Angry JOHESU members

By Maureen Ojinaka

Health activities have fully resumed at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, after the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) ended its seven-day warning strike.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who monitored the situation on Tuesday in Enugu, observed that health workers were busy at their various duty posts.

Some patients at the hospital expressed joy that they were attended to by the health workers while they appealed to the Federal Government to quickly meet JOHESUs demands for the healthy living of the citizens.

They said that incessant strikes in the public health sector would continue to cause more deaths, financial waste and serious health challenges for the citizens.

Mr Azubike Udeh, a patient on admission, said he remained in the hospital ward during the strike because transfering to a private hospital would have caused him more money, which might likely not solve his health problem.

My everyday prayer on this my hospital bed is for the government to listen to the health workers and pay them what is due to them so that there will be better healthcare service delivery in our public hospitals, Udeh said.

Mrs Charity Akuabata, whose son was on admission, expressed happiness as workers resumed work after the strike, adding that her sons health situation would have gone bad if the strike was not called off.

I am happy that I met the health workers on duty because it would have been terrible for me to be carrying my 12-year-old son from one private hospital to another in order to get his leg treated, Akuabata said.

Miss Helen Egwuonwu, another patient, said that for the health workers to carry out their duties effectively, the government must create a conducive working condition for them.

A nurse in the hospital, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, said that health activities had started in earnest as patients had also started coming in to receive medical attention.

NAN reports that the members of JOHESU and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations embarked on a seven-day warning strike to press for their demands from the Federal Government.

JOHESUs demands include: addressing the disparity in the payment of hazard and inducement allowances to workers in the frontline of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov.Godwin Obaseki of Edo State

By Nefishetu Yakubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday presented Certificates of Return (COR) to the winner of last Saturdays governorship election in Edo, Gov. Godwin Obaseki and his running mate, Mr Philip Shaibu.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the ceremony took place at the Collation centre, at the State headquarters of INEC in Benin.

The Edo governorship election Returning Officer, Prof. Akpofure Rim-Ruke, had on Sunday declared Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the governorship election in the state.

Rim-Rukeh had declared Obaseki winner after polling 307,955 votes to defeat his closest opponent Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who garnered 223,619 votes and 12 other candidates.

The INEC National Commissioner in charge of Edo, Bayelsa and Rivers, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, presented the certificates of return to both the governor-elect and the deputy governor-elect.

Agbamuche-Mbu said that the presentation of the CORs was a statutory obligation of the Commission which must be carried out within seven days after its declaration of a winner.

She said, This occasion is only made possible because of the successful conduct of the governorship election last Saturday, Sept. 19.

INEC, I believe, has played its humble part but we have always maintained that a successfully conducted election is a collective effort, and so it has proven to be, she said.

In his acceptance speech, Obaseki thanked God and Edo people for a peaceful election, adding that history had been made in the state.

Obaseki said INECs national Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, should receive most of the accolades for his steadfastness and ability to withstand pressure, adding that using his intellect in introducing technology for the election should be hailed by all.

Despite all the criticisms, the ability of INEC to view results as the counting is taking place in polling units is one innovation we will implore INEC to maintain and improve on.

Because it has introduced different element of transparency in the way we conduct election in Nigeria.

I am using this opportunity to extend a hand of fellowship to my brother, Osagie Ize-iyamu, and other colleagues in the APC to work with us to move Edo forward.

On a specific note, I want to use this occasion to call on former National chairman of the APC Adams Oshiomhole that the fight is over, to come and join in building the house where he was part of laying the foundation.

We have no malice; the only thing we disagreed on is on the approach in moving Edo forward.
Obaseki, who also commended President Muhammadu Buhari, said the president would be remembered as the father of democracy in Nigeria.

This is because he had a choice to ensure and insist that his party wins in the state but he rose above partisan politics, and insisted the right be done, he said.

According to him, I want to finally thank his royal majesty, Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, for his fatherly role, for the prayers for peace, and for being that symbol we all look up to.

Earlier in his address, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Mr Johnson Alalibo, said the ceremony was just another fulfilment of the provisions of the law.

My joy knows no bound as I am standing here to present this welcome address, having conducted an election without any loss of life, he said.

Alalibo commended the candidates, security personnel and the entire people of Edo for their display of professionalism and maturity during the election.

According to him, this election has already been adjudged as one of the best and it shall so remain in the annals of our history. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.

By Mohammed Baba Busu

Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State on Tuesday said that the remaining operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) allegedly kidnapped by suspected bandits had been freed.

Sule said this when he received the Market Enterprise Development Advisor, Fatima Buhari, in Lafia.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that three out of the 26 operatives recently kidnapped along Maraban-Udege in the state had earlier been rescued.

Sule commended the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Bola Longe, other security agencies and all those who worked hard to free the remaining operatives of tge FRSC.

I am happy to announce that all the 26 members of the FRSC that were recently kidnapped were released yesterday (Monday).

I want to thank all the security agencies and all those who worked very hard to ensure that we achieved that feat.

I want to thank them for all the efforts they are making in order to ensure that Nasarawa State remains safe, he said.

NAN reports that the 26 officers were travelling for training at the FRSCs Academy at Udi in Enugu State when they were abducted by suspected bandits. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Edo Sports Festival

By Emmanuel Afonne

Executive Chairman Edo State Sports Commission, Godwin Dudu-Orumen, says the state will wait for the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to give clearance for preparation to commence for the Edo 2020 Sports Festival.

Dudu-Orumen disclosed this on Tuesday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The Sports Festival Committee had earlier suggested Oct. 22, as the date for opening of the Games Village and Oct. 25, for commencement of the festival proper, a suggestion the Federal Government was expected to accept or reject.

He said the state was ready for the festival but must follow the COVID-19 protocols to ensure that athletes and officials were not exposed to danger during the festival.

Let me first of all thank God Almighty for giving us victory by returning a visionary governor; the man who has the vision to change Edo State, and all the interest he has in all the sectors will now receive a fresh boost.

For the Sports Festival, it is still subject to the clearance from the Presidential Task Force (PTF) and the Ministry of Sports.

Edo State is ready for the sports festival but we need the clearance from the PTF and the Ministry of Sports to be able to progress, and going by the dictates of COVID-19 protocols, we will wait.

I am sure the Deputy Governor Philip Shuaibu will make a representation on that, but the final decision is left with the PTF, he said.

The sports administrator noted that the postponement of the sports festival due to the coronavirus pandemic was a blessing in disguise as it gave the state the opportunity of new arrangement.

He pleaded with the state governor to ensure that the commission had all the support needed to succeed.

The future of Sports in Edo State depends on the latitude given to me and those in charge of the games to implement their programmes which the governor has approved.

Edo State Sports Commission will come good with Gov. Obasekis second term; I am sure the governor will respond accordingly, he added. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger

By Rita Iliya
Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger has urged articulated vehicle owners to cooperate with the state government on the issue of the state roads in order to safeguard the socio-economic activities of the Nation.

The state roads serves as a major link between the Northern part of the country and the South-West part through its Bida to Minna axis which is a state road.

Bello, who spoke on the background of the re-opening of the closed Bida-Minna road, said the weight of the vehicles was heavily affecting the state of roads in the state.

He added that currently the Bida-Minna road has finally given way and motorists especially the truck drivers are going through another state road; the Bida-Lapai-Paiko road.

The governor said articulated vehicle should stick to the agreed tonnes of 40,000 litres of those carrying petroleum products and 35 tonnes dry weight for other goods.

One of the causes of the deplorable state of the roads is that overtime, no one has paid attention to trucks and trailers. So, tanker owners decided to increase the carrying capacity of their tankers from between 45,000 to about 90,000 litres. For dry cargoes, they carry 60 to 70 tons. I dont think any of our Nigerian roads have been designed to carry such weight.

So, within two to three years, we realised that most of the roads, especially in Minna town, from Chachanga Bridge to Kpakungu roundabout, have been destroyed by these trucks, not because of the volume of the trucks but the weight. The number of trucks that ply that road does not really matter, as long as they carry specified tonnage.

