THE African Development Bank Group (AFDB) has debarred China Zhonghao Nigeria Limited, a civil engineering company registered in Nigeria, for fraudulent practices.
AFDB announced on its official website that the Chinese company which has been registered in Nigeria for 18 months has been charged for fraudulent practices which may affect the company fortunes with other multilateral development banks.
The infraction includes misrepresentations of its year of incorporation, the value of its reference contracts and the experience of its key personnel while bidding for two tenders under the bank-financed Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project in Nigeria.
According to the bank, an investigation conducted by the bank’s Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption established that China Zhonghao Nigeria Limited, as a member of a joint venture with Oceanic Construction and Engineering Nigeria Limited was jointly responsible for this joint venture partner’s fraud.
The debarment renders China Zhonghao Nigeria Limited and its affiliates ineligible to participate in bank-financed projects during the debarment period.
The offence qualifies for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions, including the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank Group.
At the expiry of the debarment period, China Zhonghao Nigeria Limited will only be eligible to participate in Bank-financed projects on the condition that it implements an integrity compliance program consistent with the Bank’s guidelines.
BROOKINGS report highlighted how Subsaharan countries can mitigate the post-impact of the novel COVID-19 virus through strong and decisive policies that will help avoid widespread sovereign defaults, contagion, and chaos in the sovereign debt markets.
Policymakers in advanced economies have, appropriately, thrown out stale policy practice and making strategic changes, and the same approach should be taken for the African countries, the report stated.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele said “Nigeria must look inwards as a nation and guarantee food security, high quality and affordable healthcare, and cutting-edge education for it people.”
“For a country of over 200 million people, and projected to be about 450 million in a few decades, we can no longer ignore repeated warnings about the dangers that lie ahead if we do not begin to depend largely on what we produce locally”, he added.
It will also help preserve millions of jobs in the continent, avoid widespread political and social unrest………..0 and prevent insecurity and mass migration.
According to the report, with the benefit of immediate and substantial relief, African governments can now better focus on vulnerable populations and bolster safety nets, and like elsewhere in the world support the private sector.
Especially Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs), including paying arrears and ensuring minimal disruption to the flow of credit thus avoiding deeper and more prolonged banking and economic crises.
African countries should also engage their technology hubs to help build an information database to track, monitor, and evaluate the use of these funds.
Effective and balanced partnerships with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and technology platforms can ensure resources reach those most in need expeditiously, the report showed.
The Brookings report highlighted that the share of these resources going to African countries falls significantly short of the $200 billion needed, as estimated by the African Union, and the debt standstill does not go far enough in its scope.
According to the report, to truly empower African countries to effectively fight the virus and shore up the economies, we recommend the following next steps;
Expand the eligibility for a debt standstill, set up a process to ensure increased private creditors participation, leverage special drawing rights and strengthen governance around the utilization of mobilised resources.
Development banks should be adequately capitalised so that they can leverage that capital to play a bigger role in infrastructure financing, the report showed.
Their involvement will alleviate pressures on national government budgets and the buildup of debt.
AMNESTY International, a global advocacy group, has urged authorities in sub-Saharan Africa to protect prisoners from the risk of COVID-19 by unclogging prisons, warning that overcrowded prisons pose a public health catastrophe.
In a press statement released on Monday, AI also advocated for the release of prisoners of conscience, a review of cases of pre-trial detention, and a guarantee of access to healthcare and sanitation products in all prison facilities.
“As COVID-19 spreads across Sub-Saharan Africa, the severe overcrowding seen in many prisons and detention centres risks becoming a public health catastrophe, especially given the general lack of health care and sanitation,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s Director for West and Central Africa.
According to the group, many prisoners across several countries in the sub-Saharan region are serving time for fighting for their rights and releasing such prisoners of conscience would not only be the right thing to do but would also help free up the facilities.
Highlighting several prisoners of conscience in countries such as Benin, Burundi, Cameroon and Chad, AI submitted that the prisoners of conscience should be released unconditionally.
“Amnesty International considers all these people prisoners of conscience who have been imprisoned for exercising their human rights. They must be released immediately and unconditionally,” said Deprose Muchena.
AI also called on authorities to consider early, temporary or conditional release of older prisoners and those with underlying medical conditions, as well as women and girls who are in detention with dependent children or who are pregnant.
Buttressing that COVID-19 poses grave health risks in prison, especially because there is a lack of proper sanitation and adequate health care facilities.
“The spread of COVID-19 is a public health concern even in prisons and other detention facilities. Reducing the number of people in detention should be an integral and urgent part of state responses to COVID-19, which must begin by immediately and unconditionally releasing all those who shouldn’t be incarcerated in the first place,” said Samira Daoud.
Currently, Africa has recorded over 23,000 cases of COVID-19 and over 1,000 deaths.
A FORMER Prime Minister of Togolese Republic, Agbeyome Messan Kodjo has made a plea to the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the electoral crisis in Togo, saying his life is under threat.
Dr. Kodjo through a letter addressed to President Buhari said the incumbent government deployed ground and air forces to take his life on Thursday but failed due to the foreign intervention.
“Last Thursday, if not for foreign interventions, the government deployed an army of ground and air forces to attempt to take my life,” Kodjo said in his letter.
Agbeyome Messan Kodjo
Kodjo, who is a major opposition leader in the recently concluded election, said his home is not safe anymore as armed forces have laid siege around his house and are patrolling his neighbourhood.
“I am not safe in my home, as armed forces have taken over the neighbourhood and are patrolling the surroundings of my home,” he noted.
According to him, the government’s action followed the results of February 22nd, 2020 general elections in which he contested and came out victorious by 67 per cent before the results were manipulated by the sitting president.
“Those in power falsified the results and made a provisional announcement of the results on the night of the 23rd, assigning a score of 72.36 per cent to the President, in violation articles 102 and 103 of the electoral code, which provides that, no result can be published without the availability of all the results sheets of all polling units, ” he told Buhari in the letter.
Seeking Buhari’s assistance to claim his mandate, Kodjo said he is aware of Buhari’s love and concern for the people of Togo Republic.
“I know that I can count on your pragmatism and concern for the well-being of the people, on behalf of the Togolese people, I express my deepest feelings of gratitude to you,”
Kodjo added.
Dr Kodjo is the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Defence and Security Committee of the National Assembly. He contested under the Rally of the Togolese People.
OGBONNA Maximus, President of the Association of Nigerian Community in Guangzhou, China on Monday explained why Nigerians in China were attacked and dehumanised by the Chinese authorities.
Maximus said though some of the mistreatments and inhumane incidents meted out to Nigerians and other blacks, occurred in Guangzhou district, and did not extend to the whole of China as widely reported.
OGBONNA Maximus, President of the Association of Nigerian Community in Guangzhou, China Photo Source: Arise TV
In a phone interview with Channels Sunrise television programme, he said the incident was caused by a Nigerian who tested positive in Guangzhou district and attempted an escape from a treatment facility.
He said the Nigerian, in the process, injured a nurse and was reported in the news media; hence the reason for the abuses and discrimination.
“A Nigerian tested positive and he was admitted into the hospital. In one of the days, he tried to escape from the hospital and bumped into a nurse, and the nurse was injured. It was reported in the news that a Nigerian had a COVID-19 and he was trying to escape and injured a nurse,” Maximus said in a phone-in conversation.
“So, that flared and worsen the situation, this made the Chinese people in Guangzhou continue to get afraid of our people.”
He said China believes it has completely curtailed the virus spread with concerns that reported cases were those imported into the Chinese territory by foreigners.
This, he said, made the authority to commence compulsory testing of foreigners.
But he described as a major challenge, lack of proper communication from the Chinese government to the respective embassies including the Nigerian consulate.
“When it happened, they did not inform our consulate or our embassy. They begin to chase people from their homes, forcing them into quarantine…,” he said.
“Asking people to go into quarantine is good but the way they went about it made the people feel bad.”
He debunked claims that only Africans were targeted for the COVID-19 but noted that once a foreigner is confirmed negative, he is given a particular document to serve as clearance.
On the Nigerian that attempted an escape, Maximus disclosed that he met with the accused person, who said, “he was sleeping when the nurse woke him up. He said he did not know what really happened but was sorry for his action.”
It could be recalled that Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Oyeama had respectively summoned Zhou Pingjian, the Chinese Ambassador in Nigeria, over the wrong treatment meted out to Nigerians in China.
At the meeting, the envoy said he was ignorant of the incident but was urged to view footages of the poor-treatment which other concerned individuals described as human rights abuse.
On 13 April, the African Union Commission through the Deputy Chairperson, Kwesi Quartey invited Amb. Liu Yuxi, the Chinese envoy to the AU, over the alleged brutalities on African descents.
At the meeting, Yuxi expressed regret over the incidents assuring that the accused security operatives had been sanctioned.
“…Yuxi informed the deputy chairperson that, the Chinese whose social media post caused the unfortunate incident has been arrested. Also, law enforcement personnel exerting excessive force have been reprimanded and cautioned to exercise restraint whilst discharging their duties. He also mentioned that two hotels have been secured for the affected Africans and the cost would be borne by the Chinese Government,” statement from the AUC read. “Furthermore, seized passports and personal belongings have been retrieved and handed over to their rightful owners, Amb. Yuxi added.”
Maximus, however, applauded the Nigerian Embassy in China for their intervention on the matter stressing that the embassy officials had been visiting hotels and other locations to provide needed supports to the affected persons.
He acknowledged that the situation was getting better but emphasised that the Chinese government needed to do more.
He further revealed that some Nigerians had already indicated interests to return home.
IF Maryam Ibrahim, 20, had known that death lurked behind the corner of her house on April 18, she would not have left her one-bedroom in Orile Iganmu, Lagos State, where she was hit by stray bullets allegedly fired by Nigerian soldiers.
The ICIR gathered that Maryam had left her mother in Ile-ife in Osun State to spend some time with her father in Ibadan, Oyo State in February after when she left for Lagos to ‘hustle’.
Late Maryam Ibramim. Source: Family
The deceased had reportedly learnt how to sell clothes for two years after she finished her secondary school education in 2017.
Since her mother, a divorce, could not provide her with the graduation fee after learning how to sell clothes, Maryam followed a friend to Lagos where she started selling cooked noodles at a motor park at Orile Bus Stop. From her saving, she paid for training on how to make dresses.
The ICIR learnt that some youths had hijacked a motorcycle from an officer of the Nigerian Army earlier last week. The officer later called for reinforcement from his colleagues and returned to claim his property which caused a face-off between the two parties.
Ibrahim Aliyu, Maryam’s maternal uncle told The ICIR that stray bullets hit Maryam who was coming out of a makeshift bathroom opposite her rented apartment.
“I was told that within some seconds of her stepping out of the bathroom, she was hit by bullets and she lost much blood.”
Sixteen minutes after she was shot, eyewitnesses said Maryam was still breathing as the bullet hit her on the arm, but the soldiers threatened to shoot a male co-tenant who wanted to rush her to the hospital.
“She was later rushed to His Stripe Specialist Hospital here in Iganmu, where she died and she’s now in the mortuary. We are still waiting for her family,” a source who did not want to be identified told The ICIR.
Maryam’s death has left her mother (name withheld) childless as her brother died a few years ago after a brief sickness.
The ICIR called and sent a message to Sagir Musa, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, but he could not be reached for comment.
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have provided guidelines to follow in the conduct of burial for the person who has died of confirmed Coronavirus, but the presidency has violated these guidelines in the burial of Abba Kyari, the late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Besides the conduct of the funeral rites of the late CoS on Saturday, April 18 which was a clear violation of the public health guidelines issued by the government to curb the spread of the virus, the handling of his treatment when he tested positive for the virus also violated the rule.
The NCDC guidelines developed in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health spelled out burial procedures for late victims of COVID-19.
WHO Guidelines for burying COVID-19 corpse
The WHO guidelines released on 24 March, 2020 states that COVID-19 casualties could be buried or cremated. But in doing so, recommendations by the NCDC must be complied with.
