COVID-19 updates by NCDC

By Abujah Racheal

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 58 new cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections in the country.

The NCDC made this known on its official twitter handle on Sunday.

According to the agency, the new infections take the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 59,345.

It disclosed that the country also saw 50 persons discharged after they have been successfully treated and recovered from the virus.

The public health agency said no death was recorded in the country in the last 24 hours, from the deadly virus, indicating thatthe 58 new cases were reported from ninestates of the federation.

The NCDC said that the new confirmed cases were from Plateau-18, Lagos-15, Katsina-10, Ogun-5, Kaduna-4, Edo-3, Ekiti-1, FCT-1, and Ondo-1.

According to the agency, the total confirmed caseload is 59,345, of which 50,768 cases have been discharged and 1,113 deaths recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The health agency said that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, have continuedto coordinate the national response activities across the country.

Meanwhile, the NCDC advised Nigerians not to let their guards down yet until virus is completely overcome.

The agency said that COVID-19 could affect anybody and it is not a death sentence.

Take responsibility to contact your state hotline when you experience symptoms of COVID-19.

The risk of getting infected with COVID-19 is higher when we dont wear face mask to public places.

Wear a face mask, Wash your hands frequently, Cough/sneeze into your elbow, Maintain physical distance, Dont share personal items.

Wear your facemask properly at all times. Adhere to all non pharmaceutical preventive measures ofCOVID-19, it advised.

The NCDC said that evidence have continued to show that wearing a face mask properly reduces the transmission of COVID-19.

It stated that people should wear their mask in combination with physical distancing and frequent hand-washing to stay safe and healthy. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

PPE

By Peter Uwumarogie

The Nigerian Diaspora COVID-19 Support Group has donated Personal Protective Equipment to the Gombe State government to support the fight against COVID-19 in the state.

The group made the donation on Monday in Gombe through the office of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.

The official representing Gombe State at the Commission, Mr Edward Sarki said the donation would help to reduce pressure on the states resources and also showed that Nigerians were united in the fight against the pandemic.

He advised that the best way Nigerians could encourage those in the diaspora was to continue to support the fight against COVID-19 by adhering to all health protocols issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

While commending Nigerians in Diaspora, Sarki said they contributed heavily to the Nigerian economy last year through funds repatriation.

Dr. Manasseh Jatau, the Gombe State deputy governor who took delivery of the donation, commended the group for supporting the fight against COVID-19.

Jatau assured that the items would be effectively distributed across the state to achieve the purpose for which they were sent.

The donation included sanitizers, facemasks and other consumables for testing for COVID-19. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Ecotourism

By Vivian Emoni

The National Parks Services, has called on the three tiers of government, agencies and relevant stakeholders to promote ecotourism.

Dr Ibrahim Goni, Conservator-General of National Parks Services made the call at a virtual meeting held on Monday in Abuja.

Goni assured that ecotourism would generate revenue for stakeholders while patrons interests would be rekindled.

I am calling on government and other relevant stakeholders to come to the aid of the National Parks Services by donating projects and programmes that will foster conservation and ecotourism in our national parks, he said.

Goni listed the challenges of the National Parks Services to include paucity of funds, insecurity, and lack of good roads inside and outside of the parks.

The parks also have the challenges of poor infrastructure and poor domestic tourism, he said, adding: I believe that the collaboration of all agencies and relevant stakeholders will enhance the development of the parks.

He noted also that the national parks played immense roles in research, education, biodiversity and in agriculture.

Goni said Nigeria currently has seven national parks covering a total land area of 22,000 kilometres.

In his remarks, Mr Mohammed Kabir of Ecotourism Department of the National Parks Services at Gashka Gumti, Taraba, noted that lack of operational equipment and low patronage hindered the efficient development of the parks making tourism business unattractive.

He said that the parks had already engaged the private sector to enhance joint operations, but needed more investments. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Court symbol

By Sandra Umeh

Mr Emeka Ozoani, on Monday lauded a court ruling which upheld joining of Exxon Mobil Corporation in a suit challenging alleged unlawful retirement of an executive of Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN).

Ozoani told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the ruling had erased doubts that the multinational company could be sued in Nigeria.

The senior advocate spoke with NAN following a

The ruling was deliveredby Justice O. A. Obaseki-Osaghae.

Obaseki-Osaghae had in an 11-page ruling on an application by Exxon Mobil counsel, Mr

The judge dismissed an application by the corporations counsel seeking to strike out its name from the suit.

It is clear from the claims and the pleadings that the case against the second defendant falls within the jurisdiction of this court, and there is no condition precedent preventing the claimant access to the court in respect of his alleged forceful termination of employment.

I hold that the second defendant is a necessary party and has been properly joined; this court is not deprived of jurisdiction to hear and determine the complaint against the second defendant, the judge had ruled on Sept. 29.

He ordered that the case should proceed to substantive hearing, and awarded a cost of N30,000 in favour of the claimant.

Exxon Mobil Corporation is an American oil giant and parent company of MPN.

In the suit, the claimant joined Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited and Exxon Mobil Corporation as the first and second defendants, respectively.

Ozoani, who is Arinzes counsel, had argued that Exxon Mobil was not a stranger to the employment of his client and that the claimant could sue it for any liability arising from any default or wrong done to him in the course of his employment.

He sumbitted that the claimant was holding the first and second defendant liable for his alleged unlawful retirement.

According to him, it is misleading for Exxon Mobil to state that the claimants reliefs was against MPN only.

He added that the second defendants presence was required for the just determination of the issues as presented in the suit.

Ozoani had also argued that MPN was a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation.

Exxon Mobils counsel, Ajogwu had sought an order of the court order to strike out the corporations name from the suit.

He had argued that the reliefs sought by the claimant against Exxon Mobil could not be granted since the company was neither incorporated in Nigeria nor carried out its business in the country.

The case was adjourned until Nov. 9 for hearing. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

A Teacher

By Friday Idachaba

Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Prince Matthew Kolawole, has appealed to Governments at all levels to consider upscaling teachers remunerations to enhance efficiency, professionalism and dedication.

Kolawole made the call in a statement issued in commemoration of the 2020 World Teachers Day and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Femi Olugbemi, on Monday in Lokoja.

He described teachers as unsung heroes whose impact went beyond classrooms deserving adequate recompense in welfare and recognition.

He said that the 7th Assembly under his watch would continue to partner with relevant stakeholders to enact laws that would promote the welfare of teachers in the state.

The speaker urged teachers in Kogi and the country not to be tired in the cause of discharging their duties, saying that the profession remained the mother of all other professions.

According to him, the profession requires patience, dedication and sacrifice and should be appreciated and encouraged, adding that without teachers, there will be no doctors, lawyers or engineers.

He described those in the teaching profession as nation builders who should be celebrated and appreciated at all times and joined other well meaning personalities across the globe to celebrate them.

Kolawole described the theme of the 2020 World Teachers Day which is Teachers: Leading in Crisis, Reimagining as apt and urged that young teachers should be encouraged to advance the cause of the profession.

He also enjoined them to see the job of educating, nurturing and moulding lives as one of the most honourable and distinguished things to do.

Every successful person has gone through the tutelage of one teacher or another, either formally or informally, hence taking one day every year to say thank you to teachers is encouraging and necessary.

The saying, If you can write your name, thank your teacher if not then find a teacher, comes handy here.

I want to specially thank all our teachers for preparing and training us to become responsible citizens and I pray God to make our children too successful in all their undertakings,he prayed. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Abdulrasheed Maina protesting allegation of fraud against him

By Taiye Agbaje

The absence of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, and Abdulrasheed Maina, ex-Chairman, Pension Reformed Task Team (PRTT),on Monday, stalled the continuation of the ongoing money laundering trial.

Although Justice Abang and Maina were not in court for the days proceeding, Sen. Ali Ndume, who is standing as surety for the ex-pension reformed boss, was in court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) hadarraigned Maina (1st defendant) before Justice Abang, on Oct. 25, 2019, alongside his son, Faisal; and firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd.

Although Maina is facing 12-counts bordering on money laundering, he had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

It would be recalled that the former pension reformed chair was recently released from Kuje Prison nine months after he was able to produce the senator who deposed to an affidavit to always bring the 1st defendant to court at every adjourned date or forfeit the N500 million bail bond.

NAN also reports that Ndume, who represents Borno South in the National Assembly, had told the court, on Oct. 2, that he did not know the whereabouts of Maina after the 1st defendant was absent from court for the third time.

The judge, in the last sitting, had ordered Ndume to produce Maina unfailing at todays (Mondays) proceeding or he would be forced to grant the EFCCs prayers to revoke Mainas bail and issue a warrant of arrest against him.

Besides, the anti-graft agency had also prayed the court to make an order for the lawmaker to forfeit the N500 million bail bond to the Federal Government and be remanded in prison pending the time he was able to meet the pledge.

At the resumed trial on Monday, counsel to the parties and Sen. Ndume were all in court at about 9 a.m. but Justice Abang and Maina were not in court.

Mainas case was number two on the course list.

The court registrar, after litigants in cases scheduled for the day had waited for over an hour, announced that the days sitting would not be holding.

The court is indisposed and all criminal cases slated for today will be adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday, including the case between the Federal Government and Abdulrasheed Maina, the registrar said.

All efforts to interview Sen. Ndume were unsuccessful as the lawmaker said he would not speak since the court did not sit. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

A Teacher

By Fabian Ekeruche

As the global community marks World Teachers Day, an NGO, Human Development Initiatives (HDI), on Monday in Lagos urged the Lagos State Government to invest more in education to make the teaching profession more attractive.

The organisation also appealed to the government to give priority to teachers training and welfare.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oct. 5 every year is set aside as World Teachers Day.

According to UNESCO, the 2020 Teachers Day will be celebrated virtually with the theme, Teachers: Leading in Crisis, Reimagining the Future.

HDI said that the education sector had been in crises long before now, and that the COVID-19 pandemic only further exposed the frailty of public education and the vulnerability of teachers in Nigeria.

The NGO said that prior to this years celebration, it organised a stakeholders meeting in Lagos on the challenges facing the education sector in a COVID-19 pandemic era, and made some recommendations for the attention of the LASG.

HDI said that stakeholders at the event called on the LASG to increase education budget to address many infrastructure challenges, especially WASH and ICT gaps.

Prioritise improving teachers training, increase in teachers salaries and their general welfare in the state.

Without a new generation of motivated teachers, millions of children in Lagos State will miss out of quality education and will continue to miss out unless adequate measures are taken urgently to restore dignity and professionalism into teaching service.

Teachers play pivotal roles in ensuring the delivery of the global Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring quality education for all by 2030, HDI said in a statement by its Project Coordinator, Mr Samuel Ajayi.

This goal cannot be achieved in the face of rising attrition rate of professional teachers, domination of the profession by non-professionals; weak institutional system to promote cooperative teaching.

And quality learning output as a critical barrier to achieving inclusive education which is a global trend in education and a key component of the future of education for developing countries, it said.

The NGO said that the teaching profession remained in crisis in the face of poor teachers remuneration and welfare, making the profession unattractive; and generally, poor teaching and learning environments.

HDI said that stakeholders at the forum also made the following recommendations to the LASG:

Enforce compliance to the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) Act in recruitment of teachers in both public and private schools as part of efforts to standardise the teaching profession.

Teachers Education curriculum in higher institutions be overhauled and rejigged to follow global best practice.

Cooperative teaching manual should be developed and introduced into the curriculum as well as into teaching practice.

Special incentives for special need teachers should be introduced to attract skilled professionals and drive the process of achieving full inclusive education system in the state.

These special incentives should include but not limited to prioritising teachers with certified training in special education in teachers recruitment, higher remuneration, housing and transportation service in addition to other social welfare supports.

Training and retraining of special need teachers should be prioritised and teaching aids should be made available in all existing inclusive schools.

The organisation also urged the LASG, through the Ministry of Education, to develop performance indicators for every teachers training programme and ensure evaluation of teachers performance after such training in order to encourage quality teaching and learning outcomes.

HDI called the LASG to ensure regular supply of WASH facilities in schools; fortify its monitoring system to enforce COVID-19 protocols compliance in all schools in the state, including all private schools.

Conduct integrity test of school structures; and build/equip healing bays in schools with qualified health officers manning the unit.

The LASG should ensure strict application of education policy in the drafting of education budget.

It also urged the LASG to widen stakeholders participation, including State Union of Teachers, association of persons with disabilities and recognised network of Civil Society Organizations in the education sector in developing education budget and tracking its implementation.

It noted the need for Public Private Partnership in funding teachers welfare and government should always give teachers high quota in their housing programs.

The organisation appealed to the government to prioritise the fencing of all public schools to provide safe and conducive environment for teaching and learning, while providing incentives to teachers in rural areas to ensure their retention in the rural communities.

NAN reports that the stakeholders forum was organised by HDI in collaboration with Actionaid Nigeria, with the support of NORAD. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Nigerian Army has commended the Kogi Government for the construction of access road from Kpokpolobi to Uttu forest to aid troops operation against suspected criminals in the area

A statement by Col. Sagir Musa, the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, on Monday in Abuja noted that the state government heeded the advice of Nigerian army on the need to create access to the forest.

Musa said opening of the road would minimise or eradicate incessant banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery incidences committed by fleeing terrorists and bandits in the area.

He added that creating access into such remote and isolated areas with attendant infrastructural development would further bring governance and development closer to the people as well as enhance security in the area.

According to him, opening up access into such remote and isolated areas will no doubt enhance the general security in the areas and also bring succour to law abiding citizens living in the localities.

The Nigerian Army wishes to use this opportunity to call on other states to emulate the good examples as demonstrated by the Governments of Nasarawa and Kogi in these strategic efforts.

It would be recalled that on Sept. 28, the Nasarawa State Government, on the advice of the Nigerian Army began the opening up of access through Kenyehu Uttu forest and contiguous hills in Toto Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

The Nigerian Army uses this opportunity to reassure the general public that it remains resolute and focused in the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminalities in Nigeria, he said.

Musa recalled that troops had recently conducted clearance operations in the Uttu-Kpokpolobi forest and contiguous hills in Toto LGA of Nasarawa, where identified terrorists hideouts were destroyed.

According to him, no fewer than 778 family members of suspected terrorists and bandits consisting mostly women and children were rescued by troops during the operation.

He added that several suspected terrorists were neutralised and large cache of arms and ammunition captured from the criminals. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Minister of Finance

By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

A financial expert, Dr Glenn Prince-Abbi, on Monday urged the Federal Government to map out strategies for proper monitoring and evaluation of national budget to ensure enhanced performance.

Prince-Abbi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Espera Global Corporation, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, while reacting to 2021 budget proposal.

He said that government should put in place tough monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure budget performance.

He noted that previous budget performance assessments had not been impressive.

Prince-Abbi added that government needed to apply more drastic measures to prevent a repeat of past experiences in the 2021 fiscal year.

He said that revenue generating agencies must be compelled to perform optimally on their revenue target deliverables.

Over the years, taking for instance 2015 to 2020, performances on both oil revenue and non-oil revenue projections have shown disturbing disparities.

I think we need to put in place measures, strategic and operational frameworks which can help to bridge the gap and stem the persisting dissonance between budget making and budget performance.

The Federal Government needs to apply more drastic measures to prevent this in the 2021 fiscal year.

Also, revenue generating agencies must be compelled to perform optimally on their revenue deliverables. These are no times for business-as- usual, Prince-Abbi said.

He also called on government to contain recurrent expenditure and increase budgetary allocation to capital expenditure to accelerate economic growth.

Recurrent expenditure must be put on progressive containment in order to release the much needed revenues to address capital expenditure in priority areas.

This will strengthen macroeconomic resilience while building and accelerating economic growth.

One of the fundamental draw-backs in Nigerian government budget making is in the area of capital expenditure share of the budget.

In the first budget, namely the 2016 budget prepared by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, bold actions were taken to strengthen the percentage of capital expenditure (CAPEX).

CAPEX represented 30 per cent of the total budget. The President promised to continue to raise the percentage allocation for capital expenditure in future years.

The government kept this promise, though very modestly. For instance, capital expenditure plan for 2017 was 30.7 per cent and 2018 was 30.8 per cent.

However, in the 2019 budget, capital expenditure plan fell back to 30 per cent and in 2020 it fell further to 24 per cent, and now in the proposed 2021 budget, it is 29 per cent.

While being an improvement on the CAPEX spend of 2020, it is still a poor showing as far as the need for better quality aggregate spending is concerned, Prince-Abbi said.

He said that government should take deliberate measures and unrelenting steps in improving capital expenditure ratios and desist from pandering to the political expediencies of rising recurrent expenditure.

With a strategy to move much-needed revenues to the capital expenditure side, government should come down heavily on all existing and potential areas which sadly drive unwholesome acceleration in recurrent expenditure, he added.

NAN reports that the Federal Executive Council recently approved N13.08 trillion budget proposal for 2021 fiscal year.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, said the budget estimate was made up of N2.083 trillion capital expenditure, which she described as 29 per cent of the total budget.

According to her, the budget proposal is predicated on N379/$ exchange rate, oil benchmark of per barrel, oil production volume of 1.86 million barrels per day, including 400,000 condensate, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of three per cent and 11.95 per cent inflation rate. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Car Sales

A report released on Monday shows that new car registration in Britain declined by 4.4 per cent in September year-on-year, marking the weakest since the dual number plate system began in 1999.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) in the report said in September, 328,041 new cars were registered, 15.8 per cent lower than the 10-year average of around 390,000 units for the month.

It stressed that September is traditionally one of the two best months in the year for car sales, adding that licence plates are changed in the month.

The trade association for the British motor industry said some brands saw substantial growth in the month.

The association said that total registrations fell short from previous years and follow an erratic period of market performance since emerging from lockdown.

According to SMMT, battery electric and plug-in hybrid car uptake grew substantially to account for more than one in 10 registrations as demand for battery electric vehicles increased by 184.3 per cent compared with September 2019.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT said despite the boost of a new registration plate, new model introductions and attractive offers, this is still the poorest September since the two-plate system was introduced in 1999.

Although the relaxation of lockdown restrictions from June fueled the recovery of the industry, the market still faces continued pressure with myriad challenges over the next quarter.

Brexit uncertainty and the threat of tariffs still concerns the industry, while the shift towards zero emission-capable vehicles is demanding huge investment from the sector.

Stalling fleet renewal across all technologies is hampering efforts to meet climate change and air quality targets now.

According Hawes, to bring economy and life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia and the United States, are racing against time to develop coronavirus vaccines.

Unless the pandemic is controlled and economy-wide consumer and business confidence rebuilt, the short-term future looks very challenging indeed. (Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN News