Nelson Ugwuagbo

President Bola Tinubu has named Dr. Mansur Kabir as the new Chairman of the board of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control and reappointed its Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Moji Adeyeye.

He also appointed a new Director-General for the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Olajide Idris, who replaces Prof. Ifedayo Adetifa.

Idris assumes office on February 19, 2024.

Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, announced the appointments in a statement on Thursday titled ‘President Tinubu approves leadership changes in health and social welfare sector.’

The President approved the appointment and reappointment of board chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers for eight agencies under the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

They include Prof. Abba Zubairu and Dr. Saleh Yuguda as board chairperson and CEO, respectively for the National Blood Service Commission; Prof. Afolabi Lesi and Dr. Fatima Kyari as board chairperson and CEO, respectively for the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria; Wasilat Giwa and Ibrahim Ahmed as board chairperson and CEO, respectively for the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria and Dr. Babajide Salako and Dr. Tosan Erhabor as Board Chairperson and CEO, respectively, of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria.

He also appointed Prof. Adamu Bakari as Chief Medical Director of Moddibo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Yola, Adamawa State, and Prof. Reuben Eifediyi as CMD of the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State.

The appointments are “in furtherance of his determination to bring world-class standards to Nigerian public health administration and to manifest his commitment to deliver affordable and quality care to all Nigerians under governance and regulatory frameworks commensurate with international best practice,” said Ngelale.

New NCDC Chief, Idris, received his MBBS degree from the University of Lagos’ College of Medicine, after which he obtained a Master’s degree in Public Health from the Ivy League’s Yale University in Connecticut, United States of America.

He served as the Commissioner for Health in Lagos State from 2007 to 2019, after serving as the Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Health from 1999 to 2007.

The New NBSC Chairperson, Prof. Abba Zubairu, has served as the Medical Director of the Mayo Clinic in the United States of America, following a long career in which he served as a Resident Doctor at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital as a Post-Doctoral Fellow.

He undertook a Clinical Fellowship at the Harvard Medical School’s Transfusion Medicine Programme during which he obtained a Master’s degree in Clinical Science at the same institution.

The New MDCN CEO, Kyari, is an ophthalmologist and Fellow of the Nigeria Academy of Medicine who obtained an MBBS degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, after which she obtained a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of London’s School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She also obtained a Doctorate in Public Health from the same institution.

Ngelale noted that the President expects the new leadership to “substantially raise the standards of healthcare service delivery for the exclusive benefit of all strata of the Nigerian population.”

Owing to the high cost of historical underperformance in the health sector, the President anticipates “the immediate and effective implementation of new policy frameworks to reposition the sector under the able leadership of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Muhammad Pate,” the statement read.

The Police Command in Gombe State says the mobile Police Barracks located at 34 PMF Squadron along Kwami town, has been razed by fire.

The Commanding Officer, Federal Fire Service, Gombe State and Deputy Controller of Fire, Ayuba Jonah-Sule, said the incident occurred on Thursday.

Jonah-Sule, said the whole buildings which include armoury and others were affected, estimating an N100,000,000 loss.

“It is a fire involving a 25-bedroom compound, covering an area of about 200 by 100 metres.

The whole building including the armoury and others. The fire was extinguished by the use of one medium Jet of water working from FFS 193 and state fire service in attendance and the Nigeria Police Force.

The situation is under control”, he said.

This fire incident is coming barely a week after the state Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, approved the release of N5m to support victims of a fire incident at Blacksmith (Makera) shops in Gombe Main Market.

Shops were on December 25, 2023, razed by ire leading to the destruction of equipment and goods worth millions of naira.

The House of Representatives has resolved to stop sports betting in the country, and urged the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) to comply with the Lottery Regulatory Commission Act, 2005.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Rep. Kelechi Nwogu (PDP-Rivers) at plenary in Abuja on Thursday

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had earlier reported that approximately 60 million Nigerians aged between 18 and 40 engage in sports betting.

According to him, weak or neglected regulations of sports betting have given rise to mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and addiction.

Nwogu added that it had also led to strain or broken relationships due to lying or stealing from friends and family, financial problems, legal issues, and job loss due to excessive loss or debt.

“Betting has given rise to increased crime rate and eventual suicide,” he said.

He harped on the need for campaigns to prevent the negative social impact of lottery and underage participation.

Adopting the motion, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation to conduct comprehensive nationwide campaign to raise public awareness about the negative impact of youth participation in sports betting.

The House also mandated the Committee on Inter–Governmental Affairs to conduct a Public Hearing on the dangerous effects of sports betting in Nigeria.

It urged the committee to report back to it within four weeks for further legislative action.

NAN reports that data from the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) has revealed that over 65 million Nigerians actively engage in betting, spending an average of 15 dollars daily.

NAN reports that NLTF), Nigerians spend an estimated 975 million dollars daily on online sports betting, which amounts to about 356 billion dollars annually.

In a widely circulated video on Thursday, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State was seen refusing to shake hands with his deputy, Philip Shaibu, during Governor Duoye Diri’s inauguration for second term in Bayelsa State on Wednesday.

Obaseki and Shaibu have been on loggerheads allegedly over the deputy governor’s decision to contest the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

In the video which was shared by Symfoni, Shaibu was seen shaking hands with dignatries who start with Obaseki at the venue of the inauguration.

When it got to Obaseki’s turn, the governor chose to wave despite that his deputy stretched his hand for handshake.

Shaibu is vying for the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship ticket while Obaseki is believed to be backing  Asue Ighodalo.

The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, on Thursday defended himself against a series of allegations of misappropriation of party funds raised by the embattled National Treasurer of the party.

Abure said it’s not true that the party has collected over N3.5 billion as revenue into its account.

The Chairman spoke on Thursday while fielding questions on Arise Television’s Morning Show concerning the ongoing crisis in the party.

LeadingReporters gathered that the suspended party Treasurer, Mrs Oluchi Oparah, had accused Abure of denying her access to the party’s financial records and bank accounts.

Oparah equally demanded that Abure should render account of party funds in excess of N3.5 billion, being proceeds of sale of forms and sundry fund raisers for the 2023 general election.

According to her, the chairman had so far rejected all entreaties to open LP’s books for scrutiny since the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms closed.

As a response to the allegations, the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Labour Party slammed a six-month suspension on Oparah.

The National Publicity Secretary of LP, Mr Obiora Ifoh, made this known in a media briefing, saying that the suspended Treasurer is a mole who was being used by dissidents to cause disaffection in the party.

However, Abure has now challenged Oparah to make available the record on how she arrived at the sum of N3.5 billion as money generated during the election.

He said, “It’s not true that she said that the party has collected over N3 billion. I want to make it abundantly clear, we already have an audited report, made by a certified auditor of the party. The party has an external auditor who has reviewed all the records. And we have all the audited statements of accounts of the party from 2022 to 2023.

“All these records are available; the audited statement of account, I have it here.

“The total money, in summary, that entered the party account between 2022 and now is N1.3 billion; nothing more, nothing less.

“We also got N700 million, which were the campaign funds that went straight to the campaign organization for the campaigns. I didn’t know and I cannot reconcile where she got the N3.5 billion that she talked.

“I want to challenge her that she should make the record available where she arrived at the sum of N3.5bn as money generated during the election.”

Nigeria President Bola Tinubu is set to hold a crucial meeting with governors from all 36 states of country at the Aso Rock Villa Thursday morning before departing for the African Union meeting in Ethiopia. 

This gathering, only the second since his inauguration on May 29, takes place against the backdrop of escalating economic and security challenges in the nation.

Opposition governors, from the Peoples Democratic Party, recently drew parallels between Nigeria’s economic state and that of Venezuela, citing hyperinflation, increased starvation, crime, and elevated mortality rates. 

The Presidency responded by critiquing the governors’ performance, emphasizing their failure to meet salary obligations in their respective states.

Protests have erupted in some states due to the surging cost of living, with citizens demanding solutions to the economic crisis. 

In response, President Tinubu has directed the immediate release of over 100,000 metric tons of assorted food items from both the strategic reserve and the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria.

Details later…

Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) demolished illegal buildings and shanties in Gwarimpa, Abuja,

The Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, who led the operation in Gwarinpa, told newsmen that no fewer than 15,000 occupants were affected during the operation.

According to Galadima, the illegal buildings obstructed the construction of Arterial Road N16.

He explained that the road ran from the Federal Secretariat, through Maitama, Katampe, Jahi to Gwarinpa.

He added that the engineering department of the FCTA was ready to begin construction on the road as soon as the demolition exercise was completed.

“These are structures that were illegally built on the road corridor and that is why we are removing them for the Engineering Department to begin the construction of the road.

“We have between 10,000 to 15,000 people who are staying here illegally.

“As we are clearing now, engineers are already on standby,” he said.

Dr Peter Olumuji, Secretary, Command and Control Center, Department of Security Service, FCTA, said that the affected areas also harbour criminals.

Olumuji added that demolishing the illegal settlements would improve security in Gwarinpa and its environment.

“The shanties we have here harbour a lot of criminal elements that have been terrorising Gwarinpa and its environments.

“We have reported cases of illicit drug, rape and suspected armed robbers that were arrested in this area.

“There is a place even called the Abacha Estate, where the Police have recovered arms and ammunition in times past,” he said.

The main building of the Kwara State high court complex was razed by fire on Tuesday.

The fire incident affected 40 offices, three open courts, registry department and litigation office.

Spokesman of the State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, disclosed in a statement in Ilorin on Tuesday that the agency received a distress call on the incident at about 07.33hours and responded swiftly.

“The firefighters immediately commenced their efforts to combat the raging flames. Working tirelessly, they skillfully navigated through the burning structure, deploying their expertise and resources to contain and extinguish the fire.

“Despite the daunting challenges they faced, the firefighters succeeded in saving the state high court from complete devastation, preventing what could have been a catastrophic loss.

“Subsequent investigation into the cause of the fire revealed that it was triggered by a power surge, highlighting the importance of electrical safety measures,” he added.

Prince Falade John Olumuyiwa, the Director of the State Fire Service, urged the general public to prioritize safety awareness and precautions in their daily lives.

He said the call to action underscores the critical role that vigilance and preparedness plays in preventing such tragedies from occurring in the future.

President Bola Tinubu has conferred the national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) on every member of the Super Eagles that participated at the just concluded AFCON.

President Bola Tinubu is presently hosting Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, at the Council Chambers of the State House.

This meeting on Tuesday follows closely on the heels of their recent match against the host nation, Côte d’Ivoire, in the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations finals, where they fell short in their bid to win the trophy.

Details later…

Gunmen have attacked the Senator representing Imo-North senatorial district (Okigwe zone), Senator Patrick Ndubueze, resulting in the tragic death of one of his orderlies.

A source close to the senator told the Nation that the gunmen stormed the senator’s residence during the early hours of Monday, February 12.

The source added that while the senator managed to escape unharmed, one of the policemen assigned to him was fatally shot.

He said: “The news of Senator Patrick Ndubueze being attacked is true. They stormed his residence at Umualumoke and killed a policeman working for him.

“They invaded his house and one of his policemen was gunned down in the process. It could be the same set of hoodlums that also ambushed the Correctional Service in Okigwe and set prisoners free after killing a police inspector and abducting the officer in charge of the centre.

“Okigwe has become a war zone where no one is saved. We are living in total fear. Most of our youths have run away for fear of being killed. Our security agencies are not doing enough to combat crimes in the state. Yet, there are so many of them (security men) in this area,” he lamented.

Senator Patrick Ndubueze is currently serving as an APC senator who won the February 25, 2023, National Assembly elections.

While confirming the incident, the Imo state police command spokesman, Henry Okoye, said the state commissioner of police, Aboki Danjuma has set up a tactical team to go after the attackers.