Headline

Nigeria will not sustain failed economic theory- Tinubu

Published

3 weeks ago

August 28, 2023

President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria will not sustain failed economic theory that wasted 90 per cent of revenue in the servicing of external debts that can be used for development.

The president gave the assurance this at the opening of the Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association at the Chief MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja.

Tinubu said that prosperity would only occur once poverty is banished from the society with the cooperation of Nigeria’s private sector leaders.

“Can we continue to service external debts with 90% of our revenue? It is a path to destruction. It is not sustainable.

‘’We must make the very difficult changes that are necessary for our country to get up from slumber and be respected among the great nations of the world,” he said.

Speaking on the theme of the conference, “Getting it Right: Charting the Course for Nigeria’s Nation-Building,” Tinubu said that decisions must be taken to set the country on a growth path.

“We cannot have the country we desire without the reforms we have initiated. It is painful at the beginning, in the short and medium term, but we must do what we have to do to take this nation to its great destiny.

‘’It is not about you and it is not about me. It is about our generations yet unborn, for whom we must bequeath a great and prosperous country,” he said.

Against the backdrop of the judicial reforms he undertook as Lagos State Governor, Tinubu renewed his commitment to conclude the issue of remuneration for judicial officers and legal practitioners.

He noted that true justice reform must begin with world-class salaries and benefits for legal professionals in Nigeria.

“You are learned. I want to learn. Why are we so blessed and we are still lacking? We must have a change of attitude and a change of our mind set.

We accuse our nation and its previous leaders. We complain a lot of the past. Is that the solution? No! Let us look forward and be determined! God has given us what we need.

‘’We must work hard with determination to make our country great and it begins with you who are seated here with me,” he said.

Referring to an address by the Chairman of UBA Plc and Heirs Holdings, Mr Tony Elumelu, the president decried the inability of the country to eradicate poverty and tackle poor electricity supply.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensure that Nigeria generates and distributes the needed electricity for economic development.

“Yes, it is a shame not to have adequate electricity for the mass majority of homes in Nigeria and to power our industries. How can we address poverty without electricity?

‘’We can take many people out of poverty with uninterrupted electricity supply. Poverty is not acceptable, and we must banish it,” the President said.

In his welcome address, NBA President, Yakubu Maikyau, expressed the confidence of the body in the ability of the President to deliver good governance to Nigeria.

He said this was because of Tinubu’s pedigree and past track record of excellent performance in Lagos State, where he was the governor between 1999 and 2007.

“President Tinubu got it right in Lagos, and it is our considered expectation that as President of Nigeria, you will not only replicate your achievements in Lagos, but surpass them for our country.”

The conference, attended by over 16,190 lawyers, include the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi; Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila and Minister of Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike.

Others are the Minister of Sports, Sen. John Enoh; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, past NBA Presidents and senior government officials.

Headline

LUTH denies late doctor worked 72-hour call duty

Published

29 mins ago

September 21, 2023

Alero Danjuma

The management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, has denied allegations that one of its house officers, Dr Michael Umoh, died after a 72-hour call.

This is contained in a statement issued by LUTH management team in Lagos on Thursday.

“LUTH management understands the fact that the family of Dr Umoh is presently mourning the death of their beloved son and requested the foreclosure of any media engagement regarding the death of their son. It is important for us as a management to make clarifications regarding the circumstances surrounding his death.

“Dr Umoh died on Sept 17 while in church with his parents. The management was informed, and the death was later confirmed by one of the Consultants in his unit (Neurosurgery).

“The death of Dr Umoh is unfortunate but the narrative of a 72 hours non-stop shift is false.

“The record from Neurosurgery unit shows that the last time he was on call was 13th and 14th September, 2023.

“He was not on call on the 15th, 16th and 17th (the day he died), contrary to the insinuations on social media. He was at home with his parents on Sept. 16 and Sept. 17,” the management said.

Prior to this time, the management said, he was on call on the Sept. 7 and Sept. 8.

”This shows that Dr Umoh was on call for a total number of four days in September, 2023.

“A delegation from LUTH visited the family on Wednesday to commiserate with the family and to get more details of the circumstances surrounding his death.

“The parents gave the details of what they thought must have contributed to his death but pleaded that the wish of the family be respected and that the narrative is not for public consumption,” it said.

The management described Dr Umoh as a hardworking and diligent house-officer, and a very promising young man.

It said he will be sorely missed by his friends and colleagues.

“May his soul rest in peace, and may the Almighty give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss” LUTH said.

Headline

Gov Sule charges real sector conference to proffer practical solutions to economy

Published

34 mins ago

September 21, 2023

Olakunle Adeniyi

Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has charged participants at the Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK) 1st International Real Sector Conference to proffer practical solutions to rejuvenate the economy.

He gave the charge on the first day of the two days conference on real sector productivity held at the University in Keffi Local Government Area of the state.

The theme of the conference is “Rejuvenating the sector productivity in Nigeria”.

Sule challenged participants to get real and proffer workable and practical solutions that would rejuvenate the real sector in Nigeria for optimal productivity which in turn would impact on the economy of the country positively.

“The question we should be asking ourselves here is that why are we not getting it right in the real sector in Nigeria?

“So let us proffer practical solutions so that we don’t just end up having an event and having all the communique and all that and then they end up in our offices. Let us ask ourselves what is that is possible and how do we contribute,” he said.

He said their recommendations should also be useful in shaping a better future for the real sector in Nigeria so that future Nigerians could build on that.

“So we must sit down and deliberate on what exactly is our problems in this sector. Are we ready to make sacrifices? And we must make sacrifices because that is the only way we can move forward.

“I want to assure you that in Nigeria we can change the narratives but it will take all of you here to convince the rest,” he said.

Prof. Suleiman Bala-Mohammed, Vice Chancellor, NSUK, commended the university’s Department of Business Administration for organizing the conference and urged the department to sustain it as it would be a platform for cross fertilisation of ideas and wider conversations on local and international issues.

He also urged participants to brainstorm and come up with policy recommendations on how to rejuvenate the real sector in Nigeria.

Mr John Mamman, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Education, however, told NAN that he expected the outcome of the conference would change the narratives because the real sector, according to him, is the driver of the economy.

“The manufacturing, construction, engineering and others are the real movers of the economy. Once we get it right from the drivers of the economy, other sectors will also be impacted positively,” he said.