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After the damage of Boko Haram: Battling with the battered health sector in Borno state using the partnership model for emergencies

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After the damage of Boko Haram: Battling with the battered health sector in Borno state using the partnership model for emergencies
By: Bodunrin Kayode
Reporting the health sector within the web of humanitarian crisis in Northern Nigeria is my hobby. Health is one of the beats I have chosen to ensure that I contribute to further the cause of humanity before I say good bye to this world and to enhance excellence my calling journalism. Reporting health up here means one must have enough empathy for the people who are at the mercy of the terrorized health sector in Borno state and North Eastern Nigeria. This sector is so important to humanity that each time the insurgents want to plunder primary health centres, they cart away the drugs and skilled workers before bringing down the structure by fire. That is an indicator that even the wrong doers in the bush know the value of health in our shared humanity.
Prying into the Borno Health Partners Forum
I do not attend the Borno health partnership forum to report on everything that is happening but to contribute my quota to the best of my ability to belp rebuild the sector which has been battered by lingering years of insurgency. By this I mean about 14 years of insurgency where almost every infrastructure was destroyed by the insurgent Boko Haram in their trail.
And that I have been doing to the best of my ability especially the guidance of the meeting as a catalyst in the “risk communications pillar.” The subsector where massive enlightenment is given to the people whenever emergencies like sickening cholera out breaks chokes the medical practitioners or the recent diphtheria which has killed over 67 people in its trail. Sadly the ” risk communication” is one of the most badly managed pillar because the bank rolling world partners refuse to allow the Borno State Government to lead as it should. Deciding which path to walk at any given time and even choosing where to go with the permission of the health Commissioner who is equally guided by the Governor of the state Professor Babagana Zulum. Representatives of the two world health bodies have rather decided to turn themselves into a cabal or a caucus who meet separately and impose their decisions on the rest of the partners regardless of the interest of the Commissioner who is represented by the incident manager (IM) at any given time. That itself has created a shaky foundation for that pillar and the mounting of lingering lacuna which strips them bare whenever their own managers are in need of action or solutions in certain ways.
Out of interest, I have seen many non medicals like myself in the house and they all do their best to help out in one way or the other to make things work out. The only pillar which has not existed in the last seven years is that of “security” which will go a long way to act as a liaison between the military, police and the health sector. But I have a belief that with the evolution of the sector over the coming years, we would soon have a sitting security personnel who would be an instant reference point whenever challenges of that nature falls on the table of the IM.
One also realizes that it’s time to begin to analyze on a yearly basis some of the developments in the sector so that the world gets to know those that are behind the heavy toil for the sector to be moved from where it was when boko haram struck capturing 22 council areas in the entire state to the envisaged level of excellence we are trying to take it to. And there are many non medical professionals with like minds whose contributions to crushing emergency challenges over the years have been invaluable to astounding emergencies like cholera which has harassed health managers and kept them on their toes. Looking back into the sector, I remember that there was one year of the cholera scourge that everyone who was a doctor in the ministry had to abandon their files, put on their coats and gloves and were lined up at the muna garage axis ensuring that they helped slow down the mortality rate which was screaming to high heavens. That is an indication that the medical workers both serving and retired have also managed to stay above board at the primary health care level.
Pending challenges to be crushed in Borno state
There are many pending challenges before the health partners working as a team to make things better for Borno state. One of the challenges before them is the inability sometimes to understand the fact that change is the only permanent phenomenon in life and we must all prepare to embrace it. A lot of partners still do not understand why change from the old order of doing things to the new is important. Some so called financial partners want to completely adjust the ideal narrative by wrongly taking the drivers seat in almost every pillar including risk communication and sometimes, the good old surveillance. Two sensitive pillars which are supposed to go together. 90 percent of the time I have sat in that meeting, Abdu Mbaya or Modu Kyari who is the deputy head of the communications pillar in the primary health board are hardly carried along. One little brat or the other in the United Nations international children’s fund (UNICEF) and world health organization (WHO) will stand up to speak for the entire Borno State which they know nothing about. And most times when they speak, they do not impress the IM or the meeting because they talk only about what they understand in their own foreign designed system. They hardly display knowledge on how to solve problems in the 27 Council areas of the state. One particular one, name withheld in the WHO who used to be a tea boy for a previous disgraced communication expert is the most confused of them all because of his obvious limitations of what to do for the good of the state. He parades himself with some air of importance that does not align with his rascally and rude persona badly polluted with the trial and error syndrome associated with road side mechanics.
