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Covid-19 surge takes toll on Portugal’s undertakers

Oluwasola Akintonde
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Standing next to the sealed coffin of yet another COVID-19 victim in Portugal, Carlos Carneiro, funeral parlour worker wept as the bereaved family played a record of a traditional fado song as a final goodbye.

Carneiro, 37, has been in the undertaking business for two decades helping people cope with loss, but never felt as affected by sorrow and fear as now.

Portugal fared better than others in Europe in the first wave of the pandemic in March-April, but the new year brought a devastating surge in infections and deaths, overwhelming the health service and funeral homes.

More than 14,700 people have died of COVID-19 in Portugal, with cumulative infections since the start of the pandemic at nearly 775,000.

“I have never felt this emotional, with so many consecutive funerals,” Carneiro told Reuters in a quavering voice outside the crematorium where the body of 77-year-old Matilde Firmino was turned into ashes.

“It’s hard on us. We feel it when we get home.”

Due to coronavirus rules in place to reduce the risk of contagion, funeral homes like Carneiro’s Funalcoitao near Lisbon had to quickly adapt.

Workers must wear protective gear from head to toe, bodies are placed inside white plastic bags and then in a coffin, without embalming or makeup.

Families are rarely able to see the deceased before they are buried or cremated, and Firmino’s daughter was at one point worried if it was really her mother inside the coffin.

A priest blessed the coffin in a short service held outside as family and friends sheltered from the pouring rain. “I ask God to free us from this pandemic we are living,” he said.

Carneiro said he always seeks to honour the lives of the dead, but not being able to give families the full closure they seek is taking a toll on his well-being.

“These people are not numbers…People sit on their sofas and worry about (coronavirus) numbers, but we see people and their families. We have to deal with the drama,” Carneiro said.

His brother Alvaro, 44, said January, when Portugal reported almost half of all its COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic, was the hardest month in his 24 years in the funeral business.

“We are scared of being infected, of infecting our family members at home,” he said “There’s fear.”

Funeral business associations have urged Portuguese authorities to vaccinate the sector’s around 5,000 workers as soon as possible.

“We are on the frontline so we should be considered a priority for vaccination but according to the news we are seeing there are not enough shots for everyone,” Alvaro Carneiro said. “We will have to endure this a little longer.”

A July 2020 article by two public health researchers said high death rates, restrictions, a fear of being infected and worries about their families’ wellbeing could affect funeral workers’ mental health, especially in the longer run after the daily pressure subsides.

 

Olusola Akintonde/Reuters

Haitian envoy to US calls for international support to resolve crisis

Oluwasola Akintonde
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Haiti’s ambassador to the United States on Thursday called for the international community to support talks between President Jovenel Moise’s government and the opposition as a constitutional crisis escalates, but rejected calls for Moise to leave office.

Political turmoil has engulfed the volatile Caribbean nation amid a dispute between Moise’s administration and the opposition over when the president’s term is supposed to end.

Ambassador Bocchit Edmond said he did not think there should be a situation where Moise leaves office before February 2022, when he said his term expires.

“I believe the international community, our international partners, should work with us and with the opposition parties to make sure that we come to some kind of dialogue or political agreement, so we can have a better way to move forward,” Edmond said.

“We do have a legitimate president. The international community has to support him, accompany him, so we can carry out the electoral process,” he added.

Haiti’s opposition claims Moise should step down as his five-year term in office expired on Feb. 7 following 2015 elections, which were disputed and the result canceled by the electoral council.

Moise rejects those claims, arguing he took power in February 2017 after winning fresh elections in 2016 and has pledged to step down next year.

Washington last week appeared to back Moise’s timeline, with a State Department spokesperson saying a new leader should replace Moise in February 2022.

Tensions flared over the weekend after Moise alleged there was an attempt to overthrow the government and 23 people were arrested, including a Supreme Court judge and a senior police official.

The United States said it was “deeply concerned” about Haiti’s fragile institutions, although it stopped short of chastising Moise after his government retired three Supreme Court judges who posed a threat to his leadership.

 

Olusola Akintonde/Reuters

Britain’s hotel quarantine booking system crashes after launch

Oluwasola Akintonde
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Britain’s new system for booking a room in its mandatory hotel quarantine scheme was on Thursday taken offline shortly after it launched.

