Chioma Umeha

By Chioma Umeha The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Ogun State Chapter, has disassociated it selves from the recent newspaper publications name (Withheld), on the controversial self acclaimed nurse who was impregnated by a lecturer at the Ogun State College of Health Technology, (OGSCOTECH), Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun state. The Chairman, NANNM, Ogun State Chapter, Comrade Roseline Solarin in a joint statement by the executive members, at the Nurses House, Abiola Way in Abeokuta, said the newspapers had at different times published stories addressing the lady who was neither a registered nurses nor student nurses had been mischievously referred to as nurses or student nurses, adding that the lady in question was a “dentist technician” which has no relation with nursing profession in any aspect. She said the misinformation was thought to be an honest mistake when the story was initially published and attempts were made to correct the half

By Chioma Umeha The Kaduna State Government has pledged to partner with the Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN) to tackle malnutrition in the state. This commitment was made by Chairperson of the Kaduna State Emergency Nutrition Action Plan (KADENAP) Hajiya Aisha Ummi Garba El-Rufai during a recent advocacy visit by CS-SUNN in Kaduna. “I am more than excited to work with CS-SUNN. Once we can sit and map out how to address malnutrition in Kaduna, funding will be made available for activities. CS-SUNN has advanced in so many issues regarding nutrition; drawing attention to challenges and disturbing data and figures, I will work with them”, the KADENAP Chairperson said. Hajiya Ummi El-Rufai therefore directed that CS-SUNN be invited to join the KADENAP Steering Committee as project partner especially in the area of data provision and distribution, community enlightenment and orientation. Earlier, Project Director of CS-SUNN, Mrs. Beatrice Elu

By Chioma Umeha Mrs. Chinedu Chukwuma, from Agwu in Enugu State, is a happy woman. One needs no fortune teller to understand the source of happiness of the 20-year-old mother. The healthy look of her two children tells it all. You could see the bond between Chinedu and her three-month-old baby, Ebelechukwu, as she cuddles her, all thanks to exclusive breastfeeding. The World Health Organisation (WHO) explains, “Exclusive breastfeeding means that the infant receives only breast milk. No other liquids or solids are given – not even water – with the exception of oral rehydration solution, or drops/syrups of vitamins, minerals or medicines.” For Chinedu, exclusive breastfeeding is not a new practice. She has done it before and had seen the benefits. She did not need any persuasion to adopt it for Eberechukwu, her second child. Apart from immunisation, she has had no reason to be shuttling between hospital and home unlike some mothers. Chinedu told Independent d

By Chioma Umeha Pharmacists under the auspices of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), have condoled with the people and government of Kano State over the demise of the late diplomat and elder statesman, Alhaji Maitama Sule. In a letter jointly signed by Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, the President of   PSN and Pharm. Gbologade Iyiola, PSN’s National Secretary, PSN described the late Sule as a nationalist and man of peace with high commitment to the unity of the country. The letter read: “PSN will always remember him as a great Statesman and Nationalist personified as a man of peace who was highly committed to the unity of Nigeria. “He was a man of faith blessed by Almighty Allah with a wonderful voice, outstanding eloquence and a good sense of humour. “A man of unparalleled dignity who served without being tainted with scandal as commonly found in our leaders. “Alhaji Maitama Sule’s death was a colossal loss not only to his immediate family. He would be sor

By Chioma Umeha Federal government has commended FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria, makers of Peak and Three Crowns milk, for pioneering local milk sourcing, development and for improving the lives of Nigerian dairy farmers. Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), said this Monday, while inspecting the local milk collection facilities of FrieslandCampina WAMCO in Fashola village and Iseyin town, Oyo State. The site is where the company’s state-of-the-art milk collection centres and offices operate under its Dairy Development Programme (DDP). After inspecting the milk facilities and speaking with members of the host community, Chief Ogbeh said: “It will be wonderful if each Nigerian child can get two pints of fresh Nigerian milk daily. “We express the gratitude of government to FrieslandCampina WAMCO for ongoing efforts in this regard. We appreciate and commend your commitment and investment because not ma

By Chioma Umeha The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called on the Federal Government to increase taxes on tobacco to raise its prices with a view to reducing the consumption in the country. Mr Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director, CISLAC said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, insisting that such measure had been implemented in countries where the tobacco companies operated. Rafsanjani also said that such companies paid huge penalties for the violation of such law in their home countries, adding that Nigeria should not jettison the measure. He said CISLAC condemned in totality, the open display of rascality arising from the recent threats by a tobacco company and other multinational tobacco firms in some African. “We are not unaware of some dangerous and terrible efforts by the group to frustrate successes against tobacco use across Uganda, Namibia, Togo, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya and Burkina Faso.

By Chioma Umeha Heineken Africa Foundation (HAF) in collaboration with Nigerian Breweries Plc (NB Plc) recently commissioned an upgraded neonatal ward at the Lagos University Teaching hospital, LUTH. The project involved a physical and infrastructural upgrade of electrical installations to modern versions as well as a provision of piped oxygen and air to the neonatal unit complex. It also included an upgrade of plumbing facilities to ensure availability of potable water in the unit. The facility was also equipped with two Bubble CPAP Machine Systems, one Neo puff F/P Resuscitator, 12 Phototherapy units, two Pulse oximeters, eight baby incubators and four multi-parameter monitors. Other new equipments are six infusion pumps, six humidifiers continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) Spares, one ISTAT Blood Gas Machine and two weighing scales. Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc, representing Johan Doyer, Managing Director/Chi