Hon. Mascot Uzor Kalu Morns Shola, Senior Aide To Senate Chief Whip, Orji Kalu

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June 16, 2020

Hon. Mascot Uzor Kalu Morns Shola, Senior Aide To Senate Chief Whip, Orji Kalu

A Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, Hon. Mascot Uzor Kalu has expressed sadness over the demise of Mr Shola Arogun, a senior aid to the Senate Chief Whip and Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu.

In a heartbreaking condolence message made available to newsmen in Abuja, the former Abia Chief of Staff, Hon. Mascot described Shola as someone special, kind-hearted and he thanked God for making their path cross.

“Shola Today is full of memories of a brother laid to rest and every single one of my memories is one filled with the happiness of having to know sure a fine young, kind, respectful, and peaceful man.

You were someone special, always such a joy to have known you. There was so much pain when I heard of your death and letting go it’s such a difficult thing but who am I to question God?

That’s why today, I send a special message to heaven above for the angels to take care of you and give you all our love.
Until we meet again, But not yet not yet!!”

Many Abia Health Workers Could Be Infected For Attending To Patients Without PPE – Commissioner

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Alex Enemanna

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June 16, 2020

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John Okiyi Kalu, the Abia commissioner for information, says many health workers in the state might have been infected with COVID-19 as a result of unknowingly attending to patients without full protection.

Kalu disclosed this on Monday while responding to questions on the COVID-19 situation in the state.

The state recorded 15 new cases of the disease on Sunday and is now the 16th state with the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

A total of 166 COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the state.

“The rate of infection of medical workers in Aba is very high, which means that a lot of COVID-19 patients are presenting themselves to hospitals and our medics are attending to them without full protection,” he said.

According to the commissioner, the increasing number of cases has “compounded Abia’s case with very few spaces left for confirmed cases”.

Kalu decried residents’ nonchalant attitude to the pandemic, saying they “vehemently” refuse to obey government’s directives on COVID-19 including wearing of face masks and observing of physical distancing, NAN reported.

He said such an attitude has thrown the city into “a grave danger”.

The commissioner cited reports from Aba central mosque on hospital road, which he described as “very dangerous and worrisome for everyone in the COVID-19 era”.

He added that the state inter-ministerial committee on COVID-19 has directed the Aba south local government transition committee chairman to enforce regulations at the mosque on Friday and during other prayer sessions.

“At the moment, Abia is having more samples than any other state in the south-east which is good, because unless we identify where this problem is coming from, we may not be able to deal with it,” he said.

“We’ve done our mapping by local government and one thing is clear, the majority of the new cases are coming from the Aba area and it’s alarming.

“It looks like all the sensitisation, all the efforts made by the media, have not worked because Aba people continue to violate the regulations with regard to face masks’ wearing and social distancing.

“The churches are part of the problem. It looks like Aba is a red location for COVID-19 infection and all hands should be on deck now to stop the spread there.”

We’re Yet To Be Notified Of Obaseki’s Resignation – APC

By

Alex Enemanna

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June 16, 2020

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The All Progressives Congress has said it was yet to be notified of the reported resignation of the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.

National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said this in response to inquiries about Obaseki’s resignation.

He said, “The party has no record of the reported defection of Governor Godwin Obaseki from the Progressive party.

“We cannot comment at this moment on media reports suggesting the Edo governor or anyone else has left our great party.”

The APC Screening Committee for the Edo State Governorship Primary on Friday declared Obaseki and two others ineligible to contest the party’s June 22 primary citing discrepancies in his University and National Youth Service Scheme Certificates as the reason for the action.

Obaseki, Other Top Officials To Join Us Soon – PDP

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Alex Enemanna

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June 16, 2020

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Edo State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Mr Tony Aziegbemi, has confirmed that Governor Godwin Obaseki and other top officials of the All Progressives Congress, APC would soon join his party.

Aziegbemi, however, said the governor would not be given an automatic ticket to fly the party’s flag as other aspirants had shown interest in the same position.

The PDP has fixed its governorship primary for June 19 and 20.

Obaseki was disqualified from contesting the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress slated for June 22.

In a telephone interview on Monday, Aziegbemi said Governor Obaseki would have to go through the laid down rules of the party when he eventually defects.

He said, “There is nothing like an automatic ticket for anybody; it is like that in any democratic environment, and there is a process as laid down by the constitution of the party and that we will follow.

“But I can confirm to you that the governor, his deputy, and the entire APC structure in the state will be joining the PDP soon. We have been in touch in the last few days; by tomorrow (today), I will be able to confirm the exact date he will be joining with his team.”

However, one of the PDP aspirants in the forthcoming primary, Mr Ken Imasuagbon, said he would resist any attempt to hand over the party’s ticket to Obaseki ahead of the state governorship elections.

“We’re Robbing Our Children To Pay For Our Greed” — Atiku Tackles FG On Rising Debt

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Alex Enemanna

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June 16, 2020

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Atiku Abubakar, the former vice-president, has again tackled the federal government on Nigeria’s rising debt profile, accusing it of “squandering the opportunities of future generations”.

In an article on Tuesday, the former presidential candidate said the federal government should “drastically” reduce its expenditure to cushion the effect of the country’s high debt.

Atiku quoted figures from the medium-term expenditure framework and fiscal strategy from the federal ministry of finance, budget, and national planning, which shows that Nigeria’s debt to revenue ratio was 99% in the first quarter of 2020.

The report, he said, noted that while the federal government spent ₦943.12 billion in debt servicing in the first quarter, it retained revenue of only ₦950.56 billion during that period.

“No one should be deceived. This is a crisis! Debt servicing does not equate to debt repayment. The reality is that Nigeria is paying only the minimum payment to cover our interest charges. The principal remains untouched and is possibly growing,” Atiku wrote.

“We are at a precipice. If our revenue figures do not go up, and go up quickly, Nigeria risks a situation where our revenue cannot even sustain our debt servicing obligations. Meaning that we may become insolvent, and our creditors may foreclose on us, as has occurred in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.”

Atiku, who has repeatedly criticised the federal government over frequent borrowings, said as part of an administration “that paid off Nigeria’s entire foreign debt,” he is concerned by the “alarming and avoidable unprecedented increase in our debt to GDP ratio and debt to revenue ratio”.

“Not only have we squandered our opportunities, but we have also squandered the opportunities of our future generations by bequeathing them a debt that they neither incurred nor enjoyed,” he said.

“As a matter of utmost urgency and importance, I call on the Federal Government to take immediate steps to drastically reduce its expenditure, especially on wasteful projects, such as maintenance of the Presidential Air Fleet, and unnecessary renovations of buildings that could serve as is, limousine fleet for top government officials, overseas travels and treatments, and the ₦4.6billion Presidential villa maintenance budget, etc.

“We cannot be on the verge of economic ruin, while still maintaining a Presidential Air Fleet that has more planes than the Presidential fleets of those from whom we take these loans. Nigeria must sell those planes and channel the revenue to other vital areas of need while taking additional steps to reduce the cost of running our government.”

He said the federal government cannot justify the debt profile by pointing at Nigeria’s debt to GDP ratio as that is “only half the picture”.

“Our debt to revenue ratio paints a much more realistic portrait of our financial situation, especially as our revenues are majorly tied to a mono-product, oil and gas, which are very vulnerable to global shocks,” he said.

“Again, I warn that Nigeria is facing a crisis, and we cannot continue to keep up appearances by taking out more loans to prop up our economy. That will amount not just to robbing Peter to pay Paul, but to robbing our children to pay for our greed!”