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Like HIV, COVID-19 May Never Go Away – WHO

By
Alex Enemanna
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1

Just like with HIV, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) may never go away, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. 

Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization health emergencies program, says the virus may just become one of the viruses around the world that kill people annually.

“This virus just may become another endemic virus in our communities and this virus may never go away. HIV hasn’t gone away,” Ryan said on Wednesday.

“We’ve come to terms with the virus and we have found the therapies and we have found the prevention methods, and people don’t feel as scared as they did before.

“There are no promises in this and there are no dates”.

HIV/AIDS was first clinically observed in 1981 in the United States, it has gone on to kill nearly a million people and has infected over 38 million people across the world.

Read Also: US Accuses China Of Trying To Steal COVID-19 Vaccine Research

Over 30 years on, no vaccine has been found for HIV, but research is ongoing to beat the disease.

Ryan said with a vaccine, “we may have a shot at eliminating this virus but that vaccine will have to be available, it will have to be highly effective, it will have to be made available to everyone and we’ll have to use it.

“I’m not comparing the two diseases but I think it is important that we’re realistic. I don’t think anyone can predict when or if this disease will disappear.

“This disease may settle into a long-term problem or it may not be.”

Coronavirus has infected over 4.4 million people globally and has killed nearly 300,000 people as of May 13, 2020.

US Accuses China Of Trying To Steal COVID-19 Vaccine Research

By
Alex Enemanna
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1

US authorities warned that Chinese hackers were attempting to steal COVID-19 data research on treatments and vaccines, adding fuel to Washington’s war with Beijing over the pandemic.

The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said organizations researching COVID-19 were at risk of “targeting and network compromise” by China.

They warned that Chinese government-affiliated groups and others were attempting to obtain “valuable intellectual property and public health data related to vaccines, treatments, and testing.”

“China’s efforts to target these sectors pose a significant threat to our nation’s response to COVID-19,” they said.

The two organizations gave no examples to support the allegation.

But the warning added to the battle between the superpowers over the outbreak that began in China and has killed at least 293,000 worldwide, and more than 83,000 in the United States.

President Donald Trump has accused China of hiding the origins of the virus and not cooperating in efforts to research and fight the disease.

Asked on Monday about reports that the US believed Chinese hackers were targeting US vaccine research, Trump replied: “What else is new with China?… I’m not happy.”

Spies, academics targeted

The warning Wednesday also underscored that Washington believes China has continued broad efforts to obtain US commercial and technology secrets under President Xi Jinping’s drive to make his country a technological leader.

In February the US Justice Department indicted four Chinese army personnel suspected of hacking the database of credit rating agency Equifax, giving them the personal data of 145 million Americans.

On Monday the Department of Justice announced the arrest of University of Arkansas engineering professor Simon Saw-Teong Ang for hiding ties to the Chinese government and Chinese universities while he worked on projects funded by NASA.

The indictment said Ang was secretly part of the Xi-backed Thousand Talents program, which Washington says China uses to collect research from abroad.

Read Also: Infectious Diseases Bill Should Be Stepped Down – NGF

Also on Monday Li Xiaojiang, a former professor at Emory University in Atlanta, admitted tax fraud in a case focused on his hidden earnings from China, also as a participant in the Thousand Talents program.

Senator Marco Rubio, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said such cases combined with the coronavirus are forcing China to change its tactics.

“Beijing has shifted its recruitment efforts for the Thousand Talents Program online, and it has increased efforts to hack US medical research institutes for COVID-19 information,” he said.

Race for a vaccine

Beijing has repeatedly denied US accusations.

The FBI warning comes as dozens of companies, institutes and countries around the world are racing to develop vaccines to halt the coronavirus.

Many more groups are researching treatments for infected patients. Currently, there is no proven therapy.

An effective vaccine could allow countries to reopen and potentially earn billions of dollars for its creators.

Most experts believe it will take more than a year to get vaccines fully approved, and much longer to produce enough of it.

Government-backed cyber operators in Iran, North Korea, Russia and China have been accused of pumping out false coronavirus news and targeting workers and scientists.

Britain said last week it had detected large-scale “password spraying” tactics — hackers trying to access accounts through commonly used passwords — aimed at healthcare bodies and medical research organizations.

Sanctions, compensation

Increasingly US officials are discussing punishing China and seeking compensation for the costs of the pandemic.

In April the US state of Missouri sued China’s leadership over what it described as deliberate deception and insufficient action to stop the virus.

On Tuesday Republican senators proposed legislation that would empower Trump to slap sanctions on China if Beijing does not give a “full accounting” for the coronavirus outbreak.

“Their outright deception of the origin and spread of the virus cost the world valuable time and lives as it began to spread,” Senator Jim Inhofe said in a statement.

Infectious Diseases Bill Should Be Stepped Down – NGF

By
Alex Enemanna
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2

More criticisms have continued to trail the controversial Control of Infectious Diseases Bill introduced in the House of Representatives.

This time, the governors of the 36 states of the Federation have demanded that the bill be stepped down until all necessary procedures were followed.

The call to step down the bill formed part of the resolutions of the governors after the eighth teleconference meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) which held on Wednesday.

In a statement by the NGF Chairman and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, the governors noted that a bill of such nature needed proper consultation to gather the pulse of the public before its introduction into the chambers of the National Assembly.

They, therefore, set up a committee comprising the Governors of Katsina, Sokoto, and Plateau States – Aminu Masari, Aminu Tambuwal, and Simon Lalong, to lead a meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly on the proposed bill.

The governors also directed the NGF Secretariat to comprehensively review the bill and its implication on states.

They also raised serious concern about the effects that the regular deductions from revenues accruable to states would have on their capacity to effectively respond to the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NGF, therefore, resolved to review their 2020 budgets and amend procurement guidelines to support e-procurement, as a way to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on states’ resources.

Read also: Ikpeazu Bans Street Trading At Opobo Junction Aba

Read the full text of the statement issued at the end of the NGF teleconference meeting below:

We, members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), at our meeting held today deliberated on the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and resolved as follows:

The NGF Chairman briefed State Governors on existing coordination activities with the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19, multilateral and bilateral partners, and the private sector through the Coalition against COVID-19 (CACOVID).

In addition to ongoing activities aimed at strengthening the public health response and the delivery of palliatives to vulnerable persons, the Forum is coordinating an additional response with the support of the Dangote Foundation to set up a volunteer workforce of health personnel who will be trained and deployed to strengthen the availability of health workers in States in critical need.

The Forum is concerned with the rising number of coronavirus cases in the country which reached 4,787 as of 12th May 2020 based on an update from the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19.

The worrying trend urgently calls for additional measures by State Governors to ramp up capacity for testing, increase the availability of isolation beds to at least 300 per State, accelerate the procurement of additional personal protective equipment (PPE) and training for health workers, as well as the continued enforcement of interstate restriction of movement.

In line with the commitment made by the Forum to intensify public-private collaboration for the delivery of palliatives from the private sector, Governors are making warehouses available for the delivery of palliatives and have appointed State Coordinators who will be responsible for the receipt and distribution of palliatives to vulnerable persons.

Following an update from the Governor of Sokoto State and Vice Chairman of the NGF, H.E Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, on the proposed Control of Infectious Diseases Bill, 2020 introduced by the House of Representatives, Governors raised concern with the lack of consultation with State governments who are at the forefront of the epidemic.

The Forum resolved that the Bill should be stepped down until an appropriate consultative process is held, including a public hearing to gather public opinion and concerns.

In light of this, the Forum established a Committee comprising the Governors of Katsina, Sokoto, and Plateau to lead a consultative meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly on the proposed Control of Infectious Diseases Bill, 2020.

The NGF Secretariat was also mandated to comprehensively review the Bill and its implication on States.

The Forum received a briefing from the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, on the Oil and Gas Industry Intervention Initiative on COVID-19, set up by oil and gas operators to provide medical consumables to States, deploy logistics and in-patient support systems, and deliver permanent medical infrastructure across the six geopolitical zones.

Governors commended NNPC for leading the industry to take the initiative and advised the group to prioritise interventions that will boost the country’s testing capacity and the capacity of health workers who are at the frontline of the epidemic.

Following an update from the Governor of Edo State, H.E Godwin Obaseki on the operation of the World Bank States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) project which is supporting a strong pro-poor fiscal response to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, State Governors agreed to take additional measures to strengthen their public financial management systems, including a revision of their 2020 budgets and the amendment of State procurement guidelines to support e-procurement and the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises.

