News
Enugu Hands Over Medical Diagnostics Centre To NSIA
The Enugu State Government yesterday formally handed over the state diagnostic centre to the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, managers of Nigeria’s sovereign wealth fund.
The State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, performed the handover during NSIA’s official launch of two of its flagship companies, the NSIA Advanced Medical Service Ltd (“MedServe”) and Equilease Systems Limited (“Equilease”), held at the Enugu State Diagnostic Centre Complex.
Ugwuanyi, in his speech, said “The physical and mental well-being of the workforce in any state is a function of the quality of healthcare services available.
“The partnership with NSIA to transform this facility with the promise of significantly better equipment and services will go a long way towards contributing to healthcare security in the state. With this, our state will be one of the few states equipped with world-class healthcare infrastructure and amenities,” he maintained.
Delivering his remarks on the three-part event, Mr Aminu Umar-Sadiq, the MD & CEO, NSIA, commended the state government for signing the agreement that necessitated the transfer.
Umar-Sadiq said “Over the past five years, we have built a strong and successful portfolio of healthcare service delivery centres.
“The transfer of the Enugu Centre for upgrade and rehabilitation is one of the steps in our journey towards making healthcare accessible and affordable for all Nigerians. The Centre is one of the 23 centres to be upgraded for Oncology and Diagnostic services.”
He added, “MedServe and Equilease are transformative, market-disrupting entities that will deliver a unique set of connected solutions to bridge the gaps in Nigeria’s healthcare industry. The outcome from the creation of these entities is expected to strengthen the industry’s value chain and unclog the constraints created by insufficient financial investments, inadequate manpower capacity and substandard services.”
Speaking specifically on the companies, Umar-Sadiq explained that MedServe is being set up to serve as the vehicle to deliver NSIA’s healthcare expansion objectives. Its goal according to him is to provide high quality and affordable healthcare services and ensure equitable geographic access to these services across the country.
“The company will develop, equip, and operate NSIA’s expanding portfolio of healthcare centres and offer first class medical services nationwide.”
About EquiLease, he stated that it is a specialised equipment leasing service provider. Conceived as a market disruptor, the company will provide medical equipment leasing services, leveraging its strategic advantage to catalyze investments in healthcare institutions and facilitating the acquisition of equipment to improve the quality of care in the country.
He noted that Equilease would partner with medical equipment manufacturers to offer innovative financing and leasing programs for advanced medical equipment. At the onset, it will offer services exclusively to MedServe as an anchor client.
The Federal Airports Au
thority of Nigeria has issued a warning to all illegal occupants of airport lands to vacate the premises for their own safety and security.
According to a statement yesterday, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Faithful Hope-Ivbaze, the recent demolition of 13 houses was because they posed dangers to the operations of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos State.
She said, “The occupants of these buildings were duly notified of the impending demolitions and intensive awareness campaign through “stop work” markings and the planting of notice boards within the Red Zone.
“In September, 2022, FAAN wrote to LASG for their cooperation in conducting this exercise in the interest of Aviation and Communal Safety and Security.
“The removal of illegal structures is also scheduled to be carried out at all other airports that have similar challenges.”
Hope-Ivbaze further explained that the area of land currently housing the airport was acquired for public use by the federal government through the lands acquisition ordinance by the government official gazettes in 1944, 1972, and 1975, respectively.
She noted that FAAN noticed some encroachments within its acquired land and a committee was set up to investigate and compel those encroaching to cease and desist from such actions sometime in the year 2000.
“The committee thus put up “Caveat Emptors” and positioned them strategically within the areas under encroachment (they are still in place).
“Publications were done in national dailies and advertorial jingles in local radio stations, warning people of the risks in purchasing and building on Restricted Aviation Land without consideration to the direct dangers on aircraft operations and the building occupants themselves,” she said.
According to her, in 2008, “some residents of the Ajao axis of the encroached land, under the aegis of runview cooperative” approached the Authority for regularisation of their stay on the land.
She disclosed that the committee was charged with finding ways of identifying and regularising only those properties located in positions that do not pose direct and critical challenges to airport safety and security.
“To avoid a situation of wanton damage and colossal losses, the present administration, on assuming office, inaugurated a regularisation committee on FAAN encroached lands and property.
“The FAAN directorates of Airport Operations and Aviation Security commenced stakeholders’ engagements and met severally with the residents of the Ajao axis (all meetings recorded and filed), bringing to their knowledge the dangers of erecting houses on pipelines, waterways, and the airport’s perimeter fence (blocking access for security patrols).
“Most of the residents cooperated, except for the few who ignored and continued erecting their structures in the red zone.”
Hope-Ivbaze said that in the committee’s report submitted in 2022, out of 254 buildings evaluated, 220 buildings were recommended for regularisation as they pose no direct/critical security or safety challenges to the airport.
She added that the 34 others that were built within FAAN’s perimeter fence and mostly erected above the aviation fuel pipeline and waterways, clearly posing direct safety and security challenges to the airport and to their owners, and occupants themselves, were marked for demolition.
The Rivers State Chief judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi has granted pardon to six inmates standing awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt maximum correctional center.
