NPA

By Chiazo Ogbolu

Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has inaugurated an 11-member Emergency Response Team for strategic and immediate response to emergencies at the authorities headquarters and port locations.

A statement signed by Mr Adams Jatto, General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications, in Lagos on Thursday indicated that the Managing Director, NPA, Ms Hadiza Bala-Usman, performed the inauguration on Wednesday.

The statement said that Bala-Usman appealed to members to be ready to put themselves at the frontline of emergency response at the Marina headquarters at all times.

It said that the MD was represented by the Executive Director, Marine and Operations, NPA, Mr Onari Brown.

Every head of departments is a constituent part of this emergency response team and they have specific roles to play during emergencies.

Respective officers must have a sense of responsibility to duty and ensure effective collaborations at such delicate periods, the MD said.

She noted that two committees would be constituted at the Port levels vis-a- vis Port Emergency Management Team (PEMT), and Port Emergency Response Team (PERT).

The NPA MD added that details of their membership and modus of operation shall be duly communicated to all the Port locations.

These committees are expected to amongst other things respond proactively during work place emergencies covering fire, explosion incidents and medical emergencies among others.

Other emergencies are public safety threats, armed robbery and terrorism threats, marine vessel collision in the port, accidental release of hazardous substances and natural disasters like flood or storm, she said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

crude oil

The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced on Thursday a new oil discovery in the shallow waters of Geisum concession south of the Gulf of Suez, with an initial production rate of 2,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

Indications showed that the new discovery, referred to as GNN-4, contains about 70 million barrels of extractable crude oil, the Egyptian oil ministry said in a statement.

The discovery was made by Petrogulf Misr joint company, on behalf of Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), Pico GOS Petroleum Company Limited and the Egyptian unit of Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), the ministry said.

The concession is technically supervised by Ganoub El Wadi Petroleum Holding Co., according to the statement.

In early June, Egypt announced a new oil discovery made by Borg Al Arab Petroleum Company at Abu Sennan concession in the Western Desert, with a planned daily production rate of 4,100 barrels of crude oil and 18 million cubic feet of natural gas.

Similarly in late 2019, the company announced a petroleum discovery in ASH-2 area of the oil rich Abu Sennan, with an average production rate of 7,000 barrels of crude oil and 10 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

Egypt witnessed a 7-percent increase in oil and gas production in 2019 by producing some 650,000 barrels of crude oil and 7.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, according to a former statement by the Egyptian oil minister.

Egypts largest Zohr offshore gas field in the Mediterranean Sea, which was discovered by Italys giant Eni in 2015, greatly contributes to the countrys natural gas production as it produces alone about 2.7 billion cubic feet on a daily basis. (Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN News

President Muhammadu Buhari

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Evariste Ndayishimiye on taking office as President of Burundi after a swearing-in ceremony on Thursday in the political capital, Gitega.

The Nigerian leaders congratulatory message was conveyed in a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Thursday.

The President also felicitated with the Government and people of Burundi on the historic peaceful transition to a democratically elected government, after the sudden demise of President Pierre Nkurunziza.

President Buhari observed that, with a resounding victory at the polls, President Ndayishimiye, has what it takes to consolidate democracy in the east African country.

Ndayishimiye had served as Secretary-General of the ruling CNDD-FDD party, and played an active role in guiding the country on the path of peace and development.

President Buhari said he looked forward to working with the new Burundian leader and his government to strengthen the warm relationship between the two countries.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Douye Diri

By Christian Ogbonna

Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa has directed the State Task Force on COVID-19 to unseal worship centres that ran foul of measures imposed by the state government to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the state.

The governor gave the directive in Yenagoa on Thursday during a meeting with religious leaders in the state.

Diri, however, urged the violators to retrace their steps as his administration derived no pleasure in shutting down churches.

He urged the religious leaders to partner actively and spiritually with his administration to avert a rise of COVID-19 pandemic through conscious awareness on the threat of the virus to their congregation.

He expressed concern over the daily update from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) with the state recording 54 new cases on Tuesday and 25 on Wednesday.

According to him, all hands have to be on deck to curtail the spread of the virus.

I hereby give fresh guidelines for churches to adhere to.

All mid-week activities in all churches remain suspended till the end of COVID-19, including gatherings at home cells, Diri said.

According to him, for Sunday worship, hand sanitisers or running water and soap must be provided at the entrance of all churches.

