Gombe govt, UNICEF launch project to tackle malnutrition

The Gombe State government in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF has launched the Latter-Day Saints (LDSC)-Supported Project to tackle malnutrition through sustained investment in the first 1000 days of life.

The project tagged “Preventing Malnutrition in the First 1000 Days of Life” is to be implemented across Gombe State for a year.

Inaugurating the project in Gombe on Monday, Dr Abdulrahman Shuaibu, the Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Department Agency said that the initiative was key to improving the health of children in the state.

Shuaibu said that the impact of malnutrition on children was severe, affecting the mental and overall development of the children, hence urged collective action to tackle the menace.

Stating that the statistics for Nigeria and Gombe State were not looking good, the Executive Secretary stressed the need to strengthen the fight against malnutrition through sustained investment and collaborations.

He advocated the need for antenatal care, safe delivery, exclusive breastfeeding, complementary and supplementary feeding as part of preventive measures that should be embraced by residents of the state.

Shuaibu highlighted efforts by the state government in collaboration with critical stakeholders to tackle the menace.

On her part, the Chief of UNICEF, Bauchi Field Office, Dr Nuzhat Rafique said that the one-year project was to support malnourished children to improve their nutritional status and to strengthen support for children during their first 1000 days.

Rafique decried the high number of children who were suffering malnutrition and the need for more investments in the first 1000 days of life to prevent malnutrition and ensure that children grow well to contribute to societal development.

“Today represents another important milestone in our collective commitment to ensuring that every mother and every child in Gombe State have the opportunity not only to survive but to thrive.

“The first 1,000 days of life — from conception until a child’s second birthday — represent the most critical period for brain development, physical growth, immunity and lifelong health.

“Investments made during this window yield some of the highest returns in human capital development and are fundamental to achieving sustainable development,” she said.

The Chief also lamented that the situation of hygiene and open defecation was very common, stressing that the nutritional status and availability of diverse food everyday in appropriate quality and quantity was unavailable.

“We need a very strong system to prevent malnutrition and promote healthy growth of the children and this grant is going to support that.”

Rafique said that the state needed a system strengthening approach and a good evidence based planning to tackle malnutrition amongst children in the state, stressing the importance of data-driven planning in all LGAs.

She called for a change in the community behaviour that often led children into malnutrition which she said wasn’t supposed to be.

“These children shouldn’t go into malnutrition in the first place because when they do, they lose a part of their I.Q, energy and potential to grow and be productive for the society.

“Once a child grows malnourished, everything they lose, even when they are treated at high cost, still we are at loss.

“As a nation we will be at a loss in future with more children malnourished although they are recovered,” she said.

The UNICEF Chief appealed to the media to help effect the needed behaviour change amongst communities to build a culture of prevention rather than treatment.

Rafique commended the Gombe State government for its continued investment and commitment to improving the wellbeing of children and women in the state which she said was evident in its sustained collaboration with UNICEF and other partners in the efforts to advance child rights.

Ms Philomena Irene, a Nutrition Specialist with UNICEF Nigeria’s Bauchi Field Office, highlighted the importance of the first 1000 days of a child, saying that the period was key to brain development.

Irene said investing in such a period was the most effective, high-impact strategy to break the cycle of malnutrition, poverty and inequality.

Breaking down the 1000 days, she said that the period comprised 270 days of pregnancy, 180 days of infancy, 550 days of toddler.

She called on stakeholders in the state to invest in the first 1,000 days to reduce child malnutrition and mortality while improving education, productivity and economic growth in the future.

Gombe govt, UNICEF launch project to tackle malnutrition

Ex-CDS Petinrin Lauds DSS On Oriire Rescue

*Says Intelligence Key To All Operations

By: Our Reporter

A former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, has praised the Department of State Services (DSS) for the recent rescue of 46 kidnapped pupils and teachers of a school in Oriire, Oyo State.
He described intelligence as key to all military operations, saying the intelligence supplied by the DSS greatly helped in the rescue operation.

In a statement he personally signed, Petinrin, a retired Four-star General, said he found the silence of the secret police before, during and after the rescue, impressive.

“While the side players were being eulogised and the main DSS actors responsible for the release were being ignored, the DSS kept silent,” noted the retired military officer.

He continued, “Students of military operations, including its planning and execution, know that intelligence is the grandfather of most successful operations. But it is a fact that is not immediately obvious to many members of the public and even to some that have spent years in the military establishments.”

He noted, “The Oriire kidnap victims’ release was already being credited to the military until one of the released victims told the true story.

“They were released by the kidnappers, and no kinetic action was involved in that release. The kidnappers even told their victims why they were being released: members of the kidnappers’ families had been arrested and their videos were sent to the kidnappers,” he stated.

The former Defence Chief noted that the ability of the DSS to identify relatives of the kidnappers and to use such intelligence to turn the tide against the abductors, led to the success of the operation.

Petinrin, who also served as Chief of the Air Staff, said he was particularly impressed by the conduct of the DSS after the operation was considered by many as a huge success.

“That is the way of solid intelligence professionals. They keep mum after doing the job that leads to the success of operations and will not raise a whimper even when the wrong people are being credited for the job. I must say it again: intelligence is the grandfather of military operations,” he declared.

Ex-CDS Petinrin Lauds DSS On Oriire Rescue

DSS Set To Appeal Life Sentence On Ansaru Terror Commanders

*Seeks Maximum Penalty On Behalf of Murdered Oriire Teachers

By: Michael Mike

The Department of State Services (DSS) is set to appeal Monday’s life sentence handed two top commanders of the Ansaru Terror organization by a Federal High Court, Abuja.

Justice Emeka Nwite had, shortly after Mahmud Usman, a.k.a Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar, the self-styled Emir of Ansaru; and Abubakar Abba, a.k.a Mahmud al-Nigeri/Malam Mamuda, pleaded guilty to all the 32-count charges against them, sentence both men to life imprisonment.

However, a top official of the Service, said they considered the life sentence as too light a punishment for the crimes allegedly committed by the Ansaru commanders.
The official said the Service found it curious that, both convicts were on the verge of pleading guilty to the charges, but changed their minds shortly after some persons believed to be members of the same Ansaru organization kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State.
“For the nearly 60 days the kidnappers held on to the pupils and teachers of Oriire, the Ansaru commanders in our custody changed. One of the top conditions the abductors gave was the unconditional release of these same Ansaru commanders in exchange for the Oriire kidnap victims,” he said.
“From ‘not guilty plea,’ the two men at the penultimate court session, said they were undecided on what plea to take. Justice Nwite even had to hand them an ultimatum to make up their minds on or before Monday’s sitting. After the Oriire rescue, they came to court to plead guilty to all the charges,” he added.
According to the top official, allowing the two terror commanders walk away with life sentences would not serve the cause of justice for the two Oriire teachers beheaded by their abductors.
“The reason the terrorists beheaded the two Oriire teachers was to put pressure on government to release these two Ansaru commanders. It, therefore, wouldn’t be fair to see two men beheaded and their families are made to live with the losses without adequately bringing the culpits to book,” he declared.

DSS Set To Appeal Life Sentence On Ansaru Terror Commanders