COFFINSELLER:
I will give $100k to anyone that can mention one political leader on Earth that has performed better than President Muhammadu Buhari.

I'll go through the achievements of all the names mentioned. I'll contact you if I am satisfied with your answer.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, says he personally travelled to Niger Republic to beg the country to allow the Nigerian government to construct the $1.95bn railway from Kano State into Maradi in Niger Republic.

Amaechi said this on Channels Television’s ‘News Night’ programme on Monday which was monitored by our correspondent.

The railway is expected to run from Kano to Dutse- Katsina through Jibia and will end at Maradi Niger Republic.

The minister said some had even accused him of serving northern interests even though his wife is Igbo.

Amaechi said, “It is like the shout about Kano-Maradi rail. I said my wife is Igbo. She is not from Maradi. The worst is that they will say I am serving the interest of the North. Let’s assume that is the argument you will make. The worst I can do is stop at Jibia which is the border.

“To even get to Maradi I had to travel to Niger Republic to even beg them. They are not bringing their money. It is our money. But I’m begging them to allow me access into Maradi.”

When asked why it was so important to extend the rail to Maradi, Amaechi explained that Niger Republic is a landlocked country and has to rely on entrepot trade which means it has to export and import through intermediary countries.

The minister said due to insecurity and poor road infrastructure as well as extortion by security agents, Niger Republic and Chad preferred exporting and importing their goods through Benin Republic, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Togo.

He argued that the new rail would help Nigeria to compete and this would expand the economy.

Amaechi added, “Why are they not exporting through Nigeria? They say o, your roads are bad. So, the railway takes care of that. They say customs is difficult, customs will impose charges that are not charged in Benin Republic.

“They say immigration does not allow them. Even when they pass all these, there are police checkpoints on the road, customs checkpoints on the road, immigration checkpoints on the road. Then communities have their own checkpoints on the road, armed robbers attack them on the road. So, they prefer to go where it is safe and cheaper to do business.

“So, all we are saying is we come to Maradi, we build offices, we build a warehouse, you put your things in the warehouse, you deal with customs at Maradi, deal with immigration at Maradi, deal with police, whatever you need to check. Once you put the goods on top of the wagon, it goes straight to Lagos. When it gets to Lagos, straight to the ship because the things you would do in Lagos, you would have done in Maradi.”

The minister also berated the National Assembly for obstructing the facilitation of Chinese loans due to the controversial sovereignty clause.

In July 2020, a House of Representatives panel had raised the alarm over clauses conceding Nigeria’s sovereignty to China in a loan agreement.

Amaechi, however, argued that the unnecessary probe had stalled funding for the Ibadan to Kano rail.

The cacophony of Christian marginalisation that constitutes the sing-song of CAN is a blatant lie, a deliberate distortion and a devilish strategy of shedding crocodile tears or crying while flogging Muslims with bare-faced oppression and systemic repression in Nigeria. Though religion preaches love, honesty, sincerity, tolerance, good neighbourliness and kindness, among other virtues, CAN has succeeded in creating a Nigerian version of Christianity which is anchored on morbid hatred, undisguised dishonesty, caustic insincerity, religious intolerance, perennial hostility and outright wickedness. If CAN has its way, it would annihilate Muslims from Nigeria but one billion CANs of calumny unleashed against us cannot extinguish the light of Islam here and elsewhere, even if they try it!

This is the same strategy underpinning the needless hubbub over hijab in Kwara state and elsewhere. It is given that the right to hijab is constitutionally guaranteed.

However, to CAN, constitutionality does not matter where intolerance festers and it has resorted to toe the path of violence. Section 38, Subsection 1 of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended in 2011) states categorically thus:

“Every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion… (either alone or in community with others, and in public and or in private) to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching practice and observance; and Subsection 3 states that: No person attending any place of education shall be required to receive religious instruction or to take part in or attend any religious ceremony or observance if such instruction ceremony or observance relates to a religion other than his own, or religion not approved by his parent or guardian; while subsection 4 further states that: No religious community or denomination shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for pupils of that community or denomination in any place of education maintained wholly by that community or denomination.

The schools in question are public schools which are financed and administered by the state government. It is even ironical that a number of the female teachers in these schools use hijab. Would CAN also ask the state government to disengage all the ‘Hijabi teachers’ in the affected schools?

The matter was put to rest in Suit CA/IL/49/2009 where the appellate court in Ilorin ruled unequivocally that the use of hijab by female Muslims qualifies as a fundamental right under Section 38 of the Constitution. Also, in AbdulKareem vs Lagos State Government (2016) 15 NWLR (Pt 1535) 177, the Court of Appeal further reaffirmed its decision in Appeal No CA/IL/49/2009 and upheld the unalloyed right of a female Muslim to wear hijab to school. However, CAN argued that the use of hijab in the affected schools will “cause discrimination and allow terrorists to easily identify our children and wards.” What a jaundiced argument! Assuming that was true, would the withdrawal of all the Hijabi students in the affected schools not make the children to be more easily identified?

It therefore beats imagination that CAN can be so blinded by Islamophobia as to promote anarchy in the land by denying willing Muslim girls the right to hijab in state-funded schools in Ilorin of all towns, repaying the tolerance of the Muslim hosts with intolerance! Even in the West, willing school girls and professionals are accorded their rights to hijab and a Baptist College in Australia less than two years ago changed its dress code to accommodate its Hijabi student.

However, in Nigeria, CAN leaders appear to practise a different version of Christianity and they undermine democracy by violating the lawful judgements of competent courts of law.

For the purpose of hindsight, Muslims have over the years been bearing their persecution and marginalisation in Nigeria with religious patience and dignified forbearance without the NSCIA heating up the polity, occupying public spaces or inciting confrontation with constituted authorities.

Right-thinking Nigerians are to ponder what CAN would have done if Christians were to be at the receiving end illustrated with just the following six instances:  a. During the regime of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo between 2003 and 2007, there was not a single Muslim Minister from the entire South-West, South-South, South-East and North-Central, except one Muslim from Nasarawa state.  In the period between 2010 and 2013 during Dr Goodluck Jonathan’s regime, no single Muslim Minister was appointed from the three geopolitical zones of the South.  The National Conference of 2014 convened by the Government led by Dr Goodluck Jonathan was lopsidedly constituted that Muslims were just about one-third of the entire delegates. While the cross is the symbol of Christianity and the crescent is the symbol of Islam, the cross is used as the symbol of hospitals across Nigeria and the Federal Government statutorily created the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRSC).

The Federal Government recognises and legitimises the Christian worship days of Saturday and Sunday as official work-free days in Nigeria.  The Central Bank of Nigeria pays public funds running into hundreds of millions of Naira to CAN every year under one guise or the other.

As far as those who run the affairs of CAN are concerned, Nigeria may as well descend into war since in their demonic calculations, they will dominate Muslims with the support of their foreign friends and turn Muslim lands to a vast wasteland as obtainable in some Muslim-majority countries. They fail to realise that the war they are intent on dragging Nigeria into ultimately does not decide who is right but who is left and that no soldier in the real sense ever survives a war as something dies in him while fighting. It is in this respect that Muslims in Nigeria and the South in particular are warned to be circumspect in being dragged into the ethnic debate of some phantom states to be created out of Nigeria by some irredentist agitators. It is clear to the blind and audible to the deaf that the script is a design to further repress Islam and oppress Muslims in the South and turn them into second class citizens in their own fatherland. Behind the mask of ethnicity that the propagandists wear to deceive the unwary is a religious agenda to obliterate Muslims from the socio-political life of the entire South where hijab would be criminalised and the courts of law would be disobeyed at will by the so-called elite, as being witnessed in Kwara state.

