As you close the year 2023 which has been challenging for many Nigerians, I want to drop this word: BELIEVE. By believing, Carlos Slim, the Mexican billionaire, bought everything on his path during the ruins in his nation. The Mexican currency, the peso, was imperiled but he believed. By believing, he is today one of the richest men in the world.

Templeton on that same #believe bought stocks when others were selling as markets crashed during the second world war.  He later became the stock picker of the 20th century.

After the Biafran War,  some Nigerians despite losing their children at war, homeland destroyed and bank accounts frozen, came together to establish secondary schools, hospitals, etc via community development unions. That spirit that Tomorrow has a promise overcame despair and ruins, as they contributed money to rebuild communities, one by one.

Here is the deal: Nigeria would not disappear because nations rarely kaput. And when you remember that the greatest business in Nigeria has not been started you can believe. I am building something huge in New York and I am excited because that is linked directly with Nigeria.

As an economic prophet, I challenge young people to rise unto the promise of tomorrow.  Thou will find pasture, and will leave any miry clay behind because thou liveth in the best era to be a youth! Make 2024 a dream year! 

Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) has regained its accreditation from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), following its complete renovation, by Governor Alex Otti.

The governor announced the development in a statement on Friday, stating that the development will alleviate the suffering of many people.

“I am glad to announce that the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Abia State University, Uturu has successfully regained full accreditation from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) after a period of suspension lasting almost three years,” he said.

“One of my priorities, when I took office, was to restore the accreditation of our College of Medicine and Health Sciences ABSU, which was revoked due to inadequate facilities and staff welfare.

“I witnessed the suffering of our students, lecturers, and patients, and I promised to never let it happen again. We invested massively in the renovation and upgrade of the infrastructure, equipment, and personnel of ABSUTH,” he added.

One of my priorities, when I took office, was to restore the accreditation of our College of Medicine and Health Sciences ABSU, which was revoked due to inadequate facilities and staff welfare. I witnessed the suffering of our students, lecturers, and patients, and I promised to… pic.twitter.com/5vHPThrVLD

— Alex Otti (@alexottiofr) December 15, 2023

The National Universities Commission (NUC) withdrew accreditation for the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at Abia State University in June last year. This decision was a result of the teaching hospital’s near-inactivity due to its dire state and the poor welfare conditions of its staff.

The NUC found deficiencies within the institution, prompting the revocation of accreditation. The teaching hospital, reported to be in a severely dilapidated condition and unsuitable for learning, serves as a crucial training ground for clinical medical students.

As a consequence of losing accreditation, the college, which had previously graduated more than 22 sets of doctors, ceased admitting new students for Medicine and Surgery.

Otti called the school’s reinstatement “a remarkable achievement” for Abia State, which “affirms our commitment to deliver quality healthcare and education to our people.”

“With this accreditation, our medical students can now resume their training at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH) Aba, with a higher admission quota and a valid accreditation to train house officers,” he said.

Reaffirming his resolute dedication to fortifying education and healthcare, Otti made reference to the allocation of 20% and 15% of the 2024 annual budget to these pivotal sectors. He emphasized that these allocations represent not just gestures but indispensable obligations owed to the people of Abia State.

“We believe that these are not favors, but obligations that we owe to our citizens. We will continue to do our best to provide quality service and governance to our state,” he said.

The College of Medicine was inaugurated during the 1988/89 academic session, with Professor Akpuaka, F.C., who specialized in Plastic Surgery, serving as its inaugural provost. In November 1994, the Medical and Dental Council conducted the initial evaluation of the clinical facilities within the Teaching Hospital Complex of the college. Subsequently, after a follow-up visit by the council in March 1996, the entire college received full accreditation as a Medical Training Institution in May 1996.

It was reported yesterday that the governor of Rivers State, Mr Sim Fubara, ordered the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex in order to distort the parliamentary session so that the defected House of Assembly members loyal to Mr Nyesom Wike will not carry out their impeachment ploy against him. 

As a person who has keenly been following Nigerian politics, I can take a wild guess that the reason why the River state governor has to rave down the state house of assembly complex contrary to whatever you may think is that according to Supreme Court rulings in 2007, in the case of Inakoju V Adeleke, if the assembly members meet in any other place other than the house of assembly complex and impeach the governor, the purported impeachment or whatever business conducted will be voided on the grounds that it didn’t meet up the constitutional procedure of impeachment of the governor as provided in section 188 of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria and the House of Assembly rules. 

In the infamous constitutional landmark case of Hon. Muyiwa Inakoju & 17 Ors v Hon Abraham Adeolu Adeleke & 3 Ors (2007), 4 NWLR (PT. 1025), the Supreme Court upheld Chief Wole Olanipekun’s argument that the House of Assembly complex is the one and only designated building that the official business of the house of assembly members is to be carried out and that D’Rovans Hotel, Ibadan where some of the assembly members held their plenary session and impeached the governor is not the House of Assembly of Oyo State, thereby invalidating the impeachment of the then Governor Rasheed Ladoja. 

Here is the full fact of the case;

On the 13th of December 2005, some members of the Oyo State House of Assembly held their plenary session at D’Rovans Hotel, Ring Road, Ibadan, where they purportedly suspended the Draft Rules of the Oyo State House of Assembly. They also purportedly issued a notice of allegation of misconduct against Senator Rasheed Ladoja, the then Governor, with the purpose of commencing impeachment proceedings against him. On 22nd December 2005, without following the laid down rules, regulations and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, they purportedly passed a motion calling for the investigation of the allegations of misconduct against Senator Ladoja and they went ahead and passed a vote of no confidence on the governor and impeached him. 

The Supreme Court voided the impeachment of the governor on the grounds that the parliamentarians did not follow the right impeachment procedure by meeting up the quorum and conducting the plenary session on the designated House of Assembly complex. 

Therefore, one can decipher the political game that Governor Fubara is playing by demolishing the House of Assembly complex so that if the parliamentarians who are loyal to Mr Wike succeed in impeaching him, he can easily contest the impeachment in court on one of the grounds that the impeachment was carried out on another ground other than the state house of Assembly complex thereby invalidating the process.