By Muhammad Abdullahi
Abuja
The Minister
The centre which was equipped with eight dialysis machines, one medical water reverse osmosis purification system, and one 30 KVA generator, donated by the charity arm of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, is part of the church’s christian social responsibility to address health challenges in the society.
While unveiling the project, the minister commended the leadership of the church for the choice of a lifesaving project at this time of rising number of cases of kidney disease, stressing that the church was beginning to play one of its crucial roles of caring for the downtrodden in the society.
Aliyu who quoted copiously from the holy book to buttress the significant of the dialysis centre, noted that kidney disease when detected early could be managed and corrected, just as she advocated for subsided dialysis cost in view of the economic realities.
The minister revealed that the FCT Administration in response to rising incidence of chronic kidney disease, by 2013 operated 2 public dialysis and intensive care units in district hospitals at Wuse and Asokoro respectively.
She used the occasion to call on Nigerian Association of Nephrology and all other health stakeholders to intensify public enlightenment activities including education on lifestyle changes, control of orthodox and traditional drugs abuse to prevent and control kidney diseases and other non-communicable diseases.
“March 2, each year is the world kidney day and this allows for awareness creation and free testing for early detection of kidney disease especially in clients with hypertension and diabetes. weight, urea, electrolytes, creatinine and cholesterol levels checks with evaluation of proteins in urine among others are additional tests necessary for early detection of kidney disease,” she stressed.
On his part, the Intercontinental Overseer, Christian Social Responsibility of the church, Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, revealed that the Abuja dialysis centre would be the 20th in the series of specialised medical interventions including intensive care unit, dialysis centres, cancer screening centre and primary healthcare centres donated by the church.
He also stressed that to date the Enoch and Folu Adeboye dialysis centre has donated 37 dialysis machines in Nigeria, adding that the centre has conducted over 30,000 subsidised/free dialysis sessions to date and partnered to carry out 6 kidney transplant for free.
According to him, “In 2021, the foundation donated a full fledged dialysis centre to the Olabisi Onabanjo State Teaching Hospital Shagamu. 106 patients have benefitted from this facility.
“The foundation in partnership with Mercy ship International Floating Hospital has conducted life changing corrective surgeries for various people, and the foundation rehabilitated the Resettlement Community Primary Healthcare Centre, Ajah, Lagos, amongst others”.
FCTA removes illegal shops,shanties in Sauka
The Federal Capital Territory Administration(FCTA), has Thursday, removed shanties, illegal shops, under the high tension wire in Sauka, airport road corridor.
The multi dimensional team led by the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister Muhammad Musa Bello, Ikharo Attah, dislodged the illegal markets located at the entrance of Sauka community.
The market which according to residents contribute to the perennial traffic gridlock at Sauka end of airport road.
Chairman, FCT Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation, Ikharo Attah said the renewed war was a demonstration of commitment to holistic Sanitation along the Airport Expressway, being one of the most strategic gateways to Abuja.
According to him,
“We came here to actually commence the cleanup of airport road, it is a multidimensional cleanup here. We need to remove some things impeding on the beauty of airport road corridor. Being Abuja gateway connecting the northern and southern wings . We have been able to get intense cooperation from the people living here especially the indigenous community. We cleared some potion where many person have left and filling the road. As well as working on the road a little subsequently we also remove all attachments under high tension wires , you remenber Kubwa that petrol disaster .
“We are hopeful that the work won’t be much because we are still going to clear the outside . We hopeful to do what the FCT Minister directed us that every activities should come inside the community, the illegal market must move to the main Sauka market.
“The Councillor and the youths have shown commitment , that they will ensure they move to the permanent market in order to pave way for free entery into the community,”.
On sustainability, Attah said, his team will continue to come back to ensure no illegal shops and shanties on the entrance of the community, “We will always check it, and outside line we are going to clear all the nuisances and all the illegal carparks and commence tree planting, immediately.
“All the illegal motor parks must move inside and Sauka will be a beautiful community.
I didn’t count the number of illegal shops that were infringing on the roads and the illegal shops under the high tension wire that we removed.
“The residence of Sauka and those sorounding community would breath fresh air. It might be tough now but at the end everyone will be happy.
“Most people are happy, the owners of the shops are crying but the commitment from the Councillor, youths and Chief that these shops shall never come back . What we are doing now is to engage them , all those who built under high tension wire is very painful , the Minister is not happy that we are doing this but we have a city to maintain. The airport corridor is a top priority for the Minister”.
He lamented, “The road is beautiful but because of the activities of the illegal market made them digged sand from the road and erosion washed part of the top soil but we have graded it back to them. And now we are hoping that they will all work to have a beautiful road into Sauka , it may not be asphalt road for now so that we can have vehicles going a dual mode against one where shops have pushed into the road and the road was consprited and vehicle had to wait for one another especially in the evening when the holdup stretch up to the main road is unacceptable”.
A resident, an indigene of Sauka, Jubril Kasimu, commended the FCT for a job well done and assured the administration that the youths in the community will ensure the illegal shops nad shanties do not resurface again.
He therefore assured all the other residents in Sauka that what the administration did was for their benefits.