Health care: Governor Ahmed tasks private sector

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has charged private organizations to be supportive of governments in providing affordable and accessible health care delivery to the people.

Governor Ahmed gave the charge today in Sobi Specialist Hospital, Ilorin at the free eyes surgery programme organised by MTN in conjunction with the Kwara State Government

Burden of Fistula in Nigeria

The joy of every woman is to get married, get pregnant and deliver safely to see his or her child as a reward for the marital life. To some, their dreams come true by getting their babies delivered safely while to some the reverse is the case as a result of associated challenges with pregnancy, delivery and attendant complications.

          The associated challenges with childbirth put the lives of women at risk of either delivering the baby safely with her child alive or losing both lives while some women battle with some conditions for years as a result of issues surrounding their childbirths.

          Among the medical conditions that put the lives of women at high risk which associated with childbirth is Fistula. The condition is the occurrence of abnormal hole between the bladder or rectum and the front passage resulting in continuous and uncontrollable leakage of urine or faeces or even both.

        

  Experts say women are mostly affected with Fistula as a result of prolonged and obstructed labour, pressure of the head of the baby on soft tissues which in turn causes death of the tissues between bladder and vagina which is called Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) or between bowel and front passage which is called Recto Vaginal Fistula. Other causes of Fistula include operations for child delivery, harmful cultural practices while a few cases are caused by cancers of the female genital tract.

          Across the world, it is estimated that one to two million women are affected with fistula while in Nigeria, according to United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), eight hundred thousand women suffered from VVF annually in Nigeria.

          The Country Representative of the fund in Nigeria, Ratidzai Ndhlovu who recently disclosed the alarming rate at the graduation of 100 rehabilitated women living with obstetric Fistula in Sokoto lamented that most of the affected women often lose their babies following child birth process.

          Represented by the Assistant Country Representative, Reproductive Health, Doctor Audu Alayande, Ndhlovu said one in every ten women suffered from this condition following childbirth noted that most women who developed fistula had probably given birth at home with no assistance from skilled birth attendant, pointing out that women down with the condition cope with the foul smell emanating from their leaking urine and faeces.

          It must be noted that the phenomenon had made many husbands to abandon their wives down with VVF while some being stigmatized and ostracised by families and communities. Thus, the alarming rate of VVF in Nigeria left no one in doubt that the all hands must be on desk in order to check the rising cases of the condition.

          Already, Kwara, Oyo, Bauchi, Cross River, Ebonyi, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Jigawa states are currently being jointly supported by the United State Agency International Development (USAID), Fistula Care Plus and Engender Health to provide special care and support for women with obsteric fistula in designated health facilities in the selected states of the federation.

          It would be recalled that thirty women affected by Fistula were in June, this year undergone free screening and treatment at the Sobi Specialist Hospital, Ilorin sponsored by the USAID funded Fistula Care Plus in collaboration with the Kwara State Government and implemented by Engender Health where all the clients who turned out for the exercise went through full repair with surgical operations to properly reintegrate them into the society.

       

    Dispelling the myths and misconceptions about Vesico Vaginal Fistula at Journalists Orientation on Fistula in Ilorin, the Country Project Manager, USAID Fistula Care Plus Project emphasised the need for parents to imbibe good nutritional habit for their children, particularly the female ones right from the infancy as a precursor to building long lasting immunity for women ahead of pregnancy and other childbirth complications. 

  

     It is therefore imperative for heads of households, government at all levels, religious and community leaders to at all times encourage pregnant women to make use health facilities for ante-natal and delivery and engage good nutritional habit in order to drastically reduce the chances of being down with VVF.

          Governments, Fistula Care Plus Project and other international agencies should step up assistance towards assisting the less privilege members of the society with free medical care particularly pregnant women to check the rising cases of Fistula in Nigeria while those down with the condition already should be helped to restore their hope and rekindle their joy.

Prince Adeyeye Ogunwusi emerges 51st Ooni of Ife

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has approved the appointment of new Ooni of Ife.

