The call for psychiatric evaluation of governorship and presidential candidates by the Nigerian Medical Association ahead of the 2023 elections is one of the trending stories in Nigerian newspapers on Wednesday. EPA-EFE/AKINTUNDE AKINLEYE.
The Punch reports that the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called for the psychiatric evaluation of governorship and presidential candidates ahead of the 2023 elections.
The professional body also said medical tests of the candidates would provide a comprehensive view of the state of the body system of those aspiring to hold political offices in the country.
There had been calls for the medical screening of candidates to determine their state of health, with many Nigerians arguing over the constitutionality or otherwise of such a move.
The chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), stoked the controversy in April when he asked political parties to include drug integrity tests as part of the screening processes for candidates.
Speaking to The Punch in Abuja on Tuesday, the NMA president, Dr Uche Ojinmah, listed the battery of tests that candidates should undergo to ascertain their state of health and fitness for office.
“Simple medical check-ups such as chest X-ray, cardiac echocardiography, abdominal ultrasound scan, urinalysis, kidney function test, liver function test, blood pressure and blood glucose assessment will give one a comprehensive view of the state of the body system,” he said.
The newspaper says that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s stock of petrol dipped by 5,481,239 litres, according to industry data released on Tuesday.
Although the drop in petrol stock was marginal, queues for petrol persisted in Abuja, Nasarawa, Niger and some other northern states.
Figures obtained from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority on Tuesday indicated that the total PMS stock of NNPC as at November 6, 2022 was 1,912,725,464 litres.
This dipped to 1,907,244,225 litres on November 7, 2022, indicating a drop of 5,481,239 litres, while the total days’ sufficiency was 30.84, according to the NMDPRA data as at November 7
NNPC has remained the sole importer of petrol into Nigeria for several years running. Other marketers halted petrol imports due to their inability to access foreign exchange without hassles.
However, the queues for petrol in many northern states did not abate on Tuesday despite the claims by NMDPRA that there were over 30 days’ sufficiency, rather a lot of filling stations were shut due to lack of products to dispense.
The Guardian reports that the Nigerian Government, yesterday, in Abuja, said $550 million loan borrowed from World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB) was currently being spent to electrify rural communities across Nigeria.
The fund, targeting unserved and underserved communities, comes under the Nigeria Electrification projects (NEP) and implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
About 267 agreements totalling $395 million have already been assigned for renewable electricity deployment, REA said in a media parley in Abuja while adding that $350 million of the loan came from the World Bank while $200 million loan came from AfDB.
The agency, in a briefing, noted that $64.8 million of the commitments have been disbursed to private sector partners for the execution of the projects.
The plan would provide off-grid reliable and clean electricity supply to 705,000 households, 90,000 micro, small and medium enterprises, 100 isolation and treatment centres and 400 primary healthcare centres in unserved and underserved areas of the country, Managing Director of REA, Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, said.
Ahmad said: “Now government money is used as an enabler to attract private investment. For instance, for the rural electrification fund, you have a capital subsidy where if a project costs N100 million, that subsidy will come in at may be 50-60 per cent and the private developer will come up with the rest of the money, deliver the service to the community and go into an agreement with the community for the rest of the money.
The newspaper says that at the ongoing COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt, the United Kingdom (UK) Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, announced that a £95 million Propcom+ investment is set to benefit at least four million Nigerians, including two million women, to increase productivity and adapt to the effects of climate change, while at the same time reducing emissions.
Propcom+ builds on the UK Government’s investment in agriculture through the Propcom Mai-karfi programme in Nigeria. This new £95 million Propcom+ programme is set to help address key barriers to sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria.
It will support the development of climate-resilient agricultural policies, actions, and investments that deliver nutrition, increase productivity, adapt and build resilience, while reducing emissions, and protect and restore natural ecosystems.
The new Propcom+ programme involves supporting inclusive and resilient growth by promoting the progressive transformation of Nigeria’s rural economy. The new programme will build the capacity of small-scale farmers and rural communities in climate smart agriculture. It will work with Nigeria’s vibrant private sector on agriculture to increase productivity, improve nutrition and food security, enhance climate resilience, pursue lower emissions and halt and reverse biodiversity loss, as well as helping to tackle some of Nigeria’s underlying drivers of conflict and insecurity.
Cleverly said: “The Glasgow Climate Pact gave the world the tools to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees and build a secure and sustainable future. Now is the time for all countries to step up their action on climate change and deliver the tangible change needed. The UK will continue to play a leading role in this mission. The funding we have announced will support countries which are facing the devastating impact of climate change, to adapt effectively.”
To the UK Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Nigeria, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, Nigeria is extremely vulnerable to climate change and land degradation.
“Climate risks are increasing, diminishing productive capacity, and contributing to worsening food insecurity. Farmers are on the front line and highly dependent on seasonal rainfall making them increasingly vulnerable to the changing and unpredictable climate.
“Tackling climate change and biodiversity loss is a key UK international priority and we remain committed to supporting inclusive and climate resilient growth in Nigeria through the Propcom+ programme which will build on the successes and lessons from previous engagement and deliver on adaptation and resilience, and on nature for climate and people,” Llewellyn-Jones added.
APA