7yrs Jail Term, N500m Fine For Medical Tourism- Reps

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February 11, 2022

The House of Representatives, passed a bill seeking to prescribe a jail term of seven years, or a fine of N500m for officials who spend public funds on foreign medical trips narrowly passed second reading at on Wednesday.

The bill was sponsored by Sergius Ogun -PDP, Edo, the proposed legislation is titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to amend the National Health Act, 2014; and for related matters’.

Leading the debate on the bill, He noted that the objective of the proposed law was to amend the Act “so as to make provision for sanctions against any public officer, who violates the provisions of the Act, especially Section 46 of the Act”.

The section reads, “Without prejudice to the right of any Nigerian to seek medical check-up, investigation or treatment anywhere within and outside Nigeria, no public officer of the government of the federation or any part thereof shall be sponsored for medical check-up, investigation or treatment abroad at public expense, except in exceptional cases on the recommendation and referral by the medical board and which recommendation and referral shall be duly approved by the minister or commissioner of Health of the state as the case may be”.

“This bill, which seeks to amend the National Health Act, is borne out of a desire to discourage medical treatment abroad at the detriment of our indigenous health institutions. The need to revamp the poor state of the health care sector in Nigeria, among other things, is the reason for introducing this bill,” Ogun said.

“It is no news that Nigeria’s health care system is in a deplorable state and needs urgent attention. There is paucity of infrastructure, dearth of medical personnel, poor standards and many other challenges that need to be addressed. The intent of this bill is to spur public officers to pay more attention to our health care sector and take drastic steps to develop and improve on the sector.”

The lawmaker urged members of the House to look at the merits of the bill and let it pass “in the interest of our nation, which is currently going through trying times and requires drastic steps to bring it back on its footing”.

Ogun listed the merits of the bill to include the reduction of the exodus of doctors from Nigeria to other countries.

“If this House passes this bill into law, it will curtail the excessive medical trips of public officers abroad and direct their attention to fixing the poor state of the country’s health sector. This will, in turn, lead to the development of the health sector and improved remuneration for medical doctors, thus attracting Nigerian doctors abroad to come back home,” he stated.

The lawmaker also noted that the bill, when passed into law, would demonstrate the government’s commitment to the welfare of citizens, “in the sense that funds, which were hitherto expended on foreign medical trips, will be redirected into building an efficient and effective health care system in the country. This will in turn positively impact the lives and wellbeing of the people”.

Ogun also cited the reduction of capital flight abroad, saying, “This bill, as stressed above, will stop the export of cash abroad and redirect the same to the development of our economy.

“All of this cash, which flies abroad in the disguise of one medical trip or the other, will be retained here in our country and be used to develop our nation.”

While Ogun was making his presentation, the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, interjected him, asking if the lawmaker was sure of what he was saying.

Responding, Ogun noted that the Act prohibited unapproved spending of government funds on foreign medical services, but it failed to prescribe punishment for disobeying the law.

“I read the Act and the gazette is here. I was not in this Assembly then. It is an Act; it is a law of the land today. What I am basically doing…, my amendment is saying that there should be punishment for flouting that Act, which the Act did not capture. It could be (due to) an oversight,” he stated.

The lawmaker, therefore, proposed the insertion of Clause 2(2) to read, “Any public officer of the government of the federation or any part thereof, who violates the provision of sub-section (1) above shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of N500,000,000 or to an imprisonment term of seven years, or both”.

The proposed punishment, however, generated murmurs in the chamber.

Over 1 Billion Uncensored Obscene Films Seized In 2021 – Censors Board

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Koko Lawrence

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February 11, 2022

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The Executive Director, National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Adedayo Thomas, said about one billion copies of uncensored, unclassified, and pornographic (indecent) films were seized in 2021.

Thomas disclosed in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

He said the obscene videos, in the form of compact discs, were seized in tranches across different states of the Federation and were burnt immediately.

According to him, the NFVCB achieved this with the collaboration of security officers.

Thomas said that the censors’ board was not resting on its oars in ensuring that children and youths were not exposed to obscene videos and videos with vulgar languages.

He said that the NFVCB had consistently engaged in increasing the capacity of its staff to discharge their duties responsibly and timely.

“In 2021, we were able to seize over one billion pieces of pornographic videos; we will be seizing more this year.

“Most of the people who traded in these were retailers.

”We are working on curbing the circulation of these uncensored and unclassified works going through the streaming companies,” he said.

He said some of the staff and security officials were usually on the ground to track the activities of illegal operators in the industry.

TAMPPAN Hosts Tribute-Concert for Late Yoruba Actor, Tafa Oloyede

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faith Jegede

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February 11, 2022

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The Osun state chapter of the theater Arts and Motion Pictures Producers Association of Nigeria (TAMPPAN), said it would organize a concert to honor the late John Adewunmi, popularly known as Tafa Oloyede.

The Governor of the chapter, Moruf Lawal, said that theatre art practitioners in Osun would converge at the residence of the late actor in Arowomole, Ita-Olokan, Osogbo.

The concert, which would involve artists’ performances, would take place on Thursday, in Osogbo, Osun state capital.

“The artists will be performing to honor the late actor, who was a veteran and well-respected senior colleague in the Yoruba theatre art industry, both in Osun and Nigeria at large.

“The artists will be performing from 12.00 p.m, to 10.00 p.m in Osogbo, to honor the veteran actor,” he said.

The National Assistant, General Secretary of TAMPAN, Ayo Oladapo, added that aside from the tribute concert, another artistes’ night would be organized.

“The Ede-North and Ede-South TAMPPAN members are to organize the artistes’ night, starting from 7.00 p.m. till when it is convenient to stop, at the family house of late Oloyede.

“The one we are organizing at his residence in Osogbo is to let residents of Osogbo know that late Oloyede lived a good life while living among them.

“It is also to create awareness about his art and craft, and to celebrate his life.”

Supreme Court Dismisses Governors’ Suit Demanding Federal Funding Of State Courts

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Koko Lawrence

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February 11, 2022

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The Supreme Court in a split decision, on Friday, dismissed a suit filed by the Attorney-Generals of the 36 states of the federation, in which they sought the funding of state judiciaries by the federal government.

In the suit which challenged the widely accepted norm that states are to fund their courts, the plaintiffs argued that it is the constitutional duty of the federal government to fund the capital and recurrent expenditures of states’ High Courts, as well as their Sharia and Customary Courts of Appeal.

But the Supreme Court in its split-decision of four justices against three held that the responsibility of funding state courts lies squarely with the state governments.

In the lead judgement prepared by Musa Dattijo, but read by Centus Nweze, the Supreme Court held that Presidential Executive Order 10 issued in 2020 to shore up the financial independence of state judiciaries and legislatures is “unconstitutional.”

The plaintiffs had argued that the Executive Order violated the Nigerian constitution by seeking to compel state governments to fund the recurrent and capital expenditures of state courts, which according to them ought to be that of the federal government.

Details later…

Indian All-women News Organization Receive Oscar Nomination

By

faith Jegede

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February 11, 2022

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An all-women news organization in rural India has been nominated for an Oscar for a documentary on their reporting.

The pioneering team at the all-women, rural news organization in northern India say they are ecstatic, after the documentary film on their crusading reporting, especially around the hardships faced by lower caste communities, won an Oscar nomination on Tuesday.

“Writing with Fire”, a 93-minute film about the women behind the online news outlet “Khabar Lahariya” – meaning News Waves in Hindi – was nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category for this year’s Academy Awards.

The documentary has become the first from India to be nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary Feature category.

Directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, the film offers a window into the life and work of the Dalit women who run Khabar Lahariya, and the obstacles they overcome — from unhappy husbands and unfriendly crowds to lack of funds and inexperience with technology — as they report on issues that matter the most to the communities they serve.

Twenty years after it was birthed as a newspaper and first published in Uttar Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region, Khabar Lahariya continues to challenge popular notions about what journalism in India could and should be and for whom it is meant.

The organization made a successful digital-first pivot in 2016 but the women, have to wage a constant battle with the prejudices of caste and gender to pursue and bring to light, stories of administrative neglect, crimes against women, etc. In doing so, they frequently put their lives on the line — not just for asking tough questions or being out at all hours, often in hostile environments, but also simply for being Dalit women.

Jewish Family Reclaims Painting Stolen By Belgium After 71 Years

By

faith Jegede

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February 11, 2022

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The Royal Museums of Fine Arts, a leading art museum in Belgium, has returned a painting to the family of a German Jewish couple from whom it was stolen.

The painting named “Flowers” was taken after the family fled Germany to Brussels during the Second World War, before ending up in Britain.

It was painted by Lovis Corinth and had belonged to Gustav and Emma Mayer before they fled their home in Nazi Germany in 1938.

The painting of a blue vase filled with pink flowers is one of 30 artworks the Mayer family is searching for.

“This is the first that has been really identified because, unfortunately, we have no images of the missing paintings,” family lawyer Imke Gielen said.

After the war, Belgian authorities failed to establish the owner of the painting and entrusted it to the museum in 1951, where it has since hung.

On Thursday, the museum also launched two rooms containing and addressing Nazi-looted art and works taken by Belgium during its colonial period.

The museum’s director, Michel Draguet, said it had been easier to find the original owners of artworks in the case of Jewish families living in Belgium, because of the archives and contacts.

“Here, it was impossible even to know if this work is coming from Germany, from another country,” Draguet said.

Somaliland Says China Cannot Dictate Relations With Taiwan

By

faith Jegede

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February 11, 2022

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China has ramped up pressure on countries not to engage with Taiwan as it seeks to assert its sovereignty claims, and both frequently trade barbs about using “dollar diplomacy” with loans and cash gifts in exchange for international recognition.