The government said on Tuesday it will require passengers arriving from countries where worrying coronavirus variants are spreading to pay for 10 days of quarantine in hotels, while rule-breakers will face heavy fines or jail terms, under tighter restrictions from next week.

The new travel rules add to restrictions that already ban Britons from travelling abroad for holidays. The government said the stronger measures were needed to prevent new variants of the virus from thwarting Britain’s rapid vaccination programme.

However, the booking portal for the quarantine scheme was removed just hours after it launched, which a government website said was due to “a minor technical issue”.

Britain’s health department did not have an immediate comment.

Nick Thomas-Symonds, the opposition Labour Party’s home affairs spokesman called on the government to urgently fix the portal.

“It is extremely worrying that even the limited hotel quarantine booking system is showing signs of failing from the outset,” he said.

 

Olusola Akintonde/Reuters

Scottish support for independence drops, poll shows

Oluwasola Akintonde
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Scottish support for independence has fallen four percentage points, probably due to divisions among Scottish nationalists, but 47% of Scots still support breaking up the United Kingdom by going it alone, a poll indicated on Thursday.

A report showed 47% would vote for independence and 42% would vote against, up 4 percentage points, with 10% still undecided.

Scottish nationalists are pushing for an independence referendum to be held after this May’s Scottish parliament election, but British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said such votes should happen only once in a generation.

Alongside polling on independence support, the survey found that Scottish Conservatives had gained popularity while there was greater support for both Johnson and the British government.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish First Minister has been accused by her predecessor and mentor, Alex Salmond, of misleading parliament over the government’s unlawful investigation of sexual harassment claims against him.

She has denied misleading parliament. Salmond was cleared by a jury at Edinburgh’s High Court of all sexual assault charges.

“That kind of division could perhaps make people think twice about independence and whether or not the SNP can be trusted ultimately to have a united front when it is needed the most to get independence over the line,” said Chris Hopkins, political research director at Savanta ComRes.

In a referendum in 2014, Scots voted 55%-45% to remain in the United Kingdom, but both Brexit and the British government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis have bolstered support for independence among Scots.

If Scots voted to leave, it would be the biggest shock to the United Kingdom since Irish independence a century ago – just as it grapples with the impact of Brexit, a move that Scotland’s voters strongly opposed.

 

Olusola Akintonde/Reuters

Nigeria calls for global action to achieve Net Zero emissions

Emmanuel Ukoh
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Nigeria has called for more effective engagements in the international community to develop a better understanding on the challenges involved in the attainment of Net Zero emissions as envisaged under The Paris Agreement regarding Climate Change expectations and commitments.

Vice Presidential spokesman, Laolu Akande, said in a release that vice President Yemi Osinbajo raised the issue on Thursday while receiving at the Presidential Villa, British Member of Parliament and COP26 President-Designate, Mr. Alok Sharma, who is currently on a visit to Nigeria.

While restating Nigeria’s support and commitment to the Agreement, Prof. Osinbajo explained that “our concern is what happens to oil and gas emissions like ours (Nigeria) in the transition period” leading to the Net Zero emissions target.

He said that Nigeria was already moving towards the conversion of vehicles to cleaner gas – Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, and also converting to Liquified Petroleum Gas, LPG, for cooking.

Economic Sustainability Plan

The Vice President added that under the ongoing Economic Sustainability Plan, the Federal Government is also going to be installing 5 million solar systems across the country in further demonstration of the country’s commitment to renewable energy and opening up of even deeper opportunities in that space.

But he cited international pressures being mounted against financing of gas projects in African countries with economies that are still largely powered by oil and gas.

Prof. Osinbajo said, “We need to work out how to mitigate the challenges of the transition. These are existential issues for us. We still can’t use Solar to power industries due to the base load (limits) so we still need to be using gas. So, there are issues as we go towards fulfilling our obligations to the Paris Agreement. 

“We like to see a great deal more engagements in the transition period as we pay attention to the targets. Some of the most important issues for many African countries is that we still have to make sure our economies are functioning well, especially with the effects of the pandemic.” 

Meeting commitments

In his remarks, Sharma, who is also the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, conceded that developed countries need to step up and meet up financing commitments to provide $100B annually as part of the Agreement and offered to take the message back.

“We have to set up a pathway strategy for the transition,” Shema said.

