In March 2024, Muhammad Pate, Nigeria’s health minister, disclosed that about 16,000 doctors left the country in the last five years. The General Medical Council of the UK revealed that no fewer than 12,198 Nigerian doctors are in the United Kingdom. Several others are in the US, Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world.

However, despite Nigeria’s poor healthcare system, the Federal Government and 21 states have allocated merely N3.846 trillion for healthcare in their 2025 budgets. This amount represents only 6.02% of the proposed N63.898 trillion for the year. The allocation falls significantly short of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation of 13% and the African Union’s Abuja 2001 Declaration target of 15%.

And while the majority of Nigerians grapple with decaying healthcare, the recent revelation that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved an extravagant retirement package for top military officials has sparked a nationwide debate, raising critical questions about governance priorities, fiscal responsibility, and the plight of ordinary Nigerians.

Under the revised Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service (HTCOS) for the Nigerian Armed Forces, the retirement benefits for service chiefs and other senior military officers include bullet-proof SUVs, $20,000 annual foreign medical allowances, personal aides, and a range of domestic staff.

Signed into effect on December 14, 2024, these provisions have drawn fire from various quarters, including medical professionals, civil society organisations, and concerned citizens. Critics argue that the lavish perks symbolise a troubling disconnect between the government’s actions and the dire socioeconomic conditions plaguing Nigeria.

Recently Nigerians were inundated with reports that the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan was under a spell of darkness and water shortage that belie its pedigree as a top-notch medical centre for the training of doctors, healthcare delivery and research; a narrative that reflects the lack of serious attention to the health sector, and life itself, in Nigeria.

Premium Times in a 2024 Editorial, wrote: “Our public hospitals cannot be ‘mere consulting clinics or human abattoirs…The UCH must be made to recover its groove, which made it a hospital of first choice for members of the Royal family of the oil-rich Saudi Arabia in the 1960s and ranked the fourth best in the Commonwealth then. However, the truth is that this can only happen if President Bola Tinubu’s administration stops its binge of misplaced priorities. The N15 trillion 700-kilometre Lagos–Calabar coastal Highway and Sokoto to Badagry coastal highway – which is longer than the former and which has also been commissioned – provide pungent contexts of this.”

In 2024, only five states — Kaduna, Yobe, Kano, Bauchi, and Abia — allocated 15 percent of their budgets to healthcare. Others allocated between three and 12 percent. At the federal government level, only 4.6 percent of the 2024 budget was allotted to the health sector. From 2008 to 2021, the health allocations were less than five percent of total budgets in Africa’s most populous nation.

As of now, 33 of the 36 states have unveiled their budgets, with only Imo, Kwara, and Rivers yet to do so. Out of these, 21 states have disclosed their healthcare budget allocations, based on information from their websites and statements made by their governors in their Houses of Assembly.

Among the 21 states, only five — Kano (16.50%), Kaduna (16.07%), Borno (15.39%), Benue (15.09%), and Abia (15%) — have met both the WHO and African Union healthcare funding benchmarks. Ogun (13%) also met the WHO’s recommendation. In contrast, the Federal Government’s allocation of N2.48 trillion for healthcare in its N47.9 trillion 2025 budget amounts to just 5.18% of the total proposed spending.

Some states have allocated significantly lower percentages to healthcare, including Bayelsa (2.77%), Delta (3.12%), Cross River (4.22%), and Enugu (4.72%). Other states with relatively low allocations include Anambra (9.39%), Ebonyi (9.84%), Lagos (6.79%), Ondo (7%), Oyo (8.76%), and Gombe (10%).

Here is a breakdown of healthcare allocations in the 21 states:

Abia: N750.28 billion total budget, N38.6 billion for healthcare

Anambra: N607.992 billion total budget, N57.1 billion for healthcare

Enugu: N971.8 billion total budget, N45.016 billion for healthcare

Lagos: N3.005 trillion total budget, N204.005 billion for healthcare

Ondo: N655.23 billion total budget, N46.016 billion for healthcare

Oyo: N678.087 billion total budget, N59.411 billion for healthcare

Borno: N584.76 billion total budget, N89.97 billion for healthcare

Gombe: N320.11 billion total budget, N32 billion for healthcare

Bayelsa: N689.4 billion total budget, N19.1 billion for healthcare

Cross River: N498 billion total budget, N21 billion for healthcare

Delta: N979.2 billion total budget, N30.55 billion for healthcare

Edo: N605 billion total budget, N63.9 billion for healthcare

Jigawa: N693.3 billion total budget, N40.1 billion for healthcare

Kaduna: N790 billion total budget, N127 billion for healthcare

Kano: N549.1 billion total budget, N90.6 billion for healthcare

Katsina: N692.245 billion total budget, N43.882 billion for healthcare

Zamfara: N545.015 billion total budget, N64.384 billion for healthcare

Benue: N550 billion total budget, N83 billion for healthcare

Nasarawa: N382.57 billion total budget, N36.2 billion for healthcare

A Breakdown of the Generals’ perks according to Atlantic Post.

The HTCOS outlines an extensive list of retirement benefits for senior military officers, reflecting a hierarchy of privilege. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and service chiefs are entitled to bullet-proof SUVs, maintained and replaced every four years, in addition to a backup Peugeot 508 or its equivalent.

These vehicles come with a full suite of support, including three service drivers and an orderly. Retired service chiefs are also provided with five domestic aides, including two cooks, two stewards, and a civilian gardener.

Medical benefits are equally generous. While lieutenant generals are entitled to $20,000 for annual medical treatment abroad, it is speculated that service chiefs receive significantly higher allowances. These perks extend to include local and international security escorts, personal firearms (retrievable upon death), and retention of military uniforms for ceremonial occasions.

For lower-ranking generals, such as major generals and brigadier generals, the benefits slightly taper off but remain substantial. They include Toyota Land Cruisers or equivalent vehicles, domestic staff, and annual medical allowances ranging from $10,000 to $15,000. Even colonels are entitled to free domestic medical care and Toyota Corollas.

The Healthcare Irony: A Vote of No Confidence?

Perhaps the most contentious aspect of these benefits is the foreign medical allowance. Medical professionals and civil society leaders have criticised the government for institutionalising medical tourism, which they argue reflects a profound lack of confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Prof. Bala Audu, President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), lambasted the decision, stating, “Any retirement benefits received by government officials should be invested within Nigeria.”

Echoing this sentiment, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) emphasised the need to revamp Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure.

“The decision to send retired officers abroad for treatment signals the government’s lack of faith in our local healthcare facilities,” Prof. Muhammad noted.

This critique highlights a glaring contradiction: while the government is willing to spend exorbitantly on foreign medical care for elites, millions of Nigerians struggle to access basic healthcare services. Dr. Tope Osundara, President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), argued that Nigeria possesses the medical expertise required to meet these needs but suffers from inadequate funding and outdated infrastructure.

Governance or Gluttony?

The timing of these extravagant benefits is particularly troubling. Nigeria is grappling with an economic crisis marked by soaring inflation, a depreciating naira, and widespread poverty. Millions of Nigerians live on less than $1.90 a day, yet resources are being channelled into luxury perks for a privileged few.

Friday Odeh, Country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, described the development as “alarming.” He questioned whether the retiring service chiefs have earned such rewards, given the ongoing security challenges plaguing the nation.

“For over 12 years, Nigeria has been battling insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping. Have the service chiefs truly delivered enough to justify these packages?” Odeh asked.

The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria has expressed great sadness over the death of Chief Saka Abimbola Isalu, SAN, FCI, Arb.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria was the Principal Partner Saka Isau (SAN) & Co. from 2011 until his death on 4 January 2025.

Born in Ilorin Kwara State on the 5th day of March 1955, Isalu, SAN attended Oke – Ebo Primary School, Ilorin between 1963 – 1971, Ansarul Islam Secondary School Ijomu – Oro, Kwara State – 1972 – 1973, Ilorin College, Ilorin, (now Government High School), Kwara State College of Technology – 1978 – 1980, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria – 1980 – 1981, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria – 1981 – 1984 and the Nigerian Law School, Lagos – 1984 – 1985.

He was called Nigerian Bar in 1985, became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2006 and Fellow Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of Nigeria in 2009.

From 1985 to 1986, he worked with Wole Olanipekun & Co. Ilorin, Sumaila Sadik & Co. Ilorin – 1986 – 1989, Saka Isau & Co. Ilorin – 1989 – 2003, Ministry of Justice, Ilorin – 2003 – 2010 and in April 2010 he worked at the Governor’s Office, Ilorin.

Chief Isalu, SAN was Member, Board of Directors, Kwara State Library Service Board – 1989 – 1991, Member, of Transition Committee to Civilian Administration set up by the government of Alhaji Sha’aba Lafiagi in 1992, Member, Board of Directors, Gateway Insurance PLC- 1992 – 1993, Chairman, Taskforce on revenue generation Ilorin West Local Govt. Council – 1995, Counsel representing Kwara State at Census Tribunal, Abuja – 1992 – 1993, Prosecutor, Failed Bank Tribunal – 1999 – 2002 and Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association Ilorin branch.

He was equally a member of the Transition Committee to Set up Dr Bukola Saraki’s administration in 2003, Attorney General and Commissioner For Justice, Kwara State – 2003 – 2010, Member, of Kwara State Judicial Service Commission – 2003 – 2010, Member, Council of Legal Education – 2003 – 2010, Member, Body of Benchers – 2003 – 2010, Secretary to the Government of Kwara state of Nigeria from April 2010 to May 29, 2011, and Vice chairman, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading PLC from 2011.

The full text of BOSAN’s statement signed by its secretary Mr. Olumide Sofowora, SAN reads:

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Chief Saka Abimbola Isau, SAN, who passed away on Saturday, January 4, 2025, at the age of 69.

Chief Isau, SAN was a native of Ilorin, Kwara State, and had a distinguished career in law and public service. He served as the 14th chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin branch, from 2000 to 2001, and was conferred with the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on July 18, 2006.

He also held various public offices, including Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice for Kwara State from 2003 to 2011, and Secretary to the Kwara State Government. In 2019, he contested for the Kwara State governorship primary ticket under the People’s Democratic Party.

Chief Isau’s burial took place on Sunday, January 5, 2025, in accordance with Islamic rites.

We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time. May he rest in eternal peace, along with our departed colleagues. Amen.

Signed:

Mr. Olumide Sofowora, SAN
Secretary

In a shocking turn of events, President Hakainde Hichilema fired Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Ms. Mazuba Monze. The dismissal comes after allegations surfaced that Ms. Monze requested a Zambian staff member shave her private parts, a demand the staff member deemed unacceptable and not part of their duties.

According to sources, the staff member refused to comply with the request, leading Ms. Monze to terminate their employment, citing disobedience and insubordination. However, the staff member appealed the decision, bringing the matter to the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

An investigation into the allegations was conducted, and upon verification, President Hichilema promptly fired Ms. Monze. The incident has raised eyebrows, with many questioning the judgment and conduct of the former High Commissioner.

In a surprising twist, a concerned Zambian living in South Africa has come forward, claiming that the allegations against Ms. Monze may have been exaggerated or fabricated by her detractors. The individual alleges that a campaign was launched against Ms. Monze, involving false reports and fabrications, which ultimately led to her dismissal.

As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen what further actions will be taken and what consequences Ms. Monze will face. One thing is certain, however: the incident has left a stain on Zambia’s diplomatic reputation and raised questions about the conduct of its representatives abroad.

Credits: The Marabi Post

The Jigawa State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a 15-year-old girl, Zahra’u Dauda, who conspired with her ex-lover to kill her 29-year-old husband, Kamisu Haruna. 

The incident occurred at Haruna’s residence in Albasu village, Jahun Local Government Area of the state on December 22, 2024, two days after the couple’s wedding. 

It was gathered that the couple got married on December 20, 2024, in Kiyawa Local Government Area of the state.

