News
SDGs: FG Commissions 20-Bed Healthcare Centre in Oreta, Lagos Community
In a monumental stride toward enhancing healthcare delivery in Lagos State, the Federal Government, through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has inaugurated a modern 20-bed Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Oreta Community, Igbogbo-Baiyeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Ikorodu, Lagos State.
The state-of-the-art facility, commissioned by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, is fully equipped with essential amenities, including a labour room, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), maternity and behavioural health rooms, patient wards, and a consultant’s office. These provisions aim to address the critical healthcare needs of the local population, with a particular focus on maternal and child health.
At the commissioning ceremony, Princess Orelope-Adefulire expressed her elation at the completion of the project and highlighted its transformative potential for the community.
“This healthcare center is more than a project; it is a demonstration of our dedication to achieving the SDGs, particularly Goal 3, which prioritizes good health and well-being. It stands as a testament to our commitment to providing accessible and affordable healthcare to every Nigerian, starting at the grassroots level,” she stated.
She announced plans for future enhancements, including the establishment of units for immunization, antenatal, gynecology, and postnatal care. Additional infrastructure such as doctors’ quarters and upgraded security measures, including a fenced perimeter with barbed wire, were also outlined.
“We are not just building for today but planning for the future. This facility is a legacy of hope and health for Oreta and its surrounding communities,” she added.
The Executive Chairman of Igbogbo-Baiyeku LCDA, Builder Olusesan Daini, commended the federal government and Princess Orelope-Adefulire for their impactful intervention.
“This healthcare center is a beacon of hope for over 51 Community Development Associations and countless families in Oreta and its environs. It is a game-changer for healthcare delivery in this region,” he remarked.
Daini further acknowledged the unwavering support of the SSAP-SDGs and pledged the community’s commitment to maintaining the facility.
The event was graced by His Royal Majesty Oba Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo Kingdom, who praised the initiative as a milestone in the community’s development.
“This project underscores the importance of collaboration between government and community leaders in meeting the healthcare needs of our people. It is a significant achievement for Igbogbo,” the monarch stated.
Hon. Aro Moshood Abiodun, Member of Lagos State House of Assembly representing Ikorodu Constituency II, lauded the project, emphasizing its potential to transform lives.
“This facility represents progress and a brighter future. It shows what can be achieved when leaders prioritize the well-being of the people,” he said.
Other dignitaries, including Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, Hon. Wasiu Agoro, and Hon. Motunrayo Gbadebo-Alogba, also expressed their gratitude and called for sustained development in the region.
The project aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, focusing on improving healthcare accessibility and achieving universal health coverage.
In her concluding remarks, Princess Orelope-Adefulire called on the community to collectively ensure the sustainability of the facility.
“This center belongs to all of us. Let us protect it, use it wisely, and ensure it serves generations to come,” she said.
The commissioning ceremony brought together stakeholders, including community leaders, healthcare professionals, youth associations, market leaders, and residents, who celebrated the achievement with gratitude and optimism.
The new healthcare center stands as a symbol of hope and progress, promising to significantly improve healthcare access and outcomes for the people of Oreta and beyond. It is a shining example of the impact of purposeful leadership and the power of collaboration in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria.
National
INEC Notifies Natasha Akpoti Of Recall Move, Confirms Receipt Of Petitioners’ Contact Details
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to notify Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi central, about the petition by constituents seeking her recall from the national assembly.
INEC said it has also received the contact details of the petitioners.
“Pursuant to section 69 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, I write to notify you of the receipt of a petition from representatives of registered voters in your constituency seeking your recall from the senate,” the letter reads.
“The notification is in line with the provisions of clause 2 (a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
“This letter is also copied to the presiding officer of the senate and simultaneously published on the commission’s website. Thank you.”
The letter was signed by Ruth Oriaran Anthony, secretary to the commission.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Wednesday, INEC said it has now received the updated contact details from representatives of petitioners seeking to recall the senator.
In the statement, Sam Olumekun, INEC’s national commissioner and chairman of information and voter education, said a letter notifying the senator of the petition has been delivered to her official address, copied to the senate presiding officer, and published on the commission’s website.
“The next step is to scrutinise the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to ascertain that the petition is signed by more than one half (over 50%) of the registered voters in the constituency. This will be done in the coming days,” Olumekun said.
“The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission. We once again reassure Nigerians that the process will be open and transparent.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan had recently accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her.
The allegation came in the wake of her seating arrangement altercation between Akpabio and the Kogi central senator at the red chamber
She was subsequently suspended from the senate for six months for “gross misconduct” over the incident.
The constituents behind the recall move also alleged her of “gross misconduct, abuse of office, and deceitful behaviour”.
The senator has denied wrongdoing and called the recall effort a “coordinated suppression” of her voice.
Shops and goods estimated at millions of naira have been destroyed by a night fire that razed a market on the popular Iweka Road, close to Ochanja market in Onitsha, the Anambra State capital.
The fire, which started at 08:30pm on Tuesday, razed shops that had furniture materials such as leathers, foams, and others.
Although the cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained, it was gathered that the fire raged for several minutes before the arrival of the firefighters as some of the traders had already gone home before the fire started.
Residents and sympathisers were seen trying to salvage some of the remnants of the goods in the shops while calling on the affected traders to come back to the market.
Confirming the fire incident on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Anambra State Fire Service, Chukwudi Chiketa, said the agency received a distress call at 09:40pm on Wednesday and deployed a crew of firemen and firefighting equipment to the scene.
According to Chiketa, the crew stopped the fire from further escalation.
….Says Ibas only Accountable To Tinubu,Wike Only
The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) in the United States has rejected the appointment of Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice-admiral, as sole administrator of Rivers state.
BACKGROUND
On March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers, citing the protracted political crisis and vandalisation of oil facilities.
The president suspended Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers state governor, Ngozi Odu, his deputy, and all house of assembly members for six months.
Tinubu also appointed Ibas as the sole administrator for Rivers state.
On March 20, the senate and the house of representatives controversially ratified Tinubu’s request for the emergency rule.
The presidency had said the decision to prevent further escalation of the political crisis in south-south state.
A statement on Wednesday by Lloyd Ukwu, NADECO USA president, said Ibas would only be accountable to Tinubu, Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory(FCT), and not the people of Rivers state.
Ukwu claimed that Tinubu lacks the constitutional authority to suspend Fubara and appoint a sole administrator, describing the appointment as “illegitimate”.
“Nigeria operates as a federation, with Rivers State as a sovereign entity, and Tinubu, as President, lacks the constitutional authority to unilaterally suspend an elected governor like Fubara,” he said.
“Rivers State is not a subordinate institution, neither is it a High School and Tinubu is not its overseer and not the Principal of a high school who can suspend a student willy-nilly.
“In a democracy, sovereignty resides with the citizens, not with an unelected administrator or an aspiring autocrat or want-to-be civilian dictator in Abuja.
“Governments derive their legitimacy from the consent of the governed—leaders are entrusted with the power to serve the people, not to rule over them by imposing an administrator over them.
“The people of Rivers State exercised their democratic right in 2023 by electing Siminalayi Fubara as their governor.
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“They did not choose an imposed administrator. NADECO therefore demands the immediate resignation of this illegitimate appointee.
“True democracy requires that governance be rooted in the people’s will, expressed through free and fair elections.
“This imposed administrator is accountable not to Rivers people but to Tinubu, Akpabio, Kereke-Ekun, and Wike. His allegiance lies with these political actors, not with the citizens he claims to govern.
“The principle of ‘Power to the People’ is enshrined in Nigeria’s constitution and international human rights instruments, including the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“Upholding this principle, NADECO insists that Rivers people must completely and resolutely reject this illegal administrator, forcing his resignation. Anything less is unacceptable.”