FCT, Ogun go tough on lockdown [Nation]
- Warn non-domiciled workers to stay away
- Lagos rolls out guidelines for transporters, commuters as lockdown is relaxed
The authorities of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Saturday warned workers not-domiciled in the city to keep away during the total lockdown taking off tomorrow.
The Ogun State government issued a similar warning to residents working outside the state.
Both the FCTA and the Ogun State government are setting up mobile courts to try violators of the restriction and the curfew, although Governor Dapo Abiodun said the usual relaxation window given to the people to conduct business activities and restock food items, would come up Monday May 4, Wednesday May 6 and Friday May 8 between 7 o’clock in the morning and 5 in the evening.
The Lagos State government announced new guidelines for transporters to check community spread of COVID-19 virus.
Transportation Commissioner Frederic Oladeinde said that effective from tomorrow, all commercial and commuter operations within Lagos shall run only from 6a.m to 7p.m daily.
All commuters are required to wear nose covers, wash their hands with soap under running water and, thereafter, use alcohol-based sanitisers before and after each trip.
In rolling out the Abuja regulations FCT Minister Muhammad Bello said that security agencies had been mandated to arrest and prosecute, through the mobile courts, anyone found contravening the guidelines.
He said the FCTA would vigorously enforce 8:00pm to 6:00 am curfew to prevent importation of COVID-19 into the Territory and to enforce the ban on interstate travel.
He asked all workers who reside outside the FCT to remain wherever they reside until the ban on interstate travel is lifted.
He said all civil servants in the FCT on Grade level 14 and above are to report for work three times a week – Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between the hours of 8am and 2pm.
All workers are to maintain safe distancing protocols of at least two meters and wear face masks at all times while temperature checks and hand sanitizing protocols are to be strictly adhered to at all entry points and access to offices tightly controlled.
Markets are to operate only on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 8:00am and 3:00pm although neighbourhood selling points will be established in various parts of the city to decongest the major markets
Wearing of face mask is mandatory to gain access to markets in addition to hand washing and sanitizing protocols.
He added: “Hygiene related protocols are also applicable to supermarkets and neighborhood markets.
“Banks are to open between the hours of 8:00am and 2:00pm and are to observe temperature checks, hand sanitizing protocols as well as the use of face masks for staff and customers
“Banks are to limit access by customers to allow for safe distancing reasons and limit the number of staff working on their premises to between 30% and 50%.
“Restaurants are not open to the public and are encouraged to adopt home delivery services. Similarly, eateries are to practice the take-away system and are to maintain all hand sanitizing, face covering and safe distancing protocols
“Pharmacies may remain open overnight and are to observe all other protocols as enunciated above.
“Companies involved in food processing, drug manufacturing and construction can commence operation, subject to following the approved health and safety guidelines
“Operators of these facilities are mandated to refuse access to anyone not observing the hygiene protocols.”
All places of worship are to remain closed as are recreational areas/facilities such as clubs, bars, gardens, beer parlors, recreational parks, communal sports facilities, movie theatres.
The ban on social congregations such as parties, weddings, among other remain in force.
Commercial motorcycles are prohibited within the FCT including Kubwa and Dutse Alhaji
Tricycles are to limit their activities to areas already designated and are allowed a maximum of three persons (driver and two passengers).
Taxis are mandated to carry a maximum of four persons at a time (driver and three persons).
Buses are to reduce occupancy at any time to 50% of installed capacity.
We’ll be strict in Ogun, says Abiodun
Governor Dapo Abiodun said on Facebook yesterday that: “There is a total ban on interstate travel (outside Ogun). If you work in Lagos or any other state but you live in Ogun State, you are not allowed to go to Lagos or any other state and return to Ogun.
“All schools remain closed, while students will continue with their DigiClass.
“All essential service personnel will continue to work despite the lockdown.
“All public religious gatherings remain banned. All pubs, clubs, stadia, public pools, spas, gyms, salons, etc. and all assemblies of more than 15 people remain banned. Restaurants may open on the approved days for take-out meals only.
“Burials and naming ceremonies are allowed but there must not be more than 15 people including the officiating ministers.”
He had earlier on Friday night told reporters that mobile courts would be established to prosecute violators of the restrictions and curfew.
Abiodun said those found guilty would be made to pay fines, perform community service, or both.
He appealed to transport operators to cooperate with government by carrying 50 percent of their capacity, saying drivers as well as their passengers must always use and be encouraged to use their face mask and warning that failure to do these, would lead to the confiscation of the vehicle or motorcycle.
The Governor also reiterated that the usual relaxation window given to the people to conduct business activities and restock food items, would come up Monday May 4, Wednesday May 6 and Friday May 8 respectively, beginning from 7 o’clock in the morning till 5 in the evening.
“Transporters are permitted to carry a maximum of half their capacity. Taxis are to carry three passengers with the driver, 14 seater buses are to carry seven passengers, tricycles two passengers and Okada one passenger each, with the rider. The drivers should wear face masks and encourage their passengers to do same, failure will lead to the confiscation if he vehicle or motorcycle,” the Governor said.
Commercial transportation restricted to 6am to 7pm in Lagos
Transportation Commissioner Frederic Oladeinde told reporters that effective from tomorrow all commercial and commuter operations within Lagos shall run only between 6a.m and 7p.m daily.
It is mandatory for all commuters to wear nose covers, wash their hands with soap under running water and, thereafter, use alcohol-based sanitisers before and after each trip.
All inter-state operations and movements are banned.
Also banned is the operation of motorcycles for commercial purpose in any part of the state.
Oladeinde asked all transport operators and companies to compulsorily and regularly disinfect their vehicles, parks and garages and collaborate with the State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources on the standard of disinfectants approved by the state government for use.
All commercial passenger vehicles, he said, must not exceed 60% of their capacity while physical distancing rule must be obeyed both at the parks and in the buses, maintaining that Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Lagos Bus Services Ltd (LBSL) must not convey more than 21 passengers, must not permit standing in their buses and should keep the air-conditioning systems switched off always.
“In the same vein, yellow buses, popularly called ‘Danfo’, must not carry more than eight passengers (two on a row), tricycles are to carry just two passengers at the back, while private car owners must also observe the physical distancing,” Oladeinde stated.
Don’t carry passengers without face masks, MC Oluomo warns drivers
The Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos State Council, Alhaja Musiliu Akinsanya (aka MC Oluomo), in a statement directed drivers in the state not to allow passengers without face mask board their vehicles.
He said the union has set up a Task Force Unit to arrest any driver/union member that violates or go against the guidelines.
According to him, only motor park chairmen and park attendants are allowed to resume at their respective motor parks.
This, he said, was aimed at reducing crowd at the motor parks.
The NURTW boss said operational time for commercial buses is between 8am and 7pm, warning that no excuse will be entertained from any driver caught operating after this time.
“All passengers MUST put on their face mask. Failure to use it, such passenger should not be allowed into their vehicles.
“Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria “TOOAN”(Maruwa operators) are to abide by the Lagos State government’s directive of carrying two passengers at a go.
“Drivers and their bus conductors are to ensure the practice of social distancing by operating at 60 per cent loading capacity,” he said.
Akinsanya said the task force to will arrest any union member and driver that violate the guidelines above.
COVID -19: 220 new cases as national tally hits 2,388 [Nation]
Seventeen coronavirus related deaths were recorded across the country on Saturday including a runaway patient in Kebbi State.
Another suspected case is on the run from an isolation centre in Taraba State while there was an increase of 220 in the total number of infections including a four year old boy in Bauchi State.
The total number of cases in the country now stands at 2,388.
Three hundred and eighty five cases were discharged, according to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in an update last night.
The breakdown of the fresh cases are: 62-Lagos; 52-FCT; 31-Kaduna;13-Sokoto; 10-Kebbi; 9-Yobe; 6-Borno; 5-Edo; 5-Bauchi; 4-Gombe; 4-Enugu; 4-Oyo; 3-Zamfara; 2-Nasarawa; 2-Osun; 2-Ebonyi; 2-Kwara; 2-Kano; and 2-Plateau.
The Lagos State Ministry of Health said four more COVID-19 patients died of complications from the disease in the state.
The ministry said on its Twitter handle that the deaths occurred on Friday to bring the number of deaths in the state to 25.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said separately that 22 more persons – eight females and 14 males, all Nigerians were discharged from Isolation facilities at Yaba, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Lekki.
The patients, 19 from LUTH, two from the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba and one from the Isolation facility at Lekki were discharged having fully recovered and tested negative to COVID-19 in two consecutive readings.
This brings to 247 the number of #COVID19 confirmed cases that have been successfully managed and discharged in Lagos.
One dies in Osun, three health workers, others recover
The Osun State government reported the death of a COVID-19 patient and the discharge of four others three of whom are health workers.
Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan said: “We lost a COVID-19 patient in her late 60s at our isolation centre in Osogbo. We pray to God to grant her eternal rest and give her family the fortitude to bear the loss.
“Also, we have discharged three health workers and a United Kingdom returnee who has been in our isolation centre for 38days after testing negative twice.”
Borno records 11 deaths, infection of 16 health workers
The Borno State government said 11 patients have lost their lives to the disease in the state.
Sixteen others, all of them health workers, tested positive for coronavirus in the state, according to Deputy Governor Usman Umar Kadafur.
Kadafur who doubles as the chairman of the response team for the prevention and control of the spread of coronavirus in the state told reporters that the committee has been working round the clock to check the spread of the disease.
Kaduna records first COVID-19 death, 14 new cases
Kaduna State recorded its first COVID-19 death and 14 fresh cases yesterday, according to Health Commissioner Amina Mohammed-Baloni.
The deceased was identified as a retired civil servant who had concealed his recent travel to Kano.
He was also said to have underlying medical conditions which had taken him to a public hospital and a private hospital.
The commissioner said: “He was eventually admitted at the isolation centre with respiratory distress. He died before his positive test result was released.
“He is the first COVID-19 fatality in Kaduna State. His family has been informed of his demise and he has since been buried according to the burial protocol of the NCDC.”
She officials of the State’s ministry of health had decontaminated the two hospitals visited by the deceased.
She said the 14 new cases were almajiris who were repatriated from Kano.
The commissioner assured the public that there was no cause for alarm as all the repatriated almajiris had been isolated.
Nigeria won’t return to normalcy until 2021, says NCDC DG [Nation]
- COVID-19: Nigeria will come out economically stronger – Osinbajo
The director-general, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, does not see Nigeria and the rest of the world returning to normalcy until next year — at the very least after the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is optimistic that the country will emerge from the crisis economically stronger.
The VP and the DG spoke at the Platform, an annual event organised by the Poju Oyemade Covenant Nation at the weekend.
Dr. Ihekweazu said Nigeria like other countries, is faced with a difficult reality that will take some time to go away.
“Every country is right now looking at the same challenge and how to get us back to some level of normalcy, but the reality is that we are going to live with COVID-19 for the next year at the very least,” he said.
“So we have to start thinking about how to live safely with COVID-19, and you know some of the changes we would have to make are actually good things to have forever.
“The emphasis on handwashing, sanitisers, respiratory hygiene; my goal as the leader of the NCDC is that we continue this forever.
“That we don’t go back like we did post-Ebola to an era of not washing our hand, not only will they prevent COVID but they will prevent so many other diseases from spreading, ultimately leading us into a better future.
“The thing about mass gathering, it will be a big challenge for us, but we have to try. Every business, every church… every religious gathering of any form, social gatherings, weddings, we really have to rethink how we do this in the short term.
“It’s a sacrifice we would have to make as a people, as a country, to get over this. It will be a challenging time, but this is a sacrifice we would have to pay — we are not alone in this, even the countries we looked up to are facing the same challenges, there is no easy solution.
“Now is a time to build our country despite limitations and find indigenous ways to solve this problem, and make our country recover quicker. To do that, we need this short term pain in order to gain the long term opportunity to return to normal socially rich life Nigerians are known for”
“If there is one great thing that would come out of this, it is that we reinforce our personal hygiene.”
We’ll emerge economically stronger — Osinbajo
Vice President Osinbajo in his contribution said the resilience, innovative spirit and sheer strength of the ordinary Nigerian, coupled with the potential opportunities that have presented themselves with the troubles of the times will pull the country through and make it economically stronger at the end of the pandemic.
“We will get through this much stronger economically and much stronger as a people because of our resilience,” he said.
“There are a lot of challenges but they offer significant opportunities for us to turn things around.
“I am very confident that Nigerians, with our resilience, our strength and our innovation, we will go through this in great shape.”
On specific efforts by government to address the economic fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Osinbajo said prioritizing the use of local resources and creating local jobs in the construction and allied industry, amongst other things, would be critical in sustaining the economy in the post COVID-19 era.
He said: “we have to prioritize the use of local resources in all public works. In road construction for instance, it is cheaper to build concrete roads using limestone than spending resources on the importation of bitumen.
“We have limestone in abundance hence we should be looking in that direction. The road from the Apapa port to the Lagos –Ibadan expressway is being built with cement and is of high quality.
“In the housing sector where we have a huge deficit, we need to focus on using local resources to build houses and in the process we will be creating opportunities for young engineers, architects and builders etc.
“We think that by ramping up agriculture, especially smallholder agriculture and improving the value chain, especially in storage and processing facilities, more jobs will be created for many young people.
“We have found ourselves in a situation where we realize that the way to go is to support the creation of the jobs in agriculture and reduce food imports and ultimately address the issue of unemployment and food shortages.
“What we must do as much as we can is to change the narrative about Nigeria and provide more jobs.”
Still on mitigating the fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic such as inflation, the Vice President said government would focus on improving productivity and improving food stock across the country.
According to him, “if you can ramp up food production and the logistics of bringing food to the urban centres, inflation will be controlled to a large extent.”
He added that boosting agricultural production for export purposes and supporting the mining sector will bolster the country’s foreign exchange earnings and reserves.
IPOB sends palliatives to Igbo in Edo [Sun]
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has deployed palliatives to the people of Edo State to cushion the effects of the lockdown occasioned by Coronavirus pandemic.
In a press statement signed by the Media and Publicity Secretary of the group, Emma Powerful, over 20 communities in the state benefitted from the kind gesture of IPOB.
The palliative, mostly food items, was carefully distributed to Igbanke, Auchi, Uromi, Ikpoba Okah and other communities.
Powerful hinted that the items distributed was the little contribution promised by the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu to ease the suffering of the people as they battle to contain the COVID-19.
APC won’t crumble after Buhari’s tenure –Ibediro, National Organising Secretary [Sun]
■ Says Uzodinma’ll be better governor than Ihedioha in Imo
The National Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Emmanuel Ibediro, a lawyer, is one of the political leaders in Nigeria, having been a Local Government Area chairman, several times State Commissioner in Imo State and now a national officer of a ruling party.
Speaking to Sunday Sun in Abuja, Ibediro addressed many issues bedevilling APC, the sunshine side of the Coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, the political tension ragging in his home state, Imo and the survival strategy APC will adopt after the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari to remain relevant.
He equally spoke on the faith of the Southeast geopolitical zone in the clamour for presidency of Igbo extraction in 2023, warning that the APC will not prioritise zoning above the party constitution in the emergence of its presidential candidate for the 2023 election.
How deep has COVID-19 affected Nigerian politics?
