Gombe (Nigeria)– Gombe State, House of Assembly Committee on Health, north east of the country, has promised to mount pressure on the State Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo on timely release of funds for the implementation of health programmes in 2018
The House Committee on Health, Usman Bature Gwani made the promise when Maternal Neo-natal Child Health (MNCH) Coalition advocacy team visited the Assembly to seek commitment from the committee for adequate resource allocation and timely release of allocated funds to capital health projects of the state in 2018.
The team led by the Chairman of the group, Alhassan Yahaya also wants the retention of health workers in rural areas and influential persons and politicians to stop interfering with postings in the State’s health system.
Some members of the House Health Committee present at the visit, who acknowledged the problem of securing release of budgeted funds, were of the view that budgeting had never been the problem, but the release.
The MNCH team had earlier spoken of inadequacy of budgetary provisions and irregular release of funds for the health sector which has led to poor performance in the health sector.
They requested government to provide at least two functional blood banks in each of the three senatorial zones of the State as against the only two currently serving the entire state, increase in budgetary allocation for health from the current 8.5 per cent to 15 per cent according to Abuja declaration.
Others demands are, to ensure the release of at least 70 per cent of capital budget to the State Ministry of Health and the State Primary Health Care Development Agency as well as the adoption and full implementation of task shifting policy and the adoption and implementation of SPHCDA establishment law.
Kaduna (Nigeria)– Kaduna State Government, Northwest Nigeria in 2016 and 2017 awarded about 200 roads contracts.
A close look at the contracts awarded shows that Kaduna metropolis carried the lion share of the contracts awarded but were lopsidedly distributed.
For instance ,places like Barnawa witnessed the construction of about 75 roads, while other communities like Television, Romi, Gonin gora, Karatudu are left to their fate. Roads in these areas pose as death traps to the residents especially during the raining season..
This lopsided award of road contracts recently promoted the State House of Assembly through its committee on Work, Housing and Transport vowed not to approve the 2018 budget of the Ministry of Works until it provides details of all the new proposed roads .
Even though the Commissioner of the Ministry, Mahmud Hassan during the budget defense exercise before the House Committee argued that the township roads contract concept was strictly on the local government headquarters, the contracts were not equitably distributed among the communities as well as the local government areas.
There are 53 roads awarded in Kabala, while Ungwan Rimi has 26 roads
Others, are four dualization projects, the eight-kilometre Zaria Road in Rigasa, which provides access to the Abuja – Kaduna train terminal and the busy Aliyu Makama Road in Barnawa, Ungwan Dosa and Sabon Birni dualisation projects.
Infrastructure development has in recent times assumed a front burner in Nigeria’s commitment to attaining social and economic growth by both the Federal and state governments.
It involves the provision of among others roads, water, housing, Power (electricity), Transport facilities to make life meaningful and movement of goods and services less stressful among the populace .
So, in Kaduna metropolis, some parts with a high population of between 15,000 and 20,000 households and situated few kilometers away from the main road lack access roads and even where they do exist they are either in poor condition or are totally impassable especially during the rainy season.
While other areas, apart from having all their roads tarred, are also favored with over concentration of road projects
The nagging question agitating the minds of most residents is, what is the rational behind awarding lopsided road construction.
A visit by Prime News to some communities within the state capital and suburbs showed that roads are becoming death traps to the residents, a situation that led to some women who reportedly lost their lives during child birth.
Angwan Bulus, in Sabo Tasha, Chikun local government area of the state, has over the years experienced difficulties, especially the women whose sometime lost their lives or their children before or during child bearing process as a result of bad road.
This community, do not have any public school, hospital or primary health care located within the area, thus, women and children have to travel about 3 kilometers or more to either attend public school or hospital to access education and health care service.
Africa Prime news revealed that members of the community always pray for the dry season even though most of them are farmers but because of the difficulties they usually encounter during raining season arising from the bad road caused by erosion.
In an interview with the community leader, Gideo Haruna Goni said the people of his Community are facing a lot of problems originating from bad road.
“If you check the landscape of the entire Sabo Tasha, it is a slope. And Angwan Matari and Angwan Bulus, the force of the erosion has affected the roads due to lack of good drainage.
“Our roads are impassable during that period, even though we are trying the best in our level to filled up the potholes every year immediately after the rain, and make roads manageable during the dry season.
“As part of our own effort, we at the community level invited the member representing our constituency at the Senate, Shehu Sani and our House of Assembly member, Mark Yeri when a bridge collapsed last year and the communities came together, gathered money to the tune of N3 million and constructed another bridge, they promised to take our problem to the government, we are still waiting to hear from them.” The Community leader said.
He stated that the State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai was also in the area sometimes ago, and saw the bridge constructed by the community along with the condition of the road but nothing has be done.
He added that there was another bridge being constructed at a cost of N6 million, and that two million naira has so far been contributed by the people.
The community leader therefore called on the government to come to the aid of the people of Angwan Bulus by constructing even if is a path, to ease the transportation difficulties facing by the residents, and for the safety of pregnant women and unborn babies.
A pregnant women in the area, Mrs Blessing Benjamin, said they always experienced difficulties moving from one place to another attending antenatal clinics as the roads linking them with the main road and others communities remain impassable especially during the raining season.
According to her, the major source of transportation is motorcycles and that she always experienced abdominal pain whenever she uses the motorcycle as a result of the bad roads, adding that she resorted to trekking to the hospital for antenatal, market or anywhere she wants to go just for the safety of her unborn baby.
Another resident, Mrs. Hannatu Umar said sometimes early this year’s rainy season, on her way to antenatal, she fell down from a motorcycle and had serious bleeding, stressing that she was rushed to the General Hospital Sabo Tasha. “I almost lost my baby, if not for God’s intervention,” she lamented.
“I wandered the kind of sin the people of these communities have committed that we are abandoned by our own leaders. Whenever I go to some places within Kaduna metropolis that is not up to our community and I see the kind of development especially roads in such areas being executed by the government, it always surprises me,” she added.
Places like Mando ward in Igabi local government area with over 1 million population has only one good road and are appealing for more.
In an interview with a resident of the area, Ibrahiman Yahabu, lamented over the bad condition of the roads and other social amenities even when, he said they have many well to do residing in their midst.
The residents of Rigasa Ward, Igabi local government area observed that their suffering for so many years came to an end with the construction of the roads linking the area with the railway Terminal and the airport.
Though they attributed it to the presence of the railway terminal and the temporary shift of the Nnamdi international airport to Kaduna sometimes this year.
Other Residents who are still yearning for tarred roads despite their advantage position in the state capital are Television, Romi, Gonin- gora, Karatudu and Kurmimashi among others.
Image copyrightReutersImage caption The US compound in Benghazi was attacked on 11 September 2012
US forces have captured a man accused of involvement in the 2012 attack on an American compound in the Libyan city of Benghazi, President Donald Trump said.
Mustafa al-Imam was seized in Libya, the president said in a statement.
Mr al-Imam is facing charges including murder. The US ambassador and three other Americans died in the incident.
During last year’s election campaign, the raid became a focus for Republican attacks on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
She was secretary of state when the compound was targeted in September 2012.
“Yesterday, on my orders, United States forces captured Mustafa al-Imam in Libya,” Mr Trump said.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Mr al-Imam would “face justice in federal court for his role in the attack”. Another suspect, Ahmed Abu Khattala, is already on trial in the US.
A Republican-led House Select Committee investigation published in 2016 found no evidence of wrongdoing by Ms Clinton.
The attack nonetheless haunted her presidential campaign and was cited frequently by Mr Trump as he called for her to be jailed.
Mr al-Imam has been charged with murder, as well as providing material support to terrorists and discharging a firearm in the course of a violent crime, the US Attorney’s office said.
Ambassador Christopher Stevens and a state department technician died of smoke inhalation when armed men set fire to a building in the diplomatic compound.
The attackers later fired mortar rounds at a CIA building, killing two former Navy Seals.
Prosecutors said Mr al-Imam was in the process of being transported to the US.
Defence lawyers for Mr Abu Khattala allege that his 13-day voyage to the US was dragged out to restrict his access to legal counsel. Prosecutors deny the allegation.
Note: This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.
South Africa has been recommended to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup ahead of Ireland and France, the tournament’s organising board has announced.
The World Rugby Council will meet on 15 November in London for a final vote.
South Africa, who won the 1995 cup as hosts after returning to international sport, were endorsed after reviews of each host candidate evaluation.
Ireland has vowed to “compete to the final whistle”, adding “nothing in the report is insurmountable”.
France were principal hosts in 2007 and, like Ireland, also staged games in the 1991 and 1999 tournaments.
World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said there were “three exceptional bids”.
He added: “It also identified South Africa as a clear leader based on performance against the key criteria, which is supported by the board in the recommendation.”
What does the board judge potential host nations on?
Vision and hosting concept
Tournament, organisation and schedule
Venues and host cities
Tournament infrastructure
Finance, commercial and commitments
From the above criteria, South Africa ranked highest with 78.97%, France second with 75.88% and Ireland third with 72.25%.
However, Dick Spring, chairman of Ireland’s 2023 bid oversight board, said the country still has confidence the council members will “place their trust in Ireland” come the vote.
“We absolutely believe Ireland can secure the tournament for 2023,” he said. “It is clear that the evaluation commission is impressed by the quality and detail of the bid put forward on behalf of Ireland.
“It is also clear from the report that Ireland has all the capabilities to host an outstanding Rugby World Cup in 2023.
“Our team will compete to the final whistle as we bid to turn our historic bid plans into reality.”
South Africa said it would deliver a “triple win” should it host the tournament in 2023.
“A win for the game with record receipts, a win for the fans with an unforgettable tournament in a bucket-list destination and, most importantly, a win for the players with the most athlete-centric event in the tournament’s history,” said the country’s rugby chief executive Jurie Roux.
Japan will host the next World Cup in 2019.
Note: This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.
Mr Siddiki is the leader of Cameroon’s Patriotic Salvation Movement – a small opposition party in the country’s northernmost region.
He was convicted of hostility against the homeland, trying to instigate a revolution and contempt of the president.
“We are going to appeal this decision, which does not seem to us to be at all just,” Reuters news agency reports Mr Siddiki’s lawyer, Emmanuel Simh, as saying.
Mr Siddiki was arrested along with lawyer Abdoulaye Harissou – and they have both been in detention since August 2014.
The military tribunal sentenced Mr Harissou to three years in prison for failing to disclose information that could harm national security.
But charges were dropped against three journalists – Félix Cyriaque Ebolé Bola, Baba Wamé and Rodrigue Tongué – also arrested in connection with the same case.
There has been a strong military presence in Cameroon’s Far North region in recent years as the security forces secure the area against fighters from the Islamist group Boko Haram, who have crossed the border from Nigeria to carry out attacks.
In the last year, there has also been crackdown on protests in English-speaking regions in the west of the country, where people are complaining of marginalisation in mainly French-speaking Cameroon.
Note: This story is auto-generated from ‘BBC News’ syndicated feed and has not been edited by Africa Prime News staff.
Media captionNew York terror attack: How the events unfolded
Five friends from Argentina were among those killed in a truck attack in New York on Tuesday.
Eight people were killed and 11 injured when the driver of the truck hit people on a cycle path in Lower Manhattan.
A 29-year-old man, reported to be an Uzbek immigrant, was shot and injured by police as he left the vehicle.
