The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has warned that the high rate of the virus infection among government officials is capable of adversely affecting governance and security in the country.

Speaking at the Monday briefing of the task force, its Chairman and Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, who made the assertion, affirmed that the virus does not discriminate.

He, therefore, called for vigilance among Nigerians irrespective of status.

He said: “Of recent, we have witnessed a high rate of positive cases especially among people in authority. This has a direct impact on the governance and security of our nation.

“We urge that vigilance and care should be exhibited by all Nigerians irrespective of status. This virus does not discriminate and the PTF shall keep sustaining its sensitization messaging.”

Mustapa revealed that the PTF met with the heads of security and defence agencies to review and chart a refined course “in view of the fact that COVID-19 is global health, and socio-economic and security issue and Nigeria must continue to evolve new strategies peculiar to her environment, even while working within global prescriptions.”

He said as the nation progresses into the second phase of the eased lockdown, the National Response continues to escalate its level of vigilance and monitoring, “especially as we ease restrictions in more sectors, including those with potentials for large gatherings and/or interactions between groups of people. We are conscious of the fact that this could be misinterpreted to mean that the war against COVID 19 is over.”

He emphasized that the decision for further relaxation was cautiously taken by the government to balance lives and livelihood.

While noting that rising global and domestic statistics of cases and fatalities have shown that COVID-19 has not given any relaxation, the PTF boss said citizens cannot, therefore, afford to slow down “and we must never compromise.”

He added: “Let us continue to learn from the history of pandemics by avoiding the mistakes of 1918. Having laid that foundation, the PTF calls on all Nigerians to also remain vigilant and this call is underscored by global and national developments in the last week, especially throughout the weekend.

“In the last week, we have witnessed a resurgence in countries that were noted as having successfully contained or containing the spread of the virus. The situation in Beijing and the United States of America should inform our individual and collective actions. Of course, such resurgence has led to the reintroduction of precision/location-specific lockdown in some areas such as parts of Galicia region, Catalonia, Spain.”

Mustapha noted that over the last weekend, the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council organized national prayers for both Muslims and Christians to seek divine intervention on COVID-19 and several other problems confronting our nation and humanity.

While thanking the leadership of the groups who organized the prayers, he added: “Some additional benefits derivable from the intervention of NIREC include awareness on the evils of gender violence, benefits of peaceful co-existence, religious tolerance and deepening the impact of Community Engagement and Risk Communication programmes of the PTF.”

Mustapha informed that on Thursday and Friday this week, the PTF will be carrying out its mid-term review having crossed the three months/ half time threshold of its life span.

He said this will involve a comprehensive examination of the steps taken, the challenges and charting the way forward.

Mustapha reiterated that COVID-19 is not a death sentence, “but it becomes dangerous when we fail to detect, test isolate and treat. We can avoid contracting it by complying with non-pharmaceutical interventions of wearing a face mask, maintaining social distancing, hand-washing, staying and working from home if practicable. Similarly, we can achieve more if we stop stigmatization.”

He further said: “Capacity and opportunities for testing have been expanded, with the opening of 40 laboratories and creation of more testing centres including some certified private sector medical facilities. I, therefore encourage all Nigerians to get tested to enable us to fight this pandemic.

“We have done it before and we shall do it again. The handling of the EBOLA virus, Lassa Fever, our becoming a polio-free country and successful exit from other communicable diseases over the years should give us comfort that COVID-19 would also be put behind us.”

Mustapha noted that the PTF has continued to receive support from kind-hearted Nigerians, development partners and other interest groups, saying that the Nigerians in Diaspora COVID-19 support group donated Personal Protective Equipment worth N48million which Mustapa said are already being distributed to all States of the Federation as prescribed by the donors.

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The last cabin row of aircraft would be designated as isolation centre for air travellers that exhibit symptoms of coronavirus, the Federal Government has declared.

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed this on Monday during the Presidential Task Force (PFT) briefing on COVID-19.

Siriki said this was part of the safety measures taken against coronavirus as the nation prepares for resumption of domestic flights.

He explained that cabin staffers have been trained to carry out necessary precautions and protocols in case of any emergency.

Also, passengers would no longer be served refreshment to reduce the level of contact with cabin staff.

The Minister also said Governors, Ministers, National Assembly members, military men and judiciary men will not be allowed into the terminal building with their aides who are no travelling.

Following the loss made due to the closure of the airports for about three months, the Minister also said all businesses in charge of air economy in the country would be given opportunity to access a two-fold palliative from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the ministry of finance and national planning.

On how the sector will comply with COVID-19 protocols, he said: “We are complying with international standards and many countries have resumed. In Africa, more than five countries have resumed domestic flight and around the world, about 100 countries have commenced domestic operations.

“We delayed in commencing in Nigeria because we wanted to get it right and we didn’t want to risk anybody’s life.

“We will allow the last row in the cabin of the aircraft free so that we can isolate just in case we see something that looks like symptoms within the cabin so that we don’t create panic.

“We will carry you behind and isolate you there. Our cabin staff are well trained to look out for this. I told you that cabin crew are not just trained to serve teas.”

On whether refreshment would be served or not, he said: “For the domestic operations, there will be no food so that we reduce the level of contamination.”

On the seating arrangement, he said: “To maintain safe flight, civil aviation has ensured that the air within the cabin is filtered and circulated.

“Once you are in the aircraft, if there is space, we will space it and if there is no space, we will sit normally.

“Because the wearing of masks and other protocols are all backed by science to ensure that we are safe, so also, our decision is backed by science and findings.

“Risk of contamination is highly reduced when you are in the cabin. As the cabin air is coming down into the cabin, it washes from up, down to the bottom and we are mostly facing front while sitting.

“Because we are all facing one direction and the airflow is from up to down and because of that, the chances of the viruses and bacteria gaining way to you are reduced.

“The air will be circulated about 30 to 35 times within one hour. So, it is safe to say that no matter how we sit, from the scientific viewpoint, we are safe in the aircraft cabin.

He also noted that flights will be sequenced to avoid overcrowding. “We will also sequence our arrival and departure flights to avoid the terminal buildings being flooded. We will ensure that flights are sequenced in order for us to know the number of people we are emptying into our building per time and ensure that the physical distance is respected.”

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Senior political operatives have been allocated 15 per cent of the 774,000 Federal Government jobs for poor Nigerians, the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo revealed on Monday.

The mathematical implication is that 116,100 slots will go to governors, ministers, senators and members of House of Representatives for their people.

In preparation for another round of interactive meeting with a joint committee of the National Assembly today, the embattled minister penned a lengthy explanation on Monday to the committee and the Nigerian public as controversy deepens over the menial jobs, with N52 billion budget.

The first meeting of June 30, between the two parties ended in chaos as they disagreed over the power of supervision and recruitment of beneficiaries across the 774 local governments in Nigeria.

Allegations and counter-allegations of corruption followed the rancour.

The minister said he was appraising the committee of the hard facts of the grey areas in the matter, which time factor and other extraneous issues may deny him today.

One of the issues he addressed in the letter is slot sharing and allegations of waste by the lawmakers.

According to him, there was a sharing formula for allocation of slots to National Assembly members and other top political functionaries, to accommodate their everyday supporters, as long as the core recruiting mandates are held sacred.

Quoting him, “However, in the spirit of transparency and because of the need to be honest before Nigerians, we have said before that we are not unmindful of the fact that political officeholders are also representatives of the people. We cannot also totally ignore them in the selection process. Their constituents are also Nigerians. What we have tried to resist is a total takeover of the programme by politicians and political actors, hence the multi-sectorial composition of the States’ Selection Committees.

“As a result, the States’ Selection Committees have been instructed to allot to political officeholders like our distinguished senators, honourable members, ministers and governors, a number in total not exceeding 15 per cent of the total beneficiaries in that state. This is to ensure that majority of Nigerians who do not belong to any of the political divides actually benefit substantially from this programme.

“The actual break down of these numbers between the officeholders have been communicated to the States’ Selection Committees. But if I understood Hon. Muhammad Wudil very well during his interview on Hard Copy on Channels Television, he alluded to the fact that he is uncomfortable with the fact that ministers got a certain number of slots (30) from all the Local Government Areas in a state, whilst he as a member of the House of Representatives got slots from only the local government areas within his constituency.

