Friday, May 2, 2025
Home Blog Page 312

COVID-19: FCTA Demolishes 5 Wrestling, Drama Theatres, Arrests 25

By
Toyin Adebayo
-
0

Vexed by the continued violations of its COVID-19 pharmaceutical guidelines , the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has pulled down five local wrestling and drama theatres popularly called “Gidan Drama” and “Gidan Dembe”.

The demolition exercise which took place at Dakibiyu, Gwarimpa 1 and Sector Centre districts, had armed personnel of the Nigerian Police, State Security Services SSS and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC.

However, the Head, Media, Public Enlightenment and Advocacy of the FCT Ministerial Enforcement Taskforce, Comrade Ikharo Attah said “the removal of the structures became inevitable following repeated warnings to the owners and operators of the Gidan Drama and Gidan Dembe to stop operations because they are prohibited to so do under the COVID-19 Protocols and Guidelines”

According to him; “Thousands of persons gather in these local entertainment centres to watch artistes and wrestlers perform. In one of the centres, we observed during surveillance that thousands gather to watch nude dancers. Facemasks, physical distancing and sanitizing of the hands do not exist here at all”.

He, however, appealed to Kannywood actors and actresses who sometimes make appearances in these centres to desist from coming here. If we get them here we will arrest and charge them to court regardless of their fame and status.

He urged those patronising the centres to desist from doing so if they hope not to contract the dreaded virus.

Meanwhile, the Taskforce also arraigned 25 persons including motorists and commuters for violating the health protocols.

Attah hinted that , “most of the commercial drivers arrested carried too many passengers and overloaded their vehicles in contravention of the COVID-19 Transportation Guidelines and Protocols”.

He disclosed that one of the drivers who identified himself as Garba was sentenced to one week imprisonment for assaulting a police personnel attached to the taskforce and ramming his car into a police van while trying to evade arrest.

FG SIGNS USS1.959 BILLION KANO-MARADI RAILWAY LINE

By
Ekaette Ibuot
-
0

As parts of its promise to link the whole country by rail, the Federal Government has signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Mota- Engil Group on the construction of US$1.959 billion Kano-Maradi Standard Gauge Railway lines.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi in a statement signed by the Director Press and Public Relations Eric Ojiekwe and made available to journalists in Abuja stated that the Minister signed on behalf of the Federal Government, while the Managing Director, Mota- Engil, Antonio Gvoea signed on behalf of the contracting firm.


The new railway corridor which is to be located in northern Nigeria will run through three states: Kano, Jigawa and Katsina and through Niger territory as far as Maradi. Other cities that will be affected by the rail line in Nigeria are: Danbatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina and Jibiya.


The 283.750 kilometre rail line besides developing freight and passenger transport as it will be integrated with road transport, will make a great contribution to the local economy as well as an important development in the social sector.


The statement further stated that, the project duration is for 36 months and the contract type is Engineering, Procurement and Construction.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani and the Director, Legal Services, Pius Oteh, the Managing Director, Mota-Engil Group, Antonio Gvoea, Head of Legal, Mota- Engil Group, Cameron Beverley, Magajin Garin Kano, Muhammad Wada, Director, Mota-Engil Group, Kola Abdulkarim, Vice President, Mota-Engil Group. Mohammed Abdul-Razaq, Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Yusfu Tuggar, the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala-Usman among other diginitaries.

ASSU Suspends Nine Months Strike

By
Ekaette Ibuot
-
0

The Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASSU) has conditionally suspended the nine months strike embarked upon by the union on 23rd March, 2020.


The suspension takes effect from 12am on Thursday 24th December 2020.

Announcing the suspension of the industrial action at a Press Conference in Abuja, at the end of its emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in the early hours of Wednesday, the President of ASSU Prof Biodun Ogunyemi said that the decision to suspend the strike came after diligent and careful appraisal of the various reports, especially the agreements reached by ASSU with the Federal Government of Nigeria on the 22nd December 2020.

