Delta Poly Student, 4 Others Arrested For Gang-Raping Student

Five persons have been arrested and detained by the Delta State Police Command for allegedly gang-raping one Favour Orji, a student of Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro.

A press statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Celestina Kalu, gave the names of the suspects as Ekperierie Weomazino, Awolowo Abel, Chukwuka Godspower, Wilson Odili and Ojumah Kelvin. According to the statement, in the afternoon of 30 August, 2014, one of the suspects, Ekperierie Weomazino, also a student of the Polytechnic, allegedly invited her to escort him to Owhelegbo junction in the town to collect his handset. The victim added that on reaching the junction, the said Ekperierie Weomazino and the four others raped her and thereafter photographed her while she was naked. ‎

Upon receiving the complains of the victim on 4 September, operatives of the Division swung into action and arrested the suspects. DSP Kalu who disclosed that investigation into the matter was in progress, added that the suspects would face the full wrath of the law. Visit website

20 Policemen Still Missing After Boko Haram Attack-IG

Acting Inspector-General of Police Suleiman Abba Twenty Nigerian police officers are still missing three weeks after Boko Haram fighters attacked a training academy outside the remote northeastern town of Gwoza, the country’s police chief said on Tuesday.

Inspector General Suleiman Abba told reporters that police would “not relent in the efforts of tracing them”. Initially, police said 35 officers were missing after the attack on August 21. Abba said some had since returned, without explaining how. “We have been able to trace some of the officers who have reported back to their bases. Some have even reported back to their families,” he said.
Boko Haram Islamists attacked the police academy near Gwoza in Borno state two weeks after they seized the town and declared it part of an Islamic caliphate they are seeking to establish in northern Nigeria. They went on to capture Bama, 50 kilometres (30 miles) to the north on September 1, killing scores of people. The government, which has faced criticism for its failure to effectively confront the militants, however said on Tuesday it was fighting back successfully.

Reps Want Sept 22 Schools Resumption Date Changed

The House of Representatives said on Tuesday that a postponement of the September 22 resumption date for private and public primary/secondary schools in the country was likely. It explained that it had directed its Committee on Education to take “another look” at the date in view of the fact that the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in the country had yet to be fully contained.

According to Punch, the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Victor Ogene, who conveyed the position of the House in Abuja, said there was still apprehension among parents and guardians over the Federal Government’s decision to change the earlier resumption date of October 13 to September 22. It will be recalled that the Minister of Education, Mr. Ibrahim Shekarau, had earlier stated that the October 13 resumption date was to give health officers enough time to bring the EVD under control.

However, following protests by private school owners, the government made a U-turn and opted for September 22. But, Ogene said the leadership of the House was concerned over the fresh protests by the public, especially parents and guardians. He added that the House asked the committee to look into the matter urgently “in the overall interest of the pupils and students, parents and guardian and the general well-being of the entire country.” Ogene said: “You will recall that upon the outbreak of the dreaded Ebola virus disease in Nigeria, the House Committee on Health rose up to the occasion by interfacing with the health authorities – the result of which is the positive containment efforts and call-off of the strike by doctors in the country.” However, he noted that considering the fact that some persons were still under surveillance, the House felt it had the responsibility to ensure the safety of children. He also told journalists that the House was duty-bound to safeguard the entire country from a likely further spread of the disease.

The lawmaker said the committee would come up with recommendations on the appropriate and safe date to re-open the schools. He added that on September 8, a group, Africa Health, Human and Social Development Information Service, had advised against the re-opening of the schools. The group had warned that re-opening schools now could put the lives of over 80 million school children and teachers at risk.

GQ US Does Not Acknowledge Kim Kardishian As 'Woman Of The Year'

This is not cool.While Kim Kardashian has been celebrating her GQ Woman of the Year Award,it has now been revealed that it is just for the UK ,not general as we all thought.

There was serious backlash following the award and GQ US,responded to the backlash on twitter saying they are different from GQ UK and did not give out any award to Kim. Last month, Kanye was the cover star of GQ US so I wonder what his response would be after publicly calling her an Icon for being awarded by GQ.

US Air Marshal In 'Quarantine' After Syringe Attack At Lagos Airport

A US Air Mashal is in quarantine in Houston today after being allegedly attacked yesterday by an unknown assailant at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, wielding a syringe.