Recently, we awarded the contract to Dantata Construction Company for the reconstruction of Minna-Bida road. Unfortunately, the contractors are complaining that the pace of work is so slow because of the volume of trailers that ply the route, he said.

He explained that the re-opening of the state roads was to mitigate the negative economic hardship faced by people in the northern region due to shortage of petroleum products and food.

He added that since inception, the administration has been carrying out intervention works on some of the federal roads in the state, mainly to ameliorate the sufferings of its citizens in spite of lean resources.

The governor, however, said that the Federal and state government were taking remedial measures to forestall hardship and resolve the issue of bad road network in the state.

The decision led to shortage of petroleum products up Northern Nigeria, as Niger State, particularly Minna-Bida road became the transit route for tankers moving premium motor spirit (PMS). Other heavy duty vehicles between the South to the North suffered similar fate and food shortages stared all in the face.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a stakeholders meeting was convened in Abuja at the weekend, chaired by the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, with the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Services, the Managing Director of the NNPC and the Minister of Works in attendance.

Briefing the press after the meeting, Bello explained that the meeting looked at the shortage of the supply of petroleum products up north.

We also looked at causes of why we are having problems today.

Overtime, most of our highways have been ignored. We all know that the main road most people travel from the South-west to the northern part of this country is the Jebba-Mokwa-Tegina-Kagara-Birnin Gwari-Kaduna. That is a trunk A road that has been abandoned and neglected for many years. It is not motorable at the moment.

The option was to take Mokwa-Bida-Agaie-Lapai-Lambata, which also is very bad.

I am glad today, in the meeting, we discussed this and agreed on 45,000 litres for PMS, which I believe is still too much but we can work with it, or 35 tons for dry cargo.

The idea is, if we control the weight, the road will probably survive the rainy season. We will do some remedial works, meaning, the failed section will be maintained and the bridges, whose integrity test is questionable or show signs of weakness will be fortified just to survive the rainy season.

I am aware, the minister of works is making arrangement to fund those contracts. His ministry has already awarded but at the moment, our major concern and challenge is to survive the rainy season. Once we are able to survive the rainy season, the contractors will go back to site.

We did not close the Minna-Bida road to inconvenience people but to save and protect the only road that connects the South-western and northern parts of the country.

My understanding is, while the state government is doing some remedial works on Farin-Doki up to Chachanga, City Gate to Minna town, then Pakungu to Bida road, the Federal Ministry of Works will concentrate on Lambata-Bida

Hopefully, they will also concentrate on Mokwa-Kagara-Tegina-Birnin Gwari road. Once those roads are fixed, people in Minna will begin to see reduction in the volume of trailers passing through Minna town.

On the measures put in place to ensure compliance with the new directive, the governor said: First of all, we expect the depots not to load any truck that is more than 45,000 litres of petroleum products. We also expect, especially the cement companies not to load any trailer that is more than 35 tonnes.

Source: NAN News

Members of NAS reading session at Karu orphanage

By Aderogba George

The National Association of Seadogs (NAS) on Monday celebrated its 2020 reading session with children from the Karu Orphanage, Abuja, to promote reading culture.

The association, otherwise known as Pyrates Confraternity, donated educational materials, food items and others to the children in commemoration of the 2020 World Literacy Day, which was marked on Sept. 8.

Items donated to the children were text books, note books, pens, pencils, crayons, erasers, sharpeners, toiletries such as detergent, diapers, children playing items and clothes.

The food items were cartons of noodles, cartons of biscuit, cartons of juice drinks, beverages and others.

Speaking at the event, Mr Victor Ofili, NAS, Abuja Central, added that the idea of reading with the orphans by the association was aimed at making them take their book seriously while in the orphanage.

He said that the idea was also geared toward making sure the children focused on their future endeavours and to become what they intended to be.

They must take their books seriously to achieve those targets they have set for themselves in life; you can see that one of them said he wants to be the president of Nigeria, while others said different things.

Without being grounded in education, they cannot achieve their dreams and that is why we are here, one of our cardinal principles is for humanistic development, it is part of what we call operation 347, it is part of our guiding principles.

