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Resident doctors set to begin indefinite strike

Doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) are set to begin an indefinite strike from April 1.

The industrial action is sequel to expiration of the 60-day ultimatum to Federal Government to pay the salary arrears of house officers across the country and review hazard allowance, among other demands.

While decrying the paltry N5, 000 hazard allowance paid to its members, the association also noted that since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, it had lost 17 doctors, whose families and loved ones had yet to benefit from the Death-in-Service Insurance Scheme.

NARD President, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, made these known in a statement in Abuja.

This followed its extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Saturday.

He said: “The NEC unanimously agreed that NARD should proceed on a total and indefinite strike on the 1st of April 2021, by 8am if the following demands are not met.

“Immediate payment of all salaries owed to all house officers including March salaries (regardless of quota system) before the end of business on the 31st of March 2021.

“The NEC unanimously demanded for the sack of the Registrar of MDCN for failure to demonstrate competence in the handling of the central placement of house officers. This will give room for smooth implementation of the central placement of house officers without further delay.” (theconclaveng)

The power of praise

By Buti Sam Kputu

Nothing exalts and excites a King than to see his subjects Praise and worship him. Praise does not only bring glory to the throne, it affirms and expands his influence. It is no different with our Lord God almighty.

“God arises with the earsplitting shout of his people! God goes up with a trumpet blast! (Psalm 47:5-6, TPT)

In the Bible, many battles were fought and won through the power of praise. Remember King Jehoshapat’s victory over the host of the Moabites and Amonnites? Or Joshua over Jericho? Praise was their weapon.

The Power OF Praise and the Power IN Praise however is not merely in the lyrics and acoustics but in the WORD-CONTENT, the two-edged sword in them. How much of God’s word is in our Praise and worship of today?

“Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword (God’s Word) in their hand” (PS. 149:6)

© Buti Sam KPUTU

Appeal Court begins Alternative Dispute Resolution system

By Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday formally kick-started Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system with an appeal by its President, Justice Monica Dongban -Mensem, to the judiciary to rise up and meet the challenges of adjudication in the 21st Century.

If the challenges are met, the Appeal Court President expressed optimism that the country will become more attractive to international trade and foreign direct investment.

In her remarks at the inaugural sitting of the Court of Appeal Mediation Center, Justice Dongban-Mensem stated that good performance on the part of the country’s judiciary will improve employment and domestic economic growth.

The Appeal Court President who declared the session open recalled that the new system was initiated in 2018 as a way of ensuring speedy and efficient dispensation of justice as well as to promote amicable alternative to the adversarial justice system.

She further said that the ADR represented an innovation which, if fully utilised, will introduce a multi- track justice delivery system to the appellate level and further boost justice delivery.

According to her, “appellate mediation is now part of the global legal lexicon, straddling the appellate courts of countries like the United States of America, United Kingdom and Thailand”

The Appeal Court President further stated that the overriding objectives of the Court of Appeal mediation center is to promote mediation and other alternative dispute resolution mechanism towards enhancing the administration of justice and speedy resolution of disputes.

Among others, Justice Dongban-Mensem further stated that the new system will assist parties in reaching an expedious resolution of their disputes in all good faith in a fair and efficient manner.

She said, “We must not only build a structure but a mindset that will drive the process of alternative, less expensive and less onerous dispute resolution process such as mediation.

“There is also need for us to build a culture where peaceful resolution of disputes becomes more attractive than litigation”.

She then appealed to the bench and bar to uphold the ideals of the center for quick and amicable resolution of disputes adding that, this can be achieved if all sides imbibe the highest code of ethics and global best practices in the operation of the center.

The Appeal Court President commended Justices Williams Daudu, Sotonye Denton-West and Philomena Ekpe for their commitment to the success of the center and Dr. Kehinde Aina for making the establishment of the center a reality.

Among the appellants at the session are a business tycoon, Chief Ned Nwoko, who described the ADR as a right step in the right direction and appealed to Nigerians to imbibe the new justice dispensation system.

