The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate on Friday said the enrolment quota in medical, nursing, and other health professional schools has been increased from 28,000 to 64,000 yearly. Prof Pate said this at the sectoral ministerial press briefing to mark the first anniversary of President Bola Tinubu in office in Abuja. Over the years, health workers in the country have always moved to other countries to practice, but experts say the recent increase in emigration is worrisome. Experts identified the push factors as inadequate equipment, worsening insecurity, poor working conditions, and poor salary structure. Data from the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria showed that about 1,056 consultants left the country to seek greener pastures between 2019 and 2023. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors also revealed over 900 of its members left for Europe between January and September 2023. Pate, however, said, “We have doubled the intake, the enrollment, the quotas of medical schools, nursing schools, and other health professionals’ schools from an enrollment target of 28,000 a year to 64,000 now. “That is just the first step, the education sector will have to play its role. The states will have to play in to improve the infrastructure, the training, and the tools to produce more healthcare workforce because we need to produce more healthcare workforce given that we’re losing some so that we can serve the population of this country.” On the Primary Health Care Centres, the minister noted that at least 1,400 centres can now provide skilled birth attendants. According to him, more than 2,400 health workers – doctors, nurses, and midwives are been recruited in facilities to provide essential health services to Nigerians in rural areas. He also highlighted that the Federal Government has disbursed the first tranche of N25bn of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the National Health Insurance Authority. “We put a condition that states that will access those have to comply with the fiduciary guidelines that have been provided, responding to lapses that have been observed over here so that the resources go to Nigerians. “Twenty-three states have received those funds, and I believe that the rest of the states are just about to complete and receive their financing to channel through the PHCs.” The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa had in October 2023 said the government had put in place strategies to increase admissions into medical and dental institutions. Dr Alausa noted that the 3,000 doctors produced annually in Nigeria was inadequate. He highlighted that the mass exodus of licensed doctors and other health professionals to more developed countries would be discouraged by making the healthcare environment more attractive.

  Delta state government has banned the use of commercial motorcycles, otherwise known as “Okada” as a means of transportation within the state capital territory. The state government also banned scrap metal scavenging, otherwise known as ‘iron condemn’, in the state capital, Asaba. The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Kingsley Emu, who spoke to reporters in Asaba, said the ban became necessary due high crime rate committed with Okada and reported cases of vandalism of public facilities by the scavengers. He said the ban would take effect May 25 but strict enforcement would commence June 1, 2024. The SSG clarified that the ban implied that no ‘iron condemn’ cart pusher would operate in any part of the State Capital Territory after May 31, 2024, adding that commercial motorcycle operations had also been prohibited in some parts of the Capital Territory not covered by the earlier ban. He said an adequate sensitization campaign would be embarked upon before enforcement, adding that the ban was not targeted at any particular tribe, but in the interest of peace and security. He said: “The biggest news on traffic regulations is the ban or prohibition of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, effective tomorrow. All Okada riders in Delta State capital territory area, all the streets, are banned forthwith. “If you are caught, we will confiscate and destroy the okada as well as other massive sanctions in terms of fines and a possible jail term. This decision has become imperative arising from the huge security challenges that we have. Our people are openly violated, families are raped and the people who commit these crimes easily run away on Okada. “In Delta Capital Territory Development area, it’s total and outright ban in all the areas. It is important that we do this to protect the lives and property of people. “We understand that there are some few innocent people but the preponderance of crime being perpetrated with Okada has necessitated this decision. It has been a major issue at the Security Council meeting severally and, thereafter, Exco concluded today. “There are also other designated streets in Ethiope East, Ika North East, Oshimili North, and South, Sapele, Uwvie, and Warri South Local Government Areas affected. These regulations have been enforced since 2012, 2013, and 2014, with improvements on them. “But it has never been operational. All these regulations came at the peak of security challenges. When it was a little bit under control, it was relaxed and there were no strong sanctions to deter people. It has now become imperative that it must be enforced. “We are going to give up till 31st of May for people to adjust and comply. Effective June 1st, all the security agencies will be engaged to enforce compliance. We will crush all the seized Okadas in the public place. “Oshimili North and South have also, in their respective By-laws, banned ‘iron condemn’ or scrap metal scavenging. Effective tomorrow, we expect them to wind down their activities and as of the 1st of June, enforcement will start. “We do know the type of havoc these people have brought to the system, how our transformer cables have been vandalised, and even assets in our private homes. “We cannot fold our hands as a state. Laws are always made in the interest of the larger population. We will give enough notice to them. We will publicise all the streets involved.”