Senate postpones Amaechi screening till tomorrow, set to screen Adebayo Shittu, 2 others

Senate is to screen only 3 ministerial nominees today as it scheduled the screening of former Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki

 The Senate Spokesman, Sen. Dino Melaye stated this in a short while during an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

Sen. Melaye said the remaining ministerial nominees would spend more time than those already screened.

Among those scheduled to be screened today are Adebayo Shittu, Claudious Daramola and Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim.

Saraki vs CCT: Appeal Court adjourns judgement indefinitely

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday adjourned ruling on an appeal filed by Senate President, Bukola Saraki challenging his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal indefinitely.

Mrs Christy Haruna, one of the Court Clerks announced the postponement of the judgment at the open court.

“I have been instructed by the court to inform parties and interested members of the public that a new date for the ruling shall be communicated,’’ she said.

The appellate court had on Friday fixed Oct.19 to deliver judgment on the appeal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Saraki is facing charges on alleged false declaration of his assets.

Justice Moore Adumein, who led two other justices of the court, fixed the date for that judgment after entertaining arguments from counsel to parties in the suit.

At that hearing, counsel to Saraki, Mr Joseph Daudu (SAN) raised five major issues for determination by the court.

Daudu averred that the Code of Conduct Tribunal erred in law by proceeding with the trial with two members instead of the mandatory three as provided by the constitution.

He also held that the Tribunal lacked jurisdiction to try criminal charges.

On his part, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the prosecution counsel, urged the court to discountenance all the grounds of arguments advanced by counsel to the applicant.

Jacobs had specifically submitted that the tribunal had criminal jurisdiction because of the use of words like “guilty” and “punishment” in the law that established it.

NAN

Take over the running of Primary schools, Kwara Gov tells FG

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has advocated the taking over of primary education from the Local Government Councils by the Federal Government in order to achieve the desired results.

Similarly, the Government suggested the possible running of tertiary institution by private sector to get desired results.

L-R: Governors of Kaduna, Bauchi, Kwara and Dep Gov of Katsina

Governor Ahmed made the suggestions today in Abuja while participating in a discussion of Northern region at twenty-first Nigerian Economic Summit organized by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group and the National Planning Commission.

Governor Ahmed explained that the foundational level of education should not be left in the hands of local government authorities, pointing out that the cost of running primary education is beyond the local government in view of the dwindling allocation.

The governor emphasised the need for the prioritisation of intermediate vocational studies to properly equip the youths to meet manpower requirements for industries.

Governor Ahmed urged other governors in the north-central to exploit huge opportunities in the region to drive youths into getting productive ventures. 

Oyo SWAN passes vote of no confidence on National Secretary

Members of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Oyo state chapter has passed a vote of no confidence on the national secretary of the association, Mr Andrew Abah, for his role in the postponed association's election last week.

This was stated in a communique issued on Wednesday backed by over 35 members in the state who signed to that effect.

Andrew Abah

The members accused Andrew Abah of degrading the exalted position of the association's national secretary and doctored the list meant for the conduct of the election.

Following the botched election of Oyo State branch of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) last Friday October 9th, 2015, held at the Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan, some members of the union reviewed the election and the important roles played by some key actors and resolved that Members of the Oyo State SWAN no longer have confidence in the National Secretary of the association, Mr Andrew Abah, following his role in the crisis that led to the postponement of the election. 

The SWAN members in Oyo state maintained that Mr Andrew Abah could not represent the national SWAN in Oyo State again to either supervise or conduct any activity of the state chapter that would be acceptable. 

Mr Abbah was alleged to have shown his compromise by holding a secret meeting with the Chairman of the association in the state, Mr. Ajayi-Obe and few other members of the executive, who are loyal to Ajayi Obe. 

It was also alleged that the electoral list was badly altered and only friends and cronies of Ajayi Obe were said to be in the list. 

They added that the reason given purportedly by SWAN national scribe to postpone the election was that only those who have submitted their membership forms were considered but the list, contained many strange names of people who have never written sport story while well known sport writers were omitted. 

The Oyo SWAN noted that even after the botched election was rescheduled to hold on October 30, after the VP Southwest Muideen Adeleke and Abah addressed the aggrieved members, Mr Abbah issued another release to announce indefinite postponement of the election.