see that we are employing the same or even more number of people. Today, we are producing at SKD level , we want to see how we can immediately move to CKD and the expansion of the production capacity.

These are the main objectives that we have put before us – to make sure that we arrive at least at what we were doing before. What are the challenges limiting this ambition? The main challenge we are having now is the shrinking size of the industry. This is an industry that is supposed to be selling about 500,000 vehicles in a year but today the number of vehicles that can be bought or the size of the new cars market has shrunk to less than 20,000 vehicles in a year.

There are about 50 companies in Nigeria that are claiming to be automobile manufacturing companies. Why are there fewer new cars in the market? It is because, if you remember, at the time we were producing 60,000 vehicles an NCE holder coming out of a College of Education was qualified to have a loan to buy a car. Anybody who came out of the university, immediately after the youth service, and had a regular job, was qualified to collect a loan which was sufficient to buy a car. This class of buyers has since disappeared. If you look at the minimum price of cars that we produce today in Nigeria, they are in the region of N6 million. How many people in Nigeria can afford a N6 million vehicle? We want to push the idea of vehicle finance facilities to help expand the market.

Do you have challenges on the automotive policy?

Yes, we believe the policy is not sufficiently strong on implementation and regulation. Like I told you earlier, up to 50 companies in Nigeria today are claiming manufacturer status. The policy should have elements that enable you to ascertain the companies that really qualify as manufacturers. For you to be a manufacturer, there are certain equipment and machinery that must be in your factory and you must be able to assemble vehicles for you to be a manufacturer.

There are some companies that claim they are manufacturers but are only importing fully built units of cars and benefiting from the customs duty concessions provided for manufacturers. That is why we want the policy to provide for checks and balances and ensure that those that are not manufacturers are not allowed to bring in vehicles at concessionary rates.

Are there any encumbrances to the endorsement of this policy?

We think that the strongest aspects of this policy may not have been sold to the decision makers. The policy is forward looking in terms of the long term development of the value chain activities.

There are those who believe the government is losing revenues but this is not an accurate representation of the situation. When we aggregate the gains from the value added, the economy is better off with the policy.

How will PAN benefit from the policy?

We believe intervention funds will increase capacity utilisation and reduce unit costs of our products. The vehicle finance facilities will enable more people to purchase our products, thereby increasing the size of the new cars market. This would lead to more employment and increased GDP.

There is the influx of used vehicles. Do you think the closure of borders will also help organisations like yours?

When you see things happening in an economy, they happen for certain reasons. One, why do we have less people buying new cars? I talked about that before. So the main thing is the depreciation of our currency, the currency has so depreciated that the same car of 4,800 is now N6 million. Influx of second hand vehicles is like a child of necessity. Nobody really wants to buy a second hand car; everybody will want to buy a new car.

People buy second hand cars because that is what they can afford. Truly those second hand cars compete with us at a point. On the issue of closure of border, it is a positive thing as far as I am concerned. There is no country in the world that would allow every rubbish to come to them in the first place. Here, they compete with our local products. The more we produce internally, the more the supply and the prices will gradually begin to come down. So closing the borders is a positive thing for Nigeria but the only thing is that we must do it strategically to know when to close it and when to open it and what regulations to put in place for goods coming into Nigeria.

Do you support Nigeria doing what other countries did, like Ethiopia, by raising import duty for certain vehicles?

Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. If I am producing a new car and selling it at N6 million and another company can import a second hand car and sell at the same price, of course you are reducing my market.

But if the same type of car would be bought at a price that after addition of duty payment it would have a cost price of say N7.5m, people will have a rethink; Should one buy a second hand car at N7.5m or buy a new one at N6 million? So it is now increasing my market and reducing the size of the market of the second hand vehicles. But for me, I do not belong to the school of thought that believes in taking punitive measures on the lower segment of the market. My position is that the focus should be on cars that are for the higher class, because whatever you do, the person who can only afford a car of N1.5 million or less cannot afford a new car, so why do we need to put heavy duty on him?

In the past, Peugeot was regarded as government car brand but things changed. How is it so?

