Headline

Govt Needs Support Of Private Hospitals To Battle COVID-19-Dr Barth Ufoegbunam

Published

6 years ago

April 24, 2020

Editor

A call has gone to the government to seek the cooperation and involvement of private hospitals as the nation battles to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

The call was made by Dr Barth Ufoegbunam, Medical Director, Gracevalley Medical Centre, Isolo, Lagos in a statement made available to The Boss.

According to him, 12 out of the 14 deaths in Lagos State occured in private hospitals which means that the government facilities cannot do the job alone.

He contends that with the community spread of the virus now a major threat, government need to issue guidelines and encourage private hospital to upgrade in order to threat COVID-19.

His statement in full reads:

*MANAGEMENT OF COVID-19 PATIENTS, CAN THE GOVERNMENT DO IT ALL ALONE WITHOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE PRIVATE HOSPITALS WITH INTERESTS*?

Lagos state government recently said, out of 14 deaths recorded in Lagos at a time, 12 occured in the private hospitals.
The media was awash recently with the news that about 40 health workers have tested positive to CORONAVIRUS in Nigeria.

Impliedly, most of them are very likely to have been infected in the private hospital settings and the reasons are quite obvious.

A good number of the suspected COVID-19 patients are likely to visit the private hospitals first and yet these set of hospitals are the least assisted, least equipped and ill prepared in terms of having the necessary PPE and other safety gadgets needed to tackle a disease of this nature with very high transmissibility capabilities.

Yet the private hospitals have been warned by the honorable minister of health not to treat COVID-19 patients without accreditation.

Here is the unanswered million dollar question:

Since COVID-19 is not written on any patient’s face, how can a doctor in a private hospital setting even with a high index of suspicion identify a COVID-19 patient with respect to just the presenting complaints and examination findings alone without the benefit of a COVID-19 test at the time of presentation in the hospital?

Keep in mind that a number of medical conditions could present with COVID-19 like symptoms too.

The sad truth is that many patients may suffer some clearly avoidable deaths on account of possible rejection and reluctance to offer treatment to critically ill patients on account of the foregoing.

It is hard to see with the exponential rise in the number of cases occasioned by the active community transmissions, how private hospitals that are still open for business any way will be able to avoid treating patients that may turn out to test positive to COVID-19 afterwards.

*The Way Forward;

The government will need to have a rethink on some of these issues.

On a practical note, most of the private hospitals in the cities with high number of COVID-19 cases should be given the requisite technical assistance, equipped with PPE and other necessary safety gadgets.
This will be done with a view to strengthening their capacities, so as to keep them well positioned to effectively handle CORONAVIRUS patients without endangering their own lives.
Their duties may be specified, i e how to identify, isolate, make provisions for COVID-19 testing and refer to designated government centers for further evaluation and experts management.

The government agencies should start to gradually co-opt the private hospitals with such interests into the whole picture of COVID-19 management.
There may come a time when the designated government centers will be unable to cope with the increasing patients traffic, I’m afraid we are getting there already.
In a pandemic the situation could change so fast.

As of March 23nd 2020 Nigeria had just 40 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infected persons, a month after that cases have gone up to 981

In the yesterday’s WHO and partners media briefing..Someone asked a question and said that South Africa has tested over 100,000 people till date.Ghana has equally tested about 70,000 people.

How come Nigeria hasn’t tested up to 10,000 people considering her large population?

There is no doubt that our policy makers have worked tirelessly round the clock to make the moderate achievements we currently have in Nigeria possible.

Truth be told this is hardly enough, some of us believe it’s high time we went for a paradigm shift not just in the currently adopted testing system but in all other areas given the narrowing of the window of opportunity that we still have at the moment to flatten the curve before things get out of hand

There is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria is currently under testing which without a doubt may equally translate to under reporting of the true number of cases in the country.

The rising number of cases is an indication that there may be a need for a clinical audit by all relevant stakeholders, of where we started, where we are now and where we want to be and what needs to change in our battle against COVID-19 contagion

I thank you all.

