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23/11/2015

UNICEF Solicit Funding To Support Malnourish Children in Sudan

Khartoum – The international community and governments have been urged to contribute more funding so as to tackle the issue of malnutrition faced by children under the age of five years in Sudan.

UNICEF representative in Sudan, Geert Cappelaere on Sunday said about two million children suffer malnutrition, of which nearly 550 000 children have acute malnutrition, with many of those affected living in the underdeveloped east and conflict-hit Darfur region.

Cappelaere said, “billions, not millions of dollars (euros) are needed to reduce child malnutrition levels.

“We need to continue encouraging the government to invest more in malnutrition, but at the same time it will have to be a collective responsibility, the international community will have to step up if it is serious in its commitment to help the Sudanese people.”

He added that, “Over 38% of children under the age of five are chronically malnourished across Sudan. The number of children under five affected by chronic malnutrition works out at around two million, this figure includes 550 000 with severe acute malnutrition.”

The worst affected areas are Red Sea State in eastern Sudan and North Darfur State in the west.

Report by UN reveals that ethnic insurgents have been battling the Arab-dominated Khartoum government in the western Darfur region since 2003, displacing millions and leaving about 300 000 people dead.

Eastern Sudan has suffered from severe underdevelopment and is one of the country’s poorest regions.

Every year, UNICEF in Sudan treats about 150 000 of the most severely malnourished children.

Uganda: Museveni To Give Out 18 Million Hoes

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23/11/2015

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Uganda: Museveni To Give Out 18 Million Hoes

Presidential candidate Yoweri Museveni, who wants to transform Uganda from an agrarian to industrial economy by 2040, has promised 18 million hoes to six million households.
Through a November 20 letter to Prime Minister Rukahana Rugunda, Mr Museveni said these should be in the Budget for Financial Year 2016/2017.

“These will be distributed to six million households, each receiving three hoes,” Mr Museveni said.
The hoes are meant to boost food security and incomes for small land owners, the President said. The retail price for a hoe is Shs7, 500. At Shs7, 500 per piece, 18 million hoes would cost Shs135 billion, which is 28 per cent of the Agriculture ministry’s budget for this fiscal year.

Mr Museveni’s directive comes on the heels of his pledge to allocate Shs1 trillion to the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) to buy seeds for all farmers – because, he said, there is “huge demand for seeds.”

The hoes, like the increment of the NAADS budget, are not mentioned in the NRM Manifesto, whose theme is Taking Uganda to Modernity Through Job Creation and Inclusive Development.

What NRM Manifesto says
The manifesto only talks about the transformation from peasant to modern agriculture by availing machinery for hire at affordable rates for bush clearing, ploughing, harrowing, planting and harvesting.

The provision of hoes would be a departure from the government’s pledge in 2006/07 to provide “walking tractors” that have harrowing implements to farmers groups in the parishes to use to increase agricultural production.

Mr Kassiano Wadri, a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, told Daily Monitor yesterday that if government is genuinely interested in improving agriculture, it should abide by the Moputu Declaration – and allocate 10 per cent of the National Budget to Agriculture.

“It is the campaign heat forcing him [Mr Museveni] to make such outrageous pledges, talking about hoes when we should be talking of agricultural mechanization. We should commit ourselves to the Maputo Declaration,” Mr Wadri said.

This fiscal year, government allocated 2 per cent of the National Budget to agriculture, arguing that its priority are roads, power generation and transmission projects as well as security and defense.

So far, it is only Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate Kizza Besigye who has promised to increase the Agriculture ministry’s allocation to 15 per cent of the National Budget.

Mr Julius Kapwepwe Mishambi, the director programs at the Uganda Debt Network, a development organisation, said Mr Museveni’s pledges should be consistent with policy regimes of the NRM, the National Development Plan and the Agricultural Sector Development Plan.

“It is not the hoes of our forefathers that agriculture needs, else we should have modernized it already. We need more money in strategic areas that unlock agriculture to modernization,” Mr Mishambi said.

However, Mr Frank Tumwebaze, the Presidency minister and former chairman of the Uganda National Farmers Federation, said this “is not a new promise.”

“Different programes of government have been giving our farmers tools, hoes and ox–ploughs as demanded by various communities. The same applies to seeds and other inputs,” Mr Tumwebaze said.

“It is just a plan to continue supporting those communities in need, mainly those recovering from the conflict, with minimum tools of production. The model for commercial farmers is different, as articulated in our manifesto and value–addition initiatives under the Plan for modernization of Agriculture.”

culled from www.monitor.co.ug

Nigeria Vaccinates Over 25 Million Northern Children Against Measles

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22/11/2015

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Nigeria Vaccinates Over 25 Million Northern Children Against Measles

By Iliya Kure

The November National Measles Campaign has kicked-off in 19 Northern States of Nigeria and Abuja (including 96 Internally Displaced Person’s Camps), targeting over 25 million children across the region.

The exercise which runs between Saturday to Wednesday is focused on vaccinating children aged 9 months to 5 years, against the deadly virus.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), in 2013 alone, measles has killed about 400 un-immunised children on daily basis, equivalent to 16 deaths per hour.

In some cases, the disease leaves the un-immunised with disabilities like blindness and/or dumpiness; a child is considered adequately immunised against the disease when they receive one dose of the vaccine.

Last year, Nigeria recorded 4,392 cases of measles in 296 LGAs in 32 States.

The country waxed cold in its measles campaign for almost ten years, beginning mid 1990’s. This had created a burden which the country must work hard to overcome.

When Nigeria resumed measles mass campaign in 2006, children up to 15 years old were also immunised to ensure closure of the gap created.

A world Bank report says, in 2013, only 59 percent of children between 12-23 months were vaccinated against measles in Nigeria.

But in line with global push, the country says it is committed to total eradication of measles by 2020. It is currently working hard to ensure over 95% coverage.

The ongoing campaign “will hold virtually at all public places including bus stops, churches, major traffic points and border towns, among others.” Says Dr. Mohammed Ado, the Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.

He told journalist that “It is very important because a successful campaign would reduce 40 per cent of under 5 mortality in the country.”

A new data on Measles & Rubella Initiative released by WHO estimates that 17.1 million lives have been saved since 2000, largely due to increased vaccination coverage against the highly contagious viral disease.

“The number of measles-related deaths has decreased 79% from 546,800 at the beginning of the century to 114,900 in 2014.” The report says

In Niger State, North-Central Nigeria, the turn-out for the exercise has been impressive, with parents trooping to the immunisation post to have their children vaccinated. The State is looking at vaccinating close to a million children.

But on day-one of the November campaign in Niger State, 3 cases of measles have been reported in Chanchaga Local Government.

It has raised concern among the officials, “this shows how important and timely this immunisation campaign is. You must work hard to ensure effective coverage by vaccinating all eligible children” says Director Primary Healthcare of Chanchaga LGA, Malam Usman Shamaki, while addressing Focal Persons from all the Wards of the LGA.

Early November, the state had announced the loss of 5 children to measles out of the 109 cases recorded between January and October.

Executive Director of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHDA), Dr. Aliyu Yabagi Shehu, had told journalists that those affected were aged between nine months to five years, following denial of access by their parents during measles vaccination days.

Nigeria is working hard to overcome child killer diseases, this can be seen in the amount of money invested in the conduct of Mass Vaccination Campaigns and strengthening of its Routine Immunisation.

But for the country to succeed in its current drive, the leadership must address a number of issues that affects the quality of its mass immunisation campaigns over the years; chief among them, the attitude of vaccinators, who sometimes hardly adhere to standards while vaccinating children; and sometimes falsify the number of children immunised, which affects the genuineness of data.

The Economist Writes Off Adeosun, Says She’s Poorly Qualified

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21/11/2015

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The Economist Writes Off Adeosun, Says She’s Poorly Qualified

The Economist magazine has dismissed newly appointed Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, as ill-equipped for the job handed her by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The magazine in its assessment of President Buhari’s cabinet suggests that Adeosun’s qualification and skills may not suitable for the current challenges the Nigerian economy faces despite her having acquitted herself well as Commissioner for Finance in Ogun State. The magazine said of her:

“Africa’s biggest economy, which relies on oil for 70% of its revenue, is sputtering as prices fall. Economic policy has been adrift since Mr Buhari came to power, and investors complain about the central bank’s use of trade controls and import restrictions. However, the new finance minister, an accountant who cleaned up the books of one of Nigeria’s smaller states, is poorly qualified for the job.”

Adeosun holds an economics degree from the University of East London and a post graduate degree in public financial management from the University of London and she spent time working with Price Water Coopers and Chapel Hill Denham Management. She served as Commissioner for Finance in Ogun State from 2011 to 2015.

She replaced as Nigerian Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former Managing Director of the World Bank, who had served two administrations in that capacity.

Of Okechukwu Enelamah Minister for Trade and Investment, the magazine said he is a respected businessman but “may lack the clout to stand up to a president with statist leanings’

On the composition of President Buhari’s cabinet as a whole, the magazine notes:

“The president has failed to please all as he juggles the demands of his party and people. His decision to keep the oil post for himself, while appointing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s new head as his deputy, was designed to keep the valuable resource in hands he can trust. But it raises concerns over the centralisation of power. Ethnic groups of the south-east who mostly voted for Mr Jonathan in this year’s election are feeling neglected. Critics also fret over an absence of desperately needed financial expertise”.

Curled from The Nigerian Times

Nigerian Army Officials In Contradictory Claims To Cover Up Battle With Boko Haram That Left Several Soldiers Missing

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20/11/2015

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Nigerian Army Officials In Contradictory Claims To Cover Up Battle With Boko Haram That Left Several Soldiers Missing

In their attempt to cover up the setback suffered by its troops in a recent battle with the extremist Boko Haram sect and discredit PREMIUM TIMES exclusive report on the matter, senior officials of the Nigerian Army have made at least four contradictory statements in the last 24 hours.

PREMIUM TIMES had exclusively and authoritatively reported that at least 105 soldiers attached to the 157 battalion went missing after they came under intense attack from Boko Haram insurgents in Gudunbali, Borno State, on Wednesday morning,

Reliable military insiders also told this newspaper that the terrorists captured a T-72 tank as well as several artillery weapons from the unit.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the spokesperson of the army, Sani Usman, before the story was published, he directed us to forward our enquiries to officials of 7 Division in Maiduguri.

However, the spokesperson of the 7 Division, Tukur Gusau, a colonel, also declined to comment on the matter saying the commander of the division would address a press conference on the issue later on Thursday and that it was improper for him to pre-empt his commanding officer.

However, after our story ran, Mr. Usman called our reporter to officially confirm that the attack indeed took place as reported.

“I want to confirm the incidence at Gudunbali but the details you provided were not correct. “The unit attacked is within the area of responsibility of the MNJTF and troops are now organising to counteract the attack,” he said.

However, he did not give contrary details of the attack to counter PREMIUM TIMES account of the incident. He merely added that the theatre of command would provide details during a press conference in Maiduguri later on Thursday.

During that press briefing, attended by our reporter in Maiduguri, the commander of 7 Division, Yushau Abubakar, also admitted that the troops were involved in a major clash with the insurgents. He further stated that several causalities were recorded on both sides.

“Our troops were attacked in Gudumbali where we dislodged the Boko Haram there. We had an attack and we are sorting it out. But I have not heard anything relating to what is being reported in the media, he said.

He however became evasive when pressed further for details of the attack by journalists.

“I have spoken with the CO (commanding officer) there even this morning and I have not heard anything of such from him. Yes, we went to Gudumbali and we were attacked and we repelled them and we are currently sorting out the situation. In war anything can happen and the operation is ongoing.”

However, later on Thursday evening, the military issued a statement describing the report of the attack as a product of “the imagination of those sympathetic to Boko Haram ways of life.”

“The attention of the Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole was drawn to an online media publication saying troops of 157 Task Force Battalion were overran by the Boko Haram terrorists in Guzamala axis of Borno state and that several personnel were killed and several others cannot be accounted for including the Commanding Officer of the Unit, the statement signed by Mr. Gusau read.

At no point in our two reports on the matter did PREMIUM TIMES say the soldiers were killed. We merely reported that they were missing.

“The Theatre Command wants to state clearly that the story is a fabrication from the imagination of those sympathetic to Boko Haram ways of life.

“Although the location of 157 Battalion was attacked last Wednesday and was subsequently repelled by the gallant troops of the Unit, the Commanding Officer of the Unit is in contact with his Brigade Commander.

“However, the unit suffered some casualties which is normal in military operations. The affected personnel sustained minor injuries but no gunshot wound was sustained by the troops.

“The number of casualty and equipment lost as being circulated is not correct. The situation was unnecessarily blown beyond proportion to give terrorists the type of propaganda they desired,” he stated.

Also later on Thursday night, Mr. Usman, circulated another statement, describing the incident in Gudunbali as a “slight setback”.

“The situation is being stabilised,” he said. “The troops have rejoined their unit for further action. The earlier media reports were exaggerated. The CO is right now with his soldiers. It is just a minor setback and such are common in military operations,” he said.

However, in all its comments on the incident, the military failed to say whether soldiers went missing at any point during the operation or not.

PREMIUM TIMES Managing Editor, Musikilu Mojeed, said Friday morning that his paper was standing by its story.

“We are not surprised by the army’s desperate attempt to confuse Nigerians,” Mr. Mojeed said.

“We understand they were shocked that we got to know about the incident. We stand by our story, and we will provide further details as necessary.”

Curled from Premium Times

Mali Hotel Attack: Africa’s’ Richest Man Denies Being Held Hostage

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20/11/2015

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Mali Hotel Attack: Africa’s’ Richest Man Denies Being Held Hostage

One of Africa’s richest men, Aliko Dangote has denied rumored reports to be one of the 170 hostages being held by terrorists that attacked Radisson Blu Hotel, Bamako, Mali’s capital, Friday morning.

Dangote discredited the reports through his Twitter handle @AliikoDangote; saying, “Rumor about me being held hostage is false. I was in Mali yesterday. Thank you for your concern. My prayers with those involved.”

According to security sources, Gunmen entered the hotel, shooting and shouting an Islamic slogan “God is great!”, (Allahu Akbar), in Arabic.

Already Special Forces have been deployed to the scene and have freed the hostages, killing the gunmen. Reporters were told that 18 hostages died.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and its offshoot al-Murabitoun said they carried out the attack, according to an agency used by jihadists in the region.

Earlier, Rezidor Group, the company that runs the hotel in a statement said, two gunmen held 140 clients and 30 employees.

A senior member of the hotel’s security detail said two private security guards had been injured in the early stages of the attack, which began at 7 a.m. (0700 GMT).

A Chinese guest who was also at the hotel told China’s state news Agency Xinhua that Six staff from Turkish Airlines were trapped at the hotel and himself.

French newspaper Le Monde quoted the Malian security ministry as saying at least three hostages had been killed.

Witnesses in the area said police had surrounded the hotel and were blocking roads leading into the neighborhoods.

The attack on the Radisson Blu hotel came a week after Islamic State (IS) militants killed 129 people in Paris.

The identity of the attackers or the group is yet to be known.

Northern Mali was occupied by Islamist fighters, some with links to al Qaeda, for most of 2012.

An Islamist group claimed responsibility for the death of five people last March in an attack on a restaurant in Bamako that is popular with foreigners.

Ugandan President Says He Will Be A Cattle Keeper If He Loses 2016 Election

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19/11/2015

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Ugandan President Says He Will Be A Cattle Keeper If He Loses 2016 Election

Veteran Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni has said he will be a cattle keeper if he loses elections next year after three decades in power.

“If I lose election I shall leave power,” Museveni said Thursday, according to the state-owned New Vision newspaper. “I have got my job at home, I am a cattle keeper,” he added, according to the Daily Monitor newspaper.

“I am not power-hungry, but mission-hungry — so I have got a mission of economic transformation of Ugandans.” Meanwhile, key presidential challenger Kizza Besigye, leader of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), has told supporters he had been arrested 43 times in his long-running bid to win the country’s top job.

Besigye, once Museveni’s personal doctor, previously said he would not contest elections again after losing in 2001, 2006 and 2011, claiming free and fair polls were impossible. After losing in 2011, Besigye led repeated anti-government protests, at which he was regularly arrested and held for hours before being released while his supporters were also chased, tear-gassed, beaten and arrested.

“Since 2000, when I first contested for the presidency, I have been arrested and taken to jail 43 times and they keep releasing me without any charge,” Besigye said at a rally on Wednesday. Opposition leaders have said they will back a joint candidate, expected to be either Besigye or ex-prime minister Amama Mbabazi, although both have begun campaigning separately for the February 18 polls.

With both being influential former members of the ruling party, critics say they struggle to offer a convincing alternative or to effectively criticise a system they created and from which they benefitted. Museveni, who has led the east African nation since 1986, and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) are widely expected to return to power.

www.vanguardngr.com

Merck Opens First Office In Nigeria

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19/11/2015

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As part of strategy to grow its market share in Nigeria and West African, Merck – a leading science and technology company has announced the opening of its first office in Nigeria being the largest African Economy.

Announcing its opening on Wednesday by Merck CEO-elect, Stefan Oschmann, and Merck President of North & West Africa, Karim Bendhaou said Nigeria was chosen because of it fastest growing economies and to see how their services can contribute to their growth.

Oschmann noted that, “Nigeria is an evident choice for us. With a population that is known for its entrepreneurial spirit and innovative ideas, this is a perfect match with Merck. Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, has one of the fastest growing economies in the world and we believe that through our high quality, innovative Healthcare, Life Science specialty products and services we can contribute to that growth.”

Similarly, the General Manager of Biopharma in Nigeria Charles Ajibo, added “Nigeria is a very important market for us and this will only increase in the coming years. We plan to expand our current portfolio in a steady pace and introduce many more products that are targeted to the unmet medical needs of Nigerian patients and help them improve their daily lives.”

Merck products have already been present in Nigeria for several years and the company has also announced that this portfolio was expanded with the launch of the Muse Auto CD4/CD4% System(1), a compact and easy to use HIV/AIDS Diagnostic Kit, which is able to monitor the progression of the HIV/AIDS virus in patients.

The company has also been working closely with the Nigerian government and international organizations to increase access to health solutions in the Country: “Merck and the Federal Ministry of Health organized a panel discussion on November 17th that focused on the role the private sector can play in helping countries like Nigeria accelerate progress on Universal Health Coverage and the importance of forging partnerships to deliver health solutions for the population.

It also took a closer look at the challenges of scaling up and sustaining public-private partnerships and private-private partnerships that seek to improve access to affordable and quality care.

Furthermore, as part of its commitment to improving access to healthcare in developing countries, the company is supporting the World Health Organization (WHO) in the fight against schistosomiasis in Africa. Merck has donated over 290 million praziquantel tablets in its Merck Praziquantel Donation Program where more than 64 million patients have been treated, mostly school children.

“Millions of children worldwide still suffer from schistosomiasis. The disease prevents them from learning and weakens development potential in the affected countries. We want to give children new opportunities while at the same time promoting economic growth and making a brighter future possible,” said Oschmann during a visit of the Karon-Majigi Primary School in Abuja where he attended a distribution of Praziquantel tablets.

Nigeria is currently the largest recipient of the Merck Praziquantel Donation Program. Praziquantel is the most effective treatment for the parasitic worm disease schistosomiasis. Until now, Merck has donated nearly 71,000,000 tablets to WHO for Nigeria and another 34 million will follow by the end of this year.

Merck, within the scope of its responsible corporate governance, is committed to improving access to health for underserved populations in low-and middle-income countries. Health, along with environment and culture, represent Merck’s strategic spheres of activities that are part of the company’s Corporate Responsibility Strategy.

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