‘Why I don’t want an Igbo man to succeed Buhari’ By Onyedika Agbedo

Dr. Mike Okonkwo, the presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), is one cleric who rarely dabbles into political matters in the country but who does not mince words when he chooses to. Two days ago, he was his usual self when he spoke with select journalists, including The Guardian’s ONYEDIKA AGBEDO, at the TREM headquarters in Lagos on the state of affairs in the country. He condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s style of governance, especially the manner of his appointments and his handling of the security situation in the country, warning that the situation in Afghanistan was a big lesson for Nigeria. Okonkwo also lambasted the governors of the Southeast states for losing the confidence of the people, condemned the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for beating the drums of war in the Southeast and stated why he does not want an Igbo man to succeed Buhari in 2023. He also spoke on the qualities Nigerians must look out for in people that will present themselves for the number one position before making their choice. The talking point in the country now is the level of insecurity. You are renowned as someone who doesn’t mince words any time you hold an opinion you voice it out. What is your take on the state of the nation right now vis-à-vis the security challenges bedeviling the country? Well, it is only somebody who is blind or dishonest that will say that he is satisfied with how the country is now. For me, I think the nation is going through a period of gestation; something new has to be born. We have gone round this mountain long enough and it’s not working. To be honest, something is fundamentally wrong in the way we have operated since our independence in 1960. We should be doing better than we are doing now. In fact, at times you feel ashamed to call yourself a Nigerian. Few years ago, we said, ‘Ghana must go’. But today, Ghana is far ahead of us in their national development. Our educational system is run down, security is run down and economy is run down. Everything is leveled to the ground; everyone is on ground zero. So, definitely, no one will say that he/she is satisfied with the situation in the country. I mean, people are afraid; they cannot travel; you cannot confidently go to your village. The insecurity has gotten so bad that they can even invade our armoury and carry arms and nothing will happen. Then, where do you turn to? The most recent was the invasion of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna by bandits. If these people could walk into the NDA and kill people and escape, then where do we stand? Kaduna happens to be a very stronghold in terms of military presence and these things are happening there. So, there is no more hiding place for people and we should seriously look into it as a nation. I was watching the Minister of Labour when he was being interviewed in terms of doctors that are leaving the country; and he said for him, it does not mean anything. I was shocked! How many doctors do we have in Nigeria for him to say we had surplus? We have surplus, but we go to hospitals and will be looking for doctors? That is also the situation at the health centres. I told myself that this man must have been living in another world not in Nigeria. We are having brain drain; people are leaving the country and when they get out of the country they excel. That shows that Nigerians are resilient, brilliant and know what they are doing. It is a matter of having a system that works in the country so that the citizens will be able to reap the benefits of what God has endowed Nigeria with. The other day, a woman was crying out over the state of the hostels at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where she went to drop her daughter to resume school. I couldn’t believe my eyes, as she was showing the hotels that students were living in to study. And I asked myself, ‘is this a higher institution of learning and we expect them to turn out to be the best for us?’ For people to even live in that type of environment is a shock. So, there is rot everywhere you turn. So, the state of our nation is becoming very scary. In fact, at times, I ask myself how the people in the National Assembly see themselves. You are supposed to be in the National Assembly to pass laws that would be beneficial to the nation; and these things are happening in your eyes and you go to the National Assembly, walk back home and sleep? You don’t take drastic actions or decisions that will address those issues? You said Nigeria is going through a gestation period and that something new has to be born before the country can move forward. What is that new thing you are envisaging? If you notice, there is strong agitation that the entire federal system we are operating should be looked into. And from my understanding, it is even in the manifesto of the ruling party; I heard that it is the number one item in their manifesto. Pastor Tunde Bakare, who was part of the drafting of their constitution, said that it is the number one point in their manifesto. True federalism, restructuring. Now, the question is, why has it not been done? So, there is agitation from every area. Initially, it was the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB); it’s no more IPOB alone. Oduduwa people and the Niger Delta Front are also saying ‘look, we are tired of this contraption called Nigeria’, which was not the case before. So, definitely, when there is such agitation all over, the truth is that people who are trying to either sweep it under the carpet, run away from it, threaten people are wasting their time. We must come to a point where we will look at the country and re-address the present situation we are in because that is why there is tension everywhere. There is lack of trust everywhere. Nigerians don’t trust anything again; they don’t even believe in the government any longer. So, obviously, this is an indication that there is something that has to give way for another thing to rise and that is where we are going. I believe that there is need to give birth to what will be beneficial to the entire land so that every region will develop at their own pace. I mean we can’t continue with this type of mediocrity. What we have on ground now, to put in the native parlance, is like you beating me up and saying I shouldn’t cry. It’s not possible; if you beat me up, I must shed tears. What are these ‘beatings’ that gave rise to these agitations? Let me give you one example. People are complaining of insecurity. If you are complaining of insecurity and the security apparatus is in the hands of a group of people, the only way I can convince you that I am sincere and serious about what I am doing is to balance it, standardise it, get people from different parts of the nation to handle different areas so that there will be no suspicion. Currently, there is suspicion. Now, no matter what the president says, people will not believe it until there is a decentralisation of the security apparatus. People are saying that the insecurity in the country is now virtually across the whole nation and you are saying that there is no agenda that the North has to take over the country, how do I believe you? Like they say, it’s you people that have the knife and the yam; whomever you give, he takes. So, why are you not delivering? The natural thing for anyone to do is to take it from them and share it. You can say, ‘look, I don’t have any agenda; you from Niger Delta you are in charge of this; you from Kwara you are in charge of this, you from Kogi you are in charge of that’. You distribute it so the security apparatus is spread across the whole country. That way, if it’s no more working, you are not calling one group of people. So, this pointing at a particular group of people is not an attempt to label them, it’s simply because the right things seem not to have been done. Who else will I call? I won’t call an outsider because you are in charge. If you are in charge why are things the way they are? That is the way I see it. In as much as I am the type that does not play ethnic politics, just look at the agitation that is going on in the East. The Miyetti Allah will come out and take ownership of certain things like the misbehaviour and violence in some areas and nothing is done. Then the IPOB carries their flag without arms and you will go after them and mow them down. What do you want people to say? Do you want them to say that everything is fine? It can never be. So, these are the issues that people are agitating for and crying out. To the best of my knowledge, the easterners are not asking for anything other than live and let live. They are not saying, ‘give us everything’. For me, to be honest with you, I am not in agreement with any easterner saying, ‘it’s time for us to be president’. So you should beg to be president? If it’s going to be a case of making you president so that you can be appeased, that is stupidity; I don’t want that. You are a Nigerian; you have equal right to everything that every other person who is in Nigeria has. So, it’s not a matter of being appeased. In fact, I don’t even want any easterner under this situation to be a president because he will fail. Do you know why? The present system can never allow you to succeed. That is why we have to look at the system. The other day, somebody was boasting that they have the largest number and therefore, they are the ones that will determine who rules the country or not. What type of audacity is that? What type of audacity will make you to be saying that you are going to be lording it over the entire nation? It’s unacceptable. So, what are your thoughts on the situation in the Southeast where there seems to be two governing authorities, the state governments on one side and the IPOB on the other side, as evidenced in the recent sit-at-homes ordered by the IPOB, which was obeyed by the residents despite a counter directive by the state governors? Let me first say that the reason most people sit-at-home is not that they necessarily want to obey the IPOB, it is simply because they are afraid as IPOB will threaten them. They will tell you that if you do this, they will kill you or burn down your home. Who wants to be the scapegoat? So, I would rather stay away; I don’t want their trouble. The other day they sat at home, I saw somebody who was cooking in front of his house even though the streets were empty and they came and poured away what he was cooking. There were people who had their drinks on their corridors and they broke all of them. When you do that type of thing why do I want to come out? Does that mean that I am respecting your orders? No! It’s the threat to life that makes people to obey them. And that is what I have been saying; much as I know that the state governments have not played the way they should play; they are supposed to be the voice of the people and stand and address issues that have to do with them. The easterners have lost confidence in the governors; that is why they are looking for a new voice that will lead them. I am not a strong advocate of IPOB for one singular reason – one person cannot be the final authority in a thing. No other person can make any suggestion. If you make any suggestion you are under fire no matter how good your suggestion is. That’s wrong! It’s almost becoming a dictatorial issue. So, it’s difficult to accept that; one person cannot be the only custodian of an idea. And a lot of them who are jumping up and down did not see the Nigeria-Biafra war; they never saw it. I think that even Nnamdi Kanu was born after the war or during the war, so he was a boy who didn’t know anything. One of the songs they used to sing in those days was ‘Ojukwu give me gun let me go and kill Gowon.’ Is it easy? Gowon is still alive today. Let us be real; war is not a good experience. When the bombs begin to land, no one will tell you to run for your life. So, people don’t understand the implications of war; there will be no medication, no food and everything you have laboured for over the years will be lost. The implications of war are so much that you don’t want it. If you can have an alternative, no matter how long it takes, sitting down round the table and discussing your issues, is the best way. At the end of the war, easterners were given 20 pounds. I am a witness; I worked in a bank before the war. For Igbos to be able to bounce back to the dimension that they have been able to bounce back now is a miracle. Why do you want to destroy those things over night and start again? Why would you continue with a vicious cycle? It doesn’t make sense. It’s not being a coward; it’s being wise. Wisdom is better than weapons of war. So, for me, there is need for both the younger generations’ strength and the old men’s wisdom to meet together so that we will know which direction to go. You can’t just label any person who brings an idea contrary to yours a saboteur. How can I be a saboteur for advising you based on what I know about the way war goes? So, I think that the Southeast governments should win back the confidence of the people. How do they do that, as the sit-at-home orders is said to be seriously threatening the economy of the Southeast? I thought so myself that the instruction is counterproductive. I have asked myself how sitting at home on Mondays is beneficial to IPOB. Does that affect the Federal Government? It’s not their business; it’s not going to change anything. So, I’m still trying to understand how telling easterners who are basically traders to sit-at-home and do nothing on Mondays is beneficial to IPOB. At the end the Igbos are the losers. You see, that is why I keep harping on the need to do a massive enlightenment so that people can understand where they are coming from. This issue of I don’t want to hear, you must hear. When you listen to another argument that is more superior, you will be able to understand. But as at now, they are too violent; all they want to do is whatever Nnamdi Kanu says to them, whether we like it or not. When you tell them to sit down and hear the other side, they say no. So, I think the governments should still continue to try and see how they can get their people and say, ‘look, we are also seeing the obvious partiality against the Southeast, but at the same time, there is a better way to approach the situation’. What lessons can Nigeria learn from the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan? We are supposed to learn lessons from it because those are the issues we have been talking about. They (Taliban) were granted amnesty. What happened in Afghanistan is simple – the people were carrying guns and fighting outside, but inside, they were still terrorists. Yes, you trained them, but it didn’t change anything because there was no internal change. So, immediately the Taliban came into the place, they surrendered. They just said, ‘come, we have been waiting for you.’ That is why we must be careful in this country. x Recently, somebody made some massive revelations while being interviewed by a television station. Even when Goodluck Jonathan was on board, he mentioned that there was Boko Haram in his government. You see, these are things that upset me. If we really took those things serious and we truly wanted to address the issue of security in the country, why would I not as a president invest money and call foreign countries that have intelligence to come and investigate these things and fish out the culprits and deal with them drastically. You don’t just hear some things and fold your hands and expect the thing to go off like that. So, we are really sitting on the keg of gunpowder; that is what I can tell you. If truly our military and security outfits have been infiltrated by saboteurs, it will take only God to help us out of the situation. I have been thinking about it, but I have always had one faith and confidence that God will help us out of this. We are in a limbo. There have been talks about the removal of petrol subsidy. If that should be done, the product will sell for as high as N300 in the country. What is your position on the issue? Let me ask you: Are we not buying petrol up to that amount in some places in the country? Much as I understand, the Southeast has never bought petrol at the official pump price. So, this issue of subsidy is lopsided; there is a mafia in this thing that we are not seeing yet. There is something that somebody is not telling us. How are we having subsidy, every time they are collecting money and yet fuel is not reducing? This issue needs to be addressed critically and sincerely so that we can now know where our problem is. I don’t believe we have addressed the issue. That is why I said that we are going to have a new Nigeria to be born and until that happens, we will keep on running round and round, because there is obviously a group of people in this country who are sitting down, doing their calculations and all they are after is how to milk the nation while the rest of the people will be suffering. So, all these things will be addressed holistically; it’s not an isolated issue. I was telling somebody recently that for five or eight years, people were Registrars of JAMB and all they were able to give to the Federal Government was just about N5 or N8 million. Then here comes Prof. Oloyede who remitted over N1 billion in his first year. How do you explain that? And within his first tenure, he was able to remit about N14 billion. He even reduced the cost of JAMB forms. So, I am saying that what we are faced with in this country is more than Buhari. It’s not about Buhari; it’s more than Buhari. In fact, somehow I just feel that the man is overwhelmed. May be he didn’t even realise the dimensions of the rot he is going to face and was saying that he would do this and do that. This is not military; this is democracy. x That’s why I said that we need a totally new structure in the country. The thing we have now is not going to curb our problems. Fuel subsidy is a minor issue of the issues. Everything has to be looked into completely and then we will know where we are headed. We recall that in 2014, you were part of the people that endorsed Buhari for president… (Cuts in) No, what made you to come up with that submission? Did you here where I came out to say, ‘this is where you will vote?’ But you were part of the people that spoke about the integrity of Buhari as a leader… (Cuts in) Where did you get that? It was reported… (Cuts in) No, no, no! I have not seen where it was reported that I endorsed and spoke of his integrity. Now, my statement is not to question his integrity. But I want to know where I said that, because one of the things I am careful about when it comes to the issue of politics is never to endorse any political party. Why? In the church, people have different political leanings. So, for me as a Christian leader to get on my pulpit and begin to tell people, ‘this is the person you will vote for’ I will be operating in error. My part is to teach you the scriptures and based on the scriptures you will now follow the scriptural standard to know what direction you should go and not to sit up and endorse any person. The best of men is still a man. So, I am careful never to do that. At that time, CAN actually came out to endorse Jonathan and you were part of the people that kicked against that decision? How? How did you arrive at that conclusion? I want to know. What made you to say so? May be we should leave that for now. But I would like to know your rating of the Buhari Presidency? Without your asking me question, I have already laid down a lot of things that are wrong in the country. In fact, at times, I ask myself if he is really in touch with reality. I mean there is no human being no matter how terrible you are that the country will be the way it is now and you will not be concerned. So, sometimes I have had to ask myself: ‘What type of legacy does he want to leave? What would he like to be remembered for?’ Some of the things he said like, ‘foreign exchange is going to go down, insecurity is going to go down (of course this insecurity did not start today) and many other things, what we are seeing is the opposite. That is why I wonder why it is so difficult to tweak the security apparatus despite the level of insecurity in the country. That is why I am asking: Is he really in touch with what is going on that is making him to just seem indifferent? That’s my own way of looking at it. x So, obviously, I am not happy. That is why when I hear some of the things the people in the government are saying I will just conclude that they are not serious. Funny enough, some of them cannot go to their villages and yet they don’t see anything wrong. You don’t see them complaining. I don’t understand it. The Vice President is still a member of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN)… (Cuts in) Of course, a spirit filled Christian. How much do you communicate with him over some of these inefficiencies in this administration? Let me ask you: Have you been a vice president before. No! So, vice president’s assignment is to do what his principal tells him. Let’s be real; let’s not fool ourselves. I have my respect for the vice president any day irrespective of what they are bandying in the newspapers. I know that he is a spirit filled born again believer. He is not playing to the gallery. His primary constituency is the church. At the end of the day, when he finishes serving in the government, he will still return to the church. That is a no go area. But the point is that I have people working under me; they take orders from me. As long as they want to remain in my organisation, they must obey my instructions. They can’t just get up and say they will do what they want to whether I like it or not. I hear people saying, ‘resign, resign…’ I always ask them, ‘would you resign if you were the vice president?’ I mean don’t tell people to do what you know you cannot do’. You think it’s so easy to resign? Let’s be sincere. The thing that is so sad about our country is that we have a group of people who are not sincere in dealing with the issues and putting themselves on the other side of the stick. One of the things that have helped me concerning the political issue of this country is simply that I am not partisan; I am not interested in where you come from. I have no ethnic bias; I have no religious bias; I have no party bias and I have no personal interest. What is my interest? My interest is who will deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians. If you like, be an idol worshipper; you will have my vote because Nigeria is not a church. Nigeria is Nigeria that has different people with different types of persuasions and beliefs, who are citizens of the country. There are idol worshippers; there are Muslims; there are Christians; there are different kinds of people. And so as a president, you are not supposed to go there and begin to serve the interest of a particular group of people or your own interest. You serve the interest of everybody. I am not an advocate of we want a Christian president; that’s wrong because we have had people who claimed to be Christians but delivered nothing. Once there is ethnic sentiment, then you are going to tilt towards your ethnicity, which is wrong. You are a national leader as president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So, your interest should be what you can do to make Nigeria beneficial to every person big and small, rich or poor, no matter where you come from. The problem with us is that when people begin to agitate, there is always personal interest colouration to it. I can always read it and those are not going to move us to anywhere. So, what kind of leader do you think Nigeria needs in 2023 with all the challenges at hand? I have just told you the qualities I am looking at: A person that would be devoid of ethnic sentiments, party sentiments, tribal sentiments or personal interest. Any person who will be devoid of those things and see Nigeria as his/her constituency is my ideal leader. If we are still going to have the situation where people are tied and bound with ethnic sentiments, I don’t need such because it will be the same story; nothing will change. We need somebody who has Nigeria as his constituency. It’s not your tribe; it’s not your religion. Such a person, because he wants to leave a legacy, will look for the best of the bests from anywhere and give them responsibilities. Some people got upset with me at a time when I said that I don’t care whether the person is a Christian or not. They asked why I should not say that we need a Christian president as a pastor. I told them that I will not say so because there is no guarantee that because somebody is a Christian president he will deliver the dividends. I want somebody who can be able to deliver to Nigerians the dividends of democracy. Do you think that there would have been agitations if we have such a person? If you can go to schools and they are good, if the roads are good, if the economy is thriving and everything is working, will you be complaining about who is leading? If you see somebody who knows how to service your car, would you ask whether he is a Muslim or Christian? That is my concept. THEGUARDIAN

We shed tears of joy after receiving first pay in Saudi Arabia, UK, others – Nigerian doctors by Angela Onwuzo, Deborah Tolu-Kolawole and Godfrey George

