COVID-19

By Sunday Bassey

Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom on Monday said that a student writing the ongoing West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) examination in the state had tested positive for COVID-19.

Emmanuel who made the disclosure in a media chat in Uyo, did not mentioned the name of the student and the school involved.

The governor said the student had asymptomatic situation, adding that he took normal precautions to avoid spread.

He however said the state government had begun random testing of students for the virus in secondary schools across the state.

We have tested over 100 students and it is only one young man that tested positive for COVID-19 in the state, the governor said.

We did what we ought to do medically; I want to believe that by now, the young man should be okay, he said.

The governor said that he had put in place, modalities to ensure that the student did not miss out anything from the class.

He added that a government team was moving round schools to make sure that the students were safe and writing the examination while adhering to COVID-19 protocols.

All of them are in excellent health condition because we have put everything in place to ensure that the students are quite safe, he said.

The governor said that he had directed all his Special Assistants to go to schools across the state and monitor the level of compliance to COVID-19 safety measures.

I have directed all my Special Assistants to go to all the schools and monitor the level of compliance to the COVID-19 safety protocols and give us first hand reports incase of any emergency.

Students observed all COVID-19 protocols before starting their examination. We want to make sure our students are safe even while writing examination, governor said.

Emmanuel said that he had provided over 100,000 face masks, sanitisers and all the COVID-19 support to the schools writing the examination across the state.

Based on the report I have, I think the students are doing well; it is left for them to reciprocate by giving us excellent WAEC results, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Yemi Kale NBS Boss

By Jessica Dogo

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), on Monday released Nigerias Gross Domestic Product (GDP), report for in the second quarter of 2020 (Q2 2020), showing 17.83 per cent contribution by the Information, Communication and Technology sector.

A statement signed by Dr Femi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant, Information Technology, said the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, expressed delight to hear of the growth of Information Communications Technologys (ICT) contribution to Nigerias GDP.

According to the NBS, Nigerias GDP decreased by minus six to10 per cent, year-on-year, in real terms in the second quarter of 2020.

The decrease was largely attributable to significantly lower levels of both domestic and international economic activity during the quarter, which resulted from nationwide shutdown efforts aimed at containing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The non-oil sector contributed 91.07 per cent to the nations GDP in Q2 2020 as opposed to the 8.93 per cent contributed to total real GDP by the oil sector.

It is worthy to note that the ICT sector contributed 17.83 per cent to the total real GDP in Q2 2020, 20.54 per cent higher than its contribution a year earlier and in the preceding quarter, in which it accounted for 14.07 per cent. This contribution is unprecedented.

In the statement, the Minister noted that the growing contribution of the ICT sector to the GDP was a direct result of the focused and committed effort of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said that the strategic policy directions of the Federal Government included the inclusion of Digital Economy in the mandate of the Ministry, the unveiling and implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy and the National Broadband Plan, among others.

As at July 2020, the broadband penetration in the country was 42.02 per cent, translating to a percentage increase of almost double digits in less than one year. This is another remarkable achievement.

The unprecedented contribution of ICT to Nigerias GDP can also be attributed to dynamic and results-oriented leadership which has been acknowledged and appreciated by a wide spectrum of the stakeholders in the sector.

The support of President Buhari has contributed immensely to the impressive developments in the sector.

Mr President is excited about the growth of the sector and commended the Minister when he heard of these achievements.

The GDP Report has shown how critical the ICT sector is to the growth of our countrys digital economy and, by extension, the general economy, the statement said.

It said that the Minister called on all sectors to take advantage of the governments new focus on the digital economy to enable and improve their processes through the use of ICTs, which would enhance the output of all the sectors of the economy and boost Nigerias GDP. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Prof. Folasade Ogunshola,

By Chinyere Nwachukwu

The Senate of the University of Lagos (Unilag) has elected Prof. Folasade Ogunshola, the Acting Vice Chancellor, pending the recommendations of a visitation panel to the university engulfed in crisis.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ogunshola polled a total of 135 votes to defeat Prof. Ben Oghojafor, who had 31 votes.

Prof. Chioma Agomo, Chairman of the Emergency Senate Committee, declared Ogunshola the winner of the election.

She described the election as transparent.

Agomo, a former Dean, Faculty of Law, said that due process was observed in the election.

The Unilag Senate followed due process all through the election, and Prof. Ogunshola emerged the winner.

We will soon forward our recommendations to council, Agomo said.

NAN reports that Ogunshola is Unilags Deputy Vice Chancellor, Development Services, while Oghojafor is Unilags Deputy Vice Chancellor, Management Services.

A total of 167 members of the Senate participated in the election.

One vote was void.

NAN reports that the crisis in Unilag following the removal of its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, deepened on Friday with the Federal Government directing him and the Chairman of the universitys Governing Council, Dr Wale Babalakin (SAN), to step aside.

The government said they should step aside pending the recommendations of a special visitation panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari on the crisis.

The government also directed the senate of the university to nominate an acting vice-chancellor from among its members for confirmation by the governing council. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Farmers

By Leonard Okachie

Mr Chijioke Chukwu, member representing Bende North in Abia House of Assembly says he will empower 400 rice farmers in his constituency in the next two years.

Chukwu made this known he donated equipment and cash grants to 60 farmers in his constituency in Ugwueke community in Bende Local Government Area on Sunday.

He said that the 60 farmers were part of the 400 rice farmers his foundationhoped to empower in his Bende North Agricultural Revolution Initiative.

The Deputy Minority Leader, who is in his first tenure in thehouse said that one of his cardinal objectives was to focus on agriculture.

He said that Bende had a comparative advantage over other local government areas in the state in terms of rice production.

The lawmaker, who promised to assist farmers in his constituents to maximise their potential, said about 95 per cent of our land is arable land.

The most viable sector of the Nigerian economy is agriculture. Farmers are in for a very good time, but they are constrained financially.

Chukwu, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday, said he used the occasion of his birthday to give back to his constituents.

He appealed to those who could not get anything to exercise patient till December when he would do empowerment.

Mrs Selana Elyon, a beneficiary, who went home with a sewing machine expressed gratitude to the lawmaker for his kind gesture.

Elyon, a fashion designer, promised to use the machine optimally.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the items distributed to the farmers included grinding machines, motorcycles, sprayers, sewing machines andgenerating sets. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

IGP

By Douglas Okoro

The Police Command in Ebonyi will on Monday begin the screening of candidates who applied for the position of police constable in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Mrs Loveth Odah, who disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abakaliki.

She said the exercise would end on Sept. 5.

According to her, the exercise is open to all candidates who successfully completed their online recruitment registration forms and were shortlisted for the screening.

Ebonyi Police Command wishes to inform the residents of the state that all candidates who successfully completed the online recruitment registration exercise are to proceed for physical and credential screening.

The exercise is scheduled to hold between Aug. 24 and Sept. 5 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium Abakaliki, Ebonyi.

Applicants are advised to come along with all the necessary credentials (original and duplicate copies), including National Identity Number (NIN).

They are also to bring along certificate of origin, birth certificate/age declaration, their printout of application submission confirmation page and duly signed guarantors form with two passport photographs.

The above mentioned documents are mandatory basic requirements for the exercise and any candidate who fails to present them, will not be considered for the screening.

In compliance with COVID-19 pandemic preventive protocols, candidates are expected to wear their facemasks, maintain social distancing and observe all other protocol during the exercise.

Candidates are to appear at the screening venue in their clean white T-shirt/shorts and canvas on the screening dates as indicated against their Local Government Areas (LGAs), she said.

According to the time-table released, candidates from Abakaliki and Afikpo North LGAs will be screened on Monday, while Afikpo South and Ezza South will have their sreening on Tuesday.

She said that candidates from Ezza North and Ebonyi would be screened on Wednesday, and Ikwo and Ishielu LGAs would take their turn on Thursday, while Izzi and Ivo candidates would be screened on Friday.

Odah added that applicants from Ohaukwu and Ohaozara LGAs would go through the screening on Aug. 29 while candidates from Onitcha LGA would be screened on Aug. 31.

Only candidate scheduled for screening on a particular date specified above are expected to be present at the venue to avoid crowd.

Candidates who missed their screening date with genuine and verifiable reason(s) will be re-considered for the screening from Tuesday, Sept. 1 to Saturday, Sept. 5.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Philip Maku, has assured members of the public that the recruitment exercise is absolutely free of charge without any pecuniary obligation.

He further gave the assurance that the entire exercise would be conducted in line with the professional guidelines of the force.

The CP, while wishing applicants the very best of the exercise, warned candidates not to come to the screening venue with forged document(s) but to maintain high level of discipline, Odah said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, Managing Director, NEPZA

By Emmanuella Anokam

The Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has urged investors in Halal industry globally to patronise Nigerias Free Trade Zones ahead of the implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

NEPZA Managing Director, Prof Adesoji Adesugba made the call while speaking on the topic entitled: The Role of Free Trade Zones in Booming Halal Global Business to investors via webinar.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Halal investment is a term used to describe investment that is Shariah compliant.

In a statement issued by Mr Martins Odeh, Head, Corporate Communications, NEPZA on Sunday, Adesugba said FTZs offered juicy incentives to halal investors who could use Nigeria as a location for production of variety of business value chains.

Adesugba, who reeled out pertinent statistics that confirmed Nigeria as a huge market compared to other countries in the West African sub-region, said Nigerias business environment held a lot of promises as it was fully linked and intertwined.

Investors should not just consider Nigerian population but strategically review the entire West African market extending to the entire sub-saharan Africa as markets of opportunities which can be serviced through Nigerian production point.

Investors should see beyond Nigerian huge population. Nigeria is almost a representative of African market. So investing in Nigeria is a bold entrance into African market.

Halal investors should count on robust investment infrastructure provided by the more than 40 free trades zones dotted across the country.

You are offered opportunities that guarantee ease of take-off and flourishing operations. We offer tax free regime and free import duties on imported raw materials. You will be able to access generous incentives, he said.

Elaborating further at the webinar attended by stakeholders from all over the world, the NEPZA boss said that the free zones authority under his leadership was opened to local and foreign investors in the halal industry.

He also said that it was heartwarming to see that the sector was growing exponentially worldwide.

I agree, we need to address the issue of standardisation and regulations. But we want to assure investors that Nigeria through NEPZA is open for business.

You are free to enter an existing zone or you can even apply for a private zone. All opportunities are at your doorstep, Adesuga said.

The webinar was organised by Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).

It was attended by the Grand Mufti of Nigeria, Sheikh Sahrif Saleh; Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry, Mines and Agriculture President, Hajia Saratu Aliyu, ACCI President, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode and other stakeholders. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Aeroplanes

By Yunus Yusuf
As part of plans to resume international flight operations in the country, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has created ninenew Performance Based Navigation (PBN) Area Navigation 10 (RNAV10) regional routes across the nations airspace.

Capt. Fola Akinkuotu,theManaging Director of NAMA, disclosed this in a statement in Lagos on Sunday.

Akinkuotu listed the newly created PBN routes to include:

1. UQ300- connecting Lagos to the Central African Republic;

2. UY604-linking Abuja, Port Harcourt to Southern Africa;

3. UQ181- connecting East and Central Africa to Europe through Nigerian airspace

4. UQ400-connecting southern Africa to North Africa through Nigeria to Europe.

5. UQ324-from Adis Ababa to Niamey through Nigeria;

6. UY333-from Tunisia/Algeria to Lagos;

7. UY87-from East and Central Africa through Nigeria to Accra and Abidjan;

8. UY57-from East and Central Africa through Nigeria coastal airspace to Cotonou, Lome and Abidjan as well as

9. UQ200-connecting Yaonde to Lagos.

The NAMA helmsman disclosed that NAMA has also created six new flight-plannable direct routes, which include:

1. OK DCT POLTO;

2. ARDEX DCT EDUKO;

3. LAG DCT XIRON DCT JOS;

4. KORUT DCT KDA;

5. POLTO DCT APRUN DCT DETAR/ KORUT and

6. KELAK DCT POSIB DCT GURAP DCT IBA DCT POLTO.

The NAMA boss said the flight-plannable direct routes are to be used by compliant airlines flight management systems.

It will avail them the opportunity of flight- planning and routing within the Nigerian airspace from an entry point direct to an exit point without recourse to existing Air Traffic service (ATS) route network.

Akinkuotu said the agency embarked on the initiatives to enhance regional connectivity, reduce flight time as well as fuel consumption for airlines, reduce C02 emission into the environment and reduce operators cost.

He said the move would also reduce pilot workload and enhance airspace capacity.

Source: NAN News

Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state.

Kano State Government says it has recorded 12 new Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, according to the states Ministry of Health.

The ministry via its official Twitter handle @KNSMOH, on Saturday disclosed that 40,280 Coronavirus sample tests were conducted since the outbreak of the pandemic in the state.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state has recorded drastic decline in the number of virus infections from over 1, 000 to less than 250 in the past two months.

The ministry, however, disclosed that the cases climbed to 232, sequel to the confirmation of 12 fresh infections out of the 180 samples tested on Aug. 22.

Kano State has Today (Saturday) confirmed 12 new cases from 180 results received from the laboratories.

