Category: News

… Says Enugu to construct 260 PHCs, do more on universal health insurance coverage

…As UNICEF commends Mbah’s commitment to health, nutrition, pledges support

Governor of Enugu of State, Dr. Peter Mbah, says his administration has prioritised healthcare delivery, as it understands the import of a healthy population and healthy workforce.

Mbah, who said that the administration was in the process of constructing 260 primary healthcare centers (PHCs) in all the electoral wards and also ensure that every local government area got at least one world class secondary health facility, vowed that his administration would not relent until every child, mother, the elderly and Enugu citizen has access to better healthcare.

This was even as UNICEF commended the Governor Mbah administration’s commitment to healthcare and nutrition.

Mbah stated this at the weekend during an inspection tour of a primary health centre at Ogononoeji Ndiuno, Akpugo, Nkanu West LGA, where he also interacted with health workers and community leaders towards primary healthcare improvement.

“Healthcare is at the core of what we do in Enugu State. Indeed, outside education in our social services sector, the next sector that is taking the largest part of our 2024 budget is healthcare.

“It is so because we understand the importance of having a healthy society and indeed a healthy workforce. And in that hierarchy of healthcare, we see the primary healthcare as the most important.”

Mbah said that it was for this reason that the administration had undertaken a thorough study of the challenges in the primary healthcare space “to have reliable data to craft adequate strategy to address them”, adding that the administration had since swung into action.

“That is why, as you must have heard from the Commissioner for Health, we are going to be developing 260 world class Type-2 primary healthcare centres across the entire wards in Enugu State.

“Our strategy in that area is that rather than spread ourselves thinly across 557 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs),, we want to focus on consolidating our resources and developing 260 world class Type-2 PHCs because we want to provide 24-hour services in each PHC so that at any time, you would have access to quality primary health care in our rural communities across the state”, he stated.

Governor Mbah also explained that the administration was already addressing the state’s poor health workforce density, while equally paying attention to secondary healthcare.

“As part of our strategies, we are upgrading our nursing schools to colleges so that we can have more intakes and have more nurses and community health extension workers trained to man our PHC facilities.

“And as we are at the same time paying attention to secondary healthcare facilities. Our objective is to ensure that each local government gets a minimum of one world class secondary healthcare facility.

“Part of our strategy is also to deploy technology. We have now started the process of capturing, in an electronic form, all the reports of those that have access to the healthcare system so that we can have an electronic health management system.”

He harped on the need to bring more Enugu citizens under the universal health insurance coverage, saying it was cheaper and reliable.

“We are also doing something in the universal health coverage. We have to begin to encourage our people to enrol. Just giving N1,000 every month would ensure that your ward has access to primary health care, which comes to N12,000 in a year. So, we need to increase awareness in this space for our people to take advantage of it because it does exist.

“So, we are going to do everything to ensure we continue to improve on our healthcare performance index; and we will not relent until we get to that point where every child, every mother, and every elderly person in this state would have access to primary health care We will not give up”, the governor concluded.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Field Office, UNICEF, Enugu, Juliet Chiluwe, had while commending Mbah administration’s effort at improving healthcare and nutrition also pledged the continued support of the international agency to the government.

“Your policies on healthcare and nutrition are commendable. We commend you for aspiring to make the state the best in the nation, and we are certain that with your support, we will win the leadership challenge.

“We are also impressed with the 260 proposed PHCs and UNICEF will support you”, she stated.

Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary, Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ESPHCDA), Dr. Ifeyinwa Ani-Osheku, said the administration was embarking on a massive recruitment of health workers in 2024, adding that the state has set up a seven-man committee to assess the performance of LGAs in primary healthcare delivery.

She said the agency recorded 75 per cent success on the cervical cancer vaccination campaign in October, the disease being the second major cause of death among women, while also training midwives to manage obstetrics and child delivery in rural areas.

On his part, the state’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Emmanuel Obi, assured the women that the new PHCs would reach every rural community, saying the state was doing well in the health sector because of Governor Mbah’s leadership.

“It is amazing that Enugu is already on the map of states doing well both nationally and internationally. Everyone is interested in Enugu because of the governor’s policies programmes in the health sector,” Dr. Obi stated.

The Chairman of Nkanu West LGA, Hon Uche Ejim; and a traditional ruler, Igwe Amushi Nwodo, who spoke on behalf of the 12 Akpugo communities and other royal fathers; and a community woman leader, Mrs. Chinyere Ani, expressed satisfaction with the determination of the Mbah administration to turn around the health sector in rural communities in the state and pledged their total support.

They pledged to secure health equipment and facilities that would be installed or built in their communities.

In attendance were the members of the House of Assembly representing Nkanu West and East constituencies, Hon. Ilo Aniagu and Hon. Okechukwu Mbah, respectively, Chairman of State ALGON and Council Chairman of Nkanu East LGA, Hon. Sydney Okechukwu Edeh, his Uzo Uwani, Isi Uzo and Enugu East counterparts, Hon. Chukwudi Nnadozie, Hon. Barr. Obiora Obeagu, and Hon. Livinus Anike, respectively, and the Political Adviser to the Governor, Hon. Frank Anioma.

Among the Akpugo stakeholders on hand to receive Governor Mbah were the Special Adviser to Governor on Projects, Arc. Uche Nwatu; Managing Director, Enugu State Investment Development Authority, Dr Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo; former Chairman of the Enugu State LG Pensions Board and Spokesman of Enugu State PDP Campaign Council, Barr. Nana Ogbodo; and former Commissioner for Works, Hon. Afam Nnaji.

Also present were the former Commissioner for Chieftaincy Matters, Barr. Ray Nnaji; former Chairman of the State Civil Service Commission, Dr. Emeka Nwatu; former Deputy Chairman of Nkanu West LG Council, Chief John Ogbodo; former State Secretary of the PDP, Barr. Steve Oruruo, traditional rulers, among others.

…says productivity key to achieving $30 billion GDP

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has reassured the state civil and public servants of continuous better welfare package under his administration, saying emphasis has now shifted from work attendance to productivity in order to achieve a sustainable economy, make the state an investment hub and actualize the proposed $30 billion gross domestic product.

Mbah, who gave this assurance, Friday, in Enugu, during the grand finale of the 2023 Enugu State Civil Week, lauded the workers for their professionalism and for keying into the vision of the administration by their cooperation and team spirit.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, Mbah further noted that the achievements the administration had recorded over the past 200 days were enabled by their resilient spirit, partnership with the authority and commitment to deliver.

“The Governor wants me to remind you that without your level of professionalism, it will be very difficult to achieve what we have set out to do. On this note, he asked me to remind you that the professionalism he has seen in his first 200 days in office should continue to be reflected in the next 4 years,” he said.

Speaking on the significance of the theme of civil service week, “Innovating the Future Public Service: New Government Model for a New Era to Reach the SDGs,” the governor said his administration was intentional in meeting the demands and needs of workers which included enabling a conducive working environment, incentives, training and increment of salaries and emoluments, saying such gestures were to ensure optimal productivity that would take the state to the next level of development.

“One of the demands that had been an issue for years was that there was no power at the secretariat, and that they would like to have a conducive working environment to be able to do their work as professionals. I am happy that the Head of Service has announced that there is now power restored at the secretariat building.

“The second thing that we talked about was the issue of providing security and ensuring that the lives of Enugu citizens are sacrosanct in our push to grow the economy. I am happy to announce that since His Excellency came into office and abolished the sit-at-home order, there has been no insecurity incident in Enugu till today, 200 days in office.

“The third thing is the improvement in the welfare of workers. I am here to announce that His Excellency has approved the promotion of workers that are due, and the process has begun. In addition to that, a couple of days back, he approved the N25,000 and N10,000 wage bill increase for state and local government workers respectively, one of the states that has made that effort in Nigeria,” he added.

According to him, the administration is keen on changing the narrative through technology and innovation, saying “I am also happy to announce that our effort to digitalize our public service system is ongoing. Most of you know that we have started the e-governance model, which aligns with this year’s celebration; innovating the future of public service. We have started with the Ministry of Lands and all the MDAs are going to start the first step of digitalisation, backing up all our data, and digitalising the process, where for instance, in the Ministry of Lands, it will not take more than 48 hours from the time of application to receiving a Certificate of Occupancy in Enugu State.”

He explained that for the state to achieve its target $30 billion GDP, eradicate poverty, make the state an investment destination, deliberate steps of focusing on productivity rather than attendance to office only must take shape, noting that 70% of the 2024 budget was earmarked for infrastructure that would improve the state and make it attractive to investors.

Speaking earlier, the Head of Service, Mr. Ken Ugwu, said the theme of the event was in line with the governance philosophy of the Mbah administration which was modeled towards disrupting the status quo through innovation that would birth the future service that would face the challenges of modern governance.

He appreciated the governor for his intervention in all the spectrums of the critical institutions that have enabled rapid transformation and development, maintaining that uninterrupted power had been restored to most of the state facilities.

