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Abuja – Major stakeholders in banking and finance, on Monday disagreed with the Senate over its proposed amendment of laws on the regulation and supervision of Micro Finance Banks (MFBs) in the country. *Dr.(Mrs.) Kate Okpareke on behalf of the Word of Life Bible Church/Eagle Flight Microfinance Bank Limited presents the key of a brand new car to Oghi Peter.
They said that what the bank needed was re-modelling of its operations to function effectively and not amendment of laws regulating its operations.
The stakeholders included the Federal Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), and Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
They made the position known at a Public Hearing organised by Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions in Abuja.
The hearing was on three Bills one of which is "Bill for an Act to make provisions for the licensing, regulation and supervision of microfinance business in Nigeria and for related purposes, 2017.''
It includes "Bill was a bill for an Act to amend motor vehicle third party insurance Act, 2004 to facilitate the accomplishment of the objectives of compulsory third party insurance and for related matters, 2017.''
In his submission, CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, argued that the Bills were unnecessary.
He said that if licensing, regulatory and supervisory roles which were traditional obligations of CBN was now given to the ministry or NDIC through planned amendment, it may cause serious conflict in the nation's financial system operations.
Represented by the Director of Legal Services, Mr Johnson Akinkunmi, Emefiele said that the power to license banks lay with the CBN.
He added that no other government agency or ministry was empowered under the law to assume power to supervise banks, determine their licences and appoint self as liquidator.
"The Bills attempted to demarcate Micro Finance Banks into two – those that take deposit and those that do not, and hope to be regulated by the Ministry of Finance.
"This will cause conflict because the CBN has power of regulating banks.
"Another major problem that the Bill will cause is that some categories of Micro Finance Banks will be regulated by the Ministry of Finance and some by the CBN.
"This is unhealthy and very unnecessary. There is no reason to carve out deposit insurance for micro-finance outside the NDIC," he said.
Emefiele charged the Senate to look at the challenges to assist in addressing them rather than amendment of the Act.
According to him, the policy and strategic direction is the legal framework that will make Micro-Finance Banks function effectively.
Similarly, Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, agreed with the CBN Governor and said that the ministry was not asking for powers to supervise banks.
Adeosun was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Mahmud Dutse.
In his submission, President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mr Ismaila Zakari, appreciated the efforts of the National Assembly toward strengthening Nigeria's financial system.
"We also appreciate the National assembly for empowering Nigerians for economic freedom and boosting the gross domestic product of Nigeria, among other numerous laudable initiatives," he said.
He said that the body had identified a number of gaps in the proposed Act and made recommendations.
"For instance, ICAN suggested amendment to Section 30 (a) of the proposed Act, which states that `no one shall be appointed as external auditor of an institution if such person is not qualified under the Companies and Allied Matters Act'".
Making reference to Section 41 of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Act 2011, ICAN stated that in that section, external auditors must also be appointed in line with the Act.
"Our observation is that a professional is functioning as an auditor to a micro finance institution does not imply that he or she uses fiduciary information obtained in the course of his/her audit for any other purposes," he said. (NAN)
By Levinus Nwabughiogu ABUJA-Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is billed to declare open the 16th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (Africa Region) event Tuesday in Abuja, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun said Monday night.
The conference which holds at the ECOWAS parliament is organized by the Nigerian National Assembly
Briefing Journalists, Lasun who chairs the organizing committee said that the conference was a biannual event that brings together speakers and presiding officers of various parliaments in Africa to cross-fertilize ideas on issues of common interest.
He however said that the conference would not disrupt the normal sessions and proceedings of the House.
According to him, the House would commence voting on the constitutional amendment reports as well as the consideration of a virement request made by the Acting President on the 2017 budget.
He said: “The conference is exclusively for Speakers and Presiding Officers. As I speak now, there is a 3 member committee and the meeting is going on in the office of the Speaker – finalizing for the programme and planning for the future country that would host the conference.
“The Speaker is the chairperson of the conference, at the same time, he is the one representing West Africa on the executive body which is supposed to be made up of 4 members including himself.
“Tomorrow (today) our normal plenary session will go on and I’m likely going to come back here and preside.
“But before we adjourned last week, we made everybody aware that we are going to vote on the report of the Constitution Review Committee, so on Wednesday and Thursday, almost all the programmes of this conference will be shifted to afternoon, that indulgence has been granted to us. So, we will be here to do the normal voting on the constitution and, of course, as the chairman of the Adhoc Committee on Constitution Review, I have to be on ground to present the report and answer questions on the floor, and since both of us cannot be absent from duty, the Speaker too has to be there to preside over the consideration of the report.
“Don’t forget too that besides voting on the constitution amendment, we are also going to deliberate on the virement proposal for the 2017 budget. So we have taken care of all these arrangements from our end just as our colleagues at the conference have also granted us that indulgence”.
Themed ” the presiding officers in a changing society”, the conference is expected to attract delegates who are expected to discuss various topics such as “Presiding Officers and the Principle of Non-Partisanship”; “the Presiding Officers and the Challenge of Managing an E-parliament”; to What Extent can Parliament Coexist with Non-State Actors in Policy Formulation and Legislation, and “Parliamentary Budget Offices, Towards Enhancing Legislative Capacity for Oversight and Scrutiny”, amongst others.
Lagos – The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) on Monday issued Certificates of Return to candidates elected in Saturday's poll.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) won the chairmanship seats in the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the State.
The APC also won 369 councillorship seats while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won four seats, and Accord Party, three.
The LASIEC Chairman, retired Justice Ayotunde Phillips, who presented the certificates to the victorious candidates at the commission's head office, congratulated them on their success.
"I congratulate you and I urge you to see the victory as a call to service to make impact in your areas," she said.
Phillips expressed satisfaction at the conduct of the election and thanked all the parties for their cooperation.
The state chairman of the APC, Mr Henry Ajomale, who was at the presentation, commended the commission for the successful conduct of the election.
He said the performance of the APC in the polls clearly showed that the party was popular among Lagosians.
Ajomale said the party would continue to justify the confidence reposed in it by providing quality leadership to Lagos residents.
"The victory is a measure of our popularity; we will continue to provide quality leadership to justify the confidence reposed in us," he said.
Mr Toba Oke, chairman-elect for Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government, said he was so happy at his election.
He said he would use the opportunity to improve the lives of the people in his area.
NAN reports that the atmosphere at the commission was carnival-like as the candidates came along with jubilant supporters to the event.
Lagos residents had on Saturday come out on the rainy day to elect the chairmen and councillors.
LASIEC had announced the results at the ward collation and local government collation centres.(NAN)
Adebayo Faleti has been described as a custodian of Yoruba culture whom every Yoruba son and daughter should emulate.
Mr. Dele Odunle, the National President, Theatre and Movie Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN), stated this on Monday while reacting to the demise of Faleti, a renowned actor and broadcast journalist.
Pa Faleti, also a poet and author, died on Sunday morning in his home at Olororo area, Ojoo, Ibadan at the age of 86.
In an interview with newsmen, Odule said Pa Faleti was a custodian of culture who guarded Yoruba culture jealously, despite the fact that he studied French and English in the University.
"He believed so much in the development of Yoruba language and anything that have to do with Yoruba culture and done his best to promote the language and the culture.
Adebayo Faleti
"He was a disciplinarian, straightforward and gentleman who never condoned any act of hypocrisy; that was the reason for his uncommon high level of integrity and was being respected by all.
"Nigerians, especially Yoruba people, will miss Pa Faleti, who stood for the race and worked so much to ensure that we never lost the rich Yoruba culture.
"We urged those behind to imbibe the legacy of Pa Faleti to make Yoruba culture and language remain relevant,'' he said.
In his condolence message, Pastor Muyideen Kasali, of the Hour of Mercy Prayer Ministry International, Ibadan, urged the family of the deceased to take solace in God.
Kasali called on parents to inspire rich Yoruba culture in their children and discourage them from immoral practices which have now become prevalent among youths.
He said promotion of Yoruba culture and language should be a priority to Yoruba elders "just as Pa Faleti did before his demise''.
Dozens of sympathisers were still seen at the premises of the 2-storey building of the late poet on monday.
Some women were seen weeping while men were in groups discussing about the sudden demise of Pa Faleti.
A family source said that a meeting would soon be held to plan a befitting burial for late Pa Faleti.
Abuja – The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted morning thunderstorms over the Central states of Yola, Abuja, Bida, Mambilla Plateau, Minna, Southern Kaduna and South of Jos on Tuesday.
NiMet's Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office (CFO) on Monday in Abuja also predicted localised thunderstorms over the entire region later in the day.
It added that the central region would also have day and night temperatures in the range of 22 to 30 and 15 to 23 degrees Celsius respectively.
The agency predicted that Southern states would experience morning thunderstorms over Obudu, Ogoja and Ikom with cloudy conditions over the inland of the southwest.
It also predicted intermittent rains and thunderstorms over the coastal states with day and night temperatures of 25 to 31 and 19 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.
According to NiMet, northern states will experience morning thunderstorm over Maiduguri, Bauchi, Yelwa and Gombe with localised thunderstorms over the entire region in the afternoon and even hours.
"The northern states will also have day and night temperatures in the ranges of 30 to 35 C and 22 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.
"Moisture availability is expected to further spur formation of weather activities across the whole country in the next 24 hours,'' NiMet predicted. (NAN)
A statement issued on Monday in Ibadan by the Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Mr Olalekan Alli, said the newly constituted council would be headed by a retired Head of Service of the Federation, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi.
According to the statement, Prof. Lai Olurode, Prof. Olaide Adedokun, Mr Abiodun Owonikoko, Mr Isiaka Olagoke, Mr Tise Adenipekun and Bade Adesina would serve as members of the Governing council.
" Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and his counterpart form Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, acted on the powers conferred on them by the laws establishing the institution as Visitors met and approved the immediate constitution of the Governing Council of LAUTECH
"The tenure of the Governing Council as mandated by the University Law shall be for four years from the date of its inauguration unless determined by the Visitors.
"Visitors have also directed the immediate inauguration of the Governing Council whose mandate shall also be guided by the provisions of the relevant laws establishing the university," the statement said.
According to the statement, the Visitors are confident that with this development, the ongoing crisis in the institution will be resolved soon.
"They consequently enjoined all stakeholders to cooperate with the newly constituted council in its determination to realise its mandate," it added.
Kano – Engr Rabi'u Haruna, the Chairman, Kano State Chapter of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), has described telecommunication as a catalyst for Economic development in the country.
Haruna stated this on Monday in Kano during a one day sensitisation workshop organised by the Kano branch of the Nigerian Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, (NIEEE).
According to him, the workshop was aimed at impacting knowledge to members of the engineering profession in the state to ensure the development of the country.
He added that the role of Telecommunications in boosting the country's economy can not be overemphasised.
The NSE boss therefore reaffirmed the association's commitment toward uplifting the engineering profession in the state in particular and the country at large.
Haruna called on the general public to always monitor the activities of vandals in their areas and immediately report them to the nearest security agents for prompt action.
The Chairman also called on the public to always consider telecommunication companies as partners in progress.
In a remark, the chairman of the NIEEE, Mr. Emmanuel Akinwole urged the participants to utilise the knowledge they acquired during the workshop to improve the country's telecommunications system. (NAN)
South West Governors on Monday met in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State where they expressed their resolve to forge ahead with the regional integration plan, especially in key sectors such as agriculture, security, economy, among others, in the overall benefit of the Yoruba nation.
All the Governors of the States in the region – Mr Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Senator Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Senator Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and Mr Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti) were present at the meeting conveyed at the instance of Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting with the theme: "Economic Self-Determination For Western Nigeria: The Export Alternative," and read by the host Governor, the Governors approved the setting up of a Joint Task Force and action to contain all forms of security threat in the region to guarantee safety of lives, property and prosperity of the people.
The Governors also declared zero tolerance for crime and criminality in the region henceforth.
While declaring that the artificial boundaries, religion and political affiliation would no longer constitute barrier to the region's development, the Governors also directed DAWN Commission to develop a 25-year Western Nigeria Development Master Plan, while all the States in the regions were encouraged to significantly improve bi-lateral and multi-lateral cooperation to foster regional development.
