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Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja, Paul Osuyi, Asaba, Aloysius Attah, Onitsha, John Adams, Minna and Doris Obinna
Pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, Igbo World Union (IWU), has condemned the alleged incursion of Almajiris from north into Abia State.
In a statement, President General of the association, His Imperial Majesty, Sir Mishak Nnanta (Gburugburu Ndigbo dum), said the call became necessary because of the health implication such mass migration could cause.
While lamenting the development, which could result in setback of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s policies at containing the spread of the disease, Sir Nnanta lamented that despite the interstate lockdown imposed by the Federal Government, several transporters and commuters have continued to violate the order with impunity
“In this regard, I hereby call on the Federal Government to immediately take steps to stop interstate movement of people including almajiris to stem the spread of the disease. Likewise, I also call on South East governors to enforce the interstate lockdown to save the region from the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
On the instant transfer of cash to the vulnerable, Nnanta said majority of poor persons from the zone were yet to benefit from the exercise.
“I am using this medium to appeal to the Federal Government to work with socio-cultural organisations including IWU in identifying the needy, the poor and vulnerables in our midst. As a pan-Igbo group with spread across the 36 states and the FCT, IWU stands a better chance to ensure that help really gets to the needy.
While commending Governor Ikpeazu for giving palliatives to Abians and non-indigenes through religious organisations and socio-cultural groups, he said IWU in support of Governor Ikpeazu has reached out to some of the needy through distributions of foodstuffs. He called on the governor to liaise with IWU to properly identify the vulnerable with the sole aim of getting the palliatives across to them.
Presidency installs 3-in-1 wash hand basin
The Presidency has installed a three-in-one wash hand basin just before the entrance to the Press Galary.
The machine has a pedal to dispense liquid soap on the left, another pedal to dispense water in the middle and another pedal to dispense hand sanitiser.
This is in addition to officials of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) stationed at the Pilot Gate and the Admin reception to check the temperature of each entrant as well as dish out hand sanitisers.
President Muhammadu Buhari, had last month in a photograph demonstrated how to wash their hands in order to avoid contracting or spreading coronavirus.
In the photograph released by the State House, Buhari was seen washing his hands in a wash hand basin right in front of a mirror. The location is reported to be his office or residence in Aso Rock. It carries the caption: “President Buhari shows the way. Wash your hands, as many times as you can.”
THISDAY donates 320-bed isolation centre
The THISDAY and ARISE Media Group in association with notable partners has donated a Treatment & Isolation Centre in Abuja.
The centre located at the THISDAY Dome in the Central Business District, Abuja, has capacity for 360 beds which can be scaled up to 500 beds if the need arises.
The partners in the project are the Sahara Foundation, the Corporate Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID), African Finance Corporation and the Chinese Civil Engineering and Construction Company which handled the internal partitioning amongst others .The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele are among top officials who have visited the Centre ahead of formal opening next week.
20 held for not wearing face masks in Delta
Over 20 persons have been arrested by the Delta State Police Command for allegedly violating the compulsory wearing of face masks in public places.
The state government had vowed to enforce the compulsory and proper use of face masks in public places, warning that defaulters would be arrested and prosecuted.
Security officers attached to Okpanam Police Station swooped on defaulters at Midwifery Market along Okpanam road in Asaba.The operatives had arrested a shop owner for attending to customers without wearing face mask, before mounting a road block where defaulting motorcycle operators and some passengers were apprehended.
A police source said while many of those arrested were not putting on facemasks, others were using it inappropriately.
Cleric lauds Obi for reaching out
Archbishop of Enugu Ecclesiastical Province and Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuma, has described former Anambra governor, Peter Obi, as a man who truly loves reaching out to the less privileged in times of crisis.
Bishop Chukwuma made this known at the Good Shepherd Specialist Hospital, Enugu, when a delegation from Peter Obi delivered intervention package.
The team led by former Anambra Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Prof. Stella Okunna, handed over relief materials from Obi to Bishop Chukwuma, founder of hospital.
The items included one carton of 2,000 face masks, eight cartons of hand gloves, four cartons of sanitisers, eight big cartons of paracetamol and an infrared thermometer.
Chukwuma said the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remained a man of the people as he once again demonstrated his kind hearted nature by “coming to Enugu to deliver such relief materials in this time of need.”
Archbishop Okeke distributes rice
The Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, yesterday, donated over 2,000 bags of rice to the poor in Onitsha and environs.
Okeke said the gesture would continue as long as the Archdiocese can carry the burden of reaching the unreached in this period.
He prayed that God will bring an end to the coronavirus pandemic and cautioned the people to observe and embrace all safety precautionary measures towards containing its spread.
He thanked those, who have supported the archdiocese in carrying out the palliative measures, especially the Afreka Humanitarian Foundation, Hungary led by Dr. Reka Fodor and Chief Tony Ezenna of Orange Drugs .
Deputy Chancellor of the Archdiocese, who supervised the distribution, Rev. Fr Basil Ekwunife, said the Archbishop was fulfilling the core mandate of the church which involves ministering to the spiritual and physical needs of the congregation.
Fayemi seeks support of transport unions to curb inter-state travels
Ekiti Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has called for the support of road transport unions in the state in enforcing the ban on inter-state travels to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
He made the call at a meeting between the members of the Ekiti State COVID-19 Task Force and the leadership of various transport unions in Ado-Ekiti yesterday.
Fayemi, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Biodun Omoleye, expressed government’s concern at the frequent violations of the ban on inter-state travels and warned that government would no longer take kindly with anyone who sabotaged government orders.
The governor spoke against the backdrop of the latest confirmed positive case involving the wife of a military officer who succeeded in travelling from Katsina State to Ekiti State in spite of the lockdown.
Chairman of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Rotimi Olanbiwonnu, pledged to cooperate and support government efforts.
Niger records 3 new cases, discharges 1
Three more positive cases has been recorded in Niger State, bringing the total of confirmed cases in the state to six.
The three new cases included a medical doctor working at the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, who just returned from Kano State. Vice chairman of the state COVID-19 Taskforce and Commissioner for Health and Hospital Management Services, Dr. Muhammad Makusidi, disclosed this in Minna yesterday.
Makunsidi said the other new cases included a returnee from Akwa Ibom State who is from Kagara and a female resident of Suleja who is also a Kano returnee.
Dr. Makusidi, however, revealed that a confirmed case from Kano, who was kept in isolation centre in Minna has absconded and that the committee has launched a manhunt to trace and return him to the centre.
The commissioner said the lady’s situation started manifesting three days later and was brought to the Minna Isolation Center whereafter she tested positive to the Virus.
Group flays moves by business owners to sack women
A group, Mothers And Marginalised Advocacy Centre (MAMA Centre), has condemned moves by some business owners to reduce its workforce to ease financial impacts of the pandemic.
In a statement signed by the leader and champion, Ngwo Community, Mrs. Grace Oriaku and four others, described as dubious ongoing secretive moves by some businesses to massively sack, demote and extort personnel mostly women of employment benefits in guise of unfair measures to ease financial impacts of COVID-19 on businesses.
“We recall that prior to the nationwide lockdown, women including the rights-holders have been marginalised in all spheres of the economy including various inequalities that featured in under-paid or poorly paid employment rewards and other benefits.
“As a result, rights-holders constitute the vulnerable and socio-economic deprived group whose families live below poverty line, estimated at US$1.90 per person per day in 2019 World Bank Report.”
The statement read in part: “We have observed so far that the lockdown directive by respective governments as enforced at all levels which was not accompanied by adequate and appropriate palliative measures has to a large extent amplified socio-economic and financial burdens on the women population in all spheres, especially the female-headed households, which are already rendered incapacitated to provide for themselves and their dependant families.”
