President of National Association of Resident Doctors, Dr. Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi said the threat by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, to invoke the no-work-no-pay policy this week will not in any way compel members of the association to call off their ongoing strike.
The NARD president stated this on Sunday asking the minister to stop playing politics with medicine.
He said, “It’s quite shameful when our political leaders in power and a doctor try to mix politics with medicine.
“The issue here now is that the minister is trying to justify his failures in meeting our requirements in the entire ultimatum we signed with him over 117 days and he calling International Labour Organisation when he has not done the ones he ought to do.
“Was he not aware that we gave notice of the strike over 116 days? Was he not part of the people that signed the memorandum of action with us?
“We are not calling off the strike today (Monday). We are resolute in our decision on the strike. We want to stay on this until we achieve something.
“We want to achieve something meaningful that will change the narrative of the health sector.”
“We are aware of the implications of the threat but the strike continues. We want to create a new narrative to all the threats. You can’t be threatening somebody when you have not done your part”.
Recall that The Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, had said “Next week, I’ll escalate this issue because reconciliation has failed”
Members of NARD had on August 2 commenced a nationwide industrial action and the resident doctors have blamed the Federal Government for the strike.
They accused the government of failing to implement the Memorandum of Action earlier endorsed by the two parties which necessitated the suspension of the NARD’s earlier strike action in April 2021.
Monday Ubani, a national officer of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has backed the call by Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme of the Court of Appeal in Awka for disciplinary actions against the High Court Judges in Jigawa and Imo State for allowing lawyers to use their courts for what is known in legal circles as forum shopping. Ubani, who is the Chairman of the NBA Section of Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), stated this in a statement issued in Lagos, yesterday by Mr. Joseph Igwe of Ubani and Co.
Ubani said he shared Justice Nwosu-Iheme’s view that both Justice Musa Ubale of the Jigawa State High Court at Birnin kudu and Justice B.C. Iheka of the Imo State High Court in Owerri should be brought before the National Judicial Council (NJC) to show cause why they should not be disciplined for professional misconduct over their involvement in the Anambra State governorship dispute as regards the leadership of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the ruling party in Anambra State . APGA had on June 23 nominated Professor Charles Soludo as its candidate in the November 6 gubernatorial election in the state.
Ubani insisted that the legal practitioners, especially the Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), who brought the cases before these judges should also be sanctioned for professional misconduct.
The Anambra State High Court in Awka had issued orders to the National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise Soludo as the APGA candidate based on his winning almost 94 per cent of the votes at the party’s congress of June 23, but the State High Court at Birnin Kudu, Jigawa State, a court of equal jurisdiction, on June 30 gave a declaratory judgment directing the electoral commission to accept Chukwuma Umeoji, as the candidate of the party.
Umeoji had earlier in the month been disqualified from the primary election by the APGA Screening Committee. The Imo State High Court was to issue a similar order on July 30 even without hearing from the APGA chairman recognised by INEC, as the Jigawa court did.
Reacting, Ubani argued that “We insist that disciplinary measures, as recommended by Her Lordship, be commenced by the authorities in the NBA and the NJC to act as a check to the incessant embarrassment the legal profession is currently facing in all spheres, and caused by those who are supposed to know and observe the ethics of the profession, whether at the Bar or on the Bench”.
“Every electoral season is usually hot in Anambra State with bizarre happenings,” Ubani added. “There are reported instances where parties in cases already decided by the Supreme Court have re-approached the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, to set aside its own decisions”.
The NBA official described the refusal of lawyers, including SANs, to such politicians to advise their clients properly as “shocking and increasingly disgusting, with the resultant effect of cases of a more bizarre nature being filed regularly with impunity by this category of lawyers.
Commending Justice Nwosu-Iheme for upholding the public good with her pronouncement on forum shopping by lawyers to Anambra politicians, the NBA SPIDEL chairman said:“We can heave a sigh of relief knowing full well that there are still persons in Nigeria that can stand and speak truth to power. All hope is not lost for Nigeria.”
The Katsina State government has begun the distribution of drugs across hospitals towards management of an outbreak of cholera reported in parts of the state.
