By Philip Yatai, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

In September 2022, the Police Command in Niger arrested two suspects for allegedly operating an illegal health science college in Bosso Local Government Area of the state.

The suspects were operating a school known as Excellence College of Health Sciences and Technology, somewhere in Maikunkele.

The school was allegedly established in 2020 and commenced admission in 2021 without any authorisation or certification from appropriate government bodies.

The operators of the school allegedly forged a certificate of registration to deceived members of the public to register and gain admission into the school.

As at the time of the arrests, about 100 unsuspecting students had enrolled into the college after paying N78, 000 each for tuition and other charges.

Similarly, in July 2022, the Kano State Government shut down at least 26 illegal private health training institutions.

The State Ministry of Health in a statement explained that the institutions were established without recourse to extant regulations governing the establishment and operation of such institutions.

According to Kano State Government, the unrecognised institutions lacked definite sites and offered dubious programmes against the established curricula while extorting exorbitant fees from students and their parents.

In Kaduna State, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Mohammed-Baloni, recently announced plans to fish out and shut down unequipped and unregistered schools and colleges of health sciences in the state.

The commissioner also said the government had closed some of the schools some time ago because they did not meet the minimum criteria to exist and operate.

Similarly, the Gombe State Government, in 2022 banned 10 health training institutions from teaching and awarding certificates to students of health-related fields over alleged non-accreditation.

The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Zubairu Umar had explained that because the institutions were not accredited by regulatory bodies and they did not have the required facilities to train health workers.

These are just few among several of such illegal institutions that scattered all over the country.

Health experts have expressed concern over the high incidence of death arising from handling of patients by unprofessional health workers.

They have tried to establish a link between such deaths and health workers who obtained their certificates from illegal and substandard health training centres.

They particularly argued that any functional health system relies on skilled manpower to deliver the much-needed services.

Worried by the development, the Federal Government, through the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) said it was taking measures to sanitise the system.

Consequently, NBTE convened a one-day meeting with provosts, proprietors, principals of health institutions and registrars of health professional bodies in Kaduna.

The Executive Secretary of the board, Prof. Idris Bugaje told meeting that the authorities will not fold its arms and watch some elements flout regulations on establishment of diploma awarding institutions.

He warned that anybody who decided to call its programme National Diploma (ND) or Higher National Diploma (HND) without NBTE registration and accreditation is creating a serious problem for himself or herself.

According to him, NBTE is determined to clean up the system because `health is the wealth of any nation`.

“This is why we invited all the provosts and proprietors of health colleges, both legal and illegal and professional bodies, to discuss the challenges and develop a common roadmap to address them.

“If it is the registration conditions that are too stringent, let us know so that we can review what can be reviewed without compromising standards.

“We will give a moratorium for every health institution to go and regularise its registration, after which, we will bring the full ambit of the law and security agencies at our disposal to close the illegal ones”, he told the meeting.

The executive secretary said that the NBTE had already reviewed Bank Guarantee mandatory requirement for registration downwards from N100 million to N25 million.

He disclosed that some of the operators of illegal health colleges were currently being investigated by the Department of State Services (DSS) in two states.

He added that the board had also constituted a standing Disciplinary Committee to try members of staff who were colluding with illegal institutions to give them fake accreditation.

“Already, some senior management staff of the NBTE involved have been suspended and as I speak, while some are facing disciplinary committees, we will leave no stone unturned.

“One of you gave one of our staff N2.5 million to facilitate registration. It is illegal and we are investigating the fraud. I learned the staff has refunded the money but must face the full wrath of the law,” Bugaje said.

Also, the NBTE Director, Inspectorate, Hajiya Bilkisu Daku, said at the session that registration with the board is crucial in the establishment of colleges of health technology offering ND or HND in the country.

Daku added that the board partnered the police, DSS, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission and other anti-graft agencies to curtail the proliferation of illegal institutions.

It has been argued in some quarters that government established institutions alone cannot develop enough manpower required by the nation’s health sector.

While acknowledging this assertion, NBTE Director, Monotechnic Programmes, Mr Samaila Tanko, said private sector participation in the training of manpower must follow approved channels.

He said NBTE was the agency that regulates all aspects of technical education that falls outside university education.

He said that health training offered by colleges of health technologies and nursing schools was among the training regulated by the NBTE and as they must comply with NBTE regulations.

Dr Sani Barka, Chairman, Association of Heads of Health Training Institutions in Nigeria, said at the event that the proliferation of illegal health colleges in the country was alarming.

Barka, who is the Provost, Gombe State College of Health Sciences and Technology, Kaltungo, commended the NBTE for taking steps to curb the trend.

Also, Dr Bayo Ojo, Chairman, Association of Provosts of Colleges of Health Sciences and Technology of Nigeria, described the move to sanitise the operations of colleges of health sciences as laudable.

Sharing a similar view, Mr Yahaya Tsumi, the Director, Special Duties, Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, said “what the NBTE is doing is a laudable move to check illegal health institutions.

“As a regulatory institution, we are in full support so that the right thing will be done to produce qualified health professionals”, he said.

For a country whose health sector needs to be upgraded, Nigeria can ill-afford poorly trained healthcare workers and care givers at whatever level.

This makes it necessary for all stakeholders to play their part in ensuring that training of health workers is done in environments that boast of global best practices.

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.

By Kadiri Abdulrahman

A financial expert, Prof. Uche Uwaleke, says the Ways and Means Advances of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the Federal Government is strictly within the purview of the apex bank.

Uwaleke, a Professor of Capital Market at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.

He spoke against the backdrop of effort to securitise the pending N22.7 trillion Ways and Means Advances, approval of the process by Senate and the role of the Debt Management Office (DMO).

According to Uwaleke, the DMO had no role because the Ways and Means were completely under the control of the CBN.

He said that the DMO could only have played advisory role when necessary.

“The much the DMO could have done would have been to include the CBN overdraft to the FG as part of the country’s domestic debt stock.

“This will enable the DMO issue early warning signals whenever the Ways and Means limit as stimulated in the CBN Act was being breached,” he said.

NAN reports that the Ways and Means provision allows the federal government to borrow from the CBN if it needs short-term or emergency finances.

This is to enable the government to fund expected cash receipts of fiscal deficits.

The Nigerian Senate had, on Wednesday, approved the request of President Muhammadu Buhari to restructure the advances through securitisation.

Based on statutory provisions, however, the approval of the Senate and the House of Representatives are required for securitisation.

Implementation can, thus, only be upon concurrent approval of the House of Representatives.

Uwaleke, however, explained that securitisation of the N22.7 trillion Ways and Means Advances would afford the Federal Government a ‘breather’ in terms of debt service burden.

According to him, this is in view of the fact that repayment of the N22.7 trillion will now be spread over 40 years with a three year grace period on the principal sum.

“In respect of the securitisation of the Ways and Means, the government debt restructuring arrangement affords it a breather in terms of debt service burden.

“Similarly, the cost of annual debt service will reduce given the concessional rate of nine per cent as against the current 20.5 per cent interest rate charged on CBN’s Ways and Means.

“The cumulative effect of these would be a reduction in government budget deficit and freeing up resources that could be applied to more productive areas,” he said.

According to him, since the securities will only be taken up by the CBN and not the public, the fear that it will crowd out the private sector is no longer there.

“There is equally the issue of debt transparency that it engenders.

“Before now, CBN’s Ways and Means did not form part of the public debt stock reported by the Debt Management Office.

“Securitisation would entail including it as part of the country’s public debt which makes for transparency ” he said.

He said that, henceforth, adequate safeguards should be put in place to ensure that CBN’s Ways and Means were curtailed due to its negative impact on the general price level.

“The relevant provisions of the CBN Act should clearly stipulate the conditions under which debt limits can be breached.

“The process should involve approval by the National Assembly as well as stiff sanctions for breach of the limits provided in the Act without following due process,” he said.

According to Okechukwu Unegbu, a past president of the Chattered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), the Ways and Means Advances constitutes money that has already been appropriated by the Federal Government.

“It is important to note that the Federal Government does not need the DMO to obtain such facilities from the CBN.

“It does so directly, and sometimes, it entails the printing of money.

“The DMO will only be required to record it as debt after it is securitised, ” he said.

NAN reports that the CBN is legally authorised to issue Ways and Means Advances to the Federal Government according to Section 38 of the CBN Act, 2007.

The N22.7 trillion Ways and Means Advances, therefore, do not represent new borrowings, but overdrafts by the CBN to the Federal Government.

The advances is statutorily managed by the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General in the Consolidated Revenue Fund where it is domiciled.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was on Friday gutted by fire

EFCC Spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement in Abuja, that the inferno affected only one of the buildings of the command.

Uwujaren said that the incident, which occurred at about 12.30 am Friday, was triggered by a power surge.

He said, however, that the ensuing inferno was later put out through the combined efforts of the Enugu State and Federal Fire Service.

