DEFENCE
Buhari Inaugurates Air Force Hospital, Pledges Quality Healthcare Services
President Muhammadu Buhari says efforts by the Federal Government will be redoubled to improve health facilities, equipment and services in the country, listing people living in rural areas as top on priority for better health services.
Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, in a statement in Abuja, said Buhari made this known when he inaugurated the Nigerian Air Force Reference Hospital in Daura, Katsina State, on Thursday.
The president said the Federal Government had, in the last four years, invested resources in the health sector, with increased budgetary allocation moving from N259 billion in 2015 to over N340 billion in 2018.
He also revealed that significant strides had been made to life expectancy and reduced some of the killer diseases associated with child and maternal mortality to less than 70 deaths per 100, 000 live births by the year 2030, as planned in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
He, however, maintained that ”despite this, more efforts are needed to fully eradicate a wide range of diseases and many persistent and emerging health issues in our society.”
Buhari said dependence on foreign countries for medical treatment could be reduced by turning around the health sector in the country, noting that health services in the rural areas deserved more attention.
“To achieve this, we must now redouble efforts to focus on providing more efficient funding of the health sector, improve sanitation and hygiene, and increase access to medical care in the rural areas in order to save lives of millions of Nigerians.
“There is therefore no more auspicious time to commission this Reference Hospital than now,’’ he added.
The President commended the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar for situating the Reference Hospital, with state-of-art medical equipment for radio-diagnosis, cancer screening, dialysis, laboratory diagnosis and research, in Daura to serve the aligning states and communities.
“This hospital will minimise the need for people in these areas to travel to Kano, Kaduna, Abuja or even overseas to receive medical treatment.
“I urge you to maintain the highest standard and quality of services the military is known for in attending to patients and the host community. Maintenance is central to efficiency and satisfactory service delivery,’’ the President said.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Mrs Nuratu Batagarawa, said the project was conceived and implemented with personnel of the military and the community in mind to provide quality health services.
In his remarks, the Chief of Air Staff said the 60 bed capacity hospital had a total of nine medical consultants, as well as 61 general medical practitioners and dentists.
“These developments have significantly enhanced the capacity of the medical services branch to provide quality healthcare to our personnel,’’ he said.
The Chief of Air Staff also noted that the hospital had ultra-modern operating theatres, an intensive care unit, medical laboratory, eye and dental clinics and a physiotherapy department.(NAN)
CRIME
Military Kill Bandit Leader While Attempting to Rustle Cows
From Dan Amasingha, Minna
Gallant Military personnel have repelled an attempt by some bandits to rustle cows and neutralized the criminal gang leader .
Two of the Military Personnel who participated in the operation however, sustained gun shot injuries.
DAILY ASSET gathered that, the incident happened at the early hours of Monday at a military base in Tegina, Rafi local government area of Niger state.
During the early hours fire fight between the security personnel and the criminals, one of the bandits suspected to be their leader was killed in the process when they came under superior fire power.
It was reliably gathered that the said criminals were allegedly crossing towards Mashegu and Wushishi local government areas of the state to rustle a targeted groups of cattle in those areas.
The Chairman of Rafi local government council, Alhaji Ayuba Usman Katako confirmed this in a telephone interview in Minna.
He said the two soldiers shot were responding to treatment at IBB Specialized Hospital Minna while one of the bandits suspected to be their leader was neutralized.
Ayuba Katako further revealed that the military, police and vigilantes are trying their best in ensuring peace and security of lives and properties in the state and deserved to be commended.
He decried the continuous attacks on security personnel, but called on citizens for patience, support and prayers to overcome the menace of insecurity bedeviling the state and Nigeria at large.
The Niger state military cantonment in Minna could not be reached at the time of filing in the report.
Niger East Senatorial District has been bedeviled by insecurity with bandits targeting schools, vulnerable farming communities and public institutions in the last seven years.
DEFENCE
Unprovoked Attacks on Soldiers Demoralizing, Unpatriotic – DHQ
By David Torough, Abuja
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said consistent unprovoked attacks on military personnel in recent times by the civilian is capable of reducing the morale of soldiers in fighting terrorism.
The Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba disclosed this in a routine media briefing on Thursday in Abuja.
He pointed out that the unwarranted killing of 17 personnel in Delta State and the recent assault on unarmed personnel in Abuja were “worrisome and counterproductive.
”According to him, “the attacks not only harm our soldiers but also undermine our national security and hinder our efforts to defeat terrorism”.
He urged citizens to remember that “our soldiers are sacrificing their lives to protect us, and we must support them in this fight.”
He explained that “unprovoked attacks on soldiers are unpatriotic and amount to self-sabotage. Instead, let us work together to defeat terrorism and ensure our nation’s prosperity,” he said.
Buba said the military has demonstrated professionalism in the face of these attacks, but it was crucial for citizens to realize that their support is also essential to winning the war.
“We urge the public to report any erring troops and trust in the military justice system to address such matters.
“Together, we can defeat terrorism and ensure our nation’s prosperity. The Armed Forces of Nigeria remain committed to this cause and will continue to fight until victory is achieved,” Buba said.
He maintained that jungle justice does not have a place in any sane society, stressing that any civilian who encountered any wrong doing with a security personnel should seek redress in the constituted authority,adding that an attack on security Operatives is a “shade of wrongs”.
On the ongoing operations in the country, the Director said, during the month of May, troops have successfully degraded the potency of terrorist groups, neutralizing 624 terrorists, arresting 1,051 others, and rescuing 563 hostages.
Additionally, he said troops recovered a substantial amount of weapons and ammunition, including 707 assorted weapons and 16,487 rounds of ammunition even as they prevented oil theft worth an estimated N705,836,036.00.
”Troops are making significant progress in the ongoing counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations across the country”.
He explained that a joint operational environment and synergy with other security and intelligence agencies have greatly contributed to the success of the operations.
COVER
Oil Theft: Navy Impound Three barges, Arrest Seven Suspects in Bayelsa
The Nigerian Navy has impounded three barges laden with suspected stolen crude oil and refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) ,arresting seven, at Tunu Community Creek, in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
The Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH, Commodore Nanmar Lakan told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday that his command received an intelligence report on the illegal activities going on in the area and swung into action.
NAN reports that the seven suspects who were found on board the barges who claimed to be security working under Tunu leadership are kept under custody pending when the investigation is concluded.
According to Lakan, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has complained of the loss of 25 percent of their daily production in the area to oil thieves.
He said he swung into action by sending his men on both air and water surveillance in the area and their efforts paid off as the barges were impounded by his officers and men.
According to the Commander, two of the barges have the capacities of containing 637,000 litres of the products each while the third can contain 700,000 litres of the products.
Lakan added that investigation is ongoing to ascertain the owners of the barges and where the products were meant to be discharged.
He warned those who indulge in such illegal activities of oil theft to desist from such illegitimate business, as the Nigerian Navy will not allow them to find peace. (NAN)