
Today’s News:31st AUGUST, 2023.
African countries paying Nigerian doctors three times higher – CMDs
The Chairman of the Committee of Chief Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals, Prof Emem Bassey, yesterday said other African countries are now poaching Nigerian medical doctors and other health professionals.
He stated that countries like Sierra Leone and Gambia were offering medical experts up to $3000 to $4000 which was about three to four times in the country.
Bassey made the disclosure when he appeared before the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee to probe employment racketeering in Federal Government agencies alongside the heads of other health institutions in the country.
Bassey, who is the CMD of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, said the health sector is currently undergoing a major crisis in terms of manpower as health professionals are leaving in droves.
He said doctors often went on strike because the government often failed to meet unrealizable promises and due to the urgency of the need to replace various health professionals who leave, it is difficult to comply with federal character in recruitment stressing that previous governments had reached ridiculous agreements because of their urgent need to end strike actions.
The Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee, Hon Yusuf Gagdi, urged the doctors to be patriotic by staying back to contribute to the development of the country, even if they have better options abroad. He said the committee would work towards addressing the need to balance compliance to the spirit of federal character and filling up urgent vacancies in the health sector.
Federal Government expresses commitment in investing in health data infrastructure and capacity building.
International News
CNN yesterday announced that British media veteran Mark Thompson would assume the role of its next CEO, as the news outlet struggles to reverse a rating decline.
Thompson the former director-general of the BBC as well as the former president and CEO of The New York Times Company will reportedly begin the position on October 9, CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery said in a statement.
Report said Mark Thompson would take over after the embattled former head Chris Licht stepped down in June, having faced controversy for editorial decisions including a town hall meeting with former president Donald Trump that was dominated by cheering from supporters and jeering at moderator Kaitlan Collins.
the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, in a statement, said Mark has a formidable record, and he has long admired his leadership and ability to inspire organizations to raise their own ambitions and sense of what’s possible and achievements.
FG mourns as national flag designer dies

The Federal Government of Nigeria has mourned the death of the designer of the Nigerian national flag, Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi who died at the age of 84, at his family home in Ibadan, after a brief illness.
According to a statement issued by the Minister of Information and National Orientation Alhaji Mohammed Idris yesterday, the late Pa Akinkunmi was until his death a national icon.
The statement expressed government is saddened by the news of the demise of Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi, a national icon, whose contribution to national unity will remain indelible.
It noted that the death of Pa Akinkunmi came at the time Nigeria was reinventing itself for peace, development, and enduring national reconciliation; the country would miss the contributions of the deceased, especially at this time that the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is banking on the Renewed Hope Agenda to build on the national fervour that characterized Nigeria’s journey to independence.
NULGE urges Tinubu to probe LG allocations diversion.
National news
The National Union of Local Government Employees on Wednesday called for an investigation and monitoring of statutory allocations to the local government councils in the country.
The union also decried the dearth of infrastructure and development in the councils which it said has affected the growth at the grassroots.
The National President of C, Hakeem Ambali, stated this in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja against the backdrop of a petition filed with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission by the Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area, Wale Adedayo, against the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, over alleged diversion of council allocations.
Noting that the LGAs have now become “caricatures,” Ambali said the union would continue to call for local government autonomy.
He also called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the situation.
Amabli revealed that the NULGE was awaiting the report on the controversy before taking actions.
He said, “The issue of what happened in Ogun State is unclear, so one cannot pass judgment until all facts are brought to light. We are currently awaiting the report from our branch in Ogun State.
UN, Commonwealth, others condemn coup, Tinubu warns of spread

International News
President Bola Tinubu has expressed concern over the rising cases of coups in African countries, calling for a comprehensive consensus against the spread of “contagious autocracy” across the continent.
The President said he was committed to working with other African leaders to defend democracy on the continent.
Tinubu stated this in his first response to the Wednesday morning coup in Gabon, just as the United States, United Nations, European Union, France and the Commonwealth voiced concerns over the political development in the Central African country.
The military takeover in Gabon is coming one month after a similar incident happened in Niger where Presidential Guards overthrew the democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum.
A dozen soldiers had appeared on Gabonese national television, announcing the cancellation of election results said to have been won by incumbent Ondimba Ali Bongo and the dissolution of “all the institutions of the republic.”
The mutineers led by the head of the republican guards, Gen Brice Nguema , also closed the borders until further notice.
The announcement came after President Ali Bongo, 64, was re-elected for a third term, extending his family’s half-century rule over the oil-rich Central African country of 2.3 million, but the opposition described the poll as a ‘fraud orchestrated’ by the ruling party.
A statement by the Presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, explained that Tinubu was of the unwavering belief that power belongs in the hands of Africa’s great people and not in the barrel of a loaded gun.
Business News
The National Identity Management Commission has only been able to meet 47.6 percent of the Federal Government’s monthly target of 2.5 million registrations in the first eight months of the year, according to findings by the PUNCH.
This is as the number of Nigerians with National Identification Numbers increased to 102.39 million in August despite a slowdown in the number of enrolments.
According to the NIMC data obtained and analyzed by our correspondent, enrolment has fallen by 35.14 percent year-on-year in the first eight months of the year as only 8.36 million (as of August 28, 2023) people have enrolled for NIN so far this year from the 12.89 million people that had enrolled as of July 7, 2022.
NIN enrolment per month on average is 1.19 million per month in the first eight months of 2023. The data indicated that the country is falling short of its 2.5 million National Identification Number enrolment target per month as set in the National Development Plan 2021-2025.
In 2022, the commission was able to register 21.33 million people, with NIN enrolment rising from 72.7 million as of January 1, 2022, to 94.03 million as of December 31, 2022. The average NIN enrolment per month was 1.78 million per month for the year.
In the plan, the Federal Government stated that it will enrol 100 million Nigerians in three years, and 2.5 million people monthly. It said the paucity of data was becoming a problem in the country and this needed to be addressed with a registration drive.
Sports News
The International Cricket Council has thrown its weight behind the Nigeria Cricket Federation in making the country the fastest-growing cricket nation in the world, following the colourful reception for the Cricket World Cup trophy on Wednesday in Lagos, The PUNCH reports.
Nigeria is again among the three African countries selected for the trophy parade, along with South Africa and Uganda, ahead of the ODI World Cup in India from October 5 to November 19.
After the first leg of the trophy tour in Abuja on Tuesday, the piece of silverware was on display at the Tafawa Balewa Cricket Oval in Lagos on Wednesday.
General Manager of Development, ICC, William Glenwright, who was accompanied to Nigeria by the ICC Regional Development Manager in Africa, Patricia Kambarami, said Nigeria was a top priority in spreading the game.
More Sports News
Chelsea FC yesterday survived an early scare as they came from a goal down to claim a 2-1 win over fourth-tier AFC Wimbledon in the second round of the League Cup at Stamford Bridge
The League Two visitors took a shock lead from the penalty spot in the 19th minute through James Tilley after Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez brought down Harry Pell inside the box.
Chelsea continued to enjoy the lion’s share of possession but failed to make it count until they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Noni Madueke, which the England under-21 forward converted in first-half stoppage time.
Substitute Enzo Fernandez grabbed the winner for the hosts in the 72nd minute with his first goal for the club.
CAF News
Nigeria Professional Football League champions, Enyimba, on Wednesday confirmed on their official Twitter handle that the club had been listed as one of the eight clubs that would participate in the inaugural African Football League, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The AFL is billed to kick off on October 20 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, while the much-anticipated draw for the competition is scheduled to take place in Cairo, Egypt September 2.
The tournament is expected to run for an action-packed four weeks.
Ahead of the highly anticipated event, the Confederation of African Football has unveiled the roster of eight elite clubs that have earned the privilege to participate in the maiden tournament.
According to the statement from AFL, the collaborative venture between CAF and world body FIFA is set to redefine African football.
The eight elite teams emerged from a rigorous selection process representing three distinct African regional blocs: North, Central-West and South-East.
These regional allocations aimed to ensure a fair representation of top-tier talents from across the continent.