The Governors also resolved to harness the "competitive advantage of all the States in the region for sustainable regional development," while DAWN is to develop a revenue optimization strategy for States in the region.
In order to improve the food security of the region, the Governors directed DAWN to convene a regional Agric Summit to be held in Ibadan, while approval as given for the establishment of Western Nigeria Export Development Initiative to drive the export potentials of the region.
The Governors also directed that there should be synergy between DAWN Commission, Oodua Group and other critical stakeholders for a framework to drive the commercial and industrialization competitiveness of the region, while a Committee is to be set up to advance values and ethos as instrument of Yoruba uniqueness to strengthen the region's identity and unity of purpose.
Speaking earlier, Governor Ambode said the attendance of all the Governors of the region in the meeting was a clear manifestation of commitment to the economic and political integration of the region.
He particularly noted that the success of the integration initiative would not only be of immense benefit to the region, but would go a long way to actualize the growth and development of the country.
"On behalf of the people of Lagos State, I bring you good felicitation in Ogun State, my closest neighbor among the south-western States. I also believe strongly that what we are doing today is a manifestation of the desire of the six Governors to actualize the integration we have been talking about.
"I believe strongly that it is also imperative that the economic integration and political integration of our region is significant to the growth and development of Nigeria and we are happy to be in Ogun State," Governor Ambode said.
Besides, Governor Ambode commended his counterpart in Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun for his laudable works in the State.
Governor Ambode had last week visited Oyo and Osun States as part of the plan to actualize the economic integration of the South West.
Details of final results of Saturday's local government election in Lagos released by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) on Monday indicated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won four councillorship seats in the polls.
A statement issued by the commission 's Director of Publicity, Mr Oladapo Olatunde, indicated that Accord Party also won three councillorship seats in the election.
According to the statement, the PDP won the four councillorship seats in Agege Local Government Area (LGA) Ward C, Itire-Ikate Local Council Development Area (LCDA)Ward A, Ikorodu LGA Ward G, and Oriade LCDA Ward A.
Accord Party won in Agege LGA Ward E, Ikosi-Isheri LCDA Ward D and Shomolu/Kosofe Ward E.
Aside the seven councillorship seats, the All Progressives Congress swept all the chairmanship seats and the remaining 369 councillorship seats in the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs in the state.
The analysis of the results showed that nine out of the 12 parties that participated in the election did not record any win.
The LASIEC chairman, retired Justice Ayotunde Phillips, according to the statement, congratulated all winners and urged them to justify the confidence reposed in them.
She urged them to do so by making impact with their leadership in their respective areas.
Phillips thanked the political parties and their agents for the peaceful way they conducted themselves during the election.
The commission's Chairman also commended security agents for helping to maintain law and order during the election.
She thanked the media and civil society organisations that partnered the commission to conduct the polls.
Ayotunde said the election was largely successfully conducted, but admitted initial delays in the deployment of materials to polling units.
She attributed the delays to the downpour on the day of the polls, which affected easy movement of materials to polling units.
The chairman thanked all Lagosians for the support given to the commission to ensure successful conduct.
Mr. Jude Ndukwe, the aide to the former Minister of Aviation and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has returned a verbal salvo thrown at his principal by President Muhammadu Buhari's aide, Mrs. Lauretta Onochie, saying the Presidential aide deserves pity and is suffering from senility and from a government of “rulership of the living by the dead.”
Mr. Ndukwe also alleged that Mrs. Onochie, having married for the fifth time, perhaps deserves pity just like her principal, President Buhari whom he said is running a government he describes as "ancestocracy," "corpsocracy", and "pictocracy", which means government by aged, "walking dead" and a government of falsehood through the peddling of fake pictures by the presidential aides.
Mr. Ndukwe also said that only a thief thinks others as thieves, hence, Mrs. Onochie's attribution to Chief Fani-Kayode.
Mr. Ndukwe however said both Onochie and her principal are afraid of Chief Fani-Kayode's truths about the failed state of the All Progressives Congress, APC, party.
