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Our Reporter

The Lagos State Government (LASG) says it has strengthened its emergency preparedness against emerging infectious diseases through the implementation of policies on bio-security and bio-banking.

The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi , said this on Sunday in Lagos.

He said that the Ministries of Health and Justice were working assiduously to review the relevant state laws pertaining to the policy.

He said that this was in preparation for the development of bio-security and bio-technology policies along the THEMES agenda of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration.

That bio-security procedures are designed to protect the population against harmful biological or biochemical substances.

Bio-banking refers to the process by which samples of bodily fluid or tissue are collected for research use to improve understanding of health and diseases.

Abayomi said that the state had inaugurated a 12-member governing council which comprised of experts and specialists from various disciplines.

He said that these include: bio-banking, bio-security, molecular biology, public health, ethics, security, law, and anthropology.

The commissioner said that the council would provide governance and regulatory frameworks that would ensure a bio-secure environment in the state.

He added that biological samples and data emanating from the state would be collected, stored and accessed in ways that they would be beneficial to the state.

The commissioner said that the council would ensure that knowledge gained from the samples and data accessed would be shared to increase the state’s medical biological knowledge economy and improve emergency preparedness.

“The council shall pay attention and exercise oversight functions on issues of international treaties that protect society from biological threats and the subject matter of changing ethical paradigms,” he said.

The commissioner said that the state had instituted the one health paradigm to be part of the national and global health security networks and the global knowledge economy.

He stressed that the advent of the Ebola virus disease had opened a new chapter, which revolves around bio-economy and preparedness for emergencies.

“Lagos State is rapidly expanding into a mega city that is experiencing multiple biosecurity threats which require proactive strategic mitigation and counter measures,’’ he said.

Abayomi said that the council would look at the spectrum of activities from the state’s vulnerability, institutions, resilience, capacity to respond, samples, data and ability to derive knowledge from indigenous environment and knowledge systems.

The commissioner added that members of the council would undergo an intense modular training and orientation phase for one year to prepare them adequately for the task ahead.

He said that the members of the governing council are; Prof. Akin Abayomi, the State Commissioner for Health; Dr. Titilayo Goncalves, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health; Prof. Akin Osibogun, consultant community engagement and environmental impact assessor.

According to him, others include: Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, Consultant clinical microbiologist; Prof Adebayo Onajole, a data consultant; and Dr Babajide Martins, representative of the Ministry of Justice. (NAN)

Our Reporter

Mr Olusegun Runsewe, the Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), on Sunday advised Nigerians to focus more on being united, jettison ethnicity and religous bigotry.
Runsewe who gave the advice while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said that ethnicity and religious bigotry were dangerous cankerworms and the major factors disuniting Nigerians.
According to him, the nation’s 59th independence anniversary should be a strong turning point for Nigerians to come together.
He said that they should face the reality and believe in the nation’s immerse potential which cut across all sectors of the economy.
He said that individuals, regardles of their ethnic groups and religions, must come together and make the nation greater than it was.
” I congratulate Mr President and the entire people of Nigeria at this time, I wish us the best for the future of this great country.
” I must let Nigerians realise at a time like this that we must respect the fact that we have gone through some challenges.
” But we must all realise that nobody becomes a champion without going through some challenges, we should put those challenges things behind us and let us forget issues of sentiments, religion and tribes.
” Let us come together in unity as a force to move this great country forward because the question of where individuals come from will not help anyone,” he said.
Runsewe urged Nigerians to stop projecting other cultures better than the nation’s saying that Nigerian culture is richer, modest and in all sense more attractive than other cultures.
He said Nigerians must promote the nation’s culture of respect, decent dressing, hardwork, diligence, loyalty, truthfulness, selflessness and for all the citizens to achieve remarkable success individually and collectively.
” We should all use the anniversary as a way forward in coming together and united to achieve common goals.
” No other culture should be seen better than ours, if we do not promote our culture nobody will help us to promote it.
” We must all come to terms with our culture, stay proud of it, practise it and then come to understand the strength of our culture,” he said (NAN)

Rangers International Football Club of Enugu have sealed a place in the the pre-group stage playoffs of this year’s CAF Confederation Cup competition.