He said that no life was lost in the incident.(NAN)

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

By Temitope Ponle

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it is facilitating the empowerment of women and strengthening the fight against gender-based discrimination through policies and programmes.

The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mr Sidie Mohamed Tunis, said this at the ongoing ECOWAS Female Parliamentarians Association (ECOFEPA) Town Hall meeting in Abuja on Friday.

The theme of the meeting is “Rejuvenate Democracy by Giving Voice to the Young People”, organised by the parliament and ECOFEPA.

Tunis said the meeting was strategically aligned with the current ECOWAS Vision 2050, which placed more emphasis on women and youths development in the sub-region.

The speaker said it aimed to address some of the issues that had contributed to gender inequalities.

He also said the regional economic bloc had recognised the special role of women and youths as actors, agents and beneficiaries of development.

Tunis said that was why the ECOWAS had made concrete commitments and taken tangible actions to ensure the integration of the gender dimension in all planned actions and activities of the parliament.

“Significantly, the allocation of a budget line to ECOFEPA and gender programmes in the parliament’s annual budget, has facilitated the empowerment of women and strengthened the fight against gender-based discrimination, all designed to address inequalities between men and women and to promote gender equality.

“We do not take for granted the critical role women and youths play in advancing gender parity, promoting social diversities and inclusion, holding the executive to account, and drawing attention to specific issues such as the plight of street children, rising youth unemployment and illegal migration.”

Tunis noted that the Fifth Legislature, under his leadership, had been working to ensure that the voices, aspirations and inclusion of the women and youths in politics and decision-making received regional attention.

Tunis said he was working with political stakeholders, civil society organisations, developmental partners, women and youths networks and ECOFEPA to achieve this.

The speaker said they were also a mandatory prerequisite needed for the attainment of a peaceful and prosperous future for everyone.

He further acknowledged and commended steps being taken by ECOWAS member states to address gender issues.

The speaker expressed optimism that lessons learned at the end of the meeting would go beyond the region.

Moreso, Tunis expressed gratitude to ECOFEPA for organising the meeting as a way of deepening the integration process and scaling up social inclusion for the citizens in the region. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Benson Iziama/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

By Ekeoma Ogwo and Augusta Uchediunor

 

A former  Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has charged the incoming administration on unity and managing diversity for a fair, just, and better nation.

Mimiko made the call at the Change and Development Forum powered by the Dare Adeboye Foundation on Thursday.

It had the theme: “Good Governance and Accountability: Setting the Agenda for Nigeria’s Incoming Administration.”

In his address, Mimiko emphasised steps to help the nation become better developed.

“We must manage and confront our diversity. The ultimate management of diversity is to be fair and just to everybody. You must see this as your number one priority.”

He also strongly recommended that different efforts must be made to make the public space more inclusive.

According to the former governor, the new administration must be creative, innovative, and deliberate.

He added that we must plan and target, must protect our local and  “adire’’ industry as well as begin patronising made-in-Nigeria products.

On how to be more accountable, Mimiko reiterated the need to improve the quality of law enforcement agents and secure the nation.

“Without security, we are talking about nothing. There is a consensus that a centralised policing system cannot secure Nigeria.

“Since all the major presidential candidates have ascribed the evolution of policing to the sub-sectional, the government should quickly ensure that they place state police among other measures in securing Nigeria,” he added.

On measures to develop the nation, he charged the electorate to hold the leaders accountable.

“You must know the mechanisms available to you. That is where freedom of information comes in. It gives access to everybody to demand any information from any government agency.”

As the keynote speaker, Mimiko underscored the need for Nigerians to know what to expect from the leaders.

“We must be aware. If the leaders don’t know their responsibility, we must hold them accountable.”

On his part, the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Mr Olatokunbo Talabi, said the state government has been accountable in its approach.

He said: “As an administration, what we have done is that for any project, we call all stakeholders to give us a priority on the reparation of the road that is most important to them.”

Talabi, however, commended the Dare Adeboye Foundation for the timely gathering on governance and development of the nation.

 

Pastor Leke Adeboye, who is the CEO of the Dare Adeboye Foundation, described the foundation as kingdom advancement that focuses on youth empowerment, education, leadership and government, sanitation, and clean water initiatives.

He highlighted that the foundation, In the last year, recorded many successes, including the donation of a block of eight bathrooms and toilets in Iwo and a community in Akwa-Ibom.

“There was also a donation of a borehole with 10 water tanks in the exact location.”

The foundation has also constructed a 3,000-seater hall/youth church in Ifewa called the Living Seed Church.

“We have organised free training for more than 100 youth in web 3.0 skills blockchain and then NFT and cyber security, and trained about 100 youths in data science among others,” he outlined.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that The Dare Adeboye Foundation is a legacy and impact organisation created to immortalise Pastor Oluwadamilare Adeboye and to further his vision and deep commitment to impacting lives and communities all around Africa.

Adeboye, 42,  died in his sleep on Wednesday, May 4, 2021 in Eket, Akwa Ibom, where he was based with his family as an assistant pastor in charge of Region (Youth) 35.

He was the third child of Pastor Enoch Adeboye., General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

He is survived by his wife and three children.

The foundation is poised to continue the good works of Pastor Dare Adeboye in perpetuating effective change within Africa.

This is in its quest to change the world and become a force for positive impact and sustainable development by leveraging partnerships and collaborations to deliver individual, community and nation-based impact. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

 

Edited by Vivian Ihechu

Prof. Razaq Abubakre

By Abigael Joshua.

Razaq Abubakre, an Emeritus Professor and former Federal Commissioner, says LP Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, couldn’t have defeated the President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu, at the last presidential election.

Abubakre, also a former Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University Ilorin
spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.

The technocrat alleged that Obi’s lacklustre performance as former governor of Anambra worked against him.

Abubakre also claimed that Obi’s inability to build leaders, unlike Tinubu, who had inspired several leaders nationally and internationally, was part of his undoing.

“His use of religion in contradistinction to Asiwaju’s Muslim-Muslim ticket gave him a transient false national spread,” Abubakre said.

He recalled the simile employed by Rabiu Kwankwaso, NNPP presidential candidate, during his speech at the Chatham House, London, that Obi’s electoral fortune was like the foam of Andrews Liver Salt that comes with power and disappears almost immediately.

“This is quite apposite to describe his eventual performance, especially during the elections of state governors and House of Assemblies. Unfortunately, desperation is not a good manner,” Abubakre said.

He said he could not endorse the permutation that if all the other contestants whose origin was PDP, such as Atiku, Obi and Kwankwaso, joined forces, PDP would have probably won the presidency.

“This is underlying the divine intervention favouring Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu ab initio.

“The pattern of voting could have changed. For example, the bulk of votes that Obi received from the South-East, parts of South-South and pockets of North-Central could not have gone to Atiku.

“Some of it would have also been cast for Tinubu on his merit and record of performance,” Abubakre asserted.

He said the internal evidence of this claim is the undiminishing successes and superiority of the APC in all the elections, such as National Assembly, gubernatorial elections and state assemblies, in spite of the global economic challenges.

He said Tinubu’s superiority lies in his excellent performance record as governor of Lagos State; his cosmopolitan outlook spread nationally and with global ramifications.

“It is instructive to note that Tinubu’s emergence is divine and critical when the nation needs a true unifier, a performer par excellence and a strategic leader focused on nation-building for sustainable and inclusive growth,” Abubakre said.

Abubakre was a Federal Commissioner for the Public Complaints Commission for Osun State between 2012 and 2018, and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ilorin from 2001 to 2003. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Razak Owolabi

FAME Foundation Executive Director, Ms Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello,

By Deji Abdulwahab

The FAME Foundation has warned against threats to life, stigmatisation, discrimination and cyber bullying of women journalists, urging government at all levels to protect them by all means.

Its Executive Director, Ms Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello, gave the advice on Wednesday at a news conference held in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day 2023 (WPFD) in Abuja.

Ogunleye-Bello said the call became necessary as it would enable journalists to enjoy their right to freedom.

She praised women journalists in particular and called for an end to the bullying that some women journalists were facing.

“On this day, I celebrate journalists for their courage, passion, and determination to bring the news to every corner and nook of the earth.

“I particularly celebrate women journalists and ask for a stop to cyber bullying, threats to life, slut-shaming, and discrimination for doing their job.

“They have the right to practice journalism and report the news like any other person. The rights of women journalists are human rights, protect them,” Ogunleye-Bello said.

According to her, press freedom is the foundation of free speech, adding, ”if the press is allowed to speak freely, so would the general public.”

She added that marking the day should serve as a reminder to the government of their commitment to press freedom and media workers.

Ogunleye-Bello urged other media outlets and personnel to be vigilant and truthful in their duties, refrain from bribery, stop publishing false news and always defend their integrity.

Ogunleye-Bello expressed her excitement, love, and respect for the media and the tremendous expansion of media companies in Nigeria.

World Press Freedom Day is celebrated on May 3 every year and the theme 2023 is: “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights”. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani