A Nigerian newspaper and Online version of the Vanguard, a daily publication in Nigeria covering Niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion,lifestyle human interest stories, etc
Ibadan – A mother of three, Nafisat Muhibudeen, on Wednesday pleaded with a Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan to dissolve her 13- year-old marriage to Salawu Muhibudeen, over constant battering of their 12-year-old son by his father.
Nafisat, a nurse, who resides at Moniya area of Ibadan with her husband, had filed a suit, seeking the severing of the union, alleging that her husband had been physically assaulting their eldest son.
"Muhibudeen has subjected our first child to constant battering and also sent him out of the house to become a wanderer.
"Anytime he descends on the 12-year-old boy, he will beat him to the point of killing him.
"The child started avoiding the home and for days, may not return home, sleeping in dilapidated or uncompleted buildings in the neighborhood.
"My Lord, if I try to rescue him, Salawu will pounce on me, turning me into a punching bag, " Nafisat testified before the court's president.
"In fact, when the problem became unbearable for me, I reported him at a certain radio station in Ibadan that settles disputes between husbands and wives, but Salawu refused to appear on the programme.''
But Salawu, who denied all allegations, objected to the dissolution of the marriage.
"I am not in the habit of beating Nafisat, she has formulated all the lies.
"My lord, I was the one who cured her of her ailment before marrying her, she cannot abandon me now,'' he told the court.
According to him, anytime Nafisat parks to her father's house, she falls sick and I still cure her.
"About the child, the boy is fast growing up to something else and as a father, I have the duty to teach him some sense.
" I did not commit any child abuse," Salawu said.
The court's President, Mr Ademola Odunade, however, asked the couple to go back and reconsider their positions on the matter and come up with more evidence to support their claims.
He adjourned the case until Sept. 9 for judgment. (NAN)
A middle-aged man who has been chained for 18 months in an apartment at 18 Damigoro street in Mushin area of Lagos , was Wednesday released by policemen attached to Area ‘ D’ command, Mushin.
Victim being led by a policeman out of the room he was chained
Acting on intelligence, policemen led by the Area Commander ‘D" Bayo Olasoji, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, stormed the building at about 1.30pm ,where the victim identified as Bolaji Sholola, was found in a room which was emitting an offensive stench. On closer observation, he was discovered to have been feeding on his faeces .
Upon inquiry, Shoola’s 85-year-old grandmother , told policemen that the victim was mentally deranged, adding that he was chained in order not to go astray .
She further stated that the action was taken in order to administer treatment on him as well to prevent him from attacking residents.
Area Commander ‘D’ , Bayo Olasoji (r) with victim
But Vanguard learned that the victim gave accurate response to questions posed at him by policemen.
ACP Olasoji, immediately directed that he should be unchained and thereafter gave him a change of raiment before he was transferred to a Psychiatric home in Yaba , to ascertain his mental stability.
Residents throng the area on sighting police presence, giving different versions of the incident.
The United Kingdom says it support the warning by President Donald Trump to return "fire and fury" against North Korea if it continued to threaten the U.S. with nuclear attacks.
Amb. Matthew Rycroft, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, told UN Correspondents on Wednesday after a meeting of the Security Council that both countries were united against North Korea over its nuclear threats.
"The United Kingdom stands shoulder to shoulder with the United States in tackling this threat and many others.
"We are united in calling on the North Korean regime to halt its nuclear programme.
"The whole of the Security Council has come together behind that and I think that we should see the President's public comments as one of the many strands of US activism,'' the British envoy said.
Rycroft pledged that the UK would continue to work closely with the United States and its international partners to ensure that the DPRK is not able to pursue its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile programmes.
"The United States has been very clear about its position.
"The United Kingdom has been very clear about our position and we call on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's regime to listen to that clarity.
"We call on DPRK to act on that clarity, to halt its nuclear programme; to halt its intercontinental ballistic missile programme, and it holds the key to sanctions being removed," Rycroft said.
On Tuesday, North Korea's state media said the country was considering a strategy to strike the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam with mid-to long-range missiles.
Trump had responded with a strong warning: "North Korea should not make any more threats to the United States.
"They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.
"He has been very threatening and as I said they will be met with fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before," Trump warned.
By Bashir Bello KATSINA – Students of Federal University – Dutsinma in Katsina state who graduates with first class honours degree at the end of their study are now to get automatic employment in the university.A cross section of University graduates
The institution’s Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Armaya’u Hamisu Bichi stated this during it occasion for the award of certificates of excellence to some students of the university who excelled during the 2015/2016 academic session.
Bichi said the students would be offered automatic employment by the university while those students that attained a CGPA of 4.50 and above at the end of any particular academic year will be crowned scholars and will benefit from the University sponsorship in the Vice Chancellor’s honour list of academic excellence with all privileges.
The Acting Vice Chancellor also said the university’s vision is to be top ranking, world-class university and the gestures were to encourage the students towards the set attainment.
Prof. Bichi said the university always focus on excellence and it is in that regard that the institution’s senate approved academic policies and measures to encourage achievers and sanctions to discourage failure.
“It is important to inform you that the university going in line with its vision to be top ranking, world class university, committed to excellence in research and production of it generation of leaders with passion for service organizes such an event every year with the view of encouraging our young scholars to meet the university vision and mission.
“It is equally important to mention that students that attain a CGPA of 4.00 to 4.49 at the end of any academic year will have their names appear on the Dean’s honour list of Academic excellence and shall receive a book allowance.
“These rewards are to challenge all diligent students to set their goals right from beginning of the session to benefit from the valley of rewards for excellence in the subsequent academic year,” Prof. Bichi said.
The Vice Chancellor however urged students at all levels of the institution to work hard to benefit from the gesture and make the institution, their parents and the country at large proud of them.
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA – THE Federal Government Wednesday approved the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, and the Fiscal Strategic Paper, FSP with the commitment to achieving seven per cent growth rate by 2020 in accordance with the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. ERGP.
This is as the Federal Executive Council, FEC, has approved the refinancing of Treasury Bill to $3 billion which as about N900 billion.
Briefing State House Correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting at the Council Chamber Wednesday, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Udo Udoma said that the 2018 budget was predicted on oil projection of 2.3 million per barrel and also at $45 per barrel.
The Minister said that the exchange rate for the 2018 fiscal year was pegged at N305 which was the official amount fixed by the nation’s apex bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
According to the Budget and Economic Planning Minister, “The Federal Executive Council approved the 2018-2020 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the Fiscal Strategy Paper. As you know, we have been having extensive consultations in the last few weeks with the governors, members of the public, leadership of the National Assembly about the medium term expenditure framework.
Experts in the ICT sector have stressed the need for continuity in government policies, saying it is key to achieving success and sustainability of the smart cities vision.
They made this call during a panel discussion at the Smart Cities Summit organised by the Ministry of Communications with the theme "Leveraging on Technology Solutions to Improve the Efficiency of Cities''.
Mr Miebaka Adoki, the Managing Director, Habitters Smart Cities said that there was need for government to ensure policy sustainability of the policy on smart cities when fully implemented.
According to him, continuity will, it entrenched in the system will assure investors of the security of their investments on the smart city plan.
"A situation where one administration or government official will start a programme and when he leaves office that is the end of that project or programme will not augur well with the smart cities initiative.''
The panel spoke on "Building Innovative Public Private Partnerships for Achieving Nigeria Smart Cities Vision''.
Adoki said that for the vision to be realised, investors must be sure that they could recoup their money and still make profit, which could not be assured in an unstable environment.
"Apart from the assurance of continuity of projects, there must be some detailed documentation that nobody will come tomorrow to cancel the project.
"There must also be internal security, meaning that investors should be sure that their infrastructures are secured and not open to vandalism.
"The stakeholders must be carried along; you cannot operate a smart city when the people that you are establishing it for are not smart.
"Citizens should be sensitised to the workings of the smart cities and there must be continuous stakeholders meeting,'' Adoki said.
Mr Folashodun Adebisi, the Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc., said that government should go beyond licensing infrastructure companies.
According to him, it should also try to remove bottlenecks that hinder private sector participation in business, while ensuring that other revenue sources are harnessed.
Adebisi said that government must ensure that the private sector operators were given free hand to operate while adequate monitoring was key.
The Chairman of the panel, Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) assured the panel that government had ensured that policies in the sector were sustained to make room for development.
Danbatta said that there was need for enabling policies and institutions, adding, "that is why government drew up the national broadband plan which has been approved.
He said that subsidies would also be given to companies to ensure that they succeeded; adding the sharing of the country zones was also to enhance connectivity.
"The idea of dividing the country into zones is to compel the companies to go into the rural areas; we are committed to monitoring the infrastructure companies so that they will deliver on the smart city project.
"Two zones have already been created, there are Lagos and the North Central Zone, this is to ensure that all parts of the country will be covered.
"And on continuity, the Nigerian Broadband plan cannot be cancelled,'' the chairman said.
The panel also discussed the need to address partnerships and collaborations to successfully build smart cities in Nigeria.
This, the panelists noted that would assist in developing a roadmap, implementation plan and establishing coordination mechanisms for the smart cities vision.
