By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The PDP Governors Forum is scheduled to meet on Monday to review the current state of the nation.

The Director-General of the forum, Hon. C.I.D. Maduabum, said that the forum would deliberate on issues on national security and the economy.

Maduabum said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja that the governors elected under the platform of the PDP would meet in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The meeting will further review the current state of the nation, especially issues of national security and the economy, and also fine-tune strategies to support PDP as a viable and necessary alternative to the All Progressives Congress administration.

Maduabum said that the meeting, expected to be attended by the 15 governors elected under PDP, would be presided over by the Forum Chairman, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, while Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State would be the Chief Host. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Joan Odafe

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa has assured Nigerians abroad, who plan to invest in the nation, of governments support and enabling environment.

Dabiri-Erewa gave the assurance during a courtesy visit to Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre and Specialist Hospital in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the hospital, founded by Dr Modupe Elebute-Odunsi and her husband, Mr Bolaji Odunsi, was set up in Victoria Island, Lagos about six months ago.

Dabiri-Erewa said it was commendable that one of the best professionals in healthcare, left her comfort zone, took the risk to come back and set up a hospital in Nigeria.

She added that it was an inspiration to many Nigerians abroad who wanted to do likewise.

I think this is most commendable; to come back home to give back. It is not just giving back but giving the best to your society.

When we travel abroad, we didnt get anything better than this and the beauty of this is that it is owned by all Nigerians, she said.

Acknowledging the challenges the hospital may be experiencing in service delivery, Dabiri-Erewa pledged governments support in helping the hospital achieve its goals.

The role of government is to create an enabling environment and the good thing is that we have a diaspora policy that puts all the things we are saying to make life better for those who want to come back.

This is about the fourth that we are acknowledging; we also have a Stroke Centre in Imo state, set up by a Nigerian in diaspora.

People are coming from abroad but we dont see these things, we rather see the negatives. We are here to celebrate positivity.

Government will support every other Nigerian professional that wants to come back home, she said.

Dr Modupe Elebute-Odunsi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre and Specialist Hospital said the desire to contribute to healthcare in Nigeria was not done light-heartedly.

Elebute-Odunsi, who is also a Consultant Haemato-Oncologist, whohas about 30 years experience of working internationally, said it took a lot of planning to achieve.

She said her team did not just want to give back to the society but do it properly, by establishing a hospital that was of international standards.

What we decided to do here was a complete one-stop shop. We see the issues when patients access care, its so disjointed.

They come to see a doctor somewhere then go and see a specialist somewhere else; they do blood test in one place, scan somewhere else, theres no cohesiveness.

If they need a biopsy, chemotherapy, surgery, everything, its done here.

Apart from a PET CT Scan, there is no reason why anybody should get on a plane to go and access care for cancer outside Nigeria, she said.

Speaking further on the equipments, she said that Nigeria needed about 1,000 Linear Accelerator Machines to deliver radiotherapy for her population of cancer patients but currently have only five available.

Elebute-Odunsi commended the Chairman of NIDCOM for her support in ensuring that people in the diaspora who want to come home to contribute to the development of the nation are able to do so.

She urged banks to make financing accessible to people in the diaspora to make it possible for them to thrive.

Also, Mrs Kemi Ogunyemi, Director of Nursing at the hospital said that the aim of the hospital was to ensure that the journey of cancer care remained positive, regardless of what happens during the treatment.

Ogunyemi, who specialises in Oncology and Cancer Care said the period she worked as a Director of Outpatient Clinic in the United States of America had exposed her to quality and standard, which she pledged to maintain.

She urged NIDCOM to fast track the process so Nigerians in the diaspora, who are at the top of their fields and want to come back home to help with the development of the nation.

One of the patients, Mrs Ifeoma Dibia observed that accessing healthcare at the hospital was not different from what she receives when she goes abroad for treatment.

Dibia said the reasons she preferred receiving treatment at the hospital was because she receives the same quality without having to pay for flight tickets, accommodation and being disconnected from her family.

She urged NIDCOM to encourage more professionals to come back home to invest.

We need them here, in all fields, especially health. There is no hospital you go to in New York you dont have Nigerians. So let them come home, she said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

The North East Development Commission (NEDC) will soon begin the execution of 35 projects in Taraba in line with its mandate.

Chief David Kente, Commissioner, representing North East in the Commission made the disclosure on Sunday while speaking with newsmen in Jalingo.

He said that two projects would be executed in each of the 16 local government areas of the state.

According to him, three mega secondary schools would also be built in all the three senatorial districts in the state.

He said that contractors would soon be mobilised to sites as all modalities have been concluded towards the execution of the projects.

Kente, a former gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the APC urged residents to cooperate with the contractors towards the successful execution of the projects.

The North East Development Commission as a new agency of government established two years ago has taken its time to produce a blueprint towards delivering effectively on its mandate.

The commission, in the next three weeks will commence the execution of 35 projects in all the 16 local government areas in the state.