This was disclosed by Governor Aminu Bello Madari, at the 2021 scientific conference of the Katsina branch of the Nigerian Medical Association. While speaking he said “I would like to inform you that we are aware of the current outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting that affecting some communities in the state. The state government is making efforts towards control of the outbreak”
“Free drugs for the treatment of this outbreak are being purchased for distribution to hospital for treatment of cases while health education on prevention and management of the disease is ongoing and active search and surveillance are also on going across the state” the Governor stated
According to him, “most of our hospitals were left dilapidated with inadequate equipment, poor infrastructure, irregular drugs and medical supplies, inadequate number of healthcare workers, with the resultant poor patients care and poor outcome.
“In our effort to improve the health care service delivery to the teeming population of the state and reverse the ugly situation, the state government embarked on deliberate reforms of the health sector, with adoption national policies that are well domesticated and the creation of more parastatals in the sector”
Governor Aminu also mentioned that “The Primary Health Care Under One Roof (PHCUOR) policy has been adopted and the State Primary Healthcare Agency has been restructured to suit this new policy.
“Health workers involved have been receiving their incentives regularly and have been observing the protocols and successfully treating cases.
“These will go a long way in achieving effective primary health care service delivery particularly to the teeming population at the grassroots, achieving Universal Health Coverage and uninterrupted sustainable drug supply in the state.”
The Nigerian Senate has debunked media reports that its Committee on Constitution Review had proposed the creation of additional 20 states.
In a statement yesterday in Abuja, the spokesperson and Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru, insisted that the panel never made any such proposal.
He acknowledged that the committee received several bills demanding for creation of more states.
The statement reads:
“Our attention has been drawn to media reports that the Senate Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution has proposed the creation of additional 20 states.
“The reports are a gross misrepresentation of the decision of the committee on the request for creation of more states.
“Far from recommending the creation of any state, the committee, while acknowledging receipts of several bills proposing the creation of new states, decided that it is not in a position to recommend or propose the creation of any state unless there is compliance with the provisions of Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic (as amended).
Basiru said the section provides that an Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state shall only be passed if-
“(a) A request, supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new state) in each of the following, namely –
(i) The Senate and the House of Representatives,
(ii) The House of Assembly in respect of the area, and
(iii) The local government councils in respect of the area are received by the National Assembly.”
He noted that such demand could also be passed if
“(b) A proposal for the creation of the state is thereafter approved in a referendum by at least two-thirds majority of the people of the area where the demand for creation of the state originated;
“(c) The result of the referendum is then approved by a simple majority of all the states of the federation supported by a simple majority of members of the houses of assembly and
“(d) The proposal is approved by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of members of each chamber of the National Assembly.”
In view of the above, the spokesman said the committee was not in a position to propose the creation of any state as reported.
“Rather the committee decided to refer the requests received to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure compliance with Section 8 of the Constitution by conducting a referendum in the areas if the requests are supported by at least two-thirds majority of members (representing the area demanding the creation of the new state) in the Senate, House of Representatives and the House of Assembly in the area.
“The above clarifications are imperative to set the record straight,” he added.
Newcastle have agreed a fee with Arsenal in excess of £20m to sign midfielder Joe Willock.
Magpies boss Steve Bruce has made no secret of his desire to sign the 21-year-old on a permanent deal after a successful loan spell last season.
Willock scored in seven consecutive Premier League games to help steer the club away from relegation after joining in January.
It is understood personal terms are yet to be agreed.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta refused to confirm why Willock was missing from his squad in the Gunners’ friendly defeat by Tottenham on Sunday.
The England under-21 international made only seven league appearances for the Gunners last season.
Arsenal have been linked with Leicester midfielder James Maddison as a potential replacement, but on Thursday Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers said he thought the England international would stay.
Rwandan and Mozambican troops have retaken a key port city from Islamist militants in northern Mozambique, the Rwandan military says.
It says Mocímboa da Praia was the rebels’ last stronghold. It is located in Cabo Delgado province, home to one of Africa’s biggest gas fields.
The insurgents have not yet commented.
Last month, Rwanda sent 1,000 soldiers to Mozambique to fight the militants, who launched an insurgency in 2017.
More than 3,000 people have been killed and 820,000 displaced during the conflict.
The Mozambican armed force have been struggling to regain control of the province.
“The port city of Mocímboa da Praia , a major stronghold of the insurgency for more than two years has been captured by Rwandan and Mozambican security forces,” the Rwanda Defence Force tweeted on Sunday.
Rwivanga later told the said the port “was the last stronghold of the insurgents, marking the end of the first phase of counter-insurgency operations”.
“We will continue with security operations to completely pacify those areas,” the spokesman added, voicing hopes that the displaced people would soon be able to return to their homes.
The Rwandan soldiers only arrived in Mozambique last month and already seem to be changing the course of the conflict. At least for now.
Highly trained, well-disciplined troops from a small African nation have, in some ways, achieved more in a few weeks than the Mozambican army has in four years.
Although Mozambique has been reluctant to seek foreign military help, it has now accepted that it cannot win the fight alone.
The southern African regional bloc, Sadc, is sending in hundreds of troops, the former colonial power Portugal is on the ground instructing soldiers, and the European Union has established a training mission.
Mozambique has forced more than 820,000 people to flee their homes. With this rush of foreign troops, Mozambique is beginning to look like other parts of Africa hit by Islamist insurgencies.
There are lessons to be learned. Poor co-ordination between multiple international and regional forces battling jihadists in Somalia and the Sahel has led to problems. What look like significant military victories can be illusory.
Chasing jihadists out of towns and other strategic areas does not mean they are defeated.
They melt away into terrain they know better than anyone else, splinter into smaller units, change their tactics and hide amongst civilians.
Lionel Messi broke down in tears when he confirmed he was leaving Barcelona after 21 years at his farewell press conference on Sunday morning.
The 34-year-old described hearing the news of his departure as “a cold shower” and “the hardest moment of his career”.
Barcelona said on Thursday that Messi will not be staying at the club “because of financial and structural obstacles”.
Messi also spoke of his adamancy to stay at the club, his understanding that “everything was agreed”, his meeting with Joan Laporta after the elections, the struggle for him and his family as well as his ambitions to win another Champions League.
Messi added a move to Paris Saint-Germain was “one possibility” along with “a lot” of other clubs and The Athletic understands he is now on the cusp of agreeing a deal to join the Ligue 1 side.
Here is the full transcript of his press conference…
What was your best moment at Barcelona? “It’s difficult to choose just one moment. But maybe the time I made my debut. That was my dream come true.
“Everything that came later was amazing but I’ll always remember that moment that everything started.”
Did you think you would renew your contract? “It’s everything that Laporta said.
“We had everything agreed but, at the last minute, it couldn’t happen [Messi staying at Barcelona]. I’ve heard lots of things being said about me, this year I wanted to stay and I couldn’t. Last year I didn’t want to stay, and I said it.
“This year I wanted to stay. I did everything possible but the club couldn’t do it because of La Liga.
“We have to take it and move forward.”
Do you think Barcelona did everything to keep you? “I don’t know, what I have very clear is that I did everything I could.
“From my side, I did everything to stay, that is what I wanted.”
What is the hardest for you? “Many things get in my head and I am a bit blocked. Until today it has not sunk in yet.
“I have been in the first team for 16 years and to start from scratch is hard for me and my family especially. We will adapt to what comes next. We have to accept it.”
Is PSG for you next? “It is a possibility, but I have not agreed anything with anyone. I have different clubs who are interested. And nothing is definitive but clearly we are talking to them.”
What is your legacy for the club? “I grew with values of this club and I wanted to be recognised that way.
“But in fact people can remember me whatever way they choose. Titles and also defeats made us grow, we had more happy moments than unhappy.”
Is this the hardest moment of your career? “No doubt, this is the hardest moment. We had hurtful defeats but football gives you a chance to avenge that. But there is no turning point to this.”
“I feel very sad now as I have to leave a club that I love. I did not expect this. I always told the truth. Last year I wanted to leave, this year I did not want to leave.”
How do you imagine this Barcelona without you? “The squad is great, other players will arrive, players come and go, the club is more important than anyone as Laporta said.
“People will get used to it. It might be strange to start but they will get used to it.
