Association of Nigerian Physicians in Americas Logo
The Association of Nigerian Physicians in Americas (ANPA) has pledged to assist Nigeria scale up her health indices and boost healthcare delivery.
Dr Iwueze Obilo, Chairperson ANPA New Jersey Chapter, who said this at an interactive session between President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigeria in the Diaspora in America, pledged to enlist the services of its over 5,000 members.
The meeting was convened by the Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on the sideline of the ongoing 73rd UN General Assembly in New York.
Obilo, who is also President, Nigeria Healthcare Foundation, said that the Nigerian medical practitioners in America were ready to assist the country reduce medical tourism.
“We are hungry to come because you need us to be successful, we love going to Nigeria but it is unfortunate we don’t have national career
“We want to be coming to Nigeria every month to provide health care services to our people. As the President of Nigeria Healthcare Foundation I have been doing that for the past 15 years.
“We are working, we are hungry to come home and help, you have been doing a lot of work but you need us to support you too.
“Our mission will not also be successful if we don’t get the support from the government,” he said.
He said that the Nigerian doctors in the U.S. had created a forum whereby members could be coming home every month to render health services to Nigerian in different hospitals of choice.
“We created a forum with the Nigeria Medical Association called, “ratio 11:1” so that we can come to Nigeria for one month and inherit any hospital to improve its health care system and support their services.
“Our health care system is going down and a lot of people are dying. The products of Nigeria doctor is going down because of poor resources.
“We want to help you anything you want us to do.
“We have many qualified Nigerian doctors but Nigerian still go to other countries to treat themselves; when you have your doctors who can take care of you in the best way to reduce the medical tourism,” he said.
Dr Bola Omotosho, a U.S. based medical practitioner said that Nigerian doctors in U.S. were looking for a way to contribute their quotas to the development of health sector at home.
Omotosho, who is also Chair of Community Board at Bronx in USA, noted that Nigerian doctors in USA were over 5,000 performing excellently in their various fields of operations.
“The wealth of the nation is the function of the health of the nation, we want an avenue to help materialise what our intention is as an organisation in this regard
“We are looking for a situation whereby we can move the Nigeria health indices up,” he said.
Aminu Danladi, who spoke on behalf of the youth, urged the president to intervene in the making the “Not Too Young To Run” Bill a reality.
While describing the passage of the bill as a notable achievement of Buhari’s Administration; he, however, said there was need for the president to look into it to ensure that youth can actually run.
“We have an obstacle to the bill of “Not Too Young To Run” and you have done everything within your power to make it a reality.
“However, we want to still appeal to you to put in place mechanism for the youth to participate in governance for instance the form selling for contestant is too expensive, they cannot afford them.
“We also plead with you to please include young people in your cabinet,” he said.
A dusk-to- dawn curfew has been imposed on Jos North and Jos South Local Government Areas of Plateau State in north central Nigeria.
A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Richard Tokma, said, the curfew was “sequel to (the) security (breach) in some parts of Jos North.”
The statement reads: ”sequel to (the) security (breach) in some parts of Jos North, the Governor of Plateau State, Rt.Hon. Simon Bako Lalong, has approved the imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew from 6p.m-6a.m in Jos North and Jos South Local Government Areas with immediate effect.
“However,” the statement said further, “while ensuring the safety of lives and property of the populace, citizens are advised to exercise restraint and to remain calm and report any suspicious movement to the law enforcement agents.”
A report earlier by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said unknown gunmen had struck Thursday night in Jos metropolis killing a family of 9.
European Union countries will tell the world’s financial leaders next month that rising trade tensions can have a “serious adverse” effect on global growth, the media reports on Friday.
They should reject protectionism and commit to solving disputes through the WTO.
Finance ministers and central bank governors of the world’s 20 biggest economies are to meet Oct. 11-12 on the Indonesian island of Bali.
A trade war between the United States and China and tensions with Europe will top the agenda.
“We are concerned about the risk of escalating trade tensions.
Such escalation could have a serious adverse impact for strong, inclusive, sustainable and balanced global growth and investment,” EU finance ministers said.
They said this in a document prepared for the meeting that is to be formally approved on Oct 2.
“The G20 should reconfirm its commitment to promote market openness, the fight against all forms of protectionism, including all unfair trade practices, an enhanced rule-based multilateralism.
”In addition, it will encourage a level playing field for trade in goods and services, investment and intellectual property rights,” the document revealed.
The United States and China imposed fresh tariffs on each other’s goods on Monday, showing no signs of backing down from an increasingly bitter trade dispute that is expected to hit global economic growth.
EU officials say they fully agree with the U.S. that China uses unfair trading practices and steals intellectual property but disagree on how to bring Beijing into line.
The EU believes it would be better to address China concerns through the World Trade Organisation rather than a trade war.
European Union trade officials will travel to Beijing shortly before the G20 meeting for talks with their Chinese counterparts on reforms of the WTO.
The WTO has been under increasing pressure to reform since Trump blocked the reappointment of WTO judges and imposed its tariffs on China and other countries.
China is widely seen as the principal target of Trump’s ire.
“The EU calls on G20 members to support the modernisation of the WTO, and swiftly develop of a new set of guidelines for publicly supported export finance by International Working Group on Export Credits,” the EU document said.
Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State, northeast Nigeria
Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State, northeast Nigeria
Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe, northeast Nigeria has promised to tackle the challenge of insecurity confronting the country if elected president in 2019.
Dankwambo, who is aspiring to be president on the platform of the PDP, made the promise on Friday in Makurdi, north-central Nigeria, during a consultancy visit to Gov. Samuel Ortom.
He decried the rising rate of insecurity across the country, saying that Nigerians were at a loss over what was happening to their nation.
Dankwambo thanked the governor for the “bold step” of defecting from the APC to the PDP, and commended Benue people for standing with their leader in his trying moments.
Responding, Ortom agreed that insecurity had remained a major challenge in the country, saying that Benue was worst hit by the incessant violence.
He urged leaders to live up to the responsibility of protecting Nigerians, pointing out that such role was the main purpose for the existence of government.
“As leaders, we are expected to give protection to the people. If we cannot do that, chaos will set in and our presence as leaders will be worthless,” he said.
The governor lauded Dankwambo’s style of leadership, and promised to work closely with him if he became president in 2019.
Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Friday signed a cooperation agreement with FSD Africa, a U.K. Aid funded non-profit company worth 450,000 pounds (N180.59 million).
Speaking at the signing in Lagos, Ms Mary Uduk, SEC Acting Director-General, said the funds would be used to strengthen the nation’s capital market.
Uduk said that the funds would be used to promote financial technology regulation, fund institutional capacity audit to identify strengths and areas of improvement in SEC’s operations among others.
She said that with the agreement, the commission became the first capital market regulator to participate in a flagship pan-African programme designed to strengthen the continent’s capital markets.
According to her, SEC Nigeria will provide 22,500 pounds out of the 450,000 pounds.
“SEC Nigeria is excited about the cooperation with FSD Africa and the tremendous potential the various programmes hold in complementing our efforts to enhance capacity and further strengthen our ability to regulate the capital market.
“This collaboration will no doubt contribute to the continued development of our market by facilitating access to capital by both the private and public sectors and enhance the competitiveness of the Nigerian capital market as a global investment destination,” Uduk said.
She said that the three-year FSD Africa programme would provide funding to build the capacity of capital market regulators across the continent and provide world-class technical assistance.
She added that it would encourage closer collaboration among regulators and conducting research to support the development of new policies and regulations.
Ms Laure Beaufils, Deputy High Commissioner, British High Commission, Lagos, said that capital markets had an essential role to play in economic development.
“Capital markets have an essential role to play to help unlock capital that can be invested in the real economy and that can contribute to job creation and inclusive growth.
“I am delighted that the SEC and FSD Africa have signed a new partnership agreement today.
“It is testament to the importance we attach to this issue and to our commitment to deepen and broaden our trade and investment relationship with Nigeria. I very much look forward to working with SEC on this in the future,” Beaufils said.
She said that her country’s bilateral trade with Nigeria as at December 2017, stood at 4.2 billion pounds, adding that the value would double by 2030.
Beaufils said that many investors in the U.K had identified interest to invest in the Nigerian market.
Mr Evans Osano, Director, Financial Markets, FSD Africa, said that the partnership would play a role in encouraging greater collaboration and knowledge management sharing with other African capital market regulators.
“As Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria represents a natural starting point for this new programme. Nigeria’s capital markets, though increasingly innovative, remains relatively small and underdeveloped,” Osano said.
He noted that the partnership would unlock capital by improving investor and issuer confidence, reducing transaction costs and reducing the complexity and approval times for capital issuance.
Osano said that in addition to Nigeria, the programme would be implemented in Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Mr Mark Napier, Director, FSD Africa, said that well-functioning capital markets would play vital role in support of inclusive economic growth by channeling long term finance into infrastructure.
Napier said that strengthening regulatory capacity in capital markets was an essential pre-condition for building investor confidence.
APC members at Omuma Ward 3 of Rivers State queue for presidential primaries 28/9/2018
APC members at Omuma Ward 3 of Rivers State queue for presidential primaries 28/9/2018
By Iliya Kure
Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Friday held its Presidential Primaries across the 319 wards of Rivers State, south-south of the country.
State Publicity Secretary of the party, Chris Finebone in a statement says the primaries which was contested by President Muhammadu Buhari as the only candidate went ‘without incidents’.
The statement further says, a total of 388,653 party members across the State voted in the primaries.
“The election which was based on the direct mode of primary earlier adopted by the NWC/NEC of the party for the exercise was witnessed by all the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Electoral Officers in the 23 LGAs of the State. Also on hand to witness the primaries were the various Divisional Police Officers across the State.
APC members in Ward 19 PHALGA of Rivers State queue for presidential primaries 28/9/2018
“Earlier, the State Presidential Returning Officer, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who is also the Minister of Transportation had arrived the APC State Secretariat and was ushered into the State Chairman’s office from where he monitored the exercise before visiting some wards within the Port Harcourt metropolis and environs to see things for himself.
“Whereas the 319 Ward Party Secretaries served as Ward Returning Officers, the 23 LGA Secretaries of the party served as LGA Returning Officers.
“Meanwhile, all hands are on deck to ensure a successful Governorship Primary scheduled for Sunday, September 30, 2018 in Port Harcourt,” the statement says.
Preparatory to the take off of the Kaduna State Contributory Health scheme, a sensitisation forum has been held for leaders of both the Nigerian Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress.
Also in attendance, were their delegates from the 23 Local Government Areas of the State, who would in- turn step down the message in their respective areas.
The State Team Leader of MNCH2, one of the implementation partners, Dr S.K Ahmadu said the forum with the formal sector followed the signing of the Contributory Health Management Authority Law and the appointment of the Director General for the agency.
“For the formal sector Sensitisation, the implementing partners wish to support the State Government in creating awareness on the scheme for the State and local government civil servants, starting with the executive members of the NLC/TUC, ” he said.
Dr, Ahmadu stated that already, some groups in the informal sector have been sensitised by the State Ministry of Health and Social Services in collaboration with MNCH2, PERL-ECP and R4HSCL
A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are slaughtered for consumption as food. Slaughterhouse in Nigeria is more than a facility where animals are processed for human consumption; it also serves as market where people gathered for exchange of goods and services.
In a typical Nigeria slaughterhouse or abbatoir, there are other business transactions by traders of various food items, raw and even cooked foods are put on display for potential customers. Therefore, over 1000 persons daily throng a slaughterhouse to buy or sale one goods or the other.
Slaughterhouses can be found in every market in communities and Local Government Councils in Nigeria. And one disturbing items used to processed the slaughtered animals before put on display for potential buyers, is firewood used as fuel to roast the animals.
Today, butchers complain of high cost of firewood which has made them seek for alternative to firewood; used car tyres as fuel to processed animals to stay in business not minding the health implications.
It is a common sight to see thick smoke coming from slaughterhouses in any community it is sighted. This has become a menace to the environment especially in Northern Nigeria where desert encroachment and climate change is taking its toil. Experts say that it is a threat to both humans and aquatic lives and to a large extend it causes environmental degradation.
Going round the Kaduna Metropolitan city, there are over 10 slaughterhouses, with many more spread across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state. The same is applicable to all the 774 Local Government Areas of the country, with about 7- 10 abattoirs in each locality.
Mallam Usman, is a butcher at the slaughterhouse in Kakuri in Kaduna South Local Government Area. He informed the team of Journalists that visited the facility that about 10 cows, over 200 goats and numerous chickens are slaughtered and processed in the facility daily.
Fire being prepared ahead of roasting slaughtered goats
He said the hides and skin of slaughtered animals are not left out, as they are roasted to produce another kind of delicacy known in the local parlance as, “Kpomo” with automobile tyres used as fuel.
Usman disclosed that each day, he uses about 14 tyres to roast the skins of animals. He quickly added that the slaughterhouses in Tudun Wada, Sabo Tasha and Kawo in Kaduna South, Kaduna North and Chikun LGAs respectively, which are bigger than the facility in Kakuri would be using more than 14 tyres per day for daily process of animals.
Speaking in the same vein, an environmentalist, Comrade Jibrin Ibrahim, expressed dissatisfaction over the attitude of Nigerian butchers for processing slaughtered animals with expired tyres burnt; and then called regulatory agencies to visit these slaughterhouses to ensure compliance to save the environments.
According to research, emissions from burnt tyres causes air pollutants which in turn poses a serious threats to human health, animals, plants and environments because tyres are not designed to be burnt as fuel for processing animals for food. This is because it contains hazardous ingredients. The rubber in tyres contains 25 per cent extender oils derived from Benzene, 25 per cent Styrene, a derivative of Benzene, and 25 per cent 1.3 Butadiene.
Dr. Yusuf Nadabo is the Patron of African Climate Reporters, and former Head of Department, (HOD) Anatomy, Kaduna State University, (KASU), during an interview said that fire particulates are significantly more hazardous and dangerous to human health than larger particulates because toxins collected on the surface of fire particulates are aspirated by humans and this lead to lung disease.
Dr. Nadabo said that fetus, infants, children, elderly, asthmatics and immune suppressed individuals are more vulnerable to pollutants released from burning tyres. Small particulates released by burning tyres worsen asthma and may contribute to heart disease.
The former Head of Anatomy pointed out that burning tyre also increases emissions of Dioxins and Mercury. He added that nursing mothers especially should be concerned about Dioxin and Mercury exposure.
“Dioxins are among the most highly cancer causing substances known. There is no safe level of dioxin intake by humans and dioxins accumulate in plants, domestic meat, dairy animals, and humans,” he explained.
Dr. Nadabo further said that in each local government visited, you will discover over 5-10 slaughterhouses, and the only means of processing these animals is the use of tyres fuel, and this is very harmful to humans, animals, plants and the environments.
“If a maximum of 5 tyres are used daily to process slaughtered animals, multiply that number with 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria; then you would be surprise to see the quantity of fumes released daily by slaughterhouses in Nigerian.
“Shouldn’t we intervene to protect our children before the toxic damage is done? Or should we just fold our arms, keep our mouths short and watch things go wrong ,” he queried, adding that ”Time after time we have learnt too late”
In addition to the negative effects of open tyre fire on health, there is also the environmental angle. The three main effects tyre burning has on the environment is the air, water, and soil pollution. The airborne pollution from burning of tyres kilns is significant. The black fumes contain heavy metals and other harmful pollutants that linger in the air and can lead to acute or chronic health hazards.
In terms of water and soil pollution, according to the EPA, “for every million tyres consumed by fire, about 55,000 gallons of runoff oil can pollute the environment unless contained and collected.”
If unconstrained, this runoff can then be carried away by rainwater to local water sources contaminating them. Additionally, the remaining residue can cause two types of pollution: these are immediate pollution by liquid decomposition products penetrating soil, and gradual pollution from leaching of ash and unburnt residues following rainfall or other water entry.
Speaking further, Dr. Nadabo said that airborne emissions from open tyre fires have long been suspected of representing a serious impact to health and the environment.
However, due to lack of sufficient data, it was uncertain as to exactly what was being emitted, how much was being emitted, and how dangerous these emissions were, especially to sensitive individuals like children and the elderly.
He noted that saving money on fuel by burning tyres should not take precedence over public health. Industries have a social responsibility to be good corporate citizens and good neighbours. He called for government’s intervention to improve the standard of slaughterhouses in the country.
He added that there is need for government to develop regulations and standards enforced by law regarding disposal and reuse of scrap tyres, as well as encourage butchers on the need to embrace modern methods of processing slaughtered animals rather than roasting with waste tyres that is very harmful to humans, animals, plants and environment.
Similarly, a Kaduna based Veterinary Doctor and Consultant, Tijjani Salisu, said that using tyres as fuel in slaughterhouses to process animals has negative effects on human health and environment, as well as workers at abattoirs and by extent the host communities.
Dr. Salisu said that tyres are believed to contain toxic materials which could pose health threats to humans, soil, water and air. Therefore roasting slaughtered animals with tyres increases the heavy metal concentration in the hides or skin of the slaughtered animal which diffuse into the body beyond acceptable limits.
He added that boiling of the slaughtered animal slightly reduces the heavy metal concentration, but not below the safe or acceptable limits.
According to him, the smoke from the burnt tyre which contains Carbon Monoxide has a serious impact on animal skin; noting that people buy processed meat not knowing the dangers of eating meat that was processed with expired tyres.
“Toxic metals may enter the human body through food, water, air, or absorption through the skin when they come in contact with humans in agriculture and in manufacturing,
“Tyre being non-biodegradable combustible material, when burnt under open and uncontrolled fire conditions in low temperatures produces black fumes as well as toxic nonvolatile products such as soot, which is incorporated into the environment causing air and water pollution as well as resulting to human and environmental hazard.
“Butchers used expired tyres to roast animals because it is cheaper than buying firewood. They used it to roast ‘Kpomo’ without knowing the quantity of Carbon Monoxide that enters into the skin,” he said.
Dr. Salisu added that some butchers at slaughterhouse when they die, no one cared to asked what happened? And to those that are still working in abattoirs, they never visited doctors to know their health status.
He called for the regulatory agencies to checkmate the activities of these local butchers in Nigeria to ensure total compliance, and henceforth slaughtered animals should be disposed of appropriately in order to minimise the contamination of soils, water, air and the surrounding environment with heavy metals.