U.S. law enforcement officials told ABC News they were alarmed by the bizarre, unprovoked attack because the assailant was apparently able to inject an unknown substance into the back of one of the air marshal’s arms.

The air marshal was traveling with a team of other marshals when the attack took place in an unsecured area of the airport terminal in Lagos, the officials said. He was able to board the United Airlines flight to Houston he was scheduled to work and was met early this morning in Houston by FBI agents and health workers from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Continue Amid fears the substance could contain some form of the Ebola virus, the air marshal was immediately put into quarantine.

The FBI said he was screened “on-scene… out of an abundance of caution.” An FBI spokesperson said, “The victim did not exhibit any signs of illness during the flight and was transported to a hospital upon landing for further testing. None of the testing conducted has indicated a danger to other passengers.”  Health experts say most infectious agents would not immediately manifest or make the patient contagious.

While the unknown assailant ran away and could not be located, officials said the other air marshals on the team were able to secure the needle and bring it on the flight for testing in the U.S. U.S. air marshals travel undercover in plain clothes and it would not be immediately obvious to an attacker that his target was an American law enforcement agent, officials say.

“While there is no immediate intelligence to confirm this was a targeted attack, this is our reminder that international cowards will attempt to take sneaky lethal shots at our honorable men and women abroad,” said Jon Adler, the national president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.  

Source: ABC News

Ebola: Doctors Rejects September 22 Schools Resumption Date

The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has rejected the Monday September 22nd resumption directive given by FG to all Primary and Secondary schools due to the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria.

The NMA speaking through its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Olawunmi Layaki, said they expect all schools to remain closed until December or early next year when all Ebola suspects under surveillance have been cleared and certified free of the virus. 

"We are not happy with this decision on the resumption of schools. Schools should be shut till the last suspected case or patient is certified free of the virus. We can shift the resumption date till next year or in the next three months if that is the time it will take.  Government should have enough time to follow the standard procedure for containing   the virus. Parents have no reason to be   in a hurry because if Ebola should enter any school, it will assume another dimension. Children cannot survive isolation like adults. Nigeria is peculiar because of her large population and we should be pragmatic and proactive.

It   will not augur well for the country if we have another outbreak due to carelessness.” it said In the same vein, the chairman of the Lagos state chapter of the association, Dr Tope Ojo said most public schools lack basic hygienic facilities and this would expose the students to easy spread of the virus.

"It would not have cost the Federal Government anything to have waited till those under surveillance have completed the 21 days in all the states where they are being monitored. The government knows that it takes a longer time for children to get used to the idea of hygiene and sanitation. They are even more vulnerable because they would play with each other whether they are sick or not. How many children know that they should use hand sanitizers or avoid contact with anybody that has fever? Waiting till October when at least the situations in Rivers and Lagos states would have been conclusively managed is another safety measure the government should have taken. These kids are not studying to get a degree, so we are sure it would not have affected schools’ curricula.” he said.

Yoruba Actress Returns Back To Nigeria After Completing 5-year jail Term

Fast-rising Yoruba actress, Temmy who has spent the past 5 years in a Dubai prison for drug trafficking has been released and is back in Nigeria.

According to City People Magazine, the plumpy actress who rocked many party scenes in Lagos before she was caught in the web of drug trafficking by Dubai authorities came back into the country last week. She arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos into the waiting hands of the father of her baby girl. City People Magazine has it on good authority that Temmy and her man will soon be walking down the aisle.

As you read this, the actress has not indicated any intention to return to movie location to continue her career in acting.  About 5 years ago, news filtered in from the oil rich United Arab Emirates State of Dubai that Temmy had been jailed for 10 years for drug trafficking. Nothing was heard about her until a year later when news broke that she has been delivered of a baby girl while in prison.  

Sources who know the high flying actress confirmed to City People magazine, that shortly before her arrest in Dubai, she was seen around with a top baron in Dubai. Having a baby, traditionally, is a thing of joy, but for the beautiful Nigerian actress it’s a sad tale to have her first baby in a gas chamber and worst of it all, far from her fatherland, Nigeria. A source revealed:  “Nigerians in Dubai have neglected Temmy like a bad habit for fear of arrest. All her efforts to reach her close pals in Dubai to come to her aid shortly after she had the baby proved abortive as friends and business associates have all avoided her like a plague.” Though, Temmy initially bagged a 21-year jail term, her condition as a pregnant woman then, was said to have made them reduce it to 10 years.

