News
NLNG commissions state-of-the-art twin theatre suite at JUTH
University of Jos Teaching Hospital (JUTH), on Wednesday, welcomed a brand new, state-of-the-art twin theatre suite from the management of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), one in the several interventions in the nation’s health sector under its Hospital Support Programme (HSP).
At the commissioning of the facility by Caleb Mutfwang, the Plateau State Governor, in company of dignitaries including Diket Plang, Senator representing Plateau Central Senatorial District; Pam Mwadkon, his Plateau North Senatorial District, counterpart and Kachollom Daju, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, the company, stressed the gesture as another stride in its commitment to enhance healthcare services within the country, through the teaching hospitals.
A statement by, Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku, Manager, Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, said the twin theatre suite initiative is emblematic of NLNG’s broader HSP, which aims to bolster healthcare infrastructure and services across 12 Federal University Teaching Hospitals spanning Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The statement added that the programme, launched in 2022, had rapidly gained momentum, achieving notable milestones such as the establishment of a maternity centre at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), an intensive care unit (ICU) at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), an obstetrics & gynaecology ward at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos and an intensive care unit (ICU) at Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Yenagoa.
It also saw to the donation of an occupational therapy and neuromodulation rehabilitation centre at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, a neurosurgical and stroke centre at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Calabar, and an accident and emergency unit at UNIUYO Teaching Hospital (UUTH), it added.
Regarding the JUTH project, the statement explained that it was one of three in the programme’s second phase, which commenced in January 2023, quoting the company’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, who was represented by Andy Odeh, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, as highlighting the urgent need to address the growing deficit in medical infrastructure and stem the outflow of skilled medical professionals from the country.
Mshelbila, who also underscored NLNG’s proactive intervention as a crucial step towards bridging this gap and reinvigorating investments in healthcare, was quoted as saying: “NLNG’s commitment to elevating healthcare infrastructure mirrors our broader commitment to societal advancement. Through initiatives like the twin theatre suite at JUTH, we aim to instil confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare landscape, catalysing positive change and fostering a healthier future for all.” he said.
The company’s boss, while stressing NLNG’s overarching vision to foster enhanced healthcare delivery, aligning with its mission to be a globally competitive LNG entity helping to build a better Nigeria, urged the Federal Government and other corporate entities to follow suit in prioritising healthcare investments to ensure the well-being of the populace and drive sustainable development.
An elated Mutfwang, who stressed the importance of healthcare accessibility and sustainability in fostering societal progress, stated that the new facility at JUTH would support access to critical surgical treatments and change the state’s healthcare narrative.
“We sincerely thank you for putting Plateau State and Jos University Teaching Hospital in line for this project. I was a patient at the hospital sometime in 2011, and I remember the queue I had to go through for the theatre. Today, the twin theatre will serve many people, and the turnaround time for the use of the theatre will be greatly reduced. Therefore, many lives would be saved. We want to thank NLNG on behalf of the North Central region,” he said.
The Governor and the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health presented appreciation plaques to NLNG for its contribution to healthcare through the Hospital Support Programme, the statement, said, adding that the JUTH project encompassed a range of critical components to enhance surgical capabilities and expand access to essential medical treatments within the region.
Among the facilities were two operating theatre suites, two scrub rooms, two preparation rooms with storage, a recovery room, a nurses’ station, and a pre-operations room.
The twin theatre suite said to be connected to the Accident and Emergency building for easy access, also included a medical equipment and oxygen supply, firefighting and prevention systems, and automated doors for safety and access control, among other facilities.
The Hospital Support Programme is a multi-billion-naira scheme by NLNG to reshape the healthcare landscape and enhance medical training within teaching hospitals nationwide. All the completed projects are already in active use.
Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) is a significant player in the energy industry globally and in Nigeria and is one of the single-largest contributors to sustainable development in the country.
Other dignitaries that witnessed the event, included: Bagudu Hirse, former member of the NLNG Board of Directors, Pokop Bupwatda, JUTH’s Chief Medical Director and the Gbwom Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba.
Hours after Mohammed Hayatu-Deen did, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday, also flatly rejected the outcome of the presidential primaries, of the African Democratic Congress, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement and electoral malpractice.
Amaechi former Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers State, described the announced results as “concocted,” insisting that the process failed to meet the standards of transparency and fairness earlier promised by the party.
He said in a statement: “I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” Amaechi stated.
He said he had previously maintained that he would only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair and transparent, stressing that the exercise did not reflect the democratic values the ADC claimed to represent.
