'He ripped off my clothes'

Two soldiers dragged a 14-year-old girl into the tall grass in November. One held her down, the other raped her.

That same month, a 30-year-old woman was approached by a man in uniform.

"We are going to have sex like a man and wife," he said. She tried to resist, was punched in the face and was then raped.

Another girl, 14, was walking down a path in the bush when she was approached in late December.

"He ripped off my clothes and used them to tie my hands behind my back," she said.

These three incidents are among eight sexual abuse allegations documented by Human Rights Watch from October to December 2015 in the Central African Republic.

All of them were allegedly committed by United Nations peacekeepers.

"In a country where armed groups routinely prey on civilians, peacekeepers should be protectors, not predators," Hillary Margolis, women's rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a news release.

The rights group conducted its research from January 16 to 30 in Bambari, where the Democratic Republic of Congo has deployed approximately 800 soldiers.

Human Rights Watch said all of the victims it spoke with believed the peacekeepers that assaulted them were from the Republic of Congo or from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Its report comes less than a week after the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights announced six cases from 2014 in which children may have been abused by foreign soldiers: five girls and a boy, between the ages of 7 and 16.

Those follow a litany of other abuse claims, both from the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations monitoring the region.

The head of the peacekeeping mission was fired over the issue in August.

"I believe the disturbing number of allegations we have seen in many countries -- but particularly in the Central African Republic in the period before U.N. peacekeepers were deployed and since -- speaks to the need to take action now," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in August. "Enough is enough."

In December, the U.N. issued a report on sexual assault by peacekeepers.

It's over 100 pages, but its findings can be summed up in two words: We failed.

"Overall, the response of the UN was fragmented and bureaucratic, and failed to satisfy the UN's core mandate to address human rights violations," it said. "In the absence of concrete action to address wrongdoing by the very persons sent to protect vulnerable populations, the credibility of the UN and the future of peacekeeping operations are in jeopardy."

The report issued a dozen recommendations on what needed to be done.

And though more allegations have surfaced since the report was issued, it's unclear whether any formal charges have been filed against possible perpetrators.

The peacekeepers' involvement in the Central African Republic, one of the world's poorest nations, stems from political violence that began in 2013.

France and African nations sent peacekeepers after a coalition of mostly Muslim rebels ousted President Francois Bozize in March 2013. Christian and Muslim militias battled for control before a tentative political transition began.

The violence prompted a humanitarian crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people fleeing their homes. Some sought refuge in neighboring countries, but many others were internally displaced, living in makeshift camps.

With CNN

Capital Investment Plan Will Trigger Economic Turnaround, Says Adeosun

Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, has said that the planned 1.8 Trillion Naira capital investment in 2016 by the Federal Government will drive economic growth, according to Channel.

Giving a breakdown of the current administration’s plans to reposition the economy at a Forum and Survey Launch in Lagos on Friday, Mrs Adeosun said a spending stimulus was needed to reflate the economy and avoid recession.

The Minister, in her keynote address, told the participating Chief Financial Officers at the forum organised by the KPMG, that Nigeria’s GDP in 2015 was the lowest in the last 15 years and pointed out that even whilst oil prices were high, GDP had been falling.

According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Finance Minister on Media Matters, Mr Festus Akanbi, the Minister recalled that a similar stimulus had actually been provided in the global downturn in 2008.

She pointed out that the stimulus now needed, would be strategically targeted at investments that would support a diversified economic growth.

The Finance Minister said the proposed 2016 budget would finance investments in key infrastructure particularly in transport, power, health, housing and education.

“These investments would create jobs with the various contractors that would execute the projects,” Mrs Adeosun further told the gathering.

She explained that public investments would attract further investments from the private sector and that investments in power and transport would increase the competitive position of Nigerian businesses.

The Minister cited the case of Ethiopia, which is now seen as a model for African economy which has diversified from a single product, coffee to a multi-product with exports of flowers providing US3.5bn Dollars of earnings as well as leather goods and other products.

Mrs Adeosun said that to attain that level of growth, the Ethiopian Government had invested up to 60 per cent of its budget in capital, pointing out that this threshold contrasted to the Nigerian situation, where In 2015, Nigeria’s capital expenditure was just 10 per cent of the total.

“No economy has ever grown by underinvesting in infrastructure,” the Minister stressed.

Explaining the strategies that the government had adopted, the Minister said: “The ongoing “fiscal housekeeping”, which included sanitising the payroll, which to date, has unveiled over 23,000 possible ghost workers and the creation of the Efficiency Unit, are key strategies in managing recurrent expenditure.

“The focus on improving non-oil revenue collections is also an important strategic objective”.

According to the Minister, this is essential in ensuring that the planned borrowings were channelled to capital projects rather than being spent on recurrent items.

On the subject of the planned borrowing, the Minister explained that Government was seeking the lowest cost funds and was therefore, consulting with the multilateral agencies, which offered concessional rates of interest as low as 1.5 per cent before looking at the commercial Eurobond Market.

She said that the financing strategy was to restructure much of the existing debts, which had short maturity and aligned it with the investment plans of the government in line with its Medium Term Expenditure Framework.

The Minister assured Nigerians that the government was ensuring that projects to be undertaken, would create direct and indirect revenues, which would be used to repay the obligations.

Mrs Adeosun said that for the medium term, the outlook for the economy was strong.

“If the planned investments in capital are undertaken, the GDP growth projections show that Nigeria would become a leading global economy.

The government will work to ensure that consumption from our huge population would drive internal growth across a number of key sectors,” she stated.

The Minister, however, assured the audience that if the disciplined implementation of the plans could be attained, Nigeria would finally be able to diversify and end the situation where the entire nation focus on oil price.

Ini Edo Appointed Special Adviser To Akwa Ibom Governor

The veteran Nollywood actress, Ini Edo, has been appointed the Special Adviser on Tourism to Akwa Ibom state governor, Emmanuel Udoh.

Reliable sources close to the actress reveal that she was given the appointment last week and she will be spending most of her time in the state.

Man Faces 1,000 Lashes For Having s*x With Vacuum Cleaner in Saudi

A man accused of having s*x with his vacuum cleaner have been arrested, reports the Riyadh Daily. 

The man was caught in full action by his wife of 17 years before she reported her husband to authorities. “After 17 years of loyalty, this is how this miscreant treats me,” she told local reporters. “I feel used, I feel dirty,” she added.

As adultery is a crime punishable by death in Islamic law, usually performed by stoning the person to death, experts believe the man’s condemnation is a light one.

“Due to the peculiar nature of this case of adultery, in which the accused performed s*x with a home appliance and not with an animal or a human being, the judge has decided to give him a lighter sentence than usual for this crime” admits legal expert and Middle East specialist, Hakim Ben Ali. “Two years in prison and 1,000 lashes is more than acceptable for the region,” he acknowledges.

The man accused of adultery strongly maintained his innocence before the court. “We were unable to identify if the suspect performed any s*xual act with his vacuum cleaner,” Saeed Saleh Trad, the spokesperson for Al-Shafi police, said. “He was arrested and is held in custody pending further investigations,” he told reporters.

The case could be a first one for Saudi law as nothing in Islamic law is stated about s*xual acts performed onto home appliances but the accusation still applies as an act of adultery, believe experts.

Iara Oshiomhole Shuts Down Divorce Rumors, Says “I’m Enjoying My Marriage”

Wife of Edo State Governor, Iara Oshiomhole, has described as ‘most wicked and malicious’, rumors making the rounds, especially on social media that she filed for divorce from Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

Former Miss Iara Fortes, a Cape Verdean, got married to Oshiomhole, a widower, last year May at a private marriage registry at Iyamho, Etsako West LGA of Edo State.

Less than one year into the marriage, rumors surfaced online this week that Iara had filed for divorce from the governor on claims that he is fetish and diabolic.

She was also alleged to have accused her husband of being responsible for the death of his former wife, Mrs Clara Oshiomhle, who died in 2010, after a protracted battle with chest cancer.

Reacting to the unconfirmed reports, Iara said she is currently enjoying her marriage and that there was no reason to divorce her husband.

She spoke in a press statement signed by Executive Director, Media and Public Affairs, Governor’s Office, John Mayaki.

Iara said she was in her office throughout the week holding meetings and brainstorming on how to better the lots of the less-privileged Women and Children in the state through her pet project: “We Care Trust”.

Mrs. Oshiomhole added that she followed her husband on project inspection to the World-Class Central Hospital, Erosion Control sites, Road Construction sites as well as visited four Orphanage homes in Benin metropolis, in demonstration of her milk of kindness, drawing from the support of her husband.

According to the statement, “We Care Trust”, Mrs. Iara Oshiomhole’s pet project is embarking on training of Edo Youths under a programmed christened “Project Focus”.

“This is part of her efforts to uplift the socio-economic life of Edo people just as details of this event would soon be made public”, the statement said.

Mr. Mayaki, however, advised those he called rumor mongers “to engage in more productive engagements to deploy their energies rather than market inanities about public personalities all in their bid to sell their medium”.

“Which Court of Law was the alleged divorce initiated and to whom was it served? Which country, state, municipal or county, if any, is the Court situated? And when was the action/suit filed? Of course the writers didn’t bother to inform their readers. The truth however is that the answers only exist in the warped imagination of the purveyors of the lies”, he stated.

With Information Nigeria

Osinbajo takes over as Buhari proceeds on short vacation

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday began a short vacation.

The vacation will last till February 10, 2016.

The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo will perform the functions of the president while Buhari is away, according to Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity.

Shehu said that the President has formally notified the leadership of the National Assembly of his vacation in compliance with Section 145 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution.

I will prove my innocence in court – Saraki

Senate President Bukola Saraki has expressed his disappointment with the Supreme Court ruling on the appeal he filed to challenge his arraignment before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Saraki had approached the apex court on six grounds of appeal, all of which were turned down by the court.

In a statement signed by his media adviser, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki however, said he will have his day in the court to prove his innocence of the charges preferred against him during the trial proper.

He reiterated the fact that the substantial matter is not before the Supreme Court since the apex court was only invited to rule on some preliminary issues.

The seven-member judges of the apex court had in a unanimous judgement, ruled that Saraki should go and face his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

The senate president, however, expressed confidence that he would be vindicated during the proper trial at the court.

The statement reads, “After listening to the ruling of the Supreme Court in the appeal he filed to challenge the process of arraigning him before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki hereby states as follows :

“He expresses disappointment over the Judgment of the apex court in the country on the six grounds of his appeal

“He however will like to put it on record that the facts of the substantial matter are not before the Supreme Court since the apex court was only invited to rule on some preliminary issues in the process of commencing the trial.

“The Senate President believes he will have his day in the court to prove his innocence of the charges preferred against him during the trial proper.

“Dr. Saraki will like to thank everyone who has expressed support for him from the beginning of the case.

“He assures everyone that at the end of the day truth will prevail and justice will be served.”

Lagos inaugurates mobile courts for traffic offenders

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade, on Friday inaugurated mobile courts in the state which will move around the metropolis to summarily try traffic offenders and mete immediate punishments to them where applicable, according The Punch.

With the mobile courts, which would move around in buses, Atilade said the end had come to “the era of recklessness and impunity on our public roads and highways.”

The Chief Judge regretted that until now unruly road users, who daily cut the lives of innocent citizens short and caused traffic snarl leading to wastage of productive hours on the roads, had gone unpunished.

She, however, said the situation, which she described as unacceptable, would no longer go unpunished as the mobile courts signified the state’s determination “to fully enforce the extant traffic laws in the state and take stiffer measures against road traffic offenders.”

Atilade said, “Those who chose to make life difficult for other people, especially on our roads, should have a re-think, as they would henceforth be held accountable for their deeds.

“Flagrant disregard or violation of traffic rules with impunity is unacceptable and as such, must be discouraged and condemned by all.”

The Chief Judge said the initiative was targeted at curbing the excesses of “those to whom the laws of the land are of no value.”

She said, “You see them break traffic rules at will, and cause needless traffic snag on our roads. They also, most often, drove against traffic and beat the traffic lights, destroy traffic furniture and infrastructures, drive across the road median and through their lawlessness and irresponsible actions, daily inflict pains, grieve and sorrow on fellow citizens.

“Businesses are impeded, as several productive hours are unnecessarily lost in traffic, mostly due to acts of indiscipline by few recalcitrant and obstinate drivers and road users, who are laws unto themselves. As, we speak, many have been sent to early graves, while several others are either maimed or lying critically ill in the hospital.”

