Tag: Delta Govt

  • Delta Govt Approves Reopening Of Schools

    Delta Govt Approves Reopening Of Schools

    The Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa has approved the reopening of primary and secondary schools in the state for the completion of the 2019/2020 academic session and the start of the 2020/2021 academic year.

    A statement signed by the State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Patrick Ukah, on Wednesday stated that JSS 1 and JSS2 students and their counterparts in SS 1 and SS 2 will resume on Monday, September 28, 2020, to enable them to commence their 2nd term examinations which will be concluded on October 9.

    The Commissioner said primaries 4 and 5 pupils will resume on October 5 in order for them to write their 2nd term examinations which will also be concluded on October 9.

    The statement further stressed that the 2nd term examinations will be waived for pupils in primaries 1- 3, while boarding students will resume on Sunday, September 27.

    Mr. Ukah said that the resumption date for the 1st term 2020/2021 academic session for all pupils and students in primary and secondary schools is on Monday, October 12 and will terminate on December 18, 2020, while the date for the resumption for 2nd term is January 4, 2021, and will end on March 31, 2021.

    According to the Education Commissioner, 3rd term will commence from April 12 and end on August 13, 2021. The long duration for the term is to give sufficient time to cover rolled over content from the last session, inter-house sports, and mid-term break which are not applicable to other terms.

    He added that the resumption for all nursery/pre-primary KG 1 to 3 pupils have been deferred to January 2021 and advised parents and guardians to avail themselves of the resumption dates to prepare their children and wards.

  • Covid -19: Delta Govt. extends lockdown till Thursday

    Covid -19: Delta Govt. extends lockdown till Thursday

    The Delta Government has extended by two days, the current total lockdown in the state, saying it will now end on Thursday.

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa in a statewide broadcast on Tuesday in Asaba, also announced that the ban on movement within the state will be partially lifted same Thursday.

    He, however, said conferences, sporting activities, gathering of people in conventions, event centres, public and open spaces as well as recreational, cultural and communal activities remained banned until May 31.

    Our correspondent recalls that Okowa had on April 1 announced the first 14 days of lockdown in the state which he further extended by another two weeks, expected to end on Tuesday.

    The governor noted that the period of the lockdown had enabled the state government to check the spread of the pandemic, adding that it was a worthwhile sacrifice by all to put it under control.

    Okowa said: “We have every reason to believe that the lockdown has helped to limit the spread of the virus in our state.

    “As at today, six cases of COVID-19 have been incidented; five of the patients are doing well in our case management centres.

    “Sadly, we lost one of them who presented himself late to the medical authorities; his test report which turned out to be positive was received after his unfortunate demise.

    “The period of the lockdown, while enabling us to break the chain of transmission, also gave us the leeway to easily trace, identify, isolate and test contacts of infected persons.

    “As at today, we have a low virus spread in the state and our health system can be said to be in a state of readiness with the health staff fully committed and motivated to discharge their responsibilities.

    “In view of the foregoing, it has become necessary to partially lift the ban on movement within the state effective Thursday, April 30, 2020.

    “This is to enable our people to engage in economic and business activities between the hours of 6 a.m and 7 p.m.”

    According to him, burials and weddings will be allowed but the social distancing rule of six feet must be applied with the number of guests and persons not exceeding 50.

    “Our schools (public and private), entertainment centres, including cinemas, bars and night clubs remain closed until Sunday, May 31.

    “Restaurants, canteens, beer parlours are to operate on take-away basis while hotels will be allowed to open (with in-room dining) but their restaurants, bars and night clubs remain closed till further notice.”

    He said that transport services – tricycles, taxis and buses – would be allowed to operate with limited number of passengers.

    “Our airports remain closed to passenger traffic till further notice.

    “I shall be meeting with our religious leaders on Thursday to chart the way forward for our places of worship.

    “However, all crusades and conventions remain banned till further notice,” Okowa said.

    The governor said only workers on salary grade levels 12 and above in the state should resume work on Thursday.

    “Workers with co-morbidities identified by the Ministry of Health or its agencies can work from home.

    “However, workplace protocols should be in place for disease surveillance and prevention, including screening, use of face masks and social distancing.

    “Let me reiterate that security agencies have been advised to ensure strict compliance with the above directives. Violators will be prosecuted, without fear or favour,” he added.

    Okowa said that the state government would commence the distribution of one million cloth face masks to the residents and its use in public places had become mandatory.

    The governor urged the people to stay indoors, observe all the rules to remain healthy, pray always as well as strengthen family ties.

  • COVID-19: NPDC donates medical equipment to Delta Govt.

    COVID-19: NPDC donates medical equipment to Delta Govt.

    The Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of the NNPC, has donated personal protective and medical equipment worth millions of naira to the Delta Government.

    The donation of the items by the subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Tuesday in Asaba, was in support of Delta government’s response activities against COVID-19 pandemic.

    The items included, five cartons of face masks, 50 parks (5,000 pieces) of hand gloves and 300 tubes of disinfective wipes.

    Others are 166 cartons of hand sanitisers, 83 cartons of hand wash and 100 sets of personal protective equipment, among others.

    The Managing Director, NPDC, Mansur Sambo, represented by Mr Dahiru Abubakar, Manager, Community Relations, NPDC, presented the items to the state government.

    Sambo said the gesture was part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibilities to states where NPDC operated.

    “We are here to make presentation of personal protective and medical equipment to the Delta state government.

    “The items are essentially for the doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who are at the forefront in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in not just Delta but Nigeria in general .

    “The presentation is made in view of NPDC understanding of the prevalent problem the world is facing in trying to eliminate the spread of COVID-19.

    “We are making the donation in view of the fact that doctors and nurses are the first to handle patients which make them the most vulnerable.

    “The contributions of medical professionals are enormous and we must do whatever we can to support and appreciate them,” Sambo said.

    According to him, it is in view of their contribution to the wellbeing of humanity and the fight against COVID-19 that the company thought it wise to make the donation.

    Dr Mordi Ononye, the Delta Commissioner for Health who received the items at the Asaba General Hospital on behalf of the state government, thanked NPDC for the gesture.

    Ononye said, “On behalf of the Delta state Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, we accept with thanksgiving, the trucks loaded with medical supplies for our medical professionals in the state.

    “It shows that NPDC is socially responsive. Obviously the doctors and nurses are at the forefront putting their lives at risk in trying to save others.

    “As at the end of yesterday we still had not recorded any case in Delta state. All the tests conducted have come back negative, but we are stepping up surveillance activities.

    “But if we do record any, the truck load of materials you just brought will be helpful to ensure that we do not record any mortality, he said.

  • Lockdown: Activist tasks Delta Govt on monitoring  of food distribution

    Lockdown: Activist tasks Delta Govt on monitoring of food distribution

    Mr Sheriff Mulade, National Coordinator, Center for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ) has appealed to Delta Government to monitor the distribution of food items meant for the people in the state.
    Mulade said this in a statement on Tuesday in Warri.
    The state government had constituted a Food Bank Committee chaired by Gov.Ifeanyi Okowa to cushion the effect of the current lockdown on the people.
    The activist who hailed the governor on the development said it would help to ameliorate the hardship being faced by the people.
    “I want to appealed to Okowa to personally monitor the distribution of the food items so as to reach the vulnerable and poor households devoid of party interest.
    “Also, I want to implore the people of the state to give maximum support and cooperation to the committee to enable it to deliver on its mandate.
    “People are passing through untold hardship as a result of the Coronavirus across the globe so the food bank is a welcome development,” he said.
    Mulade also appealed to the the governor to involve traditional rulers in the process of sharing noting that they were closer to their subjects.
    “I want to appeal to the Okowa to involve our royal fathers who are more closer to their people than political structures.
    “This strategy will help give credibility to the government in the process of reaching out to its grassroot and the communities can collect their legitimate shares,” he said.