NEWS

     
Boko Haram: Dangote to rebuild destroyed health facilities

Aliko Dangote

The Chairman of Dangote Foundation Alhaji Aliko Dangote has promised to partner with Yobe State Government to rebuild all the Health facilities that were destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents in Yobe State,particularly, the ones destroyed in the two local Governments of Gujba and Gulani Loca Government.

Gujba and Gulani were the two local governments taken over by Boko Haram at the heat of the insurgency before they were liberated by the military.

Ali Dangote who was speaking via a video link from Maimi in  the United during a Mid-Year Review in line with the MoU signed with Yobe State Government, Bill & Malinda Foundation and Dangote Foundation in January on strengthening routine Immunization in Yobe State praised Yobe State Government for the progress made so far since the MoU was signed.

" I want to praised the effort of Yobe State governments for doing a fantastic job in making sure children are immunized in the state despite the security challenges. On the destroyed health facilities in the two local governments by Boko Haram, Dangote Foundation will partner with Yobe State to ensure that they are re-constructed. Dangote foundation may end up constructing all of them but I think we should have a partnership to ensure these facilities come back to functionality so that our children will with immediate effect begin to access the healthcare services,"'Dangote said.

On his side, the Co-chair of Bill & Malinda Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates who also joined the event from Seattle, USA equally commended the State government for the stride made so far.

Mr. Gates noted with delight, the effective engagement and involvement of traditionally rulers in the campaign and other stakeholders by Yobe State Government, while calling on the speedy award of contracts enshrined in the MoU.

The Director National Primary Healthcare Agency, Dr. Ado Mohammed on behalf of The Fedrral Government donated the sum of $1.5 dollars to Yobe State Government as support to their commitment to the immunization drive in the state.

Yobe State Commissioner for Health Dr. Bello Kawuwa while presenting the report explained that 15 out of the 17 local government areas in the state were significantly covered except the remaining two-Gulani and Gujba which were occupied by Boko Haram insurgents before liberated by the military.

According to him, the good news is that the two local Governments are now accessible but the bad news is the destruction of nearly all the health facilities in the two localities.

Yobe State governor Ibrahim Gaidam in his comments told the partners that his administration is very committed to the MoU to ensure the total eradication of all the nine killer children's diseases in the state.

He thank Dangote for offering to assist the state governments in the reconstruction of the destroyed health infrastructure in Gujba and Gulani, while also commending Mr. Gates and other partners for their unflinching commitment and support to children's health across the world and Yobe particularly.

The Director Yobe State Primary Healthcare Agency, Dr. Hauwa Goni Fika explained that the whole idea of the MoU was to bridge the gaps in immunization coverage in the state which according to her include, security challenges, inaccessibility of some areas in the state, destruction of health facilities in the state, lack of cold storage facilities in some communities which makes it difficult of the movement of vaccines.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40  Nigerians  deported  from  UK,  Australia

     

Kelvin  Osa. Okunbor   

 For the second time in one month, United Kingdom and Australia yesterday jointly deported 40 Nigerians for various immigration offences.

The deportees comprising male and female arrived at the hajj camp area of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 7:25am with chartered aircraft.

Information gathered by our correspondent indicated that chartered aircraft with the registration number ZTA -4741 repatriated into the country 36 Nigerians comprising 29 males and seven females.

Also, Air Seychelles with the registration number SND-1 brought four males into the country for similar immigration offences.

                                         

Apart from Nigerians that were deported by the two countries, some citizens of Africa especially from Ghana, Liberia and Egypt were equally deported alongside the Nigerians.

The returnees were received by various agencies such as Immigration that checked their identities to ascertain their nationalities, Police, National Agency for Protection and Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, and other relevan t stakeholders.

A source close to the terminal who didn’t want his name in print told our correspondents that some of the deportees were violent when officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, attached to the international wing of the airport attempted to collect their fingerprints for data purpose.

   

The source told our correspondent that others who didn’t kick against the fingerprinting were swiftly attended to by the officers and were allowed to leave the airport after the completion of their documentations.

When our correspondent visited the hajj and cargo terminal where the deportees used as exit, they wore sombre look and refused to speak with our correspondent.

Some of them waited for any available means to get out of the airport without attracting much attention to themselves while others talked in trickles.

The deportees it was gathered were returned from their host countries for overstaying their visas and other immigration offences.

The Public Relations Officer, NIS, Mr. Ekpedeme King confirmed the deportation with our correspondent on phone, but could not give much details.

He said that the service was still awaiting more information from its Lagos office as at the time of filing in this report.

Sometime in April, 48 Nigerians were jointly deported by UK and Switzerland Governments for several residing in their countries illegally.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Kenyan army kills 21 al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia

Kenya's army has killed 21 fighters from the Islamist terrorist group al-Shabaab in neighbouring Somalia, a military spokesman said on Wednesday.

Army spokesman Col. David Obonyo said in a statement that the dead include junior al-Shabaab commander Salad Bart, who is believed to have been in charge of the group.

According to Obonyo, Kenyan soldiers on Tuesday clashed with al-Shabaab members in the Somali town of Hawina, where the terrorists were mounting an ambush along a major road.

``No Kenyan soldiers were killed during the gunfire exchange,’’ he added.

However the army recovered 17 machine guns, five rocket-propelled grenades and ammunition.

Kenyan troops form part of a 20,000-strong African Union contingent helping Somalia battle al-Shabaab, which is affiliated with the international al-Qaeda terrorist network.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mother, Son get N100,000 bail each for alleged causing hurt

A Lugbe Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Tuesday granted bail to Osagiade Olabisi and Osagiade Adeoye in the sum of N100,000 each for allegedly causing hurt.

Olabisi, 45, and Adeoye, 18, residents of Plot A305 Aco Estate, Airport Road, Abuja, were charged with joint act and causing hurt.

The presiding officer, Mr Garba Ogbede, ordered the defendants to produce a surety each in like sum.

Ogbede said the sureties must be at least a grade level eight officer in the Federal Civil Service and must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.

He adjourned the case till June 1 for hearing.

Prosecuting counsel Ukoha Ndidi told the court that Ezeh Ijoma of the same address reported the incident at Iddo Police Station on Aril 23.

Ndidi said while Ijoma was in her flat, Olubisi and his son Adeoye conspired and accosted her and beat her.

S

he said that as a result of the beating they inflicted injuries on her face and in the process her golden chain valued N45,000 got missing.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge, which contravened Sections 79 and 245 of the Penal Code.