Nigerians have been advised to put all Yuletide travel plans on hold to avoid contracting Coronavirus as the country recorded a higher number of cases, sparking fears of a second wave.
Nigeria has so far recorded 66,383 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 62,076 of that number recovering. A total of 1,167 have also died from the virus.
Boss Mustapha
Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the PTF, during the national briefing in Abuja on Monday said new cases can occur when people travel in clusters and gather for festivities.
He said, “Ahead of the upsurge in travels for the Christmas and New Year festivities, we urge strongly that for this year, such trips should be put on hold firmly because of the risks involved. The transmission rate has simply become astronomical.
“New clusters of cases can emerge in places that have so far been unaffected as people travel and gather for festivities but we can lower the risks by adhering to the NPIs (Non-Pharmaceutical measures) and celebrate, safely.”
PUBLIC HEALTHNewsAddThis : Original Author : Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/2KuTb7c
The Kaduna State chapter of the Middle Belt Forum has said the abrogation of indigene/settler dichotomy by Governor Nasir el-Rufai was a deliberate effort targeted at them.
MBF Secretary, John Haruna, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
Kaduna State Governor Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai
The forum added that the governor’s action amounted to "a deliberate effort to eradicate, wipe out, eliminate, exterminate thousands of years of history, languages, cultures and diverse distinct identifies", and vowed that it'll be resisted.
The statement reads, “The Middle Belt Forum position is that the hovernor's abrogation of settler indigene dictonomy amounts to a deliberate effort to eradicate, wipe out, eliminate, exterminate thousands of years of history, languages, cultures and diverse distinct identifies.
"If people from other states and countries like Chad, Niger, Mali, Turkey etc. can come to Kaduna and be given same rights as the (abolished) indigenes, will indigenes from Kaduna or Kogi be given same right as indigene in Kastina, Sokoto, kano, Kebbi, Born, Zamfara etc.
"This isolation and targeted dehumanisation must be resisted by all people of goodwill within and outside Nigeria. History has shown that the worst genocide, killing entire member of indigenous communities have been carried out by seeking to declare the ancestral territories of the people's land as 'no man's land'.
"Today, members of many communities, especially Adara Nation in Kaduna State for instance are subjected to genocide killing. Their homes land has been balkanised into Kajuru Emirate and Kachia Chiefdom. The Adara Nation is victims today, tommorow other Kaduns indigenes and later, it will be Choboks, Igalas, Yorubas, Igbos, Efiks and Kanuris.
"The Forum call on well meaning Nigerians to reject, condemn, and and comprehensively say a resounding no to el-Rufai's attempt to eradicate people privileges and rights.
“I want to draw our attention to yet another renew onslaught and attack currently going on accross the Middle Belt Region, Southern Kaduna in particular, when we taught that peace was gradually returning to the troubled zone.
“Let the indigenous Nigerians accross the states from the Middle Belt Region rise now and say no, our soldiers should refuse their dubious command and secure their people. Senate and house of representative members should stand up to their duties and stop this evil before they destroy all of us. we are tired of giving mass burial to innocent souls across the Middle Belt region.
"The forum unequivocally condemns in it totality the killings that took place in Zango Kataf and other part of the Middle Belt and commiserate with the entire families of those that lost their lives and pray for quick recovery of those that sustained injuries of various degrees.
"The renewed attack by these blood thirsty herdsmen is a reflection of the resurging insecurity ripping across various communities in the Middle Belt, in Kaduna State, agent of terror have continued to let loose their long fang of horror and spreading dread as tension continue to brew in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.”
PoliticsNewsAddThis : Original Author : Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/31jVNxT
The All Progressives Congress in Lagos has asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to disqualify the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for the December 5 senatorial by-election in Lagos-East, Babatunde Gbadamosi.
The APC alleged that Gbadamosi committed perjury and falsification of West African Examinations Council certificate in the documents he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Babatunde GbadamosiSaharaReporters Media
It also claimed that the PDP candidate made false declaration on oath regarding his work experience and did not participate in the one-year mandatory National Youth Service among other infractions.
Counsel to Lagos APC, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), filed the application in the suit marked: FHC/L/CS/1659/2020, against the PDP candidate and INEC, claiming that it discovered certain discrepancies in the certificates, which were indicative that the WAEC result that Gbadamosi submitted to INEC might have been falsified.
They prayed the court for six reliefs including a declaration that Gbadamosi’s June 1985 WAEC Certificate with No: NGSG 228391 presented to INEC “in support of his qualification to contest election to the office of the governor of Lagos State in the 2019 election containing results and subjects materially different from that contained on the official website of the West African Examination Council, is a forged certificate.
It also prayed that by virtue of Section 66 (1) (i) of the constitution, Gbadamosi, “Having submitted a forged WAEC Certificate to INEC, containing results and subjects materially different from that contained on the official website of WAEC to contest the forthcoming 2020 Lagos-East Senatorial District bye-election, is not qualified for election into the Senate.”
