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FG ll’  Overcome  Trump’s Health Policies Against Nigeria- Prof Ali Pate

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Minister of Health, Professor Pate(middle) Gov.Douye Diri (left)
By David Owei, Bayelsa
The Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammadu Ali Pate, has expressed the assurance that Nigeria will overcome US President  Donald Trump’s new sweeping health policy changes stopping funding of health care interventions in developing countries.
Prof Pate stated this in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital on Tuesday while commissioning the Bayelsa State Haemodialysis Centre and inauguration of the General outpatient Centre at 350 bed hospital at the Bayelsa Medical University, as parts of weeklong activities to mark Governor Douye Diri five years in office.
The Coordinating Health Minister said it is imperative for all the tiers of government to working collaboratively to harness the country’s resources to provide for the health needs of the population.
Commending Governor Douye Diri for his vision in establishing the Hemodialysis Centre in the state, Prof Pate said the governor has shown commitment in health care delivery and is investing in the health needs of his people.
Pate said: “Diabetes, hypertension and kidney failure and other non communicable diseases is a major issue in our population and you are addressing it frontally by making active this Hemodialysis Centre, it’s really a strong statement of your commitment to address something that really touches the lives of millions of thousands of our population so that people don’t die because they have kidney failure and you are doing it in a place that also train health workers to take care of them.
“As you are all aware President Tinubu signed a compact with all the 36 states governments and FCT that we should join hands and transform Nigeria’s health sector to serve the Nigeria people.
“What you are doing today is exactly what we should be doing in each of our states that state governments invest their resources and federal government complement those investments to address the needs of the people, so what you have done is a great example that we should showcase of not sitting back but really frontally doing what you can to advance the health and wellbeing of your population.
“Federal government is revitalizing many of the primary health care centres in this country more than two thousand of them are in different stages and the state is also revitalizing some and we are doing our own modest contribution and we will continue to do that.
“The President asked us to develop a Medical Relief Programme so that we can provide support to the people to reduce cost of access to health care .
“There are some challenges that have emerged in the last three weeks on health which is the US government policy changes but as a country there is nothing we cannot overcome, the federal government and states government will work together to mitigate some of those challenges because even those who have HIV and kidney disease can come here and get treated without having to depend on someone from very far away land to come and support them.
“We are working to ensure that all the tiers of governments become responsible for the care of our population with the resources that we have, we can harness it and we can do it.”
Earlier in his speech  the Governor Diri said he was motivated to establish the medical facility when he became governor following the death of his mother from renal failure complications in 2013.
The governor who paid glowing tributes to the first civilian Governor of Bayelsa State Late Chief DSP Alamieseigha for initiating the 500 bed hospital two decades ago and his predecessor Senator Seriake Dickson for converting part of the facility to a medical institution,  also ordered the Commissioner of Health Professor Seiyefa Brisibe and the Vice Chancellor of the Bayelsa Medical University, BMU, Prof Dimie Ogoina to ensure that the 350 bed hospital becomes fully functional in six months time.
Diri said: “When I came in , I said if there is a jinx in this 500 bed hospital it must be broken, today we are breaking that jinx, we have invested so much and today this hospital is ready for outpatients.
“I pick so much interest particularly about the haemodialysis centre, my mother died in 2013 of renal failure and so if we had a facility like this maybe my mother wouldn’t have died.
“And so when I became governor, the thoughts that came to me was why not you have your own private area for this, you can do it as a foundation and certainly people will come and raised the money and you build it, and the other thought was , no you are a public servant, so it is not about you as an individual, do it in a place where all Bayelsans will have access and on a lower cost.
“I feel very fulfilled today that our people will no longer die of renal failure and that Bayelsa can now offer these services to Bayelsans and to Nigerians.We will continue to do more because health is wealth.”
Governor Diri also expressed appreciation to the Minister of Health, Professor Pate for approving Bayelsa State as one of the first states in the federation to have the malaria vaccines, describing the state as a tropical area and most mosquitos infested.
The Minister also inaugurated the Zipline Drone Flight Services for the distribution of medical supplies and consumables, and also commissioned the 800m concrete access road to the Zipline Facility.

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WAEC, NECO to adopt CBT for exams 2026

