₦airaland Forum

Coronavirus Infection: FG not doing enough to prevent the disease — Senate

Anyone coming from China must be quarantined, not self-isolation

Summons Health Minister, Ehanire

The Senate has taken a swipe at the Federal Government, saying that it was not doing enough to prevent Nigerians from being infected with the Coronavirus infection that is currently leading to deaths in some parts of the world.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja during plenary, President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan said that while the Federal may be carrying out some proactive steps, it was not doing enough and this must be improved on if Nigeria must escape from the infection.

Lawan spoke when the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Robert Ajayi Borrofice, All Progressives Congress, APC, Ondo North raised a point of Order on poor handling of the situation and lack of proper screening in the nation’s Airport compared to what obtains in South Africa.

The Senate has however said that anyone coming from China into Nigeria must henceforth be quarantined, not self-isolation to ensure that Carriers of the Virus do not transfer the disease to others, just as it said that the Country’s Ports, Airports and Seaports must be properly manned, with the officials carrying out thorough search on the People.

Lawan said, “We want to see every possible effort done in our airports or seaport.”

Consequently, the Senate has mandated its Senator Chukwuka Utazi, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Enugu North led Senate Committee on Primary Health Care and Communicable Diseases and that of Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe, APC, Kwara Central led Committee on Health( Secondary and Tertiary) to summon the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire to engage with him once again.

The President of the Senate said, “While the federal ministry of health and the associated agencies may be doing their best, with this explanation. This best is not good enough and we should not take anything for granted.

“We must be prepared. We must take all the necessary measures at our Ports, Airports, Seaports. If someone is coming from China, he should be quarantined, not self-isolation.

“I want to urge the committees on primary healthcare and health to engage with the federal ministry of health once again, We want to see every possible effort done in our airports or seaport.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has said Boko Haram’s military capability has been significantly weakened by his administration.

Mr Buhari stated this in a statement signed by his spokesman, Garba Shehu on Sunday.

He was reacting to the recent attack by the terrorists in Garkida a town in Adamawa state on Friday where houses were said to have been razed down with residents fleeing for their safety.

The president also who also sympathized with victims said the attack is a sign of frustration on the part of the terrorists.

This is despite reports of soldiers who went to engage the terrorists in a gun battle withdrawing for reinforcement.

“These attacks on soft targets by the terrorists are obvious signs of frustration because my administration has significantly weakened Boko Haram’s military capability to invade and hold Nigerian territory unchallenged,” the president said.

“Our gallant forces deserve our appreciation for repelling the attackers but they must go beyond this point. They have our full support to go after the terrorists and have them pay a huge price. I want to assure the country that terrorists will continue to face the combined power of our military until they give up their mistaken ways.

“These occasional and episodic attacks on poor civilians by the terrorists are mere propaganda efforts to portray them as strong in order to fool the public into believing that they haven’t been militarily weakened by our gallant troops.

“Security will continue to be well funded despite the competing needs of social services. I appeal to Nigerians to continue to support our troops in their gallant efforts to protect the citizens and secure the country,” he added.

Duoye Diri, the new Bayelsa State governor, has said his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpor, cannot be prosecuted for certificate forgery.

Mr Ewhrudjakpor is accused of forging the exemption certificate of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) bearing his name.

An FCT Court sitting in Abuja has also ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate the claim.

But speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, the governor said the name of his deputy was misspelled wrongly.

Describing the suit as a no case, Diri said Ewhrudjakpor will not be prosecuted “because he now enjoys immunity,” having been sworn-in into office before the case was instituted.

In Nigeria, the president, vice president, state governors and their deputies are constitutionally shielded from prosecution while in office. However, they can be investigated.

The Bayelsa official as christened himself as a miracle governor.

“I christen myself a miracle governor. At a point everybody gave up. We were the only party (PDP) the APC could not approach. We filed in court. The only place we had hope was in the judiciary,” he said.

“The case between APC and APC was thrown out. The APC applauded the Supreme Court and on Thursday February 13, 2020 the hammer came.

“There were those who said there will be no governor in Bayelsa State. To the glory of God Bayelsa State has a governor. I am indeed a miracle governor,” Diri added.