I strongly believe that the current COVID-19 pandemic has really uttered the political, social and economic activities not only in Nigeria, but also globally. We also know that government, both at state and federal levels, had no choice than to introduce measures to keep citizens safe, control the pandemic and give out palliatives to cushion the effects of the virus. The catastrophic impacts of the lockdown have equally been very profound especially to the very vulnerable members of the society. It is more severe when you consider the fact that about 60 per cent of the population of the country are informal income earners. These are people that earn their living on a day-to-day basis and the moment they are not working, they are finding things difficult. These are parts of the impacts of the pandemic. Zeroing politically, it is a natural phenomenon that if people are on lockdown to check the spread of the pandemic, there is no way political activities can take place. Naturally, the pandemic has affected the political activities in the country.
Don’t forget that only recently due to the lockdown, INEC has suspended most of the supplementary elections earlier scheduled in some states including Imo, Bayelsa, and Plateau, among others, before the outbreak of the deadly virus. INEC said that the commission may not have to postpone the Edo and Ondo governorship elections, but it admitted studying the situation. I think we have to thank God that the COVID-19 pandemic did not happen by this time last year when we conducted the presidential and other elections. It would have been worse if we were caught in a web of constitutional crisis because of the virus. You can imagine what the country would have been if we could not conduct the presidential and other elections. Obviously, the impact of postponing the presidential and general elections last year would have been more severe than the postponement of this year’s staggered elections. For those still in doubt of the magnitude of impact of the pandemic on our political lives, who would have imagined a situation where the offices of the ruling party, APC, the opposition, PDP and other political parties are locked up at the national and state levels based on the effects.
By your calculations, do you see it also affecting the activities for the 2023 general elections?
It will be a very wild speculation to conclude that it may or may not affect the 2023 general elections at the moment. We can only presume that we overcome to pandemic and life returns to normalcy by the grace of God before the 2023 elections. It is still very far away.
Should Nigerians assume that permanent peace has returned to the APC fold or that it is a Coronavirus pandemic-imposed temporal peace?
I don’t need to remind you that we have been able to sort out ourselves in APC even before the outbreak of the pandemic in the country. I want to emphasise that whatever happened in the APC should be regarded as a family affair. I think the problem we had was the perspective of people looking at the crisis as a bottle from half empty or half full.
Many Nigerians will mistakenly conclude that political parties will be destroyed by any crisis even before finding the solution to it. For me, I did not see the APC crisis as strong enough to cause implosion in the party. In every big institution like the APC, there are bound to be misunderstanding which has been sorted out. Resolution of conflicts is part of politics, but it surprises me when people look at the crises in APC as insoluble and insurmountable. Crises are bound to happen within a big family, but they will naturally fizzle away with time. Good enough that in APC we have leadership that we respect regardless of the faction one belongs to. The president is a big factor in our party as our national leader. He is like a father intervening in his family crisis. When Mr President stepped into the crisis, it was resolved because nobody opposes him. People have right to express what they believe in and even raise voice, but our differences did not get to the extent of killing the party.
How confident are you that the crisis in Edo APC will not result in APC implosion?
I think people are taking the misunderstanding in Edo too far. There should be no special interest in Edo State. It is just a chapter of the party. If the crisis at national level should be sorted out, there will be no big deal about Edo State. Nobody should bother themselves over Edo because we will cross the bridge when we get to the river.
How certain are you that the crisis will not deny APC the Edo governorship seat after the election this year?
I don’t think the crisis will rob the APC of the seat in the state. I urge the members to be calm, avoid overheating the polity in Edo and wait to cross the bridge when we get to the river. I want to assure that at the appropriate time, the party will come together to sort itself out everywhere there appears to be crisis.
Do you support the speculation that there will be no APC after Buhari’s tenure?
I am very aware that President Buhari has urged party members to ensure that the party remains alive even after his tenure in office and I believe that all members of the party are strongly working towards that. There is no doubt that he has serious influence on the party considering the kind of person he is. His character, integrity has also been able to help the party a lot. Having helped the party get this far, I believe that he will also find a way to keep the party alive even after his tenure. I don’t think that the end of his tenure will negatively affect the party in any form. The party, on daily basis, has begun to assess and reassess where it has done well and will improve on that aspect. The fears in many quarters about the party crumbling after Buhari’s tenure is just part of human nature and the way we have found ourselves in Nigeria. People tend to believe the worst of every situation. We can only capitalise on his current influence to improve the party in future.
The problem we have in Africa politics and especially from people thinking that there is no other father figure in the APC outside President Buhari is the mistake of building an institution around an individual. Mr President has also suggested that we diffuse individual strength and concentrate more on building strong institution instead of strong individuals. I believe that the earlier all of us in this country de-emphasise strong individuals against strong institution the better for all of us. The president having realised this has insisted that we do things constitutionally for a better party and country. Granted that he is a father figure, but he is not imposing that father figure on anybody. Come 2023, the APC will as usual bank on institution not on any individual and it has always been so even before now. Party constitution has always been the number one reference point of our activities.
Can you confirm to Nigerians if there is zoning especially for the position of presidency in APC constitution and/or convention?
I think we should for now de-emphasise this obsession for 2023 especially now that all the political parties seem to be united in finding ways to curb the world health pandemic affecting this country. We should know that it is only when we survive the pandemic that we should start to talk about politics of 2023. However, responding to the question, I will tell you that the constitution of our party is very simple on the modalities for the emergence of candidates of the party. I can tell you that zoning is not the number one priority in APC constitution on the emergence of party candidates. The constitution stipulates among other things that the candidate must be a member of the party. We should also continue to de-emphasise ethnicity in our selection of political leaders in this country. We should rather go for the best person for the country. To nail the question, zoning is not stipulated in the constitution of the APC.
As an indigene of Imo State, what role did you play in the emergence of Hope Uzodinma as the governor of the state?
I am an APC member and a national officer from Imo State. So, whatever role the party played in his emergence as governor, I was part of it. He is my governor and of APC extraction and I feel very proud to say that I have no regret playing any role in his emergence.
There has been crossfire between Governor Uzodinma and Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, as a political figure in Imo, what do you advise the two gladiators?
What is happening in Imo is expectedly a natural occurrence that will fizzle out with time. Although the PDP has no choice than to accept the Supreme Court judgment, they still naturally feel that it would not have been so. We have also seen the ripple effects of the judgment on the protests from both sides, but they are natural reactions from people who felt short-changed. The PDP should not forget that you don’t get everything you want in life especially when you don’t even deserve it. The final court in the land has given a judgment which was very sound. But the way people react to issues are not the same and it is expected that there must be ripple effects. The good thing is that the present government in Imo has not been overtaken by power, as to do things not expected of it. What they have done so far is in line with a government who wants unity and progress of the state at heart. We also know that Uzodinma got into office and adopted most of the policies of the past government, believing that government is a continuum. It is not also true that it has become difficult for an average Imo indigene to accept Uzodinma as their governor. That could only be someone’s belief or imagination. Many Imo people are very comfortable with the emergence of Uzodimma as governor of Imo State. I am not given to comparison on who will be better between Uzodinma and Ihedioha, but what I can say is that I am confident that he will make a good governor for the state judging by the way he started.
What should Southeast political leaders do to integrate into the mainstream Nigeria politics especially ahead of 2023?
I have always warned that you cannot play politics from outside, but inside. The Igbo political leaders must key into the mainstream politics in Nigeria whether in APC or the PDP. They cannot be an island unto themselves. We must play politics of cooperation and integration. That is the only way we can be close to where the national cake is shared. Let me use this opportunity to appeal to Nigerians to support the efforts of the federal and state governments in fighting the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic. The virus has no political colouration. It does not treat members of the APC and any other party separately. The role we should play is to encourage ourselves and do whatever we can to put the pandemic behind us as soon as possible. We have to appreciate whatever government has given out as palliatives. We should not play politics with this pandemic especially the issue of spoilt rice which has become difficult on whom to believe hearing people claiming that the one they got is good while others claimed theirs was spoilt. But, it is not out of place for few bags to be spoilt out of the several bags given out. It is not enough to castigate the government and undermine the good efforts they are making to curb the spread of the virus.
