BABA NLA SCANDAL!!!

NAIJA no go "kee" person. I came across a facebook post by Nasir El-Rufai about 8-9 hours ago where he stated that he had listened to Australian negotiator Stephen Davis tell Arise TV that the former Borno state governor Sheriff and the immediate past Army chief Ihejirika were established sponsors of the terrorist group Boko Haram. I was stunned for a moment because I didn't see any link attached to the post and didn't quite know too much about the credibility of the Arise network. El Rufai's post had already been greeted by numerous likes, shares and comments majority of which were abuse and curses aimed at the gentleman for what some alleged as a blatant lie to cause undue agitation of the populace and chaos. Such onslaught on the man's facebook wall is not unusual with many individuals from predominantly opposing tribes and ethnic groups hurling obscenities at him irrespective of whether he posted about Manchester United, Goodluck Jonathan or the unfortunate loss of his children.

 I swung into google mode searching for proof of such allegation and could not find any even on the Arise TV link I found. I spent some minutes watching the past bulletin of the network and the closest thing to Nigerian terrorism was a  display and review of news of the front page of today's edition of the This Day newspaper which had a reference to a report on the Stephen Davis interview granted to ABC news yesterday. The newspaper reported that Stephen, 63 had risked his life for about 4 months in the Northeast of Nigeria and with the cooperation of the president to secure the release of kidnapped girls. He mentioned that some Nigerian politicians were responsible for funding the insurgents and needed to be stopped. Many of those who lambasted El-Rufai posted links to this report by the newspaper outfit and emphasized on the absence of any mention of names as alleged by the former minister. I wondered to myself how they continued to make reference to a link the wall owner didn't mention; he stated Arise TV not Thisday newspapers.

I searched and searched but no categorical links to the story. I returned to Facebook and suddenly the link I was searching for flashed before me on the wall of the very vocal Professor Pius Adesanmi; http://www.arise.tv/headline/arise-news-now-uk-28-08-8043 opened up Arise News Now UK and a 30 minutes clip dominated by a telephone conversation between the newscaster and the negotiator. The man is heard assuring the newscaster that he had  no qualms naming the names of those he was certain were funding the militant sect. He spoke to great lengths about some meetings he had head-on with the sect members and the several active steps to reach a peace deal with them on behalf of the federal government including a failed retrieval of kidnapped Chibok girls previously negotiated for with Boko Haram. He blamed some politicians and some Northern stakeholders for sabotaging the deal and suggested that they had to be stopped before any meaningful resolution to the conflict could happen. When probed further, he wasted no time to mention the former governor Sheriff who he claimed defected to the ruling People's democratic party for refuge. Stephen Davis went on further to mention that the former army chief who was sacked in January was also a sponsor alongside Sheriff responsible for earmarking and designating targets for bombings and other dastardly acts against entire towns and motor parks. He also mentioned someone who had three nephews who lived in and planned terror acts within the confines of the accommodation that was provided by their uncle. He talked a great deal about disgruntled politicians who wanted to wrestle power from the incumbent.

Stephen Davis expressed great concern about the obvious lack of activity on the part of the Federal government to curb those it already knows as indigenous sponsors of terrorism and was more baffled at the failure of intelligence despite the well documented arrangements with the super powers as the French and the USA. He expressed his displeasure at how the Nigerian Military was forever blinded and ignorant of the movements of lengthy convoys of heavily armed militants who traveled for hours at times to get to their targets before leaving them razed and desolate but not without leaving with their loot of young females.  He was astonished that a convoy of armed personnel carriers at times could not be spotted in an arid region where vision was possible for miles. He did not say the name Ihejirika but how anyone could brazenly contest the identity of the former army chief sacked in January is beyond me.

I decided to check out the opinions of Nigerians on the initial post put up by El-Rufai and was not surprised that he had posted the link to the interview granted today to back up his claim. Those who turned deaf eyes and blind ears to the new links were expectedly from the Southeast and South-South region predominantly. They kept abusing the man with one fellow even wishing him more deaths to his family. Some were headstrong and continued to make reference to the Thisday report and posted links to discredit the man or include the General Buhari in the equation. I personally do not regard This Day as credible because they have in recent years leaned towards the incumbent and one cannot forget their many meaningless music concerts and Award ceremonies. The one that got me on the edge was a link to a vanguard newspaper reported about General Ihejirika calling El-Rufai a Boko-Haram commander. I thought it was an old news until I clicked and found out that it was only recently uploaded following questions directed to the General and requests for his response to the allegation made by El-Rufai. I wonder if the vanguard reporter mentioned to him that there was supposed to be a television interview involved and that El-Rufai didn't use astrology to arrive at such charges. The man was reported to have gone on and on about how El-Rufai said this or did that. Should the man not be asked why it took a public calling out for him to heap  a "commander of Boko Haram activities" on El-Rufai? Even if El-Rufai was neck-deep in terrorism, why did he not use all his power as Army chief to squash all involved or prosecuted even after leaving the Army?

The Emir of Kano spoke at a TedX gathering about "Vested Interests" in our nation's polity. Some people have been attributed sacred cow status, untouchable to the president and infallible to their many supporters at the expense of the Nigerian state. The more I observe the nation and its president, the more I think about the character called President Logan in the highly successful series "24". The more these conspiracies unfold daily, the more one thinks about how mediocre the plots of the series "Scandal" and "House of Cards" are compared to the great Nigeria. What saddens me the most is the "Prokaryotic" syndrome plaguing Nigerian youths characterized by severe atrophy of the higher centre, verbal diarrhea, bilateral hemianopia and bilateral  paresis of the fingers resulting in failure to thrive internally despite a normal appearing body. This does not give any conviction that hope exists for Nigeria; however I choose to retain that dying ember and guard that "if only I could touch the hem of his garment" desperation to witness Nigeria redeemed from the jaws of her devourers both intrinsic and extrinsic. God speed Nigeria.

J Olee Akeju 

28/29-Aug-2014

THE NIGERIAN HEALTH SECTOR: “SOME TRUTHS AND SHAPESHIFTERS”

“16Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. 17And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. 18And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. 19And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.20And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. 21And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. 22And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.

23Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. 24And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. 25And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. 26Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. 27Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. 28And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.” 1kings3:16-28 (KJV)

When the news about the sack of all resident doctors was eventually confirmed, many Nigerians took to social media to express their unwavering support for the definitive judgment meted out to the striking, arrogant and greedy doctors who had failed to respond to the Ebola virus outbreak. Among those who joined the bandwagon of solidarity with the Nigerian emperor were other health workers under the banner of the “Assembly of Healthcare Professionals and Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU)” some of who said the resident doctors were deserving of such a drastic decision after embarking on a prolonged “illegal” strike action. A sensible individual who claims to be concerned about the happenings in the Nigerian health sector ought to ask him/herself a very critical question; “How does one justify the sacking of resident doctors who are affiliate members of the parent body called the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) for a strike declared and enforced by the parent body?”

Who on earth are JOHESU that seem to have the Health Ministry and the Government by the gonads?

The creation of this hydra-headed structure still remains a mystery to me despite a lot of effort to trace its point of origin and insertion. This body seems to have perfected the art of ”shapeshifting” that seems only to exists in folklore and mythology. Like the Marvel comics character “Mystique”, this amorphous organization has found a way to appear as whatever they wish to any group of people, peddling falsehood and retaining their ”integrity” in the process. They were out with a press release shortly after the NMA called for a nationwide strike on the 1^st of July 2014 in which they condemned the strike and declared it illegal. By the 17^th of July, they had sued the NMA and challenged the legal right of the association to declare a strike when it was not a part of the recognized trade unions in Nigeria and therefore did not have a right to negotiate any trade issues with the Federal government (FG). If the NMA does in fact have no right to sit at the table with the FG, who then is responsible for negotiating on its behalf?

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is described on its website as the only national federation of trade unions in the country with “fundamental aims and objective to protect, defend and promote the rights, well-being and the interests of all workers, pensioners and the trade unions; to promote and defend a Nigerian nation that would be just, democratic, transparent and prosperous and to advance the cause of the working class generally etc.” There are about 16 listed ways of achieving these for “all Nigerian workers” both in the public and private sector all clearly stated on the website. The congress has about 43 affiliate bodies listed on its website with their relevant addresses and contacts. It is mentioned that the umbrella body is aware of the existence of a massive and dynamic informal sector of the economy which is currently not a member of the congress; a status not also extended to the military and paramilitary services as well as civil establishments that carry out duties classified by law as essential. The only example given under civil establishments was the central bank of Nigeria. The JOHESU take pride in their ability to hold negotiations with FG on labour disputes citing that all 5 affiliate members are also members of the NLC and Trade Union congress of Nigeria (TUC). I have to agree with a column written by Ibrahim Idris about 7 months ago in “premium times” where he described JOHESU as illegal. A quick look at the current letter headed papers on which their communiques are printed would reveal 5 logos by the left side margin vertically oriented. One communique released on the 6^th of January 2014 reveals a logo (consisting of the images of 2 tablets and one capsule surrounded by the acronym) with the title as “Assembly of Healthcare Professionals and Joint Health Sector Unions”; another released on the 17^th of January 2014 has only the JOHESU acronym at the top. Subsequently, the letter head has remained as “Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals”. I really wonder how such a “dynamic” organization gets to command the attention of the FG.

The 5 affiliate lions that make up the JOHESU “voltron” are: Medical and Health workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN); National association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM); Senior staff association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals and associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI); Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) and the Non Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutes (NASU). Of these 5 unions, only 3 are listed as written above amongst the 43 NLC affiliates I counted on the NLC website. There is no union like NUAHP and the closest union to SSAUTHRIAI is SSANU which represents the senior staff association of Nigerian Universities. In a draft release by the JOHESU to protest the non-inclusion of any of their members by the FG to the recently concluded confab, the leadership urged the president to urgently include members of the professional bodies in JOHESU at least. They mentioned the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), Pharmaceutical society of Nigeria (PSN) and the NANNM as potential sources of nominees for the national conference. The PSN, AMLSN and the Nigeria society of Physiotherapist are supposed to be members of the NUAHP together with some unspecified professional groups. If the NUAHP is not listed in the registry of the NLC as seen on the website (except they are a recent addition), how are they part of JOHESU or are they the ones referred to as the Assembly of Healthcare professionals on the JOHESU letter head? Is the SSAUTHRIAI an amalgamation of the SSANU and the Academic Staff union of research institutions (ASURI)? These issues with nomenclature and combinations greatly confuse me and their legality is debatable. How are the Non Academic staff unions of health institutes separated from those of education and the “associated” ones?

How has this heterogeneous community continued to exist and present a seemingly united front in its arguably misguided struggle? I want to believe that some more dominant members of this “Frankenstein” are using their vantage positions to pursue selfish agendas at the expense of misinforming their numerous followers and inciting the public against doctors. The head of JOHESU is a certain Ayuba Wabba who is also the head of the MHWUN and also doubles as the National Treasurer of the NLC. Dr. Ayuba P. Wabba is listed on LinkedIn as an Environmental Health Officer at the Ministry of Health in Borno state. This is the fellow who has been mandated to lead the JOHESU alliance to achieve all sorts of demands that range from skipping of CONHESS grade levels, consultancy appointments to “deserving” members, directors and membership of hospital boards; they also want the termination of illegal posts of deputy chairman medical advisory committee, establishment of residency programs for other health professional bodies  and a special entry scale for intern medical laboratory scientists amongst many other demands. The recent interview granted by the Chief Medical director of the University college hospital (UCH) Professor Alonge seems to suggest that the consultant orthopaedic surgeon is supportive of the clamor for consultancy status by other healthcare professionals. The JOHESU members have jumped on this to scream vindication and forget so easily that the man who has voiced support to their demand is also the one guilty of appointing several senior doctors as DCMACs in UCH which they regard as completely illegal. The JOHESU through its many affiliates have rained insults and derogatory remarks on doctors irrespective of the ranks of the doctors concerned. Their usual rhetoric is always about “what doctors are enjoying” at their expense. I wonder if house officers, medical officers or resident doctors are the ones getting appointed as DCMAC or directors. If resident doctors are insisting on better funding for the health sector, how does that translate to reducing the hazard or uniform allowance of records officers, morticians or nurses? They have had several meetings with government representatives especially the ministers of health and labour where promises were made to pacify them. These promises have been repeatedly broken and one wonders how gloating over the sack of doctors by the same FG that has deceived them translates to their demands being fully met. The president of the Nigeria society of physiotherapy (NSP), Oyewumi Taiwo in a press release on the 31^st of July 2014 condemned the NMA for embarking on an illegitimate strike and described the venture as a “cheap ego trip” also saying that the NMA has failed in leadership. How has the NMA failed in leadership? Does the NMA nominate who becomes the minister of health or the medical directors of hospitals? Is the NMA actively consulted with respect to policy issues regarding national healthcare delivery? The minister of health that has overseen the sack of the bulk of doctors currently in the system must be a strong member of JOHESU just like the many Chief medical directors who refuse to implement directives that are meant to favor doctors on their books. The minister of health that deceived JOHESU is the same person that NMA do not trust. Information on the website of the NSP indicates that the onset of a residency program for physiotherapists in Nigeria is imminent. They hope to start with seven specialties: Cardiopulmonary physiotherapy, Community physiotherapy, Neurophysiotherapy  and mental health; Orthopaedic physiotherapy, Paediatric physiotherapy, Sports physiotherapy and Women’s health similar to what is obtainable in the United states where majority of their physical therapy doctorate programs have ten specialties Cardiovascular and Pulmonary, Clinical Electrophysiology, Geriatrics, Neurology, Orthopaedics, Pediatrics, Sports, Women's Health, and Wound Care. Physiotherapy was a 4year course in Nigeria until the late 1990s when it was increased to 5years; about the only country in the world where the basic degree is 5years. Most nations offer 2, 3 or 4 year programs. The introduction of an expanded program that involves greater specialization was introduced in the USA, this is generally not a worldwide practice and only one institution in the United Kingdom offers something similar to the Doctor of Physical therapy program popular in the USA. JOHESU affiliates readily point to other climes to justify their demands. It can be deduced that the agitation for a residency program by the NSP has been copied from the USA, it is not what anyone can term as best global practice and regarded as excessive in some climes where masters or PhD programs are viewed as sufficient postgraduate training. Does the NSP have the requisite facilitators and experienced trainers to oversee a qualitative residency program or are they just copying and pasting what is practiced in another place without adequately evaluating the pros and cons? If residency program is part of the agitations of JOHESU, which of the professional bodies are going to benefit? It is clear the NSP are going to reap significantly. The terminology “Consultant” refers in our system to specialist senior doctors who are appointed to ultimately take responsibility for patient admission and management. They are also involved in clinical training and supervision of medical students and resident doctors. Some of these individuals do have dual appointments in institutions with affiliated colleges of medicine where they also teach students outside of the clinical environment; undertake research and participate in general University duties and activities. It becomes laughable when JOHESU release a statement contesting double salaries given to honorary consultants and allegations that some doctors are so highly paid even more than university professors when in fact a few of them are university professors. The term is consistent with the British system as well as some commonwealth nations. It should be easy to understand why some allied healthcare workers are called consultants in the USA where the equivalent of hospital medical consultants and specialists are called “Attending Physicians”. Although Prof. Alonge appeared to support the appointment of consultants from other health workers, he did point to the fact that a discrepancy exist in the interpretation of the term as it affects both groups hence a need to clarify issues. I do not think that is exactly what the deserving members of JOHESU want. They constantly point at what doctors are enjoying and I guess it is those benefits they assume doctors are enjoying that has led to the demand. What is the yardstick to determine who and who is deserving of consultancy positions? Would it not lead to further rift within the ranks of JOHESU if certain affiliates do not benefit from the consultancy largess? What would make the non-professional groups inherent in JOHESU undeserving of being appointed as consultants? Are the agitators of consultancy willing and competent to shoulder the responsibilities of patient care and the demands of such appointment? A hospital consultant position is not a reward for longevity nor is it like the appointment of delegates to a conference. It is not the peak of a doctor’s career, a doctor does not necessarily need to be in a residency program and become a consultant before he/ she can be regarded as successful or accomplished. We should not just simply adopt terminologies that are used in other climes and take them out of context to adopt them in our own system. Nurses have also recently pointed to the appointment of a female nurse as the US Army Surgeon General as validation of their demands. It is really easy to be awed by such information but what many fail to do is read just a little about the woman concerned Patricia Horoho. It is clear that she did not attain such lofty heights just because of being a member of a gender or profession minority; she is a first class Lieutenant General highly trained and equipped to manage such a responsibility that entails human, material and enormous financial resources. Our people in Nigeria always clamor for equation balancing at the complete expense of competence. Should the JOHESU not demand for better funding and standardized education and training instead of striving for potentially unsustainable projects that could be deflated by politics and underfunding? A fellow named Nwaneri commented on a link to a JOHESU draft on the 20^th of January 2014. The man commended the JOHESU executive for their resilience but asked when and if they would also ensure residency training for medical laboratory scientists and BSc nurses. Someone should quickly lodge a requisition for NASU residency quickly.