Diri was sworn in as Bayelsa State Governor on February 14, 2020 following the Supreme Court’s disqualification of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, David Lyon and his deputy, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, over discrepancies in Degi-Eremienyo name.

reccy:
What do you want to know young man?

reccy:
Well, your last statement calls for concern.... I wish ideaolgy is easily defeated.... But is bad we have that as a war we are fighting... At this stage there is nothing we can do than to continuing hoping for safer place...

reccy:
Now I know, you know nothing... Its time for you to go do your assignment.... Keep learning....

reccy:
There's an improvement and you know it.

reccy:
Who ask that big mouthed idiot.... As far as we are concern, we still believe that the war against the terrorist is matter of time..


We are on track for now....

Out of the 17 state governors in Northern Nigeria, only 2 are said to be fighting insecurity in their domain sincerely.

A former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode stated this on Friday, while commending the two governors.

Some state governors in the protectorate have by their actions commended or supported insecurity ravaging their domain. Rather than deal with the criminals terrorising their vicinity, they have identified with them and at some points offered monetary compensation for the criminals to mellow down their activities.

The incumbent governors of Kaduna and Katsina states, Nasir El-rufai and Aminu Masari are few examples TODAY POLITICS intends to cite in this report.

The former Aviation Minister and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) named Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State and Babagana Zulum of Borno as state governors who deserve commendations.

TODAY POLITICS has observed that since the duo took over the affairs of their respective states last year, they have been working all round the clock to ensure they kick out insecurity in their domains.

“There are 2 core northern Governors that have fought the insurgents & terrorists with all their heart & soul,” Mr Fani-Kayode said in a tweet on Friday.

“They are Gov. Matawale of Zamfara & Gov. Zulum of Borno. They are fully committed to the war against terror & their zeal to protect & defend their people is commendable,” the former minister added.

Insecurity has been on the rise largely in the Northern protectorate and President Muhammadu Buhari during his recent condolence visit to Borno State, said there is no way criminal activities can thrive in a domain when residents of the area knowing and supporting it.

Monday Bubou-Obolo, the speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, has stepped down from his position.


Mr Bubou-Obolo stepped down from office because he hails from the same senatorial district as the new state governor, Duoye Diri.

The duo are from Bayelsa Central Senatorial District.

After he stepped aside, members of the assembly elected his deputy, Abraham Ngobere, as replacement.

Mr Ngobere is now the new speaker of the house.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says its acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, did not make certain remarks attributed to him.

Mr Magu was reported to have claimed Coronavirus, a new zoonotic disease officially named COVID-19, is caused by corruption.

The cause of the disease that has killed thousands is unknown just as the cure is yet to be discovered as at press time.

“EFCC has zero tolerance for corruption as our mandate is to kill corruption as corruption is worse than all the diseases we have now and I strongly believe coronavirus is caused by corruption,” the anti-graft boss was quoted to have claimed at the passing out parade of 281 cadets of the EFCC Detective Inspector Course-5, at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, on Tuesday.

However, the anti-graft agency has described the comment attributed to its boss as false and misleading.

“This information is false and misleading,” the EFCC said in a tweet while quoting a news medium that also published the report.

ALSO READ: Sacking service chiefs now will not stop insecurity - Presidency

“The Acting Chairman said, “Tackling corruption is a clarion call, given that corruption is a huge burden to the nation. It is worse than Cancer, Ebola Virus, Coronavirus and all other deadly diseases put together,” it added while calling for the correction of the statement.

Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) has said it is not easy for President Muhammadu Buhari to sack service chiefs.

Mr Mustapha stated this on Tuesday while addressing newsmen after a book presentation titled CAN, Religion, politics and power in Nigeria by former General Secretary of Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) Engr Samuel Salifu.

There have been calls from Nigerians to the president advising him to oust service chiefs over rising insecurity across the country.

Although the National Assembly joined in making the call, the president seems unperturbed and has looked the other way.

For the SGF, there are processes that must be followed by the president in ousting the service chiefs, saying it is not easy as those making the calls think.

“You don’t sack people like that. There are processes and I believe that at the opportune time, those processes will be followed. You don’t just wake up and say sack people, it doesn’t happen like that,” Mr Mustapha stated.

ALSO READ: Why state governments should be scrapped - Babachir Lawal

He called for the cooperation of Nigerians in ensuring the country is safe.

“At this moment, what we need is for everybody to be on the same page, fight the battle of securing the nation for protecting lives and property and ensuring that every Nigerian has the opportunity to live a prosperous live. I think that should be our main focus,” he said.

“We are in a very difficult time now. We need everybody to be on board. We need synergy within intelligent community, within the military formations that will help fight this war.

“We are in a very difficult situation and when we begin to create cracks and divisions, who will be the beneficiaries?

“The adversaries are the ones that are going to exploit those deficiencies and further the cause of destabilising the nation,” the SGF added.

Meanwhile, the presidency has said ousting the security chiefs will not stop insecurity across the country.

Babachir Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has called for the scrapping of state governments in the country.

Mr Lawal, while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, described heads of state governments as parasites who are wasting the nation’s resources.

The former SGF who was speaking on what he expects to change as the National Assembly begins the amendment of the constitution, said if he should have his way, he will only allow two tiers of government -Federal and Local – in the country.

He said there is need to allow the Federal government because some state institutions needs a national outlook while the local government should exist because it is closer to the people.

“I’m not a constitutional expert but i know if I had my way in the setup of this country, the governors in the middle are just parasites that are taking the major share of the resources that are supposed to the go to states, they abuse it,” Lawal said.

“If I had my way, there would be federal government and local governments, such that the resources that are due to the state would be shared equally with the local government at that level and a lot of things will be done.

“In the case of the federal government, we understand why it has to be federal government. There are some institutions that have to be national in itself. The army for example, the federal police must be there, foreign affairs must be there but the states, we can devolve the powers back of the states to the local governments.

“At the local government, they are closer to the people, because they are closer to the people, people are able to monitor them. People are able to get in touch with them, people are able to check their excess if any,” he added.

Lawal also canvassed for the return to the unicameral legislature.

“Another option will be to return back to the parliamentary system, where everybody in the parliament is an elected official that is accounted to the people, one who would be president would have been one the election,” he said.

“The presidential system is so expensive and the presidential system has concentrated power and authority on one person and whoever else he chooses to delegate that authority to.

“In a place like Nigeria where we have different aspirations and different belief systems and different world views, decision making needs to be decentralised,” the former SGF added.

Rotimi Amaechi, Transportation Minister, has reacted to reports that he escaped from kidnappers on Sunday.

An online news medium, Daily Nigerian, had exclusively reported that the former Rivers State governor alongside other passengers heading to Kaduna by train escaped being abducted.

The attack said to have occurred at Rigasa train station around 8:15pm, was unsuccessful due to the timely intervention of police and military personnel.

But the minister while reacting described the report fake news saying it was entirely concocted. He refused to release further details on whether he boarded the train or not.

“Fake News. This is completely concocted,” Amaechi tweeted on Sunday.

Neoteny:
The blogger Shehu Sani has admitted that what PDP is doing is politicizing insecurity, thereby confirming what the presidency said.

That's what simplyleo was telling you people

President Muhammadu Buhari has said no one in the country has the right to resort to self-help in the face of attacks.

Mr Buhari stated this while reacting to the recent raids on communities by bandits in Katsina State at the weekend.

About 30 people were said to have been killed during the attack on Saturday. The police has reportedly made some arrests.

Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, quoting his principal said the president warned against self-help or revenge.

Mr Shehu in a statement on Sunday said the president advised that authorities should be allowed to investigate any security breach.

“No one in the country has a right to take laws into his hands by the way of self-help or revenge,” the president said.

“Local communities that catch bandits should hand over the suspects to law enforcement authorities instead of meting out capital punishment, leading to a cycle of revenge and counter revenge.

“The authorities must be allowed to investigate and deal with any breach that occurs. There is no place for violence in a decent society,” he added.

Simplyleo:
I should be asking you this.

Simplyleo:
Okay.

So PDP is actually politicizing security matters?

Quite a revelation. Anything pdp says about security should then be ignored because it is just politcs, not as if they are actually concerned.

