The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), says it has disbursed over 500million naira to the enrollees of the fund who are on its Employee’ Compensation Scheme (ECS) as Claims and Compensation within the last six months.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Fund, Michael Akabogu disclosed this in Abuja during an interaction session with Labour Correspondents.
The agency, under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment also said it intends to reach all vulnerable Nigerians while also reaching all employees through the ECS as a Social Security which is its core mandate.
He added that, he would be making the disclosure from time to time to avoid embezzlement in the agency as it happened in the past.
“We would aim to create pathways to widen the spread of our enrollee and most importantly, improve on and ensure prompt payments of Claims and Compensations to give value for money to all the Contributors in our Employee Compensation Scheme.
“In addition, it may interest you to know that NSITF in last two quarters spanning from the month of June to November 2021, paid a total sum of N529,962,770.07 (Five Hundred and Twenty-nine Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty two Thousand, seven Hundred and seventy and seventy Naira) as Claims and Compensation,” NSITF boss said.
Akabogu listed the claims which were paid as Medical Expenses Refunds, Loss of Productivity to Employers, Death Benefit to Next of Kin (NOK), Disability Benefits to Employees, Beneficiary of deceased Employees and Retirement Benefits on behalf of disabled employees.
It could be recalled that the agency before now, was in a series of embezzlements and misappropriation of funds scam a few months ago – a development that led to the sack of past management team of the fund.
Following the discovery of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in Nigeria, the Federal Government evaluated the country’s immunization program and decided to roll out the booster dosage using the Pfizer Bio-N-Tech vaccine throughout the country.
This will go into effect tomorrow, Friday, December 10th, 2021.
Dr. Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) said Nigerian COVID-19 immunization campaign is science-driven.
He made this known at the flag off of the mass vaccination campaign. This is being done to fast-track the coverage of all eligible persons. Our special attention on the IDP Camps underscores the government’s recognition of the vulnerable conditions of our friends and families who are temporarily here.
The said, “Evidence has shown that the booster dose further increases protection against the virus. Eligibility for the booster dose includes being 18 years and above, fully vaccinated with either two doses of AstraZeneca, Moderna or Pfizer Bio-N-Tech or a single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. The time interval before the booster dose is at least six months for these vaccines, except the Johnson and Johnson which is at least two months.
“This is another opportunity to be further protected. I therefore urge all those who have taken the right decision to be fully vaccinated, to walk into the nearest vaccination site for their booster dose as from tomorrow.
“I want to reassure everyone that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and efficacious. We have in place the required measures and precautions to ensure vaccine monitoring and accountability. We are committed to ensure that our vaccination teams will be available on site here and in other camps daily until every eligible person has received their vaccines. I therefore urge camp leaders to take responsibility and ensure all members are fully vaccinated. Please do not hesitate to demand for the vaccines if the teams stop coming and there are still unvaccinated persons in the camp. It is your right to get vaccinated.
“At this juncture, may I emphasize that taking the COVID-19 vaccine is not just an act of self-protection but also a civic duty to curtail the spread of the virus in the camp and in Nigeria. Every one of us has a critical role to play in mobilizing our friends, families, and camp mates to the vaccination site. Remember, no one is safe from COVID-19 until everyone is safe.
“Even after vaccination let us continue to wear our face masks, wash our hands frequently, observe physical distancing and avoid large gatherings until Nigeria achieves full vaccination of all its eligible population”, he said .
He continued, , “Today, Thursday December 9th 2021, 7,361,810 Nigerians have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and this represents 6.6% of the eligible population. 3,846,762 eligible Nigerians have received their second doses and are fully vaccinated against the virus representing 3.4% of the eligible population.
“As you are aware, since the detection of the first case of COVID-19 infection in Nigeria about two years ago, the Federal Government has taken decisive steps to control the spread of the virus in the Country. Despite the challenges of large-scale misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, Nigeria has successfully vaccinated over seven million eligible persons, and I am glad to inform that none of these persons has died as a result of receiving COVID-19 vaccine. Our record of successful vaccine roll out has been based on the consistent support from President Muhammadu Buhari and the guidance of the Chairman of Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 – Mr Boss Mustapha, and the Honorable Minister of Health – Dr Osagie Ehanire. While we remain grateful to God Almighty for using these leaders to intervene for our dear country, it is important to mention that the decision of over 7 million Nigerians to take the COVID-19 vaccine has been based on their rightful conviction that the vaccines are safe and effective in protecting them against the disease. We appreciate the courage, resilience and patriotism that Nigerians have continued to demonstrate in accepting to be vaccinated against COVID-19. And as time has come to prove that we were not wrong to have accepted the polio vaccine, time will come to prove that we are not wrong to accept the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The Federal Government under the able leadership of our dear President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to ensure that every eligible Nigeria and indeed any persons in Nigeria has access to the COVID-19 vaccines. It is in furtherance of this determination that we introduced the COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Campaign to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 Vaccines by everyone.
