NMA strike: New salary structure for doctors takes off January 2015

                             
The House of Representatives on Monday, 25 August announced that the new salary structure for doctors would be reflected in the 2015 budget and takes effect from January 2015.

Ndudi Elumelu, chairman, House Committee on Health, gave the assurance while reacting to the resolution of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to suspend the 55-day old nationwide strike on Sunday, 24 August.

 According to him, the parties during the reconciliatory meetings attended by Federal Government’s team resolved “that the Federal Ministry of Health will grant the request of NMA for a new circular as demanded by NMA.

Fake soldier granted interview to BBC - DHQ says

                                 
On Tuesday August 19th, a Nigerian soldier spoke with the BBC explaining why himself and some other soldiers refused the order from their superiors to go fight Boko Haram insurgents. He alleged that they were not provided good weapons and ammunition and so gave Boko Haram the upper hand during any battle because the militants are more well equipped (read that here).


 Now the Defence Headquarters says the man who spoke with BBC is an impostor. Their statement below

          That degree of cowardice is not in the character of a real soldier of the Nigerian Army. The series of              lies contained in the alleged responses of the faceless person referred to as a soldier confirms the                  whole arrangement as another step of the mischief makers working for terrorists. No soldier has been sent on any mission without being armed. Each soldiers answers for his action in terms of discipline.

Oba of Lagos threatens to open can of worms, but only after 2015 elections

The Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, says he knows those responsible for the woes of Nigeria, and he will expose such persons after the 2015 general elections.

He said this on Monday, 18 August, in Lagos, at the public presentation of “Corruption and Human Rights Law in Africa”, a book by Dr Kolawole Olaniyan, a lawyer and legal adviser to ‘Amnesty International.

The monarch said he would shake the nation after the upcoming polls and also reveal the identity of some Yoruba monarchs who shared out of Abacha’s stolen loot.

He said, “I will shake this nation after the election in February. The man who made the statement that I lifted oil should cover his face in shame because I was still a serving police officer and I wonder how I would have such time to be involved in the lifting of oil. Those who collected Abacha’s money know themselves and I will quote witnesses.”

 Oba Akiolu also stated that the President should not have to shoulder the blame alone for the predicament of the country. “Let us stop apportioning blames, forget the past and work towards a better future for this country. Do not put 100 percent blame on President Goodluck Jonathan because the person who caused the problem knows himself,” he said.

The Oba was recently in the news when he endorsed Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressive Party, as the successor to Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola. His declaration was unpopular and met with mixed reactions from members of the APC.

Tanker driver shot dead by SARS policemen in Ibadan (READ)

Members of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Oyo State shot and killed a 24-year-old tanker driver, Lekan Agboola, Olomi area of Ibadan, on Monday, 18 August.

Agboola was shot dead by a team of policemen from SARS, on Sunday evening, along 7Up road, Olomi, Ibadan, in front of a cafeteria around 9:00 pm.

Brother of the deceased, Gbenga Ajakaye said that an officer who was well known to the family had led the team of SARS and ordered one of them to shoot at the deceased.

Ajakaye said “we were all drinking at our mother’s shop on Sunday evening when Lekan said he was hungry and stood up in readiness to go and eat. Suddenly, we saw a police van heading to a sharp corner with the driver applying brake that drew the attention to their act. Maybe because he was standing, they ran after him while people around were shouting don’t shoot him, don’t shoot him.

 “I can identify officer Simisere and one Tunde Ayan (something)very well, but Simisere led the operation and order his men to shoot. When I mentioned his name, they resulted to begging because we (the family) know Simisere very well.

WHO says it is safe travel to Ebola-affected countries [DETAILS]

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says travelling to Ebola-affected countries is safe and the risk is at best, minimal.

The apex health body in the world has released information, saying passengers can proceed to travel to countries like Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria, which have been affected by the deadly virus.

The organisation encourages travel to these countries, but if passengers develop a fever and Ebola Symptoms mid-air, they are to promptly inform airline personnel.

 Another important thing passengers should do is to alert airline personnel about any fellow traveller who has Ebola symptoms, which are fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea and bleeding.

 Meanwhile, the government of Cameroon has ordered the closure of its borders and the suspension of all flights to and from Nigeria. Cameroon has a border boundary of over 2, 000 kilometres in Borno, Adamawa, Taraba and Cross Rivers states.

 In a similar vein, Liberian troops have been ordered to shoot on sight persons who violate President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s directive to close Liberia’s borders as the Ebola virus spreads across the west African region.

Terrible! Married man bathes lady with acid for refusing to sleep with him

The police in Rivers state have arrested a married man for bathing a 21-year-old lady with acid because she refused to date him. The suspect, Mr Moses reportedly attacked the victim, Mary Nnorodim and her siblings, a 12-year-old sister and 15-year-old brother, while they were asleep early this month.

Mary and her sister were badly wounded, with their faces, chest and other parts of body damaged by the acid attack. The incident occurred at the victims’ residence at Railway Avenue, Akpajo Eleme in Rivers State.

Moses was said to have persistently threatened Mary through phone messages, promising to deal with her because she declined his sexual advances.

The victim, who is presently at an hospital in Port Harcourt, revealed that the suspect had previously told her that he’d make life miserable for her and her family.

 Meanwhile, Port Harcourt based human rights group, ‘Initiative for Advancement of Humanity’, has petitioned Rivers State Police Commissioner, Tunde Ogunshakin to transfer the case from Eleme Police station to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The group insist that it is the only way a thorough investigation can be carried out on the matter.

My predictions for the new EPL season and Europe

      The problem of a prolific center forward has been addressed with the purchase of Diego Costa. Chelsea is set to conquer England. 

