By Kabiru Basiru Fultan

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Kaduna State Government, concluded a two-day health retreat aimed at orienting local government chairmen towards their responsibilities in improving health care delivery in their respective LGAs. The event, which took place in Kano, was facilitated by Dr. Idris Bawa, the health specialist overseeing UNICEF interventions in the Cardinal Field Office, and was attended by key state officials, including Deputy Governor Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe and Commissioner of Health Umeki Ahme.

“The essence of this meeting is for us to begin to orient our local government chairmen towards their responsibility as the number one citizens in their respective local governments,” Dr. Idris Bawa stated.

“Health is one area that we can’t stop talking about. It’s one area that we must deliver on because it is the fulcrum around which human survival hinges.”

Dr. Bawa emphasized the importance of involving local government chairmen in changing the current health indices in Kaduna State. “The whole objective of the meeting is to have them on board as quickly as possible so that they know where to invest their resources moving forward,” he explained. He added that UNICEF’s role was to convene the meeting and provide technical support, while the Deputy Governor of the state played a more significant facilitating role.

Deputy Governor Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe highlighted that the retreat focused on service delivery in health, particularly primary health care services, which she described as the foundation of the healthcare system. “We’ve had our challenges, but we’ve also recorded some gains. We realize that if we get it right at this level, we will get the other levels right as well,” she said.

The retreat organized attendees into three groups to discuss key issues: motivation for health workers, maternal health issues, and child health issues including nutrition. “One group was talking about how health workers can stay motivated to do their work better, another group discussed maternal health issues, and another focused on child health issues including nutrition,” Deputy Governor Balarabe noted.

Commissioner of Health Umeki Ahme reiterated the state’s commitment to health as a priority under Governor Uba Sani’s administration. “The local government chairmen are the gatekeepers of the local government. Our hospitals, from primary health care centers up to the secondary health facilities, need to work hand in hand with the local government chairmen to ensure quality and accessible health care,” Ahme said.

Ahme also mentioned the involvement of various health agencies including the Primary Health Care Board, Kaduna State Contributory Health Agency, Kaduna State Drug Supply Agency, and CADBUSA. “We are doing this to ensure that we provide quality and accessible health care to our people at the grassroots,” he added.

The retreat emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to tackle health challenges, improve service delivery, and ensure sustainable development in the health sector across Kaduna State.

Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) have solicited the support of both Nigerians and the government for Dangote Refinery, to enable it to perform optimally. The support they canvassed will also serve as an impetus for other investors to invest in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry in the country.

The President of MAN, Otunba Francis Meshioye, who made the call after a tour of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Petrol Chemical Complex and Fertilizer Plant  advocated that Nigerians and the government should do all they can to support the multi-billion-dollar company, which he described as a source of pride and a gift not only to Nigeria but also to the African continent and the whole world.

He described the Dangote Refinery as a game-changer in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, saying that it is not only creating jobs and driving economic growth but also contributing to our nation’s energy security and self-sufficiency.

According to him, the project is quite inspiring, and he admired the inspiration of the promoter of the project, Aliko Dangote. He said: “To have been inspired to establish this facility is very magnificent, it is the first ever in Africa and the first ever of such refinery in the whole world. It has many first, first and first.”

The company has the capacity to produce all our needs locally, petroleum, and other similar products: no one would come to the facility and he would not be inspired or encouraged to ensure that all the support that the company requires should be given to it.

The MAN President said the government should do all that is humanly possible to ensure that the facility works Optimally. “It is prudent and expedient that the   necessary supports are given to the company for the economic benefits of Nigeria.”

If the facility can produce 650,000 barrels of crude per day and Nigeria is producing far above this volume per day, she should give the facility all crude it needed to produce”

He said, apart from the fact that the facility can give Nigerians what they need locally, the excess will be exported, and when they are exported, the country benefits because it will earn foreign exchange for the government.

“So, whichever way we look at it, the facility requires the government’s support to be able to operate optimally.  We have seen the laboratory which is in a class of its own. It is first among equals around the world. It is functioning very well. It is a complex on its own.

