Malnutrition accounts for 45% under-5 mortality, says CS-SUNN

The Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) has identified malnutrition as accounting for 45 per cent under-five mortality in Nigeria, making the country second highest contributor to the burden in the world.

Mrs Beatrice Eluaka, CS-SUNN Project Director, said this at the organisation’s capacity building for the media under the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health project (PACFaH) on Monday in Kaduna.

PACFaH is a social accountability project implemented through the strategy building of indigenous CSOs champions and activists to catalysed government at national and state levels to fulfil commitment on child and family health.

Eluaka identified factors that contributed to the prevalence of malnutrition in the country as inadequate funding and monitoring of appropriated funds, poor infants and young child feeding practices, high diseases burden, limited access to nutritious food, vitamins and mineral deficiencies.

The director noted that over the years both the federal and state governments have not prioritised funding for health and nutrition.

The capacity building, according to her, was aimed at empowering media to bring to the fore adequate nutrition practices, malnutrition causes, good infants and young child feeding practices and other issues relating to nutrition as well as promote effective reportage.

The training was aimed at among others to bring to the limelight funding gaps and placing nutrition in the front burners of agenda of policy makers to improve interventions and funding for nutrition.

The training was in line with PACFaH goal to increase capacity of media professionals to create awareness and report on government’s fulfilment of its commitments in child and family health, Eluaka said.

 

Chelsea now 3 points away from title, as Middlesbrough are relegated

Chelsea confirmed Middlesbrough’s relegation with a consummate performance and an emphatic 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Monday.

It was a performance which also put them within one win of the English Premier League title.

Antonio Conte’s side can become champions with victory against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Friday night.

But, on the other hand, Middlesbrough must contemplate a future back in the Championship after they were swept aside in a contest they were not favourites to win anyway.

The hosts had already created a succession of chances before Diego Costa turned in Cesc Fabregas’ pass after 23 minutes.

And the contest was effectively over when Marcos Alonso scored at the far post via the legs of Middlesbrough goalkeeper Brad Guzan 11 minutes before the break.

Fabregas created Chelsea’s third which Nemanja Matic converted as the hosts laid siege to Boro’s goal, with the final whistle bringing contrasting emotions.

In this mood it is hard to see the league title coming from anywhere other than at West Brom on Friday night.

Baggies manager Tony Pulis was part of the Stamford Bridge crowd and will have gone away with plenty of food for thought after a Chelsea display which oozed class and intent.(NAN)

Emir of Katsina urges Northern Governors to reintroduce Teacher Training Colleges

The Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir, has urged the 19 Northern Governors to reintroduce teacher training colleges, to bridge current manpower gap in the region.

The emir made the appeal on today in Katsina at the launch of a calendar produced by Gamji Club in honour of his father, late Emir of Katsina, Dr Kabir Usman.

He said that the reintroduction of the teacher training colleges would also assist the North to produce competent and qualified teachers.

At present, the Northern region is lagging behind due to lack of competent and qualified teachers.

Several of the NCE teachers that were produced from the Colleges of Education have not grasp of the teaching methodology.

Several of the NCE teachers produced by these institutions only have paper qualification but cannot impart knowledge on the pupils,” he noted.

According to him, the region still has the chance to bridge the gap by reopening the colleges to provide strategic learning required to impart knowledge in schools.

Kabir urged the governors to work with the National Teachers Institute to reopen the colleges for the purpose of producing qualified teachers in the region.

The monarch also advised the governors give priority to technical education, in order to produce artisans and technicians.

“I am calling on the governors to re-equip all their technical colleges, so that students produced from those schools will acquire skills to live on their own without looking for white collar jobs,” he added.

Earlier, the National President of Gamji club, Alhaji Abdullahi Ahmed said the calendar, produced by its Katsina branch, was to remember the legacies of the late emir, especially in encouraging school enrollment and honesty in one’s dealings.

The Naijaroyaltyculture.blogspot.com reports that more than N2 million was realised at the event.

Release of Chibok school girls a pleasant 2nd anniversary gift to Nigerians – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has described the rescue  of 82 Chibok schoolgirls as a pleasant 2nd anniversary gift to Nigerians.

The President made this known in Abuja on Sunday at a reception organised in honour of the rescued girls who were brought to Abuja after their release on Saturday.

