Health and Life Style
COVID-19: Benue index case cries to Buhari, British govt to rescue her from Ortom
By Yemi Itodo
A 54-year old Susan Okpe, who was said to be the Benue index case of Corona Virus, has cried on President Muhammad Buhari of Nigeria and the British Government, to evacuate her from Benue state. adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom had on Saturday, 28th March, announced that Mrs. Okpe was the Benue’s first recorded case of Corona Virus, also known as COVID-19.
Mrs. Okpe, a British Nigerian, arrived the country on Saturday, 21st March via Kenya Airway, for the burial of her mother slated to hold early next month.
According to a family source, Mrs. Okpe ran series of tests before leaving the United Kingdom with all results showing negative to COVID-19.
“When she arrived Benue State on the 23rd of March, she was running temperature, perhaps, due to the fatigue of traveling, an experienced Doctor was contacted and tests were conducted and she was being treated for malaria and typhoid.
“When the NCDC contacted me, on the invitation of the Benue State government, I gave my consent that she should be tested. But as I speak with you, none of us has seen the test result, not even the Medical Director of the Cottage Hospital who assisted the NCDC to get samples, has seen the result. We only got to see through the television where the Governor announced her name”, the source hinted our reporter.
Meanwhile, in a message sent via WhatsApp to our reporter, Mrs. Okpe appealed to the Federal Government and the UK Government to move her out of Benue State.
“I have kept my cool, but am now sick with swollen gums, being stooling throughout the night, no nurses or medical attention. My crime is that am a British who came into Nigeria, particularly Benue State; felt feverish, took myself for check up because I have travelled longer than usual.
“After examinations, I was told by the doctor my temperature was high and I said keep me for observations as I did not experience any before I left London, passed from Lagos to Abuja my temperature was like any other passenger was being monitored by the authorities.
“Back to my self presentation and request for isolation which was done, I was told by the doctors that the standard procedure was to call for a test from the state ministry of health of which two gentle men came to do a throat and nose swoop.
“After two days, by now my temperature has normalised from 38:2 to 36:4 the record are there to be verified. Only to be told by the Doctor after asking why am I still kept in the hospital, a friend now came in to tell me that a press conference is being done with my name that I have Covid-19, on air, on social media, without my knowledge.
“I went mad as a human being and demanded to see the Medical Director who told me he was fighting for me; how, why and for what and with who I don’t understand, still fuming the next thing was armed men, ambulance and a siege round the hospital for me to be removed for what I don’t know.
“As someone who knows the principles of the law (weather it works in Nigeria or not I can’t tell), I said I was not moving without a reason, I was surrounded and to stop the embarrassment to my family and poor junior sister who I think is not fair on, I went down to speak with the Deputy Governor for thirty minutes and he assured me I was safe, will be cared for, though not sick with any symptoms, also that the following day the health commissioner and medical doctors from the state will come and see me.
“I told him that if the state is insisting that am ill I should be taken to Abuja to be tested, I have never in my life seen a staged played drama with human life and politics like this before, I want the world, Nigerians, Benue state to hear my side and verify am not a Covid-19 positive, left my children behind in London they are healthy till this moment”, Mrs. Okpe cried out.
She pleaded with the authorities concerned to take her to any standard center and verify her claims, as there was no single facility in Benue to even handle or manage any case, should it be true that Benue had a case.
Already, our reporter gathered that, the Consulate General of the UK in Nigeria had been contacted by Mrs. Okpe, whose fundamental rights have been grossly breached and arrangements were underway to get the Presidency to help the British Embassy evacuate her citizen from Benue State, before it results to death.
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Health and Life Style
Kogi L-PRES Project Takes Delivery of Vaccines for Transboundary Animal Disease
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The Kogi State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (Kogi L-PRES) Project, has taken delivery of its allocated vaccines from the L-PRES National Coordination Office, Abuja for mass vaccination against major Transboundary Animal Diseases (TADs) in Nigeria
The vaccination program under the L-PRES Project aims to improve animal health, enhance livestock productivity, food safety and security in Nigeria.
The vaccines were received in Lokoja, by the State Project Coordinator (SPC), Mr Abdulkabir Onoruoyiza Otaru and handed over to the Honourable Commissioner for Livestock Development, Dr Olufemi Bolarin.
Dr Bolarin commended the Federal Government’s initiative, saying the vaccines will benefit livestock farmers; pastoralists, poultry and small ruminant farmers in the state.
“The impact of this initiative is an increase in the livestock productivity as it would improve animal health,” he said.
Mr. Otaru, the Project Coordinator, described the vaccine delivery as a “critical intervention” that would enhance livestock productivity in Kogi State.
According to him, the vaccines include 200,000 Doses of CBPP vaccines, 30,000 Doses of Newcastle Disease vaccines (NCDV), and 3,000 Doses of Foot and Mouth Disease vaccines (FMDV).
The SPC explained that the vaccines would be administered to livestock at the 64 value chain clusters across the 21 LGAs of the state.
Mr Otaru noted that the vaccines would be stored in a cold chain facility established by the Kogi L-PRES project at the Ministry of Livestock Development in Kogi State.
He thanked the National Project Coordinator, Dr Sanusi Abubakar, for his result oriented leadership and the support to Kogi State.
Barr. Ken Agim, Legal Advisor, L-PRES Project, Abuja, who delivered the vaccines, stated that the initiative aligns with the federal government’s efforts to boost the livestock sector.
“The vaccines, procured by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development through L-PRES, aim to combat transboundary and other diseases affecting livestock nationwide.
“The vaccines are being distributed simultaneously to all 36 states and the FCT, expected to enhance livestock productivity, resilience, and contribute to the economy.
“This follows a similar distribution exercise in 2024, which yielded positive results in boosting livestock productivity,” Agim said.
The move is seen as a step towards controlling TADs and boosting livestock productivity in the state.
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Health and Life Style
Varsity Scholar X-rays Findings On Remote Work
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Mrs. Oluwanifesimi Ibikunle, a scholar and lead author of a research group, from the Department of Project Management at the University of Northampton, in an interview with Our Correspondent, X-rayed her findings on remote work as well as new research which reveals why flexibility alone doesn’t guarantee employee satisfaction
Speaking on the Workplace Report of February 6th 2026, Ibikunle said that her research also reveals that Remote Work Makes IT Staff Happier, But Only When Done Right
According to her “Working from home has transformed from an occasional perk to a defining feature of the information technology sector, but new research reveals that simply allowing remote work doesn’t automatically make employees happier.
What matters is how that flexibility is structured, supported, and experienced.
“A conceptual study published in the International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Development examines why some IT professionals thrive working remotely whilst others struggle, despite having the same flexible arrangements. The findings challenge the assumption that location independence alone drives satisfaction.
“Remote work isn’t inherently good or bad for satisfaction,” explains Oluwanifesimi Ibikunle from the Department of Project Management at the University of Northampton, the study’s first author. “What matters is whether employees experience genuine autonomy, maintain strong relationships with their organisations, and receive adequate support for managing work boundaries.”
“The research identifies three critical factors that distinguish satisfying remote work from problematic arrangements: the quality of autonomy employees experience, the strength of their organisational relationships, and the adequacy of structural support for managing work-life boundaries.
“True autonomy means more than choosing where to work,” notes Dr Temiloluwa Ajibade from Health Business School at Health Science University in London. “It means having genuine control over how and when work gets done, being trusted to manage your own schedule, and having authority to make decisions without constant oversight. When remote work simply relocates micromanagement from the office to Zoom, satisfaction suffers.”
“Social Exchange Theory provides a lens for understanding these dynamics. When remote employees believe their organisation cares about their wellbeing, provides necessary resources, and values their contributions, satisfaction increases substantially. “The strength of organisational relationships doesn’t depend on physical proximity,” argues Dr Kennedy Oberhiri Obohwemu, Senior Researcher and Project Coordinator of PENKUP Research Institute in Birmingham. “What matters is whether employees feel valued, supported, and connected to organisational goals.”
“Work-life balance emerges as particularly complex. Flexibility theoretically allows better integration of professional and personal responsibilities, but the same flexibility can create work-life blur where boundaries dissolve and work expands to fill all available time.
“Work-life balance requires boundaries, not just flexibility,” observes Dr Christianah Adekunbi Falade from the Department of Business Management at Scholars School System in Bradford. “Remote workers need clear expectations about when they’re available, explicit permission to disconnect outside working hours, and organisational cultures that respect boundaries rather than expecting constant responsiveness.”
Individual circumstances matter enormously. “We can’t treat remote work as a one-size-fits-all solution,” notes Dr Charles Leyman Kachitsa from Leeds Trinity University. “What works brilliantly for one employee might be terrible for another depending on their living situation, personality, work style, and life stage.”
The IT sector’s technical sophistication creates a paradox. “IT professionals are comfortable with technology but that doesn’t mean they’ve figured out healthy ways to use it,” observes Oladipo Vincent Akinmade from the Digital Health and Rights Project at the University of Warwick. “Being able to work anywhere, anytime through digital tools doesn’t mean you should. The always-on culture enabled by technology can be particularly intense in the IT sector.”
“The findings offer practical guidance. “Remote work requires deliberate organisational design,” argues Oluwafemi Emmanuel Ooju from the World Health Organisation in Abuja. “You can’t just tell people to work from home and expect everything to work out. Organisations need policies on availability expectations, investment in collaboration technology, and mechanisms for maintaining organisational culture.”
