The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday urged the African continent to brace itself for possible second wave COVID-19 infections.
According to Africa CDC, the number of confirmed cases in the African continent has reached 1,759,794.
The continental disease control and prevention agency said in a statement that the death toll related to the pandemic stood at 42,336 as of Friday afternoon.
A total of 1,438,841 people infected with COVID-19 have recovered across the continent so far, the Africa CDC said.
The most COVID-19 affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases include South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia and Nigeria.
The Southern Africa region is the most COVID-19 affected region both in terms of the number of confirmed positive cases as well as the number of deaths.
The Northern Africa region is the second most COVID-19-affected African region, according to the Africa CDC.
Africa CDC Director, John Nkengasong, said “the time for the continent to prepare for the second wave is now.’’
The director, speaking during a virtual press conference on Thursday, said the continent has to prepare for a second wave of COVID-19 infections, as the number of new cases in several African countries is showing a slight increase.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has challenged the Nigerian Media to desist from praising public office holders and giving them awards for favoritism, but to hold them accountable.
Governor Wike gave the charge when the national leadership of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Port Harcourt yesterday.
The governor noted that in time past, the Nigerian Press was a strong voice and conscience of the society, but wondered what has whittled down its powers.
“What I have seen of you is that you praise us and give us award because of relationship or friendship. That’s not the way it should be. Challenge us; the people in authority and we will sit up to our responsibilities. We will have no choice than to perform and serve the people, as it should be.
“My support for you has to do with the fact that you are supposed to tell the truth of what is happening in Nigeria. There was a time you were exposing the ills of society. If not for you, certain things will not be known. Assume your role, grow strong again and speak out,” he said.
The governor stated that Nigeria is in a difficult period in its history and NGE cannot shy away from performing its duties without fear or favour.
He urged them to discharge their function and be sure that they are doing what is right always.
“If when I castigated the operations of SARS, you added your voice, who knows what good that would have achieved. Now look at what has happened. There was EndSARS protest across the country. Nobody knows how the youths were able to organise themselves without a leader.
“Up until now, intelligence can’t even know how they did it and who’s behind them. Without good intelligence, how can Nigeria even defeat Boko Haram?” he queried.
Governor Wike further said EndSARS protest was peaceful in Rivers State until the outlawed Indigenous People Organisation of Biafra (IPOB) took laws into their hands.
“I don’t support criminality. IPOB killed 6 army officers, 4 policemen, burnt police stations and court buildings. This is Rivers State. Go to Oyigbo and see the level of destruction. Now, the State Government will be rebuilding those facilities.
“Those who don’t understand our actions are saying we are fighting the Igbos. How will they allow criminals to speak for them when there are intelligent Igbo people to speak for them?”
“If they (IPOB) are aggrieved, instead of channeling it to the right quarters, they go and kill innocent people and destroy public places,” he stated.
In his speech, the National President of NGE, Mustapha Isha, said Governor Wike has remained consistent in his support for the Guild.
“You are the only government that has sponsored our annual conference back to back. Even if we have a new leadership, that will not affect the friendship we share with you.
“Anytime I come to Port Harcourt, there is always a new project on-going. Flyovers are being constructed; existing roads are being expanded, and new roads being built. Projects don’t hide; even your political opponents will see them. They may murmur, but they will use them. Your excellency, keep up with your good job,” he said.
The members of the guild later accompanied Governor Wike on a project tour of the Rebisi Flyover, Real Madrid Football Academy, and the Mother and Child Specialist Hospital.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo and some church leaders have fixed December 27 for street rallies to campaign for Igbo presidency in 2023.
They also said they had concluded arrangements to write President Muhammadu Buhari, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party to notify them of the need to zone the 2023 presidency to the region.
They said the rallies would be held in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states simultaneously.
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Chairman in the Diaspora, Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze, disclosed this in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
He said, “Those we are considering for the presidential seat from Igbo are present and past governors, senators and House of Representatives members from the zone who are performers.
“We envision a Nigeria where leadership is based on the ability to work hard, where fairness reigns with a sense of direction and accountability to the various groups and for the common good of the country.
“It’s now the turn of the South-East to provide good leadership for the good of all Nigerians to move Nigeria in a positive direction.”
Anakwenze noted that the Igbo would need the support of other regions to produce the next president.
“We believe in alignment. We cannot get the presidency by ourselves, even if all the Igbo vote. We are already working with people from other zones, and we are in talks with them already,” he said.
In a related manner, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, will lead a delegation of the pro-Biafra group, Movement for the Sovereign State of Biafra, and other youth groups to meet with Buhari regarding the Igbo presidency in 2023.
MASSOB leader, Mr Uchenna Madu, disclosed this on Friday at the Government House, Enugu, after a joint meeting with the governors of the region, leaders of thought, ministers and National Assembly members as well as traditional and religious leaders from the region.
Madu, who read a 10-point demand of the Igbo youths, had earlier demanded that the Ndigbo should be allowed to produce a president in 2023.
“We demand that the South-East be allowed to produce the president of Nigeria in 2023,” he said.
Meanwhile, former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okoroch, says South-East political leaders have resolved to shelve their party differences to work for the interest of the region ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Okorocha, who spoke on the sidelines of the South-East leaders meeting held in Enugu on Thursday night, disclosed that Igbo leaders had also decided to properly mentor and empower the youths in readiness to take over from them.
Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, has asked personnel of the agency in all formations across the country to return to their duty posts after the nationwide #ENDSARS protest.
In a statement on Friday by the Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, Oyeyemi ordered the commanding officers to keep the roads safe, enforce maximum compliance to road traffic regulations and safety guidelines.
While mourning the victims of the road traffic crash in Enugu State, the Corps Marshal confirmed that out of the 56 people involved in the accident, 21 persons lost their lives.
He revealed that the crash, which occurred at Nkwo/Mmaku Junction along Old Enugu/Okigwe Road at about 4:00pm on Wednesday, October 28, 2020, involved a Mercedes Benz Bus (ENU 811 KU) conveying school children and a Mark truck (KPP 247 XA).
He said, “Irrespective of the incessant attacks that led to the burning, looting, arson and damaging of FRSC properties in various locations occasioned by the #EndSARS protest, the Corps is still deeply committed to the full realisation of its corporate mandate; as such, will not be dissuaded from carrying out its humanitarian work of keeping the roads safe, even amidst the risks on lives and properties of personnel.”
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his administration’s commitment to work with an international think-tank group and investment promoter, Horasis Global Visions Community, to find solutions to challenges facing the country.
Buhari disclosed this at a virtual meeting with members of the group led by its founder and chairman, Dr Frank-Jürgen Richter, cross-sectional representatives of State Governors and corporate organizations in Nigeria.
According to him, I am excited about the work that Horasis has been engaged in since it was founded in 2005.
”As a platform for frank discussions and generation of multidisciplinary ideas for the resolution of multi-faceted challenges facing mankind, the work of governments and corporate organisations are expected to be impacted more positively,” he said.
The president also accepted the request of the global think tank to create its African hub in Nigeria.
He commended their vision for an expanded manufacturing through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to make the country a major beneficiary of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (ACTFA) coming into effect next year.
”It is my hope that many corporate organizations in Nigeria will be drawn into the mainstream discussion around several challenges facing Nigeria and indeed the rest of Africa,” he said.
Buhari expressed the commitment of the government of Nigeria to the proposed annual Africa Summits of the organization, with Nigeria hosting, in the strong belief that Nigeria would fully benefit from the meetings.
The Chairman of the group, Frank-Jürgen Richter, commended Nigeria’s economic growth in the last few years and gave strong assurances that the Africa Summits with Nigeria as the hub would bring the benefits of increased FDI.
Other speakers at the meeting, included the Chairman of the Horasis Visions Community in Nigeria and a former Minister of National Planning, Prof. Shamsudeen Usman and the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.
They expressed excitement about the good prospects of increased manufacturing through FDI to give a competitive advantage to Nigeria in view of the ACFTA.
The Senate Public Account Committee has sustained an audit query issued against a former Nigerian ambassador to Israel, for spending $134,400 (N48,388,000 at N360 per dollar exchange rate) on personal domestic staff.
The Auditor General of the Federation, Anthony Ayine, raised the query, following a 2015 audit report presented to the National Assembly for consideration.
The audit query was silent on the details of the former envoy but it indicated that he was in charge of the office in 2014.
The ex-envoy was said to have spent the amount to pay his domestic staff, including home help, security and gardeners among others.
The Senate panel, which is currently considering the report, sustained the query after scrutinising the written response of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Part of the query read, “The sum of $134,400 was paid directly to an ambassador during his tenure for domestic servants.
“The direct payment of domestic staff salary to the ambassador is contrary to the terms of engagement as spelt out in the appointment letter, which insists on domestic staff salary to be included on Mission’s payroll.
“Therefore, the sum of funds has to be refunded. The Permanent Secretary has been requested to recover and pay back to chest the sum $134,400 paid directly to the ambassador, forwarding evidence of recovery for audit verification purposes.”
In its written response, the foreign affairs ministry justified the payment of the money to the former ambassador for the payment of his domestic staff.
Part of the response read, “On the grounds of public policy, particularly the provisions of the condition of services of the Ambassadors/Heads of Mission, the ambassador hired his own domestic servant and security personnel in accordance with the Israeli labour laws and, as such, paid their allowances directly from his personal account.
“The cost of such hiring was usually higher than what was granted to him as allowances for domestic servant, especially as relates to the Israeli minimum wages.
