PDP Logo

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday inaugurated the Caretaker Committee for the Ebonyi State chapter of the party.

The PDP National Chairman, Mr Uche Secondus, represented by the Deputy National Chairman North, Sen. Suleiman Nazif, inaugurated the committee.

He pledged that the PDP would continue to give opportunities and sense of belonging to Igbo people.

Secondus said that the PDP would continue to be a household name in Ebonyi and South East.

The people of the South East are people that we love, people that we admire, people who have contributed to the development of this country.

You have a safe haven in PDP. You are known in the PDP. PDP is a household name in the South East.

PDP will continue to be a household in Ebonyi, he said.

The National Organising Secretary, retired Col. Austin Akobundu, said that the party would do everything possible to stabilise the party in Ebonyi and the enture South East.

Akobundu , represented by the Deputy National Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Agbo, encouraged the PDP leaders in the zone not to be discouraged by the recent defection of the State Governor, Mr Dave Umahi, to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said that the party still had its base and structure with the people of the state at the grassroots.

I call on my brothers and sisters, do not be daunted. Do not take this as any minus at all.

This is supposed to strengthen you, because as at the last roll call, the three senators from Ebonyi and all the members of House of Representatives stand tall with you.

In partisan politics, the closer you get to the grassroots in terms of officials in the party, that is the true strength of the party.

So, with you all, I make bold to say that the coming by-elections in the next 10 days, PDP will still take the day, he said.

He said that the stakeholders in Ebonyi and the South East were properly consulted before the NWC constituted members of the inaugurated committee to pilot the affairs of the party in the state.

The Chairman of the caretaker committee, Mr Fred Udeogu, commended the NWC for its actions, assuring that the PDP would continue to win in Ebonyi.

On behalf of our members, we assure you that we will win the state as we have been doing.

We will deliver Ebonyi 100 per cent to PDP, Udeogu said.

Other members of the committee inaugurated are Luke Nkwegu Secretary, Gideon Osi Publicity Secretary, and James Alaka Organising Secretary.

In attendance were former Senate President, Sen. Pius Ayim; Sen. Sam Ekwu, Amb. Frank Ogbuewu, and the two other serving senators from Ebonyi. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Ahmad Ahmad banned

By Ijeoma Okigbo

World football governing body, FIFA has banned Ahmad Ahmad, president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), for five years.

This decision was made by the adjudicatory chamber of the Independent Ethics Committee via a statement on FIFA official twitter handle on Monday.

The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has found Ahmad Ahmad, President of (CAF) and a FIFA Vice-President, guilty of having breached article 15 (Duty of loyalty).

Article 20 (Offering and accepting gifts or other benefits) and article 25 (Abuse of position) of the 2020 edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics, as well as article 28 (Misappropriation of funds) of the 2018 edition.

The investigation into Ahmads conduct in his position as CAF President during the period from 2017 to 2019 concerned various CAF-related governance issues.

This also includes the organisation and financing of anUmrahpilgrimage to Mecca, his involvement in CAFs dealings with the sports equipment company Tactical Steel and other activities.

FIFA said in its decision that following an extensive hearing, the adjudicatory chamber ruled that, based on information gathered by the investigatory chamber, Ahmad had breached his duty of loyalty.

He had also offered gifts and other benefits, mismanaged funds and abused his position as the CAF President, pursuant to the FIFA Code of Ethics.

Consequently, the adjudicatory chamber sanctioned him with a ban from all football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level for five years.

In addition, a fine in the amount of CHF200,000 has been imposed on Ahmad, the statement said.

The committee also added that the terms of the decision were notified to Ahmad today, the date on which the ban comes into force.

In accordance with article 78 paragraph 2 of the FIFA Code of Ethics, the full motivated decision will be notified to Ahmad in the next 60 days, after which it will be published onlegal.fifa.com, the statement concluded.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Pope Francis

Pope Francis says he can relate directly to COVID-19 sufferers given his own near-fatal brush with death from a respiratory disease decades ago.

Francis was hospitalised in his native Argentina in August 1957, when he came down with a lung infection.

He was in his second year of seminary, aged 20.

For months I did not know who I was, if I was going to live or die; not even doctors knew whether Iwould make it, the 83-year-old pope recalled in a forthcoming book.

One day Iasked my mother, hugging her, to tell me if I was going to die.

I know from experience how coronavirus patients attached to a ventilator are feeling while fighting to breathe, he added.

The quotes are from Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future, a book Francis co-wrote with his English biographer, Austen Ivereigh, due to come out on Dec. 1.

An excerpt was published on Monday by La Repubblica, an Italian newspaper, and it was picked by Vatican News, the Vaticans official news site.

In the book, Francis recalled two other so-called COVID-19 situations in which he felt isolated and lonely, like a patient under quarantine.

One was his 1986 months-long stay in a Jesuit theology school in Frankfurt, Germany, to learn German and do research for a doctorate.

I felt like a fish out of water, he wrote.

Argentina won the football World Cup during that period, and the pope said that having no-one to celebrate that victory with made him feel even more homesick. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Photo taken on Sept. 10, 2020 shows explosive belts and chemical substances seized in an anti-terrorism operation in Temara, Morocco. The Moroccan security services had raided a cell linked to the Islamic State (IS) militant group and arrested five of its members. (Xinhua).

The Moroccan security services on Monday bust a cell linked to the Islamic State (IS) militant group and arrested three persons.

The Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation, Moroccos intelligence bureau said in a statement that the suspects, aged 26 to 28, were arrested in the cities of Inezgane and Ait Melloul.

According to the bureau, many materials were seized during the operation included large and medium-sized knives, electronic devices, and extremist documents.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the cell was planning terrorist operations aimed at undermining the security and stability of the North African country, it added.

The bureau said that the suspects would be brought to justice upon the completion of the investigation.

In September, Moroccan security services busted a cell linked to the IS militant group and arrested five of its members.

Security operations carried out simultaneously in the cities of Tangier, Tiflet, Temara and Skhirat led to the arrest of the five suspects aged between 29 and 43, according to a statement by the Moroccan Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations.

Two of the suspects were arrested in Tiflet, 80 km east of the capital Rabat, and in Temara located in the suburb of Rabat.

Three explosive belts, electronic devices, large-sized knives and swords, chemical substances and nearly three kg of ammonium nitrate were seized during the operation.

Initial investigations revealed that the suspects were planning to carry out terrorist attacks on sensitive sites in Morocco using explosive belts, said the statement.

Source: NAN News

Military

By Deborah Coker

The 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Benin has released telephone helplines to reach the Exercise Crocodile Smile VI as well as the Edo Joint Security Operation.

The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Maj. Ojo Adenegan, disclosed this in a statement released on Monday.

According to Adenegan, the helplines are 08079831567 and 08079839190.

He said the telephone numbers were released for the general public to avail the brigade of useful information on any breach of security in the state.

This is also in order to activate quick response.

Please be informed that these helplines are operational 24/7, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Russian visits NAN headquarters in Abuja

By Emmanuel Oloniruha
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday called for renewed partnership with the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Nigeria, to project positive perceptions about the two countries through its reportage.

The Managing-Director of the agency, Mr Buki Ponle, made the call while playing host to Mr Valery Shaposhnikov, Deputy Head of Mission (Trade and Economic Affairs) of the embassy, in Abuja.

Ponle said that NAN in the 80s had a good working relationship with Russian news agency, Information Telegraph Agency of Russia (ITAR-TASS), formerly known as Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS).

He identified ITAR-TASS as one of the prominent news agencies that NAN worked with in the past, with mutual benefits on both sides.

According to him, NAN was able to make Russia visible in the Nigerian news reports, while NAN also benefited from the training programmes by ITAR-TASS and coverage of events in Russia federation.

Part of the programmes also allowed our reporters to even come over to the federation for training and to cover events, but midway the exchange stopped, he said.

Ponle told the Deputy Head of Mission that NAN had written a letter to ITAR-TASS to resuscitate the exchange programme, but was yet to receive any response.

He also called for other areas of collaboration that could promote positive publicity for the two countries and boost NAN service delivery to its numerous clients.

We cannot afford not to be part of you (Russia) as a power block; not to feed our Nigerian audience and subscribers with activities going on in Russia.

Also, we want our own activities to be projected by Russia, as a news agency, so as to eliminate some of the negative perceptions about us and your country too.

When we give information, people change their attitudes and perceptions about events, individuals, country and in other areas too.

Of course, in the areas of culture, we can also influence and let people know what is going on over there.

This is what we want to do and we hope and believe that you will be willing facilitators to help achieve that goal, Ponle said.

The NAN managing-director said that the agency wanted to create more foreign offices, including reopening the one in Russia, when its financial situation improved.

He recalled that in the past, NAN had foreign offices in 10 countries including Moscow, Russia, but due to inadequate funding the number was reduced to three.

These, according to him were in Johannesburg, South Africa; Abidjan, Republic of the Cte dIvoire and New York.

In his response, Mr Shaposhnikov pledged to speed up the communication between NAN and ITAR-TASS towards resuscitating the initial exchange programme between the two agencies.

He said the Russian Embassy valued NAN and its service delivery in promoting the image of the two countries, including Nigerias important position on the Africa continent.

Nigeria is the giant of Africa and we must have a good working relationship. We should keep on building and strengthening this relationship.

At the embassy, we will do our best in resuscitating and activating the process, Shaposhnikov said.

NAN reports that Shaposhnikov was accompanied by the Press Secretary of the Embassy, Mr Ivan Lydkin.

Source: NAN News

OPEC Sec-Gen, Muhammad barkindo

By Edith Ike-Eboh

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has projected 6.2 million barrel per day (bpd) growth in oil demand in 2021.

The OPEC Secretary General, Mohammad Barkindo, disclosed this in his address at the Crescent Ideas Forum on Monday via video conference.

Our OPEC outlook for 2020 oil demand is now slightly above 90 million bpd.

This represents a sharp decline of nearly 10 million b/d from where we started the year, and almost an 11million b/d contraction compared to what we forecast in January.

In 2021, we expect growths to bounce back to 6.2 millionb/d to just over 96 million b/d, compared to our pre-Coronavirus (COVID-19) expectations for demand reaching almost 102 million b/d next year.

The recent revisions are due to the easing pace of the economic recovery and recent COVID-19 containment measures, which are assumed to impact transportation and industrial fuel demand well into next year, Barkindo said.

He said that the crucial market rebalancing efforts were
further complicated by high stock levels.

He said that preliminary data for October, showed that total Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) commercial oil stocks were 208 million barrels above the latest five-year average.

This, he said, was compared to 13 million barrels below the five-year average in January.

The OPEC scribe noted that the total global inventories have surged by more than one billion barrels since the beginning of 2020.

These figures would have been dramatically higher and clearly unsustainable had it not been for the unprecedented cooperative efforts taken to address the imbalance in fundamentals and stabilise the
market, he said.

Barkindo further said that in spite the current outlook, crude oil would continue to be relevant in the foreseeable future, up to 2045.

He said that oil demand was expected to rise by almost10 million bpdfrom2019slevels to around109 million bpdin2040,and then begin to plateau.

Non-member countries of the OECD will be the growth powerhouse and members will account for around 68 per cent of overall oil demand by 2045, with the economic tigers of India and China leading this growth.

In absolute terms, we expect oil demand in the developing and emerging economies rising by22.5 million bpdto around74 million bpdin2045.

The outlook for crude oil may look anemic now, but we anticipate a gradual normalisation of demand growth as the world recovers from the COVID-19 shock.

Our analysts foresee global oil demand returning to relatively robust annual growth and reaching nearly 104 million bpd by 2025, he said.

The OPEC scribe said that in the longer term, there are a number of factors that would drive consumption, such as population and economic growth, especially in developing and emerging economies.

We expect the global economy to be more than double from 2019 to 2045, to 258 trillion dollars and the population to grow by at least 20 per cent, to 9.5 billion.

Simply put, our world will continue to thirst for energy. TheWorld Oil Outlookanticipates that oil will remain the dominant fuel in the global energy mix for the foreseeable future, accounting for a nearly28 per centshare in2045, followed by gas at around25 per cent.

It is important to point out that it is the mainstream consensus of the leading reporting agencies that oil and gas will retain their prominence in the energy mix for the foreseeable future. Barkindo said.

He expressed optimism that the promising vaccine developments, apart from the hope that they could quickly be brought to market to save lives, could also help reboot the global economy.

Nonetheless, theoil markettoday is over shadowed by the resurgence ofCOVID-19and a slower pace of economic recovery than we had envisioned in the second half of the year.

In this respect, our OPEC outlook for 2020 oil demand is now slightly above 90 million bpd, he stated.

Barkindo added that OPECs outlook showed that petrochemicals and transportation would drive demand for crude oil going forward.

He said that electricity generation was the only area expected to see a decline, as oil gives way to renewables and natural gas( NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gunmen

By Friday Idachaba

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kogi chapter, has appealed to security agencies and the state government to rescue Dr Azubuike Iheanacho, its member abducted on Nov. 21 in Anyigba.

The association in a statement on Monday in Lokoja, said Iheanacho, the Medical Director of Peace Hospital, Anyigba in Dekina Local Government Area of the state, was kidnapped by unknown gunmen.

The statement was jointly signed by Dr Omakoji Oyiguh, the branch Chairman and Dr Famotele Tolorunju, the Secretary.

The association said that the yet-to-be-identified gunmen stormed the doctors residence between 9.00p.m and 9.30p.m. last Saturday night.

The doctor was said to have been abducted in front of his house while returning from an outing in a vehicle with his wife and a friend.

The NMA added that the gunmen ordered the victims wife and his friend out of the car and zoomed off with him to an unknown destination.

It said it had reported the ugly incident to security agencies and the state government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that two medical doctors, Ebiloma Aduku of Zonal Hospital, Ankpa and Kelechi Mgbahurike of Christ the King Hospital, Anyigba,were abducted on Oct. 6.

