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Thirty officers of
the Nigeria Customs Service, Ondo/Ekiti command, were yesterday
decorated with new ranks for the first time in three decades, as part
of efforts to boost their morale.

This is the first
time officers in the command will be promoted in the last 30 years,
since its establishment,” the Ekiti/Ondo State comptroller, Umar Yusuf,
stated while decorating the officers at the ceremony.

He commended the officers for their brilliant performance and urged them not to relent in their efforts.

“I want to salute
the 30 officers that are elevated to the next rank. I don’t want you to
rest on your oars. Continue do the job diligently.” He noted that since
the establishment of the command over thirty years ago, no single
officer has been elevated, giving the issue of irregular transfers as
one of the reasons why no one had been promoted.

Mr Yusuf advised
others to be dedicated to duty, saying all efforts must be geared at
reducing smuggling to the barest minimum in the country. According to
him, the command is poised to tackle the activities of smugglers in
Ekiti/Ondo State through regular combing of major state boarders.

Mr Yusuf added that
about eight projects being carried out in the command will be
commissioned by the Customs Controller General, Abdulahi Inde Dikko,
before the end of the year.

New projects

The Custom boss
said the projects to be commissioned include: a new hospital, women
barracks of five suites each, a new conference hall, new restaurant,
and a Senior Officers Mess, among others.

According to him,
the projects became necessary in order to ensure that the officers in
the command are motivated to put their best into the service. He said
the projects are meant to make life comfortable for the officers while
they discharge their duties.

“What I met on
board when I resumed office was not palatable, that is why we have to
embark on projects that will transform the Nigerian Customs and make
our workers perform well,” the area controller said.

He added that the
revenue base of the command has increased geometrically from N445, 000
in January to N4 million in July, 2010, representing a total percentage
of 889.

Mr Yusuf noted that
the command was generating funds from excise duties recovered on
Tokunbo vehicles, which are discovered by the Task Force which he set
up shortly after assumption of duty in the Command, together with
vigilant Custom Officers on patrol.

He assured that the Command is working assiduously to complement the
N660 billion targeted for the Controller General for the year 2010 by
the federal government.

Adamawa State has moved to provide health insurance coverage to civil servants in the state.

According to the
state governor, Murtala Nyako, increasing medical cost and the vagaries
of health has informed the decision of his administration to take
advantage of the health insurance scheme as a way of relief.

The governor, who
spoke on his assessment of projects embarked on by his administration
in the health sector, said, “Right now, the office of the governor is
overwhelmed by requests from people looking for small monies to go for
one form of health care or health examination, but with a good health
insurance scheme, this is totally unnecessary.”

He said the scheme
would free the civil servants partaking in the scheme from the
occasional challenge of not being able to pay for health service
delivery when they take ill. He called on the managers of the scheme
not to handle lightly, the security of the information on their
database.

Legal backing

The Director of the
health insurance scheme in the state, Saleh Shelleng, said the bill to
provide legal backing for the scheme had passed its second reading. The
passage would provide for the sustainability of the scheme. “Once the
law is enacted, the issue of sustainability of the scheme will no
longer be an issue. The law says the civil servant will contribute 5
per cent of his basic salary, and the insurance covers him, his wife
and four biological children,” he said.

“Under the health
insurance scheme, the government is required to make a contribution not
less than 10 per cent, to make up the insurance sum for each civil
servant partaking in the scheme.”

Mr Nyako said the state government was calling on the organized
private sector to partner with the government to extend coverage to the
rural areas.

Ondo State
governor, Olusegun Mimiko, yesterday lamented the depleting nature of
the agricultural sector which had been neglected because of the
discovery of petroleum.

Mr. Mimiko, who
disclosed this while presenting N1 billion large Scale Agricultural
Credit Scheme letters of offer to the beneficiaries from the 18 local
government areas of the state in Akure said the agricultural sector was
stuffed with subsistence characteristics such as: low productivity,
lack of credit facilities, storage facilities, and relatively scarce
mechanisation infrastructure.