The APC also prayed the court for an order voiding and or quashing any vote or votes scored by Gbadamosi “for being invalid, null and of no effect whatsoever as votes scored by an unqualified candidate.”
The party averred that the number of subjects in the certificate with INEC “is different from the number of subjects he sat for as contained on the website of WAEC. Also, the grades he claims to have received via the certificate is different from that contained on the official website of WAEC.”
No date has been fixed for hearing of the suit.
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed December 9, 2020, for hearing in a suit seeking to disqualify Tokunbo Abiru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the forthcoming Lagos-East East Senatorial District bye-election.
The suit filed by Babatunde Gbadamosi, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the poll, is also seeking the disqualification of the APC for fielding ineligible candidate.
Gbadamosi prayed the court to disqualify Abiru on the ground that he registered twice and possesses two voter cards.
Gbadamosi said the act was a violation of Section 31 of the Electoral Act.
PoliticsNewsAddThis : Original Author : Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/2V8pYE9
Aisha Pantami, a 13-year-old daughter of Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, is dead.
Pantami disclosed this via a post on his verified Twitter handle on Monday evening.
The minister said the funeral rites will take place on Tuesday in Abuja.
He wrote, “Inna lil Laahi wa inna ilaiHi Rajiun! My 13-year old daughter, Aishah Isa Ali (Amal), passed away just a moment ago.
“Due to some necessities, funeral prayer tomorrow at Annur Masjeed, Wuse 2, immediately after Zuhr prayer In sha Allah. May Allah forgive and be merciful to her.”
Inna lil Laahi wa inna ilaiHi Rajiun!
My 13-year old daughter, Aishah Isa Ali (Amal) passed away just a moment ago.
Due to some necessities, funeral prayer tomorrow at Annur Masjeed, Wuse 2, immediately after Zuhr prayer in sha Allah. May Allah forgive & be Merciful to her.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Monday said 138 members of the National Youth Service Corps have tested positive for COVID-19 across the country.
NCDC Director-General, Chikwe Ihekweazu, disclosed this on Monday during the briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
Ihekweazu said those, who tested positive, were either managed at home or in a treatment centre depending on if they had symptoms and what state they were in.
The NCDC boss added that the next challenge would be how to work with education stakeholders to ensure safe reopening of universities.
He said, “A total of 34,785 corps members and members of the camp communities have been tested so far in the last weeks of which only 138 was found positive, which is 0.4 per cent prevalence and 1 in 200 people.
“Universities have proven to be slightly risky; it has its unique challenges but we are confident that we can address this as we have done in other sectors like aviation.”
EducationNewsAddThis : Original Author : Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/3ny9z8H
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Monday said 138 members of the National Youth Service Corps have tested positive for COVID-19 across the country.
NCDC Director-General, Chikwe Ihekweazu, disclosed this on Monday during the briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
Ihekweazu said those, who tested positive, were either managed at home or in a treatment centre depending on if they had symptoms and what state they were in.
The NCDC boss added that the next challenge would be how to work with education stakeholders to ensure safe reopening of universities.
He said, “A total of 34,785 corps members and members of the camp communities have been tested so far in the last weeks of which only 138 was found positive, which is 0.4 per cent prevalence and 1 in 200 people.
“Universities have proven to be slightly risky; it has its unique challenges but we are confident that we can address this as we have done in other sectors like aviation.”
EducationNewsAddThis : Original Author : Saharareporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/3ny9z8H
A high court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has issued an arrest warrant for Prof Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo, who is accused of election fraud during the 2019 general elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
INEC said Prof Uduk should have been arraigned on November 17 alongside another professor but failed to appear in court.
The statement reads, “Issuing the bench warrant for the arrest of Prof Uduk upon the application of the counsel to INEC, Kpoobari Sigalo, the presiding judge, Justice A.E Archibong, frowned upon the refusal of the professor to obey the order of the court.
“Prof Ignatius Uduk declared election results collated not by him but by undisclosed individuals who only handed them to him to announce.
“He admitted to this fact in his own handwritten (not typed) statement that he earlier signed, even though he refused to come back to the commission’s office for further debriefing to ascertain who delivered the prepared election results to him.
“However, in another deposition, this time in a typed written statement on oath, Prof Uduk disavowed his earlier handwritten statement and surprisingly stood as a witness against the commission to defend the same election results he did not collate but were given to him by undisclosed persons.”
ElectionsLegalNewsAddThis : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/3640nlo
A high court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has issued an arrest warrant for Prof Ignatius Uduk of the University of Uyo, who is accused of election fraud during the 2019 general elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
INEC said Prof Uduk should have been arraigned on November 17 alongside another professor but failed to appear in court.
The statement reads, “Issuing the bench warrant for the arrest of Prof Uduk upon the application of the counsel to INEC, Kpoobari Sigalo, the presiding judge, Justice A.E Archibong, frowned upon the refusal of the professor to obey the order of the court.
“Prof Ignatius Uduk declared election results collated not by him but by undisclosed individuals who only handed them to him to announce.
