…Newborn deaths fall by 45% in supported health facilities

From Adeko Ukpa

Rotary International President, Olayinka Hakeem Babalola, has disclosed that maternal deaths in health facilities supported by the organisation’s maternal healthcare intervention in Nigeria have declined by 77 per cent, while newborn deaths dropped by 45 per cent.

He attributed the improvement to sustained collaboration between Rotary, government health authorities, community health workers and international partners under the organisation’s Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria programme.

Babalola made the disclosure while delivering his keynote address at the All Nigeria Rotary Peace Summit held in Lagos, where he highlighted the organisation’s contributions to healthcare delivery, community development and peacebuilding.

He said the programme, launched in 2022, was designed to improve maternal and child healthcare by strengthening prenatal services and expanding access to essential medical supplies and equipment.

According to him, Rotary members in Nigeria, working with partners in Germany and federal and state health ministries, had supported expectant mothers across three states and the Federal Capital Territory.

He disclosed that community health workers had conducted nearly 60,000 home visits to expectant mothers and their families, while 158 healthcare facilities received contraceptives, medicines and medical equipment.

Babalola said: “We have already seen positive outcomes. Maternal deaths were reduced by 77%, and newborn deaths were reduced by 45% at supported facilities.”

He described the achievements as evidence that improving access to essential social services could contribute significantly to national stability and peace.

According to him, providing families with access to safe maternal healthcare reduces preventable deaths, strengthens community confidence and eases pressure on government health institutions.

“With each child born safely to a healthy mother, we ease the burden carried by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. We give families a greater sense of safety and security,” he said.

CAPTION: L-R: The Alara of Ilara, Oba Olufolarin Olukayode Ogunsanwo; the Director of Partnerships, Institute for Economics and Peace, Lea Prekerests; RI President Olayinka Babalola; The Rotary Foundation Trustee, Ijeoma Pearl Okoro; and the Chair of central Planning Committee of All Nigeria Peace Summit, Dr. Kazeem Mustapha at the opening of the summit in Lagos on Saturday. PHOTO: ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

The Rotary International President explained that the organisation’s understanding of peace extended beyond the absence of armed conflict to include access to healthcare, education, justice, opportunities and other conditions necessary for human development.

He described such interventions as part of Rotary’s Positive Peace philosophy, which focuses on addressing the underlying conditions that sustain peaceful and stable societies.

Babalola said: “To grow Positive Peace from the ground up, Rotary starts from the very foundation of life, as we have done here.”

He also highlighted Nigeria’s success in eliminating indigenous wild poliovirus transmission, noting that the country had remained free of the deadly virus since 2020.

He said Rotary continued to work with the World Health Organisation and other partners to sustain the achievement and respond to outbreaks of variant poliovirus.

Babalola further disclosed that Rotary had partnered with Makerere University in Uganda to establish a Peace Centre in 2021, following Nigeria’s declaration as wild polio-free.

The centre provides training for Peace Fellows on conflict prevention, peacebuilding and the development of sustainable approaches to resolving disputes across Africa.

He said more than 75 Rotary Peace Fellows had come from Nigeria over the years, with some participating in the summit.

The Rotary chief maintained that the organisation’s commitment to peacebuilding was demonstrated not only through advocacy but also through practical interventions that improve people’s lives.

“I tell you this not to advertise Rotary. I tell you this because I want you to know that Rotary is already a quiet partner in peacebuilding — not only around the world — but here in our shared home,” he said.

He added that Rotary members were committed to bringing people together through service and collective action.

“As members of Rotary, we are not soldiers, ambassadors, or diplomats. We bring people together to find common purpose through service to others. We are here for Nigeria, and we are here to stay,” he said.

Babalola urged government institutions, development partners, community leaders and citizens to strengthen collaboration in addressing challenges affecting ordinary Nigerians.

He stressed that sustainable development required people and institutions willing to change and work towards a common national future.

He said the ultimate objective should be a Nigeria where every citizen, irrespective of background, enjoyed access to justice, opportunity and dignity.

The Rotary International President called on members of the organisation to make peacebuilding a lasting legacy.

He stressed that the benefits of their interventions should extend to generations yet unborn.

In her paper, the Director of Partnerships, Institute for Economics and Peace, Lea Prekerests noted that there are two kinds of peace, adding that peace is more than the absence of violence.

According to Prekerests, while Negative Peace is the absence of violence or the fear of violence, Positive Peace represents the attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies but Positive Peace is what makes peace last.

The Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, in his paper, called for collaboration between the Rotary International and the police
to strengthen the partnerships that connect institutions with communities, government with citizens, and security with service.
The IGP, who was represented by AIG Miller Dantawaye, said: “Let us translate that principle into action. Let us work together to build communities where justice is accessible, institutions are trusted, citizens are responsible and every individual can live with dignity, security and hope. That is the foundation of lasting peace.

“Let me therefore take the first bold step of appealing to the RI president that we jointly fix a date for the first official Police/Rotary fellowship that will be jointly presided by the IGP and RI President to kickstart the collaboration.”

…Accuses Presidency of using judiciary against opposition, warns of political crisis ahead of 2027 elections

By Adeko UkpaFormer Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Thursday, accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of allegedly deploying the judiciary to undermine opposition parties, warning that such actions could plunge Nigeria into political crisis ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Frank called on the United States Government and other members of the international community to intervene and prevail on the Nigerian government to respect democratic principles, judicial independence and the constitutional rights of opposition parties.

He was reacting to a recent court judgment which, according to him, raised serious concerns about alleged attempts to frustrate the political ambition of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and weaken the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In a statement, Frank described the judgment as a desperate attempt by those in power to use the judiciary to contain the growing political influence of the opposition.

He alleged that the decision was part of a broader plot to prevent Atiku from participating effectively in the 2027 presidential election.

“The recent court judgment has raised serious concerns about what appears to be a desperate act by the Presidency—an act reminiscent of a dying man clutching at straws.

“It is a desperate act from the Presidency. I must warn that the judiciary must stay clear of the 2027 elections. Its independence and impartiality are fundamental to the survival of our democracy,” he said.

Frank further alleged that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike was being used as an intermediary to influence judicial actors against opposition politicians.

He claimed that political meetings and consultations were held after Atiku’s recent political outing in Sokoto, which he said had generated considerable attention.

According to him, the alleged moves were intended to frustrate Atiku’s political ambition after attempts to prevent the Sokoto engagement from holding failed.

He said: “We were aware that immediately after the Sokoto outing, there were meetings aimed at thwarting Atiku’s ambition. Despite all efforts to prevent the Sokoto event from holding, it went ahead and has remained the talk of the town. Now, they appear to have resorted to this approach.”

Frank, who is also the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria to rise to the responsibility of protecting judicial independence and ensuring that the courts were not perceived as instruments of the ruling party.

“The Chief Justice of Nigeria must wake up to her constitutional responsibilities as the guardian of judicial independence. The judiciary must not be perceived as an extension of the APC-led government.

“Such a perception will erode public confidence in our democratic institutions and could drive Nigeria towards anarchy,” he warned.

He expressed hope that the Court of Appeal would approach the matter differently, cautioning that the controversy surrounding the judgment could heighten political tension if not properly addressed.

Frank particularly appealed to the United States Government to call the Tinubu administration to order, while urging other international partners to closely monitor developments in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 elections.

“The international community, particularly the United States, must pay close attention to developments in Nigeria. The alleged weaponisation of the judiciary against the opposition ahead of the 2027 elections poses a grave threat to our democracy and could plunge Africa’s largest country into a serious political crisis,” he said.

The former APC spokesman also accused the Tinubu administration of attempting to undermine political participation in the North by allegedly using judicial processes to weaken Atiku’s presidential ambition.

He insisted that the controversy should not be viewed as a personal battle involving Atiku alone, but as a broader question concerning the survival of Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.

“If President Tinubu is genuinely popular, let him demonstrate it through free, fair and credible elections, conducted through the established mechanisms of INEC and not the judiciary.

“It is obvious that President Tinubu is afraid and does not want any contest. The only option left is to get Atiku out of his way through the courts,” Frank alleged.

He warned that any government official found culpable in actions aimed at undermining opposition participation would be held accountable.

“Let me make this clear: should anything go wrong, all government officials found responsible will be held accountable,” he declared.

Frank, however, urged opposition parties and their supporters not to be discouraged by the development, insisting that unity, perseverance and democratic participation remained essential to protecting the country’s political future.

He called on youths, civil society organisations, elder statesmen and former political leaders to unite in defence of judicial independence and democratic institutions.

He also cautioned political actors against celebrating the misfortunes of their opponents, arguing that a precedent established against one political leader could eventually affect others.

“No political camp should celebrate, because what happens to Atiku today could happen to another political leader tomorrow,” he said.

Frank maintained that Nigeria must not be allowed to descend into political instability because of disagreements over electoral competition.

“This must not be seen as an Atiku issue alone; it concerns the future of every Nigerian and the survival of our democracy.

“Let us unite as a country—our youths, civil society organisations, elder statesmen and former leaders—to defend democracy and prevent anarchy through the protection of judicial independence.
“Nigeria must not be pushed into chaos,” he added.

From Adeko Ukpa

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has warned President Bola Tinubu against alleged attempts to undermine opposition parties through state-sponsored protests, intimidation and misuse of security agencies ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Frank spoke amid growing political tension following allegations by former Vice-President and ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, that the Sokoto State Government and the Department of State Services (DSS) were frustrating the party’s planned campaign rally in the state.

Atiku, who addressed journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, alleged that the ADC had been denied access to public facilities and logistical support, while protesters were being mobilised to create disorder and provide grounds for imposing a curfew to stop the rally.

Reacting, Frank described the alleged mobilisation of protesters against opposition gatherings as a recurring strategy across the country.

He said: “At every opposition rally across the country, this has become their new protest strategy. They are also involving security agencies, particularly the DSS.”

Warning Tinubu against actions capable of undermining democratic institutions, Frank declared: “Tinubu must not truncate this democracy with his desperation. Despite their denial, the facts on ground have shown clearly that they have a sinister plot against the opposition, and Nigerians will legally resist such moves vehemently.”

He cautioned the Sokoto State Government and other state governments against allowing themselves to be used to frustrate opposition parties, stressing that all political parties must enjoy equal opportunities to organise rallies, mobilise supporters and campaign freely.

Frank also called on the United States Government and other members of the international community to closely monitor developments in Nigeria and take appropriate diplomatic steps to prevent political violence and protect democratic participation ahead of the 2027 elections.

He warned that public officials and security personnel involved in undermining the constitutional rights of opposition parties would be held accountable.

“All those involved, including the security agencies, will be held responsible,” he said.

The former APC spokesman urged Tinubu to ensure that federal institutions and security agencies remained politically neutral and were not deployed to intimidate political opponents or obstruct their lawful activities.

He insisted that opposition parties would not surrender their constitutional rights because of threats, intimidation or political pressure.

Frank, who is also the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, cautioned against actions capable of escalating political tensions into violence. He urged political actors to resist retaliatory attacks and resolve disagreements through lawful and democratic channels.

While insisting that attacks on opposition supporters and disruption of lawful political activities must attract appropriate legal consequences, he called on the President to guarantee a level playing field for all political parties.

He warned that Nigeria’s democracy must not degenerate into a system where only the ruling party enjoys the freedom to organise, campaign and mobilise supporters.