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“What affects one affects the other” emir of lafia laments
By Abel Leonard,lafia
Emir of Lafia Justice Sidi Mohammed Bage (rtd) says Benue and Nasarawa are good brothers and neighbours, with great affections for each other adding that what affects one affects the other.
According to reports, the Emir of Lafia stated this when he paid a condolence visit to Governor Samuel Ortom over the death of two Benue second class traditional rulers, Chief Ivoko Unnongo and Chief Sule Abenga, wife of Tor Lobi, Mrs. Christy Anagende, elder statesman, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav and younger sister of the governor, Miss Doose Ortom.
He said both states share good and bad times together, mentioning the both states are neighbours, friends and good brothers.
“We are here to pass our sincere condolences to you and the people of the state over the loss.
“One of your traditional rulers in recent event, when we were together, had advocated for a closer relationship among traditional rulers in Benue and Nasarawa states.
“His death to us came as a rude shock as he was in the front in working for peace of his people and neighbours. He was a good man and a good ruler of his people and a father,” he said.
On his part, governor of Benue State Samuel Ortom commended his Nasarawa state colleague Abdullahi Sule, and the emir for the effort they are making to bring peace between the both states.
He said that Sule had always shown the spirit of brotherliness at several level saying he is a man of his words.
June 18, 2020
NCDC records 587 new COVID-19 cases, total Infections rise to 17, 735
The Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC), has recorded 587 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of infections in the country to 17, 735.
The NCDC announced this on Wednesday through its official Twitter handle.
It said that as at June 17, the 587 new confirmed cases were from 18 states and 14 deaths recorded.
There was a drop in the number of deaths reported on Wednesday, compared to the 31 deaths reported on Tuesday
The Nigeria Publicity Health Institute said that no new state had reported a case in the last 24 hours.
The NCDC said that Lagos reported the highest number of cases with 155 new cases, while Edo was second with 75 new infections.
Others were FCT–67, Rivers–65, Oyo–56, Delta–50, Bayelsa–25, Plateau–18, Kaduna–18, Enugu-17, Borno–12, Ogun–12, Ondo–7, Kwara–4, Kano–2, Gombe–2, Sokoto–1 and Kebbi-1.
The NCDC said that till date, 17, 735 cases had been confirmed, 11,229 active cases, 5,967 cases had been treated and discharged, 103,799 samples had been collected, and 469 deaths had been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
NCDC had announced the inclusion of four new laboratories in the COVID-19 Molecular Lab Network.
The NCDC stated that there were currently 38 laboratories in Nigeria with the capacity to test for COVID-19.
It, however, disclosed that in progress: were Gombe and Ondo states.
The agency said it has the capacity to test daily for 10,000 persons across the country.
The Nigeria Public Health institute tests about 2, 000 people daily as the laboratories are working at about 20 per cent capacity at the moment.
The agency, however, called on state governments to bring samples for testing .
It said it had continued with the stockpiling of medical and testing supplies to states and tertiary health facilities across the country.
“The commodities will be used to strengthen testing capacity and the management of COVID-19 cases in laboratories and isolation centres across the country,” It said. (NAN)
June 18, 2020
Rape: Make decent dressing lIfestyle: Clerics urge Nigerians
A Catholic cleric, Rev. Fr. Anthony Afariogun, has called for decent dressing by both genders as a strategy to reduce rape and defilement in Nigeria.
Afariogun, Chaplain, Our Lady Queen of Peace, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday following incessant rape and defilement case.
He said that it was necessary for mothers to ensure that their children would make decent dressing a lifestyle.
According to the cleric, home is the first place where a child receives moral training.
“Mothers are the first teachers and must train, discipline and bring up children very well, encouraging them to dress decently to avoid exposing themselves to danger – rape.
“Sexual molestation is getting too much and happening to both girls and boys.
“Sometimes, revealing dressing that exposes sensitive parts gives them away to the perpetrators.
“The Bible advises us in the book of Proverbs to train a child in the way he should go so that when he is old, he will not depart from it,” he said.
According to him, some people commit rape in order to feel big or get promotion in a cult, and they can go the extra mile to kill their victims to cover up the track.
The cleric added that some men would lack self control after seeing any sensitive part of a woman or even girl.
‘”I give awards every month to girls who dress well in my parish to encourage them to be modest.“
He called on religious organisations to emphasise decent dressing and condemn rape through preachings, youth programmes and seminars.
“Schools should play major roles in fighting rape. Sex education and penalty for rapists should be in school curriculum,” he told NAN.