We are here to show them love and to let them know that, they also have a family in us, incidentally, we have adopted this orphanage since 2013, when Abuja Sahara Deck was set up.

We have been doing our part to the orphans since we adopted them, he said.

Similarly, Mr Michael Ihunde, the second Vice President of the association, said that NAS was only trying to encourage the children for them to take their literary studies serious.

Ihunde said that the association had spent close to half a million naira to procure the items donated to the children as part of its social responsibility.

According to him, the association is committed to supporting the children yearly and to always put smiles in their faces.

Mr Frank Okafor, a former National Vice President of the association, encouraged the children to discover and develop their talents for them to be reckoned with in the society.

According to Okafor, God blesses one according to what ruminate in the mind, and that there are a lot of things embedded in reading if the children can commit to that.

You gain more knowledge when you read. You discover a lot of things when you read. Maximise whatever talents God has given you.

For you to be educationally smart, you must do the right thing at the right time, focus on your desire, your setback as an orphanage will surely result to a better thing at the end, Okafor stressed.

Responding on behalf of the management, the orphanage accountant, Mr Felix Inaede, appreciated the donation, particularly during the period of global pandemic, asthings were hard for most people.

Inaede said that the gifts from NAS had been a yearly thing, adding that the association had been so passionate about the development of the children.

NAS has been a mentor to these children to ensure that they are better citizens in the country. These children will remember when they grow that there was a home they lived where donation was always given to them.

Inaede also appreciated the Federal Government and NGO, noting that they had been all proactive in responding to the needs of the children, particularly during the global pandemic. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Illustration: Fuel Pump

By Edith Ike-Eboh

The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) says the Federal Government has spent a total of N8.94 trillion on oil subsidy between 2006 and 2015.

The agency disclosed this in a document on subsidy payment released in Abuja on Monday.

It said that the subsidy was paid to oil marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the period under review.

A break down of the money indicated that in 2006 a total of N257.36 billion was paid, in 2007, N271.51 billion while in 2008 N630.57 billion was paid to marketers.

Also, oil marketers in 2009 were paid N409.31 billion and N667.08 billion in 2010 respectively as subsidy claims, it said.

The document further revealed that in the year 2011, federal government paid a total of N2, 105.92 trillion an increase of N1,437.84trillion from 2010 payment.

The PPPRA in the document noted that in 2012, N1.35 trillion was paid as subsidy, the highest in the period under review.

A total of N 1, 316.63 trillion in 2013, N1,217.35 trillion in 2014 and N653.51 billion in 2015 was paid as subsidy claims, it added.

It noted that the NNPC since 2016 had being the sole importer of the product to the country.

It assured that subsequent releases would revealed the amount paid on subsidy before the deregulation of the downstream oil sector. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

By Emmanuel Mogbede

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the Federal Government is ready to support youths to influence the passage of the hate speech bill presently before the National Assembly.

Osinbajo gave the assurance on Monday in Abuja while engaging the All Progressives Congress (APC) social media operators and influencers at a virtual meeting held at the partys national secretariat.

The Vice President also assured that the government would not relent in expanding and sustaining youth friendly projects, including media platforms that would add value to the society.

Also speaking at the virtual meeting, Alhaji Ahmed Ismaeel, National Youth Leader of the APC, described the meeting as the first of its kind and very engaging, adding that the party would continue to organise such meetings from time to time.

He said the meeting was organised to particularly recognise the partys online soldiers and media influencers, who had over the years, helped to shape public opinion on it.

Speaking on the partys defeat at the just concluded Edo governorship election, Ismaeel said the party would do a postmoterm on the outcome of the election to know why it lost.

We thought we had covered the grounds very well, but there was a blind side we didnt see, the party intends to do a postmoterm on the election this week.

We will conduct a postmoterm this week, to know how far and how we found ourselves in this kind of situation, he said.

Ismaeel, who is also a member of the APC Caretaker and Reconciliation Committee, added that knowing that the party did not win the last presidential election in Ondo state, would make the election to be dicey.