To fast-track the deployment of e-procurement across States, the Forum will be adopting a Software as a Service (SaaS) model with the Kaduna State government providing the framework agreement that other States can leverage on.

Following an update on the rising trend of deductions from revenues accruable to the Federation Account available for distribution to the three tiers of government, the Governors noted the threat this poses on the fiscal capacity of States to respond to the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic. Members also raised concerns about the ownership and distribution of proceeds from recovered looted funds and accounts or investments funded as the first-line charge from the Federation Account.

The Forum agreed to engage with the Federal Government to ensure that the governance arrangement of all federation-funded investments recognise State governments as shareholders in the distribution of proceeds and decision making.

The Forum has followed with interest, the development of the 12-month Economic Sustainability Plan by the Federal Government, which is designed to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

In the spirit of developing a truly coordinated national response to the crisis, Governors expressed the importance of greater consultation and collaboration between the federal and state governments on development planning.

A Committee was consequently set up to interface with the Federal Government on the next Medium-term National Development Plan.

The Committee is made up of the Governors of Bauchi, Plateau, Kebbi, Akwa Ibom, Abia, and Ekiti.

A Second Committee comprising the Governors of Gombe, Nasarawa, Delta, Ebonyi, Oyo, and Kaduna was established to steer the activities of the NGF-NESG Economic Roundtable (NNER) – a sub-national platform of the NGF and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group created to promote sub-national competitiveness through public-private collaboration.

Finally, the Forum congratulated the newly appointed Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.

The Forum wishes him well and looks forward to a fruitful partnership that will support the development of the country.

Governor Kayode Fayemi

Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum

13th May 2020

Ikpeazu Bans Street Trading At Opobo Junction Aba

By
ABN TV EDITOR
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1

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has ordered the Traffic and Indiscipline Management Agency of Abia State (TIMAAS) to, as a matter urgency, rid the popular Opobo Junction area at Ogbor Hill of forms of street trading.

Also Read: Ikpeazu Appoints Ikeokwu Chinedu General Manager TIMAAS

Governor Ikpeazu gave this order to the General Manager of the agency, Engr. Bright Chinedu Ikeokwu while on inspection of some ongoing projects in Aba today.

In a release signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Onyebuchi Ememanka made available to ABN TV, the Governor had earlier spoken about the menace of the street traders around that axis during his radio interview at Magic FM Aba lamented that despite all appeals to the traders, they have persisted in their unlawful occupation of that area, including the entrance into Ehere Road through Opobo Junction.

Also Read: How Ikpeazu’s Proactiveness Saved Abia From COVID-19 Invasion — Ijiriji

He charged the agency to use every lawful means to move the street traders away from the area to allow free flow of traffic making it abundantly clear that “there is no approved market there“.

Ikpeazu Bans Street Trading At Opobo Junction Aba Ikpeazu Bans Street Trading At Opobo Junction Aba Ikpeazu Bans Street Trading At Opobo Junction Aba

We’ll Seize Any Corpse Brought Into Benue – Ortom

By
Alex Enemanna
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0

Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, has directed that no corpse should be brought into the state as a measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Ortom, who gave the directive while meeting some warring communities in Benue on Tuesday, said any corpse brought into the state will be seized.

He, however, gave an exception for families who “feel strongly” they want to bring the bodies of their loved ones into the state, saying such persons would obtain a medical report before doing so.

“In a situation where a family feels strongly that the corpse of their loved one should be brought into the state, they must obtain express permission from the state action committee on COVID-19,” he said.

“Such a family must produce a medical report of the dead person before moving it to the state.

Read also: Man Arrested For Impregnating His Underage Daughter In Imo State

“We will impound any corpse that will be brought into the state without any medical report. We will impound and bury it wherever we want.

“Bury the corpse of your loved ones where they died particularly in this trying period of COVID-19. The steps that we have taken against COVID-19 are not aimed at punishing anyone but to protect Benue people.”

The governor urged the security personnel to arrest anyone who disobeyed the law.

Benue has recorded two of Nigeria’s 4,641 COVID-19 cases.