Also, the addressing the issue of funding mechanisms and financing alternatives and investments incentives for smart cities projects was brought to the fore.
The two-day summit, which ended on July 9, brought to multi-stakeholders took critical look at the preparedness, unique challenges and emerging solutions necessary for sustainable smart city initiative in Nigeria.
The stakeholders that participated at the summit include Huawei Nigeria, Hwelett Packard, Galaxy Backbone, MainOne Nigeria, SmartCities Plc.
Others include National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria Communication Commission, UN-Habitats.
Niger Tornadoes FC of Minna says the payment of the team's match bonuses motivated the club to defeat El-Kanemi of Maiduguri 1-0 in the ongoing Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
Niger Tornadoes
The team's Captain, Mustapha Aliko, who made the assertion after their training session on Wednesday in Minna, thanked the club's Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu for the motivation on the Match Day 33.
He said that the chairman told the team that his visit to their camp before the encounter with Elkanemi was to encourage them and give the necessary support required to execute the match.
"Our chairman's visit was timely, it was not just timely but encouraging. He paid the club two match bonuses of N700, 000 per match being owed.
"We have just received Elkanemi's defeat match bonus and he also redeemed his pledge of N500, 000 he promised us should we beat them.
"As I speak to you, our salaries are being paid promptly; we have been paid up to date.
"The chairman has kept to his promises of seeing to our welfare since he came on board,'' he said.
The captain said that the consistent support of the management would spur the club to finish the league on high note as they were determined to reciprocate the kind gesture.
"We won't let the club down as we enter into the last stages of the league.
"We are going to double our efforts to see if we finish the league better than we did last year,'' he said.
The club ended the 2015/2016 NPFL on 11th position.
The club is currently on 8th position with 58 points from 33 matches in the ongoing NPFL.
A 38-year-old woman, Blessing Igwe, has been arraigned before a Gudu Upper Area Court in Abuja for allegedly battering her disabled husband all the time.Wife
The woman, who was brought to court on Wednesday was also alleged to have resisted arrest.
Igwe, who reside at CBN Estate at Apo in Abuja, is facing a three-count charge of assault, criminal intimidation and resisting lawful arrest.
The Prosecutor, Mr. Fidelix Ogbobe, said that the complainant, one Robinson Igwe of Choos Estate, Apo reported the matter at the Apo Police Station on Aug. 2.
Ogbobe alleged that the defendant was always taking advantage of her husband's physical challenge to assault him all the time.
"The defendant always takes advantage of her husband's disability to assault him. The complainant is a physically challenged person, who uses crutches to walk.
"He has been admitted in hospital because of a head injury as a result of assault and battery from his wife.
"Despite police intervention the accused had repeatedly beaten her husband at the slighted provocation.''
The prosecutor said that the complainant had petitioned the commissioner of police in Abuja on the matter.
He said further the defendant had also absconded with two children produced by the union for over a year to an unknown destination.
The defendant only reappeared on Aug. 1, after more than a year since she left her matrimonial home and sent the complainant out of his house for days.
"But when the complainant reported the matter to the police, the defendant resisted arrest on three different occasions until she was finally arrested on the fourth attempt by the police,'' Ogbobe said.
He also alleged that the defendant had also threatened to kill the complainant.
According to him, the offences contravene Sections 265, 397 and 172 of the Penal Code.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.
The Presiding Judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N20, 000 with one surety in like sum.
Others to join them soon, says Home Affairs Commissioner
By Ishola Balogun
The Lagos State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has successfully airlifted 1,353 pilgrims in four batches from Lagos to Saudi Arabia to participate in this year's hajj exercise.
Hajj Pilgrims arriving from Saudi Arabia
This was disclosed by the Honourable Commissioner for Home Affairs and Amir Ul-Hajj, 2017, Dr. Abdul Hakeem Abdul-Lateef while giving an update on this year's hajj operations.
According to him, the pilgrims have been successfully housed in their respective hotels in Medina and activities of the holy pilgrimage have commenced in earnest.
He pointed out that pilgrims from other continents could not hide their feelings in view of the way Nigerian pilgrims have conducted themselves during their visit to the prophet's Mosque and other important places that form part of the hajj exercise.
Dr. Lateef advised the pilgrims not to hold items on behalf of any other pilgrim, adding that the punishment for drug trafficking in the Middle East is death.
"Drugs could be hidden in onions, dry red chillies, drink cans and other unsuspecting items", he said.
He explained that the pilgrims have begun visitation to historical sites in Medina, some of the places visited included Masjid Nabawi (Prophet Mosque), Raudotul Jannah, the site of the graves of prophet Muhammed, Abu Bakr and Umar.