A former lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has responded to the allegations of the presidency bordering on insecurity.

The Presidency on Saturday raised alarm over plots by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to politically embarrass President Muhammadu Buhari over the rising insecurity in the country.

Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, said the opposition party was planning to lead a 2,000 man protest against security chiefs in the country.

Mr Shehu said this is the latest plan to embarrass his principal after the president was booed in Maiduguri last week.

“The Presidency wishes to caution a section of the political class against misleading the public and inciting protests against the heads of military institutions,” he said.

“This has become necessary in view of received reports that about two thousand men and women have been hired to demonstrate against Nigeria’s service chiefs on Monday.

“This imminent gathering is the latest in a series of demonstrations orchestrated by the opposition to embarrass the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“A group of politicians and beneficiaries of the Boko Haram insurgency is right now paying for people to join their planned protest against our country’s service chiefs, and they will no doubt seek the media’s collaboration on this as usual.

“But there is news and there is promoted content – two very different things, one of which should never make the headlines as these recent fake protests have done”, Shehu added.

But responding, the former representative of Kaduna Central at the past 8th Senate, said the PDP learnt the antics from the All Progressive Congress (APC) during the latter’s days in the opposition.

“The opposition under GEJ taught the opposition under PMB how to politicize,’regionalize’,’tribalize’,’sectinalize’,’religionize’,’personalize’,’capitalize’ and ‘internationalize’ security matters:The consequences of imparting toxic knowledge,” Sani tweeted on Sunday.

Mr Sani, a member of the then opposing APC when Former President Goodluck Jonathan held sway, was among top politicians who kicked against how the PDP administration handled the security situation of the country at the time.

The APC alongside the incumbent president while in opposition, insulted and politicised every move by the Jonathan government to deal particularly with Boko Haram insurgency. Five years later, President Buhari, who had promised to crush the terrorists in no distant time, expressed surprise at the continued existence of the terror group.

Boko Haram has kicked against the new sim card policy and has vowed to move against the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.

Abubakar Shekau, leader of the terror group made this known in a recent video made public on Friday.

Their grievances against Mr Pantami is the resolve of the minister to have the sim card registration policy reviewed.

In the new policy proposed by the Minister, no Nigerian is expected to own more than three sim cards. All sim cards in the country must be updated with the National Identity Number (NIN) before the year ends and subscribers must tender sufficient reasons why they need more than one sim cards at the point of registration or upgrade.

The initiative is said to have not augured well with the terrorists, leading to the threat on the life of the government official.

Mr Shekau who spoke in Hausa also asked Tukur Buratai, the chief of arm staff if he was tired of leading onslaught against his members. Premium Times published the excepts were the head of the terrorists asked the minister to repent or be killed like other infidels.

“This video message is specifically released because of one man, who thinks he is knowledgeable. I want him to archive this message and continue referring to it till his death comes. From today onward, you will continue to live in sorrow, because I, Shekau, say so,” Mr Shekau said.

“This warning is for Isa Ali Panatami; don’t think simply because you preach in English or because you are called a doctor, it means you have knowledge of Islam. You know nothing. Today you have become a minister, and you are feeling you can achieve your selfish ends. You must know that speaking English has nothing to do with Islam.

“You said you are going to block phone lines and other means of communication, to frustrate the activities of Boko Haram, right. But you must understand that we don’t depend on such to take out our messages. Our messengers are like the angels of God. How dare you attempt to stop the works we are doing for the creator of the heavens and earth, simply because you have become a slave to the white world and the country. We pity you if you don’t repent.

“I swear to God, you are nothing. Initially, we have not begrudged with you, but now you have become a slave to the infidels; repent now and become a good Muslim. If you don’t comply from now on, death will come to you, Isa Ali Pantami. I call on my members in Africa, in Nigeria to rise and do the needful. Let them know that what we did to Sheik Jafar is just the tip of the iceberg. Anywhere you see Isa Ali Pantami, don’t spare him. Isa Ali Pantami you are nothing; even Jafar tried the same thing but we dealt with him; talk less of you that is nothing in Islamic practice. And from today on, you would not have rest of mind because you have dared God,” he added.