Churches having multiple services should observe 30 minutes between services to avoid clustering of people. The essence is that we should not have a gathering of people that will easily transmit the pandemic.

The seating arrangement should be two metres or six feet apart and it is compulsory for every worshipper to wear a facemask. All Sunday services should be held between the hours of 7 a.m and 1p.m.

May I also advise that the mega churches should have their own monitoring team to lighten the job of the state COVID-19 task force.

All guidelines must be strictly complied with for the health benefit of the people, the governor said.

Responding on behalf of the clerics, the Bishop of Niger Delta West Diocese, Bishop Emmanuel Oko-Jaja, expressed satisfaction with the leadership of the governor in addressing and curtailing the spread of the virus since its outbreak in the state.

Speaking earlier, the immediate past Special Adviser on Religious Matters, Pastor Samuel John-Peters, reaffirmed the role of the various church leaders to assist greatly in the fight against the pandemic until it is terminated. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Cecilia Ologunagba

The Federal Ministry of Health has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), to boost Nigerias health care delivery.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, made the announcement in a statement signed by the Director, Information, Media and Public Relations in the ministry, Mr Olujimi Oyetomi, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ehanire said the agreement came at a time when Nigeria and the world were experiencing the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The minister named the areas of interest to Nigeria in the cooperation between the two countries as public health and primary health care.

It is even more urgent now at the stage of the community transmission of COVID-19, when the health systems of all the countries are being put to test.

We have seen strong and more resilient health systems around the world collapsing with the outbreak of the disease.

It is a time when all countries need to revisit their health system, both the public health and the individual persons health.

Ehanire told his guests that Nigeria had done well to ensure that its health system did not collapse.

COVID-19 is a virus that nobody knows its nature well. The future is not clear hence there is need for knowledge sharing, where the world and all humanity work together to defend their citizens.

It is against this background that we are pleased to be a part of this agreement.

We know that our country is not among the richest and not among the most technologically developed.

We are inclined to share your experiences, your level of development which we see as valuable. Therefore, your excellency, we take this agreement to be sacrosanct.

In a speech, the Director-General of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, expressed his wish to have DPRKs model of centre of disease control replicated in Nigeria.

We are a large population but one model weve been looking up to for many years is the Korea Centre for Disease Control.

We have looked up to the Korea Model Institute, a model government agency that we will like to emulate in many ways.

We have seen how you incorporated the response of all infectious diseases; safety from chronic diseases into one strategic public health agency responsible for the delivery of this critical functions to the people of Korea, he said.

The highlight of the occasion was the signing of the MoU on health by the chief representatives of both countries, supervised by the director, legal services of the Federal Ministry of health.

The DPRK team was led by the countrys Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Jon Tong Chol.

Source: NAN News

Prof. Olayinka Karim of the Department of Home Economics and Food Science, University of Ilorin (Unilorin), has invented a delicacy, using Sweet Potato to enrich Noodles.

In her research work entitled: Good foods yesterday, better today, best tomorrow, the don said noodles were a type of food made from unleavened dough which were rolled flat and cut, stretched or extruded, into long strips or strings.

Karim, who lectures in the Faculty of Agriculture of the uwniversity, stated that Nigeria is the 12th largest noodle market and consumed about 1.67 billion meals in 2010.

According to her, the consumption of the food has risen to 1.76 billion in 2019.

She explained that the study she conducted on the use of blends of wheat, sweet potato and soy flour for production of noodles, showed that 100 per cent wheat noodles took longer time to cook, about 10.5 minutes than from composite flour.

Similarly, the cooking loss was found to increase continuously from 13.59 per cent for noodles made with 100 per cent wheat flour to 25.33 per cent for noodles containing 55 per cent wheat, 25 per cent sweet potato and 20 per cent soy flour, she said.

The nutritionist however said that the noodles from 90 per cent wheat, five per cent sweet potato and five per cent soy bean flour, had the highest cooking yield, best nutritional qualities and strength.

She observed that the quality of sweet potato noodles was far superior, better food than any noodles found around.

She said this was an opportunity for the nation to boost the use of locally produced crops as raw materials for food industries in the country.

The expert in food science explained that the orange-fleshed variety of sweet potato was rich in beta-carotene, the precursor of Vitamin A, and despite the nutritional potential of sweet potato, it remained largely untapped in Nigeria.

The utilisation of sweet potato for the production of today and tomorrows foods should therefore be considered, she said.

Source: NAN News

Ms Amina Mohammed, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General

By Harrison Arubu

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, on Wednesday, echoed the organisations call for concerted global action against racism.

In a passionate speech to a virtual meeting of the Human Rights Council, Mohammed said the poison of racism still rages, and must be fought to stop.

She highlighted the suffering of people of African descent, saying they remained trapped in generational cycles of poverty created by unfair obstacles to their development.

On a personal level, from my high school days in the United Kingdom through my career across the private sector, civil society and now international public service, I have grown a thick skin.

I have even become numb, to the extent that one has forgotten how to feel the injustice of racial slurs and my human right to live a life of dignity and respect.

When I consider that we are born equal, only to find that the colour of ones skin sentences one to a life of discrimination and injustice.

I ask myself, I ask all of you, I ask people everywhere: How can we possibly continue to turn the other way? Enough is enough, she said.

Her remarks came three days after a group of 22 senior UN officials issued a joint statement denouncing racism and demanding international action.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also been strident in his call for dismantling racist structures and confronting the systemic ills of institutions.

Mohammed said the Secretary-General had launched a one-year process to address the concerns raised by the senior staff members.

The United Nations has a duty to respond to the anguish that has been felt by so many for so long.

This cause is at the heart of our organisations identity.

Equal rights are enshrined in our founding Charter.

Just as we fought apartheid, years ago, so must we fight the hatred, oppression and humiliation today.

We must also never forget the crimes and the negative impacts, in Africa and beyond, of the transatlantic slave trade, one of historys most appalling manifestations of human barbarity.

Across the world, Afro-descendants continue to be trapped in generational cycles of poverty created by unfair obstacles to their development.

They receive unequal services and face unjustifiable housing and employment practises.

Racial profiling is widespread, Mohammed added.

She said black communities were among those mostly affected by COVID-19 due to poverty and structural racism.

As we recover from the pandemic, returning to these systems is out of the question.

We also need measures that will genuinely re-set law enforcement.

The battle against racism did not end with this or that legislation and racism was not vanquished by this or that election.

The poison of racism still rages and so the fight must still be waged, she said.

Source: NAN News

who

By Cecilia Ologunagba

The World Health Organisation (WHO), Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, says the number of coronavirus cases in Africa is now over 256,000

The UN health agency gave the update on its official twitter account @WHOAFRO on Wednesday.

The agency said: There are over 256,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent with more than 117,800 recoveries and 6,800 deaths.

Meanwhile, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organisation (WHO), said the world had now recorded more than eight million cases of COVID-19.

Ghebreyesus, speaking at a news conference at WHO headquarters in Geneva, said that in the first two months, 85,000 cases were reported and in the past two months six million cases have been reported.

There have been more than 435,000 deaths and in the Americas, Africa and South Asia; cases are still rapidly rising, he said.

According to him, there are green shoots of hope, which show that together through global solidarity, humanity can overcome the pandemic.

We now have good examples of many countries that have shown how to effectively suppress the virus with a combination of testing, tracing, and quarantining patients and caring for those that get sick.

Lab capacity has been dramatically enhanced across the world to boost COVID-19 testing, which is critical for identifying where the virus is and informing government actions.

New mega hubs have been established that are now key to the distribution of personal protective equipment, which includes millions of masks, goggles, aprons and gloves; as well as other medical supplies.

Tech companies have developed applications that can assist with the critical task of contact tracing.

And there has been an enormous effort to accelerate the science around the pandemic, he said.

In addition, the director-general said WHO had in February convened a Research and Innovation Forum on COVID-19.

He said the global body convened a forum where hundreds of researchers came together from across the world with the aim of quickly developing quality diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.

One of the key priorities identified was for the world to focus on accelerating research around treating patients with COVID-19.

Specifically, researchers agreed to investigate existing drugs with potential, including steroids.

WHO also developed a core protocol, which has been adapted and used by researchers around the world, he said.

Source: NAN News

The World Health Organisation has welcomed the initial clinical trial results from the United Kingdom (UK) that show dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, can be lifesaving for patients who are critically ill with COVID-19.

Dexamethasone is a steroid that has been used since the 1960s to reduce inflammation in a range of conditions, including inflammatory disorders and certain cancers.

It has been listed on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines since 1977 in multiple formulations, and is currently off-patent and affordably available in most countries.

Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO, said this at a news conference at WHO headquarters in Geneva on Wednesday.

He said: On Tuesday, there was the welcome news of positive initial results from the RECOVERY trial in the United Kingdom.