The command spokesperson, DSP Lawan Shiisu Adam, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, January 4, 2025. He said the groom and two of his friends ate the poisoned food served by Zahra’u and developed stomach aches. 

The victims were rushed to the hospital where one of the groom’s friends was confirmed dead.  

“One Zahra’u Dauda ‘f’ age 15yrs of Bagata Gabas village conspired with her ex-lover, one Lawan Musa’m’ age 22yrs of Bagata Gabas Yamma village, all in Kiyawa LGA, to poison her husband’s food, one Kamisu Haruna ‘m’ age 29yrs of Albasu village, Jahun LGA,” the statement read. 

“The husband and his two friends ate the food together, and as a result, they both developed stomachaches.

“Victims were rushed to the hospital, where one of the groom’s friends was confirmed dead by the medical doctor on call. 

“The case is under investigation.” 

A final year student at the School of Health, Makarfi, in Zaria, Kaduna State, Baraka Abdulkarim, has narrated how the bandits who abducted her killed two children for walking slowly.

LIB reported that Baraka was abducted on December 1, 2024, while on her way home from school. 

Speaking to Punch, Baraka narrated how she survived horrifying conditions in captivity for 13 days. 

“I’m 26 years old now. I’m from Oyo State. My dad is from Ogbomoso, but my mum is from Oyo Town. I can say I’m from Ogbomoso Ayilara, but we stay in Oke-Elerin, and we always go home,” she explained. 

“I was coming back from school in Zaria and heading to Funtua, which is in Katsina State. When I got to the park, no taxi was available. So, I decided to take a car along the road. Another woman, who had six children, also joined me. When we got to a village called Maraba Maska, the driver stopped, claiming the fuel had finished and that he would call another car for us to board. We had to enter the new car.

“There were four of them; three passengers and the driver. None of them were female, and they were all Fulani. The seats inside the car were insufficient, and it was already 6 pm. So, the woman and I entered while the children sat on our laps. Another man also joined us. When we reached Funtua Junction, where I was supposed to alight, I informed the driver, but he ignored me.

“He drove past the junction, and we started shouting. That was when the passengers who had pretended to be fellow travellers brought out their guns. We didn’t even know they had guns, as they had concealed them. The car continued moving until we reached a point where there were soldiers

“Before they brought out their guns, the man sitting beside me asked me to shift a bit. After I did, they then revealed their guns. I was scared, and the woman, the children, and I started shouting. They didn’t seem bothered by our cries, saying that even if the soldiers saw us, they wouldn’t do anything and nobody would come to our aid. The strange part was seeing an airplane flying over the forest every morning, and the kidnappers would mockingly say that it wouldn’t help us

“We were shouting, but the soldiers didn’t notice anything. They didn’t realise what was going on until we passed them. Then the kidnappers ordered us to get out of the car, and we complied. I saw the Fulani men holding AK-47 rifles

“They asked us to leave, and we began trekking into the forest. We walked from that night until around 5 am the next morning. When we reached their destination, they instructed us to enter a thatched hut in the middle of the forest. On the way, they killed two of the woman’s children.

“They said the children weren’t moving fast enough. So, they shot and killed them before we reached the hut. They also shot a fat woman in the leg because she couldn’t walk quickly. They wanted to abandon her, but one of them insisted they shouldn’t. It seemed they didn’t tolerate slow movement in the forest. After trekking for more than an hour, we heard gunshots from soldiers. The kidnappers told us the soldiers would not leave their positions and would only shoot into the air.

“They tied our hands and legs with big chains and padlocked them. This was done to all of us, even the children. They chained one hand and one leg together and padlocked it. I couldn’t sleep until daybreak because the chains caused severe pain, and I developed scars. We thought we would be given food and water in the morning, but none came until the night.

