News
COVID-19 vaccines produced in Nigeria will meet international standards — NAFDAC DG
…As NASS commends agency for judicious use of funds
With the strengthening of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC, vaccines produced in Nigeria including those for COVID-19, will be of internationally acceptable standard, the Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has vowed.
Prof Mojisola Adeyeye made the pledge during the oversight visit to the NAFDAC facilities and COVID-19 laboratory projects in Lagos on Friday August 26, 2022, by the House of Representatives Committee on COVID-19.
She described the Federal government’s huge spending on the fight against COVID-19 as exemplified by the construction of the new COVID-19 laboratory, equipped with modern instruments and amenities at the Agency as a wake-up call for the country.
She noted with dismay that the health sector had hitherto been neglected before the present administration responded through the COVID-19 Committees of the National Assembly, “particularly the members that are here today.”
To ensure that the health sector is strengthened, the NAFDAC boss, in a statement signed on Sunday by the Agency’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, pointed out that the regulatory Agency must be strengthened.
“If the regulatory agency is not strengthened, the industry will not be strengthened,” she said, adding, “we have the African Free trade Agreement already here with us now for the nation’s pharmaceutical industry to take advantage of with quality products.”
She added, “There will be a lot of competition and if NAFDAC’s laboratory is not strengthened, we will not be able to compete.”
“For Vaccine, we are hoping that the vaccine facilities from the public- private partnership will soon happen,” warning that “but if the regulatory agency is not strong, we can make vaccine that will destroy our own people.”
With NAFDAC now very strong with WHO Maturity Level 3 certification, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye enthused that “Nigeria can now make her own vaccines and we can assure the populace that there is quality in whatever is being manufactured because of NAFDAC’s strength.”
On the impact that COVID-19 fund has made, she said this should resonate well with the whole country that if you put the right people in the right places, then the vison of the government can be realized.
“Whatever approvals that are being given by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on funding our activities, you can actually touch such and this is what has happened here today,” Prof. Adeyeye excitedly told the visiting lawmakers.
She commended the House COVID-19 committee, and the Healthcare Services Committee of the 9th Assembly for committing to ensuring that NAFDAC as a regulatory agency is being known internationally.
Speaking in the same vein, Chairman, House Committee on COVID-19, Hon. (Dr.) Haruna Mshelia commended the DG NAFDAC and her management team for leveraging on latest technology to upgrade the Agency to a standard that is next to none in Africa.
“We have seen with our eyes how they have leveraged on latest technology to upgrade the organization to a standard that is next to none in Africa. I think they need to be commended. We have seen the warehouse. We have now seen the laboratory which is under construction. They have gone very far, and the standard of the construction is good,” he said,
He added, “We have also seen the equipment awaiting to be installed in the laboratories. I have to say kudos to the DG and her team for getting good value for money as far as COVID-19 funds for NAFDAC is concerned. Other Agencies should come to NAFDAC and learn how they have leveraged on ICT to move their organization forward so that everywhere our standard can be uplifted with everyone seeing it.”
The Federal Government has announced that the demolition of buildings situated within the right of way of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road will commence this coming Saturday.
According to Channels Television’ on Thursday, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Korede Keisha, disclosed this during a press briefing held in Lagos on Thursday.
Keisha urged all residents whose houses have been earmarked for demolition to visit the ministry’s secretariat in Lagos to address any necessary procedures required by the ministry.
She stated that the demolition team would commence the removal of the marked properties on Saturday.
Keisha said, “So this press briefing is just to create awareness for all those that may be involved or have one or two things to do along that project corridor.
“We’ve sent out demolition notices to as many as are within the right of way and we are using this medium now to say that everyone that has any concern within that corridor and have been served, the secretariat is opened to them from today, 3pm.
“We are welcoming them from today till tomorrow. Whatever you have to do along that axis, and then we’ve come to you and marked you down for demolition, we are asking that you see us at the secretariat from today till tomorrow evening.
“Thereafter, demolition squad will move to action by Saturday morning for the first three kilometres.”
The minister added, “For the first three kilometres, anything within the right of way of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be dropped down from Saturday morning.
“So, I want to use this medium to reach out to as many as we cannot put calls across to, that this will go a long way to let them know that their issues will be sorted out between today and tomorrow.
“Especially if you are within zero to three kilometres of the projects and you have been marked. You have been identified as standing in the right of way of the project corridors.”
Recently, Minister of Works Dave Umahi disclosed that the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road is expected to span eight years and cost N4 billion per kilometre
The 700 km Lagos-Calabar coastal road will be constructed for N15 trillion, and a kilometre of the road will cost N4 billion.
It is designed to connect Lagos to Cross River, passing through Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom states before culminating in Cross River.
Hamma Bello, the eighth posecution witness in the trial of a former Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, narrated before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday, how the defendant and her subordinates diverted public funds into their private companies.
Oyo-Ita, the first defendant, is facing criminal prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission alongside her special assistants, Ugbong Effiok (seventh defendant), and Garba Umar (fourth defendant).
Others are six companies: Frontline Ace Global Services Limited, Asanaya Projects Limited, Slopes International Limited, U and U Global Services Ltd, Prince Mega Logistics Ltd, and Good Deal Investments, on 18 counts bordering on misappropriation, official corruption, money laundering, and criminal diversion of funds to the tune of over N3bn.
The witness, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Faruk Abdullahi, and H.M. Mohammed, told the court that Oyo-Ita used Slopes International Limited and Good Deal Investments Limited – fifth and sixth defendants respectively, to fraudulently award government contracts to herself through the fourth defendant, Umar.
The first entry transaction of Good Deal Investment Limited in February 2019 showed that N42,748, 201.47 was paid into its Zenith Bank account.
The witness said, “We called for the account statements of these two companies, upon analysing them, we realised he (Umar) was paid several sums of money from the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing where he is an employee.
“And upon interviewing the fourth defendant, he admitted that he was also a contractor. He also admitted to have paid the first defendant on several occasions from the proceeds of the transaction.”
On April 27, 2019, the witness disclosed that a transfer of N20, 2027, 142 was made in the name of Ibrahim Madu to the Zenith Bank account of Asanaya Projects Limited.
The mandate card of the account bears the signature and photo of the seventh defendant, Effiok.
Investigation, according to the witness, also revealed that the seventh defendant incorporated Asanaya Projects Limited in his name with the knowledge of the first defendant and that approvals were granted and payments made to the seventh defendant either through his personal account or to the account of the company.
The witness said, “The seventh defendant, upon interview, confirmed he had never travelled for most of the funds he received and that the first defendant was aware of and benefitted on several occasions from the funds. The account of U and U Global Services Limited was also opened by the seventh defendant.
“In summary, from 2015 to 2018, U and U Global Limited received several payments in the form of Duty Tour Allowances and estacodes. Sometimes, payments from the Federal Government were made directly to the account, for instance, on March 24, 2016, he received N40, 313, 453. 58. This particular payment was from the Federal Government.”
Further in his testimony, the witness stated, “Exhibit O is the Fidelity Bank account of Prince Mega Logistics Ltd. On March 27, 2018, and April 6, 2018, there were four entries, N4, 950, 000; N3,946,000, N4,676,000 and N1,478,000, from Thomson Titus Okure, who used to be a colleague of the seventh defendant in the Account Department.
“There were also outward payments to Ignom, Minaro Blessing, Winifred Oyo-Ita, Olarenwaju Godman Olushola and the seventh defendant is the sole signatory of this account.”
peaking further, he said, “I also want to add that we invited the first, second and seventh defendant at different times to our office and interviewed them. In the case of the first defendant, we printed chats from her phone and saw conversations she had with contractors, subordinates, and permanent secretaries. She also voluntarily made a statement to the EFCC.”
The matter was adjourned till April 30, 2024.
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) President, Mr Festus Osifo, has said that the much-awaited new minimum wage may not be announced on May 1.
Osifo said this while speaking with newsmen on Friday in Abuja.
”The negociation by the Tripartite Committee is still on going. If you remember, the TUC earlier submitted N447, 000 as the new minimum wage but we have harmonised our figure with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) .
“It is now N615,000. Regarding the when for the new minimum wage, the committee is still working.
“So, certainly, May 1, will not work for the pronouncement of the new minimum wage. Except if the Federal Government wants to pay the minimum wage of N500, 000 to workers,”he said.
He however said that the N615,000 demanded by the organised labour is not sacrosanct.
”The government also has its markup and so conversations and negotiations will start and end somewhere, ‘he said.
He also noted that before organised labour arrived at that amount, a proper study was conducted.
”If you look at the N615. 000, you will think that the amount is right but at about the time we did that computation, a dollar was about N1, 700.
”I am hopeful that the committee will meet after May 1,” he said.
NAN reports that the 37-member tripartite committee on minimum wage set up by the Federal Government to continue further negotiations and consultations on the new minimum wage.
The National Minimum Wage Committee is chaired by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Bukar Aji, with other members drawn from the Federal Government and State Governments, the Private Sector as well as the Organised Labour.
Shettima notes that though decisions made to salvage the economy remain inevitable, the Federal government is not oblivious of the short-term implications, assuring Nigerians of better days ahead
He urged the committee to be diligent and consult widely in arriving at a fair and decent wage that can alleviate the sufferings of the people.
Demolition of buildings for Lagos-Calabar coastal road begins Saturday
How ex-HoS, Oyo-Ita, others diverted public funds – Witness
New minimum wage announcement on May Day not feasible – TUC president
Court orders Sen. Victor Umeh to repay N136m bank debt to AMCON
UNDP, FG partnership needed to achieve inclusion, equity- Minister
Banks drive stock market performance with N147bn gain
-
Finance3 months ago
Court orders Sen. Victor Umeh to repay N136m bank debt to AMCON
-
Abuja Update2 months agoUNDP, FG partnership needed to achieve inclusion, equity- Minister
-
Abuja Update1 month ago
Banks drive stock market performance with N147bn gain
-
Infotech4 weeks ago
World Backup Day: NITDA urges Nigerians to ensure backup of data
-
Health1 week ago
Capacity training will reduce migration of health workers- NPHCDA
-
capital market2 years ago
Rt.briscoe, FBNH, Others halts negative performance of stock market
-
Health3 weeks ago
Immunisation: FG, GAVI seek synergy with Sokoto Govt.
-
Infotech2 weeks ago
Forex for Beginners: Unveiling the currency exchange and how to trade it
