Fuel Scarcity Impede Pupils Attendance To School In Northern Nigeria

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25/11/2015

By Iliya Kure
Kaduna (Nigeria) — Ismail Hassan has not been to school since last week. His mother is afraid this could go on for a long time, despite the fact that the school may close in three weeks. “He has not written some of his papers in the exams” she said expressing fear that it may affect his progress in school.

“We are worried” she told AFRICAPRIMENEWS.

Ismail is one out of many pupils in Kaduna and probably parts of Nigeria, where pupils have stopped going to school because of the hardship presented by petrol scarcity in Nigeria.

Many filling stations have stopped selling the product due to shortage in supply, prices have also gone high where they are found

A number of schools are also recording low pupils turn out, and this is causing confusion among teachers of some primary schools. “We cant sanction them because it is not their fault, it is the fuel scarcity, we are also suffering it”. Says Ibrahim, a teacher in one of the primary schools in Kaduna metropolis.

The shortage in supply to petrol stations in nigeria is attributed to shortage of the commodity in the country.

For another teacher, Malam Alhassan, “government need to pity the common man and ensure this products are available in all filling stations. It is affecting our coming to school. Some teachers come to school late, while other children have stopped coming to school.

Africa’s largest economy and biggest oil producer on the continent is unable to refine enough oil to meet its domestic needs. Petrol which is sold at N87.00 government control price today is sold at N200.00 by touts, in other cities it is N250.00.

This is because the commodity supplied to filling stations end up in the hands of touts, who sell it at exorbitant price.

To help reduce the diversion of the products, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has restricted filling stations to selling petroleum product between 6.00am to 8.00pm pending an improvement in the situation which it says has caused untold hardship on Nigerians.
In another move, the Nigeria Security & Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Kaduna State Command has arrested eight filling stations Managers, and ceased two tankers for diversion of petroleum product in Kaduna.

NSCDC State Commandant, Modu Bunu said “In view of the biting fuel scarcity leading to long queues across the Nation and the urgent need to end it, the Kaduna Command of NSCDC has stepped out measures to check-mate petroleum dealers who indulge in selling over the approved pump price to black-marketers beyond official hours which is from 0600hrs to 2000hrs,” he noted.

Nigerian government says the shortage is caused by refusal of the fuel importers to supply the commodity due to sabotage. But on their part, the importers say government owed them subsidy money which they need in order to import more fuel.

The government had already presented the National Assembly with supplementary budget of N575 billion to pay for the gap created in the payment of subsidy to the importers.

For Mike Sunny, “this is a clear case of corruption for a leader who came in to fight corruption, after all, during his campaign they say there is nothing called fuel subsidy, all appropriated money is stolen by Jonathan’s administration, this means Buhari is stealing the money he wants the National Assembly to approve for subsidy.

“This is business as usual, it is a shame that as minister of petroleum the president is busy going round the world while we suffer.”

Nigeria has a history of unaccounted money from the sales of its oil, with many of its key officers accusing the country leadership of embezzling oil proceeds.

An unpublished audit report commissioned by the petroleum ministry in early 2012 reveals that about $29bn was lost over 10 years in price-fixing scam involving the sale of natural gas. It also estimated that the country loses $6bn a year due to oil theft.
World Bank’s ex-vice-president for Africa, Oby Ezekwesili in August 2014 said about $400bn of Nigeria’s oil revenue have been stolen or misspent since the country’s independence in 1960.
Another unpublished report by Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force also uncovered a $29bn fuel subsidy scam.
A National Assembly report of April 2014 shows that Nigeria has loss $6.8bn in fuel subsidy scam in two years.

The politics of the fuel subsidy and corruption may continue across the nation, creating basis for debate for the different divide in the country either religious or ethnic lines, but many more pupils would continue to pay for it the hard way by not going to school.

Pope Francis In Kenya At Start Of African Tour

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Africaprimenews

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25/11/2015

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Pope Francis has arrived in Kenya for a three-nation African tour – his first to the continent as Pontiff.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and ululating crowds welcomed him at the airport in the capital, Nairobi.

A leading Muslim cleric in Kenya welcomed the visit, saying it gave hope to the “downtrodden in the slums”.

Pope Francis is also due to visit Uganda and Central African Republic, which has been hit by Christian-Muslim conflict.

I go with joy to meet Kenyans, Ugandans and our brothers in Central Africa,” he told journalists on his plane, the AFP news agency reports.

He played down fears for his safety by joking: “I’m more worried about the mosquitoes.”

Kenya’s government has said that up to 10,000 police officers may be deployed during the visit.

Pope Francis is due to hold a mass on Thursday at the University of Nairobi sports ground, where a crowd of more than one million is expected, Kenya’s private Daily Nation newspaper reports.

The Atheists group in Kenya group said the decision to declare Thursday a public holiday and a day of prayer was unconstitutional.

“The constitution clearly states that there shall be no state religion. We cannot have the government acting religiously,” its leader Harrison Mumia said, Nation FM radio station reports.

culled from www.bbc.com

Gambia’s President Bans Female Genital Mutilation

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25/11/2015

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Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh has banned Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the country saying that the ban is to be carried out with immediate effect.

Gambian information Minister, Sheriff Bojang made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday, where it stated that the President declared the ban on the sideline of his nationwide tour.

Reacting to the development, anti-FGM campaigners said it was not clear when a law would be passed to enable the ban to be enforced. They opined that a law was needed to “save countless lives” in the West African nation where three-quarters of women have been cut. Seven out of nine ethnic groups in Gambia carry out FGM, an ancient ritual which is shrouded in secrecy and widely condemned elsewhere as a serious violation of women’s rights.

“A law is going to save countless lives in the Gambia.” One of the main challenges for activists in the Gambia has been tackling the misconception that FGM is a religious duty, but Jaha Dukureh, an anti-FGM activist said they had won the support of religious leaders, women’s representatives and community elders in recent years.

FGM affects an estimated 140 million girls and women across a swathe of Africa and parts of the Middle East and Asia, and is seen by many families as a gateway to marriage and a way of preserving a girl’s virginity- uncut girls are often ostracized.

More than 1,000 communities and 150 cutters in the Gambia have abandoned FGM in four mass declarations since 2007, according to Isatou Touray, Gambia’s highest-profile campaigner against FGM.

“The whole country has been calling for change and for a law – we are moving towards zero tolerance of FGM,” said Touray, who has faced death threats during some 25 years of activism.

FGM, also known as female circumcision, involves the removal of the external genitalia, which can be extremely painful and cause numerous health problems such as tetanus, gangrene, HIV, hepatitis B/C or even lead to dead.

Types of FGM include: Clitoridectomy – partial or total removal of the clitoris; Excision – removal of the clitoris and inner labia (lips), with or without the outer labia; Infibulation – cutting, removing and sewing up the genitalia; and any other type of intentional damage to the female genitalia (burning, scraping et cetera).

Nigeria: The Lord’s Chosen Church Rejects Measles Vaccination

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Africaprimenews

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25/11/2015

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By Iliya Kure

Minna (Nigeria) — The Lord’s Chosen Church, located Off David Mark Road [behind Presbyterian Church] in Minna, has on Sunday denied a team of vaccinators access to children in the church for immunisation against measles disease.

By design, vaccinators are to go to churches on Sunday, so as to capture a large number of children.

But on reaching the Church in question, around 10:20am, the team was told that the Church was on session and that no child would be allowed to come out.

The vaccination team left and came back around 12:30pm, but the chief usher (called Inspector by his colleagues) said the pastor was against the children stepping out for the vaccination.

He was also not willing to inform the Pastor or any other key Church official of the presence of the vaccinators.

About three members of the Church who came out, supported the position of the Inspector, insisting that the children will not come out.

The Community Leader, Malam Yakubu Ibrahim, who was accompanying the team said, that was the first time the Church was rejecting any vaccination, adding that “we served all the Churches in this area with letters before the commencement of the exercise. I am surprise that the Church is acting this way.”

The Malam Ibrahim believes that the Church may have changed their Pastor, “if not, I cant explain what is happening.”he said

Reacting, the Director Primary Healthcare of Chanchaga Local Government Area, Malam Usman Shamaki said “we will visit the area and resolve with the Pastor, so we may not have this experience again.”

Nigeria: Northern Government Gives Out 107 Patrol Vehicles, 230 Vest To Enhance Security

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Africaprimenews

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24/11/2015

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By Longtong Ibrahim

Kaduna (Nigeria) – In an effort to further strengthen the security level in Northern Nigeria, the Kaduna state government has given out 107 security patrol vehicles and 230 bullet proof vest to security agencies for security patrol and combating crimes across the state.

Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai during the commissioning ceremony at the Sir Ibrahim Kashim house, Tuesday, said the provision of the vehicles was aimed at enhancing the security level of the state, as it is the government responsibility to protect lives and properties of its citizenry.

El-Rufai noted that the government and the security agencies as well as the North-western governments have collaborated to ensure the effectiveness of the security agencies through provision of funds to flush out criminalities and security threats within the states.

He appealed to the inspector General of Police to deploy 7000 more police officers to the state so as to reduce crimes to the barest minimum. He said, “We need more security in Kaduna. We have slightly above 13,000 police officers. We are therefore appealing to the IG to consider sending 7000 more police to Kaduna; we hope also that during the recruitment, five percent would be recruited from Kaduna.”

The governor further thanked the security agencies for their responsiveness in handling security issues in the state, while urging members of the public to remain vigilant.

In his remarks, the Inspector General of police, Solomon Arase, said any nation desirous of securing its citizens must as a matter of necessity enhance the capacity of security agencies as been demonstrated by governor El-Rufai.

He added that, “I can assure you that the huge investment in procurement of this security item will be effectively used. With this gesture, you have assured us that you are indeed committed to the security of Kaduna state.

“You have demonstrated symbol of exceptional leadership and we are assuring the good people of the state that to whom much is given, much is expected.”

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Commander of the Nigeria Navy school, Kachia, Abayomi Aborisade, stated that with the distribution of the vehicles, crimes rate which is already minimal would be reduce to zero level while the vehicles would be use for the purpose it is meant for.

Nine security agencies benefited from the patrol vehicles distributed; they include: Police – 55, Army – 10, Air force – 7, Navy – 2, NCDSC – 15, NDLEA – 2, DSS – 5, Operation Yaki (internal security operation) – 7, and State Security Committee (traditional rulers) – 4.

UNICEF Solicit Funding To Support Malnourish Children in Sudan

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Africaprimenews

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23/11/2015

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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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Africaprimenews

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23/11/2015

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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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Africaprimenews

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22/11/2015

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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.

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