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BBC reporters in Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia and Nicaragua explain how the pandemic is affecting the region.

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From political storms to presidential pleas, it has been quite a journey for the MSC Magnifica.

Some civil society organisations in Nigeria have deployed 1000 volunteers to monitor the distribution of palliative items meant to cushion the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic and lockdown on Nigerians.

Following the outbreak of the virus, government had ordered the distribution of relief materials, but most of the items shared and the mode of distribution applied had been rejected by many Nigerians.

Human and Environmental Development Agenda in collaboration with Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, deployed the monitors last weekend across nine states and the Federal Capital Territory.

In monitoring the palliatives, the groups said they aim to ensure transparency in the process.

In a joint statement signed by HEDA' s Chairman, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, and his WARD-C counterpart, Dr Abiola Akiode-Afolabi, the volunteers will produce a comprehensive report covering strategic areas using jointly developed questionnaire tools designed to meet global best practices.

The monitors include women, People Living With Disabilities and media practitioners.

The groups noted that women and PWDs are most affected by the lockdown informed by the COVID-19 pandemic and any corruption in the process or failure to provide the expected relief and welfare packages will spell doom for in these categories. 

"The continued spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria has informed several political, economic, social and corporate actions including the lockdown of some states and changes in Nigeria's political-economy to reflect new realities.

“This has been followed by funds being disbursed to meet public needs. It is important that Nigerians ensure the funds meet the target audience.

"Citizens have had to resort to rumours, hearsays, fake news and unofficial sources for information on the relief packages and governments' spending. Also, videos confirming reported anomalies in the distribution of relief materials and economic packages are all over the social media,” the groups said.

The groups added that they stepped in to fill the information gap as well as monitor and evaluate loose ends with a view to engaging critical stakeholders on the outcomes.

"Our objective is not all about pointing accusing fingers after the deed had been done, but to assist the people and the government alike in identifying red flags or opportunity for corruption in the process; and in cases where the funds are already diverted or mismanaged by corrupt elements in government, ensure that looted public funds are recovered and perpetrators adequately prosecuted.

"This is why we are not just evaluating the impact, we are equally monitoring implementation through the tools that will be administered by the volunteers,” the groups added.

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Punchng

Journalists covering the Presidential Villa in Abuja, who attended the burial of Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Abba Kyari, on Saturday, have been asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

During the burial of Kyari, whose death due to Coronavirus complications was announced on Friday, a large crowd turned out to witness the ceremony, contravening the social distancing rule of Nigerian health officials put in place to curb the spread of Coronavirus. 

The situation led to outrage among various categories of Nigerians, who condemned the crowd and government officials in attendance for breaching the guideline in place. 

A statement by Attah Esa, Deputy Director of Information at the State House, on Sunday, advised the concerned journalists to work from home for the next 14 days.

It reads, “As a precautionary measure, all State House Correspondents and Media Office Staff who covered/attended the funeral prayer/burial ceremony of the late Chief of Staff at Defence House and Gudu Cemetery, Abuja, respectively, are strongly advised to work from home for the next 14 days.

“Please be careful to observe the recommended measures to prevent the Coronavirus transmission, including maintaining physical distancing and good personal hygiene going forward.”
 

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The Bauchi State COVID-19 Task Force has announced that the state has recorded another positive case of Coronavirus, bringing to seven the total number of positive cases in the city.

In a statement on Sunday, the task force said the patient had been moved to one of the isolation centres in the state.

It said, “As at today, Sunday April 19, 2020, the Case Management of the Bauchi State Task Force on COVID-19 has confirmed a new case of COVID-19.

At the moment, all his contacts have been identified and isolated by the State Surveillance Team.

“In summary, 397 have been listed and will continue to be monitored. We have no severe cases as all two cases are being properly managed."
 

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Coronavirus downturn has put major pressure on oil prices with demand slumping and storage running out.

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South Australia Police have spotted a kangaroo on the empty city streets during coronavirus lockdown.

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Entertainment giant Disney will stop paying nearly half its workforce as it battles virus shutdowns.

The social intervention programme of the executive under the Coronavirus pandemic is spanning out a huge harvest of disgrace for the Nigerian state. The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development claims it has a strategy to reach out to the poorest of the poor and adequate resources are being channelled to them to cushion the hardship occasion by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

Meanwhile, the so-called poor are faceless and unidentifiable. The ministry claimed it has spent billions of naira and disbursed huge sums of money to the poor. This claim attracted the attention of the leaders of the National Assembly recently who called for a probe into the assertion made by the ministry. The said beneficiaries of this scheme and their mode of recruitment is not transparent, it leaves a lot to be desired. Except for the ministry and its agents, no one can tell the criteria adopted for which the beneficiaries were inducted as valid candidates for this purpose.