He said that some of the issues in dispute like funding for revitalisation of public universities, payment of Earned Academic Allowances, salary shortfall, withheld salaries and Non-remittance of Check-off Dues etc were discussed at the stakeholders’ meeting on 22nd March 2020 and conclusion reached using the memorandum of Action MoA of 7th February, 2019 as basis.

“On our part we are going back to rekindle the motivation and aspirations in our members to strive to encourage our students to excel, in all the expectations that governments will sincerely fulfill their own part of the bargain, ” he said.

NEC resolved to accept the agreement reached between ASUU and the Federal Government on Dec. 22. To also consciously and diligently monitor the implementation of Federal Government ASUU agreements of Dec. 22, in all branches.

He also said that union expects that government and ASUU re-negotiation exercise would be concluded as specified in the timeline agreed by both parties, among others.

“However, should government fail to fulllfil its own parts of the agreement, ASUU will resume its suspended strike as deemed necessary.

“NEC also resolved to ensure that no ASUU member suffered any loss of deserved benefits as a result if participation in the strike, ” he said.

He said that NEC would pursue fervently the areas in the Federal Government-ASUU agreement of 2009 and Memorandum of Action (MoA) 2013 that require legislation.

Ogunyemi also said that ASUU expectation from both state and Federal Government is that government should faithfully implement all the agreements reached and signed with the union.

“Therefore the implementation Monitorng Committee (IMC), which had already been constituted to the satisfaction of government and ASUU, will work diligently to ensure that funds released are used to meet genuine revitalization needs of Nigerian public universities.

“This is with a strike and disciplined supervision of the implementation processes by the universitas themselves. To this end the students and their parents would see the fruits of the struggles of ASUU in their lives.

“The union expects the immediate release of EAA as agreed, the mainstreaming of EAA into annual budget using the agree formula.

“The union also expects government to immediately engage the universitas and other research centers in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

Amaechi Charges APM Terminals To Cooperate With Contractor To Deliver Apapa Rail Line by January, 2020

By
Ekaette Ibuot
-
0

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has charged APM Terminals to allow China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) the Contractor handling the Ebuta Meta – Apapa seaports railway extension access to ensure its completion by January, 2021.

Amaechi stated this during an inspection of the terminal, he said the January date for the commissioning of Apapa Extention 2 railway alongside that of Lagos-Ibadan railway remains sacrosanct.
He therefore appeal for cooperation from all stakeholders.

“We have already told the President, that we are commissioning in January. Now, I am working towards that time. We must achieve that time”, he said.

The Minister further said, “the moment we begin movement of cargo from Lagos to Ibadan, then the Lagos gridlock will reduce drastically and that’s my objective in January”.

Earlier, the Country Manager of APM Terminal, Klaus Laursen, showed the Minister the monitoring station which gives real time information on what is happening in all sections of the terminal, saying ” the essence is to have it here to control and monitor cargoes coming in and going out of the terminal.”

According to him, they decided to introduce one in Nigeria as it is the trend in Shanghai and other global towns where similar operations take place.

While acknowledging the fact that the terminal is not where it is supposed to be, Laursen, said they were putting the right facilities in place to encourage productivity.

NLC Fumes Over Governors’ Move To Borrow From Pension Funds

By
Ekaette Ibuot
-
0
Ayuba wabba

The Nigeria Labour Congress has objected the recent moves by State Governors Forum to borrow from the Pension funds.


The NLC President Comrade Ayuba Wabba made the objection in Abuja as special guest of Honor at the 47th National Executive Council meeting of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria.

Ayuba who sounded a strict warning over the moves, said that the governors are planning to reap where they did not sow, their request is dead on arrival.

The number one worker in Nigeria stated this against the backdrop of plans by the 36 state governors to approach the National Pension Commission to borrow the sum of N17trillion for infrastructural development.

According to the NLC President, its unconstitutional and unacceptable for governors to contemplate going to access money that is meant for retirement of Nigerian workers.

He said, “We are waiting for them, just imagine you have a savings account and somebody, an outsider will just come and collect money from your account, its not done anywhere, we would never accept it.

“We should be ready, whenever the leadership of NLC will call you out to protest because we will use the last blood in our veins to protest our savings”.

