We have the best Opthalmology department in the North East of Nigeria –Prof. Tahir

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Medical Director of the ultra modern Police Hospital Damaturu Prof Bashir Tahir has said that his facility has one of the best Ophthalmology departments in North East Nigeria.

He made this declaration while speaking with this reporter in Damaturu recently.

Professor Tahir stated that having met the facility in a near comatose state, he and his team have been able to create a department of Opthalmology plus six others and set it on a very high standard ready to serve the people in the catchment area.

Tahir who spoke through his Director of Administration Mallam Hamza Saleh stated that “Our Opthalmology dept is one of the best in the North East of Nigeria and you can get a recommended glasses within an hour because of the state of arts machines in that very department in the hospital.”

Speaking on the current expansion going on in the facility the MD stated that “We have ENT and consultants coming from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital UMTH alternatively during the week to do routine consultations, ward rounds and even operations in the theatre.

“We recently spent about N10m to buy equipments in the ENT and we do hope that all the equipments will be available before the end of the year.

On the revitalization of the facility, he went on: “We actually met the three theatres in bad shape but we have been able to put them into functional use by restructuring them accordingly. For now all three are functioning including the O and G theatre where routine operations have been conducted.

“When we came on board also the hospital was not departmentalized. So we did that and opened the way for more doctors to come by creating these seven departments for them to work in an organized way.

“All the departments are functional with seven consultants who man these departments to the satisfaction of all the patients who visit the facility.

This new facility can also boast of two Eye Nose and Throat surgeons and others as the support staff to support the facility.

“We have about 100 nurses with one that is a police officer. We also have some of them with specialized techniques and that has contributed to the progress of the place.

On medical lab scientists, the MD posited that they now have six lab scientists in different areas, two pharmacists and a couple of technicians that assist them on the ground on a daily basis.

They have a solid Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with a pharmacy company in the supply of drugs which is used to stabilize the availability of drugs in the hospital.

On supply of drugs, he noted that they make sure that people served well and patient are the priority of anything that happens in the facility adding that they now have satellite pharmacies in the facility to ensure quality time is not wasted.

The MD said that it was part of their plan to get most of the major equipments before any fresh employment of any professional commences so that all hands will be on deck to ensure the best.

We have the best Opthalmology department in the North East of Nigeria –Prof. Tahir

The Hidden Truth: How Niger’s Sovereignty Was Secretly Sold to Foreign Powers

By: Our Reporter

A shocking revelation has come to light, exposing the true origins of foreign military deployment in Niger. Contrary to popular belief, it was not President Mohamed Bazoum who initiated the permanent presence of foreign troops in the country. Instead, classified documents and insider accounts reveal that it was the 2010-2011 military junta—the same type of government Niger is under today—that secretly invited French forces into Niger and granted them unrestricted military access.

The Secret Deal That Changed Niger Forever

On September 18, 2010, General Salou Djibo, then head of Niger’s ruling military junta, was preparing to leave for the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Before his departure, he held a closed-door meeting with his second-in-command, Colonel Abdoulaye Badié, and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (FAN), General Salou Souleymane. The main topic of discussion? Whether to allow a permanent French military presence in Niger. Whether to permit French military aircraft to land, refuel, and operate from Nigerien soil.
At first, both Badié and Djibo rejected the idea of allowing a French military base in Niger. However, what they didn’t know was that General Salou Souleymane had already made promises to France behind their backs. Weeks before this meeting, General Souleymane had personally assured the French Chief of Defense Staff, Admiral Édouard Guillaud, that Niger would approve France’s request to deploy its military forces.

This secret arrangement was not debated in public, nor was it disclosed to the Nigerien people. Instead, the decision was made in total secrecy, away from the eyes of the nation. With General Djibo about to leave for New York, the situation escalated. Prime Minister Mahamadou Danda and Defense Minister General Mamadou Ousseini were pressured into granting France full permission to deploy its forces in Niger. The final approval was given on the night of September 18, 2010.

Colonel Badié was personally tasked with informing French Ambassador Alain Holleville that Niger had given France the green light. The same night, General Salou Souleymane personally called the French Military Attaché in Niamey, Hervé Pilette, to confirm the authorization.

Within hours, the French military had already begun its deployment: Two Breguet Atlantic reconnaissance aircraft with five full crews. One Falcon 50 aircraft with two crews. A total of 115 French soldiers, including special forces and intelligence officers. By September 19, 2010, French forces were officially operating in Niger, under the justification that they were there to search for hostages kidnapped in Arlit a region rich in uranium, heavily exploited by French company Areva (now Orano).

The Junta’s Internal Crisis: How The Truth Was Buried

Upon returning from New York on September 26, 2010, General Salou Djibo found a top-secret report on his desk from his special staff. The report was alarming:

It said “The positioning of French troops on Nigerien territory seriously harms the image of Niger and the credibility of the Armed Forces (FAN). It creates the perception that our military is weak and unable to defend the country from threats like AQIM without French intervention.”
The report further warned that the French presence was no longer necessary, since it had become clear that the kidnapped hostages were already in Mali, not Niger. In other words, the original justification for allowing French troops into Niger was no longer valid.

