Doctors’ Strike: Bayelsa Records High Number Of Deaths

With scores of health workers at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Bayelsa State on strike since last November, the state has seen a sharp rise in the death rate of patients with serious ailments.

Doctors and other medical personnel employed by the Federal Government went on strike almost two months ago to protest what they called the government’s nonchalant response to demands made by the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) and Assembly of Health Care Professionals.

At a rally held today by the striking staff, the chairman of the University Teaching Hospital Research and other Allied Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI), Mr. Save Ubani, told reporters that the strike, which was called in November 2014, has resulted in the deaths of at least 100 patients in the state, including a nursing staff of the FMC, Ms. Theresa Edet.

The protesting health workers today carried placards with inscriptions that read, “Jonathan save the health sector,”

“2015: No proper health care, no vote,” “Jonathan: Our health or your second term: choose.” The protesters urged Mr. Jonathan to immediately take a break from his campaign schedule to address the concerns of the health workers. “If the people are not healthy, how can you tell them to vote for you?” one of the striking workers told SaharaReporters. She added:
“Out of those dying due to the Federal Government indifference, there are registered voters.”

Mr. Ubani stated that several meetings with officials of the Jonathan administration, including the Ministers of Health as well as that of Labor and Productivity, had failed to persuade the government to address the union’s demands.

“It is sad that, in the president’s home state, the effect is worrisome and has resulted in a rise in deaths of patients due to the strike action and resulting high expenses paid in private hospital for health care,” said Mr. Ubani.

He added that the workers’ demands were in three categories. They include the unconditional and immediate implementation of all collective bargaining agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoU) signed with JOHESU and the full implementation of all judgment in favor of JOHESU by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN).

Sahara Reporters

Donkey Chronicles cont’d – An Uncompleted Divided House

Reports from the weather observatory seem to indicate that mighty rain is coming our way. Some may say, it is a good thing, at least there will be water to drink, “even snakes drink water”! The sad news is that those who are accustomed to drinking creek water may detest the slimy  rain or the thunder that “bites” when it rains during the dry season.

 

One problem is the nightmare that follows when it rains on an uncompleted,  unprepared and divided house full of people! Talk of a headless chicken accidentally let go upon a festive day. Imagine the mayhem as helpless hungry folks look on as their meal get washed away into the sea! Just one difference, it is no accident but a plan by self- selected few for  corporate failure while the masses hopelessly, helplessly  watch like doomed victims tied to stakes too high and strong to get away from.

 

Even Sitdonlook (my imaginary watch dog) wonders why it got that name in the first place and is demanding a name change.  Considering the fact that a name could build and mold a character, it is not a bad idea to give this faithful friend suitable name. That way each time I call out that name, the message is sent and my dog comes near to give me its favourite corner of the eye look as stop signal. “Rise Up”, short form for Izon out Rise up, is an appropriate name, l think.

 

Izon Otu Rise Up or we will  have nobody but our indecision to blame when the rain comes down on our uncompleted, unprepared and badly divided house. Do your bit, remove the chewing stick you have in your mouth like a bit and speak up. It is one man, one vote,; perhaps you can make one other vote to go the same direction if you candidly say what you know and what you intend to do out of your conviction to – do the right thing.

 

Izon otu o’nuani.

 

Ebi Komonibo.

Zamfara, Bayelsa share common challenges, says Jonathan

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday took his campaign for re-election to Zamfara and Katsina States, reminding supporters of his achievements in the last four years with promises to boost infrastructure in the two states.
While President Jonathan pulled away from criticising his rival, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC, many in his entourage were not so restrained. His campaign manager and former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Col. Ahmadu Ali rained tirades on Buhari who he said committed atrocities in the past, including drugging and preparing to crate Dr. Umaru Dikko from England to Nigeria.
Others who were on the campaign train included Vice-President Namadi Sambo, national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu‘azu and the Defence Minister, General Aliyu Gusau.
The president who made his first stop in Zamfara which he described as his second home after Bayelsa said: “I consider Zamfara State as my state. Whenever I come to the state, you take me as one of you. The unique thing about this state and mine is that they were both created the same day by late Gen Sani Abacha, rtd. The two states have the same challenges of infrastructure and youth unemployment, challenges of improving agriculture and fishing. That is why I am always at home whenever I come. Please, I will work with you and your incoming governor to develop the state. I will work with your minister to make sure that we develop this state. That is why we are emphasising on agriculture that Zamfara is known for. We will fix the Bakolori dam for irrigation.”

