National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control has begun a probe into Prof. Isaiah Ibeh’s claim on Tuesday that he had discovered a herbal drug capable of curing AIDS.
Reports quoted the Dean of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Benin as saying the drug had undergone “a series of successful tests”.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, who addressed a media conference in Abuja on Thursday, said the agency had invited Ibeh to prove his claim. He warned members of the public against buying the drug because it had not been subjected to standard scientific protocols.
He said the don was wrong going public, saying it was the duty of the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, to make the announcement after tests by NAFDAC.
Orhii said the product was never brought to his agency for vetting and neither was it subjected to any institutional scrutiny.
He said, “I wish to caution other persons who might want to follow in the footsteps of Prof. Isaiah Ibeh in making public claims for products whose safety and efficiency have not been scientifically proved to desist from such acts .
“There is a procedure laid down for determining the efficacy and safety of new medicines and this must be strictly adhered to.
“We have started by disassociating ourselves from the so-called cure. We will decide the appropriate sanction. We have invited him for further investigation. If our laws don’t have appropriate punishment for such persons who don’t follow scientific protocols in making such pronouncements, we will review the law and ensure that such does not occur again.”
Orhii added, “The agency wishes to state that this herbal drug, which he claimed to have undergone a series of successful tests, has never been presented to NAFDAC for evaluation of efficacy and safety.
“This bogus claim of efficacy without following the appropriate procedure for drug evaluation is capable of misleading the public, especially those that have HIV/AIDs infection as there is no known official or scientifically proven cure for HIV/AIDS infection till date.
“You may recall that Nigeria was inundated with similar spurious claims in the past when individuals announced cure for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and diabetes, which later turned out to be false after thorough investigations. This is usually at the expense of innocent citizens, who have risked their lives, wasted their time and money in search of the elusive cure for their ailments. Nigerians deserve better than to be used as Guinea pigs, no matter how noble the intention of the researcher.
“Also recall that in September 2011, NAFDAC arrested the Managing Director of Winners Medical Diagnostics and Research Institute, Dr. Jacob Abdullahi, for dealing in expired medicines claimed to be cure for HIV.
“Similarly, in November 2011, one Dr. P.S.A. Bondima Young of Bondima Hepatoviral Centre, Jos was apprehended by NAFDAC for administering unregistered drugs on patients for the treatment of hepatitis.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
A former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Charles Soludo, was on Thursday arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over his role in the Australian polymer banknotes bribery scam which occurred between 2006 and 2008 when he was in office.
The PUNCH was informed by sources in the commission that Soludo arrived the EFCC Headquarters about 2pm from his Abuja residence and immediately faced a team of operatives who quizzed him for several hours to ascertain his level of complicity in the scandal.
It was learnt that the decision to look into the polymer deal was followed a petition by Human and Environmental Development Agenda.
According to the chairman of HEDA, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, the group’s petition had demanded the investigation and possible prosecution of those involved in the alleged contract scam.
The petition had demanded that both the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission pursue the investigation and prosecution as provided by laws establishing both anti-graft agencies.
Sources also indicated that other top management staff of CBN, who had worked with Soludo, were also picked and currently being held alongside other ex-staff of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company.
However, all efforts to get the identities of other detained suspects proved abortive, as no one was ready to volunteer information.
It was not clear whether the ex-CBN governor would be remanded at the EFCC detention as he was still being held as at 8pm on Thursday.
Spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest, but could not be categorical on whether the embattled former 2010 Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Anambra State would be detained or not.
He said, “We have Soludo in our custody and it is part of an ongoing investigation over his involvement in the award of contract and printing of polymer banknotes when he was the Governor of the CBN.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
THE internal strife within the Peoples Democratic Party deepened on Thursday with President Goodluck Jonathan’s intervention failing to pacify the PDP governors who are adamant in their resolve to remove their party’s National Chairman, Bamangar Tukur.
Jonathan’s three-hour meeting with the governors at the Villa on Thursday, sources confirmed to The PUNCH, failed to extract a commitment from the states’ chief executives to sheathe their swords in the battle against Tukur.
Myriads of assurances from party chieftains to the contrary notwithstanding, the governors were said to be bent on removing Tukur over his alleged meddling in the Adamawa PDP politics and unilateral dissolution of the executive council in the state chapter of the party.