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Mrs. Lauretta Onochie & Mr. Jude Ndukwe
The statement read thus:
"We have seen a story making the rounds in the media quoting the aged Personal Assistant to Muhammadu Buhari, Lauretta Onochie, as saying some uncomplimentary things about Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and the PDP, using her twitter handle.
"While we do not intend to respond to her so as not to drag ourselves to her level as we have detailed the personal assistant to the special assistant to the special adviser to Chief Femi Fani-Kayode to respond to her, we however find it curious that Lauretta is yet to heed our advice from the last time urging her to go for a facelift and control her insatiable desire to always get hopelessly inebriated which leads to her usual garrulousness.
"At nearly 70 years of age, working as a PA to a 74-year old Buhari whose real age is believed to be in the mid-eighties, and reportedly married for the 5thtime, Onochie, no doubt deserves our pity.
"We are now convinced why Buhari's government is described as "ancestocracy" which is a government of the senile, "corpsocracy", rulership of the living by the dead, and "pictocracy", which is a system of government where government officials are buried in the perpetual peddling of falsehood through the use of fake and recycled pictures just to immorally and corruptly perpetuate themselves in power at the expense of the common good.
"It is only a thief that thinks every other person is a thief. If not that Onochie's paymasters are engaged in the unholy act of buying up media houses to promote their falsehood and cover up their corruption as is the case in Buhari's sickness, Onochie would not think that media houses are giving FFK space in their outfits for pecuniary gains.
"We know where the latest fear of the presidency against FFK is coming from. We know why they want to embark on a puerile campaign to shut him out of the media. They have made several attempts to shut out his columns in many media houses, and that is because Onochie's bosses fear the truth. They cannot stand FFK's razor sharp truth against their ineffectual snail they call president with their ineffective lies.
"The news making the rounds that FFK is under immense and intense pressure to contest the chairmanship of the PDP gives the Onochies of this world sleepless nights. They are wondering what would be their fate if a man that has no platform other than being a member of the leading opposition party could get them scampering for cover when he sneezes, what would be their fate if he eventually becomes the chairman of PDP?
"While we sympathise with Onochie for driving herself too hard to satisfy her corpsocrat-bosses, we also urge her to take it easy when she is taken by any of the ancestocrats to "the other room" to provide service as usual since age is no longer on her side.
"We believe very strongly that the negative effects of regular services provided by Lauretta to the corpsocrats in the other room, at her age, is wearing out her brain thereby leading to early signs of senility. Nobody services corpses at her age and remains the same.
"Let us also remind Lauretta that Nigerians are waiting eagerly to have her and her bosses in prison as soon as 2019 comes. They must account for the monies they allegedly stole from the IDPs, the poorest of the poor, through Babachir Lawal, and still went ahead to bomb them to death in Rann in their state of hopelessness and helplessness.
"They must account for the over 280 vessels laden with crude oil that have reportedly disappeared into thin air from our ports under this rudderless, brutish and satanic government. In the end, it is obvious that it is Onochie and her bosses that would end up in prison for their numerous sleazes. It is only a matter of time."
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu storms Ebonyi state after attending a brief award event in Enugu. He was spotted blocked by the Nigerian Army and police but finally penetrated the area along with his multitude supporters chanting ‘Nzugbu nzugbu enyiba enyi ‘Ohamadike’ enyiba enyi’. Watch the two video clips.
Michael Phelps, the greatest Olympian of modern times, has finally met his match in a swim-off against the greatest predator in the oceans, the great white shark.
But many viewers of the Discovery Channel’s much-publicized race between man and beast found the result to be a little fishy.
Touted as “Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White,” the face-off in the chilly, shark-rich waters off South Africa was the launchpad for the channel’s annual Shark Week series of shows.
Phelps, who has won 28 Olympic medals including 23 golds, noted before the event that his safety was the number one priority going into the race, and said before the broadcast that he did not actually enter the water with the shark he was racing.
Instead, the film crew shot footage of a shark speeding along the same stretch of water as Phelps, who swam the course at a different time under the supervision of marine experts and divers.
The filmmakers used special effects to splice the two together, so it looked as though the American swimmer was racing alongside the huge predator.
Despite being fitted with a special monofin to help propel him through the water, Phelps lost by two seconds to the shark, which put on a final spurt as it closed in on a seal.
