News

WHO Appoints Saraki’s Wife as Special Adviser

Published

8 years ago

March 19, 2018

Editor

Wife of the President of the Senate, Mrs. Toyin Ojora Saraki, has been named as special adviser to the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO).

The Media Office of the Wife of the President of the Senate in a statement in Abuja, said the appointment was made earlier this month by WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, “in a move intended to bring Mrs. Saraki’s considerable frontline experience to bear on WHO’s strategy and policy.”

Mrs. Saraki has since accepted the appointment based on the Advisory Group’s focus on women and children’s health and in view of her role as a global champion for Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC).

She said: “I welcome the Advisory Group meeting’s focus on the health of women, children and adolescents as flagship indicators for Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) progress.

“As a global champion for UHC, I advocate for a fuller understanding of its benefits, which go beyond health outcomes and include improved gender equality, higher levels of preparedness for epidemic outbreaks and transformative economic effects.

“As Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives, I particularly welcome the introduction of WHO AFRO’s focused curriculum for the professional qualification education of Midwives and Nurses in Africa.

“I am looking forward to hitting the ground running in my new role as special advisor at the Independent Advisory Group meeting this week in Johannesburg.

“The experience I have gained as Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, working closely with our midwives on the frontline, as part of the global Every Woman Every Child Strategy to end all preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths, including stillbirths, by 2030, will inform my advice to the WHO.

“Last year, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, became the first African Director-General of the WHO, while his commitment to Universal Health Coverage represents bold leadership. I look forward to working closely with him, Dr. Moeti and all partners to make affordable and accessible healthcare a reality across Africa,” she stated.

Mrs. Saraki’s first engagement in the new role will take place this week at the 3rd meeting of the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The meeting will focus on repositioning the work of the WHO in Africa in the context of the WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work (GPW13) and the global WHO Transformation Plan.

News

Fubara Appoints New SSG, Chief of Staff

Published

22 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Eric

Governor Siminalayi Fubara has appointed Dr. Dagogo S.A. Wokoma as the new Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG) and Barrister Sunny Ewule as Chief of Staff, after the recent shake-up of the State’s political and administrative structure.

The appointments were announced on Thursday in a Special Government Notice signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onwuka Nzeshi, and made available to journalists. Both appointments take immediate effect.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Onwuka Nzeshi, the governor appointed Dr Dagogo Wokoma as Secretary to the State Government and Mr. Sunny Ewule as Chief of Staff.

The statement said the appointments take immediate effect, adding that the new appointees would be sworn in at 2:00 p.m. at the Executive Council Chamber, Government House, Port Harcourt.

The development comes amid the protracted political crisis in the State, which recently escalated into impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, by the State House of Assembly. The crisis was eventually diffused following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.

Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, had last week announced during plenary that the Assembly formally withdrew the impeachment notice against the governor and his deputy after the President’s intervention.

Political observers suggest that the dissolution of the cabinet may be part of efforts to rebalance the power structure in the following the peace accord. However, it remains unclear whether the new appointees are aligned with the governor or loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The statement read in part: “The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has appointed Dr. Dagogo S.A. Wokoma as the Secretary to the State Government and Barrister Sunny Ewule as the Chief of Staff.

“Both appointments are with immediate effect. The new appointees will be sworn in at 2:00 pm.today, Thursday, February 26, 2026. The swearing-in ceremony will take place at the Executive Council Chamber, Government House, Port Harcourt.”

News

Court Strikes Out Forgery Case Against Ozekhome As FG Withdraws Charges

Published

3 days ago

February 24, 2026

Eric

The Federal Government has formally withdrawn the forgery charge filed against senior lawyer Mike Ozekhome, bringing an abrupt pause to a case that had drawn public attention.

The charge was originally instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).
It followed a judgment delivered by a London court over a property linked to the late former FCT minister, Jeremiah Useni.

In January, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation took over the matter from the ICPC for what it described as effective prosecution.

However, proceedings took a new turn on Tuesday at the FCT High Court.

The Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, informed Peter Kekemeke that the Federal Government was withdrawing the case file for “further instruction”.

He explained that the decision was taken in line with the provisions of Section 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

Counsel to the defence, Paul Erokoro, SAN, told the court that his team had no objection to the withdrawal of the charge.

In a brief ruling, Justice Kekemeke held that since the application was not opposed, it was granted.

He consequently struck out the charge and ordered that the case be dismissed.

The withdrawal effectively halts legal action against Ozekhome over the alleged forgery linked to the disputed property transaction.

News

Vexatious and Meddlesome: ADC Condemns Wike’s Tour of FCT Polling Units

Published

5 days ago

February 21, 2026

Eric

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of interfering in the ongoing Area Council elections in Abuja by visiting polling units during voting hours.

In a statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party described Wike’s movement across polling centres as “direct interference” capable of intimidating voters and election officials.

The party alleged that the minister’s tour of polling units came after what it termed a unilateral curfew imposed on potential voters, arguing that such actions raise questions about neutrality and fairness in the electoral process.

“The African Democratic Congress strongly condemns the movement of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, around various polling units in Abuja under the guise of monitoring,” the statement read.

ADC further argued that Wike is not a registered voter in the Federal Capital Territory and, as a serving cabinet minister with clear partisan affiliations, has no constitutional role in the conduct of the election.

The party also cited reports of voter suppression and intimidation, alleging collaboration between agents of the All Progressives Congress and some security personnel. It urged its agents and supporters to remain calm but vigilant, while documenting and reporting any irregularities.

Beyond the minister’s presence, ADC raised concerns over disruptions to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal, stating that the platform remained inaccessible while collation was ongoing. The party called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately restore full functionality of the portal and provide a public explanation for the disruption.

Describing Wike’s presence at polling centres during active voting as “vexatious and meddlesome,” the party warned that such actions risk undermining public confidence in the credibility of the elections.

Earlier, videos circulated by Wike’s media aide, Olayinka Lere, showed the minister visiting polling units in Karu, Karshi and Garki.

Speaking after the tour, Wike maintained that the elections were peaceful, security personnel had performed effectively and voter turnout was impressive in satellite towns, though relatively low in parts of the city centre.