Nigeria Times

By Solomon Semaka

Many Nigerians may not have heard or known that there is a National Ear Care Centre in Kaduna, Nigeria. The centre which was established in 1999 is the only specialist hospital in Nigeria for the diagnosis, treatment and research into the ear, nose and throat (ENT) speciality.

Its birth was in recognition by the World Health Organization (WHO) of the very high prevalence of hearing impairment in Africa, (Nigeria inclusive) and its subsequent encouragement of countries to set up institutions that would, among other things: “spearhead the fight against deafness and hearing impairment through diagnosis and treatment, and carry out as well as coordinate research into the Prevalence of deafness and other hearing impairments in the country.”

In living up to its mandate the centre offers specialised diagnosis and treatment of Ear, Nose and Throat diseases, Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeries, audiology; Audiometry, Sisi Bekesi, Bera tympanometry and Endoscopy. More so, it is also effective in the area of school hearing screening services, Speech Therapy, Video Nystagmography and Industrial hearing conversation services. Other services available include ear mould, visual reinforcement audiometric and otoacoustic emission test, etc.

Since the establishment of the Centre, it has achieved in all ramifications based on the tenets of its mandate. For instance, in the area of clinical services, patients come from all over the states of the federation on referral , including the Federal Capital Territory for its services as well as from foreign countries.

It is interesting to note from records available that , over 45,000 patients visited the center for consultation. This comprises 16,225 (52%) new cases and
15,187 (48%) follow-ups. Of this figures,17,293 (55%) patients were infants while 14,149 (45%) patients were adults.  On average, the centre has a monthly attendance of 500 patients and an average annual attendance of 5,160 patients.

According to a report, as of 2018, a total of 238 major surgeries were performed while 8,657 minor procedures/surgery were done.

The Centre which is steadily recording unprecedented giant strides since January 2019 is under the watchful eyes of a consultant ENT Surgeon, Dr Mustapha Abu Yaro.

Dr Yaro is one of the finest ENT surgeons we have in sub-Saharan Africa. Born March 13, 1969, he hails from Katsina State in North-East Nigeria. Dr Yaro was educated at L.G. E.A Primary School Unguwan Rimi Kaduna, 1975-1981 where he obtained his Primary Education. For his post primary education, the young Mustapha attended Government Secondary School Dutsinma from 1981-1983 and at
Rimi College Kaduna 1983-1986 where he obtained his General Certificate of Education. He is an alumnus of the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, where he studied Medicine from 1989 to 1998. As someone who is always craving for knowledge, he was also at the West African College of Surgeons from 2005-2011 and also qualified as a professional teacher at Federal College of Education Katsina from 2014-2015.

Dr Yaro, since taking his Hippocratic oath has been religiously practising his calling with dedication, passion and love. It must also be stressed that he is having a lucrative practice as a goldfish that has no hiding place. Over the years, he has been a Medical Officer In-charge Of the Nigerian Navy
Secondary School Clinic, Abekuta Ogun State 2000 to 2001, Medical officer In charge of General Hospital Ingawa 2001- 2005, Registrar Department of ENT Surgery, Senior Registrar Department Of ENT Surgery,
Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital 2008-2011, Chief, Department of ENT surgery AKTH 2011 and the Head Of Clinical Services, General Hospital Katsina 2011-2012 among so many other positions.

It should also not go unacknowledged that before he was appointed the Medical Director of the National Ear Care Centre Kaduna, he was the Medical Director/CEO, Hospital Services Management Board, Katsina, a position he assumed in 2018.

To deepen his knowledge on his bias of medical practice, Dr Yaro has attended many workshops and seminars both locally and Internationally. He was at the 59th Annual Scientific Conference of West African College of Surgeons held in Dakar Senegal from 18th January to 26th 2019, attended Leadership retreat for chief executives of Tertiary Health Institutions on 11/5/2017, he also participated at
Oto-rhino-laryngological society of Nigeria(OLSON) 24th annual General meeting and scientific conference 23rd -26th Nov 2016. Among a host of others.

