Logo of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has urged the Federal Government to increase the budgetary allocation for the health sector from the subsisting 5% in the 2022 budget to a figure closer to 15% as recommended at the 2001 Abuja declaration for health financing in Africa.
The doctors made the appeal in a communique issued on Sunday following their National Executive Council (NEC) meeting tagged “ABUJA 2022” with the theme, “Changing Faces and Phases of COVID-19: Problems and Prospects.”
This, according to them, will not only help to improve their welfare but will also contribute to reducing the ‘brain drain’ said to be experienced by health workers in the country.
“We urge the Federal Government to take steps towards curtailing medical brain drain. The Federal Government should look towards increasing the budgetary allocation of the health sector from the subsisting 5% in the 2022 budget to a figure closer to 15% as recommended at the 2001 Abuja declaration for health financing in Africa.
“This will enable more employment in the sector, improved welfare and service conditions for health workers, and also an upgrade of health facilities and equipment in our institutions across the country,” the communique read in part.
The NEC also noted that the Federal Government has paid the withheld August and September 2021 salaries to its members, and also paid the 2021 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF).
It, however, noted that some members were yet to receive payment of their omitted 2020 MRTF.
The group, therefore, urged the Federal Government to expedite action on the payment of omitted 2020 MRTF to members before the 2021 fiscal year runs out in March 2022.
They thanked Governors of Delta, Benue and Lagos States for “blazing the trail in the adoption/domestication of the 2017 Medical Residency Training Act (MRTA) and also payment of Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) to resident doctors in their states.” while calling on other states to emulate same.
States said to still be oweing arrears of salaries and allowances include: Abia (23 months), Imo (10 months), Ondo (6 months), and Ekiti (3 months).
“This is becoming inhuman and embarrassing”, the communique read.
“We also appeal to the Governors of Delta (1 month) and Gombe (2 months) states to release the withheld salaries of our members in the respective states, so as to alleviate their sufferings,” NARD added.
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<h2>A shipment of illegal drugs that was hidden in the engine compartment of an interstate commercial bus was discovered by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (<a href="https://naijanews.com/topic/ndlea/">NDLEA</a>) agents, just as two grandfathers were arrested for drug trafficking.</h2>
<p><strong>Naija News</strong> reports that the agency's director of media and advocacy Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, detailed that on Thursday, NDLEA operatives conducting a stop and search operation on the highway found no less than 5.2 kg of cannabis sativa and opiates in the engine compartment of an interstate commercial bus bearing the license plate VDY 187 XA along the Gbongan – Ibadan expressway, Osun state.</p>
<p>According to the report, Iorliam Sughnen Dominic, a 35-year-old bus driver who admitted to hiding anything, was detained pending additional inquiries.</p>
<p>The previous day, Wednesday, March 6, a 26-year-old lady, Obasanmi Esther Iyanu, who produces and distributes skuchies was arrested during a raid on her hideout in Osogbo, the Osun state capital.</p>
<p>At least, 16.5 litres of the illicit substance and different quantities of molly and cannabis were recovered from her during the raid.</p>
<p>The statement read, <em>“In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Borno state have arrested a 70-year-old grandfather, Mallam Mai Gemu Adam and 65-year-old Yamama Musa for drug trafficking. They were arrested on Saturday, March 9, along with 24-year-old Abubakar Ya’u and Babagana Abubakar Ali, 28, in Maiduguri and Gamboru-Ngala respectively while 32,000 ampoules of tramadol injection were recovered from them.</em></p>
<p><em>“Same day, operatives at Geidam in Yobe state intercepted a Golf 3 salon car heading to Gagamari in Niger republic, where the occupant, Alhaji Mala Tijjani, 28, was to deliver 40 blocks of cannabis weighing 24.5kg to another dealer, while 42 cartons containing 8,400 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,260 kilograms were recovered from a driver, Mutari Ya’u, 29, at Katsina road, Kaduna on Tuesday, March 5.”</em></p>
<p>In a similar vein, one Aba Thomas was apprehended by NDLEA agents in Lagos on Wednesday in the Igbo Elerin region of the state. Upon his detention, 84 liters of skuchies, 1.1 liters of codeine syrup, 4 kg of cannabis sativa, and 800 25 mg tramadol tablets were found.</p>
<p>It added, <em>“No fewer than eight suspects were arrested on Friday where NDLEA officers raided the notorious Karu abattoir drug joint in the FCT, Abuja with 51.3kg cannabis recovered from them. Those arrested include: Buhari Muhammadu; Jamilu Muhammed; Abubakar Wappa; Yahaya Tasiu; Ezekiel Mulanda; Abba Haruna; Habibu Umar and Shamsu Lawali.</em></p>
<p><em>“In Plateau state, two suspects: Pam Thomas, 45, and Stephen Nyam, 38, were on Monday, March 4, arrested with cannabis weighing 611.428kg at Zawan, Jos South, while in Kogi state, NDLEA officers intercepted a commercial J5 bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra state to Zaria, Kaduna state on Wednesday 6th March along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway where a total of 8,580 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were seized from a suspect, Yusuf Abdullahi, 40.</em></p>
<p><em>“In Enugu, operatives on Tuesday 5th March raided some locked-up shops at the new market in Enugu metropolitan area where 371.42kg cannabis and 9.49 grams of methamphetamine were recovered.</em></p>
<p><em>“The NDLEA Commands across the country in the same vein balanced their drug supply reduction operations with War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaigns to schools, markets, worship centres and communities. Some of these include: WADA sensitisation lecture for 1,320 students of Government Secondary School, Madakiya, Kafanchan LGA, Kaduna; students and teachers of Kingdom Heritage School, Badagry, Lagos; students of Comprehensive Secondary School, Bichi, Kano; as well as WADA advocacy visit to Ekiti State First Lady, Dr. (Mrs) Olayemi Oyebanji and her Abia State counterpart, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, among several others.”</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.naijanews.com/2024/03/10/ndlea-busts-two-illicit-drug-factories-in-osun-lagos/">NDLEA Busts Two Illicit Drug Factories In Osun, Lagos</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.naijanews.com">Naija News</a>.</p>
