Former Speaker Yakubu Dogara

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has appointed the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives,Mr Yakubu Dogara, as the chairman of its screening committee, for the Ondo State governorship primaries.

The appointment is contained in a statement issued by itsNational Organising Secretary,Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd) in Abuja on Wednesday.

Akobundu said that the partysNational Working Committee (NWC) approved the nomination of Dogara and four others to serve on the screening gubernatorial committee.

Other members of the committee, according to Akobundu, include Sen. Zainab Kure, Fred Agbedi and Ndubuisi Agwuama while Rev. Bunmi Jenyo will serve as Secretary.

The committee is mandated to screen all aspirants for the upcoming 2020 governorship election in Ondo state.

The exercise is scheduled for Thursday at the NWC hall, Wadata Plaza at 10.00 a.m., Akobundu stated. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa

By Ifeanyi Olannye

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Delta Chapter, has empathised with Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, his wife, Edith and family following the news that they tested positive for the coronavirus disease.

The party in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Dr Ifeanyi Osuoza, on Wednesday expressed its solid support for the governor and his family at this trying time.

The party urged him to be firm in faith and strong in the conviction that this is a situation that would soon pass.

Your Excellency, the Delta PDP family wish you, your dear wife and members of your family presently inconvenienced by this unwanted situation, a speedy recovery.

COVID-19, like you have told Deltans, is not in any way a death sentence and your inspirational leadership, as well as proactive management of this pandemic, has further strengthened our belief that you and your family will all come out stronger and healthier.

We commended your Excellency for the sincerity, honesty and the transparency you have continually exhibited, especially as it concerns your family since the outbreak of this pandemic.

We join our prayers with those of your well-wishers all over the world, that the good Lord will touch you and your family with His Divine healing at this time, the party prayed.

It called on Deltans to adhere strictly to the COVID-19 preventive measures put in place by the NCDC, the Federal and Delta Ministries of Health amid rising positive cases of the pandemic in the state.

It is now obvious to all that COVID-19 is real.

The party wished the governor and his wife, speedy recovery and prayed that God blesses and keeps them safe. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Sen. Hadi Sirika, Minister of Aviation

By Gabriel Agbeja

The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, on Wednesday in Abuja said domestic flights that had been suspended since March 20, would finally resume on July 8.

Sirika announced this in a statement signed by Mr James Odaudu, the Director of Public Affairs, in the ministry.

He said flights would commence at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja and Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.

According to him, the Port Harcourt, Owerri, Maiduguri and Kano airports will reopen to flights on July 11, while other airports across the country will join on July 15.

Sirika said passengers looking to travel out of the country would have to wait a bit longer as the dates for the restart of international flights into and out of the country would be announced later.

I thank stakeholders in aviation industry and Nigerian public who have to cope with the adverse effects of flight suspension for their perseverance and cooperation in ensuring a successful return of operations at the nations airports.

Passengers are highly advised to follow all the safety guidelines and protocols put in place to ensure that the airports dont become channels of infection for the dreaded coronavirus.

Government will do all within its powers to ensure a rapid recovery of the aviation industry, the minister assured. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

ECObank Nigeria

By Donald Ugwu

Shareholders of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) have elected Prof. Enase Okonedo and Mr Simon Dornoo as board members of the bank.

A statement issued by Adenike Laoye, its Group Head Communication on Wednesday said that the election took place at the companys 32Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Lagos on Tuesday.

According to the statement, Okonedo replaces Ms Arunma Oteh, who has resigned from the board.

It noted that shareholders were pleased with ETIs progress in 2019 and approved all the resolutions at the AGM, which included the election of the two new directors.

It stated that shareholders also ratified the co-option of Mr Deepak Malik, a nominee of Arise B.V, Ms Zanele Monnakgotla, a nominee of Public Investment Corporation and Dr George Donkor, the representative of Ecowas Bank for Investment and Development as directors.

The statement added that the shareholders renewed the mandates of the firms Deloitte

INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday said that 14 political parties submitted nominations for Edo governorship election.

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

Okoye said that the particulars of the nominated candidates would be published in the Edo State office of the commission and simultaneously uploaded on its website on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that from the provisional list of the nominated candidates by the 14 parties, only the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party was a female.

The list also indicated that that only African Democratic Congress and the Social Democratic Party nominated females as running mates.

Okoye said that 15 political parties earlier signified their intention to conduct primaries for the nomination of their candidates, adding this exercise ended on June 27.

At the close of nominations on June 29 at 6 pm, 14 political parties used the dedicated online portal of the commission to submit the list of candidates that emerged from their primaries.

The provisional list of the candidates disaggregated on the basis of name, gender, age and qualification has been uploaded on our website and social media platforms.

Furthermore, and as required by law, the particulars of the nominated candidates will be published in the Edo State office of the commission and simultaneously uploaded on our website on Thursday, July 2.

Okoye encouraged members of the public to go through the nomination forms, affidavits and documents submitted by the parties on behalf of their candidates.

He advised that any person who had reasonable grounds to believe that any information in the affidavit or any document submitted by any candidate was false to take a legal action.

Okoye said that such a person may file a suit at the Federal High Court, High Court of a State or the FCT against such a candidate seeking a declaration that the information contained in the affidavit was false.

He noted that the final list of duly nominated candidates would be published on Aug. 13, after withdrawals by candidates and substitution by their political parties.

Okoye said that the commission also deliberated on several issues including Ondo State end of tenure of governorship elections as well as the Nasarawa Central State Constituency bye-election.

He said political parties interested in nominating candidates for the Ondo governorship election should note that the conduct of party primaries would commence on July 2 and end on July 25.

The last date for the submission of the names of duly nominated candidates is July 28.

For the Nasarawa State Central Constituency bye-election, the conduct of primaries for the nomination of candidates starts today, June 30, and will end on July 6, Okoye said.

He said that the commission was encouraged by the seamless online nomination of candidates for the Edo governorship election using its newly introduced dedicated portal.

Okoye said that the same procedure would be applied in the Ondo governorship poll, Nasarawa Central State Constituency bye-election and all subsequent elections to be conducted by the commission.

Accordingly, political parties are encouraged to obtain their nomination access codes from the commission for the bye-election and upload the list of their candidates and their particulars to the dedicated portal between July 3 and July 7.

For the Ondo governorship election, the commissions dedicated portal for the submission of the names of candidates that emerge from valid party primaries will open on July 21 and close on July 28, 2020.

Political parties are encouraged to submit the list of their candidates on time as the portal will automatically close at 6 pm on the last date for the submission of nominations, he said.

He advised all political parties, candidates, aspirants and supporters to obey all laws, regulations and guidelines, especially in their campaigns.

Equally important is the need for strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols to ensure their safety and well-being as well as that of members of the public, he said.

Source: NAN News

COVID-19: Expert urges SMEs to embrace digital marketing

By Joy Odigie

Mr Efe Igbinovia, a Digital Marketing Consultant, has called on operators of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to embrace digital marketing to get more patronage, following effects of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Igbinovia gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Wednesday.

He said that the owners of SMEs should increase their social media presence given the fact that there was a surge in social media during this period of COVID-19 lockdown.

He said the benefits of digital marketing were enormous during the lockdown provided the digital marketer had a data bundle.

Billboards that would usually have been seen by thousands now stand beside empty streets. Fewer people are venturing out to get newspapers and nobody is holding events.

In the meantime with so many more people online and for longer periods, the chances of seeing adverts on social media or interacting with content marketing blogs are greater.

So, now is the time for SMEs to embrace digital marketing to grow their businesses.

There is a vast audience on social media that are hungry for interesting and informative content.

Thus giving business owners opportunity to satisfy these needs, attract new potential customers and generate substantial exposure for brands, Igbinovia said.

He said that owners of SMEs must determine and promote what sets their brands apart to succeed on the digital marketing platform.

Social media is filled with different brands offering products and services similar to your own.

Posting regular content wont make the cut. All your social media posts should foster conversations and promote interaction between you and your followers, he said.

Igbinovia also advised SMEs to avoid over-saturating their feeds with advertisements (Ads) but embrace the use of paid Twitter Ads, Facebook Ads or any other paid social media campaign to target users who had an interest in products and services.

The goal is to make your brand more relatable, which in turn will attract other users and result in substantial following, he added.

He also recommended training of micro and small business owners on the use of digital marketing, so they would have a better understanding of how the market worked and how positioning was done in the industry.

Where they cannot afford this training, the government can also come in to help in this regard.

We need the government to be more responsive to the growing needs of this market, Igbinovia said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

COVID-19

By Abujah Racheal
Nigeria has recorded 561 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 25,694.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) made the disclosure on Tuesday through its official Twitter handle.

NCDC said that the 561 new confirmed cases were from 19 states, with 17 deaths as at Tuesday.

The health agency said that no new state reported a case in the last 24 hours.

The NCDC said that Lagos reported the highest number of cases with 200 new cases and Edo was second with 119 new infections.

Others were Kaduna-52, FCT-52, Niger-32, Ogun-19, Ondo-16, Imo-14, Plateau-11, Abia-8, Oyo-8, Bayelsa-7, Katsina-6, Kano-5, Bauchi-3, Osun-3, Kebbi-3, Borno-2 and Jigawa-1.

The NCDC said that till date, 25,694 cases had been confirmed; 15,358 were active cases; 9,746 cases treated and discharged; 134, 257 samples collected and 590 deaths recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Meanwhile, the NCDC said that three out of every five Nigerians who died from COVID-19 were more than 50 years old.

It urged Nigerians to take precautions to protect their older relatives by wearing a face mask in public, practising hand and respiratory hygiene and maintaining a physical distance of two metres from others.

Ensure that if you do share a toilet and bathroom with others, they are cleaned after each use. Where possible, consider drawing up a roster for bathing, and you use the bathroom first at the start of each day.

Encourage frequent handwashing with soap and water by all other household members and disinfect frequently touched surfaces e.g. door handles, light switches, TV remotes etc throughout the day.

Keep shared spaces well ventilated and minimise the time spent in shared enclosed spaces such as kitchens, bathrooms and sitting areas.

Where possible, sleep in a different bed and endeavour to maintain physical distancing even within the household.

Do not share towels and beddings or use commonly shared household items including cutlery, drinking cups etc, the body stated.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the health agency also said it does not own quarantine or treatment centres.

The body said that this was the responsibility of the state governments or relevant teaching hospitals.

The NCDC said it only provides guidance on set-up of standard isolation centres, national case management guidelines and training for health workers across the country.

Source: NAN News

By Florence Onuegbu

The Lagos State Government has reiterated that coronavirus (COVID-19) testing for residents of the state was free of charge.

Mr Gbenga Omotoso, the states Commissioner for Information and Strategy said this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.

The state would like to reassure the general public that testing is still free at all the COVID-19 public testing laboratories for all Lagos residents.

Residents are enjoined to take advantage of this service if they feel unwell or feel they have had close contact with an infected person, Omotoso said.

He said that the government has established sampling centres across the state and has continued to enhance the capacity of the public testing laboratories to examine all those who required testing free of charge.

According to him, if any resident feels unwell, he should please, lodge a complaint through the appropriate channel by calling 08000CORONA.

He said that the state government has launched a consortium of seven private laboratories in the first phase.

This is part of the testing strategy of the state to increase the accessibility of testing facilities to the organised private and corporate sector who wish to test for various reasons.

For the avoidance of doubt it is necessary to reiterate to members of the public that testing remains free of charge at all public testing laboratories, the commissioner said.

Source: NAN News

COAS, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai

By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has charged the combined troops of the Armed Forces in Zamfara to go deep into the bushes where bandits are hiding to deal with them.

Buratai gave the charge when he paid an operational visit to the troops deployed at Sector 2 Forward Operation Base, Zurmi in Zamfara State on Tuesday.

He said that the asymmetric nature of the ongoing war against banditry in the region required painstaking effort towards identifying the hideout of the criminals.

Buratai also urged the troops to remain focused in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities, adding that there are forces bent on sabotaging their efforts.

He assured the troops of more and better equipment to prosecute the campaign against the criminals.

According to him, more equipment have been procured and deployed in line with President Muhammadu Buharis promise to enhance the fighting power of the military.

You must ensure that you remain focused and not be distracted as there are so many forces trying to sabotage the security of this country both internally and externally

You must go deep inside the bush and pursue them until they are tactically defeated because we have what it takes to defeat them, he said.

Buratai commended the troops for their patriotism and commitment to defending the territorial integrity of the nation.

He later proceeded to the Palace of the Emir of Zurmi, Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed, where he assured him of the renewed commitment of the armed forces to end the lingering security challenges.

The Emir commended the effort of the military in addressing the security challenges in Zamfara state and pledged to support the military to succeed in curtailing it.

Also, at the palace of the Emir of Kaura-Namoda, Buratai assured that the Nigerian army was fully committed to ending the menace of insecurity in the state.

Responding, the Emir, Alhaji Sanusi Muhammad, commended the military and other security agencies for their effort towards addressing the security challenges.

Muhammad also expressed profound appreciation to Buhari for giving priority to the state, adding that farmers were now confident to go to their farms.

The emir, who was a former military officer, promised to deploy his security experience to support the military and other security agencies in curtailing the activities of bandits in the state.

Source: NAN News

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam

HK
Hong Kong police on Wednesday made their first arrest since the new national security law came into effect.

A man was arrested for holding a Hong Kong independence flag, the police force wrote on Twitter, adding that it was a violation of the new law passed by Beijing, which was implemented on Tuesday night.

This is the first arrest made since the law has come into force, Hong Kong police tweeted.

The force announced on Monday that they would deploy between 3,000 and 5,000 officers in light of potential unrest on Wednesday, as protests were planned to mark the 23rd anniversary of Hong Kongs handover from Britain to China.

Civil Human Rights Front, the group that organized the citys largest protest marches over the last year, had vowed to go ahead with a banned march despite having no permit.

The national security law targets secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces in Hong Kong. Critics say its purpose is to quash dissent in the financial hub, which has been roiled by protests for the past year.

Under the new law, serious offenders may face life imprisonment, or a fixed term of no less than 10 years.

Those engaged in minor actions such as flag waving, slogan chanting or displaying banners could face punishment of between three and 10 years in prison.

The law was gazetted into an annex of Hong Kongs Basic Law late Tuesday after it was given the go-ahead at the end of a three-day deliberation by the National Peoples Congress Standing Committee, who voted unanimously to push the law ahead.

There are fears the law will undermine the autonomy promised to Hong Kong under the One Country, Two Systems principle agreed by China and Britain to guarantee certain freedoms for the territory until 2047. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN News