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Stop abandoning juveniles in correction centres – Official urges

Stop abandoning juveniles in correction centres – Official urges

By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus
Juveniles
Ilorin, Oct. 24, 2019 (NAN) Mrs Abimbola Ogunyemi, the Comptroller of Correction, Borstal Training Intitution, Ganmo, Kwara, has urged parents to stop abandoning juveniles in correction centres.
Borstal institution is a facility of the Nigeria Correctional Service.
Ogunyemi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that reformation and rehabilitation of juveniles should be a tripartite arrangement involving parents, government and institution.
“Mostly their parents bring them here to abandon them and raising adults like this is a tripartite arrangement involving the parents, school and the government.
“Government have been fulfilling its part by accommodating the children but they need their parental love also.
“We have been trying our best but we can’t do everything.
“Some of them are abandoned and their parents never look back and it does not augur well for the institution.
“Parents are allowed to pay visit to their children at least once every month,” Ogunyemi said.
She said the institution was reforming and rehabilitating the children to return to the society as responsible individuals.
“We take into custody maladjusted juveniles with the hope of reforming and rehabilitating them, so that they can return to the society as responsible individuals.
“This we do by way of educating them, we train them by running a normal school from JSS1 to SS3 and afterwards they take external examination like WAEC and NECO.
“And for those that are not educationally inclined, we train them in vocations; namely carpentry, tailoring, knitting, welding and automobile engineering.
“And for these people not to leave here empty handed, we get them certificated through the Federal Ministry of Labour by way of trade test,” the comptroller said.
Ogunyemi added that the students who are between the ages of 16 and 21 spend a minimum of nine months and maximum of three years.
She added that the management invite Imams and Pastors to come and appeal to their conscience because, according to her, ”we cannot take away the place of prayer in rehabilitation”. (NAN)
BAY/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Doctor advocates establishment of cancer centres in states

Doctor advocates establishment of cancer centres in states
By Ummul Idris
Cancer
Abuja, Feb. 21, 2019 (NAN) Dr Ekpe Phillips, Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), FCT chapter, has urged the Federal Government to establish at least one cancer centre in each state of the federation.
Phillips made the appeal while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
He stated that it would not be out of place to have cancer centres across the 36 states of the federation to make for easy accessibility for patients.
According to him, it is not too much if we are having one centre per state to forestall the hurdles being confronted by patients.
He also called for the training of personnel to help address the menace of cancer, stressing that granting of scholarship to health workers for such purpose will help curtail the scourge.
“We must also encourage the training of personnel especially those in that particular area including granting them scholarship for those personnel in that field.
“The queue at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, National Hospital Abuja, and a few hospitals should end with the establishment of new cancer centres across the country.
“There was a Swedish cancer treatment that was meant for Nigeria, but because of political interest, they relocated to Ghana, this was some years back,’’ he said.
According to him, the government should encourage anything health to make Nigerians healthy. (NAN)
UMD/FF/MST
Edited by Fela Fashoro/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Child Adoption: Expert advocate special fertility centres

Child Adoption: Expert advocate special fertility centres
By Chinyere Nwachukwu
Adoption
Lagos, Sept. 14, 2018 (NAN) Mrs Iyanaoluwa Ojo, Lecturer, Department of Nursing, University of Ibadan, has called on the Federal government to establish special fertility centres around the country to curb baby factories and reduce the stress of child adoption.

Ojo made the call in an in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

According to her, such fertility centres will improve the chances of couples seeking biological children and therefore spare them the stress of the bureaucracy of adoption.

She noted that aside the stress of adoption, the stigma associated with the practice was equally an issue to contend with in the country.

“Firstly, we must understand the whole concept of adoption, which is simply getting a child as a single parent or as couples, who is not your biological child, to cater for.

“Now, because of our cultural and social background, deep down in our hearts, even after adopting a child, still feel we do not have our real biological child.

“The issue of stigma is another fear of the unknown that tends to stare both the person adopting and even the child being adopted.

“If government should establish these centres and go ahead to subsidise already existing ones by making medical help less expensive, it will go a long way in bringing more relief to couples and reduce issues of stolen babies all over the place,” she said.

Mrs Magaret Ibem, a prospective foster parent, said the bottleneck bureaucracy in adopting babies in the state was part of the reasons behind the booming baby factories scattered all over the city.

According to her, months after official registration at the right place, she is still not having any positive response from those in charge.

“I wanted to assist my own sister who has been married for over 15 years without a child to adopt a child here in Lagos and I did not want to do anything illegal because I know it must have its consequences.

“I went to the ministry in charge of that to register. I presented all that was required and since then, that is over eight months now, nothing has come out of it.

“I must confess to you that the stress involved in the whole of this adoption thing is part of the reasons why some desperate couples resort to the easy way out.

“They rather visit and pay prostitutes to carry babies for them and after giving birth, they take the child away.

“Some others visit illegal baby factories and pay stipends and carry a baby sex of their choice, rather than go through the legal way,” she said.

Ibem added that government must reconsider the adoption process in the country by making it affordable to all as well as reduce the long waiting days.

Dr Francis Falako of Department of Arts and Social Science Education, Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, said that the issue of adoption has been an age long practice, which can also be traced to in the holy Bible.

Falako said culturally nothing was wrong about it but that today’s society unfortunately does not welcome such whole heartedly.

“We in the church, as an Anglican priest too, encourage childless couples to adopt.

“We even have some churches that run orphanages.

“But be that as it may, some culture does not still want to encourage it. There are several roadblocks to contend with in trying to adopt a child into any family.

“Even when a child is adopted, some family members still find it hard to integrate such child fully in their affairs and this is a major challenge.

“Government on its part too should find a way of sensitising the public in both the adoption process and stigma,” he said. (NAN)
CCN/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Agriculture

Bauchi Govt to establish farm centres across 3 Senatorial zones

Bauchi Govt to establish farm centres across 3 Senatorial zones
By Mohammed Ahmed Kaigama
Empowerment
Bauchi, Aug. 21, 2018 (NAN) The Bauchi State says it will establish farm centres across the three senatorial districts of the state to empower youths and women.

The Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Audu Katagum, made this known in an interactive session with newsmen in Bauchi on Tuesday.
He explained that the proposed farm centres was the effort of the state government to reduce youth restiveness and to also create employment opportunities for the teeming populace.
According to him, “already all the necessary arrangements have been put in place to support the youths and women to engage in farming activities through the use of modern farming and provision of implements for food security and bumper harvest’’.
Katagum said that agriculture remains a major priority of the administration, “hence the need for all and sundry to complement government towards improving socio-economic development in the state’’.
The deputy governor charged the youths to remain resolute and shun all social vices capable of destroying their ambition.
He congratulated the Muslim faithful for witnessing yet another Eid-el-Kabir celebration, urging them to use the occasion for sober reflection.
Katagum also called on the faithful to offer special prayers for the prosperity ofg the state and the country at large. (NAN)
MAK/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Sexual health: Foundation advocates youth friendly centres

Sexual health: Foundation advocates youth friendly centres
By Talatu Maiwada
Youths
Abuja, July 4, 2018 (NAN) Positive Care and Development Foundation (PCDF), an NGO, has called on the Federal Government to establish youth friendly centres across the country to address the sexual reproductive health of young persons.
Mrs Esse Nwakanma, Executive Director, PCDF, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
She explained that addressing such needs would require a national commitment.
Nwakanma said the establishment of the proposed centres would empower and strengthen the skills of young girls and boys to have control of their sexuality and reproductive health rights.
“About 56 million of more than 170 million people in Nigeria are between the ages of 10 and 24 years old, thus representing one third of the Nigerian population.
“However, their access to sexual reproductive health across the country such as family planning information and services is limited.
“Young people do what adults do then why put them to risk; they need information, which will empower them to make the right choices to keep them safe without any health risk.
“By age 20, majority of young women and men have had sex regardless of their marital status hence the need for parental guidance in educating their young children about sexual health.
“This also calls for national commitment to provide safe places and increase family planning services and contraceptives so that young people can have access to information and services,’’ she said.
According to her, young people deal with internal conflict and concerns which keeps the society in denial of the fact that they have no safe space to speak out.
Nwakanma said adolescents reproductive desires were strongly influenced by social norms and expectations of gender roles, adding that their emotional and psychological well-being keep them stable in all ramifications.
“The belief that a girl’s primary value and role in society is that of a wife and mother can impact greatly on her family planning desires and decisions.
“While the morals related to what is socially acceptable in regards to pre-marital sex in the society, places pressure on boys to engage in sexual activities while the girls remain pure.
“The immense pressure that social norms and expectations places on the girls could constrain their ability to understand and exercise their rights to make decisions about their sexual health on contraceptives,’’ she said.
She emphasised that investing in adolescent’s sexual reproductive health and family planning has the potential to transform the society.
The executive director added that when young people are healthy, educated and empowered, they become productive and effective leaders which in turn have a ripple effect on their peers and society. (NAN)
TIM/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Don wants 6 bone marrow transplant centres in Nigeria

Don wants 6 bone marrow transplant centres in Nigeria
By Mohammed Lawal
Bone marrow
Kaduna, June 19, 2018 (NAN) Dr Waziri Dahiru, Consultant Haematologist, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, has called on the Federal government to establish bone marrow transplant centres in six geo-political zones of the country.
He made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of World Sickle Cell Day celebration held at the Kaduna State University (KADSSU) main campus.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was jointly organised by Safiyya Sickle Cell Foundation, Sickle Cell Cohost Research (SCORE) and KADSSU.
Dahiru said the call was necessary in view of the prevailing rate of the disease among Nigerians couple with high cost of managing it.
“Bone marrow transplant is a form of treatment for patients with sickle cell anaemia and it has been in existence for a very long time.
“It is new in the country and as I am speaking, currently Prof. Bazuaye in Benin is actually doing the transplantation for the sickle cell patients.
“There are lot of challenges which we believe government should come-in, and most importantly if such centres would be established in all the six geo-political zones, it will greatly assist.
“This is to ensure that there is a centre for individuals who require transplant for them to be properly managed,” he said.
He however said that it was not all sickle cell patients that actually require the transplant, saying that some needed only drugs to increase epical haemoglobin levels towards aiding delivery of blood and oxygen.
In her contribution, Hajiya Bilkisu Aminu, President, Safiyya Sickle Cell Foundation, said: “19 June every year is a day set aside by the United Nations and is being celebrated worldwide.
“It is a day where we celebrate persons living with sickle cell and also try to create awareness on sickle cell disorder in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
“In as much as we are doing awareness campaigns by the day, it seems that we are not doing enough and a lot need to done, because it seems the awareness doesn’t reach the right people,” she said.
While applauding the Kaduna State Government for enacting genotype test law before couple get married, Aminu suggested that the law should go further to prevent marriages in the event of unfavourable results.
“Really, there is a law insisting that couples should do a genotype test before marriage, but where the problem is, despite doing a test, it doesn’t stop some from getting married, so you have a counter effect.
“After the genotype test, nobody says no, don’t get married, it all depends on you to take the right decision. Despite the fact that there is policy in place, there is no enforcement.
“If you are AS and your partner too is AS, you are not supposed to get married and if you do, you are sanctioned after getting married.
“I think the policy needs to be improved to get the desired results,” she said.
Ms Jirap Diwang from SCORE also told NAN that the organisation was founded in September 2013 to introduce new bone screening to Nigeria.
“One of the main aims of the foundation is to start bone screening; we are very particular about that because a lot of people feel that it is not an issue to have both parents with SS or carriers of sickle cells anaemia.
“Some feel that it is not necessary to do genotype test before getting married and having kids, even if both of you are AA and you want to do it is fine.
“We are advocating that the screening should be done for children at birth, so that people will know the genotype of their children very early and prepare themselves,” she said. (NAN)
KLM/BOLA/MST
Edited by Bola Akingbehin/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Rape: Jigawa Govt to establish more sexual assault referral centres