It will be recalled that when Temmy was arrested for drugs, she was not lucky enough when the custodians of UAE law and constitution found her wanting aside the drug issue. Temmy, CP learnt, had police cases of stealing and forgery inside Dubai major markets and had been warned severally never to return to country again. But as fate would have it, she was said to have used another forged name and documents to enter Dubai while she was trafficking drugs. Left with no choice of curbing her excesses, the UAE authorities gave her two options. Firstly, to be amputated on her left arm and right leg or face 21 years imprisonment. She however fell for the latter.

Nigeria Military Raid Terrorist Hideout In Kawuri, Over 50 Sect Members Killed

Over 50 men of the insurgency group, Boko Haram, were yesterday September 7th  killed after Nigerian troops raided the sect members hideout in Kwauri, Borno state. This is according to a statement by the Nigerian military.

Items recovered from them includes Fabricated Artillery gun, Two Anti-aircraft gun, an armored vehicle and assorted types of ammunition. Food items, hardware, personal clothing were destroyed during the gun battle. One officer and two soldiers were seriously injured.

Secretary To Borno State Government Say Boko Haram Has Taken Over Part Of The State

The Secretary to the Borno state government, Amb. Ahmed Jidda says Boko Haram men have taken over a considerable part of the state.

Speaking to newsmen yesterday September 7th in Borno state, the SSG said activities of the sect members have paralyzed most economy, social, political and government activities in the state. "At this very moment, most parts of Borno state are being occupied by Boko Haram insurgents. Government presence and administration is minimal or non-existent across many parts of the state, with economic, commercial and social services totally subdued. Schools and clinics remain closed.

Most settlements in the affected areas in the state have either been deserted or access to them practically impossible, thus majority of the political stakeholders cannot, in real fact, reach their constituencies. So, the threat of insecurity affects everybody irrespective of political differences." Continue... The enabling environment for politics and electioneering campaign is simply not obtainable at present in Borno state.

In the view of many, the thought about politics and pursuit of political interest in this environment appears absurd, callous and  morally repulsive" he said He said the state and its citizens would be silent on matters regarding the 2015 general elections as the state was not conducive for any form of election campaigning. He queried the Independent National Electoral Commission for planning to conduct a bye election in Jedi LGA House of Assembly constituency on October 3rd even in the face of the high rate of terrorist activities.

He said most of the citizens in the state have taken refuge in other countries such as Niger, Chad and Cameroon. He appealed to Nigerians, mostly those in the North East to help offer solutions that would end the activities of the sect men.

"Pray For Anita" Pastor Chris Oyakhilome Addresses Divorse Rumours During Church Service

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome finally addressed the divorce sage during communion service in his Church yesterday.  He said “I heard that some media houses – especially in Nigeria – are writing some things against me. All sorts of frivolous charges, that’s crazy.You have to understand something about a man of God.

A man of God is not just someone who worships God or preaches God. A man of God is handpicked by God, set on course by God. If you study the scriptures, you will not find one man of God go against God, sinning against God. The only things you might find will be a man of God, maybe in two different kinds of ways. Moses, for example; when he  struck the rock twice, [he] was provoked by the anger of the people. [It was] not because he wanted to do something against the Lord. No man of God does something against the Lord.“Are you hearing me? A man of God is set on a course; there is a type of life that he is given. Then you have a young man, a young prophet; he wasn’t named; he was deceived by another man of God and so he went in a direction that God said ‘don’t go’. “That is the only kind of thing you find about a man of God when he misses the message of God or he acts beyond what God said. But a man of God settles himself in the fight against the world…
like those writing those stupid things about me, that I did this and I did that. You don’t know who a man of God is. I don’t go in that direction. I wasn’t accused of the things you said, nor did I commit those stupid things that you said and I don’t need to go into that level in such discussions.

He recalled that Jesus passed through similar travails and eventually overcame. He said that although so many people were making mockery of him, he would remain steadfast and not lose focus. Jesus Christ was accused by many – a lot of frivolous charges. There will always be those who would like for it to be true. But you know, in spite of the accusations against Jesus, It didn’t change who he was. It didn’t change him. “There are preachers and there are men of God. I am not a preacher; I am a man of God and I go in the way I’m asked to go. It may cause some troubles with individuals but that’s not because I have done something wrong and when it comes to Reverend Anita, what I will say to you is ‘pray for her’. “Don’t act like those people. If you are married to a man of God, it doesn’t make you automatically mature. You can make mistakes; you can do something that is wrong. But some people expect the wife of a minister to definitely be at the level of that minister and so they may be looked upon and the expectation may be like that, but it’s a positional thing. “If a man of God is married, it doesn’t automatically mean that the wife of a man of God is therefore a woman of God. That’s not the way it is in the Bible.