Many members of the NWC, led by the Deputy National Chairman, Mr. Sam Jaja, had denounced and rescinded the dissolution of the Adamawa exco.
At the end of their meeting in the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday evening, the governors had called for the immediate convening of the National Executive Committee meeting of the party as well as endorsed the decision of the NWC rescinding the dissolution of the PDP Adamawa State Executive.
Sources close to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum confided in our correspondents that the state chief executives were tired of Tukur, a second republic governor of old Gongola State, and that he must go.
Sensing that the governors, who are said to have influence on majority of members of the party’s NEC, could eventually have their way in sacking him, Tukur was said to have vowed that almost all the members of the NWC would go with him.
Tukur is seen as an appointee of the President, who foisted him on the party at its National Convention in Abuja in March, 2012.
The governors, especially those from the North-East, had voted for another aspirant, Dr. Musa Babayo, at their shadow election in Bauchi as the zone’s candidate, but the President insisted that he would only work with Tukur.
Since his emergence, Tukur has shown that he is ready to take revenge, especially against his home state governor, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, for not wholeheartedly supporting his aspiration.
His sacking of the state executive committee of the party is being viewed by the governors as the President’s hidden agenda to take over the party’s structures in states whose governors are considered not friendly with either the President or the party’s chairman.
Already, Jonathan and the leadership of the PDP are said to be in dilemma over how to meet the demand of the party’s governors on the need to have a NEC meeting.
The last NEC meeting of the party was held in July 2012.
The NWC, especially Tukur and the President, are of the opinion that the governors, who control majority of NEC members, could use the opportunity to remove Tukur by passing a vote of no confidence in him.
The party has however, admitted that there is crisis in the party but said the crisis has been settled by its Board of Trustees.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the PDP remained the only political party in the country where differences in the leadership of its various organs could be resolved within a record time
He said, “In a political party as large as the PDP, divergent opinions on issues are normal but in the ability of its leaders to resolve and find a common ground on such issues, dwells the strength and dynamism of such an organisation.
“In this instance, it is only in the PDP that misunderstandings are not just resolved but done in matter of hours.
“The National Working Committee of the PDP therefore wishes to commend the Board of Trustees of the party for proving its role as the conscience of the party.”
The statement added that the NWC members had already closed their ranks and that they remained united under the leadership of Tukur.
Jonathan had met with the members of the NWC on Wednesday in his effort to reunite the party said to be having crises on many fronts.
At the end of the governors’ meeting with Jonathan on Thursday, Chairman of the governors’ forum, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, was heard asking his colleagues to move from the Presidential Villa to an undisclosed venue within the FCT for further discussions.
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, who spoke to journalists after much pressure, described the wrangling within the party as normal “in a big party like the PDP.”
He, however, assured Nigerians that the issues would be resolved amicably.
Specifically on the Adamawa crisis, the governor expressed the conviction that the issue would be finally resolved by the time the Governor Sule Lamido-committee set up on the matter submits its report in about a week.
He said, “You know the PDP is a very large party. The party may have its own internal challenges; of course we have our own modus operandi: ways of resolving all these issues.
“Various committees have been set up from the Board of Trustees to the National Working Committee. I believe that at the end of the day, in the next one week, all those issues will be a thing of the past.”
When confronted with the report that the PDP governors were not happy with party’s chairman, Akpabio said, “There is nothing like the PDP governors not being happy. We identify with the party; we have confidence in the party and all the internal wranglings you are hearing are normal in any democracy.”
“The governors are happy with the party and we are sure that under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan, all the issues pertaining to the party will be resolved amicably and the party will come out stronger.”
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Mr Anibe Onuche, Network/Communication Manager, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, on Wednesday called for an update of the curricula of ICT related courses in Nigerian universities.
Onuche told NAN in an interview in Lagos that the appraisal was essential to improve the quality of ICT graduates from the nation’s universities.
“More than 70 per cent of the computer programming and languages being taught in most Nigerian universities are now outdated compared to modern day technology.
“There are new programmes and languages being introduced every day and we need to update our curricula to keep abreast with the latest developments in the ICT sector.
