ABUJA – The Minister of State for FCT, Ms Olajumoke Akinjide, said there had been no case of wild polio virus when only one was recorded in Jan. 2013 in Abuja.
Akinjide made the remark at the inauguration of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week in Abuja on Monday.
She said the administration had put in place programmes designed to improve the health and welfare of women and children in FCT.
These, she said, included the free ante natal care, free under-5 health care services and distribution of long lasting insecticide nets to households.
She said the week would be used to focus attention on the procurement of life-saving drugs by the FCT Primary Health Care Development Board for distribution.
The minister stressed that efforts would be made to ensure that services provided during and after the week were of high quality.
“The FCTA has built capacities of health workers needed for this exercise. We have also updated the knowledge of community members for identification and prompt referral of common childhood illnesses’’, she said.
Akinjide said the FCTA placed the attainment of the MDGs by 2015 on top priority hence efforts would be made to accomplish the target.
He appealed to participants to take special care to ensure that no eligible woman, new-born or child was left behind.
She commended the FCTA health care delivery partners in the private and public sector for their assistance and called for more assistance from those who were yet to assist.
She said the November round of the maternal, new born and child health week’s Vitamin A coverage rate recorded 87 per cent while 59 per cent was recorded for tuberculosis vaccines.
She added that 57 per cent was recorded for measles while 89 per cent was recorded for birth registration for children under 5 years and 22 per cent for ferrous foliate for pregnant women.
The theme of the week is: A package of Care for a Life Time of Better Health for the Family. (NAN) ———————————————————————————————— Expert tasks youths on entrepreneurial skills (biz)
ABUJA – A former President, Nigerian Economic Society, Prof. Akin Iwayemi, on Monday advised youths to acquire entrepreneurial skills instead of embarking on endless search for white-collar jobs.
Iwayemi gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
“What I am saying is that our youths should think of what they can do for themselves rather than taking their Curriculum Vitae to government offices in search of jobs,’’ he said.
He advised young people to borrow a leaf from developed countries, particularly China, where youths were involved in entrepreneurial activities such as the production of cell phones and software.
According to him, the number of people entering the labour market each year are more than two million and we are growing rapidly as a people.
“We are the largest economy in Africa and our population is ever growing.
“So many people will be entering the labour market but the economy is not creating many jobs to cater for them, therefore, jobs are not adequate,’’ Iwayemi said.
He also said that there was the need for different stakeholders to be involved in solving the problem of unemployment in the country by creating job opportunities.
According to him, the Federal, State and Local Governments have their roles to play in addition to the collaboration between the private and public sectors to solve the problem.
“The development partners and civil society groups all have roles to play.
“It is a multi dimensional task that should involve all the stakeholders and each should do what best he can do.
“There is need for all stakeholders to work together because it is common interest for us to deal with the youth unemployment,’’ Iwayemi said. (NAN) ———————————————————————————————— Court remands 2 “fake pastors’’, pending bail application (metro)
MARARABA – A Senior Magistrates’ Court in Mararaba, Nasarawa State on Monday ordered that two pastors, alleged to be fake, should be remanded in prison custody pending bail application.
The accused, Bisong Otu, 28, and Monday Luka, 30, both of Masaka in Nasarawa State, are charged with criminal conspiracy and obtaining under false pretext.
Senior Magistrate Iliya Aku gave the order after the accused persons pleaded not guilty.