US President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to “step up” vetting measures in the wake of the attack.
The suspect reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”) as he left the truck. Officials said it was a terror attack – the deadliest in the city since the 11 September attacks.
A note was found in the truck that referred to so-called Islamic State, law enforcement sources were quoted as saying by US media.
Who were the victims?
The deaths of the five Argentines were confirmed by the country’s foreign ministry. They were part of a group of 10 friends in New York to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their graduation from a polytechnic college in the central city of Rosario, Argentine media said.
One of the men who died, steel firm owner Ariel Erlij, helped pay for the friends’ trip, La Nación newspaper reported (in Spanish).
Argentina’s foreign ministry named the men – all reportedly aged 48 or 49 – as Diego Enrique Angelini, Alejandro Damian Pagnucco, Ariel Erlij and Hernan Ferruch. Another of the friends, Martin Ludovico Marro, is being treated in hospital.
Three days of mourning have been declared in Rosario, Clarín newspaper reported. President Mauricio Macri expressed his “deep condolences” for the victims’ families on Twitter.
A Belgian national was also killed, Belgium’s foreign minister said. Two other victims have not yet been identified.
How did the attack unfold?
Media playback is unsupported on your device
Media caption“We will be undeterred” by the attack says New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner James O’Neill said:
Shortly after 15:00 local time (19:00 GMT), a white pick-up truck rented from retailer Home Depot struck cyclists and pedestrians while being driven along the West St-Houston St path for many blocks
The vehicle then hit a school bus, injuring two adults and two children on board, and came to a halt
The driver emerged holding what appeared to be two handguns and made a statement “consistent with a terror attack”
He was shot in the abdomen by a police officer stationed near the scene – he later underwent surgery for gunshot wounds
A paintball gun and a pellet gun were recovered from the scene
Mangled bicycles littered the scene of the attack, which occurred as much of the city was celebrating Halloween.
Media playback is unsupported on your device
Media captionEmergency services on the scene of the attack
One witness, named as Eugene, told ABC Channel 7 that he saw the white pick-up truck driving quickly down the cycle path alongside the West Side Highway, near Stuyvesant High School, at full speed and hitting a number of people.
He also reported hearing about nine or 10 shots.
Another witness, who gave his name as Frank, told local TV network NY1 that he had seen a man running around an intersection and heard five to six gunshots.
“I saw he had something in his hand, but I couldn’t tell what it was. But they said that it was a gun…
“When the cops shot him, everybody started running away and it got a little bit crazy right there. So when I tried to look again, the guy was already down.”
What has been the reaction?
President Trump took to Twitter, saying:
“In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!”
“We must not allow ISIS [Islamic State] to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!”
“My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you!”
He also announced that he had ordered the Extreme Vetting Program to be stepped up. He did not elaborate further.
Mr Trump first said he would insist on “extreme vetting” of immigrants during his presidential campaign last August. As president, he introduced a ban on arrivals to the US from a number of mainly-Muslim countries – a move due before the Supreme Court in the coming weeks.
The American Civil Liberties Union civil rights group said the term extreme vetting was a “euphemism for discriminating against Muslims”.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the incident in Manhattan was a “cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians”.
“We know that this action was intended to break our spirit. But we also know that New Yorkers are strong, New Yorkers are resilient and our spirit will never be moved by an act of violence and an act meant to intimidate us,” he said.
Who is the suspect?
Image copyrightST CHARLES COUNTY POLICE DEPTImage caption US media identified the suspect as Sayfullo Saipov, seen in this 2016 photo
The NYPD said only that the attacker was a 29-year-old man.
However, US media named him as Sayfullo Saipov, who had reportedly lived in Tampa, Florida, and Paterson, New Jersey.
He arrived in America from Uzbekistan in 2010 and is believed to be a legal resident in the country. Car-share service Uber confirmed he had been working for them.
