The Lumine News

Author: The Lumine News

  • Nigeria Is Approaching A Difficult Era In Response To The Novel Corona Virus Disease Outbreak

    Nigeria Is Approaching A Difficult Era In Response To The Novel Corona Virus Disease Outbreak

    By Elijah Ugani – Calabar

    The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire has stated that Nigeria is approaching a difficult era in response to the outbreak of corona virus disease.

    The minister gave the explanation at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) daily briefing on COVID19.

    Ehanire noted that as the COVID-19 pandemic increases and progress to community transmission level in Nigeria, health ministry and other relevant government agencies were continuously seeking measures to check or break the transmission of the pandemic.

    Speaking further, he held that the target was to identify all positive cases and isolate both the symptomatic and asymptomatic to safeguard the health of the rest of the population as well as provide care to the symptomatic.

    Ehanire posited that the ministry “is continuously monitoring and reviewing the situation and responding with the dispatch of teams of experts to provide technical support to high burden areas or states grappling with epidemic control issues”

  • Lagos State Government To Lock Down The State If Residents Continue To Ignore Public Health Rules

    Lagos State Government To Lock Down The State If Residents Continue To Ignore Public Health Rules

    By Elijah Ugani – Calabar

    The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said he may be forced to lock down the state again, if residents continue to ignore public health guidelines.

    Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had on Monday, May 4, eased the five-week lockdown he imposed on Lagos, Ogun and Abuja to check the spread of COVID-19.

    This not with standing, there seemed to have been chaos and rowdy scenes, since residents were allowed to move freely in Lagos.

    Sanwo-Olu speaking at a press briefing today, expressed his disenchantment over the crowd observed at various banks and markets across the state.

    His words “As a Government elected to uphold security of its citizens, which include health security, we will not hesitate to review the terms of the easing of lockdown if we do not see an improvement in adherence to our public health guidelines in the next couple of days.

    “We will be forced to take a painful decision of bringing the entire system under lockdown if we continue to see evidence that Lagosians are determined to flout the rules.

    Lagos still has the highest number of confirmed cases in Nigeria with 1,683 cases as at the last count.

  • Covid 19: C’River Begins Training Of 400 Health Workers As Support Staff

    Covid 19: C’River Begins Training Of 400 Health Workers As Support Staff

    By Admin

    Cross River State COVID-19 Response team working with the Ministry of Health has commenced the training of 400 hundred health workers and other auxiliary staff like the sanitarian, ambulance drivers surveillance officers, etc.

    The training began with training of trainers for Infection Prevention and Control of the Corona Virus Global Pandemic has continued to gain more volunteers and commendation for the state Government.

    The training of trainers exercise which was held at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital conference hall, will ensure that the State is up to date with upgrade of its level of preparedness as we work to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. It will be recalled that the Cross River State Government has been collaborating with the UCTH to train health workers at a small scale but now the state has decided to train in large scale.

    Declaring the training open on Friday, Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Betta Edu, who is also the Cross River State COVID-19 Chairman restated government’s commitment to keep Cross River State COVID-19 free.

    She said the state most important priority is to prevent the disease, and maintained that state will continue to do everything within its might to improve the level of preparedness for the COVID -19 response in the state. The Commissioner reminded other participants that the state will be depending on them as trainers to equip others with the technical knowledge on how to handle the Infection Prevention and Control of this Virus.

    Edu addede that persons trained are expected to work at the three Isolation centers in the state with a 120 bed capacity put together. “Am so pleased with the large turnout of skilled professional volunteers. We are indeed together on this” she thanked The management of UCTH for all the support.

    The Chief Medical Director, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH, Professor Ikpeme Ikpeme, represented By the CMAC, commended the Governor, Senator Ben Ayade and the Health Commissioner, Dr Betta Edu for putting all efforts towards ensuring that the State continues to maintain her COVID-19 free status. He commended the government for it support to the institution, noting that the training will go along way to provide more skilled manpower for the response.

    The training will be done with twenty persons per each batch simultaneously at various venues in Calabar and Ogoja LGA.

  • President Buhari Reveals Total Amount In Covid -19 Donation Account

    President Buhari Reveals Total Amount In Covid -19 Donation Account

    By John Owen N. – Daily Post

    As the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 continues to roll out measures on how to curtial the spread of the pandemic in the country and manage its health and economic implications, President Muhammadu Buhari has commended public-spirited Nigerians and organisations for their financial and material support.

    President Buhari also revealed the total amount in the five bank accounts designated for the COVID-19 contribution.

    In a statement signed by his Spokesman, Garba Shehu and made available to DAILY POST on Friday, Buhari cited the provision of isolation, treatment and laboratory centres/facilities by individuals and companies such as Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, Guaranty Trust Bank and ThisDay Newspapers and Partners among others in several states and Federal Capital Territory.

    The President called on other privileged Nigerians and bodies to emulate these laudable gestures.