He added that the state governor had, however, done what he needed to do in terms of reconciling aggrived party members, there was more to be done.

Ismaeel stressed that the party would not take anything for granted again, but would rather go out and fight to ensure that it retained Ondo State.

He said it was disheartening to note that for the first time since 2015, the APC doesnt have a representative in the South South geopolitical zone again, adding that this was worrisome.

Ismaeel said while the party may have lost Edo state governorship election, it had to work hard, especially to ensure that it won the forthcoming Ondo State governorship election slated for October 10.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that about 100 APC media influencers participated at the event.

Nigeria like other developing nations have varieties of media technology through which information gets to the people.

Apart from the conventional media like Television, Radio and Newspapers, Digital media services such as email, social media sites, websites are among others playing the role of information dissemination.

The interface with the APC media influencers and its leadership was an opportunity to review performances and renew commitment, according to its organisers. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

APC Logo

By Emmanuel Mogbede

Mai Mala Buni, Chairman All Progressives Congress (APC) National Caretaker Committee, has said that the peaceful conduct of the just concluded Edo governorship election and its outcome represents a victory for Nigerias democracy.

He said this in a statement issued in Damaturu, Yobe, on Monday, adding that the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari remained committed to free and fair elections.

This, he said, was critical to strengthening the foundation of the countrys political and moral authority.

Buni, who is also the governor of Yobe, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and all political parties that contested the election for the successful conduct of the exercise.

He also commended the APC candidate at the election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu for his tenacity and leadership qualities.

Buni also appreciated the efforts of the immediate past national chairman of the APC, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, and other members for demonstrating unwavering support for the party and its candidate in the election.

Gov. Buni added that with the election over, it was time to unite to move the countrys democracy forward and put an end to the era when the electoral contest became warfare.

We appeal to our members to be strengthened by the outcome of the election and unite in order to correct the problems that worked against our party and our candidate in the election.

As progressives and democrats, we are confident that all leaders and members of the party will celebrate the outcome of the election as free and fair as acknowledge by our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari.

Let us unite to move our democracy forward.

We must put an end to the era when electoral contest become warfare.

We urge our candidate and all our members to join us in congratulating MrGodwin Obaseki and the PDP as winner of the election.

Our attention must now shift to Ondo State and ensure that we win the Oct. 10, 2020 election.

Sept. 19, 2020 Edo election should present a new watershed, Buni stressed.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Dr Chikwe Ikekweazu NCDC Boss

By Abujah Racheal

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has warned that though the country has recorded a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases, it was not yet celebration time as Nigeria has not tested adequately and therefore risks a resurgence.

Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director General, NCDC, said this at a briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday in Abuja.

Ihekweazu said that the country recorded a 36 per cent decline nationally in August, compared to July, while the positivity ratio dropped from 20 per cent in June to 7 per cent in July.

You might think that that is good news and we should be celebrating; unfortunately, we cannot celebrate this until we test sufficient numbers in every state in the country.

One critical issue is the number of tests being done and yes the number of tests have actually declined, but another important indicator that we look at is the test positivity ratio nationally, he said.

According to him, the only states that can confidently celebrate a decline in cases are Lagos and Kano, as well as the FCT, because they have tested high numbers, but the same cannot be said at the National level because some states are not testing.

He decried that the NCDC could not make any interpretation on the data in Taraba Adamawa, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Kebbi, Zamfara, Jigawa and Yobe States.

We do not have enough data coming out of these statesto ascertain if we are improving or not or where exactly we are.

So we have to work together, in summary; it is way too early to make any interpretation whether we are flattening the curve or not, some interpretation can be made in Lagos, FCT, because they are testing enough, but we cant do this on a national level.

The NCDC boss noted that countries that seem to have seen a decline were seeing a resurgence of cases.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NCDC and the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) have launched COVID-19 household Sero-prevalence surveys in selected states in Nigeria, to better understand the burden of the virus in the country.

The surveillance will be carried out in Gombe, Enugu, Nasarawa and Lagos States. (NAN)

Source: NAN News