By Joan Nwagwu

The organised Labour says it has suspended its nationwide indefinite strike that commenced on Nov. 14.

Emma Ugboaja, NLC General Secretary, confirmed the suspension to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ugboaja said the decision to suspend the action was reached at an emergency virtual joint National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Ugboaja said that NEC in session agreed to suspend the strike following a plea by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu.

He said organised labour said it got a commitment from the Nuhu Ribadu-led meeting that those arrested for the physical assault on NLC President, Joe Ajaero, would be prosecuted.

It would be recalled that organised labour had, on Nov. 13, directed all affiliates to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike.

The strike was called especially over the alleged “non-action by the Federal Government over the brutalisation of NLC President, Joe Ajaero, by security agents and hoodlums in Imo”.

It would be recalled that the NLC had declared a protest in Imo, led by Ajaero on Nov.1, over alleged anti-workers policies by the state government.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ephraim Sheyin

Edited by Chidi Opara/Sadiya Hamza

By Naomi Sharang
An Independent Observer Group, Coalition for Transparent Elections in Africa (CTEAN) says the just concluded Kogi governorship election was free, fair and credible as it substantially conformed with the electoral laws.

Convener of the group, Mr Nelson Ogbu, said this at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

“We note with sense of satisfaction that the election in Kogi was relatively peaceful and the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were alive to their duty.

“This is as the election was adjudged free and fair even by the teeming Kogi electorate.

“We commend the great people of Kogi, various security agencies and other observer groups for their matured conducts during and after the said governorship elections in Kogi.

“We also commend Nigeria’s security organisations, including the Nigeria Police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other security agencies for their professionalism,” he said.
Ogbu added:“Above all, the principal actors in the contest and their supporters must be commended for the civil way they went about in voting and post elections.

“So far, we can authoritatively confirm that there are no post- election violence that are always the characteristics of off-cycle elections.

“The voting pattern suggests that the various candidates showed strength in their respective strongholds, meaning that INEC provided a level playing field for all the political parties during the 2023 gubernatorial election in Kogi.”

He urged political actors in the country to continue to embrace peace and see to one united Kogi.

“The governor-elect needs the support of all stakeholders to succeed. We believe in one Nigeria and this can only be achieved when there is peace, love and tranquility,” he said.

Alhaji Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner after polling 446, 237 votes to beat his closest rival, Alhaji Muritala Yakubu-Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who scored 259, 052.(NAN)
(www.nannews.ng)
NNL/ABI

By Naomi Sharang
The Senate has urged the Federal Government to upgrade the Eastern Rail Line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, from narrow to standard gauge.

This followed the adoption of a motion by Sen. Victor Umeh( APGA-Anambra) and co-sponsored by 31 other senators at plenary.

Moving the motion, Umeh said that the eastern rail line passed through four zones of South-South, South-East, North-Central and North- East of the country.

“This runs from Port Harcourt through Enugu, Markurdi, Jos, Bauchi and Maiduguri, which is the longest and one of the oldest rail lines in Nigeria.”

He said that a functional railway system in the country would help to reduce vehicular traffic on the roads and save them from constant dilapidation.

The lawmaker said that rehabilitation and reconstruction of a narrow gauge rail line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri had been vandalised, abandoned and overgrown with weeds and trees.

“Not only that the project failed, but the Chinese contractors partnering with the Federal Government on the project who were expected to provide 85 per cent of the expected funding programme, abandoned the project without injecting any funds.”

He urged the federal government to take immediate steps to build standard gauge rail line from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.
Sen. Eyinnaya Abaribe (APGA-Abia) said that the issue was not new.
“This has been here since the 8th Senate.

“One of the biggest problems that we had was that no transport minister has been able to give a reason why in the modernisation of rail lines built by the colonial masters in Nigeria, only the eastern rail line has been ignored.”

He said that with the coming administration of President Bola Tinubu, the eastern rail line would be upgraded.

In his remarks, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio said that the motion was a patriotic one that the federal government should take seriously. (NAN)
(www.nannews.ng)
NNL/CEO/ABI

By Edith Nwapi

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has presented its 2024 to 2027 proposed Strategic Plan (SP) to the public, for proactive engagements.

The plan was presented to stakeholders at a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

Speaking at the presentation, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr Anthony Ojukwu, SAN, said the strategic plan would serve as a guiding framework for the commission.

According to him, it emphasises the need for proactive measures, evidence-based interventions and the promotion of rule of law to ensure enjoyment of fundamental rights.

“The importance of a strategic plan to any organisation can not be overemphasised.

“A strategic plan helps to define the direction in which an organisation must travel and aid in establishing realistic objectives and goals that are in line with the vision and purpose charted out for it.

“It makes your organisation proactive rather than reactive, and it also creates a sense of collaboration and collective responsibility,” he said.

Ojukwu said that the strategic plan of NHRC for the four-year period from 2024 to 2027 would build on its precursor.

He added that the plan would serve as a comprehensive roadmap to drive forward the protection, promotion and enforcement of human rights across the country.

He also said that the four-year strategic plan was aimed at guiding the commission in carrying out its mandate in fulfilment to the commitment to international human rights principles.

Ojukwu said the principles were enshrined in the universal declaration of human rights and various regional and international conventions.

“The key objectives, strategic themes and specific actions to be undertaken between 2024 and 2027 are informed by the thematic areas of focus of the commission.

“The plan was also informed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the National Development Plan 2021-2025 of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the policy thrusts and eight point agenda of the current administration.