I searched for a JOHESU website but could not locate any so I turned my attention for a facebook page at least. I did find three (3) affiliated to institutions in Yobe, Gombe and the Federal Medical Center Abeokuta (FMCA). The one for the FMCA had 148 members and one administrator called Otunba Tiamiyu who is also the public relations officer of the Abeokuta chapter of JOHESU. The” admin” seems to be a young man hell bent on misinforming him many members and launching constant abuse on the management and consultants of his institution. The fellow’s command of the English language and utterances is rather appalling and one can only imagine how such a man is responsible for representing the interest of any credible association. He described the resident doctors as toddlers and their protest as senseless; he was reported in the Leadership newspapers (a paper that I think is sympathetic to the mission of JOHESU) on the 26^th of July 2014 to say that doctors only jump at strikes to divert patients to their private hospitals in order to charge exorbitant fees. He rejoiced that the public had arisen to curb the excesses of doctors who he accused of behaving as gods. These are the kind of people who peddle all sorts of falsehood and inconsistencies about doctors and the NMA. They regularly accuse the NMA of incessant strike actions and easily forget the many occasions the JOHESU have threatened or outrightly embarked on strike actions that effectively grounded the health sector. A quick search through google will produce results that clearly show that the “development” of the health sector has been greatly slowed down by frequent strike actions detonated by the camp of the JOHESU. May 7, 2012; August 21, 2013; January 15, 2014: these are all dates of outright nationwide strikes embarked upon by JOHESU. They have been calling for the sack of the current Minister of health since 2011. They made this demand on the 21^st of February 2011 accusing the minister of sabotaging their interests in favor of doctors. They continued with this demand in December 2012 and January 2013. This same minister is currently being hailed for enforcing the sack of resident doctors who are not contesting CMD or director positions with the JOHESU top brass. In a letter dated January 17, 2014 and addressed to the Minister of Health, JOHESU had stated that its good faith, patience and restraint to go on strike had been taken for weakness by the government. I wonder what JOHESU needs to do for the health ministry to sack all medical laboratory scientists in order to restructure the health sector.

JOHESU has claimed that the NMA have no right to negotiate labour disputes for any reason and to embark on strikes which has been supported vehemently by a few supposedly experienced public commentators as well as some journalists who through their reportage express clear partisanship and a clearly lackadaisical approach to their work devoid of intelligent research and fairness. One reporter with the leadership newspaper put up two headlines online in the space of less than thirty (30) minutes that referred to the same story that aimed to vilify the NMA and doctors. The same JOHESU that claims the NMA has no bargaining right with the FG constantly make reference to a 2009 bargaining agreement that was implemented for doctors but yet to be done for them. The public commentators usually mention that doctors are part of what is regarded as “essential services” that should never go on strike. In a blog post on the 25^th of October 2012 titled “The Right to Strike in Nigeria and ILO Principles on the Right to Strike”; Femi Aborishade of the Polytechnic, Ibadan and center for labour studies reviews and appraises the laws guiding strike actions in Nigeria, the principles recommended by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on strike actions and how such affects Nigeria especially the drawbacks. The Committee of Experts and the Committee on Freedom of Association of the ILO appeared to justify the scope of restriction of strike action in “essential services” which was defined in 1983 as those services “the interruption of which would endanger the life, personal safety or health of the whole or part of the population”. The Committee on Freedom of Association described that essential services in the strict sense of the term depended to a large extent on the particular circumstances prevailing in a country and that a non-essential service may however become essential if a strike lasts beyond a certain time or extends beyond a certain scope, thus endangering the life, personal safety or health of the whole or part of the population. The committee considered essential services in the strict sense may be subject to major restrictions or even prohibitions; this is inclusive of the hospital sector; electricity services; water supply services; the telephone service and air traffic control. It is instructive that the ILO’s committee mentioned “hospital sector” and not medical doctors because striking doctors renders all other health care workers redundant likewise doctors left in a health sector paralyzed by absent health workers is also a waste of time and resources. Essentially services in the UK are listed as Emergency services, Armed forces, Health and social workers, Food industry; Agriculture, veterinary and animal welfare; Essential workers at nuclear sites; Water, sewerage and drainage; Fuel and energy suppliers; Public transport,  Licensed taxis; Coastguards and lifeboat crews;  Airport and airline workers; Postal, media, telecommunications; Central and local government workers; Essential financial services staff including those involved in the delivery of cash and cheques; Prison staff; Refuse collection and industrial waste;  Funeral services; Special schools and colleges for the disabled and Essential foreign diplomatic workers. If this nation realizes the importance of these diverse industries to the welfare of their people, why do our leaders assume they as politicians are more important that everyone else? They utilize divisive tactics to set sectors that ought to be in perfect harmony and operate in unison at each other’s femoral arteries while they simply embark on state funded trips to nations where doctors and health workers are well catered for to even think of strikes for checkup and definitive treatment. Workers who ought to know their services are equally as essential as what doctors provide sit perched on their moral high grounds to condemn doctors for demanding better conditions for the collective health sector while they move around without condemnation when they go on their own frequent strikes that shuts down record offices, morgues, theatres, pharmacies, stores, oxygen supply and wards amongst others. These frequent strikes are generally assumed to be doctors’ strike by the average visitor to the hospital. The mischievous members of JOHESU leverage on this misconception to divert the responsibility from themselves towards doctors instead.

Nigerians have to arise and make concrete demands from their government to improve their welfare. They should not just wallow in the mud and take just whatever crumbs the FG throw at them. The funds meant for developing the health sector to international standards are constantly being squandered and those who ought to know better have not chosen to be enlightened enough to ask the relevant questions and have offered themselves with the associations they represent willingly or otherwise as tools in the hands of politicians to perpetually impoverish Nigerians. The story in the book of 1 Kings chapter 3 tells the story of 2 characters; prostitutes who had babies. One woman canvassed for the living baby to be split down the middle while the other only wanted the integrity of the baby. The king in his wisdom judged rightly and awarded the baby to the true mother. The NMA is asking for the status quo to be maintained while JOHESU members want what they deem is their rights and privileges. This is not to say doctors are immune to blame in all that has transpired but the truth is that the things demanded for by the JOHESU if granted would largely plunge the health sector into further crises that may not even involve the NMA. The Nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists would become consultants; directors would emerge and then a number of the “patch patch” members would be left stranded or with crumbs. The pharmacists and physiotherapists know that they cannot embark on any effective strike to get their desired consultancy status and residency programs without the foot soldiers that would lock the doors and grind federal institutions to a halt. These unfortunate ones will realize albeit too late that they were only used and deceived with promises of better welfare packages and wage grade level increases. Some of them may never get to those grade levels by virtue of their limited educational qualifications and poverty of additional training irrespective of the years of service they offer.

The FG approved huge benefits and amnesty for reportedly surrendered militants from the Niger-Delta region. Some of these individuals have been widely reported in the local media to be on training or academic programs overseas. This is not entirely true as many Nigerians from a certain geopolitical region of Nigeria favored by the incumbent have flooded choice institutions across the world for undergraduate degrees in the stead of these militants and to the detriment of the nation’s tertiary educational sector. It is shocking that Nigerians are unmoved by the nonchalance of the FG to ensuring equity and providing even good facilities within the country. It is not surprising that government runs like normal despite the onslaught of misguided insurgents in the northeast and the over 130days of secondary school girls stranded in captivity. It is baffling that some Nigerians find it convenient to tolerate the idea of the President Jonathan's reluctance or refusal to visit his troops in the north east of Nigeria despite having the resources to do so in a flash. Why do some Nigerians who are supposedly educated find it very appropriate to berate doctors who insist on certain minimum standards before the strike is called off or before moving all out against the Ebola scourge? For them and some health workers, it is all about a Hippocratic Oath they seem to know nothing about. Nurses also have their oath but conveniently forget it when it comes to vilifying doctors. Is it only doctors that take oaths before embarking on their assignments? Did President Jonathan recite a poem at his inauguration?

Jide Akeju

23/08/2014

NO SHAKING: GENIUS AT WORK.

I walked past a block of wards in LUTH today and had to halt to observe a heap of rubble on either side of the entrance to the ground floor. I couldn't help but notice that the predominant color of the deris discarded on the lawn was white and it dawned on me quickly that the hospital management was taking advantage of the ongoing strike action and void wards to refurbish the toilet and bathroom facilities. The broken tiles and porcelain were repeatedly discarded by labourers and I could also observe newly installed PVC pipes projecting from the building. I suspect they would be inviting the channels television crew over to rehash their report a few weeks ago but this time with images of glistening tiles and exotic plumbing jobs instead of the near horrific scenes of rusted tubs, pipes and dry taps which resembled scenes from the recovered titanic.

That news report alone indicts the health ministry and indirectly the federal government, exposing their nonchalance and refusal to provide optimal healthcare for Nigerians. Many of our hospitals are local headquarters of mosquito conventions and coupled with the lack of basic amenities, patients and relatives of patients stand a great chance of being overwhelmed with additional health burdens. The National hospital Abuja was directly under the presidency while I was there in 2007/08 (I am not certain if it remains so till date) and enjoyed better funding than other federal institutions. A hospital initially built by the wife of the late dictator Sani Abacha for women and children was transformed to carter for all and sundry including high profile members of the government whenever they are in the capital. The standards there are higher than other government established institutions, proof that they actually do know how to run functional health care facilities. The little problem is  just that they find it difficult to to reenact such across the federation. They look away from the fact that Nigeria is imbalanced population wise and different regions and states require differing needs. The constant attempt to always balance equations and giving  more than preferential treatment to the capital ends up being counterproductive in the long run. The appointment of medical directors end up being a political jamboree and comes down to "who know man" factors. The reason why such public officers dash down to Abuja cap in hand on a regular basis to collect their meagre allocations. The supposedly trained and experienced administrators soon dump every reasoning capability to draft and pursue policies that would help influence and improve the collective health of Nigerians. They instead become puppets and ready tools in the hands of politicians and career civil servants, dancing to their rhythm and never contesting seemingly obnoxious and outrageous directives. Such will even use their own hands to sign sack letters addressed to their own children and relatives without thinking, zombie-style.

Nigerians seem to be transfixed in a perpetual state of stupor and hypnotism at the mercy of their government. They never seem able to read, reason or ask questions especially when it involves their welfare. It amazes  me how readily they consume information given by the government to discredit the doctors' guild, the same government that went toe to toe with the academic staff unions of universities and polytechnics for months. The same government whose officials claim to be unaware of missing funds and subsidies paid for diesel importation; the same government that invited the parents of missing girls to Abuja and gave millions to compromise them? How does any reasonable individual take the words of the government spokespersons without a gallon of Ebola curing salt? Nigerians have not asked the minister of health what his exact plans are to curb the spread of the Ebola virus? I understand the Lagos state government is taking the lead in the state but the report about a press conference by family and friends of affected individuals on the news last night about their concern on the state of facilities and management given to their kin at the Yaba isolation centre got me really worried. Can the health minister categorically give Nigerians a detailed account of measures on how the ministry hopes to end this viral spread? How many quarantine centres are on ground? How will volunteers be secured and protected from being infected themselves and being transmission vehicles? Can he vouch for the authenticity of the said anti Ebola medication sent to the nation for trials? Has he been about from state to state to assess the preparedness of every local ministry? A tiny bottle of hand sanitizer now goes for about 450 or 500 naira, I understand the laws of demand and supply but how did such commodity undergo such fast-paced inflation in dire times like this? Some people are making a fortune from this unfortunate situation but the people have no qualms with them but the doctors who have sworn an oath to put their patients first even if it means committing suicide in the process. The details of the NMA demands are not concealed in secrecy but available everywhere in every form. What would it take someone to pick up a dictionary or surf the web for the meaning of the word consultant or attending? What would it take to ask that doctor in one's neighborhood the exact details of his wages? There is this erroneous belief that doctors are so remunerated beyond belief and are only greedy for more. Some of these people would in fact spend hours arguing with other people on the justification or otherwise of Cristiano Ronaldo's £250,000+ after tax weekly wages when he in fact does not spend hours in a theatre saving a gunshot victim or gently compressing the  failing heart of a neonate who only needs basic gadgets and ventilators to ensure survival. They do not ever consider the risks of the profession as similar to what oil rig workers face on onshore and offshore stations. Information abounds on the web even for mediocre journalists to critically compare and contrast the ongoing impasse in the nation's health sector. Many are only riled on by primitive sentiments, personal experience or sheer gossip to continue to peddle falsehood, half truths or induced information financed by the government machinery to further discredit doctors. This medium is not being used in anyway to absolve medical practitioners of any blame whatsoever, it is meant to focus or redirect all who read to the bigger picture and the more important issues. Israeli doctors called off a 5month old strike in August 2011 after a near 11months period of negotiation. The parties involved eventually locked themselves in a room and reached a compromise that not only involved a 49% pay rise, additional recruitment of 1000 doctors, increase in wages for doctors not situated in more developed locations, increases for doctors practicing  in fields with less specialists but also a 10year truce to ensure that both sides abided by their agreements. The other health workers soon started their agitations thereafter but the fact remains that they found a solution instead of attempts at blackmail or adoption of measures devoid of logic and already proven to lead nowhere. Lagos state did it and now the FG has followed suit. Are resident doctors working for the president that does not even consult them or Nigerians who need their services? Was he there when teaching hospitals were established and when compromises were reached to establish an improved residency training program to halt the brain drain of the 80s? What exactly is his game plan and policy for the Nigerian health sector? Does it involve access to surgeries in Germany where his wife testified to have died 7 times before resurrecting? Does it entail having a chest examination in London, a PET scan in America, a renal transplant in India and a tummy tuck in Brazil? He once said "Nigeria is not poor, we only need to redistribute the wealth". Would that not be a good way to  redistribute our mammoth resources evidenced by the number of private jets that accompany the presidential fleet whenever they embark on their regular world tours and jamborees? Kenyans experienced our show of profuse wealth, their skies are yet to recover fully. Murtala Mohammed (whose name I think should not be on our Lagos international airport) embarked on a nationwide purge of perceived incompetent workers inclusive of soldiers from August to November 1975; he was gone by February of 76. Uncontrolled laying off or highhanded management of large number of people hardly works, it more often than not backfires. If the present declaration stands, it would only serve to catalyze the exodus of the last breed of health care workers that yet have reserve hope in a functional Nigeria. The students closest to the exit doors of their respectively programs have seen this hopeless events and must now be convinced beyond doubt that it will come down to either USMLE or a daunting task of working in Nigeria with a barrel pressed firmly against their temples. I am certain that this event has had a ricochet effect on the psyche of the often reactionary JOHESU members who must by now feel dispensable after observing the FG casually dismiss the strongest and most effective working force in tertiary health institutions. They may in fact be exhibiting undue bravado in public declaring how deserving of the sack the arrogant  and greedy doctors are but we can be rest assured that they will start to thread with caution subsequently during labour disputes.

My teeming colleagues need not worry about this accidental discharge from the stomodeum of our legendary emperor whose face normally changes. His face only changed since there has not been any large scale bombing in recent days and weeks. The mouth piece of the DSS who warned Nigerians to desist from insulting the president (who we must in fact thank for his restraint and tolerance despite possessing unmatched powers), postulated yesterday an inverse relationship between the onset of a bombing and the victory of the APC in any state election. Understanding such science is beyond me but I want to assume that the heavy loss of the PDP to Ogbeni could have equated a bomb blast that caused the president's face to change towards doctors particularly the residents who are just a letter away from equating his powers. He has been known to take rash decisions in the past and then retract. He removed subsidy on petrol and brought the pump price down to 97 naira; we cannot forget the genius early morning decision to rename UNILAG after the very controversial MKO Abiola or the decision to withdraw the super eagles from all  competitions following a dreadful period of performance. Lagos state experienced such backlash in the recent past and must be in the best position to advise the president of the largest economy in Africa. Grab your popcorn and soda, this comedy of errors may just shift into another gear of the hilarious and ridiculous.

I wonder why it took the management of a foremost hospital in Lagos a coverage of the sorry state of the toilets to effect much needed change. It took the expose by channels tv on the pathetic state of the police college for the authorities to move into action after feigning ignorance. We do not quite know the present state of recovery of that school in Lagos. I am glad the patients on the wards will now have a befitting rest room, I am however concerned that the rubble of broken tiles and porcelain will remain in place, unevacuated like virtually every construction and reconstruction site in this geographical expression.

Joa

15/08/2014

WHO CARES?

The NMA strike has just gone over the 1month mark and it appears the government is still trying to hoodwink the executive of the NMA to shelve the strike with a promise of a 2015 solution to all the demands. It may sound very insensitive to say that the already commenced strike was a blessing in disguise that has perhaps limited the spread of the virus. I was made to understand that the deceased Liberian was initially referred to LUTH but was subsequently taken to the private hospital where he passed away.

