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As Nigerian Doctors Get 5000 Naira Hazard Allowance  Senators Grab 1.24 Million Newspaper Allowance

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3 years ago

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Many medical doctors in Nigeria have applied for job positions with the Saudi Arabia ministry of health.

The recruitment exercise was organised by the ministry in conjunction with Successlink Consult in Ikeja, Lagos state capital, on Sunday.

The job offer was for consultants and specialists in all medical fields, excluding psychiatrists.

Among those present for the interview were medical consultants and doctors in various areas of specialisation.

The Cable gathered that each applicant paid N10,000 as the application fee after which medical certificates, means of identification, and other documents were tendered at the point of documentation.

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After payment, the medical doctors were screened before a panel of Saudi Arabian personnel.

Speaking with The Cable, one of the applicants who specialises in hematology — a branch of medicine concerned with the study of blood, the blood-forming organs, and blood diseases — described the screening as the “shortest interview of my life”.

“I showed them my original documents before going in and also presented the duplicates which they took to the interviewers. After making the payment, I was taken inside for the interview. The interview lasted like one minute, I think it’s the shortest interview of my life,” he said.

“I have been hearing about such recruitments for a while but I have never applied. This is my first time.”

This is not the first time Saudi Arabia will woo Nigerian medical doctors with job offers.

In March 2019, a similar exercise was held at a popular hotel in Lagos while another took place in Abuja.

At the time, Chris Ngige, minister of labour and productivity, had claimed that there is nothing wrong with doctors leaving Nigeria as the country has “more than enough” medical personnel.

“There are surplus in their country and we also have surplus in the medical profession in our country. I can tell you this. In my area, we have excess,” Ngige had said.

“Who said we don’t have enough doctors? We have more than enough. You can quote me. There is nothing wrong in them travelling out.”

But a fact check by The Cable revealed that the minister’s claim is false as WHO data showed that Nigeria is among the countries with a very poor doctor-to-patient ratio as of 2013 — which is the most recent data.

The latest recruitment exercise comes amid ongoing strike action by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).

The doctors had commenced the strike on August 1 over “irregular payment of salaries”, among other issues.

Efforts by the house of representatives to mediate between the federal government and NARD ended in a deadlock.

Over the years, medical doctors have engaged in strike actions while agitating for improved welfare conditions and increased allocation to the health sector.

In April, resident doctors had embarked on a strike action to protest their poor remuneration and conditions of service.

Prior to the time, the doctors had engaged in a similar action in September 2020 amid rising COVID-19 cases.

The Cable had reported that a Nigerian doctor gets N5,000 as monthly hazard allowance while senators are paid 248 times higher (N1.24 million) to buy newspapers monthly.

This situation, among others, has forced many medical doctors to leave the country in search of greener pastures.

In 2018, research by Africa Check showed that at least 12 doctors leave Nigeria for the UK every week.

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Kano State Hosts 8th Annual Audit Forum to Enhance Transparency and Accountability

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12 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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The 8th Annual Audit Forum, organized by the Office of the Auditor General of Kano State, was held recently, focusing on strengthening transparency and accountability in public financial management. .

Isma’ila Musa, the Auditor General of Kano State, welcomed the participants and highlighted the constitutional and legal mandates that guide the auditing process. “Sections 125(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and 36(i) of the Kano State Audit Law, 2021 (as amended) mandate the Office of the Auditor General to audit the accounts and financial statements of the State Government and all Offices and Courts,” he stated.

Musa expressed immense gratitude to His Excellency, Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Governor of Kano State, for his support in making the event possible. “It is very important to note that a strengthened fiscal transparency will help build trust in governance,” he emphasized. He added that the Audit Forum is a reform intended to reduce opportunities for corruption and abuse of public resources, thereby increasing the efficiency of public expenditures.

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The Auditor General also acknowledged the contributions of various officials, including the Hon. Commissioner Ministry of Planning and Budget, the Accountant General, the Executive Chairman of Kano Internal Revenue Services, and former Auditors General, among others. “My sincere appreciation to all the invitees here present for honoring our invitation. I wish us a successful 8th Kano State Annual Audit Forum,” Musa concluded.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Honorable Tukur Fagge, praised the exercise for its potential to enhance resource management and ensure the success of the tasks at hand. “This exercise will enhance resources management and will realize the success of the task,” Fagge stated.

Sarkin Shanon Kano, Shehu Muhammad Dankadai, who served as the royal father of the day, also graced the event, adding to the significance of the occasion.

The forum underscored the commitment of the Kano State Government to upholding transparency and accountability, reflecting the administration’s dedication to effective and efficient service delivery.

 

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Breaking: Former Secretary of Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO, Ahmadu Kurfi Passes On at 93

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18 hours ago

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November 21, 2024

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Late Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi

 

A former secretary of the Federal Electoral Commission, Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi, has passed away.

A family source, Jafar Yakubu, informed NIGERIAN TRACKER about the death of the pioneer secretary of the Federal Electoral Commission, who supervised the 1979 general election.

 

Jafar Yakubu said Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi died at the age of 93 and his Janaza funeral prayers will take place by 2:30 PM at Kurfi in KATSINA state .

 

Dr. Amadu Kurfi, OFR, was born in 1931. He was a former chairman of the then Marketing Board, former Federal Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Defence, and the first person to acquire a BSc degree in the whole of Katsina State, at University College London in 1957.

 

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President Tinubu Sacks UNIZIK Vice-Chancellor, Registrar

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1 day ago

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November 20, 2024

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The governing council of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University has been dissolved by President Bola Tinubu.

The president dissolved the council and approved the removal of the institution’s vice-chancellor Bernard Odoh and the university registrar, Rosemary Nwokike.

A statement by Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the president on information and strategy said the action by Tinubu follows allegations of procedural violations in the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor.

He also said that the council led by Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe and including five other members—Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin was accused of bypassing due process to appoint an unqualified candidate, prompting federal intervention.

Onanuga said, “The sacking of the governing council and officials followed reports that the council illegally appointed an unqualified vice-chancellor without following due process.

He added that following the controversial appointment, the Federal Government stepped in to address the rivalry between the university’s Senate and the governing council of the institution.

“The government expressed concern over the council’s apparent disregard for the university’s governing laws in its selection process”, Onanuga added.

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