Dexamethasone, a common steroid, has been shown to have a beneficial effect on those patients severely ill with COVID-19.

According to the early findings shared with WHO, for patients on oxygen alone the treatment was shown to reduce mortality by about one fifth.

And for patients requiring a ventilator, mortality was reduced by about one third.

However, the director general said dexamethasone was shown to not have a beneficial effect for those with milder disease, who did not need respiratory support.

This is very welcome news for those patients with severe illness, these drugs should only be used under close clinical supervision.

We need more therapeutics that can be used to tackle the virus, including those with milder symptoms.

WHO has now started to coordinate a meta-analysis pooling data from several clinical trials to increase our overall understanding of this intervention.

We will update our clinical guidance to reflect how and when dexamethasone should be used to treat COVID-19, he said.

Ghebreyesus therefore thanked the United Kingdom government, the University of Oxford, and the many hospitals, researchers, patients and families who had contributed to this scientific breakthrough.

WHO will continue to work with all partners to develop other therapeutics and vaccines for COVID-19, including through the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator.

Over the coming weeks and months, we hope there will be more treatments that improve patient outcomes and save lives.

While we are searching for COVID-19 treatments we must continue strong efforts to prevent as many infections as possible by finding, isolating, testing and caring for every case; and tracing and quarantining every contact, he said.

According to him, COVID-19 is affecting the whole world but it is important to remember that for the most vulnerable communities, this is just one of many threats they face.

We have consistently stressed the importance of ensuring essential health services continue, including routine vaccination and services for malaria, TB and HIV.

The director general, however, spoke on the need to give attention to the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

NTDs are a group of 20 diseases including elephantiasis, sleeping sickness, leprosy, trachoma and intestinal worms that collectively wreak havoc on the poorest and most marginalised communities.

These diseases disfigure, disable and can kill, and they strike hardest in places of poverty and in remote areas where access to quality health services is extremely limited.

WHO and partners have developed a new roadmap which moves away from single disease programmes to integrated approaches.

It moves away from single diseases programme to the integrated approaches in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of neglected tropical diseases, as part of an overall movement toward universal health coverage, he said.

According to him, the NTDs roadmap puts greater ownership on national and local governments to drive action.

Like with COVID-19, it calls for greater collaboration between governments, academia, civil society and the private sector in order to boost innovation and access to health technologies.

I have seen first hand the courage of people who are living with NTDs, which is why I call on countries not to forget about the most vulnerable, he said.

Source: NAN News

Petrol Pump

By Mustapha Sumaila

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says the consumers of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in Borno paid highest average price of N138.10 per littre in the country in May.

The NBS made this known in its latest report on PMS price watch released on Wednesday.

The bureau said Borno was followed by Taraba at N138.00 and Jigawa where consumers bought PMS at N137.89.

It disclosed that states with the lowest average price of PMS were Abuja where it was sold at N123.50, then Anambra N124.85 and Kwara where it was bought at N124.88.

Average price paid by consumers for PMS decreased by -10.59 per cent year on year and month on month by -0.89 per cent to N129.67 in May from N130.84 in April it added.

Source: NAN News

Illustration: President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Ahmed Lawan and Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila

By Emmanuel Afonne

An ICT expert, Dr Jamiu Yusuf, has urged the executive and legislative arms of government to be prudent in managing resources with lean management principles to ensure efficient public sector during the COVID-19 era.

Yusuf, who is the lead partner of an Abuja-based firm, Glodaris Technology Consulting, made the call in Abuja on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN).

He said that the current situation in the world especially as it concerned the declining price of crude oil at the international market, necessitated by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, called for caution in the management of resources.

Nigeria needs an urgent economy recovery from the ills of coronavirus and declining oil price which remains abysmally slow, with declining real incomes that have negative implications on the national growth, price and exchange rate stability as well as employment.

In other words, worsening oil prices and falling exchange rate will create fiscal crisis, imports will become more expensive and inflation pressures will rise, productive sector wobble, unemployment and poverty will worsen and external reserves further depleted.

Therefore, there is urgent need to apply lean management principle in order to re-organise our priorities, at both the executive and parliamentary arms of governance.

The wastages in the executive arm in terms of overlapping of jurisdictions of activities in governance must be urgently eliminated or reduced and remunerations for unnecessary activities removed.

On the parliamentary side, the cost of maintaining this arm of governance is out of tune with the current realities and need to be reduced drastically.