“I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold, to rescue Nigerians from the impunity and gross mismanagement that our country is currently facing in the hands of the ruling party,” he said.
Amaechi alleged that a significant number of party members were denied the opportunity to vote during the exercise.
“There’s no way that about eighty percent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results,” he stated.
The former Rivers State governor questioned the moral basis of the ADC criticising the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over alleged electoral malpractice while allegedly engaging in similar conduct internally.
“A party that criticizes the ruling APC and INEC for vote buying, rigging and writing of results, cannot be engaged in vote buying, writing of results, and other electoral malpractices that leads to the disenfranchisement of voters who are party members. This is not acceptable!” he declared.
Amaechi said the ADC was envisioned as a platform to amplify the voices of ordinary Nigerians and provide credible political alternatives irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social background.
His rejection of the outcome is expected to deepen tensions within the opposition party following the conclusion of its presidential primary election.
“These timeless virtues of devotion, selflessness, and submission to divine will are values our nation desperately needs today,” were the exact words with which Godswill Akpabio, attempted to rouse Nigerians to the ethos of unquestionable faith and service to the country.
Akpabio, Chairman of the National Assembly, who drew example from Prophet Ibrahim, admonished Nigerians to emulate his unwavering faith, obedience, and willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Almighty Allah.
The Senate President, who conveyed his sentiments via a statement by Eseme Eyiboh, also used the specifically hail President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his vice, Kashim Shettima and Muslim faithful in Nigeria and around the world as they celebrate Eid El Kabir.
Stressing that the occasion called for prayer and sober reflection on the theme of sacrifice, he added: “This sacred occasion reminds us of Prophet Ibrahim’s unwavering faith, obedience, and willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Almighty Allah.
“To our dear President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his vice, Senator Kashim Shettima and Muslim brothers and sisters, I felicitate with them on behalf of my family, constituents and the Senate on this blessed Eid. May the lessons of sacrifice, compassion, and generosity that define this season strengthen your faith and bring peace to your homes.
“As you share with the less privileged and extend love to neighbours of all faiths, you embody the true spirit of Nigeria. To all Nigerians, I urge us to use this solemn period to pray fervently for peace, security, and prosperity in our land. Let us pray for our troops in the frontlines, for farmers to return safely to their fields, and for unity to prevail over division in our Nation.
“Eid El Kabir also calls us to deep reflection on the future of our country. Just as Prophet Ibrahim was tested, Nigeria is in a season of testing. The sacrifices we make today in patience, in tolerance and in choosing hope over despair will determine the Nigeria our children inherit.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda of this administration, supported by the National Assembly, is anchored on that same principle: that meaningful progress often requires collective sacrifice.
“May Almighty Allah accept your prayers and sacrifices. May He heal our land, guide our leaders, and bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Barka da Sallah. Eid Mubarak.”
“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps.”
These were the exact words of Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, one of the presidential aspirants of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with which he cast a slur on the ongoing presidential primaries of the party, hinging his position on reports of fraud trailing the exercise.
Hayatu-Deen, a second timer in the search for the nation’s number one job, ran against Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former Vice President and Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation.
In a statement on his assessment of the exercise which began on Monday, the renowned economist Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), used his X platform to convey his dissatisfaction with the process.
The ADC which said the collation for the exercise would take place in Abuja had urged aspirants, party leaders, delegates, and members to conduct themselves peacefully and uphold party unity.
Bolaji Abdullahi, its spokesman, who described the exercise as a defining moment for both the ADC and Nigerians seeking a credible political alternative, maintained that it remained committed to internal democracy and a transparent leadership selection process.
“The ADC remains proud to stand today as the only truly democratic party in Nigeria because it is the only political party whose choice of presidential candidate is determined through open primaries,” he said adding that the conduct of aspirants and party members during the exercise would reflect the leadership culture the ADC seeks to promote.
-
News4 weeks agoBREAKING: Makinde, Turaki, lose! *S’Court affirms Wike’s PDP leadership
-
News2 weeks agoTinubu to African leaders: Copy Nigeria, produce your way out of poverty
-
News1 week agoBREAKING: US-Nigeria troops slaughter 175 ISWAP fighters
-
Features4 weeks agoJim Nwobodo: The Sun shines, thrills, at ‘The Vanguard Awards’
-
Columns5 days agoDear General Gowon: That apology you’re running from is your nemesis
-
News2 weeks agoWhy we pegged presidential ticket forms at N60million – NDC
-
News2 weeks agoGowon on civil war: My book is to put records straight, remove falsehood
-
News3 weeks agoBREAKING! Coast brightens for Obi, as NDC zones presidency to South