    According to President Buhari, “We are facing a national challenge and all hands must be on deck to navigate this difficult course. In this respect, all types of assistance are welcome, big or small. The spirit behind the contributions is salutary.”

    Records obtained from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation about lodgements from 111 individuals and organisations into the FGN Covid-19 Eradication Support Accounts in the five designated banks between April 1-30, 2020, indicated the total sum of Six Hundred and Ninety Seven million, Five Hundred and Thirty-Eight Thousand, One Hundred and Eight Naira only (N697, 538, 108.00).

    The above consists small payments of N5, N10, N14, N20 by individuals to huge deposits of N200 million by Dantata Property Development; N100 million by Ocean Trust Ltd; N25 million by NSITF; N20 million by Ebele and Anyichuks Foundation; N15 million by Nizamiya Hospital Abuja; and N10 million each by Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship and Association of Bureau De Change (BDC) respectively, among others.

  • PDP Chairmanship Candidates And Vice Sues For Peace In Cross River

    PDP Chairmanship Candidates And Vice Sues For Peace In Cross River

     

    Patrick Obia – CrossRiverWatch

    PDP Local Government Chairmanship candidates and their vice in the yet to be fixed local government election in Cross River State have appealed to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to mend fence with the State Governor, Sen. Ben Ayade over ward/LGA congress.

    They made the call after a brief meeting at Marian Hotel Calabar recently after which they proceeded to see Ntufam Edim Inok at his home.

    The group convener, Effefiong Nta Eke while briefing journalists called for all and sundry to support the State Government in the fight against COVID-19.

    He also disclosed that as a group they’re suing for peace within the party because only through it can “we as a State conquer COVID-19 and restore normalcy in the State.”

  • Corona Virus: No Cure Has Been Found Yet -Mustapha

    Corona Virus: No Cure Has Been Found Yet -Mustapha

     

     

    By Elijah Ugani – Calabar

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force PTF on Civic-19, Boss Mustapha, says no cure has been found for coronavirus.

    Mustapha stated this at the PTF daily media briefing on Friday in Abuja.

    He maintained that everybody is only trying to lay hands on possible drugs.

    The PTF Chairman opined that even countries with big economies are yet to find a cure for the virus.

    His words “We have seen many postulations but nobody can beat his chest and say I have found a cure. We are looking at home remedy and if we find, then we can beat our chest that the solution emerges from here”

    He assured the PTF would keep the agenda of a local solution in focus.

     

  • NCDC Releases 381 Fresh Cases Of Covid 19

    NCDC Releases 381 Fresh Cases Of Covid 19

    By Admin

    The continuous rise in the number of confirmed cases of corona virus in the country is debilitating, NCDC on Thursday recorded a total number of 381 new cases in the country.

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, made this known on its Twitter page on Thursday night.

    Lagos and Kano States recorded 183 and 55 cases respectively.

    Going by this figure as reported,  Nigeria has a total of 3526 cases of the disease.

    The statement reads “381 new cases of #COVID19;

    183-Lagos, 55-Kano, 44-Jigawa, 19-Zamfara

    19-Bauchi, 11-Katsina, 9-Borno, 8-Kwara, 7-Kaduna, 6-Gombe, 5-Ogun, 4-Sokoto, 3-Oyo

    3-Rivers, 2-Niger, 1-Akwa Ibom, 1-Enugu and 1-Plateau State.

    “3526 cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria

    “Discharged: 601, Deaths: 107.”

    Lagos is said yo have recorded the highest cases in a day having recorded 183 cases of corona virus.

  • Save Our Society Today While Contending Covid 19

    Save Our Society Today While Contending Covid 19

    By Ediomo Isung-Harmony

    Since the COVID-19 outbreak, humanity has been threatened to its core. The world is on pause and the global economy has nosedived.

    The Government at various levels have been putting in various measures to contend the invisible enemy. Health workers, Corporate bodies, Religious organizations, Security personnel, Individuals etc are not left out.

    One of the measures adopted by the Government was the total lockdown which was declared across the States.

    The pandemic which took everyone by surprise was followed by the declaration of total lockdown without adequate measures put in place to tackle its effects on the indigent.

    The lockdown has brought so much hunger and hardship to people mostly in the informal sector of the economy.
    These people include the petty traders, street vendors, loaders, e.t.c.

    Most of our young men and women who make their livelihood through daily struggle have become stranded and cannot plan for their survival.
    Even the palliatives given by the Government and those donated by Individuals still end up in the hands of the well to do, the politicians and their cronies.

    Would you blame the daily income earners obeying the devil’s call as the only means to survive?
    An idle man they say is the devil’s workshop and more or less now that survival is involved, everyone wants to live and deserve to live.

    Some of these persons have already turned to street robbers, house breakers, scammers etc as a means to survive, therefore increasing the rate of crime and making our society unsafe.

    Most of our communities which never experience criminal activities are now experiencing them.
    Some of our ladies including married women have also yielded to the satanic call by seeing sex as a lucrative source of surviving during this lockdown.

    Although COVID-19 is an invisible enemy which we must defeat, we should also know that putting all efforts in fighting this enemy will only make us the losers in the battle if our society is unsafe.

    More action plans to feed the common Nigerian most especially in the rural areas should be put in place with a very high level of transparency.

    If you were eating three times daily, there’s nothing wrong if you eat twice and save the other for your neighbor who has no food.

    By doing this, our society will be saved and the battle against COVID-19 would be won.

    Let’s save humanity.
    Let’s save Nigeria
    Let’s save our States
    Let’s save our society.
    Together we will defeat COVID-19.
    Cheers to Victory.

     

  • Covid 19 Palliatives: C’River Begins House-To-House Engagement To Update The Single Social Register

    Covid 19 Palliatives: C’River Begins House-To-House Engagement To Update The Single Social Register

    By Elijah Ugani – Calabar

    In compliance with the directives of Governor Ben Ayade to update  the Single Social Register to ease the distribution of relief materials to the poor and vulnerable people in Cross River State inline with the Federal Government policy,the State Ministry of International Development Cooperation has commenced the house to house engagement of citizens in the villages.

    The event which started at the “Urban Village” of Mekenge in Calabar Municipality Area Council, was led by the  Commissioner for International Development Cooperation, Dr. Inyang Asibong to monitor the index of the Community under appraisal and  examine the  verification exercise of the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO) progrqmme.

    Accompanied by the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Eric Anderson who isb a native of Calabar Municipality, Asibong said, the exercise served a dual purpose of updating the current register with details of household under the poverty threshold and also follow up on those previously registered to ensure that the previous interventions  are judiciously utilized.

    “Today we are here in Mekenge Community of Calabar Municipal Council to carry out a verification exercise to update the Single Register for Poor and Vulnerable Households (SRPVH).

    “We will also seized the opportunity to further sensitize your  community on the deadly coronavirus pandemic and the need to be very proactive in following the preventive measures of the State Government.” said Asibong.

    On his part, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism,Hon Eric Anderson urged the community to continue to support the State Government, especially as the State is working assiduously to mitigate against the containment of the coronavirus pandemic into the state.

    Some of the  potential beneficiaries who were identified base on the index verifications includes  Mr. Nsa Samuel William, Mr. Victor Udofia Ekpo and Mrs. Arit Edet Asuquo who expressed delight for being chosen by their community for inclusion in the register as they have been living in extreme penury before this intervention.

    The National Bureau of Statistics put the Poverty index in the country  at 40.1% with 82.9 million Nigerians living below the poverty line,while In Cross River State, it is  36.3%, which is better than the national average,But  Governor  Ayade said,the state index is still high and unacceptable ,hence his directive  to improve work to reduce the index to manageable percentage.

  • Orji Uzor Kalu Gate: EFCC Returns To Court, Files Fresh And Immediate Retrail

    Orji Uzor Kalu Gate: EFCC Returns To Court, Files Fresh And Immediate Retrail

    I

    Perturbed by the Supreme verdict which upturned the conviction of the former Governor of Abia State, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set for “a fresh and immediate retrial.”

    The attention of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to the judgment of the Supreme Court nullifying the trial of a former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and Jones Udeogu, a former Director of Finance and Account of Abia State Government and ordering their fresh trial at the lower court.

    The apex court based its verdict on the grounds that Justice Mohammed Idris, who convicted Kalu and others had been elevated to the Court of Appeal before the judgment and returned to the lower court to deliver the judgment which it considered as illegal.

    The EFCC considers the judgment of the apex court as quite unfortunate . It is a technical ambush against the trial of the former governor. The Commission is prepared for a fresh and immediate trial of the case because its evidences against Kalu and others are overwhelming. The corruption charges against Kalu still subsist because the Supreme Court did not acquit him of them. The entire prosecutorial machinery of the EFCC would be launched in a fresh trial where justice is bound to be served in due course.

    The Supreme Court had on Friday nullified the trial of a former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, and others, who were in December convicted and sentenced for a N7.1bn fraud.

    EyewitnessMedia gathered that Justice Mohammed Idris, who had been elevated to the Court of Appeal bench, had returned to the Federal High Court in Lagos to complete the case which started in 2007.

    The judge had sentenced the ex-governor to 12 years imprisonment for the fraud he allegedly perpetrated during his tenure as Abia State governor.

    But in a unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court led by Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, on Friday, the apex court nullified the entire trial, on the grounds that the constitution does not permit a judge elevated to a higher court to return to a lower court to conclude a part-heard case.

    Justice Ejembi Eko, who delivered the lead judgment also declared as unconstitutional the provision of section 396(7) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, on which the then President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa (retd), relied on to authorise Justice Idris to return to the Court of Appeal to conclude the trial.

    The panel unanimously directed the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to assign the case to another judge of the court for the trial to commence afresh.

    Kalu, who was in December 2019 judgment, sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment, was convicted alongside his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited, and Jones Udeogu, who served under him as the Director of Finance and Account at the Abia State Government House in Umuahia.