Our presence here today, to flag-off the vaccination of our brothers and sisters in these camps across the country is also in fulfilment of that determination. Everyone, no matter where they are in the country MUST have access to the COVID-19 vaccines.
And as a result of our commitment to all Nigerians, COVID-19 vaccines are now accessible in all public, primary, secondary, and tertiary health facilities, private health facilities, worship centres, schools, markets, motor parks, shopping malls, etc, in order to fast track social and economic recovery from COVID-19. Suffice to say, we have sufficient doses of COVID-19 vaccines for this mass vaccination campaign.
Also, the Federal Commissioner, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, lamented that the COVID-19 pandemic has profound effect on nearly every aspect of our lives, it has stalled world economies, altered the way we work and communicate with our loved ones, and strained healthcare systems to their breaking point.
He stated that, the pandemic has increased the number of refugees and IDPs by over a million, “According to the UNHCR, current statistics reveal that between 2020 till date, there has been a sharp increase in the number of displacements by about a million, bringing the total number of internal displaced persons to about 3 million residing in camps and host communities across the country. There are also about 73,000 registered refugees from over 23 countries residing in Nigeria. These statistics signifies a 1.7% value of the nation’s population yet to be vaccinated.
“These Persons of Concern have had their livelihoods eroded by both man-made and natural disasters such as protracted fighting, insecurity, communal clashes, and the consequences of climate change, leaving them more vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic’s larger impact. The majority of them lack access to an adequate health care system and are stigmatized as a result of their situation. This is why the Commission is collaborating with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to ensure that COVID Vaccines reach these vulnerable Persons of Concern”.
He said for nations to be able to return back to nomancy, then getting Covid-19 vaccination is imperative, “Vaccines will undoubtedly enable society to revert to ‘normalcy’ and restrictions continue to ease. To this end, I want to encourage our Persons of Concern who are 18 years and above to take full advantage of this initiative and get vaccinated, because according to experts, by getting vaccinated, you break the chain of disease transmission, you reduce mutations and Variants of the virus, you protect others, and even if you become ill, the severity of sickness is usually mild and does not require hospitalization”.
FCT Minister Desires To See Abuja Work Like Other Cities Across The Globe
…As Attah Expresses Gratitude To ITV Founder, GM Abuja, For Providing Him With A Platform To Ride On
…Promises To Be Good Ambassador
Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), wished to see the nation’s capital city function like the world’s fastest-growing metropolis.
Comrade Ikharo Attah, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement, stated that the Minister is committed to reducing and, if feasible, eliminating illegality in the area.
He, on the other hand, urged the media to collaborate with the Minister in order to build a world-class metropolis that will be envied by all.
Attah made this appeal over the weekend when he received a congratulatory visit from the management team of Independent Television (ITV), led by the General Manager, Barr. Mrs. Amber Olague, on his recent appointment as the Senior Special Assistant to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement.
He said; “I appeal to the media to join hands with the Minister to build a first-class city. The Minister is keen to keep the city clean. He is keen to see the city work like other cities across the globe are managed and operated. The Minister is keen on maintaining the dreams of the founding fathers. The Minister is keen on getting illegality reduced to the barest minimum and, if possible, eradicated. I want all the media organisations to join the FCTA to move the city to a point where history will be fair to everyone of us.”
He, however, praised the founder of ITV, the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, for giving him the platform where God used him to elevate him.
I remain internally grateful to him for establishing ITV, where I worked to earn this appointment.
Attah also commended the General Manager of Abuja station for her motherly role in the process of the appointment.
While recounting the process, he said, “ITV has been very wonderful in the sense that the things I have done, many media houses will not allow you to do them and still remain on staff.” I commend the GM for her motherly role.
