Disaster/Emergency

NDDC, pallative
Disaster/Emergency, Economy

NDDC distributes palliatives to Bayelsa communities

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By Barbara Kalu (PORT HARCOURT) –

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has distributed palliatives to flood-prone communities across the eight local government areas of Bayelsa State, as part of its efforts to mitigate the effects of flooding on the people of the state.

Speaking during the handover of the various palliatives in Yenagoa, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said the distribution of the relief materials was the Commission’s response to the challenges confronting the people and a way of cushioning the effects of the perennial flooding in many communities across the state.

The Managing Director, who was represented by the NDDC Director, Procurement, Dr. Week Doodei and the Director of the Bayelsa State office of the Commission, Engr. Godknows Alamieyeseigha, explained that the palliatives were handed over to the representatives of the various communities to help them tackle their problems.

Dr. Ogbuku reaffirmed the NDDC’s commitment to ameliorate the challenges facing the people of the Niger Delta region, noting: “We share in the pains of the victims of the flooding in Bayelsa State. We realise that they have lost a lot which cannot be replaced. We assure you that the NDDC has very good programmes for the people of the Niger Delta region and as many people as possible will benefit from the distribution of the palliatives.”

He urged community representatives in the flood hit areas to judiciously distribute the materials, which included food and household items, farm inputs, and livelihood items such as canoes, fishing nets, hooks, among others, to ensure that flood victims had something to fall back on after their losses.
He said further: “The NDDC is not only about building roads and physical infrastructure. We also intervene in social services. We will monitor the distribution of these palliatives to ensure that they get to the affected areas.

“This intervention will take place in all the NDDC mandate states because the Commission was set up to address situations such as this.”

The Managing Director appealed to the benefiting community leaders to ensure that the items got to the vulnerable people in their areas, warning that hoarding and diversion of the items would not be tolerated.

After inspecting the relief materials loaded on many trucks, the representatives of the NDDC boss directed the community leaders to ensure that the various items were taken to the different local government areas and communities where they would be distributed.

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Disaster/Emergency, security

Plateau killings: FG orders humanitarian relief to affected communities

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The Federal Government has condoled with the families of the victims of the recent attacks in Plateau and ordered for immediate release of humanitarian relief to the affected communities.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, on Wednesday in Abuja

“The Federal Government of Nigeria strongly condemns the recent killings in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State.

“We would like to reiterate the commitment of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration to securing every inch of Nigerian territory, and ensuring that all forms of criminality by terrorists, bandits and militants are tackled boldly and decisively.

“President Tinubu has directed the security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of these heinous killings are fished out and brought to justice.

“The President has also directed the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and other relevant agencies to work with the Plateau State Government to deliver immediate humanitarian relief to the affected communities,” Idris said.

The Minister explained that the Federal Government acknowledged the deep pains being felt by all the victims of these attacks, and pledges to scale up collaboration with and support of State Governments in the collective task of ensuring lasting peace and security in Nigeria.

According to him, at the Federal level, all hands are on deck across the security and intelligence agencies, to scale up intelligence-gathering and crisis-response efforts.

“We pray for God’s comfort and healing for all the affected communities and families. May the souls of the dead rest in peace. Amen,” Idris added. (NAN)

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Key moments
Disaster/Emergency, Economy, Elections, Politics

Key moments that defined Nigeria’s 2023

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For Nigerians, 2023 would become one of the most remarkable years in recent memory in terms of defining moments and major events; some cheery while some are not very pleasant.

This is just as there were major global events that highlighted 2023. We look at some of them:

The 2023 General Elections

Nothing highlighted Nigeria’s defining moments in 2023 like the 2023 General Elections.

Following interesting events that preceded the election itself, many believe that it would go down as the most anticipated election cycle since democracy returned in 1999.

Perhaps the fact that it was the first time since 1999 that three major frontrunners contested to become the president of the country added to the anticipation.

The election lived up to its build up, as Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (All Progressives Party), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (Peoples Democratic Party) and Mr Peter Obi (Labour Party) won in 12 states each.

