Kaduna to establish emergency medical services

The Kaduna State Government says it will establish the state’s emergency medical services to improve access to healthcare in the state in 2017.

According the 2017 budget sent to the Kaduna State House of Assembly, the project will gulp N62.9 million.

Of the amount, N2 billion would also be spent on construction of a 300-bed specialist hospital.

A further breakdown of the budget obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from the state’s Ministry of Budget and planning indicated that the health sector had an allocation of N10.3 billion for capital projects as against N6.6 billion in 2016.

The document said that about N1.4 m would be spent on upgrading and equipping of General hospitals across the state, while N23.8 million would be set aside for landscaping of major hospitals.

It also indicated that N69.2 million would be set aside for malaria control programme and N20 million for Tuberculosis and leprosy control, while Onchocerciasis was allocated N10.5 million.

The budget proposal also indicated that the state’s Primary Healthcare Agency would get N4.2 billion for capital projects out of which N2.9 billion would be spent on renovation and upgrade of 255 health faculties to primary health care centres.

About N186.9 million was allocated to Shehu Idris College of Health Science and Technology, Makarfi, N179.6 million to Kaduna State College of Nursing and Midwifery, Kafanchan and N118 million to Kaduna State College of Midwifery, Kaduna.

The Drug Medical Supplies Management Agency was also projected to receive N1 billion out of which N100 million would be spent on procurement of family planning and reproductive health commodities and consumables.

It also said that “N130 million will also be spent on procurement of therapeutic food and drugs for management of acute malnutrition.

The budget also indicated that N409 million had been allocated to the Kaduna State Aids Control Agency (KADSACA), out of which N90 million would be spent on counselling and testing of 500, 000 persons.

“The ARV programme will gulp N233.4 million, HIV care and support activities, N30 million to condom programme, N50 million and N4 million to scale up adolescent and youths population intervention in 21 LGAs,” it said.

The Government budgeted to spend N215.9 billion in the 2017 fiscal year, out of which N130.3 billion had been earmarked for capital and N85.5 billion for recurrent expenditures.

Three refineries produced 44m litres of petrol in July

Despite the efforts to increase local refining capacity to conserve foreign exchange Nigeria’s three refineries could only produce 43,743,273 million litres of petrol in July.
This means, the country’s forex request for imports of petroleum products, which currently stands at 35 percent will further increase in the coming months, unless something drastic was done about the state of the refineries
The refineries located in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, has a combined daily refining capacity of 445,000 barrels of crude oil per day
The latest production statistics contained in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), monthly report for July 2016, released at the weekend show that the approximatly only 44 million litres of petrol was produced in July is was far below the 211,562,865 million litres of petrol produced by the three refineries in June this year and slightly above the country’s daily consumption figure of 40 million litres.
The negative trend recorded for petrol production amongst the three refineries was equally replicated for kerosene with July production standing at 22,953,014 as against 119,582,848 produced in June this year.
The petroleum products-petrol and kerosene production by the domestic refineries in July 2016 amounted to 66.70 million litres compared to 331.15 million litres in June 2016. But, the NNPC said the the adverse performance was due to crude pipeline vandalism in the Niger Delta region coupled with on-going refineries revamp; it however, adding that the three refineries continued to operate at minimal capacity.
On capacity utilization of the refineries, NNPC disclosed that total crude processed by the three local refineries for the month of July 2016 was 126,756 metric tones(MT),translating to   929,275 barrels and intermediate of 40,640 metric tones about 297,972 barrels which translates to a combined yield efficiency of 77.82 percent compared to 225,770 metric tones of crude processed in June 2016 with a combined yield efficiency of 80.39 percent.
The report stated further that the three refineries produced  139,284 metric tones of finished petroleum products for the month of July 2016, out of 126,756 metric tones of crude processed and intermediate of 40,640 metric tones at a combined capacity utilization of 6.74 percent compared to 12.40 percent combined capacity utilization achieved in the month of June 2016.
It noted that the nation’s crude oil grades, including Bonny Light, Forcados, Brass and Qua Iboe, had been under periods of force majeure, which had negatively impacted on the targeted oil production of 2.2 million bpd in the 2016 national budget.
“The activities of pipeline vandals and oil thieves are taking a heavy toll on operations of the oil and gas industry, with over 500,000bopd lost as of May 2016. In June 2016, there was additional shut-in of about 50,000bopd as a result of sabotage/attack on the delivery pipelines to the Escravos Terminal.
“At the Forcados Terminal, about 300,000bopd remained shut-in and cargoes were deferred until repairs are completed. The force majeure declared on May 10, 2016 for repair works on the Nembe Creek Trunk Line and the resultant shut-in of about 275,000bopd subsists.”

18 Nigerians died in Saudi Arabia during 2016 Hajj – NAHCON

Eighteen Nigerians died in Saudi Arabia during the just concluded 2016 Hajj attended by Muslims, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says.

The victims were from Kwara, Kogi, Bauchi, Taraba, Niger, Kaduna, FCT. There were foreign-based Nigerian pilgrims as well.

The head of NAHCON’s medical team, Ibrahim Kana, said two pilgrims, including a 40-year-old woman, died in Madinah.

Three died in Muna, while 13 died in Makkah. A mentally ill woman was amongst the victim.

He however said the 2016 death toll was the lowest in five years. He attributed the low figure to enhanced sanitation, increased medical awareness and compressed national medical team.

The medical team attended to over 21,000 patients since the commencement of the hajj rites, Mr. Kana said.

He said despite repeated warnings, the medical team detected five pregnant women.

The Hajj is 95 per cent complete and pilgrims started travelling home on Saturday.

NAHCON chairman, Abdullahi Mukhtar, said all states who failed to give basic transport allowance to their pilgrims as well as those who collected Adiya money (money for ram slaughtering), and failed to remit same to NAHCON, would be penalised.

He said the commission would reimburse those who paid for but did not enjoy products and services like air conditioned tents, and the newly introduced e–wristband.

Mother of two killed by stray bullet in Kaduna

A 25-year-old mother of two, identified as Maryam Abubakar, was yesterday hit by a stray bullet said to be from police gun at Layin Sarki in Tudun-Wada area of Zaria, Kaduna State.

The incident occurred when police and some hoodlums were exchanging fire in the area.

Maryam’s husband, Malam Musa Bawa told newsmen in Zaria on Thursday that, “The incident happened at Hajiya Kaka Mai-Waina’s house, Layin Sarki, Tudun-Wada, Zaria.

“The incident happened on Wednesday evening at about 6:00pm at my mother in-law’s residence, Hajiya Kaka Mai-Waina at Tudun-Wada.

“Normally, during Sallah period, my wife, her siblings and some of their relations used to converge at the house to celebrate Sallah and use the period to see one another.

“They were upstairs of the house when policemen chased some thugs who ran close to the house, only for those behind my wife to see her slump.”

Bawa said his wife was hit in eight different places and was rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

He added, “As I am talking to you, four pint of blood had been transfused into her because she lost lot of blood before the doctors came to her rescue.”

The Police Spokesperson in the State, ASP Aliyu Usman confirmed the incident, adding that investigation showed the bullet was not from the police.

He said, “Medical report from the doctor attending to the victim indicates that the bullet removed is not our own.

“The woman was hit in eight different places by pellets emanating from either den gun or double barrel. Remember, police don’t use gun powder.”

Rapists to serve life imprisonment in Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government has proposed life sentence for rapists in the new Child Right Bill forwarded to the State House of Assembly for passage into law.

Deputy Director, Civil Litigation in the state’s Ministry for Justice, Mr Irimiya Samson, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

Samson explained that the development became necessary, following incessant cases of rape, particularly of minors, being recorded daily in the state.

He noted that current penalty for rape in the Penal Code was very light, as such it was important to make the law more strict to curtail the ugly trend.
“The incidences of rape have become very rampant in the state. It is particularly disturbing that the offenders are mostly elderly men whose victims are toddlers, minors within the age range of three to six.

“In curbing this abominable act, the state government has decided to invoke a stiff punishment for offenders in the child right law.

“As such, when the bill is passed, anyone caught would remain behind bars for life.”

He added that the law also criminalise child trafficking, child labour, street hawking, and begging, which are common practices in the state.

“Similarly, exposing children to obscene materials like phonographic content has also been criminalised.

“Offenders would be imprisoned or made to pay fine of N500, 000 for individuals and one to five million for companies, plus a two-year ban.

“The proposed law also de-emphasise detaining or locking up children for juvenile offences, having realised that detention do not help the children in anyway.

“What the law proposed in place of detention is community service, which in all sense could instil some level of discipline in juvenile offenders.

“Education was also covered in the law, making it mandatory for every child to acquire basic education,” the official added.

Samson also said that the state government would be deeply involved in issues bordering on welfare and development of children.

According to him, based on the proposed law, government would take away children from parents, caregivers, or guardian who failed to properly cater for children under them.

He added that guidelines for fostering and adoption of children was provided in the bill, for people who wish to adopt or foster a child.

NAN reports that the UNICEF, in conjunction with ministries, departments and agencies concerned with children, had in 2015 held series of meetings to push for the domestication of the Child Right Act in the state.

Key stakeholders in the various meetings, including the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), produced the redrafted law which was vetted by the Justice ministry.

NAN