VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Tag: fg

  • FG Claims Poor Primary Healthcare Increasing Death Rate

    FG Claims Poor Primary Healthcare Increasing Death Rate

    The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Health Matters, Dr. Salma Anas-Ibrahim, has said the poor attention to primary health care in Nigeria adds to the burden of morbidity and mortality, especially due to pregnancy-related conditions.

    She also said the challenges to reducing maternal and child deaths remain the problem of a poorly functional primary healthcare system with issues of low healthcare coverage for life-saving interventions, ill-equipped and weak service delivery systems, and low coverage with community and household-level interventions, among others.

    She said this on Friday at the seventh annual conference of the Association of Nigerian Health Journalists in collaboration with the World Health Organization in Nasarawa State.

    According to her, the PHC is the fulcrum for a resilient health system and should be structured to be able to deliver services that will support the attainment of universal healthcare and guarantee health security.

    She notes that in Nigeria, however, the PHC level of care has received the least attention and continues to add to the burden of morbidity and mortality, especially due to pregnancy-related conditions, making it the weakest link in the health service delivery system.

    The presidential aide noted that Nigeria is a contributor to the global burden of maternal and newborn deaths despite being about three percent of the world population and is responsible for about 30 percent of the world’s gap in achieving the global target of eradicating mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

    She said some of the socio-economic challenges contributing to preventable diseases and deaths also include general poor health-seeking behavior due to poor literacy and socio-cultural factors, long distances to health facilities and lack of transport to referral facilities, poverty, and lack of access to water, sanitation, and hygiene, among others.

  • FG Budgets N138m to Tackle Fake News, Print Calendars

    FG Budgets N138m to Tackle Fake News, Print Calendars

    The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, plans to spend N138 million to combat fake news and print calendars.

    Part of the sum will also be used to facilitate media appearances for ministers and organise engagement with social media influencers among others.

    This is contained in the details of the 2024 Appropriation Bill currently before the National Assembly.

    A former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, initiated an advocacy against fake news under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Muhammed, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in 2021, stated that Nigeria had graduated from ordinary fake news to “deep” fake news, which according to him, was being used to wage war against the government and its officials.

    He had also said that at the beginning, purveyors of deep fake news were largely unknown online publications, adding that it was, however, unfortunate that otherwise reputable publications and some mainstream media had joined the bandwagon while adding that citizens found guilty would be sanctioned.

    In the 2024  budget, N24.5m has been allocated for a “special enlightenment campaign on government’s programmes and policies, testimonial series to gauge the impact of government policies on the citizenry.

    “Advocacy against fake news, hate speech, farmers-herders clashes, banditry, rape, etc.”

    The details also showed that the government would spend  N40m to produce calendars; N30m was voted for external publicity and engagement with foreign media; N20.7m was voted for media interactions by ministers, influencers, and analysts on print and social media.

    The government also said it would spend N21.7m on the development of social media platforms and networking with other platforms.

  • FG Disbands Advertising Panel Over Controversial ‘all Eyes on the Judiciary’ Billboards

    FG Disbands Advertising Panel Over Controversial ‘all Eyes on the Judiciary’ Billboards

    The Federal Government has disbanded the Secretariat of the Advertising Standard Panel due to its endorsement of billboards accused of attempting to manipulate the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal with the slogan: ‘All Eyes on The Judiciary.’

    The Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, conveyed the dissolution of the Panel through a statement issued today.

    The ASP, a Statutory Panel within the Council, is tasked with ensuring that advertisements adhere to the prevailing laws of the Federation and the Code of Ethics for advertising professionals.

    Pointing out the reasons for which the advertisement should not have been approved, the Director-General of ARCON stated in the release that the Advertising Standards Panel of the Council erred in the approval of one of the concepts as the advertisement failed to vet guidelines on the grounds that:

    “The cause forming the central theme of the campaign in the advertisement is a matter pending before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

    He also stated that the matter awaiting judicial pronouncement is, by virtue of the Nigerian legal system, precluded from being a subject of public statement, debate, discussion and advertisement.

    He enthused that the advertisement is controversial and capable of instigating public unrest and breach of public peace.

    He explained that the advertisement is considered blackmail against the Nigerian Judiciary, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, and particularly the Honourable Justices of the Tribunal who are expected to discharge their judicial functions without fear or favour over a matter that is currently sub judice.

    Fadolapo further stated that the Council has temporarily suspended its Director and Deputy Director responsible for Regulations, pending an investigation into the matter.

    While acknowledging that some advertisements did not receive ASP’s approval, Fadolapo acknowledged an error in the approval process for one of the concepts as the advertisement failed to meet vetting guidelines.

    The ARCON DG said the Council would set up a committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the “erroneous approval” of one of the concepts of the advert and the breach of the vetting guidelines.

    “Consequently, the Director and Deputy Director, Regulations have also been suspended to enable an unprejudiced investigation of the issue.

    He therefore announced that the Advertising Standards Panel Secretariat failing to diligently exercise its function as the gatekeeper of advertising, advertisement, and marketing communications is hereby dissolved.