They were later released, following intervention of the security agencies. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Amaechi apologies for Abuja-Kaduna train breakdown

By Aisha Cole

Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi has apologised to Nigerians for the breakdown on the Abuja-Kaduna rail locomotives which occurred between Nov.18 and Nov. 20.

The minister made the plea on Monday at the Moniya rail station during the routine inspection of the ongoing rail project in Ibadan.

I want to apologise to Nigerians over what happened at the Abuja-Kaduna rail station.

We now have new locomotives and we have called the Chinese because we never expected the mechanical fault at this early stage.

On behalf of the Federal Government, the ministry and the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), we apologise to Nigerians and I have instructed the NRC to fix it or invite the Chinese.

If this is happening now, then they should bring back our old locomotives, it will just affect turnaround times because we get the new locomotive to increase the turnaround time, he said.

Amaeachi called for an increase in the pace of work by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) adding that Covid-19 pandemic was no longer an excuse.

The minister said although the CCECC were doing well, they need to increase their pace to enable the ministry to deliver the project on schedule.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Mrs Madeleine Ajani, said there was significant improvement in the ongoing work from what it was in October.

Ajani said the ministry was not shifting their date of the commissioning but would rather put more pressure on the CCECC to enable them achieve their targets.

She explained the need for Lagos to have standard gauge train due to the population adding that in less than one and half hours that the train would move from Lagos to Ibadan.

Ajani said that the establishment of the Standard gauge railway would also decongest both the road transportation and movement of cargo from the ports while people living in Ibadan could come and work in Lagos on a daily basis

The Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation, Mr Fidet Okhiria, said there was improvement in the construction output by the contractors adding hopefully by December some of the stations would be completed.

We also need to have more stations so that passengers will not need to wait for the train to leave Ebute-Meta Station before getting to Agege station which means that the two trains can be in a section.

This can be done with the help of signal and communication hence train should be able to communicate with train as well as station should be able to communicate with station simultaneously.

The delay in the rail construction along Apapa ports corridors is due to the Oando pipeline along Apapa corridor, Okhiria said.

He disclosed that the train would start operating from Lagos to Moniya in Ibadan by Dec. 7.

According to Okhiria, 24 coaches, four passenger locomotives, nine freight locomotives and shunting locomotives had arrived Lagos while two of the freight locomotives would be transferred to Warri for a project. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Guatemala parliament on fire

Guatemalas Congress on Monday shelved a controversial budget that triggered protests leading to the parliament building being set on fire.

To maintain the governability of the country and social peace, we have agreed to suspend the budget process, parliament speaker Allan Rodriguez said in a video message, accompanied by other legislators.

The draft budget had been criticised over cuts in the social and educational sectors and high levels of debt, and was also accused of a lack of transparency.

Rodriguez denied the accusations and claimed that the protests had been planned since late October to break the constitutional order.

He added that the budget would no longer be sent to President Alejandro Giammattei for final approval.

The government said on Sunday that there had been an attempt to force a real coup dtat and called for an intervention by the Organisation of American States (OAS), which backed its call for dialogue and condemned acts of violence.

People demonstrating against the budget and against Giammattei broke into the parliament building on Saturday and set part of it ablaze.

Protesters also stoned police, who fired tear gas into the crowd. At least 14 people were injured and 37 arrested.
Human rights ombudsman Jordan Rodas accused the security forces of an excessive use of force.

Hundreds of people marched against the budget also on Sunday. Protests have taken place in several cities.

The budget for the coming year had been criticised by numerous social groups, ranging from entrepreneurs to social movements, and the education sector to the Catholic Church. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN News

PTF on COVID-19

By Abujah Racheal

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has warned that a second wave of the pandemic was very much likely, and has advised Nigerians to suspend their Christmas travels.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the PTF, Mr Boss Mustapha, gave the warning on Monday at the National briefing on COVID-19, in Abuja.

Mustapha said that the risk of contracting the Coronavirus (COVID-19) during the Yuletide was high.

Ahead of the upsurge in travels for the Christmas and New Year festivities, we urge strongly that for this year, such trips should be put on hold firmly because of the risks involved. The transmission rate has simply become astronomical, he said.

Mustapha said that similarly the PTF found it necessary to mention that during the Christmas and New Year festivities, large social gatherings should also be avoided because there was a bigger risk of COVID-19 transmission.

New clusters of cases can emerge in places that have so far been unaffected as people travel and gather for festivities. But we can lower the risks by adhering to the NPIs (Non-Pharmaceutical measures) and celebrate, safely.

There will always be many more festive seasons to celebrate, he noted.

The SGF stressed that the development in the country and around the world particularly in the U.S. and in Europe remained a major source of concern to the PTF.

According to him, this is particularly so because our risk perception is low in-country; our compliance with Non-Pharmaceutical measures is extremely low to the extent that Nigerians now think COVID-19 is no more; the response of citizens to testing and detection is very low.