She stated that the courts would be presided over by magistrates who are vast in all aspects of the law, and warned law enforcement agents not to allow themselves to be caught abetting or condoning reckless drivers.

In his speech, the state’s Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, said the initiative was not only to punish traffic offenders but to also give the citizens better access to justice.

“It is hoped that these mobile courts, which is an institutional reaction to identified social challenges, will facilitate prompt and immediate trial of traffic and environmental offenders,” Kazeem said.

KAI GETS NEW MARSHAL GENERAL

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, has approved the appointment of Mr. Amusat Bola Jimoh as the new KAI Marshal General of Lagos State.

Jimoh, a retired Chief Superintendent of Police, was on Wednesday sworn in as the Marshal General by the State Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare on behalf of the Governor. Before his appointment, Jimoh had served as the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Alausa and Anthony Police stations as well as in various capacities in the Nigeria Police Force before he retired from the force.

The new KAI Marshal has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Peace and Conflict Resolution from National Open University of Nigeria and an advanced Diploma Certificate in Security from University of Lagos. Jimoh, who is the fourth KAI Marshal General, succeeds Captain Danjuma Maigari (Rtd).

Also appointed are three Assistant KAI Marshal General, Mr. Dapo Bode Thomas for Lagos Central Senatorial District; Mr. Jacob Asogba, for East Senatorial District, while Abdul Salam Kabir is in charge of Lagos West Senatorial District.

Go face your CCT trial, Supreme Court tells Saraki

The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, challenging the validity of his trial on charges of assets declaration preferred against him at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

A seven-man panel of the apex court presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, unanimously ruled on Friday that Saraki’s appeal against the jurisdiction of the trial and competence of the charges, lacked merit.

Justice Wallter Onnoghen, who read the lead judgment, held that contrary to Saraki’s contention, the Danladi Umar-led Code of Conduct Tribunal was validly constituted by two members.

Justice Onnoghen also held that the tribunal was by the provisions of its enabling laws and the Constitution conferred with the quasi-criminal jurisdiction and thus could validly issue bench warrant.

He thus held that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 was applicable to the proceedings of the tribunal.

He dismissed the allegation by Saraki that he was not properly served with the charges and also held that the charges filed before the CCT before the appointment of the Attorney-General of the Federation were valid.

He also noted that there was an attempt by Saraki to intimidate the ‎CCT by claiming that it disobeyed the order of a Federal High Court barring it from continuing with the proceedings pending the determination a suit filed by the Senate President to challenge the trial.

“I have looked at the records, there is no where such orders was made,” Justice Onnoghen ruled.

The CJN and other Justices on the panel agreed with the judgment.

The rest of the panel members who consented are Justices Tanko Muhammad, Sylvester Ngwuta, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Chima Nweze and Amiru Sanusi.

After the judgment on Friday, an army of political associates, who attended the proceedings walked out of the court quietly.

Following the Supreme Court judgment it is expected that the CCT will soon issue hearing notice for the continuation of the Senate President’s trial on three counts of false assets declaration.

With The Punch

Supreme Court rules on Saraki CCT trial today

The Supreme Court will on Friday (today) determine whether or not to stop the trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on charges of false asset declaration before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

A seven-man bench, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, had on December 4, 2015, fixed Friday for judgment after entertaining arguments on an appeal by Saraki, with the Federal Government urging the apex court to dismiss the Senate President’s case and allow the trial before the CCT to continue.

Saraki’s appeal filed through his lead counsel, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), is challenging the majority judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, delivered on October 30, 2015, which affirmed the jurisdiction of the CCT to try him and the competence of the charges of false asset declaration preferred against him by the Federal Government.

The Federal Government had, in September 2015, arraigned Saraki before the CCT on 13 counts of false asset declaration which he allegedly made in 2003 as governor of Kwara State.

The Danadi Umar-led CCT had dismissed Saraki’s protest against the competence of the charges and jurisdiction of the tribunal.

Saraki had appealed against the decision of the tribunal, but the appeal was dismissed by a two-to-one split decision of a three-man bench of the Court of Appeal in Abuja on October 30, 2015.

He further appealed to the Supreme Court, maintaining that the charges were not competent and that the CCT lacked the jurisdiction to try him, because it was not duly constituted as it comprised two instead of three members provided for by the Constitution.