(Everyday)

Nigeria to fully utilise gas resources to uplift economy, drive industrialisation, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari Monday in Abuja launched “The Decade of Gas in Nigeria” with a pledge that his administration would fully utilise the enormous gas resources in the country to uplift the economy and drive industrialisation.

Setting the tone for the development of the industry in the next ten years, President Buhari said given the country’s potential of about 600 trillion cubic feet of gas, the commodity has the enormous potential to diversify Nigeria’s economy.

‘‘The rising global demand for cleaner energy sources has offered Nigeria an opportunity to exploit gas resources for the good of the country. We intend to seize this opportunity,’’ the President was quoted as saying by his spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, at the virtual Nigeria International Petroleum Summit (NIPS) 2021 Pre-Summit Conference and official launch of the Decade of Gas.

The President told participants at the Pre-Summit that while his administration has prioritized gas development and recorded remarkable progress, it is well known that Nigeria is a gas nation with a little oil, but the country has focused on oil over the years.

‘‘That is the paradox that this Administration decided to confront when we declared the year 2020 as “The Year of Gas” in Nigeria.

‘‘It was a bold statement to demonstrate the resolve of this Administration that gas development and utilization should be a national priority to stimulate economic growth, further improve Nigeria’s energy mix, drive investments, and provide the much-needed jobs for our citizens in the country.

‘‘Before the declaration of Year 2020 as The Year of Gas, this Administration had shown commitment to the development of Nigeria’s vast gas resources and strengthening of the gas value chain by reviewing and gazetting policies and regulations to enhance operations in the sector as encapsulated in the National Gas Policy of 2017.

‘‘Our major objective for the gas sector is to transform Nigeria into an industrialized nation with gas playing a major role and we demonstrated this through enhanced accelerated gas revolution,’’ he said.

Enumerating what his administration has done to energise the sector, the President said the development of gas infrastructure has commenced along with the domestic utilization of LPG and CNG, as well as the process of commercializing gas flares, development of industrial and transport gas markets, and increasing gas to power.

‘‘We also kick started other policies and projects like the National Gas Expansion Programme, Autogas policy and the construction of the 614km Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline.

‘‘After a thorough review of these laudable achievements and successes in the gas space, we acknowledge that Nigeria still has more work to do in the gas space.

‘‘This has led the Federal Government to begin a more proactive push towards gas development. This initiative will ensure further optimal exploitation and utilization of the country’s vast gas resources.

The President commended the collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Nigeria LNG Limited to actualize the dream of transforming Nigeria with its massive gas resources.”

He described the NLNG as the Federal Government’s arrowhead in the reduction of gas flaring in Nigeria.

According to the President, NLNG, which contributes about one percent to GDP, has generated $114 billion in revenues over the years, $9 billion in taxes, $18 billion in dividends to the Federal Government and $15 billion in Feed gas Purchase.

The President noted that these achievements were accomplished with 100 percent Nigerian Management and 95 percent Nigerian workforce.

He also applauded NLNG for winning the award for outstanding business strategy, in 2020, for going ahead with Train 7 during the global pandemic.

‘‘The Ministry of Petroleum Resources and NNPC are in various regards setting the pace.

‘‘I would like to charge all other relevant MDAs on the need to partner with the international oil companies, the indigenous oil companies and financial institutions to actualize the dream of fully utilizing our gas resources to uplift our economy,’’ he said.

President Buhari affirmed that later this year, Nigeria will host the 4th International Petroleum Summit in Abuja.

He invited delegates at the NIPS Pre-Summit to attend the flagship event of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources that ‘‘will once more allow us to engage our partners and friends from around the world, exchange ideas and policy options and set the tone for the industry in the next few years.’’

(Everyday)

Disgust, anger as passengers line up to wash hands from kettles at Abuja International Airport!

The next time you go to the International airport in Abuja, please take along wet wipes. The anger and disgust of afternoon passengers on Sunday at the local wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport was palpable, as they were made to stand in a queue to use the conveniences and wash their hands from kettles after. The taps of the wash-hand basins were not running with water.

One passenger exploded in disgust in response to Everyday.ng enquiries on the experience: “It is incomprehensible and unbelievable that there is no water running in the only toilet of the departure hall of the local wing of the Abuja International airport. Passengers after the use of the toilet are forced to be on queue to have his or her palms sprinkled with water from an ablution kettle. This is not good for a capital city that is expected to serve as a gateway city for the nation. It keeps one wondering what it will take for the authorities responsible to get the facilities working,” said Festus Kelechi.

Another adds: “The pains of passengers were further aggravated by incessant cancelling and rescheduling of flights due to what they call operational reasons and bad weather. Many do not know when their flights will come, and if nature suddenly calls, how are they going to cope with the situation in the toilet?”

Many others who could not believe their eyes at the move to make them wash their hands from a kettle walked away in disgust.

Others lamented that in a Covid-19 era, the airport management was subjecting them to such unbelievable things. (Everyday)

Ibori, Okowa, Obasanjo, Ribadu, Atiku, UK: ‘Politricks’ As Empire Strikes Back (2)

By Tony Eluemunor

After reading last Sunday’s offering, scandalised readers asked what happened to Pentascope after it had ruined NITEL/M-Tel. Answer: Its contract was terminated February 2005, after 20 months; it had paid itself $7, 600, 000 instead of $5, 500, 000 ($2,050,000 over-payment). Before Pentascope misadventure, NITEL-Mtel earned N1bn monthly and SAT-3 (Satellite arm) raked in N259million. 

Then TRANSCORP Plc purchased 51% of NITEL/M-Tel for $500million but the late President Umaru Yar’Adua administration revoked that deal. A Senate Committee report said that TRANSCORP took over NITEL with a syndicated loan from UBA, Union, Skye, Wema and Intercontinental banks on 14th November 2006, but when Yar’Adua cancelled the deal, the loan stood at N76.8billion – and the Debt Management Office, had actually taken over the debt, and issued FGN bonds to the Consortium of Banks to be repaid from proceeds of NITEL/M-Tel privatization. Please don’t ask me if that meant that TRANSCORP had bought NITEL free of charge. 

Questions poured in over the Halliburton scandal, too. Yes, Halliburton paid Nigeria $35 million (plus $2.5 million legal costs) to settle the case in December 2010; Nigeria had asked for $250 million. The bribery-for-contract scandal concerned construction of the Bonny Island LNG plant by a consortium of Technip SA, Snamprogetti Netherlands BV, JGC, and KBR. 

Earlier on July 8, 2010, a court awarded $240million against Snamprogetti Netherlands BV and Technip SA, to benefit the US Department of Justice. In February 2009, KBR and Halliburton entered guilty pleas and agreed to pay a $402million fine to the US. But Nigeria accepted just $37million though her officials allegedly collected US$182million in exchange for US$6billion in engineering and construction work between 1996 and 2004. 

Why did I focus on the two examples? Answer: Though part of the shenanigans concerning them took place during Obasanjo’s administration and was known to Ribadu, it was the late Yar’Adua that took any action. Yet, he was the only one Mr. Segun Adeniyi, Yar’Adua’s own spokesman, accused of being soft on corruption, in his book, POWER, POLITICS AND DEATH. Why? Because Yar’Adua was Chief James Onanefe Ibori’s friend. Yet, Obasanjo and Segun Adeniyi’s uncle, Gen. Mohammed Abdullahi, Obasanjo’s Chief of Staff for eight years, were in Aso Rock Presidential Villa from 1999 to 2007, but they are blameless. Why? Well, according to Mr. Adeniyi himself, his uncle, Gen. Abdullahi had told him of a bribery claim Ribadu made against Chief Ibori, and he, Adeniyi, had extended that rumour to Yar’Adua – who did not immediately turn against Ibori. Finish! 

Live for what matters!

‘I must leave…everything I have gained.’
Ecclesiastes 2:18,19 NLT

If you work harder you can earn more money, but you can’t earn more time. To coin a popular song, ‘Time may be money, but your money won’t buy time.’ There’s a story about a man who worked the late shift at a factory, who walked home in the wee hours. One night he took a shortcut through the cemetery. Failing to notice the new grave that had just been dug in the centre of his path, he fell into it. After several unsuccessful attempts to get out, he decided to relax until morning when someone was around to help him. As he sat in the corner of the grave half asleep, a fellow traveller who had overindulged at the bar stumbled in beside him. Desperate to get out, the drunk started yelling and clawing frantically at the sides. At that point our hero reached out, touched him gently on the leg, and said, ‘It’s no use, friend, I’ve tried. You’ll never get out of here.’ Not surprisingly – he did! He jumped out! A periodic visit to the local cemetery might help you re-evaluate and reprioritise your life! For example, it might encourage you to stop and ask yourself what you’re really living for. Solomon had an ‘aha moment’ like that: ‘For though I do my work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, I must leave everything I gain to people who haven’t worked for it’ (paraphrased). A rut is simply a grave with the ends kicked out. Don’t just make a living; get out of your rut and make a difference. Don’t just leave an inheritance; leave a legacy that will enrich the lives of those who follow you.

Bible in a Year:  Deuteronomy 10-12, Mark 12:1-27

The Word for Today

Photo Credit: Daughter By Design

Bible in a Year:  Deuteronomy 10-12, Mark 12:1-27

Osun police arrest ritualists with female body parts

The Osun state police command has arrested two ritualists, from the arrest, some female body parts were found with them. The Osun state police spokesman said: at about 9:30pm.. a distress call was made by A hotel management where they had lodged. The management said a girl screamed twice and after that, no noise was heard again from the room. According to them the scream was like a girl calling for help.

According to the management when the guys were about going, they were asked to be escorted back to the room to see if everything was fine and why the girl they came with wasn’t leaving with them.
The ritualist said everything was fine and the girl was resting in the room, that she was going to be out.But the hotel management insisted, even though they tried to escape , the hotel management were smart enough to had locked the premises and pinned them down. That was when they were able to gain access in the room and saw a pool of blood with some body parts removed from the lifeless female body which they tried escaping with in a bag, the spokesman said.

That was when the distress call was made and the police force took emergency response, and they were arrested.

During some further investigation by the police, it was found that the names of the apprehended criminals are Ayodeji Saheed and Tunde Obadimeji who both confessed saying its not the first time they are committing such and that they have killed more than 70 girls. They specialized in getting female parts and one Abefe Sadiq pays them for each parts. #600:000:00 Six hundred thousand naira. for one girl killed for him ?

They were asked further how they get these girls???
“getting the girls was so easy” “we lure them with money and fancy things”
They went further saying that “girls of this days are easily lured with those things” All they need to do is to get or rent a fancy car with cash they would spend on the girls, and that is all this girls fall. Then they are being taken to a hotel room where they are told that they would be having fun overnight but instead they are being slaughtered.

Meanwhile, the commissioner of police said that efforts are being made to arrest Abefe Sadiq, the one who contracted them to commit the heinous crime.

The CP also went further saying that information should be passed round to all female friends, sisters and colleagues that they should all be careful not to fall for guys like this, there are some out there who are meant to destroy lives he said.

He also sent a note of warning to all of these criminals out there to repent or the law will surely grab hold of them.

Streamlining Matrimonial Causes with Divorce Mediation

By Olatunji Atoyebi

For Ms. Iyabo Adebayo, her matrimonial journey to Mr. Babatunde had come to an end. In 2017, she told a Court sitting in Ibadan “My lord, I no longer have any feeling for Babatunde again; he is lazy in bed and he can no longer satisfy me sexually. For so long, I had been coping with his inability to withstand my sexual urge, but I can’t cope with this any longer.”