“For instance, sometime last year, HTMO5 and CSS3 were introduced as web-based technology and the future of mobile technology and these things are not taught in our schools,” he said.
Onuche urged the Federal Government to take proactive measures to make the nation’s universities produce world class ICT graduates.
He said that the current school curricula did not favour innovation and skill acquisition because ICT had gone beyond that level.
“There is a difference between future contributors and future users of ICT; a trader can always buy a laptop and access his mails, he is a user.
“But someone who actually goes to school to learn computer or ICT related courses is a future contributor; if he is adequately taught, he can actually come out with innovative solutions to address national problems,’’ he said.
Onuche said it was worrisome that graduates still had to attend private institutions at huge costs to acquire recent ICT innovations because of outdated facilities in universities. (NAN)
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
One of the world’s richest clubs Paris Saint Germain is contemplating easing Cristiano Ronaldo’s alleged ‘sad’ time at the Bernabeu.
However, PSG would undoubtedly need to break the Portuguese international’s world-record transfer of €98m from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009 if they are to succeed.
French outfit PSG’s spending-power has already seen Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, along with a host of other stars, arrive in Paris for enormous fees last summer.
The main stumbling block in luring the former World Player of the year to Parc de Paris would be his current contract with Spanish giants Real Madrid, who were left reeling earlier in the season when Ronaldo unexpectedly announced he was “sad” with life at the Spanish champions.
SPSG transfer chief and former AC Milan man Leonardo said: “Cristiano Ronaldo? Paris St Germain have become a club where anything is possible.
“However, he still has an ongoing contract with Real Madrid and we have to realise that he will not leave Madrid for just any club.
“When we are discussing a possible transfer for a player like Cristiano Ronaldo, there are only four or five clubs that can be taken into consideration. PSG are one of those.”
PSG are currently top of the French league while Madrid lie in third 16 points behind leaders Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga.
Unrest among the Madrid squad is routinely reported and, with manger Jose Mourihno set to leave, Ronaldo may feel the time is right to find greener pastures elsewhere.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Manchester City have returned almost a third of their away ticket allocation for Sunday’s clash at Arsenal due to high prices.
The match, which is also being broadcast live in England, comes in the Category A bracket and is therefore given the highest ticket cost for Arsenal’s Premier League games, with away fans needing to pay 62 pounds for entry.
City were given a 3,000 ticket allocation for the match, but have returned 912, and the club’s supporters have hit out at the growing disconnect between clubs and fans.
The general secretary of the Manchester City Supporters Club, Kevin Parker, told The Guardian: “It’s the most expensive amount I can ever remember paying for a ticket in my life, for a Sunday afternoon game which is live on satellite television.
“And it’s not as if finding a television to watch the game on is difficult nowadays. Even if the game wasn’t live, to charge 62 pounds to watch it is ridiculous, but to charge that amount when people can see it live on TV is crazy.
“It just shows that football clubs are out of touch with reality. If City supporters are travelling on a supporters’ club coach it will cost 30 pounds per person. That’s 92 pounds before they have even done anything; add in a programme, food, drink and you are looking at 125-130 pounds per person.
“There are a combination of things at play here. Some people cannot afford the price, especially as it is just after Christmas, and there are some who just refuse to pay 62 pounds.
“This is also the first time in a long while that I remember City fans saying to me they could pay the money but are refusing to do so.
“That is a brave decision to take. Soon, though, fans will vote more strongly with their feet and clubs like Arsenal will have to decide what to do about ticket prices.”
City have not won a league game at Arsenal in 27 attempts and will attempt to claim three points for the first time since 1975.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
BAMAKO – Fighting resumed Thursday in Mali’s central Mopti region between the army and armed Islamists who have occupied the north of the country, a military source said.
“Our troops are currently engaged on the ground against the Islamists,” an army officer told AFP. A local representative of a non-governmental organisation confirmed the information, saying “clashes are taking place in the small village of Koko, located between the towns of Konna and Bore.” (AFP)
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
The Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion has threatened to breakaway from the Church of England over the decision of the later to drop opposition to gay bishops in civil partnerships.
The announcement, from the Church’s House of Bishops, would allow gay clergy to become bishops if they promise to be celibate. The move that did not go down well with Conservative evangelical Anglicans.