According to Yusuf, the pandemic has affected every sector of the economy, including health and education, a situation he said has giving rise to maternal death.

He regretted that much attention had been focused on coronavirus thereby neglecting people with other health issues especially the pregnant women.

Yusuf added: Maternal death is likely to continue in the medium to long term if nothing urgent is done.

The majority of women in rural areas of the country have no education, no access to skilled birth attendant, no exposure, no family planning, early age of childbearing and no access to information. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

A Nigerian Seaport

By Edeki Igafe

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) says nineships conveying general cargo and other items are expected to arrive at Delta ports between June 18 and June 30.

The NPA made this known in its daily publication, Shipping Position a copy of which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Warri.

Nine ships conveying PMS, AGO, Frozen fish, Butane gas and general cargo are expected at the Delta ports between June 18 and June 30, the authority said.

The organisation listed some of the expected vessels as MV Frio Nereus, MT Safe Sea Neha 111, MT Leon Herc, MV Hyde, and LPG Laperouse.

NPA also said that two vessels: MT Capt. Gregory and MT Abiola conveying 16,000 metric tons of PMS and 12,000 metric tons of crude oil were awaiting anchorage at the Bennett Island and Escravos respectively to discharge products.

The port authority said that MT ST Walga was waiting at the Fairway Buoy to discharge 15,000 metric tons of petrol. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

UEFA Champions League

This seasons Champions League, suspended in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will be completed with an eight-team mini-tournament, European footballs governing body UEFA said on Wednesday.

The mini-tournament will be held in Lisbon, Portugal in August.

The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be staged over one leg, instead of the usual two, with the final to be held on Aug. 23, UEFA deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti said.

He spoke after an executive committee meeting held by video conference.

The four last 16 second leg matches which still have to be played will take place on Aug. 7 and Aug. 8, either at the originally scheduled venues or in Portugal.

The matches are Manchester City vs Real Madrid, Bayern Munich vs Chelsea, Juventus vs Olympique Lyonnais and FC Barcelona vs Napoli.

Paris St-Germain (PSG), Atletico Madrid, Atalanta and RB Leipzig have already qualified for the quarter-finals.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said he expected matches to be played without fans, although there was a small chance that could change.

We dont think we can have spectators but things are changing rapidly and we will assess the situation at the beginning of January. he told a video news conference.

One month ago, I couldnt even say if we could play the competition.

He added there was no Plan B in case the public health situation in Portugal worsened, although UEFA was monitoring the situation daily.

The plan allows for a quicker completion of the season than the traditional two-legged home and away format.

Istanbul, which was due to host the 2020 final, will now instead be the venue for the 2021 edition.

All other scheduled hosts - St Petersburg, Munich and London - are moving back a year, UEFA said.

A similar format will be used to decide the Europa League competition in Germany from Aug. 10 to Aug. 21.

Matches will hold in Duisburg, Duesseldorf, Gelsenkirchen and Cologne, which will host the final.

The womens Champions League will be staged as an eight-team mini-tournament in the Spanish cities of Bilbao and San Sebastian with the final on Aug. 30. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Players take a knee as EPL restarts

Players of Aston Villa and Sheffield United took a knee at kick-off in support of the Black Lives Matter movement as the 2019/2020 English Premier League (EPL) season restarted on Wednesday.

They were joined by the match referee, Michael Oliver, as well as the other officials.

The league returned after a 100-day hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the teams and match officials sent out a strong statement of support for the worldwide protests against racism.

All the players names on the back of their shirts were replaced with the words Black Lives Matter as the league formally joined the international protest.

The protest is a campaign sparked by the death last month of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.

The kneeling protest followed a moments silence before kick-off in memory of those who died in the coronavirus pandemic.

The match at a rainy Villa Park was also the first in Premier League history to be played without fans, and with strict health protocols in place.

Only 300 personnel were allowed into a stadium divided into three different security zones to try to restrict any possible spread of the novel coronavirus.

The pandemic has claimed close to 42,000 lives in the UK.

There was none of the traditional routine at the start of a match, with teams emerging from their changing rooms separately, players lining up two metres apart and handshakes banned.

No ballboys were in attendance.

Both teams will be allowed to make five substitutions, in another first for the game in England.

It is following on from the allowances made by footballs world governing body FIFA for the leagues having to cram in matches after the lockdown.