Lagos Pilgrims are currently receiving lectures and sensitization at designated hotels on the importance of Zihara in the course of performing hajj.
Meanwhile, other intending Pilgrims yet to be airlifted in the state are advised to be fully ready for the journey by following strictly the laid down rule and regulations for the journey as the Board is making preparation to airlift the remaining pilgrims any moment from now.
The Senate on Wednesday condemned the use of force by the Police in dispersing protesters campaigning against the medical vacation of President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Tuesday.
In a statement by the Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, the Senate stated that though it did not support the protest, it would not support violation of fundamental rights of Nigerians.
A group, "OurMuMuDonDo'', led by Mr Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, on Monday began an indefinite sit-out at the Unity Fountain, Abuja, demanding Buhari's resumption of work or resignation.
But, on Tuesday, the police forcefully dispersed them after using water and teargas on them, which led to a "fainting feat'' on Oputa.
"While we are opposed to the subject of the protest, the Senate acknowledges that the protesters have the constitutional right to gather and express their views in a manner that will not breach public peace and order.
"Since the 'Our-Mumu-Don-Do' protesters did not conduct themselves in such a manner as to disturb public peace, it is not right for the Police to brutalize them as they reportedly did yesterday.
"The police should review their rules of engagement and ensure that they are in line with that of modern democratic societies.
"The rights of the people should not be violated by the police employed to protect these rights.
"Where the Police suspect that hoodlums are trying to hijack a protest, it is their duty to apprehend the hoodlums and those who break the law rather than generalise and thus brutalize innocent protesters.
"We, however, urge the organisers of the protest to join other Nigerians in praying for the safe return of President Buhari.
"They should note that any mortal can find himself in the situation where one needs medical attention and more time to fully recuperate.
"More so, in the present case, the president complied with the provisions of the Constitution and all organs of government are not impaired nor hindered by his medical vacation," it stated.
By Nwabueze Okonkwo ONITSHA – In what looked like an attempt to set the records straight about the much publicized killings of members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB, at Nkpor in Anambra state on May 30, 2016 during the remembrance ceremony of Biafra Heroes who died during the 1967 – 1970 Biafran war, the governor of Anambra state, Chief Willie Obiano Wednesday tendered an unreserved apology to IPOB members. He said it was not only regrettable that such a number of Biafra agitators were massacred but also sad that the impression held in some quarters that he was responsible for the massacre could not be substantiated.
The governor who spoke when he received the members of Biafran War Veterans led by Gen. Joe Achuzie (Air raid) at Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia, who paid him a condolence visit over the death of his mother, Mrs. Christiana Obiano (Adinije), said that he could not have ordered the killing of those who voted for him in 2013 election.
Obiano stated that he has a mentality that guides him in issues of conviction which made him against all opinions and vehemence from federal authorities to still go ahead to bury those that died during the civil war, less than a year into the life span of his administration.
“Abuja was against my plan to bury the victims of Biafran war, there was a lot of opposition to it from security agencies but I went on to bury our dead war heroes. As a young boy during the war, I knew what happened. I saw many dead bodies and I know the importance of according proper burial to the departed even more so those that departed in the painful and regrettable way as they did”.
“So, I had to embrace all odds to bury them in an elaborate ceremony on the 12th of January 2015, less that one year into my administration. How then will I contemplate killing their off springs for the same reason of Biafra. I didn’t do that, I’m innocent of the name calling”.
Gov. Willie Obiano further said that the report the security agencies made available to him on the incident showed that nobody was killed but that when he visited the hospitals; Menax hospital and St. Charles Borromeo hospital all in Onitsha, among others to see the victims and to provide succor to them, that he was told at the hospitals that people were killed and that some of those killed and the injured were taken out of the state to neighbouring states as very many of them came from outside Anambra state”.
The governor said that he volunteered to pay the hospital bills of the victims but some of them refused his offer. He said that he is profoundly sorry for what had happened and affirmed that he has since then been battling to ensure that such doesn’t happen again in Anambra state.
While regretting the actions and inactions that led to the current agitation for Biafra, the governor said that he had told the President, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, that if what is being done for the Northeast or close to it was done for the Igbos after the war that there would have been no agitation for Biafra today.
He said the impassable federal roads in the southeast, the issue of 2nd Niger Bridge and general lack of federal presence as viewed by the youths of Igboland made the longing for Biafra a recurring decimal.
The governor said that he has directed that history about Biafra should be taught in schools in the state: “Our children need to know what happened. There are about four or more very good books on Biafra. It is important that our children are told of what happened and I have directed that Biafran history be taught in our schools in Anambra state”.
He told the Biafran Ex-servicemen that he appointed a liaison officer for the Biafran war veterans in order to ensure that issues affecting them and by extension pro-Biafra groups are better handled and that he is the only one that created such office.
Giving insight into what happened when Boko-Haram convicts were brought to the state, Gov. Obiano revealed that they were the worse set of Boko-Haram, adding that they were brought all the way from Njamina (Chad Republic) and one of the nine convicts came with his nine (9) wives and fourteen (14) children.
He disclosed that he had to struggle to get them out of Anambra state and southeast because their presence was a psychological trauma to Ndigbo. He further appealed to members and the leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB and other pro-Biafra groups to maintain decorum, reminding them the maxim that says: “talk is cheap but war is expensive”.
Responding, the leader of the Biafran war veterans, Gen. Joe Achuzie said that Gov. Willie Obiano was innocent of the accusations as nothing before, during and after the incident suggested that the governor was culpable.
Achuzie who spoke extensively on the build up to the protest that led to the killings whose information he said he was privy to, recalled how he had spoken with the then Anambra State Commissioner of Police to request that they allow the agitators to stage a peaceful protest but noted that on the said day, the army who were not in the picture suddenly appeared and became trigger-happy in killing citizens they were meant to protect.
“Sadly enough, after attacking the IPOB peaceful protesters, a false report was forwarded to the state governor that nobody was killed, adding, let me assure you that giving the spread of the victims that he will also make a formal presentation to the Southeast Governors’ Forum for a concerted effort in assisting the victims in what will take the shape of “victim support” to cater for the families of those killed and injured..
He urged the people not to be misled by the callous and malicious insinuations that the Governor has a hand in the shooting but to rather face the federal authorities that authorized the killings.
General Achuzie who is the leader of Council of Elders of the Indigenous People Of Biafra pointed out that Governor Obiano has shown genuine commitment towards the people’s struggle by undertaking the burial of all Biafran soldiers that died during the Nigerian Civil, noting that such a man cannot carry out such despicable action against his own people as was erroneously held by some Biafrans.
He commended the governor for reaching out to the families of the victims and appealed to him to see to the up keep of those whose loved ones were killed and those who are still undergoing treatment.
Earlier, Gov. Obiano’s Liaison Officer to the Biafran War Veterans, Comrade Arinzechukwu Awogu had said that the rumor of “shoot at sight” was first muted by the opposition elements in the state and giving the level of bitterness pervading the air over the killings, some persons bought into it without a second thought and the erroneous impression began to grow wings.
Affirming that it was opposition parties ploy to cause disaffection between the governor and his own people and enjoined pro-Biafra agitators to jettison such impression as it is not true, he contended that Gov. Willie Obiano is also a Biafran.
Nigerian's indigenous oilfield services company, AOS Orwell, wins first Position exhibition award, category two at the just concluded Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE).
AOS Orwell, Deputy General Manager, Marketing, Mr. Usman Amodu – Shuaibu, displaying the First Place Exhibition Award won by his company at the just concluded Society of Petroleum Engineers( SPE) Annual Banquet and Award in Lagos
The conference organized by the Nigeria Council of the Society of Petroleum Engineers SPE in Lagos, witnessed about 60 companies participating in the exhibition.
The Chairperson 2017 SPE Exhibition Committee, Oghogho Effiom while congratulating the winner said: "We are presenting this award to AOS Orwell for an outstanding display of creativity and technical excellence in their presentation of value offerings throughout the 2017 NAICE SPE Exhibition".
Receiving the award on behalf of his company, AOS Deputy General Manager – Marketing Mr. Usman Amodu thank the SPE for its recognition/ support.
He dedicated the award to the entire AOS Orwell exhibition team who worked tirelessly behind the scene and rally round towards ensuring that the company achieved this great feat that would undeniably bring high impact visibility to his brand in the industry.
Earlier at the SPE Annual banquet and awards ceremony, Mr. Bimbo of PwC thanked the SPE for appointing his company PwC as an independent panel of advisers to appraise the exhibitors. According to him, the final selection of each category of winners is based on:
1. Booth design, quality, Attractiveness
2. Audience engagement: regular live shows, crowd pull, discussions / demonstrations at the booth, popularity of the booth for topical subjects and activities
3. Booth personnel: Diversity of booth representatives (gender & age), Professional appearance, friendly disposition, booth personnel presence always
4. Technology on show: 'WOW Factor' – interesting physical models, videos, other differentiating items on display at the booth
AOS Orwell was adjudged best and first place award winner in category 2 (Exhibitors occupying 2 – 5 booths) for blazing the trails on all the above stated criteria at this year's event.
