Daybreak, Politics, Entertainment, Sport

Author: Alpha Maidawa

COVID-19: FCT residents decry scarcity of face masks
Residents of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have complained about scarcity of face masks, an item needed to protect against the spread of Coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
A cross section of the residents who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, expressed concern over the unavailability of the commodity in the markets.
NAN reports that Nigeria recorded its first confirmed case of Coronavirus on Friday in Lagos.
The index case was brought to the country by an Italian citizen who returned to Nigeria on Feb. 25, from a business trip in Milan, Italy.
He later visited Ogun state for business, fell ill and was taken to Lagos where he was tested positive to the virus.
Mr Joseph Abiodun told NAN in Gwagwalada that he had checked for face masks to buy in supermarkets and pharmacies in the area but could not find any.
Abiodun said with an index case of Convid-19 recorded in Lagos, it was expected to that face masks and other protective materials be easily made available.
Zainab Abubakar, another resident said she used her weekend searching for face masks to buy in order to get prepared for the week but couldn’t get any because it was not available in the markets.
Abubakar noted that she was not willing to patronise hawkers that sell such products on the streets.
Similarly, Mr Isaac Avoihi, a resident of Federal Housing in Lugbe complained of unavailability of face masks in his area.
Avoihi said he was ready to buy the face masks at any price because of its importance owing to the outbreak of the disease in Nigeria.
Mrs Modinat Balogun told NAN that the scarcity of the face masks in her area and other parts of Abuja was worrisome.
Balogun said she went to the city centre to buy sanitisers and face masks for herself and her children but she could not get the face masks in any of the supermarkets visited.
She appealed to the government to provide all personal protective materials for people free of charge, adding that doing so would help in containing the spread of the disease.
Face masks were out of stocks in most supermarkets and pharmacies visited in Gwagwalada and Lugbe areas of FCT. (NAN)
March 2, 2020
Kaduna Trade fair: Local, Foreign vendors optimistic in spite of low patronage
Some Local and foreign vendors at the ongoing 41st Kaduna International Trade Fair on Sunday expressed optimism on getting more sales, in spite of the low turnout of people.
The vendors made this known in Kaduna in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday.
Soulayman Kane, a vendor from Senegal said he had been attending the trade fair annually and had came with clothing materials from his country to sell to Nigerians and other nationals.
He decried the low turnout of people in the fair which opened on Friday, but expressed optimism of more turnout before the end of the fair on Sunday.
Hajiya Zainab Niger, who came from the Republic of Niger stated that she had come with aphrodisiac and perfumes for women to make them look more attractive to their spouses.
She noted that though the turnout was poor, “it is not unusual at the beginning of such event.”
Zainab urged the trade fair organisers to reach out to more partners to ensure the success of the fair.
“I hope women at home will come with their families to the trade fair.
“We know Kaduna people will not let us down and every vendor would be happy at the end of the fair”, she said.
Also, Muhammad Aziz form Bangladesh said he came to showcase products from his country, adding that they were expecting people to patronize and partner with them.
Similarly, Fatima Muhammad from Maiduguri in Borno who sells traditional incense, perfumes and henna said the market was not as impressive as last year’s, but hoped for the best.
Muhammad Adam, a vendor from Tafawa Balewa Local Government, Bauchi state said he came with original pure honey and was hoping to record high sales from the fair.
Meanwhile, some of the visitors to the fair commended the organisers for the adequate security arrangements.
Maryam Muhktar, who came from Kinkinau area of Kaduna said there was enough security personnel and lots of goods to buy, urging people to patronise the trade fair.
Another visitor, Baban-Dudu Yahya, advised that security arrangement should be upgraded as more people troop to the trade fair complex.(NAN)
March 2, 2020
IFC, Coronation Merchant Bank launch N14.4bn trade finance guarantee
Coronation Merchant Bank Limited has launched a N14.4 billion Trade Finance Guarantee Facility to boost the financing of local businesses and enhancement of inter-continental trade.

The bank said on Sunday in Lagos that the partnership was a major milestone for the nation’s financial sector as it heralds the return of International Finance Corporation (IFC) into Nigeria.

“Since the last five years, IFC has not done any new enrollment under the Global Trade Finance Project in Nigeria following a break in the Nigerian market in 2015,” the bank said in a statement.

The bank’s acting Managing Director, Mr Banjo Adegbohungbe, commended IFC for the partnership.

Adegbohungbe said that empowering businesses that drive inter-continental trade remains pivotal to the sustenance of growth and development in emerging economies across the world.

“International trade remains crucial to the economic make-up of Nigeria yet contributes little to our national GDP.

“We are determined to help change this narrative by boosting access to trade financing in Nigeria.

“The partnership with IFC is the first for any financial institution in Nigeria since 2015 and attests to the positive strides the bank has made in bridging infrastructure gap and facilitating inter-continental trade.

“As a bank, we will continue to pursue solutions to help local businesses thrive and expand into new markets,” he stated.

Also speaking, Vittorio Di Bello,said increasing access to trade finance for local businesses is an important mechanism to support the development of the private sector in emerging markets.

Bello, the IFC Regional Industry Head, Financial Institutions Group for Europe and Central Asia, also noted that the financing would boost inter-continental trade and spur economic growth for the region.

He stated that In 2019, IFC delivered more than 19 billion dollars in long-term financing for developing countries, leveraging on the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity.

According to him, the decision to partner with Coronation Merchant Bank is an attestation of the growth and development recorded in the Nigerian financial sector over the last few years.

The gesture sends a positive signal to investors and other international financiers whilst positioning Coronation Merchant Bank as a foremost institution in Global Trade.

IFC is a sister organisation of the World Bank and a member of the World Bank Group.

The organisation is the largest global development institution that focuses on the private sector in emerging markets.

It works with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide, using their capital,expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities where they are needed most. (NAN)
March 2, 2020
Senate Committee promises to return SON back to ports
The Senate Committee on Industries has restated its commitment to return the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) officials to the nation’s seaports.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Industries, Sen. Bayo Osinowo, in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in Lagos, spoke during the committee’s oversight visit to SON’s laboratory complex in Lagos.
Osinowo, expressing displeasure at the absence of SON at the seaports, said that the situation was quite unfortunate.
He said the law that established SON states that the standards organisation must be present at the nation’s ports to monitor the standards of products being produced and imported into the country.
Osinowo said that in other climes, standard regulatory bodies were well represented at the ports to check the quality of goods before they would be allowed entrance into the markets.
“To this effect, Nigeria cannot be left out of this trend. It is unfortunate that SON is not at the port.
“When we set SON up, it was to monitor all the standards of the products produced and imported into the country.
“But, when we found out that SON was not at the ports, we have decided to address this by looking into it and amend it, because there must be an office for SON at the ports for its officers to carry out their mandate effectively.
“The legislature will look into the matter and make amend where it is necessary,” he said.
Osinowo said the purpose of the oversight function was to assess the level of work done by SON after being appropriated public funds to carry out their mandate to improve lives through quality assurance.
“The purpose of coming here is to see for ourselves and do appraisal of SON activities, especially on projects.
“We came to see how you have utillised and managed the funds given to you, and I must confess that going by what we have seen so far, I am very impressed with the level of work done so far.
“We are ready to support SON to ensure all the projects, especially the laboratory must be completed soon,” he said.
According to the committee chairman, if supported, SON will help to boost the manufacturing sector of the economy, while also eradicating poverty by creating job opportunities for the unemployed youths.
Also, a member of the Committee, Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi, said the committee was not impressed that SON was not at the point of entry where these goods were being brought into the country.
Nwaoboshi advised that the standards body must be equipped and given the opportunity to assess the goods before they enter the nation’s markets.
“For example, there are cables coming into the country, branded as Made-in-Nigeria whereas they were manufactured elsewhere.
“And, it is only SON that can discover these anomalies at the ports.
“So, we believe that the policy ordering SON out of the port is not correct,and they should be allowed back to the port to checkmate substandard goods,” he said.
Responding, the SON Director-General, Osita Aboloma, said the oversight function was to give the senate committee first hand information about the level of progress made so far in the wake of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
“We are delighted to have you here for you to see what we do in ensuring standardisation and quality assurance.
“For you to see what we have been able to achieve with the money appropriated to us and our needs in terms of human and capital infrastructure needs.
“The journey so far in positioning SON to be ready for the AfCFTA to enable us to break barriers to trade has been quite tasking.
“This is why it is required of us to have laboratories to carry out tests of conformity to our standards or the harmonised standards agreed upon by continental bodies,” he said.
Aboloma said that Nigeria, through SON, “is leading other countries in harmonisation of standards”.