“They sarcastically asked if we wanted tea. A man who had been kidnapped with us said yes, unaware that their “tea” meant a severe beating. They beat him mercilessly. The kidnappers didn’t stay in the same hut as us. They had another hut where they lived with their young wives, who were between 12 and 14 years old. The leader of the kidnappers looked about 20 years old. They were all young

“They gave us the chaff left after grinding and sieving maize. They also asked us to cut small roots, place money on them, and burn them with a lighter to make a fire

“They placed bundles of N1,000 notes and honey on the roots before lighting them. I’m unsure if the notes were real. They used this fire to prepare the maize chaff, which they gave us once a day. They rationed water too, giving us a Fanta bottle’s quantity to share among three people

“We were 10 in total; six children and four adults. Inside the hut, we urinated and defecated on our bodies. We couldn’t bathe as we were chained. I even started and finished my menstruation in captivity

The student said when the kidnappers found out she was menstruating they stopped going to the hut.

“Once I started menstruating, they stopped coming to our hut. The other woman said menstrual blood could neutralise their charms. I was supposed to menstruate for three days, but it lasted 10 days due to anxiety.

Baraka said she didn’t clean herself all through her period.

“I couldn’t. My hands and legs were tied, so the blood dried on my body along with the urine and faeces. There was no way to clean up.

The kidnappers contacted her family after four days and initially demanded N20m ransom before reducing it to N3m. 

“After four days, they asked if I knew my mum’s number. I gave them my maternal uncle’s number instead, as my mum was in the hospital awaiting surgery. They took me to a spot with network service, and I called my uncle. He confirmed the situation after speaking with the kidnappers

“Initially, they demanded N20m. My uncle said there was no way we could raise that amount. They reduced it to N3m, two motorcycles, two smartphones with three cameras, and N50,000 worth of Airtel recharge cards

Baraka said her uncle sent one of his boys to deliver the ransom but the kidnappers refused to release him after collecting the money.

“You can’t believe that the guy who went with the ransom is still with them. They didn’t release him after giving them the money, saying we would have to pay another ransom to set him free. We are running helter-skelter now to raise the money.

“They asked me if I knew the guy and I said no. The way those people collect the ransom is that when anybody takes the money to them, they will ask the person to put the money on the floor and cross over it three times. After that, they asked the person to pack the sand under his feet and pour it on the money. After that, the kidnappers would touch the money. So, they told me that the ransom had been paid and that it was already 9pm, saying they would release me if I wanted to go that night or stay with them till daybreak.

“I said they should release me now but they were saying that if they released me that night, I might fall into the hands of another set of kidnappers. But I insisted that they should release me that night. So, they took me on their bike and passed through the forest without the lights on. We fell off the bike three times. There is a spot on my leg where I got hurt by the bike’s silencer.

“When we got to the end of the thick bush, they released me at that spot around 10pm. I was not wearing shoes but they showed me the way and told me to go straight. That was how I started running until I got to a point far from where I was left. I saw a house there and I entered. I saw a man with his children reciting the Quran. As I entered the place, I fell and started crying. Then the man said he knew what had happened and that I should not say anything

“I used the man’s phone to call my mum and I told her that I had been released. So, the man told her about my location and she pleaded with him to take me to my uncle’s place in Yankara very close to that place. When we got to my uncle’s place, they took me to the hospital immediately to carry out a general check-up.

“There is a card they always give at the hospital that if they write bandit on top of it, any medicine or tests to be given and carried out will be free. They did the tests for me but the problem is that whenever I scratch my body, rashes will come out. Recently, something came out of my eye. So, I had to go to the hospital. My eye surgery is in a few days now.

“I was asking myself if I would ever see my mum again. A lot of things were coming to my mind at that moment. I thought that if my mum cooked tuwo for us at home, I might decide not to eat it, but I was in captivity eating the chaff from maize with soup or anything. My dad is late and my other sister is going for eye surgery.

“I did not even know if my mum wouldn’t develop hypertension because she only gave birth to the two of us. I was kidnapped and my sister was in an operation room for her eye surgery and we are not even sure if she’s going to see again with the eye

“I haven’t slept properly since. I attend therapy every three days and keep praying for strength. I’m thankful to God for my life, my family’s support, and the opportunity to seek my mum’s forgiveness.”