Iyabo is not alone. Divorce is on the rise in Nigeria and all over the world. In a 21st February 2020 post that immediately went viral, @sandraorokodo tweeted “4,000 divorce applications in Abuja already and the year has just started. Some of these marriages are just a year old.”

Whether you agree or disagree with @sandraorokodo, it is anecdotally true that both marriage and divorce among millennials are on the rise. With divorce at one end of the spectrum, Matrimonial Causes provides a series of problem-solving options to anyone who wants seeking judicial intervention to resolve their disputes.

Under S114 of the Matrimonial Causes Act, the phrase ‘Matrimonial Cause’ is defined as actions such as dissolution/nullification of marriage; judicial separation; restitution of conjugal rights; and Jactitation. It should be noted that this definition applies only to Statutory Marriages and not Customary or Islamic marriages. Put more broadly, ‘Matrimonial causes’ refers to the range of judicial remedies which a Party can institute against their significant other when things go sour.

Many have argued that the noted increase in Mariticide and Uxoricide (those are real words which refer to the killing of a spouse by another spouse), divorce pales in comparison as a means of resolving irreconcilable disputes.

Burdened by an ancient law and a slow judiciary, the process for seeking and obtaining matrimonial relief in Nigeria can be hostile time-consuming and bitter. A survey carried out by CNN revealed that “Divorce causes more than bitterness and broken hearts, the trauma of a split can leave long-lasting effects on mental and physical health that remarriage might not repair”.

Separation and divorce are emotionally difficult events. According to the American Psychology Association, “the end of a marriage typically unleashes a flood of emotions including anger, grief, anxiety and fear”.

Submitting to Divorce Mediation helps speed up the proceedings and make the breakup cordial and agreeable. Divorce mediation is a process of resolving conflicts that arise within a family with the help of a third party known as the mediator. The Mediator, an independent, professionally-trained person helps to work out arrangements for the family on issues such as custody of a child, property division, finances and dissolution of marriage.

In Nigeria, the Matrimonial Causes Act recognizes and encourages the use of alternative dispute resolution processes in matrimonial causes. Divorce Mediation can take place during the pendency of the suit, either by the decision of the parties as per S. 11 (1) (a) MCA; by the Court as in S. 11 (1) (b) MCA or by a Marriage Conciliator appointed by the Court S. 11 (1) (c), S. 114 MCA.

Quite unfortunately, many Divorce Lawyers treat the mandatory Certificate of Reconciliation as a mere formality without actually drawing the attention of the Petitioner to the provisions relating to reconciliation. Ignoring a process that will save your Client a considerable amount of time, money, emotional and mental wellbeing should be considered to be professional misconduct.

Benefits of Divorce Mediation:

  • Its saves time
  • Its process is less expensive
  • Flexibility.
  • There is Confidentiality between the mediator and  both parties in dispute
  • The process is less stressful and faster
  • A neutral third party assists the parties in reaching a voluntary, mutually beneficial resolution.
  • Mediation improves communication between both parties bringing out the real issues.
  • In mediation both parties win

In the final analysis, contentious and prolonged divorce cases do more harm than good. By streamlining proceedings through mediation and conciliation, the parties save time, money while retaining some level of camaraderie between the parties.

Olatunji Atoyebi could be reached on 0803 588 6823

Misplaced priorities, thirst for greener pastures, major causes of human trafficking in Nigeria- Okah-Donli

  • Over 15,000 boys and girls are trafficked out of West Africa yearly into sports slavery

The quest for greener pastures and misplaced priorities, have been attributed to be the foremost reason behind trafficking in persons in Nigeria.

At the just concluded webinar organised by the Sports Committee of the Unity Bar, (Nigerian Bar Association, NBA), Abuja, tagged ‘Human Trafficking and Slavery in Sports: The Way Forward’, the immediate past Director General (DG) of the National Agency For The Prohibition of Trafficking Among Persons (NAPTIP) Dame Julie Okah Donli credited the rise in human trafficking and slavery in sports to the misplaced priority placed by some young people on the need to acquire wealth by all means.