The risk of importation will be higher with the opening of our airspace; and the numbers in Nigeria, though appearing low over the last two weeks, has been rising gradually.

He, however, said the task force had been evaluating the compliance level of Nigerians with the protocols for testing by in-bound and out-bound travellers.

Mustapha regretted the discovery that some of the travellers had indulged in presenting fake documents.

Some, that have paid for post arrival testing have failed to show up for the tests.

Statistics show the following as at 9/11/2020: Total No of bookings: 91,522; Total No of passengers exempted: 5,470 (6per cent); Children: 1,248 (1.36 per cent); Diplomats: 3,392 (3.7 per cent); Evacuees: 830 (0.9 per cent); Total Passengers expected to Pay: 86,052(94 per cent); Paid: 46,982 (54.6 per cent) ; Not Paid: 39,070(45.45 per cent).

Travellers that have arrived in-country but have not paid (approximately 39,000); Amount paid to private labs by passengers who have refused to take the post-arrival 7-day test: N220 270 million.

The PTF is concluding steps to work with relevant institutions and legal authorities to impose appropriate sanctions on those that default on the protocols. The Port Health Services will elaborate more on this, he stressed. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

NYSC members

By Abujah Racheal

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Monday said that 138 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) had so far tested positive to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director General, NCDC, said this at the National Briefing on COVID-19 on Monday in Abuja.

Ihekweazu said that none of those who tested positive was allowed into the camps.

According to him, 34,785 corps members and members of the camp communities have been tested with 138 turning positive and representing 0.4 per cent prevalence.

It means one out of 200 people, he explained.

The NCDC boss said that those who tested positive were either managed at home or in a treatment centre, depending on if they had symptoms and what state they were in.

With talks between striking university teachers and the Federal Government progressed getting more positive, he said that the next challenge would be how to work with education stakeholders to ensure safe reopening of universities.

Universities are slightly riskier and present unique challenges, but we are confident that we can address this as we have done in other sectors like aviation, Ihekweazu said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Mr Joe Ajaero

By Joan Nwagwu

Organised Labour says it has not yet adopted nationwide strike as the next line of action in spite of the breakdown of dialogue between government and organised labour on the hike in the petroleum pump price and electricity tariff.

Mr Joe Ajaero, Deputy President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said this at a news conference jointly organised by NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Monday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Organised Labour on Sunday at a reconvened meeting with Federal Government aimed at addressing the increase in price of fuel and electricity tariff staged a walkout.

The meeting was necessitated by the recent increase of pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, from N160 per litre to N170 and the increase of electricity tariff.

Ajaero said that Federal Government has violated the agreements reached with the Organised Labour, adding that the Congress will not at the slightest provocation start talking about strike.

Our strike was suspended on Sept. 28 based on certain understanding and those understanding were being violated and that was why we raised that alarm yesterday, which led to the walk out.

We cannot call you out here to announce a strike and the next strategy as if the unions are one man organisation. Part of what we are doing in terms of engagement is to reach out and if every other means fails, strike is usually the last option by any union.

We do not just at the slightest provocation start talking about strike. I think that is not what is on the table now. There are certain disagreements which we are trying to address.

We say that we cant accept deregulation that is import-driven and that the refineries must work before you think of it and then you go into price fixing.

Price fixing is not the same thing as deregulation, you cannot regulate in a deregulated market. If they have deregulated, the price of product in Sokoto will not be the same thing with that of Abuja, there will be variations, he said.

Speaking, Mr Muhammed Idris, NLC Deputy President, also explained why labour walked out of the meeting with government on Sunday.

Idris said that what they had prioritised as urgent was the increment of fuel price and electricity tariff before delving into the issue of palliatives.

He said that all efforts to make the government see reason failed and given the tense situation, labour had no option than a walk out.

This is in spite of the patriotic understanding of labour which has drawn the flak of the public which think we are not doing enough to protect their interests on the issues of petroleum products and electricity tariffs.

The terms and conditions for putting the protest on hold were clearly spelt out in the Memorandum of Understanding.

The conditions include fixing the existing refineries, entrusting them to efficient managements, creating an enabling environment for new refineries, and doing all positive things that would ensure enhanced and sustainable local refining capacity.

Furthermore, Government and Labour Committee was setup to review the increase in electricity tariff, he said.

He however, noted that the letter and spirit of the terms and conditions of the agreement presuppose that contemplation of an increase or an increase would constitute a breach of the dialogue process. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

COlVID-19 vaccine

By Abujah Racheal

The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) says it will inaugurate an 18-man National COVID-19 Vaccine Task Team (VTT), as part of measures to ensure vaccine security against the virus in Nigeria.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said this on Monday in Abuja at the joint national briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.

Now that vaccines are known to be close at hand, the Federal Ministry of Health is taking measures toward vaccine security, for which an 18-man National COVID-19 Vaccine Task Team with seven Terms of Reference (ToR) will be inaugurated.

The ToR will include generating strategies for acquisition, deployment and options for licensed production by Biovaccine Nigeria Ltd.

Our options with WHO/GAVI led Covax facility remains our first line of engagement, Ehanire said.

He said that as at Monday, November 23, 2020, Nigeria recorded 66,383 COVID-19 cases from 743,298 samples tested so far, with 62,076 persons successfully treated and discharged.

He said that the nation sadly recorded 1167 deaths with a case fatality rate of 1.76%.

The minister said that eight states accounted for 72 per cent of confirmed cases, because they were testing and reporting steadily.

According to him, of the 1,235 confirmed cases reported in 22 states in the past week, Kaduna, Lagos, FCT, Oyo, Plateau and Ogun account for over 84 per cent.

We are thus not yet where we want to be with our testing rate. We shall continue to engage states to strengthen active case finding and testing, since we are committed to lowering case fatality rate to less than one per cent, to save more lives from COVID-19.

We are by no means out of the woods and must not become complacent.

Citizens with symptoms suggestive of COVID -19, or those who had contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients should present themselves for testing and if positive, comply with instructions for treatment, he said.

The minister said that the government was keeping vigilance, with regard to the exploding numbers of COVID-19 cases in Europe and America by strengthening the capacity for treatment, ensuring health workers were kept updated and ensuring the health facilities had adequate supplies of needed materials.

He said that the government was also reviewing the entry protocols at the nations borders, to reduce risks of COVID-19 importation by sealing gaps in present protocol and responding to emerging threats.

He said: Strategies for capacity building continues, with nationwide training of intensivists, of which three trainers will emerge per state and FCT, who will scale training down to nurses and other cadres of health workers.

The strategy to keep our health system ready includes ensuring oxygen availability at Points of Treatment and scaling up oxygen availability to state hospitals and PHCs, he said.

Ehanire said that the government would analyse reports of isolation and treatment centres to identify gaps and challenges, the result of which would be used to address thematic areas like monitoring of isolation and treatment centres, logistics, data management, training and development and review of protocols and SOPs.

He also advised against non-essential travels to high burden countries, due to increased risk of exposure to infection, especially of persons with known co-morbidities.

The minister also said that the reported strange deaths in Delta, Enugu, Ebonyi, Benue, Bauchi and Kogi states, turned out to be yellow fever outbreak, as confirmed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), who were responding professionally with Rapid Response Teams to the outbreak.

Of 586 suspected cases, 40 were confirmed in laboratory tests, with 10 deaths as at last week, he said.

Ehanire said that in spite of increased COVID-19 alert, Nigeria still virtually hosted the global Stop Tuberculosis Partnership Board meeting last week, at which President Muhammadu Buhari delivered a virtual welcome message and the First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Buhari delivered a statement, as the TB champion.

He said, Nigerias response in the fight against TB suffered decline due to COVID-19 and a new strategy was needed to step up performance.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

By Lydia Ngwakwe

The Central Bank Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, is to present the 2020 banking industrys scorecard at the 55th Annual Bankers Dinner organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), on Nov. 27.

Mr Nelson Olagundoye,Head, Marketing/ Corporate Communication and External Relations, CIBN disclosed this in a statement on Monday, in Lagos

Emefiele is also expected to provide economic insight into 2021 monetary policy and regulatory direction at the event in Lagos.

The annual bankers dinner is a thought-led socio-economic event of the industry.

It is the biggest high-profile social forum organised annually by the institute for the banking and finance industry.

The event attracts captains of industry, top executives of banks and non-bank institutions including CEOs and chairmen, Diplomatic Missions and top government functionaries, among others.

Mr Emefiele will be delivering a keynote address where he is expected to present the Banking Industrys score card for the current year, as well as provide economic insight into the monetary policy and regulatory direction for the coming year, Olagundoye said.

He said that the dinner would hold at the Eko Hotel and Suites, under strict adherence to the protocol against the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

It will also be transmitted simultaneously through Zoom teleconferencing, to accommodate participation across the globe.

Olagundoye said that no fewer than 1,500 participants across the world were expected to participate, both physically and virtually.

He said that the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other state governors were expected to grace the occasion as special guests of honour.

Mr Bayo Olugbemi, President/Chairman of Council, CIBN, would deliver the address of welcome.

Dignitaries expected at the occasion include Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President/Chairman, Dangote Group; Mr Fola Adeola, Chairman, Fate Foundation, Mr Abimbola Ogunbanjo, President, Nigerian Stock Exchange; and Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, Chairman, Elizade Nigeria Limited.

Dr Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Holdings; Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, Managing Director/Chief Executive, NDIC; all Deputy Governors and Directors of Central Bank of Nigeria are also expected.