Family and relatives of the deceased were advised to maintain hand hygiene and were only allowed to view and not touch the corpse.
The United Nations health body also called for strict compliance with social distancing. It advised health workers to make use of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the burial rites.
Other individuals responsible for the burial exercise were also advised to wear the PPE, wash hands with soap and water thereafter.
“Family and friends may view the body after it has been prepared for burial, in accordance with customs. They should not touch or kiss the body and should wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after the viewing,” the guideline stated.
“Those tasked with placing the body in the grave, on the funeral pyre, etc., should wear gloves and wash hands with soap and water after removal of the gloves once the burial is complete.”
“Family and friends may view the body after it has been prepared for burial, in accordance with customs. They should not touch or kiss the body and should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water following the viewing; physical distancing measures should be strictly applied (at least 1 m between people).
NCDC guidelines for COVID-19 case burial
On 18 April, the NCDC made public its interim guidelines for the safe management of COVID-19 corpse.
The guideline discourages family members of the deceased from touching the COVID-19 infected corpse.
Although relatives of the deceased are allowed to view, the friends and relatives were charged to maintain social distancing and hand hygiene.
“A minimum number of people should be involved in preparations. Others may observe without touching the body at a minimum distance of 2 metres.
“Family and friends may view the body after it has been prepared for burial, in accordance with customs. They should not touch or kiss the body and should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water following the viewing; physical distancing measures should be strictly applied at least 2 meters between people.
Most importantly, the NCDC emphasised that apart from the health officials mandated to conduct the burial, relatives, friends, religious leaders and other mourners present should wear PPE.
“Family members, religious leaders, health care workers or mortuary staff preparing the body should wear appropriate PPE according to standard precautions (gloves, impermeable disposable gown [or disposable gown with impermeable apron, medical mask, eye protection),” the eight-pages guideline stated.
“If the family wishes only to view the body and not touch it, they may do so, using standard precautions at all times including hand hygiene. Give the family clear instructions not to touch or kiss the body.”
It stated further that adults who are older than 60 years and ‘immunosuppressed persons’ should not directly interact with the body.
The guideline advised a less human population at the burial site to avoid the disease spread.
But, findings by The ICIR revealed that most of these guidelines were violated by the government authorities that designed them.
During Kyari’s burial, which held on 18th April, the social distancing guideline was disregarded based on photographs and video evidence.
The number of people who attended the burial rite was more than the NCDC recommendations.
Moreover, not all the individuals present wore the compulsory PPE, while one of those who did was seen in a viral video removing and disposing the safety gown wrongly.
During prayer session for the deceased Abba Kyari prior to his burial at Gudu Cemetery, Abuja. Photo Source: Sahara Reporters
Violation of Social Distancing during his funeral prayers and burial
Despite lockdown imposed on Abuja by President Muhammadu Buhari to contain the spread of the virus, the Islamic funeral prayer observed for the remains of Abba Kyari was performed by scores of sympatisers contrary to social distancing rule and the WHO and NCDC guidelines on burial of victims of Covid-19.
The United Nations health agency generally advised individuals to maintain at least two meters apart to avoid the virus spread.
But for COVID-19 burial, WHO recommended at least one metre physical distancing among mourners but the NCDC guideline put the compulsory physical distance at two metres at least. However, this was not adhered to during Kyari’s burial.
The NCDC had earlier warned loved ones to “refrain” from attending the burial in mass, to check further spread but from the photographs and video broadcast of the event, the advice was disregarded.
Aside, it could be recalled that the NCDC had shared the need to reduce human presence at Kyari’s burial.
“Even at this time, as we mourn loved ones lost to COVID-19, including the recently deceased, President’s Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, we need to refrain from attending mass gatherings to prevent the further spread of COVID19,” the NCDC stated in a tweet.
“Let us #StaySafe & protect each other.”
Wearing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
According to the NCDC COVID-19 burial procedures for confirmed cases, irrespective of the locations an infected person died, the officials assigned to bury the dead should be equipped with the PPE.
Also, they are expected to use disinfectants, rubber boots, heavy-duty gloves among other vital items.