Recall that while the Social Economic Rights and Accountability Project SERAP had asked President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the governors from borrowing the money, the idea to approach the pension funds managers was reached at the National Economic Council meeting, where Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai serves as Adhoc Committee Chairman.

Earlier, the President of Medical and Health Workers Union, Comrade Biobelemoye Joy had called for economic restructuring, rather than dissipating energy on the amalgamation and political structuring of Nigeria.

According to MHWUN, that a hundred years after amalgamation and sixty years after independence, Nigerians are still grappling with the intricacies of how to live together, is quite a misnomer.

His words, “As a union, we believe rather than tackling settled issues, we should concern ourselves with how to come out of the structural gridlock that bad leadership has thrown the country into and instead restructure the nation’s economy so that the potentials that abound in the country could be realized and subsequently set us on a path of wealth generation and job creation.

“I therefore feel the recurring calls for restructuring should be clearly defined and aligned from a development point of view and the attendant benefits to the country.

“It should be centred around the ambition of stimulating economic activities to improve the wellbeing of Nigerians, it should also be about how to make every part of the country to get involved in productive economic activities and generate wealth to our people. It is all about equity, justice, fair and equitable dealing in marshalling out the dividends of democracy”.

FG Reduces Fuel Price By N5

By
Ekaette Ibuot
-
0
Chris Ngige Minister of Labour
Chris Ngige Minister of Labour

The battle between the Federal government and labour over the alarming hike in Premium Motor Spirit popularly known as petrol yielded result as the Federal Government finally succumbed to the pressure from organised labour and reduced the present price of PMS with N5.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, announced this to journalists after a meeting that elapsed into the early hours of Tuesday with the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), which held at Old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, said the reduction would be from N168 to N162.44 per litre with effect from December 14.
The product is presently sold at N168, following the decision of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company to increase the ex-depot price of petrol from N147.67 per litre to N155.17 per litre in November.

The ex-depot price is the price at which the product is sold by the PPMC to marketers at the depots.

According to Ngige, a technical committee has been set up to ensure price stability in the industry, noting that the committee, which will report back to the larger house on January 25 will appraise the market forces and other things that would ensure stability in the industry.

“Our discussion was fruitful and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation which is the major importer and marketers of petroleum products and customers have agreed that there will be a slide down of the pump price of PMS and that the price cut will get us about N5 per litre and that the price cut will take effect from next Monday, a week today,” Ngige told journalists.

The minister explained that the price reduction was not meant to suspend deregulation because it did not affect the price of crude oil but on areas where the NNPC as the main importer had agreed that it could cut cost like freight and demurrage costs.

He argued that the reduction of new price was a product of a joint committee of NNPC and labour representatives which looked into ways of cutting costs.

The minister further said that both sides agreed to wait till the next meeting date on January 25 to enable the special committee dealing with complaints to conclude their deliberations electricity tariff.

Earlier before the meeting entered a closed-door, government officials led by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, had hailed NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, who was absent at two previous meetings.

In his reaction, the President Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba confirmed the earlier position of the minister, saying that the agreement was reached by both parties.

Family Planning Expert Lauds FG On Release Of $4 Million Counterpart Fund

By
Toyin Adebayo
-
0

The Chairman, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP), Dr Ejike Orji has commended the Federal Government for releasing four Million Dollars counterpart fund (which is about N1.6 million) for the purchase of Family Planning (FP) commodities in the Nigeria.

He, however, noted that, the amount was inadequate, compared with the N26 Million projected amount required for the country’s family planning commodity purchase annually.

Orji , therefore called on State governments to key into the Federal Government’s Family Planning concept and develop cost implementation plan for their states.

The Chairman also commended the Federal Government’s readiness to project family planning by establishing a demographic dividend office, headed by the Vice President, saying “that shows commitment to the  purpose.

He added that, President Muhammadu  Buhari has directed the 42 regular course of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, near Jos, to focus on the issue of population growth challenges and human capital development.

His words; “The Federal Government had developed a National Population Policy in 2014, and is currently being reviewed.