Total samples tested stand at 40,280, it said.

It added that the state had so far recorded a total of 1,704 confirmed Coronavirus cases, out of which 232 were active cases, 1,418 discharged and 54 deaths.

The ministry urged residents of the state to observe safety protocols, personal hygiene, and use of face mask, hand washing as well as social distancing to stem further spread of the pandemic.

It also provided toll free numbers: 0909 399 5333; 0909 399 5444, 0800 268 4356.

Source: NAN News

The Progressive Ambassadors of Nigeria (PAN) has urged ECOWAS and the Federal Government to wade-in on the imposition of million trade-levy on Nigerian Traders in Ghana, by Ghanaian authorities.

This is contained in a statement issued by Emmanuel Ohiomokhare, PANs National Director of Media, on Sunday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PAN is a non-governmental organisation of Nigerian traders in Ghana seeking to promote and protect the welfare of Nigerian citizens across the country and in the diaspora.

Ohiomokhare described the imposition of the levy on Nigerian traders there as, not only harassment on them but also a contravention of the ECOWAS protocol.

He expressed displeasure over the statement by the Ghana Minister of Foreign Affairs saying that Ghana implemented the law because Nigeria also violated ECOWAS protocol by closing her border.

According to him, the quest is that since 2007 when Ghana started closing Nigerian traders shops, till date, such actions were not occasioned by recent border closure.

Did Nigeria violate ECOWAS protocol by taking steps to contain the cross-border insurgency, check to smuggle and address deliberate abuse of the provisions of ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) among others?

Mindful of deep and conscious engagements with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PAN calls for decisive and urgent actions by the federal government to find a permanent solution to this recurring decimal, Ohiomokhare said.

He also appealed to the government to consider evacuating Nigerians who continued to face harassments and xenophobic attacks in Ghana, to avoid loss of lives and the attendant surprises.

There is so much tension in Ghana now; many Nigerians living there no longer feel safe and several of those affected by recent closures are financially and economically stranded.

ECOWAS must awake to its responsibilities when the opportunities are not exhausted.

The continuous violation of ECOWAS protocol by Member State without corresponding sanctions, therefore, becomes clearer that Nigerias continued membership of ECOWAS is a total waste of time, energy and resources.

ELTS is a trading instrument by the Regional Economic Community administered by ECOWAS Commission through the Member States to encourage duty-free trade between ECOWAS countries.

The media director stated that it was inconsistency for the Ghanaian authorities to have constituted a task force to impose million levy on lawful Nigerian Traders under the Ghana Investment Promotion Act (GIPA) 2013.

He further cited paragraphs in GIPA (865) reviewed and passed into law on Aug. 26, 2013, which limit foreigners from carrying out free trade in line with ECOWAS protocols.

Under paragraph 28(2), a person who is not a citizen may engage in trading-enterprise, purchasing and selling of imported goods and services, not less than million in cash or goods and services relevant to investments.

Also, such a trader must employ, at least, 20 skilled Ghanaians, he said.

According to him, although PAN does not have problems with the sovereign law of Ghana regarding foreigners, classifying Nigerians as foreigners in ECOWAS Member State was a clear violation of ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol.

He stated that such undermined ECOWAS regional integration objectives.

Nigerian Traders, in past 20 years, have been selected victims and political scapegoats at election cycles in Ghana in implementation of this Act.

In keeping with the provision of the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol, Nigerian government allowed Ghanaian citizens in Nigeria unfettered access into the local markets without any form of harassments, intimidation, limitations or discrimination.

They are engaging freely, both in terms of retail trade and services, and all manner of menial, non-salaried activities in Nigeria.

They enjoy government protection and live among the Nigerian citizenry across the country, but in Ghana, the reverse is the case, he added.

Source: NAN News

The management of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) says it has engaged the leaders of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) over the 175 workers laid off by one of its contract companies.

Mr Esimaje Brikinn, the companys General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

Brikinn said that the laid-off workers were not employees of Chevron but workers of an independent contractor providing services to Chevron.

He said the contract company laid off its workers following the suspension of the service contract agreement between it and Chevron.

CNL is a responsible and law-abiding company.

In keeping with our commitment to resolving issues through meaningful dialogue and respect for the rule of law, we are engaging the leaders of NUPENG and the contractor company to fully understand and seek an amicable resolution of the issues.

The companys highest priority remains the welfare and safety of its employees, contractors and the security of its assets; we will, therefore, do our best to safeguard these interests, Brikinn said.

Source: NAN News