  Madu Onuorah, the publisher of the Global Upfront Newspaper, who was abducted by the police on Wednesday, has been released on bail. His release was disclosed on Friday through a press statement issued by his paper. According to the statement, Onuorah’s release was secured from the Enugu State Police Command on Thursday night, after bail conditions were met. “We have confirmed the release (on bail) of our Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Mr Madu Onuorah, who was abducted by men of the Ebonyi Police Command on Wednesday 22/5/2024 evening from his residence in Lugbe, Abuja,” the statement reads in part. “We solidly stand by our Editor-in-Chief and the harmless story we published. We insist the police station is not a court of law where alleged defamation cases are tried. We want to thank the Journalism and Media family, friends and well-wishers, and all defenders of freedom of expression who rose against a budding tyranny.” FIJ had earlier reported how Onuorah was taken away from his Lugbe residence on Wednesday by armed police officers numbering about 10. Onuorah was arrested without a warrant and without being allowed to contact his family members or lawyer. Meanwhile, the Enugu State Command of the NPF said on Thursday that Onuorah was arrested over a defamation petition written by a US-based reverend sister. According to the statement, the reverend sister had petitioned the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, alleging that Onuorah had defamed her. The police also denied that the journalist was abducted and promised to duly investigate the allegations against the publisher. “The Enugu State Police Command is in receipt of several publications alleging the abduction of an Abuja-based online news publisher, one Madu Onuorah “m”. The Command wishes to state that contrary to the allegations, he was duly arrested in Abuja with the assistance of police operatives from Ebonyi State Command and the aid of intelligence, after efforts made to formally invite him failed,” the police statement read. “Furthermore, his arrest was following the receipt of a written petition to the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, against him over an alleged defamatory publication he made against a US-based Reverend Sister.”

  David Umahi, minister of works, says the federal government will revert to the gazetted route within some kilometres of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project to save submarine cables. Umahi spoke on Thursday during the 3rd stakeholders’ meeting of the coastal highway project in Lagos. During the meeting, lawyers, traditional rulers, property owners, and ICT professionals spoke about their concerns on the new and old alignments. In the previous stakeholders’ meeting, Umahi had said the federal government has been making adjustments to the route alignment in order to save businesses. Speaking at the meeting, Iliyasu Gashinbaki, group CEO of Machine and Equipment Consulting Africa, said there are three critical telecommunication facilities on the route of the new alignment. Gashinbaki appealed to the federal government to save the facilities at the Mopo axis and reroute to the old alignment. “The challenge there is that we have three critical infrastructures that are located on one spot. One is the 2Africa submarine cable that cuts across 33 countries connecting about three billion people,” the group CEO said. “That cable landed at Mopo (community) and where it landed, the West African cable systems (WACS) had already been located there about 17 years ago. “In the basis of design, we have a mega IPP (independent power plant) which is to provide power to the 2Africa cable and the WACS cable… the power plant is a 50 megawatt power plant expected to support these infrastructure. “The corridor as you have seen based on the new alignment is passing right on the submarine cable and the other side is on the IPP. “You cannot have the submarine cables without power. They will not function. As everybody knows, the submarine cable is a critical national security infrastructure. If it is affected, everybody will be affected. “You will recall that two months ago, there was a challenge as far as Cote d’Ivoire but a significant part of Africa was blanked out. “Our appeal today is in view of the fact that this is not just a private project, it’s a national project, it’s the internet gateway to the nation and it’s linked to national security. “We are therefore appealing that for this critical infrastructure located at Mopo, that the road be diverted back to the route of the original gazette. “But we’re also appealing that for such security and telecommunications national infrastructures, the government should find a way of being sensitive to that reality, and divert the road away from this critical national infrastructure.” Responding to the concerns, Umahi said if the federal government works with the old alignment of the project, 750 houses will be demolished, while the new alignment will take down 490 houses. The minister said due to concerns raised by Okun-Ajah community and telecommunication firms, the federal government will divert to the old alignment and return to the new alignment at kilometre 25. “If we go by the old alignment, we have 750 houses to demolish; in the new alignment, we have 490 houses to demolish,” the minister said. “But the infrastructure on the gazetted right of way is very sophisticated even though they broke the law. We are here to find solutions. “We have our proposal here, to the glory of God, to solve MTN, 2Africa and Okun-Ajah community (problems). We are diverting completely from the new alignment to the old alignment and we are rejoining back to our new alignment at kilometre 25.” TheCable recently highlighted the losses and pains of business owners whose facilities have been affected by the project.

  Six Boko Haram members, including a terrorist commander, have surrendered to troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF). The insurgents gave up their terrorist activities and handed themselves over to the military on Thursday, May 23. Disclosing this in a statement on Friday, the MNJTF’s Chief Military Public Information Officer Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, identified the terrorist comm He also listed other terrorists as Isah Ali, 18 years old; Hassan Modu, 18 years old; Nasir Idris, 23 years old escort for the Commander of Jubillaram Usman Rash; Abba Aji, 21 years old and Abubakar Isah, 20 years old. “The terrorists escaped from the ISWAP faction hideout in Jubillaram, situated in Southern Lake Chad. Adamu, 22 years old, had participated in numerous terrorist attacks and roamed around Kangarwa, Alagarno, Doro Naira, and Dogon Chikwu in Kukawa Local Government Area, Borno State, Nigeria,” the statement read. “During their surrender, they handed over 11 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and one warhead of anti-aircraft rounds. The surrendered fighters are currently undergoing investigation.” ‘119 Terrorists Surrendered’ According to the MNJTF spokesman, over 100 terrorists have renounced terrorism since the commencement of Operation Lake Sanity II aimed at flushing out insurgents in the region. He specifically said since April 23 this year, 119 insurgents have surrendered calling on other insurgents to embrace peace and lay down their arms. “This brings the total number of terrorists who have surrendered since the commencement of Operation Lake Sanity ll on 23 April 2024 to 119. “The MNJTF appeals to other terrorists to follow suit, lay down their arms, and embrace peace. We reaffirm our commitment to ensuring a secure environment in the Lake Chad Basin region,” Abdullahi said.