President Buhari expressed delight over the release of the girls and reassured Nigerians, especially relatives and friends of the determination of his administration to secure freedom for the remaining girls and other Nigerians still under the insurgents captivity.

The Federal Government will like to commend the Security Agencies, the Red Cross, local authorities, local and foreign NGOs and all those who contributed in one way or another to secure the release of our Chibok Girls.

The latest development brings the total of number of girls so far rescued by the Federal Government to 105.

In Oct. 2016, 21 of the girls were freed by Boko Haram after negotiations between the group and the Nigerian government brokered by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Swiss government

Traditional rulers urged to adop measures to reduce divorce

Mr John Aransiola, an education counselor, has urged traditional rulers to adopt measures to reduce the rate of divorces in the rural areas.

Aransiola, Head, Counseling Unit of Irepodun Local Government Education Authority, Omu-Aran, Kwara State on Sunday said that the menace of marriage break-ups was posing serious challenges to the judiciary.

An integral part of the responsibility of the traditional rulers, being the custodians of culture and tradition, is to ensure a cordial and unified atmosphere among the residents.

This has been the major preoccupation of our community leaders, even before the country’s independence.

There are laid down measures and traditions employed to deal with domestic conflicts; we want these community leaders to apply these measures to tackle disagreements that lead to divorces, he said.

The counselor advised traditional councils to constitute special committees or task forces to look into the major causes of divorces and work out ways to tackle them.

Aransiola blamed marriage breakups for increasing crime rate and other vices in the communities, saying that the  consequences were usually catastrophic.

He identified common causes of divorce to include the worsening economic situation, unemployment, poverty and hunger, leading to uncaring attitude among couples.

Many children from broken homes involve themselves in various crimes, especially house breaking, rape, kidnapping and cultism,” he said, adding that lower courts were already overwhelmed with such cases.

This has become an added challenge and workload for already over stretched judges, he said.

Osinbajo, Bukola, Dogara pay farewell visit to President Buhari

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Senate President Bukola Saraki on Sunday night paid a farewell visit to President Muhammadu Buhari, who is scheduled to leave for London on medical trip.

The President, who confirmed this development on his twitter handle on Sunday in Abuja, said he also received the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, in the Presidential Villa on similar mission.

President Buhari posted: “I received Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara at home this evening ahead of my trip tonight.’’

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Buhari had earlier hosted the 82 rescued Chibok schoolgirls to a light reception shortly before the arrival of Osinbajo, Bukola and Dogara.

The President had planned to leave Sunday afternoon for the London trip, but decided to tarry a bit due to the arrival of 82 Chibok girls who arrived Abuja earlier in the day.

The President, at the reception, described the rescue of 82 Chibok schoolgirls as a pleasant 2nd anniversary gift to Nigerians.

Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, announced in  Abuja on Sunday that Buhari was travelling to London to see  his doctors for a follow up.

President Buhari had travelled to London in January for a similar check up. He returned on  March 10. (NAN)

Obaseki receives list of nominees for appointment

The committee constituted to screen persons for political appointments in Edo on Friday presented nominations for Special Advisers (SA) and Senior Special Assistants (SSA) to Gov. Mr Godwin Obaseki.

Presenting the report at Government House, Benin, Chairman of the Committee, Professor Dennis Agbonlahor, described the process as innovative and democratically-driven.

He recalled that the committee had three weeks ago submitted report on the recommendations for the appointment of commissioners to the governor.

Agbonlahor said, “we received 11 applications for the position of Special Advisers; we recommended six nominees, two each from the three senatorial districts in the state.

“Out of the six persons, two are females, representing 33 per cent of the nominees.

“We used the same criteria to screen the SSAs. We received 150 applications and after interview, with the leaders of the various local government areas and the applicants, when necessary, we nominated 54 persons.

“Three persons from each of the 18 LGAs in the state, including seven females, were selected, which is about 13 per cent of the nominees,” he said.

Receiving the report, the governor commended the committee for aligning with the principle and criteria set up for the screening.

He said that the process was necessary to allow people at the grassroots participate in the selection of political leaders.

According to Obaseki, we must involve people at the grassroots to participate in the process of nominating people they believe will represent their interest to work in government.

He explained that the committee was set up to listen and review the complaints of those who felt they were left out of the political process.

He assured that before the end of May all the political nominees would be appointed into offices. (NAN)