He, however, noted
that agriculture, if given the deserved attention could go a long way
in reducing the high rate of unemployment in the country. He also
informed that the state was the first in the Federation to benefit from
and disburse to farmers, the N1 billion large cale Agricultural Credit
Scheme put in place by the Federal Government for on-lending to States.

The credit scheme,
according to him, is to fast-track the development of the agricultural
sector and boost food production in the nation.

Mr Mimiko disclosed
that the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme was meant for the
production of crops such as maize, cassava, vegetables adding that
livestock, fisheries and agricultural processing activities were also
involved.

According to Mr
Mimiko, the Scheme offered to States by the Federal Government was to
upscale productivity, employment generation, diversification of the
revenue base and increase in foreign exchange earning capacity, as well
as availability of raw materials for the industrial sector of the
Nigerian economy.

He said, “In line
with our strategy, the State has accessed the N1 billion Commercial
Agriculture Credit Scheme Credit facility for on-lending to our
farmers, the State Executive Council, as part of its implementation
strategy, constituted both the Cabinet and Technical Committees working
in collaboration with officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, United
Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) and other stakeholders to determine the modus
operandi for the loan scheme.

“Eligibility
criteria for accessing the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme include
among other things, genuine and practicing farmers, non-indebtedness of
beneficiaries to financial institutions amongst others. The Commercial
Agriculture Credit Scheme interest is 9% including all charges, maximum
tenure of 2 years and moratorium period of 6 months.

“I wish to say for
the avoidance of doubt that the N1 billion Agricultural Credit is
guaranteed by the State Government because of its genuine interest in
the well-being of our farmers and promotion of the agricultural sector.
Every beneficiary must, therefore, endeavour to utilise the credit
facility and pay back within the stipulated time frame. This would
enable others to benefit from the facility if and when repayment
schedule is duly honoured.”

In spite of
uncertainties over his membership status in the People’s Democratic
Party (PDP), former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, yesterday declared
that there is no cause for alarm over the waiver that will determine
his eligibility for the party’s presidential primaries.

Mr Atiku spoke with
the press after an inspection of the party’s secretariat which was
damaged by fire last week, and a closed-door meeting with national
chairman, Okwesilieze Nwodo, which lasted for more than 45 minutes.

Mr Atiku said that
the issue of his waiver did not come up during the meeting, saying that
their discussions centred on the “state of affairs” of the party.

“The issue of
waiver is left for the party leadership,” he said. “You people are
always with the party leadership and should find out and let me know
their position, which other Nigerians are interested in knowing, too.”

Constitutional obstacles

Mr Atiku left the
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to join the PDP in April, but faces a
number of restrictions within the party’s constitution before he is
eligible to run for office on its platform.

Article 8.9 of the
PDP’s constitution specifies that anyone who rejoins the party will be
placed on a year-long probation, unless granted a waiver by the party’s
executive committee. The party’s constitution also demands that
returnees have to be recommended for a waiver by the party’s chapter in
their state of origin.

However, the Adamawa State chapter of the PDP has distanced itself
from the former vice president. In addition, Mr Atiku was not on the
list of those granted waivers at the party’s National Executive
Committee (NEC) meeting last month

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) said on Monday that its officials in Kwara State arrested two
local government chairmen for alleged financial misconduct.

According to the agency’s spokesperson, Femi
Babafemi, the arrested chairmen were Tajudeen Bada of Irepodun and
James Olaniyi of Oke-Ero Local Government Areas.

Mr Babafemi said that some other persons in the
state, who were linked to the alleged misconduct, had fled Nigeria. He
said that the commission was committed to fighting corruption in our
country, in spite of what he described as “unpleasant statements from
some Nigerians”, adding that the EFCC would not be intimidated by what
it called the “level of propaganda”.

He added that the commission had a legitimate duty to investigate
and prosecute all forms of economic and financial crimes in all parts
of the federation.

The Social Action and Ogoni Solidarity Forum, two
Niger Delta based community groups, have called for the immediate sack
of Mike Cowing, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)’s
project coordinator in the ongoing assessment of the environmental
impact of oil contamination in the region.

