APC will clinch two Bayelsa Senate seats in bye-election says Sylva

By Nathan Nwakamma

Chief Timipre Sylva, the Minister of State for Petroleum says the All Progressives Congress, (APC) will clinch the Dec. 5 bye-election for Bayelsa West and Central seats in the state.

Sylva, gave the assurances at the committee rally for the Bayelsa West Senatorial District candidate Ebebi in Yenagoa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),recalls that the Central and West seats became vacant following inauguration of Sen Douye Diri and Sena Lawrent Ewhrujakpo as Gov and Deputy Governor of Bayelsa respectively.

The Nov. 16 guber poll was won by APCs candidate David Lyon who was sacked by the Apex court on Feb. 13 on grounds that his Deputy Sen Degi Biobarakumo submitted forged credentials in his nomination.

The APC is fielding Chief Peremobowei Ebebi for Bayelsa West and Mr Abel Ebifemowei for Bayelsa Central bye-election.

The minister noted that the party had more acceptable candidates for the polls.

He regretted that the former Gov.Seriake Dickson of the state and PDP candidate for Bayelsa West, was maligning the image of the APC candidate, who was a former Deputy Governor, due to Ebebis political clout and pedigree.

Sylva described the recent judgement by a Federal High court sitting in Yenagoa, barring Ebebi from contesting as a miscarriage of justice.

You all know the antecedents of our candidates, Peremobowei Ebebi and Abel Ebifemowei. You also know that the PDP candidates have failed Bayelsa.

Dickson did not argue that Ebebi was a lawyer, but took him to court on the grounds of his qualification for admission into the Rivers State University of Science and Technology where he read the law.

It seems to us, the APC family in the state, that the judiciary in the state is targeted at our party and candidates.

The said judge who gave the procured judgement is sympathetic to PDP, she is partisan and so we are not surprised at the biased judgement that was delivered in favour of Dickson and his party, Sylva noted.

He said that the party was hopeful that the Appeal court would upturn the judgement against Ebebi and the APC, maintaining that the two APC candidates would emerge as senators-elect at the end of the polls.

Also APC senatorial candidate, for Bayelsa West, Ebebi has urged his support base and party faithful to disregard the court judgement which had earlier disqualified his candidacy.

He said he was hopeful that the expected judgement from the appeal court would upturn the former judgement and put him back on the ballot.

He promised that he would fast track the development of the senatorial district when he emerged winner in the forthcoming polls.

Source: NAN News

By Omuboye Sukubo

The President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Honour Sirawoo, has commended the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for the release of the FIFA COVID-19 Relief Fund to the association.

This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Port Harcourt, Rivers, through Mr Olalekan Ige, Media Adviser to the SWAN President.

The president confirmed that the NFF had released N11.4 million as part of the COVID-19 relief fund from FIFA to SWAN.

Sirawoo lauded the Amaju Pinnick-led NFF for the transparent way and manner it disbursed the funds in accordance with the FIFA guidelines.

FIFA and the NFF must be commended for this transparent process. It has been done in such a manner that is open for all to see.

FIFA must also be commended for such a gesture despite a challenging period of the Coronavirus pandemic across the world.

It is a sign of a responsive and responsible football governing body, he said.

Sirawoo assured that the funds allocated to SWAN would be utilised transparently in accordance with the stated guidelines.

Let me state clearly that we will follow all guidelines as stated by FIFA and NFF; every penny expended will be published for all to see.

Our mantra has always been responsive leadership and we will demonstrate that in all our dealings.

An enlarged NEC meeting will hold in a couple of days to determine how the funds will be utilised, he stressed.

The SWAN president also charged Nigerias representatives in CAF club competitions to make the nation proud by targeting the ultimate prizes.

He noted that Plateau United, Enyimba, Rivers United, and Kano Pillars had the resources and personnel to perform well in the competitions.

He called on respective managers of the teams to do all within their means to make the players comfortable for optimal performance. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Create more awareness on HIV/AIDS to reduce risk of COVID-19, expert urges

By Abiesmwense Moru

As Nigeria prepares to mark this years World AIDS Day, Dr Akhalia Momodu of Diamonds Medical Centre, Abuja has called for more awareness creation on HIV/AIDS to reduce the risk of contracting the COVID-19 pandemic.