He asked that Nigeria be flexible in the forthcoming negotiations ahead of the COP26 billed for November, adding that, “we are looking for your support and flexibility for dialogue and negotiations.” 

Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama; Environment Minister, Muhammad Mahmood; Minister of State for Environmemt, Sharon Ikeazor were also at the meeting.

On the British side with the MP were the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Nigeria, Ms. Catriona Laing CB, among others.

At the signing of the Paris Agreement in December 2015, world leaders agreed to tackle climate change with a commitment to “make finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.” 

The UK was named the President of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) which is set to hold later this year in November.

 

 

 

Emmanuel Ukoh

Governor Makinde to convert LAUTECH to conventional university

Emmanuel Ukoh
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Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State says the state would commence moves to convert the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, into a conventional university.

The Governor, who spoke while receiving the report of the Oyo State Negotiating Committee on LAUTECH, noted that the government would equally situate the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences of the institution, which would open this year, in Iseyin, the Oke-Ogun area of the state.

According to him, following the signing of the LAUTECH, Ogbomoso 2020 Bill into law, the state would apply to necessary authorities to change the university from a technology university to a conventional university, so that it could be strengthened and enabled to handle other courses outside the technology bracket.

Governor Makinde made the disclosure at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, while receiving the report of the Oyo State Negotiating Committee on the Resolution of the Lingering Crisis at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho.

Front entrance LAUTECH

The decision to open the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences campus of LAUTECH in Iseyin is coming seven days after Governor Makinde declared in Iseyin that he would fulfill his electioneering promise of siting a higher institution of learning in the historical city within six weeks.

The Governor said the Committee, inaugurated on November 19, 2019, and led by Prof. Ayodeji Omole, was assigned the responsibility of dissolving the joint ownership of LAUTECH between Oyo and Osun states, stating that members of the committee have fulfilled their mandate.

He appreciated the Committee for getting the job done, while also lauding its counterpart in Osun State led by Prof. Olu Aina, as well as the Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, who, he said put aside all differences, especially partisan politics, all through the negotiations.

Amicable resolutions

While appreciating the effort of the committee on behalf of himself, the Oyo State Executive Council, the staff and students of LAUTECH, the people of Ogbomoso in particular and the good people of Oyo State as a whole, the Governor re-affirmed that parting ways with Osun State on LAUTECH was not borne out of animosity but out of a desire to see LAUTECH realise its vision of being a world class university.

He noted: “We were not insisting on parting ways because we do not love our brothers and sisters from Osun State. As I have said on several occasions, this severance of relationship is not going to negatively impact the students and staff from Osun State but it had to be done for the sake of easier administration and to move LAUTECH, as an institution, towards our goal of a world-class university.”

He assured the negotiation Committee on LAUTECH that the state would thoroughly explore the recommendations of the committee, saying: “I want to commend the versatility of the NUC on the negotiations. I am pleased to say that I have signed the LAUTECH, Ogbomoso Bill 2020 into law. So, it is now time to move forward with our plans. We will apply to the NUC to convert from a University of Technology to a conventional university.

“A lot has gone into the report and we want to give you the assurance that, even though the assignment is finished, we will continue to call on you either individually or collectively to keep on advising us on the path forward for LAUTECH,” Makinde concluded.

Oyo takes ownership

Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Omole, affirmed that LAUTECH was now fully owned by the people of Oyo State and appreciated the Governor for the privilege accorded the Committee to serve the state, adding that the committee conducted the negotiation without losing focus and candour.

“The Oyo State’s team was simply fantastic and terrific. To the glory of God and to the joy of the people of this state, with your confidence and support for the committee, coupled with your exemplary and nothing-is-impossible approach to leadership, the committee thrived resolutely, confidently and successfully to achieve this mandate,” Omole added.

 

 

 

 

 

Emmanuel Ukoh

Federal Govt. to support female entrepreneurs

Amaka Nliam
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The Nigerian Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Adeniyi Adebayo, has called on members of the Association of Nigerian Women Business Network to take advantage of the various business intervention programmes of the  Federal Government to grow their businesses.

 

The Minister, while addressing a delegation of the association in Abuja, listed the SMEs Survival Fund and N50 billion Export Expansion Facility as some of the intervention programmes,  among others.

 

“The ministry also has various gender-based programmes such as Gender Initiative for Commodity and Export under the Commodity and Export Department of the ministry and Gender Initiative in the Department of Trade, which can assist them to grow their businesses,”  he said.

