News

Japa: Only 6,000 Medical Consultants Remain In Nigeria -MDCAN

Published

8 months ago

January 24, 2025

The Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) says only 6,000 consultants are left in the country.

Its President, Prof. Muhammad Mohammad, said this on Thursday during the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting in Ilorin.

The meeting was themed, “Policy Making for Quality Healthcare Services: Engaging Policy Makers for Quality Healthcare Delivery”.

Mohammad explained that 6,000 consultants remain as of Feb. 2024, lamenting that data showed that about 1,300 left Nigeria in the last five years.

According to him, the number will continue to dwindle as the retirement age for medical consultants is 60 years.

“About 1,700 consultants are above 55 years of age.

“This means that in the next five years, they are going to leave the services for retirement,” he said.

The MDCAN president emphasised that the number of consultants would continue to reduce, as long as the country produces only one or two per annum.

“So you can see that the replacement cannot keep up with the loss from ‘Japa’ syndrome and from retirement,” he said.

Mohammad commended the government for its efforts toward finding solutions to the challenges.

According to him, the association is hopeful that consultants will be able to serve up to 70 years, while other healthcare workers will continue to serve up to 65 years.

He noted that such a move would ensure that medical and dental consultants who remain in the country continue to give their expertise in the health field.

Mohammad also appealed to the government at all tiers to ensure medical lectures are placed on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), addressing disparities in their emoluments.

“We also want to have an environment where we will be able to practice and deliver the best quality healthcare in Nigeria,” he said.

Similarly, the Kwara Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, said the theme of the NEC meeting was apt, noting that appropriate policies were critical to assist the government in delivering quality healthcare to citizens.

El-Imam said policies must be targeted toward the right segments, domesticated to the peculiarities of the state or nation and effectively disseminated to the end users.

“All of these contribute towards ensuring that the life and health of the people are safeguarded,” she said.

In his presentation, the Guest Speaker, Dr Amos Magaji, a Lawmaker representing Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency of Kaduna State in the 10th National Assembly, underscored the importance of policymaking in healthcare delivery.

According to him, healthcare is fundamental to life, noting that policies such as the National Health Insurance Authority will ensure Nigerians are captured for healthcare services.

Similarly, Prof. Tanimola Akande, Consultant in Public Health at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), advised doctors to focus on their health and well-being.

He underscored the need for self-care, regular and comprehensive examinations and exercise.

Earlier, Prof. Kazeem Ibrahim, Chairman, Local Organising Committee, MDCAN-NEC meeting, said that innumerable policies have been formulated in the past without significant impact on the health of many vulnerable citizens.

Ibrahim noted that the meeting would proffer solutions to the challenges, as well as the ‘Japa’ syndrome, pushing health workers to migrate from the country due to abysmal working conditions.

News

Boko Haram Once Nominated Muhammadu Buhari As Negotiator – Jonathan Revealed

Published

2 hours ago

October 3, 2025

Editor

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday, disclosed that Boko Haram insurgents once nominated the late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari as their negotiator.

Jonathan said Boko Haram chose Buhari to negotiate with the Nigerian government on their behalf.

He made the disclosure while speaking at the public presentation of Scars, a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd.), in Abuja.

Jonathan said the insurgents named Buhari after his then-administration set up several committees to explore dialogue with the group.

Jonathan said: “One of the committees we set up then, the Boko Haram nominated Buhari to lead their team to negotiate with the government.

“So I was feeling that, oh, if they nominated Buhari to represent them and had a discussion with the government committee, then when Buhari took over, it could have been an easy way to negotiate with them and they would have handed over their guns. But it was still there till today.”

Jonathan noted that the inability of Buhari to eradicate Boko Haram terrorists showed that the crisis was more complex than often portrayed.

News

Edo: Pandemonium As NDLEA Operatives Chase Escaping Driver With Shooting

Published

4 hours ago

October 3, 2025

Editor

There was pandemonium at Oka Market, Upper Sakponba Road, Benin City, Friday, as operatives of the State Command of Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) shot sporadically in chase of an escaping driver.

In the course of the commotion, traders and residents took to their heels, probably to avoid being hit by stray bullets, while others were confused, not sure of what caused the sporadic gunshots.

The sporadic gunshots which lasted more than five minutes at the gate of the NDLEA Head Office, by Oka Market, followed a hot chase of an articulated vehicle driver who was said to have brushed their (NDLEA) vehicle.

The driver, who reportedly brushed the NDLEA vehicle refused to stop for negation, which prompted officers at the scene to alert their colleagues who waited at the alert.

According to eyewitnesses, as the escaping articulated driver approached the NDLEA office, officers who were said to have been alerted by their colleagues pursuing the trailer began to shoot.

Seven of the tyres of the trailer were deflated by bullets of the NDLEA operatives yet the driver refused to stop.

The officers continued to shoot while pursuing him, until he was caught.

A source said that the driver brushed their vehicle on the way, and that every effort by the officers to stop him so they could settle the matter proved abortive; hence the gunshots and deflation of the tires.

“It was a simple thing; they jammed our men, but the officers tried to stop him so that they could settle, but the driver refused to stop. That is why the men have been shooting to stop him. Even after bursting about seven tires, he was still running, but we caught him and they are bringing him back to our office,” he concluded.

Calls and messages sent to the commander, Edo State NDLEA Command, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, were not responded to as at when filing this.

News

JUST IN: Court Bars Police From Enforcing Tinted Glass Regulation

Published

6 hours ago

October 3, 2025

Editor

The Federal High Court sitting in Warri has issued an order directing the Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector-General of Police to maintain the status quo in the ongoing case concerning the controversial tinted glass permit.

The case, Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/103/2025: John Aikpokpo-Martins v. Inspector-General of Police & Nigeria Police Force, came up for hearing today.

Delivering the interim order, the Court directed the police authorities to respect judicial processes pending further proceedings in the matter.

Confirming the development, Kunle Edun, SAN, who led the legal team, noted that the directive is a major step in ensuring that the rule of law is upheld while the substantive issues in the case are being determined.

Details of the ruling and the next adjourned date are expected shortly.

Further updates coming soon…