Dr Yaro is also a quintessential medical scholar. To prove his worth in this regard, he has authored and co-authored many articles that are published in local and International peer-reviewed journals. Some of his publications include “Sensorial hearing loss in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media by:
E.S Kolo, A.D Salisu, A.M Yaro, O.Nworgu.In Indian Journal of ORL Head and
Neck Surgery 64(1):59-62 march 2012″ and
“Hypopharyngeal Schwannoma: A rare case presentation and review of literature by: Abdulaziz O. Ahmed, Ali B. Umar, Abdulhakeem.A Aluko, Mustapha A.Yaro” to mention but a few.

Because of his dexterity and expertise, Dr Yaro has been awarded and honoured by several reputable organisations. He is a recipient of a Merit Award for excellence in “effective health care delivery to humanity” by the fellow of the Institute of industrialist and corporate administration in 2016,
State Nominee for National productivity merit Award 2016 and was the winner of Olu Ibekwe Prize In Otorhinolaryngology By the West African College Of Surgeon in March 2012 among many other profesional laurels.

It is important to buttress that the appointment of Dr Mustapha Yaro as the Medical Director of the National Ear Care Centre Kaduna, by President Muhammadu Buhari is a perfect description of “fixing a square peg in a square hole”. It is also a clear demonstration that the president places merit above any other consideration in the making of critical appointments that will benefit the generality of the masses.

Little wonder, the Center, under Yaro, has commenced cochlear implant. For the avoidance of doubt, cochlear implant surgery is a surgical procedure where one who has difficulty in hearing has his hearing restored. This has been made possible by the proactive leadership qualities of Dr Yaro at the centre.

As a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Health, the support of the minister of health must be commended in providing the needed leadership to move the centre forward.

To achieve more results at the centre, the federal government should increase budgetary provisions for the centre to enhance clinical, research and infrastructural development at the centre. Corporate organisations should also consider interventions to support the center consolidate her reforms

Finally, Nigerians should take advantage of the presence of the specialised hospital to have their Ear, Nose and Throat related challenges treated at the centre.

Solomon Semaka is the convener of Save Nigeria Movement

By Michael Attah

Three weeks today; precisely, it’s more than three clear weeks, after the House of Representatives gave its verdict of a clean bill of health to the management of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), over alleged financial heist at the commission involving a whopping sum of N100 billion.

Surprisingly, but not unexpected, the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and its allied vuvuzelas who led the defamatory assaults are silent. They unconscionably blew the false alarm bordering on spurious, mendacious, politically -motivated and malicious allegations on the commission’s management.

But the CSOs have been humbled with the House’s exonerative verdict on the commission and so, have now chosen the wise path in the wisdom of “silence is golden.” Had the verdict turned against the NEDC management, the fury of hell would not have contained their loud rantings.

The NEDC’s management led by the Managing Director, Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali, a stickler to standards, anti-corruption czar, a renowned evangelist of transparency and accountability in public service was alarmed and astonished with the bogus allegations raised against him and members of the NEDC management team in July 2020. But he was unperturbed!

As a first reaction to the spurious garbage spilled by an obscure group, North East Vanguard for Good Governance (NEVGG), Alkali, an astute public administrator and world-class manager of human and material resources, retorted calmly, “Nobody gave us up to N100 billion; I really don’t know how they got that figure.” Armed with this truth and confidence in his leadership of the commission, Alkali was ever willing to appear before the National Assembly Committee to respond to the allegations and redeem the image of the commission from politically-induced brickbats.

But the figure of N100 billion, within span of barely a year, alleged on Alkali by his adversaries, who accused him of corrupt practices was an amount too huge to be ignored by anybody. A synopsis of the allegations fingered Alkali in embezzlement, high handedness, abuse of office, over inflation of contracts, awards of non-existent contracts, massive contract splitting and flagrant disregard for due process or procurement laws in the award of contracts among others. So, the news went viral instantaneously.

Recount that President Muhammadu Buhari had signed the “Northeast Development Commission Bill” into law in October 2017, as a replacement for other existing support initiatives such as the Presidential Initiative on Northeast and the Victims Support Fund for victims of insurgency in the Northeast. The NEDC board of management was later inaugurated in May 2019, with Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali as the Managing Director.

But early in July 2020, a year later, NEVGG generated, fabricated, and publicized damaging allegations against the NEDC management and bluntly called for the sack of the NEDC boss and its management for the abuse of the funds voted for the settlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Northeast region ravaged by Boko Haram terrorists.

And the allegations whirled instantly because it coincided with the frenzy of the probe of the over N1trillion massive and multi-layered financial sleazes at the management of NDDC, another commission with a mandate to spearhead infrastructural development in the Niger Delta region.

Therefore, the House of Representatives picked up the gauntlet to investigate the alleged financial heist, two weeks later in the same month of July 2020. The issue was brought before the House in a motion by the Minority Leader, Hon.Ndudi Elumelu and it was unanimously adopted. The House mandated its Committees on Finance, Procurement and the NEDC to meticulously investigate these allegations and submit its findings to the Green Chamber, thus setting the stage for the investigation of the commission.

But the truth deliberately undermined by the petitioners ‘was that when the management of the NEDC commenced operations in 2019 upon inauguration, the released take-off grant was N10 billion only, though N45 billion was the entire sum budgeted for the commission in 2019. Other piecemeal releases later cumulatively pegged the total figure released to the NEDC at N25 billion in the 2019 fiscal year. And for the 2020 budget, fresh funds had not been released to the commission at the time the allegations were raised and mainly due to the exigencies of Covid-19 pandemic.

Therefore, the figure of N100 billion bandied as allegedly embezzled sounded hollow and betrayed the concealed intention of the petitioners as conspiracists after the malicious persecution of Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali and the management of NEDC. So, the antagonists of Alkali only stirred the honest nest with such damning frivolities for selfish reasons.

But come to think of it, a peep into the books of account of the commission displays an impressive adherence to every financial management, disbursement and procurement law, which Alkali was accused of violating flagrantly. The attacks on his person were carefully crafted.

For instance, Alkali was alleged to have conspired with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar-Farouk to withdraw and squander N5 billion for the procurement of vehicles for the military without approval of the NEDC board. But the decision to support the military operations in Northeast did not emanate from the NEDC management, but it came from recommendations of a communique of a Security Summit of the relevant stakeholders in Maiduguri, which pressed on the NEDC to support logistics for the Military.

And the NEDC board too was duly informed and gave its nod; but the amount expended for the purchase of vehicles was less than N5 billion as alleged. But since it was over the approval limits of the commission, due process was adhered, as the matter was referred to the ministerial tender’s board to the Bureau for Public Procurement. And advice was sought in the process and the approval granted.

Interestingly too, the probe established nowhere where Alkali neither committed funds of the commission to acquire landed properties in Abuja, Kaduna or Maiduguri nor paid himself monthly salaries and allowances amounting to N8.5 million, without recourse to the Salaries and Wages Commission as alleged by the petitioners. Thus, the otherwise serious investigation of the NEDC management over misappropriated N100 billion and abuse of procurement laws morphed into a comic show.

In the NASS correspondence with ref. No; NASS/CAN/35/Vol.1/153, dated July 8, 2021, to the NEDC Managing Director, it communicated the decisions of the House of Representatives resolutions on the probe of the alleged misappropriation of 100 billion as follows; (a) Commend the North East Development Commission for their due diligence in the execution of the projects; and also, directed the management to hasten to utilize other released, but unspent funds in the commission’s custody.

In clear terms, the House of Representatives found out the truth and absolved the NEDC Managing Director, Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali and his management team of any complicity in the handling of the commission’s finances. Therefore, the NEDC under the leadership of Alkali remains a doyen of accountability and transparency in the execution of projects, as it seeks to ameliorate the sufferings and pains of people of the Northeast region devastated by more than 10 years of Boko Haram insurgency.

Attah is a legislative staff at the National Assembly and wrote this piece from Abuja.