Rev. Fr Pascal Ekechiegwu of the Saint Luke’s Catholic church, Awgu, Enugu, advised parents to promote effective communication with their children to enable the children to relate experiences to them.
“Parents should create a friendly relationship so that their children can let them know their challenges including threats from rapists.
On the penalty for rapists, Ekechiegwu said that imprisonments rather than death sentence should be encouraged to give offenders an opportunity repent.
NAN reports that rape is punished in Nigeria with up to life imprisonment.
(NAN)
June 18, 2020
Sokoto Collaborates With Police On Community Policing
By Muhammad Ibrahim,Sokoto
Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state has reiterated that his administration will work closely with the Nigerian Police to ensure success of the community policing committee on ground in the state.
Gov. Tambuwal who inaugurated the state’s Community Policing advisory committee a couple of weeks ago, told a high-powered delegation of President Muhammad Buhari which came to condole the people and government of the state on the recent killings in the state by bandits in the South-Eastern flank of the state, that his administration will “collaborate with the Inspector General of Police for it’s success.”
He assured the delegation led by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Babagana Monguno, that “we here in Sokoto are ready and fully prepared to give our 100 per cent support for this mission to succeed in order to restore normalcy and peace.”
He said there is already synergy among all the security services working in Sokoto
June 18, 2020
SHARE KNOWLEDGE FROM RESEARCH, SCIENCE TO FIGHT COVID-19, PRESIDENT BUHARI URGES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday in Abuja urged the international community to support collaborations and initiatives aimed at sharing knowledge from research and science to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The President spoke at a virtual Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against the COVID-19 co-hosted by the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
President Buhari told the summit, co-hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President and AU Chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa, and Senegal President and co-chair of FOCAC Macky Sall, that Nigeria would support and join any joint and collective action plan at regional and global levels to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout.
”As we face a common pervasive and invisible enemy, it is important that we all remain united to save our shared humanity, because this virus knows no borders.
”The fight against a global pandemic that continues to take so many lives, threaten livelihoods and challenging the very fabric of societies, requires enhanced cooperation and worldwide solidarity.
”I seize this opportunity to reiterate the need for this Summit to put humanity at the centre of our vision for common prosperity.
”We must learn lessons and share knowledge from research, as we develop more creative, responsive and humane health systems, improve crisis management protocols and support each other in the battle against COVID-19,’’ he said.
The Nigerian leader also used the occasion to commend the Chinese government, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the World Health Organization for the respective actions and measures to help developing and middle-income countries in Africa to tackle the pandemic.
On the UN, the President praised the Secretary-General, for launching COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund for low and middle-income countries to tackle the health emergency, address social and economic consequences of the crisis and, strengthen the recovery efforts of most vulnerable countries.
The leadership of the global health body, WHO, was commended for its advice that enabled Nigeria take measures and enlighten its people on steps to avoid contracting and spreading the virus.
Similarly, President Buhari acknowledged that Chinese support had tremendously strengthened Nigeria’s effort in combating COVID-19, adding that President Xi’s strong support has further demonstrated the spirit of solidarity and enhanced the bond of partnership that already exist among FOCAC Member-States.
President Buhari also provided an update on what his administration has done since the tragedy of the global pandemic hit the country.
”From the outset of the pandemic, we in Nigeria instituted strong surveillance and infection prevention as well as control measures and made provisions to strengthen our testing capacities.
”Several well-equipped treatment and isolation centers were set up across the country to increase bed capacity.
”In the spirit of international collaboration, medical experts in Nigeria participated by video link in learning and experience-sharing exercises organized by experts from various countries, including China”.
Furthermore, the President said the Nigerian Government had trained several thousand healthcare workers, provided Personal Protective Equipment to ensure the safety of frontline workers, and offered incentives for their motivation.
With regard to restrictions in movements occasioned by the need to contain the spread of the disease, he said the Federal Government created the enabling environment for farmers to safely plant and harvest during this rainy season in order to ensure that food security was not compromised.
”In addition, we took steps for prompt transportation of agricultural products and food items from rural production areas to the consumers and to industrial processing zones.
”We have also developed practical policies to protect lives and livelihoods at the same time and to ensure our economy continues to function as we maintain an aggressive response to the pandemic,” he said.
In his remarks, the Chinese President said the summit was convened to discuss joint response to COVID-19 and renew fraternity with Africa.
He said the world must mobilise resources and do whatever it takes to protect lives, adding that China will do whatever it can to support procurement of supplies, sending medical experts, and in other diverse ways.