The six lucky inmates granted pardon on Tuesday by the state Chief Judge included Nwekeala Chizoba, Samuel Emmanuel, Aniete Kelvin, Ebube Fubara and Goddey Okpara who were on awaiting trial as murder suspects and have all spent between 10 years to seven years in the custody without a proper information filed against them in the court.
Justice Amadi during a special gaol delivery exercise last Tuesday at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre opined that the special gaol delivery was part of activities lined up to commomerate the 2024/2025 legal year in the State and restated the commitment of the state judiciary in decongesting the correctional centre and ensuring that those inmates who are not supposed to be there are removed from the custody.
The state chief judge stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together to build a society that supports rehabilitation and gives a second chance to anyone or group of people who have fallen short of the expectation of the law and have been punished accordingly.
He stressed that the National Judicial Council(NJC) encourages judges to pay more attention to criminal matters to enable them to decongests the correctional facilities, noting that since his assumption into office, his administration has been able to reduce the number of inmates in Nigerian Correctional Centres and the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre in particular, to less than 2,000 as against the over 4,000 inmates previously in the faculty.
According to him, “as they release the deserving inmates, they affirm their commitment to justice, compassion and rule of law but that they must not forget the fundamental principles of justice delivery system which is truth and fairness, integrity and equality before the law.”
I encourage you all the released inmates to return to your families and become better citizens. You must not engage in action that will return you all back to prison. Let me say that while the judges show empathy to you all, it does not absolved individuals from being held accountable for actions against individuals, corporate organisations and state which the law frowns at, ”he stated
The Chief Judge thereafter stood down the exercise to enable the DPP to intervene to case files following the fact that majority of the persons listed to benefit from the exercise are facing murder charges and adjourned to a date that will come before December.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the outgoing state Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Centre, Port Harcourt, Felix Lawrence, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller General, commended the state judiciary led by Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi for their continuous effort aimed at ensuring justice and decongesting the facilities.
Other activities lined up for the event included special church service at St Paul’s Cathedral , Anglican Communion, Rebisi Port Harcourt, inspection of guard of honour by the state Chief Judge mounted by officers of the Nigerian police and a special court session held at the ceremonial court hall.
By: AkujobiAmadi
The Director General of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (RBoPP), Dr. Ine Briggs, has explained that the Sir Siminalayi Fubara administration plans to enforce transparency in governance through public procurement.
Speaking at a one-day Public Procurement Enlightenment workshop organised in collaboration with the State Local Government Service Commission for newly elected chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries and leaders of legislative assemblies, Dr. Briggs said it is key for grassroot development.
She stated that the Sir. Fubara administration plans to reduce wastage and at same time infuse efficiency in public expenditure.
The RSoPP DG said the local government political office holders remain key drivers in the new vision hence the workshop is to arm them with knowledge on how to execute projects in tandem with needs of the people.
“ Your role in the prudent management of public resources is, therefore, not just administrative it’s the cornerstone of delivering the dividends of democracy. Every procurement decision you make must reflect a commitment to fairness, transparency and accountability” Dr. Briggs submitted.
One of the key goals of the administration she further reminded the participants was to use their offices to foster economic growth through public procurement.
She warned that the law establishing the agency empowers it to penalise defaulters, but that what is more important is voluntary compliance to the laws.
In addition to that, she said urged the local government council leaders that champion the practice and implementation of public procurement law.
On his part, Acting Chairman of Local Government Service Commission, Pastor GoodLife Ben Iduoku averred that the aim of the workshop is to arm key stakeholders in the local government system to generate new ideas, innovation and strategies in tandem with government policies and programmes.
The workshop dealt on various topics on procurement planning, methods, Understanding Bid Process, including types of Construction Contracts and law.
Some participants were awarded excellence and meritorious awards as part of the programme.
By: Kevin Nengia
The 19th anniversary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Rivers State Chapter, recently ended in Port Harcourt in grand style, with participants from various schools including proprietors, the academia, civil society groups and top government functionaries charting the way forward for educational improvement.
The 19th NAPPS anniversary christened, ‘Innovation and Adaptation: Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities’ was held at Casoni Hotels, Port Harcourt.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the association, Dr. Jaja Adafe Sunday expressed gratitude to the members and executives for their untiring efforts towards the achievements of the body.
He sought the intervention of government on the lingering crisis on the economy as it is affecting the running of schools.
He decried high cost of things including fuel and raw materials which has adversely affected the running of schools and payment of teachers.
Dr. Sunday hinted that the current economic situation in the nation is biting hard on the operations of schools, saying inflation, removal of fuel subsidy, fuel scarcity, poor electricity supply, tariffs and lack of government grants are some of the challenges faced by schools, and urged the members to brace up to the challenges, as it is the panacea to building a brighter future.
Guest speakers from the health sector and the academia thrilled the gathering on the essence of basic education which they said is the key to national development.
Former Dean of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor Azuru and the Chief Medical Director of Meridian Hospitals, Dr. Odo Iyke were some notable guest speakers who delivered lectures at the occasion.
Some distinguished proprietors also got special recognitions and awards.
The 19th anniversary cake was cut by the Rivers State NAPPS Chairman with representatives of the state government assisting.