By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have launched a strategic partnership to educate the public on the legal rights of gunshot victims, aiming to end the tragic loss of life caused by delayed medical intervention.

The collaboration was formalized during a high-level meeting at the NOA headquarters in Abuja. Lanre Issa-Onilu, the Director-General of NOA, was represented at the event by the Director of Social Mobilisation, Ayoola Olufemi.

In a statement released via the agency’s official X handle, officials underscored the urgent need to disseminate information regarding the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act. This federal law, enacted in 2017, mandates that all hospitals must provide immediate emergency care to victims, irrespective of their ability to pay or produce a police report upon arrival.

“Delays in providing medical treatment to gunshot victims often result in preventable loss of lives,” Olufemi stated. “Many Nigerians are unaware that hospitals are required by law to provide immediate care before demanding police reports, administrative documentation, or financial guarantees.”

Olufemi highlighted that the NOA, with its extensive network of 818 offices across the country, is uniquely positioned to lead this public enlightenment campaign. He stressed that the initiative is designed to empower citizens with knowledge of their rights under the law.

Echoing this sentiment, the Deputy Head of the ICRC in Nigeria, James Matthew, praised the partnership and emphasized the life-saving potential of the campaign. He noted that educating healthcare providers and the general public is critical to ensuring compliance.

“Through NOA’s broad national reach, the ICRC will help ensure gunshot victims receive timely medical care. Improved awareness will save lives, particularly in emergencies,” Matthew said.

The signing ceremony was attended by key stakeholders from both organizations. NOA representatives included the Director of Health and Social Care, Dr. Ayoola Olufemi; Director of Legal Services, Dogo Williams; and Meriam Yakubu. The ICRC delegation featured Humanitarian Affairs Adviser Juliet Kelechi Unudi. Members of the press, including correspondents from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Armed Forces Radio, Science Newspaper, and Daily Trust, were also present to cover the event.

The nationwide sensitisation campaign is expected to clarify misconceptions about the Act, promote prompt medical intervention, and ultimately save countless lives across Nigeria.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has sharply criticized the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu, asserting that a new report indicating a surge in the national poverty rate to 63 percent represents the administration’s true performance metric.

In a statement released on Friday, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party attributed the sharp rise in poverty directly to the President’s “ill-defined neoliberal economic policies,” specifically citing the removal of the petrol subsidy three years ago.

The party described the new data, presented at a policy dialogue in Abuja on Thursday, as a “damning verdict” on the Tinubu administration. According to the ADC, poverty in Nigeria has climbed from approximately 50 percent before the subsidy removal to 63 percent afterward.

“This verdict reflects the real consequences of the APC government’s hasty removal of fuel subsidy without giving full consideration to how such a serious decision would impact on the livelihoods of ordinary citizens,” the statement read.

The ADC highlighted that the macroeconomic shock from the subsidy removal has triggered cascading costs, driving up the prices of food, transportation, and other essentials. The party argued that while the government justified the policy on the premise of rechanneling funds to health and education, those sectors have not seen improved funding, and citizens have felt no tangible benefits.

Citing independent surveys, the ADC noted a widespread public discontent, with 93 percent of Nigerians believing the country is heading in the wrong direction, 88 percent describing the economy as bad, and 74 percent rating their personal living conditions as poor.

“A large majority of Nigerians report going without basic necessities such as food, clean water, medical care, cooking fuel, and even cash income at different times during the past year,” the statement continued. “For millions of households, economic hardship is no longer a temporary difficulty, it has become daily reality.”

The African Democratic Congress concluded that by the standard measure of whether economic policy improves the lives of citizens and protects the vulnerable, “the APC government has failed.”

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday convened a nearly two-hour security meeting with service chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, marking the first of such gathering since Tunji Disu assumed office as Inspector-General of Police.

The security chiefs, who arrived at the Villa without their usual official vehicles, making identification difficult, departed the premises at approximately 5:10pm after extensive deliberations with the President.

The service chiefs and the IG were identified by newsmen present at the Villa as they left the forecourt following the closed-door meeting.

The session comes amid heightened security concerns across the country, particularly the recent killings of military commanding officers in various theatres of operation.

In the past week alone, the military lost at least three commanding officers in charge of forward operating bases following a surge in attacks on security formations and personnel, especially in the North-East where Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province insurgents have intensified assaults on military positions.

Notable among recent incidents was the attack on Ngoshe in Borno State, which resulted in abductions, as well as separate assaults on Konduga, Marte, Jakana, and Mainok, all in Borno State.

The attacks prompted responses from both President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, who vowed to deploy overwhelming force to end the insurgency.

As of the time of filing this report, details of the discussions at the security meeting had not been disclosed to the media.