Director-General
Minister, others shun senate over 2020 budget performance
Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, Thursday shunned the Senate when summoned to brief lawmakers of 2020 Budget Performance. The Minister’s refusal to appear before the Senator Barau Jibrin, All Progressives Congress, APC, Kano North led Senate Committee on Appropriations was the second time in two weeks. Also invited but shunned the meeting with the Senate were the Accountant-General of the Federation, Idris Ahmed, and the Director-General of the Budget Office, Ben Akabueze. Briefing Journalists in Abuja Thursday, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Jibrin expressed disappointment at the absence of Nigeria’s key economic and budget planners at the crucial meeting. The Senator who noted that the meeting was originally scheduled to ho...
Kaduna to revive guidance, counselling unit in public schools
The Kaduna State Government said on Friday that it would revive guidance and counselling unit in public Secondary Schools in the state. Hajiya Imma Ahmad, Director-General, Kaduna State School Quality Assurance Authority, made this known at the close of a five-day training for secondary school teachers in Kaduna. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training was organised by the state Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authority (AFTRA). Ahmad said that the counselling manual had been developed as part of efforts to ensure that every school has a functional guidance and counselling unit. “Our teachers these days just teach and leave the classroom with no form of counselling to improve the morals of the students or guide the...
1,785 new lawyers called into Nigerian Bar
A total of 1, 785 new lawyers were admitted into the Nigerian Bar on Tuesday, with Chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief O. C Okocha, SAN, urging them to embrace professionalism at all times. At the ceremony that held at the Eagle Square in Abuja, the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof Isa Hayatu, SAN, disclosed that the new lawyers were among candidates that passed the January 2020 Bar final examinations that were supervised by the Council of Legal Education. According to the Law School DG, 1, 779 candidates passed the examinations, while six candidates were from previous Bar final examinations. Hayatu revealed that a total of 2, 515 students participated at the examinations, out of which five candidates were graded in first class, 76 graded in the second class upper, 633...
Nigerian government approves new test kit for HIV
In its effort to ensure that the spread of the HIV virus is drastically reduced, the Federal Government has approved the inclusion of ”Wondfo HIV I and II rapid test kits” for use in the country. The National Coordinator, National AIDS/STI Control Programme (NASCP) Dr Akudo Ikpeazu, made the this known while presenting the evaluation report on the kit, on Tuesday in Abuja. “The Wondfo rapid test kit, could be used as a confirmatory test because of its high specification of 99.4 per cent,” she said. The coordinator said that in 2019, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) approved the conduct of the laboratory performance evaluation of Wondfo HIV I and II rapid test kit. “The result of the evaluation which was conducted at the reference testing laboratory Public Health in Vitro Diagnostic La...
UN condemns use of schools as isolation centres, IDP camps, military bases
The United Nations has condemned the repurposing of schools for use as markets, military bases, isolation centres and camps for internally displaced persons, IDPs, saying schools must remain safe places free of conflict and violence. It also warned against further attacks on educational institutions and students, lamenting that between 2009 and December 2018, about 611 teachers were killed in the Northeast due to the wave of insurgency in the region. In a statement marking the first International Day to Protect Education from Attack, the UN urged Nigeria to prioritise school safety as well as learners’ protection. It said while 910 schools were destroyed in the region within the period, 1, 500 schools were forcefully closed, with 4.2 million children at the risk of missing out on an educat...
LASEMA: Two died, six injured in a four vehicles accident
Two persons died on the spot while four others were seriously injured in an accident along Anthony-inward-Gbagada on Tuesday night in Lagos. The Director-General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed this to newsmen on Wednesday. Oke-Osanyintolu said LASEMA received distress calls on the accident, around 10.30 p.m. on Tuesday. He added that four vehicles were involved in the accident, comprising two tipper-lorries, one petroleum tanker and one commercial bus. He attributed the cause of the accident to reckless driving that left occupants of the bus trapped. “With the use of the LASEMA’s light rescue equipment, six people were rescued from the bus. “They sustained varying degrees of injuries and unfortunately, two female passengers died on ...