Prof Gambari Breaks Silence After Appointment As New Chief Of Staff By Buhari [VIDEO]

By
ABN TV EDITOR
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0

The new Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari on Wednesday said that his allegiance would be to President Muhammadu Buhari, who he said he will serve to the best of his ability.

Prof. Gambari was formally announced as the Chief of Staff by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha.

His first assignment was his participation at the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa.

Also Read: SGF Announces Prof. Gambari As New Chief Of Staff To President Buhari

It was also the first virtual FEC occasioned by the outbreak of the dreaded Coronavirus pandemic and the attendant lockdown to contain the spread of the virus.

Speaking to State House correspondents, the former Minister of External Affairs under the military regime of the then Major General Muhammadu Buhari said that his allegiance would be on the President that found him fit for the job.

“I want to thank the president of the Federal Republic for giving me this opportunity to serve him and of the country,” he said.

Asked on what Nigerians will be expecting from him as the Chief of Staff with his wealth of knowledge, the diplomat said, “I have not started, so I will find out and maybe… I don’t report directly to the nation, I report directly to the president.”

Fielding question on what the President would expect from him, he simply said, “I think he needs my loyalty, competence, and support.”

On his guiding principle, as he assumes duty as the Chief of Staff, former Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations said, “To serve the president to the best of my ability.”

Also Read: Buhari Presides Over FEC Online, Appoints Ibrahim Gambari [Photos, Video]

Prof. Gambari emerged as the Chief of Staff after the demise of the former occupant of the seat, Mallam Abba Kyari who died on the early hours of April 17 as a result of complications from the coronavirus infection.

Mallam Abba Kyari tested positive to COVID-19 and was on self-isolation for treatment but he gave up the ghost at a private hospital in Lagos.

Watch The Video Below….

https://youtu.be/rAZWhVc7jCM

Man Arrested For Impregnating His Underage Daughter In Imo State

By
Alex Enemanna
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1

A 47-year-old man identified as Uchenna Egbuchulem has been arrested by the Imo state police command for allegedly impregnating his underage biological daughter.

The suspect was arrested at Nduhu Alaenyi Ogwa in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state on May 12, following a complaint filed by a good Samaritan at the Divisional Police headquarters in Mbaitoli.

The victim identified as 17-year-old Adaku Egbuchulem was left in the custody of her father as an infant after her Ivorian mother returned to her country following the end of her marriage to Egbuchulem.

It was learnt that the randy man has been taking advantage of his daughter and threatening to kill her with a machete if she tells anyone.

Read Also: 5 Female NIS Officers Who Participated In Falz “Bop Daddy” Redeployed

Imo state’s police spokesperson, Ikeokwu Orlando confirmed the incident and further disclosed that the suspect will be charged to court at the end of the investigation.

5 Female NIS Officers Who Participated In Falz “Bop Daddy” Redeployed

By
Alex Enemanna
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1

Five Female Employees Of Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS Who Participated In the popular “Bop Daddy” Challenge by Falz Punished With Redeployment To Borno, Yobe, Others.

Five female officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service have been punished with redeployment to states in Nigeria where the fight against insurgency and Coronavirus is ongoing after they participated in a viral video challenge in their uniforms.

The ladies, Priscilla Irabor, Catherine J. Bakura, Blessing Alfred Udida, Binti I. Attabor and Ockiya Eneni had recorded themselves transforming from their uniforms to a wide range of outfits while participating in the challenge initiated by popular Nigerian musician, Falz.

Early in April, the NIS in a disciplinary memo asked the women to explain why the should not be subjected to punishment for allegedly violating the agency’s internal code.

Read Also: Rivers Govt Mourns Member Of Taskforce Who Was Attacked At Demolished Hotel, Converts Site To Primary School

In a new memo seen by SaharaReporters on Wednesday, the service transferred Irabor from the Lagos State Command to the Nigeria Immigration Training School, Kano, Attabor was posted from the service headquarters in Abuja to Yobe State Command, Udida from the FCT Command was sent to the Akwa Ibom State Command, Bakura was transferred from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to the Nigeria Immigration Training School Ahoada, Rivers State, while Eneni has moved from the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card production facility to the Borno State Command.

The agency also stated that the relocation will be at the expense of the affected female officers involved and must be done within seven days.

This is despite the ban on inter-state travels and closure of airports in the country due to the outbreak of Coronavirus.