Similar conditions were recommended for relatives of the deceased, religious leaders and mortuary workers who are to partake in the burial process.
However, contrary to the provisions listed above, majority of persons reported at the burial ground did not comply with the specific guidelines. Mourners did not wear the PPE, except for the medical officials.
Although, some were seen with face masks, others do not have the mask or hand gloves including other protective kits.
Friends, relatives during burial of Late Abba Kyari at Gudu Cemetery, Abuja where social distancing was disregarded. Photo Source: Punch Newspaper
DESPITE the extension of the border closure, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana has however lifted the partial lockdown on some parts of the country.
The president in a live broadcast on Sunday night said the ease of restrictions was “in view of our ability to undertake aggressive contact tracing of infected persons” among others.
The ban on social gatherings of more than 25 persons is also still in place.
Nana Akufo-Addo stressed that “lifting these restrictions does not mean we are letting our guard down.”
“I am demanding even greater adherence to these measures,” he added.
The lockdown has been lifted, but Public gatherings are still banned. Borders and schools remain closed while businesses are allowed to operate observing the measures listed by health authorities to maintain social distancing and a healthy work environment.
Ghana has now done 68,591 Coronavirus tests with 1,042 cases. Drones are been used to transport samples.
The country is also producing its own face masks, gloves, scrubs, gowns, headgears as it intensifies efforts to curb the novel virus.
THE Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released a list of 195 candidates caught for perpetrating examination malpractices during the 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Over 1.9 million candidates took the 2020 UTME held between March 14 and April 4 across the nation.
The Board said it was able to establish prima facie cases of examination misconduct against the listed candidates.
The list was contained in the weekly bulletin of JAMB released on Monday and obtained by The ICIR.
Someof the infractions established against the candidates included connivance to cheat, examination by proxy, unruly behaviour, smuggled mobile phone into the exam hall, attempt to cheat, smuggled electronic device into examination hall, double registration among others.
Further study by The ICIR showed that candidates from Amambra, Imo, Kaduna Enugu and Kano states dominate the list.
The Board however noted that despite this, incidence of examination malpractice by candidates was on decline with the 2020 experience.
It also disclosed that nine Computer Based Test (CBT) centers in Abia, Enugu, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos Nassarawa, Ogun, Oyo and Kano states were delisted based on technical deficiency and alleged connivance with candidates to cheat.
According to fact sheet, this year’s UTME has the highest number of registered candidates in the history of the Board since its establishment in 1978.
A Civil Society Organisation, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) says the Nigerian Police, Anambra State Command are attempting to cover up facts and shield alleged killers of two persons while enforcing Covid-19 lock down in the state.
“In the case of Anambra, the difference we see is the apparent attempt by the Police Command to twist the facts, cover up and shield the police killers,” RULAAC alleged in a statement issued by Okechukwu Nwanguma, its Executive Director on Sunday.
According to Nwanguma, the organisation was making efforts to identify who among the police and eye witness was not telling the truth.
“We need to ascertain, between the Police and eye witnesses, who is lying, we have already called on the Governor of Anambra State to invoke his powers and set up an independent inquiry to go to the root of the matter to unravel the truth and recommend measures to ensure justice and a prevention of the repeat of that tragedy,” Nwanguma said.
He noted that during the previous week, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) raised concern about the numbers of killings by law enforcement agencies while enforcing the lock down order noting that killings by security operatives across the nation were more than deaths from the virus.
The RULAAC Executive Director warned that there could be break down of law and order considering cases of misconduct in Anambra, Abia, Osun states among others.
He, however, commended the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Muhammed for his prompt response against police misconduct.
“I commend the Inspector General of Police for always rising to the occasion in promptly ordering the arrest of unruly officers and investigation of acts of brutality and misconduct,” he said.
He urged the IGP to set up monitoring process for men of the police force in the discharge of their enforcement duties during the lock down.
It would be recalled that two youths were on Tuesday shot dead at the New Tire Market Area of Nkpor, Anambra State by the policemen enforcing the restriction movement over the Coronavirus pandemic.
However angry residents of the area embarked on protest against the shooting to death of two youths by police over an argument.