Ondo 2020: Gladiators oil machines to wrest power from Akeredolu [Sun]
■ Incumbent governor to rely on work done –Aide
As political gladiators in Ondo State oil their machines for the October governorship election, there is no no doubt that the imcubent governor of the state, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu has many hurdles to cross. And his ability to succeed will depend largely on how smart he is at managing the hurdles occasioned by intra-party differences.
That the main opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) will pose a serious challenge to Akeredolu is a fact, but more challenging is the internal crisis already rocking the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state.
It is not a fallacy that the APC in Ondo State is already polarized and its centre can no longer hold. Little wonder the emergence of the unity group led by former Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Alli Olanusi within the party (APC).
The Olanusi-led unity group of the APC comprises strong leaders and stakeholders in the party who can influence votes in their various senatorial districts.
Prominent among the key figures in the group are Senator Ajayi Bororfice, who is representing Ondo North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, former Osun State Commissioner for Regional Integration, Mr Bola Ilori, and former state chairman of the party, Mr Isaac Kekemeke.
Others include a former member of the House of Representatives, Babatunde White, former Commissioner for Environment in the state, Mr Solagbade Amodeni and a host of other former members of the state executive council and the House of Assembly.
It was also rumoured that the governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the state, Chief Olusola Oke was working underneath for the unity group as it was alleged that he (Oke) is interested in conntesting the next governorship poll.
Just like Oke, Kekemeke is also said to be interested in the governorship race. Not only has Kekemeke launched his ambition, if not for the outbreak of Coronavirus, which has dampened all activities in the state, the former Secretary to the State Government would have commenced his campaign ahead of the party’s primary election earlier scheduled for July.
Kekemeke specifically told Sunday Sun that he will pose serious challenge to Akeredolu and insisted that he would ensure that Akeredolu does not emerge the party’s candidate, stressing that he would not mind teaming up with other like minds in his unity group of the APC to bring an end to the reign of Governor Akeredolu.
The APC stalwart who was the state chairman of the party during the primary election that produced Akeredolu as the party’s standard bearer was alleged to have worked for the AD candidate, Chief Oke during the last election, an allegation he, however, denied.
But this time around, it was not certain whether or not Kekemeke will work for Oke who is also in the race due to his intrest in the exalted position. Both Oke and Kekemeke are from Ondo South Senatorial District, while Akeredolu is from Ondo North Senatorial District.
One of the arguments of those in the unity group of the APC is that governorship position should be zoned to other parts of the state. This is unarguably to make way for either Oke or Kekemeke or any other interested candidate from the zone.
Oke was also alleged by those in the mainstream APC to have worked against the interest or the APC when he contested on the platform of the AD in 2017, but lost to Akeredolu.
Although Oke, a former national legal adviser of the PDP was relatively new in the APC as at the time the party held its primary election, he came second in the primary. He was, however, not satisfied with the conduct of the primary election, hence his defection to AD two weeks after the APC primary and subsequent contest.
He, however, came third in the governorship poll, having been defeated by the APC’s Akeredolu who came first and PDP’s Eyitayo Jegede who came second.
The performance of Oke within the short period of his defection to the AD impressed many politicians in the state, a situation which made many, including APC members, to plead with him to return to the APC fold and he eventually obliged.
Oke is seen as a strong politician in the state as he had held many positions in the past and used his influence to assist many residents and natives of the state.
Political observers in the state argued that Oke may pose a very serious challenge to Governor Akeredolu, especially as he was alleged to have the backing of the former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Sunday Sun reliably gathered that Oke has always enjoyed the support of Tinubu in his political ambition. Even when he contested for the governorship position under the AD, it was alleged that his decision gained the blessings of Tinubu who at that time was the leader of the APC in the country.
This, it was gathered was as a result of his very cordial relationship with the former Governor of Osun State and current Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, who is a close ally of Tinubu. It was speculated that it was Aregbesola that sold Oke to Tinubu.
Although Oke has not launched his campaign or made his decision known formally, his posters have been sighted in some parts of the state, including Akure, the state capital, a development that suggests that he may contest the election.
A close loyalist of Oke, Giwa Olusegun said Oke wwould soon make his position known on his decision to contest the governorship election, stressing that there is serious pressure on him to contest the governorship poll.
He said that Oke is already prepared for the contest as he has his people in all parts of the state, adding that he is one of the most influential politicians in the state, adding that he has paid his dues in the political scene of Ondo State.
But Kekemeke said he is the aspirant to beat in the party’s primary, saying that” having served as a commissioner, secretary to the state government and state chairman of the ruling party, no one else could be more experienced than me in the politics of our dear state.
“God has told me that I am the next governor of Ondo State and as a believer in God, I am sure nothing can change His words. I have started working on the ways to win the primary election and I have my coordinators in all the wards and local government areas across the state. I am not new in this game or politics.
“No one has made contributions to the APC in Ondo State more than me. No one has sacrificed for the APC in Ondo State more than me. I was at campaign rally two weeks after the death of my wife campaigning for the APC. It is time to pay me back,” he pointed out.
However, an aide of Governor Akeredolu who preferred anonymity said: “Governor Akeredolu will emerge the candidate of the APC and eventually win the gubernatorial election. He has developed the state and his works in the last four years will speak for him.”
He said that the people of the state know what is good for them and members of the party will also be fair to him by voting for him as the party’s standard bearer.
Reacting, the state chairman of the party, Mr Ade Adetimehin who spoke through the party’s Director of Publicity, Mr Steve Otaloro, said that the party is one and will remain one indivisible element before, during and after the next gubernatorial poll.
He assured that the leadership of the party would be fair to all contestants that signify intention to contest the October governorship election in the state.
Coronavirus: NCDC fears spread may worsen as lockdown ends today [Punch]
…says normalcy won’t return until 2021, cases hit 2,388
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has expressed fears that the number of coronavirus cases in the country will continue to rise for the next few months. This hint came as the lockdown imposed on the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states ends at 11:59pm today.
The Director General, NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, told Sunday PUNCH in an interview that the number of cases was likely to increase given the increasing capacity to find and test more cases.
There were 220 new cases on Saturday as the total rose to 2, 388. The number of discharged persons rose to 385 while the number of deaths increased to 85.
The new cases were 62 in Lagos; 52 in FCT; 31 in Kaduna; 13 in Sokoto; 10 in Kebbi; 9 in Yobe; 6 in Borno; 5 in each of Edo and Bauchi; 4 in each of Gombe, Enugu, Oyo; 3 in Zamfara and 2 in each of Nasarawa, Osun, Ebonyi, Kwara, Kano and Plateau states.
Earlier, as part of measures to contain the rising spread of the virus in the country, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on March 30 imposed a 14-day lockdown on the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states, followed by a two-week extension. He noted that the extension became necessary as the pandemic was no longer a joke and had become a matter of life and death.
At the expiration of the extension on April 27, the President, in a nationwide broadcast on Monday, again extended the lockdown by one week, which terminates today. The President, however, said a nationwide curfew between 8pm and 6am would follow as a further measure to contain the spread of the virus.
Many state governors also introduced similar restrictions in their states, even though some have begun easing the lockdown despite the rising number of cases across the country.
Asked about his projection on when Nigeria would likely reach its peak and how prepared the nation was for it, the NCDC DG said, “There are various projections that have been developed based on various contexts. With the increasing capacity to find and test more cases, we will continue to see an increase in cases in the next few months.
“Our strategy is to test quickly, detect confirmed cases, isolate and manage cases to recovery and follow up with contacts to reduce the risk of spread.
“In the absence of a vaccine for this disease, we must continue to adhere strictly to directives from the Federal Government on non-pharmaceutical interventions such as closure of large gatherings and physical distancing. By doing these, we have a better chance of reducing the risk of spread of this disease quickly.”