This was after they thrashed AS Pelicans of Gabon 3-1 in the return leg match of the second preliminary round on Sunday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu.

the Flying Antelopes went through 4-3 on aggregate, having lost 1-2 in the first leg match about two weeks earlier.

The hosts came out fighting immediately after the kick-off and fired a warning shot to the Gabonese side after two minutes.

This was when defender Semiu Liadi directed his headed effort into the side netting from a Chidera Eze free-kick at the edge of the Pelicans penalty box.

But three minutes later, Liadi went into the referee’s book when he tripped goalbound Cruz Ndong Enteghe on the edge of Rangers penalty box.

Dertin Amores wasted no effort and planted a left foot kick into the top corner to give Pelicans a shock lead in the fifth minute.

Having gone behind so early in the game, the Flying Antelopes poured out in numbers, piling series of attacks into their opponents’ vital area in search of goals.

The chances came in trickles but poor decisions in the final third cost them time and again.

Their efforts were, however, rewarded in the 19th minute when Ifeanyi George took advantage of a moment of indecision between Pelicans’ defenders and the goalkeeper to head in the equaliser.

Rangers grew in confidence, dominant in their play and had an appeal for a penalty kick waved away by the referee when Tope Olusesi went to the ground inside the box under a slight challenge.

But the ball came back gloriously to George who fired inches over the crossbar when he should have scored.

Both sides went into the half-time break on equal terms with the visitors holding a 3-2 aggregate advantage.

Rangers came back in the second period more dominant as highlighted by two quick goals.

Nnamdi Egbujuo headed in from a corner kick five minutes after the restart to give the hosts a 2-1 lead and 3-3 on aggregate.

Five minutes later, Oluwatoyin Olawoyin made it 3-1 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate for Rangers when he scrambled in the ball during a goalmouth tussle.

Coach Benedict Ugwu refreshed his team’s attack early in the second half, leading to the rush of goals, with the introduction of Chinonso Ezekwe for Chidera Eze.

He later substituted veteran Bartholomew Ibenegbu for Kenechukwu Agu as the home side pressed for more goals.

With 12 minutes left on the clock, Pelicans forward Odile Ombio forced a fantastic save from Rangers goalkeeper Japhet Opubo, following a cross from the right flank.

With the 3-1 advantage on the night, Rangers resorted to game management and defended in numbers to contain the now adventurous Pelicans strikers to run away victors at the end of a pulsating encounter.(NAN)

Our Reporter

AC Milan’s nightmare start to the 2019/2020 Serie A season continued on Sunday when they fell to a 3-1 defeat at home to Fiorentina and had a man sent off.

Erick Pulgar put the visitors ahead from the penalty kick spot.

Then, Gaetano Castrovilli doubled their lead, after Mateo Musacchio had been shown a straight red card for a rash challenge early in the second half.

AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saved a Federico Chiesa penalty kick.

But Fiorentina got their third goal through Franck Ribery, before Rafael Leao pulled back a consolation for the hosts with 10 minutes remaining.

AC Milan’s third consecutive defeat in just over a week heaps more pressure on embattled coach Marco Giampaolo and leaves them in 16th place on six points,
one point above the relegation zone.

Fiorentina have now earned their second win in a row to lift them up to ninth place on eight points.(Reuters/NAN)

Our Reporter

The home-based Super Eagles failed to secure a place in the main West African Football Union (WAFU) Nations Cup following a 1-2 loss to the Hawks of Togo on Sunday in Senegal.

the Togolese, who were the better side in the encounter, took the lead in the 16th minute through Moise Kossivi Adjah.

The Eagles rallied back and got a well-deserved equaliser in the 33rd minute, courtesy of Sikiru Alimi’s fine strike.

Kangnivi Tchoutchoui netted the winning goal for the Togolese two minutes before the break.

The Hawks had defeated Nigeria 4-1 in the first leg of their 2020 African Nations Championship (CHAN) final qualifying round fixture on Sept. 22 in Lome.

Both teams will clash for a third time in recent weeks on Oct. 19 in Nigeria, to decide who will feature in next year’s CHAN in Cameroon.(NAN)

Our Reporter

Rev. Dealyn George, the Regional Overseer, Abuja Regional Headquarters of the Apostolic Faith Church, has urged the Federal Government to provide more jobs for youths in the country.

George told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Sunday in Abuja that the problems of the country woud be drastically reduced if the youths are taken care of.

“The government needs to take the youths away from the streets because many are on the streets causing trouble.

“They (government) need to provide jobs for the youths in the country. We don’t need to allow our children to continue to troop abroad to do dirty jobs that they cannot do here in the country,” he said.

The cleric also advocated for good governance across the country in order to totally eliminate a state of insecurity.

“We cannot continue the way we have been going. God will help us to do the right thing, so that the country will be safe from all manners of iniquities, banditry and armed robbery.

“A 59-year-old man should be able to take care of himself. So, we need the country to sign up to Jesus to be saved,” he said.

George said while the country as a whole needs to sign up for God, it was more important for the youths who are the nation’s future.

“If the youths can sign up for Jesus, there will be less problems in the country and when they are occupied serving God they will be totally safe from all calamities.

“It is godliness and righteousness that preserve the nation. Sin is a reproach and anybody who practises sin is a reproach to himself.

“The government and the church have a great role and part to play to keep the youths in the ways of the Lord.

“Any youth who sins brings shame and reproach to his family. They (youths) need to be closer to God. We need to get the youths involved in serving God,” he said.

The church leader said Nigeria needs to sign up to be saved as it celebrates 59 years of Independence.

“The country needs to sit up and get more matured at 59 years.”

The church’s 2019 regional youths concert was held at the church’s headquarters.

It has the theme “Sign me up”, taken from the bible, in Revelation, chapter 21 verse 27.

Speaking at the event, Idowu Noah, the District Youths Head, said the church’s youths gathered since Friday for the retreat.

“Today (Sunday) is the climax which ended with the orchestra concert.”

He added that the event was to celebrate the 59th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence.

“Nigeria is growing, expanding and approaching 60 years, and Nigeria should grow higher and move to the next level.

“The issues of banditry and kidnapping are a result of unemployment. But, if we come together to worship and serve God with all our minds, all of these evils will be resolved,” he said.

Michael Adenuga, a six-year-old violist, said he was happy to celebrate God with his instrument.

“I love to play my instrument to glorify God.

“The word of God gives me joy, and I want Nigeria to be free from all manners of evil, I want everyone to serve God diligently,” he said.(NAN)

On a subconscious level, the body do speak its own language. Now, the body among other things do speak the language of affection.

Sometimes he leans towards you while watching a movie, he holds your hand while walking, he’s really nervous when you both have a conversation_ These are body language signs that subtly send the message of his affection for you.

Below are the top body language signs that indicate he likes you:

1. Smiles at you

When you walk towards him, does he smiles at you and welcome you with all his love? If you notice a guy smiling at you, it’s a pretty good indication he likes you. It’s natural to smile at someone you like, but how do you know if it means something more? Try to notice how often he smiles at you. If he seems to smile at you a lot more than would seem normal, he probably likes you.

2. Stands close to you

If you feel as though a guy is getting too close for comfort to your personal space, this could be a major sign that he likes you. If a guy is always walking near you, sitting next to you, or just seems to pop up wherever you are, those are all good signs that he is interested and trying to find opportunities to get closer to you. Take note of the distance between you when he’s around. If he’s a little bit closer than he should be, he probably likes you. If you move in a little and he doesn’t step back, it means he’s receptive. If he responds by getting even closer, you can be pretty certain he really likes you.

3. Stands tall

Do you find him more masculine than ever? It’s probably because he’s into you. When a guy likes you, he may subconsciously stand up taller, push his chest out, and tuck his stomach in to impress you and appear more masculine. If a guy is slouching and suddenly stands up taller when he sees you, this could indicate he’s subconsciously trying to impress you.

4. Mimics your body language

People tend to subconsciously mirror the actions of those they are close to if they are listening to one another intensely. If a guy mimics your body language, this could be strong indication of his interest because it means that you’re the only one on his mind. Try leaning forward, touching your hair, taking a sip of your drink, or resting your chin on your hand. If a guy likes you, he might start copying your gestures without even realising he’s doing it.

5. Makes prolonged eye contact

If a guy makes eye contact with you and it feels prolonged, even just a fraction of a second longer than would seem normal, he is most likely interested in you. Have you ever caught a guy staring at you, and he suddenly turns away? If you catch him once, it could be a mere coincidence. But if it happens more than once, chances are he likes you. Provided you aren’t doing or wearing something absurd or have food on your face, he’s probably into you.

6. Behaves awkward near you

If a guy acts nervous, blushes, gets flustered, or is just awkward around you, he probably likes you. He’s most likely nervous about making a good impression. If he laughs at your jokes, even when they aren’t that funny, it’s a good sign he likes you. If a guy tends to show off a lot around you, he probably likes you and is just trying to get your attention. Let’s say a guy tells a joke or does something funny in a group and everyone around starts laughing. If he looks at you first to see your reaction, it’s a sign he likes you because he wants to make sure you noticed and laughed too.

7. Changes behaviour when near you

If a guy’s behaviour changes the minute he sees you, it could be a sign he likes you and is trying to impress you. If he’s in a group and he’s laughing or acting rowdy, he might instantly quieten down when he notices you. Or he might have been quiet before but suddenly gets louder and tries to become the centre of attention to impress you.

8. Protective much?

If a guy likes you, he may start to act protective of you. He might give you his jacket if you’re cold. Or if you are walking through a crowded place, he might position himself in front of you to push away the crowd. Watch how a guy acts around his friends or other girls. If he treats you differently, that could be a sign he likes you.

9. Acts jealous

If a guy is keeping an eye on you and looks jealous or annoyed when you’re talking to another guy, he probably likes you. He might try to look like he’s not paying attention, but he’ll keep tabs on you to see if you’re interested in the other guy. He might even sigh or walk away. He might even give you the impression that the guy you’re speaking to is not a good person to hang around.

10. Takes the one last look

When you’ve been talking to a guy, and he’s about to leave, but then stays one second longer than he had to, it’s a sign he likes you. That one second longer was a moment of hesitation where he was trying to decide if he should ask for your number or ask you out. If a guy makes eye contact with you just before leaving the room, even though he’s busy talking to someone else, he probably likes you and wanted to get one last look at you. He was probably hoping you were looking at him too so he could lock eyes with you one more time.

By Joseph ETTA

Transporters and motorist operators in Calabar are bleeding under heavy levies and taxes. They decried the extortion by Local Government officials and other government agencies.

When Daybreak with the cross section of the operators, they said “the money we pay for ticket is too high, every day we pay N550.00 to these officials scattered around the town.”

According to their spoke person, Samuel Emmanuel opined that, “that would not have been a problem but for the extortion of money from other agencies such as FRSC, VIO, State traffic, DOPT and the Police” Every day this people are on the way extorting money from us “this really affects our take home income.” It’s as if we are working for them”

He disclosed that for motorist to operate on the street of Calabar, private cars register with N36,000 and still buys ticket of N550 daily, while painted taxis register with N14,000 and as well buy a ticket of N400 daily.

Woes betide you if you don’t renew your registration at the beginning of each year, as renewal of vehicles both private and painted taxis are done on a yearly basis.

He noted that the governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade created so many avenues called “Revenue Points” to extort money from the public, this so called “Revenue Points” are ways of compensating political thugs.

Emmanuel who is also an official of NURTW, Etim Edem branch in Calabar South added that most of the frontlines politicians leading Legislators of PDP extract in the State House of Assembly, one of the House of Representative Member representing Calabar South in the lower chambers and other PDP Big wigs have revenue points in motor parks and major round junction and Jetty beaches scattered around Calabar and Its environs.

When asked by Daybreak, if the revenue accruing from these revenue points actually gets to government coffers. He said “emphatically No.”

The revenue goes to their private pockets.

It is used as “Settlement” to party stalwarts and committed members they used during election, to rigged election for them. That is their reward. He sdded.