Arising from its 2013 annual retreat, held at the Ibru Centre, Agbarha Otor, Delta State, the Bishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) said they heard with dismay, the news of the recent action of the Church of England House of Bishops.
The Primate, Church of Nigeria, the Most Revd Nicholas Okoh said “the decision to permit homosexual clergy in civil partnerships to now be considered for the episcopacy is one step removed from the moral precipice that we have already witnessed in The Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Church of Canada.
“When the Church of England failed to exercise its legal and moral right to opt out of the civil partnerships legislation in 2005 warnings were given in England and around the Anglican Communion that this was a first step towards the recognition and institutionalization of behaviour contrary to the plain teaching of scripture and reaffirmed for all Anglicans by the 1998 Lambeth Conference in its Resolution 1.10.
“Sadly those warnings were ignored and we now face the next step in a process that could very well shatter whatever hopes we had for healing and reconciliation within our beloved Communion.
“We are also grieved by the timing of this decision coming only days before the retirement of Archbishop Rowan Williams and before Dr. Justin Welby becomes the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
“We urge the House of Bishops to reconsider their decision so as to allow for a full, prayerful and sober reflection on the call on all clergy, especially bishops, to live holy lives and not encourage what are, at best, morally ambiguous partnerships that make it impossible for a bishop to be a wholesome example to the flock. Especially, since the supposed assurances of celibacy, while perhaps well intentioned, are both unworkable and unenforceable.
“As a House of Bishops, while we acknowledge that we all fall short of God’s call to holiness, we dare not compromise the clear teaching of our Lord on faithfulness within Holy Matrimony and chastity outside of it.
“Sadly we must also declare that, if the Church of England continues in this contrary direction we must further separate ourselves from it and we are prepared to take the same actions as those prompted by the decisions of The Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Church of Canada ten years ago.”
The Church of England has dropped its prohibition on gay clergy in civil partnerships becoming bishops.
The issue has split the church since 2003 amid a row over gay cleric Jeffrey John becoming Bishop of Reading.
Mr John, now Dean of St Albans, was forced to withdraw from the role shortly after having initially accepted it, following protests from traditionalists.
He was also a candidate for Bishop of Southwark in 2010 but was rejected. Evidence emerged that this was because of his sexual orientation.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Anambra State Government is determined to shrug off the nightmare of the abysmal performance of its contingent to the last National Sport Festival in Lagos.
To this end, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Dr. Edozie Aroh, has said that the state was getting to the grassroots and schools to raise a generation of sportsmen and women that will take the state to sports glory in the near future.
Aroh said the state’s team to the National School Sports Festival in Port Harcourt would move into camp next week. Anambra finished 30th in the national sports festival with three silver and two bronze.
The school sports festival will be hosted by the Rivers Government from Jan. 24 to Feb. 4. The commissioner said the students for the competition would be camped at a venue yet to be determined.
He said the state was yet to receive it’s athletes to the last National Sports Festival because government was still investigating the issues that arose out of the dismal performance of its team to the festival.
He expressed dismay with the unimpressive outing of Team Anambra at the games in Lagos in spite of the attention it got during preparations for it.
He said that precautionary measures would be taken to improve the state’s performance in future games. But he said the athletes who won medals at the festival in Lagos would be reward as soon as investigations into what led to the poor performance were over.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
Cup winners Heartland confirmed their supremacy over champions Pillars with a last-gasp 1-0 win in the Super 4 in Kano on Wednesday.
Pillars filed out with the aim to avenge their 2-0 loss to Heartland in the Super Cup in Port Harcourt, but they could not even in front of their fans.
Both sides played well, but Heartland were the luckier as new signing Happy Akuoka, who scored one of the goals in the Super Cup victory, scored the only goal in added time.
Heartland media officer Cajetan Nwokpara told MTNFootball.com that it was a game that spectator got value for their money as both sides gave good account of themselves.
“It was a fantastic game, both sides played well, in fact it was fireworks, Pillars came out to avenge the Super Cup loss but we won again. They played well but were not lucky. Our goal came very late and they couldn’t do anything to salvage at least a point,” Nwokpara said.
Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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