When reminded that despite setting up 15 COVID-19 testing laboratories, less than 20,000 tests had been carried out so far, Ihekweazu said people could access the situation report on the NCDC website. “On the 1st of May alone, we recorded over 2,000 cases and this will continue to increase,” he added.
He added that in preparing for the increase in cases, the NCDC was working closely with state governments to rapidly scale up the capacity in treatment centres, even as he had hinted previously that the virus would eventually spread to all the states.
Notably, there has been an astronomical increase in the number of cases in the past few days. Since February 27 when Nigeria recorded its first case, the nation didn’t hit the 1,000 mark until about two months after, April 24 specifically when the number of cases rose from 981 to 1,095. The number of deaths then was 32.
But, barely one week after hitting the 1,000 mark, the number of cases reached the 2,000 mark on May 1, when the cases rose by 238 to hit 2,170. The number of deaths also more than doubled as the casualty figure rose to 85 within the period.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, had recently warned that the state, which is the epicentre of the deadly virus, had yet to reach its COVID-19 peak. He had also warned on March 27 that the state might see up to 39,000 cases but that if everyone practised good social distancing, the figure would be limited to about 13,000.
Prior to the President’s latest broadcast on Monday, the Nigerian Medical Association warned that lifting or easing the lockdown was premature, given the “exponential” rise in the number of cases on a daily basis. It also warned that with the rate at which the virus was spreading, the consequence of lifting the lockdown could be tragic.
The World Health Organisation has also warned repeatedly that it would be hasty for countries to start lifting lockdowns. “No country is safe from potentially overwhelming outbreaks as long as the coronavirus is circulating,” it added.
Despite the warnings not to lift the lockdown, the Federal Government however said it had put in place measures to contain the transmission of the disease.
The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 announced on Wednesday during its media briefing that the use of face masks had become mandatory, noting that despite the directive that government offices and banks could resume operations from Monday, maintaining physical distancing and personal hygiene remained necessary.
“The restrictions on social and religious gatherings shall remain in place; state governments, corporate organisations and philanthropists are encouraged to support the production of cloth masks for citizens,” it added.
The National Coordinator of the task force, Dr Aliyu Sani, noted that to reduce the congestion, banks could only open between 8am and 2pm while civil servants on specific grade levels would be allowed to resume in their offices at specific times.
He stressed that all staff and bank customers must adhere to the personal hygiene and social distancing safety protocols, adding that all movements would be prohibited during the period except for essential services. He added that the ban on non-essential inter-state passenger travel remained until further notice.
But in a statement on Friday night, the NMA President, Dr Francis Faduyile, stressed that the timing for lifting the lockdown was premature because the nation was still battling with inadequate Personal Protective Equipment for health workers, lack of enough bed spaces in states for infected people and rising infections across the country, amongst others.
He added, “The easing of the lockdown even in phases is very premature. Nigeria should learn from her neighbour, Ghana, where the same action produced 100 per cent increase in infection rate in just a week.”
We won’t return to normalcy until 2021, says NCDC DG
Meanwhile, the NCDC DG has said the country, like the rest of the world, will not return to life as it was before the coronavirus pandemic until 2021.
Ihekweazu, who spoke on Saturday on The Platform, an annual event of Covenant Christian Centre, explained that though mass gatherings could be difficult to avoid, it would be for the best.
According to him, it is a sacrifice “we will have to make as a people to get over this.”
He highlighted that members of the public would have to rethink how they conducted businesses, social gatherings such as weddings and religious gatherings in the short term.
The NCDC boss said, “We are faced with a difficult reality and we are not unique in this. Every country is, right now, looking at the same challenge and how to get us back to some level of normalcy.
“But the reality is that we are going to live with COVID-19 for the next year, at the very least. So, we have to start thinking about how to live safely with COVID-19.
“Some of the changes we will need to make are actually good things to have forever. With the emphasis on hand washing, (use of) sanitisers and respiratory hygiene, my goal as the leader of the NCDC is that we continue doing this forever.”
He added that the habits would also prevent the spread of COVID-19, but also many other diseases.
“I hope we don’t go back, like we did post-Ebola, to an era of not washing our hands. Who would want that? So, we really want some of these measures to go on,” Ihekweazu said.
While fielding a question on the daily fight against COVID-19, the infectious diseases expert hinted that the worst had yet to come. “We really are at the beginning of this outbreak globally,” he said.
Ihekweazu added, “The point where we will assess how many people died in Nigeria versus everywhere else — it may be a year or two when we look back to the evolution of this outbreak. You can see that the outbreak comes in waves. We are not sure where we are on our own trajectory at the moment. It’s early days to reach conclusions around mortality.”
The NCDC DG noted that his team and many others across the country were working hard, adding that the state government and their care facilities were providing care for all those infected.
FCT, Ogun vow to enforce ban on interstate travel, curfew
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Administration has said it will enforce strictly the ban on interstate travel and other guidelines regulating the easing of the lockdown as part of measures to contain the spread of the virus in the nation’s capital.
Also, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, said people in the state who work in Lagos State would not be permitted to go out or come into the state as the lockdown in his state would not end until May 10, 2020.
The FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Bello, in the new guidelines on Saturday, directed security agents to enforce the overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am in order to prevent COVID-19 patients from coming into the FCT.
The Chief Press Secretary to the minister, Mr Anthony Ogunleye, in a statement, said all workers residing outside the FCT had been directed to remain in their respective states of residence until the lifting of ban on inter-state travel.
It noted, “Effective Monday, May 4, all civil servants in the FCT on Grade Level 14 and above are to report for work three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between the hours of 8am and 2pm.
“All officers on essential duties are to carry on with their assigned responsibilities. All workers are to maintain safe distancing protocols of at least two metres and wear face masks at all times.”
Similarly, the Ogun governor, in an announcement via Facebook on Saturday afternoon, said the lockdown in the state would end on May 10, as a result of the initial grace the state was granted.
The governor said, “There is a total ban on interstate travel (outside Ogun). If you work in Lagos or any other state but live in Ogun State, you are not allowed to go to Lagos or any other state and return to Ogun.
“All schools remain closed, while students will continue with their DigiClass. All essential service personnel will continue to work despite the lockdown. All public religious gatherings remain banned. All pubs, clubs, stadia, public pools, spas, gyms, salons, etc.
“All assemblies of more than 15 people remain banned. Restaurants may open on the approved days for take-out meals only. Burials and naming ceremonies are allowed but there must not be more than 15 people including the officiating ministers.”
Osun registers third casualty as Kaduna records first death, three new cases
Osun State Government on Saturday announced the death of another COVID-19 patient, taking the number of deaths linked to the disease to three in the last one week.
Also, three health workers who initially tested positive for the disease in the state have fully recovered.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Rafiu Isamotu, in a statement explained that the deceased, who was in her late 60s, died at the isolation centre at the General Hospital, Asubiaro, Osogbo.
Isamotu also said the COVID-19 index case in the state had been discharged after spending 38 days in the isolation centre.
He explained that the case arrived in Osun from the United Kingdom before being taken into the isolation centre, and subsequently to the care facility, where he received medical care for 38 days.
He was said to have tested negative twice for the virus.
“With the development, the total number of active cases in the state is now eight.
“On a sad note, we lost a COVID-19 patient in her late 60s at our isolation centre in Osogbo. We pray to God to grant her eternal rest and give her family the fortitude to bear the loss,” he said.
In a related development, the state has threatened to prosecute any private school owner who opens for learning.
The government on Saturday said such a private school might lose its operational licence.
A statement by Festus Olajide, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, had accused some private schools in the state of using various guises to direct learners to resume learning in their schools.
It however described such moves as inimical to the health of the children and public health in general.
The statement further said, “Besides, such directive is a sabotage of the efforts of the state government at fighting the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the state.