It will interest you to note that while this charade is ongoing, poor Nigerians who deserve the conditional cash transfers are lost somewhere between our greedy propensity to subvert the initiative and our reprobate manipulation and fraudulent wickedness. Did you see the woman with the ‘ogogoro’ story online? Who out of ignorance and poverty took on to drinking that locally brewed gin as a prophylactic against COVID-19 and as a stimuli for temporarily suspending her fears for the pandemic? Hers was a self-improvised cocktail amidst the lack of awareness and system failure.

I called it an ‘ogogoro’ cocktail because while the government is busy playing useless politics with the national register for the social intervention scheme, the poor and needy are helping themselves with dangerous concoction to fight and fortify themselves against the COVID-19 pandemic. The conditional cash transfers have not reached the poor, neither is the policy weaved around it effective. The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives have called out the scheme as a fraud. Who won't call it a fraud when there are no viable structures in place to manage the process. We saw cash some time ago on a table and people queuing around to collect it as palliatives and this was being supervised by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

What a strategy!

There is also the story of the woman who went out desperately to solicit for sex to enable her feed her children. She took that option at the height of desperation and hopelessness. In the midst of such gory stories some Nigerians are busy somewhere diverting funds meant to cater for the poor under this pandemic emergency. The sex-soliciting woman depicts a level of social disorder and crass failure of a society with a zero social support system. A society that cannot plan and put together for her citizens a social support system and an enduring welfare scheme is lost already and such is not qualified to hold itself out as a society.

It's shameful.

The Nigerian Government must therefore disband this current madness forthwith and reach out appropriately to the poor Nigerians who are suffering as a result of this pandemic. The Nigerians who are having casual sex in exchange for a means survival, those stealing and robbing people around their neighbourhood in order to eat. Some are going around begging for food on the streets to survive the hard times.

The informal sector remains the harbinger of the aforementioned class, the government cannot afford to fail her citizens at this time. It must develop a critical model to save the 65 per cent of her working class population that falls among the informal sector bracket that contributes hugely to our GDP having offered adequate palliatives for the formal. And to stretch this further a post COVID-19 exit plan must be put in place to help the citizens sustain soft landing as they exit the COVID-19 misery index phase.

Evans Ufeli Esq is a Lagos based Lawyer and Executive Director Cadrell Advocacy Centre

evanylaw@yahoo.com

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Evans Ufeli Esq Disable advertisements : 
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That all living things by nature love to enjoy their freedom to the fullest is an established fact. Though freedom is not absolute, even in the best democracies, those who are privileged to exercise such guard their liberty jealously.

Therefore, when there is a threat to such rights, even animals frown most times because they often feel like fish out of water, if such liberties are denied.

In most democracies, the people often resort to the judicial system if and when their rights are infringed on to get the much needed reprieve.

However, Coronavirus disease has since changed the story, with its attendant consequences across the globe.

From Asia, to South America, Oceania, Africa, America and the world over, the fear of COVID-19 is now the order of the day and the fear it's bring to the minds of human beings is better imagine than seeing. 

This is not unconnected with the fact that it has affected everywhere and everything, even as casualties keep growing across the world.

Worse still, there is no known cure for the pandemic which was said to have originated from China and has no known cure till date, even as scientists and the World Health Organisation are battling to find a cure.

It’s assault on human race is unimaginable, dealing a heavy blow on all critical sectors, businesses, tourist sites, aviation, agriculture, infrastructure, sports, religion, the list is endless.

That COVID-19 has dealt the greatest blow on all frontiers of freedom in the 21st century cannot be overemphasized as governments, institutions and people have had to infringe on human rights to outwit, to confront the disease.

In the sporting area for instance, every known sport has had to hurriedly come to a close, even as billions of dollars in revenue have been lost to the epidemic, leaving businesses and economies badly hit.

These include revenues expected from sponsorships, advertisers, fans etc, especially in such sports as football, basketball, golf, athletics etc, which command a lot of followership across the world.

Worse still, this sector has a large pool of supporters most of whom are fanatical as far as the sports they support are concerned.

For instance, the English Premier League has the largest following all over the world and is reputed to be worth billions of pounds, as millions watch the sport live every week or do so through cable television.

The betting side of the sport is so massive as football betting across the world is said to be in the region of millions of pounds weekly.

Worse hit are the fanatical fans who are so much in love with their teams, though many of them are several miles away from England, home of the EPL.

The joy, camaraderie, chants that come with such matches are gone, at least for now, no thanks to Coronavirus.

The story is the same in Spain, home of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid etc, where their league has also been put on hold, same as Italy where Juventus, Inter Milan and others who make the sport highly competitive.

This is why across different parts of the world governments are not leaving anything to chance by coming up with different measures to ensure that their people are safe at all times from this pandemic.

All those who would have loved to exercise their freedom to move around are today in the lurch, for something beyond their control in the name and style of Coronavirus.

Even if they decide to go to the playing grounds of their beloved reams, they will meet nobody as those grounds are today deserted because nobody wants to be a victim.

Back home, even foreign travels are being curtailed, to ensure Nigeria remains safe from the pandemic, even as the Federal Government has stopped its officials from travelling abroad, at least for now. 

Even those who have the resources to travel are having a second thought as they cannot afford to take an avoidable risk.

Nigerians and foreigners alike who would have travelled for Easter break are also been careful by postponing such trips.

Pupils and students who would have loved to conclude their studies before going on holidays have been told to go home, same for their counterparts across the globe.

The story is the same for those who has been practicing to showcase their talents at the National Sports Festival tagged “Edo 2020” which has been cancelled by the Federal Government.

For such people, the hope of winning laurels has been shattered albeit temporarily, as an opportunity to display their talents has been cut short by the deadly virus.

Even freedom of worship has been largely affected as Nigerians have been told to avoid places with more than 50 people.

This has negatively impacted many worship centers, especially churches and mosques especially the big ones who have asked their members to keep away, at least for now.

Perhaps, for the first time in a very long time, Nigerians are witnessing a very strange scenario where churches and mosques have been asked to shut down..

But this is a major sacrifice we must all endure, at least for now, because this is not a time to take needless, risks, to avoid stories that touch the heart. Statistics of those who have been killed by the pandemic is no joke and should serve as a lesson to all patriotic Nigerians in these very trying times.

This obviously is not the time to be talking about exercising certain rights, as if we cannot do without such, as doing so may come with unpalatable consequences, not just for us, but for the majority of our citizens whose lives we may also be putting at risk, without knowing it. It is there for better to cooperate with the Federal Government which has done well so far by being proactive on the pandemic, going by the effective and efficient manner the issue has been handled by both the federal and state governments.

Kudos must be given to President Muhammadu Buhari for displaying uncommon and dynamic leadership in confronting the disease by ensuring that a high-powered committee was set up with a view to tackling the menace frontally and giving Nigerians necessary information on the pandemic. Nigerians must therefore follow suit by cooperating with the authorities to ensure that we jointly win this battle, a war we cannot afford to lose by giving the much needed support to the government and ensuring they remain safe at all times.

Umohinyang, President, Centre for Leadership and Justice wrote in from Abuja

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Emmanuel Umohinyang Disable advertisements : 
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In 1999, the nation returned back to democratic rule after a 16-year hiatus, no thanks to the gory era of military rule. The then President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who was akin to a clone of the revered Nelson Mandela as both men went from the penitentiary to the highest office in the land, decided to model his government after what is obtainable in the United States of America. The White House since the first Presidency dating back to 1789 under the leadership of the war hero, George Washington, created the office of the Chief of Staff. This precedent has been followed in US till date.

Obasanjo, a personal friend of the former US President, Jimmy carter, decided to replicate that office in Nigeria. The holder of that office is the gatekeeper to the President as he is the Chief Protocol Officer to him or her. Anyone who wants to see the number one man in the land has to go through him and he is also an integral part of the day to day running of the government since he or she is a member of the Federal Executive Council.

The holders of the office since 1999 have been rather self-effacing as they acted more like civil servants who are seen but not heard. Major General Muhammed Abdullahi who held the office in the Obasanjo and Umaru Yar’adua Presidency hardly made the front page of the news. After Abdullahi threw in the towel in June 2008, Yar’adua decided to scrap the office and in its stead created the office of the Private Principal Secretary which was held by David Edevbie, one of the anointed political sons of former Delta State Governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori.