“The reality is that after the elections, I went for lunch with the new president and we spoke and after that meal I was convinced that I was going to stay and there would be no problem to do so.
“My contract was never a problem. But it was not possible.”
Would you return to have a homage with fans? “Of course. It will not be the same. The moment was now, but for this club I am willing to do anything. We will do something.”
Do you think there were false expectations in the last few weeks? “Not really, it was all agreed. From our side we were honest. It has not happened for the reasons we know.”
What could you say to Javier Tebas, who says he has done everything possible for you to stay? “I know we couldn’t agree because of La Liga, the club debt and the club did not want to increase the debt.
“I have nothing to say to him, I have no problem with him.
“When I heard about it it was like a cold shower. It was hard to hear it. We are still getting used to it in whatever way we can. When I leave here today it will be even harder.
“But my people will be close and I will continue playing football. When it all starts it’ll feel better.”
Xavi and Iniesta went very far to keep playing. You might have to face Barcelona, how do you feel? “People know me, they know I am competitive, I want to keep winning.
“My last years I want to fight for titles. Congratulations to Dani Alves, I want more titles than him, I am near and will keep at it.”
You took photos with PSG players in Ibiza? “Pure coincidence. I was going to meet Paredes and Di Maria. Ney (Neymar) called me, come over. And I said, I am with Paredes and Di Maria.
“Come over all of you, Ney said. We took photos, they kept telling me, come over to PSG and we joked, that was all.”
Did you consider doing a crazy thing to stay? “I did everything to stay. I can’t add anything else.
Do you feel with the new players, the young stars you could have won lots too? “I would have liked to win another Champions League, that semi with Liverpool, the one vs Chelsea … but this happens.
It was all joy and excitement at the Borno State Government House, Maiduguri, when Ruth Ngladar Pogu, one of the over 200 Chibok school girls abducted seven years ago by Boko Haram reunited with her mother.
The re-union was facilitated by Governor Babagana Zulum who had dispatched officials to fetch Ruth’s mother from Chibok after the young lady’s re-emergence from captivity over a week ago.
Sharing in the joy was Ruth’s son, one of the two she bore for the Boko Haram commander she had been married off to while in captivity.
Also in attendance were Borno State government officials.
Ruth and her husband surrendered to soldiers on July 28 via the Federal Government’s Operation Safe Corridor in Bama, Borno State.
Zulum, speaking at the brief ceremony, expressed delight that Ruth was back home safe and sound after seven years.
Zulum said the government would arrange a rehabilitation and reintegration programme for Ruth that will focus on her health, psychosocial wellbeing and her chosen path to a productive future, all of which will be determined by her.
He said reuniting with Ruth was a boost to keeping the hopes of parents, other family members and the Borno State alive.
He hoped that others still in captivity would return in good health.
He urged the parents of those still in captivity to remain hopeful and prayerful.
“I am extremely excited both as Borno’s governor and father of all sons and daughters of the state, and also as a father to daughters. I know the feeling of families of those still under captivity but we have to remain hopeful especially with today’s development, ” Zulum said.
He said his administration believed a non kinetic approach was key to the rescue of abductees and ending the Boko Haram insurgency.
Ruth Ngladar Pogu, now a Muslim, covered her head with a purple hijab.
The Chairman of the Chibok Parents Association Yakubu Nkeki confirmed that she was one of the missing students.
He said, the people of Chibok appreciated the efforts of security establishments and the concern and support regularly shown by Governor Zulum on the plight of parents whose daughters are still missing.
The mother said she was grateful to God and the government for making it possible for her return.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics - The Tokyo 2020 Olympics Closing Ceremony - Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan - August 8, 2021. General view inside the stadium during the closing ceremony REUTERS/Toby Melville
The Tokyo 2020 Games were declared closed on Sunday by IOC chief Thomas Bach, who said it had been the “most challenging Olympic journey” after a year’s pandemic delay and threats of cancellation.
Bach called the Tokyo Games “unprecedented” as he addressed the 68,000-seat Olympic Stadium, which was empty of spectators as Japan battles a record coronavirus outbreak.
“In these difficult times we are all living through, you give the world the most precious of gifts: hope,” the International Olympic Committee president told athletes at the ceremony.