My appointment takes effect from September 19, 2019. When I came here to do a report, thinking I would get an exclusive for my media house, the minister pronounced me as a task force chairman. I did not get the exclusive but was made a task force chairman. I quickly called the GM and told him that the minister had asked me to immediately become a task force chairman, and to my shock, the GM said Bravo! “Go ahead and do it,” she said, much to my surprise.
From that day forward, we started the Traffic Management Team, stabilizing Nyanya, Dutse Alhaji, and before we could say Jack Robinson, it had metamorphosed into the COVID-19 Enforcement Team. She kept encouraging me to do it, and from that COVID-19, we moved to City Clean Up, and she constantly followed me until I got to this point where I was appointed.” Am proud to say, I am an ITV employee. I am here on secondment and leave of absence to do the
ITV is a breeding ground for leaders, a breeding ground for professionals, a breeding ground for men who deeply believe in themselves. In the Bible, when God wanted to choose a king for Israel, His criteria were always outside of man’s control.When there was turmoil in Egypt and the Israelites were suffering in Egypt, he went into the Southern Peninsula and chose a man who was married to the king of Median Moses, led him through, and made him leader over Israel.When Saul saw that God had rejected him and was pronounced by Samuel, the anointing jar was filled to be placed on someone else in Jesse’s family. He picked from the list of those who were rearing cattle in the bush to lead over Israel when they had military men in their family. ITV is a platform for potential. As a very professional broadcast station, we may not be too critical to go against the ethics of the NBC code to earn us some critical names, but in professionalism, we know we have cut a niche for ourselves and that is leading us to greater heights.
“I thank you and promise to be a worthy ambassador of ITV. I promise not to disappoint the station. I promise to work for God and for the country and promise to do my best for the city,” he stated.
Also, the Special Assistant to the FCT Minister of State on Media, Austine Elemue, said this appointment has sent a strong message to those who are coming behind. When God said, “I will bless the works of your hands,” it does not mean that you must work in NNPC, where ever you put in your very best.
He said, “ITV station, in terms of popularity and other things, cannot be compared with channels and others, yet Attah has done his best to place the station on a very high pedestal, and that is a strong message to all of you. It is not on till you get to CNN or BBC before you can be given that recognition.” Where ever you are, put in your very best and God will spot you out.
” I want to use this forum to tell others that posting Ikharo Attah here is not a mistake but divine and that he has demonstrated commitment in the discharge of his duties. “
Earlier in her remarks, the General Manager, ITV Abuja Station, Barr. Mrs. Amber Olague, said we didn’t regret that we sent you to cover Villa and FCTA as beats, even though we knew that the job was enormous. I am sure it is clear to all those who are saying we are putting many feathers in one cap now that you did discharge your duties to the extent that those we sent you to decided to saddle you with responsibility.
She thanked him for being a worthy ambassador of the station by putting us on a high pedestal.
She assured him of their support and cooperation to enable him to deliver on his mandate.
Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu. Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Nigeria.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) disbursed a total sum of N4,476,067,191.05billion to the six Area Councils in the nation’s capital and other stakeholders as its share of statutory allocation for the month of October 2021,
FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu called for more commitment and synergy on the part of all stakeholders, the minister however commended them for showing understanding in the distribution of monthly allocation to area councils and other stakeholders.
She also harped on the need to strengthen institutions that would outlive the present administration.
Meanwhile, the figure indicates a slight decrease in revenue from N4,726,127,134.71billion disbursed in the month of September to N4,476, 067,191.05 in the month of October, representing 5.3 percent decrease.
Aliyu who presided over the 159th Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), commended all stakeholders for their cooperation, despite challenges recorded in the past.
The figures released indicate that the sum of N2,530,406,244.92billion was made available for distribution to the six area councils, while the sum of N1,945,660,946.13billion was made available to other stakeholders, bringing the total sum to N4,476,067,191.05billion.
However, distributions to area councils shows that the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), received N467,596,505.31 million, while Gwagwalada got N470,262,942.36 million and Kuje received N409,219,387.28 million.
Others include, Bwari Area Council which received N384,085,033.55million, Abaji N401,888, 840.83million and Kwali received N397, 353, 535.59million bringing the total sum to N2,530, 406, 244.92billion disbursed to the six area councils.
