Abati: I thought I could rattle Tinubu during media chat — but he knows what he’s doing

by Leon Usigbe l

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has told African leaders that they must forge partnerships that transcend borders and sectors, leveraging on collective expertise, knowledge, resources, and the private sector to address the complex challenges confronting the health sector.

Speaking in his capacity as Africa Union (AU) Champion for Human Resources for Health and Community Health Delivery Partnership at the Ministerial Executive leadership programme on the margins of the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday, President Tinubu said Africa’s effective collaboration with the rest of the world to tackle existential health challenges is not merely a strategic choice, but a moral imperative.

The President said the challenges confronting the continent are too complex and multifaceted for any one entity to tackle alone.

 

A statement issued by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the president (Media & Publicity) quoted him as saying: “Together, we can catalyse meaningful change and unlock new opportunities for innovation and impact in our continent. Not Africa in isolation, but a global Africa, engaged in respectful and well-considered partnerships with the rest of the world.

“Our continent still grapples with numerous health issues that require urgent attention. Infectious diseases remain a significant burden, such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and cholera, and threats of re-emerging infectious diseases that can devastate communities and entire economies. Access to essential healthcare services remains limited, especially in many rural areas, due to factors such as inadequate infrastructure, financial barriers, and more seriously, an acute shortage of trained manpower that is aggravated by workforce migration to wealthier countries.

“Noncommunicable diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, are on the rise in our continent, further straining healthcare systems that are already struggling to cope. There still remains the critical need to address maternal and child health, as high maternal and child mortality rates continue to claim precious lives.”

President Tinubu posited that addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach, involving robust investments in healthcare infrastructure, training, re-training, skilled manpower retention, improving access to essential medicines, and promoting preventive healthcare measures.

Meanwhile, at the gathering, the president also said Nigeria is ready to host the African Central Bank in line with the vision of the Abuja Treaty.

President Tinubu said his administration would engage the African Union Commission in collaboration with member states to ensure that the bank takes off as scheduled in 2028.

He affirmed that Africa’s success in conclusively addressing its challenges hinges on the firmness of its resolution, built on a foundation of deep-rooted solidarity, if it is to avoid perpetuating existing problems and creating new ones.

A statement issued by Ngelale quoted the president as saying: “As a continent and as individual nations, we face strong headwinds and difficult hurdles threatening to complicate our mission to bring qualitative democratic governance and economic development to our people. Many of these obstacles, such as climate change and unfair patterns of global trade, are largely not of our making.

“However, some of the pitfalls, including coup-birthed autocracies and the deleterious tinkering with constitutional tenure provisions, are developmental cancers we as Africans are giving to ourselves.”

Speaking on the military takeovers in the Republics of Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, and the exit of three of these nations from ECOWAS, the president said disagreements over the unconstitutional changes of government should not mean a permanent rupture of the abiding lines of regional affinity and cooperation.

He added: “The drive for a peaceful, strong, and united West Africa is bigger than any one person or group of people. The bonds of history, culture, commerce, geography, and brotherhood hold deep meaning for our people. Thus, out of the dust and fog of misunderstanding and acrimony, we must seize the chance to create a new people-centric era of trust and accord.

“To all who care to listen, I declare that if you come to the table to discuss important matters in good faith, you will find Nigeria and ECOWAS already sitting there waiting to greet you as the brother that you are.”

On education, which is the theme of this year’s summit, the president said education is the core ingredient in the process of evolving creative solutions to the unique challenges long confronting the continent. (Tribune)