He listed the achievements of the current administration as including the ongoing construction of 260 smart schools across the state that would be free for their children, ongoing construction of 260 primary healthcare centres, automation of all the MDAs that would soon be completed, construction of roads, provision of 120 million litres of water daily within 180 days, provision of maximum security across the state, payment of pensions to all the retired state civil servants, including backlogs, approval of promotions for qualified workers and the recent wage award to all the members of staff in the state.

He also reiterated the commitment of the workers toward achieving the programmes and policies of the administration.

The Northern Governors’ Forum has  resolved to support the Kaduna State Government and victims of the Kaduna bombing  with the sum of N180 million.

The forum announced this in the communique signed by the Chairman and Governor of Gombe State Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya at the end of their inaugural meeting held in Kaduna on Friday.

The Forum commiserated with the Government and people of Kaduna State over the unfortunate bombing incident at the Tudun Biri Community of Igabi LGA which claimed about 100 lives and left many others hospitalised.

“The forum has  collectively resolved to support the Kaduna State Government and victims of the unfortunate incident of bombing at Tudun Biri Community of Igabi LGA by donating the sum of  N180,000,000.00 only to the victims.”

The forum also resolved to work collectively to ensure that the tragic incident is thoroughly investigated with a view to compensating victims and taking corrective measures to prevent future occurrence.

The forum resolved to vigorously pursue the collective interest of the North in areas of enhanced security, peaceful coexistence, economic development, youth employment, drug abuse and revitalisation of education at all levels.

The NGF forum further commended the Federal Government for the renewed vigour in the fight against insecurity, kidnaping, banditry, communal clashes and terrorism, bedeviling the region.

The forum resolved to stand united in its commitment to addressing those challenges through enhanced collaboration with security agencies, strengthening local law enforcement, community engagement, adoption of modern technology and administrative reforms, as well as addressing the root causes of insecurity such as poverty, unemployment and deepening social in-equality.

They also resolved to address the environmental challenges affecting Northern Nigeria which is threatening rural livelihood, pushing farmers into conflict with herders and adding to the general level of poverty and insecurity.

Daily Trust

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that his administration is not fighting anybody but is preoccupied with delivering on his mandate by taking care of the needs of the people and protecting the interest of the state.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Mourns Ezeife
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has received with a deep shock the passing on of yet another Igbo Titan; a one man riot squad, an erudite scholar and astute bureaucrat, brave and thoughtful dogged fighter, an accomplished politician and former Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, CON (Okwadike Igbo-Ukwu).

Okwadike was a consistent purveyor of morals, justice and equity. He was a remarkable advocate of progressivism in its purest tradition. When the Moshood Abiola Mandate was truncated, Ezeife risked the military dungeon in the pursuit of justice. A detribalized patriot who warned that unless there is a re-federalisation of Nigeria and fundamental restructuring of the polity, Nigeria will continue to grope in the dark.

Ezeife was an unwavering and steadfast personality. He was on the side of the masses, the vulnerable and the down trodden.

The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Engr Dr Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, MFR; OFR; CFR; FNICE; FNSE; KSC (Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo) could not withhold his emotions on hearing the passing on of Okwadike. He lamented that the Igbo have been afflicted with a chain of catastrophe within a very short space of time; Prof. George Obiozor, Prof. Joe Irukwu, Prof . Ben Nwabueze, Chief Mbazulike Amechi, Dr. Sylvanus Olisanye Ebigwei and now Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, amongst others. He qualified Ezeife as a quintessential Igbo in all ramifications. He added that Nigeria has lost a rare gem.

On behalf of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide and indeed all the sons and daughters of Igbo land, we send our condolences to the immediate family of Okwadike, the Igbo Ukwu community and the good people of Anambra State.

While we prepare for a befitting farewell to our illustrious son, we beseech the Almighty to grant the soul of Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife an eternal repose in his bosom.

...Resident Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, Physiotherapists, Others Collaborate in the Medical Outreach

Daberechukwu Egbo, Enugu

In an immense commitment to Community Service and positively impacting the health and lives of people, the Paul Basil Iloegbouba Foundation, PBIF, in collaboration with Association of Resident Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, Physiotherapists, Medical Laboratory Scientists and Dentists from ESUT Parklane Teaching Hospital and other various health departments and associations organised a one day free Enugu Mega Medical Outreach.

The free medical outreach which has been organised in different parts of Enugu for over 10 years took place on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at Michael Okpara Square, Enugu and was aimed at providing high quality extensive medical healthcare services to people. It benefitted over a thousand people from different parts of Enugu State and beyond.

