NSCDC boss summons Adamawa state commandant

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

Given the controversy surrounding the just concluded Adamawa State governorship rerun election where the Corps was alleged of complicity along with other security agencies, the Commandant General (CG) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has summoned the State Commandant, Muhammad Bello, to the Corps’ National Headquarters, Abuja.

The Corps helmsman directed the State Commandant to immediately hand over affairs of the Command to his immediate subordinate to allow him time to provide the management of the Corps with an explanation on the role he played in the exercise.

NSCDC in a statement issued on Wednesday by its spokes person Olusola Odumosu said Dr Audi emphasised that NSCDC is a nonpartisan, non-political organisation that will not tolerate the involvement of personnel or any of its formation in political controversies as widely alleged.

“I have summoned the State Commandant to National Headquarters to face the management team and explain himself in clear terms.

“We are reknown for our integrity, neutrality and non partisanship in election matters, that is why we will not take the case of Adamawa lightly.

“I have ordered him to hand over the Command to his immediate deputy because his role in the rerun election is currently being investigated and if he is found culpable, then he will have himself to blame,” CG said.

Recall that the declaration of Aisha Binani Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the governorship election in Adamawa by the Resident Wlectoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Commission (INEC), when the results from the remaining LGAs had not been announced sparked widespread anger which elicited the purported allegation against the Corps.

The CG assured that the situation will be accorded the much deserved action and anyone found to be involved in any form of compromise during governorship rerun election in the state will not be spared but would be dealt with to serve as a deterrent to others.

L-R: Chairman, Agrotek Value Chains Agent (Agrptekvca Ltd), MPaul N. Eluhaiwe, Director General, Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN), Mr. Andy Ekwelem and Director, Prime Waves Limited, Engr. Ilyasu Nazifi, during the press conference on strategies for deepening and strengthening the Nigeria Rice Subsector towards a more sustainable and impactful development, yesterday in Abuja.

Sickle Cell: Government tasked to sensitize citizens

in Kaduna yesterday.

country.

The Founder of Sickle Cell Patients Health Promotion Centerville (SCPHPC) Kaduna Hajiya Badiya Magaji Inuwa has called on the federal and state governments to rise to the challenge of ensuring proper sensitization about sickle cell disease among Nigerians. She asserted this while speaking to our Correspondent

According to her, Sickle cell anaemia is a terminal disease so should be accorded the same importance like Malaria and HIV/AIDS.

She expressed dismay that the government at all levels are not given the required attentions.

Hajiya Badiya stressed the need for government to make Nigerians go for their genotype tests before marriage, as a way of reducing the disease in the

She noted that those suffering from sickle cell disease needs to be shown love and care as a way of encouraging them to fight the disease.

Hajiya Badiya also called for support for parents and relatives of those living with sickle cell disease, stressing that majority of them pass through great challenges while taking care of their family suffering from the disease.

She explained that SCPHPC has gone into collaboration with those living with sickle cell to create more awareness of what those living with the disease pass through and the need for all to come together to support and help them where necessary. She urged the National Assembly to have a legislative law that would give special attention to sickle cell patients and provide affordable treatment for them, saying many were facing stigmatization in society.

Group sensitises civil society, humanitarian workers on mental health

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

GoodDeeds, a global movement of people dedicated to doing good has sensitised civil society organisations and humanitarian workers on mental health and self-care while providing humanitarian services.

The Focal Person of the group in Kaduna State, Mrs Itama Okhuelegbe, said at the event in Kaduna, that the exercise was to also appreciate civil society and humanitarian workers for their selfless service to humanity.

The event was organised in collaboration with the Thinkers Children Foundation, as part of activities to mark the 2023 Good Deeds Day.

Okhuelegbe explained that the Good Deeds Day sought to promote people giving back to their community, thereby promoting harmonious relationships among people.

She said that since 2007, Good Deeds Day had been uniting people from around the world with the aim of spurring them to help others and do good for their communities.

“The act of charity and good deeds towards people in need, or communities in despair, is never forgotten by their recipients.

“Today, we are celebrating civil society organisations, individuals and groups rendering humanitarian services first responders to people in need, putting smiles on people’s faces and keeping families together.

“We want to thank groups and individuals that have been rendered selfless help to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, marginalised, neglected, and exploited groups.

“We want more people to become ambassadors of doing good things to those in need in whatever way they can – feeding the hungry, providing shelter to the homeless, and clothing the poor, among other good deeds,” she said.

While acknowledging the good deeds of humanitarian service providers, Okhuelegbe, however, stressed the need for humanitarian and development workers to also care for themselves to avoid mental breakdown.

On his part, Mr Peter Ebeh, Senior Psychologist with Neem Foundation, Kaduna Office, described mental health as emotional, psychological and social wellbeing of people.

According to him, mental health affects how people think, feel, and behave.

“It particularly determines how people handle stress, anxiety, depression, and insecurity; how they relate to others and the kind of choices they make”, he said.

He pointed out that with too much demand on the humanitarian workers, they could encounter stress, which in the long run, would affect their mental health.

“People need to know that in the attempt to do good and extend a helping hand without taking care of themselves, they may end up in a dysfunctional mental state.

“There is, therefore, the need for people to balance their work with self-care, to be able to function normally and maintain stable mental health,” he said.

One of the participants, Mr Sunday Awulu, Secretary, Kaduna State Branch, Nigerian Red Cross, acknowledged the absence of a balance between humanitarian work in the field and the workers’ self-care.

Awulu identified psychological stress due to pressure to meet set targets as one of the major causes of mental breakdown among humanitarian workers.