“The commission recognises the significance of collaboration and intends to achieve these priorities through strengthening collaborations and partnerships with various stakeholders, including government agencies, CSOs, institutions and the general public,” he said.

The NHRC boss further said that the commission would carry out a broad range of actions including human rights education and policy advocacy.

He added that the commission was aiming to achieve tangible outcomes that would contribute to the overall improvement of human rights promotion in the country.

Mrs Victoria Ojogbane, Director, Planning, Research and Strategy, Ministry of Justice commended NHRC and said that the ministry did a similar thing as it developed a six-goal strategic plan for 2023-2024 which was home grown.

“We can not go far without a strategic plan, it is like a vehicle that can take us to where we want to go,” she said.

The presentation of the reviewed NHRC Strategic Plan (SP) was done by Mr Daniel Entoun, Deputy Director, Planning, Statistics and Documentation of the commission.

He said that the 2019 to 2022 SP was not 100 per cent successful as such the need for the 2023-2027 SP.

“That was the reason we embarked on a review to ensure that the coming SP will be more successful.” (NAN)
(www.nannews.ng )

NEO/EMAF/
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Edited by Emmanuel Afonne

By Taiye Agbaje

An 11 year-old Nelson George has filed an N100 million suit against Limi Children’s Hospital Limited for alleged misdiagnosis and mistreatment leading to the damage of one of his testes.
Nelson, who instituted the suit through his father, Bankole George, also prayed Justice Akanbi Yusuf of FCT High Court, Kubwa, to make an order directing the hospital to pay the sum of N5 million to him as cost of filing the suit.
In the suit marked: FCT/HC/CV/7356/2023 dated and filed on Aug. 28 by his lawyer, Emmanuel Ekpenyong of Fred-Young & Evans LP, Nelson further prayed the court for an order directing the medical outfit to issue a letter of apology to him for the alleged misconduct.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the claimant also joined Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Investigation Panel and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission as 2nd to 4th defendants in the matter.
The claimant equally urged the court to declare that the 2nd to 4th defendants ought to be more proactive in ensuring that they perform their duties under their mandate as provided in the respective legislations establishing them to protect and promote his interests and wellbeing, including that of members of the Nigerian public.
In his joint statement of claim, Nelson said he was 11-year old presently “in Junior Secondary School 3 and lives under the parentship of Bankole George who is his next friend and legal guardian.”
“Bankole George (“Bankole”) is the biological father of the claimant.
“He is a Grade Level 18, Step 11 Director of Dangote Cement Plc. and a subscriber of the Platinum package of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS AXA MANSARD),” the statement said.
It said that Nelson was one of the beneficiaries of Bankole’s Health Insurance Scheme in Abuja.
According to the statement, on 30th January, 2023, Bankole discovered that the claimant (Nelson) was having serious abdominal pains and his genital and scrotum were swollen.
“Bankole promptly rushed the claimant to the 1st defendant’s hospital which is one of the hospitals listed in Bankole’s package of the NHIS for himself and his family members to which the claimant is one.
“After preliminary checks, the claimant was admitted at the 1st defendant’s hospital for treatment,” it said.
It said that the hospital then conducted laboratory tests on Nelson, including a scan on his genitals.
“In the scan report, the Sonologist concluded that the claimant suffered from Epididymo-orchitis/Torsion.
“The claimant was admitted at the 1st defendant’s hospital for 4 (four) days to undergo treatment for acute Epidydymo-orchitis only without addressing the Torsion in the scan report.
“He was discharged from the 1st defendant’s hospital in the evening of 2nd February, 2023,” it said.
“Painfully, in the evening of 9th February, 2023, at about 11pm, the claimant complained of discomfort in his genitals and the same abdominal pains.
“Bankole took the claimant back to the 1st defendant’s hospital in the morning of Friday, 10th February, 2023.
“The claimant was again admitted and this time treated for malaria, sepsis and peptic ulcer disease with series of tests conducted once more.
“The abdominal pains subsided and the claimant was discharged the second time in the evening of 11th February, 2023,” it said.
It further said that on Feb. 13, Nelson again complained of excruciating abdominal pains and his genitals were swollen, and Bankole was advised to take the claimant to another hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment.
“The claimant was taken to Nisa Premier Hospital Abuja (“the Nisa Premier”),” it said.
After preliminary examination and a scan which showed that Nelson had Testicular Torsion (“TT”), an urologist and his team at Nisa Premier promptly carried out a surgery on his scrotum.
The statement alleged that they later discovered that Limi Children’s Hospital Limited’s delay in discovering and promptly carrying out a surgery on the claimant had led to a complete damage to one of his testes.
It said Limi Hospital, however, denied any wrongdoing and maintained that their action was in line with standard medical protocol.
Besides, Limi Hospital’s counsel, on April 6, also wrote to Nelson’s lawyer, Ekpenyong, and absolved the hospital from any wrongdoing or liability.
It said Nelson’s lawyer, therefore, petitioned the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and that when Nelson’s affidavit got to Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Investigation Panel, the panel said it had no jurudiction on the subject matter.
It said Ekpenyong thereafter petitioned the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission but the commission did not act on the complaint.
Nelson, therefore, averred that Limi Hospital owed him a duty as a patient to properly diagnose his medical condition to prevent a deterioration of his condition to the extent of losing one of his testes.
The defendants were yet to respond to the originating processes served on them as at the time of this report.
Justice Yusuf fixed Dec. 20 for hearing of the suit.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Sadiya Hamza