Some Nigerian doctors in Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America have knocked the Federal Government for its alleged failure to invest in the health care sector. The doctors, who spoke in separate interviews with Sunday PUNCH, said the inconsistency of the government to adequately cater for the needs of medical practitioners had led to massive brain drain in the health sector. Some of the doctors who shared their experiences with our correspondents added that they cried and felt overwhelmed when they received their first wages, which some of them described as being 10 times higher than the wages in Nigeria. One of the doctors, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, said he was stunned when he received his first salary in Saudi Arabia. He said, “To be honest, I was overwhelmed that I cried when I received my first salary in Saudi Arabia here. While I was in Nigeria, my salary was N113,450. Out of this, I had to take care of myself and my parents. It was just difficult coupled with the workload. There were times I had to attend to tons of patients. “When the opportunity came to go to Saudi, I was a bit skeptical because some people were trying to discourage me. I just told myself that it was better to leave than to die here. Now, I work in the General Services Department in Riyadh here. I earn way more (than I did in Nigeria). “I enjoy 36-day paid leave, good working conditions and my flight ticket was paid by Saudi Arabia. It is just sad that the Nigerian Government, in every way, has always tried to frustrate the medical profession. Every time you hear of industrial actions, salaries are not paid, no allowances.” Another Nigerian doctor based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, who simply identified himself as Kingsley, said relocating abroad was the best decision he had ever made. He stated, “Before I left Nigeria, I was working at a national hospital. I came here in 2019. I didn’t want to come initially but when I heard that Saudi was proposing $3,000 to $8,333 (salary), I just knew I had to leave. “Here, I only attend to four to eight patients (a day). Nigerian doctors are valued here; they really love the fact that we are so smart and intelligent. I would have loved to stay back home. The Nigerian Government really needs to do better. Nigeria will continue to lose better doctors if the country does not act fast.” Another doctor, popularly known as Waka Waka doctor on Twitter, recalled that he left Nigeria for Saudi Arabia some years ago, adding that his life had witnessed a remarkable change. He said, “When I arrived, I was hosted in a hotel for two weeks, all paid. I never paid rent during my stay there; I never paid for electricity. My salary as a doctor in Nigeria combining two jobs was less than N120,000. In Saudi, I earned around 10 times that amount. “Less workload; amazing state-of-the-art facilities; good hospital management systems; health insurance; paid leave and free tickets for holidays. “You can’t discredit the loneliness and struggle with the language to start with but that passes with time. Nigerian doctors are among the brightest and best anywhere in the world; all we ask is to be treated right, given proper remuneration that matches our skills and also improve the health system in the country of our birth.” Similarly, a general practitioner based in the United Kingdom, Dr Bob Uge (not real name), who relocated in 2020 in the wake of COVID-19, said his foreign experience as a doctor was way better than his Nigeria’s. He said, “I was in a General Hospital in the North where I was paid N111,000, which didn’t even come as and when due. Here in the UK, I earn almost 10 times that amount – yes, 10 times that amount! “They respect Nigerian doctors abroad; unlike in Nigeria where a CMD (Chief Medical Director) will work you to death and still complain that you are not doing anything.” Another medical practitioner, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he just moved to the United States in July, adding that he was amazed when he got his first pay. The optometrist, who works with the Cleveland Clinic, Avon, OH, said, “I called my colleagues to report myself. I thought I was overpaid as I just resumed. I haven’t even done anything substantial. “If any doctor decides to leave, I blame the government. If you see Nigerian doctors here, you will marvel. The situation will keep getting worse until the government decides to change.” Stakeholders decry govt policies, say poor working conditions responsible for exodus Some Stakeholders in the health sector have cited government policies, poor working conditions, low pay and quest for better standard of living as major reasons for the exodus of Nigerian doctors to other countries. They stressed the need for the government to fast-track the negotiation process with the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors in a bid to forestall the ongoing industrial action. Investigations by Sunday PUNCH revealed that a recruitment process organised by the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia in Abuja experienced a huge turnout of consultants, senior medical officers and others who were in a rush to practice in the middle-eastern country. The medical board of Trinidad and Tobago in an email exchange with Sunday PUNCH on Friday also revealed that no fewer than 344 Nigerian doctors were registered with the board. According to the information shared with one of our correspondents, 235 out of these doctors were trained in Nigerian universities. Also, information obtained from the General Medical Council of Britain highlighted that no fewer than 4,528 Nigerian trained doctors registered with the council in order to be able to practice in the United Kingdom. Between June 7 and June 8, 2020 – a space of 24 hours – about seven Nigerian trained doctors were licensed by the UK. Nigeria has the third-highest number of foreign doctors working in the UK after India and Pakistan. However, Nigeria suffers a shortage of doctors. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria puts the total number of registered doctors in Nigeria at 74,543 for the country’s population of about 200 million. This puts the doctor-patient ratio in the country at 1:3,500. This falls far below the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of 1:600. A poll by NOI in 2018 also showed that 88 per cent of Nigerian doctors considered work opportunities abroad, but experts said the figure could be higher due to the rising insecurity and economic crunch. Other popular destinations for Nigeria-trained doctors include the United States, Canada, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Australia. NARD defends doctors’ choices The National President of the NARD, Dr. Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, defended the mass migration of medical practitioners. He said, “Globally, every migration is based broadly on two factors namely ‘push’ and ‘pull’. Your question is basically on the pull (what attracts); higher wages, better employment opportunities, higher standard of living and lastly, educational opportunities. These are largely the causes that attract doctors and other care workers. “Doctors generally are of different cadres. We have house officers who are called first-year graduates. In the UK, they earn between £2000-£3000 (N1,122,000-N1,683,000 at £1 to N561) per month. Registrars, called either ST3 and FY2 earn about £45000 – £75000 (N25,245,000-N42,075,000) per annum. No Nigerian professor of medicine will earn this till he retires. But his students who he taught will earn this in two-three years of being abroad. “In Saudi Arabia, they earn about US$3,000-$10,000 per month, depending on years of experience. This gives you some economic leverage minus the fact you work under best working conditions. “In Nigeria, resident doctors are paid between N280,000 to N300,000 at the federal institutions per month. The states pay N110,000 to N150,000 per month. Consultants at the federal institutions are paid between N540,000 to N580,000 per month. “Emigration years ago were just young doctors but right now almost all specialist pathways have been open for different doctors. So, even our professors close to retirement when it dawns on them how small their reserves are and how they can improve on it, they move without thinking about it.” A former President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Francis Faduyile, buttressed NARD’s president claims. He said, “If comparatively things are stable here, I don’t see any reason why anybody would want to relocate to other countries. It shows that those options abroad are better than the ones they have at home. Unfortunately, I have not been one of those who want to go, but I know that the working environment in Nigeria is harsh.” Another former NMA boss, Prof Mike Ogirima, confirmed to one of our correspondents that the government of Saudi Arabia pay Nigerian doctors higher than the Nigerian government. According to Ogirima, Saudi Arabia pays Nigerian professors of medicine between N5m and N7m monthly while the Federal Government pays their counterparts in the country between N420,000 and N500,000. Sunday PUNCH reports that the ongoing industrial action by NARD, which commenced on August 2, 2021 entered 27th day today (Sunday). The Federal Government had called on the NMA in a bid to forestall the ongoing strike. Similarly, the minister of health, Osagie Ehanire on August 26, 2021 had written to CMDs and MDs of institutions to invoke a no-work-no-pay policy. NARD however resisted the move, insisting that it would not resume until its demands were met. PUNCH.

Terrorists named current Govs, Senators, Aso Rock officials as sponsors during interrogation – Ex-Naval Officer by Kayode Oyero

A former Navy Commodore, Kunle Olawunmi, has said that Boko Haram terrorists mentioned names of current governors, senators and Aso Rock officials as sponsors during interrogation but the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has demonstrated an unwillingness to go after the high-profile politicians for reasons best known to him. Olawunmi spoke on Wednesday when he featured on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ breakfast programme monitored by The PUNCH. He described as an “aberration”, Tuesday attack by bloodthirsty bandits on the Kaduna campus of Nigeria’s foremost military university, the Nigerian Defence Academy, where two military officers were killed and another kidnapped. “It is an aberration; you don’t attack the Nigerian Defence Academy and get away with it,” he lamented, adding that the NDA, like other military environments in the country, carelessly opens its doors to everyone on Friday for Jumat prayer. ‘Terrorists profile security environments during Muslim prayer on Friday’ Olawunmi said terrorists and criminals profile military environments during the weekly Muslim prayer on Fridays. He said, “In 2017, I carried out an investigation by the minister of defence that wanted me to check what was going on with the training and the security there (NDA). I remember I spent about a week in the NDA with the commandant and the staff but something struck me: every Friday, the gate of NDA is thrown open and everybody has access to pray in the mosque. “On Fridays, you are going to see the same thing happening across all military formations in the country…If you go to Defence Headquarters, I served at the Defence Headquarters as the Deputy Director, Defence Administration between 2015 and 2017, throughout my two years at the Defence Headquarters, I received visitors twice because of the strict security architecture there but every Friday, the gate of the Defence Headquarters is thrown wide open for everybody to come in and observe Jumat. “That is the time the terrorists have the time to profile our security environment. It has always been the case. I have served the military intelligence for the past 35 years. Our problem is religion and socio-cultural.” Furthermore, Olawunmi, a Professor of Global Security Studies, said he was a member of the Intelligence Brief at the Defence Headquarters during the leadership of the then Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin (retd.). The intelligence expert said he told the then CDS that the centre of gravity of the Boko Haram insurgency ravaging the North-East and spreading to other parts of Nigeria was the sponsors. “I told General Olonisakin then that the centre of this problem cannot be solved the same way we solved the problem of the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta problem was solved during (Ex-President Umaru) Yar’adua basically by me and I told them that we can’t use that same template for Boko Haram. “I told General Olonisakin to look at the centre of gravity of the problem. I was made a member of the committee in 2016-2017 including (the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim) Attahiru that died. “I told them that the centre of gravity of Boko Haram in Nigeria is the sponsors of the programme. It was beyond us because the job we needed to do was kinetic but we cannot resolve issues of sponsors of Boko Haram that were in Buhari’s government that we know them. That was why we couldn’t pursue that aspect that could have resolved the issue (insurgency) because we need to arrest people.” ‘Why Buhari refused to prosecute 400 Boko Haram sponsors’ The PUNCH had reported that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, earlier in the year said the Nigerian Government arrested some Bureau De Change operators who were facilitating the transfer of money to Boko Haram terrorists. Olawunmi said the government has not been able to prosecute the sponsors because it is allegedly partisan. He said, “Recently, 400 people were gathered as sponsors of Boko Haram, why is it that the Buhari government has refused to try them? Why can’t this government bring them to trial if not that they are partisan and part of the charade that is going on? “You remember this Boko Haram issue started in 2012 and I was in the military intelligence at that time. We arrested those people. My organisation actually conducted interrogation and they (suspects) mentioned names. I can’t come on air and start mentioning names of people that are presently in government that I know that the boys that we arrested mentioned. Some of them are governors now, some of them are in the Senate, some of them are in Aso Rock. “Why should a government decide to cause this kind of embarrassment and insecurity to the sense of what happened yesterday (Tuesday attack on NDA)?” he queried, adding that terrorist financiers want to turn Nigeria to a Taliban type of country. ‘DSS has information on terrorism sponsors but can’t act without Buhari’s order’ Olawunmi also said that the Department of State Services has “tremendous information on terrorists but they can’t do anything except the body language of the Commander-In-Chief”. He, however, expressed hope that the next Nigerian President in 2023 might have the willpower to bring the high-profile sponsors of Boko Haram to book. The PUNCH had earlier reported that a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Obadiah Mailafia, said in August 2020 that repentant terrorists revealed that a serving northern governor is a Boko Haram leader. For over 10 years, the Boko Haram terror group had killed thousands of Nigerians in the North-East. The sect had also burnt down and bombed scores of villages as well as churches. The Nigerian Army and the Presidency had at several times claimed the group had been ‘technically defeated’ and ‘weakened’ but the bloodthirsty terrorist faction continues to strike with daring effrontery and crude savagery.

Man hacks into Nigerian bank’s system, steals N1.87 billion By Editor

A Nigerian man identified as Salau Abdulmalik Femi has been arrested by detectives from the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for allegedly hacking into the server of a Nigerian bank to steal N1.87 billion. The suspect, police said, is the kingpin of a syndicate that specialises in hacking into the servers of banks and corporate agencies. He was arrested after he hacked the Flex-Cube Universal Banking System (FCUBS) of a first generation bank. SFU spokesman in Ikoyi, Lagos State, DSP Eyitayo Johnson, in a statement, said the suspect created fictitious credits totalling N1.87bn on the accounts of three of the bank’s customers. DSP Johnson said the suspect successfully consummated debits (outflows) amounting to N417.5m through internet banking transfers to other banks. He said the unit while acting swiftly on a petition from the bank; contacted the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the deposit money banks which customers were beneficiaries of the fraudulent funds and that in the process was able to salvage a substantial amount. “Items recovered from the suspect include an Apple laptop and an iPhone, and he and operators of some Bureau De Change (BDC) used to launder the monies will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded,” Johnson said. “Consequently, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Unit, CP. Anderson A. Bankole has scheduled a meeting with Chief Compliance Officers/and Head of Technology/Information Security Department of Banks with a view to brainstorm on the loophole exploited by this suspect and how to counter similar hacks; for the benefit of both the Police and the Banking Sector of our economy.” THEGUARDIAN

Sir Victor Efosa Uwaifo (1941-2021) By Editorial Board

With the recent passing of Sir Victor Efosa Uwaifo, recently, the global music community as well as the creative arts community has lost one of its most illustrious maestros. Reputed for his folkloric highlife melodies garnished by the dexterity of his guitar and callisthenics dance steps, Uwaifo was a music exponent whose career of 57 years shot Nigeria and Africa to global spotlight. Under the tutelage of celebrated highlife musicians like Bobby Benson, Sir Victor Olaiya, Stephen Osita Osadebe, young Uwaifo mastered an inborn musical skill that brought him global renown. Standing side by side the capitalist aesthetics purveyed by colonialism, Uwaifo and his musical kindred maintained a genre of music that “made a landmark in the consciousness of African music.” Theirs was a trail-blazing musical epoch that turned musicianship into a didactic tool for cultural self-retrieval. Uwaifo was an accomplished mastermind who attained the pinnacle of creative ingenuity by the transformational agency of his Midas touch. At the bubbly stage of his career, around the late 1960s and 1980s, Uwaifo won the first gold disc in Africa with Joromi, which was released in 1965 at the age of 24. He went on to win seven other gold discs with Guitar boy, Arabade, Ekassa series and Akwete music. In all, he won 12 gold discs. From his prodigious energy and talent, Uwaifo bequeathed to posterity massive art and culture production that is too enormous to have been spawned by the technology of an individual. He waxed 12 albums, recorded many songs and had a tome of lyrics. An eclectic art experimentalist with a streak of perfectionism, Uwaifo sculptured architectural and iconic masterpieces dotting diverse places both home and abroad. He built his car, invented his trademark guitar with 18 strings, amongst other things. His inexplicable energy was so effervescent and fruitful that it seemed that he would not die. Uwaifo, an amateur bodybuilder and fitness enthusiast, surrendered to death after a brief bout of pneumonia, according to family sources. He was aged 80. Born on March 1, 1941, to the illustrious Uwaifo family of Benin City, Edo State, the maestro was a man of many ‘firsts.’ He was described as an incredible lyricist, a dancer, writer, inventor, sculptor, public servant, university lecturer; and for his manifold capacities, he had been aptly compared to renaissance polymath Leonardo Da Vinci. Having had his early education at Western Boys’ High School, Benin City and later St Gregory’s College, Lagos, he proceeded to Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, from where he graduated in 1963 with a National Diploma (distinction and overall best) in Graphic Arts. Although he played music at St Gregory School band with the likes of Segun Bucknor, he sharpened his skills by featuring in Victor Olaiya’s Cool Cats highlife group on holidays. He continued this trend after school when he played for E. C. Arinze’s, Fred Coker’s and Stephen Osadebe’s highlife bands. With sufficient tutelage, he formed his Melody Maestros in 1965. Uwaifo has been acclaimed the most academically honoured musical legend in the country, having at age 54 obtained a B.A Honours (first class valedictorian), Master’s degree two years later and Ph.D in Architectural Sculpture at 77, all from the University of Benin, Benin City. He also had a stint as a university professor in the same institution. The cumulative experiences garnered, no doubt, facilitated his appointment as the Honorable Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism during the Lucky Igbinedion administration and became a member of the State Executive Council in Edo State from 2001–2003. Uwaifo was a recipient of the National Honour, Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) and United Nations invitee for the 1995 UN Golden Jubilee celebration. He was cited in the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 1983 edition, documented in the Who’s Who in Nigeria, Who’s Who in Africa, Who’s Who in the Commonwealth. He was an Honorary Member of the Biographical Advisory Council, Cambridge, England; a member of both the Performing Right Society and of the Advisory Board of American Heritage University, California, U.S. In 1997, he was awarded the Certificate of Honour by the House of Representatives, Boston Massachusetts. For all he lived, Uwaifo has left Nigerians, especially musicians and artists, with vital lessons. To young people and professionals who want to excel, Uwaifo’s life and accomplishments are a study in tenacity, focus and incredible self-control. His life signals to learners that genuine success is achieved through dedication to professionalism, commitment to excellence, patience and openness to mentorship. Beyond the tangible products of his enviable career, Uwaifo remains invaluable as a repository of African knowledge production. African scholars and culture enthusiasts have always lamented the cultural appropriation that falsely re-writes African history owing to the absence of credible indigenous contributions. In Uwaifo’s modest effort at building a museum chronicling Nigerian and Bini arts and culture, the world witnessed some retelling of the African story in a bold and credible manner. It is for this reason that the governments and peoples of Edo State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria should properly immortalise Sir Victor Efosa Uwaifo by going beyond tokenism street-naming and infrastructure labeling. To this end, the government of Edo should take over and rehabilitate his museum. Apart from its potential as a tourist attraction and revenue generator for the state, the Uwaifo Museum could be a desirable addendum to the facilities that make Benin City an art and culture hub in Africa. Besides, Uwaifo’s legendary accomplishments demand that institutions of higher learning, research foundations and even individuals develop and foster courses or programmes in Victor Uwaifo studies. There is a need to harvest the works of people like him for learning, art and culture – to be taught in schools. If the government and people of Edo State, musicologists and experts in arts and culture succeed in bringing this into fruition, they would be according to deserving recognition to the late Victor Uwaifo’s treasured legacy. GUARDIAN

IBB, the General who lost his last battle By Ayodele Akinkuotu