He said that there were 40 laboratories presently, where eight had been accredited and 20 undergoing accreditation to position them in readiness for the AfCFTA.
“All these we have been able to achieve through the appropriation to SON.
“What we had, we have managed judiciously, but we still need more as this organisation will be as efficient and powerful as the Senate and National Assembly will want it to be.
“We have capacity for infinite possibilities and all we need is more encouragement and assistance as we consider the senate as standards ambassadors.
“Keeping Nigerians safe is a task we must all work together to achieve,” the SON director-general said. (NAN)
March 2, 2020
DG assures adequate security at ongoing Kaduna International Trade Fair
Alhaji Usman Saulawa, Director General (DG) Kaduna Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA), has assured of adequate security throughout the ongoing 41 Kaduna International Trade Fair.
Saulawa gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Kaduna.
The fair opened on Friday and has the theme: Unlocking Nigeria’s Economic Potentials through Regional Integration.
Saulawa said a special security committee was set up to provide 24-hour security until the fair is over, and
urged participants and visitors to transact their businesses without fear.
He disclosed that some foreign participants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and some African countries have already displayed their products, and were ready to enter into partnership with Nigerians.
Saulawa said the essence of trade fair is to provide a platform for business networking and partnership beneficial to Nigeria.
Securitypersonnel have been deployed in strategic areas within and outside the trade fair complex. (NAN)
March 2, 2020
NAF says Garkida counter-attack strategic decision
Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has dismissed as “misleading” insinuations that its platforms withdrew without engaging Boko Haram insurgents when they attacked Garkida community of Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa.
The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, gave the clarifications while briefing newsmen on Sunday in Maiduguri.
Abubakar said the Air Force responded to the night attack amid ensuing confusion in the town.
He added that it was difficult for the pilots to identify the insurgents and therefore refrained from bombing to avoid civilians’ casualties.
He said: “It is an unfortunate incident; war is tragic, in war there are tragic events that you cannot rule out completely.
“Air Force was there but the pilot used their Rules-of-Engagement to determine whether that dropping bombs over Garkida would have killed more innocent people than the Boko Haram that attacked the town.
“After all; we can trace where the insurgents came from which is exactly what we have done in the night, the IRS platform was on top and identified where they are.
“Early in the morning our platforms attacked and neutralised them, they will never be around to kill anybody again.
“I think that makes more sense rather than you have an aircraft in the space; you are not sure who and where are the Boko Haram insurgents? Are you going to drop bombs on women and children and civilians?
“No, we do not do that – we have Rules-of-Engagement, where it is convenient to attack, we drop bombs, where we think it make more sense to hold on and get the criminals who are the real people we want to deal with to where we can deal with them without killing innocent persons.
“And that was what the pilots did and it is an excellent decision”.
Abubakar sympathised with the families and victims of the attack, assuring them that NAF had successfully neutralized the insurgents hibernating the area.
The CAS reiterated NAF commitment to end insurgency, protect lives and property as well as national territorial integrity. (NAN)
March 2, 2020
Bandits kill village head in Zamfara – Police
The Police Command in Zamfara has confirmed the killing of Malam Gambo Kujemi, the village Head of Kujemi in Dansadau District of Maru Local Government Area of the state by bandits.
A statement issued by spokesman of the command on Monday, SP Mohammed Shehu, also said the bandits also killed one other person.
Shehu said the village head, who was on a visit to Karauchi also a in Dansadau, was killed when the bandits attacked the village.
He explained that they stormed the village in large numbers on motorcycles at about 8.40 p.m. on Sunday and shot sporadically.
According to the spokesman, the village head and a resident of Karauchi, Mustapha Halilu, were killed during the shooting.
Shehu said, “On receipt of the information, combined team of policemen attached to Operation Puff Adder in conjunction with the military were dispatched to the area to forestall further attack on neighbouring villages as well as to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act.
“The command appeals for continued support and cooperation from members of the public by giving useful information on activities of criminal element with a view to taking proactive measures.’’
He, however, said that peace had been restored in the area, while combined security forces were on the trail of the attackers. (NAN)
March 2, 2020
MURIC calls on FG to criminalise child abandonment
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), a human rights organisation, on Monday called on the Federal Government to criminalise child abandonment by parents in Nigeria.
The MURIC director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, who made the call in a statement issued in Lagos, said it would hold parents accountable and reduce incidents of child neglect.
“We are worried about the large number of children roaming the streets. These are the leaders of tomorrow.
“Our children are our strength but that is only if we give them proper upbringing through a balanced education otherwise they become a sword of Damocles hanging above our heads.
Nigerian children North and South are not receiving necessary attention. Thousands are hawking wares on the streets. They hold bowls begging in traffic gridlocks.
“MURIC calls on the National Assembly (NASS) and all state legislatures in the country to set the machinery in motion for criminalising child abandonment,” he said.
He said men who failed to educate or train their children and allow them to roam the streets should be held accountable.
“The Glorious Qur’an chapter 2 verse 233 charges parents (particularly fathers) to provide the basic necessities of life including food, accommodation and clothing,” he said
He added that the Quran also compelled parents to educate their children.
“It is therefore a gross dereliction of parental responsibility to send children to the streets to beg, hawk or engage in any form of child labour.
“There is also the eschatological correlate in the issue of child bearing. Allah is going to ask parents how well they take care of their children,” he said.
He said it was sad to note that the permission to marry more than one wife which was contained in Qur’an chapter 4 verse 3 was often abused and misunderstood.
“Men ignore the proviso contained in the same verse that marrying more than one wife is only permitted if he has the ability to provide adequately for the extra wives and the children.
“The existence of about 10 million almajiri children is an alarming phenomenon.
“More so the gory sight of thousands of children and young hawkers running after vehicles for the purpose of making sales and thereby getting their daily bread is symptomatic of governmental failure.
“These roaming youth are time bombs. We cannot solve the problem of crime proliferation without securing the future of our young ones,” he said.
“It is not enough to arrest child-hawkers. Their parents, particularly the fathers, should be arrested, detained and prosecuted.
“There should be a law that empowers law enforcement agents to take an almajiri to his father’s house for the purpose of arresting the father and making him face the law,” he said.
He urged Imams to reform the Friday Khutbah (sermon) on the minbar (pulpit) to suit the needs of society.
“Our Khutbah must be geared towards the fear of Allah and a better society. Conservative exegetical methods must be jettisoned.
“The Minbar must target the reform of the Ummah (Muslim society). Imams must be prepared to look at their followers eyeball to eyeball.
“The days of sentimentalities are far gone. Only frankness can save the Ummah.
“This is the time for influential Islamic scholars to record lectures on parental responsibility and share the information through social media among their fans,” he said. (NAN)
March 2, 2020
Sanitation: C/River Gov’t collaborates with vigilante group
The Cross River Government has called for synergy with the state command of Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) on sanitation and enforcement of environmental laws in the state.
Commissioner for Environment in the state, Mr Mfon Bassey, made the call on Monday in Calabar when the leadership of the state VGN command paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
Bassey said that the collaboration became necessary following the state government’s priority in environmental protection, cleanliness and greenery of the state.
He told the VGN that the Gov. Ben Ayade administration has committed a lot of resources to the maintenance of a clean and green environment in Calabar.
“I want to disclose that we have been assigned a magistrate court to help us tackle issues of environment and punish those who brake the law.
“As a Ministry, we really need the court to enforce some of these laws because we must punish offenders of environmental laws with a view to making sure the right thing is done.
“The court is to instill discipline on our people. We opted for a magistrate court because of its seriousness and readiness to work with us,” he said.
He frowned at cases were some residents dump their waste in the drains instead of using the bins at various locations for dumping of waste.
He reiterated that the Ministry was committed to the recovery of all green areas within the city, adding that any illegal structure erected on verges or drainages would be destroyed.
Speaking, the State Commandant of VGN, Dr Mercy Effiom, told the Commissioner that VGN is a national security outfit established in 1983 and registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in 1999.
Effiom said that the VGN gives information and arrest criminals, where necessary and hand them over to security agencies for investigation and possible prosecution.
She assured the Commissioner that officials of VGN in the state would work in harmony with the ministry to arrest and ensure that residents comply with the environmental laws.
She disclosed that part of their mandate were to protect lives and properties, assist in crowd control, community policing, security provision in public places among others.
She appealed for the provision of security gadgets like walkie-talkies, torch lights, stun gun and office accommodation. (NAN)
March 2, 2020
Kaduna NUJ commiserates with Freedom Radio over fire disaster
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, on Monday, commiserated with the management of Freedom Radio Kaduna over Sunday’s fire incident that destroyed offices and other valuables in the station.
In a statement issued on Monday by the state NUJ Secretary, Femi Adi, the union expressed sadness over the incident.
“The council appeal to the Management to take preventive measures and get all necessary fire fighting equipment to avoid future occurrence.”
It however noted that the fire, which started from the station’s inverter room, had not affected the transmission of the station’s programmes.
The fire affected the station’s engineering room, marketing and security offices, conference hall and drivers room.(NAN)
March 2, 2020