Situation Room: INEC conducted a much improved election in Edo

 

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday, Clement Nwankwo, convener of the Situation Room, said the election in Edo state was relatively violence-free to the relief of the stakeholders.

“Situation Room commends INEC for conducting a much improved governorship election in Edo state and urges the Commission to ensure that the progress made with improvements in its conduct of the election are deepened and sustained during the Ondo state governorship election election scheduled for October 10, 2020,” Nwankwo said.

“The administration of the Edo state governorship election appears to have been a marked improvement on recent previous governorship elections. INEC’s processes appeared to operate smoothly.

“The logistics issues of distribution of materials, deployment of staff and challenges in the voters’ register were significantly reduced. In addition, security personnel acted professionally.

“It is a relief to the stakeholders who had feared that the violence laden rhetoric of the election participants could pose a threat to peaceful elections.

“It is noteworthy that the efforts at mediating peace and reducing political tension mounted by INEC, the Police, the National Peace Committee, the Benin monarch, the Oba of Benin and civil society groups paid off. These peace efforts commend themselves to future elections.”

Nwankwo also called on INEC to expand the use of its results viewing portal in order to deepen transparency of the country’s elections.

The convener said while the electoral body deserved commendation for introducing the COVID-19 protocols to address the public health concern caused by the pandemic, there should be more efforts on enforcement in future elections.

He said the incidents of vote buying during the elections was high and called for a “more effective enforcement of election laws that prohibit vote buying and other election offences”.

“In the Edo state election, this practice was widespread with all of the major political parties engaging in this infringement,” he said.

The body also called on the national assembly to urgently proceed with legislative action on the passage of the electoral offences commission bill, as part of efforts to ensure enforcement of election laws.

- THECABLE

COVID-19: UNICEF, UBEC, NCDC develop templates for schools reopening

 

As parts of efforts aimed at ensuring that safety protocols for schools reopening are adhered to strictly, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has collaborated with the Federal Ministry of Education, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDCl and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to develop a school reopening template.

Schools in the country were shut down by governments at all level due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic which ravaged the entire world, leading to the lockdown of socioeconomic activities across the world.

With the flattening of the pandemic curve in the country, schools have begun preparations for reopening even as some state governments have already ordered those in their domains to be opened for academic activities.

Delivering a keynote address at the zonal stakeholders’ dialogue on readiness for schools reopening, held in Bauchi, the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, stated that the closure of schools was part of government’s strategies to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

According to the minister, school environments were considered to be veritable grounds for the spread of the dreaded virus.

Represented by a director in the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Asanbe O.F, the minister said it is imperative to hold the stakeholders’ dialogue on school readiness for the resumption of teaching and learning across the country.

He informed that the stakeholder’s dialogue is being held simultaneously in the six geographical zones across the country, adding that the readiness template requires the full engagement of all critical stakeholders.

“Generally, through the concerted efforts of government at all levels, there is a cautious belief and understanding that the pandemic curve has started flattening,” the Minister of State said.

While saying that the flattening of the curve of the pandemic in the country gives a positive hope, Nwajiuba lamented that students have lost a lot of grounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This news provides the impetus for positive hope that things are getting better. Regrettably, learners have lost a lot of grounds as far as education is concerned.

“It is on this premise that we are all here to deliberate and adopt the template for the safe reopening of schools and learning facilities.

“The template has some key roles and shared responsibilities to be played by the stakeholders at national, state, local government and at the school levels,” he said.

In his goodwill message at the stakeholders dialogue, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Bauchi, Mr Bhanu Pathak, lamented that since the closure of schools across the country, millions of school children and their teachers at all levels were currently staying at home.

According to the UNICEF chief, not only are the pupils missing out on education, which he described as a fundamental human right, but also are being exposed to more risk of education setbacks such as examination failure.

Pathak added that school children have been uprooted from their schools where they have been taught and sensitized on COVID-19 prevention protocols.

He said that with the flattening of the pandemic curve, there is the need to plan for schools resumption to conform with NCDC laid down guidelines.

“As the curve of the pandemic begins to flatten, there is the need to make plans for the reopening of schools and ensure that safety preventive measures are put in place as laid down by the NCDC guidelines for the reopening of schools.

“This resulted in our gathering today to share the school reopening readiness template with stakeholders for further review during which all stakeholders will look at the template and make an objective contribution to ensuring inclusiveness of all concerned,” Pathak said.

- DAILY POST

Sporting Lisbon rename academy after Cristiano Ronaldo

 Cristiano Ronaldo’s boyhood club, Sporting Lisbon has named their football academy after the superstar.

Ronaldo came through Sporting’s youth ranks before joining the senior team where he played for one season.

The forward played his first match for Lisbon in 2002 then joined Manchester United in 2003, Real Madrid in 2009, and Juventus in 2018

All through the 35-year-old career, he has won numerous club trophies and individual awards.

Ronaldo also has helped the Portugal national team win two international trophies, the European Championship and Nations League.

Lisbon believes its decision to immortalize Ronaldo would serve as an inspiration to young players who want to follow in Ronaldo’s footsteps

“The Academy will thus immortalize the name of the greatest symbol it ever produced and that will be an inspiration to follow for all the younger talents,” the 18-time Portuguese champions said in a statement.