The match was the first of 92 to be played inside the next six weeks to finish the Premier League season. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Habibu Harisu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Zonal Office in Sokoto has recovered about N400 million stolen fund in its operations between January and June 16, 2020.

Mr Abdullahi Lawal, the head of the office said this while speaking with newsmen in Sokoto.

Lawal said that the EFCC also securedseven convictions during the period under review.

He said that about 100 petitions were received by the agency, bordering on advanced fee fraud, money laundry, and land matters.

Lawal said that some leaders of Sokoto traders association were interrogated by the EFCC over alleged diversion of N1 billion loan facility granted by the State Government.

The zonal office is in charge of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara.

Source: NAN News

NAFDAC DG, Prof. Moji Adeyeye

By Aderogba George
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned business firms against undermining its regulatory activities but to take advantage of its ease of doing business platforms.

The warning was contained in a statement by NAFDAC Director of Public Affairs, Dr Jimoh Abubakar, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said that the warning was in response to a recent online publication by the Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) undermining the operations of the agency.

Hesaidthe attention of NAFDAC had been drawn to the online publication of APFFLON entitled: APFFLON berates NAFDAC shoddy mode of operation.

Abubakar described the publication,especially the comments made by the associations president as a deliberate, calculated mischief, aimed at fighting the anti corruption system of NAFDAC.

In the past, importers and clearing agents were made to physically move from one NAFDAC office to the other to process the clearance of their goods at the ports.

With the appointment of the current Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, many things have changed in the agency.

We have fast tracked the implementation of electronic processing of clearance of goods at the ports from issuance oflicenses to the release of imported products at the ports.

The DG mandated that all processes within NAFDAC should move from the previous inefficient manual processing to the online systems, this is to improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

The full automated system was deployed in 2017 with an identified group of low risk importers and clearing agents, who used the system for the clearance of their goods at the ports, hesaid.

Acccording to the him,the new system of online documentation and operations of NAFDAChas enabled business firms and owners to clear their consignment without visiting the offices of the agency except when invited.

Hesaid that NAFDAC portal of operation was auser friendly platform, and that it would go ahead with the modernisation of all processes within the agency.

He added that NAFDAC as a customer focused agency would always accept constructive criticism.

We have previously received some recommendations for better service delivery from credible importers and clearing agents, which we have entrenched and we will continually commit to embracing more suggestions and recommendations that will keep improving the way we carry out our mandate.

We wish to categorically state that officers have been trained to be professional, carry out their assignments ethically, the performance of officers are continuously monitored through the generation of reports by the platform.

The general public is therefore advised to disregard the misguided statements and outcry of the APFFLON group, who wants to undermine the genuine efforts of NAFDAC that is making all efforts to facilitate trade and curb corruption in the system, he added.

Source: NAN News

COVID-19 updates by NCDC

Nigeria on Tuesday recorded 31 COVID-19 related deaths, the highest number of fatalities since the pandemic broke out othe Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) has said.

The centre also confirmed 490 new cases of the COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 17,148.

The NCDC announced this on its official Twitter handle.

It said that, as at June 16, 2020, the new cases were recorded in 16 states while no new state reported a case in the last 24 hours.

The NCDC said that Lagos reported the highest number of cases with 142 new cases and FCT was second with 60 new infections.

The 490 new cases are reported from 16 states- Lagos(142), FCT(60), Bayelsa(54), Rivers(39), Delta(37), Oyo(30), Kaduna(26), Imo(23), Enugu(19), Kwara(17), Gombe(11), Ondo(10), Bauchi(8), Ogun(7), Borno(6), Benue(1).

The NCDC said that till date,17,148 cases have been confirmed, 11,070 active cases 5,623 cases have been treated and discharged deaths, 96, 402 samples have been collected, and 455 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Meanwhile, NCDC said that Lagos State recorded 25 deaths between June 12 and 15 ; and they were all announced on June, 16.

NAN reports that Investigators working on the United Kingdom-based recovery trial announced that Dexamethasone, a low-cost and widely available steroid that lowers inflammation, improved patients chances of surviving severe COVID-19.

During the study, about 2,100 COVID-19 patients were treated with dexamethasone for 10 days. Patients on mechanical ventilation who were given Dexamethasone were 35 percent less likely to die compared to patients on ventilators who did not get the treatment.

In patients on less invasive forms of breathing support, Dexamethasone decreased the risk of death by 20 per cent while patients who did not require any respiratory help saw no improvements after taking the steroid.