I can tell you that it has not significantly changed. Over 60 percent of our market today is the public sector market. Till date, there is that policy of government that MDAs should be purchasing locally produced vehicles. At a time, there were only a few local manufacturers but today, there are many companies all claiming to be manufacturers as I said earlier. These companies are also receiving government patronage.

Is there anything that you will call an edge that your products have?

We compete on our historical product quality and durability as reflected in the evolution of our products. We also compete favourably on overall cost of ownership, when you look at our service cycles of 10,000km and the real value of our 3-year warranty. Our fuel economy is also widely acknowledged. We have a wide service coverage area that enables us to support end-users of our brand more effectively. You were at one time talking with the Kaduna State government on a possible partnership.

How far have you gone on that?

After AMCON’s takeover of PAN, there was an arrangement to sell the company to new investors. The Kaduna State government, partnering with Dangote Industries and other bodies went on to bid for AMCON’s stake in the company but they were not successful.

I am also aware that there is an arrangement between Dangote, Kaduna State Government and Peugeot Automobiles, France, to form another company but that company has no relationship with us. What I can assure you is that, we are still in relationship with Peugeot, France. We are continuing as a multi-brand company with the objective of producing cheaper and more durable vehicles.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/how-automotive-policy-can-boost-nigerias-economy-pan-md.html

The police in Lagos on Sunday said that a 26-year-old man, Sodiq Yusuf, had drowned inside the National Stadium swimming pool in Surulere, Lagos. Lagos Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkana, said in a statement that a team of policemen was immediately mobilised to the scene. He said that the victim was rescued and rushed to Randle General Hospital, Surulere, where he later died.

“The corpse has been deposited at the Mainland General Hospital morgue, Yaba for autopsy. Investigation is ongoing,” he said. Meanwhile, Elkana also said the police and other emergency agencies rescued 11 passengers involved in a boat mishap at Itun Àgan community in Amuwo Odofin area of the state. Elkana said that 13 passengers were on board a wooden boat fitted with 30HP Yamaha Engine, operated by one Mr Adesuyi John.

“The wooden boat allegedly collided with an NPA TUG Boat with inscription: ‘Lárana and No 9252723,’ at Itun Àgan area, Amuwo Odofin. “Consequently, the wooden boat capsised and the passengers got drowned. “However, teams of marine policemen, firefighters, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and other agencies swiftly mobilised to the scene.

“Eleven of the passengers were rescued alive while two others are still missing,” he said. Elkana, however, said that a search and rescue operation was still ongoing. (NAN)

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/26-years-old-man-drowns-at-lagos-national-stadium.html

The Nigerian Customs Service Controller, Federal Operation Unit (FOU) Zone B, Kaduna, Mustapha Sarkin Kebbi, has disclosed the discovery of over 2000 illegal routes used to smuggle rice and other contraband goods across the Northern zone. He said the customs lacks adequate manpower to cover all illegal routes at the same time, but that they were doing their best to ensure that no foreign rice gets into the country from those illegal routes.

Sarkin Kebbi said the policies of the federal government on rice production must be sustained by completely stopping smugglers from importing foreign rice and other contraband goods into the country.

The controller who spoke at a news briefing to highlight some of the achievements of his zone said the unit was working on the hinterland to be able to stop the smugglers. He explained that the ongoing border exercise has recorded successes since its commencement in August. “These means that the fight continues and by the grace of God, the Nigerian Customs Service and Nigerians will triumph at the end of the day.

We will make sure that smugglers that are trying to ruin our economy and security didn’t succeed,” he said. He listed some of the goods seized by his zone to include 25 vehicles, 703 bags of parboiled foreign rice, 530 jerry cans of vegetable oil, 245 cartons of spaghetti, nine bales of second hand clothing, 40 jerry cans of kerosene, a truck of PMS at the Kebbi border with 30,000 liters and 288 jerry cans of PMS in Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Kwara states.