Under the Goodluck Jonathan-led Presidency, we had the likes of Chief Mike Oghiadomhe and Brigadier-General Jones Arogbofa holding the highly exalted office.

The game changer for the office came in August 2015 when Abba Kyari was appointed into it by President Muhammadu Buhari. Many Nigerians were upset with his choice as the ruling All Progressive Congress came into power riding on the mantra of change and a sturdy fight against corruption. The Borno-born Cambridge graduate left the United Bank for Africa where he held sway as the Managing Director under the Chairmanship of fellow Cambridge alumnus, Hakeem Belo-Osagie, in rather controversial circumstances bordering on alleged financial impropriety.

Kyari made his power and influence felt in the Aso Rock Villa as he wielded his clout with ruthless efficiency. He was seen as part of the deadly cabal who were allegedly said to control the President and distract him from his original ‘goal’ of anti-corruption.

He was allegedly part of the team that made telecommunications giant, MTN pay less than what they were supposed to have paid for committing the infraction which caused them to be fined.

He was larger than life and many pundits called him the de facto Vice-President as the incumbent, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), was said to have been surreptitiously reduced to a mere lame duck number two man.

We recall that he took the Deep Offshore (and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract) bills for the President to sign in London in November of last year. One wonders why he had to go all the way to the land of our erstwhile colonial masters when Osinbajo was just seats away from him. Political commentators were greatly alarmed at the obvious sidelining of the Law professor. Kyari was also a lawyer with his law degrees obtained from one of the world’s best universities. Why couldn’t he prevail on his boss to transmit power to his deputy before hopping on the plane to the United Kingdom?

His fortune was exponentially bolstered after his boss won the second term elections last year. The ministers were ordered to report directly to him. The health challenges of Buhari made him the real power behind the throne who took no prisoners. Nigerians recall the widely publicized spat he had with the former Head of Service, Winifred Oyo-Ita where the latter pointed her finger at him. Many keen watchers opine that it was the beginning of the end for the Cross River born bureaucrat.

He was said to have probably caught the virus while on an official trip to Egypt and Germany. He was said to be in Germany to allegedly seal a power deal with Siemens. Why did he embark on that trip when there is a substantive Minister for Power? Didn’t it amount to a usurpation of duty which lent credence to the popular insinuation that he was rather overbearing?

Why didn’t he agree to be quarantined and self-isolated when he returned from the aforementioned countries? Did he succumb to the hubris of pride and arrogance by not humbling himself before the health officials till it was too late?

It was tragic that there was no hospital to treat him in Abuja and he had to be flown to Lagos which made his condition deteriorate further. The virus is indeed a cruel leveller as the practice of the elite hopping on to the next place to get medical treatment in the west is no longer possible as the disease has even greatly overwhelmed the Western hospitals.

His burial was a sore anti-climax as Buhari and the rest of the top ranking government officials didn’t turn up for fear of the dreaded COVID-19. There was the lack of observation of social distancing in it as the crowd violated the rules against contracting the disease.

His life and times is a sad reminder of the ephemeral and transient nature of our lives here on earth. It is a complete waste of time and energy to pursue fame, wealth and power as an end in itself. What matters at the end of the day is the legacies that one leaves behind which no public relations spin doctor or propagandist can influence.

We pray for eternal rest of Abba Kyari and hope that he can find peace with his maker in the other side of the divide after his earthly labours.

Tony Ademiluyi wrote from Lagos 

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The Oyo State Government has discharged two COVID-19 patients from its isolation centre after testing negative twice.

The state governor, Seyi Makinde, made this known on Sunday in a tweet on his verified Twitter account.

He said, “Two confirmed COVID-19 patients were discharged today after receiving their second negative test results.

“This brings the number of discharged cases to nine. So, there are currently six active cases in Oyo State.”

 

PUBLIC HEALTH News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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Sometimes, appearance is not always reality, for the saying goes, “all that glitters is not gold”. Such is the state of the giant of Africa. The name alone depicts greatness, strength, power, wealth, flourish; think of any other word used to describe greatness. However, coming to the shores of Nigeria, one will realize that the giant is actually a “giant” of failure, sickness, poverty, corruption, bad-governance, darkness, terrorism, ethnicity, religious higi-haga amongst others. Yet, we say all is well!