“It should be noted for emphasis that the partial lockdown as explained by the governor does not cover reopening of schools. The ban on educational gatherings remains.”
Kaduna State Government has recorded its first casualty to the disease, according to a News Agency of Nigeria report.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Mahammed Bolani, confirmed this on Saturday in Kaduna, adding that the first fatality was among three new COVID-19 cases confirmed in the state.
According to the commissioner, the state now has 28 confirmed cases and awaits results of 350 samples it sent for tests.
She said that the samples were especially from ‘almajiri’.
“Testing of 167 almajiris who returned from Kano has now been completed, and the number of positive cases from this group may rise.
“Cases in the state rose to 28 on Thursday. The three patients that increased the number from 25 include two males and the first female COVID-19 case in the state,” she said.
She said that the female patient was a health worker not involved in the treatment of COVID-19 cases.
Seven almajiris, three doctors, other health workers test positive in Bauchi
No fewer than three doctors, a nurse and another health worker have tested positive for coronavirus in Bauchi State since March 24 when the index case was recorded in the state, Sunday PUNCH has learnt.
Two doctors and the nurse are from the Federal Medical Centre, Azare in the Katagum Local Government Area of the state while the third doctor is a member of staff of the World Health Organisation in the state.
The health worker works at an undisclosed private hospital in Bauchi, the state capital.
The Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Rilwan Mohammed, disclosed to our correspondent in a telephone interview on Friday.
He said seven out of the 38 almajiris deported from Kano State and isolated at the General Hassan Katsina Unity College, Yelwa, Bauchi, also tested positive for the disease.
Mohammed explained that the results of the tests carried out on the health workers and one almajiri were among nine results sent to him on Thursday from the National Research for Veterinary Institute, Vom, Plateau State.
He added that 10 new cases were sent to him from NVRI on Friday.
He said, “On Thursday, we recorded nine new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Bauchi State. The results were sent to me from the National Research for Veterinary Institute, Vom, Plateau State.
“The results included those of two medical doctors and a nurse at the Federal Medical Centre Azare, and a health worker at a private hospital in Bauchi.
“One of the almajiri returnees from Kano was also confirmed to be positive. There is also the daughter of an infected patient who was also confirmed positive.
“Also among them is one of those returnees from Enugu and Port Harcourt that we intercepted coming into the state last week. And then, there are three other people that were also positive.”
Mohammed,who is also the chairman of the Surveillance Team of the Task Force on COVID-19 and Lassa Fever in Bauchi State, said he received results of 10 more people who tested positive, including six almajiris and four others.
The new cases, he said, brought the number of confirmed cases in the state to 48 while active cases were 42.
He said six patients who had tested negative twice had since been discharged.
Lagos discharges 22 more patients as three test positive in Ekiti
The Lagos State Government on Saturday announced the discharge of 22 persons who had recovered from the infection.
The state Ministry of Health, via its official Twitter handle, @LSMOH, said 247 patients had not been discharged from the isolation centres in the state.
It tweeted, “22 more COVID-19 Lagos patients; eight females and 14 males, all Nigerians, were today discharged from our isolation facilities at Yaba, @LUTHofficial and Lekki to reunite with the society.
“The patients; 19 from @LUTHofficial, two from IDH, Yaba and one from our isolation centre at Lekki have fully recovered and tested negative twice consecutively for COVID-19.
“With this, number of patients successfully managed and discharged in Lagos is now 247.”
However, Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, said on Saturday that there were three new cases in the state who were primary contacts of a late patient.
Yaya-Kolade said the three persons were already undergoing 14-day isolation before the results of their samples were returned positive from the NCDC.
The commissioner said in a statement, “The new positive cases are all females with ages ranging from 26-50 years, who had been in self-isolation for 14 days now.”
“Ekiti State Government can confirm that three of the samples sent to the NCDC accredited laboratory for testing have returned positive results of the COVID-19 virus infection.
“The samples were from three of the primary contacts of our third case, the late 29-year-old mother who died of complications from childbirth on April 22, 2020,” she said.
The third case, a pregnant health worker, who travelled to the state from Lagos despite the lockdown, was attended to over childbirth complications in three health facilities before she was tested for COVID-19.
Yaya-Kolade said that the three new cases “bring the total number of confirmed cases in Ekiti State to 11, of which eight are active, two discharged and one death”.
Taraba launches manhunt for isolation centre escapee
The Taraba State Government has launched a manhunt for one of the positive COVID-19 patient who escaped from the state’s isolation centre.
Chairman of the state COVID-19 technical committee and state Commissioner for Health, Dr Innocent Vakkai, disclosed this during the committee briefing in Jalingo.
Vakkai, who gave the name of the patient as Talatu Idris, said aggressive efforts were ongoing to get the patient back to the isolation centre.
He urged members of the public to be vigilant and cooperate with the committee and security agencies to get the patient.
The commissioner added that five of the eight positive cases in the state were asymptomatic.
Gombe positive cases hit 92
On Friday night, 16 fresh positive cases were announced by NCDC for Gombe State pushing the total number of cases in the state to 92.
The state governor, Inuwa Yahaya, on Saturday, inaugurated a 38- man special committee on relief and palliatives to cushion the effect of the partial lockdown in the state.
Lagos returnee confirmed as third case in Ebonyi
In Ebonyi State, a 25-year-old returnee from Lagos State has tested positive for coronavirus.
The case has brought the number of infected persons in the state to three.
The state governor, David Umahi, on Saturday, announced the latest case during a statewide broadcast.
Edo screens over 40,000 persons
In a bid to curtail the spread of the virus, Edo State Government has screened over 40,000 persons in the state, leveraging a partnership with private hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, to complement the ongoing screening exercise at designated government hospitals.
The state governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, who disclosed this to journalists in Benin City, said, “We have made tremendous progress, especially in the areas of screening, testing and improved awareness of our citizens. Working closely with private hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, we have been able to screen over 40,000 and tested over 350 persons.”
Kano mobile courts convict 400 defaulters
The mobile courts established by the Kano State Government to enforce compliance with lockdown and stay-at-home order of the government has convicted over 400 defaulters in three days in the state.
Mr Baba Jibo, the Public Relations Officer, Kano State Judiciary, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday.
Buhari had on April 27 ordered a 14-day total lockdown of the state, aimed at stemming the spread of the deadly virus.
The state government has also started the process of converting some facilities into isolation centres as part of efforts to curtail the spread of COVID-19.
The state deputy governor, Dr Yusuf Gawuna, who is also the Chairman of the State Task Force Committee on COVID-19, made the disclosure, when he inspected the facilities on Saturday.
The facilities include the Abubakar Imam Urology, Murtala Mohammed Library complex, the Hospitality and Tourism Institute (formerly Daula Hotel), Sports Institute at Karfi and the Nigerian Air Force Hospital in Kano.
The facilities will be added to the existing three isolation centres at Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital, Kwana Dawaki Hospital and Sani Abacha Hospital, Gawuna.
Meanwhile, officials of the NCDC have taken samples of a suspected case of COVID-19 at Aviation Quarters in Kano.
In the meantime, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on Saturday described the high death rate in Kano State as a litmus test for dealing with the disease.
In a statement by his media aide, Mr Paul Ibe, the former vice president called on the Federal Government and all government agencies involved in the fight against the pandemic to collaborate with the state government to curtail its spread.
US lawmakers oppose return of $320m Abacha loot [Punch]
Two members of the United States House of Representatives, Steve Chabot and Chris Smith, have expressed concern over alleged human rights violations under the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in light of plans to return $320m stolen by the late military dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha.
A United States-based political organisation, American Principles Project, in a letter to the US Attorney General, William Barr, dated April 22, 2020, stated that the congressmen had relayed their fears to Barr.
The letter, signed by APP Executive Director, Terry Schilling, said, “Concern with Nigeria’s behaviour under the Buhari Administration is growing.
