By Mathew Denis

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives ( NANNM) Oyo state Council has issued a 14-Day ultimatum to Governor Seyi Makinde to recruit more workers to address the issue of inadequate staffing at the state health institutions.

This was contained in a communique signed by the Oyo state Chairman of NANNM, Comrade Adeyemi Samuel and the Secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Aina and made available to NewsDirect Newspaper on Thursday.

The communique reads, “We write to convey the resolutions of the State Executive Council meeting of NANNM Oyo state Secretariat on April 30th, 2024 that there were deliberations on various issues affecting the welfare and progression of members in the state.

“We request mass recruitment of nurses and Midwives, Nurses Educators into the Hospital Management Board, Primary Health Care Board, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Ogbomosho and Oyo state College of Nursing Science Ibadan to address the gross shortage of staff by improving service delivery.

“Correction of wrong Notional date on promotion letters issued to our members. Adoption and implementation of 25 percent CONHESS circular for nurses and Midwives working with Oyo government.

“Financial implementation of 2018 to 2022 for nurses and Midwives working with in LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Ogbomosho and Adoption and implementation of enhanced hazard allowances for members in the institution, Oyo state College of Nursing Eleyele-Ibadan, College of Health Technology and the Primary Health Care Development Board/LGA.

“Adoption and implementation of lateral conversion and Career progression for Nurses and Midwives on GL12 and above that have possessed Degree certificates in Nursing Science.

“Payment of the withheld of January and February 2011 salaries to the nurses that are yet to be paid and payment of uniform allowances to all nurses and Midwives that are in the service of Oyo state in line with the public rule,” the statement read.

Man City’s Foden wins football writers’ award

Manchester City’s Phil Foden was Friday named Footballer of the Year by the English Football Writers’ Association, with the club’s Khadija Shaw scooping the women’s award.

England attacking midfielder, Foden, joins a roll call of famous names including Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, George Best and Kenny Dalglish.

Foden is the third City player in the past four years to win football’s oldest individual award, following Ruben Dias in 2021 and Erling Haaland last year.

The 23-year-old Foden received 42 percent of the votes, heading off competition from Arsenal’s Declan Rice and his teammate Rodri, who came third in a ballot of the FWA’s nearly 900-strong membership.

Foden has scored 24 goals this season as Pep Guardiola’s City chase a Premier League and FA Cup double.

“Being named the Football Writers’ Association footballer of the year is a huge honour,” said Foden. “I’m very, very happy to receive this award but I could not have done it without the help of my teammates.”

Guardiola praised his player but said he could get even better.

“The impact in the final third is really good, the work ethic. Every year, due to the amount of games he’s playing, and the minutes he’s playing, he’s more mature and understands the game but he has to continue. He’s still young,” he said.

“Depends on him, simple as that,” Guardiola added. “I promise you, it depends on him. Mentality, want more, do it again, do it again, be better in this department, I will live 24 hours for my game and my profession. It depends on him, like all the players.”

Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, who has scored 21 goals in the Women’s Super League, pipped Chelsea’s Lauren James, with the two taking a combined 80 per cent of the votes.

Jamaican international Shaw will miss City’s final two games of the Women’s Super League season with a foot injury but is almost certain to finish as the top-scorer in the WSL as Gareth Taylor’s side close in on the title.

“I am very proud and privileged to have received this award and to be recognised in this way is a special honour,” said Shaw, 27.

Shaw added, “I want to also thank all of my teammates. They provide me with the chance to score goals and I could not have won this award without them.”

President Bola Tinubu will commission three critical gas infrastructure projects undertaken by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and its partners.

They are the AHL Gas Processing Plant 2 in Delta State, the ANOH Gas Processing Plant, and the ANOH-OB3 CTMS Gas Pipeline Projects in Imo State. The gas projects have a combined estimated output of 1,400 million standard cubic feet per day.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed this in a statement he signed Friday titled ‘President Tinubu to commission critical gas infrastructure projects.’

“The projects support the federal government’s effort to grow value from the nation’s gas assets while eliminating gas flaring…and deepen domestic gas supply as a critical enabler for economic prosperity,” said Ngelale.

The AHL Gas Processing Plant 2 is an expansion to the Kwale Gas Processing Plant, which currently supplies about 130MMscf/d of gas to the domestic market.

The processing plant is designed to process 200MMscf/d of rich gas and deliver lean gas through the OB3 Gas Pipeline. However, the facility already injecting gas is scheduled to ramp up to 180mmscfd by the end of May.

Ngelale said this additional gas supply will “support further rapid industrialisation of Nigeria” and also “produce about 160,000 MTPA of Propane and 100,000 MTPA of Butane, which will reduce the dependency on LPG Imports.”

The AHL Gas Plant is being developed by AHL Limited, an incorporated Joint Venture owned by NNPC Limited and SEEPCO.

Meanwhile, the ANOH gas plant is an integrated 300MMscf/d capacity gas processing plant designed to process non-associated gas from the Assa North-Ohaji South field in Imo State.

The plant will produce dry gas, condensate, and LPG. The gas from the ANOH plant will significantly increase the domestic gas supply, leading to increased power generation and accelerated industrialisation.

The ANOH Gas Plant is being developed by ANOH Gas Processing Company, an incorporated Joint Venture owned by NNPC Limited and Seplat Energy Plc on a 50-50 basis.

With the facility mechanically completed in December 2023, the NNPC says it is finalising pre-commissioning activities.

Third is the ANOH-OB3 CTMS Gas Pipeline Project, which the Presidency said involves the engineering, procurement, and construction of 36”x23.3km ANOH-OB3 Project.

“The Transmission Gas Pipeline will evacuate dry gas from the Assa North-Ohaji South primary treatment facility to the OB3 Custody Transfer Metering Station for delivery into the OB3 pipeline system,” read the statement.

About 600MMscf/d is estimated to be available from two separate 2 x 300MMscf/d capacity gas processing production trains from AGPC & SPDC JV.

The 23.3km Anoh-OB3 PPL is scheduled for mechanical completion by May 15, 2024.

When commissioned, the projects will increase gas supply to the domestic market by approximately 500mmscf/d, creating a better investment climate and promoting balanced economic growth cumulatively, the Presidential Spokesman affirmed

The House of Representatives said on Friday that it would review the laws and practices restricting press freedom and the ability of the media to carry out its constitutional role in the country.

Rep. Akin Rotimi, Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, said this while delivering a keynote address, to mark the 2024 World Press Freedom Day organised by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Nigeria.

Rotimi said the legislature would prepare the ground for journalists to operate without any hindrance provided they adhere to the tenets of their profession.

“We will enhance good governance practices, transparency and
accountability through media chats, public hearings, town hall meetings, etc., amongst other scheduled legislative actions in Agenda 6,” he said.

The International Press Freedom Day, celebrated every May 3, is a day of reflection among media professionals and stakeholders on issues of press freedom and professional ethics.

Rotimi said that the 10th House of Representatives led by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, had resolved to work with the media to ensure a successful running of the present government.

He said that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) conferred on the press a critical role as contained in Section 22 regarding obligations of the mass media.

“The role states that the press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives in this chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people.

“Amongst many other challenges in the course of the discharge of this constitutional mandate, the press faces a disproportionate exposure to harm in the face of the widespread insecurity challenges in the country.

“There are also issues around the dearth of funding but I call on all stakeholders to continue with concerted efforts to address these challenges.

“There is no gainsaying that there are many miles to cover as far as media freedoms in our country is concerned but we have greatly improved from the days of military intervention in our polity (particularly, 1983 – 1998),” Rotimi added.

He urged the media to encourage introspection and self-regulation, and also look at the self-defeating ways that the press delegitimises their own struggle by not upholding ethics, and address them.

Mr Lukas Laible, Deputy Resident Representative, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Nigeria, said the press had become the enabler of Nigerian democracy.

“May 3 of every year is an important day for journalists as freedom of speech is the beacon of the practice.

“Without freedom of speech there won’t be freedom of press, and without freedom of the press, no society can be free.

“Journalists don’t just cover events, they are the people’s transmitter and they show capability in handling issues. They hold political leaders accountable and that is what makes democracy viable.

“Holding political leaders accountable enhances good governance. If the press fails to hold the government accountable, it will deviate from the people,” Laible said.

According to him, the press is so much trusted by the people and as such must make the people know the value of a free world.

Mrs Franca Aiyetan, Secretary, Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC), who spoke during a panel session, urged journalists to always do their job in a way that would not consume the people.

Aiyetan, while speaking on the theme “Navigating the Intersection of Media Regulations, Press Freedom Advocacy and Ethical Journalism in the Face of Environmental Crises”, noted that NBC was established to have a formidable Nigerian media.

She said that NBC was not established as an attack dog for the government and as such would want the press to always work with it.

“If a detail about a truth will set two tribes against each other, then, there is something wrong with that truth.”

Another panelist, Mrs Mojirayo Ogunlana, the Executive Director, Digicivic Initiative, said journalists needed laws that should protect them while discharging their job.

“Threats to the lives of journalists should be declared as a state of emergency,” Ogunlana added.

She urged media practitioners to self-regulate themselves to prevent the government from exploiting any vacuum that could give it the opportunity to pounce on them.