The leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared a two-day nationwide mass protest for February 27 and 28.

Joe Ajaero stated this at Labour House, Abuja, during an ongoing press conference.

Daily Trust reports that the protest was declared to press the demands on the current hardship being faced by Nigerians.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate upgrade of key health infrastructure and equipment across all six geo-political zones in line with his administration’s vision of overhauling the health and social welfare sector for enhanced service delivery to all Nigerians.

Upgrading health infrastructure and equipment is a top priority of President Tinubu’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative. To advance this landmark effort, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) will carry out the comprehensive upgradation of cancer-treatment infrastructure and other critical developments in six tertiary hospitals across several geopolitical zones, in addition to the full renovation and expansion of prior investments to improve broad-based access to high-quality healthcare in all six geo-political zones of the federation.

The following teaching hospitals across geo-political zones have been marked for the establishment of oncology and nuclear medicine centres per facility as part of President Tinubu’s bid to ensure that world class cancer diagnosis and care is accessible across the country:

(1) University of Benin Teaching Hospital

(6) Lagos University Teaching Hospital

The following ten critical health care service expansion projects across the fields of radiology, clinical pathology, medical and radiation oncology, and cardiac catheterization will be carried out in ten hospitals across all geo-political zones:

(1) North-West: Reference Hospital, Kaduna — (Radiology, clinical pathology, medical and radiation oncology)

(6) North-East: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi — (Radiology and clinical pathology)

(7) South-South: Federal Medical Centre, Asaba — (Radiology and clinical pathology)

(10) North-East: Federal Medical Centre, Nguru — (Radiology and clinical pathology)

These critical projects, set to be delivered within 12-18 months, will improve screening and diagnostics for communicable and non-communicable diseases; reduce mortality rates and improve outcomes for non-communicable diseases; create considerable employment opportunities for clinical, administrative, and managerial personnel across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones, all while building the capacity of clinical personnel in advanced procedures, diagnostics and treatment modalities, in accordance with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)

February 16, 2024

Nigerian Army Intercepts Two Dangote Trucks, 3 Others Allegedly Transporting Prohibited Goods To Cameroon

Troops of the Nigerian Army have intercepted two Dangote trucks and three others allegedly transporting banned goods to the Republic of Cameroon, SaharaReporters can report.

The trucks, loaded with 600 50kg bags of cement each, were on Friday paraded to journalists at the headquarters of the Nigerian police in Yola, the Adamawa state capital.

The interception followed an executive order banning the transportation of building materials across the country’s border through Adamawa routes by the Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.

While jointly displaying the vehicles, the spokespersons for the governor and the police command, Humwashi Wonosikou and SP Suleiman Nguroje respectively, told journalists that the trucks were intercepted a few kilometres before Jamtari, a border village between Nigeria and Cameroon.

Wonosikou said, “We’re here to address a disturbing trend in the state. As if the hardship on the people is not enough; there are some people who would want to test the will of the government and the government is saying such actions are unacceptable.

“We’re all living witnesses when the government came up with a policy of banning the movement of building materials across the country’s border. We’re a border state and we’ve had issues where items are transported across the border.

“But then the government, for building materials, would not want them transported out of the country. You can see behind me are trucks that were apprehended and brought here. They were intercepted by the military.

“And it is believed that these products are being transported out of the country, because if you look at it, where is the community at the border area in Adamawa State that requires this amount of cement to be used?”

On his part, Nguroje said, “Personnel have been deployed throughout the state to enforce the government order, banning transportation of building materials across the border.”

However, officials of the Yola depot of Dangote Cement, who were on the ground, vehemently denied that the products were being taken to Cameroon.

One of them who spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authority argued, “This is a clear violation of our right to do business! It is absolutely wrong for our trucks to be intercepted within the Nigerian territory.

“The goods in these trucks were procured by our customer, who requested them to be conveyed to Jamtari. It is therefore not in our right to demand an explanation as to why he wants them there.”

But in a dramatic twist, one Abiola Oyetunji, identified on the waybill as the contact person, expressed surprise that the truck had left the company’s depot in Yola.

According to her, the trucks can leave the depot only after the goods have been sold.

“I’ve not sold the cement yet; how could the truck have moved out of the depot in Yola? The driver told me he was at the depot up to this time,” she added.

Dangote Cement Plc is a Nigerian publicly traded multinational cement manufacturer headquartered in Lagos. It is a subsidiary of Dangote Group, a Nigerian multinational industrial conglomerate, founded by Aliko Dangote.

Aliko Dangote, a Nigerian businessman, is Africa’s richest man.

Capital Importation into Nigeria in 2023 amounted to $3.91 billion, the lowest since 2007.

Lagos attracted 64.1% of the total, followed by the FCT with 30.0%.

Abia State attracted 3.84%.

David Umahi, minister of works, has summoned cement manufacturers over the rising cost of the product.

The price of cement has been oscillating between N8,000 and N10,000 per bag from about N4,000 a few weeks ago.

Dangote, BUA, and Lafarge are some of the cement manufacturers summoned by the works ministry.

Orji Uchenna Orji, media aide to the minister, said: “Worried by the escalating cost of cement despite huge patronage by road and housing contractors to cement manufacturers, the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency Sen Engr Nweze David Umahi CON, has summoned an urgent meeting of all cement manufacturers in Nigeria”.

Orji quoted his principal as saying that the disparity between ex-factory price and market price is huge.

“It is common knowledge that the manufacturers have their challenges, which we shall look into, but from our findings, the disparity between ex-factory price and the market price is wide,” Umahi was quoted as saying.

“We therefore need to look into the situation and other issues with a view to finding a common front.”