“But he should remember that there is only one minister in almost all the states (except a few that have two), whilst a state like Kano where he comes from has 24 members of the House of Representatives. If those 24 members each take slots from all the local government areas available, there will be nothing left again for everyday people to share.

“Finally, on this point, suffice to say that those persons to be recommended for engagement by political office holders that constitute the 15 per cent so mentioned, must also be eligible persons to participate in this programme.”

The Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Labour, Employment and Productivity has been accused of steering a political takeover of the programme, meant to provide poor Nigerians with N60,000 empowerment for three months of engagement between October and December.

He also explained the jettisoning of online registration and payment modalities.

“The reasons are: (a) the categories of those to be engaged (which are largely unskilled workers) will not have the capacity and access to make online applications. (b) online applications would not ensure that the 1,000 persons to be selected would come from each Local Government Areas as, for example, 300 persons may apply online from Lagos State, claiming to be applying to work in Sokoto State. (c) the selection process would be localized and would absolve us in Abuja the responsibility of selecting persons from different States.

“I am also pleased to inform you that for the purpose of transparency and accountability in the process, the President approved the use of select banks to register and collate data of those to be engaged. The banks would open accounts for all beneficiaries and in the process obtain BVN for those without accounts.

“Consequently, all payments would be made from the CBN directly to the accounts of the beneficiaries. The banks will also simultaneously register the participants of the Special Works Programme. Apart from the transparency and accountability, this will achieve, one of the benefits of the exercise is that more Nigerians would be captured in the financial system thereby enhancing the financial inclusion drive of Government.

“Eventually, the data collated by the banks would be passed on to us for use in the programme implementation. It is important to note that this data to be collated would be used for other multifarious purposes relating to employment and social surveys. Already the National Bureau of Statistics, the National Population Commission and other Federal Government Agencies have requested for an allotment of persons from the 1,000 persons in each Local Government Areas to carry out special social surveys and data collation” the letter read in part.

Keyamo also believed Hon. Muhammadu Ali Wudil, the House committee chairman, was already biased against and won’t get fair hearing making his case to him, saying, “I may not be able to get a fair hearing from him, especially as he is the one that has been at the forefront of insisting on controlling and dictating the execution of this programme behind the scene. He also made frantic efforts to stop the inauguration of the States’ Selection Committees through a series of phone calls to me.”

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The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team and the National Human Rights Commission NHRC have both reacted.

Mrs Ngozi

A Twitter user is seeking help for a nursing mother who was allegedly beaten and bruised by her husband at their home in the Ogba area of Lagos state today July 6.

Twitter user @sama_on_point who shared the video online, gave the name of the nursing mother’s Mrs Ngozi and her husband, Mr Henry.

He Wrote;

”This is Mrs Ngozi after she was battered by her husband, Mr Henry today. This is a recurring battering as reported by neighbours. She lives with her husband at 3 Mafo Close, Yaya Abatan off Abeokuta Street, Ogba, Lagos. Rescue this lady please!”

In the video online, a female neighbor could be heard asking the woman to pack her things and leave the house as being married isn’t by force.

The Lagos state Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team DSVRT and the National Human Rights Commission NHRC have both reacted to the video.

Watch Video Below

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70-year-old man, Mohammed Sani Umar (Tela), has raped an eight-year-old girl in Chanchaga area of Minna, Niger State.

Umar raped the girl twice before giving her N80 not to tell anybody about the incident.

“She was sick for some weeks and after every treatment, she was still not very well. Then, a neighbour advised her mother to keep a close watch on the girl, which the mother started doing.

“After some days, she saw some stains in her underwear and asked her what happened to her.

“The little girl took the mother to his place and on reaching there, she just pointed at him.

“On sighting the woman and the girl, he started begging them to cover it up so he will take responsibility,” Abubakar, the girl’s uncle, narrated.

He said Umar was beaten by angry members of the community before he was interrogated and handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.

“The woman started crying and shouted for help. People came around, dragged him to the family house, where he was beaten and confessed that he had sex with her twice.

“He said that he gave her N50 once and another N30 the second time.

“We took him to the police custody and handed him to the police to charge him to court,” Abubakar added.

The family appealed to the police to handle the matter professionally as they expressed fear that the police could sweep the case under the carpet as Umar is influential in the society.

