—-N68.6 bn for roads projects
—-N840.817m for trauma center
in Owerri
—-Establishes traditional medicine dept to tackle malaria
—-Says no
agreement with JOHESU
– THE Federal Government yesterday approved the
establishment of ten rice mills in the six geopolitical zones at the cost of
N10.7 billion. Government also approved the establishment of department for
traditional medicine in the Federal Ministry of Health with the sole aim of
finding ways to use traditional medicine to tackle the scourge of malaria in
the country.
This is as the government has also said that there was no previous
agreement between the Federal Government and striking health workers under the
aegis of Joint Health Workers Union, JOHESU but that efforts were on top gear
to settle all the demands of the workers.
Briefing State House correspondents
after the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by
President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja,
the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lekpobri, said each of
ten rice mills will produce at 100 tons per day.
He said, “Today the Federal
Executive Council approved the establishment of ten very large rice mills to
enhance the milling capacity of rice value chain in the country. “Few years
ago, it was reported that this country needs a minimum of 100 large mills. As
at today we have about 21 but the Federal Government in its wisdom decided that
today we should approve the establishment of ten new rice mills at the total
cost of N10.7 billion.
“This will be given to the private sector to manage
which will be paid back within a given time frame as will be agreed between the
Bank of Agriculture and the Rice Mills. “The state will be ten. You know in
Nigeria, over 30 states are growing rice, in today’s memo, the ten rice mills
will be located across the six geopolitical zones including Kebbi, Zamfara,
Benue, Kogi, Bayelsa, Anambra, Kaduna, Niger, Ogun, Bauchi.
“The capacity of
the rice mills is 100 tons per day each.” Also briefing, the Minister of
Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole said that 25 percent Nigerians have sickle cell
gene. He said, “At today’s Federal Executive Council meeting, Government
approved the licencing agreement between the National Institute for
Pharmaceutical Research and Development, NAPRED and May and Baker Plc.
“This is
in respect of scaling up commercialisation and marketing of Niprisan, a very potent
anti sickle cell drug for use in Nigeria. “As you might be aware, sickle cell
disease is a common problem particularly among blacks in Africa, South East
Asia and Latin America and it is estimated that about 25 percent of Nigerians
carry the sickle cell gene and over two million people have sickle cell anemia,
that is having the two genes combined. “And for many of them, when they are
under stress, take ill, what happens is invariably they develop severe bone
crisis, they develop infection and some of them will die from this.
“This drug
was first used in Oyo State over 20 years ago and NAPRED conducted clinical
trials to ensure that we are able to document that it is safe, it is
efficacious and drug was licenced at an international organisation which went
into bankruptcy.
“What we have done is to reactivate the product and it will
now be marketed in Nigeria through this agreement and we believe that the
marketing and production in Nigeria will bring a lot of comfort to millions of
Nigerians who are infected with sickle cell gene. Trauma Centre “Again council
also approved the construction of a Trauma Centre at Federal Medical Centre
Owerri at the cost of N840,817 million and this must be completed within 48
weeks.
“We expect that it will serve as a first class centre of care for
accident and trauma cases along Port Harcourt, Owerri, Enugu axis and will
really change the dynamics of care in these areas. Establishment of traditional
medicine dept
“The approval of Naprisan is coming at the eve of an approval granted
by government for us to establish a department of traditional medicine in the
Federal Ministry of Health. “This will be the first time that this will happen
and that department will really provide us the leeway to research into many of
our traditional products and the first mandate of this department will be to
look into cure for malaria in our forest.” No previous agreement between FG and
JOHESU Speaking on the striking health workers, he said, “Government has
actually constituted a high level body to look into all aspects of demand
including the financial implications and also to plan for the management of
consequences of addressing those demands. “That high level body met last week
Tuesday, met again on Thursday, met on Friday, met on Sunday, yesterday and
will also be meeting tonight.
So we are really at work with respect to this we
have done quiet a lot of computation, we have met with finance, we have met
with budget and national planning. We are looking into all issues relating to
this strike. “But let me also put it on record that when we came on board,
JOHESU approached us that they have an agreement with government but we
discovered that they was really no agreement with government.
“What they were
able to provide were minutes of meetings held previously and we told them that
no responsible government will implement minutes of previous meetings and of
the fifteen points demands, we have met 14 of them over the one and half years.
The only one left is currently meeting on.” The Minister of Power, Works and
Housing, Babatunde Fashola who also briefed journalists said, “Council approved
the award of Subaila-Falala-Bini-Baku-Bauchi Road that connects Kano and Bauchi
States at the sum of N4.578 billion.
Read much more at source:
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/04/fg-okays-n10-7bn-10-rice-mills/
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