By Uchenna Ugwu

The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) say that they are rallying supports for breastfeeding as the first pathway to preserving a healthier planet.

The Nutritional Officer of UNICEF in Ebonyi, Mr Cyprain Ogbonna, gave the encouragement to people on Saturday in Abakaliki during an event to mark the starting of the 2020 celebration of World Breastfeeding week.

The theme of the World Breastfeeding Week 2020 is Support breastfeeding for a healthier planet.

The event is marked every year between Aug. 1 and Aug. 7 to raise awareness on the importance of breastfeeding for mothers and infants.

Ogbonna said that adequate breastfeeding had, over the years , prevented several childhood diseases and brought lifelong positive benefits associated with child spacing.

He said that other benefits include: risk reduction for some breast and ovarian cancers as well as hypertension.

He described breast milk as a nature-given-first food that needed to be preserved for its undebatable benefits to a mother and her baby.

He added that the milk was a critical part of a sustainable food system.

He said that it would be best to start breastfeeding within one hour of birth and exclusively done for the first six months of life, after which mothers should introduce appropriate complementary foods to her baby fortwo years and beyond.

He stated that misuse of breast milk substitutes should be condemned.

He advised that breastfeeding should be maintained, but hygienically done during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Ogbonna said: Mothers are recommended to breastfeed their child or children within 30 minutes of birth.

While mothers doing exclusive breastfeeds go for the first six months of life.

Also mother or caregiver timely introduces complementary feeding based on local food products at six months while continuing breastfeeding up to two years and beyond, he said.

Also, the Nutrition Manager of UNICEF in Enugu, Hanifa Namusoke, said that she had championed the cause in Ebonyi to increase the valve and improve the well being of mother and child.

Namusoke said in line with the theme, WHO and UNICEF called on governments to protect and promote a critical component of breastfeeding support.

Breast milk is complete for a healthier planet and that is why WHO and UNICEF recommend optimal infant and young child feeding practices with emphasis on early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, Namusoke said.

Source: NAN News

By Nathan Nwakamma

Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) has begun discussions with 12 host communities in Bayelsa which demanded upward review of development obligations.

SPDCs Media Relations Manager, Mr Bamidele Odugbesan, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Yenagoa.

SPDC has since 2006 been administering community development initiatives driven by community development boards under a Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) funding template.

Communities hosting Shells Estuaries Area (EA) oilfields in Bayelsahad at a press conference on Wednesday urged the oil company to review its annual development fund from million to million.

They also asked SPDC to review its other social obligations to them.

The communities made up of four Cluster Development Boards (CDBs) Iduwini, Mein, Kou and Bassan funded by Shell, also demanded payment of outstanding million for sea anchorage for vessels deployed by Shell.

According to them, the amount, which accrues from 2006 till date, must be offset within the next 21 days or they will be compelled to stage a peaceful protest at Shells EA oilfield in Bayelsa.

They alleged that 80 members of the host communities engaged by Shell in the ongoing oil drilling campaign to acquire experience had been rendered redundant and paid stay-at-home allowance for the past one year.

The communities, which are in Ekeremor and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Bayelsa, alleged that SPDC was marginalising them in spite of their hospitality.

Odugbesan, however, told NAN that SPDC was engaging representatives of its EA oilfields on the issues raised.

We are engaging the leadership of the communities for a peaceful resolution of the issues, Odugbesan said.

Mr Wuka Brisibe, Chairman of Community Development Community (CDC) in Ekeni, had said that coastline settlements lacked development in spite of having a GMoU with SPDC.

The sum of one million dollars irregularly paid to the four CDBs covering the 12 host communities of the EA fields as the GMOU funds is inadequate.

Each of the host community receives approximately 83,333 dollars which upon conversion at the present rate of N450.00 per dollar amounts to N37,499,850 only per annum.

Our people cannot bear the brunt of years of oil and gas exploration and exploitation and not benefit from contracts, supplies and services provided for the operations of the said facilities.

We are utterly displeased by the disposition of the SPDC in awarding vessel, service and supplies contracts envisaged within the local community content to non-natives and their companies.

This is done in flagrant disregard for the capacity and capability of natives of host communities to provide the said services or execute such contracts.

We totally condemn the attitude of the SPDC in its non-compliance with the Local Community Content Policy against its hosts at the EA oil fields in Bayelsa, Brisibe said.

He called for review of the GMOU to limit interference by SPDC officials in determining the pace of the GMoU, especially concerning remuneration of contractors upon completion of contracts.

NAN reports that SPDC had at its 2019 inauguration of projects in Yenagoa, said its official contribution to the development of host communities in Bayelsa stood at over N23 billion.

The company said under the GMoU, the model placed the choice of community projects on the people while the company provided the funding and necessary mentoring.

SPDC General Manager External Relations, Mr Igo Weli, said the amount represented about half of the companys GMoU spent in its host communities in Niger Delta since the introduction of the community development model in 2006.

Source: NAN News

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu

By Florence Onuegbu

Lagos State Government says it has intensified the periodic fumigation of public secondary schools, in preparation for the partial resumption of terminal class students.

The Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Mrs Aderonke Odeneye, said in a statement on Saturday that majority of the public secondary schools in the six educational districts had been reached.

Odeneye said that the exercise was part of the resumption protocol/guidelines for the secondary schools in the state.

She said that Lagos had continued to adopt measures to ensure that the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic was effectively contained.

The fumigation exercise which is on-going, preparatory to resumption next week for terminal classes will continue after the West Africa Examination Councils (WAEC) Exams.

The periodic exercise which commenced in late June has been effected in all the model colleges, Odeneye said.

The permanent secretary urged schools managements to make provisions for water in the premises with a view to promoting hand washing among the students.

She said that pupils must avoid all sporting activities till further notice.

Odeneye also implored schools managements to provide alcohol-based hand sanitisers in all classrooms and hostels.

She urged that schools should ensure that students were tutored on the need to constantly sanitise their hands after every educational activity in the classrooms and wear nose masks always.

Schools are to enforce physical distancing where applicable and also provide facilities to reduce the risk of the infection amongst teachers and students.

Disinfection of shoes and feet should be strongly encouraged for each student to reduce bacterial infection, Odeneye said.

Source: NAN News

bababjide Sanwo-olu, Lagos state governor,

By Florence Onuegbu

Lagos State Government on Saturday announced the reopening of worship centre on Friday, Aug. 7 for Muslims and Sunday, Aug. 9 for Christians.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced this during the 17th Update on the Management of Coronavirus in the state at Lagos House, Marina.

Sanwo-Olu said that churches whose main worship days fell on Saturdays, were permitted to hold their services on Saturdays, subject to the same guidelines as churches holding services on Sundays.

He said that the religious houses were to open to only at 50 per cent of their capacity.

Places of Worship in Lagos State will be allowed to open from Friday the 7th of August for our Muslim worshippers, and Sunday the 9th of August for Christian worshippers.

We must reiterate that places of worship are only permitted to have their regular once-a-week services on the designated days.

For the avoidance of doubt, churches and mosques are not permitted to have other services or fellowships outside of their main weekly services.

Places of worship are allowed to schedule multiple services, on their designated worship days, if necessary, as well as also encouraging as many people as possible to participate using virtual means, the governor said.

According to him, only regular services and gatherings are permitted to hold, as night vigils and other non-regular programmes remain prohibited until further notice.

He said that attendees over the age of 65 years were strongly discouraged from attending worship services.

Sanwo-Olu said that services should be held in well-ventilated areas or outdoors, as circumstances and faith traditions allow.

He said that worship centres must maintain No Face mask, No Entry policy throughout the duration of the services.

Regular cleaning and disinfection of facilities must be carried out to maintain clean and hygienic environments before and after every service.

Appropriate screening equipment for COVID-19 symptoms such as a contactless temperature check must be available for entrants into the facility.

It is mandatory to provide hand-washing facilities and sanitiser at the entry and exit point of the premises.

National emergency response phone lines must be displayed prominently on the premises.

Handshakes, Hugs and high fives are not permitted at services or gatherings, and this should be emphasised by displaying appropriate signs prominently, Sanwo-Olu said.

The governor said that the use of stationary collection boxes and electronic methods for collection of offering must be encouraged.

He also said that the flow of human traffic in and out of these places of worship must be conducted in an organised and orderly manner.

Source: NAN News

Garba Shehu

By Ismaila Chafe

The Presidency on Saturday said the views expressed by Malam Mamman Daura, on zoning were personal to him and did not, in any way, reflect that of either the president or his administration.

Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, stated this in a statement in Abuja.

He said that Mamman qualified as an elder statesman with a national duty to hold perspectives and disseminate them as guaranteed under the nation constitution and laws of the land.

He added that he does not need the permission or clearance of anyone to exercise this right.

The statement read in part: We have received numerous requests for comments on the interview granted by Malam Mamman Daura, President Muhammadu Buharis nephew to theBBC Hausa Service.

It is important that we state from the onset that as mentioned by the interviewee, the views expressed were personal to him and did not, in any way, reflect that of either the President or his administration.

At age 80, and having served as editor and managing director of one of this countrys most influential newspapers, theNew Nigerian, certainly, Malam Mamman qualifies as an elder statesman with a national duty to hold perspectives and disseminate them as guaranteed under our constitution and laws of the land.

He did not need the permission or clearance of anyone to exercise this right.

In an attempt to circulatethe content of the interview to a wider audience, the English translation clearly did no justice to the interview, which was granted in Hausa, and as a result, the context was mixed up and new meanings were introduced and/or not properly articulated.

The issues discussed during the interview, centredaround themes on how the country could birth an appropriate process of political dialogue, leading to an evaluation, assessment and a democratic outcome that would serve the best interest of the average Nigerian irrespective of where they come from.

These issues remain at the heart of our evolving and young democracy, and as a veteran journalist, scholar and statesman, Malam Mamman has seen enough to add his voice to those of many other participants.

Source: NAN News

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar has tasked troops to sustain the tempo of operations against the Boko Haram terrorists in the northeast.

Abubakar gave the charge during a special Eid-el-Kabir feast organised for the front line troops at the Nigeria Air Force (NAF), 105 Composite Command, Maiduguri.

Represented by AVM Isiaka Amawo, the Chief of Policy and Plans, NAF Headquarters, Abubakar urged the troops to maintain high level of alertness and combat readiness.

He said that he was in Maiduguri to celebrate with the troop at the front line to boost their morale and foster comradeship.

The essence was to also fill in the gap created for those of us that are in the front line and did not have the opportunity to celebrate with our families, to enable them have a sense of belonging during Eid-el-Kabir festivities.

I commend the ATF Commander for his efforts in ensuring that the activities of the unit in the northeast are running smoothly and the tempo of the operation is being maintained.

On the general note, I wish to thank you all for all your contributions in the successes recorded in the operations.

However, we are all aware that too much is as stake for us in this war. As such, we cannot allow our selves to be taken unaware.

I wish to remind you all that we are still at the frontline so we should not loose sight to the fact that we could come under attack at anytime.So let us continue to maintain vigilance, he said.

Abubakar noted that President Muhammadu Buhari had demonstrated commitment, provided support and resources required to enable the Service discharge its duties.

He said: We can only show appreciation for the President support by redoubling our efforts and also remaining as a discipline force.

We are expected to exhibit a high level of professionalism in all our actions.

The CAS enjoined the personnel to maintain vigilance and combat readiness to guarantee the security of the people during festive period.

Also speaking, the ATF Commander, AVM Precious Amadi, lauded the CAS for his commitment to the welfare of troops and execution of viable projects in the command.

Amadi noted that the gesture would go a long way to motivate the troops.

Your presence was not only a source of motivation but also a strong indication of your commitment to the welfare and morale of the personnel at ATF Command, Maiduguri.

We shall replicate the gestures by remaining focus, committed and highly professional in the execution of air power in support of the counter insurgency campaign in the northeast, Amadi said.

Source: NAN News

By Harrison Arubu

A Nigerian, Mr Gabe Okoye, is on the ballot in a forthcoming Democratic Partys senatorial primary runoff election in the U.S.

Okoye, who hails from Enugwu-Aguleri, in Anambra, is seeking the main opposition partys ticket for the Nov. 3 general election into the Georgia State Senate to represent District 9.

Okoye, who is a chieftain of the party in the state, faces a black female challenger, Nikki Merritt, in the second round scheduled for Aug. 11.

They both advanced to the runoff stage after defeating a third aspirant, Cheryle Moses, in the first round of the primary held on June 9.

The winner will face the incumbent, Sen. Peter Martin, a Republican, who has been representing the district since 2015 and is seeking a fourth term.

Okoye is currently a Planning Commissioner in Gwinnett County, the second-most populous local government in Georgia, and is the first black man to serve as a commissioner in the countys 202-year history.

The civil engineer and founder of Georgia-based construction firm, Essex Geoscience, also currently serves on the Executive Committee Board of the Gwinnett and state chapters of the Democratic Party.

Among other goals, Okoye is seeking to capture the District 9 seat from the Republican Party, which has held it for over 30 years, with nothing to show for it.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he was also aspiring to give the black community in Gwinnet County, his base, a strong voice at the state level.

In these regards, the senatorial hopeful carved a niche for himself while serving as the Democratic Party chairman in the local government between 2016 and 2018.

As of the time he emerged the party chairman in 2016, Gwinnett was a Republican stronghold, with only five of the 25 elected officials in the county being Democrats.

However, the tide turned when Okoye led the party into the 2018 mid-term elections and recorded historic wins.

They captured 13 elected offices, including the majority of Gwinnett seats in the Georgia state legislature, from the Republicans, who currently hold only seven positions.

The Democratic Party swept the two county commission seats that were up for election and also took one of the two School Board seats contested for.

Also, the party reclaimed the office of the Solicitor General of the county after decades in the hands of the Republicans.

Under my leadership of the party, we elected the first black commissioner, first black school board member, and also the first black Solicitor-General of the county in its 200-year history as of 2018.

The Democratic Party also produced the first black state judge from this county under my watch, Okoye told NAN.

In recognition of these historic achievements in Gwinnett, the Georgia House of Representatives inof 2019, designated Nov. 6 of that year as Gabe Okoye Leadership Day.

The resolution partly read: Gwinnett County is the most diverse and the second largest county in the State of Georgia, but this diversity was not reflected in the countys leadership.

Gabe Okoye exhibited great leadership in mobilising and educating the various 9communities of Gwinnett County on the fundamental right to vote.

He worked hard to help make the leadership of the county more inclusive, and the result of his hard work was made manifest during the general election on Nov. 6, 2018.

Therefore, be it resolved by the House of Representatives that the members of this body commend Gabe Okoye and recognise Nov. 6, 2019, as Gabe Okoye Leadership Day in Gwinnett County.

Okoye moved to the U.S. in 1981, and has been residing in Lawrenceville, a suburb of Atlanta and headquarters of Gwinnett County, since 1992.

On arrival in the U.S., he started life as a security guard, worked his way through college to become a licensed civil engineer, and later became an established Essex Geoscientist.

Married and blessed with four grown and successful children, Okoye believes he has realised his American dream, and is fighting for others to realise theirs.

Therefore, I will give a fearless, strong voice to the silent majority in our district and our county in general, he said on his campaign.

A former Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Americas (NIDOA), Okoye told NAN that another of his main objectives was to bring the Nigerian community into the mainstream of U.S. politics.

Okoye, who represented Nigerians in the Diaspora at the 2014 National Conference in Abuja, decried the absence of his fellow countrymen in the U.S. political and civic space, in spite of their enormous contributions to the countrys development.

What we Nigerians do here is to attend our various ethnic meetings and then go home.

Our people dont mix with the main stream of this country, and I think it is wrong.

I also think that we are not leading our children the right way. We should clear the way for them into the American politics.

We dont hear our names in the political lexicon of this area. I want to encourage our children to go into politics, he told NAN.

Source: NAN News

Rotimi Amaechi

By Lucy Ogalue
Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi says more prominent Nigerians will still benefit from the Federal Governments naming of railway stations across the country.

Amaechi, in a statement by his Media Assistant, Mrs Taiye Elebiyo-Edeni, said the late Alhaji Waziri Mohammed would, however, be named after a bigger railway station.

The Minister was reacting to the demand by the Nigerian Union of Railway Workers (NUR) to reverse the naming of the Apapa Railway Station in honour of the late Mohammed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Minister recently named the Apapa Railway Station, Sen. Bola Tinubu Railway Station.

Amaechi said: We are naming a bigger station after Waziri Mohammed.

Earlier, the General Secretary of the (NUR), Mr Segun Esan, demanded the immediate reversal of the naming of the Apapa Railway Station to late Mohammed.

According to him, Mohammed, until his death was the Chairman of Nigerian Railway Board.

He said it would be proper to name the Apapa Station after Mohammed, who died while in active service, as a mark of his sterling contributions to nation building.

Source: NAN News

COVID-19 updates by NCDC

By Abujah Racheal

Nigeria has recorded 462 new cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), according to the data by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The data showed that the cases were spread across 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The NCDC made this known on its official twitter handle on Friday night.

The health agency noted that one more person died from the disease.

According to it, till date, 43,151 cases have been confirmed, 19,565 cases have been discharged and 879 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and FCT.

The 462 new cases were reported from 16 states FCT (93), Lagos (78), Plateau (64), Kaduna (54), Oyo (47), Ondo (32), Adamawa (23) and Bauchi (19).

Others are Rivers (9), Ogun (9), Delta (9), Edo (7), Kano (6), Enugu (6), Nasarawa (5), and Osun (1).

The health agency said that a multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was activated at level-3, continues to coordinate the national response activities.

Meanwhile, NCDC announced that two new laboratories have been activated for inclusion in the NCDC Molecular Lab Network.

These are Molecular Diagnostics Lab, Gombe State Specialist Hospital and United Nations IOM Lab, FCT.

There are currently 61 laboratories with capacity to test for COVID-19 in the NCDC network of laboratories, it stated.

Source: NAN News

Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal, Sadique Abubakar

By Ibrahim G. Ahmad

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has charged troops under Operation Hadarin Daji to maintain highest level of vigilance and combat readiness to guarantee improved security.

Abubakar gave the charge at a Eid-el-Kabir feast with troops of 207 Quick Response Group Special Operation Forces in Gusau on Friday.

The CAS, who was represented by Air Official Commander, Special Operation Command, Bauchi, Air Vice-Marshal Charles Ohwo, ordered the troops to be loyal and committed to defend the country against security threats.

He said: We pledge our total loyalty and remain committed to protect the territorial integrity of our dear country from terrorists and other criminal elements.

While thanking the Almighty God for His mercies and keeping us alive to see this celebration as I appreciate your spouses for keeping home front.

He also enjoined the troops to take responsibility in the fight against COVID-19.

As you are provided with face masks that must be used, all the times at gathering and personnel, you must also maintain social distancing and other guidelines set by the Federal Government and NAF headquarters, he said.

He commended the Government and people of Zamfara for the support, cooperation and enabling environment accorded the troops at the operation.

In his remarks, Gov. Bello Matawalle, who was represented by the Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Dauran, said the occasion has boost the morale of the troops.

He called on the troops to improve on their operation as that enhanced success in the fight against bandits and other criminal elements.

Source: NAN News