I don’t blame them completely. Its simply because the state has been unable to sit on the drivers seat all these years in some of these pillars before the advent of Dr Lawi Meshelia. Some of us who should know are equally to blame too because we saw these dysfunctional nitwits play with the intelligence of the state and we did not raise alarms to the Commissioner or the Governor of the State, Professor Babagana Zulum knowing in his disposition towards mediocrity regardless of who is involved. It is change in the old order that will bring about what will benefit the state when it comes to enlightening people on how to get the best out of the web of complex information needed to make the operations at the primary health care get better for instance.
The management of emergencies at the primary care level have seen many administrators on and off the forum of partners and each one, foreign or Nigerian did his or her best to better the system. But that does not mean that they do not have their limitations. One is talking about constraints ranging from management style to low capacity based on background training and sometimes downright timidity in stamping their feet to getting certain things right based on contemporary practices. And that is the reason why some partners used to jump into the drivers seat without permission from the State which is supposed to be the driver for everything as it concerns the building of the health sector and crushing emergencies like the on and off Polio, monkey pox, COVID-19 or Diphtheria as it is announced by the state epidemiologists from time to time.
The numerous interventions of emergency manager Beatrice Muraguri
Most of the partners have done their best. It’s not just bad news all the way because most critics of journalists believe they only do bad news without seeing the good sides of anything. I wish to report to you that we have seen quite a good number of good managers in the system. I can never forget the frantic efforts of Dr Collins Ovilli who jumped into the trenches with other doctors like Mohammed Guluze then emergency manager to ensure that the cholera mortality figures do not scream more than it was then. To us poisoned by insurgency in our backyard 50 dead is noise but 100 is really a screaming figure.
At present, Dr Beatrice Muraguri is one of the good souls of the WHO and has been making her presence felt in all the three states badly influenced by the lingering insurgency. Sometimes I have sat in that meeting hall in Damboa road, watching and listening to all her contributions and they are always for the common good of humanity. Sometimes she used to ponder and literally pressing the state to hurry up and sit tight on the drivers seat to crush these emergency headaches. To her as a clinical epidemiologist nothing is impossible if minds and hearts are brought together. Diphtheria for instance has reached 67 deaths as at the time of writing this report, do we want to wait until it gets to 100 before we deal with the challenges bedeviling the management of the disease? In as much as people are not perfect, Dr Beatrice is one woman who means well for Borno state. I have watched her from my binocular and I have seen her as an extremely transparent professional who has water tight empathy for the people of the entire BAY states. She is a distinguished African woman who understands how to serve humanity using the template of the state or council areas accordingly. She is not one of those whose bosses had questionable records before being asked to leave the WHO because of dubious activities aided by a commissioner name withheld sacked suddenly from the government. We have seen a theatre Commander here who shut down the activities of three non Governmental activities NGO’S when they ran foul of the laws of the land, “so none of them will tell us they are better than the people they met on ground” said General Adeniyi the then TC.
