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WHO advocates right of women to stop new HIV infections

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By Kamila Bello

The World Health Organisation says the rights of women, girls and gender equality must be the focus to stop new HIV infections.

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti disclosed this in her message to mark the 2020 World AIDS Day, globally celebrated on Dec.1 to raise awareness of the pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection.

According to Moeti, children living with HIV are not being adequately identified for treatment. Girls and women aged 15 – 24 years accounted for 37% of all new HIV infections; stigma and discrimination especially against key populations continue to create barriers to service access.

“Despite these challenges, significant progress is happening in African countries. 2020 is a milestone year towards ending AIDS epidemics and 81% of people living with HIV know their status.

Among them 70% of adults and 53% of children are receiving lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART).

“Eighty five per cent of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV are on ART, which protects their health and prevents HIV transmission to their newborn infants.

“There are 38 million people living with HIV and 67% of them are living in the WHO African Region,”  Moeti said.

Reports have it that in 2019, more than 1 million people in the region were newly infected with HIV, accounting for 60 per cent of the global total and sadly, 440,000 people in the region died from HIV related causes.

She urged communities, especially people living with HIV to be proactive in their self-care and in understanding how to prevent the spread of the infections.

She commended governments, partners and communities who have contributed to the progress on HIV in the Region and came up with innovative ways to keep services going during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They are also contributing to the national COVID-19 response by creating and disseminating health messages, busting myths, and raising awareness.

“In Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Senegal, women living with HIV are serving as community pharmacists, visiting hard to reach semi-urban and rural areas to facilitate the home delivery of HIV treatment and medicines for other diseases.

To sustain and accelerate the gains made, Moeti urged governments and partners to come together, with the same level of urgency and leadership demonstrated in response to COVID-19, to increase domestic funding and strengthen health systems.

 “The pandemic was making it even more challenging for countries to provide these services, particularly in areas affected by conflict, disasters, outbreaks, and rapid population growth,” she said.

“There must be global solidarity and shared responsibility among all stakeholders to ensure integrated, people-centered, quality care, and an uninterrupted supply of essential commodities for HIV services.

“This World AIDS Day let us all demand global solidarity and shared responsibility to maintain HIV services during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond as we strive to achieve the 2030 targets,”  Moeti added.

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Covid-19: Corps members test positive in Abia

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By kamila bello

The Commissioner for Health in Abia State, Dr Joe Osuji says 17 members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC currently at the orientation camp at Umunna, Bende council area, have tested positive for COVID-19.

 Osuji, who stated this in an interview with journalists, explained that the corps members underwent compulsory testing on arrival at the orientation camp.

He said that seven of those who tested positive have been treated and discharged, two on self-isolation while five are at the state isolation centre, Umuahia.

The commissioner complained that people are no longer observing the COVID-19 protocol in wearing face masks, while those who wear masks do wear it halfway.

He warned that the pandemic was not yet over as the virus was still ravaging many countries across the world. 

The Commissioner commend the government for easing the difficulty in transporting samples of the COVID-19 test.

Osuji also noted that within the period of time the state set up a test centre, about 10,864 samples were collected and 947 tested positive.

He said that Abia has the highest sample testing centres in the South East and South-south  zones.

The Commissioner further stated that 925 persons have been treated and discharged, 11 patients on self-isolation under close monitoring while 7 are currently at the treatment centres. 

“In the month of July till date, testing is still ongoing in the entire 17 LGAs,”

“If somebody tests positive, we immediately begin contact tracing from family to where he or she works, that is how we have been able to contain the virus. As I speak we have almost flattened the curve, all these were made possible through the governor’s efforts,” Osuji stated.

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“Adequate gas utilisation will boost our economy”-President Buhari

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By Timothy Choji, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari says the utilisation of Nigeria’s large gas deposits would enhance development in the country.

The President made the remark at the virtual inauguration of the National Gas Expansion Programme in Abuja.

He said the inauguration of the programme marks a milestone in the current administration’s quest to provide an alternative energy source for Nigerians.

He said: “The National Auto-Gas roll Out Initiative is a deliverable of the Natural Gas expansion Programme of government. Today’s event signals the realisation of government’s commitment to ensure the domestic utilization of the nation’s vast gas resources, which currently stands at over 2two trillion cubic feet.

“Through the development of robust gas infrastructure, expansion of gas-based industries, massive adoption of gas as auto and cooking fuel, with the overall objective of employing same as catalyst for the growth and development of the Nigerian economy.

“It is an important milestone in the widening of domestic gas supply ana tge provision of cleaner, safer and better energy option for Nigerians.”

President Buhari appreciated Nigerians and Organised Labour for restraint, understanding and patience as the country tackles myriad of economic challenges, assuring that the Government is working hard to ameliorate the situation.

“Let me now express my deep appreciation to Nigerians for their patience, and Organized Labour for its maturity and patriotism as we collectively navigate these global economic and other challenges,’’ he said.

Gas as Alternative Fuel
The President urged Nigerians to embrace the use of gas as an alternative to fuel.

“It is no longer news that the vast Natural Gas resources, which Nigeria is endowed with has hitherto been used sub-optimally as a result of a dearth of gas processing facilities and infrastructural connectivity for effective and optimal domestic utilization.

“As I mentioned above, with a proven reserve of about 203 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF) and additional upside of 600 TCF ranking Nigeria as the 9th in the world currently, the need for domestic gas expansion and utilization is apparent,’’ he explained.

President Buhari said the deregulation of the downstream sector had exposed many to price volatilities in the global market, urging attention to more affordable alternative for energy, especially with Nigeria’s heavy reserve.

“Therefore, the roll-out of the National Gas Expansion Programme, Auto-gas initiative is coming at the right time, especially in light of global crude oil market fluctuations coupled with the full deregulation of the local PMS market.

“These developments have made it imperative to focus on gas as an alternative fuel to move Nigeria from the conventional dependence on white products for autos and prime-movers of industrial applications, to cleaner, more available, accessible and affordable energy source.

“The outcome will not only cushion the effect of the downstream deregulation that this government has to painfully implement, but also create new markets and enormous job opportunities for our people.

“I therefore encourage everyone to embrace gas in form of LPG, CNG and LNG as an alternative fuel for autos and other prime-movers,’’ he said.

The President then directed the Minister of State-Petroleum, Timipre Sylva to commence the process of handing over gas powered mass transit buses to the labour leaders, to help cushion the effects of harsh economy on the masses.

“The Minister of State Petroleum Resources is hereby directed to commence the process of hand over of mass transit buses to Organized Labour as part of our government’s pledge to continue providing support that will ease the transportation challenges Nigerians are facing at this time,’’ the President said.

 Skills Development
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva said the Ministry was focusing on development of skills, technology and manpower as well as growth in the utilisation of LPG, CNG and LNG. 

He added that the National Gas Expansion programme which was initiated this year to boost the utilisation of gas in the short and medium term “is expected to create two million jobs per annum, promote skills acquisition and enhance technology transfer in addition to growing the nation’s GDP.”

The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mele Kolo Kyari informed the gathering that from 2016 to 2019, Nigerian  Government  had spent  over three trillion Naira subsidizing the pump price of petroleum products particularly PMS, insisting that the subsidy regime did not benefit the masses that the President is passionate about.

He added that the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have made it impossible to continue with the onerous subsidy regime.

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Ex-Councilors call on president Buhari to retain Inspector General of Police Stewardship

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By Murjanatu Abdullahi Kaduna

The National Forum of Ex-Councilors  has called on president Muhammad Buhari to retained the stewardship of inspector General of Police.

Alhaji Auwal Kasim said in a statement and made available to Voice of Nigeria on Monday in Kaduna.

Kasim said “we are calling on the president and commander in chief of Nigerian armed forces to retain the stewardship of IG Mohammed Abubakar Adamu as the inspector general of Nigerian police force” 

 According to him, it would  enable him to accomplish the good works he has introduced in police force.

He said the solidarity Support for IG Mohammed Adamu By national forum of ex-councilors of Nigeria is an umbrella of Nigerian who are professionally inclined in their life pursuits. 

“One golden fact is that we are co mmitted to promotion of values and principles of humility, hard work,transparency and peaceful co-existence in Nigeria,” he said.

“The forum also noted with conscious of the present social, political, economic and security challenges ahead of us as a growing nation, which lead to persistent calls that the president should remove the security service chiefs.

” It is our candid opinion that if those calls stand vindicated in some wings of service chiefs, It is lopsided in the case of Nigerian police force headed by the hardworking IG Mohammad Abubakar Adamu.


According to the forum, Its clear on record that IG Mohammad Adamu has move Nigerian police force to the next level on service delivery. 

They said that his  tenure brought discipline into the operational modules of the force, Training and retaining of its personnels was given the deserve attention.

 “He makes sure that the moral of its pesonnels is given face lift through good welfare packages…… transportation and housing programs for the comfort of its personnels” he said. 

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Workers Strike: Niger State appeals to labour Congress

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By Abdul Mohammed Isa,   Minna

Niger State government  has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC to reconsider it’s stance over embarking of  planned strike action due to fifty percent  deduction of the State’s  Civil Servants Salaries by the government.

The State Chapter of the NLC had planned to embark on a strike action on 2nd Of November, 2020,due to a deadlock on agreement with Officials of the State government on the salaries deduction.

The Niger State Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Alhaji Mohammed  Sani Idris, Who made the appeal  while briefing the media in Minna the state Capital, explained that the planned deferment  of Civil Servants salaries for the  months of  November and December by the state government followed the  dwindling resources due to short fall in Federation Account and Internally Generated Revenue occasioned by CoronaVirus pandemic.

He reminded labour leaders that the problem was not only peculiar to Niger state alone but a general phenomenon that has affected thirty six states of Nigeria and Abuja.

“The Niger state government received four point two billion naira from Federation Account for this month as against the over five billion naira in which salaries and related matters alone gullfed about  two point nine billion naira, while  about five hundred million naira has been earmarked for pension  along with Contributory Pension Scheme of two hundred and ten million naira,” Sani Idris explained.

The Niger state Commissioner of Information and Strategy further said most ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state have forfeited their overhead cost to enable government meet it’s other obligations.

“Niger state government will not lower it’s momentum in discharging it’s responsibilities to the best of it’s ability, as it can’t compromise on issue of security that would guarantee peace and economic prosperity,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed Sani Idris who said that most of Niger state government projects are on bond, also urged labour leaders in the state to come to term with the government to see things in their clearer perspective.

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Police clamps down on communal crisis promoter

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By Eme Offiong, Calabar

The Nigeria police has reiterated its resolve to prevent the outbreak of crisis between communities in Cross River State.

The Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Command, Abdulkadir Jimoh said this  after his men apprehended an arms dealer and promoter of communal war in Etung local government area.

Jimoh remarked that the command had intensified its patrol of villages, particularly around communities flagged as hotspots for crisis within the state.

He said, “since we deployed our officers and men to the communities especially those noted for communal war, we have been getting positive results.

“for instance, due to the vigilance of the Etung Division patrol team while on a routine stop and search, we arrested a 52 years old man alleged to be dealing in arms and ammunitions as well as a promoter of wars across communities,” Jimoh stated.

According to the Police Commissioner, “the patrol team intercepted the man with 299 live cartridges concealed in a black bag. We are currently carrying out investigations and would charge him to court as soon as we conclude”.

It would be recalled that recently, the Cross River State command of the Nigeria Police Force deployed over 288 special constables to work within their communities as part of efforts to boost policing and put an end to communal wars.