However, by this point, the junta was trapped. The French military was already in Niger, and any attempt to remove them would have led to a diplomatic crisis. The truth was buried, and the Nigerien people were never informed of the secret deal that had been made.

This one decision set off a chain reaction that led to years of escalating foreign military presence: 2013: The United States established a drone base in Niamey to conduct operations across the Sahel. 2017: The U.S. expanded its presence by constructing Air Base 201 in Agadez, one of the largest drone bases in Africa. 2014-2019: France launched Operation Barkhane, stationing thousands of troops in the region, including in Niger. 2022: Following France’s expulsion from Mali, French troops redeployed to Niger, solidifying their military footprint.

By the time President Mohamed Bazoum took office in 2021, the foreign military presence was already deeply entrenched, making it nearly impossible to reverse.

The Hypocrisy of the Current Junta

Fast forward to 2023: General Abderrahmane Tiani overthrows President Bazoum, claiming that his government was too dependent on foreign powers. However, the same military elite that now calls itself “patriotic” was directly involved in the original plans to bring in foreign partners starting from 2010-2011.

It the military is so opposed to foreign troops, why did they allow French forces into Niger in 2010? Why has the military remained silent about its role in secretly authorizing foreign military deployment? Why did it take a coup d’état for them to suddenly oppose a policy that they themselves initiated?

A Nation Deceived for 13 Years

For over a decade, Nigeriens have been misled into believing that foreign military forces were imposed on them by civilian governments.
The truth is far more sinister: Niger’s own military leaders were responsible for inviting foreign troops in the first place. Today, General Tiani and his junta claim to be “restoring sovereignty.” But their own predecessors men they once served under were the original enablers of foreign intervention.
Foreign military forces never left instead, they expanded their presence under different pretexts. The so called betrayal of Niger’s sovereignty did not start with Bazoum or Issoufou it started in 2010, under military rule.

Nigeriens must ask themselves: If this was covered up for 13 years, what else has been hidden from them? If military rule brought foreign troops, why should you trust them to remove them now? If sovereignty is truly the goal, why has no one been held accountable for the original betrayal?

The Hidden Truth: How Niger’s Sovereignty Was Secretly Sold to Foreign Powers

Lula Extends Invitation to President Tinubu to Visit Brazil

By: Michael Mike

A high-level delegation from Brazil, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Viera arrived in Abuja on a visit aimed at boosting cooperation between Nigeria and Brazil in a move towards strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.

The visit was also used to deliver an invitation of Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva known mononymously as Lula, to President Bola Tinubu to Brazil in the nearest future.

The bilateral relations between the two nations dates back to Nigeria’s independence in 1960.

During the visit, the Brazilian delegation is expected to engage in high-level talks with Nigerian officials, exploring opportunities for collaboration in areas such as agriculture, energy, and infrastructure development.

The two countries are also expected to sign several agreements aimed at strengthening their bilateral ties.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, while hosting his Brazilian counterpart in his office on Wednesday, noted that Brazil was the only Latin American country to attend Nigeria’s independence celebration, underscoring the strong historical ties between the two nations.

He said: “We share a lot in common, from our size and economies to our population and culture. This visit is a natural progression of our partnership.”

Tuggar, while citing their robust engagement between the two countries since independence, referenced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Brazil last year, where he attended the G20 summit and engaged in activities to strengthen bilateral ties.

Tuggar emphasized the significance of the visit, saying, “We welcome you and your delegation warmly, and we’re happy to see you here in Abuja.

This visit is a continuation of our efforts to strengthen the bond between our two countries.”

In response, the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mauro Viera, recalled his first meeting with Nigerian officials in Dubai in 2023 and the subsequent meeting between President Lula and President Tinubu in Addis Ababa in 2024.

Viera praised President Tinubu’s participation in the G20 summit in Brazil last November, valuing Nigeria’s contributions to the forum.

He also extended an invitation from President Lula for President Tinubu to visit Brazil in the near future.

This visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations, building on previous engagements since President Lula took office in January 2023.

The Brazilian minister emphasized the importance of strategic dialogue and exploring deeper relations in various areas, including culture, economics, cooperation, education, and more.

He highlighted the close contacts between Brazilians and Nigerians, as well as the significant presence of Nigerians in Brazilian society and culture.

He thanked the Nigerian government for hosting the Brazilian delegation and expressed his enthusiasm for a productive day of work to further develop bilateral relations.

This visit marks a significant step in strengthening ties between Brazil and Nigeria, with potential collaborations in trade, investment, and cultural exchange on the horizon.

Lula Extends Invitation to President Tinubu to Visit Brazil