“Recently, US Senator (Chuck) Grassley has written to the DOJ noting that, under President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, Nigerians face violations undermining freedom of religion, freedom of speech, due process, and the rule of law.
“The persecution of Christians is especially alarming, as attacks have increased rapidly.’ Similar concerns were also shared with you by Representatives Steve Chabot and Chris Smith.”
The APP expressed its objection to the decision by the US Department of Justice to repatriate the $320m Abacha loot to Nigeria, saying the funds should not be returned until human rights, religious liberties, and due process had significantly improved.
It added, “Recently, the United States Government concluded that under the direction of President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration, Nigeria has become a ‘severe violator of religious freedom.’ The evidence to support this conclusion is overwhelming.
“Amnesty International, Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust, the International Committee on Nigeria, and the International Organisation for Peace Building and Social Justice have documented that since President Buhari came into power in 2015, more than 12,000 Nigerians have been murdered, of which more than half have been singled out because of their Christian faith.”
The group said, apart from the “deeply troubling” persecution of Christians, the 2019 Human Rights report by the US State Department had alleged systematic human rights and due process violations at the hands of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Attorney General Abubakar Malami, and Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu.
According to the APP, the report found them and their organisations responsible for “[s]ignificant human rights issues includ[ing] unlawful and arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, torture, and arbitrary detention, all the above by both government and nonstate actors,’ harsh and life-threatening prison conditions….”
It added that the US Government must use all the tools and enforcement mechanisms at its disposal to ensure corrupt perpetrators of crimes against freedom of religion and against humanity were held to account.
“On behalf of APP, it would be helpful if you could share with us: Whether the DOJ has repatriated these monies to Nigeria, and if not, when does it plan to do so? Whether DOJ intends to address the questions raised by the Members of Congress?
“Attorney General Barr — APP would also strongly encourage the DOJ to undertake an investigation on whether or not the EFCC’s role in detaining individuals who have spoken against the Buhari administration warrants the consideration of sanctions against EFCC Chairman Magu and Attorney General Malami under the Global Magnitsky Act or the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act,” it said.
Anxiety as Daar Communications awaits results of more COVID-19 tests [Punch]
There is anxiety among members of staff of DAAR Communications, owners of RayPower FM and AIT television stations as they await results of more coronavirus tests conducted on some of them by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Sunday PUNCH has learnt.
The apprehension was as a result of the outcome of the tests conducted on some top management staff members of the organisations, whose results came out positive.
Founder of the organisation, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, his daughter-in-law and six other members of his family were on Friday tested positive for coronavirus.
Earlier, the son of the high chief and Chairman of the board of the company, Raymond Dokpesi Jnr, had tested positive for the virus.
On Friday, Dokpesi and the other affected family members were conveyed by the NCDC to the isolation centre at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, where his son is receiving treatment.
Before leaving, the media mogul, who spoke to journalists shortly after the arrival of the ambulance, said, “I am quite okay. I feel very well.”
However, some members of staff of the organisation said they were waiting for the outcome of tests conducted on them by the NCDC to know whether they had been infected or not.
One of them, who said he was also expecting the outcome of his test, said they hoped the results would be released on Sunday (today).
He said, “I can tell you that we actually do not know the extent to which we could have been affected. You know how newsrooms or media houses work. We all work as a team and also interact a lot.
“The NCDC has tested us for COVID-19. We are all patiently waiting for the results. Maybe they will come on Sunday. We pray that we do not have a lot of people that are infected.”
Another member of staff, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that the outcome of the tests would go a long way to douse the tension already generated as a result of the outcome of the already released results.
“We are actually not resting. Some of us are on self-isolation and we will remain like that until the results are released. That is the situation now. No one knows who has been infected or not,” she said.
The Executive Director (Corporate Affairs) in DAAR Communications Plc, Johnson Onime, confirmed to one of our correspondents that the workers were waiting for the outcome of the tests.
“Yes, it is true. We are expecting the results of the tests conducted on some (members of) staff. But I don’t know the number of staff members (whose tests are being awaited),” he said.
Asked if the staff members had been on self-isolation, he said everybody had been careful while some of them worked from home.
He also said that the affected workers who had contact with the founder and the chairman of the media organisation had been tested by NCDC.
“Yes, upon the discovery, the management, in its wisdom, invited NCDC to test some of our staff members who had contact with our chairman. It was done on Wednesday and Thursday,” Onime explained.
He, however, said the spirit of members of staff of the organisation remained high.
He nevertheless said it would be unfortunate if its workers would be subjected to stigmatisation because of the test which confirmed the positive status of its founder and chairman.
He said the company’s premises in Lagos and Abuja would be fumigated next (this) week.
Onime said, “Our spirit is high, that I must confess to you. But there is one thing going for us in that company; it is that love and bond among us. We are a team, the Federal Government has warned against stigmatisation.
“For us as an organisation, apart from the medical personnel who are the frontline workers and officers in the battle against COVID-19, media practitioners are all vulnerable. It is part of the occupational hazards.
“There is a concern. We are bothered. So, if our reporters go out for assignments and people now use it as a yardstick (for stigmatisation), it will be unfortunate. We are fulfilling our constitutional responsibility as a member of the Fourth Estate of the Realm. If that is the price we have to pay for our job, well, so be it.
“There is no apprehension, but there is concern among workers about the health of our founder and our chairman and members of his family. For somebody that you have worked with for over two decades and you’re told this has happened to him, of course, you must be bothered, also given the turn of events of COVID-19.
“(But) we thank God that the situation has improved. People go to isolation centres and come back healthier and better. Our wish is that they all come back healthier and better and even those who are not our staff members. We pray for everybody in this country and the world at large.”
While thanking Nigerians who showed concern about their plights, he said there were plans to fumigate the company’s premises.
Onime said, “The NCDC did it before. When our chairman tested positive, our management invited the NCDC to come and fumigate the premises.
“Even in Lagos, we did it about two weeks ago. We thank the Lagos State Government and Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area for that gesture. Our Abuja office was also fumigated. We are also told to do same in all our locations across the country.
“It is something we are to do on a continuous basis. We are even planning to carry out another round of fumigation next week.”
Despite Ease On Lockdown, FCTA Bars Workers Outside Abuja From Resumption [Leadership]
As residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) prepare for ease of lockdown on Monday, in accordance with President Muhammadu Buhari’s national address, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has directed workers, residing outside the territory to remain in their respective states of residence until the ban on interstate travel is lifted. In his message to residents, on the new guidelines, FCT minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, said that the administration would vigorously enforce the overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am to prevent possible patients of COVID-19 from coming into the territory, while the ban on interstate travel would be enforced very strictly.
Bello disclosed that security agencies had been mandated to arrest and prosecute, through the mobile courts, anyone found contravening the guidelines. He stated that the FCTA would enforce rigorously the guidelines regulating the easing of the lockdown in the FCT as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the territory.
He maintained that the extant guidelines on market operations for sale of food items only remain in effect, as markets were to operate for two days in a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 8am and 3pm, while neighbourhood selling points would be established in various parts of the city to decongest the major markets The minister pointed out that the extant directive on places of worship still subsists, as they remain closed, while all schools in the FCT remain closed until further notice, adding that schools were not permitted to commence third term operations in any form until directed otherwise by the relevant authorities. In a statement signed and made available to LEADERSHIP Sunday in Abuja yesterday, the chief press secretary to the FCT minister, Anthony Ogunleye, the administration however added that companies involved in food processing, drug manufacturing and construction could commence operation subject to approved health and safety guidelines, just as operators of these facilities were mandated to refuse access to anyone not observing the hygiene protocols.
Life Of Almajirai Amid COVID-19 [Leadership]
COVID-19 has indeed changed the narrative on virtually every facade of human existence. However, this change fever seems not to have been caught by some people, particularly the Almajirai. CHIKA MEFOR-NWACHUKWU was able to capture their current condition of living under the global pandemic.
“Coronavirus is nothing to me. I even have local herbs that can cure it. You just rub it in your hands and inhale it and everything is alright,” these were the words of Mallam Usman (Real name withheld), an Islamic teacher with over 120 students under his tutelage in Dutse Alhaji of the Federal Capital Territory.
Usman who took great pride in his knowledge of herbs which he said he inherited from his father, who in turn inherited same from his forefathers, claimed that none of his students or household members could ever get infected as his herbal package was capable of taking care of any anomaly.
The Islamic teacher narrated how some of his students were given spoilt food to eat while begging for alms and had only come back vomiting, rather than being poisoned. “I gave them the herbs and they were okay,” he added with smiles.
Apart from the fact that he believes he has in his hands the herbs that could cure coronavirus, Usman also believes in the conspiracy theory that the pandemic was merely a decoy used by many leaders in the country to amass wealth for themselves.
“Believe it or not, it was just as the case of HIV/AIDS virus that was reported years back. This is just the same. People are using it to fill their pockets,” he stated, patting the waist pocket of the cream-coloured kaftan he was wearing.
A native of Borno State, Mallam Usman disclosed that he had opened the Quranic School years back, for students who wanted to acquire Islamic knowledge, and revealed further that after their graduation, they were sent to learn vocational skills like tailoring and mechanical works, while some were registered in primary and secondary schools.
However, before graduation, Usman’s students like other Almajiris, went out every day in search of food. Even with the lockdown in the FCT, the students still prowled around the Dutse area in search of what to eat.
“I do not like them moving around. I have two buses which we were using then to move around, but the two buses have broken down. So, the children now move around. There is nothing we can do,” he said.
Usman, however, added that some well-meaning Nigerians have continually provided food for them even before the outbreak of the coronavirus and the lockdown.
Social distancing, as far as Usman and his household were concerned, is not feasible as they all managed to fit into the eight room apartment that served as their home and the Quranic school.
And concerning sanitary hygiene which basically involves the washing of hands and use of sanitizers, Usman and his household didn’t consider it necessary as they felt it would amount to waste of water to frequently wash their hands.
“Not when we suffer to fetch water, we will be wasting it in the name of frequent washing of hands,” one of the students stated as he unlocked the padlock of the little cage that housed the jerrycans of water that were stored.
“The cage is locked to avoid wastage,” he had also revealed.
For their bath, the children went to a nearby river to clean up, and they continued with their quotidian life without sparing any thought for social distancing.
This, in fact, can be said to be attributable to the recent discovery of 16 coronavirus-infected Almajirai, out of the lot that were deported to Kaduna from Kano. They have no orientation about the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and why it should be dreaded, and so life remained the same for them as they moved around without adhering to any sanitary hygiene or social distancing.
While Usman and his students were lucky to have been getting aid from well-meaning Nigerians, the case of Adamu, an Almajiri that resides in Guidna, a suburb in the FCT, is different. Adamu and his fellow students daily left the house of their Mallam, and trekked a long distance to Kubwa, in search of food.
Adamu revealed that often times, they were lucky to get raw foodstuffs from their sympathizers, which they took home to cook and share among themselves.
“We were given rice and beans today,” he said as he displayed the foodstuffs he was holding in a black nylon bag. “We will go to the pepper seller under the mango tree, and plead with her to give us pepper and onions to cook the food.”
Adamu and his group, revealed that even with the lockdown, their routine had not changed. The group which comprised of boys of age eight to twelve years, disclosed that they knew nothing about coronavirus, but that they had noticed that the streets were isolated and that many of the people they had met on the streets were wearing masks.
They however revealed that getting food to eat now was somewhat difficult as many people have been confined to their homes because of the lockdown.
“We have to go to people’s houses now to beg. Before this thing that is happening now, we could easily get food from the people we meet on the street and market places. But now, it is much more difficult,” he said as he adjusted the rope with which he tied the cover of his plate to the plate itself.
The Almajiri system of learning is a type of Islamic education that is commonly practiced in Northern Nigeria, and the term “Almajiri” is used to describe a young boy who is taught within this system. The children leave their parents and homes, and travel to other northern states to live with their Islamic teachers.
Majority of them, however, end up begging on the streets. A 2014 UNICEF report estimated that there are 9.5 million Almajiri children in Nigeria. With the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the globe, these children are vulnerable and can easily catch and spread the virus as they are clearly bereft of knowledge on how to stay safe from the pandemic.
Among the many Nigerians who are calling for government’s intervention on the issue of the safety of Almajirai at this crucial time is Mohammed Keana, the team lead Almajiri Child Rights Initiative (ACRI).
Keana who described the situation of the Almajirai as sad, stated that interventions by government to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians during this lockdown did not get across to this set of children who are already living in terrible conditions, especially as it pertains to their sanitary hygiene, feeding, and all-round living.
“My experience with the Almajiri children is that of despair. Under the lockdown, we are not allowed to go out. These children, with the system they are in, cannot survive. They have to beg everyday before they eat. With the lockdown, they won’t find something to eat.
“Even when they can sneak out, finding someone to give them alms in the street is difficult. It is a sad situation. It is high time the government took a definite response plan to the plight of these children,” he said.
The Almajiris’ rights activist also added that they had sent letters to Northern governors to either relocate the children to their communities or make provision for their feeding.
“We have worked with the Kaduna State government to relocate 26,000 of such children. I am also calling on well-meaning Nigerians to help too. They are innocent children who are victims of the irresponsibility of their parents and the government.
“We should be able to reach out to them within the communities. I support the state governments who have started the deportation because apart from the issue of coronavirus spreading, we will have the issue of death and malnutrition in our hands if nothing is done,” he added.
For days now, there have been news of deportation of Almajirai to their various states of origin, across the federation. Kano government was said to have deported 419 Almajiris to Katsina, 524 to Jigawa and 155 to Kaduna. Kebbi State received 40 Almajiris deported by the Kaduna State government, while Bauchi State Government received a total of 190 Almajiri pupils evacuated from Plateau State. Many northern states are also planning to do the same.
While the deportation is being hailed in some quarters, some think the deportation was inhuman and an abuse of the fundamental rights of the children.
A pro-democracy and human rights group, Concerned Nigerians, in its statement said that the state governors erred by deporting the children as they were vulnerable and that their lives may be endangered in the process of deportation.
The group, in a statement by its convener, Prince Deji Adeyanju, said the repatriation exercise was not only poorly thought-out, but also contravened the provision of Section 41 of the Constitution.
While urging the various state governments to halt the deportation, the group also berated government for neglecting the children over the years, and added that the long practice of the Almajiri System was an evidence of the failure of leadership in the country.
Reacting to the deportation, former Kaduna lawmaker, Shehu Sani, in a post on his Twitter page, warned that the deportation will increase insecurity in the future.
According to him, the Almajirai without education, will return as bandits and insurgents.
“When you arrest the dirty and beggarly Almajiri from your beautiful cities and ‘deport’ him to his village, away from your tourists, your visitors, your leisure and your sights, you are only hiding your dirty undies instead of cleaning them. The Almajiri you choose to deport to the villages and refuse to educate and integrate, will return to you as bandits or insurgents,” he had twitted.
It seems however, that the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the narrative on the issue of the Almajiri system, as governors across the northern states have not only begun to deport the boys to their states, but have also agreed to ban the system.
Makut Simon Macham, director of press and public affairs to the Plateau governor, disclosed in a recent press statement that 17 northern governors during a meeting convened via teleconferencing by Simon Lalong, governor of Plateau State and chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, had agreed to a total ban of the system.
The statement added that the governors had vowed never to allow the system persist any longer, because of the social challenge it poses which include the perpetuation of poverty, illiteracy, insecurity and social disorder.