The outreach offered a wide range of free health education and medical services to the beneficiaries on thorough check up of vital signs to ensure comprehensive assessment of their overall health which involves assessment of blood pressure, blood sugar level, pulse rate, health check ups and consultations involving performance of diagnostic lab tests like malaria tests, HIV tests, other health assessments counting eye vision screening, ear assessment/check ups, physiotherapy check ups and dental check ups as well as

Other medical services rendered includes; health education, medical advise and treatment for patients with signs, symptoms and complaints which involves dispensation of free medication from the pharmacy department, free distribution of presbyopic reading lens/glasses for the aged and elderly, free physical therapy session, dental services, ambulances to convey patients with emergency cases who require immediate medical attention and Patient data collection for medical cases requiring surgical intervention, intensive and follow-up medical care.

The Chairman and CEO of the Foundation, Dr. Paul Basil Iloegbouba stressed the Foundation’s commitment and dedication to helping people and adding value to their lives by improving their health status.

“PBIF was born out of the need to assist people with their medical needs and help solve their health problems. We’ve been doing this since 2014 and this is the 15th free medical outreach we’ve organised.”

He also noted that there’re strategies and plans put in place for feedback mechanisms, attending to emergency cases requiring immediate medical attention, follow up initiatives and continued support beyond the free medical outreach which was made possible through the collaboration with Association of Resident Doctors, nurses, med-lab scientists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, other health professionals from Parklane Teaching Hospital and other health Institutions.

Also present at the free medical outreach was a team of health supervisors from Enugu State Ministry of Health led by the Special Adviser to Enugu State Governor on Health Matters, Dr. Yomi Jaye.

Dr. Jaye expressed profound delight, appreciation and satisfaction at the incredible community service exhibited by the Paul Basil Iloegbouba Foundation.

“We’re glad that we have well meaning Ndi Enugu, willing to add value to the people of Enugu State. It is commendable that you all have collaborated to make this happen”.

He declared that the administration of Gov. Peter Mbah was committed to changing the face of healthcare system in Enugu State and the Ministry of Health will stop at nothing to make sure the health care system was revamped.

He further commended the Foundation for its selfless service to the people of Enugu, noting that the Foundation had made an indelible mark in this present administration and the State generally.

“In one way or the other, the Foundation has helped the administration to breach the health needs gap, they have solved some problems and added to the goal and mandate of ‘Tomorrow Is Here’.

“I want to say thank you to all the facilitators of this program especially the President and Vice-President of PBIF and the medical cordinator Dr. Ofornere Chukwunonso Nnabuike, who also happens to be a senior resident in the department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the President of the Association of Resident Doctors in the most cosmopolitan State which is Enugu State. I pray that God will make you greater and increase your efforts”.

While speaking to Pacesetter, Dr. Ofornere noted that the collaboration to organise and participate in the medical outreach was part of programs to mark the Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference week by Nigerian physicians.

“During this scientific conference we normally reach out to the populace so that they will benefit from our skill and knowledge as Doctors. It’s part of our corporate social responsibilities that we give to people of Enugu State.

“Because we’re in Enugu we want to have a city wide medical and surgical outreach for our people especially the indingent ones, those that are unable to access care because of finance contraints. They can come here to receive medical services free of charge”.

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is to remain in detention.

A former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife is dead.

His death was disclosed in a statement signed by Chief Rob Nwakaire Ezeife, on behalf of the Ezeife Family.

The statement which noted that the elder statesman passed on at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, on Thursday evening reads in full:

“On behalf of the Ezeife Dynasty of Igbo-Ukwu, I wish to announce the promotion to glory of our most distinguished son, Okwadike, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife,CON, a former Federal Permanent Secretary, the first Executive Governor of Anambra State, a former Political Adviser to the President and former Presidential Aspirant.

“This sad event took place yesterday at 6pm at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja.

“More details about the deceased and the arrangements for his State Burial will be announced later”.

Dr. Ezeife’s death is coming barely twenty months after his wife passed on, and barely eight months after another former governor of the State, Chief Chinwoke Mbadinuju also joined his ancestors.

Dr. Ezeife who was elected Governor of Anambra State from January 1992 to November 1993 during the Nigerian Third Republic, died at the age of 85.

The Supreme Court will tomorrow (December 15th) deliver judgement on the appeal seeking to compel the Federal Government to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from detention.

The Federal Government has dismissed all directors of civil aviation agencies in the country following the sacking of the chief executive officers of the same organisations.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the suspension, removal, and replacement of Chief Executive Officers under the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.