Dr. Barth Ufoegbunam
Anchor. Health Matta TV health talk show

Headline

Why Nigerians Must Reject INEC’s Revised Timetable – ADC

Published

5 days ago

February 28, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during the week, released a fresh elections timetable, with major amendments to accommodate the just passed and signed Electoral Act 2026 by the National Assembly and President Bola Tinubu respectively.

Following the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026, which introduced adjustments to statutory timelines governing pre-election and electoral activities, the Commission has reviewed and realigned the Schedule to ensure full compliance with the new legal framework.

Accordingly, the Commission has resolved as follows:

Presidential and National Assembly Elections will now hold on Saturday, 16th January 2027 as against the earlier stated February 20, 2027
Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will now hold on Saturday, 6th February 2027 as against the former date of March 6, 2027

Also in accordance with the approved Schedule of Activities, the electoral bidy noted in the revised timetable that:

Conduct of Party Primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from primaries, will commence on 23rd April 2026 and end on 30th May 2026.

Presidential and National Assembly campaigns will commence on 19th August 2026.

Governorship and State Houses of Assembly campaigns will commence on 9th September 2026.

As provided by law, campaigns shall end 24 hours before Election Day. Political parties are strongly advised to adhere strictly to these timelines. The Commission will enforce compliance with the law.

But in a swift reaction, the opposition coalition, African Democratic Congress (ADC), rejected the revised 2026–2027 general election timetable, describing it as a politically biased schedule designed to favour the re-election agenda of President Bola Tinubu, and calling on all Nigerians to speak up enmasse to reject the revised timetable.

The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Friday argued that the new deadlines and compliance requirements under the Electoral Act 2026 create near-impossible hurdles for opposition parties seeking to field candidates.

On February 13, INEC initially scheduled the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were fixed for March 6, 2027.

The timetable, however, faced objections from some Muslim stakeholders who noted that the dates coincided with the 2027 Ramadan period.

Following the concerns, the National Assembly amended Clause 28 of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, reducing the required election notice period from 360 to 300 days, allowing INEC to adjust the election dates.

Subsequently, INEC released a revised schedule on Thursday, signed by its Chairman, Joash Amupitan, moving the Presidential and National Assembly elections to January 16, 2027, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections to February 6, 2027.

Reacting, the ADC said the requirement that political parties submit a comprehensive digital membership register by April 2, 2026, effectively bars opposition parties from participating.

The party stated: “The African Democratic Congress rejects the updated 2026–2027 electoral timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission. What has been presented as a routine administrative schedule of the upcoming general elections is, in fact, a political instrument carefully structured to narrow democratic space and strengthen the incumbent administration ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“According to the timetable, party primaries are to be conducted between April 23 and May 30, 2026, just 55 to 92 days from today. However, more significant is that, pursuant to Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026, political parties are required to submit their digital membership registers to INEC not later than April 2, 2026.

“That is only about 34 days away. Section 77(7) further provides that any party that fails to submit its membership register within the stipulated time shall not be eligible to field a candidate. These are not routine administrative rules but are deliberately constructed barriers designed to exclude the opposition from participating in the election.”

The party further noted that Section 77(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 requires the digital register of members to contain name, sex, date of birth, address, state, local government, ward, polling unit, National Identification Number (NIN) and photograph in both hard and soft copies, while Section 77(6) prohibits the use of any pre-existing register that does not contain the specified information. It warned that failure to meet these requirements would lead to disqualification.

The ADC questioned the fairness of the digital membership requirement, noting that the ruling All Progressives Congress began its registration process in February 2025, long before the requirement became mandatory.

“It is not a product of foresight but insider advantage. They knew what was coming. They therefore had one full year to carry out an exercise that other political parties are expected to complete in one month, during which they must collect, process, collate and transmit large volumes of digital data to INEC under the threat of exclusion. This is practically impossible.

“Democratic competition is based on a level playing field that does not give any contestant an undue advantage. A system where one party exploits incumbency to gain a one-year head start on a requirement that other parties only became aware of when it was nearly too late is a rigged system.”