One can only imagine what would have happened if LUTH was operational at the time. On a normal day, it is extremely difficult to attend to patients and utilize standard precautions due to scarcity or outright lack of such materials. There is also absolutely no protocol that had been drawn up in preparedness for a potential viral threat especially with the foreknowledge of outbreaks in neighboring countries with relatively non-existent borders.

Rumours started flying about two days ago that someone suspected to have symptoms suggestive of the Ebola virus infection was being contained in a location within the premises of a certain tertiary hospital in Lagos, there has been no confirmation or otherwise to that effect. The outgoing medical director held a press conference a few days ago to answer questions on the outcome of blood samples sent to the hospital in the aftermath of the late Sawyer incident. He talked a great deal about the readiness and capability of the institution. The rumours have not gone away but there has been a few seminars on the Ebola virus held in the past few days. With the ongoing strike, the management of the hospital have since scheduled another emergency training in preparedness for the disease for the house officers who have been working since the strike commenced. I thought any training  and enlightenment campaign ought to have been done way before any case was reported on our shores. In the memo circulated, attendance is indicated as compulsory and they have been threatened with sanctions if they fail to turn up. Are these 21/22+ years old pawns going to be thrown into the firing line without protective gear or the assurance of a serum if have an Ebola virus explosion in our land?

I was speaking to a colleague yesterday who told me of a friend's experience the day before when he touched down in Lagos from Sierra Leone. The man said they were a number of government officials at the arrival section distributing questionnaires to passengers that required information of departure and transit locations and also signs that may suggest a viral infection or lack thereof. The officials were said to have simply collected the forms back upon completion of filling and the passengers allowed to proceed out of the airport. Concerned, the man from Sierra Leone approached one of the officials and informed her of where he had arrived from and asked about what would happen to the forms thereafter. The lady was reported to have said that the forms would be reviewed and anyone suspected based on the responses given would be contacted. It was then the friend of my colleague pointed out to the lady that there was nowhere on the form where phone number details were required. Unperturbed, she simply unearthed a piece of paper and asked him to write down his phone number before leaving.

We have a doctor as minister of health who has joined his employers to play politics with the health of Nigerians. The clear state of unpreparedness should clearly require the heads of those responsible as atonement but that clearly is not the case. Moro, the man responsible for the death of job seekers at various stadiums a while ago is also responsible for the workers administering porous questionnaires to passengers at our airports and perhaps what goes on at our various borders shared with our neighbours. The man ultimately responsible has taken time off to join the village headmaster in DC to discuss what "hand-me-downs" Africa can be allocated to scramble on. 7billion dollars is what the shooting guard of the white house wants to yield to Africa to trigger business development. Why should a whole Nigeria be joining issues with our junior brothers on the continent for a measly 7 billion when 20billion gets transformed from our oil revenue on a regular basis? What is 7billion when we have about 1billion as aviation ministry debts and we have a Dangote who can readily drop 1billion for rice production? What is 7billion when our president can just take a quick 1billion loan to blow boko haram up into oblivion  before December and get it paid back before we know it?

Yesterday on the news, the head of the Nigerian information agency and the spokeswoman of the DSS were showcasing the new preventive measure for the Ebola virus. Cheap and easy nylon gloves to hold microphone. That should be easy for our hospitals to acquire and it must have been found very effective as they were the only individuals on their exalted table who wore the gloves. The rest of the people could hold the microphone with their bare hands for all they cared. I absolutely think both propaganda machines should have come instead in space suits or at least muzzles to prevent their contagious oral spatter from reaching the microphone, covering of hands is not quite enough.

Nigerian people should be educated to know exactly where to direct their pressures towards. They should stop quoting any Hippocratic oath so someone can go and commit suicide. The American fellows evacuated to take their secret serum would surely not mind returning to their work in Africa because of what lengths they have seen their government go to save their lives. The American soldier would give his life for his peers because he knows he  would get recognition, a medal with his family a flag and accrued benefits not forgetting gun salutes at his burial. The Israeli 18 year old would pick up arms to defend his nation because he knows his nation would give 1000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for his life if he is captured. GEJ and the political class in Nigeria hardly give a hare's breath about Nigerians and until Nigerians start taking charge and making demands; na like this we go dey dey despite whatever any "man of God" says.

Jide akeju

6/08/2014, 10:33am

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS, BLESSING.

I'm wondering if an event would not have been rescheduled if Usain Bolt had two clashing, I may be wrong. When I heard Blessing had to forfeit the long jump for the 200m, I was disappointed and suspected a ploy by the organizers to disenfranchise her as the long jump field was not expected to be tough. I kind of chilled out when I learnt that another Nigerian won the event instead of Blessing with a leap of just over 6.5metres. All Blessing would have needed was just one jump to exceed 6.5m and clear out that entire field but she was denied sadly. She must be glad her gamble paid off eventually winning the 200m race like a Don.

What happens next after the games? I read on the BBC sports website  a few days ago that commonwealth event organizers gave a stern warning to Nigerian officials about the shoddy and inconsistent manner in which the nation's athletes were clad for their respective events. It appears that there was no framework or spelt out protocol for kitting Nigerian athletes before hitting Glasgow; unauthorized sponsors appeared on kits mostly revealed after tape used to conceal them inadvertently failed. Every participating association seemed to have done what was within their means to obtain gear for their wards, perhaps visiting local sports shops at the national stadium. Apart from the  athletics federation, most of the others do not seem to have things going well for them at all with the  table tennis players turning out in fluorescent green shirts and the lifters in black adidas gear.

