By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Federal Goverment (FG), has called for immediate investigation into the alleged neglect of accident victims at the emergency unit of the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Jabi, Abuja.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako has directed a full investigation into the matter.

It would be recalled that video that trended on social media at the weekend, where someone was heard lamenting that he rushed some accidents victims he saw on the road to the facility but that the staff were slow in attending to them.

The video showed arguments between the good Samaritan and some staff of the hospital one of whom talked about the unavailability of gloves.

Dr. Bioku Muftau, Head of Clinical Services, Clinical Center, FMC, Jabi, while briefing journalists on the issue said, the Minister of State has already set up a committee to fully investigate the matter and report back to him.

He said preliminary investigation revealed that the hospital have enough medical supplies to use for patients in the hospital.

According to Dr. Muftau, “So what we found, actually, is that the hospital has enough or adequate hospitals supplies. That one, we don’t joke with it, including Lethbridge Grove, as against what the man tried to portray.

“And again, the necessary equipment and materials, as I have shown you before, are always adequate, including IV fluid, enough IV fluid, enough cannula, the dressing pack, as well as monitoring. We have patient monitors all over the place in our accident and emergency unit, which we use to monitor our patients. So the equipment or materials to move the patient from the car or ambulance into our resuscitation area are also adequate and available.

“We have stretchers, we have wheelchairs, so depending on the type of the case. So the question of having necessary gloves to wear, particularly in an emergency, is not a problem. So the government has provided that, and we always provide that all the time.

“So like we said before, the investigation is ongoing. The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, has directed that the incident be investigated, and it’s ongoing. So I don’t want to preempt what will come out of the investigation for now”.

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), eminent stakeholders and concern leaders, on Monday evening, called on the party to immediately obey the Supreme Court judgment that recognized Sen. Sam Anyanwu as the National Secretary of the party.

This was contained in a communique issued at end of the meeting by the party’s stakeholders in Abuja.

The Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, while reading the communique at the end of the meeting said it was also agreed that the Presidential candidate for the 2027 election must be zone to the south.

He lamented that, the current crisis in the party is as a result of refusal of a few to adhere to the Party Constitution,

Those at the meeting include former Governors Ifeanyi Uguanyi (Enugu); Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).

Others at the meeting include the National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; former Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda; serving and former federal and state lawmakers, some zonal and state party executives, among a host of others.

The communique reads, “At a meeting of the aforementioned group on the 9th day of June, 2025 in Abuja, the state of affairs of the party; the need to reinforce internal democracy, equity and justice within the ranks of the Party were discussed and carefully reviewed. The eminent Stakeholders and Concerned Leaders drawn from the various States of the Federation, took a deep and strong view of the situation in our party and came to the following conclusions:

“The seemingly intractable crisis in the party is as a result of inexplicable refusal of a few to adhere to the Party Constitution, with particular reference to Section 36(1)(a)(b) and (c), Sections 47(3)(5) and 48(1)(i) and the definitive Supreme Court Judgment regarding the position of the office of the National Secretary of the Party.

“The Eminent Stakeholders and Concerned Leaders are alarmed that the party is in an inevitable path to self-annihilation, if urgent steps are not taken to rein in the desperate, divisive and selfish tendencies that brought the party to its knees in the lead up to the 2023 election.

“These divisive tendencies, unfortunately, have found expression in the conduct of certain interest within the ranks of our party both at NEC, NWC and Board of Trustees levels”.

“Consequently, the PDP Eminent Stakeholders and Concerned Leaders resolve as follows:

“That to finally arrest the inexorable drift towards extinction in our party, the party must, without further delay, respect the judgment of the Supreme Court. We, therefore, unequivocally reaffirm Senator Sam Anyanwu as the duly elected and substantive National Secretary of our great Party.

“In the spirit of fairness, inclusion, federal Character principles and respect for our party Constitution, the Party must make an unequivocal pronouncement Zoning its presidential Candidate to the South in the 2027 elections after the unbroken years of Northern President under President Muhammadu Buhari.

“In line with the provisions of our party constitution only the National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, can issue notices of meeting of the National Convention, National Executive Committee, National Caucus and the National Working Committee and to this end all notices not issued by him and actions founded on them, including correspondences to INEC are null and void and of no effect whatsoever.

“Furthermore, it is clear from the Constitution that only the National Convention, properly and duly constituted can remove Senator Sam Anyanwu, the National Secretary, arising from his status as a member of the National Executive Committee of the Party.

“We, therefore, demand that the Acting National Chairman and the National Secretary jointly issue a notice to INEC with an attached agenda for the National Executive Committee Meeting of the Party being the only pathway to abide by extant laws.

“We, the stakeholders reiterate our commitment to our great party and urge all members to uphold the rule of law, respect constitutional mandate, resist all machinations aimed at destabilizing the party and support the efforts of the National Reconciliation Committee headed by His Excellency, Senator Bukola Saraki”.

Mr Sam Onuigbo,  former House of Representatives member for Ikwuano/Umuahia South/North, says President Bola Tinubu remains  an indisputable beacon of Nigeria’s democracy.

Onuigbo said  this in an interview in Abuja on Tuesday,  ahead of  Nigeria’s   commemoration of Democracy Day, slated for June 12.

He saluted President Tinubu’s bold and patriotic sacrifices during the days of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), in the fight for democratic governance.

“Tinubu is an indisputable beacon of democracy. He joined NADECO in  making sacrifices for Nigeria to restore democracy.

“In 1999, he was elected governor of Lagos  State and he brought hope and transformation through democratic leadership and positioned the state as a mega city in the whole world,” he said.

The ex-rep, who is also member,  representing South East in  the North East Development Commission (NEDC), lauded Tinubu for sustaining Nigeria’s democracy.

According him, Tinubu sustained efforts in building blocks to build democratic platforms that benefitted other states of the nation.

Onuigbo said that Tinubu’s role in entrenching democratic tenets remained unequaled.

He commended Tinubu for working tirelessly to  enthrone  successive democratic governments not just at the state levels but at the Federal level.

“This is a man who worked for the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari and some state governors and patiently waited till 2023 to ascend the presidency.”

Onuigbo, therefore,  urged the southeast in particular, and Nigerians at large to ensure continuity by re-electing Tinubu , come 2027.

He expressed satisfaction with Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying  they were hinged on enduring and long term effects.

Onuigbo,  who reiterated the need for Tinubu’s re-election, said it  was necessary for him to continue his good works.

He explained that  removal of fuel subsidy is now yielding results with increased revenue being injected into the economy.

Onuigbo, particularly, expressed gratitude to Tinubu for creating  the South East Development Commission (SEDC)  aimed at addressing  devastations of the civil war.

He described SEDC as a panacea to age long marginalisation of the southeast since after the civil war.

The lawmaker, however, advised the leadership of SEDC to judiciously manage their resources  to develop the zone.

He said: “There is need to reposition our agriculture, need for integrated railway line for the entire  southeast to boost commercial and entrepreneurial activities.” (NAN)