Home Blog Page 2150

COVID-19: Ibadan varsity shuts down central mosque over Ekiti index case

Samad UTHMAN
-
0
COVID-19: Ibadan varsity shuts down central mosque over Ekiti index case

By Uthman Samad 

THE Governing Board and Executive Council of the University of Ibadan Muslim Community has shut down the central mosque of the institution over the revelation that the Ekiti State Index case stayed in Ibadan for 14 days.

In the memo obtained by The ICIR, and duly signed by  M.O. Abdulrahman, the Chief Imam of the central mosque, the action was in response to the COVID-19 and prevent its spread in the institution.

The Imam announced that Jumat service has been suspended until further notice in the mosque beginning from Friday, March 20, while advising the Muslim community to sit and pray in the respective homes.

It could be recalled that the state governments of Lagos and Ogun, on Wednesday announced a total shut down of gathering of worship centers with more than 50 persons.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Olanrewaju Elegushi told reporters after a meeting with religious leaders that the suspension of large gatherings had taken effect.

“We met with religious leaders, both Christians and Muslims. We discussed, argued and realised that the lives of Lagosians are important to us. We prefer to offend people than to kill our people,” he said.

Presidency carpets Nigerians for asking Buhari to address nation over COVID-19

Samad UTHMAN
-
0
Presidency carpets Nigerians for asking Buhari to address nation over COVID-19

 

By Uthman Samad

PRESIDENTIAL spokesperson, Garba Shehu, on Thursday carpeted Nigerians who have called out President Muhammadu Buhari for not addressing the nation on the government’s preparedness to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country.

As the novel virus spreads across states in the country, Nigerians have intensified their calls on the president  to address the nation on the  pandemic that infected 11 Nigerians in the last two weeks.

In his response to the calls, Shehu described the calls as “cheap politics and populism saying “these are not the times for populism and cheap politics.”

“In this regard, populist advocacies such as the one accusing the President of “complacency” simply because he has not made a television address by ranking members of our respected parliament are cheap and sensational.

He however, explained that government has taken adequate measures to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the Nigerian people, citing the president’s recent travel ban on 13 countries with more than 1,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and suspension of visas to the nationals of the countries which is expected to take effect as from  March 20.

Garba also cited the reduction in the price of premium motor spiri (PMS) from N145 to N125  per litre as one of those measures to cushion the impacts of the virus on the Nigerian economy.

He added that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Monday announced N1.1trillion  credit relief and established a facility for household, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with reduction of interest rates for loans from 9 per cent to 5 per cent for businesses that may be affected by the virus.  

Calling on Nigerians to unite to fight the plague, Shehu said “North, South, East, and West – all Nigerians must unite to fight this plague, irrespective of religious or ideological affiliation.”

“We do not want to create panic. But we will continue to update the Nigerian public with relevant information.

“We plead with every Nigerian to cooperate with the government in the fight against Covid-19 and obey all instructions from the NCDC.

“We also plead with Nigerians not to see this most peculiar of times as one to be politicised or seen as an opportunity to regurgitate grudges against the government or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).”

COVID – 19: FCT, Benue close down schools indefinitely to pre – empt coronavirus outbreak

Amos ABBA
-
0
COVID – 19: FCT, Benue close down schools indefinitely to pre – empt coronavirus outbreak

THE Federal Capital Territory, FCT management in a press statement on Thursday announced that all schools in Abuja be shut down until further notice.

Austine Elemue, Special Assistant on Media to the FCT Minister of State made this disclosure on behalf of the Minister of State, FCT, Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu,saying the move was necessary to protect children in FCT from the disease.

“We should not endanger the lives of children for whatsoever reasons. You know, when these children are in schools, they pick up anything and put them in their mouths without taking precautions of washing their hands.

“Therefore, the best and safer thing to do is to close down the schools for a week, two or even a month pending on the outcome,” she said.

She said the move was necessary as other states were ahead of the FCT with regards schools closure to halt the spread of the disease.

“It might interest you to know that some states have gone ahead of us by closing down schools and we in the Federal Capital Territory, the seat of government cannot fold our hands and watch helplessly.

“As a matter of fact, as from tomorrow being Friday, all public and private schools in the territory should be closed down indefinitely,” she said.

On Wednesday, five new cases of the virus were discovered in Nigeria, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 12.

This development is coming on the heels of the recent indefinite strike embarked upon by resident doctors in Abuja over the failure of the FCT management to pay their arrears of allowances due to the doctors and non-payment of salary to doctors employed since October 2019.

In a Twitter post the Benue State Government on Thursday also ordered that all schools be shut from Friday as part of measures to protect the state from coronavirus pandemic.

This was announced after the State Executive Council Meeting held in Makurdi, by Benue’s Commissioner for Education, Professor Dennis Ityavyar, directing that schools in the state should conclude their examinations on or before March 27 and proceed on indefinite holiday.

Ityavyar stated that the decision to close schools before the scheduled end of the current academic term had become necessary as part of measures to prevent an outbreak of the disease in the state.

Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Sunday Ongbabor, also confirmed that Benue has established an isolation centre at the State University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi to address possible cases that might arise.

Benue State joins several North-west states namely Kebbi, Jigawa, Kaduna, Sokoto Zamfara and Niger that shut down schools for 30 days due to the outbreak of coronavirus.

In February, health ministers of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, had met in Mali’s capital, Bamako, to develop a regional preparedness plan and boost cross-border collaboration to promote rapid diagnosis and containment.

Along with increased screening at points of entry, particularly at airports, Nigerian authorities have established testing capacity in four laboratories and expanded surveillance to follow up with travellers from countries affected by the infectious disease within 14 days of arriving in the country.

Trump endorses use of chloroquine in treatment of covid-19

Ihuoma ILO
-
0
Trump endorses use of chloroquine in treatment of covid-19

PRESIDENT Donald Trump said Thursday that the US has approved the anti-malaria drug chloroquine for use as a treatment against the new coronavirus.

“We’re going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately, and that’s where the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has been so great,” Trump told reporters.

“They’ve gone through the approval process — it’s been approved. They took it down from many, many months to immediate. So we’re going to be able to make that drug available by prescription.”

This news coming less than 24 hours scientists confirmed the anti-malaria drug has proven to be effective in the treatment of the virus, and also a sign of relief to millions of people around the world.

Meanwhile, Responding to Trump’s claim the FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a statement that it is working with government and academic entities that are investigating the effectiveness of chloroquine in treating patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 to potentially reduce the duration of symptoms, as well as viral shedding, which can help prevent the spread of disease.

Studies are underway. Hahn emphasized that the study process is necessary even though the coronavirus situation is urgent.
“We also must ensure these products are effective; otherwise we risk treating patients with a product that might not work when they could have pursued other, more appropriate, treatments,” Hahn said.

LASU suspends convocation indefinitely over threat of Coronavirus

Nneoma BENSON
-
0
LASU suspends convocation indefinitely over threat of Coronavirus

THE Lagos State University (LASU) on Thursday has postponed its 24th convocation ceremony indefinitely, over the recent threats of Coronavirus pandemic in the country.

LASU coordinator, centre for information, press and public relations, Ademola Adekoya disclosed this in a statement in Lagos State.

The event was earlier scheduled to hold between March 20 and March 27 and, according to Adekoya, further information on the convocation would be relayed in due course.

“The Lagos State University Management hereby announces the postponement of the 24th Convocation Ceremonies of the University indefinitely. The Convocation Ceremonies were scheduled for Friday 20th to Friday 27th March 2020.

“The postponement is as a result of the prevailing health threats occasioned by Coronavirus pandemic and the resolution of the Federal and State Governments to discourage the gathering of people in public places at this point.

“The Management regrets every inconvenience this postponement might cause all our graduating students, awardees, family, friends and other stakeholders of the University,” the statement said.