“The  government also developed the Family Planning Blueprint, all geared toward increased uptake of FP and making it a norm so that families can have the number of children they can take care of”, he stated.

Orji, also stressed the importance of family planning toward increased Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and national development, emphasised the relationship between family planning and poverty, saying “the absence of one can cause the other.”

He also stressed the need for Nigeria to take over the whole funding of the country’s family planning needs, adding that population had become a strategic security issue globally.

“I will like to see Nigeria take over family planning funding because population has become a strategic security issue globally now,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Orji hinted that the AAFP and partners is scheduled for 6th Nigeria Family Planning Conference 2020 for Dec. 7 to Dec. 11 in Abuja, where it hoped to bring together youths, religious and traditional leaders, policy makers and other stakeholders to brainstorm on changing the landscape of FP in Nigeria.

The theme of the conference is “Post 2020 Agenda and Safeguarding Investment in Emergencies, Adaption, Innovation, Resilience” to be held both physically/virtually.

Topics to be discussed include demography, myths around family planning, increase in advocacy and innovation, with focus on not allowing COVID-19 to stop family planning gains, among others

Globally, 15 per cent of AIDS-related deaths in children, adolescents occur in Nigeria

By
Toyin Adebayo
-
0
Peter Hawkins
UNICEF Representative in Nigeria

UNICEF  in a report released today has revealed that about 2.8 million, children were living with HIV globally.

However, in Nigeria, about 22,000 new infections occurred in children aged 0-14 years in 2019. While adding that, nearly 110,000 children died of AIDS that year. In Nigeria 13,000 children aged 0-14 years died of AIDS-related causes in 2019.

The report hinted that ,  approximately every minute and 40 seconds, a child or young person under the age of 20 was newly infected with HIV last year, bringing the total number of 2.8 million.

The UNICEF report warns that children are being left behind in the fight against HIV.

The reported added that,  “Prevention efforts and treatment for children remain some of the lowest amongst key affected populations. In 2019, a little more than half of children worldwide had access to life-saving treatment, significantly lagging behind coverage for both mothers (85 per cent) and all adults living with HIV (62 per cent). Nearly 110,000 children died of AIDS that year. In Nigeria 13,000 children aged 0-14 years died of AIDS-related causes in 2019.

“Despite some progress in the decades-long fight against HIV and AIDS, deep regional disparities persist among all populations, especially for children, the report says. Pediatric coverage of antiretroviral treatment is highest in the Middle East and North Africa, at 81 per cent, and lowest in West and Central Africa (32 per cent). In Nigeria, it is 36 per cent.”

Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Nigeria Representative , stated that,  “The world is still struggling with the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, but there is now hope for a vaccine. But we must remember that there is no vaccine for HIV .
“Hundreds of thousands of children continue to suffer the impacts of the HIV epidemic. Children are still getting infected at alarming rates, and they are still dying from AIDS. Even with improvements in recent years, HIV treatment access for children and adolescents is unacceptably low, and much more needs to be done to ensure children get the treatment they need and deserve.”
COVID-19 has interrupted vital HIV treatment and prevention services globally, putting countless more lives at risk.
The COVID-19 crisis has also further exacerbated inequities in access to life-saving HIV services for children, adolescents and pregnant mothers everywhere.
Almost 9 out of 10 children and adolescents of the estimated 2.8 million children aged 0–19 living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa.
In a recent UNICEF survey of 29 HIV priority countries, one third responded that service coverage for children, adolescents and women living with and vulnerable to HIV is lower by 10 per cent or more, compared with pre-pandemic numbers.
UNAIDS’ HIV service disruption data, cited in the report, further illustrate the impact of necessary control measures, supply chain disruptions, lack of personal protective equipment, and the redeployment of healthcare workers on HIV services.
In the months of April and May, coinciding with partial and full lockdowns, pediatric HIV treatment and viral load testing in children in some countries declined between 50 to 70 per cent, and new treatment initiation fell by 25 to 50 per cent.

Similarly, health facility deliveries and maternal treatment were also reported to have reduced by 20 to 60 per cent, maternal HIV testing and ART initiation declined by 25 to 50 per cent, and infant testing services declined by approximately 10 per cent.

Though the easing of control measures and the strategic targeting of children and pregnant mothers have successfully led to a rebound of services in recent months, challenges remain, and the world is still far from achieving the global 2020 pediatric HIV targets.

2023 Election: Labour Sets To Form New Political Party To Defeat APC, PDP

By
Ekaette Ibuot
-
0

As parts of its determination in changing the present political narratives and bad governance in the country, the Nigeria Labour Congress says it is forming a new political party completely different from the present Labour party that already has its issues.


The General Secretary NLC Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja disclosed this in Abuja at the 2nd NLC National Youth Conference.


He said the new political party which would be named All Working People’s Party will not only afford the Nigerian youth the opportunity to thrive, but will also deemphasize the current money politics that is trending in the nation’s political space.


He said with this newly formed political party and movement in place, a lot of lapses in the nation’s governance would be properly addressed.


He further said there is need for Nigerians to be allowed to express their grievances in the form of protest.

“We want to get a new political party that will deemphasize money politics so that real brains, real thinkers, real philosophers will be in the herm of affairs. No more cash and carry that has taken over the whole place”

Speaking earlier, the NLC National Youth Committee, Comrade Victor Ekpo called for the proper implementation of the NLC National Youth Policy by all affiliate unions to amend their constitutions to reflect the youth structures.

“We therefore call for the proper implementation of the NLC National Youth Policy by all affiliates as well as the resolution reached at the last NLC National Delegate Conference of 2019 that all affiliate unions should amend their constitutions to reflect the youth structures, create youth desks and budgetary allocation for the youth activities”.

Ekpo however lamented on some of challenges faced by young Nigerian workers which bother on victimization, intimidation due to age barriers/level of experience, and sexual harassment.
The theme for the event is “Young Workers, the Trade Unions and the future of work”.

Expert Identifies Funding, Policy As Major Factors Affecting Family Planning Services In Nigeria

By
Ola Akinola
-
0

Dr Talemoh Dah, Senior Technical Adviser, Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON-PAS) has identified funding and policy as major factors affecting Family Planning (FP) services in the Nigeria.

While adding that; “there is the need to also pursue a multichannel engagement with key government stakeholders, especially the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and Federal Ministry of Finance as well as all levels of government to prioritise FP issues.

He made this known during his presentation on “Family Planning Financing”, at a media round table on the Proposed 6th Nigeria Family Planning Conference scheduled to hold on the 7th to 11th of December, 2020 in Abuja.

Dah also challenged the media to ensure that funds allocated to family planning services were released and programmes fully implemented.

Saying; “All partners involved should share comparative advantages and strong relationships to advocacy.”

The SOGON technical adviser noted that the Federal Government updated its commitment at the FP Summit in London on July 11, 2017 with the target of reaching 27 per cent maternal Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (mCPR).

According to him, the Federal Ministry of Health with the approval from the Federal Executive Council renewed the MoU with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to ensure provision of four Million U.S. Dollars annually from 2017 to 2020 for procurement of contraceptives for the public sector.

The commitment, he said is an increase from the three million dollars committed from 2011 to 2014.

He further stated that; “With the MoU, Nigeria was expected to contribute N1.2 billion annually to the basket fund over a period of four years from 2017 to 2020.

“However, as at November, there is a gap of N900 million not released in 2019 and the N1.2 billion also not released this year,” he added.

Dah, therefore, noted that the forthcoming biennial FP conference would provide the avenue for stakeholders to brainstorm, debate and exchange ideas, share experiences on the progress made so far.

He said the stakeholders would also identify emerging issues on FP/reproductive health, and chart the way forward toward improving the existing situation.

1...311312313...347Page 312 of 347

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

ABOUT US

Newsfocus is your news, sports,politics, entertainment, music fashion website. We offer you the latest breaking news and videos straight from the sports and entertainment industry across the world.

Contact us: admin@newsfocusng.com

FOLLOW US

© 2020 Focus Media . All Rights Reserved