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Fight Against Sickle Cell: NDDC Joins Forces With NGO
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Sickle Cell Awareness Initiative Ireland-Nigeria (SCAIIN) have launched a landmark Sickle Cell Awareness and Advocacy Flagship programme in the nine states of the region.
It was gathered that the partnership designed to promote public health, drive awareness, and mobilize resources to address sickle cell, which had become a pressing public health challenge in the Niger Delta region.
The event, which was held at the NDDC Headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday, was designed to bridge the gap in sickle cell disease management and care.
In his remarks, the Managing Director/CEO of NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, said that the project was a collective responsibility to promote public health, drive awareness, and mobilise resources to address sickle cell disease as a regional priority.
Ogbuku noted that sickle cell disease affects thousands of individuals and families in the Niger Delta, with many lacking access to early diagnosis, counseling, and treatment.
He said the country bore a significant burden of the disease, with approximately three perncent of the population affected and about 150,000 babies born with the condition annually.
Ogbuku said that the partnership between NDDC and SCAIIN included community outreach, genetic screening, education, blood drives, and high-level advocacy.
He explained that the initiative would save lives and lay the groundwork for long-term prevention, research, and care, assuring that the NDDC remained committed to investing in programmes that directly improved the health and wellbeing of the people of the Niger Delta.
He said: “NDDC remains committed to investing in programs that directly improve the health and wellbeing of the people of the Niger Delta. As we collaborate with our partners, healthcare providers, and the broader public, I am confident that this initiative will not only save lives but also lay the groundwork for long-term prevention, research, and care.
“On behalf of the Niger Delta Development Commission, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to all those who have contributed to making this vision a reality. Together, we reaffirm our shared mission: to build healthier, stronger communities for today and for generations to come.”
Ogbuku expressed gratitude to all those, who had contributed to making this vision a reality, emphasising that the project was a meaningful step forward in combining community outreach, genetic screening, education, blood drives, and high-level advocacy under a comprehensive initiative.
In her address, Esther Pepple Onolememen, Clinical Psychotherapist and Founder of SCAIIN explained that the project was to address the growing burden of sickle cell disease in the Niger Delta region.
She said the initiative, supported by the NDDC, would increase awareness, provide genetic screening, train healthcare professionals, and empower families with the necessary education and tools.
Onolememen noted that the journey began nearly 25 years ago when her daughter, Reme, suffered a stroke at just eight months old due to complications from sickle cell disorder.
She said the life-altering experience sparked her advocacy work and led her to co-found SCAIIN, the Sickle Cell Society Ireland, and the Umoja Africa Sickle Cell Consortia (UMASCCO), a Pan-African platform of nearly 40 countries.
Onolememen emphasized the importance of collective action in addressing the growing burden of sickle cell disease.
She said: “We cannot ignore the statistics. We cannot ignore the stories. This must change. The NDDC’s support has been instrumental in facilitating this initiative, demonstrating the impact of institutional and community collaboration.
In his welcome address, Dr. George Uzonwanne, Director of Education, Health, and Social Services at NDDC, described the initiative as a deeply meaningful step towards restoring dignity, understanding, and hope to countless lives affected by sickle cell disease.
“Caring for people living with hereditary conditions like sickle cell disorder is not just a healthcare duty, but a moral calling”, he said.
He said the NDDC’s support for the initiative was part of its broader efforts to build a Niger Delta that heals, understands, and never leaves its own behind.
He said by working together, stakeholders could make a meaningful difference in the lives of thousands of individuals and families affected by sickle cell disease, and ultimately create a brighter future for the region.
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Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has sentenced the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Naija News reports that Justice had earlier convicted Kanu on all seven counts levelled against him by the Federal Government.
The judge sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment for count 1, 2, 4,5, and 6.
He also sentenced Kanu to 20 years forcount 3 without option of fine.
The Judge sentenced Kanu to five years in prison on count seven without option of fine.
Justice Omotosho ruled that he should not be kept in Kuje prison. He forfeited Nnamdi Kanu’s radio transmitter and barred him from access to social media.
More are still coming
The Federal Government has urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to impose the death sentence on the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, following his conviction on all seven terrorism counts.
The request was made on Thursday by the FG’s lead counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), shortly after Justice James Omotosho found Kanu guilty of all charges preferred against him.
Awomolo, addressing the court after the verdict, argued that the severity of Kanu’s actions merited the maximum penalty under the law.
The senior lawyer insisted that Kanu committed “many illegalities” and should not be treated with leniency.
Awomolo further reminded the court that four of the seven counts on which Kanu was convicted carry the death sentence under Nigeria’s terrorism laws.
He urged Justice Omotosho to take this into account in determining the appropriate punishment.
“It will not be considered justice that he is isolated and punished lightly in a country where we have Boko Haram, ISWAP, Lakurawa, et cetera,” he argued.
According to the prosecution, Kanu’s actions were as destabilising as those of other violent groups and should be treated with equal seriousness.
Awomolo also urged the judge to ensure that Kanu is kept in a secure correctional facility pending the court’s final pronouncement on sentencing.
He stressed the need to prevent any disruptions or security breaches involving the IPOB leader while the sentencing process is underway.
Kanu was earlier found guilty of inciting violence, ordering attacks on security personnel, calling for killings, and issuing threats capable of terrorising the public, all captured in broadcasts tendered as evidence by the prosecution.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has delivered his ruling in the case between the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and the Federal Government.
Naija News reports that the judgement was given in Nnamdi Kanu’s absence after the judge had ordered security operatives to kick him out of the court over his unruly behaviour.
Nnamdi Kanu had earlier stated that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja does not have the jurisdiction to try him.
The separatist, who has been in custody since 2021, faced seven terrorism-related charges bordering on alleged incitement, running an unlawful group, and acts threatening national security.
The IPOB leader contended that the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, under which he is being prosecuted, has been repealed.
He urged the court to strike out the charges, describing them as “disclosing no offence known to law” and therefore invalid.
Kanu also requested that the court nullify the “purported plea of not guilty” entered on his behalf, claiming it was obtained through deception and contrary to a Supreme Court ruling.
He further asked the court to set aside all subsequent proceedings and order his immediate release.
“My contention is very simple: this court lacks jurisdiction to try me,” he said.
Delivering ruling on Thursday, Justice Omotosho ruled that the court has the authority to preside over the Nnamdi Kanu case.
The judge also stated that the matter of extradition has been settled by the Supreme Court, and he ruled against Kanu in this regard.
On the issue of fairness in the hearing for Nnmadi Kanu, Omotosho ruled against the IPOB leader, stating that the court ensured he received a fair hearing.
On the defendant not entering his defence, Justice Omotosho said: “I begged the defendant passionately to enter his defence, but he remained obsolete. That shows that he chose to rest his case on the prosecution. Which is a gamble and a risky action.”
The court found Nnamdi Kanu guilty and convicted him of count 1 in the charges filed against him by the federal government.
The Judge said: “The court will rely on the uncontroverted evidence of the prosecution. This court, therefore, finds that the prosecution has discharged Count 1 beyond reasonable doubt. Consequently, the defendant (Kanu) is hereby convicted in respect of Count 1.”
More judgement is being read and this report will be updated as it comes in…….
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