Noting that China and Africa account for nearly one-third of the global population, President Xi pledged to step up support for Africa, adding that China will provide 2billion USD over two years to support the work of WHO in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
June 17, 2020
Buhari joins Xi to call for global collaboration in fight against COIVID-19
By Samuel Itsede
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abuja urged the international community to support collaborations and initiatives aimed at sharing knowledge from research and science to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The president made the call at a virtual Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against the COVID-19 co-hosted by the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
The summit was co-hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping; South African President and AU Chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa as well as Senegal President and co-chair of FOCAC Macky Sall.
The Nigerian leader told the summit that Nigeria would support and join any joint and collective action plan at regional and global levels to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and its fallout.
”As we face a common pervasive and invisible enemy, it is important that we all remain united to save our shared humanity because this virus knows no borders.
”The fight against a global pandemic that continues to take so many lives, threaten livelihoods and challenging the very fabric of societies, requires enhanced cooperation and worldwide solidarity.
”I seize this opportunity to reiterate the need for this Summit to put humanity at the centre of our vision for common prosperity.
”We must learn lessons and share knowledge from research, as we develop more creative, responsive and humane health systems, improve crisis management protocols and support each other in the battle against COVID-19,’’ he said.
The President commended the Chinese government, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the World Health Organization for the respective actions and measures to help developing and middle-income countries in Africa to tackle the pandemic.
On the UN, the President praised the Secretary-General, for launching COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund for low and middle-income countries to tackle the health emergency, address social and economic consequences of the crisis and, strengthen the recovery efforts of most vulnerable countries.
The leadership of the global health body, WHO, was commended for its advice that enabled Nigeria to take measures and enlighten its people on steps to avoid contracting and spreading the virus.
Similarly, President Buhari acknowledged that Chinese support had tremendously strengthened Nigeria’s effort in combating COVID-19.
According to him, President Xi’s strong support has further demonstrated the spirit of solidarity and enhanced the bond of partnership that already exists among FOCAC Member-States.
President Buhari also provided an update on what his administration had done since the tragedy of the global pandemic hit the country.
He said: ‘`From the outset of the pandemic, we in Nigeria instituted strong surveillance and infection prevention as well as control measures and made provisions to strengthen our testing capacities.
”Several well-equipped treatment and isolation centres were set up across the country to increase bed capacity.
”In the spirit of international collaboration, medical experts in Nigeria participated by video link in learning and experience-sharing exercises organized by experts from various countries, including China.”
The President said the Nigerian Government had trained several thousand healthcare workers, provided Personal Protective Equipment to ensure the safety of frontline workers, and offered incentives for their motivation.
On restrictions in movements occasioned by the need to contain the spread of the disease, Buhari said the Federal Government created the enabling environment for farmers to safely plant and harvest during this rainy season in order to ensure that food security was not compromised.
”In addition, we took steps for prompt transportation of agricultural products and food items from rural production areas to the consumers and to industrial processing zones.
”We have also developed practical policies to protect lives and livelihoods at the same time and to ensure our economy continues to function as we maintain an aggressive response to the pandemic,” he said.
In his remarks, the Chinese President said the summit was convened to discuss a joint response to COVID-19 and renew fraternity with Africa.
He said the world must mobilise resources and do whatever it takes to protect lives, adding that China would do whatever it can to support procurement of supplies, sending medical experts, and in other diverse ways.
While noting that China and Africa account for nearly one-third of the global population, President Xi pledged to step up support for Africa.
He revealed that China would provide two billion dollars over two years to support the work of WHO in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.(NAN)
June 17, 2020
China to cancel debt of African countries says Xi
By Samuel Itsede
Chinese President, Xi Jinping has announced plans to cancel the debt of African countries as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Chinese president made this pledge Wednesday during an extraordinary China-Africa Summit on solidarity against COVUD-19.
The summit which was jointly proposed by China; South Africa, the rotating chair of the African Union (AU); and Senegal, co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was held through video conference. Participating were African leaders, members of AU assembly. The Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Director-General of the World Health Organization acting as special guests.
President Xi in his keynote address noted that China remains committed to enhancing China-Africa cooperation and was willing to cushion the impact of COVID-19 on African countries, through proactive measures that include debt cancellation and enhancing Africa’s disease response capability.
On debt cancellation, President Xi said China will cancel the debt of “relevant African countries in the form of interest-free government loans that are due to mature by the end of 2020”.
The gesture he said would be carried out through the FOCAC framework and would be extended to African countries hardest hit by the coronavirus and under heavy financial stress.