Chairmen and Managing Directors/CEOs of banks; Mr Wale Tinubu, Chairman, Oando Plc; Mr Segun Ogunsanya, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Airtel Nigeria Ltd are also listed among those expected.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

NCDC Coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) update

COVID-19 is caused by a virus not bacteria.

void touching high-contact surfaces like door handles and stair rails. Clean all surfaces with soap and water or disinfectants, it advised. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Troops eliminate 8 terrorists, rescue victims, recover arms in North East

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Defence Headquarters says troops of Operation Accord have arrested 11 illegal miners and eliminated scores of bandits on Nov. 21 in parts of Zamfara and Katsina States.

The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, in a statement on Monday, said the troops continued to record successes in the fight against banditry and other criminal acts in the zone.

Enenche said the troops apprehended the illegal miners following credible intelligence on their activities at Kadauri in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara.

He disclosed that the suspects had been handed over to the appropriate prosecuting authority for further action.

The Coordinator said the troops also eliminated two bandits and recovered two AK 47 rifles while on covert Operation at Galadi village in Shinkafi Local Government Area of the state on Nov. 21.

According to him, troops also neutralised several bandits and rescued three kidnapped victims during clearance operation at Sabon Tunga and Tamuske villages.

The gallant troops supported by Nigerian Air Force helicopter gunships bombarded bandits enclaves at Dutsen Emai in Zamfara.

On same the date, troops while on routine patrol at Gobirawa village killed six bandits while four AK47 rifles, three Dane guns and two motorcycles were recovered, he said.

Enenche further disclosed that troops arrested a wanted bandits informant known as Shafiu Suleman, who masterminded the recent kidnapping of some people within Kwatarkwashi district of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara.

He said that the troops also neutralised one bandit and arrested two in an encounter at Gidan Ruwa along Rukudawa axis of Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara on Sunday following distress call from locals.

He said that one AK 47 rifle and one magazine loaded with 29 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition were recovered.

According to him, troops also on Sunday, arrested a suspected kidnap kingpin in Kurfi Local Government Area of Katsina State following credible intelligence.

The suspect who has been on the wanted list is presently in custody for further action.

The Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies will not relent until all enemies of the Nation are neutralised and normalcy is restored to all troubled zones, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

NAFEST 2020: Contingents undergoing COVID-19 tests before participation Official

By Martha Agas

Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau has assured participants of the 2020 National Festival for Arts and Culture (NAFEST) of safety and compliance to COVID-19 protocols.

Lalong gave the assurance during the grand performance of the 33rd edition of the festival, tagged: Cultural Dynamism and Post COVID-19 in Jos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NAFEST 2020 being hosted by Plateau would feature traditional board game; archery, indigenous fabrics and traditional cuisine competition as well as childrens essay competition.

He urged the visitors to feel comfortable, enjoy the hospitality and conducive weather of the state, saying they would be protected, with no infection of COVID-19 as the festival would be memorable.

You are free to enjoy the hospitality and accommodating nature of the people.The thing you will temper with the Plateau people is when you dabble into their culture and tradition, he said.

The governor expressed confidence that the festival would be fun, entertaining, build lasting friendships and would set standard for subsequent editions.

He applauded various presentations by the cultural groups, especially the children, saying the festival was a platform to showcase their potentials.

According to him, Plateau groomed many musical artists such as Tuface and PSquare, and is also a breeding ground of Nollywood.

In sports we had the best from Plateau, in music we have artistes such as Tuface, PSquare, Also, Nollywood started with programmes such as Cock Crow at Dawn, a series that gave way to many productions, he said.

Lalong said he was committed to restoring the glory of film production in the state through his peace efforts.

Earlier in his remarks, Segun Runsewe, Director-General, National Council of Arts and Culture, (NCAC), thanked the governor for hosting the event in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the economy.

Runsewe said that the state could be transformed to a tourist hub with the needed support from Lalong, while assuring participants of visits to tourist sites.

Also, the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen, said the event was historic as it signified hope for progress after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Tallen also commended the governor for promoting culture and bringing hope to the state.

She urged traditional leaders and youths to cooperate with Lalong on peace efforts, noting that the festival was a chance to foster unity for progress in the state and the country.

NAN reports that highlights of the event was the symbolic release of Doves for the restoration of peace in the state and other parts of the country. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Taiye Olayemi

The 33rd National Festival for Arts and Culture (NAFEST 2020) got underway in Jos with a command performance by host Plateau State on Sunday night.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that weeklong festival, which will end on Saturday, was themed, COVID-19: Cultural Dynamism.

NAN reports that the command performance by Plateau cultural troupe showcased the need for Nigerians to embrace peaceful co-existence through dance, music, poems, melodrama and other cultural renditions.