In a statement issued by Celestine Akpobari, the
national coordinator of the Ogoni Solidarity Forum during a protest in
Port Harcourt against the interim report, the groups expressed concern
over the final outcome of the investigation, the final report of which
is expected to be submitted in January next year.

“UNEP’s reliance on data provided by weak government
regulatory agencies and Shell, a major polluter in the Niger Delta and
sponsor of the said exercise, has totally discredited the anticipated
report and should be considered a fraud,” said Mr Akpobari.

“We are worried that if an agency of the United
Nations is unable to protect oppressed citizens, then the people must
begin to find every lawful means of protecting themselves, and this may
be the beginning of a global crisis.” The groups decried the interim
report submitted by UNEP which claimed that 90 per cent of the oil
spills in Ogoni are caused by the locals in the process of stealing
crude from the pipelines.

Open secret

“It is an open secret that Shell and the Nigeria
government are all parties to the Niger Delta conflict. Relying on data
from their officials as a basis for assessing damages to the once
beautiful Niger Delta environment is, to say the least, the greatest
disservice to humanity, and we reject it.

“The mere allocation of figures (90:10 per cent) to
such an important issue is a complete devastation of a people’s
God-given environment and the total destruction of their livelihood.”
Mr Akpobari described the report as “a soft landing and a face-saving
measure for Shell after the show of shame in the Gulf of Mexico spill”
and called for its rejection.

The UNEP interim report, which was submitted to
Goodluck Jonathan last week, led to international controversy over its
independence. Amnesty International accused the group of being
sponsored by Shell, the Anglo-Dutch oil company, while the
environmental rights group, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of
the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), described the report as “not only
outrageous, but scandalous.”

UNEP, in its reaction, had said its report was interim and that the study was yet to be concluded.

The Congress for
Progressive Change (CPC) in Nasarawa State has accused Governor Aliyu
Akwe Doma of plotting to manipulate the forthcoming general elections
to the advantage of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The CPC, in a
statement by its interim chairman, Muhammad El-Yakub, said part of the
plot includes elongating the tenures of local government chairmen to
give the PDP more time to manipulate the election at the local
government council levels to its favour.

Undemocratic elongation

“We declare that
the process to be embarked upon by the government is uncalled for and
undemocratic. The CPC in Nasarawa State will do everything possible to
stop any attempt to elongate the tenure of these occupiers of the
councils with all the strength we can muster,” according to Mr.
El-Yakub.

The party also said
the plot would be carried out in conjunction with the state assembly,
which is expected to pass a law that would elongate the tenure of the
chairmen.

However, the state
government has denied knowledge of the allegations. The information
commissioner, Mamman Alakayi, said he could not comment because he had
not seen such statement. He called on the party to come forward for
discussions.

“The CPC has the
alternative to engage the government for a dialogue that would make the
democratic norms in the state strong,” he said.

Poor oversight

The CPC also
slammed the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC)
for inadequate preparations for the local government council elections,
even though the tenures of the present chairmen expire next month.

The party said the
poor preparations, compared to last year’s elections, were an
indication that the commission may be co-conspirators in the plot.

“Up till now,
NASIEC is yet to come up with guidelines for the elections; the
timetable for the elections is yet to be released,” said the party.

“Under normal
circumstances, NASIEC should have already started meeting with all the
political parties that are interested in contesting the council
elections,” it said.

The CPC stated that it would not “fold its arms and watch the alleged manipulation unfold.”

The party reminded
the state government of a judgment by a court in Lafia, the state
capital, that restricted it from appointing anyone to oversee the
affairs of local government councils.

“We enjoin NASIEC that the world is watching and it is in the best
interest of the body that it should begin, without delay, the
modalities towards conducting free, fair, and credible elections,” it
said.

Rail transportation is the only means to address the
ports congestion that has continually threatened the nation’s maritime
industry, Peter Irabor, the former President General of the Maritime
Workers Union of Nigeria, has said.

Mr Irabor said that the port operators are trying
their best to find a lasting solution to the perennial problem, but
advised that the federal government should not leave the responsibility
to the internal operators alone. He expressed dismay at the non
availability of functional rail system to service the ports. “How can
you have a port without rail lines to the ports? If you have rail
transportation to the ports, you can transfer containers from the port
to the north, east and other western states,” he said.