Jigawa Govt to establish additional sexual assault referral centres
By Muhammad Nasir Bashir
Rape
Dutse, June 3, 2018 (NAN) The Jigawa State Government on Sunday said it would establish additional Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) to cater for rape victims in the state.
The state’s Head of Civil Service (HoS), Alhaji Muhammad Tahir, disclosed this when he received the Country Director, Pathfinder International, Dr Farouk Mahmud, in Dutse.
Alhaji Isma’il Ibrahim, the Spokesman of the Office of the HoS, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday that the visit was an advocacy to scale up public awareness on the high rate of sexual assault in the state.
Ibrahim said that the state government had been working closely with security agencies, traditional rulers, Council of Ulamah (Islamic clerics) and other related organisations to eradicate Gender Based Violence in the state.
He added that the government would ensure timely prosecution of those involved in the menace.
He said that the state would continue to partner with Pathfinder to curb violence against women in the state.
The spokesman stated that the Pathfinder country director had earlier told the HoS that they were seeking government support to eradicate domestic violence in the state.
According to him, Mahmud noted that the Pathfinder is an NGO working towards changing and saving the lives of women and their families throughout developing countries by increasing access to essential reproductive health services.
“The Country Director further told the HoS that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through Pathfinder Nigeria is aimed at strengthening the response to Gender Based Violence in the country.
“And also by providing financial and technical assistance to already established sexual assault referral centre in the state and to support the establishment of additional ones.
“He also noted with dismay the high rate of sexual assault in the state and the country at large,” the spokesman said.
Ibrahim added that Mahmud appealed to the state government to ensure steady supply of drugs for Gender Based Violence survivors.
NAN reports that a pilot SARC was established in 2016 by Jigawa government in collaboration with the Department for International Development (DFID), under its Justice for All (J4A) programme.
The SARC was established at the General Hospital, Dutse, Dutse Local Government Area of the state.
The centre was established to provide counseling services to victims of rape by members of staff of the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
The centre would also serve as an avenue where evidence could be established against rapists.
Also, the Jigawa State Justice Sector and Law Reform Commission said it would establish additional SARCs in the three senatorial districts of the state.
The Executive Secretary of the commission, Mr Lawan Buba, made this known in an interview with NAN in Dutse on July 31, 2017.
“As you know, rape is on the alarming rate not only in Jigawa, Nigeria, but also globally and in most cases, it is very difficult to prove such cases in court.
“So, parents of rape victims should not wash the genital part of their children until they report such incident to the police in their respective communities.
“We always tell parents of rape victims that the first point of report should be to the police.
“This is because the police are the institution responsible for taking up and processing justice on behalf of such victims by arresting, investigating and taking the perpetrator to court for trial.
“It will enable health workers to confirm the truth or otherwise of the situation when police take the victim to the hospital or health centre,’’ he said.
“At the centre a medical doctor would examine the victim and give a report which would be used against the rapist.
“Therefore, all parents or guardians of such victims should desist from keeping the matter quiet.
“Most parents keep mute thinking that they are protecting the rape victims from stigma,” Buba stressed. (NAN)
MNB/FAT/MST
Edited by Fatima Sule/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Resident doctors want FG to establish regional infectious disease centres

Resident doctors want FG to establish regional infectious disease centres
By Ummul Idris
Centres
Abuja, May 16, 2018 (NAN) The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called on the Federal Government to establish regional infectious disease centres of excellence across the country.
Dr Ugochukwu Chinaka, the National President of NARD, made the appeal in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
Chinaka said the proposed centres would ease the constant pressure on teaching hospitals in the country.
“It will also stem the needless loss of Nigerians to Lassa fever and other diseases.
“Also, comprehensive live insurance for all healthcare workers in Nigeria is a necessity.
“However, we enjoin all healthcare workers especially doctors during this period of strike to imbibe best hygiene practices.
“NARD appreciates the recent scale of surveillance at the country’s land boarders and airports to stem the Ebola scare, and regulate and report entry of suspected infectious individuals to prevent spread of the deadly disease in Nigeria,” he said.
Chinaka notes that the ongoing advocacy with the board of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) was a welcomed development.
He added that NARD would like the government to support the board urgently and impress on management to reinstate all unjustly sacked resident doctors in JUTH.
“On that we have resolved to extend an earlier ultimatum by 21 days, starting from Monday, 14th May 2018, to avail government time to reinstate our members sacked in JUTH over the years with full benefits.
“NARD enjoins the Government of Osun State to urgently look into the welfare of our members at LTH Osogbo and resolve all lingering issues pertaining to the welfare of our members in Osogbo,” he said.
According to him, NARD does not have issues with pressure groups and agitation for better working conditions.
“NARD wishes to align with her parent body the NMA by reminding government that any adjustment in CONHESS should be matched with corresponding adjustment of CONMESS.
“Also, we frown at the fact that salaries of our members at various federal health institutions are still being withheld by respective hospital managements and call on all responsible to urgently pay all outstanding to our members.
“We request President Muhammadu Buhari to graciously assent to the Residency Training Programme Act in order to resolve all contentious issues affecting training of resident doctors in Nigeria,” he said. (NAN)
UMD/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Bauchi Govt establishes 323 HIV centres