That’s why you don’t really find the wives of men of God mentioned in the Bible. How many of them? Who was Peter’s wife, did you ever know her name? You never find that out. Who was John’s wife? Did you ever read the name? What about all the other Apostles? How many of their names are written in the Bible. You never find their names.”

Gunmen Rob,Rape FRCN Training School Students In Lagos

This Friday, gunmen stormed the Federal Radio Cooperation of Nigeria, FRCN, Training School, Lagos State, raping and robbing many of the female trainee journalists. An eye witness in the school said that was the third time the armed men would be attacking the school. “The armed robbers were many.

They attacked the school last week, last two weeks and now this week. They always rape the girls and dispossess  others, including male students and workers on night duties of their valuables.” The three attacks on the school have left many of the workers shocked, especially as policemen were supposed to be manning the school gate.

According to Vanguard,the last attack occurred at about 2am, with the gunmen targeting the financial records offices. Three of the gunmen wore masks and focused on the new BOND FM station, which has a lot of new expensive transmitting devices. “Many of them broke into our offices, remove burglar-proofs, raped girls who were in training and living in our hostel. They collected money, phones and laptops. This is the third time this will be happening,” said a staff.

According to another insider : “The gunmen are usually many whenever they attack. The first time they came, they appeared to be searching for something as they ransacked all offices.This time, they came with three or four men wearing masks. They were apparently the people who wanted something from the school or offices. When they came this time, they were the ones doing the frantic searching. Whether they succeeded in getting what they wanted this time around is what we don’t know.

” Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, however said only a case of burglary was reported. “I just got to hear today that the place has been burgled three times. But they had never reported. It’s only today that an official complaint was lodged. No case of rape was reported. Nobody has come forward to say that she was raped,”

Ebola: Sister Of Late Portharcourt Doctor Discharged

The sister of the first victim of Ebola virus disease in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Dr. Iyke Samuel Enemuo, Chinyere, who also tested positive for the virus, has been discharged from the isolation centre, Oduoha – Emohua.

Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker, disclosed this to journalists in Port Harcourt on Monday morning. He said Chinyere has been successfully managed and is now negative and immune to the Ebola virus.

A primary contact of index case, Mr. Patrick Sawyer and also an ECOWAS official, had evaded surveillance in the last week of July 2014 and travelled out of Lagos to Port Harcourt where he consulted with the late doctor and was allegedly secretly treated for some symptoms. After four days, following a manhunt for him, the ECOWAS official returned to Lagos by which time he was found to be without symptoms. However, the doctor died after some days, with investigation and laboratory analysis showing that he died from EVD, which he must have contracted during the secluded treatment. As a result, several contacts have been traced, registered and placed under surveillance, including his sister, Chinyere, who has now been successfully managed and discharged.

British Scientists Discover Ebola Vaccine That Could Become Available By The End Of The Year

A new vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus has been developed in the UK and human trials could commence on 60 healthy British volunteers as early as next month.

If the vaccine performs as well in humans as it already has in monkeys, it will be extended to 80 volunteers in Gambia and in Mali. Because of the Ebola scourge in West Africa the trial programme is being fast-tracked – subject to ethical approval – with the intention of using the vaccine in people at high risk in West Africa early next year.

Currently there is no vaccine to prevent the disease and no proven treatment, there is however an experimental drug, ZMapp which has only been used on a handful of human sufferers of the disease. The new vaccine contains a single ebola virus protein from the strain sweeping West Africa – anyone inoculated with it cannot develop the disease itself.

The trial will be led by Professor Adrian Hill, of the Jenner Institute at Oxford University. The vaccine is being co-developed by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline.

Source

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome Assembles Legal Team For Divorce Fight

Christ Embassy founder, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, is finally assembling a team of lawyers for the divorce case instituted by his wife, according to a new report on TheCable.ng In April, his wife, Anita, had filed for divorce at Central Family Court, High Holborn, London, UK, on the grounds of “unreasonable behaviour” and “adultery” (inappropriate relationships with members of staff).