     

     

  • Gas Will Be Major Energy Source Till 2030 – FG

    Gas Will Be Major Energy Source Till 2030 – FG

    The Federal Government has said gas would continue to form a major part of the country’s energy mix until 2030.

    The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC Gbenga Komolafe, stated this at the Society for Petroleum Engineers Nigeria Council 2023 conference held in Lagos recently.

    Komolafe said although FG was still committed to achieving the United Nation’s 2060 zero emission goals, Nigeria would continue to explore its abundant gas resources for the development of its communities.

    He added that the government was hoping to achieve part of the target through the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited’s Train 7, Nigeria-Morocco, and Ajaokuta gas pipeline projects.

    Also, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd,NNPCL Mele Kyari, noted that Nigeria was not transiting away from fossil fuels.

    According to him, the target is to grow the gas reserves from the current 209.5 trillion cubic feet to 600 trillion cubic feet in the nearest future

  • OPERATORS SAY FG HAS SAVED N400BN ON SUBSIDY REMOVAL IN ONE MONTH

    OPERATORS SAY FG HAS SAVED N400BN ON SUBSIDY REMOVAL IN ONE MONTH

    Oil marketers yesterday said the Federal Government has so far saved about four hundred billion naira as a result of the removal of subsidy on petrol, since May 31, 2023, when the initiative was officially implemented.

    Also, the oil dealers stated that there was a high possibility for the cost of petrol to rise in July, going by the recent floating of the naira against the United States dollar by the Federal Government.

    The Central Bank of Nigeria unified the country’s exchange rates into the Investors and Exporters window on June 14, 2023, allowing market forces to determine the exchange rate.

    It was gathered that going by the revelation of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited as regards the amount being spent previously on subsidy every month, Nigeria had now saved hundreds of billions after halting the subsidy regime in May.

    The National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Chinedu Okonkwo, stated that marketers had been told how much the NNPCL was spending on subsidies monthly, referring to the comments of the firm’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, during a meeting with oil sector operators in February.

    Commenting on petrol imports by independent marketers, Okonkwo stated that the oil dealers were holding meetings about this.

    Although Okonkwo admitted that petrol prices would rise in response to forex rates, he argued that the removal of subsidy would not only lead to a continuous increase in PMS cost.

  • FG DEPLOYS MORE MINI-GRIDS IN RURAL AREAS

    FG DEPLOYS MORE MINI-GRIDS IN RURAL AREAS

    The Federal Government had increased the deployment of mini-grids to boost power supply in rural communities and help cushion the effect of the recent removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol.

    This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by the Rural Electrification Agency, adding that the mini-grids would provide 24/7 electricity in the communities where they were deployed.

    The Managing Director of the REA, Ahmed Salihijo, said the facility, just like others, would cut down the volume of PMS purchased by beneficiaries in the community.

    He explained that through the Nigeria Electrification Project-Performance Based Grant initiative, over 80 similar mini-grids had been deployed across the country, ensuring equitable access to electricity.

  • FG PLEDGES MORE DOLLAR SUPPLY TO STABILISE NAIRA

    FG PLEDGES MORE DOLLAR SUPPLY TO STABILISE NAIRA

    The federal government has disclosed that it may inject some foreign exchange into the economy to shore up the value of the naira while market forces stabilize.

    The Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Mr Dele Alake stated this on Wednesday while speaking with reporters in Paris.

    The SA is part of President Bola Tinubu’s team attending the new global financial pact summit in Paris, France to facilitate foreign direct investment into Nigeria.

    His comment is coming on the heels of the recent exchange rate unification which saw the Naira experiencing a significant surge against the US dollar at black market.

    Although the presidential spokesman was not specific about the nature of the dollar injection, he said the President has taken some very bold steps in the area of economy and social engineering in the last few weeks, and particularly with reference to the unification of the multiple exchange rates, which he said has caused very positive multiplier effect.

  • FG, LAWYERS MEET OVER PIA IMPLEMENTATION

    FG, LAWYERS MEET OVER PIA IMPLEMENTATION

    The Federal Government, on Wednesday, engaged the General Counsel and Legal Advisers’ Forum of the Mid and Downstream Operators in the oil sector on the seamless implementation of fuel subsidy removal and other aspects of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.

    Officials of the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA met with the legal counsels of the oil and gas industry in Abuja, where participants discussed measures required for the smooth implementation of the PIA in a deregulated market, among others.

    The Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, stated that the essence of this engagement is to deliberate on the current legal framework for the Nigerian oil and gas industry as intended by the PIA 2021, presenting clarity and insights to the sections of the law with diverse interpretations.

    He said regulatory clarity was also beneficial to the regulators as it would allow both entities to focus on their mandates as intended by law for the benefit of the industry and Nigerians.

    Ahmed further explained that the PIA was designed to restructure the industry by creating a demarcation between the upstream, midstream and downstream value chains for growth and efficiency.

    Earlier, the agency’s Secretary and Legal Adviser, Joseph Tolurunse, announced that the NMDPRA would gazette four more regulations for the midstream and downstream sector and the same would be published on its website.