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,We Can Save Ourselves, Shape The Future of Our Children, Pat Utomi Tells Political Leaders

,We Can Save Ourselves, Shape The Future of Our Children, Pat Utomi Tells Political Leaders
By: Michael Mike
Prof. Pat Utomi has urged political leaders for a rethink about the nation’s political direction and the future of young nigerians.
Utomi said this in a remark he made at the inaugural meeting of the Working Council of the Health Care Cohort of the New Tribe
“to map and guide a rebirth of healthcare in Nigeria, as a cohort of our New Tribe configured to help citizens take back and shape a country of promise now left in ruins by politicians.”
According to him, “it became quite clear that Nigerians have become a global tribe that can aggregate the good of the world in which they have thrived no matter the constraints in their path into a new age for all its people reduced sadly a country of pity as the poverty capital of the world by lack of leadership, a collapse of culture and the embrace of emotion over reason, leaving society a victim of the absence of rational public conversation.
“It is not by accident that you the leadership council of the health care cohort are the first to be armed with your brief to go out there and confound doubters with a moral compass that will produce outcomes the world will discuss for a long time. The social sectors of health care and education have long been considered central to man’s escape from the slavery of misery.
“I feel so very proud of this day that it is a time when your collective talents become the platform for showcasing the triumph of the human spirit as initiatives flowing from your genius and compassion solve problems of both the affluent and the poorest of the poor as they work to up the quality of life within the challenges in our land.”
Utomi recalled that many years ago he arrived the Bisi Onabanjo University Medical school in Sagamu to speak at an event of students of the CVL club “I had founded who were led by Tolu Ademujimi. The speaker, then provost from LUTH finished his remarks saying the Nigerian Health Care System was a ‘man made disaster’.
A key goal of this cohort is to undo that which man has done to health care in Nigeria.
Who are we to so dare and why do we passionately seek a new order.?
“Some years ago two Columbia University Economists, Arvind Subramanian and Xavier Sala-i-Martin, in an I IMF working paper more or less suggested Nigeria was better of without a government because the welfare effect of Oil income if just shared to all Nigerians was higher than the outcome of governing Nigeria in the manner it is governed.
“It therefore makes sense for citizens to try and take back their country by creating greater welfare advancing possibilities in spite of government. How do we plan to go about this. Here we turn to the wisdom of Ancient Greece.
“For the Greeks, at the base of civilization are people who think of themselves alone. This category they called idiots. Moving up are the next category who care for others but only others with parochial linkages such as blood, language, and religion. These they called tribesmen. For tribesmen all not of the tribe are enemies to fought ferociously.
“Of a higher category of people in society are those who feel a shared humanity and solidarity with other people for their humanity no matter their geography. These they called citizens.
“Our goal is to erect a moral tribe of citizens who speak and live personal integrity, hold high the dignity of the human person, celebrate the work ethic and entrepreneurial creativity, and hold on to merit with inclusion, as the essence of the social order in which we recognize that I am because we are.
“This new tribe in seeking to bring talk to action has created two sets of cohorts in a cluster of 14 and seven for sectors of intervention, and mode of organization, respectively, to operationalize the vision.
“Just as we are giving to ourselves today the brief for the healthcare cohort, others for education, values, public accountability, Election reforms, etc will follow.
“Our prework indicate your cohort strategy will in part deploy an app we are just finalizing to allow physicians around the world to donate two or three hours a week of their time to see patients remotely located. Massive health education and primary health prevention of disease initiatives and support of Health care Malls and Upend hospitals clusters will be in your mix.
“The structure of the cohort we propose has its Congress made up of all the volunteers, healthcare professionals, tech support and administrative types. They will be the backbone of debates and rational conversation on the two portals to be presented to us today, as well as the boots on ground.. The input from them are feedstock for the leadership council which you constitute. Four co-chairs will steer the cohort. Two physicians in Atlanta and California who are men and two who are female in Abuja and Kano offer this council that includes a mental health specialist, a cardiologist, home care entrepreneurs, pharmacist, Nursing leaders, and a physiotherapist. I want particularly to pay tribute to Dr Abiodun Olatidoye who we propose to chair the co-chaos, Dr Iheanacho Emeruwa, Dr Zainab Bagudu and RN Zahrau Ibrahim
I wish you all God’s grease to your elbows as you show that it can be done,” Pat Utomi concluded.
,We Can Save Ourselves, Shape The Future of Our Children, Pat Utomi Tells Political Leaders
News
Tipper truck kills several traders in Jalingo market crash

Tipper truck kills several traders in Jalingo market crash
By: Zagazola Makama
A tragic road accident occurred on Saturday at the popular Mile 6 Market in Jalingo, Taraba State, when a tipper truck loaded with shaft sand lost control and rammed into a crowd of traders and shoppers.

Zagazola learnt the incident, which happened around midday, resulted in multiple fatalities and left several others injured. The exact number of casualties is yet to be confirmed as emergency responders continue rescue operations and assessment of the scene.

Sourcessaid the truck was speeding when one of its front tyres suddenly burst, causing the driver to lose control. The vehicle veered into the busy market area, knocking down people and structures along its path.

