by Oke Efagene
Gov. Fashola’s wife appeals to doctors not to go on strike
Wife of Lagos State Governor, Abimbola Fashola, has appealed to doctors not to go on their proposed strike for the sake of their patients.
She made the appeal yesterday, at the celebration of the First Baby of the Year programme, organised by the state government.
Fashola also urged the federal government to look into the doctors’ demands promptly, with a view to tackling them.
Leadership report:
She said unless critical issues were resolved through dialogue, “ the people of this country, especially women and children will continue to suffer.’’
Fashola said that parents had a role to play for babies to actualise their potentials in life.
She, however, urged parents especially mothers to be committed to taking good care of their children in the first five years of their lives by making sure all necessary vaccinations were taken.
According to her quality parental care will make children grow to become healthy and successful citizens.
The state commissioner for health, Dr Jide Idris, said the essence of the celebration was to welcome and celebrate the first baby that was delivered in the year.
Idris urged everyone to collectively work toward reducing maternal and child mortality.
He said that parents had a role to play in the reduction of maternal, infant and child mortality.
‘’They need to immunise their children which is essential for the reduction of child mortality; need for pregnant women to attend antenatal care at least four times in a year.
‘’They need to adopt family planning practices, spacing the children so that they can grow and feed well,’’ he said.
A set of twin baby girls, delivered at 12: 01 a.m. to the Adediji family at Island Maternity Hospital, and weighed 2.5kg and 2.2kg respectively were announced first babies of the year.
Fashola declared babies Adediji as the babies of the year.
The Olawale Ebo family was also blessed with a girl child at 12:02 a.m., weighing 2.8kg, at the General Hospital, Ifako/Ijaiye.
The Abayomi Williams family was blessed with a girl child at 12:02 a.m, weighing 2.7kg at Apapa General Hospital.
Fashola presented gifts to both mothers and their babies at the three general hospitals, including Ifako/Ijaye General Hospital, Ifako, Maternal and Child Centre (MCC), Apapa, and the Island Maternity Hospital, Lagos.
Pope advocates for peaceful co-existence in Nigeria
Head of the Catholic church, Pope Francis, yesterday, said the only solution to the crisis in some parts of Nigeria is peaceful co-existence.
The Pope made the remark in his message at the celebration of the World Day of Peace, which is an annual event of the Catholic faithfuls worldwide.
[READ: Pope prays for an end to conflict in Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria, others]
The inspiring message was read by the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Most Rev. Adewale Martins, at the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Lagos.
The Nation report:
“It is easy to realise that fraternity is the foundation and pathway of peace
“When we have the value of fraternity, a feeling of brotherhood, love and care for one another, many of our problems would not be there.
“Our fraternity is based on the fact that we are all made on the likeness and image of God. Our brotherhood is not based on any factor other than we are all children of one God.
“What is to be done is to get back to the roots to identify ourselves and recognise and deal with ourselves as brothers and sisters that we are.
“It will go a long way to bring peace back into the world,” he said.
He attributed the situation to the inability of genuine relationships among the people and lack of solid family and community relationships.
“We are concerned by the various types of hardship, marginalisation, isolation and various forms of pathological dependencies which are currently on increase.
“This kind of problems can be overcome only through the rediscovery and valuing of fraternal relationships in the heart of families and communities.
“Also in the sharing of joys and sorrows of the hardships and triumphs that are a part of human life,” he said.
Boko Haram frees kidnapped French priest
File Photo
The French Roman Catholic priest kidnapped in Cameroon by the Boko Haram on Nov. 13 last year has been freed.
He has returned home to the embrace of his family and French President Francois Hollade in Paris. George Vandenbeusch, 42, was kidnapped by armed men who broke into his church in the north of Cameroun and then taken to Nigeria where he was held hostage.
He was welcomed at the Villacoublay military base, near Paris, by President Hollande, who praised his “courage” and warned French people in danger zones of the risk of kidnapping.
Read more: The Nation
Lagos Commissioner of Police feeds 72 detained suspects as part of New Year celebration
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, yesterday, gave out food and drinks to 72 suspects undergoing investigation for various offences at the police headquarters in Lagos.
It was gathered that Manko personally presented each suspect with with a pack of jollof rice, malt drink and a bottle of water.
After the exercise, the commissioner told journalists that the feeding was in line with the spirit of the season and part of his New Year celebration for the suspects.
Leadership report:
He said, “We started this last year. We did it in line with the spirit of the season. We know that some of the suspects had killed some of our men, but they are still under investigation.
“However, the fact that we fed them does not mean the law will not take its course on them.’’
Manko assured the people of Lagos State of adequate security in the New Year and advised criminally-minded persons to repent.
A suspected armed robber, (name withheld) told newsmen after the exercise that he was happy to receive food and a drink from the commissioner and urged people to keep away from crime.
He said, “Crime is not good. Crime is very bad. The police in Lagos are effective. No criminal can succeed in Lagos. I advice people to keep away from crime.’’
All the suspects went back to their cells with their packs of food and drinks after the exercise.