Ekiti PDP crisis: We must unite to defeat APC in 2022 – Segun Oni
Former governor of Ekiti State and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti, Chief Segun Oni, has called on members and leaders to resolve all grievances for the party to stand a chance of defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2022 governorship election. Oni who was speaking following the parallel congress held last Saturday said the factional chairman of the party, Bisi Kolawole should immediately commence genuine reconciliation towards uniting all tendencies within the party. In a statement on Wednesday by the Director-General of Atunse-Ekiti, a political movement of the former governor, Dr Ifeoluwa Arowosoge, Oni noted that the faction loyal to the lawmaker representing Ekiti south, Senator Biodun Olujimi should be respected by all members. While ba...
WHO harps on virus prevention plans
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has emphasised the need for effective COVID-19 prevention plans as countries reopen their economies and borders. Its Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, gave the advice during a news briefing from Geneva on Monday. Ghebreyesus said he had observed the eagerness of countries to “get their economies going again”, eight months into the coronavirus pandemic. According to him, if countries are serious about opening, they must prioritise the suppression of transmission and safety of lives. He warned that opening up without efficient and effective prevention measures in place was “a recipe for disaster”. Ghebreyesus said this might seem an impossible balance, but it could be done if countries were in control of the transmission. “The more control they have...
I’ll beat coronavirus – Lagos commissioner
Lagos Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, says he is responding positively to treatment after testing positive for COVID-19. The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, had in a statement on Monday disclosed Abayomi’s COVID-19 status. Abayomi, in a message posted on his Twitter account, @ProfAkinAbayomi, said that he remains committed to discharging his duties to the state, while expressing optimism that he will beat the virus. “With utmost sense of responsibility, I am obliged to make it known to the general public that I have tested positive to #COVID-19. “Consequently, I have proceeded on 14 days self-isolation and treatment at home. “Nevertheless, I remain committed to continuing to discharge my duties as the Commissioner for Health and Deputy Incident Comma...
Nigerian government approves N13.3 billion take off for community policing
The Federal Government has approved the sum of N13.3 billion for the take-off of Community Policing initiative across the country. This is as the World Bank has cleared 35 states for the US$1.5billion stimulus package for Nigeria’s states to cushion the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Economic Council (NEC) at its virtual meeting on Thursday, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, resolved that the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, with two other governors, meet with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Finance Minister and the Inspector General of Police to coordinate the proper utilization of the funding of the initiative Attendance at the NEC virtual meeting with state governors, included the Min...
PTF: Nigerians poor attitude towards virus testing is worrisome
The Presidential Taskforce, PTF, on COVID-19, on Thursday, decried the poor attitude of Nigerians towards COVID-19 testing and safety protocols, saying, despite the increased capacity, sample collection remains very low. Expressing displeasure during the weekly COVID-19 briefing in Abuja, the Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce, Boss Mustapha, further lamented that the numbers of local governments, LGAs, that are hot spots have increased from 16 to 20 and regrettably happened to be a hard-to-reach area. “Initially, we have 10 local government areas that are hot spots which eventually increased to 16 but now we have 20 LGAs that are hot spots. Regrettably, this recent local government is more remote. “Presently, Nigeria now has the capacity to test 15,000 people daily but sadly, what we ...
FIFA partners AU, WHO, CAF to promote campaign against domestic violence in Africa
FIFA is joining forces with the African Union, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to jointly address the issue of domestic violence by launching the #SafeHome campaign across the African continent. The initiative is designed to support women and children victims of domestic violence, particularly as stay-at-home measures in response to COVID-19 have put them at greater risk. A number of African football stars are supporting the campaign via video awareness messages distributed on social and traditional media. The African Union-FIFA-CAF memorandum of understanding, which was concluded in February 2019, covers joint campaigns on topics of mutual interest and the promotion of gender equality, a key principle. Other areas of collaboration includ...