On August 17, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), joined the ranks of Octogenarians. And even among that lucky species in Nigeria, a few elder statesmen stand out; that’s the group that should welcome IBB into their fold. Interestingly, in a nation where sycophants are two for a kobo, a few of them may want to keep their distance from him. Why? They would regard him as a heroic failure because of the tragic loss of his last battle. That war was fought on the political landscape between 1985 and 1993. Yet, this is a well-decorated General, a civil war hero, who single-handedly thwarted the bloody coup of February 1976 in which General Murtala Muhammed, then head of state, lost his life. Nine years later, in August 1985, Babangida staged his own palace coup from the vantage position of Chief of Army Staff. The man he toppled, General Muhammadu Buhari, had been in power for just 20 months. But it was 20 months of unbridled terror. Though not a few thought Buhari meant well, what with his war against indiscipline, which later metamorphosed into tyranny. He was simply draconian in the manner his regime went about their self-given mandate. He set up tribunals that jailed politicians from a part of the country hundreds of years for corruption which details were very opaque; he used the Nigerian Security Organisation to detain all manner of people without trial, and the icing on the cake on Buhari’s excesses was the execution of two drug couriers with a retroactive decree. That was the atmosphere of despair from which IBB’s coup rescued Nigerians. Thankfully, the coup was bloodless. As he settled down in the office, IBB’s style immediately set him apart from his predecessor. While Buhari was taciturn, Babangida is a smooth talker who expresses himself with candour. Against the backdrop of his predecessor’s draconian style, Nigerians initially regarded him as a humane leader. However, time later unraveled the real IBB. He spent eight years in office, during which he embarked on an endless transition programme, which finally ended in a cul-de-sac. Thus when he exited power on August 25, 1993, according to him, by “stepping aside’’, his tail between his legs. It was a sad day for a man “trained to dominate my (his) environment.” For once, he was thoroughly dominated. Babangida recently granted an interview to Arise TV. It was, in the main, a good interview. The only hiccups being the many follow-up questions that the interviewer spared him. Had those questions been put to him, IBB would perhaps have faltered at what he knows best to do, his pontifications. The interview succeeded, though, in burnishing the image of a General who was not only outsmarted but also disgraced in his final battle. Despite numerous rumours on social media of late about his poor health, at the interview, IBB looked good. That interview would remain in the public domain for a while. On why he annulled the results of June 12, 1993, presidential election, Babangida claimed if he had not annulled it, there would have been a coup, which would have been bloody and destabilising for the nation. The General is free to continue in his daydreams in his twilight years. He is entitled to them. Discerning Nigerians knew for sure there was a coup in 1993. The first leg of the coup shooed him out of power on 25 August 1993. Babangida’s so-called stepping aside was a face-saving strategy. The man who toppled IBB was General Sani Abacha, the then Chief of Army Staff, his alter-ego, long regarded in their circle as the Calipha. To fool Nigerians, Ernest Shonekan, a respected businessman, was made an interim head of state with a directive to organise another presidential election in 1994. However, there was a provision in the decree setting up the ING, that in the case at any point, if Shonekan was unable to continue as head of state, the “most senior minister” should take over from him. A cursory glance through the cabinet list showed that Sani Abacha was the one to whom the document referred. And exactly 83 days after Babangida’s exit, Abacha shooed Shonekan out of Aso Rock and became head of state. Before sending Shonekan packing, Abacha, in private discussions with Moshood Abiola, the June 12 presidential election winner, allegedly hinted the latter about the coup. The main purpose of which was to quash the annulment of Abiola’s mandate and swear him in. It was all a fool’s paradise. Abiola believed Abacha so much that he was said to have recommended some names for Abacha’s cabinet. Late human rights lawyer and the scourge of dictators, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, was offered attorney general and minister of justice’s post. He turned down the offer. He argued that if the coup was about swearing in Abiola, there was no need for a new attorney general of the federation. A few days later, Olu Onagoruwa, another human rights and constitutional lawyer, accepted the position. Back to IBB. His transition programme was largely a smokescreen. Chief Obafemi Awolowo was one of the first few people to see through that smokescreen. Early in 1986, a few months into his tenure, Babangida set up the Samuel Cookey Commission, otherwise known as the Political Bureau. Its mandate was to design a new political and social order for Nigeria. Awolowo declined the invitation to him by Cookey to be a member of the Commission. Part of his letter read thus, “Something within me tells me, loud and clear, that we have embarked on a fruitless search. At the end of the day, when we imagine that the new order is here, we would be terribly disappointed.” And that was exactly what happened in 1993, seven years after the sage’s prediction. By which time the political colossus had transited to glory. Perhaps, when Babangida took over power, he was the most prepared intellectually for his adventure in power. He had not only trained in the best military academies in the world; he had distinguished himself in several command positions, culminating in his appointment as Chief of Army Staff. Thus, when he sacked Buhari, ably supported by Abacha and others, from power, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with the self-acquired mandate. His role models were Egyptian and Libyan military dictators Hosni Mubarak and Muammar Gadaffi. The latter, who was in power from 1969 to 2010, when he was killed, came up with the Third International Theory, outlined in his Green Book. Perhaps, that was the goal Babangida had in mind with his political bureau. Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, who was Babangida’s foreign affairs minister, founded the Concert of Medium Powers. What’s not in doubt is that no matter their claim to the contrary, military dictators have the penchant for wanting to rule for life. And that was Babangida’s goal. In his case, though, he had a challenge, keeping to the letters of the said unwritten accord between him and Abacha, the anointed successor. And Abacha was not ready to forfeit that opportunity to become head of state. Thus, as IBB did all kinds of permutations, banning and unbanning politicians to clear the way for his self-succession, the relationship between him and Abacha became frosty. They started playing cat and mouse games. And Babangida, who was labeled Maradona for his antics on the political landscape, finally dribbled himself into the June 12 hole with the annulment. The ensuing anarchy gave Abacha and those of his ilk in the military who no longer cared for a life in the Barracks the weapon they needed to kick out Babangida, who prides himself as the evil genius. While surely IBB cannot be denied his place in Nigerian history, many Nigerians are convinced that if he had not annulled the June 12 election, Babangida would have gone down in history as the founder of a new Nigeria. That presidential election remains the freest and fairest in the Nation’s history. All the six presidential elections we have had since then had fallen short of its high standards. On June 12, 1993, Nigerians ignored ethnicity and religious differences to elect Moshood Abiola and Babagana Kingibe, two Muslims, as President and Vice President, respectively. And it was in recognition of the injustice done to Abiola, a Yoruba man, by Babangida that led to the emergence of two Yoruba men, General Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Olu Falae, getting the tickets of the two major political parties in the 1999 presidential election. Obasanjo won. It’s doubtful if these two scenarios would ever be repeated in Nigeria presently torn apart by ethnic and religious differences. Perhaps, if the failure had not been IBB’s final legacy in office, there would have been a sequel to Chidi Amuta’s book, “Prince of the Niger”, a compendium on the Babangida years published in 1992. That such is not known to be in the works 28 years after his exit from power speaks volumes. Though going by his pontifications in his recent interview, IBB may want Nigerians to believe there is a lot to learn from his leadership style, nationalism, and fighting anti-corruption in his years in power. Methinks, the lessons are not positively impactful. However, there is a lot to learn about how he became a heroic failure when victory was within his grasp in his final battle. Akinkuotu, a Founding Editor of TELL Magazine, was also Executive Editor of the newsweekly.