Lagos State government has continued to take steps in containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic which has risen to a total of 12 in the country.

Earlier on Thursday, the state had confirmed four new cases of the virus in Lagos and according to the State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, 19 people were tested on Wednesday, and four tested positive.

He said the infected individuals had been isolated for treatment at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, Lagos.

IWD 2020: PIND calls for more advocacy on gender equality in Niger Delta

YEKEEN Akinwale
-
0
IWD 2020: PIND calls for more advocacy on gender equality in Niger Delta

THE Foundation for Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND) says having stakeholders participate in the co-development of ideas, solutions and responsibilities is vital to deepening gender equality advocacy in the Niger Delta region.

“We cannot afford to be disconnected in vision and purpose at this critical times as the beginning of the sustainable development goal number 5 that we all yearn for in the region lies in effective dialogue and shared learning,” said Tunji Idowu, Deputy Executive Director of PIND in Warri, Delta State on Thursday.

“More than ever before, we need dialogue like this ‘Roundtable’ to engage in meaningful discussions required for setting directions together and working smarter together towards gender equality in the Niger Delta,” Idowu said at a Roundtable organized by PIND to mark the 2020 International Day of Women (IWD).

Represented by James Elekwachi, PIND’s Economic Development Manager, he explained that gender mainstreaming was not only about including women as intervention beneficiaries, but also about deliberately addressing issues limiting women’s economic and social well-being.

“That’s why over the years, we have empowered and facilitated opportunities for thousands of women such as access to fit for purpose efficient technologies and also championed women’s issues such as violence against women and girls.

According to him, the 2020 IWD celebration with the theme ” I am generation equality: Realising women’s right, was designed to take stock of the progress made in promoting women’s rights since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, 25 years ago.

The theme of the roundtable was “Realising Women’s Right: Economic and Peace Building Route.

He said the Foundation organized the roundtable with its partners and beneficiaries to take stock of the progress it has made in gender mainstreaming in the last 10 years in the Niger Delta.

Idowu disclosed that PIND’s economic development program grows businesses, boosts productivity and income for small holder farmers and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMES).

“To enable integrated peace and economic growth, PIND’s Peace Building program strengthens conflict resolution mechanism and fosters stability through a regional network of peace actors and an early warning and early response structure,” he added.

Speaking at the event, Bose Eitohkpa, a former Capacity Building Manager at PIND and gender specialist called for bridging the gap between those who started the 1995 Beijing Declaration and the new generation so that they can carry on with the struggles.

She recalled all the various programs and activities by the Foundation towards gender mainstreaming and peacebuilding.

According to her, the Foundation has over the years facilitated access of women farmers to new agricultural technology such as demonstration of mechanical adjustable harvesters to oil palm women farmers.

Eitohkpa added that it has also facilitated economic opportunities for young women as well as saw to the establishment of parents’ waiting room and introduced paternity leave for PIND’s men.
She disclosed that PIN, in 2017,  assessed progress in gender mainstreaming.

“Based on findings from interviews, desk reviews and key observations, PIND got a rating of MODERATE against the commitments and priorities set in the strategic objectives contained in PIND’s Gender Policy.”

“The assessment noted significant progress in facilitating access to equal opportunities and benefits for women and provided recommendations that would help improve performance going forward.”

PIND is a Nigerian non-profit organization established by Chevron Corporation to build partnerships for peace and equitable economic development in the Niger Delta.

COVID-19: Buhari’s daughter currently in self isolation

Ihuoma ILO
-
0
COVID-19: Buhari’s daughter currently in self isolation

PRESIDENT Buhari’s daughter is currently in self-isolation after returning to the country from the UK earlier on Thursday.

The first lady Aisha Buhari, who disclosed the information on her twitter page this afternoon said her daughter returned from the UK being among the high burden listed countries of COVID-19.

She stated that based on the advice of the Hon. Minister Of Health , Presidential Task force on COVID – 19 and that of NCDC, her daughter currently Self Isolating herself, not because she displayed any symptoms of the Covid-19 .

Aisha further urged all parents to do the same if possible, as prevention is better than cure.

Similarly, the first lady also shut down her office for two weeks with immediate effect, adding that essential staff can work from home because of some Staff who recently returned from the UK.

Aisha also commended the North Western governors including Niger and Kwara on preventive measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 at their security meeting yesterday in Kaduna.

She advised that all Nigerians should adhere to the instructions from the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC, which encourages maintaining social distancing, high hygiene culture through regular washing of hands with soaps and sanitizers.

Adding that citizens should adopt preventive measures and ensure the safety of their families and that of General public.

‘’We will overcome the Covid-19 pandemic if we all take the necessary precautions at the same time,’’ Aisha concluded.

 

 

Explainer: Price adjustment on petrol pump price to N125 is not subsidy removal

Amos ABBA
-
0
Explainer: Price adjustment on petrol pump price to N125 is not subsidy removal

THE Federal Government’s decision to initiate a 13.8 per cent decrease on the retail pump price of petrol nationwide from N145 to N125, was based on drop in Nigeria’s Expected Open Market Price, EOMP, rather than subsidy removal, an official of the the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, has explained.

Abdulkadir Saidu, Executive Secretary of the PPPRA, said the global demand for crude oil which dropped by $25 per barrel on Wednesday resulted in a 30 per cent drop in the EOMP of petrol below the initially approved retail pump price cap of N145 per litre.

“The directive of Government to the NNPC to reduce the Ex-Coastal price of PMS, despite the fact that the current stock of product was imported during the months of January and February, 2020 is highly commendable, although this action is not without costs to the Corporation,” he said.

The new price template of N125 was based on the approved distribution margins of petrol of which the breakdown is as follows, Ex-Coastal price (consisting cost and freight charges) set at N99.44 per litre and the new EOMP pegged at N118.81.

The average EOMP for the months of January and February 2020 was N175.52 per litre and N156.02 per litre respectively shows that subsidy paid on petrol by the Federal Government was N30.52 and N11.02 per litre respectively for two months.

Mele Kyari,  NNPC GMD, in a statement said the decision to review the ex-coastal, ex-depot and NNPC retail pump price was in compliance with the directives by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipreye Sylva, on PMS pricing.

“Effective March 19, 2020, NNPC Ex-Coastal price for PMS has been reviewed downwards from N117.6 per litre to N99.44 per litre, while Ex-Depot price is reduced from N133.28 per litre to N113.28 per litre,” Kyari said.

PPPRA template shows that with the review of the ex-depot price of the commodity, which is the price at which the NNPC sells to oil marketers, the subsidy payments were not scrapped.

The landing cost of petrol, the amount it costs to import petrol into the country also declined from N162.68 per litre on December 31, 2019 to N123.88 per litre on February 27, 2020, a PPPRA data shows is a major determinant that led to the N125 per litre retail pump price.

This implies that as the landing cost of petrol continues to fall then Federal Government’s expenditure on petrol subsidy is also expected to drop.

Nigeria spent N40.42 billion on petrol subsidy in January, indicating a 22.47 per cent decline when compared with the N55.58 billion paid to subsidise petrol in December 2019.

Nigeria spent approximately $28 billion on subsidies between 2006 and 2018 alone, a financial obligation that hinders development in other crucial sectors.

It’s the fourth time the price of petrol has been modulated since 2015, it was first adjusted from N87 to N86.50 per litre then the price leaped to N141 before settling for N145 per litre in 2016.

President Muhammadu Buhari had announced in May, 2015, the removal of 90 per cent fuel subsidy to allow market forces determine retail fuel prices in the country but it was restored in the pricing template of petrol without any public announcement.

However, Saidu said the new price is temporary until the end of March based on the indicators observed in the market.

“Going forward, PPPRA will continue to monitor trends in market fundamentals and announce a monthly Guiding/Expected Open Market price at the beginning of every month, effective 1st April, 2020,” he said.

Alex Akande, an official with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Abuja liaison office said:

“If you look at it now there are several oil buyers who have crude oil stock at the old rate of N145 and you are asking them to sell at the government’s new rate, so who is going to pay the difference between the rate of the accumulated stocks and the new rate.

“At what point will the directive take effect or are we just responding on the basis that other countries are giving relief to their citizens? I don’t know how this will work,” he said.

Crude oil prices dropped further on Thursday, with United States’ West Texas Intermediate, WTI, prices falling to an 18-year low of $22 as the global market expects an extra stock of about 3 million barrels per day in April, with even more pending in May.

WTI plunged by 15.3 percent to $22.90 a barrel on March 18, the lowest level since 2002, while Brent crude was down by 8.9 percent, at $26.17 a barrel, after falling earlier to $28.40, the lowest since early 2016.

 

Appeal court affirms Ifeanyi Ubah as Anambra south senator

Jennifer UGWA
-
0
Appeal court affirms Ifeanyi Ubah as Anambra south senator

THE court of appeal in Abuja on Thursday has affirmed Ifeanyi Ubah as the senator representing Anambra south senatorial district, voiding the previous judgement of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which had sacked him.

A three-man panel of the court, led by Justice Stephen Adah held that the judgment of the lower court which sacked Ubah as a senator is a nullity on the grounds that the originating process which led to the judgement by the lower court was given without jurisdiction and that Ubah was denied a fair hearing.

Ubah’s election had been annulled on April 11, 2019, by Bello Kawu, judge of a federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Kubwa, on the grounds that he presented a forged National Examination Council (NECO) certificate to INEC.

Onyeachi Ikpeazu, the counsel of the appellant argued that the proceedings and the judgment emanating from the high court were not done through the due process.

The Appeal Court also found that the originating summons, with which the case was commenced before the FCT High Court was not signed by any lawyer as required by the rules of the High Court of the FCT.

Hence, the judge ruled  that “A document that is not signed is a worthless piece of paper and has no credibility,”  Adah said.

“Right to a fair hearing is very fundamental and anything did afterwards results to a nullity.”

“The judgment of the lower court is a nullity and is hereby set aside,” the judge said.

Besides setting aside the judgment, Justice Adah also granted a perpetual injunction restraining the Clerk of the Senate and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from acting on the April 11, 2019 judgment which has been voided for being a nullity.

Wuhan city records no new home grown case of COVID-19

Ihuoma ILO
-
0
Wuhan city records no new home grown case of COVID-19

THURSDAY was a day of contrasts on the front lines of the battle against the new Coronavirus. In a sign of hope, the Chinese city of Wuhan reported no new home-grown infections.

Citing reports from the Associated Press, the news from China’s central city of Wuhan, where the virus first emerged late last year, offered a rare glimmer of hope and perhaps a lesson in the strict measures needed to halt its spread.

Wuhan once was the place where thousands lay sick or dying in hurriedly constructed hospitals, the first place in the world where medical facilities appeared overwhelmed, but Chinese authorities said on Thursday that all 34 new cases recorded over the previous day had been imported from abroad.

“Today, we have seen the dawn after so many days of hard effort,” said Jiao Yahui, a senior inspector at the National Health Commission.

While China did not report any new cases in Wuhan or Hubei province, it did record eight additional deaths. Wuhan has been under a strict lock-down since January.

Officials are moving to loosen travel restrictions, but only inside the surrounding province of Hubei. Wuhan remains cut-off, with only those with special permission allowed to travel in or out.

Health workers and medical experts who had arrived Wuhan in the surge of the outbreak were also seen leaving the city as grateful citizens waved goodbye.

Still, the virus, which has infected 219,000 people around the world, took its toll elsewhere, both in human and economic terms.

Overall, 8,900 patients have died around the world, and 84,000 have recovered.

 

 

1...2,1492,1502,151...3,440Page 2,150 of 3,440