Lonely woman image

One in three women are suffering from loneliness in lockdown, suggests.

According to a study carried out by economists at the University of Essex, women are experiencing more problems with mental health than men during the coronavirus outbreak.

For example, the number of people reporting at least one underlying mental health issue has risen from seven per cent to 18 per cent during the pandemic.

For women, this figure has risen from 11 per cent to 27 per cent.

The researchers suggested the difference could be because of the greater demands placed on women in terms of childcare and domestic duties.

The study found that more than one third of women (34 per cent) have reported feeling lonely sometimes in lockdown while 11 per cent said they often felt lonely.

For men, 23 per cent said they were sometimes lonely and just six per cent reported feeling lonely often.

The research is based on online interviews using the UK Household Longitudinal Study.

Early studies produced since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic have found deteriorating mental well-being, particularly apparent for women, the study states.

Using rich data we document a similar finding for the UK. We add to these existing studies by showing that much of the gender gap in well-being can be explained by gender differences in social factors and increased feelings of loneliness.

We also show that gender differences in family-related time use and caring responsibilities appear to play a role.

Source: NAN News

Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko on Wednesday announced his plans to get inoculated with the Russian vaccine against COVID-19 later in the month.

As soon as the vaccine is released in August, Murashko told reporters when asked whether he will be vaccinated.

On Tuesday, Russia announced registering the worlds first coronavirus vaccine, dubbed Sputnik V, set to be produced industrially.

President Vladimir Putin has endorsed the vaccine, saying it has passed all necessary checks.

The Russian vaccine was developed jointly by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian Defence Ministry.

It has two separately injected components that together are expected to build sustainable immunity against the virus.

The vaccine has so far been tested on 76 volunteers separately at two institutions the Moscow-based Sechenov University and the
Burdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital.

Russian officials estimated the production capacity at 500 million doses in the next 12 months, including at facilities abroad. (Sputnik/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Muhammad Babandede, CG Nigeria Immigration Service

By Ibironke Ariyo

Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), says it has constituted a Comptroller General of Immigration Enforcement and Compliance team to fight irregular migration.

The Comptroller General, Mr Muhammad Babandede, inaugurated the team in a statement by Mr James Sunday, the NIS Public Relations Officer (PRO), on Wednesday in Abuja.

Babandede said that the team was empowered to visit states across the country to ensure Compliance and where necessary, enforce due diligent Immigration Processes and Procedures.

He said that this would be for the command operational activities and compliance of migrants in the country with a view to sustaining the objectives and goals of the e-migrant registration exercise.

This is a continuous process, the aim is to populate the NIS database and ensure the country has records of every resident migrant across the country for national security and policy administration, he said.

He promised a hub of credible data of all migrants deposited in the technology building when inaugurated.

The surest way of getting prepared for this is the stepping up of migrants data collection through the use of all technological tools MIDAS, e-migrant registration exercise.

Also residence card, data generated from the Divisional Immigration Officers (DIOs) in all the local governments of the country, and all sources available to the service.

In another development, the NIS Comptroller, Plateau State Command, Ms Nana Kemi-Nandap, has summoned DIOs from the 17 Local Government Areas of the state on plans to rid the state of irregular migrants.

James said that the development came after the expiration of the six months presidential amnesty period, with emphasis on continuous registration of resident migrants in the state.

He added that this was also to mop up those who were still not registered to get them complied through enforcement.

The command comptroller took the proactive step to prepare the DIOs for a safe and secured Plateau with near zero irregular migrants activities in the state, he said.

Source: NAN News

Train derails in Scotland

Emergency services are on the scene after aderailed in the north-east of.

Fire crews and the police also responded after the incident occurred on the line at, Aberdeenshire, on Wednesday morning.

Pictures posted from the area show at least six ambulance vehicles, an air ambulance and a number of police response cars on hand and smoke billowing behind them in the background.

Network Rail said it was investigating and it is not clear if there are any injuries at this point.

A British Transport Police spokesperson said: Officers are currently responding to an incident on the line in Stonehaven.

We were called at 9.43am, and are on scene alongside paramedics and the fire brigade.

The incident follows a night of flooding in the area.

Source: NAN News

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama

By Lizzy Okoji
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama has tested negative for the COVID-19 and has resumed his official duties.

Onyeama tested positive to the virus on July 19.

The Minister disclosed this via his twitter handle @GeoffeyOnyeama on Wednesday expressing appreciation to his medical team, family, friends, colleagues, among others.

Onyeama tweeted By the special grace of God, my latest COVID-19 test result came back negative after three weeks isolation.

I am eternally grateful to my family, the C-in-C and VP, the medical team, relations, friends, colleagues, religious leaders and numerous well-wishers, who through their care, prayers, fasting, messages of support and encouragement never let me walk alone.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that after testing positive for COVID-19 on July 19, Onyeama immediately went into isolation until this latest result.

Source: NAN News

Court Symbol

By Moji Eniola

Mrs Yinka Adeyemi, the Director of the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), on Tuesday said that courts in Lagos delivered 122 judgments on sexual offences cases from January to July 2020.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adeyemi disclosed this at a virtual conference organised by the Directorate of Citizens Rights, Lagos State Ministry of Justice.

The theme of the webinar is: The Crime of Defilement; The Role of Parents, Teachers and Caregivers in Ending the Scourge.

She said,There are 981 awaiting trial inmates for sexual offences at the Correctional Centres in Lagos. Also, 586 of these inmates (60 per cent) are in custody for cases of defilement.

Also, 207 of these inmates (21 per cent) are being held for cases of rape while 188 inmates (19 per cent) are in custody for other sexual offences.

The judgments that have been obtained in Lagos State from January 2020 to July 2020 for sexual offences are 122.

The DPP said as part of strategies created to combat the scourge of defilement and sexual offences in Lagos, a specialised prosecutor unit had been established in the states Ministry of Justice to handle sexual offences matters.

There is an ongoing training of prosecutors in prosecuting sexual offences, and protocols have been developed for prosecution of these cases.

We are working closely with experts on how to conduct forensic interviews with vulnerable witnesses, working with the police in evidence gathering and there has been a collaboration with the DNA Centre, she said.

Adeyemi, however, said that various challenges were often encountered in prosecution of sexual offences.

She said that they include: witnesses refusing to come forward to give evidence due to fear of the aggressor and pressure from the community and victims settling out of court with the perpetrators.

The DPP also warned parents and guardians of victims of rape and defilement to stop withdrawing complaints from court or law enforcement agencies.

She said that any attempt to withdraw such cases would lead to perversion of justice, which is also an offence against the state.

Also, the Dean Faculty of Law, the University of Lagos, Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa, advised parents to always have open discussions on sexual health education with their children.

Atsenuwaurged parents to also embrace cultural reorientation supportive of nurturing children to be assertive.

The don said,Teachers should know the facts, unlearn the myths and develop the skills. Myths such as that all homes are safe havens are not real; many children had been abused in their homes and schools.

The truth is that sexual abuse affects kids of all races, religions, socioeconomic levels and ages.

Teachers should equip themselves with necessary skills to recognise when a child is being sexually abused and how to respond to it.

Atsenuwa said that the government has a duty to educate the public, to adopt measures to protect teachers and others who report crime and to provide adequate medical and psycho-social support for victims.

In his address of welcome, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, said that in spite of various measures and facilities put in place to curb sexual offences in Lagos, reports of the sexual crimes have been on a steady increase.

Onigbanjo said that the virtual conference was to enable various stakeholders educate themselves and strategise on how to curb the menace of sexual crimes in the state. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

COVID-19

By Mohammed Baba Busu

The Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi on Tuesday inaugurated a six-man ad-hoc committee to assist the states Task Force on COVID-19 in curtailing the spread of the pandemic in the state.

Balarabe-Abduallhi while inaugurating the committee in Lafia, called on the members to live above board while discharging their duties.

The speaker, who was represented by the Deputy Majority leader of the House, Mr Daniel Ogazi, said that the setting up of the committee was not to witch-hunt anybody.

According to him, the committee is to monitor the activities of the states Task Force on COVID-19 and ensure that the people are safe from the pandemic.

The constitution has empowered us to monitor government activities, it is in view of this that the House has set up this six-man committee in order to monitor the activities of the state Task Force on COVID-19.

This is also to ensure that our people remain safe and in the interest of the health of the people of the state.

The committee is to oversight on COVID-19 activities in the state,through support,by ensuring that the right things are done, as well as help the state COVID-19 team address some of its challenges to achieve results, he said.

Balarabe-Abdullahi also urged the committee to live above board while discharging their duties in the interest of peace and development.

He assured of the readiness of the House to continue to give its support to the Gov. Abdullahi Sule- led administration to succeed.

Responding, Mr Abdullahi Angibi (APC- Lafia Central), the Chairman, House ad-hoc Committee on COVID-19, appreciated the speaker for the confidence reposed in them and assured of the committees readiness to discharge its duties without fear or favour.

Mr Speaker, thank you for the trust and confidence you and other members have in us.

We assure you that we will discharge our duties without fear or favour so that our people will continue to remain safe, he said.

The chairman urged the people of the state to continue to adhere strictly to COVID-19 protocols.

He urged them to ensure frequent washing of their hands, embracing social distancing and most especially the use of face masks,among others, in order to remain safe for the overall development of the state. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Sport Minister Mr Sunday Dare

By Franca Ofili

Mr Sunday Dare, Minister of Youth and Sports Development, has inaugurated the Ministerial Technical Committee on the establishment of the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF).

The minister said that the committee would facilitate the effective operationalisation and implementation of the N75 billion youth fund approved by the Federal Executive Council

He said that President Muhammadu Buhari on July 22, approved the establishment of the NYIF to the tune of N75 billion, for three years, dedicated to investing in the enterprise of the youth in the country.

This is aimed at turning the youth into entrepreneurs, wealth creators and employers of labour.

This approval underscores the absolute confidence this administration has in the innovation skills, talents and industry of the Nigerian youth.

The fund is expected to serve as a youth bank that will fund and support innovative ideas, skills, talents and enterprise of the youth through loan credit pathways, Dare said.

He said that members of the committee were drawn from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), which had the knowledge of the task a hand.

Dare said that the conception of the fund was thus driven by the urgent need to accelerate the loan and finance processes for talented youth in the country.

He added that it would fund their ideas and enterprises directly with a view to ratcheting up the number of youth that were entrepreneurs and received financial loans from government.

Dare said the members are Mr Gabriel Aduda, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry as chairman, Mrs Yewande Sidiku, Director-General, Nigerian Investment Promotion Council, and Mr Yusuf Yila, Director, Development Finance Central Bank of Nigeria.

Others are Mr Femi Adeagbo, Adviser on Innovation Development to the minister, Mr Ismaeel Ahmeed, a presidential aide on social Investment, among others.

Dare said that the Provisional Terms of Reference (TOR) for the committee were to develop implementation strategies, roll out, develop road map and funding sustenance strategy and advise implementation structure of the programme among others.

Source: NAN News

INEC Boss

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it would approach the Supreme Court over conflicting judgements by the Court of Appeal on recently deregistered political parties.

The commission disclosed this in a statement issued by, Mr Festus Okoye,
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, in Abuja.

Okoye confirmed that INEC was in receipt of the judgement of the Court of Appeal delivered on Monday, Aug. 10, 2020 in an Appeal filed by Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) and 22 others relating to their deregistration by the Commission.

In the judgement, the Court of Appeal held that the deregistration of ACD and 22 others is ultra vires the powers of the Commission and ordered the Commission to reinstate them.

Okoye recalled that on July 29, 2020, the Court Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division in an appeal filed by the National Unity Party (NUP) affirmed the power of the Commission (INEC) to deregister political parties that fail to meet the constitutional threshold in section 225A.

He added that dissatisfied with the judgment the National Unity Party lodged an appeal which is presently pending before the Supreme Court.

The Commission is therefore faced with two conflicting judgements from the Court of Appeal; one affirming the powers of the Commission to deregister political parties and the other setting aside the deregistration of ACD and 22 others.

Faced with two conflicting judgements from the same Court, the Commission is not in a position to pick and choose which one of them to obey.

Consequently, the Commission will approach the Supreme Court for a final resolution of the issues raised in the two conflicting judgements.

Okoye noted that meanwhile, the Commission was focused on preparations for the conduct of the Edo and Ondo Governorship elections scheduled to hold on Sept. 19, and Oct. 10.

He added that the commission was strictly and methodically following its timetable and schedule of activities derived from the Constitution and the Electoral Act.

We assure Nigerians and the people of Edo and Ondo States that the Commission is on course and will deliver on its mandate.

INEC had, on Feb. 6, deregistered 74 political parties for their inability to fulfil requirements for existence based on Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)

It cited that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) vests in INEC, the power to register and regulate activities of political parties.
(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Olukayode Babalola

The Police Command in Nasarawa State says is has arrested 27 suspects over alleged armed robbery and kidnapping in the state.

Mr Bola Longe, Commissioner of Police in the state, told newsmen on Monday in Lafia that the suspects were arrested from different locations across the state within the last two weeks.

Longe, while parading some of the suspects at the Police command headquarters in Lafia, said that amongst them were those connected to the killing of the village head of Odu community in Nasarawa Local Government Area, Mr Amos Obere, on July 31.

He explained that the suspected killers of the village head were arrested from a drinking joint in Nasarawa town where they were having fun.

He said the suspects also confessed to kidnapping some commuters in Loko village, who were travelling from Otukpo in Benue state to Abuja.

The CP said that the suspects behind the killing of a Superintendent of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Salisu Usman-Maku and his sister, Sadatu Usman-Maku, in Gudi, Akwanga Local Government Area, were also in police net.

Others in Police custody according to CP are the alleged kidnappers of Bishop Joseph Masin, state chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

He said that Seven firearms and several rounds of live ammunition as well as a vehicle were recovered from the criminal suspects during the various operations.

Longe said, The command wants to assert unequivocally that the security of lives and property of every law-abiding citizen remains its priority and will not shy away from this constitutional duty.

In the light of this, we want to reassure the public of our avowed commitment to the realisation of this objective.

The police also wants to appreciate members of the public, traditional rulers and other security agencies for their support and cooperation, which impacted positively on the police achievements in recent times.

Source: NAN News