Muslims who listen to the deceit of ‘those-who-wish-others-evil’ or the rants of their megaphones are bound to regret if they continue to toe their divisive ethnic and religious propaganda.

Muslim opinion leaders, especially politicians, writers and journalists, are to be wary of being subliminally drawn into what will potentially destroy them. You cannot trust those who disobey rightful court orders to guarantee your basic rights when push comes to shove!

It is against the backdrop of the foregoing that the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) reiterates its earlier call that the Federal Government should urgently conduct a full-scale religious census of the entire workforce of its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The statistics would be helpful as it would reveal the states of origin and religious affiliations of the Nigerian workforce.

Muslims can no longer tolerate the psychological terrorism of those whose stock-in-trade is campaign of calumny and bigoted propaganda anytime a Muslim happens to be at the helm of affairs in Nigeria.

This is the way forward at this time as the vilification of Muslims by CAN can only be redressed by publishing the statistics and letting the world know who is marginalising who.

Signed:

Prof. Salisu Shehu
Deputy Secretary General, NSCIA
For and on behalf of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA)

Arc. Haruna Zuberu Usman-Ugwu
Ag. Director of Administration, NSCIA For and on behalf of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA)

The attention of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has been drawn to the insinuations and vituperations that trailed the shortlisting of 20 Justices-designate by the Federal Judicial Service Commission (FJSC). It would be noted that except it is compelled to do so, the Council has often resisted joining issues with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) as a matter of principle.

This is because CAN has proved, times without number, its morbid hatred for Islam and Muslims, its remarkable capacity for destructive mischief, its dexterous use of scurrilous propaganda and its predilection for always being economical with the truth as part of the sinister strategy of heating up the polity anytime a Muslim is at the helm of affairs.

It would be recalled that not too long ago, the Council was forced to expose the marginalisation of Muslims in the successive Boards of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) after CAN made one of its wild and mendacious allegations of Christian marginalisation. It is actually a wicked strategy and unholy tactics to accuse Muslims of marginalisation though Muslims are the ones being deliberately and systemically marginalised by Christians, who continue to consolidate on the colonial agenda of emasculating Muslims. However, NSCIA would not allow the serial falsehood of CAN and its propensity for character assassination of people on the basis of their religious identity to stand because truth is irrefragable.

To wit, the intransigence of CAN is playing out again in the deliberate distortion of the issues surrounding the shortlisted 20 Justices-designate. The grouse of CAN, as amplified by some hagiographers masquerading as opinion leaders, is that 13 of the 20 recently shortlisted Justices are from the North and are Muslims. Though the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, on her honour stated unequivocally that the procedure of the appointment followed “due and usual process” and that the recommendation “was done without any preference for tribe, creed or association”, mischief makers, ethnic jingoists and religious bigots resorted to blackmail. In venting their spleen against the development, CAN especially and its apologists choose to ignore the fact that Muslims are a minority in the religious composition of the Court of Appeal. In a statement filled with bile and bigotry, the so-called religious body expressed its “feelings of sadness, disgust and anger at the insensitivity demonstrated by the FJSC in compiling the list.

It seems undeniable that the recklessness displayed by the FJSC suggests a steady and gradual descend (sic) to (sic) a process of Islamising the Judiciary of Nigeria.”

The unassailable truth is that Justices of the Court of Appeal (JCAs) are 70 but the North with 19 States has 34 while the South with 17 States has 36. The South thus has more JCAs than the North.

Meanwhile, out of the 36 JCAs from the South West (where Muslims are a majority), South East and South South (in both of which Muslims have considerable indigenous populations), all the JCAs are Christians except for Justice Habeeb Adewale Abiru of Lagos state and Justice Mistura Bolaji-Yusuf of Oyo state. But in the three geo-political zones of the North where Muslims are predominant, there are 34 JCAs out of which 15 are Christians.

In other words, the North East has 4 Muslim JCAs and 7 Christians, the North Central has 6 Muslim JCAs and 7 Christians while the North West has 9 Muslim JCAs and 1 Christian JCA. Of the 36 from the South, only 2 are Muslims. The names and details of the Justices are as follows:

S/N Name
State
Geopolitical Zone
Religious Affiliation

NORTH CENTRAL

1. Joseph S. Ikyegh Benue North Central Christian

2. Patricia A. Mahmoud Benue North Central Christian

3. Stephen Jonah Adah Kogi North Central Christian

4. S. T. Hussaini Kogi North Central Muslim

5. Ahmad O. Belgore Kwara North Central Muslim

6. M. N. Oniyangi Kwara North Central Muslim

7. F. A. Ojo Kwara North Central Christian

8. Ridwan M. Abdullahi Nasarawa North Central Muslim

9. J. Abungada Nasarawa North Central Christian

10. Amina Wambai Niger North Central Muslim

11. M. B. Idris Niger North Central Muslim

12. PCA Monica Dongban- Mensem Plateau North Central Christian

13. Jummai H. Sankey Plateau North Central Christian

Total North Central: 7 Christians, 6 Muslims


NORTH EAST

14. A. M. Talba Adamawa North East Muslim

15. Hussein Mukhtar Bauchi North East Muslim

16. Haruna S.Tsammani Bauchi North East Christian

17. Bitrus G.Sanga Bauchi North East Christian

18. A. G. Mshelia Borno North East Christian

19. Ibrahim S. Bdliya Borno North East Christian

20. Hamma Barka Gombe North East Christian

21. Y. B. Nimpar Gombe North East Christian

22. Mohammed Danjuma Taraba North East Christian

23. I. A. Andenyangtso Taraba North East Christian

24 Mohammed Mustapha Borno North East Muslim


Total North East: 8 Christians, 3 Muslims


NORTH WEST

25. Ali Abubakar Gumel Jigawa North West Muslim

26. Muhammed L. Shuaibu Jigawa North West Muslim

27. Abubakar Dati Yahaya Kaduna North West Muslim

28. James S. Abiriyi Kaduna North West Christian

29. T. Y. Hassan Kano North West Muslim

30. A. M. Bayero Kano North West Muslim

31. Abubakar Sadiq Umar Kebbi North West Muslim

32. Jamilu Y. Tukur Katsina North West Muslim

33. A. M. Lamido Sokoto North West Muslim

34. B. B. Aliyu Zamfara North West Muslim

Total North West: 1 Christian, 9 Muslims

Subtotal (Northern States): 16 Christians, 18 Muslims



SOUTH EAST

35 Raphael C. Agbo Enugu South East Christian

36 U.I Ndukwe- Anyanwu Anambra South East Christian

37 Chidi N. Uwa Abia South East Christian

38 C. E. Nwosu-Iheme Imo South East Christian

39 T.N Orji-Abadua Imo South East Christian

40 Obande F. Ogbuinya Ebonyi South East Christian

41 Uchechukwu Onyemanam Ebonyi South East Christian

42 Onyekachi A. Otisi Abia South East Christian

43 C.I. Jombo-Ofo Abia South East Christian

44 Paul O. Elechi Ebonyi South East Christian

45 Ugochukwu A. Ogakwu Enugu South East Christian


Total South East: 11 Christians, 0 Muslim




SOUTH SOUTH

46 Ignatius I. Agube Cross River South South Christian

47 Rita N. Pemi Delta South South Christian

48 Ita George Mbaba Akwa Ibom South South Christian

49 Moore A. A. Adumein Bayelsa South South Christian

50 O.O. Daniel-Kalio Rivers South South Christian

51 Fatima O. Akinbami Edo South South Christian

52 Biobele A. Georgewill Rivers South South Christian

53 Frederick O. Oho Delta South South Christian

54 Joseph E. Ekanem Akwa Ibom South South Christian

55 Abimbola O. Obaseki-Adejumo Edo South South Christian

56 Boloukuromo M. Ugo Bayelsa South South Christian

57 Ebiowei Tobi Delta South South Christian


Total South South: 12 Christians, 0 Muslim




SOUTH WEST


58 Jimi O. Bada Osun South West Christian

59 Oyebisi F. Omoleye Ekiti South West Christian

60 Mojeed A. Owoade Oyo South West Christian

61 A. O. Lokolo-Sodipe Ogun South West Christian

62 Isaiah O. Akeju Ekiti South West Christian

63 Tunde O. Awotoye Osun South West Christian

64 Habeeb A. O. Abiru Lagos South West Muslim

65 Peter O. Ige Oyo South West Christian

66 O. A. Adefope- Okojie Ogun South West Christian

67 Mistura O. Bolaji- Oyo South West Muslim Yusuf

68 E. O. Williams- Dawudu Lagos South West Christian

69 Joseph O. Oyewole Osun South West Christian

70 Gabriel O. Kolawole Osun South West Christian


Total South West: 11 Christians, 2 Muslims

Subtotal (Southern States): 34 Christians, 2 Muslims

Subtotal (Northern States plus FCT): 16 Christians, 18 Muslims

Grand Total of all JCAs: 50 Christians (71.4%), 20 Muslims (28.6%)

However, the three geopolitical zones of the South have only two Muslim JCAs while the three geopolitical zones of the North have 15 Christian JCAs! Who is wickedly intolerant?

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano and one of the leaders of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, has said it is clear to everyone that Tinubu’s choice of Kano as the venue of his 12th Colloquium is “purely a political move.”

Gwarzo, who was the deputy governorship candidate of the PDP in Kano in the 2019 election, said he disagreed with Tinubu’s opinion that the colloquium was held in Kano to enhance national cohesion.

He said the APC leader had ample opportunities to show that he is a true national leader but failed to take advantage of those opportunities.

“It (colloquium in Kano) has nothing to do with national cohesion and unity. When people were asked to stand up to be counted, he wasn’t there. So many things happened recently with the most recent one being the barbaric violence that erupted in Shasa, Ibadan. Being a political leader of the South West, at least as far as APC is concerned, Tinubu should have asked for restraint and seen to be active in trying to quell the looming crisis,” he said.

“As someone who is aspiring to be president of this country, Tinubu should have risen to that occasion and talked positively. You don’t just come and hold your colloquium here (Kano) and think that will be a panacea for national unity.

“As far as I am concerned, it is purely a political move, more about 2023. The APC government has failed and Tinubu is not saying anything. So many lives are being lost on a daily basis, not only in the South West.”

At the programme, Tinubu said the executive and legislature must work together and release money to address poverty and unemployment in Nigeria.

He also urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to immediately put a stop to austerity measures and introduce stimulus expenditure to fast track the economy.

The Asiwaju of Lagos equally advised the federal government to employ 50 million youths in the security sector to address various breaches afflicting the country.

The colloquium was themed ‘Our Common Bond, Our Common Wealth: The Imperative of National Cohesion for Growth and Prosperity’.

President Buhari, who participated in the event virtually, said Nigeria will be stronger if it remained one.

Other people who attended the colloquium virtually included Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Daily Trust reports Osinbajo was billed to be personally present in Kano for the event but had to participate virtually from Abuja because of bad weather which did not allow planes to land at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport.

The President of Liberia, George Weah, joined the programme via Zoom.

Most of those who spoke at the event, including VP Osinbajo and Governors Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, and his Lagos State counterpart, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the National Chairman of APC and Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, made their remarks in line with the theme of the colloquium, saying the unity of Nigeria was sacrosanct.

But some opposition elements said the Kano meeting was not about making Nigeria better, but a get-together of politicians desperate to remain in power beyond 2023.

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State recently stopped his convoy to assist some women and girls who were fetching firewood by the roadside.

In some pictures trending on social media, the governor was seen surrounded by his security aides who helped some of the women.

It’s unclear when this happened or the exact location but the pictures have been generating reactions on social media.

AdolfAboki:
Tinubu should stop wasting his time.. I advise my Yoruba colleagues to focus on their (online) Oodua nation and stop wasting their time.

Come 2023, we'll impose an Atiku or Amaechi presidency on Nigerians.

So Tinubu should stop wasting his time. Shebi you expect us to support you after the genocidal Sasha massacre? LOL... We dey wait for una...

God bless Nigeria.

IgweOfNnewi:
Cry cry cry Almajiri

AdolfAboki:


Well, we know who's already crying and calling for an online republic..

Anyway, enjoy your delusions!

God bless Nigeria.

eagleu:


Meant to say, 'I never visited career section '
Double identity no dey good.

Fahdiga:
His thread or your thread. aren't you the same person. you can keep deceiving yourself

Fahdiga:
lol who is trolling you. you mentioned me with one of your numerous monikers and I responded next you used this moniker to claim that I'm trolling you. you won't smell the moderator job. go and sleep

Fahdiga:
Come and see what exactly? is he the only person to have been banned by a mod?

Abrahamaba:
Oya, come and see... Fahdiga, OnMyBiz, Mabizeka,

Fahdiga:
Lol I wasn't expecting you to understand or agree with me. but what I want you to know is that your mission is dead on arrival. do you get me. you can go and create your own forum where you, Shakau and Wakili can be passing information on you know what. ok

Fahdiga:
I don't hate anyone my dear but all I'm saying is enough of this northern domination. southernnigerialivesmatter. northerners are heading almost everything in this country even though southern Nigeria is the goose that lays the golden egg courtesy of oil and other things. they are even heading NNPC and NPA that normally should have been a southern Nigerians birthright. now they want to penetrate a forum owned by a southerner and then dominate it. are southerners that foolish?

Fahdiga:
AdolphAboki try another format. you have casted yourself too much.

The Supreme Court will today (Friday) deliver judgment in the appeal filed by jailed former Plateau State Governor, Senator Joshua Dariye.

A five-man panel of the court, led by Justice Mary Odili, had, after hearing the appeal on December 17, 2020, fixed judgment for March 12, 2021.

Dariye is, by his appeal, praying the Supreme Court to upturn the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which convicted him and sentenced him to 10 years for diverting public funds estimated at N1.162bn while he was the governor.

A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Stephen Adah, in its decision, upheld an earlier judgement by Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory delivered on June 12, 2018.

The trial court convicted Dariye on 15 counts relating to the offences of criminal breach of trust and criminal misappropriation, contained in the 23-count charge on which he was tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

In upholding Dariye’s conviction, the Court of Appeal noted that the prosecution, led by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), effectively proved its allegation of criminal breach of trust and criminal misappropriation against the ex-governor.

The Appeal Court however faulted the trial court for convicting Dariye on counts 12 and 23, which it said the prosecution did not prove.

It also faulted the trial court for imposing the maximum sentences on both offences of criminal breach of trust and criminal misappropriation.

The Appeal Court proceeded to reduce the 14 years sentence for the offence of criminal breach of trust to 10 years, and reduced the two years sentence for criminal misappropriation to one year.

Arguing the appeal before the Supreme Court on December 17 last year, Dariye’s lawyer, Kanu Agabi (SAN), a former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), asked the court to either reverse his client’s conviction or reduce the 10-year jail term handed him by the Court of Appeal.

Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) countered and urged the court to dismiss the appeal and uphold the concurrent findings of the two lower courts.

The Federal Government on Thursday said Nigeria would continue to administer AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine despite its suspension by eight European countries over fear of its possible deadly side effects.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja, said suspending the vaccine would amount to a fire brigade approach.

Also a prominent virologist, Prof. Oyewale Tomori, in an interview with The PUNCH, stated that there was nothing to worry about.

Recall that the Federal Government on Tuesday last week received 3.94 million doses of the vaccine from COVAX facility, an initiative co-led by the Vaccine Alliance, GAVI and the World Health Organisation.

60-year Danish woman formed blood clot, died after taking vaccine

But as Nigeria continued to deploy doses of the vaccine on Thursday, an international news channel, France24, reported that seven European countries – Denmark, Norway, Austria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxembourg – suspended all or part of its rollout as a precaution while they investigated concerns relating to blood clots and other side effects caused by the vaccine.

BBC reported that Iceland had suspended the vaccine, making the total number of countries eight.

Danish health authorities suspended all AstraZeneca vaccinations for two weeks after a 60-year old woman who had been vaccinated formed a blood clot and died, according to France24.

The move “follows reports of serious cases of blood clots among people vaccinated with AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine”, Danish health authorities said in a statement.

But the country cautiously added that “it has not been determined, at the time being, that there is a link between the vaccine and the blood clots.”

Norway followed suit, suspending all AstraZeneca vaccinations.

49-year Austrian nurse developed blood coagulation after vaccination

Austria earlier announced it had suspended the use of a batch of AstraZeneca vaccines after a 49-year-old nurse died of “severe blood coagulation problems” days after receiving an anti-COVID-19 shot.”

Four other European countries – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxembourg – have also suspended the use of the vaccine from the batch, which was sent to 17 European countries and consisted of one million jabs.

BBC reported that Iceland stated that it was suspending use of the vaccine because it wanted, “ to err on the side of caution.”

It also reported that Norway’s public health institute said it would follow the Danish move to halt all use of the vaccine until the Danish cases were investigated.

The report quoted Geir Bukholm of the country’s National Institute of Health as saying, “We are waiting for more information to see if there is a link between the vaccine and this blood clot case.”

But Spain said Thursday that it had not registered any cases of blood clots related to AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine so far and will continue administering the shots.

Spanish Health Minister Carolina Darias said she had been informed of cases of blood clots among recently vaccinated people in Austria, but added that “so far, no causal relation between the vaccine and the blood clot events has been established”, and the European Medicines Agency was evaluating the situation.

On Wednesday, EMA, Europe’s medicines watchdog, said a preliminary probe showed that the batch of AstraZeneca vaccine used in Austria was likely not to blame for the nurse’s death.

We will continue to administer the vaccine, we haven’t seen unusual reactions – Minister

Speaking to The PUNCH on Thursday evening, the Minister of State for Health, Mamora, said Nigeria would continue to administer the vaccine.

He said since Nigeria rolled out the vaccine last week, there had been no recorded severe side effects.

Mamora said apart from being approved by the World Health Organisation, the vaccine had also been endorsed by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for emergency use.

The minister argued that persons who died of the vaccine use in Europe might have had other co-morbidities or complications that led to their death, adding that it was best for regulatory agencies to complete their probe before any conclusions were made.

He said, “We have not had any unusual reaction from any of the doses administered. I have taken it and I have not felt unusual and no one has been established to have had it so far. So, we cannot just suspend right now. That would amount to a fire brigade approach.

“We will continue to administer doses and monitor reactions of all those who have taken the vaccines. We are not going to suspend vaccination just because some countries have done so.”

FG investigates side effects

Also, the Federal Government said it had commenced investigations to determine the side effects of the vaccine.

Already, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency has doused apprehensions about its side effects and safety.

But the Head (Public Relations Unit) in the NPHCDA, Mohammed Ohitoto, said the agency was awaiting the outcome of the investigations.

He said, “We are aware of precautionary concerns that have been raised regarding one specific batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine, namely ABV5300.

“We understand that investigations are being conducted to determine if the batch is in any way linked to an observed side effect. While we await the outcome of the investigations, it is important to clearly state that Nigeria did not receive any doses from the batch of vaccines which is at issue.

“Vaccinations in Nigeria started earlier this month and we have not observed any similar adverse reactions. All side effects reported by those who have been administered the vaccine have been mild.

“We are satisfied that the clinical evidence indicates the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to be safe and effective. Our assessment is in line with countries such as Spain and the UK who have indicated that they will continue to administer the vaccine, because it remains an important tool to protect against COVID – 19.”

No cause for alarm, virologists say

On his part, a professor of virology, Tomori, said the country had nothing to fear about the usage of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Tomori, in an interview with one of our correspondents on Thursday, said there was no need to compare Nigeria with the countries that had temporarily suspended the usage of the vaccine.

He stated, “Those countries temporarily suspended the usage of the vaccine, they are investigating. So, as a precautionary measure they suspended the usage.

“How many side effects have we recorded in Nigeria? We are talking of millions of people vaccinated in those countries. Nothing is clear about it yet.

“On the temporary stop in some European countries, I have no comments for now till investigations have been completed. The countries are only taking a precautionary measure till the investigation is complete,” Tomori said.

Also, a medical virologist at Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, Dr Oladipo Kolawole, said there was nothing to worry about.

He said, “I think there is nothing to worry about, as long as the appropriate agencies and regulatory agencies are in touch with those who have been vaccinated to monitor the response.”

Earlier A former Nigerian lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye, said the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine imported by the Federal Government through the COVAX facility was the least potent of the four vaccines approved by the World Health Organisation.

In a video posted on Youtube by online TV, Roots, Melaye said the Nigerian government did not put the people into consideration before going for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

He said, “There are four notable vaccines, the least potent of these four is the one Nigerian government imported. This same one imported by the Nigerian government has the four side effects.

Patients’ safety our highest priority, manufacturer insists

CNN on Thursday reported that AstraZeneca, the company that manufactured the vaccine issued a statement, were it said patient safety was its “highest priority.”

“Regulators have clear and stringent efficacy and safety standards for the approval of any new medicine, and that includes COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca. The safety of the vaccine has been extensively studied in Phase III clinical trials and peer-reviewed data confirms the vaccine is generally well tolerated,” the company said in a statement.

The company’s shares fell 2.5 per cent in early afternoon trading on Thursday in London.

CobraAnambra:
The guy is not fulani. He only changed his name to diallo.

-cobra

Man Utd £37m transfer signing Amad Diallo dropped surname amid allegations of child trafficking in Italy

AMAD DIALLO will have his first name on the back of his No 19 shirt at Manchester United.

A £37million arrival, Diallo has his middle name as Traore is the surname on his passport.

The former Atalanta winger has dropped Traore because of an unsettling story alleging child trafficking.

Amad, 18, and his brother Hamed, 20, who plays for Serie A side Sassuolo, moved from the Ivory Coast to Italy on a family visa more than six years ago.

They arrived with their father Hamed Mamadou Traore and mother Marina Edwige Carine Teher.

But prosecutors in Parma allege that they are not the parents of either player. It is also claimed the two may not even be brothers.

Three other adults have also been questioned over concerns more kids have been illegally brought in from the Ivory Coast.

Football agent Giovanni Damiano Drago told Italian police last summer of concerns over underage players arriving in Italy illegally on bogus visas.

Neither of the two players are under investigation but they were questioned by police.

As both were under 18 at the time of the alleged offences, they cannot be charged.

DNA tests have been carried out as part of the probe, while properties have also been searched.

If found guilty, the five adults face up to three years in jail.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/13791408/amad-diallo-surname-child-trafficking-man-utd/

Monogamy:


If it's about inciting violence, it has always been lengthy no partiality...

Mods should look into unnecessary lengthy banning.. That would only encourage people to create alternative monikers

Kondomatic:
I don't know what they achieve with such lengthy ban.