The Supreme Court had, on November 12, 2015 through a five-man panel, led by now retired Justice John Fabiyi, granted an order of stay of proceedings in Saraki’s trial before the CCT, pending the hearing and determination of his appeal.

After granting the order of stay of proceedings, the apex court ordered parties – Saraki and the Federal Government – to exchange their briefs of argument within 14 days.

A new panel, headed by the CJN which heard the appeal on December 4, 2015, comprised Justices Walter Onnoghen, Tanko Muhammad, Sylvester Ngwuta, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Chima Nweze and Amiru Sanusi.

Saraki’s lawyer, Daudu, raised seven grounds of appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal, urging the Supreme Court to set aside the lower court’s judgment, the entire proceedings of the CCT and the charges preferred against him before the tribunal.

At the hearing of the appeal, Daudu faulted the judgment of the appeal court on, among other grounds, that it erroneously affirmed the competence of the proceedings of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, which sat on the appellant’s case with only two members as against the three provided for in the provisions of Paragraph 15(1) of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution.

Daudu also maintained that the charges filed by the then Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. Muslim Hassan (now a Federal High Court judge), when the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation had not been occupied by any person, were incompetent.

In its respondent’s brief of argument opposing the appeal filed by Saraki, the Federal Government through its counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), urged the Supreme Court to uphold the majority decision of the appeal court which held that the Danladi Umar-led CCT was duly constituted.

With The Punch

FIRS: Auditor General queries the ‘missing N400b’

For failing to account for how it has expended about N400 billion, representing four per cent cost of non- oil tax collection between 2010 and 2015, the nation’s tax agency- the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has earned the ire of the Auditor -General of the Federation (AuGF) Mr. Samuel Ukura.

FIRS is entitled to a four per cent of non oil taxes it generates and the sum is disbursed to it every month at the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee ( FAAC) where federation revenue is collated and distributed amongst the three tiers of government.

The Nigerian Customs Service ( NCS) on the other hand is entitled to seven per cent of its revenue generated from import duties and export fees.

FIRS during the period under review generated nearly N26 trillion out of which the non- oil components was around N10 trillion for which the tax agency was entitled to four per cent translating to about N400 billion.

But the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation has come up to say that it was yet to receive statement of account detailing how FIRS deployed the sum, in spite of repeated reminders.

This information was brought to the fore yesterday during interaction between the new Executive Chairman of the FIRS , Mr. Tunde Fowler and the visiting members of the Senate Public Accounts Committee led by its chairman, Dr.Andy Uba.

According to Uba : “ We are just coming from the Office of the Accountant – General of the Federation (OAGF ) for a similar oversight function and while we were there, there is a question I asked the Accountant General, Alhaji Idris Ahmed about Ministries, Departments and Agencies’ (MDAs) compliance with accounts  and he said it is on record that four per cent cost of collection enjoyed by the FIRS had not been included in the financial statement of FIRS since 2010 despite  the Auditor General’s persistent queries.”

Reacting, Fowler informed the committee that the FIRS management under his leadership had just commenced a comprehensive audit of the agency as well as other MDAs, including banks with a view to ascertaining if all the taxes due to the government have been duly remitted to Government’s Account.

.” We also wrote them in September that if there are any amounts unapplied because sometimes tax payers pay them and quote the wrong account number and it goes into suspense account and so we have told them to remit any amount unapplied that belongs to the Federal Government directly to our account”, he added

A breakdown of the about N26 trillion tax revenue generated by the agency within the period 2010 to 2015 indicated that that it generated a sum of N2.839 trillion in the year 2010; another sum of N4.61 trillion in 2011 out of which non-oil constituted the sum of N1.40 trillion; in 2012 , the sum of N5.07 trillion was generated, out which the non oil component contributed the sum of N1.792 trillion.

In 2013, a cumulative sum of N4.805 trillion was generated with non- oil contributing N2.096 trillion while the balance was from oil mineral taxes. The following year, total collection was N4.715 trillion, out. of which non oil yielded they sum of N2.096 trillion.

Also in 2015 , taxes fetched the sum of N3.743 trillion out of which the sum of N2.059 trillion was contributed by non -oil taxes.

With The Guardian

FG promises not to sack NNPC workers

The Federal Government has promised not to cut down the number of employees of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

This is coming as labour unions have threatened to storm Imo State today (Friday) for a mass action if the state government fails to reinstate the workers that it recently sacked.

The Federal Government noted that instead of reducing the number of workers at the NNPC, it would expand the operations of the national oil firm in order to make it globally competitive.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, disclosed this to leaders of labour union in the oil and gas sector during a meeting with them in Abuja on Wednesday evening.

Speaking at a joint press conference organised by the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, the National President, NUPENG, and Deputy President, Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Achese Igwe, said some concessions were reached at the meeting.

He said participants at the meeting discussed the imminent sacking in the NNPC and the oil sector, ongoing concessions and various reforms in the industry.

Igwe said, “We are going to vehemently resist any attempt to sack workers. We have advised service companies and multinational firms that are in the act of outsourcing and contracting that this will portend the loss of jobs for Nigerians. We say no to them because that is not what this government is all about.

“The government today talks about job creation and not job losses. With the current economic challenge we are having in our country, we need not to lose jobs that are already created.”

Asked to state specifically if the unions were assured by the minister that workers would not be sacked at the NNPC, Igwe said, “One of the concrete assurances he has given is that there will be no job losses. He has said there will be job security and he is thinking of expanding the business of the NNPC to be a profit organisation, and to also be a world-class oil and gas company like Petrobras, Petronas and the rest of them.

“If you ask me, what is the staff strength of the NNPC and what is the staff strength of Petrobras, Petronas and the rest of them? We are just an inch of the staff strength of these organisations. Most of them have a staff strength of 34,000 personnel, and what is the staff strength of the NNPC? The entire staff strength of the NNPC today is not up to 5,000 as the case maybe, and you are talking about these organisations that came after you or almost at the same time with you.

“We have said clearly and I am speaking as the NUPENGASSAN chairman today, that any attempt to cause job losses in the oil and gas sector, especially at the NNPC, we will definitely react. We will resist it accordingly and we will do it within the framework of what labour unions are known for.”

On plans to invade Imo State, Igwe said an ultimatum, which elapses today (Friday) had been given to the state government to reinstate the sacked workers, adding that failure to comply would result in mass action by labour unions.

APC barred from Kogi East/Central Senatorial reruns

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the exclusion of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party from the rerun election in to the Senate for Kogi East/Central Senatorial districts, Okene/Ogorimagogo Federal Constituency and Ofu/Ankpa1 State constituencies respectively.

Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) Mallam Halilu Pai who made the disclosure yesterday said INEC as a law abiding commission was only obeying the directives of the appeal court where the petitions were finally dispensed, The Guardian reported.

He however pointed out that if there is any contrary judgment and directive from the court before the 20th of February, 2016 date for the rerun , the commission would comply.

According to a document made available during its stakeholders meeting yesterday the REC said, “Election into Kogi Central/East senatorial districts will feature the same political parties and candidates excluding APC and its candidates.
Okene/Ogorimagongo, Federal constituency, Ofu and Ankpa1 State constituencies will feature the same parties and candidates excluding APC and its candidates.

“For the other reruns in Dekina1, Okura and Idah Star constituencies all political parties that participated in the 2015 general elections will participate.”

Pai in response to an observation that the concerned candidates were in court over the issue of their exclusion and whether it would have been wise for the umpire to wait for that judgment, said they will take into cognizance any new issue from court.

According to him 28 petitions were filed after the general elections adding that they received orders that rerun should be conducted.

Why Nigerians Seek Medical Treatment Abroad

The popularity of Medical treatment abroad is expanding globally mainly due to its greater capacity to provide safe, high quality treatments to those who cannot receive comparable care in their country of origin; many turning to India and Israel.

Medical Tourism once broadly focused on provision of health care and emergency treatment provided by higher-income countries to less developed nations, has since expanded to include patients from many parts of the world to countries with the full range of health care system infrastructure and modernity. Medical Tourism (MT) has become particularly popular in the United States, mainly due to high living costs and costly health services and care. In the United States, a staggering 50 million people are uninsured and over twice as many are uninsured for dental care. Nevertheless, insurance may not cover specific treatments and many are unable to meet the financial requirements specified for medical procedures that they require.