“Trust matters more than surveillance. Dr Eddy Eidenehi Esezobor from Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia notes: “Some organisations respond to remote work with monitoring software that tracks activity. This approach undermines the autonomy that makes remote work satisfying, treating employees as potential shirkers rather than trusted professionals.”
“Future research needs to examine long-term effects. “Most research examines short-term satisfaction, but questions remain about career development, innovation, and sustainability of remote arrangements over many years,” observes Daniel Obande Haruna from St. Mary’s University in London.
“The question isn’t whether remote work is good or bad,” concludes Dr Festus Ituah from Regent College in London. “It’s under what conditions remote work supports satisfaction, wellbeing, and performance. Understanding those conditions allows organisations to design practices that genuinely enhance employee experience rather than just reducing office costs whilst calling it flexibility.”
“The research, “Remote Working and Employee Satisfaction in the Information Technology Sector: A Conceptual Reappraisal Grounded in Wellbeing and Work Experience,” appears in the International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Development, Volume 3, Issue 2. The study was conducted by researchers from institutions across the UK, Spain, and Nigeria, with support from PENKUP Research Institute in Birmingham.
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Health and Life Style
He-RIN Accuses Health Ministry of Deliberately Sabotsging Local Manufacturers of Mosquito nets
By AbdulRahman Obaje
The Health Reform Initiative Nigeria (He-RIN),has rejected the SNG Health Agreement signed with the Federal Ministry of Health, describing it as self-serving, deceptive and a deliberate attempt to cripple existing local mosquito net manufacturers.
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In a statement signed for He-RIN by Sunday Tobi, Executive Director and Abdul Musa Secretary 24 December 2025, HE-RIN further revealed that the arrangement is merely a continuation of the activities of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which it said previously dominated the sector under questionable circumstances
The full statement read, “The Health Reform Initiative Nigeria (He-RIN), a civil society organisation advocating health sector reform through increased funding, accountability and local capacity building, has rejected the SNG Health Agreement signed with the Federal Ministry of Health, describing it as self-serving, deceptive and a deliberate attempt to cripple existing local mosquito net manufacturers.”
“In a joint statement issued on Wednesday by its Executive Director, Sunday Tobi, and Secretary, Abdul Musa, He-RIN condemned the agreement that led to a partnership between Vestergaard and Harvestfield, culminating in the formation of SNG Health for the supply of mosquito nets in Nigeria.”
“According to the organisation, the arrangement is merely a continuation of the activities of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which it said previously dominated the sector under questionable circumstances.”
“From available evidence widely reported in the media weeks ago, the so-called SNG Health was incubated by UNOPS at the instance of the Federal Ministry of Health through a Swiss company, in collaboration with the World Bank Nigeria, which operates as a sister organisation to UNOPS,” the statement said”
“He-RIN accused the Ministry of Health of deliberately undermining local manufacturers of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, tracing Nigeria’s persistent malaria burden and failure to significantly reduce malaria-related deaths to what it described as the ministry’s collusion with UNOPS years before the Bola Tinubu administration assumed office in 2023.”
“The group noted that Nigeria continues to bear the heaviest malaria burden globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) World Malaria Report, Nigeria accounts for approximately 27 per cent of global malaria cases and 31 per cent of malaria-related deaths, with an estimated 184,000 deaths annually, mostly among children under five and pregnant women.”
“He-RIN further stated that this grim outcome persists despite substantial public spending on health. Data from the Budget Office of the Federation show that Nigeria’s health sector has consistently received only 4–6 per cent of the annual national budget, far below the 15 per cent Abuja Declaration benchmark.”
“In the 2024 Federal Budget, the health sector received approximately N1.3 trillion, representing just over five per cent of total government expenditure.”
“On malaria-specific investments, the organisation disclosed that Nigeria has received and deployed over N1.5 billion for malaria control interventions between 2015 and 2023, according to figures from the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) and partner funding disclosures.”
“These funds, largely provided by the Global Fund, World Bank, USAID and UN agencies, were primarily spent on the procurement and distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying, diagnostics and antimalarial medicines.”
“Despite this scale of investment, Nigeria continues to struggle with malaria control due to policy inconsistency, excessive reliance on imported mosquito nets, weak local manufacturing capacity and opaque procurement practices,” He-RIN said.”
“The organisation recalled that the Federal Government had concluded arrangements for the local manufacturing of mosquito nets following a competitive bidding process completed in 2022, but alleged that the process was abruptly halted at the instance of UNOPS shortly after the current administration assumed office.”
“Since then, the sector has witnessed no meaningful investment. Mosquitoes continue to ravage communities, while Nigeria retains the unenviable position of the world’s most malaria-burdened country,” the statement added.”
“He-RIN argued that these developments directly contradict President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the health sector, which prioritises a Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) to Universal Health Coverage (UHC), increased funding, strengthened Primary Health Care through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), reforms under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), health workforce development, and the promotion of local production as a pillar of a resilient health system.”
“The group stressed that if local manufacturers had not been blocked from accessing a proposed $100 million contract for the local production of insecticide-treated nets, millions of direct and indirect jobs could have been created, foreign exchange conserved, and malaria-related deaths significantly reduced.”
“He-RIN maintained that SNG Health does not serve Nigeria’s best interests, describing it as a re-emergence of vested interests within the Ministry of Health in collaboration with UNOPS, following the failure of what it alleged was an attempt to divert the $100 million initiative..”
“The organisation stressed that the President must urgently investigate the matter to understand why the Ministry of Health is, in its view, prioritising profit-driven arrangements over the health and lives of Nigerians, while malaria continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives annually”
“The organisation expressed deep concern that the Honourable Minister of Health has never publicly acknowledged the existence of local LLIN mosquito net manufacturers in Nigeria, despite their verifiable presence, prior international certifications, and documented supply history to agencies such as the Global Fund and the World Bank.”
“He-RIN alleged that the Minister assumed office with a clear conflict of interest, having previously worked in alignment with Vestergaard, and has since promoted policies that favour his personal and commercial interests while systematically disadvantaging Nigerian-owned manufacturers.”
“It revealed that the same Vestergaard company behind the partnership of SNG was the company responsible for closing down over 20 manufacturers of net in Nigeria including the bed net clusters in Lagos, Aba, kano and Onitshia when it came up with its standard Llin that was distributed free to Nigerians therefore killing the commercial market.”
“According to the organisation, the Minister deliberately encouraged UNOPS to exclude and effectively ban local manufacturers who had invested substantial personal and borrowed capital to establish LLIN factories, creating a vacuum that enabled the emergence of SNG Health as the preferred supplier.”
“He-RIN further alleged that the Minister refused to commence tenders or malaria intervention campaigns in World Bank-supported states until the SNG Health agreement was finalised and procurement contracts could be directly channelled to the SNG arrangement.”
“The group stated that the Minister unilaterally pushed for the award of over 25 million Global Fund-supported LLINs to a narrow group of favoured companies without the backing of any publicly disclosed or Nigeria-specific epidemiological study, despite existing national data showing that multiple LLIN types remain effective across different regions of the country”
“He-RIN emphasised that Nigeria’s epidemiological evidence supports the deployment of different LLIN technologies tailored to regional mosquito species and resistance patterns, noting that mosquitoes in Lagos differ significantly from those in Ebonyi and Sokoto States, making a single-net approach scientifically unjustifiable”
“The organisation asserted that corruption, rather than public health outcomes, appears to underpin policies that ignore existing local manufacturers who had previously spent millions of dollars to establish LLIN factories and had successfully produced nets for international donors, including the Global Fund and the World Bank”
vHe-RIN recalled that the Ministry of Health is still indebted to local manufacturers for supplies delivered over a decade ago, even as those same manufacturers once placed Nigeria on the global stage by producing the world’s largest mosquito net, recognised by the Guinness World Records and displayed at Eagle Square, Abuja, during the African Leaders’ Summit on Roll Back Malaria.”
“The group stated that the objective of producing the world’s largest mosquito net was to demonstrate Nigeria’s manufacturing capacity, encourage sustained local production of LLINs, and justify continued government and donor patronage for manufacturers who had borrowed heavily to establish factories.”
“He-RIN questioned why SNG Health was prioritised when Nigerian manufacturers could have been supported through sovereign-backed loan guarantees of up to $40 million, coupled with assured market access, achieving the same outcomes without displacing existing players.”
“The organisation warned that the Minister’s current policy framework is directly harmful to existing manufacturers, as SNG Health competes within the same limited market while enjoying preferential treatment that distorts competition and undermines local industry survival.”
“He-RIN further alleged that the Minister deliberately stalled the issuance of tenders for World Bank-borrowed funds for over two years—despite rising malaria deaths among children—until the SNG Health plan was fully positioned, and cautioned that similar strategies are now being deployed under the guise of promoting “dual” LLIN technology, even though SNG Health is not the sole global producer of such nets and dual LLINs should not be imposed as the exclusive option for Nigeria.”
“We therefore call on President Bola Tinubu to act in the national interest by halting the SNG Health arrangement and directing the Ministry of Health to publicly account for what happened to the $100 million initiative intended for local mosquito net manufacturing,” the statement said.”
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