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UN seeks access to 96,000 Eritrean refugees in Tigray

Olajumoke Adeleke
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The United Nations refugee agency appealed on Tuesday to Ethiopian authorities for access to 96,000 Eritrean refugees in the northern Tigray region, where it said food is believed to have run out during the month-long conflict.

The spokesman of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Babar Baloch, told a Geneva news briefing

“Our extreme worry is that we hear about attacks, the fighting near the camps, we hear about abductions and forced removals, so this is very important for us to have that access to go and see what has happened over there,” he said.

Olajumoke Adeleke

University of Ibadan Governing Council approves Ekanola as Acting VC

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By Olubunmi Osoteku, Ibadan

The Governing Council of the University of Ibadan has approved the appointment of Professor Adebola Ekanola as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University.

The approval was given at the Council’s meeting, held on Monday, based on the recommendation of the Senate.

A short statement by the Institution’s ’s Director of Public Communication, Mr Olatunji Oladejo, said the Council’s meeting was presided over by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Nde Joshua Waklek Mutka.

Before his appointment, Professor Ekanola served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Director of Office of International Programmes (OIP) and the Dean, Faculty of Arts, among other appointments, in the University. 

Nneka Ukachukwu

Biopic Film: Barack Obama endorses Drake to portray him

Aisha John-Mark
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Barak Obama recently gave Drake his stamp of approval to portray him in a movie about his life, should one ever get made.

While there currently isn’t a biopic on the life of the former US president in the pipeline, Drake hasn’t kept his desires a secret. When asked if he would be happy with Drake portraying him, Obama commented in an interview that:

“I will say this. Drake seems to be able to do anything he wants. I mean, that is a talented, talented brother. So, if the time comes and he’s ready, you know…”

Chatting to Complex’s “360 With Speedy Morman”, Obama revealed that Drake had his family’s ‘stamp of approval’, hinting that his daughters wouldn’t mind.

Speaking to Paper magazine, Drake had explained that he religiously watched Obama’s addressDrake had revealed that he always pays attention to the inflections in Obama’s voice and never changes the channel when the former president does come on.

Drake had continued to say that he is actually pretty decent at impressions, despite no one signaling that they are interested in him for the role just yet: “If you ask anyone who knows me, I’m pretty good at impressions. Slowly but surely, I’m not in the study mode because nobody’s called me about anything, but I just pay attention so when the day comes I’m not scrambling to learn how to speak like him.”

Indonesians enjoy safe entertainment with ‘Cinema under the stars’

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Perched on a hilltop overlooking the Indonesian city of Bandung neat lines of teepee-style tents are set up each evening on a patch of lawn in front of a large screen.

Known as ‘Cinema Under the Stars’, the outdoor camp-style movie space opened two months ago in the capital of Indonesia’s most populous province of West Java with the aim of keeping people both entertained and socially distanced.

“Movies are usually watched indoors… but now we have this outdoor cinema with the view of Bandung,” said 20-year-old local resident Lidia Utari.

“And what’s more interesting is that they use tents here, so I wanted to give it a try,” she added.

Supplied with pillows, blankets and snacks, each tent is also equipped with hand sanitiser and disinfectant in line with health protocols, organisers say.

Moviegoers sit at the entrance to the tents with small tables in front with food and drink, all lit up by candlelight.

 “We started this business during the pandemic, that’s why we were brainstorming about how to attract visitors as people have a thirst for entertainment in times like these,” said Ilham Fahri Suhada, one of the organisers.

With more than 530,000 infections and 16,000 deaths, Indonesia has the highest number of coronavirus cases and fatalities in Southeast Asia.

Some health experts say limited testing and contact tracing, as well as a high positivity rate – the infection rate per person tested – indicate actual rates may be far higher.

Unlike many neighbours, the world’s fourth most populous country with 270 million people has not had national lockdowns but has instead imposed localised social restrictions.

While tents may not provide much additional protection from the virus, film-goers seem content with the setup.

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