Osinbajo meets doctors via Zoom to end strike, NMA adamant by Deborah Tolu-Kolawole

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has intervened in the ongoing industrial action by members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Sunday PUNCH has learnt. The NARD declared the strike action on July 30 at its National Executive Council meeting with the theme ‘The Nigerian doctor, an endangered species: grappling with a pandemic, poor workplace infrastructure and security threats.’ Announcing the action would begin on August 2 after the meeting held in Umuahia, Abia State, the National President of NARD, Dr Okhuaihesuyi Uyilawa, had cited the failure of the Federal Government to implement the agreements it entered into with the union 113 days after it suspended the previous strike. However, 33 days after the commencement of the strike, Osinbajo reached out to the doctors in a bid to find a lasting solution to the crisis. Our correspondent gathered that the vice president had a zoom meeting with one of the officials of the doctors’ association on Friday where issues relating to the strike were discussed. Sources that were privy to the meeting revealed that Osinbajo asked for details of the grievances of the striking doctors. “He reached out to us and told us he needed all the details of our grievances and that he would not want us to end the strike and commence another later in the future,” a source close to the meeting said. When contacted, the Vice President of NARD, Adejo Arome, confirmed that the vice president had a zoom meeting with an official of the association on Friday. According to Arome, while reaching out to the association, the Vice President said he needed first-hand information on the issues involved. He said, “Vice President Osinbajo reached out to us. He met with the President yesterday (Friday). It was actually a zoom meeting he had with our president ( Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi) though some of us were there. He (Osinbajo) initiated the meeting because he wanted to get the information about what was going on. “He said he needed details of everything that happened. He asked calmly and we believe that he would do something and we also believe that very soon, he would call us officially (for a meeting). “We gave him the information (that he requested). The information we gave him was first-hand and authentic. We are sure other government officials won’t give him such details at all about the whole issue. “He told us that he did not want the issue to be resolved now and later there would be another strike. “He said he wants to put the problem to rest once and for all. We are waiting for him to invite us officially and we are certain that he is going to do it. We trust his judgement.” FG yet to reach out, 21 days’ notice stands -NMA Meanwhile, the Nigerian Medical Association said the Federal Government has yet to reach out to the association. Notwithstanding, the association stated that the 21-day strike notice it issued to the Federal Government stands regardless. The association’s General Secretary, Dr Philips Ekpe, disclosed this in an interview with Sunday PUNCH in Abuja. According to him, the notice period was to enable the Federal Government to attend to the lingering issues with the NMA’s affiliate members. He said, “The 21-day notice was to give the government time to meet the demands of our affiliate members such as NARD, Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria and Medical and Dental Specialist Association in Basic Medical Sciences. “Apparently, nothing has been forthcoming as they have not reached out to us and even NARD and as you are aware, the matter with NARD is still in the court of law. “Once government cooperates and attends to the demands of NARD and the other affiliates, then there won’t be any problem. “But at the end of the ultimatum, if things don’t meet our expectations, the National Executive Council of our association will take decisions. “On the issues of the salary of resident doctors that was withheld, we are working behind closed doors to make sure that things are resolved.” Recall that the NMA had on August 28 issued a 21-day strike notice to the Federal Government, with effect from Monday, August 30. At the end of its National Executive Council meeting held in Benin City, Edo State, the NMA and all its affiliates resolved to give the Federal Government 21-day notice to fully resolve all the issues contained in the various agreements signed with the doctors. JOHESU, AHPA issue 15-day ultimatum While the Federal Government is still battling to resolve the ongoing strike action by the Resident Doctors, members of the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Association have threatened to embark on an industrial action in 15 days’ time if the government fails to meet their demands. JOHESU’s National President, Mr Biobelemonye Josiah, gave the ultimatum in a letter addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and other relevant stakeholders. Copy of the letter was made available to journalists on Saturday in Abuja. Josiah said that the 15-day ultimatum was necessitated by the nonchalant attitude of the government to the plight of his members. Josiah said his association and APHA are demanding an adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure as was done with Consolidated Medical Salary Structure since 2014; payment of all withheld April and May 2018 Salaries of members and withheld Salaries in Federal Medical Center, Owerri, Jos University Hospital and Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Others include the review of the defective implementation of COVID-19 Special Inducement and Hazard Allowance; implementation of National Industrial Court of Nigeria Alternative Dispute Resolution, Consent judgment and other court judgments; increase in retirement age from 60 to 65 years for health workers and 70 years for Consultant Health Professionals. “Others are payment of reviewed hazard allowance in terms of payment that guarantees fairness and justice to all concerned, payment of actual 30 per cent consolidated basic shift duty allowance to Nurses/Midwives and others. ”Payment of teaching allowance to members on CONHESS 7 and 8 (nurses, midwives and others) and proper placement of Nurse Graduates and Interns,” he said. He added that their demands also include payment of outstanding salaries of intern health professionals and all the Tertiary Health Institutions, proper implementation of the consultant pharmacist cadre for pharmacists in the public sector, among others. According to him, “the Federal Government has not deemed it fit to honour the Terms of Settlement entered into with JOHESU since September 2017. “This is especially the upward review of CONHESS Salary Structure as agreed, to be completed within five weeks from the date of agreement amongst other requests. The Government did not deem it fit to address these key issues during the duration of the last seven days warning strike and has only met with JOHESU on July 12,” he said. “In July 2020, the Minister of Health agreed that a mistake was made by government in the payment of COVID-19 Special Inducement and Hazard Allowances. He noted that the shortfall was in the payment of 50 per cent Basic of Consolidated allowances to all Health Workers. It was a mistake on the part of government and the shortfall shall be paid accordingly to affected health workers.” 1,851 Nigerian-trained doctors get US licences in five years – Medical Board No fewer than 1,851 Nigerian-trained medical doctors acquired a total of 3,649 licences to be able to practise in the United States of America in five years, investigations by Sunday PUNCH have revealed It was also gathered that physicians in the US could acquire multiple licences which would allow them to practice in the country and other territories. Our correspondent learnt that one of the reasons why physicians were leaving Nigeria was that they were not allowed to acquire multiple licences which could enable them to practise in various fields. The Vice President, Communications, Federation of State Medical Board in the United States, Joe Knickrehm, confirmed that more Nigerians were actually trooping to the US to practice. He further disclosed in an email exchange with our correspondent, that physicians in the US could acquire multiple licences which would allow them to practice in the US and other territories. The mail partly read, “Physicians can have multiple licences to practise medicine in the United States if they wish to practise in multiple states or US territories. “Between 2015 and 2020, a total of 1,851 Nigeria-educated physicians have been issued with a total of 3,649 licences. 75 per cent of these physicians, who were issued licences between these periods that is 1,388, are actively practising in the US. “As of 2020, 3,895 Nigeria-educated physicians with a total of 6,536 full active licences are practicing in the US.” President of the National Association of Resident Doctors, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, however, said one of the reasons why physicians were eager to leave Nigeria was that they were not allowed to acquire multiple licences which could enable them to practise in various fields. He said, “In Nigeria, there is no such thing; you cannot have multiple licences. You are only entitled to one licence. “This is one of the reasons why you see doctors leaving the country. When you visit these other countries, you can acquire medical licences to practise in other fields.” PUNCH.