The charismatic pastor strongly denies charges of adultery and has now resolved to engage the services of reputable family lawyers to launch his defence. TheCable was unable to ascertain the names of his would-be legal representatives, although they are expected to come from the UK since the wife also engaged the services of a British law firm, Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors. It is yet unclear the position to be taken by Oyakhilome on the case ─ either to stall the divorce or to stop the wife from getting hefty alimony. “The pastor is sending mixed messages all the time.

We honestly don’t know his mind yet,” a pastor with the church told TheCable in Lagos, citing instances of Oyakhilome getting angry over his wife’s action and other instances when he appeared conciliatory, seeking that she should retrace her steps and return to her matrimonial home.

Oyakhilome had got wind of his wife’s divorce moves as far back as February this year and tried to stall, but she still went ahead to file the case in April. For two months, he avoided being served the court papers but was eventually tricked into accepting service by the wife’s lawyers who went to visit him at his London hotel incognito.

'Although the marriage was contracted in Nigeria, Anita might have chosen the UK for the divorce because that is where she resides and Western courts are known for their strong stand on family issues. If the case ends in her favour, she could get alimony of up to 50% of Oyakhilome’s assets, which include hotels and real estate in many countries. Under the divorce process, he is expected to file his response to the wife’s allegations and state grounds under which he thinks the marriage should not be dissolved.

He could also try to prove to the court that the wife does not deserve significant alimony because of the circumstances of the case. At the time of writing, he was yet to file his defence, according to sources in the know. Anita’s lawyers may now be forced to ask for the next step ─ which is the actual dissolution of the union ─ if Oyakhilome’s lawyers keep them waiting. After reports of the divorce suit were published, an angry Oyakhilome reportedly spoke with members at the London headquarters via a conference call asking those who wanted to leave the church to feel free to do so.

The troubled marriage appeared to have finally broken down last year when Anita stopped ministering at the London headquarters, which she presides over along with other churches in Europe. She also stopped contributing to Rhapsody of Realities, the highly successful Christian daily devotional which is sold around the world and is a major source of income for the couple.

The devotional, which is written in 550 languages and is currently distributed in 242 countries, is on course to reaching 300,000 cities across the world with 100million in 2014, according to the official website. Much has been read into the removal of Anita’s name from the devotional after the news of the divorce proceedings went public. A member of the church in the UK told TheCable that Anita was complaining that retaining her picture and profile in the booklet was creating the wrong impression that she was still contributing to it.

Unconfirmed reports said she ordered the latest edition to be confiscated in London because it was still bearing her image and she had not been paid any royalties since last year. Christ Embassy is one of the biggest denominations in Nigeria, with branches all over the world. The marriage is blessed with two daughters.

Rita Dominic Reveals She's In A Relationship And In A Happy Place

Rita Dominic tells Blanck magazine;

"I feel grateful, thankful and excited as well. Not many have the opportunity to get to this number and for the most part, I have had a good life. Yes I am dating someone and I am in a happy place. I’m good."

She admitted that her man is not in the entertainment industry. "Sorry love. He's not" Rita said when asked if her man is someone in the industry.

Ewedu Soup Can Cure Ebola-LUTH Consultant

When Ebola found its way to Nigeria, there were claims that bitter kola could cure those infected, then another viral rumour asked people to drink and bath with salt water.Both claims were classified untrue by the Ministry of Health.Now, a Luth consultant claims Ewedu cures Ebola.

According to PMnews Prof Adebukola Adefule Oshitelu, a professor of Ophthalmology from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), is claiming that the plant ‘Genus Corchorus’ found in Ewedu soup, has the unique ability of curing the feared Ebola Virus Disease. She said this at the 2014 African Traditional Medicine organised by NAFDAC  at Ikeja, Lagos state. According to Oshitelu, “The qualities inside Ewedu is so much that it will kill Ebola by preventing the virus from replicating and destroying more organs in the body. This would immediately stop the symptoms such as high fever, stooling and vomiting. Ultimately, leading to the cure,” 

“The way it will be prepared will be different from the normal way they cook it. It should be washed and rinsed with liquid vinegar, afterwards blend and cook with drinkable water. No salt, potash or seasoning should be added, take 25cl of the concoction a week and it would boost a person’s immunity so that they become impregnable to the virus,”  

However, In a statement made by the Director General of NAFDAC, Paul Orhii who was represented by the Director of Laboratory Service, Stella Denloye, NAFDAC said it has banned illegal advertisement of herbal products and bogus claims of cure for diseases.

