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Commissioner Condemns Looting of Medical Equipment By Hoodlums In Kogi

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Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello
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From Joseph Amedu,  Lokoja

The Kogi State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Saka Audu has condemned in its entirety the recent looting and vandalism of  medical equipment and consumables worth billions of naira by hoodlums in the state.

The  Commissioner  expressed disappointment over the development at a press conference in Lokoja  over the weekend,  after he led a team from the ministry and the media to inspect the burgled medical store located along Zone 8.

The commissioner  also expressed shock over the unfortunate development, saying it would be very difficult for Kogi to recover from it.

He stressed that the state do not have the capacity to recover what had been carted away or vandalised in a short term period without adequate external intervention and support.

”With a heavy heart I am obliged to make public a very sad development, a kind of which I have never witnessed in my whole life.

”The Kogi State Central Medical Store was burgled and equipment worth billions of naira were stolen.

”Those equipment that couldn’t be stolen like the walk in refrigerator for immunisation, components of MRI/CT Scan machines were vandalised beyond repair, while others were moved from the store and broken into pieces in nearby bushes.

”The situation is indeed worrisome, and should be a cause for concern to all Kogites as it sets us back many paces in our efforts to provide quality healthcare to all.

””It is also beyond my comprehension as the items in our store bear no semblance to food items which could be of benefits to these heartless invaders. The impact of this dastard act will linger for long”, Audu said.

He added that the state was currently quantifying the extent of the damage and would eventually make public the list of stolen items and cost implications.

He stressed that the state had lost the entire content of the medical store, saying not even office equipment or ordinary immunization cards were untouched.

According to him, medical equipment such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and Computed Tomography machines, Digital Mammography, Digital Radiography, consumables, drugs, office furniture, air conditioners, solar power unit, fans, among others were either looted or vandalised.

”The implication of this is that the Drug Supply Chain and cold chain for routine immunization will be disrupted; we will not be able to carry out routine immunization to the good people of Kogi State.

”This is one of the saddest moments in my entire tenure as the commissioner for health, as I keep picturing a gloomy and uncertain aftermath for the Kogi State Health Sector.

”A store that successive State Government Administrations and Health Development Partners have invested billions of naira to equip was emptied in a matter of hours is heart wrecking”, the Commissioner lamented sobing!

He appealed to the federal government, development partners, donor agencies and well meaning Nigerians to assist Kogi State Government in that regard.

Also speaking, Dr Abubakar Yakubu, the Executive Director, Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KSPHCDA), noted that 20 tonnes capacity Cold Room recently built for vaccines by the agency was completely vandalised.

He stressed that the cold room which was fully sponsored by the state government to be commissioned soon were destroyed, and its 100KVA inverter and 36 solar  batteries carted away.

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MTN, Tier-1 Banks’ Stocks Lift NGX Gains by N157bn

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Renewed interest in MTN Nigeria, alongside sustained interest in Tier-one banks’ stocks on Thursday further raised the equity market higher by 0.27 per cent.

Specifically, investors gained N157 billion or 0.27 per cent, making the market capitalisation which opened at N58.963 trillion, to close at N59.

120 trillion.

Consequently, the All-Share Index grew by 0.

27 per cent or 278.
42 points, to close at 104,562.06, as against 104,283.64  recorded on Wednesday.

As a result, the year-to-date (YTD) return on the index rose to 39.84 per cent.

Buy interest in Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO),  Zenith Bank, Wema Bank, Transnational Corporation, Prestige Assurance, Sovereign Trust Insurance, among other top traders, kept the market in the green.

The market breadth also closed positive with 39 leading equities outnumbering 19 declining stocks on the floor of the Exchange.

Meanwhile, Morison Industries Plc led the gainers table by 10 per cent to close at N1.76, Ikeja Hotel followed by 9.91 per cent to close at N6.43 per share.

Julius Berger gained 9.73 per cent to close at N66, while Omatek appreciated by 9.72 per cent to close at 79k.

UPDC Real Estate Investment Trust went up by 9.57 per cent to close at N5.15 per share.

On the other hand, FTN Cocoa led the losers’ table by 9.60 per cent to close at N1.60

ABC Transport trailed by 9.41 per cent to close at 77k, while Guinea Insurance lost 7.89 per cent to close at 35k.

NGX Group shed 6.75 per cent to close at N21.40 and Chams declined by 6.34 per cent to close at N1.92 per share.

Analysis of the market activities showed trade turnover settled higher relative to the previous session, with the value of transactions up by 36.61 per cent.

A total of 623.08 million shares valued at N16.95 billion were exchanged in 10,257 deals, compared to 499.71 billion shares valued at N12.41 billion exchanged in 10,260 deals posted previously.

Zenith Bank led the activity chart in volume with 88.36 million shares valued at 3.89 billion, followed by GTCO which led in value with 78.68 million shares worth N4.11 billion.

Access Corporation sold 56.74 million shares worth N1.39 billion, UBA traded 54.94 million shares valued at N1.54 billion and Fidelity Bank transacted 50.78 million shares worth N504.23 million. (NAN)

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Naira Falls Against Dollar by 0.7%

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The Naira experienced a slight depreciation at the official market, trading at N1,309.39 to a dollar on Thursday.

Data from the official trading platform of the FMDQ revealed that the Naira lost N8.96 or 0.69 per cent, compared to the previous day’s rate of N1,300.43 against the dollar.

However, the total turnover increased to $857.

78 million on Thursday, up from $416.10 million recorded on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, at the Investor’s and Exporters’ (I&E) window, the Naira traded between N1,392 and N1,250 against the dollar. (NAN)

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NAFDAC Intercepts Psychoactive Drugs, Bursts Beverage Factories in Southeast

The National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized banned pharmaceutical products, worth millions of naira, in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra, during a raid.

The agency also burst factories manufacturing fake alcoholic beverages in Enugu and Imo states during the month.

Mr Martins Iluyomade, NAFDAC’s Director, South East Zone, told newsmen in Awka on Wednesday that drugs intercepted in Onitsha, included 892 bottles of Codeine Syrup, 26 packs of Rohypnol tablet (Flunitrazepam) and 16 packs of Swings tablet (Flunitrazepam).

Others were six rolls of Teka Tramadol capsules 100mg, 10 packs of Super Terpentol tablet 200mg and eight packs Osaka Tramadol Capsules 100mg.

Iluyomade commended Mr Louis Mmadubuatta, the Coordinator of NAFDAC in Anambra, for a successful operation, saying that the drugs posed grave public health danger.

He said the drugs were dangerous  psychoactive substances, especially Rohypnol, which, he said, was largely used by kidnappers, rapists, cultists and  ritualists, on their victims.

“These are controlled drugs which should not be found in an open market or in the hands of individuals,” he said.

Iluyomade said other breakthroughs made included the discovery of a factory under the name BEST IJAW at Ibagwa Aka, in Igboeze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, which specialised  in the production of an unapproved dry gin.

He said the factory had eight PVC containers filled with substances suspected to be ethanol and drums of substances equally suspected to be ethanol.

“The so-called factory is in an uncompleted building used for rearing all manners of domestic animals and is very unkempt. 

“Workers at the factory fill small branded plastic bottles with substances suspected to be ethanol from these drums and they distribute them to the innocent public for consumption,” he said.

The NAFDAC Zonal Director said another operation was carried out in Ezinihitte, Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, where a factory counterfeited some popular wine and spirit brands.

He said some of the faked beverages intercepted were Campari, St. Remy, Big Ben Gin, Lord’s Gin, Eagles Gin, Seaman’s Schnapps, McDowell’s, 8PM Whisky, 8Hours, Action Bitter, One Man Squad, Hennessy, 501 Whisky, Royal Spark, Don Oscar’s Quevedo Red Wine, and Chelsea Dry Gin.

He said the couple who operated the factory had been arrested and handed over to Police for investigation and prosecution.

“A huge number of all the drinks were seized. Bottles, corks, labels, substances yet to be identified until after a proper test as well as other equipment used for the product of fake drinks were also seized.

“The operation was made possible by the collaboration between NAFDAC and the Directorate of State Services,” he said.

Iluyomade said the operations were in continuation of the agency’s mission to ensure that consumers of food and drink in the Southeast were  protected from harmful products, 

He advised the general public to be patient and painstakingly look out for the seal of quality on beverages whatever they wished to buy them.

According to him, NAFDAC remained committed to ensuring that the level of counterfeit products in markets and homes is reduced drastically for the safety of all consumers of these products.(NAN)

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