Nation
Prioritise Health Issues, Professionals Urge Politicians
Health professionals in Enugu State have called on political party candidates for the March 11 Governorship and State Assembly elections to prioritise health issues.
They said prioritising health issues would deliver quality, accessible and affordable healthcare for all in the state, irrespective of location or economic status.
The health professionals said this during the Maiden Dialogue with Gubernatorial Front-Runners on Health Sector Agenda-Setting and Consensus Building held in Enugu on Saturday.
The Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Enugu State, Dr Celestine Ugwoke, said the purpose of the dialogue was to start early to impress it upon would-be governors that the success of the health sector holds the success of other sectors.
Ugwoke, who articulated the views of other health professionals and associations, said the dialogue was also a catch-them-young programme meant to focus the minds of candidates in building a virile and resilient health system to enhance productivity.
He said: “We aim at having a robust interaction on ways to move the health sector of the state forward, especially providing holistic healthcare to the benefit of rural dwellers and all residents in the state.
“In our interaction, the health professionals will know the political candidates’ blue-print on health; and get their buying into existing and running health system frameworks that needed to be strengthened for further positive results”.
The Chairman noted that the dialogue would be continued through various means to ensure that the voices of health professionals are heard clearly and “sustainable and beneficial actions taken to put the health sector in proper footing in the state”.
Earlier, Prof. Benjamin Uzochukwu, a Professor of Health Management, Systems and Policy, noted that the health professionals and associations/unions remained a critical stakeholders in the good governance project of any government or state/country.
Uzochukwu, who is of the West Africa Medical and Dental Council, said that the in-coming governor must prioritise health and health programmes serving the generality of the people, especailly on health and well-being of the rural people.
He maintained that the vast population of the people of the state still lives in the rural areas and as such an encompassing, holistic and sustainable healthcare would be sought for.
“There is a need to strengthen capacity and reach of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the state as well as make the Primary Healthcare Centres or facilities more functional to attend to the health needs and challenges of people in rural communities,” he said.
The Tide’s source reports that among the four leading political candidates in the state invited for the dialogue, only the Labour Party Governorship Candidate, Dr Chijioke Edeoga, honoured the invitation on a representative capacity.
Edeoga, who was represented by Prof. Augustine Akubue, said that he would stop medical practitioner’s brain drain from the state by checkmating all push factors that cause it through adequate remuneration, training and retraining as well as allowance among others.
He said that his administration would increase budgetary allocation to health, increase inter-agencies collaborations as well as fashion out a robust Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) to increasing number of health facilities, equipment and technology in the state.
“We will also deal with issues of quackery in some health professions by ensuring that all professionals are duly licensed to operate and that all health facilities in the state are duly registered and monitored to ensure high standard.
“The Labour Party will ensure that all health facilities lying fallow in the state are put to beneficial use and provide technology to ensure proper and secured data capture in health facilities among others,” he said.
The dialogue session also featured questions and answers interaction between health professionals and the Labour Party candidate.
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that 26,592 public school students failed the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, raising alarm across the state’s education sector.
The state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, during a ministerial press briefing yesterday in Alausa, Ikeja, said that “45.7 per cent of the 58,188 students from public schools who sat for the exams did not pass.”.
This failure rate comes despite the state government’s significant financial backing N1.577 billion was paid on behalf of the students to cover WAEC fees.
“Suffice to say that the sum of N1,577,794,000 only was paid by the state government as examination fees for 58,188 students who were captured for the year 2024 WASSCE,” Alli-Balogun announced.
In a bid to tighten accountability and avoid wastage, the Commissioner disclosed that biometric and image registration was carried out to accurately determine eligible students for government sponsorship for the 2025 WASSCE.
“The exercise successfully captured and registered 56,134 students as bona fide beneficiaries of the Lagos state government’s sponsorship for the examination,” he added.
However, the Lagos State Government rolled out a bold educational intervention – the Eko Learners’ Support Programme for WASSCE and NECO candidates – aimed at reversing the tide of academic failure in the state’s public schools.
Launched on January 14, 2025, the initiative is part of a broader commitment by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to equip Lagos students with tools for success.
“This forward-thinking initiative was designed to support and empower young scholars in attestation of the ministry’s commitment to advancing interest and management of the educational system in Lagos State,” Alli-Balogun stated.
Ekiti State Government says it has vaccinated 226,429 eligible girls in the State against the Human Papilloma Virus, an infection believed to be a leading cause of cervical cancer.
The wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, said the HPV immunization exercise, which she flagged off in the State in May 2025 was a great success, noting that it reached targeted communities and protected children against cervical cancer.
The governor’s wife made the disclosure in Ado Ekiti yesterday during a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting on the introduction of Measles Rubella vaccines in Ekiti State.
She said, “The introduction of Measles Rubella Vaccines is a very crucial step towards protecting Ekiti children particularly the target age group of nine to 14 years from diseases.
“I urge all women in the State to regularly scan their breasts. This can be done with the aid of the Mammography machine which is available at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti”.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, noted that the Measles Rubella vaccines would be rolled out nationally in October, 2025.
Filani said that the State was taking proactive steps to sensitise residents of the State before the date to ensure adequate awareness on the vaccines by citizens.
The Acting Ochimba of Ogida in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam, says peace remains paramount in the socio-economic development of Etche land.
Eze Azuatalam, however, called on his people to embrace and eschew violence at all times.
The Onwa Nagbara Oha made the call during the official commissioning of his palace at Ogida recently.
The epoch-making ceremony held at his palace saw the attendance of members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs; the academia; the political class; the clergy ; women as well relevant stakeholders within and outside Etche land.
The Ngbaragida of Azuafor re-emphasised the essence of peace and social harmony which he said open the window for meaningful development to take place.
He also sought the support and collaboration of his people to achieve the desired goals of development, progress and prosperity.
He noted that the peace being witnessed in the area must be sustained through collective effort, saying, contributions and sacrifices need to be made by all concerned to live in peace.
Eze Azuatalam said his aim towards building a better Ogida cannot be compromised as he and his people have no other place called home.
The Acting Ochimba said as part of efforts to build a better Ogida, he has instituted a number of development projects, adding that some of his kinsmen have been empowered through his hard-earned money and resources, saying, he will continue to assist the less- privileged around him.
He reaffirmed his desire to impact positively on the lives of his people as the engagement of the youths will help to reduce social vices in the area.
He thanked members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs for honouring his invitation.
He specifically thanked the Onyi Ishi Etche and Ochie of Etcheland, His Eminence E mmanuel Opurum for leading Etche on the path of prosperity, and described the revered King as a role model to the younger generation.
He said his fatherly role has been a source of hope and inspiration to his subjects.
The palace was unveiled by His Eminence with the assistance of Ochimba of Abara, Eze Jonah Nwala and other prominent Etche traditional rulers and chiefs while the Onyi Ishi Etche was represented by Eze Ken Nwala, Onyi Ishi Agwuru, Ulakwo/ Umuselem Clan.
The Onyi Ishi Etche urged other prominent sons of Etche to emulate the kind gesture of Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam as his magnanimity is being seen and appreciated by his people.
Eze Azuatalam also applauded the efforts of Prof Mekuri Ndimele, former Vice Chancellor of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in the growth of Etche land.
According to him, during Ndimele’ s tenure, a lot of development projects were sited at the institution, including the development of Etcheland and empowerment of Etche people.