People living with HIV/AIDS are at risk of contracting COVID-19 because of the state of their immune system. There is the need for more sensitisation to help people know how the two diseases relate, he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Sunday in Abuja.

Momodu said that awareness creation had become necessary because people no longer bother about HIV/AIDS.

People no longer worry about HIV/AIDS. They only worry about COVID-19 pandemic and observe its protocols. It is good to remind everyone that HIV/AIDS is still there and has no cure as yet, he said.

He explained that HIV/AIDS patients could be exposed to other diseases during the pandemic, hence the need to take more precautions.

He further explained that a person living with HIV, who was not adherent to his or her drugs, could worsen the situation.

Momodu said that COVID-19 could also pose a lot of risks to someone already living with HIV because every opportunistic infection is always going to worsen the situation which we try to prevent every now and then.

According to him, there are many people that do not want to go for checks.

I think what we should do is to reorganise, carry out more campaigns, more symposia and there should be time to carry out test for people.

With the COVID-19 protocol on social distancing, many people do not want to go to the hospitals not to talk of checking their status. I think a lot of people are just afraid of going to the hospitals to conduct test, he said.

The medic explained that because of economic challenges, most people have refused to go for test not knowing that it was free, except in some private hospitals.

I think campaigns are still needed to let people know that HIV/AIDS is still there and is killing people hence the need for caution.

Among young Nigerians, many just seek fun through sexual intercourse. We need awareness so that people may know that HIV/AIDS still exists.

There should be more campaigns, he emphasised.

On addressing HIV/AIDS issues, he said that Nigeria had done very well for sometime.

In the hospitals I have visited, there are people coming in for their drugs; even the younger ones do so. But we still need to do more.

The only way to do more is to run campaigns again through social media, radio, television, among others, for people to know HIV/AIDS is still there.

People need to volunteer and agree to go for the test as it is free and the drugs are also available.

In fact, I have seen a lot of couples that are doing very well and they are able to raise up grown up children that are healthy without being infected, he said.

Momodu expressed displeasure at some religious perceptions that discourage patients from adhering to their drugs.

In terms of religion, l have seen some cases where someone goes to a religious house and the prophet tells him or her not to take drugs anymore.

They will tell the patient you have been healed, I have prayed for you and everything is okay. The gullible person will just stop taking the drugs.

Such patients will just stay away from the drugs and before you know it, everything will get worse.

There is a situation of a woman, who was in a religious house for seven days doing fasting, no food, no drugs and nothing.

Before you know it, her situation was deteriorating with diarrhoea, ulcer, cough, among others. When I saw her, she was in a very terrible state.

We just had to counsel her, start all over again. But when the situation was getting worse because there was no one to take care of her, we had to refer her to her state.

This was because her mother requested for her and promised to care of her as she takes her drugs.

We are still handling two or three cases like that where religion is still hindering people from taking their drugs, he said.

He advised that it was important an infected person took his or her drugs with faith and believe all would be fine.

So, going to the Church or the Mosque does not mean you should stop taking your drugs . You should have faith. Taking your drugs by faith means everything will be fine.

These are some of the problems we are also facing and we have to educate them more on adherence to drugs and never to fall victims of so called prophets, he said.

On strategies adopted to minimise mother-to- child-transmission of HIV, the doctor explained that during antenatal, all necessary screenings were usually carried out, including HIV.

During the screening, when you discover the mother is infected and not on drugs, you have to start her on Antiretroviral (ARV) drug and monitor her to ensure she adhered to her drugs.

When she gives birth, we administer Noveapine for the baby as the mother continues her drugs.

We counsel them in terms of breastfeeding and use of formula meal, that there should not be any combination. You are either doing exclusive breastfeeding for six months, or you want to use formula.

This is because food combination may expose the baby more. We counsel them very well to be aware of any danger posed to the baby, if they are not careful.

We also monitor the baby from to time to time for six weeks as they come for check-up, and there is always follow up and all that.

I have a patient that gave birth at my former hospital, she has my contact and am still monitoring her and the baby as they are doing very well.

These are the possible ways of preventing mother-to-child-transmission of HIV, he said.

On whether babies could contract HIV from breastfeeding, Momodu said that babies can never contract HIV from breastfeeding as far as the mother was taking her drugs accordingly.

He further said that it was very safe and advisable for the mother to breastfeed her baby.

Apart from HIV, breastfeeding is one of the best ways of feeding babies as it prevents the baby from other exposure and other infections.

As long as the baby is being fed on niverapine and the mother is on her drugs, there is no way that baby can be infected.

We have so many women that have given birth like that and their babies are healthy he said.

On advising the public on HIV/AIDS, he said that it was necessary to let everyone know that HIV is still very real.

It is among us and living with us.

The good thing about it is that when you are tested and found positive, it is not the end of anything because once you are on your drugs, you still live the number of years you want to live.

There are many positive people that I know living healthy lives. Until they tell you, nobody knows.

I will advise people to go for test every six months. When you know your status, you can never worry about anything as the drugs are readily available.

As long as you adhere to the drugs, you can live long.

It is good you go for test as HIV is a silent killer just like other viral disease such as hepatitis B. We should be aware of those killer diseases and volunteer ourselves.

Even as a medical doctor, I do screen myself because of the exposure, to be sure am okay. So we should not shy away from it. Volunteer yourself to be tested, Momodu advised.

Source: NAN News

Mr-Patrick-Akpan-the-Coordinator-of-Network-of-People-Living-with-HIVAIDS-in-Nigeria-NEPWHAN

By Oluwafunke Ishola

The Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) has called on stakeholders to collaborate to put an end to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Nigeria before 2030 target.

Mr Patrick Akpan, the Coordinator of NEPWHAN in Lagos, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

Akpan spoke with NAN on the challenges that HIV/AIDS had taken a back stage in 2020 due to emergence of COVID-19 pandemic.

He expressed the optimism that if everyone comes together, more progress could be achieved toward ending HIV/AIDS soonest before the 2030 deadline.

It has become important for everybody to come together so that we can fight against HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, and the world at large.

At NEPWHAN, we are working to ensure that our members take their anti-retroviral drugs regularly so that they dont transmit the virus, the Network coordinator said.

He said except everyone collaborates and unite to kick AIDS out of the various communities, the current targets geared toward ending the scourge, as a public health threat by 2030, might be an illusion.

According to him, COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the global HIV/AIDS programmes in the last few months, saying that achieving the 90:90:90 HIV target by 2020 is no longer not feasible.

The 90-90-90 is a set of goals introduced by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2013.

The goal is that by the end of 2020, 90 per cent of people who are HIV infected would be diagnosed.

Ninety per cent of people who were diagnosed would be on anti-retroviral treatment, and 90 per cent of those who receive anti-retroviral would be virally suppressed.

Viral suppression is when a persons viral load or the amount of virus in an HIV-positive persons blood is reduced to an undetectable level.

Akpan said the Lagos State Government, through its HIV Consortium, ensured that people living with HIV/AIDS got three to six months medications before the lockdown.

According to him, this is to forestall the COVID-19 pandemic impact on viral load of people living with HIV/AIDS in Lagos.

We know that severe disruption in HIV treatment could result in additional AIDS-related deaths.

But, this proactive approach by the government ensured that we all have enough anti-retroviral medicines.

The state government and the Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS (NIBUCAA) also extended palliatives to us to ensure that people living with HIV/AIDS do not abandon their HIV treatment due to lack of food, he said.

Akpan said that strong collaboration would strengthen past achievements recorded in HIV/AIDS response, unify commitment and investment, which would fast track the attainment of 2030 target.

Source: NAN News

By Sumaila Ogbaje

Troops of Operation Fire Ball have eliminated five Boko Haram (BHT)/ISWAP terrorists and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition as well as bags of assorted grains in recent attacks on their hideouts in Borno.

The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Benard Onyeuko, disclosed this in statement on Sunday.

Onyeuko said that Operation Fire Ball, a subsidiary of Operation Lafiya Dole, had continued to clear terrorists from their identified enclaves in the North East.

He said the troops of Army Super Camp 11 Gamboru-Ngala, on Nov. 27, overran the terrorists hideout at Garal and Bulankesa Villages.

He said that the troops eliminated two terrorists in the encounter while others fled in disarray with fatal injuries.

Onyeuko said that troops deployed in Pulka also raided a terrorists logistics base at Ashigashiya on Friday, killing two terrorists while others escaped with debilitating gunshot wounds.

According to him, bags of assorted grains and other food items were recovered and the logistics warehouse was destroyed.

Similarly, troops of 27 Task Force Brigade also laid in wait for some suspected BHT/ISWAP criminals around Doksa general area same day.

Troops engaged the criminals with superior gun fire, forcing the terrorists to flee into the Bush in disarray.

In the aftermath of the encounter, one terrorist was neutralised while items such as one AK 47 rifle, two mobile phones, one bow and arrow and Boko Haram Terrorists pass slip were recovered.

The recovered items are in custody for profiling, he said.

The military Spokesperson said the military high command had commended the troops for their dedication and determination to flush the remnants of the terrorists from their hideouts.

He also encouraged the troops not to relent but build on the successes recorded so far.

He also assured that the high command was determined to rout the remnants of Boko Haram/ISWAP criminals from their enclaves. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Nigerian Navy

By Kemi Akintokun

The Navy Sailing Club, Ojo, Lagos, on Sunday said one of its sailors, Popti Emmanuel Dennis, died in an accident at the Clubs waterfront.

The Club, in a statement, said the unfortunate demise of Dennis, who was a former national athlete, occured on Nov. 28, when he was test running his Laser boat at the clubs waterfront.

The statement said that his boat capsised, but other sailors thought it was the usual drill of going underwater to bring his boat up, but sadly, he didnt come up again.

It said divers on ground were immediately sent in for a search and rescue operation, but they returned several hours later without him after combing underwater.

Tunde Giwa-Daramola, the Clubs Commodore, while reacting to the incident, said the deceased was committed to the sport and had contributed to the development of water sports in Nigeria by encouraging other athletes and officers.

Giwa-Daramola noted that the Club was known for its high safety standards.

Our heart goes out to his family for this irreparable loss. Popti was one of our best athletes in sailing.

He had represented Nigeria at the All Africa Games and the Navy in several regattas internationally.

He will be missed greatly by the club and young sailors that he has introduced to the sport.

As a club, we are deeply saddened by this incident. All swimming and water activities are suspended until further notice, he said.

Giwa-Daramola said that the Nigerian Navy Command had been notified of the incident and the Club had also set up a board of inquiry to determine the cause of the incident and how to avoid future occurrence.

The Commodore said the clubs flag would be flown at half mast for three days in honour of the athlete who just returned from a tour of duty. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Burial of farmers killed by insurgents in Borno State

By Yakubu Uba

Some 43 rice farmers killed on Saturday by insurgents at Koshebe village in the Jere Local Government Area of Borno were buried on Sunday amid wailing and tears by residents of the community.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the farmers were killed at about 11 a.m. as they harvested rice on their farms.

The incident is the latest in the unrelenting killing of farmers in the North-East by Boko Haram insurgents, who have been campaigning for a strict Islamic code since 2009.

The insurgency has taken hundreds of lives and displaced thousands of residents, although the Federal Governments has been fighting back to defeat the insurgents.

Speaking at the burial of the farmers, Gov. Babagana Zulumof Borno, said that residents informed him that the death toll could be as high 70 because some of the farmers were still missing.

Zulum advised that Nigeria and some of its neighbouring should forge closer cooperation to defeat the insurgency, which has wracked Nigeria for over a decade.

He pleaded with the Federal Government to recruit more indigenes of the state into the military and other security agencies to combat the insurgency.

Zulum said that his administration would recruit more hunters and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), to complement the efforts of the military and other security agencies.

We will restrategise and ensure total domination of the Zabarmari, Gonglong, Koshebe axis of the state.

We will recruit more CJTF and hunters so that our people can take the fight to all nooks and crannies of this area.

We appeal to the Nigerian Army and Air Force to strengthen their support with a view to defeating the insurgents.

We have six million people in Borno State and we need to farm if we must survive, Zulum said.

He observed that the insurgents who killed the farmers were from Wuda-Taya Game Reserve in the area.

The governor said that there was need to raid the area to save the farming community known for mass production of rice.

The out-going Chairman of rice sellers in the area, Malam Hassan Zabarmari, called for more security presence to protect farmers.

We are expecting bumper harvest but with this incident, we are afraid to go to our farm in Koshebe village which has been vacated.

The insurgents have even started burning our farms. We need help, he pleaded. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

NiMet predicts sunny weather

By Gabriel Agbeja

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted sunshine and cloudiness across the country from Monday to Wednesday.

NiMets weather outlook released on Sunday predicted sunny and dry conditions over northern region throughout forecast period.

According to it, North central region is expected to be in sunny and dry
conditions, while patches of clouds with sunshine intervals are expected over parts of Benue, Kwara and Kogi states throughout forecast period.

NiMet anticipated inland and coastal cities of South to be in cloudy skies with intervals of sunshine during the morning hours.

It forecasts few thunderstorms over parts of Cross River, Port Harcourt and Akwa Ibom state during the afternoon and evening hours.

For Tuesday, sunny and dry conditions are expected over the northern region throughout the forecast period.

Sunny and dry condition is to prevail over the North central throughout the forecast period.

The southern region is expected to have patches of clouds with sunshine intervals in the morning hours.

There are prospects of few thunderstorms over parts of Bayelsa, Rivers, and Cross River states during the afternoon and evening hours, it said.

The agency envisaged sunny and dry hazy conditions over the northern region throughout the forecast period on Wednesday.

it predicted the North central cities to be in sunny and hazy conditions throughout the forecast period.

The inland and coastal cities of the South are expected to have patches of clouds with intervals of sunshine during the morning hours.

Later in the day, few thunderstorms are expected over the coastal cities, it said.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

NYSC-D-G-Brig-Gen-Ibrahim

By Franca ofili

A group, AA Chiroma and Associates, has conferred an Award of Excellence on the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, for his forthrightness and quality leadership.

Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, Director, Press and Public Relations of the scheme, said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, that the award came just hours after Ibrahim bagged another award from the Conference of Alumni Associations of Nigerian Universities in Kaduna.

She said that other personalities honoured at the ceremony, held at the Kaduna State University, included Professor of Political Economy and Defence Studies, Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna (NDA) and Moses Tedheke, Professor of History, Osun State University, Osogbo.

Others are Prof. Ogen Olukoya, and Prof. Nachanaa Alahira-Tarfa, of the Department of Political Science and Defence Studies, NDA, Kaduna.

Adeyemi said that the Special Guest of Honour, retired Maj.-Gen. Paul Chabri Tarfa, congratulated the awardees for their outstanding contributions to humanity.

According to her, the Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Adam Ahmed, a Professor of History in NDA, commended the organisers for recognizing the awardees, who had added values to the society through their respective callings.

Adeyemi urged them to continue the good works for which they were honoured.

According to her, speakers at the event remarked glowingly on Ibrahims outstanding qualities with particular reference to his achievements as the NYSC helmsman. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

NYSC

By Franca ofili

The Management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has refuted media reports that there had been rising cases of COVID-19 in its orientation camps, saying that no corps member had tested positive in any of the 37 orientation camps of the scheme across the country.

The attention of management has been drawn to the write-up with the caption: Why the Rising Cases of Covid-19 in NYSC Camps trending on the new and traditional media,Mrs Adenike Adeyemi Director, Press and Public Relations of the scheme, said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

she explained that even before the commencement of the ongoing orientation programme, the scheme had, in collaboration with the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), tested all the prospective corps members reporting to the camps and those that tested positive to COVID-19 were handled by the NCDC.

No one, both staff and prospective corps member, that tested positive to COVID-19 was allowed into any of the orientation camps. Therefore, it is erroneous and very misleading to talk about rising cases of COVID-19 in NYSC camps, she said.

It is pertinent to state that the terminology, prospective corps member should not be confused with corps member as both cannot be used interchangeably, Adeyemi stressed, saying, a corps member is a qualified Nigerian youth who has been duly admitted into the NYSC orientation camp, registered and formally sworn-in as a bona fide member of the service corps.

According to her, the public should disregard the misleading story and clarification should always be sought from the NYSC or NCDC on issues pertaining to COVID- 19, so as to guard against the spread of false information.

She said that the scheme would never shirk its core responsibility of prioritising the welfare and security of corps members. (NAN)

Source: NAN News