“He could not have operated effectively on the home front in the residence without hiring some hands to man the vast grounds, help his wife on the home front with the chores, which in the case of the Tel Aviv Post, is a hive of activities.
“If there has been an apparent lapse in the method of payment, it must have been for administrative convenience and nothing else.”
It added, “However, the observation has been duly noted and corrected.”
The Chairman of the committee, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, sustained the AuGF query and the recommendations which demanded the refund of the money.
Rights activist, Aisha Yesufu, has opened up on the ill-treatment she gets from fellow Muslims
Yesufu, who is the co-convener of the BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, advocacy group lamented that fellow Muslims rain curses on her in the mosque.
She said the resentments sh enow suffers is due to her involvement in the widespread End SARS protests.
The activist made the disclosure on her Twitter handle.
According to Yesufu: ”Heard I am being cursed in mosques! People finish praying and take time out to curse me in their prayers.
“I have asked they should please let me know how many of these curses they rained on me when I was making the same demands during GEJ! We are all already cursed in Nigeria.”
Many activists including Aisha Yesufu had joined Nigerian youths in the streets to protest against police brutality and bad governance in the country.
The Management of the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) on Friday told the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry for Restitution for Victims of SARS and Related Abuses and Other Matters that the footage of the October 20 shootings of the End SARS protesters by the Nigerian Army was available.
The Head of the Legal Department of LCC, Mr Gbolahan Agboluwaje, made the revelation after Mr Abayomi Omomuwa, the Managing Director of LCC had been sworn-in to give evidence before the panel.
Agboluwaje explained that the LCC received a summons from the panel on Wednesday to appear before it and was also ordered to present the October 20 footage, an investigation report and any other document.
“We have the footage. We don’t have an investigation report because we know that investigations are ongoing, and we haven’t been able to provide any document,” Agboluwaje said.
“We had a very short notice, and we brought what we were able to lay our hands on.”
Agboluwaje also told the panel that due to the short notice of the summoning, the Managing Director (MD) of LCC, Mr Omomuwa, wouldn’t be able to testify because the company was yet to hire an external counsel to represent the MD.
Responding, Justice Doris Okuwobi (Rtd), the Chairman of the nine-man panel, granted Agboluwaje’shands-on request for a short adjournment.
Justice Okuwobi noted that the programme of the day for the panel was to visit the locus (scene of the Lekki Shooting) and to have proceedings based on their findings from the visit.
She said, “We were initially to take note of what we see at the locus and today’s proceedings were to be subsequent to what we see there.
“The panel will arise very shortly to visit the locus. The panel noted that it’s required of the witness to have a counsel of his choice. We’ll not take the proceedings of the visit to the locus until then.”
NAN reports that as at the time of filing this report, the panel had briefly risen to visit and inspect the Lekki Toll Plaza, the scene of the October 20 shooting.
The panel is also expected to reconvene to hear other petitions after its return from the visit to the toll gate.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has asked the personnel of the force to protect themselves against attacks.
He said the men and officers have the right to defend themselves in case of physical danger.
The IGP spoke on Friday during an assessment tour of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, Abuja, where he also encouraged the operatives who had abandoned the streets for the past five days following the killing of over 20 policemen in the violence that rocked the country.
Adamu alleged that the #EndSARS protesters were out to demoralise the personnel, adding that the government and the Nigeria Police Force would soon roll out packages for the families of the deceased officers.
He stated, “The unity of this country lies in the support that is given to police officers because if you are demoralised, the tendency is for criminals to take over the public space and the country is relying on us to make sure that the public space is not taken over by the criminals. So no amount of provocation, no amount of insult would make us shy away from our responsibilities.
“Inasmuch as we are aware that the government is behind us; so, we would encourage you to keep performing your duties. We would encourage you to be professional, to be civic, but if anybody touches you, if anybody comes to assault you, you can also protect yourself.
“When we talk of human rights, the police are human; so, the rights of police officers would also be protected. So, we are sending the message that legally, we have the right to protect ourselves.”
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday held a video conference with Mr Charles Michel, President of the European Council, during which the latter reiterated Europe’s support for Nigeria’s Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The President is leading Nigeria’s charge for Okonjo-Iweala, the country’s former Minister of Finance, to emerge as the first Black and female WTO DG.
President Buhari thanked the European Council for its support for Nigeria’s candidate.
Also discussed during the conference were issues bordering on debt relief for Africa, EU-African relations and recharge of Lake Chad, which has currently shrunk to less than one-third of its usual size.
The lake has reportedly thrown about 130 million people who depend on it for their livelihoods into dire straits.
Recharge of the Lake Chad basin is an issue the Nigerian President had vigorously canvassed for at different global fora in recent times.
President Buhari expressed appreciation to Mr Michel for expected positive developments on the issues raised.