Furthermore, distribution to other stakeholders include: Primary School Teachers which gulped N1,566,571,879.02billion with 15 percent Pension Funds which took N226,478,989.57 million, One percent Training Fund which gulped N44,760,671.91 million and 10 percent Employer Pension Contribution accounting for N107,849, 405.63million, bringing the total sum to N1,945,660,946.13 billion.
Those present at the 159th Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), meeting include the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council, Hon. Abdullahi Candido, Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Hon. Adamu Mustapha, and Chairman of Abaji area council, Hon. Abdulrahaman Ajiya.
Others are, Mandate Secretary Area Council Services Secretariat, Malam Abubakar Ibrahim, Commissioner representing the FCT in Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission, Senator Tanko Abari, representative from the Accountant General Office amongst others.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has attributed the distortions of the Abuja master plan on the excess of estate developers and warned them to desist from such.
FCT Administration also demolished buildings worth millions of Naira located within two estates in Lugbe District of the Federal Capital City (FCC), in its effort to restore the sanctity of the Abuja Masterplan.
Speaking on the demolition exercise, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement to the FCT Minister, Comrade Ikharo Attah said FCTA will not relent to ensure massive monitoring and enforcement against violations in the area.
The affected buildings were duplexes at their various stages of completion inside Seman Estate , behind Dunamis Church, along Airport Road, in the newly designated District in the FCC.
He said the exercise was part of the FCT enforcement component, aimed at curtailing contraventions against land use act in the nation’s capital city.
The FCTA officials accompanied by joint security agencies stormed and demolished some contravening structures situated inside Seman Metropolis Estate behind Dunamis River plate Estate, and Palms Residences opposite ShopRite Pyagasa junction, all in Lugbe.
His words : “At the point of our inauguration, the minister stressed the need to restore the sanctity and dignity of Abuja Master plan, and restore Abuja to the path the founding fathers want it to be.
” The Department of Development Control approached my office to actually clean up some of the things here. So, we have started massively in the area of violations against Abuja Masterplan.
“What the minister asked us to do is to engage and re-engage stakeholders to do the right thing, while still standing that we cannot allow illegality in the FCC.
“We will be doing more inspection, monitoring while also stabilising an ensuring that we enforce very strongly.
“All developers must ensure that genuine land and approved plan before commencing development.
“You must also not exceed your boundary, because we see boundary extensions . So developers who contravene , we will be coming very tough against them, and that is the mandate of the Minister, you can’t rape the Masterplan and go free”, he explained.
One of the affected developer, Mr. Steven Maxwell, MD, Seaman Global Project Ltd, who described the demolition exercise as shocking, however admitted that the process for obtaining approvals for the structures was still ongoing.
He however disclosed that each of the demolished duplexes upon completion is estimated to cost a minimum of 25 Million Naira.
He therefore made a passionate for the FCTA to halt the exercise, so as to enable the firm to do the needful.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah had hinted that in the interest of the general public he will not hesitate to bring down any illegal structures defacing in the nation’s capital city.
He also appealed to residents to always build in accordance to the urban and regional planning to avoid contravening the Abuja Master plan.
Attah made this appeal during an interview with newsmen immediately he was sworn in by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello yesterday in Abuja.
He said; ” I am making a fundamental appeal to residents of FCT to work in accordance with the urban and regional planning act. This will help those of us in the enforcement team.
“I will be more tougher because we need to own our city and task given me is a tripartite one : “Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement” so with this, we will be looking at the entirety of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA). Am going to ensure that contractors good and quality services for our money. It is a multi tasking job”.
While fielding questions from journalists on the limited time to carry out his task, Attah said, “I have been working since 2019 within the context of Chairman, Traffic Management Team, COVID-19 Enforcement and Chairman City Sanitation. For me is just like going back to work. We keep working, I am only changing name and going back to the job.
Speaking on if he is going to carry out his task with human face, he said, he will certainly do on the condition that residents obliged to the rules guiding urban and regional planning in the nation’s capital.
He said, ” I will, but when you build on drainages to kill innocent people, we will carry out our job with human face so that people within the flood prone areas will live. But when you build shanties on the water ways we will pull it down. Those contravening the master plan by building illegal structures, shanties, we will give notices and when they fail to comply within the stipulated time, we will remove it in the interest of the public”, he stressed.
The Security Commanders in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Joint Security Operations on Wednesday pledged their alliance to support all enforcement exercises, designed to fight all forms of criminalities in the territory.
They gave this pledge , when the Commanders from the Military, Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Department of State Security, and others visited the Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah in his office.
Saying, Abuja can’t be left to the mercy of criminals, who are bent on disturbing the peace and developmental efforts of government.
The Leader of the Joint security Taskforce, CSP Idowu Azeez who was represented by CSP Solomon Adebayo noted that all the Security agencies have resolved to support the efforts of the administration to sanitise the territory.
Earlier in his remarks, Comrade Ikharo Attah said that while the task ahead may not be easy, the cooperation and synergy of all relevant key stakeholders was needed to surmount all the challenges.
He noted that FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello places much value on the dreams of the founding fathers of Abuja, and has demonstrated his resolve in realising the dreams.
Attah said the Minister has demonstrated his commitment by empowering someone to do the Monitoring, Inspecting and Enforcement of all areas necessary on his behalf.
Also, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to FCT Minister, Malam Abubakar Sani commended the Commanders for the unalloyed support to all Enforcement exercise in the territory.
Sani also assured all security agencies involved in the taskforce that the administration would give security operatives all that is required to protect lives and property in the nation’s capital.
…Says Antimicrobial Resistance Leads To Preventable Deaths
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Sunday warned Nigerians against the abuse of antibiotics.
The Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye added that the over increasing rate of irrational use of antibiotics has further accelerated the process of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) leading to avoidable deaths.
She gave this warning at the virtual meeting to mark the 2021 World Antimicrobial Resistance Week (WAAW) anniversary with the theme, Spread Awareness Stop Resistance.
This was made known in a statement on Sunday made available to newsmen in Abuja by Sayo Akintola, NAFDAC’s Resident Media Consultant, quoted Prof Adeyeye as sounding a strong note of warning that if allowed to fester, antimicrobial resistance could lead to death. She added that the menace and war against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has, not only gained prominent and global attention but, also become a significant battle that the human race must win.
‘’It is in view of this fact; I am delighted to be part of this battle and welcome all our esteemed stakeholders to the front line of this battle. Creating awareness amidst us all is a major step in AMR stewardship by relevant stakeholders to effectively stop resistance’’, she said, adding that the ‘’step is unique and is expected, not only to redirect our way of handling and use of antimicrobial agents, but also to yield a significant reduction in the incidence of AMR’’.
Her words , NAFDAC is using the stakeholders’ meeting, to mark her participation in the year 2021 World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW), targeting professionals in the Healthcare sector, Veterinarians, Animal Husbandry professionals in livestock production, Plant Pathologists and individuals that use antimicrobial agents.
Prof Adeyeye expressed dismay that the development and proliferation of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which is the ability of pathogenic microorganism to resist the effect of antimicrobial agents when used to treat internal or external infections in both human and animal population has compromised the ability of antimicrobials to effectively treat infectious diseases as expected. ‘’The emergence and spread of drug-resistant pathogens continues to weaken the health systems’’, she lamented.
The NAFDAC boss posited that the fight against AMR requires collective efforts that are interlinked and interphase along the One-Health Concept. To this end, she said NAFDAC in her regulatory activities has put in place some important regulatory measures to curb the emergence and spread of AMR.
‘’This is very necessary and extremely important to ensure food safety and food security, a safe environment, and a healthy citizen in our dear country’’, she said, adding that everyone in the healthcare, livestock production and environmental management subsectors of the economy is directly or indirectly involved in curbing AMR.
Adeyeye, however, reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring that only safe and wholesome food, drugs, and other regulated products are available to Nigerians. She said ‘’the Agency is now more dedicated to the delivery of quality services to our stakeholders thus the Agency’s slogan “customer focused…. Agency minded” which is now well entrenched in our operations’’.
In today’s NAFDAC, she said the Agency seeks to strengthen collaboration with stakeholders, sister MDAs both at State and Federal levels, toward a more effective regulation and active involvement in creating awareness about AMR, insisting that ignorant and / or non-conformance amidst professionals will be a serious setback in bringing to an end the emergence and spread of AMR.
