Media
Badagry LG Relocates NAN Office, Three other Agencies
Mr Olusegun Onilude, Chairman, Badagry Local Government Area, says that the offices of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and three other Federal Government agencies in Badagry are to be relocated.
Onilude, who dropped the hint while speaking with the agencies’ representatives on Monday, said that the relocation of the offices became imperative following the resolve of his council to reconstruct the town hall.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Badagry reports that the three other federal agencies affected are the National Population Commission, the Public Complainants Commission and the National Identity Management Commission.
Also affected by the relocation plan are the Citizen’s Mediation Centre under the Ministry of Justice, Lagos and some Lagos State agencies that have their offices in the Town Hall located besides Topo Garage along General Hospital, Badagry.
The council chairman said: “Already, a three-man committee to relocate affected federal agencies’ offices have been set up.
“The decision to reconstruct the dilapidated structure of the Town Hall is in fulfillment of the promises I made during my electioneering campaign and during my presentation of the 2023 Budget.
“As you can see, the contractor handling the project has started skeletal work on the old structure since Friday.”
Onilude said the committee headed by Mr Philip Asokere, the Council Manager, would look for alternative offices for the affected agencies within the council offices in Badagry.
“You are all very important to us here. If we don’t accommodate you, then we are negating the national policy siting the agencies in the council.
“All what we are trying to do now is to improve on the facilities we have and in improving the facilities at times, we are creating inconveniences.
“When the problem is solved, everyone will be alright. Part of the problems we are creating now is just to make tomorrow a better place,” he said.
Onilude added that the seat of the council would soon move to the newly constructed administrative office, adding that the movement would create more office spaces for the agencies.
“We will have nothing less than 40 offices, by the time we move in. There will be more spaces at the Secretariat, so we can realign thereafter.
“For now, please tolerate us. We can’t afford to lose you because we will pay more to have you back,” he said.
The chairman said that reconstruction of the Town Hall would start on Wednesday, Aug. 16 and be completed within six months.
Asokere, the Committee Chairman, urged the affected agencies to bear with them, adding that at present they did not have enough office space for their councillors and supervisors.
He promised to find comfortable office spaces for the affected agencies.
NAN reports that the chairman took the representatives to Toriko Primary Health Care Centre, where some agreed to stay until there were spaces in the Secretariat.
Other members of the committee are Mr Olugbenga Hoponu, the Council Treasurer, and Mr. O. Yusuf, the Council Engineer.
Media
Nami, Ex-FIRS Chairman Receives Top10 Magazine ‘Man of the Year 2023’ Award
Health
ICRC Trains 25 Journalists on First Aid Treatment in Yola
From Yagana Ali, Yola.
The International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC) has organized a three -day training for 25 journalists on effective First Aid Treatment to prospective casualties.
The workshop, which took place in Yola drew the beneficiaries from different media houses across the state.
In a presentation, Communication Field Officer of the organization, Lemdi Edmond took the participants memory lane from its cradle to limelight.
He pointed out that ICRC intervenes basically in crises involving armed conflicts translating to man -made or unnatural disasters.
Edmond further explained that while the International Federation of the Red Cross intervenes in the area of natural disasters, like flood and earthquake, the National Red Cross Societies handles both natural and man – made situations.
The Communication Field Officer identified seven principles of the Committee to include humanity, impartiality,Neutrality and independence among others.
On their parts, First Aid and Pre-hospital Care Field Office Yola and Abuja respectively, Charity Maxwell and Daniel Ebodor jointly exposed the participants to the meaning, relevance and significance of the First Aid.
They maintained that First Aids basically aimed to save life, prevent condition from further deteriorating and promote speedy recovery.
They identified truthfulness, sympathy, resourcefulness, tolerance and empathy among others as qualities of a good First Aider.
The duo also enumerated and extensively explained Primary Survey variables relating to First Aid as Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and chest compression.
Interestingly, the participants were vigorously engaged in practical First Aid treatment on various aspects having to do with Burns, Fainting, Fracture and bleeding among others.
Highlights of the training were questions and answers, presentation of certificate and First Aid Kits to the participants
COVER
Newspaper Proprietors Decry Harsh Economy, Seek FG Bailout
By David Torough, Abuja
The Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), on Thursday, urged the Federal Government to support the print media to prevent it from going extinct.
Members of NPAN said this in Abuja, during a Business Lunch for some of their colleagues who were recently appointed as ministers.
Four members of the association were recently appointed as ministers by President Bola Tinubu.
They include Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Economy; Mr Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development; Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, Minister of Information and National Orientation, and Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy.
The President of NPAN, Malam Kabir Yusuf, said that the media deserved to be supported because it played an integral role in national development.
Yusuf commended Tinubu for finding so many members of the association worthy to be appointed as ministers.
The publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, and life patron of NPAN, Mr Sam Amuka, said that it was commendable to have four of his colleagues as ministers.
He advised the ministers to represent the association well, urging them to use their influence in government to ensure a free press.
“Let the Newspapers Breathe,” he told the Ministers as he emphasised the need for Federal government intervention to save the Newspaper industry from imminent collapse.
“The Newspapers are losing revenues everyday,” Amuka stated.
In his response, the Finance Minister, Wale Edun, assured the association that Tinubu’s economic reforms would be beneficial to all individuals and groups within the country.
Edun urged members of NPAN to support the government by being factual and objective in their reportage.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, who described himself as an NPAN ambassador in government, urged journalists to be analytical and to always resist the temptation to peddle falsehood.
“Do not join the crowd to peddle falsehood, ” he said.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described himself as the luckiest information minister in history.
Malagi said that his plan was to change the face of government communication.
“Trust in the communication coming out of government will be encouraged.
“I will not tell lies; I will say it the way it is. You people should also report it the way it is, ” he said.
He said that the government would also take steps to restore the integrity of public broadcasting by equipping and empowering government-owned broadcast houses.
Also present at the business lunch was veteran journalist and former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, as well as prominent senior Nigerian journalists, proprietors, President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and that of Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Eze Anaba( additional reports from NAN)