Union Shuts Down Firstbank Head Office Over N1.8 Billion Debt!

The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Service Employees (AUPCTRE) on Wednesday temporarily shutdown banking operations at First Bank of Nigeria head office in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the industrial action paralysed activities at the bank for more than four hours, as the aggrieved union officials refused customers entry into banking hall for any business transactions.

Lagos State Secretary of AUPCTRE, an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Biodun Bakare told NAN that the picketing of the FirstBank headquarters followed the N1.8 billion outstanding arrears of emoluments the bank owed 1,100 AUPCTRE members.

Bakare said that the money had been paid by the Anambra state government for workers at the state's Water Corporation and Environment Protection Agency for eight years which the bank refused to disburse. 

Ebola - Jonathan Sacks All Resident Doctors!

News making rounds this evening says Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan has sacked all resident doctors in all federal government hospitals across the nation for not teaming up with government to fight the outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in the country.

A statement from the Federal Ministry of Health said the action was taken to enable government appraise the challenges in the health sector in a bid to fight the Ebola scourge.

The statement signed by Alhaji Isiaka Yusuf, Deputy Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Nigeria said the resident doctors had been frustrating the move by the government to curtail the Ebola virus from spreading.

According to the statement, the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, made good its threat of 11 June, 2014 by calling out its members on industrial action on the 1 July, 2014 despite the Federal Government’s successive intervention meetings and dialogue including extensive deliberations with the leadership of the NMA on 25 and 26 June 2014, where agreements were reached on each of the 24 demands and a Memorandum of Understanding signed by both parties.

It said in the midst of the strike, the government had also cultivated the attention and intervention of some eminent personalities in order to prevail on the NMA leadership to respect the ethics of their profession and end the strike whilst the dialogue was ongoing, adding that some of the personalities included the Governor of Delta State, the Secretary to Government of the Federation, members of the National Assembly, among others.

The government stressed that it has implemented more than 90 percent of its responsibilities as signed by both parties, adding that at the conclusion of each meeting, the NMA promised to call off the strike but would return another day to say that they could not.

“For the whole of July 2014, these doctors did not work yet government, owing to the emergency situation in our country, paid them the July salaries with allowances such as call duty allowance, teaching allowance, hazard allowance, etc, believing that this magnanimity of government would appeal to reason for NMA to call off the strike.

“This strike can be considered as one of the most insensitive steps to be taken by any association or a labour union in the history of this country. Pertinent to the issue under discussion are the current security challenges in the country with the attendant mass casualties. The situation has been compounded by the recent importation of the Ebola Virus Disease into Nigeria on 20 July, 2014.

“Following the Presidential declaration of a National Public Health Emergency on Ebola Disease which has united the entire country in the efforts to contain the disease, it is quite regrettable that the people who should take leadership role in the fight against Ebola disease are now the most unsupportive. All efforts by Government to contain this disease are being frustrated by the continued industrial strike action of the NMA,” it lamented.

The statement added that “the Federal Government has therefore decided that Residency Training Programme in Federal Government Hospitals be suspended pending the conclusion of the ongoing appraisal of the challenges in the health sector.

“This directive is without prejudice to any emergency measure that may be necessary for the hospital management to immediately restore full medical services. The Federal Government wishes to reassure the public that optimal medical health care delivery will be sustained in our hospitals.”
source: PM News

JJ celebrates another year!

Here is wishing a very happy birthday to our very own...JJ Okocha.





Roving Informant wish you many more eventful years ahead.

Ebola check- FG Turns Back Corpse Flown in From Egypt!

In an effort to curtail the spread of the deadly Ebola virus in Nigeria, Aviation Authority, Wednesday night turned back a corpse flown into the country from Egypt at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano- Nigeria.

The corpse flown in aboard Egypt Air at about 11.30 pm was disallowed vehemently by Airport official from been discharged into the waiting hands of the immediate family of the disease.

Airport sources said that the stand by Nigerian officials was in strict compliance with the Federal Government directives that bars transportation of corpses within and outside the country to check the spread of Ebola Virus Disease.

The source explained that "though Egypt is not one of the Country with recognized case of Ebola but in this wise the directive has no exception"

The source revealed that the corpse is that of a Nigerian who had gone to the Pharaoh's country for medical treatment."

"We plead with the family members who had turned up at the Airport to received his corpse to bear with us in the face of a big national question that requires the understanding of citizens to surmount", the source explained.

However, Aviation Authority are keeping sealed lips on the incident as attempt to seek their reaction was rebuffed by the Coporate Affairs Manager of the organization, Alhaji Yakubu Datti.

In a telephone conversation, Yakubu Datti allegedly refused to either confirm or deny the story and instead advised that enquiries should be channeled to the Federal Ministry of Health.

According to Mr. Datti " the airport is run by a combination of official drawn from strategic ministries and since your enquiry bothers on health, I would advise you cross check your facts from Federal Ministry of Health", the Aviation spokesperson said.

Source:Vanguard 

Hospital Mistakenly Sends Out Death Notices to 200 Living Patients!

A hospital in Melbourne Australia on Thursday apologized after mistakenly sending out death notices for 200 of its very much alive patients. It was said that Austin Hospital, erroneously killed off the patients when it faxed death notices to their family doctors.

The notices were the result of an inadvertent change to the templates the hospital sends to doctors once a patient has been discharged, operator Austin Health said in a statement. "We apologized unreservedly to affected clinics who, for the most part, were very understanding about the error," it said. 

The Australian Medical Association said the error was unacceptable and potentially distressing to family doctors.

Source: Reuters

U.S Republican blames Ebola spread in the United State on Central American refugees!

Republican Louie Gohmert warned this week that refugees — who he referred to as“undocumented Democrats”, fleeing violence in Central America could be bringing diseases like Ebola into the United States.

“This administration doesn’t have the desire, doesn’t have the will to actually stop it,” Gohmert reportedly told radio host Tim Constantine on Wednesday.

 “Because they see people coming across as undocumented Democrats. And so, they want to keep the surge of people coming in illegally, even though it includes a big spike in Other-Than-Mexicans, OTMs as we call them.”

“It includes a spike in people from countries where terrorism abounds,”  he continued. 

 “We have people coming in from countries where Ebola is located.”

“And, gee, since they’re coming across our border, and you know, they don’t get checked, and most of them don’t get really thoroughly checked, they could be coming in with disease that we simply do not need.”

The Texas Republican insisted that he was not “fear mongering.”

“It’s silly not to be more careful,” he said.

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Enugu deputy governor collapses during impeachment hearing!

Enugu State Deputy Governor Sunday Onyebuchi, allegedly slumped on Wednesday, while testifying before the impeachment panel probing allegations of gross misconduct leveled against him by members of the state House of Assembly.

It was gathered that his sudden collapse caused panic at the state High Court complex, venue of the panel's sitting as the panelists as well as workers within the premises were totally frightened by the development.

He was immediately rushed out of the court hall at about 11.48 am by his wife Nneka, his children and some of his aides present for medical attention. 

The latest is said to be the second time he would be slumping since he became the deputy governor of the state. He had reportedly slumped at the Ogige market, Nsukka during the 2011 electioneering preparatory for the gubernatorial election. The situation had then prompted the governor, Sullivan Chime, to continue with the campaign with a meeting of Catholic clergymen, led by the then Bishop of Nsukka, Most Rev. Francis Okobo.

According to THISDAY the embattled deputy governor had arrived the court in company of his lawyers before 9a.m. and began his evidence at 9.30a.m. but barely few hours later, he reportedly collapsed and his wife and others present rushed forward to rescue him.

Onyebuchi, who was led in evidence at about 9.30a.m. by his counsel had at about 11.30a.m. complained that he was "feeling dizzy and could not see clearly" and called for a bottle of water which his aides provided for him.

Moments after taking the water, he had held on to his head and relapsed prompting his aides and family members including his wife to rush him. He was assisted to his car and rushed to hospital thereby forcing the panel to stand down proceedings till 2p.m. yesterday.

His counsel said their client (deputy governor) was suffering from "hypertension," stressing that it was revealed after a diagnosis carried out by Dr B. C Anisuba, a Consultant Cardiologist at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH).

The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Anthony Ani and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo, were at the panel's sitting when the incident occurred.

Lead counsel to the deputy governor, Peter Eze, who presented a medical certificate from the UNTH confirming the deputy governor's ailment and the advice of the doctor that he be allowed "one week rest," had asked the panel when it resumed later in the day to give his client till Monday to continue his evidence.

But the panel over ruled him, insisting that the deputy governor must be brought back today to continue his evidence, stressing that it does not enough time to grant the request of his counsel.

Another counsel to the deputy governor, Ogochukwu Onyekwuluje, who spoke to reporters at the court premises said: "He came this morning to give evidence, he started giving his evidence and somewhere along the line, he developed some weakness and dizziness and at that point the tribunal stopped for the family to attend to him.

"He was seated and giving his evidence slowly and properly before the incident. He had told the chairman, he is dizzy and couldn't see clearly and at that point he held his head and bent down and he was taken by aides out of the court.

"He was immediately taken out of the courtroom and the panel adjourned sitting. They have diagnosed him of blood pressure and medical report has just been brought showing his state of health. I think he is stable but there has to be some precautionary medical attention giving to him to stabilise him.

"I understand that for the past one week, he has been here from morning to evening and running around organising his defence.

Yesterday (Tuesday), he was with us here trying to organise his defense; he has been willing and poised to defend himself strenuously to the satisfaction of his conscience. It must be part of his problem, the stress he has gone through in all this one week."