President Xi also assured that China will direct its financial institutions and work with other G20 nations on the suspension of debt payment by African countries.
“China will work with the global community to give them greater support, by such means as further extending the period of debt suspension, to help them tide over the current difficulty. We encourage Chinese financial institutions to respond to the G20’s Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) and to hold friendly consultations with African countries according to market principles to work out arrangements for commercial loans with sovereign guarantees.” He said.
Speaking on the continent’s state of preparedness for disease control, Xi stated that China would work with African countries to work ahead of schedule and speed up the completion of the Africa CDC headquarters this year. “China will work with Africa to fully deliver the health care initiative adopted at the FOCAC Beijing Summit, and speed up the construction of China-Africa Friendship Hospitals and the cooperation between paired-up Chinese and African hospitals”. He said.
He also assured that once the development and deployment of COVID-19 vaccine were completed in China, African countries will be among the first to benefit.
He pledged China’s determination to continue to deepen its relationship with African countries in the face of COVID-19.
“Let me reaffirm China’s commitment to its longstanding friendship with Africa. No matter how the international landscape may evolve, China shall never waver in its determination to pursue greater solidarity and cooperation with Africa”.
Xi also pledged to help Africa achieve sustainable development within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area and to enhance connectivity and strengthen industrial and supply chains. “China will explore broader cooperation with Africa in such new business forms as digital economy, smart city, clean energy, and 5G to boost Africa’s development and revitalization”.
The Chinese leader also called for the sustenance of multilateralism and global solidarity in the face of COVID-19 noting that “solidarity and cooperation is our most powerful weapon”. He reaffirmed China’s commitment to work with Africa to uphold the UN-centered global governance system and support WHO in making a greater contribution to the global COVID-19 response. “We oppose politicization and stigmatization of COVID-19, and we oppose racial discrimination and ideological bias. We stand firm for equity and justice in the world”. He said.
June 17, 2020
Edo State Assembly complex shut down for 14 days
The Edo State House of Assembly has been shut down for 14 days for fumigation of the complex.
In a statement, Acting Director, Administration and Supplies, Stephen U. Guobadia, on behalf of the Clerk of the House, said the leadership of the State Assembly directed all management staff to remain at home for 14 days until after the exercise.
He said, ”I’m directed to inform all staff of Edo State House of Assembly that the Leadership of the House has instructed that all Management Staff remain at home for 14 days from Tuesday, 16th June, 2020.
”This is as a result of the fumigation exercise to be carried out in the Assembly Complex at three (3) different times”
‘All Management Staff are advised to leave their phones open in case of further information’.
June 17, 2020
BREAKING: Popular radio presenter, Dan Foster is dead
Popular radio presenter, Daniel ‘Dan’ Foster is dead.
A source told Daybreak that the American passed away after battling with complications linked with COVID-19.
Foster arrived in Nigeria in 2000 and quickly became a favourite when he joined Cool FM in Lagos.
Popularly known as The Big Dawg, he also worked with Inspiration FM and City FM.
As at the time of his death, Foster was with Classic FM.
Some of his former and current colleagues have taken to Twitter to express their sadness.
“Man, rest in peace, Dan. From growing up listening to you to being your co-host on a morning show for a while. Thank you Dan, for teaching, mentoring, inspiring and guiding me. For always fighting for me when you could. The Big Dog forever,” Kemi Smallz wrote.
Oladotun Ojuolape Kayode, simply known as Dotun tweeted: “Oh Dan Foster… you gave me the strength to do this and even more. This is really painful.”
June 17, 2020
BREAKING: Two children die as building collapses in Lagos
Two yet-to-be-identified children lost their lives on Wednesday after being trapped beneath the rubble of a storey-building which collapsed in the Gafari Balogun area of Ogudu, Lagos State.
Confirming the incident, the Director-General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the building collapsed due to mudslide resulting from a downpour.
He stated that the victims were children, adding that their corpses had been recovered.
He said, “The LASEMA Response Team received a distress call at 12.40 pm about the collapse of a one-storey building at the Gafari Balogun Street in Ogudu.
“On arrival at the scene, the agency’s responders observed that the building collapsed as a result of a mudslide at the rear of the building which was caused by heavy rainfall.
“The agents were informed that two children, one male, and one female were trapped and immediately commenced a search and rescue operation. Unfortunately, they were found dead and their remains had been transported to the mortuary.
“Integrity testing will be carried out on the remainder of the building which has now been cordoned off.”
June 17, 2020