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Ogun State Government on Monday began the process of offering free surgery to indigents in the state as part of plans to help cushion the effects of the prevailing harsh economy

The Executive Secretary of Ogun State Health Insurance Agency, Dr. Afolabi Dosunmu, at the flag-off of the registration for the intervention held at the State Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, said the intervention was a directive given by Governor Dapo Abiodun to provide succour to the people at this difficult time.

Dosunmu said hospitals in the state were ready to carry out the directive of the governor.

“The modalities are very simple as long as you are a resident of the state, as long as you have one surgical need or the other, you are free to walk into any of our state or general hospitals and enroll on the insurance scheme.

“The doctors there will assess you if it is a case that is ready for surgery and once all other perimeters have been concluded, we will get the surgery done,” he said.

He added that those whose cases are not ready for immediate surgery, would be enrolled for them to have access to the intervention when they are ready.

“Someone can have, for example, a cataract, and the cataract is not yet matured. We will still enrol the person. We will give the person a date for when the cataract is going to mature.

“For example, if you want to remove fibroid when you see the doctor and the doctor says your electrolyte is a bit high or your blood pressure is a little bit high, it needs to be controlled before you can be taken in for surgery,” he explained.

The Executive Secretary noted that surgery operations would start on Tuesday as there were a lot of cases that needed urgent attention.

“We have a matching mandate from the governor for us to enrol 70,000 people and it is broken down to 20,000 pregnant women till they deliver even if the delivery is through cesarean section. The child is delivered, in the first six months, we will take care of its medical needs.

“We have also been asked to enrol 20,000 market women and 30,000 poor people in the state. Among the 70,000, any other person in the state that needs surgery, they have to come down and get their surgery done,” he added.

He lauded the state governor for impacting directly on the lives of the people saying, “Everything is free from the moment they walk in and get enrolled, screened and do tests as well as the surgery and even after surgery.”

Also speaking, Mrs. Olusola Akintola, a retired secondary school principal, commended Abiodun for the programme, saying it would help the less privileged take care of their medical bills while Mr Semiu Koleosho, said he enrolled in the programme to enable his son to benefit from the free surgery.

Ahead of the planned nationwide strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress, scheduled for February 27 and 28 February, 2024, the Nigerian Police Force says it has placed officers on red alert.

The Force also stated its commitment to ensuring the protection of citizens’ rights and freedom to engage in the protests.

This was contained in a statement on Monday, signed by the Force Public Relations Officer of the NPF, Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

“The Nigeria Police Force, on the heels of the proposed nationwide protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress, hereby affirms the fundamental right of all citizens of the country to engage in peaceful protest in line with extant laws. As such, the NPF reiterates its commitment to ensuring the rights and freedom of protesters are protected.

“In line with its lawful duty to maintain law and order, the Nigeria Police Force has deployed personnel nationwide and placed them on red alert to monitor the planned protest.

All Commissioners of Police and their respective supervising officers have been briefed and instructed to coordinate the officers on the ground in ensuring the safety and security of all participants if the protests are held as planned,” the statement partly read.

The NLC is protesting the government’s failure to implement agreements reached between both parties on the 2nd of October 2023, following the removal of the fuel subsidy.

The decision followed the conclusion of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the federal government to implement measures against the widespread hardship in the country.

Adejobi, in the statement, said while the police recognised the importance of the protests, it remained vigilant to prevent any attempts to hijack the protests, and that officers would also curb any attempts to create unrest, as the police will not tolerate breakdown of law and order.

According to the statement, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, also appealed to protesters to conduct themselves peacefully and responsibly and to adhere to the principles of non-violence and respect for the rights of others, during the protests.

“While recognising the importance of peaceful protest, the Nigeria Police Force remains vigilant against any attempts to hijack such protests by individuals or groups of persons with sinister intents. Emphatically, the force, therefore, is fully prepared to respond swiftly and decisively to any unlawful activities or acts of violence that may threaten peace, public safety, and security in the event of such,” the statement added.

Police did not seal the secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Yaba, Lagos, on Monday as rumoured, police spokesman in Lagos State, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, has said.

Hundeyin told NAN that Commissioner of Police Adegoke Fayoade only went to the NLC secretariat to address protesters.

He was reacting to the rumour and giving reasons for heightened security upgrades in hotspots around Lagos on Monday.

Heavily armed police operatives were seen at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, and other parts of Lagos on Monday, in readiness for a planned protest by organised labour.

The NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC had scheduled a nationwide strike for February 27 and 28 to protest what they called hardship currently faced by Nigerians.

They charged that the hardship was inflicted on Nigerians following the hike in prices of goods and services consequent upon the removal of fuel subsidy and the free fall of the naira.

The TUC, however, pulled out of the scheduled protest on Saturday.

Hundeyin told NAN that the police proactively arrived at the NLC secretariat and other hotspots to ensure adequate security for planners of the strike and to prevent their procession from being hijacked by hoodlums.

“The Commissioner of Police, Mr Fayoade addressed the protesters before the procession took off in his presence.

“The procession was peaceful and without any untoward incident,” Hundeyin said, adding that CP Fayoade monitored the security operation and the protest, ” he said.

He stated also that the protesters neither caused traffic obstruction nor got involved in violent activities.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the full implementation of the Stephen Oronsaye report.⁣
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The Oronsaye report proposed a leaner government by merging some agencies and scrapping many others.

The president’s decision was announced by a presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on X.

“Twelve years after the Steve Oronsaye panel submitted its report on restructuring and rationalizing Federal government parastatals and agencies and a white paper issued two years after, President Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council today decided to implement the report,” Mr Onanuga wrote.

“Many agencies will be scrapped and many others will be merged, to pave way to a leaner government,” he said.

Details shortly…

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has released the 2023 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE External) results.

According to the Registrar and Chief Executive of the Council, Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, more than 70,000 candidates registered for the examination, with over 74,000 candidates sitting for it.

Key highlights of the results include:

Gender Distribution: Male students constitute over 52 per cent, while female students constitute over 47 per cent of the candidates who sat for the examination.

Success Rate: Over 62,500 candidates, representing over 84 per cent of the total candidates, obtained five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

Examination Malpractice: Although cases of examination malpractice have reduced, 8,500 cases were recorded in 2023, compared to over 11,000 cases in 2022.

Blacklisting: Two supervisors, one each from Oyo and Lagos States, were blacklisted for poor supervision and inability to control students. Additionally, one centre in Borno State was blacklisted for aiding and abetting examination malpractice through WhatsApp messages.

During the result presentation, the NECO Registrar also unveiled an automated Annual E-posting Calendar.

He said the calendar is designed to guide the examination body in posting staff for various assignments across the country.

The Nigeria Police Force has sealed the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) office in Lagos State to prevent the planned nationwide protest against hunger and hardship.

The protest, scheduled by the NLC for February 27 and 28, aimed to address the economic challenges faced by Nigerians.

Activist and national coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Hassan Taiwo, shared an image on Monday morning showing armed police personnel stationed in front of the NLC headquarters in the Yaba area of Lagos State.

According to Taiwo, a few comrades were sealed off in the building, uncertain about the developments awaiting them.

The NLC issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Nigerian government regarding widespread hardship, leading to organising the protest.

However, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), urged the NLC to cancel the protest.

Despite warnings from the government and concerns from other quarters, the NLC insisted that the protest would proceed as planned.

It accused the government of preparing to attack peaceful rallies and alleged the involvement of certain groups in causing violence against protestors.

The NLC President, in a statement, emphasised the right to peaceful protest and warned against suppressing dissent or inflicting violence on peaceful protestors.

The statement also mentioned the potential deployment of state-sponsored terror and expressed the NLC’s determination to proceed with the protest.

President Bola Tinubu has sworn-in Mrs Saidat Oladunjoye, as a Federal Commissioner of the National Population Commission (representing Lagos State) at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja.

Oladunjoye took the oath of office around 12:36 pm after her citation was read to the members of the Federal Executive Council.

She replaces Mrs Bimbo Salu-Hundeyin, who has been appointed Secretary to the Lagos State Government.

The swearing-in comes four months after her nomination by the President on October 12, 2023.

She was subsequently confirmed by the Senate in December 2023.

A former Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Oladunjoye joined the Lagos State Ministry of Youths, Sports and Social Development as a Sports Officer/Project Officer in 1987-1990.

She served in the state’s Ministry of Finance (1990-1995) as a Research Officer and Lagos State Public Works Department as a Senior Administrative Officer in 1995 before leaving for the private sector, where she served as the Executive Director of an Insurance firm until she was appointed Lagos State Commissioner for Education, during the second term of Governor Babatunde Fashola.

Addressing State House correspondents, Oladunjoye assured the public of a data-driven census that prioritises inclusivity and acceptance. She promised to work with all stakeholders in deploying technology for a better census.

Afterwards, the council proceeded into a closed-door session chaired by the President.

So far, members have sat eight times since the inaugural meeting held on August 28, 2023.

Other meetings were held on October 16, October 23, October 30, November 27, December 13 and January 17, 2024.

On October 16, the Information Minister, Mr Mohammed Idris, announced, “The President has approved that Federal Executive Council meeting will now be happening on Mondays as against the traditional Wednesdays that we are used to.

“Of course, that does not mean that it has to happen every week. If there are no issues to discuss, it will be skipped to the next week.”

Present at today’s meeting are all cabinet members except the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, whose residence was razed down by fire on Sunday.

Other vacant seats were those of the Minister of Labour and the suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.

A returning face at today’s meeting is the Minister of Tourism, Mrs Lola Ade-John, who has been away for about five months over health concerns.

Lagos State residents on Monday hit the streets to protest against the high level of hardship in the country.

LeadingReporters learnt that the ongoing protest was facilitated by a human rights group identified as the ‘Take It Back Movement’.

The protesters were seen carrying placards with various inscriptions which expressed their grievances, at the Ojuelegba Under Bridge area of the state.

This is coming hours to the planned mass protest scheduled for February 27 and 28 by the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC.