The World Health Organization, WHO and partners have engaged major stakeholders including National Union of Transport Workers in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria in the current Polio Vaccination exercise.
The Polio vaccination is being carried out at Motor parks and garages across the State with commuters given the opportunity to vaccinate their children. Seen as a new approach, the initiative is coming barely a week after the World Polio Day was observed with the launch of the “No More Zero Dose” Polio Immunization song by International artists towards ensuring that No child of less than 5 years of age is left unvaccinated with the polio vaccine. On the First Day of the Campaign exercise which took place this saturday, NURTW and JAP staged a combined Polio Campaign where the NURTW Coordinator in Kawo Motorpark, Mallam Adamu Mohammed Abaji, commended WHO for its committement and relentless efforts in the fight against Poliomylitis. He described the initiative of stakeholders engagement and comprehensive approach by WHO as the right step towards achieving hundred percent immunization of children.
Among the Commuters at the motorparks was Hajiya Halimatu Ayuba who spoke to JAP saying that she has always been on transit and could not vaccinate her children in the past, but the new initiative has given her the opportunity to do so. Halimatu Ayuba therefore advice parents to support all initiatives aimed at healthy living and growth of children which makes society to be productive and self reliant. Also speaking, JAP Coordinator in Kaduna State Mallam Lawal Dogara appreciates WHO and the NURTW for the gesture, stating the fight against Polio cannot be won until the virus is defeated.
The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Kaduna State Chapter, has given kudos to the Kaduna State Government, under the leadership of Sen. Uba Sani, for approving Seventy-Two thousand Naira(#72,000) as the new minimum wage for civil servants in the State.
The State President of the Union, Comrade Rayanu Isyaku Turunku who made the commendation in a statement, described the approval as a milestone and heartwarming.
In the statement issued on his behalf, by the Secretary of the Union, Comrade Abdullahi Adanu, the NULGE President said the democratic process adopted by the government, which ensured the imputs of all the relevant stakeholders, before arriving at the decision, is highly commendable. He expressed confidence that all categories of civil servants in the State would benefit from the new minimum wage, assuring that NULGE would cooperate and work with the incoming Local Government Councils to offer its contribution towards the successful implementation of the new minimum wage as well as other policies of the Councils.
Women under the eagis of Tangale Community Development Association (TCDA) have asked the embattled Mai Tangle, Malam Danladi Maishanu to desist from using non-existing Tangale women groups to promote his failed mission.
The women were speaking shortly after a meeting in Billiri to discuss what they term “desperate attempts” by Malam Danladi to “promote himself as Mai Tangle.”
The women said it had been established by Tangale elders and credible Tangale sociocultural groups that Malam Danladi Maishanu is not a Tangale man, and therefore cannot be Mai Tangle.
The women warned the embattled ruler to desist from sponsoring unknown people to pose as Tangale women leaders paying him a visit, adding that the act will not make him a Tangale man, talkless of Tangale paramount ruler.
The TCDA women were speaking against the backdrop of a video which circulated showing certain women at the palace of Mai Tangle, paying homage to Malam Danladi Maishanu, and calling for unity of the Tangale people.
The TCDA women said having failed in his efforts of getting the support of Tangale men, Malam Danladi Maishanu resorted to using “unknown women” who are after their stomach to stage a visit to him in the name of women leaders from the Tangale community.
The lead speaker, Mrs. Mary Simon who condemned the action of those who visited, said those women were unknown, and were not representatives of the Tangale women.
“We learnt that some women went and three of them spoke there. They were coarsed to apologize and seek for forgiveness.
“After the information I decided to inquire, so, I asked a number of Tangale women, but each person I asked said they didn’t go, majority were not even aware of the visit.
“Those women should come over and explain to us who sent them there and what they did there, because we did not send them and they couldn’t have spoken for the Tangale women.
“We are the ones offended here – Tangale men have been innocently arrested and incacerated for three years, for an offense they did not commit. Why should we go and beg for forgiveness, which offense did we commit? They should tell us what we did that is wrong.
“As Tangale women we say God will avenge for us, and He will avenge for our land,” she said.
Also speaking, an elderly person, Mrs. Akula Kano said there was no way Tangale women will visit Mr. Danladi Maishanu, adding that they don’t even know the women that visited him.
“We want to know them; we call for an investigation, and if these women are found they should be arrested and prosecuted.
“This is pure mischief; the women are impostors. They lied, we did not send them,” she said.
Some of the women who spoke called on the Chairperson of Billiri Local Government Council, Mrs. Egla Idris to rise to the occasion of protecting the interest of the Tangale people.
They tasked the Chairperson to prioritize the cause of Tangale women, as well as the release of the innocent Tangale people detained in connection with the 2021 Billiri crisis.
The women also asked Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State to make public the report of the commission of inquiry into Billiri crisis, wondering how an attack by miscreants on Tangale women conducting peaceful protest turned out to be interpreted as religious crisis.
Riyom Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State, Nigeria has long been at the heart of unrest, dating back to 2001. Amid the clashes over land and ethnicity that engulf the state, another war has raged, largely unseen—one that targets women and girls.
It’s a warm September afternoon. At the doorstep of Mr. Gyang Davou’s* compound in Rahoos community of the LGA is Nerat Davou*, a beautiful girl with ebony skin, and widely curious eyes that seem too bright for a story of loss; she is too young to fully understand.
The eight-year-old’s body language betrays her unease. She moves cautiously, eyes darting from her father to the stranger in the compound, as though unsure of whether to trust the new face.
There’s a subtle hesitance in her steps, as if she’s afraid that one wrong move might disrupt the fragile sense of security she clings to. When she finally reaches her father, she clutches his arm tightly, her small frame stiff with reservation.
“She was only five months old when it happened,” Gyang says, leaning on a round, roughly plastered hut as he speaks. “She never knew her mother’s touch, and she survived on baby formula.” There is a catch in his voice as he recounts the day his wife was taken from them violently, leaving Nerat to grow up with questions only the dead can answer.
Photo credit: Nanji Nandang (Africa Prime News)
Nerat, too young to remember her mother’s face or the warmth of her embrace, stands beside him, her eyes searching for answers she may never fully comprehend.
Nerat’s mother, Chundung, had given birth just a few months before another crisis erupted in 2016. Her husband, Davou, had traveled to Delta State earlier that month for work.
One quiet morning in March 2016, 20-year-old Chundung left her infant with her mother-in-law, to follow her sister-in-law and two other women who had invited her to a nearby farm to gather firewood.
It was a short walk. They had stacked the wood and began their journey home, when they heard heavy footsteps and low voices of a group of men speaking Fulfulde—the men’s faces were cold, their eyes sharp, as they marched toward the women.
“They were armed with machetes, sticks, and daggers,” Garos Davou*, the sister-in-law, recounts, her voice laced with pain and fear.
The women took to their heels. As they approached the village, they noticed Chundung didn’t catch up.
Garos and the other women alerted the villagers about the situation. The villagers accompanied the women back to the scene and searched for hours, but Chundung was nowhere to be found.
“We found her lifeless body around 6 p.m. that day,” Garos recalls, her voice trembling. “She had been raped, beaten, butchered, and tossed halfway into a river in the depths of the bush.”
The wounds and tattered clothes on Chundung’s body served as a silent testament to the horror she endured in her struggle for survival.
The young mother’s brutal rape and murder represent countless cases that happen in Plateau State amid the ongoing conflict, many of which go unreported in official spaces, suggesting the actual number may be significantly alarming.
Amnesty International reports numerous incidents where women who were raped during attacks, often face stigma and a lack of access to healthcare and justice thereafter.
For Gyang, life took a new turn as he quit his job in Delta to stay back in Plateau State for his daughter.
Mid to lower part of Mr Gyang.s body. Photo credit: Nanji Nandang (Africa Prime News)
“I’ve done everything I can to make sure she doesn’t feel her mother’s absence, though I know it’s impossible. However, it’s really exhausting,” he says.
How It Started
Plateau State is known for its harmonious communal relations, hillsides, spectacular waterfalls, high altitude, and a temperate climate that has long attracted foreign visitors. However, ethnic violence broke out in September 2001, following a political disagreement that led to the killing of at least 1,000 people, leaving approximately 220,000 displaced persons in less than one week.
The ‘Home of Peace and Tourism’ turned into a scene of mass killing and destruction as the violence spilled into rural areas of the state.
According to victims, numerous clashes have erupted between Fulani herders and indigenous farmers; from Shendam, Wase, Langtang North and South, Kanam, Kanke, to Mikang, Pankshin, Jos North, Jos South, Bassa, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Mangu, and Bokkos.
By 2004, the death toll had risen to over 5,000 people. In November 2008, approximately 700 people died.
Another gruesome incident occurred in 2010 when over 800 people died; including 150 children and 80 women who were murdered in Dogo-Nahawa, 10 kilometres south of Jos, the capital city.
Despite international outrage, including calls from Human Rights Watch and concerned individuals urging the Nigerian government to investigate and prosecute those responsible, justice remains elusive. Despite calls and actions related to the military and police on protecting civilians, the violence has only escalated over time.
The attacks reached a horrifying new level on Christmas Eve in 2023, when Bokkos, Barakin Ladi, and Mangu were plunged into tragedy, with over 2,000 residents—predominantly women and children—killed. More than 18,000 people were also displaced.
Africa Prime News graphic data of the death toll of Plateau State farmer-herder conflict from 2001 to 2023.
Research has shown that over 9,000 have been killed in the farmer-herder conflict since 2001.
A visit to Riyom, Barakin Ladi, Bokkos, and Mangu LGAs revealed the pervasive sexual violence that women in these communities endure.
According to survivors who have experienced sexual violence during times of crisis, there is a consistent pattern: ’Women are being raped on farms.’
This systemic cycle of violence appears relentless, leaving deep scars on lives and profoundly affecting communities.
Almost-Broken Marriage
Two weeks after one of the brutal attacks in Riyom and Barakin Ladi in 2012 that claimed over 100 lives, Kim Daweng* and his wife Yeipyeng* (aged 24) were preparing to visit their farmland in preparation for the harvest of ‘Accha’, commonly called ‘fonio’ or ‘hungry rice’. A group (Gaiya) was scheduled to come the next day to help them harvest.
As the couple prepared for the farm, a neighbour, Chollom*, informed them that their soybeans crops were wasting away on a different farm.
Photo credit: Nanji Nandang (Africa Prime News)
Kim immediately asked Yeipyeng to go to the Accha farm while he attended to the soybeans farm.
A few minutes later, while Yeipyeng was at the farm, three men entered, herding their cattle. When she saw the cows eating her produce, she called out to get their attention.
“They brought out long knives I had never seen before, and gathered around me immediately like I had threatened them in some way,” Yeipyeng recounts.
The mother of two said she started begging for her life when the men, who spoke Fulfude, started arguing on whether to leave her alive or kill her. However, when one of them proposed that they rape her, they all agreed.
“I started screaming for help, but one of them tried to cover my mouth, while another held my hands. They threatened to kill me if I didn’t stay quiet.”
They tore her clothes off and the first man raped her while their cows were eating her produce.
Yeipyeng’s muffled scream caught the attention of community elder, Dara From, who was passing by a nearby farm. Just as the second man was about to take his turn, they heard Dara’s footsteps approaching. In panic, they abandoned Yepyeng and quickly drove their cattle away.
“I was crying and trying to cover myself with my torn clothes when Dara arrived,” Yepyeng says.
Dara called the community leader immediately on the phone, asking him to send people to the farm.
“This nearly cost me my marriage because family and friends turned my husband against me,” Yepyeng says, adding that her husband, along with family members deliberated on the matter for an entire year.
“My husband took me back in June 2013 after a series of tests from different hospitals.”
A Matter of Concern
Da Gyang Tinjah, the Gwam Rahoss (community leader of Rahoos community in Riyom), confirmed five cases similar to those of Chundung and Yepyeng.
“Our women are not safe going to the farm or walking alone in this community,” he says.
According to him, as recently as September 2024, a 56-year-old woman was brutally raped and killed by Fulani men.
Africa Prime News 2024 graphic on sexual violence against women; data curated from community leaders, women leaders, and survivors during this report.
The woman had gone to get some firewood from a nearby farm but met her end.
“We have repeatedly informed the security personnel assigned to this community, but nothing has been done. In fact, we reported Chundung’s case at the police station,” he adds.
A report by Fund for Peace in 2018 highlights the sexual violence women and girls face in the Plateau State conflict.
‘Security personnel also culpable’
A Professor of Gender Development, Oluwafunmilayo Para-Mallam, highlights that violent attacks in Plateau are intensifying community vulnerability with complex patterns. Male farmers are systematically targeted for elimination, while women face sexual violence or are forced into sexual servitude.
“At times, women and girls are gang-raped by their assailants.” she says.
The gender expert explains that her research has uncovered patterns in which women and girls in IDP camps are forced into sex by barter, as well as child and sex trafficking.
Prof. Para-Mallam, who is the National Coordinator of Christian Women for Excellence and Empowerment in Nigerian Society (CWEENS)—a safe house providing rehabilitation for survivors of violence against women and girls, says that CWEENS’ research has uncovered a high incidence of teen pregnancies caused by security personnel.
“A significant number of security personnel abandon pregnant girls. These individuals are meant to protect the community, yet they are violating young girls instead,” she states.
‘ Widowed, Struggling to Survive—Then Raped’
“I heard gunshots and a strange noise,” says Ladi Musa*. The 32-year-old had just finished frying chin-chin in preparation for the 2023 Christmas celebration, when at 10 p.m. on December 23, her village was suddenly plunged into chaos.
Ladi said she felt a strange breeze, a chilling sensation she couldn’t quite understand. “I whispered a prayer,” she recounts, because her husband was out on his vigilante watch, leaving her alone in the house with their daughters.
“I heard strange voices speaking Fulfulde as they approached our compound,” Ladi recalls. “My children and I ran out of the house and hid in the bush. I didn’t know where my husband was, and I was worried about him. When we returned in the morning, I learned he’d been found lifeless,” she says, her voice heavy with pain.
Ladi was in a hurry to return to the village once the crisis had settled. ”I wanted to start farming again because it’s our only source of livelihood. With my husband gone, I had to do more to provide for my children,” she explains. But while tending to her farm, the widowed mother of three was brutally raped.
A picture of Ladi’s hands conveying a mixture of vulnerability and resilience. Photo Credit: Nanji Nandang (Africa Prime News)
Local data shows that many women and children have been forced to flee their homes because of the attacks in Barakin Ladi, Riyom, Mangu, and Bokkos
According to the Plateau State Peace Building Agency, the indicators of the Bokkos crisis include armed robbery, sexual assault targeted at women and girls, cattle rustling—and perpetrators are Fulanis and unknown gunmen in rural areas.
‘War Crimes’
“What’s happening in Plateau State is more than just sporadic violence,” says Chidi Odinkalu, a renowned Professor of International Human Rights Law.
“The conflict in Plateau State is classified as a non-international armed conflict (NIAC) under the International Criminal Court (ICC), involving organised, sustained violence within the borders of Nigeria between the Nigerian government forces and non-state armed groups, specifically Fulani militias,” he says.
Prof. Odinkalu expressed concern that the Nigerian government’s reluctance to recognise the crisis as non-international armed conflict has allowed perpetrators to evade justice.
Amnesty International raised a similar issue in its research, pointing out that the government’s failure to investigate has intensified the bloody conflict between farmers and herders nationwide.
Prof. Odinkalu explained that the Rome Statute of the ICC explicitly recognises rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, and other forms of sexual violence as war crimes and crimes against humanity if they are part of a widespread or systematic attack on civilians.
“The violation against a woman that was subjected to stigma and forced to leave her marriage for a year is not just a sexual violation but a human rights crime,” he adds.
The international law expert emphasised the importance of individuals and survivors being able to submit petitions to the prosecutor of the ICC. He also stressed the need for proper documentation and protection of survivors.
To address this, he proposed that the state establish sexual assault referral centres in collaboration with teaching hospitals and relevant agencies. This would ensure proper documentation and evidence collection to support prosecution efforts.
He also highlighted the Nigerian government’s—particularly Plateau State’s—obligation to prevent and respond to war crimes against women and girls by recognising these crimes as non-international armed conflict (NIAC) to address the issue.
“The State Gender Commission, Peacebuilding Agency, and the Ministry of Justice can draft a strategic plan to bring justice; international entities can partner to hold perpetrators to account,” he says.
Prof Para-Mallam confirmed that NGOs, CSOs, research institutions, and scholars have documented some eyewitness accounts. According to her, the state government can create a platform where evidence can be compiled into a petition.
“The state government can open a complaint and grievance platform and I think the state peacebuilding agency is uniquely situated to handle the platform for collation of statistics,” she adds.
Both Prof. Odinkalu and Para-Mallam expressed concern over the absence of evidence demonstrating that the perpetrators of these crimes had been arrested and prosecuted.
(Editor’s note: Africa Prime News is currently awaiting a response from the Plateau State Command of the Nigeria Police Force regarding a Freedom of Information request. This request seeks data on arrests and prosecutions related to violence against women and girls in Plateau from 2001 to the present. This report will be updated as soon as the information is made available).
Lack of Access to Healthcare
Twelve years later, Yeipyeng still suffers from recurring nightmares and has developed a phobia of going to the farm which is her only source of livelihood.
Now a mother of four, she has been a full-time housewife since the incident occurred. She expressed the fear that since her attackers were never arrested or brought to justice, she is afraid they will come after her again.
“I still see the long knives on some nights. And sometimes, I feel the beating. I really appreciate my husband for supporting me through those frightening nights,” she says.
Following the stigma targeted at her months after the incident, she chose to run away, especially as her husband’s family continued to push for their separation.
She was compelled to move to her father’s house. “I stayed there for a whole year. But when it finally came to an end, my husband warned his family and friends to stop stigmatising me. I haven’t faced that since he passed the warning.”
Lower body parts of Yeipyeng Kim. Photo credit: Nanji Nandang
Yeipyeng expresses her desire for the nightmares to end and for her attackers to be held accountable.
Although she visited private hospitals for tests a few weeks after the incident, there was no immediate care for her injuries or prevention of sexually transmitted infections or unwanted pregnancies. Yepyeng said she has also not received any form of psychotherapy because she is unaware of its availability.
Like Yeipyeng and Ladi, at least 30% of the women Africa Prime News spoke to in Plateau State are unaware of psychotherapy. The absence of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs), which provide essential services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), has further contributed to this issue.
There are 29 SARCs in Nigeria, but Plateau State does not have any. Also, the state’s 2024 budget did not allocate funds for establishing one.
Photo credit: Her Story/Our Story Website
“I don’t think we are able to calculate the volume and the intensity of damage that has been done to the survivors of these forms of violence,” says Prof. Para-Mallam who expresses concern over the lack of comprehensive trauma counseling and psychotherapy programmes, particularly for the survivors in rural areas.
She mentioned that the capacity for psychotherapy in the state is limited and urged the government to train LGA social welfare workers in this area to better support women like Yepyeng and Ladi.
In response to concerns raised by experts and survivors, the Chairperson of the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission, Olivia Dazyam, announced that the state government has integrated gender into the 2025 budget.
“Plateau State has recently been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. The conflict has drawn opportunists with harmful intentions, leading to a sharp rise in child trafficking and violence against women,” she says.
According to her, perpetrators target conflict areas, luring children with promises of a brighter future to recruit and traffic them across the country.
“We are developing strategies to address this issue,” she adds.
Hunger Crisis Alert
Yeipyeng laments she is tired of doing nothing to support her family, yet doesn’t have the resources to start a business.
“I want to start selling foodstuffs in a shop. It will help me to feel better,” she says.
Prof. Para-Mallam also stressed the need for interventions by international and local agencies to help survivors like Yepyeng, Ladi, and Nerat build back better.
“These women require compensation and post-conflict recovery assistance to be able to help build back their lives,” Prof. Para-Mallam says.
Ladi also shared her dream of learning tailoring skills to become the best designer in her village.
“Since my only source of livelihood is threatened, I don’t have any other means to provide for my children, so I want to learn tailoring where I don’t have to visit the farm again,” Ladi says.
On his part, Prof. Odinkalu attributes the cause of the food crisis in the country to the unresolved farmer-herder crisis.
A recent report by the United Nations warned that 82 million Nigerians may go hungry by 2030, calling on the government to tackle all threats to food security/agricultural productivity.
Prof. Para-Mallam also emphasised the significance of Nigerian women in food and agriculture, considering data that estimates that women smallholder farmers constitute 37% percent of the labour force.
A woman and her daughter working on their farm in one of the communities. Photo Credit: Nanji Nandang (Africa Prime News)
“Hunger has already taken hold of these communities. Food production across the country has dropped as a result of this unresolved conflict. Women are abandoning their farms, and many men have been eliminated,” she adds.
Plea for a Better Future
“We dream of a safer and better life for our children,” says Nankwat Musa*, a survivor of an attack in Mangu.
Nankwat recounted how her husband lost his life in the attack.
“I was shot in the leg while trying to protect my children. I’m limping today because of the injury. This experience will live with me forever,” the mother of two narrates, her voice filled with pain.
While pleading with the government to protect her people, she adds: “My village is my only home—I have nowhere else to go.”
In the same vein, Hannatu Gyang*, who endured the loss of her husband during one of the attacks in Barakin Ladi, urged security forces to protect women from the ongoing sexual violence in her community.
“We go to the farm in groups out of fear of being raped. We just hope things will change someday,” she says.
She urged the government to investigate the hidden war that places women and girls at the centre of the conflict.
“We pray our children will be spared from the horrors we’ve witnessed,” Hanatu whispers.
*Disclaimer: [no real names were used] sources pleaded to remain anonymous. To ensure anonymity, certain elements of survivor stories may be generalised. Names, locations, identifying characteristics, or any specific details that may potentially reveal the survivor’s identity are altered or omitted deliberately.
This report was facilitated by the Africa Centre for Development Journalism (ACDJ) as part of its 2024 Inequalities Reporting Fellowship supported by the MacArthur Foundation through the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
Nigeria’s economic thinktank, National Economic Council, has urged President Bola Tinubu to withdraw from the National Assembly, the Tax Reforms Bills, to allow room for wider consultations and consensus.
This was part of the decisions taken at the 144th meeting of the National Economic Council at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.
“NEC noted the need for sufficient alignment on the proposed reforms and recommended the withdrawal of the tax reform bills,” said Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, while addressing journalists.
He said the council members resolved that it was necessary to allow for consensus building and understanding of the bills among Nigerians.
Gov. Makinde said the decision was made for the benefit of the country and emphasized the need for further consultations regarding the bills.
“We saw the gap and decided that there is a need for a wider consultation,” he added.
President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council recently endorsed new policy initiatives to streamline Nigeria’s tax administration processes.
The Federal Government says the new laws are meant to enhance efficiency and eliminate redundancies across the nation’s tax operations.
The reforms emerged after a review of existing tax laws since August 2023. The National Assembly is considering four executive bills containing these tax reform efforts.
NEC’s decision came days after the Northern Governors kicked against the reform bills.
At a meeting on October 28, 2024, Governors of the 19 Northern States, under the platform of the Northern Governors’ Forum, rejected the new derivation-based model for Value-Added Tax distribution in the new tax reform bills before the National Assembly.
A communiqué read by the Chairman of the forum, Governor Muhammed Yahaya of Gombe State, said the proposition negates the interest of the North and other sub-nationals.
The National Union of Tangale Students (NUTS) on Tuesday passed a vote of no confidence on its President Elizabeth David Ankama; Vice President I, Bitrus Timothy; and Vice President II, Joy Kauda Pangara.
In a statement signed by five of the executive members the union said the decision followed “breaches of trust, misconduct, and unconstitutional actions” by the president and the two other officers sacked.
According to the statement, “these actions have compromised the values and integrity of NUTS, prompting the executive committee to call for immediate impeachment of these leaders for abuse of power, financial irregularities and unconstitutional actions.”
Those who signed the statement include, Secretary General, A.G. Kure; Assistant Secretary, Magdalene Musa; Financial Secretary, Danborno Gimba; Treasurer, Roseline Moses; Sports Director, Mathew Abbah; and Public Relations Officer, Na’ason Elisha.
Read the full statement below.
NATIONAL UNION OF TANGALE STUDENTS (NUTS) PASSES VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE ON SOME EXECUTIVES
The National Union of Tangale Students (NUTS) Executive Committee has passed a vote of no confidence in President Elizabeth David Ankama, Vice President I Bitrus Timothy, and Vice President II Joy Kauda Pangara, citing breaches of trust, misconduct, and unconstitutional actions.
The allegations leading to this decision include:
Unauthorized opening of a union bank account without the authorization of the association and oversight from the Treasurer and Financial Secretary, thus bypassing critical financial protocols.
Unjustified removal of key officials (General Secretary and Treasurer) from the union’s WhatsApp group, which undermines the union’s governance structure.
Selfish interest especially acting without consulting the full Executive Committee (EXCO), indicating a disregard for the principles of collaborative leadership.
Financial misconduct and related matters.
Appointing a Vice President immediately upon assuming office and involving them exclusively in decision-making, bypassing the broader EXCO.
These actions have compromised the values and integrity of NUTS, prompting the executive committee to call for immediate impeachment of these leaders for abuse of power, financial irregularities and unconstitutional actions.
The conduct of Elizabeth David Ankama and her vice presidents stands in violation of the NUTS Code of Conduct and Constitution, as stated in the following provisions:
As stated in Article II, Section 3 of the Student Union Code of Ethics: “To serve the students union, beyond oneself, members of student Union are dedicated to (a) represent our peers interest to community officials above that of their own opinion or that of public administrators or others.”
As stated in Article II, Section 5 of the Code of Ethics: Strengthen our organization through ethical and transparent practices by: (e) check students opinion against your own and ensure you are not confusing the two.
As stated in Article V, Section 1 any Exco or elected member of the union finds that the Student Union President, Vice President or any official appointed and approved by the Elcom chairman should be removed from office due to their behavior or misconduct, they are obligated to report the issue to the Student Union Ethics Commission. The Student Union Ethics Commission shall then convene to review the allegation and provide a recommendation regarding further action.
The undersigned members of the NUTS Executive Committee declare that Elizabeth David Ankama, along with Vice President I Bitrus Timothy and Vice President II Joy Kauda Pangara, have violated the Union’s Constitution on multiple occasions. This vote of NO CONFIDENCE reflects our stance that they are unfit for their respective off ices, and we hereby declare them impeached with immediate effect.
Signed:
A.G. Kure: Secretary General
Musa Magdalene: Assistant Secretary
Danborno Gimba: Financial Secretary
Moses Roseline: Treasurer
Mathew Abbah: Sports Director
Na’ason Elisha: Public Re lations Officer
CC
Nigerian Police Force Billiri Divisional Headquarters.
Nigerian Security and Civil Defense corps Billiri Division.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede as the acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
A statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, says, “Oluyede will act in the position pending the return of the indisposed substantive Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja.
“Until his appointment, Oluyede served as the 56th Commander of the elite Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, based in Jaji, Kaduna.
“The 56-year-old Oluyede and Lagbaja were coursemates and members of the 39th Regular Course.
“He was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1992, effective from 1987. He rose to Major-General in September 2020.
“Oluyede has held many commands since his commissioning as an officer. He was Platoon Commander and adjutant at 65 Battalion, Company Commander at 177 Guards Battalion, Staff Officer Guards Brigade, Commandant Amphibious Training School.
“General Oluyede participated in several operations, including the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Mission in Liberia, Operation HARMONY IV in Bakassi, and Operation HADIN KAI in the North East theatre of operations, where he commanded 27 Task Force Brigade.
“Oluyede has earned many honours for his meritorious service in various fields of operations. These include the Corps Medal of Honour, the Grand Service Star, Passing the Staff Course, and Membership in the National Institute.
“Others are the Field Command Medal, the Field Command Medal of Honour, and the Field Training Medal.
“Oluyede also received the coveted Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award.
“He is married and has three children,” the statement said.
Nigerians suffering from noncommunicable diseases urgently need cost-effective medications. Authorities seem to be turning to Western nations for assistance to reduce the burden of expensive medication on patients, despite their screening efforts. In this article, ODIMEGWU ONWUMERE explores recommendation focusing on embracing a balanced diet that includes a variety of nutrient-dense foods while controlling portion sizes and seasonings to improve overall health. By making thoughtful food choices, people in Nigeria can significantly reduce their risk of developing diabetes and hypertension.
With concerns over the rising prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, which had reached 90% and 50% for treatment and control rates respectively by December 2023, the Nigerian Health Commissioners Forum launched an initiative on Monday, October 14, 2024, to conduct screenings for hypertension and diabetes for 10 million Nigerians.
These concerns arose as specialists in 53 studies involving a sample of 78,949 Nigerians in 2020 calculated an age-adjusted hypertension prevalence of 8.6% in 1995, equating to 4.3 million individuals aged 20 years. The age-adjusted frequency increased to 32.5% (27.5 million people) in 2020.
In this context, what Nigerians suffering from noncommunicable diseases urgently need are affordable medications. Authorities appear to be looking to Western countries to mitigate the impact of high drug costs on patients.
Meanwhile, the sub-national health promotion initiative known as “Project 10 million—Know Your Number, Control Your Number,” aimed at raising awareness among Nigerians, was presented by NHCF Chairman Dr. Oyebanji Filani, who also serves as the Ekiti State Health Commissioner.
However, the specific strategies for ensuring access to affordable drugs were not clearly outlined. Dr. Filani stated, “NCDs, like high blood pressure and diabetes, present a significant health concern, accounting for around 27 percent of all yearly fatalities in Nigeria.” He emphasized the critical need for intervention, noting that the probability of mortality from these ailments between the ages of 30 and 70 is 17 percent.
“The initiative will prioritize marginalized communities, ensuring that at-risk demographics receive fair access to necessary healthcare services. Individuals can access any public healthcare facility or community outreach location for screening,” he added.
Experts have acknowledged the Merck Foundation’s program, which focuses on enhancing access to fair and high-quality cardiovascular, endocrinology, hypertension, and diabetes care in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The program has gained recognition following the introduction of its Merck Foundation Media Recognition Awards for “Diabetes and Hypertension.”
High Cost of Medication
Despite these efforts, patients continue to face challenges in affording expensive medications. Hypertension, characterized by persistent elevated blood pressure, is the primary avoidable risk factor for heart disease and the leading contributor to mortality worldwide. Some patients have reported experiencing discrimination in the workplace and educational institutions.
Throughout Nigeria, the costs of most common medications required for health management have risen by more than 200 percent.
For instance, during our investigations, several individuals mentioned that a single hypertension pill they previously purchased for approximately N600 to N700 and a diabetes medication for a similar cost are now sold at a high rate of N5,000 per tablet.
Many of these individuals are retirees, and those who are employed earn less than $100 monthly.
Therefore, managing the illness has become a daunting challenge. This outcry has not gone unnoticed by certain health professionals who have advocated for improving the affordability of medications.
For example, Dr. Olubiyi Adeshina, a specialist in endocrinology at the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State, expressed significant concern regarding the escalating prices of diabetes treatment in Nigeria.
Speaking at the Talabi Diabetes Center 4th Annual Ogun Youth Diabetes Camp closing event at the Youth Development Centre, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta in August, he disclosed that an average individual with diabetes in Nigeria now needs between N70,000 and N100,000 per month for treatment, which exceeds many individuals’ monthly earnings. In 2023, the cost per tablet of medication was N5000.
Adeshina associated the dramatic increase in medication expenses with the recent devaluation of the naira, highlighting that insulin, formerly priced at approximately N6,000 to N8,000, now varies from N13,000 to N18,000, depending on the required dosage in 2024.
Health System Challenges
During the patients’ outcry, public presentations have highlighted that the primary obstacles to enhancing hypertension outcomes in Nigeria encompass health system difficulties such as insufficient funding for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), inadequate incorporation of NCD care into primary health services, recurrent shortages of medications, restricted health insurance accessibility, and a constrained workforce capacity for managing hypertension.
Furthermore, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) core technical package offers strategies for health systems to enhance cardiovascular health care in primary healthcare facilities, but Nigeria has not followed suit. Dating back to 2012, the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has been escalating, with health professionals noting that Africa bears a disproportionate share of this upsurge.
In their assessment at that time, which has escalated to a critical level today, they stated that cardiovascular ailments and diabetes accounted for 48% (18.2 million) and 3.5% (1.33 million), respectively, of the 38 million deaths attributed to non-communicable diseases in 2012; regrettably, 28 million of these fatalities occurred in low- and middle-income nations.
Effects Of Urbanization
Investigations disclosed that with the progression of urbanization, altering dietary patterns, and aging populations, Nigeria has also experienced a rise in adults living with diabetes, from 209,400 in 2000 to 3.6 million in 2021—only South Africa exhibited a higher prevalence in 2021.
Diabetes accounts for approximately 4.5% of fatalities in individuals under 60 years old in Nigeria, leading to common issues such as hyperglycemic emergencies, diabetic foot ulcers, chronic kidney disease, and stroke.
One out of every five adult deaths under the age of 70 is attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus representing 7% and 2%, respectively, of the 2.08 million NCD-related deaths recorded in 2014.
Approximately 27% of fatalities in Nigeria can be attributed to diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular, and chronic respiratory ailments.
These four prominent non-communicable illnesses (NCIs) are the primary contributors to global mortality, with a significant number of fatalities taking place in low- and middle-income nations (LMIs). Per data, diabetes, defined by increased blood sugar levels, impacts 537 million adults (ages 20-79) globally.
The figure is projected to increase by 46% in 2045. However, initiatives to address non-communicable diseases in Nigeria were revived in 2021 after the Brazzaville statement on NCDs and the subsequent governmental proclamation at the 66th United Nations General Assembly on the prevention and management of NCDs.
These statements establish the foundation for the global WHO NCD Action Plan 2013-2020, which has since been prolonged until 2030, and the struggle could be losing its momentum.
Improving Health Outcomes With Diet
It is anticipated that government officials will reduce the price of medications. But, prior to doing so, there are recommendations indicating that diet has a vital impact on the prevention and control of these ailments, providing a potent instrument for enhancing health results.
Experts said that a nutrition plan abundant in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins is crucial for preventing and controlling diabetes and hypertension.
For example, consuming leafy vegetables such as ‘ugu’ and spinach, which are rich in potassium, can assist in controlling blood pressure. In the same vein, incorporating fiber-dense options like legumes, okra, and whole grains such as millet and local rice aids in controlling blood glucose levels.
As indicated in public discourses, in contrast to North America and Europe, the incidence of hypertension is increasing in West Africa. With a shift from natural foods to packaged foods in Nigeria, dietary choices serve as a primary catalyst for hypertension.
To address this issue, the national dietary recommendations in Nigeria were instituted; however, their conversion into practical resources for healthcare providers continues to pose a difficulty.
At present, there are no straightforward dietary evaluation instruments that are succinct and appropriate for integration into clinical practice without necessitating thorough data examination, yet still offering tailored dietary assistance to individuals.
Nutrition and Accessibility
In central and western Africa, a food and beverage company has committed to offering both children and adults the necessary nutrients required for optimal growth and progress.
In 2022, the company provided individuals in this area with 89.5 billion portions of goods enriched with a minimum of one of the four primary micronutrients individuals lack (iron, iodine, zinc, and vitamin A) to assist them in bridging the gaps related to micronutrient deficiencies, specifically iron deficiency.
The corporation’s recent launch of a milk and soya product in Nigeria forms part of the company’s dedication to providing improved nutrition at an affordable rate and enhancing accessibility throughout the area.
This demonstrates how cost-effectiveness can be incorporated into nutritional remedies, guaranteeing that crucial nutrients are accessible to everyone, irrespective of economic circumstances.
Acknowledging that accessibility also impacts affordability, the company utilizes locally obtained soybeans for the production of milk and soya product in Nigeria.
In this manner, the corporation not only backs local farming but also guarantees that the merchandise is easily accessible to customers in the area. This regionalized method of manufacturing and procurement decreases shipping expenses, reducing the cost of the item for the final customer.
Onwumere is Chairman, Advocacy Network on Religious and Cultural Coexistence (ANORACC).
Among the Commuters at the motorparks was Hajiya Halimatu Ayuba who spoke to JAP saying that she has always been on transit and could not vaccinate her children in the past, but the new initiative has given her the opportunity to do so.