All is not well is what I choose to say, not because it cannot be well, but because that is what it is presently. Someone would ask “don’t you believe in God that all is well?” yes, I do! But we blindly enter into slavery because we choose to let fanaticism rule our hearts. The humble question I’ve tried to ask myself is “what is slavery?” Is it the selling of another person? Or is it the treating of one without dignity? Is a slave only a person with a master and not a free will? If slavery is not limited to selling another, or dehumanising him, then, Nigeria is a land of slavery.

I am not afraid to say that we all are slaves in Nigeria. The difference between Nigeria and Libya is that in Nigeria, we are slaves to different slave masters we have chosen ourselves. To some, their master is religion, to some others, politics, yet, some have chosen ethnicity while others have chosen ignorance and silence. Yet, we say we are the giant of Africa. I disagree; I choose to say we are the wwarf of Africa, or the giant of incivility, apathy and barbarism.

Maybe I should start with politics, the major slave driver in the country. We see die-hard “patriots” who are willing to go extreme to satisfy their pot-bellies to the detriment of loyal followers who blindly hail their killers. Democracy has been defined to be the government of the people by the people and for the people; but the definition proves to be wrong here in Nigeria. Democracy here is the government of the people, by a selected few for their stomach infrastructure and that of their family. Little wonder Thomas Hobbes said man is selfish. Government is now a thing of old wagons who live in the casket of their end. The government or politics in Nigeria is a do-or-die affair; else, there won’t be public shows of shamelessness and dirtiness by our leaders in the name of politics.

Men have become monsters and beasts all in the crave for power, fame and wealth. It is said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is not the bone of contention though, what baffles me is how they manage to put on the armor of wickedness, greed, unlovingness, unfaithfulness and selfishness within days and months of being in power. Or they should be regarded as wolves in sheep’s clothing; they sacrifice bags of rice to get to power and then deprive their loyalist grains of rice.

 “Tell it to those who lead that we no longer are blind, we see their dirty linen in public and we refuse to be deceived no more. Tell them it is useless to keep lying as we know the truth”. That is the cry in the hearts of Nigerians that has refused to escape their lips; hence, these masters keep thriving as more slaves are earned. Nigeria! When will you break free of this slavery? Yet, we say all is well!

Again, I say all is not well when I look at the atrocities committed in the name of religion. I must say I am disappointed. Yes, disappointed in the religious leaders who enslave members with a bucket full of lies with only a pinch of truth. But then, are Nigerians the “literate illiterates” who gulp down everything with gladness ‘of heart just to see a miracle or a shift in their situations. I do not blame them much. I’ve been taught that religion is a lamp that lights up every path, yet, I wonder why many still stumble and fall in the “light”. I have however come to realize that those who fall are they that have chosen fanaticism rather than a way of life (religion).

Sadly, I hear of religious leaders in different parts of the world who rob their followers of money, time, talents, gifts, dignity, clothes and intellects and are still seen as “saints”. These are thriving slave masters. Do we talk of pastors who rape their members, or those who give their members “holy water” (sperm) directly from their manhood, or those who shamelessly have affairs with wives of their ministers and members, those who lay on/with ladies in the name of deliverance, those who engage in physical combats with their members in the name of deliverance, those whose church is attended without clothes on, and the list is endless. The Christians live a deceiving and hypocritical life, the Muslims on the other hand live suicidal and rebellious life. Nigeria is the center of all these chaos. We tear at each other on a daily basis; reduce our own population and growth by killing ourselves in the name of religion. The question remains, did Jesus or Mohammed (SWT) whom we claim to follow teach killing as the best evangelism technique? The bible says we should preach the gospel, baptizing everyone who believes. Do we preach with arm? Islam they say is a religion of peace, peace is a five-letter word which starts with a “P”, while arms is a three-letter word with “A” as its first alphabet. What then is the correlation between these two? 

Painfully, we have only two major religions in Nigeria, yet we observe daily killings like fast. Some other countries have more than 10, India is a typical example; yet, our two major religions are tearing us apart and we boldly say all is well!

Now, let me remind you that it is not well. Some blame the constant fall of the ‘giant’ on the multi-ethnicity of it; well, be quick to remember that we have just about 250 ethnic groups with three major languages while India has over 2000 ethnic groups. Yet, we kill ourselves on a daily basis protecting our ethnicity. We constantly disturb the unity and progress of the country with threats of war, secession and the likes. The Fulani against the Igbo, the Igbo against the Yoruba, the Fulani herdsmen kill continuously, Biafra threatens to cause more havoc, the Odua are also clamoring, yet we do not see that we are swimming in the river of slavery and pretend that all is well!