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Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa
By Our Correspondent
 In a bid to ensure that Nigerian students compete favourably with their counterparts in West African subregion, the Federal Government has directed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to adopt full Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for all their examinations by 2026.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this during the monitoring of the ongoing exams alongside JAMB officials, in Bwari on Monday.
Recall  that more than 2 million candidates registered for the ongoing examination in more than 800 centres across the country.
Alausa revealed that both the WAEC and NECO would start administering their objective papers via CBT effective this November.
According to him, subsequently adopting the CBT for the essay and objective components would commenced fully by May/June 2026.
”If JAMB can successfully conduct CBT exams for more than 2.2 million candidates, WAEC and NECO can do the same.
“We are going to get WAEC and NECO to also start their objective exam on CBT.
“By 2026 exams which will come up in May/June, both the objectives and the essay will be fully on CBT. That is how we can eliminate exam malpractices.”
Alausa also disclosed that a committee is currently reviewing examination standards nationwide, with recommendations expected next month.
Earlier, the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, while speaking on the early schedule of the exams, clarified that the board’s UTME exams had always begun at 8:00 a.m.
Oloyede said that candidates were only expected to be on ground by 6:30 a.m., to enable them get accredited before the exams.
He dismissed complaints about early arrival times, noting that it was necessary to screen candidates before exams begin.
“We have always started our exams at 8 o’clock. The first session is 8 o’clock, second session 10:30, third session, 1 p.m, and fourth session 3:30p.m.
Oloyede also debunked claims of candidates being posted to centres they did not choose, stating that investigations showed no such cases happened.
He confirmed that more than 1.6 million out of 2.03 million registered candidates had completed their exams, with about 50,000 remaining.
The registrar also disclosed that more than 40 candidates had been arrested for malpractice, including impersonation and attempting to smuggle out exam questions with hidden cameras.
He declared that of the registered candidates, more than 41,000 were underage.
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Construction Company debunks roof leakage in NASS . .says report driven by ‘bad belle’

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NASS complex

 

By George Mgbeleke
The Managing Director of Laralek Ultimate Construction Company , Olalekan Adebiyi has debunked media reports on purported roof leakage at the white house segment of the National Assembly on Friday during storming downpour .

An online platform had in the early hours of Saturday , reported that the violently storming rain that fell on Friday , made mince meat of renovation work carried out by one of the subsidiaries of Laralek (Visible Construction Company ) on roofs and other areas of the National Assembly complex from 2022 to 2024.

The online medium in the report alleged that some staff of the National Assembly lamented that if the N38billion renovation work was given to Julius Berger , there wouldn’t have been problem of roof leakage again during rain fall , positing that the Federal Capital Development Authority( FCDA) that awarded the contract to Visible Construction Company , compromised .

But hours after the publication , the Managing Director of Laralek Ultimate Construction Company , Olalekan Adebiyi in a telephone conversation with journalists covering the National Assembly said the report was fake as investigation carried out by them through their subsidiary company used to execute the contract ( Visible Construction),, revealed that there was no leakage from the roof at the White House segment of the National Assembly

According to him, Amothene , imported from United States of America ( USA) and applied to the points of leakages on the roof , is water tight and can never leak .

” The report to us , is unfounded and simply put , bad belle because if it was Julius Berger that carried out the renovation work , no such fake report , will be written against it .

” I wonder why some Nigerians always like to be enemies of their fellow country men for no good reason whatsoever .

“We checked and found out that it was an ingress of water that came through the Smaller windows at the upper part of the Chamber Building that flooded the floor and not roof leakage .

” The said story or report , has no single picture of points of leakages from the roof which to us , is very unprofessional and unethical .

“The report is fake as there was no leakage from any point on the roof. We did a good job and stand by it and shall surely be vindicated as more and more rains will still fall in the coming weeks and months “, he said .

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Imbibe the culture of humility, love, sacrifice Says, Apostle Godfrey Omodubor – as BMNA honours him

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Apostle Godfrey Omodubor being honored by BMMA

 

By David Owei, Baylesa

Pastors have been advised to imbibed the culture of humility, love and sacrifice towards their members and the society in general.

This was handed down on Sunday by Apostle Godfrey Omodubor at the Faith Gospel Revival Deliverance Ministries Worldwide in Eteqwe, Yenagoa the bayelsa state capital during an award ceremony in his honour.

The award which was bestowed on him by the organizers of the most prestigious award, the Bayelsa Media Network Award (B.M.N.A) as the “Prophet of the Year 2025″ due to his outstanding love and care for the people.

Prophet Godfrey Omodubor said, he was honoured by the award and it is a call to do more for the society.

” I was not expecting it neither did I solicited for it, but as it please God to honour me this way, I must say am very happy and God will empower me to do more”.

” If God called you, he will back you up and give you all that you needed to succeed. It only required patience, endurance and hard work. God is not a magician neither is God a debtor, he paid everyone at the right time and in due season”.

He thanked the organizers for deeming it fit to recognize his little contributions to the society.

Presenting the award, the Project Manager, Bayelsa Media Network Award Mr. Blessing Ozegbe said, the award was as a result of Apostle Godfrey Omodubor contributions to the development of society in general.

The Project Manager described the man of God as a faithful and hardworking man, saying despite being a spiritual Father he still reachout to people within and outside his domain.

“We have been observing him from far and from investigation and testimonies of people around, his is truly a man of God full of humility and respect for both young and old alike. His character is worth emulating and I pray that other men of God will learn from him.

“This is an award that is not commonly given and because we couldn’t find a worthy person last year, this category was suspended and by the grace of God this year, we discovered this man of humility, full of love and sacrifice to be given the award “.

He encourage the man of God not relent in doing good to people and to see his calling as a genuine call from God.

The award ceremony was witnessed by his large congregation and visitors which also happened to be his birthday.

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