Mr Irabor, who is also the Vice President of Nigeria Labour
Congress, called on the federal government to provide rail lines from
the ports to connect all other parts of the country. “All goods that
come into the country, including cars could then be transported on
rails,” he said. The labour leader also criticized the port authorities
for their failure to replicate what they saw in other countries. “I
don’t know why our people go out there,” he said. “When they go out
there to acquire the knowledge, they drop it at the airports on their
way back to the country. They don’t take it to the industry. That is
the problem. They know what to do, but they don’t want to do it.”

After a decade
devoted to the research and development of African traditional
medicine, researchers, practitioners, scientists and policy makers
alike are still dissatisfied that it is not given proper recognition in
the national healthcare system.

The Africa Union
(AU) had in July 2001 declared the year 2001-2010 as the decade of
traditional medicine in recognition of its vast potentials and its
immense contribution to the continent’s sustainable development in
health and wellbeing of her people. This is based on the WHO’S (World
Health Organization) premise that 85 per cent of the people utilize one
form of traditional medicine or the other.

It also recognizes
it as a source of poverty alleviation, wealth and job creation with an
estimated annual global trade worth USD100 billion.

But at the
commemoration of the ‘End of Decade for Traditional Medicine last week
in Lagos, the conclusive remark is that much more still needs to be
done to officially incorporate this form of medicine into the national
healthcare delivery system.

According to the
director general of the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency,
(NNMDA), Tamunoibuomi Okujagu, progress has been made in the area of
sensitization and popularization in the last decade.

“However, more
needs to be done in issues of policy, legal framework
institutionalizing traditional medicine, inauguration of National Board
to regulate traditional medicine and establishment of centres of
excellence.”

A bill too long

One of the efforts
made at institutionalizing the practice is an attempt to pass a Bill on
traditional medicine into law. The Bill titled ‘Establishment of
Nigerian Traditional Medicine Policy and the Bill to establish the
Traditional Medical Council of Nigeria’, was developed by the Federal
Ministry of Health in 2006, but has only passed through the second
reading since then. Subsequently, the house was dissolved in 2007 due
to the 2007 national election. Researchers believe a change of
government may affect the success of this Bill.

“Presently, I don’t
see much to be again done this year,” Mr Okujagu says. “The elections
are coming up again (2011 polls) and the House will be dissolved soon.
We hope that when a new House is constituted it may push it, but that
means we have to begin again. And of course the success of the Bill
will depend on someone in the House who will be able to champion the
cause.” The Bill, if passed is expected to regulate the practice by
polishing the knowledge of existing practitioners thus preventing
quackery. Studies have continued to show that a large percentage of the
population will definitely patronize herbal medicine practitioner
because they are the most accessible especially in rural areas and they
are affordable.

The chairman of the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board, Bunmi Omoseyindemi emphasizes the need.

“We just have to
sensitize them enough so that they can pass the bill. Our current
healthcare delivery system cannot effectively meet the need of the
population alone; patients.” He adds, “so there is a need to develop
the manpower in traditional medicine so that they can effectively
support orthodox medicine for health promotion and illness prevention.”

So far, so good

So far, NNMDA has
made progress in developing traditional medicine through research of
medicinal plants in collaboration with university scientists and
traditional medicine practitioners who possess the indigenous
knowledge. This has led to the publishing of books on medicinal plants
of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The Agency also houses a
digital virtual library said to be first of its kind in Africa. It
contains up to 589 books on traditional medicine and 80 CDs.

Dr Omoseyindemi remarks that this is commendable but not enough compared to other African countries.

“We need an institute for traditional medicine. In countries like
Ghana for instance, they have a several institutes, even universities
where a master’s degree in traditional medicine can be obtained. But
here we have only one agency for traditional medicine and one digital
library that has documentation on it.” He adds that the Lagos State
Board is also doing quite a lot in the area of training of
practitioners and accreditation to prevent quackery.