He said the duty paid value of the intercepted goods was worth N43 million, just as he lamented the porous nature of Nigerian borders particularly in the North west zone of the country. He said the smugglers usually monitor the movement of customs personnel but progress was being made in the fight against smuggling in the country.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/customs-discovers-2000-illegal-rice-importation-routes.html

Shehu Ibrahim Musa has been fixing electrical appliances since 1998 after he graduated from secondary school. Though a physically challenged resulting from poliomyelitis, Shehu is undeterred by his physical disability and social challenges. He works from his mud house in Mai Adiko area of Rayfield in Jos south and says fixing appliances is a gift he inherited from his father. “I fix all electronics such as TV, fans, radios and other electric appliances but I don’t fix phones,” he told Benue/Plateau Trust. “After completing my education at Government College Zawan, in Jos South, I didn’t go further. I started to fix appliances because it was something my father did. He did not get any formal training on the skill, he was a taxi driver by profession but had the gift of fixing things,” he further stated.

Like his father, Shehu also has the gift and attracts customers from many parts of the city including Dilimi in Jos North. By watching his father, Shehu said, he started by fixing a small transistor radio. Though it was not something he took seriously at that time, he said the skill has now become his lifeline. However, with the internet serving as the window to the world, Shehu told our correspondent that he was working towards modernising his skill by becoming technologically savvy.

“I do a lot of research online to find ways of fixing modern appliances. That was how I learnt to fix LCD television sets. When I need to buy a particular sparepart, I sometimes go online to find what I’m looking for and read about it while other times I work with other friends in the same line of business to find ways of solving a problem.” The phone Shehu uses, however, is quite old and barely serves his purpose. “Sometimes I have to borrow a phone from someone to browse the internet because mine barely has the capacity for the kind of research I do. It would have been much easier if I had a computer but for now, I rely mostly on borrowed phones.”

So far, none of Shehu’s seven children have shown interest in following in his footstep but he says it doesn’t bother him as they have all been enrolled in school. He has, however, trained about four apprentices who now operate independently and have advanced to fixing electrical problems on heavy duty machines such as caterpillars while another has moved to fixing phones. The father of seven said the business has not been as lucrative as it once was and he fears that they may soon be out of business. “In 1998, when I started, we were few who had the skill but there are now a lot of people who are using advanced technology.

You will also notice that some equipment such as engines now come sealed, so how are you expected to fix it if you are not also technologically advanced.” Like any small scale business owner, Shehu says his challenges are mainly funds and power supply. He expressed disappointment that his likes have not benefitted from government social investment programmes. “I would love to be able to sell some appliances and spareparts instead of just fixing appliances but this has not been possible. Even the assistance other people get from government, I have never benefitted. There was a time they were disbursing N10, 000 but after seeing me, the people said we were not part of it and it baffled me that we are being excluded despite our circumstances.”

Shehu, however, advised against street begging but stressed that government must also play its role by protecting and assisting the challenged and the poor. “I have never been to the street to beg. It weakens one’s resolve and robs you of your dignity. I am not defined by my disability and my advice to any physically challenged person is to learn a skill or trade but begging is definitely not the answer,” he said.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/im-not-defined-by-physical-disability-crippled-electrician.html

One chance government

Oshio baba

Chai! see how the girl look!

Send him to jail for 100 years

happy birthday mama

The House of Representatives yesterday called on the Federal Government to conduct a national population census in 2020 to ascertain the country’s population. The call followed a motion by Ademorin Kuye who noted that the last national census was held in 2006.

The house urged the National Population Commission to come up with a feasible timetable for the conduct of a national population census not later than 2020.

It also urged the government to provide all necessary logistics for the conduct of the census by 2020 to end the uncertainties and speculations about the country’s population.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/reps-to-fg-conduct-population-census-in-2020.html

The average price of one kilogram of imported high quality rice (sold loose) increased by 3.08 per cent to N382.57 in October, 2019 from N371.13 in September 2019. The selected food price watch data for October 2019 released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) also revealed that the average price of one dozen of medium-sized agric eggs rose by 1.24 per cent to N462.46 in October 2019 from N456.81 in September 2019.

The price increases may not be unconnected with the closure of Nigeria’s borders since August, 2019 due to what the Federal Government said were harmful effects of unbridled smuggling of goods into the country, which negatively affected the growth of local production. However, the NBS report showed that the average price of piece of medium-size agric eggs (price of one) decreased by -1.90 per cent to N40.51 in October 2019 from N41.30 in September.

Similarly, the report showed that the average price of 1kg of tomato decreased by by 2.58 per cent to N233.38 in October from N227.50 in September. Similarly, the average price of 1kg of yam tuber decreased year-on-year by -28.73% and month-on month by -5.51% to N179.75 in October 2019 from N190.23 in September 2019.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/border-closure-prices-of-rice-eggs-skyrocket-in-october-nbs.html

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has described alleged disobedience of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to laws of the land as the greatest corruption. The union spoke on the latest directive by the Federal Government that her officials will move to campuses to begin enrolment of university workers on the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS).

ASUU, while reacting through its University of Ibadan Chairman, Professor Deji Omole, stated that the union cannot be harassed or intimidated by those who have penchant for breaking the law of the land. According to him, breaking existing laws with impunity is the greatest corruption. Omole added that it is worrisome that a government under democracy is afraid of negotiation and dialogue but prefers to use force.

The ASUU boss maintained that the union will use available democratic means to prevent the violation and desecration of the Nigerian University system which the children of the President and top government officials do not find worthy of attending. “The government’s pronouncement to forcefully enrol university workers is an act of violence against the university system. It is worrisome for a government under democratic dispensation to resort to force rather than dialogue.

“If not, why is the government afraid of negotiations. We are not perturbed by the directive. A government claiming to be fighting corruption should not break the law. “The university Autonomy Act is very clear on university administrators. There is no greater corruption than those breaking the law of the land. Breaking of existing laws with impunity is the greatest corruption anywhere in the world; we refused to be harassed or intimidated. “We are not strangers in this country.

We are veritable stakeholders. We cannot be harassed. We have told them what to do. Let the government come back to negotiation’s table and let’s discuss the grey areas. Forceful enlistment will not solve the problem. “We are not disturbed but we are worried, government is getting dictatorial. A supposedly democratic government is getting dictatorial,” Omole said.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/ippis-buhari-becoming-dictatorial-ASUU.html

* says nephew, 15 others killed

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in last Saturday’s re-run election in Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Dino Melaye, on Wednesday demand the immediate cancellation of the poll.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the re-run election as inconclusive because the margin of win was less than the total cancelled votes. Melaye, a former chairman, Senate Committee of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was received by the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who was represented by INEC Secretary, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony and National Commissioner/Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mr. Festus Okoye. Melaye, who came with 21 video clips, which he said contained details of violence and indiscriminate shootings by alleged agents of Kogi state government, with the connivance of security agents, told journalists that his determination to retrieve the stolen mandate “is a battle of no retreat, no surrender.”

He said his nephew and 15 others were killed by hoodlums allegedly sponsored by the APC and the state government. The five-page petition by Melaye addressed to the INEC Chairman was dated November 18, 2019 and titled: “A call for cancellation of the Election for Kogi West Senatorial District held on November 16 2019 in certain areas”, was filed by his lawyer, Tobechukwu Nweke. The petition reads in parts, “We have enclosed herewith 21 copies of video discs which captured wide spread violence, gunshots and killings, disruption of the election, snatching of ballots, multiple thumb printing, several electoral malpractices and irregularities and a total sabotage of the electoral process all of which marred the election to the Senate of Kogi West Senatorial District.

“Our client implores the Commission to study painstakingly, the events captured in the said video discs which reveal that election was not conducted in the senatorial district and to cancel the entire election to the Senate of Kogi West Senatorial District held on 16th November, 2019. “Sequel to the abovementioned spread violence, gunshots and killings, disruption of the election, snatching of ballots, multiple thumb printing, several electoral malpractices, irregularities and total sabotage of the electoral process cut across all the seven local government areas in Kogi state which were demonstrated in the video footages attached herein, and the facts in paragraphs 1-5 above which reveals that the election was not conducted in Kogi West Senatorial District, in substantial compliance with the dictates of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) as well as the requisite Guidelines and Regulations issued for the election we urge the commission to cancel the entire election to the Senate of Kogi West Senatorial District held on November 16 2019.”.