“The Academia Cristiano Ronaldo will represent Sporting’s DNA in its excellence and will follow the destinies of the one that now gives it its name: to be the best in the world,” they added.

- PM NEWS

Arsenal sign new goalkeeper ahead of Liverpool clash

 

Arsenal on Monday announced the signing of a new goalkeeper, Alex Runarsson, ahead of their Premier League clash with Liverpool on September 28.

Runarsson joined the Gunners from French club, Dijon.

Arsenal stated this in a statement via the club’s official website.

The statement reads: “Goalkeeper Alex Runarsson has joined us on a four-year contract from French club Dijon.”

Reacting, Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta told the club’s official website: “We want to create healthy competition for places, and we look forward to seeing Alex bring further depth to the goalkeeping position.”

Runarsson, 25, will wear the number 13 shirt for Arsenal.

The Iceland international made 13 appearances in all competitions for Dijon last season.

- DAILY POST

‘10% of COVID-19 cases are below 19 years’ — FG calls for caution as schools reopen

 

The federal government has warned against flouting COVID-19 safety guidelines during school reopening to avoid a spike in infections.

.The federal government had asked school administrators to start preparing for the full reopening of schools after they were shut in March to check the spread of COVID-19

Speaking on Monday at the presidential task force briefing, Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, said there is growing complacency as the number of infections appears to be reducing.

The minister said records show that 10 percent of all positive cases treated in the country are below the age of 19.

“The daily figures of the past few days seem to show a downward trend in numbers of COVID-19 positive cases as well as fatalities, but we unfortunately cannot afford to rejoice or speak of success, for many reasons,” Ehanire said.

“International news media shows scenes of upsurge in COVID-19 cases, called the 2nd wave in several high income countries, many of which had been thought to have defeated COVID-19 and which now see threat to their health systems. This is a situation we must endeavor to avoid, and for that, all steps must be taken.

“It is important for us to generate national and international confidence in our data by conducting more targeted testing before we draw conclusions. It means that all states and local government areas must cooperate with NCDC by raising sample collection rate, using criteria listed, to increase testing to a desired rate and to report promptly; as we are still far from the target of 2 million tests.

“With regard to COVID-19 and growing complacency, it is important to stress that, even though adults, especially those 60 years and above are more vulnerable, complications do occur in all age groups. Records show that 10% of all positive cases we have treated are below the age of 19 years.

“They are also the same mobile group that can be without symptoms, but can easily spread the disease. Therefore, as schools begin to reopen in some areas, I urge caution and adherence to the protocols and advisories for reopening schools, in order join us to prevent COVID-19 surge.

“As we reopen our economy, it is time for us to take preventive measures even more seriously. I have directed all our hospitals to be alert and watch for unusual increase in number of persons reporting at our hospital as emergency Center.”

- THECABLE

Nigerian Army Colonel Bako dies in Boko Haram ambush

 Colonel D.C. Bako, one of the commanders of Operation LAFIYA DOLE of the Nigerian Army in Borno State has died in an ambush staged by Boko Haram.

According to the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 7 Division, Ado Isa, Bako was killed on Sunday 20 September at about 10 a.m

He was killed as he led a patrol to clear Boko Haram terrorists from Sabon Gari-Wajiroko axis near Damboa.

His patrol team was trapped in an ambush set by the terrorists.

Ado Isa described Bako as a gallant and fine war hero.

Until his death Bako was the commander of Sector 2 Operation Lafiya Dole

His death re-ignited social media calls for the removal of service chiefs, who have overstayed in office.

A security consultant and ex-armoured crewman of the Nigerian army, by the Twitter name of Mazi Okay, described Bako as an Iroko.

“Iroko has fallen, a very big blow to Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram insurgency.

“Col Bako until his death this morning was the greatest of all time since the beginning of the war against boko haram.

“A man who crushed and destroyed all Boko Haram cells and networks around Yobe”.

-PM NEWS

How Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram are recruiting Nigerians in North – President Akufo-Addo

The president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, has said Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram are taking advantage of poverty in North-East Nigeria, to recruit new members.

Akufo-Addo stated this on Monday, while on a working visit to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission in Abuja.

According to him, the insurgents were also making inroads in the Lake Chad Basin, Mali and the Greater Sahel.

“This is most worrying, because surrogates of Al-Qaeda in the Sahel and Boko Haram militants operating around the Lake Chad Basin, the two most active terrorist groups in West Africa, are exploiting the unacceptable levels of poverty in these areas, in the recruitment and indoctrination of youth,” Akufo-Addo said.

The Ghanaian president called for a strong regional approach to contain the growing threats of terrorist and extremist activities.

“‘You will recall that, on 12th September, 2019, ECOWAS organised, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, an Extraordinary Summit on Eradication of Terrorism in ECOWAS. Following the summit, a 2020 to 2024 Plan of Action was adopted by the 56th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government in December, 2019, in Abuja. To this end, one billion dollars (US$1 billion) was programmed for the financing of activities in the Action Plan. We have to intensify our efforts to ensure that the Plan of Action is well financed, with a view to ridding our community of terrorism,” he added.

- DAILY POST