From  Dan Amasingha, Minna.

Angry vehicle owners on Sunday staged a peaceful protest at the NNPC Mega Station along the Western Bypass in Minna, Niger State, over the alleged three-month shutdown of the facility’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) dispensing service.

The protesters, who accused the station’s management of failing to address the persistent shortage, said the development had frustrated the Federal Government’s initiative to promote CNG as a cheaper alternative to Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol.

They lamented that despite investing hundreds of thousands of naira and, in some cases, over ₦1 million to convert their vehicles to run on CNG, they had been unable to access the product in the state capital for months.

Findings indicated that a component of the station’s CNG dispensing equipment had reportedly developed a fault but had allegedly remained unrepaired, leaving motorists who rely on the alternative fuel with little choice but to return to the more expensive petrol.

The persistent outage, the protesters said, had not only undermined the economic benefits of converting their vehicles but had also imposed additional financial burdens on vehicle owners already grappling with rising transportation and fuel costs.

Speaking during the protest, one of the motorists, Engr. Israel Ogbonnaya, described the situation as discouraging, alleging that repeated visits to the station to obtain explanations from the management had yielded no meaningful response.

“It is so discouraging that for three months now, the CNG station at NNPC Minna has not functioned. Imagine that since January, some people did conversion and have not recovered their money,” he said.

Ogbonnaya expressed disappointment that motorists had allegedly received no satisfactory explanation regarding the prolonged breakdown.

“The CNG broke down, nobody has spoken to us. We have come here several times demanding answers from the management, and nobody is talking.

“So, for now, we want to bring the attention of Nigerians and those in authority to the situation in Minna.

 CNG is the heartbeat of the President. He commissioned a committee to look into this scheme, and these people are taking us for granted,” he added.

Another protester, Mohammed Doko Saidu, questioned the rationale behind encouraging motorists to convert their vehicles to CNG without ensuring the availability of adequate dispensing facilities to meet demand.

Saidu disclosed that he had spent more than ₦1 million converting his vehicle, only to discover that the product was unavailable in Minna.

“The frustrating aspect of all is that I just installed CNG, spending over a million naira, without a single gas in Minna; hoping that it is going to be fixed today, it is going to be fixed tomorrow, and up till this moment, there is nothing.

“Nobody is saying anything. The station is just lying fallow. In short, I had to disconnect some of the cylinders installed in my car because there is no gas.

 What kind of government are we in? It is frustrating,” he said.

The protesters called on the NNPC Mega Station’s management and other relevant stakeholders to urgently repair the faulty equipment and restore CNG supply to Minna.

They warned that failure to resolve the problem could trigger another protest involving a larger number of aggrieved motorists, including commercial tricycle operators who also depend on CNG to reduce their operating costs.

The motorists maintained that the prolonged unavailability of the product had defeated the purpose of the conversion programme, forcing them to bear the cost of installing CNG systems while continuing to spend more on petrol.

The development raises concerns among affected motorists over the reliability of CNG supply infrastructure and the need for prompt maintenance of facilities established to support the Federal Government’s alternative-fuel initiative.

Efforts to obtain comments from the manager of the NNPC Mega Station were unsuccessful as of press time, while attendants on duty declined to speak on behalf of the management.

From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja 

The Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, Professor Abdulrahman Shehu, has called for more investment in healthcare delivery

The Chief Medical Director particularly woos philanthropists, the Federal Government and the Kogi State Government to invest more in the health sector to improve healthcare delivery and strengthen hospital infrastructure.

Prof. Shehu made the call while interacting with members of the Correspondent’s Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kogi State Council who were in his office to clarify some issues affecting the hospital on Friday.

The renowned medical practitioner who was represented by the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) Dr Raphael Odekunle, said increased private-sector and philanthropic support would complement government efforts in providing modern facilities, medical equipment and other essential resources required for hospitals to deliver quality and affordable healthcare services.

The CMD, who spoke on efforts by the new management to reposition the hospital, said the administration was committed to improving infrastructure, enhancing service delivery and ensuring that healthcare workers remained responsive to patients’ needs.

He stressed that the management would continue to introduce reforms aimed at making services more accessible, efficient and patient-friendly.

Shehu urged patients experiencing difficulties in the course of receiving treatment to channel their complaints through the hospital’s Servicom platform, describing it as an effective avenue for prompt attention to their concerns.

According to him, the platform provides patients with an opportunity to report challenges encountered while accessing healthcare services, enabling the management to identify and address such issues without unnecessary delays.

To reduce the stress of moving between departments in search of medical services, the CMD disclosed that the hospital had introduced a clinical system that brings essential service units together in one location.

He explained that the arrangement accommodates revenue, pharmacy, laboratory and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) units, allowing patients to access the services they need more conveniently.

Shehu said the management planned to extend the system to other parts of the hospital to further improve service delivery and minimise the difficulties patients encounter while seeking treatment.

He, however, appealed to the Federal Government to intervene in the hospital’s infrastructure, noting that improved facilities were necessary to bring its operations in line with the standards expected of a teaching hospital.

On the hospital’s wallet payment system, the CMD defended the arrangement, describing it as a measure designed to promote transparency, accountability and curb fraudulent practices.

He explained that the system enables the hospital to manage patients’ payments in an accountable manner while ensuring that funds are used to provide the required services.

Shehu acknowledged concerns over delays in refunding patients’ unspent balances, assuring that the management was working to remove the bottlenecks associated with the process.

“We are working on how best we can remove the bottlenecks associated with delays in refunding unspent money to patients,” he said.

The CMD also appealed to the Federal and Kogi State governments to intensify public awareness and encourage more residents to enrol in the National Health Insurance Scheme to improve access to healthcare.

He noted that measures were being put in place to ensure the availability of drugs under the scheme, while clarifying that not all medications were covered by the NHIS.

Shehu urged enrollees to familiarise themselves with the scheme’s drug coverage to avoid misunderstandings when accessing prescribed medications.

On emergency care, the CMD assured that the hospital would continue to prioritise saving lives, stressing that emergency cases were attended to before payment was demanded.

He said the hospital’s primary responsibility was to preserve lives, adding that financial considerations would not take precedence over urgent medical attention in emergency situations.

The CMD further pledged that the management would sustain the training and retraining of medical and non-medical personnel to improve professionalism, strengthen patient relations and ensure that patients received satisfactory care.

He expressed confidence that the ongoing reforms, combined with improved infrastructure and support from government and private benefactors, would enhance the hospital’s capacity to provide quality healthcare services to the people.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kogi State Council, Comrade Segun Ademola Salami, commended the management of the hospital for upgrading its facilities to enhance effective healthcare delivery to residents of Kogi State and Nigerians at large.

He urged the Chief Medical Director (CMD) not to relent in his efforts to ensure that the hospital lives up to its status as a teaching hospital through the provision of quality and accessible healthcare services.

Comrade Salami, however, appealed to the management to address the challenges patients encounter while accessing medical services at the facility.

From Sylvia Udegbunam Enugu 

The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has ordered a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Nnaji Izuchukwu (male) during an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Anti-Cultism Section of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU).

In a statement by the Police Public Relations Oficer, Enugu State command, Daniel Ndukwe said that the CP has directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department (SID) to establish the facts of the incident and determine whether the operation and use of firearms complied with established operational standards and extant laws.

Preliminary findings indicate that operatives, acting on credible intelligence, raided Bull Hotel, Asata, Enugu, where Nworie Chidera Kelvin, a.k.a. “Akidi,” an alleged notorious drug peddler and Vikings Confraternity member, was lodged with associates. Akidi is reportedly linked to multiple cases involving unlawful firearm possession and cultism, including one in which he was charged in absentia. 

He was also suspected of keeping the gang’s firearms and other criminal tools. The operation led to the arrest of Akidi and nine other suspects, comprising males and females aged 17–28. Quantities of dried weeds suspected to be “loud” cannabis, a weighing scale suspected to be used for measuring illicit drugs, and ₦43,400 in various denominations were recovered.

During the operation, Nnaji and another suspect jumped through a window in an attempt to escape. While pursuing them, an operative was confronted by both suspects, who allegedly attempted to disarm him. In the ensuing struggle, the firearm discharged, leaving Nnaji with gunshot injuries, while the other suspect escaped. Nnaji was rushed to hospital, where he was later confirmed dead. His remains have been deposited in a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.

CP Giwa has urged the deceased’s family, associates and other concerned persons to remain calm, assuring them that the circumstances surrounding the incident will be thoroughly investigated and that any officer found culpable will face appropriate disciplinary action. He reiterated that professionalism, ethical conduct and strict adherence to operational standards, particularly those governing the use of firearms, must never be compromised in any police operation.