“He admitted to this fact in his own handwritten (not typed) statement that he earlier signed, even though he refused to come back to the commission’s office for further debriefing to ascertain who delivered the prepared election results to him.
“However, in another deposition, this time in a typed written statement on oath, Prof Uduk disavowed his earlier handwritten statement and surprisingly stood as a witness against the commission to defend the same election results he did not collate but were given to him by undisclosed persons.”
ElectionsLegalNewsAddThis : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/3640nlo
Rotimi Amaechi, Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, has said that additional funds are not needed to complete the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail line.
Nigerians had expressed outrage after Amaechi during his ministry’s budget defence said he requested an additional $650m for additional works on the Lagos-Ibadan and the Itakpe-Warri standard gauge.
Backtracking on his initial position, he said there was no need for extra money as the $650m had already been previously approved.
He said, “I was merely reporting to the senators that the entire Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge was at the cost of $1.6bn and that we have had to request for another $650m for additional works at both the Lagos-Ibadan and the Itakpe-Warri standard gauge.
“The approval had since been obtained and the funds released long ago and we have since used it for the same purpose. We do not need any extra funds to complete this project and we are saying to Nigerians that we do not need any fresh money to complete the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge.
“What the CCECC has always been using as an excuse was the COVID-19 but this excuse could not be tenable because they have been back at work now in the last four months and no one has been sick on site. So we are urging them to increase the tempo of work as the government is determined to hand this over to Nigerians in January.
“I have asked that the malfunctioning equipment be pulled out and the CCECC and the NRC engineers are looking at whether it is something that could be repaired or replaced. The only challenge is that until that is done, we may have to scale down our services on that line.”
PoliticsNewsAddThis : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/2BpL0Fs
Rotimi Amaechi, Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, has said that additional funds are not needed to complete the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail line.
Nigerians had expressed outrage after Amaechi during his ministry’s budget defence said he requested an additional $650m for additional works on the Lagos-Ibadan and the Itakpe-Warri standard gauge.
Backtracking on his initial position, he said there was no need for extra money as the $650m had already been previously approved.
He said, “I was merely reporting to the senators that the entire Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge was at the cost of $1.6bn and that we have had to request for another $650m for additional works at both the Lagos-Ibadan and the Itakpe-Warri standard gauge.
“The approval had since been obtained and the funds released long ago and we have since used it for the same purpose. We do not need any extra funds to complete this project and we are saying to Nigerians that we do not need any fresh money to complete the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge.
“What the CCECC has always been using as an excuse was the COVID-19 but this excuse could not be tenable because they have been back at work now in the last four months and no one has been sick on site. So we are urging them to increase the tempo of work as the government is determined to hand this over to Nigerians in January.
“I have asked that the malfunctioning equipment be pulled out and the CCECC and the NRC engineers are looking at whether it is something that could be repaired or replaced. The only challenge is that until that is done, we may have to scale down our services on that line.”
PoliticsNewsAddThis : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/2BpL0Fs
The United Kingdom parliament is currently debating sanctions to hand out on Nigerian Government officials involved in the killing of peaceful protesters in Lekki on October 20 and other parts of the country.
Members of parliament are looking to impose direct sanctions on government officials, who played a role in violating human rights during the protest instead of a general economic sanction that may affect ordinary citizens.
skynews
#EndSARSNewsAddThis : Featured Image : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/2IWsyeu
The United Kingdom parliament is currently debating sanctions to hand out on Nigerian Government officials involved in the killing of peaceful protesters in Lekki on October 20 and other parts of the country.
Members of parliament are looking to impose direct sanctions on government officials, who played a role in violating human rights during the protest instead of a general economic sanction that may affect ordinary citizens.
skynews
#EndSARSNewsAddThis : Featured Image : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/2IWsyeu
Some gunmen on Monday kidnapped Babawuro Tofai Nanono, younger brother of Minister of Agriculture, Sabo Nanono.
The gunmen were said to have stormed the minister’s home in Tofai Village under Gabasawa Local Government Area in Kano around 1:00am and whisked the man to an unknown destination after firing warning shots.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Mohammed Sabo Nanono.
Spokesperson for the Kano State Police Command, Abdullahi Haruna, confirmed the incident.
Haruna said the police authorities are investigating the matter.
CRIMEInsecurityNewsAddThis : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/2UYD472
Some gunmen on Monday kidnapped Babawuro Tofai Nanono, younger brother of Minister of Agriculture, Sabo Nanono.
The gunmen were said to have stormed the minister’s home in Tofai Village under Gabasawa Local Government Area in Kano around 1:00am and whisked the man to an unknown destination after firing warning shots.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Mohammed Sabo Nanono.
Spokesperson for the Kano State Police Command, Abdullahi Haruna, confirmed the incident.
Haruna said the police authorities are investigating the matter.
CRIMEInsecurityNewsAddThis : Original Author : SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements :
https://ift.tt/2UYD472
