Nigeria Congratulates Trump on inauguration as 47th President of US

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Republic of Nigeria has congratulated President Donald Trump following his successful inauguration as the 47th President of the United States of America.

The Nigerian government in a statement by acting spokesperson of the ministry of foreign affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa said: “Nigeria and the United States of America have enjoyed cooperation in diverse areas of mutual interest, especially in the promotion of good governance, sustainable development, and the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.”

The statement added that: “Nigeria therefore looks forward to further strengthening our historic, strong, and vibrant strategic partnership for the benefit of all our people.”

Nigeria Congratulates Trump on inauguration as 47th President of US

Saudi Arabia Sponsors 20 Nigerian on Pilgrimage

By: Michael Mike

Twenty Nigerians are being sponsored by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Programme for Umrah 2025.

They are expected to perform the lesser hajj (Umrah) in Saudi Arabia fully sponsored by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

A press statement on Tuesday in Abuja by the Embassy of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Abuja read: “As part of its dedication to promoting Islamic unity and facilitating access to Islam’s most sacred sites for Muslims around the world, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Embassy in Abuja hosted a grand farewell ceremony for 20 Nigerian pilgrims selected for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Programme for Umrah 2025.

“The ceremony held under the leadership of His Excellency Faisal bin Ibrahim Al-Ghamdi, Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria, highlighted the Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to supporting Muslims and fostering spiritual connections through pilgrimage.

“The programme, initiated by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, provides Muslims from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to perform Umrah with full sponsorship, symbolising Saudi Arabia’s role as the spiritual heart of the Islamic world.”

In his keynote address, Ambassador Al-Ghamdi expressed profound gratitude to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their steadfast dedication to Islam’s holy sites.

He praised their exceptional leadership in enhancing the services provided to pilgrims and ensuring that their journey to the sacred sites is both spiritually fulfilling and logistically seamless.

He said: “The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince have prioritised the well-being of pilgrims, viewing it as a sacred duty and an immense honor. Through this programme and other initiatives, Saudi Arabia continues to strengthen bonds of brotherhood among Muslims while ensuring their comfort and safety during their spiritual journey.”

Ambassador Al-Ghamdi revealed that the Kingdom had invested over $100 billion in the recent expansion and modernisation of the Two Holy Mosques. According to him, these ambitious projects, encompassing state-of-the-art infrastructure, advanced crowd management systems, and cutting-edge technology, reflect Saudi Arabia’s commitment to accommodating the increasing number of pilgrims visiting Mecca and Medina each year.

He added that the Kingdom spares no effort in mobilising resources to improve the pilgrimage experience for all Muslims.
He also emphasized the importance of adhering to the Kingdom’s laws and regulations, designed to maintain order and ensure the safety and comfort of all pilgrims.

“The leadership of Saudi Arabia remains fully committed to serving the guests of God. This is a responsibility we hold dear, and we continuously strive to enhance the spiritual and logistical aspects of the pilgrimage experience,” he said.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Guests Programme has become a symbol of the Kingdom’s efforts to unite Muslims worldwide and facilitate access to the holiest sites in Islam. Each year, the initiative provides thousands of pilgrims with the opportunity to perform Umrah, covering all costs, including travel, accommodation, and other logistics.

The guests expressed their sincere thanks and appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may God protect him, for this generous hospitality provided by the Kingdom’s leadership in serving Islam and Muslims and serving the House of God and the Holy Land.

Saudi Arabia Sponsors 20 Nigerian on Pilgrimage

JUTH: An Abode of Corrupt Medical and Administrative Practices

By: Balami Lazarus.

Recently I was listening to Town Hall Meeting, a popular radio program aired by JFM 101.9 FM Jos, where issues concerning public and private bodies are being discussed for the sake of good governance/corporate practices. Their topic, as it were, was on public hospitals, focusing on Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). With rapt attention, I listened and followed them bumper to bumper as they unraveled the medical and administrative roots in this federal institutional hospital that was established in 1975.
I had wanted to write on JUTH sometime last year, having written some pieces on the former CMD, Prof. Edmund Banwat, on how he mismanaged the hospital, i.e., the medical and administrative sections of JUTH, during his tyrannical and militarized tenure of 8 wasted years of greed and crazed corruption. He was also a thorn in the flesh of staff and patients’ relations. Therefore, the radio program provided me with the opportunity to write this article.
Before I go further, my mind went to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), where one sees and feels medical excellence in healthcare delivery as caregivers and life-savers, a common practice in our health system.
Considering this, I sincerely, with all my heart, give kudos to Prof. Ahmed Ahidjo, the CMD, and his hardworking and patriotic management team, who are out to maintain and promote the standard of health excellence over and above other federal institutional hospitals. Unlike our subject/topic of the Town Hall Meeting Radio Programme.
          
 Any journalist that is practicing or has practiced on the Plateau will agree with me that there are a lot of issues to write on. But my challenge with some of them is their nonchalant attitude on so many pressing issues that have a direct effect on the citizens of the state. But hardly do you find them writing on these issues—water, electricity, roads, security, and many others.
      
Take it from me, that JUTH is a place where you find many annoying medical and administrative black spots in her departments, sections, units, and corridors that need no euphemism garment when one is writing or speaking of JUTH. Therefore, my investigations and sources available are clear indications that JUTH is shrouded in unethical and questionable professional practices in her systems.

The coming on board of Dr. Pokop Bupwatda Wushipba as CMD on 30th August 2022 was applauded by staff and workers of JUTH, including the good people of Plateau, with a happy bye for tyrant Prof. Edmund Banwat, as he was once called and addressed as such. Dr. Pokop was considered and seen as that CMD who will bring changes in JUTH in terms of professional medical healthcare delivery and good administrative practices. But “here we are experiencing a replay of Prof. Edmund Banwat’s dreadful and horrific days.”. According to sources within JUTH, Dr. Pokop Bupwatda’s tenure might likely be enveloped in a medical and administrative mess characterized by “bad health care services with unprofessional practices by doctors and nurses.”. This is the beginning of the negativities in JUTH with Dr. Bupwatda as CMD.
    
In consideration of the bad narratives on JUTH, I will add a style to this work by itemizing what is currently happening in JUTH: Gross medical misconduct by doctors and nurses. Negligence of duties by medical and administrative personnel. Refusal to collect delivery items from about-to-be-put-to-bed mothers by matrons and nurses because they did not buy from them. Referral center to hospitals/clinics owned by many JUTH doctors. JUTH lacks social amenities like water and electricity. Unsanitized and dirty premises.
   
To counter such corrupt activities in our public hospitals, there should be a monitoring unit for federal and state hospitals. This, I believe, will go a long way in checkmating these corrupt practices in our hospitals.
            
Balami, a Publisher/Columnist, 0836779290

JUTH: An Abode of Corrupt Medical and Administrative Practices