Two projects have being approved for each of the 16 local government areas and as well the construction of three mega secondary schools one each in all the senatorial districts in the state.

We also have provision for scholarships and other interventions in critical areas.

I am advising residents to cooperate with contractors as the work commence soon to ensure those projects are fully delivered, Kente said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Victor Adeoti

The Osun Free Train Service, on Sunday, returned about 600 passengers, who came for Eid-el-Fitr celebrations from Lagos, Ogun and Oyo back to their various destinations.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the free train ride brought back the passengers for the celebrations for the three states to Osogbo, the state capital, on May 12.

Speaking at Osogbo terminal of Nigerian Railway Corporation, Mrs Christiana Ogunfolaju, Special Adviser to Gov. Gboyega Oyetola on Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Empowerment, expressed delight at the impressive turnout of the passengers.

Ogunfolaju said that the state government would continue to prioritise the welfare of the masses in the state.

She said that the free train service was aimed at ensuring that Osun indigenes residing in Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states have the opportunity of celebrating festive periods with their loved ones in the state.

Some of the commuters, who spoke with newsmen, commended the state government for the initiative.

Mr Akinwale Oluwagbemiga,one of the commuters, commended the state government for the initiative, describing it as unprecedented.

Oluwagbemiga, who said that he had been enjoying the free train service since it was introduced, expressed delight in the fact that the present administration had been able to sustain the initiative.

Another beneficiary, Mr David Oyedele, saidthat the free train service had afforded people the opportunity to come home to celebrate Eid-el-Fitr with their loved ones.

He appealed to state government not to allow any to disrupt the initiative.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Gov. Adegboyega Oyetola-led administration had been providing free train service for citizens in the Diaspora during festive periods. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Igbaugba Ehigimetor

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday called for more synergy among the state governors in order to resolve the numerous challenges affecting the country.

Jonathan spoke in Benin after a thanksgiving service organised to mark the 59th birthday anniversary of Pastor Charles Osazuwa, General Overseer of Rock of Ages Christian Assembly International (RACAI).

According to the former President, the the state governors through their various platforms should discuss issues affecting Nigeria.

He decried the antagonism between the Southern Governors Forum and the Northern Governors Forum, following the inauguration of the former in Asaba on May 11.

He said that the collaboration of all the governors in a roundtable would go a long way in helping President Muhamadu Buhari to address some of the current national challenges.

Governors themselves should continue to meet, I dont really love a situation where the northern governors will meet then the southern governors will cry foul.

Then the southern governors will meet then the northern governors will cry foul, that will not help our country.

The governors, through the governors fora should meet, they are the people who run this country, the president is just one person in Abuja, the former president said.

He pointed out that the states, especially in a country where the local governments are very weak; its the states that people fall back to.

So if the governors of the states meet to dialogue and interrogate things that are good for this country, then we will move forward.

I dont really enjoy the antagonism between governors, they should come together and discuss.

If there are issues that are affecting one or two states, I think the governors should see how they can collectively come with a way to address those issues, Jonathan said.

He also warned leaders and privileged Nigerians not to use their positions to oppress the people. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Aisha Gambo

Kaduna Electric has urged the Kaduna State Government(KDSG) and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to resolve their impasse amicably to avert the planned strike by NLC.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the NLC had planned to mobilise workers in both public and private sectors to shut economic activities in the state on Monday, over what it described as obnoxious anti-worker policies by the state government.

The company made the appeal in a statement on Sunday in Kaduna through its Head, Corporate Communication, Mr Abdulazeez Abdullahi .

Kaduna Electric is keenly observing the ongoing negotiations between the Kaduna State Government and the NLC aimed at averting the planned shutdown of the state.

As key stakeholders, we are deeply concerned and hope that the talks will yield positive outcomes that will guarantee no one suffers unduly in the event of a strike, he said.

He said that the company as a private corporation was caught in the middle as their staff belonged to a union, affiliated to NLC hence they might be obliged to join any strike called.

He explained that the company offered critical utility service in which withdrawal of services would cause untold hardship on residents, adding that the organisation also had the responsibility to keep to both their staff and the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.

We urge both parties to, in the spirit of give and take, try to find common grounds to resolve the dispute amicably.

We are doing all we can on our part, to ensure that our esteemed customers have access to our services while a lasting solution is being sought to end the crisis. Our online payment services via our website is www.kadunaelectric.com, he said.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Schools, kindergartens and other educational institutions in Bayuquan District of Yingkou City, northeast Chinas Liaoning Province, have been temporarily closed from Sunday.

This was over the resurgence of sporadic COVID-19 cases, local authorities said.

According to the education bureau of Bayuquan District, all primary and junior high schools in the district will launch online classes, and all exams and other activities will be postponed.

As for senior high schools, the bureau said all first- and second-year students would also be taught remotely.

Those in the third year, or the 12th grade, will continue to attend classes in person together with their teachers with entry and exit controls in place.

At the same time, all private clinics in Bayuquan District are temporarily closed, the local epidemic prevention and control headquarters said on Sunday.