Super Eagles Assistant Coach and Home-based Eagles handler, Salisu Yusuf, on Wednesday said the team was optimistic of not only beating Republic of Benin on Sunday but qualifying for CHAN.
Salisu-Yusuf
The 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) will be hosted by Kenya from Jan. 11 to Feb. 2, 2018.
Yusuf made the assertion in an interview in Abuja while reacting to the team's preparedness for the Sunday's qualifier in Cotonou.
He said that the team's expectation was positive and with such state of mind, victory was guaranteed.
"The players are working hard to make sure the team qualifies for CHAN and we are very optimistic of qualifying,'' Yusuf said.
The coach, who restated the team's readiness to qualify for the championship, appealed to Nigerians to support them.
The home-based Super Eagles forced Kano Selected side to a 1-1 draw in a friendly match in Kano on Tuesday.
The game was preparatory to their 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) first leg qualifier against Republic of Benin.
The management of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, on Wednesday, advised Nigerians to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the Lassa Fever.
Prof. Chris Bode, the Chief Medical Director of LUTH gave this advice while briefing newsmen in Lagos on the situation of the recent Lassa Fever cases in the institution.
Bode said, "There is no panic; the Lassa fever disease is being contained and all the stakeholders are working hard to make sure that it doesn't spread.
"However, we should all be involved collectively and individually to stop further spread of this disease.
"I urge us to prevent our food items from being contaminated by rats and rat droppings and urine.
"Do not spread your food outside in the open; put food items in rat proof containers so that rats will not get access to the food.''.
The chief medical director also said that personal and environment hygiene were critical measures against Lassa fever.
He said that medical and health workers should adequately protect themselves and be vigilant.
"To all doctors, nurses and health workers who assist patients, we should have a heightened sense of awareness that there are few cases of Lassa fever have been noticed.
"If you see anybody with symptoms that will suggest Lassa fever, let us refer them promptly because this disease can be treated.
"Nigeria can combat such situations; we have done so before and we came out clean and stronger, so we should all collectively work to together to ensure that we do it again,'' Bode said.
Giving a background to the current state of situation, the CMD said: " In the last two weeks, we have treated a few number of cases of Lassa fever in LUTH.
"So, even one case is enough to alert the public that there is Lassa fever; we have seen two cases that came in and died within a day or two of admission.
"Each one of them was brought from other locations; however, we are working in consonance with the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
"The disease is being contained and efforts are ongoing to locate the sources of these occurrences and to effectively monitor those who have been exposed to any of these cases,'' he said.
Also speaking, Dr Eniola Erinosho, Director, Diseases Control, Lagos State Ministry of Health, said the state had the capacity, funds, logistics and manpower to curtail the spread of Lassa fever.
He said that he state was training health professionals in readiness for any likely cases within or without the hospital.
According to him, alert has been sent to all the health facilities in the states on how to curtail the spread of Lassa fever.
"We were informed by the hospital on Aug.3, about the case of two people who died as a result of Lassa fever.
"Three people who were confirmed positive are being managed with drugs and not quarantined, to curb the outbreak.
"The private hospitals where the two dead people were being treated before their transfers to LUTH are also under surveillance for 21 days,'' he said.
Erinosho urged residents to keep their surroundings clean to control rats from breeding around their environment.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the `multimammate rat' called Mastomys natalensis which has many breasts and lives in the bush and around residential areas is the reservoir host of Lassa fever.
The virus is shed in the urine and droppings of the rats, hence can be transmitted through direct contact, touching objects or eating food contaminated with these materials or through cuts or sores.
The onset of the disease is usually gradual, starting with fever, general weakness, muscle and joint pains, prostration and malaise.
After a few days, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough and abdominal pain may follow.
"In severe cases facial swelling, fluid in the lung cavity, bleeding from the mouth, nose, vagina or gastrointestinal tract and low blood pressure may develop; shock, seizures, tremor, disorientation and coma and death may be seen in the later stages.
Any suspected case of Lassa fever is to be reported to the response team in LUTH on 08058019466, 08058744780, 07035521015 and 08023299445
Some stakeholders in the country have urged the Federal Government to implement its policy to expose Nigerian politicians who hide their identities to conceal corruptly-acquired wealth.
They made the call on Wednesday in Abuja, at a multi-stakeholder dialogue on "Supporting Beneficial Ownership Transport Champions in Nigeria" organised by Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).
"Beneficial Ownership'' is a legal term for specific property rights which include use and titles in equity belonging to a person even though legal title of the property belongs to another person.