President Bola Tinubu was declared the winner with 8,794,726 votes; Abubakar came second with 6,984,520 votes; while Obi scored 6,101,533 votes to come third.

One political analyst said the 2023 election was the most consequential in the history of Nigeria since 1999.

As expected post-presidential election litigation went up to the Supreme Court which affirmed Tinubu’s victory.

Naira redesign

Although a spill over from 2022 when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced the introduction of redesigned N200, N500 and N1,000 banknotes, it was in 2023 that its impact was most felt.

The policy was greeted with public anger and expressions of frustration as the new notes were unavailable while the apex bank mopped up the old ones.

There also were political undercurrents in the implementation of the policy, leading to the Supreme Court issuing an interim order for the policy to be halted.

Many economists and financial experts termed the naira redesign policy as the worst economic policy ever implemented in Nigeria since the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), introduced in 1986.

Japa: Mass emigration of Nigerians

Before 2023, Nigeria experienced mass relocation of professionals and students, often young, who used the study and work permit routes to migrate abroad in search of better lives.

While they travel to Canada, the United States and other Western countries, the UK was the most common choice, especially for those using the study route.

However, in May 2023, the UK government said from January 2024 international students would not be permitted to bring family members with them.

Sensing that the purpose is defeated with that policy, 2023 witnessed possibly the highest relocation of Nigerians to the UK through that specific study route that enables them to take their family members along.

The migration pattern, now referred to as “japa”, has left the country grappling with the shortage of certain professionals in the health, financial services, education, telecom/ICT sectors, etc.

A report by Phillips Consulting Limited, quoted by a newspaper, said japa has, among other negatives, led to a “reduced skilled workforce, decreased tax revenue”.

Osimhen, Oshoala: African football king, queen

Following his exploit with his Seria A club Napoli in the 2022-23 season, Nigeria’s striker Victor Osimhen was named African Footballer of the Year at a ceremony in Marrakech on Dec. 11, 2023.

Osimhen scored 26 goals to help Napoli to a surprise triumph in Serie A last season and was the leading goal scorer in Italy’s top division.

He beat Egypt’s Liverpool forward Mohammed Salah and Morocco’s Paris St Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi to the award, making him the first Nigerian winner since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.

In the women’s category, Asisat Oshoala won the top prize for a record sixth time.

Hilda Baci’s Guinness World Record

In June 2023, the Guinness World Records (GWR) confirmed that Hilda Effiong Bassey, better known as Hilda Baci, officially broke the record for the longest cooking marathon (individual), with a time of 93 hours 11 minutes.

The 26-year-old chef began on Thursday, May 11 and continued through to Monday, May 15, cooking over 100 pots of food during her four-day kitchen stint.

Hilda attempted to set a record of 100 hours, however, almost seven hours were deducted from her final total because she mistakenly took extra minutes for one of her rest breaks early on in the attempt.

Her record was short-lived though, as Alan Fisher, an Irish chef who runs a restaurant in Japan, dethroned her in November.

GWR said Fisher cooked for 119 hours and 57 minutes, more than 24 hours longer than the previous record held by Baci.

The year also witnessed the death of a sitting governor, as Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State succumbed to death after a long battle with cancer.

Rotimi became the 4th governor to die in office in Nigeria after Shehu Kangiwa (Old Sokoto), Patrick Yakowa (Kaduna State) and Mamman Ali (Yobe).

On the international scene, 2023 witnessed the historic coronation ceremony of King Charles III, a ritual that completed his ascension to the throne as the King of England. This followed the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Women’s football also came of age in 2023, with the staging of the FIFA Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

The Falcons of Nigeria did Africa proud after fighting gallantly against eventual finalists, England, and losing in a penalty shootout.

The competition shattered all previous records in terms of sponsorship, viewership, stadium attendance, involvement and players’ remuneration.

Artificial Intelligence, which has the potential to change human interaction forever, became mainstream in the year.

Unfortunately, the ugliest event of 2023 – the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip – is still ongoing.

Gaza’s Hamas-run government estimates that at least 20,915 people have been killed and 54,918 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 7 when hundreds of Hamas gunmen entered Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages.

The year 2023 also saw a proliferation of military coups and attempted coups in Africa, especially in the West African sub-region.

There were deadly earthquakes and wildfires, the most devastating being in Turkey, Syria and Morocco.

And who would forget that unsolicited kiss from Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales on the lips of captain Jenni Hermoso which all but ruined their team’s victory celebration? (NANFeatures)

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Disaster/Emergency, Foreign, security

How WHO-led high-risk joint humanitarian mission to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza

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A joint UN humanitarian assessment team, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), accessed Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza on Saturday to assess the situation on the ground and conduct a rapid situational analysis, assess medical priorities, and establish logistics options for further missions.

The team included public health experts, logistics officers, and security staff from OCHA, UNDSS, UNMAS/UNOPS, UNRWA and WHO.

The mission was deconflicted with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to ensure safe passage along the agreed route. However, this was a high-risk operation in an active conflict zone, with heavy fighting ongoing in close proximity to the hospital.

WHO_accessed_Al-Shifa_Hospital_in_northern_Gaza_MC18_11_23

Earlier in the day, the IDF had issued evacuation orders to the remaining 2,500 internally displaced people who had been seeking refuge on the hospital grounds. They, along with a number of mobile patients and hospital staff, had already vacated the facility by the time of the team’s arrival.

Due to time limits associated with the security situation, the team was able to spend only one hour inside the hospital, which they described as a “death zone,” and the situation as “desperate.” Signs of shelling and gunfire were evident. The team saw a mass grave at the entrance of the hospital and were told more than 80 people were buried there.

Lack of clean water, fuel, medicines, food and other essential aid over the last six weeks have caused Al-Shifa Hospital—once the largest, most advanced, and best equipped referral hospital in Gaza—to essentially stop functioning as a medical facility. The team observed that due to the security situation, it has been impossible for the staff to carry out effective waste management in the hospital. Corridors and the hospital grounds were filled with medical and solid waste, increasing the risk of infection. Patients and health staff with whom they spoke were terrified for their safety and health, and pleaded for evacuation. Al-Shifa Hospital can no longer admit patients, with the injured and sick now being directed to the seriously overwhelmed and barely functioning Indonesian Hospital.

There are 25 health workers and 291 patients remaining in Al-Shifa, with several patient deaths having occurred over the previous 2 to 3 days due to the shutting down of medical services. Patients include 32 babies in extremely critical condition, two people in intensive care without ventilation, and 22 dialysis patients whose access to life-saving treatment has been severely compromised. The vast majority of patients are victims of war trauma, including many with complex fractures and amputations, head injuries, burns, chest and abdominal trauma, and 29 patients with serious spinal injuries who are unable to move without medical assistance. Many trauma patients have severely infected wounds due to lack of infection control measures in the hospital and unavailability of antibiotics.

Given the current state of the hospital, which is no longer operational or admitting new patients, the team was requested to evacuate health workers and patients to other facilities. WHO and partners are urgently developing plans for theimmediateevacuation of the remaining patients, staff and their families. Over the next 24–72 hours, pending guarantees of safe passage by parties to the conflict, additional missions are being arranged to urgently transport patients from Al-Shifa to Nasser Medical Complex and European Gaza Hospital in the south of Gaza. However, these hospitals are already working beyond capacity, and new referrals from Al-Shifa Hospital will further strain overburdened health staff and resources.

WHO is deeply concerned about the safety and health needs of patients, health workers and internally displaced people sheltering at the few remaining partially functional hospitals in the north, which are facing risk of closure due to a lack of fuel, water, medical supplies, food, and the intense hostilities. Immediate efforts must be made to restore the functionality of Al-Shifa and all other hospitals to provide urgently needed health services in Gaza.

WHO reiterates its plea for collective efforts to bring an end to the hostilities and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. We call for an immediate ceasefire, the sustained flow of humanitarian assistance at scale, unhindered humanitarian access to all of those in need, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the cessation of attacks on health care and other vital infrastructure. The extreme suffering of the people of Gaza demands that we respond immediately and concretely with humanity and compassion.

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