The Agency’s stake in the protection of public health, as entrenched in NAFDAC Act Cap N1 LFN 2004, is to ensure that regulated products that are available for use are wholesome, safe and of the right quality. The Agency, in fulfilling this mandate toward combating AMR, is adding impetus to her regulatory activities through industrial outreach and collaboration with stakeholders and fostering synergy within her technical directorates to attain a seamless regulatory process and ensuring that the distribution and use of regulated products are effectively controlled through a robust Post Marketing Surveillance.
Currently, she disclosed that the Agency has, amidst other regulatory actions: reviewed the formulation of all antibiotics to prevent the excessive use of multiple Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and banned the use of Antibiotics as growth promoter in livestock and fish production.
Prof Adeyeye further explained that the Agency has banned the use of Antibiotics and gentian violet as mold inhibitor in animal feed. She said that the Agency also introduced the Mobile Authentication Service (MAS), a mechanism put in place for detecting counterfeit antibiotics by consumers while NAFDAC organised road show campaign and public enlightenment on the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents to promote safe and judicious use of antibiotics.
NAFDAC DG said,c several factors have perpetuated the accelerated AMR occurrence; they contribute in various ways to the problem. She noted that misuse resulting from overuse and underuse of antimicrobial agents have been identified as main causes and implicated in the increasing trend of resistant pathogens in both human and animal populations.
‘’Consequently, minimizing the emergence and spread of AMR requires a coordinated, focused multi-sectorial and multinational effort’’, she said.
In a bid to respond to the yearnings of Nigerian travellers, the Federal Government has lifted a ban that was earlier placed on Emirates Airline from flying into Nigeria. The Minister of Aviator Senator Hadi Sirika made the announcement in Abuja while briefing journalists. This is contained in a statement signed by the Director Public Affairs, Ministry of Aviation, Dr James Odaudu, According to the statement, the decision came after painstaking negotiations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Emirates Airlines home country. The Minister further stated that UAE has also removed all travel restrictions on Nigeria.
“Today we received communication from UAE removing some of the conditions of travel of which we had concerns about. Haven done so, we feel we should lift the ban on the suspension of Emirates Airline” he said.
He said “from today, all the impediments on Emirates has been lifted and that the airline can now operate in Nigeria”.
Sirika expressed his appreciation for the understanding shown by Nigerians despite the obvious hardships experienced as a result of the spat between the two countries. He however disclosed that the lifting of the ban was without conditions. It could be recalled that the Federal Government had previously barred Emirates from flying into Nigeria over discriminatory policies on Nigerians as regards to COVID-19 protocols by the UAE.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday revealed a new COVID-19 variant called Omicron.
This, according to a statement by the UN agency hinted that the B.1.1.529 variant was first reported to WHO from South Africa on 24 November 2021 and classified it a variant of concern.
The statement read in parts; “The epidemiological situation in South Africa has been characterised by three distinct peaks in reported cases, the latest of which was predominantly the Delta variant.
“In recent weeks, infections have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection of B.1.1.529 variant.
“The first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on 9 November 2021.”
WHO said that , the variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other variants of concern (VOCs).
The statement said , the Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) was convened on 26 November 2021 to assess the SARS-CoV-2 variant: B.1.1.529.
The TAG-VE is an independent group of experts that periodically monitors and evaluates the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and assesses if specific mutations and combinations of mutations alter the behaviour of the virus.
WHO said there are a number of studies underway and the TAG-VE would continue to evaluate this variant. WHO will communicate new findings with Member States and to the public as needed.
It said based on the evidence presented indicative of a detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology, the TAG-VE has advised WHO that this variant should be designated as a VOC, and the WHO has designated B.1.1.529 as a VOC, named Omicron.
As such, countries are asked to enhance surveillance and sequencing efforts to better understand circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants, submit complete genome sequences and associated metadata to a publicly available database, such as GISAID, report initial cases/clusters associated with VOC infection to WHO through the IHR mechanism and where capacity exists and in coordination with the international community, perform field investigations and laboratory assessments to improve understanding of the potential impacts of the VOC on COVID-19 epidemiology, severity, effectiveness of public health and social measures, diagnostic methods, immune responses, antibody neutralization, or other relevant characteristics.
WHO also caution individuals to take measures to reduce their risk of COVID-19, including proven public health and social measures such as wearing well-fitting masks, hand hygiene, physical distancing, improving ventilation of indoor spaces, avoiding crowded spaces, and getting vaccinated.
