News

How UNICEF’s Initiative Changes Narrative Of Access To Healthcare Services In Bauchi

Published

2 months ago

June 21, 2025

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), through its Fathers for Good Health (F4GH) initiative has been making a whole lot of impact and improving the level of people’s access to healthcare services in Bauchi state.

This initiative was developed by UNICEF and funded by the Canadian Government in order to encourage men to support and mobilise their women for clinic visits, routine immunization, antenatal care and better hygiene practices within their communities.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen on Saturday while commemorating Fathers’ Day, John Eki, the Social Behaviour Change Specialist, UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, explained that the initiative was specially introduced to ensure that children that have not received any form of vaccine before were reached and vaccinated in Bauchi state.

In doing this, he said UNICEF in collaboration with the state’s Primary Healthcare Development Board did a rapid assessment where they went to two Local Government Areas, Misau and Ningi.

“We went to find out by ourselves the reason behind the parents not allowing their children to be vaccinated.

“It was quite interesting to see some of the underlying reasons why some parents were not vaccinating their children but increasingly, many of the respondents especially, mothers pointed out that the power to give consent to vaccinate a child rests with the fathers.

“They told us that if we want their children to be vaccinated, then we need to work with the men to be able to give them permission to vaccinate their children and that’s exactly what we did and we recorded huge success in this regard,” he said.

According to him, the group had been able to reach a total number of 113 wards, mobilized 9,252 communities as well as 109,444 children to be immunized with different routine immunization antigens in seven LGAs of Bauchi state.

The UNICEF specialist further explained that F4GH has a total number of 1,130 members with more volunteers showing interest in joining the group.

“What this means is that in every LGA we work, there are ten men in each ward meeting the fathers and convincing them to bring their children to health facilities for vaccination.

“We are mainstreaming nutrition, education, and child protection activities into the work the F4GH are doing now.

“This will enable them to address not only the issue of non-compliance with vaccine uptake but all the related issues affecting children and mothers,” Eki said.

While commending the group during a field trip of journalists organized by UNICEF to Misau LGA, Turaki Goje, a father who had once rejected vaccination owing to the fact that he grew up without receiving any form of immunization, admitted that he was ignorant and negligent.

“Members of the Father for Good Health support team visited my house at different times but I chased them away each time until one day I decided to listen to them to receive their messages.

“After listening to them, I was convinced about the message and I immediately allowed all my children that are within the immunization ages to receive the vaccination. Today, I have healthy children and grandchildren in my family.

“In fact, I later invited them and took them to my village where they enlightened the people there and they all accepted it especially, the women. We are now accepting any form of vaccination they bring to us.

“Another reason why I rejected any vaccination before was because we used to think that there was some kind of hidden agenda behind it because we thought these vaccination exercises only took place in the Northern part of the country,” he said.

One of the members of the group, Nura Aliyu, said before the coming of the initiative, there was a lot of resistance to polio immunization, low attendance of antenatal sessions by pregnant women and home deliveries were on the high side which sometimes resulted in health complications.

“Thanks to the Fathers for Good health Initiative, people now recognize the importance of going to the hospital, particularly pregnant women, even our malnourished children have recovered.

”Before now, there was a lot of resistance to immunization, most households were against immunizing their newborns and many of the pregnant women were not educated on attending antenatal and giving birth in a health facility.”

Similarly, another member of the group, Ibrahim Maina, called on the state government to help provide the group with the necessary mobility especially, motorcycles in order to effectively reach some of the hard to reach areas for awareness campaigns in no distant time.

News

Peter Obi’s Son, Oseloka, Speaks On Gay Allegations

Published

6 hours ago

August 23, 2025

Editor

Oseloka Obi, son of the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, has responded to viral allegations linking him to homosexuality after photographs of him with London-based British-Nigerian Kent Okwesa, circulated online this week.

The pictures, which emerged on Wednesday, showed Oseloka and Okwesa sitting closely at a restaurant in the United Kingdom, sparking a wave of online speculation and gossip.

In a detailed statement, Oseloka dismissed the rumours as malicious falsehoods driven by his father’s involvement in Nigerian politics.

He noted that while he rarely responds to such narratives, the persistence of gossip and unfounded claims made it necessary to address the matter.

“Because of my father’s involvement in Nigerian politics, there has been a persistent curiosity and, at times, malicious obsession with me.

“I have no social media presence and no interest in maintaining one, so I rarely correct these falsehoods. But perhaps it is time I address them,” he wrote.

Oseloka stressed that the photos of him in circulation were being misrepresented, insisting they were ordinary snapshots with friends and colleagues.

“The truth is simple: Peter Obi’s son appears in photos with his friends and colleagues, nothing more. If people wish to invent otherwise, I hope they sleep soundly knowing they are spreading lies,” he added.

He further emphasised that neither he nor his father is perfect, but attested to his father’s integrity and commitment to Nigeria’s future.

“My father has my vote, not because he is my father, but because he is the right man for the job. If others wish to go low, invent scandals, or attack me to wound him, they are free to do so. But we will go high, and we will continue to focus on the future of Nigeria.”

Concluding, Oseloka urged Nigerians to redirect their attention from idle gossip to the pressing socio-economic challenges facing the country.

Read the full statement below:

News

FULL LIST: PenCom Bars Seven Mortgage Banks From Processing Housing Loans

Published

6 hours ago

August 23, 2025

Editor

The National Pension Commission (PenCom) has barred seven Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs) from processing applications under the pension-backed equity contribution scheme for residential mortgages, citing their non-compliance with housing loan guidelines.

In a letter published on PenCom’s website, addressed to Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs), the organisation instructed them to immediately stop accepting or processing equity contribution applications submitted through the affected institutions.

The blacklisted mortgage banks are:

• Jigawa Savings & Loans Limited

• FHA Mortgage Bank Limited

• Delta Trust Mortgage Bank Limited

• AG Mortgage Bank Limited

• Infinity Trust Mortgage Bank Pic

• First Trust Mortgage Bank Limited

• Mutual Alliance Mortgage Bank Limited

“Following the cited letter, the commission instructs that PFAs, including Closed Pension Fund Administrators and Pension Fund Custodians, immediately stop accepting or processing equity contribution applications submitted by the following Primary Mortgage Banks… Please be guided,” the circular read in part.

Explaining the decision, PenCom’s spokesman, Ibrahim Buwai, told The PUNCH that the sanction was imposed because the affected institutions failed to generate the mortgages for which funds had been approved.

“The whole purpose of giving access to RSA holders is to enable them to own houses through mortgages,” he said. “It was discovered that some of the primary mortgage institutions were not generating mortgages. If that is the case, it means they are not complying with the regulations. That is the reason for their blacklisting.”

PenCom introduced the equity contribution for residential mortgages in September 2022, allowing Retirement Savings Account (RSA) holders to withdraw up to 25 per cent of their balances to fund equity contributions for home ownership.

According to the commission, 24,582 RSA holders had accessed the scheme as of the first quarter of 2025, with disbursements totalling ₦149.84bn.

RSA holders who submitted applications through the barred mortgage banks are now advised to reapply with other eligible PMBs. Those who have made upfront payments were urged to contact the affected institutions for the next line of action.

News

VIDEO: How ‘Close Friend’ Leaked Cat Secret To Security During My House Invasion — Sunday Igboho

Published

7 hours ago

August 23, 2025

Editor

Yoruba Nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has opened up again on the July 1, 2021 midnight invasion of his Ibadan residence by security operatives, including the Department of State Services (DSS).

Speaking during a visit to the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, at his palace in Ondo State, Igboho alleged that the attack was carried out with the intent to take his life.

“When my house was invaded, they wanted to kill me but failed. Some said my intestines were shattered, others said my leg was broken, but there was nothing of such. They fired guns at me very well, but the prayers of you my fathers on me were answered.”

According to him, the DSS operatives forcefully gained entrance into his residence and pointed a gun at his Personal Assistant so he could lead them to his room.

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Death of cat after friend’s betrayal

While recalling the invasion, Igboho said one of his trusted friends betrayed him by leaking sensitive information about his cat to the operatives.

He disclosed that the so-called ‘trusted’ friend had told the agents not to let the cat escape, which led to the security operatives killing the animal.

“When I opened the door of my room for them, they saw my cat on the bed. One of my friends that I entrusted with secret had told them not to let the cat go. So they killed the cat and wrapped it with clothes like a corpse. They destroyed everywhere in the house and killed one of my brothers alongside one other person and they left,” he narrated.

Appeal to the Olowo

Speaking at the palace of the Olowo, Igboho said his absence from the country had lasted about five years and that he was eager to return to contribute to tackling insecurity in the South-West.

“But why I came to meet you Kabiesi is that till when will I be doing that. Nigeria is my motherland. This is about five years since I’ve been chased from here. Tinubu is your son, you can convince him to free me. If not for the wanted tag on me, I would have come to Nigeria to face the insecurity facing the South-West region. I would have entered the bush and faced them,” Igboho pleaded with the monarch.

Monarch’s response
In his response, Oba Ogunoye described Igboho as a beacon of hope for his generation and future ones, urging him not to be discouraged by the challenges he has faced.

The monarch enjoined Igboho and his supporters to remain law-abiding amid ongoing challenges.

He assured him of continued support and called for peace and cooperation across South-West communities, noting that no region can achieve sustainable development without security.
(TRIBUNE)