“Unpatriotic Nigerians who continue to engage in illegal advert of their products and those making false claims not evaluated by NAFDAC should desist from acts misleading the unsuspecting public. I want to warn and inform them that NAFDAC would deal decisively with anyone found to contravene,”

Lagos Ebola Volunteers Threaten Strike Over Lack of Payment

Dozens of volunteers at the Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH, of the Yaba Mainland Hospital, Lagos, where patients down with Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, are receiving treatment have threatened to stop reporting to their duty posts over non-payment of their emoluments by the Nigerian government.

PREMIUM TIMES investigations revealed that the volunteers are being owed over two weeks of their daily entitlements by government. On Friday morning, two patients were still in the hospital’s isolation ward – a clergyman who had prayed for Iyke Enemuo, the Rivers State-based medical doctor who died of the virus; and Dr. Enemuo’s wife who had contracted the virus. By Friday evening, the clergyman was discharged from the centre after his test results returned negative, leaving Mrs. Enemuo as the only patient in the ward.

It was gathered that while medical doctors and nurses who had volunteered to attend to patients down with the Ebola virus are being paid N50,000 and N40,000 per shift respectively; the monies have not been forthcoming since a fortnight ago. Other low cadre workers at the IDH such as the ward attendants and laundry men who take care of the patients’ laundry have also not been paid.

A volunteer who did not want to be named for fear of victimisation, told PREMIUM TIMES: “The place is tough at the moment, no communication from the top to the ground, most of us have worked for two weeks without pay. And not just without pay, initially, what was agreed was that at the end of each shift, you take your pay and go home. Right now they are just compiling, they are not paying us, we just work and go home, and this is like over two weeks now, no pay, and nobody is addressing us whether pay is coming or not.   The most painful aspect of this whole thing is that all of us that enter and take care of these patients, carry their shit, you know they stool a lot, clean them up, do all the necessary things, that treated these people are the people suffering now. But those people who call themselves the officials, the truth is that they don’t even witness how these Ebola patients look like, they’ve not even seen them. They don’t enter inside at all, they don’t go in, they don’t dress in that hood (Personal Protective Equipment). They don’t go close to the patients,” the volunteer added.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that volunteers at the IDH are spread across three shifts daily:  morning (8 a.m – 2 p.m), afternoon (2p.m – 7 p.m) and night (7 p.m – 8 a.m). Each volunteer works two or three shifts weekly. “Once your shift is over, you hand over to the people coming to replace you, collect your pay and go home. Sometimes they compile two or three shifts before they pay. But this time around it’s clocking two weeks and we have not heard or seen anything. Yesterday (Thursday) everybody was agitating. People don’t know who to complain to. Nobody is happy.

They were swearing at the officials, that how will they risk their lives to do this and at the end of the day they are being victimized. Had it been that they are addressing us, it would have been a different thing."  Last month, the Lagos State government had announced that in conjunction with the federal government, it would provide life insurance to health volunteers at the IDH.

According to Jide Idris, Lagos State Health Commissioner, the insurance is part of his government’s plan to protect citizens from EVD infection and has been developed for implementation at all levels. Mr. Idris, a medical doctor, had said: “To ensure the effectiveness of the response strategy, volunteers are being deployed to support several areas of work. While volunteering is usually done as a means of giving back to society, the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Lagos State Government have partnered to make available some compensation packages as a means of demonstrating our gratitude for your selfless services. The hazardous jobs will have hazard packages that include life insurance,” Mr. Idris had added.

But several volunteers interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES said that one month after the promise, they are yet to be briefed about their life insurance packages.

Another volunteer told PREMIUM TIMES. “Nobody has told us anything concerning it (life insurance). We didn’t see anything about insurance. What they did was that at a particular time they just brought one volunteer’s form and we just filled the form and gave them back. Since then nobody has mentioned anything concerning it again.   Even when you try to approach them to find out if the pay is coming or not, they become hostile to you. And yet work is going on, we come to work, do your work, and go home,” she added. The volunteers also accused one Dr. Abdulsalami, one of the senior officials at the IDH, of being hostile to them whenever they attempt to enquire about their emolument. “Dr. Abdulsalam is the one that relates between us and the state. He normally brings our pay. He has not told us anything to hold on, rather he’ll tell us that there is no money and if you try to talk further he will be hostile to you,” he added.

Phone calls and text messages to Dr. Abdulsalami were unanswered, so also were phone calls and text messages to Dr. Idris. But Faisal Shuaib, Head of the Ebola virus Emergency Operations Centre in Lagos told PREMIUM TIMES that the claims were untrue. Dr. Shuaib said in a text message response: “Every documented, verified volunteer is being paid handsomely. I am sure you know this. Let them show you evidence that they were engaged as volunteers and working actively for the past two weeks. If they have been working, they deserve to be paid for their sweat. If they haven’t, then they are trying to play on your intelligence,” he added.

While angry reactions trailed the unavailability of the N1.9 billion released by President Goodluck Jonathan for the management of Ebola, the Health Minister, Onyebuchi Chukwu, denied the money was for the management of the virus.

According to Prof. Chukwu, a medical doctor, the N1.9billion approved by the president was for the federal ministry of health. “It is not for Ebola fund. It will be used to procure more vehicles for working which have been ordered. It would be used to procure more drugs that have been ordered…and other items,” he had said. Some of the volunteers also allege that names of some selected colleagues from amongst them are being forwarded to the federal government for further remuneration.

 A volunteer told PREMIUM TIMES: “Among the volunteers, there seem to be a kind of list they carved out from the volunteers’ list. They are saying that the federal government promised to pay at the end of the exercise. They now selected their favourites and people they feel will trouble them and forwarded their names as people that will receive the money from federal and now claim that the rest of the people, that the state is settling them, whereas they have seen nothing. They made a new list and included those names. They have already taken their account numbers and processing their payment.  

They said they only had some people the federal have mapped that they are going to pay, that the state has claimed that they are paying us,” the volunteer added. But Dr. Shuaib dismissed the claims, stating that he would “walk a thousand miles” to ensure that all volunteers receive their remuneration. “Go and find out if these claims are true, and if you want to excel in journalism, be professional. Find out the right way, not by asking people if they have been paid. “Investigate and find out that there is something that is wrong going on and then I’ll follow it up,” he added.

Enemuo Acted Like A Traditional Healer-Medical Council

Enemuo Acted like a Traditional Healer - Medical Council This Is Laila's Blog / 7 hours ago If not for death, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, the country’s regulatory agency for the practice of medicine, would have disciplined the late Dr. Iyke Enemuo because he acted like a traditional healer.

Enemuo died after contracting the Ebola Virus Disease from the ECOWAS diplomat, Olubukun Koye, whom he treated in a Port-Harcourt hotel. Fielding questions from journalists in Abuja, the Registrar of MDCN, Dr. Abdulmumuni Ibrahim, condemned the decision of the late doctor to treat a patient suffering from a contagious disease in a hotel. While describing Enemuo’s action as highly unethical, Ibrahim said it was wrong to treat a patient outside a medical facility. He said:

“It is very unfortunate that he died. But what he did was very wrong. In fact, orthodox doctors should not behave like traditional healers. No medical intervention by a doctor should be done in secrecy.  If you are a patient, the doctor should advise that you should be treated at the right facility. Even when in an emergency, a doctor should get the patient moved to the hospital after handling the emergency. So, honestly it was really wrong for the doctor to treat a patient in a hotel. What he did was unethical.

” Punch reports that Ibrahim also called on doctors not to join in abandoning patients with symptoms similar to EVD in hospitals but that doctors and other medical personnel must be properly kitted with protective gear when handling patients displaying EVD symptoms. He continued: “A doctor is not supposed to reject a patient, although the consultation between a patient and a doctor is a mutual contract. A doctor has the right to accept or not to accept to treat a patient. But it is unfortunate that a doctor will refuse to treat a patient after he or she goes to the right facility seeking treatment. 

If a doctor is up to date in the practice of medicine, he should be well informed about managing the Ebola Virus Disease and that is why the MDCN has made it a policy that for a doctor to renew his/her license annually, he/she must be up to date by way of continuing professional development.  If a doctor is up to date, he will be in tune with global best practices and he will be knowledgeable about the approved protocol of treating Ebola Virus Disease. It is also expected that every medical personnel involved in managing a case of the disease is fully kitted in world standard protective kit.