Okoye who received the petition on behalf of Prof. Yakubu, said the commission would look into the petition and take necessary action, assuring that the commission remains non-partisan. The commission, which had earlier said that it would later announce a date for supplementary election in the area, added that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Smart Adeyemi, scored 80,118 votes while the PDP candidate, Senator Dino Melaye, scored 59,548 votes.

According to the Returning Officer, Prof. Olayinde Lawal, the margin between the candidate of the APC and Melaye is 20,570 and lower than the 43,127 registered voters in 53 polling units of 20 registration areas in the zone where elections were cancelled. On August 3, the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal led by A. O. Chijiok ordered a fresh election in the district following a petition filed by Senator Adeyemi, against Senator Melaye.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/kogi-west-senatorial-re-run-dino-melaye-storms-inec-demands-poll-cancellation.html

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it has obtained approval from President Muhammadu Buhari to begin electronic process for clearing imported and exported goods. The Comptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali Rtd disclosed this on Friday at the graduation ceremony of 40 officers from the Senior Course 3 session at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College in Gwagwalada, Abuja. Col. Ali said the E-Customs deployment will transform the operations of the Service, providing for faster clearance of goods.

When this happens, Ali said, “Export and import processing will be paperless. Your performance evaluation report will not be written on paper and will fill it online and your superior will assess you online.” He challenged Customs operatives to have a mindset of training to adopt the skills once the clearance technology is deployed. Ali also noted that the College will have its name changed to Training and Doctrine Command following the Board’s approval. The Commandant of the College, acting Deputy Comptroller General, Elisha Chikan said the College had graduated two other Senior sets since 2017.

He said, “Although 40 students were admitted for the course, today we are graduating 39 because we lost one of them. Among the graduands are 13 female officers. Chikan charged them to become better ambassadors of the College, noting that the set were the best among the three Senior courses conducted so far.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/customs-to-begin-electronic-clearance-for-imported-exported-goods.html

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Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) Salihu Lukman has called on the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to redeem his image by freeing himself from those egging him on to take controversial actions. Salihu, who made the appeal yesterday while addressing journalists in Abuja, said he had no regret either for advising Oshiomhole to convene a meeting of the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) to address challenges facing the party or resign. He said the call on the party national chairman to convene a NEC meeting was inspired by his pledge to ensure that all organs of the party meet regularly in his May 10, 2018 speech.

He wondered how President Muhammadu Buhari’s call on governors to help institutionalise the party could be achieved when the leadership did not follow the rules. Salihu said the APC might lose the coming 2020 poll in Edo State after what he called a celebration of fight during the governorship primary election if a NEC meeting was not convened to tackle the looming danger. He noted that the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held on Wednesday which should have spoken on the candidacy challenge in Bayelsa, instead busied itself endorsing the suspension of the state party chairman in Edo State.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/apc-govs-to-oshiomhole-redeem-your-image-now.html

Kaduna State Governor and chairman, APC Campaign Council for Kogi Governorship election, Nasir El-Rufai has begged the people of Kogi State to forgive Governor Yahaya Bello for whatever wrongs he might have done to them. El-Rufai who spoke in Lokoja on Thursday at the grand finale of the APC Governorship Campaign, went on his knees to apologize to those that would have been offended by the governor’s actions over the past three years of his administration.

He described the governor as a young man who was bound to make some mistakes, adding that he would learn from such mistakes and do better. “Many people say that Yahaya Bello is young and that he has offended many people. Anybody that Yahaya Bello has offended, I am asking all of you to forgive him.

He is young and bound to make mistakes and learn from them. “On his behalf, I’m appealing and kneeling down, pleading that you forgive Yahaya Bello if he has offended you. He means well for Kogi State. He has brought young people into government. He has brought women into government.

He has cleared salary arrears. You must all come out and support him. I beg you all,” he said. El-Rufai said that its party, the APC was set to finally bury the main opposition PDP in the state after Saturday’s election.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/el-rufai-kneels-begs-kogi-people-to-forgive-yahaya-bello.html

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have killed a middle aged man, Alhaji Nuhu Yusuf and abducted his wife, Ramatu Nuhu, alongside two others in Aseni village, in Kotonkarfe local government area of Kogi state. Daily Trust reports that Aseni village, which is located along the Abuja-Lokoja highway, is about 9 kilometres away from Abaji town that also shares boundary with the FCT. A resident of the community, Attahiru Salihu, said the incident happened around 2:00am when the gunmen positioned themselves at strategic places and started shooting from different angles.

He said the gunmen later moved to the house of the deceased and opened fire on him as he was coming out of the bathroom. Salihu said, the deceased wife, who raised an alarm as the incident unfold was immediately whisked away by the gunmen. Our reporter gathered that the assailants proceeded to the house of the deceased elder brother, Abdulkarim Yusuf and also abducted him and his wife, Hajiya Madinat Abdulkarim. The remains of the deceased has been buried according to Islamic rite around 7:05 am on Thursday.

When contacted, the spokesman of the Kogi state police command, Williams Aya, did not pick calls put across to him and was yet to reply a text message sent to his phone as at the time of filing this report.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/gunmen-kill-man-abduct-wife-2-others-in-kogi.html

As today marks World Diabetes Day, Nigerians suffering from the health condition have lamented the rising cost of drugs in managing the disease and called for government’s support. Out of the estimated 366 million people living with diabetes globally, Nigeria is said to account for 5 percent of its population (representing 10 million) as currently living with the disease, according to experts.

Diabetes is a debilitating disease in which the insulin is either not adequate or poorly functional until one has excess of blood sugar which begins to destroy other tissues in the eyes, the brain, the skin, and all the blood vessels and the immune system is hindered in a negative way.

Patients lament

Mr. Yahaya Usman, who has been living with diabetes for the past 10 years said, accessing diabetic care is somehow tasking due to a lack of government policy on the disease similar to that on HIV/AIDS. He said, being diabetic requires one to visit the hospital once in a month depending on the state of the patient, adding that the cost of treatment is too much for an average Nigerian. “I spend over N 6,000 monthly on drugs outside meals because as a diabetic patient you may not eat every meal as you have to eat more vegetables and fruits,” Yusuf said. He pointed out that there is no special attention by the government both at the state and federal level on people living with diabetes similar to that given to people living with HIV/AIDS.

Another patient, Albert Gyang, also complained that diabetic treatment is expensive, saying: “One has to take a drug every day, and my house is full of cartons of the drugs. By and large, I spend N18, 000 – N20, 000 monthly on treatment.” According to him the availability of diabetes treatment specialists in Plateau State is scarce which is why every other doctor is moving into the system, thereby ‘‘administering the wrong medication on patients’’.

Recounting his ordeal, he said he collapsed one day in 2010 and was diagnosed with diabetes, but that when he started taking the treatment he was doing fine until another doctor who stood in for his initial doctor told him that he did not have diabetes. “That doctor who stood in for my initial doctor complicated my problem because I had to drop my drugs until after three years when I collapsed and it was discovered that I was diabetic. So, it is better one goes to a specialist rather than any doctor’’, he said.

On whether he has tried traditional medicine, he said, “I don’t go near traditional medicine any longer; I have refused to listen to advice to do so. I even have a plant in my house that they said I should be preparing and taking every morning and evening but whenever I take it I develop typhoid.” Mr. Sam Eferaro, who has suffered from diabetes for over 20 years, said diabetes management is almost beyond the reach of many Nigerians. “Apart from drugs, you need a healthy lifestyle – nutritious food (with less carbohydrate), physical activities, etc. Many people with diabetes also have other conditions such as hypertension which must also be adequately managed.

For me, I have to buy insulin (N2,500) twice a month in addition to oral drugs. I also have to buy blood pressure drugs as I have been managing hypertension for almost 20 years now,” he said. He said many private hospitals lack the expertise to really care for diabetes patients, adding that they still lack awareness among several health workers about diabetes. Mr. Eferaro urged government to provide support by allowing drugs and monitoring devices to come into the country at zero tariffs. Patients in Rivers State spoken with also say that management and treatment of diabetes comes with high cost which they find difficult to cope with.

Another patient, Jaka Abum, while narrating his experience said, he started having unusual urination as he woke up more than 8 times in the night to pass out urine. “This excessive urination was what led me to the hospital where I was diagnosed of type 2 diabetes. Since then, I have been on a special diet and drugs which is not pocket-friendly.” Album said that he is on a special diet of non-sugar meals such as unripe plantain, beans, protein, fruits, vegetables, and drugs to manage the disease, adding that he spent between N50, 000 to N60, 000 every month to manage the disease.

For Mrs. Agels Oforima, diabetes disease has cost his family a fortune. The 68-years old Oforima, who was diagnosed of diabetes in 2014 relies on drugs and special dieting to control and manage the decease. She also spends an average of N40, 000 every month to manage diabetics. In Plateau State, It was learnt that the number of diabetic patients is rising because of the increasing number of people attended to weekly and also the calls/referrals of patients from other clinics to the Endocrinologists.

An Endocrinologist and a consultant with the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) who spoke to our correspondent, Dr. Odoh Gabriel said, only four of them specialize in the treatment of diabetes in Plateau State, explaining that it is becoming difficult for them to exclusively handle the increasing number of patients with the condition in the state. Dr. Gabriel said: “There is no current statistics of diabetic patients in Plateau State except for estimates or projection because for one to have statistics there must be a formal study,” adding that in JUTH they attend to an average of 100 to 150 weekly and an average of 20 to 25 new cases weekly.

In Kano State, cases of diabetes are on the increase, according to the Diabetes Association of Nigeria Kano branch. Secretary-General of Endocrine and Metabolism Society of Nigeria (EMSON) and a specialist on diabetes, Professor Andrew Uloko, said though indices have shown the prevalence of the disease, there were no specific statistics on the number of people living with diabetes in the state. However, the specialist added that an inside survey conducted by the association had revealed that about 3 to 4% of Kano population are living with diabetes.

He said there was a need for adequate specialists to manage the disease, stressing that as a consultant diabetes specialist, he records about 10-15 new cases every week. “It is very expensive to manage the disease as most of the medications are being imported. It is not affordable to an average Nigerian living with the condition. Affordability and availability of the medications are major issues that need to be looked into by authorities in easing the suffering of people living with diabetes,” he said.

Medical experts speak The Chief Consultant Physician, Gwarimpa General Hospital, Abuja, Dr. Ndubuisi Onuoha, said the number of people suffering diabetes is increasing at a high rate, adding that 10 years ago, statistics showed that 2.5 per cent of Nigerians were living with diabetes and today, Nigeria has about 5 per cent of its population living with diabetes. “You can see that it is has increased at about 100 percent within 10 years, “he said. The consultant said, there is no way to overcome diabetes if the country does not educate the people on lifestyles. “Diabetes is a very morbid disease, comparing a person who is diabetic and a person who has hypertension, the hypertensive person will probably die earlier before the diabetic patient but the diabetic patient will need to visit the hospital more often than the hypertensive patient,” he said. He said the government needs to step up in this area of health, adding that for now, the government is behaving as if they are not aware of diabetes, because ‘‘there is no effort that you see on TV, radio and other medium sensitizing and educating people to change lifestyles.

The diabetes Desk Officer, Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Dr. Alayo Sopekan, said, the number of people living with the condition worldwide is increasing due to globalization and lifestyle changes. Dr. Alayo said everyone is at risk of developing diabetes, especially Type 2 due to reasons related to lifestyle changes and globalization.

The National President of Diabetes Association of Nigeria, Dr Alkali Mohammed, said an estimated 9 million people are living with diabetes in Nigeria while up to two-third are not aware they have the disease. He said there is no much government support compared to the magnitude of the problem, adding that there is the absence of a National Diabetes Center that can address all aspects of the disease, particularly major complications that will reverse medical tourism, “There is weak primary health care system to handle diabetes, lack of a robust health education, screenings and prevention policies and program to prevent at-risk population as well as identify un-diagnosed cases,” he said. Speaking on the way forward, Dr. Alkali, who is the Chief Medical Director of Abubakar Tarawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) stressed the need for implementation of a comprehensive awareness, screening and prevention programme by all tiers of government.

Read more: https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/world-diabetes-day-patients-groan-over-high-cost-of-medication-in-nigeria.html