Vanguard

Brookings tips Jonathan to win Feb polls

AWASHINGTON, US-based influential think-tank, the Brookings Institution/Africa Growth Initiative has rated President Goodluck Jonathan as the favourite to win the February 14 presidential polls
In a report entitled: “The 2015 presidential elections in Nigeria: The issues and challenges,” Brookings said the article published under the Africa Growth Initiative said Jonathan’s Peoples Domocratic Party, PDP, was more likely to win the February election.
The paper, which dwells on several aspects of the Nigerian election said that “though the election is expected to be very competitive, the odds still favour President Jonathan.”
Jonathan
While highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the two main political parties, the PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC, the institution said the APC will be unable to unseat the PDP in the February elections.
The paper said: “After suffering a wave of defections to the APC last year, including five of its governors, the PDP seems to have rebounded strongly. In the battleground South-West, for instance, the party won recent governorship elections in Ekiti State and got the governor of Ondo State to defect from the Labour Party to the PDP.
“The party is especially strong in the South-South (where Jonathan comes from), the South-East and among Christians in the North. Again, while the PDP remains weak in the Muslim North, it has gained new influential members who decamped from the APC including the former governors of Kano and Borno States.
And, of course, the PDP has power of incumbency.
“APC gets much of its strength from tapping into Jonathan sentiments in the Muslim North and grievances among the Yoruba who feel that the Jonathan administration has ignored them in key political appointments.

Vanguard

Alleged fraud: EFCC probes Rivers, Kano, others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is investigating five state governments in connection with suspected financial crimes, sources in the commission said on Tuesday.
The states under probe by the EFCC included Kano, Jigawa, Imo, Ebonyi and Rivers.
It was learnt that five other state governments were under watch but the commission had not moved against them.
A source said that the commission had been silent on some of the cases involving deductions from local government funds at source in some of the states in order to avoid sending out wrong signals that the anti-graft commission was being used for political victimisation.
It was further learnt that the cases against the governments were being handled by the Public Governance Unit of the EFCC.
Another source in the EFCC said the commission commenced investigations into the Rivers State Government accounts shortly after the crisis that rocked the state House of Assembly and that anti-graft operatives had yet to conclude the investigation.
Already, the EFCC source said the commission had invited some members of the Rivers House for interrogation.
The source added that the commission’s investigation in Ebonyi State, which was said to have led to the arrest of three top government officials, rested on alleged illegal deductions from local government funds for questionable projects.
The commission recently arrested three top officials of the state government in relation with alleged illegal deductions of local government funds at source for asphalt projects in all the 13 local government areas of the state.
It was further stated that the EFCC was also investigating a former governor (name withheld) in relation with an ongoing investigation into the accounts of one of the states.
Our correspondent could not get the head of media and publicity of the EFCC, Wilson Uwajaren, to comment on the ongoing investigations as he did not pick the calls made to his mobile telephone line.

‘We’ll disgrace Patience Jonathan at Bayelsa rally’

Again, some Bayelsa State youths have issued a stern warning to the wife of the President, Patience Jonathan, not to visit the state during the Peoples Democratic Party presidential rally on February 5.
The youths from Bayelsa creeks, under the auspices of the Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa, warned on Tuesday that if the First Lady failed to heed their warning, she would be thoroughly disgraced and have herself to blame.
The warning came a few days after the Bayelsa Youth Vanguard issued a similar statement barring Patience from attending the proposed rally.
Reinforcing the position of the BYV, the creek youths asked Mrs. Jonathan to steer clear of the rally in her own interest.
The youths, in a statement by their President, Mr. Opuyo Engobara, and Secretary, Mr. Warrman Aderi, accused the First Lady of aiding his anointed governorship aspirant, Mr. Waripamowei Dudafa, to recruit youths to boo and stone Governor Seriake Dickson, at the proposed rally.
They lamented President Goodluck Jonathan’s silence over the alleged excesses of his wife, wondering whether he intended to join in the stoning of the governor.
They said, “In her last visit to the state, Mrs. Jonathan came ahead of her husband, avoided the state Government Lodge and stayed at Otuoke for three days.
“During the time, she was busy sponsoring Dudafa’s recruitment drive with the intention to go against the governor by booing and stoning him at the planned rally to discredit his administration before the PDP National Executive Council.
“Is President Jonathan using this as a ploy to join Bayelsa youths to stone Governor Dickson as promised (by the President) during his presidential campaign in 2011 and subsequently to oust Dickson’s administration, since he could hardly rebuke his wife in several of her political atrocities?”
The creek agitators insisted that the presence of Patience at the proposed rally would cause tension and security breaches in the state.
They said Patience actions and pronouncement in recent times had allegedly been fuelling crisis in the state.
The youths listed eight sins of Patience and accused her of opening a new secretariat for the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria in the state with an intention to use the group to mobilise against the governor.
They alleged that the First Lady tinkered with the leadership of TAN and aided her loyalists to reposition the campaign group to actualise her ambition of removing Dickson.
The youths further lamented that Patience used the occasion of the sharing of the Millennium Development Goals items at the Samson Siasia Stadium to make inflammatory statements against the governor.
They recalled that Patience attended a function in Dudafa’s town and made open statements supporting him as the next governor.
The youths also alleged that Patience sponsored aspirants that failed in the PDP primaries, to defect to the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
They noted that the peace currently enjoyed in the state came from the hard work of the governor, reminiscing that in the previous government, Jonathan’s house was razed down in Otuoke by aggrieved militants.

Punch