Co management of the sector with WHO
In spite of all these challenges for instance, since the advent of Dr Lawi Meshelia, a lot of things have changed for the better. Some of them were procedures which had to change even though with difficulty. Lawi drives the system like a task master and some of the partners used to the old system do not likne him for doing the right thing. But Lawi a foreign trained public health specialist like Beatrice is getting tremendous results. Even though I could read from his body language sometimes that he is not happy with the trickles of results he has been having in areas like the risk communication and surveillance pillars which have terribly shaky foundations going by what we see from the cholera and now diphtheria torments of the people. Since Lawi arrived as the incident manager, he has succeeded in gradually changing the old ways of doing a lot of things. Obviously this foreign trained public health specialist understands that emergencies in a system where most of the infrastructure has been destroyed by insurgency you virtually have to be regimented to get results. That means he must step on some toes if he must get results. Emergency is not the “na so we de do am” kind of phenomenon in which obvious mistakes are tolerated as the norm. It must be a near perfect phenomenon and that is what the distinguished university of Maiduguri (unimaid) trained Dr Lawi is tying to achieve. Before his advent, the ministry officials allowed pillar heads to just do what they wanted without proper capacity to back the system. Then came Shafiq Muhammad a Pakistani who for the first time between 2017 and 2018 tried to fix a suitable template in which the emergency system could work without forming themselves into a parallel ministry of health that would be dabbling into non emergencies. That system has stood the test of time till this day because it was a transparent system. But like a disease it relapsed into the old system with the exit of Dr Shafiq because the very foundation was not properly fixed in such a way that pillar heads who are ministry officials will own the system and drive the steering and change gears at their convenience. It was literally in disarray because nobody had dug the right hole for the pillars to be firmly rooted. Safiq learnt very fast from Martinez Jorge and drove the system from 2017 to 2018.By the time Jorge left Safiq was running at a speed faster than he met on the ground but there was a lot to be defined properly. When safiq left, we have had several other managers including Dr Kida who had to act as IM even at retirement. His style was actually different because he tolerated most of the excesses of the partners. Always smiling and not wanting to step on toes. With the advent of Dr Lawi, pillar heads and deputies meet regularly with him to state what they have achieved and he freely directs if he thinks they are driving down the wrong way. This kind of proactive professional on the drivers seat has come at a time when he is most needed. He is trusted by his permanent secretary Mohammad Guluze and Commissioner Professor Baba Mallam Gana a consultant Oncologist. Lawi has an almost regimented managerial style which most of them had not gotten used to. But one believes that as time goes on, they will surely get used to his style and we would wake up one day to discover that all the emergencies are gone with the dry wind of the sahel savanna.
Ex Raying the background of the current IM Lawi Meshelia
Dr Lawi Meshelia is one of those medical practitioners who benefitted from the extension of service years by five years by Governor Babagana Zulum which is why he is still in service. He was equally the arrow head in charge of the primary health care agency when Borno won the best primary health care agency prize money of $1.2m attached to a competition created to bring primary health care under one roof in Nigeria.
He holds a Masters Degree in Public Health (MPH) from Royal Tropical Institute, KIT in Amsterdam, Netherlands. And of course an MBBS from the University of Maiduguri. His exposure and broad mindedness to tolerate people stems from the fact that he did his secondary school at the Federal Government College Odogbolu in Ogun State and has traveled to almost all the states of the Federation. Dr Mshelia has attended courses with certificates in different aspects of public health in countries in Europe, East Africa, West Africa and South-Central Africa. He also attended numerous public health courses across Nigeria to stream line his focus. He has actually brought a semblance of stability and order since he took charge as IM.
Battling the second challenge which is the red tapes in the Ministerial system
I had to mention Lawi’s background so partners understand why he is so suited for the job and if care is not taken you may call him a slave driver because you must do things the right way he wants you to do it. If at the end of the day the results is tremendous, he hardly takes the glory but transfers it like a dutiful civil servant to his superiors in the ministry where he had worked all his days as a medical doctor. Ever ready for emergencies and working towards solving any red take that will stand in his way as long as it is not finance which he does not have power over. By the way, it is this finance that used to make some ngos misbehave and tend to want to take the steering wheel from state health managers.
Handling the first visit of the commissioner and his desires to win the next prize for the best primary health in Nigeria
When the Commissioner of Health paid his first visit to the emergency operation centre EOC recently, it was excitement galore all the way. He obviously never anticipated that so many partners will be lined up one by one introducing themselves and taking it upon themselves to uplift the health sector of Borno State which has been badly battered by insurgency. He came across as a very lively and friendly medical practitioner shaking hands with partners and thanking them for a job well done.
Professor Baba Gana commended the partners for being very supportive in their contributions to moving the sector from where they found it to where it should be. He assured that the molecular laboratory in Umaru Shehu Hospital will soon become a reference lab for the future of the sector especially in dealing with emerging emergencies. That to him will relax the delay in going to competent labs outside the state to get results of suspected cases as at when due. On vaccinations the British trained oncologist said that left to him, the country should begin to develop its own local capacity to produce vaccination which will go a long way in trampling upon stubborn emergencies like Diphtheria, Cholera and measles so that they do not linger longer than expected. How soon that will happen? Only time will tell.
After the damage of Boko Haram: Battling with the battered health sector in Borno state using the partnership model for emergencies
Feature
REJOINDER: On the Call for Vice President Shettima to Resign – A Premature and Misguided Proposition

REJOINDER: On the Call for Vice President Shettima to Resign – A Premature and Misguided Proposition
By: Dan Amana
The attention of well-meaning Nigerians, party loyalists, and progressive stakeholders has been drawn to recent comments credited to Mallam Salihu Isa Nataro, a chieftain of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in which he called on Vice President Kashim Shettima to resign his position as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
While every citizen is entitled to free expression, it is important to respond when opinion borders on political misjudgment, poor timing, and an inaccurate reading of the political climate and leadership dynamics within the APC.
First, Vice President Shettima enjoys the full confidence and partnership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and continues to discharge his duties with the competence, loyalty, and vision that have defined his public service for over two decades. His contributions to the Renewed Hope Agenda are not only strategic but foundational—especially in areas of national security coordination, economic policy, and intergovernmental diplomacy.
To suggest that the Vice President “resign” for optics or to appease speculative 2027 calculations is both premature and unnecessary. The Vice President is not an accidental passenger in this administration; he is a co-architect of its foundational vision, having stood firmly by the President during the most turbulent moments of the 2023 campaign, and has since been a pillar of national cohesion and administrative stability.
Mallam Nataro’s commentary, though perhaps well-intentioned, unfortunately reflects a misunderstanding of the inner workings of government, party loyalty, and constitutional duty. Leadership is not a reality show of musical chairs, where individuals step aside to make room for ambition or sentiment. The office of the Vice President is not a bargaining chip for regional appeasement but a sacred trust between the Nigerian people and their elected leaders.
More so, APC is not a party of impulsive decisions. It is a movement grounded in strategy, inclusivity, and long-term national development goals. As such, speculative maneuvers aimed at altering the current power structure—midway into a constitutionally mandated tenure—are both distracting and destabilizing.
We also caution against using the North-East geopolitical zone as a token in political negotiations. The region has borne its share of national burdens, and the emergence of Vice President Shettima is a symbol of the APC’s commitment to inclusion, capacity, and national healing. His leadership continues to inspire hope among millions across the region and the nation at large.
In conclusion, we urge party elders and opinion leaders to focus their energies on strengthening governance, deepening internal democracy, and supporting the President and Vice President in delivering on their mandate to Nigerians. Calls for resignation at this critical stage only serve the interest of political opportunists—not the Nigerian people.
Let it be clearly stated: Vice President Kashim Shettima remains focused, committed, and unshaken in his service to Nigeria under the able leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Together, they will continue to lead Nigeria toward peace, prosperity, and purpose.
REJOINDER: On the Call for Vice President Shettima to Resign – A Premature and Misguided Proposition
Feature
KASHIM SHETTIMA: THE SOUR SIDE FOR A CONSPIRACY

KASHIM SHETTIMA: THE SOUR SIDE FOR A CONSPIRACY
By: Inuwa Bwala.
Nobody is trying to force the Vice President Kashim Shettima on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a running mate in 2027.
While it remains Mr President’s prerogative to pick a working partner, it remains a fact that, he should have known the value of Kashim Shettima, having worked with him at very close quaters in the last two years.
Far beyond this, the President is so committed to his covenant with his vice and does not need the ongoing circus show to stick to it.
Those orchestrating for a change in the ticket are perhaps afraid of the evident cause for continuity, hence the desperation to create a make belief that the Vice Presidential slot is open for contest.
Several attempts have been made to drag Shettima and his supporters into needless controversies so as to make an issue out of their blind postulations.
And ever since I got the winds about plans to make an issue out of the perceived plot to substitute the Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Tinubu’s running mate in the 2027 Presidential elections, I knew it is a matter of time for backlashes, as witnessed at the APC Zonal rally in Gombe on Sunday.
Reading the body languages of the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu and his praise choristers, everyone within the hall knew that, there was a grand conspiracy to downplay Kashim Shettima’s position in the endorsement: which was the primary motive for the rally.
And while the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje was quick to play safe sensing the possible consequences, Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and the Zonal Vice Chairman Mustapha Umar were not so wise to recognize danger.