“And now I have to mark the end of this most challenging Olympic journey to Tokyo: I declare the Games of the 32nd Olympiad closed,” Bach said.
It marked a low-key end to an extraordinary Olympics that have mostly played out in empty venues with only athletes, team officials and media present.
Athletes have lived in strict biosecure conditions with social distancing at the Olympic Village and instructions to wear masks unless eating, sleeping, training or competing.
As the Olympic flag was passed to Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo for the 2024 Games, live footage showed cheering crowds in the French capital — in stark contrast to Tokyo.
Bach has described how the IOC considered cancelling the Olympics and claiming the costs on its insurance policy but said officials ploughed ahead with holding the Games “for the athletes”.
– ‘Our athletes moved people‘ – On Sunday, the climax of the biggest sports event since the pandemic, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge won the men’s marathon and the USA edged China at the top of the medals table.
The United States scored victories in volleyball, track cycling and basketball to top the tally with 39 gold medals, just one ahead of China.
The Olympics were plagued by low Japanese support as they went ahead with Tokyo and other regions under a state of emergency and with infections multiplying to new highs.
But Japan’s record haul of 27 golds to finish third on the table has won hearts.
Britain were fourth with 22 and the Russian Olympic Committee, the team for Russian athletes after their country was banned for systematic doping, were fifth with 20.
“We believe our athletes’ earnest spirit and all-out performance moved people,” said Tsuyoshi Fukui, chef de mission for the Japanese team.
A succession of big names have failed to perform in Japan, where new sports skateboarding, surfing, sport climbing and karate brought young new stars to the fore.
But marathon world record holder Kipchoge showed his class on Sunday, kicking in the closing stages and clocking 2hr 08min 38sec to retain the title he won in 2016.
“I know there were a lot of people against holding this Olympics due to the coronavirus,” said a flag-waving, 47-year-old fan on the marathon route who gave his name as Tsujita.
“But I am glad it took place. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone.”
The marathon, moved north to Sapporo to avoid Tokyo’s summer heat, was one of the few events to allow spectators.
– Trans athletes, ‘twisties‘ – Fears of a major outbreak among the mostly vaccinated Olympic athletes and officials proved unfounded and 430 cases were picked up during the Games, including 32 in the Olympic Village.
However, the virus has lurked as an ever-present threat. Victory celebrations were muted, with lonely laps of honour. But the athletes’ emotions were on full view.
Superstar gymnast Simone Biles provided the most jaw-dropping moment when the American abruptly pulled out of competition over a bout of the “twisties”, a disorientating mental block.
Biles, widely acknowledged as the greatest gymnast in history, recovered sufficiently to claim a redemptive bronze medal in her final event, the beam.
Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand became the first openly transgender woman to compete at the Games and Canada’s Quinn became the first openly transgender Olympic medallist, with gold in the women’s football.
In other highlights, US swimmer Caeleb Dressel assumed the mantle of Michael Phelps with five gold medals and Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah achieved a sprint double on the track.
Among the final events on Sunday, Jason Kenny claimed the men’s keirin to become the first Briton to win seven Olympic titles.
The USA started the day two golds behind China but the women’s basketball and volleyball titles and track cyclist Jennifer Valente’s omnium victory put them top of the table.
Tokyo will host the Paralympics from August 24. The Olympic circus will reconvene in just six months when Beijing, faced with boycott threats and a renewed coronavirus emergency, holds the Winter Games in February.
The Olympics are coming to a close Sunday, and in their final match, the South Korean women’s volleyball team finished their underdog campaign in fourth place with a loss in the bronze medal match against Serbia, three sets to zero.
This was the last Olympics for team captain Kim Yeon-keong, who said after the loss that she was happy they got so far.
The closing ceremony of the Olympics starts tonight at 8 PM. Carrying the flag for Team Korea will be the country’s final medal winner, Jun Woong-tae, who on Saturday won bronze in the men’s modern pentathlon.
It was Korea’s first medal in that sport, where athletes compete in five different events on the same day fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, and finally a combination of cross country running and pistol shooting.
In total this year at the Tokyo Games, Korea won twenty medals, including six gold, which was good enough for 16th place in the medal count.
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