Bauchi Govt establishes 323 HIV centres
By Mohammed Ahmed Kaigama
Centres
Bauchi, May 8, 2018 (NAN) The Bauchi State Government has established 323 Prevention of Mother to Child (PMTC) HIV centres across the state.
‎The Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Tubaerculosis, Leprosy and Malaria (BACATMA), Dr Mansur Dada, disclosed this on Tuesday in Bauchi when he received members of the Advocacy Knowledge Management Committee (AKMC) of the Bauchi State Accountability Mechanism for Maternal and Newborn Health (BASAM) who visited.
‎Dada said the establishment of the PMTC centres in all the wards across the state was to ensure that all pregnant mothers that were HIV positive receive adequate healthcare service.
‎“This is to prevent them from transmitting the virus to their babies,” he said.
‎He explained that the there were only 120 centres when this administration came into office in 2015.
‎“We have only 120 PMTC centres in the state which are inadequate to cater for our HIV pregnant mothers.
‎“So we have to expand it to 323 centres; which means we now have one centre in each ward across the state.
“The state is committed to addressing the five diseases of Malaria, tuberculosis,‎ Leprosy and HIV/AIDS for a healthy society,” he said.
‎‎Dada said the agency had trained more than 700 health workers on PMTC, adding “we now have two health personnel in each PMTC centre’’.
‎“We have being providing them with anti-retroviral drugs and other commodities to ensure they live a healthy life.
‎“With this intervention, we are sure of seeing changes during pregnancy and after delivery among the pregnant women that are HIV positive,” he said.
‎Earlier, the Chairman of BASAM, Mr Isa Ladan, called on BACATMA to make data available on number of HIV positive pregnant women in the state.
“And to ensure that the HIV pregnant women receive anti-retroviral drugs,’’ Ladan.
‎He enjoined the management to ensure adequate distribution on Long Lasting Insecticide Net LLINS to mothers and babies.
‎The BASAM chairman also called on the agency to ensure that malaria was reduced to barest minimum in the state, especially among mothers and new born to reduce maternal and newborn mortality. (NAN)
MAK/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

FG to establish 2 skill acquisition centres in Jigawa

FG to establish 2 skill acquisition centres in Jigawa

NAN-H-93

Centres

By Muhammad Nasir Bashir

Dutse, Feb. 14, 2017 (NAN) Sen. Abdullahi Abubakar (APC-Jigawa North West), said that the Federal Government would establish two skill acquisition centres in Suletankarkar and Gagarawa Local Government Areas of the state.

Alhaji Daudu Sulaiman, the Information Officer of Suletankarkar Local Government Council, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Tuesday that the senator spoke during a stakeholders meeting of the APC in Suletankarkar.

Sulaiman said that wards and local government leaders of the APC from four local government areas under the senator’s constituency attended the meeting.

He explained that Abubukar said that two facilities would cost the federal government N140 million, saying that the money is already captured in the 2017 budget.

The spokesperson added that the senator assured that the Gagarawa power substation would commence operation in March with a view to improving power supply in the senatorial district.

According to Sulaiman, the lawmaker said the reconstruction of Maigatari-Gumel-Kano and Kwanar Dumawa-Babura-Babban Mutum federal roads would be undertaken this year.

He said the centers would go a long way to enable youths in the benefiting communities and the state in general to acquire skills for self reliance.

Sulaiman said the centres would also reduce unemployment and restiveness among youths by enhancing their economic wellbeing.

“If established, the centres will help to equip our teeming youths with the technical knowledge of setting up their own businesses, becoming self-reliant and also becoming employers of labour,” the spokesperson said. (NAN)

MNB/ORO/MST

Edited by Razak Owolabi/Muhammad Suleiman Tola