 

He advised them to come up with their demands as to where the ministry can assist them to enable them take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) for the good of the association.

 

Co-ordinator of the association, Mrs Modupe Oyekunle, earlier presented the Minister with a list of challenges affecting the businesses of their members, pointing out that the government must make conscious efforts at addressing the challenges of insecurity in the country.

 

She complained of epileptic power supply and access to credit facilities, noting that though the government was addressing the issue of infrastructure in the country, it should scale up its activities in this regard for the good of all Nigerians.

 

“Many countries are already preparing to take advantage of the AfCTA  and were offering their citizens cheap credit facilities,

 

“Nigerian businessmen and women may not be able to compete with their foreign counterparts because of high interest rates in the country,”  Oyekunle said.

 

 

Nigeria inaugurates Solar power plant at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University

Dominica Ijeoma Nwabufo
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The Nigerian government has inaugurated a 1.12 Megawatts Captive Solar Hybrid Power Plant at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, ATBU, Bauchi.

A release from the office of the Vice President says he delivered speech virtually at the event, stating that the project showed that Nigeria’s transition plan to renewables was on course.

Professor Yemi Osinbajo said this was in line with the globally endorsed Climate Change agenda and the Buhari administration’s effort to connect more communities to off-grid power and reliable energy sources.

The project, executed under the Energizing Education Programme (EEP), an initiative of the Nigerian Government, is aimed at providing 37 Federal Universities and seven Teaching Hospitals with captive energy solutions that would ensure sustainable and reliable power for students and faculty.

“Renewables are the fastest growing segment of energy today and will certainly be a key economic driver well into the future. ..Indeed, Nigeria intends to have 30% of its electricity supply from renewables by the year 2030.

“Our future workforce, therefore, needs to be ready for this energy transition. The training centers constitute a critical additional benefit of this project,” the Vice President said.

He stated that the programme reaffirmed the Nigerian government’s commitment to global best practice as it transitions to cleaner sources of energy in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

“These projects being implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency are strategic to fulfilling our commitments to the agreement as they strive to reduce Nigeria’s carbon footprint. 

“The leveraging of renewable energy technology is in line with the Federal Government’s mandate and related activities.

“Nigeria’s plan to reduce carbon emission by 20% unconditionally and 45% with international support by 2030, aims to limit the damaging effect of climate change.” Professor Osinbajo said.

On the benefits of the EEP,  he said; “already, 22,000 students and faculties across the country are connected to completed projects in Kano, Ebonyi, Benue and of course, now in Bauchi. But apart from providing a reliable source of captive power for these institutions, each institution will have a renewable energy workshop and a training center to provide training for students on renewable energy. 

“The project also entails the installation of street lights and the electro fitting of existing ones for better illumination and provision of security on the campus and its environs.

“And there is provision for on-the-job training for 20 female students undergoing STEM courses in the beneficiary institutions. The training focuses on the design and installation of various components of the project.” 

While commending the implementing agency, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) for its hard work and resourcefulness in the implementation of the programme, Professor Osinbajo urged the agency to redouble its effort in “rolling out the Energizing Education Programme with speed and quality across the country”.

In the same vein the Vice President acknowledged and commended what he described as “a strong display of partnership between the Federal Ministries of Power, Education and Environment, the National Universities Commission and the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission”, in making the project a reality.

It would be recalled that the Nigerian Government, under the EEP has inaugurated 3 solar off-grid hybrid power plants in 3 universities located in Kano, Ebonyi and Benue States.

In August 2019, through the Rural Electrification Agency, the Federal Government completed and inaugurated the first plant under the EEP, a 2.8MW first solar hybrid power plant at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (FUNAI) in Ebonyi State. The project also included lighting of 7.5 KM of solar powered street lights in the university.

In September of the same year, the Buhari administration commissioned the largest off-grid solar hybrid power plant in Africa at Bayero University, Kano (BUK). The project which is providing students and faculty with constant electricity supply also includes provision of 11.41 kilometres of solar-powered street lights as well as a world-class renewable energy training centre.

In December 2020, the Nigerian Government commissioned a 8.25M Solar Hybrid Power plant at Federal University of Agriculture (FUAM), Makurdi, Benue State. As a result, FUAM students and faculty now have access to electricity supply from the solar power plant. The project also includes installation of 13.23km solar powered streetlights for illumination and safety on the University campus.

