Home births are on the rise in Benue State, not because they are safer, but because public health facilities are broken beyond trust. Pregnant women are turning to unsafe havens of giving birth at home and even patronizing traditional birth attendance (TBA). By: David Arome For 22-year-old Martha Agur, living in the Ageraga – kohol community, Kwande LGA, Benue State, giving birth at a government-owned health facility was never an option to accept. The closest health clinic to her is a distance away with no functional delivery equipment, no midwives and no power supply. Martha recalled her ordeal at the health clinic she once visited: “I have been there; the health worker told me they had no gloves, medicines or even delivery beds.” Her husband, Agur, a subsistence farmer, had once sold off their only goat to pay for Martha’s antenatal visit to the town. But could no longer afford […]
Investigation
In Benue State, chronic drug shortages and inadequate healthcare facilities are pushing residents into a dangerous reliance on self-medication. With local health centers frequently out of stock and lacking essential supplies, many people are turning to unregulated treatments from street vendors, fueling a growing crisis of drug misuse and antimicrobial resistance.
Power outages in Oju, Benue State, have severely impacted businesses and healthcare, with many relying on costly generators or shutting down. Small businesses struggle to stay afloat due to high fuel prices, while medical facilities face disruptions in life-saving procedures. Residents demand urgent government action to resolve the power crisis.
Nigeria’s growing plastic waste problem is exacerbating flooding, especially in areas like Ndalada and Maiduguri. Poor waste management, government inaction, and a lack of recycling systems worsen the crisis, affecting communities’ health, livelihoods, and the environment. Urgent action and policy enforcement are crucial for change.
The Bonta-Ukpute conflict in Benue State, rooted in a decades-long land dispute, has intensified, resulting in over 20 deaths, widespread destruction, and mass displacement. Despite numerous efforts for peace, including calls for government intervention and boundary demarcation, residents continue to suffer, facing food insecurity and lack of aid amid government neglect.
Amidst communal conflicts and farmer-herder crises in Benue, the Edawu Community Mental Health Centre offers a lifeline to traumatized victims. Once a thriving, solar-powered haven for mental health recovery, the centre now faces funding shortages, forcing it to scale down operations. With its solar power failing and resources dwindling, the future of this vital facility remains uncertain, threatening access to mental health care for those who need it most.
On August 23rd, 2023, this reporter submitted a freedom of information request to the office of the commissioner’s Ministry of Cooperatives, Urban and Rural Development in Benue State, to get the details of the contract, but the letter was not responded to.
When the reporter visited the ministry on the 2nd of October, the receptionist at the commissioner’s office noted that the submitted letter was missing.
These funds, originally paid by students as part of their tuition fees into the Student Union Account for development projects, were transferred in multiple tranches to Mr. Aremu’s accounts with UBA, FCMB and OPAY.
The failure of the project has posed a difficult livelihood for the residents
On the other hand, Moshood Ibrahim Esq., another legal practitioner, stated that the type of government practised in Nigeria, which is federalism, does not allow any state the right to reject national laws outrightly.