The thirst of football fans around the globe is set to be quenched with the start of the 2014/2015 English Premier League season.

The most watched league in the world with the highest revenue accrued due to its expansive reach and arguable the best in the world has seen the influx of players into it this summer with most clubs trying desperately to reinforce in order to keep up with their rivals at whatever level they are fighting to compete.

The top managers in the league are coy about the chances of their respective clubs winning the league given the formidable opponents they have to face.

As with all seasons, I try to highlight the chances each top club has of taking the EPL based on their resources and record in the previous season not neglecting their pre-season performances.

NMA Dares Jonathan - Asks Resident Doctors To Reject Sack Letters

The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has ordered all resident doctors to reject the federal government directive and not collect any sack letters from the management of their hospitals.

After a meeting by the association’s National Officers’ Committee, NOC, on Friday, the doctors were also advised not to sign any register opened by the Nigerian government or any hospital.

 On Thursday, President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the sack of about 16,000 resident doctors in Nigeria. Resident doctors are also members of the NMA, which has been on strike since July 1. The directive by Mr. Jonathan was stated in an internal memo dated August 13 and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, L.N. Awute.

Why did the United States government patent an Ebola virus invention?

Since the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus in Nigeria, and by an extension, Africa, various theories have been flying around about the source of the virus.

The deadly Ebola virus’ first recorded outbreak was in 1976 in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of the Congo (then Zaire), which lies on the Ebola River.

During the course of a research on the virus, it came to fore that the United States federal government actually took out a patent on the Ebola virus (EboBun) in 2010.

The patent application is in the name of, ‘The Government Of The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary, Department Of Health & Human Services, Center For Disease Control.’

The Centre for Disease Control specifically claims patent protection on a method for propagating the Ebola virus in host cells as well as treating infected hosts with vaccines.

Nigeria approves use of experimental drug, Zmapp, on Ebola patients

The National Health Research Ethics Committee, Nigeria, has approved the use of an experimental Ebola drug, Zmapp, for treatment of patients infected with the virus.

The committee, which composed research scientists, is a national body under the Federal Ministry of Health. The endorsement is contained in a statement issued to newsmen by Prof. Clement Adebamowo, Chairman of the committee on Wednesday in Abuja.

 The decision by the committee is coming on the heels of Tuesday’s approval by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the use of Zmapp for treatment of Ebola patients. Continue...

Breaking: Ebola Goes Out Of Control As 21 Quarantined In Enugu- FG

The Federal Government has confirmed further spread of ebola virus in the country, saying 21 persons are being currently quarantined in enugu State.

 Information Minister Labaran Maku disclosed this to State House journalists today after the Federal Executive Council (fec) meeting chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan. He noted that the four-hour fec meeting was devoted to discussions on the progress being made in combating ebola in the country.

 He said the government had so far traced 198 persons that had primary and secondary contacts with Patrick Sawyer who brought the virus to Nigeria from Liberia. According to the minister, 177 of those persons are in Lagos; while 21 are in enugu. He said the 21 persons being quarantined in enugu were those who had contacts with a female nurse that had primary contact with Sawyer in Lagos. The minister explained that the nurse disobeyed medical instructions and traveled to enugu.

RED is hiring: Are you ready to change the world? This is your chance to show us what you’ve got

                                   
Are you ready change the world, do the heavy lifting, no matter how tough it gets?

Be passionate about the media, how it can empower and drive the conversation, and how we can change the world, but be ready to work incredibly hard!

A job at RED is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. You’ll be challenged. You’ll be inspired. Continue...

Your bank still gets loans from CBN at 12%, then lend to you at xxx

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has retained the lending rate (MPR) at 12% after its meeting on Tuesday in Abuja. The Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, said the committee, after considering global economic indicators also retained Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) of public sector fund at 75% and that of private sector at 15%. Also, the MPC voted to retain the MPR at 12% with a corridor of +/- 200 basis points around the midpoint; while retaining the Liquidity Ratio at 30%.

“The committee unanimously voted to retain the current rate of the monetary policy and in addition, one member voted for an asymmetric corridor around the MPR. Consequently, the committee voted to hold the MPR at 12%, keep the CRR on public sector deposits at 75% and CRR on private sector deposits at 15%,” he said.

Meet the 7-year-old Sierra Leonan boy & others who have survived Ebola

                            
Vandy Jawad 7, is a reminder of hope and survival in an otherwise deeply tragic situation. He was in the treatment centre at Kenema for more than one month after contracting the virus in Daru village about 40 km out of Kenema town, and one of the worst affected communities in Sierra Leone.

According to nurses, he displayed some very serious symptoms when first admitted, “That small boy was very, very sick. We did not think he would survive as so many haven’t,” said Sister Nancy Yoko, the nurse in charge of the Ebola Treatment Centre in Kenema.

Vandy started showing signs of recovery a couple of weeks ago slowly gathering his strength. When he finally achieved a negative test result, which revealed there was no more Ebola virus in his system, it was time for him to go home.

Japheth Omojuwa: Nigeria will never be united

                                        As it is today, this country will never be united. 

 There is a truth that Nigeria as a country must come to accept, we can institutionalize an amalgamation and make people of different histories and cultures live together as one, we would have to do more than create laws and tenets to foster unity. It has been 100 years since that amalgamation but nothing suggests Nigerians are more united today than they were in 1914. This country was set up to be anything but united.

The colonial masters never wanted a united country; they just wanted a bigger company with one command than several countries or protectorates with many control centres. It was in the economic and political interest of Britain to form an amalgamation of the northern and southern protectorate.