“It happened so fast,” said Musa Ibrahim, a local vendor. “The truck was on speed and after the tyre burst, the driver couldn’t control it. It just rammed into the crowd.”
Security operatives and medical personnel arrived swiftly at the scene to evacuate the injured to nearby hospitals. The body of the deceased has also been recovered, while efforts are ongoing to identify victims and notify their families.

The driver of the truck has been apprehended and is currently in custody as investigations continue into the cause of the crash.
End
Crime
Former Footballer, 4 Others Arrested, Over 22.6kg Cocaine, Meth Seized at Lagos, Enugu Airports

Former Footballer, 4 Others Arrested, Over 22.6kg Cocaine, Meth Seized at Lagos, Enugu Airports
…72-year-old Grandma, Beninese, Ithers Nabbed in NDLEA Raids in Delta, Kwara, Lagos
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a former football player Segun George Hunkarin along with his businessman partner Ntoruka Chinedu over attempt to smuggle a consignment of cocaine into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, Chinedu who is a frequent flyer known for conveying clothes from Turkey to Nigeria and foodstuffs from Nigeria to Turkey, was the first to be arrested upon his arrival at the Lagos airport last Tuesday, when his carry-on bag was searched, 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800 grammes were seen to be concealed therein.

Babafemi said investigation showed that the suspect was coming from Turkey on Ethiopian Airlines flight but transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he collected the luggage from another person before heading to Nigeria.
He said further checks revealed that an accomplice who turned out to be the former professional footballer, Segun Hunkarin, was waiting for Chinedu at the airport carpark to collect the consignment from him. Hunkarin who had stayed years in Brazil playing for football clubs was promptly tracked and arrested at the carpark.

In his statement, Hunkarin was said to have claimed that while playing professional football in the South American country, he had only trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia but has never brought any to Nigeria.
Another Europe based businessman Amen Okoro was last Friday arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport while attempting to traffic 5,000 pills of tramadol 225mg packaged as known malaria drugs such as Lonart, Amatem and Aluktem to Spain.
He was intercepted at the departure hall of terminal 2 of the airport during the outward clearance of passengers on Royal Air Maroc flight to Spain through Casablanca.

Babafemi said Okoro, who is into freight and logistics business between Europe and Nigeria, claimed that on his arrival in Spain, he would have taken a train to France where he resides and from there send the tramadol consignment to Italy for retailing.
At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives last Friday intercepted a Maputo, Mozambique based bar attendant Ezenwaka Chibuzor. A search of his luggage led to the discovery of 17 cardboard size parcels of methamphetamine weighing 17.500 kilogrammes and three parcels of cocaine weighing 3.05 kilogrammes.
He revealed that the 38-year-old suspect was coming from Johannesburg, South Africa via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Ethiopian Airlines flight when he was interdicted and subjected to a search during which the illicit drugs concealed in bedsheets packed in his bags were discovered.
He noted that another passenger on board the same Ethiopian Airlines flight, 54-year-old Azu Kpodar was also intercepted at the Enugu airport by NDLEA operatives. When Azu, who arrived from Sao Paulo, Brazil, was searched, a liquid soap plastic container marked YPE, was discovered in his luggage. The substance was promptly taken for analysis at the NDLEA forensic and chemical laboratory, Enugu where the substance tested positive to cocaine.

The substance which turned out to be liquid cocaine weighed 1.250 kilogrammes, the
suspect who is a toy seller in Brinquedo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, claimed he purchased while shopping for his wedding ceremony in Nigeria.
NDLEA operatives at the Seme border area of Badagry in Lagos last Tuesday intercepted a 26-year-old Beninese Vode Jean-Luck while trying to smuggle 69 balls of skunk, a strain of cannabis with a gross weight of 29.5 kilogrammes from Benin Republic into Nigeria.
In Kwara state, a notorious drug dealer Mary Oladele (a.k.a Iya Nafi) was arrested last Wednesday when NDLEA operatives raided her base in Omu-Aran in Irepodun local government area of the state where various quantities of skunk, tramadol and flunitrazepam were recovered from her.
Babafemi said a 72-year-old grandma Mrs. Christy Ejaro was last Tuesday arrested by NDLEA operatives at Niger CAT area of Warri, Delta state, with several sachets of skunk packaged in retail size recovered from her.
The spokesman said the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending the officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Delta, Kwara, and Seme commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Former Footballer, 4 Others Arrested, Over 22.6kg Cocaine, Meth Seized at Lagos, Enugu Airports
News
Armed bandits abduct resident in Bature Daji, in Niger narrowly miss vigilante target

Armed bandits abduct resident in Bature Daji, in Niger narrowly miss vigilante target
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits in large numbers stormed Bature Daji community in Niger in the early hours of Saturday, abducting a resident while narrowly missing their original target, a local vigilante member.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. when the attackers invaded the residence of one Dani, a known vigilante operative in the area. He was reportedly the primary target of the assault but managed to escape.
However, the gunmen kidnapped one Attahiru Ibrahim, popularly known as Sarki Daji, from the same neighborhood and whisked him away to an unknown destination.
Local sources revealed that the assailants later moved toward Gorogawu Village, a border community near the Republic of Benin, raising concerns of cross-border movement and security challenges.
A joint team of security forces, including military and other operatives, has launched a pursuit operation to rescue the victim and apprehend the attackers.
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