The NCDC said that it is aware of recent outcomes from a UK-Government funded clinical trial for COVID-19.

It said that the results support the use of Dexamethsaone as a possible treatment to reduce the risk of death among COVID-19 patients, who require oxygen or mechanical ventilation.

The health agency called on Nigerians to note that the Government of Nigeria has not validated or approved any treatment for COVID-19.

In addition, the NCDC said that the use of Dexamethasone for COVID-19 treatment has not been validated by World Health Organisation (WHO).

We are aware of ongoing clinical trials conducted by scientists in the UK and will work with our sister agencies to evaluate this emerging data on the use of Dexamethasone.

We will inform the general public on outcomes following scientific review and validation, it said.

Source: NAN News

Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, Coordinator, Defence Media Operations

By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Defence Headquarters says more Boko Haram/Islamic States West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists have continued to succumb to the superior tactics and fire power of the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in the North East.

The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, in a statement on Wednesday, said that the troops had increased the tempo of clearance operations in the theatres of operations.

Enenche disclosed that the troops of Army Super Camp 11 Gamboru in Borno effectively cleared Kusumu and Warshele Villages which appeared to be the terrorists logistics base on June 14.

He added that the troops also neutralised 13 terrorists in an encounter at Kumo, Diime and Sabori where some marauding Boko Haram criminals were hibernating.

According to him, after the encounter, the troops captured 21 locally made guns, two Dane guns, one Sniper Rifle, one 36 Hand Grenade, one Improvised Explosive Device Bomb and two Boko Haram flags.

Other captured items include five cutlasses, one digger, one spear, five bicycles, three motorcycles, five carts, two loud hailers and one Lister generator.

The troops equally rescued 32 captives comprising 16 women and 16 children, he said.

Enenche also disclosed that the troops made contact with a band of Boko Haram logistics couriers attempting to cross from the Mandara Mountains to Banki axis along Pulka Bokko Kirawa Road.

He added that two terrorists were neutralised while others escaped with gunshot wounds, adding troops recovered four bicycles and bags of grains from the fleeing insurgents.

According to Enenche, same troops in conjunction with elements of Civilian Joint Task Force on June 10, successfully ambushed and neutralised three terrorists dressed in foreign military camouflage uniform along Pulka Firgi Banki Junction Sabsawa.

He said that the troops also captured two AK47 Rifles loaded with magazines, one Rocket Propelled Gun, one Rocket Propelled Grenade bomb, five extra magazines, 45 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, one Hand Grenade, one Honda motorcycle, one cell phone and First Aid kits.

The coordinator further disclosed that troops of 151 Task Force Battalion neutralised one terrorist and one other captured alive at Miyanti in Bama Local Government Area.

He added that the troops of 117 Task Force Battalion in conjunction with Civilian Joint Task Force killed one terrorist in an ambush against elements of Boko Haram criminals logistics couriers at Gwagwamdi in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno.

According to him, the troops captured one AK 47 Rifle, two AK 47 Rifle magazines, 27 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, 8 bicycles and bags of foodstuff and clothing materials.

Additionally, a Toyota Starlet vehicle belonging to the insurgents was burnt during the fire fight.

Also on the same day, the combined troops of 242 Battalion, Sector 3 Quick Response Force and elements of Strong Response Area Gajiram while on fighting patrol encountered Boko Haram criminals mounted on three Gun Trucks at Jilgata.

In the process, the gallant troops eliminated five of the terrorists and recovered four AK 47 Rifles.

One Malam Hassan Bukar earlier abducted by the Boko Haram criminals was rescued while one Toyota Land Cruiser jeep was also recovered by the troops.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai commended the troops for their resilience and patriotism in crushing the remnants of Boko Haram/Islamic States West Africa Province criminals.

He urged them to maintain the tempo as we approach the end of insurgency in the Country.

Equally, the High Command of the Nigerian Military appreciates troops of Operation LAFIYA DOLE for their unwavering commitment in the Theatre, he said.

Source: NAN News

LASEMA demolishes partially collapsed 2-storey building at Iju

By Aisha Cole

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), has demolished a two-storey building at Iju following pledged by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to safeguard lives and property of Lagos residents.

The Director-General of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, made the disclosure after the demolition, which took place in the wee hours on Wednesday in Lagos.

Oke-Osanyintolu said that the demolition ofpartially collapsed two-storey building located at No, 7 Okunsanya Str. off Shanuaje, Iju,took place following the pledge of the governor to safeguard lives and property of Lagosians.