With this kind of facility that starts from quality control to quality assurance, just to ensure that the harmful effects of the products are at zero level, what can be greater than this?  This is very unique and I will encourage all stakeholders to give maximum support, and not by the way support, but maximum support

“I cannot see anything that is lacking in this company, we have been here since morning and went through all the units. The facility can deliver products between 1760 trucks to 1800 trucks per day. So if you have such several trucks going out of the facility a day to various destinations in Nigeria, so many people will benefit from it. There will be more jobs, many families will be comfortable because of the jobs this will create, many artisans will benefit and it will have a spillover effect on so many sectors of the economy.

If they can produce AGO, gasoline and Jet A fuel, this is good and the government should have no reason not to ensure the facility gets its backing to carry out its activities, because it is going to benefit massively.”

The MAN boss who stated that his organization is an advocacy group, said to a large extent it will support the Dangote Refinery by pushing its case with the government, and also solicit the support of necessary government agencies that can ensure that it operates fully.

The association, he said, always discusses with the government issues that affect its members and it has always listened to it , and always finds solutions to those issues, stating further that Dangote Refinery’s case will not be different.

“The sheer scale and ambition of this project is truly impressive, and we applaud the vision and determination of the Dangote Group in making this refinery a reality.

As manufacturers, we understand the importance of reliable and affordable energy in driving our businesses forward. The Dangote Refinery will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the entire manufacturing value chain, providing a reliable source of fuel and petrochemical products that are essential for capacity utilisation and value addition.

“I believe that the success of the Dangote Refinery serves as an inspiration to all of us in the manufacturing sector. It demonstrates what is possible when we combine innovation, technology, and investment to create world-class facilities that benefit the entire nation.”

From Muhammad Kabir, Kano

Persistent Protests on the State Defense Minister, Bello Matawale on the issues of Insecurities, more specifically in Zamfara State, clearly shows that is a politically motivated actions aimed at dragging his reputation in the mood because he is not the only Security appointee that is responsible for ensuring Peace in the Country.

This is the position of APC Chieftain, Dr Musa Illiyasu Kwankwaso, who insisted that, “the protests which are a staged managed ones, are sponsored to particularly target at Matawale reputation and show to the President Tinubu and the Nation that he has failed, whereas he is just a State Minister of Defense who has other Colleagues to report to, like the Defense Minister, the Security Adviser and indeed the President”.

“In any case why are you so particular about Matawale when the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawan is openly failing in his responsibilities of making peace in his State but rather collecting Billions of Naira Grants but only sponsoring fake protests.

Reports has it that some Hundreds of disgruntled women and youths from Zamfara State, on Tuesday, took their protest to the headquarters of the Department of Security Services in Abuja, over heightened insecurity in the state.

The aggrieved persons blamed the immediate-past governor of the state and now Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, for the heightened activities of bandits, which they claimed was a fallout of his alleged romance with them during his administration.

However, Musa Illiyasu Kwankwaso, lamented that the same Protesters failed to also shows efforts of their Governor in making Zamfara peaceful who rather engaged in disrupting open serious interventions of the Defense Ministers of Badaru and Matawale who even relocated to Sokoto to ensure that the fight against Bandits achieved results.

He said, “we have seen the State Defense Minister, Bello Matawale coming out to the public swearing with holy Quran that he has nothing to do with Bandits and their activities and additionally killings of kingpins of Bandit’s after his declaration followed to further vindicated him”.

“But, we have not seen, Zamfara Governor or any of his Political godSons doing same or showing their efforts in tackling the problems of Kidnapping and Banditry in their State, what we kept on seen is consistent attacks of Matawale, which to every sensible Person’s knows that there is a missing gap in that”.

Kwankwaso, queried that, “or is it that Dauda Lawan is not happy with the daily elimination of Bandit’s through the renewed efforts of the two Defense Ministers and the Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu? Somebody should explained what else did he wants, because from the checks of available data Security has improved greatly not only in Zamfara but across the Country, courtesy of the President Tinubu appointees”.

He than called on the Governor and his cohorts to joined hands with the State Defense Minister and other Security Personal in tackling the problems headlong rather than truncating serious efforts put by the Government”.