On Monday, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) addressed certain concerns about the Nigeria International Travel Portal’s use.
The current travel advisory and public health safety measures are being reviewed by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 and will be updated soon, according to the statement.
We acknowledge Nigerians’ worries about the Nigeria International Travel Portal (NITP) and COVID-19 testing before and after arrival in Nigeria. We would like to clarify some of these concerns:
The NITP was developed by the private sector and is managed by Nigerians in the public sector as one of several measures introduced to limit the risk of importation and spread of COVID-19 in our country. Despite challenges in the functionalities of the site, mostly related to payments using foreign cards, we have continued to work extremely hard on its improvement.
While the NITP site is hosted on NCDC’s domain, all funds for testing purposes are paid through the bank to the accredited private laboratories.
No funds from private testing are received by NCDC. COVID-19 testing in government laboratories remains free of charge for public health purposes. Testing for personal purposes such as travel are paid for by individuals to be conducted in private laboratories.
In the meantime, the NCDC continues to deliver on its mandate, including strong response to COVID-19 and other concurrent disease outbreaks in Nigeria.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) seized 27 motorcycles known as Okadas on Monday.
They also removed shanties and batchers placed on highways that restrict traffic movement along Airport Road.
The administration said that this is to restore order on Abuja’s highways, particularly the airport road.
The cleanup operation, which involved all relevant Abuja agencies, began from the Karamajiji end of the road corridors.
Dr Abdulateef Bello, Director of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), told reporters at the event that his agency was able to confiscate 27 motorcycles on the airport road stretch for various offenses ranging from driving against the traffic to driving on the wrong side of the road.
He, however, stated that the administration is not trying to put hardship on anybody, but the administration is more concern about the safety and security of it’s residence.
According to him, “We have done a lot of engagement building social trust, with the Okada riders so that they will be law abiding but as at today there are some sturborn riders that are not willing to comply with our directives. Today we have over 27 motor cycles that were seized and they will pass through normal forfeiture and they will put them for crushing.
“The FCT Administration is not trying to put hardship on anybody. But the administration is more concern about the safety and security of residence. Riding against traffic, riding on the highway is anti safety and the fact that we know everyone is trying to put food of their table they should obey the rules and regulations of the land”.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring Inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah said there is no going back on the operation, which would last for a month.
Attah said: “Right now is the extremely massive cleanup of airport road here. Starting from the traffic here, seizures of motor cycle, pin down points.
“We removed illegal structures, shanties, batchers, especially those that built shops under the high tension cables. We touched so many communities here, we did so many cleanups here in view of the directive of FCT Minister.
“We are working on the entire airport road stretch. So much work will be going on here in the next one month, we will be working on the airport road, keeping it clean and ensure free flow of traffic at the stretch.
“You know airport road stretch is the gateway to the city. We came here last week some have tried to return, the market we sacked last week but we have sacked them again and we will continue to come back here again and again. We won’t get tired the determination is very strong, we will keep working again and again, until we get rid of every environmental abnormalities.
“Two markets were sacked before and one came back and we resacked it again today and on Tuesday we are going to do more cleanups along the Airport road”, he added.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said plans are under way to crush 1500 motorcycle popularly known as ‘Okada’.
The Okadas about to be crushed were impounded by the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) otherwise known as Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) from riders who violated traffic rules and regulations in the nation’s capital.
Dr Abdulateef Bello, the Director Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) made this known when he paid an on the spot visit to the DRTs Task force office in Wuye to acquaint himself with the activities of the task team.
His words, “Like we did the last time, this motorcycles have been impounded and awaiting crushing excersie, they are motorcycles that were arrested , contravening the law and regulations , driving against the traffic within the Federal Capital City (FCC)
“Right now we have over one thousand two hundred waiting to be crushed. As much as the excersie is ongoing, we are calculating by our estimation when we have one thousand five hundred motorcycles, then we begin another second round of the crushing.
“These motorcycles were impounded within three to four months, we did the last excersie around November/ December, then we started assembling the newly impounded motorcycles”.
Bello, however, said that, government will not rest on its oars untill the nation’s capital is free from Okada that constitute nuisance and security threat.