A confirmed COVID-19 case recently identified in Anhui Province had been treated in a clinic in Bayuquan due to a sore throat.

The doctor that treated the case was later reported as an asymptomatic case, said the headquarters.

As of noon Sunday, Liaoning Province reported seven confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in the recent resurgence, said the provincial health commission.

The majority were reported in Bayuquan District.

The second round of nucleic acid tests covering all 500,000 people in the Bayuquan District was launched on Sunday, said local authorities.(Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN News

New evidence gives a high degree of confidence that coronavirus vaccines work against the Indian variant.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who said this, did not rule out a return to local lockdowns to stem resurgences.

Hancock said on Sunday that it is appropriate to push on with the major easing of lockdown in England on Monday in spite of warnings from scientists and medics.

But he warned the highly transmissible variant could spread like wildfire among the unvaccinated groups as he urged people to come forward for jabs when eligible.

Hancock was also forced to defend the government against criticism it acted too late in imposing heightened border restrictions for travel from India.

The minister said there are now more than 1,300 cases of the so-called Indian variant in total and it is becoming the dominant strain in areas including Bolton and Blackburn in north-western England.

But offering good news to plans to ease restrictions without unleashing a fresh wave of infections and deaths, Hancock said there is new very early data from Oxford University giving confidence that existing vaccines work against the variant.

That means that we can stay on course with our strategy of using the vaccine to deal with the pandemic and opening up carefully and cautiously but we do need to be really very vigilant to the spread of the disease, he said.

We have a high degree of confidence that the vaccine will overcome.

Hancock said that the government would decide on June 14 whether all legal restrictions can be ended in the final step of the road map out of lockdown on June 21.

He did not rule out the possibility that Mondays easing may have to be reversed if the strain turns out to be very highly transmissible, but said the hope is the cautious and irreversible approach can continue.

Source: NAN News

By Olanrewaju Akojede

The Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC) has described Midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi and Forward, Kelechi Iheanacho, as gifts to Nigeria.

The duo helped their club, Leicester City to clinch the 2020/2021 English FA Cup title.

The clubs National Chairman, Samuel Ikpea, gave the commendation in a statement by NFSCs media officer, Peter Ejiofor.

Reacting to the feat by the players, Ikpea said they were good ambassadors of the country, having etched their names in gold in the competitions annals.

Leicester on Wednesday at Englands Wembley Stadium defeated Chelsea FC 1-0 on Saturday, courtesy of Youris Tielemanns goal in the 63minute.

Having to be in the team that earned Leicester City FC its first FA glory is equally a great honour for Nigerian football fans who have followed your exploits in the club.

We in the Nigeria Football Supporters Club are happy with your achievements.

We wish you more laurels in your careers.

I assure you that Nigeria and the number one football supporters club will always support you to the peak of your endeavours as footballers.

We have noted that you have joined your compatriots that have won the title in the past, including Nwankwo Kanu and others, Ikpea said.

Contributing, Dominic Ehimare, NFSCs Publicity Secretary also congratulated the duo on their FA Cup victory over Chelsea.

These Nigerian internationals are really gifts to us and we are proud of them for good representation abroad.

I encourage them to bear their professionalism and zeal whenever they adorn our jerseys to play for the Super Eagles.

Let them export their football prowess and dedication to helping us to victory in future tournaments whenever they are called to make our team, Ehimare said.

He added that he was also happy seeing the two players celebrating with the Nigerian flag at the end of the competition.

It was awesome.

Other Nigerians, who have won the English FA Cup are Daniel Amokachi, who won it with Everton in 1995 as the first Nigerian that earned glory at Wembley.

Celestine Babayaro (Chelsea 2000), Nwankwo Kanu, (Arsenal 2002, 2003 and Portsmouth, 2008) and John Utaka (Portsmouth 2008)

Mikel Obi (Chelsea 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012), Alex lwobi (Arsenal 2017) and Victor Moses (Chelsea 2018). (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Egypt said it had begun dredging works for expanding the Suez Canals southern section to allow two-way traffic in the international man-made waterway.

The countrys Suez Canal Authority (SCA) announced this in a statement by its Chairman, Osama Rabie on Saturday.

The dredging, according to the authority, is part of a project to develop the southern entrance of the Suez Canal.

Rabie said in the statement that the project is a continuation of developing the waterway that began with the opening of the new Suez Canal in 2015.

He added that dredging works would take place in several stages.

The project, Rabie said, would raise the efficiency of the canal and reduce the transit time for ships, in addition to increasing the safety of navigation in the southern section.

Last week, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi approved the SCAs plan to expand and deepen the southern stretch of the Suez Canal.

The project, to be completed in two years, is expected to widen and deepen 40 km of the waterway, including the part where a container ship Ever Given became jammed and blocked traffic for six days in March.

The SCA will also widen the 30 km southern stretch of the waterway between the city of Suez and the Bitter Lakes area by 40 meters, and deepen that section from 20 to 21 meters. (Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN News