0902 Spring 2005.pdf - Friends of Nigeria

Nigeria News
Edited by Virginia DeLancey (04) 62-64
Nigeria Supports Tsunami
Relief
Following South Africa's earlier
example, President Obasanjo set up a
national committee to raise funds for
Tsunami relief efforts and he urged all
Nigerians to contribute generously to the
fund. Nigeria had already contributed $1
million to the UN fund. As of January 6,
Africa had pledges the following amounts:
African Union: $100,000
Algeria: $1,000,000
Libya: $1,000,000
Nigeria: $1,000,000
Mozambique: $100,000
South Africa Red Cross: $400,000
Kenya, which also was affected by the
tsunami, plans to contribute ten doctors
and tea for the relief efforts, and South
Africa has launched a drive to raise
$1,600,000. The UN also has appealed for
help for the tens of thousands of Somalis
affected by the tsunami for which the death
toll has risen to 298. (Source: BBC News,
1/6/1005; 17Jis Day [Lagos], 1/5/1005).
A Tsunami is Possible in
Nigeria
The Nigerian Red Cross urged
Nigerians to be prepared for the possibility
of a Tsunami-type calamity, as Nigeria's
western boundary with Cameroon is an
active volcanic region. A statement by the
See. Gen. of the society warned that the
nation has been witnessing some tidal
waves in the coastal areas, especially in
Lagos and some other coastal areas, and
some land mass has been washed away.
The Red Cross urged that the country
must develop the appropriate capacity to
manage and cope with natural and manmade
disasters. (Source: 17Jis Day [Lagos],
1/6/1005).
Abacha Loot Will be Returned
to Nigeria
The $500 million believed to have been
stolen by late military leader Gen. Sani
Abacha and hidden in Swiss banks will be
returned to Nigeria, according to the
Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria.
The decision of the Swiss government
4 FON NEWSLElTER
disregards the appeal filed by the Abacha
family last September against the
reStitution of the money. Although the
case is still pending before the Swiss
Supreme Court, the Ambassador
reportedly said that the SwissGovernment
has indicated that the $500 million is of
criminal origin and that it has to be given
back to Nigeria. This is to be a test case that
",ill be used to encourage others to follow
suit. (Source: 17Jis Day [Lagos], 1/14/
1005).
Wodd Bank Provides Loan of
$240 Million
The World Bank has provided Nigeria a
loan of $140 million to pursue economic
reforms. The World Bank Country Director
said that part of it would be used to
increase transparency and to fight
corruption, while the other part would be
used to open up the solid mineral sector
of the economy. (Source: Vanguard
[Lagos], 1/15/1005).
Nigeria Will Phase Out
Chloroquine Malaria
Treatments
Nigeria will phase out malaria-resistant
drugs such as chloroquine immediately and
adopt the World Health Organization's
recommendation to use the more effective
but more expensive artemisinin-based
combination therapy. Artemisinin is an
anti-malarial agent ell:tractedfrom the dry
leaves of a Chinese herb, Artemisia annua,
also known as quinghaosu or sweet
wormwood. According to a health ministry
statement, there is drug resistance to not
only chloroquine, introduced in the 1950s,
but also to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine
(Fansidar), introduced in the 1990s. The
problem of drug-resistant malaria has been
compounded by a wide circulation of fake,
adulterated, or substandard drugs in
Nigeria, often leading to the wrong
diagnosis of the disease and associated
drug failures. According to Nigeria's food
and drug administration agency, more than
60 percent of pharmaceuticals on sale in the
country are fake, substandard or
adulterated due to the presence of
powerful criminal gangs trading in
counterfeit drugs.
Although artemisinin-based drugs are
currently ... imported . to Nigeria, the health
mmlstry ISattemptmg to get
pharmaceutical firms to produce them
locally, and the National Institute of
Pharmaceutical Research and Development
in Abuja has launched a project for largescale
growing of the plant, Artemisia
annua. (Source: IRIN,1/15/1005).
Doctors Suspend 7-Week Strike
The National Association of Resident
Doctors (NARD) suspended their 7-week
strike on January 13, following release of
about N8 billion by the Federal
Government as part of efforts to resolve
the crisis. Although NARD suspended the
strike, it gave the government two weeks
within which all its members should
receive their full entitlements. Other
reasons for the strike included: some of
NARD's members had not been paid the
12 percent increase in basic allowance; some
had not received leave grant for two years,
annual increase for four years, and update
courses allowance in the last three years;
many NARD members had not been
promoted for a long time, nor paid the
N1,500 teaching allowance; and those who
sat for professional exams had not yet been
paid. In response, before providing the
benefits demanded by NARD, the Minister
of Health has ordered personnel
verification to ascertain the true staff status
of the Ministry.
The week before NARD suspended its
strike, the National Association of Nigeria
Nurses and Midwives (NANNM)
suspended their proposed strike, after
issuing a 7-day ultimatum to the
government to pay all outstanding salaries
and arrears owed to members of the
association. Members of the Non­
Academic Staff Union of Education and
Related Institutions (NASU) in the
Teaching/Specialist Hospitals across the
country alsowent on a five-day warning
strike over the issue of compensation.
Since the NARD strike began on
December 6, services at all teaching
(Continued
www.friendsofnige
on jJ