Therefore, Americans have many reasons for seeking treatment elsewhere - since it has also become easier over time to receive the treatment they need that is on average 30% cheaper than in the United States. They can also receive the quality and safety that equals national standards for the very same procedure. Furthermore, patients reap the benefits of getting medical care and treatment while they travel and vacation.

In the modern MT industry, international patients can be rest-assured that in nearly all countries, patients receive quality treatment in the same hospitals that also serve the local population. Services are provided by licensed professionals who maintain international accreditations that adherence to strict medical protocols.

MT is forecasted to expand even further, becoming an increasingly global phenomenon. Along with its growth, affordable and highly sophisticated diagnostic tools that guide the development of innovative treatments. Renowned specialists work with international patients; contributing to the growth of the industry and its success through expertise in specific branches of medicine. Today, an astounding 7 million people have travelled the globe for medical services for procedures like heart transplants to cosmetic surgery and dental care.

MT allows those seeking care to obtain treatment for conditions requiring procedures and processes that would be otherwise unobtainable in their home country; specifically in countries with a medical infrastructure, that lacks important resources for health care delivery.

The MT industry strengthens local economies and provides important employment opportunities of countries that offer medical treatment to foreign patients. Patients worldwide are drawn to new and efficient treatments that have become more cost-effective in places such as Israel and India – this includes complex surgical procedures. Other popular destinations for Medical treatment abroad include Thailand, Singapore, and Mexico.

India often attracts patients that require orthopedic and cardiac surgeries, as well as IVF and oncological treatment. Complications have arisen in incidents of malpractice, lack of comprehensive follow-up care and other difficulties that result in patients seeking services elsewhere. India also has a long rainy season (monsoon) that makes the country difficult to navigate due to weather conditions from May to September – which may affect a patient’s decision to travel to India, especially if the patient is living with a chronic disease.

India is emerging, creating new departments within government-managed facilities to serve medical tourists and working to improve the coordination of healthcare services.  In addition, India aims to promote traditional and alternative medical care through the incorporation of yoga and ancient medicine - Ayurveda.

Israel’s rising popularity as a destination for MT originates from its dynamic tourist attractions, high quality and safe medical procedures and leading doctors, all of which continue to evolve, advancing its successful medical services. In 2014, the Medical Tourism Index (MTI) ranked Israel highly as third in a list of top destinations for medical treatment around the world. Israel uses the most modern techniques for medical practice through the incorporation of advanced screening techniques, laboratory analysis, and individualized treatment. In addition, Israel’s industry, pioneering in the production and development of bio-medical devices, such as the ReWalk exoskeleton.

Bordering the Mediterranean Sea, Israel is an easily accessible destination to access from many countries of the world.  The beaches of Israel are among the finest in the world and enjoyed by patients who stay for post-operative care (following orthopedic surgeries, for example) who simultaneously can enjoy their vacationing period and save money on their medical care.

Israel has successfully established its medical presence on a global scale, including plans for developing Israeli clinics within Russia, as Israel is a popular destination for many Russian patients, as well as in Cyprus; where medical facilities in the countries seek to employ Israeli doctors. Many esthetic and reconstructive surgical techniques of Israeli doctors are implemented within hospitals across the globe.

As mentioned, medical successes in Israel, such as success rates for IVF (In-vitro fertilization) are significantly higher (25-30%) than global averages for procedures of this type and performed at a fraction of the cost than most other countries. Cardiac surgery is another main branch of medicine that attracts tourists to receive care in Israel with many successful bypass surgeries performed. In addition, a large proportion of Israel’s medical tourists come for various cancer treatments.

Furthermore, Israel is known as a country that is focused on health and wellness. The Dead Sea, a natural water source is rich with unique mineral salts, known to have miraculous healing properties to treat a multitude of conditions that range from eczema to rheumatoid arthritis.

Globally, Medical treatment abroad continues to flourish, with greater accessibility to innovative treatments and medical technologies, many foreign patients can take full advantage of what the industry has to offer. Before traveling for a medical procedure, all prospective patients should consider and remain aware of all possible complications regarding treatment abroad. Patients should ensure that the hospital of choice for treatment is fully accredited, equipped, as well as a trusted and registered medical tourism provider for safe and effective medical practice.