“The Divisional Police Officer said the case would be forwarded to the state command on Monday.

“We want the police to do the right thing because the man is very influential and has some people who usually bail criminals arrested by the police. 

“He knows the rich people in the community and there is a possibility they would conspire with the police to release the man and sweep the matter under the carpet.

“The police should ensure justice is served right in this case,” the family urged.

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The Department of State Services (DSS) wishes to inform the public that it did not arrest Ibrahim MAGU, Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as has been reported by sections of the media. The Service, has since, today, 6th July, 2020, been inundated with enquiries over the alleged arrest.

Peter Afunanya, Ph.D
Public Relations Officer,
Department of State Services,
National Headquarters,
Abuja
6th July, 2020

PRNigeria

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From Austine Tule, Makurdi

Palpable panic has hit Makurdi, the Benue state capital over new confirmed cases of covid-19 with Governor Ortom’s wife Eunice, his son, and other top Government officials testing positive to the pandemic.

According to a report released by NCDC at the weekend, other Top officials of Government that tested positive to the virus include, The Secretary to the Benue State Government (SSG), Prof Anthony Ijoho SAN, Chief of Staff, Mr Terwase Orbunde, the State Head of Civil Service , Mrs Veronica Onyeke, and other aides of the Benue state first family.

Confirming the development while briefing journalist at the Benue People’s at the weekend, Governor, Samuel said” my wife, Dr. Mrs. Eunice Ortom and Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Prof. Anthony Ijohor have tested positive for COVID-19.

“My Chief of Staff, Hon. Terwase Orbunde and the state Head of Service, Mrs. Veronica Onyeke among others have also tested positive for the virus.”

Ortom said though he tested negative, the first family had decided to go into total isolation including himself and urged people of the state to go for testing to ascertain their status and take necessary action.

According to Ortom ” one lesson that I want Benue people to appreciate and understand is that everybody has to make himself available for testing. The more you test, the more you know your status; when you know that you are positive, then you can subject yourself to treatment.”

Asked wether government was contemplating another lockdown owing to the increase in the number of cases in the state, Ortom said the state Action Committee on COVID-19 would sit early next week to review the situation with a view to considering the next line of action.

While noting that testing positive for the virus was not a death sentence, the Governor urged people of the state to take preventive protocols seriously in order to help stop the spread of the pandemic.

The Governor’s wife had earlier issued a statement she personally signed confirming her status and one of her sons, even as she called on anybody she might have come in contact with to go into self isolation and subsequent testing.

“While I have taken the responsibility to personally call every one I can recall to have had recent contact with to go for testing, I advise any one who has had close contact with me in the last 2 weeks and the public to go for screening and testing,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Secretary to the State Government, Professor Anthony Ijohor and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Terwase Orbunde have also personally confirmed their status for the virus.

Credit: authorityngr.com

From Maurice Okafor, Enugu

In furtherance of the Enugu State government’s contributions to the wellbeing and quick recovery of Miss Nneoma Nnadi, the 10-year-old female househelp, who was brutally injured and maltreated by her guardians, Mrs. Ifeoma Ozougwu and her husband, Mr. Jude Ozougwu, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has approved the award of scholarship, up to university level, to the little girl.

In a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Nnanyelugo Chidi Aroh, Gov. Ugwuanyi directed the state scholarship board to implement the approval with immediate effect.

Aroh disclosed that the governor “in addition to the earlier directive to the State Ministry of Gender Affairs and Social Development to provide and fully pay for the best available medical care for the child, the Governor has further directed the immediate release of financial support to the family of the child for their upkeep”.

The information commissioner added that Gov. Ugwuanyi expressed appreciation to the Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police “for their timely and professional intervention” and equally directed the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Miletus Eze to “liaise with the Nigeria Police and ensure that the suspects are brought to justice timely”.

It would be recalled that the State Commissioner for Gender Affairs and Social Development, Rt. Hon. Princess Peace Nnaji, on the directive of the Governor, yesterday, visited the victim at ESUT Teaching Hospital Parklane, Enugu and announced the state government’s decision to take adequate care of her wellbeing, pay all her medical bills and ensure that she receives proper medical attention.

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