The governor escaped with jeers, but the APC vice chairman was not so lucky: he received the beating of his life from irrate delegates.
Those who try to link Borno state Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, with the mob reaction to the failure to endorsed Shettima were just being mischievous, as it was spontaneous
Those who witnessed it told me that, both Governor Yahaya and the APC Zonal chairman had ignored calls from delegates to recognize Shettima as an inseparable part of the ticket, which resulted in the jeers for Yahaya and the beating for Mustapha.
While it is not trying to justify the attendant violence and disruption of the rally, one should not fail to point out to leaders, the wisdom in harkening to popular demands at an occasion like this.
Of course, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum and Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State could not have done anything at the particular stage, even if they did not approve of the violence.
Common sense dictates that, as the political atmosphere becomes increasingly charged in the face of perceived plans to shortchange Shettima, who has endeared himself to Nigerians, speakers at such functions should learn from theGombe experience.
KASHIM SHETTIMA: THE SOUR SIDE FOR A CONSPIRACY
Feature
Harmonizing Retirement Age in Nigeria: A Call for Consistency

Harmonizing Retirement Age in Nigeria: A Call for Consistency
By Raphael Oni
The retirement age in Nigeria has sparked intense debate, with various government agencies and institutions operating under different retirement ages. This inconsistency raises concerns about fairness, equity, and the need for a unified approach. Recently, the organized labour sector, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has emphasized the need for a consistent policy across all government agencies and institutions.
The Current State of Retirement Age in Nigeria
Different government agencies and institutions in Nigeria have varying retirement ages, including:
- National Assembly Service Commission: 65 years
- Judicial arm of government: 65 years for judges
- Foreign Service: 60 years for officers
- Nigeria Police Force: 60 years for personnel
- National Pension Commission (PenCom): 50 years, extendable to 60 years with approval
This disparity raises questions about fairness and equity. Why should employees in different agencies have different retirement ages? A uniform policy would ensure equal treatment and dignity for all employees.
Benefits of Harmonization
Harmonizing retirement age in Nigeria would bring several benefits, including:
- Consistency and fairness: A uniform retirement age would ensure equal treatment for all employees.
- Simplified administration: A single retirement age would simplify administrative processes and reduce confusion.
- Improved planning: A consistent retirement age would enable employees to plan their careers and retirement more effectively.
- Enhanced morale: A fair and equitable retirement policy would boost employee morale and productivity.
International Best Practices
Many countries have a uniform retirement age for public servants, such as:
- United States: 65 years (with option to retire earlier with reduced benefits)
- United Kingdom: 65-68 years (depending on the scheme)
- Canada: 65 years (with option to retire earlier with reduced benefits)
- Australia: 65 years (with plans to increase to 70 years)
- Morocco: 60 years (with discussions to raise to 65)
- South Africa: 65 years (new reform)
Proposed Harmonized Retirement Age for Nigeria
Based on international best practices and Nigeria’s economic and demographic context, a harmonized retirement age of 60-65 years could be considered. This would allow employees to retire with dignity and adequate pension benefits while ensuring sustainable pension obligations.
Agency-by-Agency Analysis
- Foreign Affairs: Harmonizing retirement age would ensure equal treatment for Foreign Service officers.
- National Assembly Service Commission: Harmonization would ensure consistency across all government institutions.
- Judicial: Given the importance of judicial experience, the retirement age may be justified, but harmonization would ensure equal treatment.
Challenges and Considerations
Implementing a harmonized retirement age policy would require careful consideration of:
- Pension sustainability: Ensuring sustainable and adequately funded pension obligations.
- Employee morale: Balancing the needs of employees affected by changes to their retirement age.
- Economic context: Considering the economic implications of a harmonized retirement age policy.
Conclusion
Harmonizing retirement age in Nigeria is a necessary step towards ensuring fairness, equity, and consistency across all government agencies and institutions. A uniform retirement age policy would promote simplicity, improve planning, and enhance employee morale. The government should consider adopting a consistent policy that applies to all, taking into account international best practices and Nigeria’s economic and demographic context.
Raphael Oni a seasoned journalist, Editor-in-chief of Diplomatic Extra, a Specialized Magazine
Harmonizing Retirement Age in Nigeria: A Call for Consistency
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