Rivers Govt Mourns Member Of Taskforce Who Was Attacked At Demolished Hotel, Converts Site To Primary School

By
Alex Enemanna
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1

The Rivers State Government Wednesday announced the death of a member of its Taskforce on COVID-19 attacked by hoodlums at the demolished Prodest Hotel in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, who though did not mention the name of the victim, said he died from injuries he sustained during the incident.

Nsirim, who spoke in Port Harcourt, justified the actions of the state Governor, Nyesom Wike, saying the governor was combating the spread of the Coronavirus with the rule of law.

The commissioner said the governor approved the conversion of the demolished hotel site to a primary school to serve the people of the state adding that the opposition hijacked the demolition incident.

He said: “The latest issue that has been hijacked by opposition elements is the demolition of two hotels in Eleme, after they deliberately flouted Executive Order 6.

“These two hotels, Prodest Hotel, Alode, Eleme and Etemeteh Hotel, Onne not only flouted the Executive Order, but the Hotel Manager of Prodest also invited the wanted PDP Eleme Youth Leader, Princewill Osaroejiji, who came with thugs to unleash mayhem on Task Force operatives on the ground to close down the facility.

“As we speak, one of the Task Force operatives lost his life last night. Governor Wike and the Rivers State Security Council took the decision to demolish the hotel in the interest of Rivers State and her people.

“Days before that demolition, everyone was aware that the State Government sensitized the people on the consequence of flouting Executive Order 6.

“Having demolished that hotel, Governor Wike has approved that a primary school be constructed at that location to serve Rivers people. This is what a responsive government will do.

“The fight against coronavirus in the state has been premised on the Rule of Law. It was Governor Wike who first signed an Executive Order that led to Border Closure and other actions.

“This was done on March 19, 2020. After initial criticisms, other States followed suit.

Read Also: FEC Approves Revised 2020 Budget

“Therefore, the fight against coronavirus in Rivers State is in the interest of Rivers people and the entire Country.

“This is because Rivers State is vital to the survival of the nation as the headquarters of the hydrocarbon industry”.

He said the people of Eleme were happy about the demolition and wondered why Wike’s critics were not bothered about the alleged criminal activities that led to the demolition of the hotel.

Eleme people are happy with the demolition. In several publications they made after the demolition, they have declared that Prodest Hotel is a criminal hideout and a den for cultists.

He said: “One question many social media lawyers and their followers have refused to answer is, why is that out of several hotels operating in Rivers State only Prodest and Etemeteh hotels were demolished.

“Even the Chairman of Nigeria Hotels Owners Association Rivers State Chapter, Mr Eugene Nwaizu, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt expressed surprise that the hotels that were not even registered with the body disobeyed the Executive Order.

“According to him, the Hotels and Guest Houses were well informed about the Executive Order. The Governor is not out to witch-hunt anybody but to ensure that coronavirus does not spread in the State.

“However, seasoned legal luminaries like Chief OCJ Okocha (SAN) have said that Governor Wike acted within the law under the present circumstances.

“We are saying, rather than mislead members of the public; those aggrieved should approach the courts for interpretation”.

Saying that Rivers was not a lawless state, Nsirim noted that the governor would not be distracted by ill-mannered politicians struggling for media space.

“The Rivers State Government will remain focused. It will not be distracted by these unfortunate schemes by ill-mannered politicians, struggling for political space at the expense of their people.

“For Rivers State, the demolition of the two hotels was carried out in line with the prescribed Executive Order known to all hoteliers in the State. It was also done to protect officials of the Rivers State Government who are implementing the Executive Order.

“No Government will allow its officials to be killed by thugs whilst they carry out lawful directive”.

FEC Approves Revised 2020 Budget

By
Alex Enemanna
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0

The Federal Executive Council, FEC has approved the revised Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the 2020 budget.

The revised estimates are based on $25 per barrel of crude oil at a production rate of 1.94 million barrels per day.

Earlier, Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed had hinted that the government would make the revision based on declining international oil prices and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Ahmed, who is also the Minister of Budget and National Planning, had told Reuters the government would drop the oil benchmark from the initial $57 per barrel to $30.

Read Also: NAFDAC Reacts To Claims Of Herbal COVID-19 Remedies

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