After his narrow defeat, Phelps demanded a rematch. “Next time… warmer water,” the 32-year-old champion wrote on Twitter.
Many viewers of the show also took to social media to express their disappointment, having apparently believed Phelps would actually be racing a shark in real time.
“Call me crazy but I thought they were gonna put Phelps up against a real shark not a simulation. I feel robbed,” said a Twitter user who goes by Meg Conley.
Another scornful Twitter user posted footage of a cartoon shark dancing with the caption “Live footage of Shark getting ready to wipe the floor with Michael Phelps.”
Others, however, expressed surprise that anyone would have believed a real one-on-one between man and shark would have been possible.
By Ben Agande Kaduna – The Nigerian Airforce Institute of Technology, Kaduna has graduated about 243 students in various fields of aircraft maintenance ranging from Aerospace Engineering, Avionics, Air Frame and Power Plant as well as Explosive Ordinance Technology.
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna to mark activities lined up for the forthcoming 46th convocation ceremony of the institute, the Commandant of the school, Air Vice Marshal Isyaka Bukar said the institute was the only aviation institute in the country that license its students on Turbo jet engines and has the approval of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to conduct Aircraft Engineering courses.
According to him, the institute has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Cranfield University in the United Kingdom which means that its certificate and diploma programmes are recognized worldwide.
The commandant stated that despite the strides the institute has made in the last couple of years, it is still constrained by the issue of financing since the National Assembly is yet to pass the Bill formally establishing the university that would make it access funds outside of the funding provided by the Nigerians Air Force.
“Our Major challenge is finance. The aero space is a very expensive venture. We are not able to get what we require to conduct what we want to do. That is why we have been unable to employ some technical staff” he said.
He stated that despite the financial challenge faced by the institute, it has been able to attract students from the air forces of countries like Ghana, Niger, Lesotho, and Sierra Leone.
TWELVE states are being targeted for reduction of stunting under a Federal Government and World Bank partnership to address malnutrition in Nigeria.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole stated in Abuja at a high level Consultative Meeting with State Governments on Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria, that the project would be financed by the World Bank while benefitting states would provide counterpart funding.
"Since we cannot cover all the 36 states at this initial stage, we have developed a number of criteria for state selection to ensure transparency. The first criterion is based on the burden of stunting. Today we have invited states with the highest burden of stunting in each of the six geo-political zones. The 12 states will be selected from among these 18 states based on the criteria that we have all agreed on today".
Adewole said implementing the project would improve infant and young child feeding behaviors, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, increase the quantity and quality of nutrition services and ultimately reduce stunting in Nigeria.
On the economic benefit on investing in nutrition, the Minister noted that every $1 invested in interventions targeting stunting would bring about $10 in economic benefit; $1 invested in anemia prevention can yield up to $12 and $1 invested in improving exclusive breastfeeding can yield as much as $35," Adewole said.
In his presentation, the World Bank Representative,Luc Laviolette said the project would last five years and each benefitting state is expected to contribute N250, 000,000 at N50, 000,000 per year.
At the end of the meeting the participating states agreed that official letter should be sent to the Governors Forum to enable them get firsthand information from the World Bank/Federal Ministry of Health on the project while the process of selection is going on.
Scientists at the University of Southern California have found that people who drink coffee appear to live longer.
Drinking coffee was associated with lower risk of death due to heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and kidney disease.
People who consumed a cup of coffee a day were 12 percent less likely to die compared to those who didn’t drink coffee.
This association was even stronger for those who drank two to three cups a day — 18 percent reduced the chance of death.
Lower mortality was present regardless of whether people drink regular or decaffeinated coffee, suggesting the association is not tied to caffeine, said Veronica W. Setiawan, lead author of the study and an Associate professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
“We cannot say drinking coffee will prolong your life, but we see an association,” Setiawan said. “If you like to drink coffee, drink up! If you’re not a coffee drinker, then you need to consider if you should start.”
The study, which will be published in the July 11 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, used data from the Multiethnic Cohort Study, a collaborative effort between the University of Hawaii Cancer Center and the Keck School of Medicine.