He caution Okada riders to obey the rules and the restrain order not to ply the FCT routes, saying, “they should stay within the confined areas such as estates and market places, not to approach the high ways, so all those that contravene will face this particular punishment of having their bikes crushed”.
Speaking on what they will use the crushed Okada for, the DRTs boss said, it will be giving to auctioneers who have use for the parts .
Saying, it can be converted to order economic use that will inturn help to eliminate porverty in away and also boost our revenue generation in FCT.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said plans are under way to crush 1500 motorcycle popularly known as ‘Okada’.
The Okadas about to be crushed were impounded by the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) otherwise known as Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) from riders who violated traffic rules and regulations in the nation’s capital.
Dr Abdulateef Bello, the Director Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) made this known when he paid an on the spot visit to the DRTs Task force office in Wuye to acquaint himself with the activities of the task team.
His words, “Like we did the last time, this motorcycles have been impounded and awaiting crushing excersie, they are motorcycles that were arrested , contravening the law and regulations , driving against the traffic within the Federal Capital City (FCC)
“Right now we have over one thousand two hundred waiting to be crushed. As much as the excersie is ongoing, we are calculating by our estimation when we have one thousand five hundred motorcycles, then we begin another second round of the crushing.
“These motorcycles were impounded within three to four months, we did the last excersie around November/ December, then we started assembling the newly impounded motorcycles”.
Bello, however, said that, government will not rest on its oars untill the nation’s capital is free from Okada that constitute nuisance and security threat.
He caution Okada riders to obey the rules and the restrain order not to ply the FCT routes, saying, “they should stay within the confined areas such as estates and market places, not to approach the high ways, so all those that contravene will face this particular punishment of having their bikes crushed”.
Speaking on what they will use the crushed Okada for, the DRTs boss said, it will be giving to auctioneers who have use for the parts .
Saying, it can be converted to order economic use that will inturn help to eliminate porverty in away and also boost our revenue generation in FCT.
Stakeholders manning traffic in the nation’s capital have urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, to ban motorcycles known as ‘Okada’ on the Airport route.
Also, Okada riders have constituted security threat and environmental nunsance near the airport, which serves as the initial point of contact for foreign visitors to Nigeria.
They spoke out about the Okada riders’ activities during a stakeholders meeting called by the new Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Dr Abdulateef Bello, in his Abuja office.
CSP Uhegbu Ugochukwu, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Lugbe Police Station, revealed that Okada riders, in most cases, Okada riders drive against the traffic and thereby causing accident on the highway which result to traffic gridlock.
He opined that the Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello should put a ban on Okada and crime rate will be reduced drastically.
Ugochukwu also called on the administration to have a traffic central control unit which should be headed by the SSA Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah, saying, this will help to arrest and prosecute traffic violators.
Saying, the human traffic along Airport road is very high and most people shun the use of pedestrian bridge and cross the express at the expense of their lives. We have so many instances of hit and run
He added that the team will start prosecution of people who fails to use the pedestrian bridge.
Similarly, the Chief Road Traffic Officer/ Area Commander, Lugbe, Ojo Lawrence said that, they have been able to arrest over 200 vehicles for various offenses.
Narrating some of the challenges they have on the road , he said most vehicles pick and drop passengers and those selling station their wares on the roads.
He, however, urged the administration to look into the issue of Okada riders as they constitute nuisances , saying, they are very volatile, when one is arrested others come in their large numbers to free the offenders as they often overpower the Personnel due to their large numbers and the weapons they have on.
More so, the Lugbe Supervisor of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) , Bawa Mukhtar butttresed some of the crimes committed by Okada riders, saying, any attack on the roads are done by Okada riders.
Meanwhile, the Unit Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Lugbe, ACC Ohaeri Osondu said they have deployed strategy to reduce traffic gridlock on the airport road by posting personnel to man the road both morning and evening during pick periods.
He added that through this means they have able to make arrest of so many traffic offenders and this has helped in no small measure to reduce traffic gridlock along Lugbe axis.
However, the Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Dr Abdulateef Bello who after the meeting went round to see things for himself have Okada riders two weeks to comply to the restrictions order.
His words, ” Haven’t engaged with the leadership of the Okada group , we just hope that they will comply with the instructions of the restrictions that they should not ply the highway.
“We will give them two weeks while we continue to carry out the exercise of enforcement and monitoring and then removal . Of those we see on the highway, after two weeks if they don’t comply , then we will start thinking of how to push the decision to ban”.
Speaking on riding out reckity vehicles from FCT roads, Bello said, “FCT is a pride of Nigeria, as a country and we want to make sure that we creat a very good impression, so anything that will have negative value to our esthetics nature of the city should be taken away, that’s the reason why we have to address , this also include heavy smoking cars; as long as it curses environmental hazards, is not fit to be on our roads”.
On sustainability, he said , we will be crushing all impounded motor cycles , we have crushed over two thousand motorcycles already, and we will continue to crush them 5o serve as a detriment”, he added
Meanwhile, Comrade Ikharo Attah, SSA to FCT Minister on Monitoring Inspection and Enforcement said there are traffic issues and environmental nunsancies from every entry points into communities along Airport road.
His words, “We have intensive trading, and other activities that push people to the road .
“Now that we are having a stronger team and the former Director of Security becoming the new Director of DRTs on the field we are going to get more reinforcement.
“We are going to be doing enumosly here , tongues may likely wag because we are going to be doing a comprehensive work tht would last for a long time and people will be asking ‘una never tire’. Sustainability is key , we are going to be coming to get the place clean’ , he said .
…Demands Absolute Clean Up Of Shanties, Batchers In Nation’s Capital City
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is committed to eliminate drug trafficking and criminal activity in the nation’s capital.
This comes after the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, ordered the immediate evacuation of all shanties, batchers, and illegal structure that house criminal groups.
Comrade Ikharo Attah, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement, spoke on behalf of the administration, said that there will be no going back on the Minister’s directive because the entire city of Abuja will become one of the best cities in the world.
This was revealed by Attah while briefing newsmen immediately after a clean-up exercise of Utako and some parts of the Jabi pack, saying, “These people have become a torn on the flesh of the administration and need to evacuate them.
According to him, ” This place has been cleared severally in recent years because it was used by drugs lord’s, we have cleared the place over and over again and the people keep coming back to build their shanties and batchers. If this is not checked, they will come back as usual to do their illegal businesses.
“Sadly, owners of the landed property have failed to develop their property and people take advantage of the fallow land to build all manner of shanties and batchers. Yesterday, we went to Utako village to clean the place to be taking over by its rightful owner, the Nigeria Police .
” We are going round the city to clean up the environment, the minister has mandated us to commerce intensed clean up of transportation lapses beginning from the Airport road, we are going to be clearing the areas, with strong focus on Traffic-related violations. The new Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Dr Abdulateef Bello as you all know is knowledgeable about security. He will be leading a comprehensive team to commence massive traffic clean up starting from Monday. There is so much he intends to achieve and we all will be working with him”, he added .
Meanwhile, Assistant Director and Head of Monitoring and Enforcement of Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Mr. Kaka Bello said a lot of scavengers and illegal squatters are building makeshift shanties that deface with the territory.
He said,” We have been here severally to clean up this area and unfortunately, they still come back . We appealed to owners to go and build their property”. Kaka appealed to property owners to takeover and develop their plots to prevent them from turning into criminal hideouts.
Residents of Utako village had a harrowing experience on Wednesday, fighting scavengers to rescue their wares as demolition bulldozers plowed through hundreds of illegal shanties.
Scavengers were seen removing numerous Materials from their lawful owners, who were evidently overwhelmed by the demolition’s pain, despite the presence of security agents at the demolition site.
The clean-up exercise, according to Muktar Galadima, Director of the Department of Development Control, was not just a routine operation, but a special operation to remove any illegal buildings and allow the original allottees to return their land.
Galadima claimed that the squatters had been served with a quit notice a long time ago.
Comrade Ikharo Attah the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister said the operation was also targeted at addressing perennial traffic and criminal activities in the area.
Attah who also doused the tension generated over speculation that the homes of the indigenous people within the village would be demolished , assured that only illegal structures on the land allocated to the FCT Police Command was earmarked for demolition.
He hinted that the clean up exercise would help to restore the environmental sanitation and aesthetic of the Utako District.
His words,” We are only removing the illegal shanties to reclaim the land for the original allottees. We are not demolishing the houses of indigenous people.
” The clean up will also help to address the disturbing traffic gridlock and also criminal activities of miscreants in the place”.
Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), removed Alhaji Wadata Bodinga, the Director of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), and appointed a substantive Director.
Dr Abdulateef Bello, the Acting Director of the Department of Security Services, has been named the new substantive Director of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services by the minister (DRTS).
According to the minister, the Directorate’s activities will be strengthened as a result of this.
Women Agro Processors, Agric Gen and Exporters Initiative (WAPA-GEIN) has advocated for a proper legal framework to oversee agricultural businesses.
Multiple taxation is not only the scourge of advancement in the agroprocessing business, but it is also a cause of dissatisfaction for small-scale processors, according to the report.
Mrs Esther Adebayo, President of WAPA-GEIN, stated that Nigerian women have expressed a strong desire to contribute meaningfully to the economy, but that legislation is required to protect their interests.
She said that women processors have taken steps to join in the country’s agricultural export market, but only if appropriate government institutions provide the necessary support.
Adebayo further stated that a constitutional amendment is required to compel each state of the Federation to construct operational agro processing factories.
She went on to say that the difficulties confronting the sector in the country, particularly food insecurity, necessitate more than lip service, and that actual action is required to address them.
According to her, “The women Agro processors have initiated moves towards establishing agro export processing centre across the country.
“Our goal is to facilitate, improve and promote agricultural productivity, marketing of exportable products and sustainably move women and youths out of chronic vulnerabilities and poverty via expanded opportunities”, she said.
Minister of Mines and Steel Development Arc Olamilekan Adegbite has underlined the Federal Government’s commitment to aiding artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) in having access to credit that will help them expand their operations.
He stated this during a weekend trip of the Gemstones Market in Ojoo, Akinyele Local Government Area, Oyo State.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja by the Director of Press, Mrs Etore Thomas, Adegbite urged miners to join cooperative groups in order to obtain access to funding set aside to help them with their operations.
According to him, miners can get loans ranging from N2 million to N100 million, with a 15-year repayment period and a 5% annual interest rate.
He said that a loan of less than N2 million, would just require a guarantor, whilst a miner requesting a loan of more than N2 million would require a cosigner.
According to him , “I realized that a lot of people could not access the money because of collateral and I advised that it be reduced so that those who need small loan of not more than N2million can access without a collateral but a guarantor of level 14 and above in the civil service.”
Speaking on the construction of the gemstones market, the Minister said gemstone market in Ojoo is where the gemstone would be identified and graded, cut, polished and ready to be made into jewelry.
He said the people being trained in gemstones design in Abuja would populate Ibadan gemstones market as well as the Gold Souk in Kano since they would be working on jewelries and gemstones.
He, however, noted that the gemstones mining is not limited to Oyo State as he pointed out other States where gemstones could be found to include Taraba, Plateau and Abuja among others.
The Minister re-emphasized that what the government is doing with the six (6) regional projects are demonstration of possibilities for investors as he encouraged them to take advantage of it and invest not only in mining but in processing as well.
On the operationalization of the regional projects, he said the government would not be involved in the running of the projects.
He added that, “by the time these projects are completed, we are looking at the system of PPP, where we have facility management and plant management systems in place who will run this projects and of course there will be recourse to government as appropriate but we don’t want to get government involved in the running of the six clusters”, he added.
Adegbite said sustainability is key in running of the projects as he explained that the government would give them to those who would run them profitably and generate revenue for government. “It’s going to be a win-win business, whoever runs any of the projects will make money from it, will make money for government and also enhance the value of what is produced in that particular neighborhood”, he emphasized.
Earlier in his remarks, the General Secretary of Miners Association of Nigeria(MAN), Mr Dele Ayanleke commended the Federal Government for the establishment of the six (6) regional projects.
Ayanleke said the project would improve ASM productivity, boost their confidence and discourage export of raw ore.
He , therefore, called on Miners to take advantage of the 5% interest rate loan made available by the Federal Government to procure necessary equipment that would make them perform optimally.