Beverly Agbakoba-Onyejianya, Head of Sports, Entertainment and Tech/Regulatory and Compliance Practice at OAL

Donli also ascribed high expectations from family, friends and the mind-set that things are better outside the shores of Nigeria as part of the motive behind the menace.

The former DG said it is immensely depressing, that a lot young aspiring sports stars are being lured into trafficking across Nigeria’s shores with false promises. Many of such promising young people she noted were taken captive as soon they set foot abroad.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Unity Bar of Sports Committee, Mr Afam Okeke, reiterated the evil of human trafficking and slavery in sports, “the importance and need for us all to tackle this evil monster ravaging our society.”

On the way forward, Donli made the following suggestions:

  • A Comprehensive sensitization and grassroots awareness.
  • Orientation and reorientation.
  • Comprehensive database of sports agents in Nigeria.
  • Synergy between ministry of sports and NAPTIP
  • Security agencies must be on alert.
  • Parents must be vigilant.
  • Persons engaging in human trafficking must be brought to book.
  • Fight should involve the whole society.

A co-presenter at the webinar, Mrs Beverly A. Agbakoba-Onyejianya, Head of Sports, Entertainment and Tech/Regulatory and Compliance Practice at Olisa Agbakoba Legal (OAL), disclosed that more than 15,000 boys and girls are trafficked out of West Africa every year since the 1970s

Hauwa Shekarau, Chair, NBA Abuja

Agbakoba-Onyejianya who said there is a close relationship between slavery in sports and the rise in human trafficking disclosed that as organised as FIFA is, some unscrupulous and unlicensed agents still find their way into the international sports industry.

She further stated that: “Football slavery takes place through these unlicensed agents. In Nigeria, for example many clubs are neither registered nor recognized by the appropriate associations, let alone the intermediaries. In Nigeria, there is the Football Intermediaries Association of Nigeria (FIAN) for football. If one deals with any intermediary not on that list, he or she is acting on his own risk.”

Thereafter, Mrs Onyejianya gave some advice to young people and prospective clients:

  • A cleanup has to be done by bringing sanity to our local sports in Nigeria. e.g. Lagos is currently undergoing a cleanup.
  • Our governance should be strong and well addressed.
  • Sensitization
  • Pressure should be put on sports associations and authorities in charge of Nigerian borders.
  • Accountability (individually and collectively).
  • Policies should be developed to address these issues.
  • Parents should try to take care of their children.
  • Know your rights.
  • Engage someone to test the waters for you

Re-emphasizing Mrs Onyejianya position, a participant, Mr Ayodele Babalola said it is imperative that intending sports professionals use the available legal sport networks in other to avoid unscrupulous and unlicensed agents. He illustrated this point with a story of a young sports professional close to him who was given a letter of invitation by a man who posed as an agent. The said agent claimed that the letter was from a 2nd Division Club in Germany inviting him for trials and subsequent enrollment.

When the aspiring footballer forwarded the letter to him (Ayodele), he contacted a friend in Germany to carry out an investigation. The report was shocking as investigation revealed:

Afam Okeke, Esq, Chair, Unity Bar of Sports Committee
  • The club had been red-flagged in Germany.
  • The club was a 7th division club
  • The club was known for bringing internationals to Germany making several promises they never fulfill.

Ayodele concluded that some of these so called opportunities are not opportunities but slavery.

Chairperson of NBA Abuja represented by Secretary of the Branch, Prince Adebiyi Adetosoye said there was no better time to organize the webinar than now as sports have been used as a medium to notoriously traffic people around the globe.

In closing, Mr Afam Okeke said ‘‘we owe it to each other to get our act together. We cannot be indifferent. Our duty is to the common good and we can’t keep neglecting it. I believe the discussions we just had have helped uncover and assist us in understanding the evil of human trafficking, and the need for us to play our part in tackling the monster.”

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