All universities, under the programme are also provided with world-class renewable energy workshops and training centres.

In another development the Vice President presided over the inaugural meeting of the Cabinet Committee for the Review of the Draft National Transport Policy.

The terms of reference of the Committee include the determination of “which ministry or agency has statutory authority to administer tolls on Nigeria roads,” and to determine the “appropriate roles of the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and the Ministry of Works and Housing vis a vis the Ministry of Transportation in respect of the Road Fund proposed by the policy.” 

Committee members at the meeting held at the Presidential Villa include the Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola and Budget and National Planning Minister of State Clem Agba who represented the Finance Minister.

 

Dominica Nwabufo

House committee investigates arms procurement

Confidence Okwuchi
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By Lawan Hamidu, Abuja

The Nigerian House of Representatives has pledged to investigate the quality of arms and ammunition the country’s armed forces and other security agencies have been using in the last decade.

This is to ensure adequate and proper provision of equipment in the fight against insurgency and other insecurity in the country.

The chairman House Adhoc Committee on the review of purchase, use and control of arms ammunition and hardware by military and other security agencies, Mr. Akinremi Olaide stated this at the inauguration of the Committee in Abuja.

Mr. Olaide who expressed concern that Nigerian Security Budget was the least globally said the committee and the House would continue to use its legislative power to improve on it, for the country to be more secure and safe.

The lawmaker said “It has become necessary to review the purchase, use and control of arms, ammunition and related hardware by military, paramilitary and other law enforcement agencies in Nigeria.”

Support from Military
He called for support from military and paramilitary agencies to be able to deliver, that it was through evidence gathering that the committee would be able to deliver on its mandate.

Mr. Olaide called for cooperation among security agencies, that the National Assembly was empowered to procure evidence, written or oral that would enable it do its job of curtailing the menace of arm proliferation

Also speaking, a member from Sokoto State, Ibrahim Aliyu who sponsored a motion on the need to review the purchase of arms and ammunition in the country, said the move is to tackle inadequacy in the provision of arms and ammunition to security agencies.

Aliyu explained that reviewing the ammunition purchase would also provide the opportunity to reduce the proliferation of arms and ammunition in the country.

“Security situation bedeviling the country ranging from kidnapping, banditry, insurgency among others had become a source of worry.

It iss disturbing that those arrested for the heinous crime carried arms and ammunition unchecked; adding that how they were able to get those arms should be probed.” The lawmaker added.

Those present at the inauguration include, representatives of all the service chiefs, Inspector General of Police, Comptroller Generals of Customs, Immigration, Correctional Service, Director General Department of State Service,  Ministers of Finance and Defence among others.

Confidence Okwuchi

MSSNLagos mourns Jakande, says his legacies are rare

Lateefat Ibrahim
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The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit is mourning elder statesman and first civilian governor of the state, Alhaji Lateef Jakande who died on Thursday.

The Amir (president) of MSSN in Lagos State, Miftahudeen Thanni, described Jakande as an achiever who remains the best administrator the state had.

According to him, no governor in Lagos has been able to match the achievements of the late Jakande in the educational sector whose records remained unparalleled.

He said, “Lagos State and Nigeria, in general, have lost a rare gem. An outstanding personality has been lost. He remains the most educationally-friendly governor.

 “While Jakande promoted free and quality education, other governors increased school fees despite the low minimum wage and economic hardship in the state.

 “The deceased has made landmark achievements that will never be forgotten in the history of the state. Today, his housing policies still remain reference points for successive governments.

 “He was such an outstanding administrator that his time as a Governor remains a yardstick for good governance in the state.

 “Our advice is that Jakande’s death should be a lesson to all politicians and leaders in the country. 

 “They should be reminded that they will one day be asked to give an account of their deeds. If they escape and deceive fellow humans, they cannot escape the judgement of God.

 “We pray that Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him paradise. May his soul rest in perfect peace.”

Jakande died in the early hours of Thursday at the age of 91.

Jakande, a former journalist emerged Lagos State Governor from 1979 to 1983, and later served as Minister of Works under the military government of General Sani Abacha.

His administration as Lagos State Governor left a legacy of massive infrastructure development during his four-year stint, especially through numerous Jakande Estates built across the state and his sterling investment in education.

Lateefah Ibrahim

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