The troupe also sensitized the audience on the need to adhere with COVID-19 pandemic protocols.

Earlier, Otunba Segun Runsewe, Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), organiser of the annual festival, said Plateau had the best weather with numerous cultural potential capable of attracting tourists.

The Director-General said that the essence of the festival was to enable the participating states to showcase their culture to the world.

He commended Gov. Simon Lalong for the courage exhibited to host the festival amid COVID-19 pandemic and security challenges confronting the state.

This is the first state to host a big event as this festival amid COVID-19 pandemic, it is quite commendable.

Jos is the new abroad for us now, considering the cool weather and natural environment, let us all take out time to explore the state, he said.

Also, Tamwakat Weli, Plateau Commissioner for Tourism, Culture and Hospitality, urged states to also take out time to showcase and market their culture.

Weli commended the state governor for hosting the festival in spite the challenges currently facing the state.

She also appreciated Runsewes zeal and innovative spirit in ensuring that the promotion of culture takes the front burner in spite the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic

Welcome to the cool city of Plateau, the state hosted NAFEST 24 years ago and we thank God it is happening again, she said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Cecilia Ologunagba

At least 9,150 patients received surgical care from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Maiduguri in the last 18 months, its Head of Delegation, Mr Eloi Fillion, said on Monday.

Fillion told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri that no fewer than 7,700 patients received surgical care from the ICRC surgical team in 2019.

He said that the ICRCs surgical team received more than 350 surgical admissions and carried out more than 1,450 surgical interventions in the first half of 2020

He said out of those received in the period, 11 patients in critical conditions were referred to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) for further treatment.

He added that the surgical programme of the ICRC would stretch for a long time in Maiduguri because of its training component.

It is not only meant to support emergency for people who needed to be treated, it is also a teaching programme for medical staff including surgeons here in Nigeria and abroad.

We train on orthopaedic surgery and everything that goes around it; we train staff that will be sent abroad to work in similar circumstances.

We dont have many places to train on orthopaedic surgery, so Maiduguri has become one of the places to train ICRC medical staff on orthopaedic surgery, Fillion said.

He said the ICRC also opened the Maiduguri Physical Rehabilitation Centre (PRC) recently in collaboration with the UMTH to provide physical rehabilitation services.

According to him, the PRC will offer services in physiotherapy, prostheses (artificial limbs), orthoses (supportive braces) for upper and lower limbs, customised wheelchair fitting and walking aids.

It will also offer services in mental health psycho-social support as well as offer accommodation for patients from outside Maiduguri in its 18-bed dormitory, he said.

He told NAN that ICRC would still maintain its PRC domiciled at the Dala Orthopaedic Hospital in Kano.

We will maintain our Kano centre for those from other parts of the northwest, but we dont have so many war wounded patients there like we have in Maiduguri.

Here in Maiduguri, we have more patients treated in our surgical ward and some of them that will need prostheses (artificial limbs) or orthoses (supportive braces) will be accommodated at the PRC, Fillion added.

He said 314 patients were fitted with artificial limbs through the ICRC physical rehabilitation programme in 2019.

More than 140 persons with disabilities benefitted from the ICRC-supported rehabilitation programme at the National Orthopaedic Hospital in Kano from January to June, 2020.

No fewer than 67 assistive devices were produced, fitted and delivered to persons with disabilities in the same period, he said.

Also in an interview with NAN, Dr Bhavna Chawia, a surgeon at the ICRC Surgical Ward at the specialist hospital, said the primary goal of the surgical programme was to treat victims of armed conflicts and other situations of violence.

The programme is aimed at treating the war-wounded, offer life and limb saving surgeries; we also do emergencies for patients from the Internally Displaced Persons camps around the region.

We have a lot of patients in the male ward that came in with orthopaedic trauma. This is where the role of psychotherapy comes early to assist in the procedures for rehabilitation, She said.

She told NAN that some of the surgeries would involve amputation of limbs and that there was the need to rehabilitate such amputees.

We have a PRC in Kano to where we used to refer the amputees to have access to mobility aids.

With the inauguration of the new PRC in UMTH, it is going to be easier to refer our patients there. They dont need to travel almost seven hours to get to Kano, the surgeon said.

According to her, 70 per cent to 80 per cent of surgical interventions done by the ICRC Mobile Surgical Team are orthopaedic cases and limb injuries, while the remaining relate to abdominal and other areas of body.

The surgeon said the greatest challenge of the surgical programme was access to patients for timely intervention, adding that it could take two days to get some patients to the ward because of distance.

NAN reports the ICRC Surgical Ward domiciled at the Maiduguri State Specialist Hospital has a minimum capacity of admitting 36 patients, operation theatre, recovery room, accident and emergency unit, physiotherapy facility as well as psycho-social support facility for children. (NAN)

Source: NAN News