Three officials said Mr Saipov had previously come to the federal authorities’ attention as a result of an unrelated investigation, the New York Times reported.
Police records show he was arrested in Missouri last year over a traffic fine.
Uzbekistan’s president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has told Donald Trump his country was ready to “use all forces and resources” to help investigate the deadly attack. However, Uzbek officials have not yet confirmed the identity or nationality of the attacker.
Note: This story is auto-generated from BBC syndicated feed and has not been edited by AFRICA PRIME NEWS
The police officer, Detective Jeff Payne, was sent to University of Utah Hospital on 26 July to collect blood from an unconscious lorry driver injured in a head-on collision with a suspect fleeing police in another vehicle.
The patient was not suspected of wrongdoing.
Ms Wubbels, who was duty nurse that day, told Detective Payne that he did not present a warrant to collect the blood sample, as required by state and federal law.
She also said blood could not be taken without consent from the patient.
Ms Wubbels declined to tell the officer where the patient was or let him draw blood.
She even called her supervisor to get her to explain to the detective that the nurse was only following hospital policy.
Image copyrightSalt Lake City PoliceImage caption Detective Jeff Payne (L) was fired and James Tracy, his watch commander, was demoted two ranks
Lt James Tracy, a watch commander, then instructed Det Payne to arrest Ms Wubbels and he proceeded to shove the screaming nurse out of the emergency room before holding her against a wall to handcuff her.
Ms Wubbels told reporters at a news conference in September: “The only job I have as a nurse is to keep my patients safe.
“Blood is your blood. That’s your property.”
The University of Utah later said it had introduced a new policy on blood samples barring officers from coming to the hospital in person to seek them.
Note: This story is auto-generated from BBC syndicated feed and has not been edited by AFRICA PRIME NEWS
Kaduna (Nigeria) — Nigeria’s Bank Of Agriculture, BOA has taken steps to reposition itself for effective and efficient delivery on its mandate of financing agriculture in the country.
To this end, the bank is in the process of having a consultant for capacity building and institutional strengthening project of African Development Bank, ADB.
The Managing Director of the Bank, Kabir Mohammed Adamu announced this in Kaduna, northwest Nigeria at the financial bid opening for the selection of a Consultant for the Bank .
He explained that the the project aimed at building the capacity of the bank , was at the moment focusing on a renewed commitment to agriculture by all stakeholders as the main stay of the Nigerian economy.
The project ,according to him, is one in which the Nigerian government through the Bank of Agriculture has received financing from the African Development Bank towards the cost of Agriculture, institutional strengthening and Capacity Building Project.
“The support would assist the bank to carry out necessary reforms and be empowered to achieve the long term goal of creating an efficient and effective, institution capable of seizing the huge opportunities in the Agricultural financing space in the world”, he added..
Kabir said the Bank of Agriculture had demonstrated leadership in agribusiness financing as being exemplified in her pivotal role in the Anchor Borrowers Programme, financing of Micro, Small and Medium agricultural entreprises in Nigeria.
The Managing Director explained that the bank has not been able to seize enormous opportunities due largely to inadequate capital, capacity deficiencies, inadequate IT infrastructure, poor work tools among others.
He noted that the project would assist the bank in the modernization of its work processes, build capacity of workforce and institution, to seize huge business opportunities in Agriculture.
The grant for the project, he said, is. $1.135 million with a contribution in the ratio of 88.29 per cent and 11.71 per cent by African Development Bank and Bank of Agriculture to help achieve the desired target.
The project , he said , was being managed by the Project Implementation Unit, PIU, approved by the Nigerian government and the African Development Bank, stressing that to ensure that the project was managed professionally, efficiently, transparently, the consultants were engaged in accordance to AFDB procurement guidelines.
One of the Civil Society Organization members, Benjamin Yunana Maigari, who witnessed the bidding procedure expressed delight with the level of transparency adopted in the process, pointing out that the Nigerian government desire in agriculture would be achieved.