The demolition process occurred with adistress call to the Command and Control Centre of LASEMA on Sunday June 14, that the said building located about 200 metres from Dana plane crash site at Toyin bus stop, lju-lshaga, self-collapsed by half on Sunday afternoon.

Investigations by several relevant government agencies followed with the conduct of integrity tests, which results to demolition after due diligence and necessary approval, was followed by a controlled demolition of the mentionedproperty.

The demolition commenced in the wee hours of Wednesday at about 2:16 am to remove all threats to residents, surrounding property and the entire environment.

The 38year old two-storey building, which took two scouting operations to locate at Toyin bus stop, lju- lshaga, had suffered apparent lack of maintenance and many years of neglect, which led to its partial self- collapse on Sunday, Oke-Osanyintolu said.

He, however, said that no casualties, or fatalities were recorded, in the LASEMA operation, which involved the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Nigerian Police, LASEMA Fire Unit and Lagos State Ambulance Services (LASAMBUS).

Oke-Osanyintolu said that property worth a fortune were destroyed due to the collapse.

The Director Operations of LASEMA, Mr Olatunde Akinsanya, said that the demolition was also corroborated by the outcome of several tests conducted during preliminary investigations, which showed that the building was distressed as previously red-marked by officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).

Akinsanya said that the preliminary investigations revealed that the two-storey, building which self-collapsed partially from the rear when testedshowed the structure was highly unstable and posed a high risk to the neighborhood. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Fertiliser

By Peter Uwumarogie

The Gombe State Government has begun the sale of 20, 000 metric tonnes of assorted fertiliser to farmers at subsidised price of N5,000 per bag for the 2020 wet season.

Gov. Inuwa Yahaya, made the disclosure while inaugurating the sale of fertiliser to farmers on Wednesday in Gombe.

Yahaya said the fertiliser would be sold to farmers at subsidised price of N5,000 per bag, to improve their livelihoods, boost productivity and enhance food security.

He noted that about 80 per cent of the states population engaged in agriculture, adding that his administration would continue to support the development of the sector.

The governor said that aside keying into many agricultural initiatives at regional and national levels, the state was reviving its farm service centres to serve as one-stop shop of agricultural services.

Yahaya said that:We are also keying into the National Livestock Transformation Programme with Wawa-Zange Grazing reserve and the great irrigation potentials of our three major dams of Dadin Kowa, Cham and Balanga to promote large-scale irrigation activities.

The governor said that his administration had adopted proactive strategies to turn Gombe into an agricultural hub through industrialisation, aimed at diversifying the economy, create job opportunities and boost the states revenue base.

The governor added that the Fertiliser Monitoring Committee had been strengthened to ensure that the commodity reach intended beneficiaries promptly.

Our objective is for rural farmers to get basic farm inputs at their door-steps.

The Ministry of Agriculture and relevant security agencies are hereby directed to ensure strict compliance with the guidelines on the sale and distribution exercise, he said.

Yahaya warned farmers against encroaching into grazing reserves and cattle routes while also calling on herders and pastoralists, to avoid grazing on farm lands prior to harvest and evacuation of farm produce.

He lauded the Federal Governments support toward transforming the agriculture in the State, and called on farmers to take advantage of the huge governments investments in the sector.

Also speaking, Mr Muhammad Magaji, Commissioner for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, said the fertiliser distribution exercise demonstrated the state governments readiness to reinvigorate agriculture.

Magaji said that the state government had distributed 30 trucks of NPK brand of fertiliser, agro-chemicals and knapsack sprayers to 6, 000 dry season farmers at subsidized rates.

The state government also reactivated the annual animal vaccination of cattle, sheep and goats as well as procurement of agricultural equipment for dry season farmers, he said.

He called on the state government to engage agricultural professionals for the ministry and the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), and revitalisation of pest control team of the ministry.

On his part, Dr Musa Inuwa, Gombe State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the Federal Government had approved the release and sale of essential chemicals (herbicides/pesticides), to farmers at subsidised prices.

In addition, 500 bags of improved sorghum, millet and cowpea seeds have been allocated to Gombe State as part of the palliative to 500 farmers in Nafada, Shongom, Yamaltu Deba, Dukku and Balanga Local Government Areas.

Inuwa added that to ensure food security in the country, the Federal Government also approved N13 billion for the control of Trans-Boundary Pests in 12 frontline states including Gombe. (NAN)

Source: NAN News