The ADC said it has joined other opposition parties in rejecting the Electoral Act 2026, adding that the INEC timetable is equally rejected as it appears designed to serve what it described as a self-succession agenda.

“Let it be clear that ADC will not take any action that appears to confer legitimacy on a fraudulent system. We are reviewing our options and will make our position known in the coming days,” the party said.

The party also called on civil society organisations, democratic stakeholders and Nigerians to scrutinise the timetable and demand fairness, stressing that democracy cannot survive when electoral rules are structured to produce predetermined outcomes.

The party has consistently accused the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) of scheming to silence the opposition as the 2027 General Elections draw closer, citing his manipulation of state governors and Assembly members from jumping ship, and settling with the ruling party.

Presently, the president’s party has a total of 31 out of 36 states governors, more than majority of the national and states Houses of Assembly.

A frontline publisher and chieftain of the ADC, Chief Dele Momodu, has warned that Tinubu is gradually transforming into full-blown dictatorship, stressing that his second term in office would turn state governors into ‘total slaves’.

Headline

Second Term for Tinubu Will Turn Governors into Total Slaves, Dele Momodu Warns

Published

6 days ago

February 28, 2026

Eric

Chairman, Ovation Media Group, and former presidential aspirant, Aare Dele Momodu, has expressed strong concern over what he described as growing political support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu among state governors across the country.

Speaking during an interview on News Central TV, Momodu said he was shocked by the level of backing the president is reportedly receiving, warning that Nigeria’s democracy could face serious risks if the current political trend continues.

The media entrepreneur cautioned that allowing Tinubu to secure a second term in 2027 could, in his view, lead to excessive concentration of power. He particularly criticized what he described as a growing wave of opposition figures aligning with the ruling All Progressives Congress> (APC).

Momodu referenced reports of opposition governors, including Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, allegedly moving closer to the ruling party, describing the development as politically troubling.

According to him, some governors are allegedly competing to demonstrate loyalty to the president ahead of future elections.

“The governors are fighting to ensure Tinubu wins a second term, fighting to be the biggest thug for him. If a man in his first term can capture the bodies and souls of Nigerians this way, imagine what he would do with a second term. It will be a full-blown dictatorship, and the governors will regret it as they become total slaves to him,” Momodu said.

He concluded by urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and actively protect democratic institutions, warning that unchecked consolidation of political power could threaten the nation’s democracy and future stability.

Gistmania

Headline

Court Validates PDP 2025 Convention in Ibadan, Affirms Turaki-led NWC

Published

7 days ago

February 27, 2026

Eric

The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has affirmed the validity of the 2025 Elective Convention of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), which produced Dr. Kabiru Turaki as the substantive National Chairman of the party.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Ladiran Akintola upheld the convention in its entirety, ruling that it was conducted in full compliance with the relevant constitutional and statutory provisions governing party elections in Nigeria.

The decision marked a significant legal victory for the party’s leadership and brought clarity to the dispute surrounding the convention’s legitimacy.

The ruling followed an amended originating summons filed by Misibau Adetunmbi (SAN) on behalf of the claimant, Folahan Malomo Adelabi, in Suit No. I/1336/2025.

In a comprehensive judgment, the court granted all 13 reliefs sought by the claimant, effectively endorsing the processes and outcomes of the Ibadan convention.

Justice Akintola held that the convention, organised by the recognised leadership of the party, satisfied all laid-down legal requirements as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), and the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The court found no breach of due process or statutory non-compliance in the conduct of the exercise.

In the same proceedings, the court dismissed the Motion on Notice seeking a stay of proceedings and suspension of the ruling, filed by Sunday Ibrahim (SAN) on behalf of Austin Nwachukwu and two others. The applications were described as lacking merit.

Earlier in the proceedings, the court had also rejected a bid by Ibrahim to have his clients joined in the suit.

Justice Akintola ruled at the time that the joinder application was unsubstantiated and consequently dismissed it.