Reps seek uniform retirement age for judicial officers

By Christiana Ekpa

TheHouse of Representatives, Wednesday resolved to transmit a bill that seeks a uniform retirement age for judicial officers to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.

The House to this end, directed the National Assembly Clerk, Magaji Tambuwal to handle the assignment.

It will recalled that the bill was part of 46 constitution alteration bills transmitted to States Houses of Assembly for concurrence in March last year for their respective inputs.

The passage of the bill however followed the adoption of a motion entitled ‘Passage of Constitution (Fifth) Alteration Bill No. 20 (Uniform Retirement Age for Judicial Officers and Pension Rights) 2023,’ sponsored by Hon. Idris Wase and 69 other lawmakers.

The House urged Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Plateau and Taraba State Houses of Assembly yet to forward their resolution on the Bills comply.

Presenting the motion at plenary, the minority leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu who was a cosponsor recalls that “On 5 April, 2023 the Clerk to the National Assembly was directed to transmit Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No. 47 that met the requirement of Section 9(2) of the Constitution to the President for his assent.

“The Houses of Assembly of Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kwara, Plateau, Sokoto and Taraba States that were yet to forward their resolutions were urged to do so in compliance with Constitutional obligation.

“Sokoto State House of Assembly has accordingly forwarded its resolution. Convinced that with the approval of Sokoto State House of Assembly, the Constitution (Fifth Alteration) Bill No 20 (Uniform Retirement Age for Judicial Officers and Pension Rights) has met the provisions of Section 9(2) of the Constitution, for passage.”

In a related development, the House also passed through second reading a bill authorizing issuance from Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration’s

Statutory Revenue Fund of the Administration Account, the total sum of N502.95 billion.

The N502. 95 billion FCT statutory budget was for the 2023 financial year running between January 1 and December 31.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had in December transmitted the 2023 statutory budget of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to the House.

In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Buhari had said “Pursuant to Section 121 of Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria1999 (as amended), I forward herewith the Federal Capital Territory’s 2023 Statutory Budget Proposal, for the kind consideration of the House of Representatives. In the preparation of the Federal Capital Territory’s 2023 Statutory Budget Proposal, the Federal Capital Territory Administration aligns with the Federal Government’s laudable fiscal development policies.

Accordingly, the FCT 2023 Budget proposal prioritizes improvement in Health Care Services, Job Creations, Youth Empowerment, Social Welfare Services, Education, and Increased productivity in Agriculture, in order to lift significant numbers of our citizens out of poverty.”

Presented for second reading, the bill showed that out of N502. 95 billion, N78.13 billion is for personnel costs; and N116.97 billion is for overhead costs; while the balance of N307.84 billion is for capital project.

It reads: “a bill to authorize the issue from the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s Statutory Revenue Fund of the Federal Capital Territory Administration Account, the total sum of N502,958,983,377.00, of which N116,976,164,567.00 is for Overhead Costs; while the balance of N307,847,115,280.00 only, is for Capital Project; for the service of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, for the financial year commencing from 1 January and ending on 31 December, 2023.

L-R: Spoke person for minority caucus Hon. Dachung Musa Bagos, Chairman of Minority caucus, Hon. Fredrick Agbedi and member elect from Gombe, Hon. Ali Isa Jessy, at the minority caucus meeting meeting, yesterday in Abuja.

NAFDAC trains health workers on dangers of breast milk substitute

Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Aglobal nutrition initiative, Alive & Thrive (A&T) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Wednesday trained health workers in Kaduna State on the dangers of Breastmilk Substitute (BMS).

Mrs Sarah Kwasu, Zonal Coordinator of the organisation, said on Wednesday in Zaria, that the training was under the A&T Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) in Nigeria programme.

Kwasu said that the training was organised by the State Primary Health Care Board as part of efforts to promote optimal breastfeeding practices.

She explained that the World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months towards reducing infant morbidity and mortality, especially in developing countries.

She added that to achieve this, the World Health Assembly in 1981, adopted the Code of Marketing of BMS to discourage the promotion of substitutes globally and ensure full adoption of exclusive breastfeeding.

She attributed the current low MICYN practices in the country to the continued violation of the International Code of BMS by producers and marketers of breastmilk substitutes.

“These violations include the inappropriate labelling and advertisement of BMS, distribution of promotional items, hospital visits and engagement with health workers, as well as direct contact with expectant and new mothers.

“Also, awareness of the Code is very low among health workers and government employees,” she said.

She said that the A&T initiative was being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to save lives, prevent illness, and improve the health and wellbeing of mothers, children, and adolescents.

This, she said, is being achieved using evidence-based approaches in collaboration with governments and other partners at global, regional, national, and community levels.

She pointed out that as a regulatory agency, NAFDAC was specifically assigned the responsibility of implementation, enforcement, and monitoring of adherence to the Code.

She said that NAFDAC had been conducting an awareness campaign to ensure compliance with the International Code of marketing of BMS to improve knowledge, practice, and attitude towards exclusive breast feeding.

She said that the A&T had earlier supported NAFDAC to sensitise health workers from 16 health facilities in four selected LGAs namely Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Chikun and Igabi.

The Zonal Coordinator described the sensitisation as a “huge success” following the step down of the training to a total of 672 health workers.

According to her, the current training was to support NAFDAC and the State Primary Health Care Board to scale up the training to other LGAs.

“The participants are expected to regularly step down the learnings to other staff of their respective facilities.”

The State nutrition Officer, Mrs Ramatu Haruna, said the training was designed to improve the health workers’ knowledge on their role in protecting pregnant women, mothers, and their infants from inappropriate use of BMS.

Haruna added that the training was also to re-orient the health workers on the importance of promoting the early initiation of breast milk and six months exclusive breastfeeding in health facilities.

“The training was also organised to discuss challenges to BMS regulations, and compliance in health facilities and community and identifying areas for further support.

“We also want to reflect on how NAFDAC, State and Local Government Area actors can successfully work together to address these challenges.

“At the end, we want to secure commitments from the Primary Health Care workers in addressing Code noncompliance and promote MIYCN programming through their various platforms,” she said.

Mrs Rahila Maishanu, BMS Officer, NAFDAC, Kaduna State Office, said that healthcare workers have a duty to control the introduction, use and movement of BMS in health facilities.

Maishanu called on the health workers to support, protect and promote breastfeeding towards building a healthy and productive population for the development of the society.

10th Assembly: Bura concerned citizens declare support for Betara as speaker

By Usman Shuaibu

The Bura Concerned Citizens Initiative (BCCI) has declared support for the Honourable Mukhtar Aliyu Betara to be the speaker of the 10th House of Representatives at the National Assembly.

The Chairman of BCCI, Mr. Useni Bata Ndahi who made the declaration while presenting a two – page speech during the press briefing which took place at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Chapter, Zone 5 Utako, Abuja on Saturday.

According to the Chairman, Hon. Betara is one of the most senior legislators who had served as Chairman in various committees, e.g. NDIC Banking and Currency, Interior, Army, Defence and presently Appropriation. With the experiences above, Bura Concerned Citizens Initiative sees him worthy to pilot the renewed hope of the president – elect.

He then called on the people who matters across the states, zones as well as political parties to deem it necessary to support Right Hon. Mukhtar Aliyu Betara for the position of the 10th speaker of the House of Representatives.

His words: “Once again, my dear Nigerians, partisanship had ended with the elections and now it is time for governance. Therefore, the choice of those who lead the process cannot be left to political calculations rather competence, character and capacity. That is why Bura Concerned Citizens Initiative does not only throw her weights behind Right Hon. Mukhar Aliyu Betara, but respectfully present him to Nigerians and most importantly the members of the 10th Assembly to beam their research lights for the selection of those who lead them by choosing Right Hon. Mukhtar Aliyu Betara as the next speaker”.

He said the Honourable Betara was a leader who had been tested and proven in the chamber, pointing out that he was re-elected for the 5th term in the National Assembly.

The BCCI Chairman, however, commended Hon. Betara for carrying out developmental projects across his constituency in Borno State, as he disclosed that Betara was bestowed with an award of Excellence by the Nigerian Union of Journalists North-East Zone in 2013.

Meanwhile, Bura Concerned Citizens Initiative was incorporated with the six members of Board of Trustees which included Hon. Justice Mwada Balami (Rtd), Chief Bata Madaki Auta, Useni Bata Ndahi, Chief Isaac Balami, Dr Sunday Jijiya Bwala and Barr. Daniel Machar.