I watched a Nigerian lifter in the 100kg plus clean and jerk yesterday evening and felt pity for him as he laboured to hoist his third attempt just before his right knee gave way. I wonder who would bear the cost of his recuperation, I also wonder if he had in fact gone into the games already battered by nagging injuries. It looks to me that the fellow's career may well be over on the international scene, he looked nothing less than 40. We should thank Daniel Igali for whatever he is doing in the wrestling federation, his crew seems to have contributed the most to the nation's modest heist of medals. The man Igali must have been labelled as a traitor when he dumped Nigeria for Canada just after competing and losing out at the commonwealth games held in Canada. The man went on to become an Olympic gold medalist albeit for Canada in his weight division and he has since returned to channel whatever he has gained from his sojourn there to breed new wrestlers that have in fact brought glory to the nation.

What did Igali lack with Nigeria that Canada gave him? I remember watching Francis Obikwelu set a national record in the semi-final of the 200m event of  the Seville world athletics championship. He progressed to the finals and ran a slower time to come third behind the American  Maurice Green who also ran a slower time than what Francis did in the semi. Why did Francis not seem to have the requisite mentality to ride on his momentum and dump the  ever showboating American? Francis was raw talent, always started slowly from the blocks in the 100m and made it a habit of chasing and catching his rivals. It seemed he lacked the necessary support crew and trainers to make him a true world beater so it was not a surprise when later in his career he opted to turn out for Portugal. The man seemed to deal with his demons thereafter and powered to silver at a world championship in the 100m even against a very strong field. Gloria Alozie also dumped Nigeria for Spain. She had risen to become a top class hurdler and regularly turned out to start the relays for the Nigerian women at major events. This woman was tipped to get gold at the Sydney Olympics but was derailed when her fiance, also an athlete got knocked down and killed in the early days of those games. I am not certain if she received sufficient support from the Nigerian Olympic committee and our golden girl found her way to Iberia.

Blessing Okagbare took the long jump bronze medal in Beijing at a time when Nigerians thought we had gone to another Olympics to watch Indian film. She soon started to really perform at the short sprints, gradually improving and coming really close to the prime medal most times occasionally edged out by a few centimeters or over exertion from too many meets. She was the only shining Nigerian light from the last world IAAF championship and got 3million naira from the government for her silver and bronze. I do not know if they invested any dime in her preparations towards this games. She seemed to have had a well controlled build-up to this games not featuring too frequently at all the golden and diamond league meets. Whatever she is doing and whoever is bankrolling her are spot on. My fear is that she'd get maybe 10million from the government and that is it again till Rio when many will expect her to perform magic again. I am mostly glad that she's dealt with whatever psychological deficit she may have had more than even the times she ran. That is what is deficient in most of our athletes. I learnt Dr Uduaghan was jumping allover in Glasgow sounding out that Blessing is from Delta state; last time I checked, it's Nigeria not Delta printed on her kit.

The top echelon of Jamaican sprinters aren't even active in this games but their reservoir cast and wannabes have pulled their weights. Someone pointed out that all Nigeria's gold medalists have been women, whatever happened to the men? Have they all lost their mojo? Do the police not produce the likes of Sunday Bada (God rest his soul) anymore? We once had the Ezenwa twins, Olapade, Effiong, Imo, Fasuba, Aliu and many more brilliant athletes. What happened to the likes of Duncan Dokiwari, Izorinte brothers, Jegbefume, Ajose and the many boxers who have dazzled the world? Thankfully, it seems Segun Toriola is going to leave table tennis in good hands but have we run out of tables in Nigeria?

I was at the relic called the national stadium Lagos  one morning a few weeks back. The number of potential subjects that could be channeled into various sports was there for all to see. All shapes, all  sizes they were many without breakfast but exerting themselves all the same. If only the authorities care, if only they thought clearly on how to harness such great human resources instead of losing them to drugs, kidnapping syndicates, "area boyship" and prostitution amongst other vices. No be everybody suppose play ball. They appoint all sorts of people like water engineers and  ruling party loyalists to head sports. These ones soon get muddled up in imposing and deposing football federation chairmen and heading delegations to FIFA under 17 men tournaments at the expense of shooting, chess, kayaking, wrestling, weightlifting, boxing, judo, taekwando, hockey, volley ball, handball, basketball, swimming, tennis, para-sports and athletics amongst others. They should observe the current south African sports minister on how he conducts his work, at least they have DsTv. A nation of over 160million individuals (speculatively) to be trimming down events to 7 or thereabout is shameful indeed.

I hope Blessing stays on for Nigeria, I hope the likes of globacom see a need to not just reward her but massively invest in sports at every level in the country obtaining incentives from the government in return. Would it be out of place for telecommunications giants to sponsor secondary school interhouse sports competition or university games? That way many ladies wouldn't retire after secondary school or university. A Singapore lifter yesterday is 23years old and a medical student. If he was in Nigeria, his teachers would regard him as foolish and frustrate him to the point of withdrawing from the program. The young man from Botswana who ran past the 800m world record holder yesterday featured at the last varsity games in south Africa despite already being a world class athlete. We have a generation wasting away in Nigeria, one that has been wired to present their bodies and neural elements before politicians and religious rulers to tread upon. Who says we cannot produce more  world class sprinters from Lagos in one year than the small Caribbean islands can ever dream of in decades.

Congratulations to Blessing and all who have done their very best at this games. She's really a beautiful lady and I hope she has been or is found by a deserving man. I hope the glos  of this country give her a mega sponsorship deal instead of gifting such to performers that cannot even sing on key and blame sound engineers for being found out.

I hope the funds generated for victims of terrorism yesterday will trickle to our athletes; they are also victims of a failing nation.

Arise Nigeria and free yourself from mental slavery.

Jide akeju

1st august 2014