China’s Foreign Ministry said this week Taiwan was “fanning the flames to undermine the independence and unification of other countries, harming others without benefiting themselves” by hosting a senior ministerial delegation from Somaliland.

Speaking to reporters, Somaliland Foreign Minister Essa Kayd said China cannot dictate to his country.

“We were born free and we will stay free. We will run our business the way we want. China cannot dictate, no other country can dictate.”

Kayd added that they were open to dealing with anyone who respected them as a sovereign country and wanted to do business without any strings or conditions.

“I think that’s as clear as I can go on China.”

Somaliland Finance Minister Saad Ali Shire said his country had made no requests so far to borrow from Taiwan.

“There has been a flow of funds from Taiwan to Somaliland in the form of aid and in the form of investment, which we welcome.”

Taiwan has been all but driven out of Africa diplomatically by China in recent years, with only tiny eSwatini now maintaining full relations with the island.

Guild warns Nigerians against patronising unregistered physicians

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Cleopatra Okohai

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February 11, 2022

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The Guild of Medical Directors has warned that it is dangerous for Nigerians to seek online medical consultation on health matters from unregistered physicians.

The National President of the Guild, Dr. Raymond Kuti, made the call in an interview with the Newsmen in Lagos on Thursday.

The guild is the body of medical doctors who own and operate private hospitals and clinics in Nigeria.

Kuti said that the guild was concerned about the vulnerability of patients and the quality of healthcare service being rendered to the public by some physicians operating telemedicine.

Telemedicine is the transfer of medical information through telecommunication technologies for the purpose of consulting or for remote medical procedures or examinations.

Kuti noted that a standard procedure to practice as a doctor in Nigeria was to be certified qualified by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

“Globally, there’s telemedicine, and someone is consulting with you from the United Kingdom, United States, or Canada; MDCN doesn’t know the qualifications of that person.

“If they are qualified there, let them also register to practice in Nigeria, so that we are sure that they are qualified to practice in that area of medicine.

“Not doing that makes you vulnerable as a patient. Some of these ‘doctors’ won’t prescribe drugs but supplements to patients, and these are issues of global concern.

“We have realised that some Nigerians when they see a white skin person talking about healthcare, they think that automatically qualifies such a person as a doctor.

“If a patient in the US or UK consults with me and I prescribe a drug to the patient, no pharmacy there will sell it because they will say I’m not registered with their governing body,” he said.

Kuti appealed to MDCN to rise to the challenge of correcting the anomaly, noting that having an unlicensed physician relating with patients was quackery.

He also cautioned that quackery posed a threat to the realisation of quality healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

Kuti also urged governments at all levels to create an enabling environment, infrastructure and resolve security challenges to encourage Nigerian medical practitioners in the diaspora to return to practice locally.

He also stressed the need to ensure continuity in the implementation of favourable policies to deepen development in the health sector.

Reps call for nationwide awareness campaign against female genital mutilation

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Cleopatra Okohai

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February 11, 2022

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The House of Representatives has called for a nationwide sensitisation against female genital mutilation by the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and the National Orientation Agency.

At the plenary on Thursday, the House resolved to commemorate the 2022 International Day of Female Genital Mutilation, which was themed ‘Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation,’ urging Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, and the NOA to “organise nationwide sensitisation programmes discouraging the practice of female genital mutilation.”

The House also mandated its Committees on Women Affairs and Social Development; Information, National Orientation, Ethics, and Values to ensure compliance with the resolution and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.

The resolutions followed the unanimous adoption of a motion moved by Ganiyu Johnson, titled ‘Need to Eradicate the Practice of Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria.’

Diseases can be transmitted from unscreened breastmilk to newborns, paediatricians warn

Moving the motion, Johnson recalled that in 2003, the United Nations, while observing the need to eradicate the practice of female genital mutilation, declared February 6 as the International Day for the Eradication of Female Genital Mutilation.

The lawmaker noted that the move was to create a global awareness of the dangers of female genital mutilation and drum support for the protection of the physical and mental health of women and girls.

He explained that female genital mutilation comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons, which has been regarded internationally as a violation of the rights and health of women and girls.

Johnson noted the dangers that the “unwholesome practice” poses to the health and wellbeing of women and girls, ranging from urinary tract infections, infertility, hepatitis, and other blood-borne diseases.

The lawmaker stated that female genital mutilation is an act of violence against women and girls and amounts to a violation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, 2015.

He said, “The House is worried that about 20 million girls and women in Nigeria and 20 per cent of Nigerian women aged between 15 to 49 years are reported to have undergone female genital mutilation in Nigeria;

“The House is cognisant that the United Nations Report, published in 2020, reported that Nigeria ranked the third-highest number in cases of female genital mutilation in the world.”