Former Argentine football player Diego Maradona tested negative for COVID-19 on Monday, his lawyer said on Monday.

Diego Maradona has been admitted to hospital in Argentina although his condition was not thought to be serious, local media reported on Monday.

The 60-year-old Maradona was reportedly taken to the Ipensa clinic in La Plata, about an hour from Buenos Aires.

Maradona, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986 and is widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time, coaches the local club Gimnasia y Esgrima.

He was admitted to hospital to undergo tests as he had been feeling poorly for some time and would be held under observation for several days.

The Ole.com.ar sports web site, one of Argentinas biggest, said it was not an emergency and was not related to COVID-19 as he had tested negative in recent days.

Maradona last appeared in public on his 60th birthday last Friday before his sides league match against Patronato.

He was gifted a plaque and a cake to celebrate the occasion but he did not stay to watch the game and witnesses said he looked unwell and weak.

The former Napoli, FC Barcelona and Boca Juniors player has suffered frequent periods in hospital over the years, often due to the extravagant lifestyle which accompanied and followed his playing career.

The former Napoli striker was also admitted to hospital in January 2019 with internal bleeding in the stomach.

He also fell ill at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he was filmed passing out in an executive box during the Argentina versus Nigeria game.

Maradona was taken into hospital in 2004 with severe heart and respiratory problems linked to cocaine use.

He later underwent drug rehabilitation in Cuba and Argentina before a stomach-stapling operation in 2005 helped him lose weight.

In 2007 he checked himself into a clinic in Buenos Aires to help him overcome alcohol abuse problems.

Source: NAN News

Northern governors back social media regulation, Police reform

By Hussaina Yakubu

The Northern Governors Forum on Monday expressed support for the ongoing efforts to regulate the social media in order to check the spread of fake news in the country.

The Forum expressed its support in a communique issued by its Chairman and Governor of Plateau, Mr Simon Lalong, after its meeting in Kaduna with traditional rulers and other key stakeholders in the region.

The meeting, which took note of the devastating effect of the uncontrolled social media in spreading fake news, called for major control mechanisms and
censorship of social media practice in Nigeria.

It also expressed support for the reform of the police to strengthen their capacity.

Forum appreciates the major reforms going on in the Police Force and pledges to support Mr. President on this course.

The meeting resolves to support the Nigerian Police Force to serve the country better and calls for the strengthening of trust between the people and the Police, it said.

The Forum set up two committees to push for statutory roles for traditional rulers and engagement with youths and civil society organisations.

The Committee on Roles of Traditional Rulers is headed by the Emir of Lafia, Sidi Bage, with two representatives from the National Assembly and a minister as members.

The Committee on Youth and Civil Society Organisations has the Emir of Zazzau, Ahmad Bamalli, as Chairman

The forum has representative of elders, youths, women and persons with disability as members from each of the three zones.

Others are representatives of Muslim and Christian clerics, business community and police.

These engagement committees are to commence work immediately, it said.

It appreciated the roles traditional rulers played in containing the #End SARS protests in the region, and collectively agreed that traditional rulers be given formal roles in the govemance architecture of the country.

The meeting rejected and condemned the subversive acions of some #End SARS protesters and endorsed the indivisibility, indissolubility and oneness of the nation.

It commended the National Assembly and the Presidency for being proactive in addressing the issues of protests across the country.

The governors also called for an amicable resolution of the ASUU strike to enable students resume their studies.

The forum agreed to hold the meeting regularly and expand it to involve other critical stakeholders such as religious leaders, business community and youths leaders.

It appreciated the roles of religious groups, JNI and CAN, for their positive interventions in resolving the #EndSARS conflicts.

The forum called for collective efforts in addressing the lingering challenges of the region, such as Almajiri system, insecurity, illiteracy and poverty.

The forum also appreciated the youths in curtailing the spread of hooliganism, thuggery and other separatist
tendencies during the #EndSARS protest.

The meeting expressed concern over the low level involvement of relevant stakeholders in the implementation programmes of government and called on the relevant agencies to review implementation strategies to make for maximum impact and benefits, it said.

The meeting was attended by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawal, and
Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, among other dignitaries.

Source: NAN News

Tanzania Police arrest opposition party leaders

The police in Tanzanian, on Monday arrested several opposition politicians for allegedly planning illegal demonstrations after accusing the ruling party of rigging the general election.

Special police zone commander, Lazaro Mambosasa, told journalists in the commercial capital, that among those arrested are Chadema party national chairman Freeman Mbowe and several other leading Chadema members.

We were tipped [off] that they were organizing illegal demonstrations and persuading youths to go into the streets today.

We did not issue a permit for anyone to hold demonstrations, so these are illegal demonstrations.

Chadema meanwhile said 20 senior party officials have been detained.

The arrests come after Tanzanias two main opposition parties on Saturday called for mass demonstrations after results from the October 28 parliamentary and presidential polls was announced.

On Friday, the incumbent President John Magufuli, known as the bulldozer was given an overwhelming victory.

The U.S. embassy in Tanzania said there had been credible allegations of fraud and intimidation. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN News

COVID-19 updates by NCDC

By Abujah Racheal

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 111 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total infections now 62,964.

The NCDC made this known via its verified Website on Sunday.

The centrealso reported two deaths, bringing the total to 1,146 recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The agency said Lagos reported 49 new infections, 30 in the FCT, 11 in Rivers and 10 in Plateau.

Others are Ogun-four, Kaduna and Oyo-three each Osun-one.

The agency said out of the 62,964 confirmed cases, 58,790 have been discharged.

The agency also said that sincethe beginning of the pandemic in February, more than 627,600 samples had been tested by the centre.

The NCDC said that it has activated a multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), at Level III to coordinate the national response activities.

It is crucial to limit the risk of COVID-19 infection across all ages.Take responsibility to protect children as school resumes.

Encourage your childrento wear a mask. Wash their hands frequently Cough/ sneeze into you elbow and report when feeling sick, it advised.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Rev Yakubu Pam

By Jessica Onyegbula

The Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rev. Yakubu Pam, has charged Nigerians to be true nationalists and begin to think deeply about the nation.

Pam, who said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, stressed that there was urgent need to rebuild the country positively with the entire platform that was available.

The clergyman said that nationalism was learnt from the grassroots and its application extended to everything that the citizen could do in any situation to advance the cause and interest of the country.

Starting from our little community we can start to address critical issues.

Lack of grassroots leaders has brought up very big national disasters because when issues are not addressed at the grassroots level they become greater national disasters.

All leaders should use their platforms positively so as not to allow opportunities for crisis at any level.

In reference to the recent protests by the youth of the country, Pam said that every grievance should be expressed in very modest ways that would not destroy the unity and peace of the nation.

The youth are the leaders of this country, the present leaders are already on their way out and the youth will take over.

Taking over means they must build very good characters to enable hem to take over.

I think the youth have a lot of hope. Once you have hope, you should be able to be patient and resolve within yourself to be a solution rather than a problem.

Hope brings good plan for the future. I think what they (the youth) need now, instead of protest and anger, is planning.

They need to synergise, come together and plan for tomorrow. I think that is all.

Anger is a spirit that can lead only to destruction. If they apply anger in all that they do, I think they will destroy this country in a short time, he said.

Pam, however, urged the government to go back to the drawing board noting that a lot of reforms was needed in the government as well as a new approach to chat a better course.

We cannot just have one approach that we apply whenever there is a problem. This is time for us to develop a new approach to tackling insecurity in the country.

We need to start by assessing the security situation and finding the best way to tackle it, he said.

Source: NAN News

Court symbol

By Ige Adekunle

An Ota Chief Magistrates court in Ogun on Monday sentenced 22-year-old Ihetuge Ifeanyi to four years imprisonment for stealing cell phones valued at N950,000.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr O. L. Oke, sentenced the convict to four years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the charges against him.

Oke, however, gave the convict a N150,000 fine option.

Ifeanyi, whose address was not provided, was arraigned over a three-count charge of stealing, burglary and conspiracy.

According to the Prosecutor, Insp. E. O. Adaraloye, the accused, along with others now at large, committed the offences at about 3.30 a.m at No. 6, Femi Oni Street, Arinko road, Otta, in Ogun.

Adaraloye said that the convict, along with others, conspired among themselves to break into the house of the complainant, Olayinka Odunniyi, to steal an iPhone and two other phones valued at N950,000.

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened sections 390(9) 413(1) and 509 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun, 2006.

Source: NAN News

Ugandas electoral body on Monday started the screening of presidential candidates for the 2021 general elections.

Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, chairperson of the Electoral Commission, said 10 aspiring candidates had been verified and cleared.

The two-day exercise was held at Kyambogo University Cricket grounds, about nine km east of the capital Kampala.

Byabakama said five candidates, including incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, former Security Minister Henry Tumukunde, former army commander Mugisha Muntu, John Katumba and Nancy Linda Kalembe, had been screened.

Five other candidates will be screened on Tuesday.

I declare Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni, a duly nominated presidential candidate for the 2021 general election, said the Electoral Commission chair.

The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party in July declared Museveni, who has been in power for over 30 years as the partys presidential candidate and national chairman for the next five years.

According to a previous law in the east African country, people over the age of 75 are not allowed to run for the presidency.

Legislators in 2017 voted to remove the age limit of 75, paving way for Museveni, who is now 76 to run for the presidency in the 2021 polls.

Byabakama also said any presidential candidate who tests positive for COVID-19 would be screened in absentia.

The Electoral Commission is expected to announce the official dates for presidential campaigns and the next years polls.

Upon successful screening, the candidates will be free to campaign, said Byabakama. (Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Chinyere Nwachukwu/Tunde Ogunrinde

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says results of 215,149 candidates are being withheld over alleged various forms of examination malpractices.

The councils Head of National Office (HNO), Mr Patrick Areghan, made this known at a news conference on Monday in Lagos.

Areghan also said that results of candidates from the Chibok Local Government Area of Borno were among the 1, 538,445 candidates that sat for the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.

Areghan described the experience of conducting the examination in Chibok for the first time since the abduction of over 200 girls in the area by Boko Haram insurgents six years ago as interesting and gratifying.

According to him, a total of 1,549,740 candidates, registered for the examination from 19,129recognised secondary schools in the country.

Giving breakdown of the candidates performances, the WAEC chief said that results of 215,149 were being withheld in connection with various cases of alleged examination malpractices.

He said the cases were being investigated, adding that reports of the investigations would be presented to the appropriate committee of the council for determination in due course.

The committees decisions will be communicated to the affected candidates through their schools, Areghan, said.

He said that a total of 1, 456, 727 candidates had their results fully processed and released, while 81,718 others have a few of their subjects still being processed due to errors traceable to them.

The WAEC chief said that efforts were on to speedily complete the processing to enable the affected candidates to get their results fully processed and released subsequently.

Areghan added that of the figure that sat for the examination, 1, 338, 348 candidates, representing 86.99 per cent, obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects, that is, with or without English Language and, or Mathematics.

Also, of the figure that write the examination, 1, 003, 668, representing 65. 24 per cent obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, he said.

According to him, a total of 4, 280 candidates, with varying degrees of special needs, were registered for the examination, out of which 230 are visually challenged, 745 with impaired hearing and 2,852 with low vision.

He added that 38 others were spastic cum mentally challenged with 58 others that are physically challenged.

All these candidates with special needs were adequately provided for in the administration of the examination.

They results of these candidates have been processed and released along with those of other candidates, he said.

Areghan said that there was an improvement in the result of the candidates, in spite of the challenges that characterised the writing of the examination.

Attributing the achievements toimproved facilities and e-learning, he said that candidates who had fulfilled their financial obligation to the council could access their performance on the website.

Areghan said that the examination was also administered to candidates from some schools in Benin Republic, Cte dIvoire and EquatorialGuinea, where the countrys curriculum for Senior Secondary Schools werebeing used.

Source: NAN News

CJN Justice Tanko Muhammad

By Wandoo Sombo

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Muhammad has implored newly appointed judges of High Courts and Kadis of Sharia Courts, to shun all forms of gratification in the discharge of their legal duties.

The CJN, who gave the charge on Monday in Abuja, also admonished the judges to be proactive and device personal means to curb what he described as persistent delay in the administration of justice.

Justice Muhammad made the call while declaring open, the 2020 Virtual Induction Course for newly appointed judges and Kadis organised by the National Judicial Institute (NJI).

He noted that delay in the administration of justice is the major bane of the nations judiciary.

My lords, ladies and gentlemen, it is no longer news that much of the criticisms leveled against the justice delivery system in Nigeria are about delays in the administration of justice, biased and wrong application of laws.

These acts are often not to the delight of litigants and court users as they often frown at the way services are rendered.

As such, a better understanding of the current trends in justice administration will help you appraise and curb the waste of judicial time and resources; thereby ensuring justice delivery is efficient and proactive.

Accordingly, while discharging your duties it is important to note that all forms of gratification must not be associated with you.

You must not be found wanting. Transparency, honesty and accountability must remain your watch words; I urge you therefore, to eschew corruption in the discharge your duties, the CJN said.

He also encouraged the new judges to be abreast with relevant laws, maintain judicial authority in the courtroom, develop a simple style of judgment writing and optimize time and resources.

The CJN further advised them to endeavor to obtain a good understanding of their operating environment, so as to avoid possible pitfalls and challenges when deciding on matters brought before them.

On her part, the Administrator of the NJI, Justice Rosaline Bozimo (rtd), said that the course themed: Inculcating Judicial Excellence in the Newly Appointed Judicial Officers was aimed at adequately equipping the new judges for the challenges on the higher bench.

Bozimo reminded the new judges that their appointment was a privileged one and advised them do everything to live above board.

Let me use this medium to caution you to refrain and spurn all forms of corrupt practices, bearing in mind the provisions of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers and the Oath of Office which you have sworn to.

It is my firm belief that you will continue to adhere to this admonition; in the same vein, this course will aid you in the proper application of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers in the discharge of your duties.

She assured the judges that the Institute would be more than willing to conduct workshops that would aid them in the discharge of their duties.

Source: NAN News

President Muhammadu Buhari

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with front line energy expert, Da Yohanna Dalyop, who turns 70 on Nov. 3, 2020.

The president, in a statement by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Monday, commended Dalyops efforts in research, construction and distribution of alternative energy sources to households and institutions in Nigeria.

While joining family members, friends and professional colleagues in celebrating the milestone with the engineer, Buhari noted with delight that Dalyop dedicated most of his life finding solution to the challenge of energy in the country.

He also lauded Dalyop, the Chief Executive Officer of Wedotebary Nig. Ltd, for inventing the Kyaratt laser-based solar garden power generation technology and working diligently to fill the gap in many homes by deploying his knowledge, experience and resources.

The president affirmed that his efforts in complementing the government to provide power would always be appreciated, urging more focus on cheap and accessible alternatives, especially in rural communities.

He also appreciated Dalyops loyalty and commitment to the government, and prayed for longer life and good health for the inventor and energy entrepreneur.

Source: NAN News