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2023: Don’t Vote Any Politician Involved In medical Tourism, Nigerian Nurses Tell Electorates

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Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Nurses, under the auspices of the University Graduates of Nursing Science Association (UGONSA), have admonished Nigerians on whom not to vote.

This formed part of the communique issued by the association at its conference in Abakaliki, on Thursday.

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The communique made available to DAILY POST was signed by the UGONSA National President, Chief (Hon.) S.E.O. Egwuenu, and the National Secretary, Nurse G.I. Nshi.

The association said it was beyond shame that the Nigerian health system that once ranked among the best ten in global ranking and benefited from medical tourism treating the likes of the Saudi Royals in the 1960s, was now celebrating that its ranking improved from 187 out of 191 countries.

“How do we come to terms with the Federal Ministry of health’s estimation that Nigeria loses about $2 billion (1.1 trillion naira) annually to Medical Tourism? It is heart wrecking, especially when it is obvious that this money, if put together over the next five years and deployed for the upgrade of our health facilities, health research capabilities, and healthcare infrastructures, can launch our health system to among the best five in the world.

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“Rather than pay attention to fixing our health system, our politicians are shamelessly busy competing on whom to win the ignoble title of ‘Medical Tourist 1 of Nigeria.’

“Our hospitals are in shambles because our politicians and their families are not treated in our hospitals. Our hospitals will be fixed to be in the world-class ranking any day our political class starts getting treatment from our hospitals.

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“It is high time medical tourism became a topic for the acceptance or rejection of politicians at the polls. Politicians who seek treatment abroad are directly telling other Nigerians that it is their own lives alone that matter and that the rest of us are sub-humans that deserve to be treated in the ‘mere consulting clinics’ they have egregiously reduced our hospitals to.

“The callousness and insensitivity of our politicians to our health system have forced seasoned healthcare professionals, especially doctors and nurses, to seek shelter in the responsive health system of other countries with responsible leaders where their skills, professional development, and remuneration are enhanced. Ironically, our politicians are treated abroad by these same seasoned Nigerian healthcare professionals that left our health system abroad out of sheer frustration.

“The poor performance of our health system in global ranking has never been the fault of our healthcare professionals. It is a systematic fault of not putting the right facilities and motivation in place by the country’s successive leadership to enable our healthcare professionals to replicate the type of wonders they have been performing when they travel abroad in our own health system.

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READ ALSO: Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Tinubu’s Disastrous Error – Ex-SGF Babachir Lawal

“The monies wasted on medical tourism are enough to rejig our health system and make a competing payment to the healthcare professionals that will dissuade those currently practicing in the country from contemplating going abroad and compel those that have left for greener pastures to return home.

“It is an affront to our collective sensibility to see our politicians abandon our hospitals that they have run aground through age-long fund deprivation and neglect for the treatment of helpless Nigerians that elected them, while they themselves jet out abroad at the slight of a headache to be treated in well organized, well-furnished, and well-funded hospitals with taxpayers’ monies. Such is abominable and unacceptable and must not be allowed to continue,” UGONSA lamented.

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The group charged Nigerians “to get their permanent voter’s cards (PVC), prepare to vote out, and never vote for any politician who has a penchant for embarking on medical tourism abroad.

“Politicians whose pastime is medical tourism have testified that they do not believe in the Nigerian system. If our health system is not good for you, our political system should also not be good for you.

“The level of corruption among our politicians is very pathetic as it is obvious that we now practice ‘Lootocracy’ instead of ‘Democracy.’

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“The spate of borrowing for consumption and re-looting with no obvious commensurate project on ground is unacceptable to nurses as it is to the generality of Nigerians.

“We, therefore. strongly call for accountability and transparency in governance to rescue the country from its economic doldrums occasioned by financial profligacy as this will have an unimaginable economic enslavement of our unborn future generation.

“The spate of insecurity in this country is also a severe concern to nurses as it has callously led to loss of precious lives that nurses strive to protect and preserve.

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“We call on both States and Federal Government to do more in the area of security to tame the ugly trend of worsening insecurity.”

UGONSA also thanked the Head of Civil Service of the Federation for releasing the circular for the proper placement of graduate nurses that was approved by the National Council on Establishment (NCE) at its 43rd meeting held in Abuja in January 2022 and called for its speedy implementation in all health institutions where nurses work.

READ ALSO: Delta Police Command Gives Update On Killed Nollywood Actor

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It, however, said, “Any delay in implementation of the circular will amount to further traumatization of the already traumatized and frustrated nurses who have been psychologically and financially bruised by the inexplicable injustice of under placement meted on them in the civil service over the years despite their unalloyed loyalty to Nigeria and to the patient.”

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Sanwo-Olu makes U-turn, Unblocks Lawyer Who Sued Him Over Blocking On X

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Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has unblocked human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, on X after a meeting with him at Lagos House, Marina, on Friday.

The lawyer, who had accused the governor of rights violations, announced the development in a post on his X account on Saturday.

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According to him, Sanwo-Olu personally invited him for a brief meeting to address his complaints.

Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has unblocked me on X (Twitter). I met briefly with him yesterday at Lagos House Marina, on his invitation, to amicably resolve my complaint of human rights violations. We will continue to hold authorities accountable, regardless. Aluta continua!” Ogun wrote.

READ ALSO:Lawyer Sues Sanwo-Olu For Blocking Him On X

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Tribune Online reports that Ogun had earlier filed a suit against Sanwo-Olu at a Federal High Court in Lagos, accusing him of violating his fundamental rights by blocking him on his verified X account.

In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1739/25, which he shared on Facebook, the lawyer claimed the governor blocked him over his 2021 “constructive criticisms” and “demand for accountability” on the October 2020 #EndSARS killings.

In 2021, I noticed that the Governor blocked me on his official X handle @jidesanwoolu owing to my constructive criticisms of his policies and demand for accountability in respect of the October 2020 #EndSARS Massacre.”

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Ogun said the action has prevented him from accessing vital government updates and information.

“Blocking me on X has prevented me from accessing public updates and receiving information about policies and governance in Lagos, which constitutes a violation of my right to receive information without interference,” he said.

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In his originating summons, he asked the court to declare the move unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory.

 

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Tragedy Deepens As Prime Suspect in Taraba Student’s Death Found Dead

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The investigation into the death of Comfort Jimtop, a 100-level Mass Communication student at Taraba State University, has taken a dramatic turn following the discovery of the lifeless body of Emmanuel Kefas, the prime suspect in the case.

Kefas’s body was discovered on Friday in the Tudiri community, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, under unclear circumstances, intensifying public concern and adding a tragic dimension to a case that has already gripped the university community and residents across Taraba State.

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Confirming the development on Saturday, the spokesperson for the Taraba State Police Command, James Lashen, said the police received a report from the village head of Tudiri about the discovery.

READ ALSO:Army Kills Notorious Bandit, Babangida, In Kogi

A lifeless body was found in Tudiri, and a Tecno Android phone was recovered beside it,” Lashen stated.

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Upon charging the phone, investigators found a photograph showing the deceased with the late Comfort Jimtop, suggesting they were in a romantic relationship.”

Lashen added that the body has been taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Jalingo for autopsy. At the same time, efforts are ongoing to officially identify the remains through the suspect’s family.

READ ALSO:Four Feared Killed As Gunmen Attack Burial Ceremony In Anambra

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Police have yet to determine whether Kefas’s death was the result of suicide, homicide, or an accident. Investigations into both deaths are continuing.

Comfort Jimtop’s mysterious death had earlier sparked outrage on campus and across the state, with students and rights groups demanding justice. Kefas was named a prime suspect in the case, which remains open.

This latest development has left many unanswered questions and deepened the grief surrounding the case.

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Students, residents, and civil society groups are closely monitoring the situation, calling on authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and bring clarity to the tragic chain of events.

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Ossiomo, Chinese Impasse: This Is Our Story — Management

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The management of Ossiomo Power Plant has cleared the air on the dispute between its Chinese partners and the circumstances surrounding the shutting down of the power plant early this month.

Representative of Ossiomo management, Engineer Festus Evbuomwan, during an interactive session with customers on the impasse between the two partners, said contrary to the rumour making the rounds, the management of Ossiomo Power Plant had paid over ₦2bn to its Chinese partner — Jiangsu Communication Clean Energy Technology (CCETC) — since the power plant started operation.

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Recall that representative of CCETC who identified himself as Mr. ‘W’ had, during a telephone phone interview two weeks ago, claimed that “instruction to shutdown was because we lost lots of money and did not get any return on investment,” adding that “all the $20m investment was done by us including the distribution lines.”

But Evbuomwan during the interactive session, said the management was not aware of the $20m investment the Chinese partner claimed, just as he disclosed that “when they generate power, we sell and pay them.”

READ ALSO:Edo Govt Denies Shares As Ownership Tussle Rocks Ossiomo Power

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He disclosed that after shutting down the power plant, the Chinese partners came up with a request of ₦185m to be paid to two Chinese not known to the management, stressing that this was declined.

According to him, the Chinese partner, having seen how lucrative the business is, “went to some quarters and raised some issues probably thinking they can manoeuvre us with the help of some big persons, so that they can use their machines to generate power and sideline us but this is not possible.”

The Chinese partners also claimed that they borrowed $20m from their native land to invest, we are not aware of such investment, and we do not know where the money was invested up till now.

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“They have been also saying they have not been receiving anything, but I want to tell you unequivocally that first, the partners run a joint account where their investment is going into. More so, The Chinese partners have received over ₦2bn so far for the power they generate with their machines. When they generate the power, we sell and pay them.”

READ ALSO: Five Years After, Edo Govt Reconnects To BEDC As Ossiomo Shut Down

Engr. Evbuomwan, while apologising to customers for the power outage caused by the dispute between the two partners, said Ossiomo had started power generation though not in full capacity, assuring that power generation would be fully restored soon.

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“We have purchased turbines, and one have started working. They are working on the second one, so, by the time our five turbines start working we will be in full capacity. Even with that, those connected to the government may not be reached immediately. This is because the government bought the poles and contracted the wiring, and we cannot force the government to do our bid. Also, we are making efforts to site 33kva transformer along Airport Road and Lagos Road as soon as possible, so that our customers there will get power.”

He said the Edo State government does not have a stake in the company, just as he appealed to the “government to let us supply power to customers in through their Lines. I want to emphasise that Ossiomo is not completely shut down.”

He further urged the “government to encourage the Nigerian citizens to invest and not to work against local investors.”

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