People who consumed a cup of coffee a day were 12 percent less likely to die compared to those who didn’t drink coffee. This association was even stronger for those who drank two to three cups a day — 18 percent reduced chance of death.
Lower mortality was present regardless of whether people drank regular or decaffeinated coffee, suggesting the association is not tied to caffeine, said Veronica W. Setiawan, lead author of the study and an associate professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
“We cannot say drinking coffee will prolong your life, but we see an association,” Setiawan said. “If you like to drink coffee, drink up! If you’re not a coffee drinker, then you need to consider if you should start.”
The study, which will be published in the July 11 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, used data from the Multiethnic Cohort Study, a collaborative effort between the University of Hawaii Cancer Center and the Keck School of Medicine.
The ongoing Multiethnic Cohort Study has more than 215,000 participants and bills itself as the most ethnically diverse study examining lifestyle risk factors that may lead to cancer.
“Until now, few data have been available on the association between coffee consumption and mortality in nonwhites in the United States and elsewhere,” the study stated. “Such investigations are important because lifestyle patterns and disease risks can vary substantially across racial and ethnic backgrounds, and findings in one group may not necessarily apply to others.”
Since the association was seen in four different ethnicities, Setiawan said it is safe to say the results apply to other groups.
GONORRHOEA is becoming untreatable, but there is hope on the horizon according to findings by a team of scientists in New Zealand, who say there may be a chance for a preventative vaccine.
According to the scientists, an outer membrane vesicle vaccine designed to protect against meningitis appears to also be capable of protecting against gonorrhoea.
If this finding is confirmed, it could completely change the game when it comes to battling gonorrhoea, as it will mark the first instance of a vaccine reducing oinfections.
In their study, published in the Lancet, the scientists note that individuals who received the meningococcal vaccine were less likely to contract gonorrhoea.
"The emergence of completely drug-resistant gonorrhoea is a major concern," Dr. Helen Petousis-Harris, Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland and lead author of the study, stressed.
Using data from the New Zealand national vaccine registry, they compared vaccination rates in 2 groups of patients at sexual health clinics in New Zealand who had sexually transmitted diseases: those with gonorrhoea, and those with chlamydia.
"We found that people with gonorrhoea were less likely to be vaccinated than people with chlamydia, and that indicates that the "vaccine protects against gonorrhea but not chlamydia," Petousis-Harris said. Furthermore, the scientists found that those who did receive vaccination were "significantly less likely" to become infected with gonorrhea than those who did not receive the vaccine.
These findings are leaving researchers hopeful and provide a very important breakthrough in the development of gonorrhoea vaccines. Adding a vaccine to the arsenal might help researchers get a leg up in the fight against gonorrhea.
THERE was excitement in Awka, the Anambra State capital recently when indigenes of the town resident in the United States of America and Canada carried out a five-day free health care programme for sick persons in all villages in the town as part of their think home projects for their people.
The exercise, under the Awka Union USA and Canada International Medical Mission, took place in five strategic locations in the town, with an estimated 3000 indigents benefitting.
Difficult cases were referred to the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital at cost borne by the health mission. President General, Awka Union in Diaspora, Mr. Henry Okwuchukwu Onwumbiko, said the Union received assistance from the USA for some of the drugs while members also contributed. The Union brought five medical doctors, a nurse, lawyer and physical-therapist and engaged the services of 10 medical doctors, 20 nurses, 10 pharmacists and other support staff.
A member of the team, Dr. Anthony Nwobum noted: "Our main target is to reach people who have limited access to healthcare because they do not have the resources due to their low income. "Most of us had come home in the past to discover that their relations were dying at home because they lacked the resources to go to hospital for treatment. We therefore met and took the decision that we should be visiting home on regular basis to assist our people."
"From what we have seen, our people are in dire need of regular medical check- up and this is one of the messages we would take back to the USA and Canada so that colleagues who did not come back with us would appreciate the problems our people are facing at home.
Another member of the union, Dr. Titi Uyawune expressed happiness at the opportunity provided by the exercise for her to be part of the team offering free health care services to her people, adding that she would always look forward for the annual event despite the cost implications.
"If not for anything, this exciting programme is enough incentive to make someone to come back to Nigeria on a regular basis. In fact I consider it a big privilege to visit all the villages in Awka and come face to face with their problems. From what we discovered, most of the ailments can be treated routinely, but because of lack of resources, they live with the sicknesses at home, thereby worsening their health conditions," Dr Uyanwune said.
Some of the patients who spoke during the exercise commended the team for remembering their root, and pleaded with them to come home regularly. Mrs. Evelyn Okeke, who said he was suffering from diabetes expressed satisfaction with the caring nature of the doctors and other health professionals and urged them to keep it up.
Mr. Damian Nwafor from Umuzocha village said the decision of the team to carry out the exercise in all the villages in Awka made it easy for the sick people to benefit as they did not have to walk a long distance to the venue of the treatment.
All things being equal, the expectation is that the medical team with carry out another exercise by the end of the year.
As part of efforts to increase egg consumption of Nigerians to 300 per person annually, Funtuna Food and Bottling Company, a subsidiary of Funtuna Ventures has introduced "coloured hard boiled eggs", poised to strengthen nutritional value of eggs.
The eggs could serve as quick and healthy snacks for children going to school and save families valuable time spent in boiling eggs.
The Company Executive Director, Mrs. Tolulola Olumide, said eggs contain good cholesterol and do not contribute to nutrition related diseases.
Olumide expressed concern over the fact that the per-capita egg consumption in Nigeria was lower than the global average, stating that Nigerians on average consume less than 80 eggs per person annually while China, Mexico and the United States of America consume over 300 eggs per person every year; and in South Africa, each person consumes 180 eggs every year.
This highlights the opportunities for growth and expansion for the egg industry in Nigeria as there are many eligible candidates for eggs that are not eating enough or that are simply not eating.
According to her eggs should not be restricted to festive seasons or World Egg Day, which is celebrated yearly, every first week of October.
On the coloured eggs, Olumide explained that the eggs were selected from a healthy flock, cleaned and loaded into a cooking machine to boil. The colours on the eggs performed the dual role of beautifying them and preserving their shelf life.
Her words: "Once eggs are boiled, the natural protective layer on the egg is lost, exposing the micro pores to bacteria infiltration and moisture penetration which aid the spoiling process. The colouring or varnishing process serves to replace that protective coating initially lost through boiling. This extends the shelf life of the eggs to over four weeks at steady room temperature after boiling."
On the safety of the colourant, she disclosed that the substance used for the colouring was the same as the one used in colouring of foods like cake icing, chocolate brighteners, sugar and candy coating and pharmaceutical colouring.
She said the substance is recognised as a safe inactive ingredient, which is called shellac, a European Union approved food additive. It is 100 per cent safe.
The Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo is currently in a closed-door meeting with the service chiefs at the Vice President’s wing of the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja.
Present at the meeting are: Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Abayomi Olonishakin, the Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Burata and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
Also present at the meeting are the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari; the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali and the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima.
An artificial heart which closely imitates the real thing "in form and function" has been developed by Swiss researchers.
Made from silicone and weighing just 390g (80g more than a normal, real heart), it contains a "complex inner structure," according to developer Nicholas Cohrs, a PhD student at ETH Zurich, the institution behind the innovation.
Heart Re
Around 26 million people worldwide suffer from heart failure, and the new technology could potentially bridge the gap between demand and donor supply.
Mirroring a real human heart, the mock muscle contains a right and left ventricle, and came to life through a 3D printer.
The two chambers are separated not by a septum, but by an additional chamber which is deflated through pressurised air. Used to pump fluid, the chamber mimics muscle contraction.
"Our goal is to develop an artificial heart that is roughly the same size as the patient's own and which imitates the human heart as closely as possible in form and functions." said Cohrs.
Although it functions similarly to the real thing, researchers found it is limited to 3,000 beats, or a maximum beating time of 45 minutes. This is due to constraints of the soft material.
Developers did not intend for this model to become a temporary implant straight away, it has paved a new way in thinking about artificial organs.
"This was simply a feasibility test. Our goal was not to present a heart ready for implantation, but to think about a new direction for the development of artificial hearts," Cohrs said.
