FG Directs Public Hospitals To Save Lives First In Emergency Cases Before Demanding For Money

Nigeria’s Minister of Health Prof Isaac Adewole yesterday directed all public hospitals nationwide to save patient’s health first during emergencies before demanding for money.

He gave the directive on Thursday during his first official visit to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH. The minister blamed the poor performance of public hospitals and Primary Healthcare Centres on underfunding saying that only 6,000 PHCs out of the 30,000 in the country are functional.

“Accidents, among other emergency cases can occur at anytime, so patients should not be refrained from accessing treatment. The poverty indicator shows that 60 to 70 percent of Nigerians are poor. This means about 100 million people are poor in Nigeria. So, we will provide basic care through the PHC system for Nigerians.” he said.

He also directed the Management of LUTH to evacuate patients from the Accident and Emergency ward within 24 hours after they are treated and are stable so as to create spaces for new patients.

Source: Vanguard

New Ebola Death Recorded In Liberia Months After The Country Was Declared Ebola-Free

Months after the country was declared ebola free, Liberia has released a statement saying a 30-year old woman died of the disease on Thursday.

It was reported that the woman was being brought to a hospital in the capital Monrovia after falling ill, but died before she arrived.

The health ministry urged citizens not to panic, that they are investigating the source of the new case and also the people who have come in contact with the deceased.

Liberia was declared free of ebola in January but their neighbours, Guinea who were also free of ebola recorded new cases of the disease on March 7th 2016.

Liberia closed it’s borders with Guinea after the announcement, but it is not entirely clear whether the new case in Liberia is linked with the new cases recorded in Guinea.

Beautiful Indian TV Actress, Pratyusha Banerjee Commits Suicide

The Indian entertainment industry is in shock. The hashtag #PratyushaBanerjee  is the number trending topic in the country right now. Television actress Pratyusha Banerjee, known for her role in popular TV series Balika Vadhu, committed suicide today Friday April 1st. A Mumbai police officer said the 24-year-old was found hanging from a ceiling fan at her house in Mumbai’s Goregaon. Some 'personal reasons' are said to be behind the suicide.


Banerjee was rushed to the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital in Andheri but was declared dead upon arrival. Confirming the news, Mumbai police spokesperson Dhananjay Kulkarni said that the hospital has sent a report on the Jamshedpur-born actress’s death. Police are investigating the probable cause that may have led Banerjee to resort to commit suicide.

Banerjee was best known for her debut role in Balika Vadhu. She later shifted to reality shows and participated in Bigg Boss 7. Her last outing on TV was in Sasural Simar Ka ..

Earlier in January, she was in the news after she filed an FIR in Mumbai alleging that eight policemen tried to ‘barge into’ her house and misbehave with her.

Banerjee had claimed in her complaint that the men barged into her flat in Laljipada and left the place only after she threatened to call the police.

Before entering Bigg Boss 7 in 2013, Banerjee had made headlines when she filed an FIR against her boyfriend Makrand Malhotra.

Actor Dolly Bindra said no one from the film fraternity believes she could have ended her life.

Various artists apart from Bindra including Sara Khan, Jay Bhanushali, Meghna Naidu, Sachin Shroff were seen waiting outside the accident and emergency ward at the hospital soon as the news reached them.

Police outside her home...

Sad...... Debbie Idiagbonya Osarere, The 6 Years Positive Cancer Fighter Is Dead

Debbie was diagnosed in 2011 with Stage IV Mestatic Cancer and she fought valiantly through the different stages of treatment. Debbie was a fighter and she kept a positive spirit through it all.

She was an inspiration to the world, She lived her life inspiring the world even with her sickness, she was always putting on a smiling face.  I went through her Instagram page, and I could not help the tears from rolling down, though you are gone, the world will never forget you in a rush. View some of the pictures she took below while living her life like Cancer does not exist, many of her inspirational words captions to the world even on her sick bed and her last post on IG, 5days ago.

Continue to rest on, We pray for her friends and family through this difficult time.

You dont have to fight anymore, The World admired Your Courage.....

Rest in peace, Debbie

$1.65BN Lekki Seaport For Completion In 2019 – Ambode

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday reeled out the numerous investment opportunities that abound in the state to would-be investors in critical sectors such as Power, Agriculture, Transportation, Health, Tourism, Housing, ICT and Manufacturing, just as he assured that the state is open more than ever before for greater business.Governor Ambode, who spoke in Lagos at the formal unveiling of the Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment, otherwise known as Lagos Global, said in anticipation of the increased socio-economic activities, his administration has resolved to prioritize the achievement of the four pillars of the Lagos State Development Plan (2012-2015) which included economic development, infrastructural development, social development and security, and sustainable environment.

The Lagos Global, which is an initiative of the Ambode administration, is a one-stop shop designed to encourage ease of doing business and help to turn Lagos into Africa’s model megacity and global economic and financial hub that is safe, secure, functional and productive.

Governor Ambode, who was represented at the unveiling by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, said that the efforts put in place so far have ensured that the state remained the desired business having attracting massive Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) such as the $1.65 billion Lekki Deep Seaport.

He assured that the seaport would be completed in 2019 and upon completion will be the deepest seaport in Sub-Saharan Africa, adding that the Badagry Creek Industrial Park, a $1.3billion investment meant for completion in 2018 and the $12 billion Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Park were among other investments coming to the State.

The Governor recalled his inaugural speech on May 29, 2015, where he stated the commitment of his administration to make Lagos an investment destination of choice by creating a favourable environment for local and Foreign Direct Investment.

He said: “As the world continues to acknowledge Lagos as a regional financial hub, we as government have demonstrated the commitment to strengthen this position through deliberate policies aimed at improving the business climate in our state.

“In this regard, we have successfully placed Lagos on investors’ radar by putting in place effective legal and regulatory frameworks such as the Land Reform Act, Double Taxation treaties, Limited Liability Reviews and the development of Free Trade Zones. Likewise, the on-going judicial reform is aimed at strengthening our laws for the protection of enterprise.

“Similarly, the conscious efforts of our administration at public infrastructure development and maintenance as indicated by an efficient Bus Rapid Transit(BRT), transporting over 200,000 passengers daily, functional Integrated Power Projects, enhanced security and access roads to sea and airports among others, have underscored our determination to make Lagos a functional megacity,” Governor Ambode said.

Earlier in his welcome address, Special Adviser to the Governor on Overseas Affairs and Investment, Professor Ademola Abass said the office was created by the current administration to act as one-stop shop with the mandate of promoting foreign investment into the state and managing export our of the state.

He said the office also has the mandate to manage foreign investment transaction and ensure that would-be investors enjoy seamless and hurdle-free experience by providing first class service delivery to them right from the point of initial enquiry down to the setting up and running of businesses in the state thus eliminating difficulties and bureaucracies often associated with multi-agencies handling of investments.

In his keynote address, renowned economist and social crusader, Professor Pat Utomi said the creation of Lagos Global is a major step towards transforming the state to modern city-state just like the advanced ones in the world.

He said Lagos economy must therefore be a 24/7 economy, and that the growth of the state requires significant cooperation from neighbouring states.

Utomi said Lagos offers hope for rapid growth of the country in the sense that it has the capacity to serve as the yard-stick to measure and encourage development, but that there has to be a concerted effort to make the state a more attractive idea of a developmental state, and that there must be a well done plan to round up everything that Lagos represents in terms of possibilities through a branding process.
SIGNED
HABIB ARUNA
CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY

Wife Of Lagos State Gov. Mrs. Bolanle Ambode Pays Condolence Visit To Family Of Late Dr. Tunji Braithwaite

Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, signed the condolence register of late Dr. Tunji Braithwaite during her condolence visit to the family at their Victoria Island residence in Lagos on Thursday, March 31, 2016. She chatted and consoled the children of late Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, Mr. Olumide Braithwaite, Dr. Omowunmi and Mrs. Ebun Braithwaite-Adeosun- during her visit.

Man Jailed In Kirirkiri Prison For Stealing Formula Worth N45, 000 To Feed His New Born Baby

A 28-year-old man, Nurudeen Sulaimon, has been arrested and jailed for allegedly stealing formula worth N45,000 from a supermarket to feed his newborn baby who was crying for food. It is alleged that Sulaimon went to a supermarket and stole some tins of SMA Gold infant formula but his action was caught on the supermarket's CCTV. He was apprehended on his way out of the supermarket by the store's security men and handed to the police.
He was arrested and taken to the police station. At the station, he begged for forgiveness saying that he had a newborn baby who hadn't had any food to eat except water.

He said his wife had given birth to the baby last week Saturday, but wasn't producing enough breast milk to feed the baby, he said they tried giving the baby water on that fateful day but the water didn't seem to soothe the baby so he went out to get some formula to feed him.

He was charged to court for theft but he pleaded not guilty.

The presiding Magistrate, Mr A. A. Fashola granted Sulamon bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum. He was remanded in prison at Kirikiri until he perfected his bail.

The case was adjourned till April 27.


Vanguard

I Will Critically Review Budget Passed By National Assembly Before Assenting- Buhari

Press statement from the Presidency...
President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday in Washington DC that he will critically review the 2016 Appropriation Bill passed by the National Assembly before assenting to it. Speaking at a meeting with the United States Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry, President Buhari in a statement by his special adviser media, Femi Adesina, said that in view of the controversial alteration and padding of the budget proposals, he needed to review the appropriation bill to be certain that its contents tallied with the authentic budget proposal presented to the National Assembly.

“Some bureaucrats removed what we put in the proposal and replaced it with what they wanted. I have to look at the bill that has been passed by the National Assembly, ministry by ministry, to be sure that what has been brought back for me to sign is in line with our original submission,” the President said.
Declaring that his administration will continue to vigorously prosecute its war against corruption, President Buhari sought and received an assurance from Mr Kerry that the United States Government will facilitate the repatriation of all stolen Nigerian funds found within the American banking system.
“It will greatly help our country if you assist us to recover all our stolen funds which we can establish to be within your financial system,” the President told Mr Kerry.
Responding, the Secretary of State said that he has been told that the stolen Nigerian funds were in “billions of dollars”.
“It’s not easy to hide that amount of money and we are pretty good in tracing them,” Mr Kerry assured President Buhari, adding that relevant United States Government Officials will meet with the Chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to discuss further cooperation in that regard.
Mr Kerry applauded the Buhari Administration’s success in rolling back the Boko Haram insurgency, saying that the United States will continue to give Nigeria all possible support to ensure that the terrorist sect is finally eliminated as a threat to national and regional security.
The Secretary of State also praised President Buhari’s clear order that Nigeria’s Armed Forces must show greater regard for the human rights of persons in the theatre of operations against Boko Haram.
Acknowledging that the United States has been of great help to his administration in the retraining and re-equipping of the Nigerian Armed Forces that has resulted in the significant success already achieved against Boko Haram, President Buhari said that the Federal Government was now working very hard to restore full normalcy in the North Eastern states.
“Boko Haram no longer holds any local government area. We are reconstructing damaged facilities and preparing the police to take over and reassert civilian control over areas affected by the insurgency,” the President told Mr Kerry.

Press Statement: Garba Shebu's False And Deceptive Utterances

Read the statement below..
Our attention has been drawn to a newspaper publication of an interview granted by Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, which was published in the Daily Trust Newspaper of Sunday March 27, 2016. In the said interview, while responding to a question on whether the president would probe his predecessor Goodluck Jonathan, Mallam Garba Shehu alluded to the fact that the erstwhile Office of the National Security Adviser was at the head of all the corruption which went on in Nigeria. He then went further to reportedly state the following:
"The former Chief of Defense Staff is someone whose country home came under attack.  In fact his own community had been seized by Boko Haram up to three times. Then they gave money to go and buy weapons to secure your own community but you would rather build palaces in Abuja...”.
This is a deliberately false and misleading statement by Mallam Garba Shehu which was invidiously calculated to tarnish the unblemished professional reputation of a distinguished professional who has spent the better part of his life protecting and defending this country from external aggression and securing the  territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It is a fact of indubitable notoriety that the former Chief of Defense Staff Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh (Rtd) is currently facing criminal charges in the Federal High Court, Abuja. It is also common knowledge that the facts alleged against the former Chief of Defense Staff to which he has entered a “Not guilty” plea, has absolutely nothing to do with the Office of the National Security Adviser, nor are there any allegations of “money collected in the name of security”. That the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity who is or ought to be aware of the nature of these allegations would go on public media and regurgitate such diabolic falsehoods is a manifestation of the basest form of professional deception and callous indignity.
In a further and unparalleled display of crass, Mallam Garba Shehu proceeded to falsely state that the former Chief of Defense Staff went on to build palaces in Abuja with monies given to him to buy weapons to save his community from the menace of Boko Haram. This blatantly false statement is a wicked attempt to calumnize the former Chief of Defense Staff and cause disaffection between him, members of his community and the Nigerian public at large. First of all, there is not a single allegation in the charges against the former Chief of Defense Staff that he built palaces in Abuja with monies given to him to procure arms to secure his community. Secondly, it is quiet pedestrian and irresponsible of the Senior Special Assistant to use the scourge of the Boko Haram terrorist activities to score cheap political points being fully aware of the thousands of deaths and injuries caused by this terrorist group, and the fact that no one including President Muhammadu Buhari who was also attacked by the same group, is exempt from their terrorist and nefarious activities
The Senior Special Adviser may have forgotten that Section 36 of the Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) creates the sacred and constitutional doctrine of presumption of innocence. It is therefore a matter of grave concern that he would make such unguarded pronouncements about a matter which is currently sub judice, and to which the former Chief of Defense Staff has pled “Not Guilty”.  This again is a hollow attempt to unduly interfere with the functions of the judiciary, a conduct which is repugnant to the constitutional principle of separation of powers.
While one may excuse the attempt by the Senior Special Assistant to garner publicity by the proclamation of headline-grabbing utterances which do not have a modicum of truth, it is simply unprofessional for a person of his status to engage in t