News From Nigeria
Julius Berger commences immediate repair on Km 75 Abuja – Kaduna Expressway
Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has begun an immediate emergency repair around Kilometre 75 Abuja – Kaduna Expressway. This is in response to the hardship caused by the deplorable condition of that portion of the highway.
Julius Berger Nigeria Plc is currently reconstructing the 376-kilometer Abuja-Kano Road (AKR) and has made tremendous progress at different sections of the AKR project. The project is divided into Sections 1 (Abuja-Kaduna), 2 (Kaduna-Zaria) and 3 (Zaria-Kano), and out of 376 kilometers, over 152 kilometers have progressed up to the wearing course with 140 kilometers already handed over.
Regrettably, Section 1 has lagged largely due to disruptions by activities of bandits and other criminal elements along the axis. However, with the remarkable and reassuring gains made by members of the armed forces and other security agencies recently, Julius Berger engineers are returning to the site to commence the reconstruction of this 165-kilometre section of the project. Top-level meetings are also ongoing between the management of Julius Berger and the Kaduna State Government to ensure that the project can continue hitch-free.
The AKR currently has a total of 4480 number manpower deployed on and off-site, and with the 74km length Section 2 (Kaduna to Zaria) project nearing completion, Julius Berger hopes to bolster its number of men and equipment on the remaining Sections, most especially Section 1, guaranteeing intense pace in the delivery of the project.
Julius Berger Nigeria Plc again reassures commuters and the general public of its commitment to delivering a quality road project that will serve them and ease their current challenges on the road .
PRESS RELEASE
SANWO-OLU AT CHATHAM HOUSE, CHARGES WORLD LEADERS ON SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
…Says LASG has consistently increased budgetary allocation, efficiency in healthcare
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has appealed to world leaders, global think-tank and public office holders to work towards building a sustainable healthcare system for all and facilitate access for the poor and under-served.
Speaking on “Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria: Optimizing Institutional Opportunities and Partnerships for Success” at the weekend at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, Governor Sanwo-Olu charged global think-tank to optimise institutional opportunities and partnerships for the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
“To achieve UHC, developing countries must first focus on offering their residents a basic minimum set of healthcare services, provided free at the point of care using subsidy, controlled premiums or at a pre-set tariff system, within government-regulated facilities either public or affiliated private,” he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said Lagos State as the most populous city in Africa, a financial hub and Africa’s 5th Largest Economy on the continent, has strategically strengthened the health system in pursuit of Universal Health Coverage.
He said Lagos State has been using policies to strengthen its health systems, pushing toward the achievement of UHC, which the State considers a journey and not a destination.
“In Lagos State, we believe that policy is the most effective tool that governments can deploy in the pursuit of stronger health systems and eventually approaching UHC. The right policies will lead to the development of robust health financing systems that will serve the needs of our huge and increasing population,” he said.
Speaking on some of the policies of his administration to strengthen the health system, Governor Sanwo-Olu said Lagos State Government has consistently increased its budgetary allocation and efficiency to healthcare over the years, noting that the desire of his government is to eventually match the Abuja Declaration of 15 percent.
He said his administration, through its capital infrastructure blueprint agenda, is upgrading and renovating its existing primary and secondary health facilities in the short term and it has commenced building new designed fit-for-purpose primary, secondary and specialist health facilities for the future.
“We recognise that the Government cannot cover the funding gap in the health system without support from the private sector. In a bid to encourage public-private partnerships, we set up various institutions such as the Office of Public Private Partnerships (OPPPs) and IBILE Holdings, a private company owned by Lagos State for the purpose of engaging with the private sector. These institutions are mandated to facilitate and fast-track PPP opportunities in Lagos State.
“We understand the need for proper governance within the administrative structure of the health system and so we inaugurated boards for all the agencies within the Lagos State Ministry of Health. This has gone a long way to strengthen the capacity of the hierarchical sub-agencies, keeping them focused on their mandates.
“We believe in health insurance as a tool that we can leverage to quickly cover ground in our quest for UHC and so we have thrown the full weight of our support behind the newly established National Health Insurance Act, and mandated our Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) to domesticate and enrol residents of Lagos into the Lagos State Social Health Insurance Scheme.
“We are leveraging partnerships with Global organisations like Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Global Fund amongst others to explore innovative ways to strengthen our primary health system. In fact, I believe that such organisations’ decisions to directly fund a sub-national like Lagos State is a testament to the clarity of our vision and our drive to achieve results,” he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also disclosed that his administration has concluded some innovative schemes in partnership with the private sector to modernise the equipment in the State’s secondary health centres and set up specialised health facilities.
“We have commenced two pilot projects: The Lagos State Oncology Centre and the Omotunde Ajoke Cole Smart Hospital. The success of these projects will mark a new dawn in our health system, where the best of the public and private sectors come together to provide world-class affordable healthcare.
“We are working hard to improve the quality of human resources we have in our health centres. We are also using a system of meritocracy to appoint Medical Directors (MDs) in health centres and ensure continuous medical and administrative education.
“We understand the critical role played by logistics within our health system and we are making sure that people, essential medicines, and consumables are easily transported within our health system,” he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said while Lagos State Government is working on innovative mechanisms to pay for healthcare, it also needs to ensure that it is building a healthcare delivery system that can provide decent healthcare services to the people of the State.
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
CHIEF PRESS SECRETARY
25 SEPTEMBER 2022
NBA PRESIDENT TO GOV AKEREDOLU: YOU ARE A SOURCE OF COURAGE TO US
Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, on Sunday received a high-powered delegation of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) on a condolence visit.
The delegation was led by the president of the association, Chief Yakubu Maikyau, SAN.
The Governor received the NBA team in company of the Deputy Governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa; Secretary to the State Government, Princess Oladunni Odu; and the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Olugbenga Ale.
In his remarks, Chief Yakubu Maikyau said the Bar is very proud of Governor Akeredolu, stressing that the Governor has charted a course for the members of the Association to follow.
The NBA President disclosed that Governor Akeredolu is the benchmark for judging president of the association.
He described the Governor as a role model that has shaped the attitudes, professionalism and courage of the NBA.
The NBA President said: “Governor Akeredolu, Our uncle, our big brother, past President of the NBA, of course, is the only Governor today that has passed through that route, that has excelled in his chosen career of law and that went ahead to lead the Nigeria Bar Association, with courage, boldness and purposefulness that nobody can deny in this country.
“These are the attributes that you, Mr. Governor, have brought into this office that he you occupy today. There are poeple who may want to say that, of the 36 Governors in this country, they probably did not know who are Governors in other states. But they cannot say so for the Governor of Ondo State. And that is why we, in the NBA, are very very proud of you.
“We are very very proud of you. You have charted a course for us to follow. You continue to remain that reference point for us as members of the Nigeria Bar Association. And to some of us that are privileged to tread on that path you have once been, and where you also led creditably, you are a source of inspiration. You are a source of courage to us.
“You are actually the benchmark for which we judge who has done well as a President of the Nigeria Bar Association. We have a role model that can shape our attitudes, that can shape our professionalism, that can shape our courage and boldness to aspire to that particularly office.
“So, my big brother, our President, I call him the President of all presidents, my prayer is that the almighty God will comfort you and the entire family and all of us that are children of Mama affected by this great loss.”
Chief Maikyau, who also described himself as one of the Children of the Late Mother of the Governor, Evangelist Grace Bosede Akeredolu, stressed that Mama’s children are beyond the territory of Ondo State but all over the country and the world.
“Your Excellency, you are not the only child of mama in this room today. I’m from Kebbi State. By the special grace of God, I’m one of the children of Mama. Honestly, there are many children of Mama that go beyond the territory of Ondo State. They are all over the country and also across the globe because of what Mama represents during her lifetime.
“I’m deliberate about using that present tense because Mama merely slept. When somebody is sleeping, you don’t refer to him or her in the past tense. Mama is alive, Mama has merely slept. I can draw strength from the Scripture that tells us that when one moves from this side of the eternity to the other realm, that such a person merely slept. There is a certain day that such person will wake up.
“Mama is one that we are sure that by the integrity of God’s words that will wake up some day at the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, I have come not to mourn will you but to just bring words of comfort to you because our parents can never be too old to stay back with us.
“We all miss the physical fellowship we had with Mama. There are things, perhaps, you had wanted to discuss with Mama but her physical absence has robbed you of the opportunity of doing so.”
“I have come to celebrate with you that Mama has left this side of eternity in terms of her physical presence. I have come to celebrate with you for the fact that Mama lived well, and to underscore that fact that I’m also Mama’s child,” he added.
Governor Akeredolu thanked the NBA President for the visit and congratulated him on his deserved victory as the President of the Bar.
The Governor also commended the courage of the NBA President for speaking up against the intrusion into the house of a Court of Appeal judge, Ita Mbaba, in Kano, Kano State.
Governor Akeredolu urged the Bar President to continue to be the voice of the people.
“We must continue to prosecute our conviction with courage. We need a Bar that is courageous. And you have shown it,” the Governor said.
On his late mum, Governor Akeredolu said: ”Our mother lived to a ripe age of 90. We have picked a date, November 10, 11 and 12. We will thank God the best way we can. For me, it is for us to thank God for his grace. This is a Graceful exit of Grace. We will celebrate her.”
Richard Olatunde
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Ondo State.
September 25, 2022.