A stakeholder, Dr. Dauda Garuba said politically-exposed persons deliberately created network of companies to hide their identities toward acquired wealth which further increased the risk of corruption in non-fortified economies.
He cited the example of the Malabu Oil scandal involving the award of Nigeria's richest oil bloc by a sitting minister of petroleum resources to a company belonging to him.
Garuba said the award was at a grossly undervalued fee because the real company's ownership was not disclosed.
"This concept is a growing interest across local and international scenes for corporate beneficial ownership information disclosure.
"This interest, beyond seeking to expose conflict of interest among public office holders, also derives from the need to trace criminals who hide their identities behind corporate structures to defraud the country.
"This can be done through corruption, tax evasion, undue favouritism, money laundering and illicit financial flows.
"The unprecedented revelations in the `Panama Papers' involving many politicians around the world and Nigeria with offshore companies in tax havens, have reinforced global attention on the potential and real dangers of anonymous companies,'' he said.
Garuba explained that the new concept aimed at driving corporate business transparency and accountability to boost Nigeria's economy and strengthen its integrity and reputation by pro-actively dealing with perceived challenges.
Mr Uche Igwe, a Consultant to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Nigeria Secretariat, said that the government needed to do more to tackle the issue of fraud among public servants.
Igwe said that there was hardly a politician without a fraud history, adding that most civil servants had companies in disguise without their real names as the owners.
He said that most times, the public officers use their companies to award government contracts to themselves, and that only few of them connected with what they did legitimately.
He said the beneficial ownership transparency when fully applied in Nigeria, would serve as a tool for strengthening the fight against illicit wealth, tax evasion, money laundering and terrorism financing.
Igwe stated that the policy would also provide a level-playing field for businesses, reduce corruption, increase revenue generation and lift the veil of obscurity that clogged accountability chain.
"Openness is the biggest antidote to opacity; we need to open our system as to do away with corruption,'' he said.
On his part, Executive Director of CISLAC, Mr Auwal Rafsanjani, who was represented by Mr Adesina Oke, Director, Legal Services of the group, said the meeting was aimed at making a case for transparency in Nigeria.
This, he said, would rebuild confidence of foreign investors and improve Nigeria's reputation as a reference point for transparency and accountability in business, among other things.
The naira on Wednesday appreciated against the dollar at the parallel market, exchanging at N363 to the dollar from the N364 posted on Tuesday.
The pound sterling and the Euro closed at N477 and N428 to the naira, respectively.
Naira-Dollar
At the Bureau De Change (BDC) window, the naira was traded at N363 to the dollar, while the pound sterling and the Euro closed at N477 and N428, respectively.
Trading at the investors' window saw the naira closing at N367.50 to the dollar.
Traders expressed optimism that the interventions by the CBN at the market were capable of closing the gap further between the rates at the parallel market and other segments.
Not all the BDCs in the South West bought foreign exchange from the weekly auction on Tuesday.
A credible BDC source told newsmen on condition of anonymity that since the near convergence of rates, many BDCs were trading at a loss.
Chairman of the 2017 PDP Special Non-Elective National Convention and Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has said that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is set to take over power at the national level in 2019.
Governor Okowa stated this on Wednesday at the meeting of the Convention Planning Committee at the Party’s National Secretariat, Abuja.
The Committee Chairman noted that the Party has realised areas they didn’t meet up with the expectations of Nigerians and has vowed to make corrections and provide Nigerians with good governance, anchored on accountability, rule of law and improved welfare of the citizenry.
“Yesterday we were inaugurated with the task of organising a successful National Convention for our great party, it is our hope that the various committees will set out to work immediately as we have barley few days to go”
“As an organised party, i’ve confidence in our leaders of the various sub-committees that we will be able to deliver a successful National Convention that we can all be proud of”.
“I trust in your abilities because I have seen a good number of committed party members who are dedicated to the cause of ensuring we return back to power in 2019,”
“Our party is back alive and with the National Convention, PDP will send a very strong message that will make Nigerians to realise that we are very much ready to take over power come 2019,” he said
Members of the planning committee including Barr. Kelechi Igwe; John Jonah, Deputy Governors of Ebonyi and Bayelsa States and Chairmen, Deputy Chairmen, Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries of all the Sub-Committees attended the meeting.
Massive deportation of Nigerians from other parts of the world, especially from African countries, frightening, says NAPTIP DG.
Five hundred and forty Nigerians are set for deportation from Libya, beginning from Aug. 10, Mrs. Julie Okah-Donli, Director-General, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons(NAPTIP), has said.
Okah-Donli disclosed this on Wednesday in Osogbo, at the inauguration of the North-West Zonal Command Office of the agency.
She said that the deportees would be brought back to Nigeria in three batches of 180 each.
Deported Nigerians
The NAPTIP boss said that more than 2000 Nigerians were deported from various part of the world from February till date, over various migration offences, including human trafficking.
Okah-Doni disclosed that the agency had rescued and supported more than 12,000 victims of human trafficking, and also secured 325 convictions since its inception in 2003.
She decried the rising trend of deportation of Nigerians from different parts of the world, especially in Africa, and described the situation as "frightening".
"Such massive deportations are not good for us as a people. Government at all levels must take steps to halt it by initiating measures that will reduce the vulnerability of our people to being trafficked.
"We must also strive to enlighten our people to resist the temptation to leave the country at all cost," she said.
Okah-Donli, who described human trafficking as a modern day slavery, urged stern measures to end it.
She reaffirmed NAPTIP's commitment to implementing the Trafficking in Persons(Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act of 2015, and declared that there would be no sacred cows.
Okah-Donli identified Osun, Ekiti and Ondo among the endemic states in trafficking in persons in Nigeria, saying that all hands must be on deck to change the trend.
"Nigeria is a source, transit and destination country. Women and young girls are recruited for sexual and labour exploitation in parts of Europe, the Middle East and even within the African continent.
"This calls for concerted action by all as Nigerians cannot make meaningful progress in its human capital development index, with a sustained depletion of her young and brightest stars."
Gov. Rauf Aregbesola, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Mr Tope Adejumo, promised that the state government would collaborate with the agency to minimise human trafficking.
In his remarks, a former governor of the state, Mr Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who is also the royal ambassador of the agency, said that he was ready to support the agency in its war against human trafficking.
Oyinlola urged the agency to take the campaign against human trafficking to the grassroots, using the native language as a means of communication.
Oil rose toward 53 dollars a barrel on Wednesday ahead of a U.S. inventory report expected to show crude stocks dropped for a sixth week.
Brent crude LCOc1, the global benchmark, was up 50 cents at 52.64 dollars, after two days of decline.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 added 44 cents to 49.61 dollars.
Wednesday's focus will be on the U.S. government report to see whether it confirms the figures from the API, an industry group.
Analysts expect crude stocks to have fallen by 2.7 million barrels and gasoline by 1.5 million barrels.
A further drop in U.S. crude stocks would raise hopes that an OPEC-led effort to wipe out a three-year, price-sapping supply glut is working.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and other producers are cutting output by about 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) under a deal that took effect on Jan. 1.
The deal is currently set to run until March 2018.
The deal has supported prices but an output recovery in Libya and Nigeria, OPEC members exempted from the cut, has complicated the effort.
U.S. shale oil drillers have also ramped up production.
OPEC officials met on Monday and Tuesday in Abu Dhabi in an effort to boost producers' adherence to the supply cuts, which has been high on average in spite of relatively low compliance by Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.
In a statement after the meeting, OPEC said the conclusions reached would help boost prices.
The Member representing the Warri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Daniel Reyenieju, has frowned at the recent rejection of the principle of 'devolution of power' by the National House of Assembly in the ongoing 'Constitutional Amendment exercise, noting that it was a collective mistake by members of the House , which will continue to constitute a fundamental 'albatross' to the peace and development of the Nigerian state, if not revisited and remedied.
The lawmaker made this disclosure in a chat with Vanguard yesterday.
Reyenieju expressed utter disgust on why the National Assembly as a collective would opt for an unnecessarily over bloated federal government at the expense of the federating units, and consequently undermining the universal principal of federal arrangement which we claim we are.
Daniel Reyenieju
He lamented the untold hardship that his constituency suffers as a result of the present lopsided federal arrangement.
The lawmaker also noted that his constituency suffers grave alienation in the oil industry, despite the fact that the Warri Federal Constituency remain the highest oil bearing and producing in the country, the two sea ports of Koko and Warri have been left to waste with the Nigerian Ports Authorities turning blind eyes, despite all entreaties.
" As long as this current arrangement which borders on unitary political structure persists, the country will remain vulnerable to crises of different dimensions in the form of disunity, political instability, underdevelopment, separatist agitations among others; such that it will continue to threaten Nigeria’s survival as a united Country".
"If the National Assembly has voted for Nigeria’s devolution of power, a less-burdened federal government will emerge bring about component units that will be dynamic, entrepreneurial, innovative and ambitious; as against the present of over-burdened federal government, with component units that are inherently beggarly, and thus dis-empowered to be innovative and creative"
However Reyenieju is optimistic that the National Assembly will revisit the issue given the bitterness and instability that the action of the National Assembly is generating
Wife
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