Daybreak, Politics, Entertainment, Sport

Author: Alpha Maidawa

Amazon’s Italian workers strike over lack of coronavirus safeguards
Amazon workers in Italy were on strike on Tuesday as unions accused the online retailer of failing to protect its staff against the threat of the novel coronavirus.

The strike started late Monday at a warehouse in Castel San Giovanni, in the northern Piacenza province. The area is one of the worst affected by the outbreak.

In a joint statement, the Cisl, Cgil, Uil and Ugl unions accused Amazon of failing to implement additional worker protection measures with the Italian government agreed on Saturday with unions.

These include the right to be given masks and other protective gear if workers cannot be kept apart by a safe distance, and extra sanitary measures in the workplace.

“In the Piacenza hub, workers asked for masks 10 days ago and to date none have been handed out,’’ Cristian Sesena of the Filcams Cgil union told dpa.

The strike will continue indefinitely, he said. One-day strike had taken place in two other Amazon warehouses in the regions of Piedmont and Lazio, he added.

For its part, Amazon said it was following rigorously guidelines from the government and health authorities, and assured that the welfare of our workers, suppliers and customers comes first.

For example, the company said it is no longer asking its staff to pick up a signature from customers after delivering packages, to avoid any close contact.

Italy is the worst-affected country in the world outside China, where the coronavirus outbreak originated.
On Monday, it reported a cumulative total 27,980 cases and 2,158 deaths. (dpa/NAN)
March 18, 2020
China expels U.S. journalists from 3 top newspapers amid dispute
China announced plans early on Wednesday to expel U.S. journalists from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post in retaliation for U.S. curbs on Chinese media.
The move by China is the latest escalation in a tit-for-tat war between the two superpowers about media operations.
US journalists working at the three publications whose credentials are set to expire before the end of the year need to turn in their press cards within 10 days, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website.
China also demanded that three newspapers, along with Voice of America and Time magazine, provide information about their operations in China, including staff and finances.
Beijing said the announcement was a direct retaliation for U.S. caps on Chinese media, announced earlier this month.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused China of denying the world access to knowledge about what is happening inside that country due to the expulsion of journalists from three U.S. newspapers.
“They deny the world the capacity to know what’s really going on inside of their country,” Pompeo said during a news conference.
In February, China expelled three Wall Street Journal journalists in retaliation for a headline deemed offensive, even though they were not involved with either the headline or the article, starting the feud between the superpowers.
The New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet condemned the decision, calling it a “grave mistake”.
“The health and safety of people around the world depend on impartial reporting about its two largest economies, both of them now battling a common epidemic,” Baquet said, calling on both states to resolve the dispute. (dpa/NAN)
March 18, 2020
Biden projected to win Democratic primary held in Illinois
Former U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is projected to win the Democratic primary held in Illinois on Tuesday, Fox News reported.
NBC News reported Biden winning 58 per cent to Sanders’ 34.4 per cent with 3 per cent of precincts reporting.
Biden has also secured victory over Sanders in Florida, where he was winning every county, several TV networks reported earlier.
Three states held Democratic primaries today – Florida, Illinois, and Arizona, with 219, 155 and 67 pledged delegates, respectively.
There is no data on Arizona, the third state holding primaries on Tuesday, yet.
A fourth primary was scheduled to take place in Ohio (136 delegates at stake), but the state government postponed its primary due to health concerns, as the new coronavirus outbreak continues in the United States.
To win the party nomination on the first ballot 1,190 delegates are needed. Biden so far has won 898 delegates to Sanders’ 745 after more than 25 primary contests, according to AP official delegate count.
Despite the early wins of Sanders, Biden made a “comeback” in South Carolina and then won Super Tuesday, taking 10 out of 14 states in which primaries were held that day. Biden also one in most of states on 10 March. (Sputnik/NAN)
March 18, 2020
Reps committee seeks better funding to boost Navy operations
The House of Representatives on Monday, said it would consider better budgetary allocation for the Nigerian Navy in the 2021 Appropriation Bill.
Rep. Yusuf Gadgi, Chairman, House Committee on Navy, made the disclosure when he led other members on inspection of projects at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder in Port Harcourt.
According to him, the navy had recorded milestone achievements in the execution of projects in its formations and units as budgeted in 2020 fiscal year.
“So, going by what we have seen from our visits to naval formations and units across the country, we can say that they are doing a good job.
“We are determined as a committee to ensure that we appropriate money in 2021 Fiscal Year to enable the navy keep doing the incredible job that they are doing.
Gadji said the committee commenced its oversight function with visits to the Western Naval Command in Lagos and the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) in Calabar, Cross River.
“We are now in NNS Pathfinder as part of our ENC tour to see what the navy are doing with the funds that were allocated to them by Nigerians.
“The committee decided to differ from its original way of performing oversight function by primarily focusing on how the navy has fared so far.
“So, we are using this to judge if the navy has judiciously used money appropriated to them over the past seven years. We are impressed with standard of projects,” he said.
Gadji said the committee also identified other challenges that have worked against navy operations, adding that necessary recommendations would be made by its members.
He thanked the navy for its improved operations, and assured of the committee’s support in its fight against oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism and piracy on the waterways. (NAN)
March 17, 2020
Kwara by-election: Observers give INEC pass mark
Local observers accredited to monitor Saturday’s Kwara House of Assembly by-election in Patigi State Constituency have commended the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) for the successful conduct of the exercise.
The coalition of observers, in a communiqué read by its leader, Mr Victor Kalu, on Monday in Patigi adjudged the exercise free, fair, credible and transparent.
The communiqué jointly signed by Kalu and the Secretary of the team, Peter Olarewaju, said that the exercise was an obvious all-round improvement on the part of INEC regarding the conduct of elections in the country.
According to the communique, the election took place as scheduled under a conducive and peaceful atmosphere without complaints from political parties and candidates in terms of credibility.
“There was an obvious all-round improvement on the part of INEC regarding the timely distribution of election materials and its arrival in various polling units, resulting in timely commencement of election in all the units,’’ it said.
The coalition also commended the people of the constituency for their proper conduct during and after the election, especially for showing maturity and shunning violence.
It observed that the turnout of voters for the election was impressive but relatively low in some areas due to inadequate voter sensitisation.
The coalition also reported an uncontrollable presence of the underage people within and around the polling units while
heavy commercial activities were equally observed in major polling units.
The group called on government and the election umpire to consider engaging committed civil society groups on an intensive civic voter education ahead of every election to encourage voter participation in elections. (NAN)
March 17, 2020
APC NEC postponement: Giadom lauds Buhari’s intervention
Mr Victor Giadom, APC acting National Secretary, has described the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC Governors Forum in postponing the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting indefinitely as commendable.
Giadom said this known on Monday while reacting to the outcome of the meeting between the president and the APC governors.
Shortly after the meeting on Monday, the forum’s Chairman, Gov. Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi, disclosed the outcome of the meeting to State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The APC scribe, who described the president and the APC governors as party leaders, said the party abided by their decision to postpone the NEC meeting indefinitely.
“The NEC meeting has been postponed indefinitely; at the appropriately time, the public and members of the NEC will be informed on the new date.
“But as of today, we are in agreement with the president that the NEC meeting has been postponed,” Giadom said.
He described as product of mischief makers, those who mischievously used APC official twitter handle to disseminate fake news, claiming that the party would go on with the NEC meeting on Tuesday.
“That information is the product of mischief makers; it did not come from me.
“Everybody has to respect the intervention of the president,” he said. (NAN)
March 17, 2020
IPPIS: SSANU expresses displeasure over irregularities in Feb. salaries payment
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has expressed strong displeasure over the irregularities witnessed in the payment of February salaries for its members using the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
The Association expressed its view in a statement signed by Mr Salaam Olayiwola, SSANU National Public Relations Officer, and made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja.
According to Olayiwola, IPPIS is government payment platform, which we keyed into, with the understanding that the platform would greatly improve personnel accountability in the system thereby reducing the spate of corruption in our universities.
“Kindly recall that we keyed into the IPPIS with an understanding that all the peculiarities in the University system, particularly pertaining to our members would be adequately addressed.
“Also, especially the issues of allowances, appointments, increments and third party deductions among others.
“Various concerns were raised and our fears were allayed through various correspondences, meetings and practical sessions where the application was displayed and all issues brought forward were addressed, ” he said.
He explained that it was only after exhausting all queries and getting satisfactory answers that the union and its Joint Action Committee counterpart Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, decided to key into the platform in the overall interest of the system and its members.
Olayiwola added that it was shocking to them that their first real taste of the IPPIS application was totally different from what was presented. All the concerns raised by their unions were not implemented and disregarded.
He said apart from the breach of trust, which had now manifested, the members across the universities were groaning from various anomalies witnessed in their salaries thereby forcing them into great hardships “which they never bargained for when they keyed into the IPPIS.
“As a leadership, this is totally unacceptable!
“The recent development has once again shown, despite our attempts to test otherwise, that Government can never be trusted.
“As such, based on what we have been subjected to with the February salary, we do not blame our lecturer counterparts, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), for resisting the IPPIS from the beginning.
“It is on the strength of the above that we demand that the office of the Accountant General of the Federation reverts us to the GIFMIS platform, which was working seamlessly before IPPIS was introduced.
“It is getting clearer that our trust in government and its agencies on the IPPIS issue was clearly misplaced, ” he said.
He, however, added that an understanding had been reached with ASUU to integrate the ASUU proposed University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) into the IPPIS.
“While we place on record, the right of ASUU to reach an understanding with the government on this hybrid payment platform, we note that this can only be implemented for ASUU members as at today and if it is to be implemented across board.
“It must be with the consent of the other university based unions; having keyed into the IPPIS project and gotten an unsavory first taste, we shall not accept any other payment platform, which does not carry us along.
“If UTAS is a general University payment platform, we must be guaranteed that its features accommodate the peculiar needs and challenges of the non-teaching staff in the system.
“If this is not guaranteed, the hybrid application shall be rejected in totality by our members.
“We demand that Government immediately looks into the anomalies witnessed in the February 2020 salary payments through the IPPIS platform and ensure rectification of these anomalies because the situation as at today cannot guarantee industrial peace in the system,” he said.(NAN)
March 17, 2020
Women Arise mourns victims of Lagos explosion, demands proper investigation
Women Arise for Change Initiative, an NGO, on Monday urged Lagos State and Federal Government to carry out a proper investigation into Sunday’s explosion in Abule Ado area of the state.
Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, the group’s President, said in a statement that a proper investigation would uncover facts and those behind the evil act.
Over 50 buildings were destroyed and no fewer than 18 people died in the incidence which occurred in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos.
Okei-Odumakin said: “We demand an inquiry into this sad incident so as to get to the root cause of this great disaster.
“There must be people responsible for this incident and they must not go unpunished,” she said.
She described the action as a gory development that should get everyone worried, adding that people should not be losing lives in avoidable circumstances as this.
Okei-Odumakin, therefore, prayed God to console the families currently in distressful moment. (NAN)
March 17, 2020
Insurgency: Commission to take over reconstruction of 3 bridges in Adamawa
The North East Development Commission (NEDC), says it will take over the reconstruction of three major bridges along the Adamawa-Borno Federal Highway.
Kuzum, Wurogaide and Dilichim bridges, were destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents in 2014.
The Federal Government had in 2016, awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the bridges.
Mohammed Alkali, Managing Director of NEDC, announced this while inspecting the bridges in Michika and Madagali local government areas of Adamawa on Monday.
Alkali said that the commission intended to take over reconstruction of the bridges following complaints by the governments of Borno and Adamawa.
“The affected state governments of Adamawa and Borno had made a case for the reconstruction of the collapsed bridges during the North East Governors meeting held recently in Gombe.
“We are going to discuss with the Federal Ministry of Works and other stakeholders.
“As soon we fashion out modalities surrounding the projects, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development would take over reconstruction of the bridges,” Alkali said.
He assured the people of the commission’s commitment to commence work on bridges sites as soon there was clearance from the works ministry.
In his remarks, Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, expressed worry over the snail speed of work on the bridges.
“The contractor handling the work had no capacity to execute the projects; and the N240 million provided for the project was inadequate,” Fintiri said. (NAN)
March 17, 2020
Polytechnic students task FG on removal of HND/Bsc dichotomy
The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPOS) has urged the Federal Government to fast track implementation of white paper recommendations on removal of dichotomy between polytechnic and university graduates in public service.
NAPOS National President, Mr Sunday Asuku, at a news conference in Abuja on Monday.
Asuku said the association had waited patiently for the past 14 years for the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) to implement the white paper, but to no avail.
He said that the abolution of the dichotomy was approved by the Federal Executive Council in 2006 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and reaffirmed by all his successors.
“However, the waiting game has continued,” he said.
The NAPS president said that the delay in implementing the white paper was a deliberate attempt to continue to hold the technological advancement of the country to ransom.
“We are yet to see reasons and justification against why OHCSF is reluctant to approve the NATE/COREN proposed career progression template.
“However, we give the OHSCF a 21-day ultimatum to issue implementation circular to the federal government white paper as approved by FEC in 2006.
“Which, among others, directed that the undue dichotomy and ceiling on grade level/rank attainable by HND holders should be removed,’’ he said.
Asuku also demanded that the proposed career progression cadre for Technologist Engineers submitted by COREN for approval and integration into civil service scheme be approved by the OHCSF.
This, according to him, should be in line with the civil service rules to empower professional bodies to recommend career progression structure for their members.
He added that HND holders who were due for promotion should be allowed to take part in the promotion examinations for vacant positions in their respective professional cadre.
Asuku said that all HND holders who were previously denied promotion, or stagnated for several years, and those who were demoted upon conversion to officer cadre among others should be included. (NAN)
March 17, 2020