Abia State Government has commenced the fumigation of key public places in the state as part of efforts to prevent and control the spread of coronavirus in the state.

Governor Ikpeazu who was represented during the flag off of the exercise in Umuahia by the state Commissioner for Environment, Dr Solomon Ogunji, in his remarks, said: “We thank God that Abia State is yet to have a confirmed case of COVID-19 but we must collectively do everything possible to prevent the disease from getting to our state and if for any reason it gets here we must be prepared to stop it from spreading.

“We have provided isolation centres, delivered palliatives to our people, and now, it is time to get public places in the state fumigated to further protect our people.

“No effort will be spared by this administration in protecting the people of this state from COVID-19 and other challenges because our understanding of good governance is simply that of the government of the people, for the people and by the people.

“By the grace of God, we shall continue to live up to that understanding”.

He called on private sector organizations to ensure they take a cue from the exercise and use the window provided by the lockdown to also fumigate their premises.

Former Education Minister under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Obiageli Ezekwesili has urged one of the sons of Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai whose name is Bello to get into an anger management programme.

Her advice was contained in tweets on Sunday (yesterday) after an online spat between Bello el-Rufai and a Twitter troll.

Trouble started when the governor’s son appeared to call US President Donald Trump “incompetent” and blamed him for the escalating coronavirus crisis in the United States.

Bello had tweeted that there is nothing as radioactive as an incompetent leader during a time of crisis.

The United States of America is a case in point. A few states in Nigeria too.

The tweet had drawn a lot of reactions, with many Twitter users urging him to look inwards towards his father and the Muhammadu Buhari presidency in Nigeria.

Buhari and el-Rufai belong to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

One of those who responded to the tweet @thanos_zer accused Bello of sending him a hate-filled tweet before blocking him.

However, taking to her Twitter handle, Ezekwesili said the tweet was unbecoming of el-Rufai’s son. She advised him to apologise and enrol for an anger management programme quickly.

Ezekwesili also in her tweet says she has always maintained that people can disagree without being disagreeable and can object without being objectionable. She maintained that healthy debates and divergences that arise are important for democratic development of societies.

@B_ELRUFAI Did I just see horrific tweets from your handle threatening gang-rape? What was that?

Why the ethnic vitriol toward Igbos? What’s that, Bello?

Too tragic.

You need to not just immediately apologize for those vile tweets but get into an Anger Management program quickly.

I have maintained that we can disagree without being disagreeable. We can object without being objectionable.

Healthy debates and divergences that arise are important for democratic development of societies.

@B_ELRUFAI Did I just see horrific tweets from your handle threatening gang-rape? What was that?
Why the ethnic vitriol toward Igbos? What’s that, Bello?
Too tragic.
You need to not just immediately apologize for those vile tweets but get into an Anger Management program quickly.

— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) April 12, 2020

What does it mean to be poor? The story of 70-old widow Mariam Isibu, who lives in Aujara, in the Jahun Local Government Area of Jigawa State will melt your heart.

Madam Isibu could not hold back her emotions – she busted into tears, as her name was called out as a recipient of the N20,000 cash from the Federal Government officials who were in the state to give stipends to the poor and vulnerable under conditional cash transfer of the social security programme.

Mari Isibu who had to be taken to a nearby shelter and consoled by the officials who helped her to hold her money as her emotional outburst prevented her from even holding the money, given to her by the government.

Speaking moments after, she said: “I never in my life own such an amount, in fact, I’ve never seen talk less of owning such an amount until today.”

The old woman is among several others who converged in Aujara village to collect the N20,000 each as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari as part of palliative measures by the Federal Government to cushion the suffering owing to the stay at home order to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The grandmother commended President Buhari, initiating conditional cash transfer programme.

She said she had raised all her children alone since the death of her husband decades ago. Sadly, she lost her child seven years ago and has been left to be taken care of by her grandchildren who are also indigent.

She said; “tried as I could, I never at any time held N20,000 before.

I don’t have child, it is my grandchildren that are taking care of me, they too are poor, so I don’t have anybody that can give me such money at once, this gesture is unprecedented in my life.”

Also speaking, Hajia Kubura Umar, a 45 year-old housewife in Ciromawa village of Kafin Hausa Local Government said, the money will change her economic status and that of her family.

She said, she will use N10,000 as capital for her bean cake (Kosai) business, and will buy foodstuffs with the remaining N10,000 to complement the feeding of their children in this period of stay-at-home.