Some have decided to shut their eyes, ears and mouth to the happenings around them. They are the patriotic citizens who have refused to acknowledge the truth. They shout all is well and they wallow and die in poverty. They wish and hope for a change but are not bothered as to how the change will come about. These are the silent and ignorant slave masters. Surprisingly, this is the largest slave field.

What is that bent you see, or the ill you hear that you pretend you didn’t see, because it doesn’t affect you directly? Look again and see how much it affects your neighbor, yet we say all is well. This is for you, that don’t know and is not bothered as to how the national cake is been shared, you who decides not to a say a word in the midst of all these chaos. This is for all of us who fold our arms and watch our great nation fall helplessly, and those of us who through our lackadaisical acts have wielded more harm than good to the growth of Nigeria. We all are the slaves of our various philosophies. Let’s not say all is well but fight to make it well. 

Finally I call on Nigerians to awake, arise, and say no to slavery. Lets come together to say all is not well till we see it finally come together and can then boldly scream all is well!

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Ogunjimi Ayomikun Disable advertisements : 
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The death of Mallam Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the President, has drawn varied reactions from Nigerians. It has also incited a ferocious moral debate about the propriety of rejoicing or mourning his passing. Having read a number of reasoned opinions on this outside the regular social media noise, I believe the debate is a needless waste of time, and I'll tell you why.

The mourn-Kyari proponents argue that it is patently immoral, perhaps inhuman, to rejoice at the death of any person however reprehensible and vile their conduct while they lived. They insist that even if the person's willful actions and omissions remotely, or immediately caused the deaths of numerous other Nigerians with no power, no wealth, and no name recognition, we should still mourn because there's just something wrong about gloating over the dead.

They instruct that it would be mean and insensitive to Kyari's family and survivors to openly gloat at their loss at this difficult time. They conclude that death is inevitable, and could befall anyone at any time. 

But, the mock-Kyari proponents disagree. Indeed, barring the COVID-19 lockdown, they'd roll out the drums and rejoice the death of a man they see as a scheming scoundrel. A man they believe was the nation's defacto president who could have done much to improve their lives since 2015 but chose not to.

Applying the Jeffersonian reasoning that all men are created equal, and one human life equates another, they argue that Kyari's life certainly can't be valued over and above the many hapless victims of the wickedly incompetent government he superintended.

They cite the weighty testimony of Hajia Aisha Buhari who revealed a while ago that even the Aso Villa presidential hospital meant to cater to the presidency and the likes of Kyari, was so poorly equipped that it lacked such common drugs as Paracetamol despite billions allocated for its maintenance under Kyari's watch.

They wonder how a man of Kyari's age could be so indifferent to the needs of his country that he'd rather spend billions to patronize oyibo hospitals and doctors than equip the ones at his backyard; the ones that might have saved his life.

They point out that in the 5 years Kyari led Nigeria as defacto president (going by Hajia Buhari's other revelations), he could have revamped the nation's comatose health system, or at least bequeath the nation's 200 million inhabitants with one legacy state-of-the-art hospital in the mould of the ones he patronized in the UK. But he did not. He held power for power's sake.

Finally, they question why, at the debilitating age of 80, and despite the abundance of young, resourceful, and competent Nigerians, Kyari assigned himself the role of negotiating solutions to the nation's power sector in far aware Germany, with Siemens, the German energy company. They see this as an extension of Kyari's rumoured obsession with the control of huge federal contracts for which he pockets humongous sums as kickbacks. 

They recall an earlier allegation regarding MTN Nigeria where Kyari was said to have lined his pockets to ease punitive sanctions against the company. For them, Kyari's yet to be debunked inclination for self-dealing is unforgivable. They insist his death by COVID-19 is perfect karmic comeuppance which should be celebrated if only for leaving the nation with one less local exploiter.

Weighted on the merits, Kyari's mockers seem to have legitimate grievances even if we concede the right of his mourners to mourn.

But Kyari leaves us no choice than to judge him by his impact on our lives while he held power. Going by the demeaning poverty strewn across our land, particularly in the 5 years that he directed the nation's affairs defacto, we certainly can understand if our people choose to mock rather than mourn him.

Tragically, we'll never know If Kyari was truly a good man or not, because, while he lived and had the chance, he failed woefully to show us.

Perhaps, we can reach a middle ground: if you want mourn, mourn small small, and if you want rejoice, gbedu small small, after all, the man is now eternally unaware, and COVID-19 is still around the corner.

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Onyinye Gandhi Disable advertisements : 
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The Coronavirus pandemic appears to be on the ascendancy in Nigeria due to the inconsistency and double standards of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and lack of coordination on the part of the Federal Government in addressing the health crisis.

Without any scientific basis whatsoever the Federal Government decided to limit the imposition of lockdown to the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states. 

The other state governments decided to impose partial restrictions in their areas of jurisdiction in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.  However, Northern governors have since announced their decision not to impose any lockdown on the region. Based on that curious decision the members of the public have been mounting pressure on the governments of the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states to lift the extended lockdown imposed by President Buhari on Monday, April 13, 2020. 

While the NCDC has directed anyone who tests positive to COVID-19 to report for treatment in isolation centres for treatment and monitoring former Chief of Staff to the President, the late Mr Abba Kyari, was allowed to be treated in a cardiological centre, a private hospital in Ikoyi, Lagos State. 

Since then some influential people who tested positive to COVID-19 are said to have insisted on treatment in private hospitals without official authorisation. 

Unfortunately, Mr Kyari passed on last Friday. Embarrassed by the unfortunate development, the Lagos State Government was reported to have said that the hospital was granted permission to treat COVID-19 patients. But the Health Minister, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has categorically asserted that: “As at today, there is no private hospital that has been accredited to manage COVID-19 case in Nigeria. There is none in Abuja here that I know of. But I think Lagos is looking at some accredited hospitals and there is one large hospital in Lagos that has called me that it wants to become a Coronavirus treatment centre." 

Since no private hospital has been accredited by the NCDC to treat COVID-19 patients, the death of Mr Abba Kyari ought to be investigated by the Federal Government.

As if the fundamental breach of the rule of COVID-19 guidelines on treatment of patients was not enough, a crowd was allowed to participate and witness the interment of the remains Mr Kyari. Thus the NCDC guideline that mass gathering be avoided to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 was violated with impunity. Apart from defying the directive on social distancing some members of the crowd disregarded the wearing of face masks. And in a rather bizarre manner, a man who had taken part in the burial ceremony pulled off his dress pulled off his Person Protective Equipment and left it beside a car in Maitama District, Abuja. Upon the conclusion of the burial ceremony, video clips have been trending in the social media showing the crowd and the serial breaches of the NCDC guidelines by highly placed public officers and other members of the public at the burial site. 

Furthermore, even though the COVID-19 guideline on social distancing has not been lifted, some governors have suspended lockdown for Juma'at prayers at a time that the authorities in Saudi Arabia have banned any gathering for prayers and pilgrimages. In view of recent reports which have confirmed community transmission of the Coronavirus disease, the lifting of the ban for religious purposes ought to be reviewed.  After all, the governments of Ondo and Rivers states which had lifted the ban on religious gathering for Easter celebrations had to reverse the decision based on the advice of the Nigerian Medical Association. 

Having regards to the disturbing increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and the warning of health experts that the worst is not yet over in Nigeria, the fight against COVID 19 should be carried out in a more organised manner by the Federal Government and the state governments. Since public hospitals are in shambles in Nigeria, the NCDC cannot afford to combat COVID-19 in a slip shot manner.  The NCDC should henceforth operate without bending the rules to satisfy partisan political interests. In particular, the NCDC must ensure that the burials of all other victims of COVID 19 are carried out in strict compliance with the prescribed rules and guidelines. It is pertinent to point out that the NCDC guidelines have the backing of the law as they have been incorporated in the 2020 COVID-19 Regulations made by President Buhari pursuant to the Quarantine Act, Cap Q2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

From the foregoing, it is indisputable that there is an obvious lack of a coherent COVID-19 policy. This puts to question dangerously the seriousness of the Federal Government in the global fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. No doubt, President Buhari has paid glowing tribute to the late Mr Abba Kyari. But the greatest tribute that can be paid to the deceased and the other 18 citizens that have lost their precious lives on account of complications arising from COVID-19 is for the federal, state and local governments to embark on fixing and equipping public hospitals without any further delay.

Just last week, the British Prime Minister, Mr Boris Johnson, who was discharged from a public hospital in London after his treatment for COVID-19, was full of adulation for the National Health Service of his country. That should be a sober lesson for members of the ruling class in Nigeria who usually spend public funds on medical treatment in foreign medical centres.

 

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Femi Falana Disable advertisements : 
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The last few days have been some of the most dreadful for residents of Ijesha and Aguda areas of Lagos – two of the city’s most densely populated neighbourhoods.

Since hoodlums started terrorising them at day and night, many of them no longer sleep peacefully in their homes – they watch and pray in the hope that ‘somebody’ would hear their cries.

For instance, residents of Aguda had their hearts in the mouths between Thursday night and Friday morning when heavy shooting rent the air and hoodlums invaded houses to rob and kill residents.

A resident of the area named Esther told SaharaReporters that one person was killed within the neighbourhood by the hoodlums while another person had his hand severely damaged with machete.

“Somebody was killed,” she said. “Another person had his hand wounded by machete,” she added.

The young lady said Aguda had not been safe since that period and that they had been calling on the authorities for help without luck.

On Saturday, Samuel Salami, a resident of Ijesha, narrated how his friend, one Adewale Junaid, lost his father to the cruelty of the notorious One Million Boys, who had been terrorising the area for days.

He said, “While the nation mourns President Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, my bosom friend, Adewale Junaid, lost his dad to the notorious One Million Boys at Ijesha, Lagos.

“The gang was on rampage on their street at about 7:00pm yesterday evening, they attacked anyone on their way with machete. My friend’s dad stumbled and fell to the ground due to old age and before he could stand up, he was caught and attacked with machete all over his body.

“He was rushed to Funto Hospital along Ijesha Road but unfortunately gave up the ghost early this morning due to the multiple machete cuts all over his body and head.

“One Million Boys’ nefarious activity is real. In case anyone is still in doubt and believe the news is speculation or false information as concluded by the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, and many others, it is real. 

“Lagosians be on red alert, protect and guide yourself with all that you can and you have, those boys are real, they are mean and heartless.”

But despite these glaring and bitter testimonies from residents of both neighbourhoods in Lagos, spokesperson for the police in the state, Bala Elkana, denied that there were no robberies or gunshots but mere sounds of fireworks by youths guarding their communities during the ongoing movement restriction in the city to curb the spread of Coronavirus.

He said, “I am not aware of any incident in Aguda. Some of them are fireworks by those youth in the name of scaring people away.

“They are sending signal to those who intend to attack them that they are alert.”

Dismissing claims by the Lagos police spokesperson, a community leader in Aguda, Yomi Arogbonlo, said there was indeed heaving shooting in the area between Thursday and Friday.

“There was shooting, it started around in the afternoon and extended up to 2:30am on Friday,” he said.

A security consultant to communities in the LCDA disclosed that three persons were killed on Thursday.

 

CRIME Police News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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A coalition of 67 women groups has demanded the prosecution of Bello el-Rufai, son of Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna, for threatening violence and gang-rape of a woman on Twitter. 

The demand by the group of activists came barely 48 hours after a public apology was tendered by Bello. 

The coalition made the call in a petition to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

Executive Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, and Convener of Women in Politics Forum, Ebere Ifendu, jointly signed the petition on behalf of the 67 groups.

It reads, “We write to request you to use your position as the chief law officer of Nigeria to direct immediate action to investigate and prosecute one Mr Bello el-Rufai (who incidentally is the son of the incumbent governor of Kaduna State), over threats of sexual violence and gang-rape he made against the mother of another Nigerian online via series of tweets last week.

“According to the information we obtained from the internet and which we verily believe was posted by Mr Bello el-Rufai and which he has not disavowed so far, he bullied and intimidated a man who reportedly called him "daddy’s boy" in the course of online interactions between them by offering a series of threats and making grossly offensive statements.

“With due respect, we believe that Mr Bello el-Rufai’s conduct by written speech posted online committed crimes prohibited under Cybercrimes (Prohibition) Act, 2015 and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.

“Furthermore, against the backdrop of incessant and brazen acts of gender-based violence perpetrated by highly placed public officials even in the public sphere, we dare say that there is no better time than now for the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to take effective steps to affirm unequivocally before the whole world that Nigeria is a state governed by the rule of law and assure Nigerian citizens that they can expect that laws enacted by the legislature will be upheld through prosecution, where there is clear evidence of breach; that no-one is above the law; and that all Nigerians regardless of gender, ethnicity and age will be made secure in their person and property through effective enforcement of the law designed to protect them.”

Legal Scandal Sex News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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