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Lassa Fever Kills 188 In Three Months

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), yesterday, revealed that between January, 2020 and now 963 cases of Lassa fever have been confirmed in the country.
The NCDC added that within the period, the deadly Lassa fever has struck dead 188 Nigerians.
“Since the onset of the Lassa fever outbreak this year, 963 confirmed cases and 188 deaths have been recorded.
“A National Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) was activated to coordinate all response activities.
“We’ve not dropping the ball regardless of #COVID19Nigeria,” it said.
“Health care workers are advised to have a high index of suspicion and adhere to standard precaution always,” the body said.
It would be recalled that Lassa fever was first discovered about 50 years ago in Nigeria and is endemic in the country.
In Bauchi, no fewer than 19 persons have died this year following the resurgence of Lassa fever in the State.
The state Deputy Governor, Senator Baba Tela, disclosed this at a press conference held, yesterday, at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Bauchi.
He said no fewer than 48 persons were under watch and undergoing treatment for the deadly disease in the state.
He said, “It is not as if we have gotten rid of Lassa fever completely in the state; No, we have not.
“And so far as at week 14 of our campaign, the total number of death to Lassa fever is 19 and we don’t have any new case so far.
“And we are following up contacts of about 48 persons and those 48 have been confirmed and are under medication and they are recovering fast.”
The deputy governor, who is also the chairman, Bauchi State Task Force Committee on Covid-19 and Lassa fever, stated that the biggest challenge the state has is that there is a low level of awareness among the citizens.
He urged the people of the state to always report any suspected case of Lassa fever in the state, adding that early discovery and treatment could help patients recover.
Meanwhile, Nigeria has recorded another 34 new cases of Coronavirus, with the total figures jumping to 407.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 18 of the 34 cases were recorded in Lagos.
Twelve cases were also recorded in Kano, two in Katsina, one in Delta and one in Niger.
“Thirty-four new cases of #COVID19 have been reported as follows: 18 in Lagos, 12 in Kano, 2 in Katsina, 1 in Delta and 1 in Niger.
“As at 11:20pm April 15, there are 407 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. 128 have been discharged with 12 deaths,” NCDC said on its twitter handle.
By Wednesday, the NCDC said that 34 new cases of #COVID19 have were recorded across the country.
According to NCDC, Lagos had 18 cases, Kano 12, Katsina 2, Delta and Niger 1 each.
As at 11:20 pm 15th April there are 407 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. 128 have been discharged with 12 deaths#TakeResponsibility
As at 11:20 pm 15th April, number of states with confirmed cases of #COVID19: 19 + FCT
Till date, Lagos has recorded 232 cases; FCT – 58; Osun – 20; Kano – 16; Edo – 15; Oyo – 11; Ogun – 9; Katsina – 7; Bauchi – 6; Kaduna – 6; Akwa Ibom – 6; Kwara – 4; Delta – 4; Ondo – 3; Enugu – 2; Ekiti – 2; Rivers – 2; Niger – 2; and Benue and Anambra – 1 each.
Lagos has continued to record huge figures.
The state recorded 25 new cases on Tuesday and recorded another 18 cases on Wednesday.
The state has discharged 85 Coronavirus patients so far after it discharged 16 patients who survived the virus on Wednesday.
In the same vein, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) disclosed that it has carried out about 7,000 tests for Coronavirus till date.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, who made this known, yesterday, in Abuja, at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19, said that henceforth, it will release to the public the numbers of tests done weekly.
According to him, “With respect to the number of persons that have been tested, so far, we are just around 7,000 but we want to release the numbers and potentially even give a breakdown of what we tested in every lab within the network. We have agreed every Friday by 6pm to announce the number of tests for that week.”
Speaking in an interview on a cable TV, yesterday, the NCDC boss explained that it is doing all within its capacity to increase testing capacity, while urging private facilities to come on board and be added to their network of laboratories, provided they meet its criteria.
He said: “We have been hearing a lot of people say we should test more and sincerely we want to, but unfortunately we have to work with what we have. Every day, we are testing more. We have intensified efforts Lagos and Abuja.
“We are also converting the GeneXpert for Tuberculosis and HIV for Covid-19 testing. The equipment are ready, but there’s been a global bottleneck on reagents. So, we have been working very hard with our partners to unblock that.
“As soon as we have our hands on it, we will include it in our testing processes. These are not issues that money can solve; it is a global shortage of reagents. As soon as we get these in, we will be able to scale radically our testing capabilities.
“With regards to the use of tests kits, a lot of antigen, antibodies testing don’t work. Many countries haven’t started, reason being that you need to have a test that you know works. So, until we get there, we are stuck with this PCR testing. We are now going to move to some high throughput mechanisms.”
Concerning carrying along universities in the drive to add to the body of research on Covid-19, Ihekweazu said: “Universities don’t need to be carried along because this is their core mandate. Nobody should wait to be carried along in this work; everybody should come forward and bring out their ideas.
“The primary institute at the Federal level is the Nigerian Institute for Medical Research in Lagos. You will see their works around sequencing. They have been very proactive around this. They will be leading on the federal side for research, but that is the core mandate for universities.”
In his remarks, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, during the PTF briefing said: “The national testing capacity has been increased to 3,000 per day in 13 molecular laboratories nationwide activated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The target this week is to significantly increase the national testing capacity further; two more laboratories are scheduled to come online in Borno and Sokoto states.
“States have been supplied sample collection kits and are encouraged to develop innovative methods to improve testing capacity such as engaging the private sector to outsource and diversify sample collection sites and improve logistic support.
“This next phase of our strategy, due to the available evidence of community transmission in Nigeria, now focuses on the community. There will be more community testing and social mobilisation at the grassroots to ensure physical distancing and advisories on the use of masks or improvised face coverings like handkerchiefs or scarves over the mouth and nose, to reduce risk of transmission.
“I shall use this opportunity to again strongly advise health professionals against private or secret management of people who have Covid-19 outside of accredited health facilities. We cannot afford avoidable morbidity and mortality.
“Private facilities must obtain accreditation to treat this highly infectious disease. Practitioners engaging in unauthorised treatment of Covid-19, run the risk of being shut down for decontamination,” he added.

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FG To Seize Retirees’ Property Over Unpaid Housing Loans

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The Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board says it has begun the compilation of list of retired civil servants who have defaulted on the full repayment of housing loans obtained.
Head of Information and Public Relations, FGSHLB, Mrs Ngozi Obiechina, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.
Obiechina quoted the Executive Secretary of the Board, Mrs Salamatu Ahmed, as saying that the move was aimed at recovering mortgaged properties from retirees who failed to meet their loan obligations.
Ahmed noted that the decision followed a recent memo issued by Mrs Patience Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
According to her, the memo reminded public servants of the mandatory requirement to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness to the FGSHLB and MDA Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society as a precondition for retirement.
The Executive Secretary said that the board would take necessary legal steps to repossess properties where applicable, in line with the terms of the loan agreements.
She said this was in line with the provisions of the Public Service Rules 021002 (p), issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
“I am directed to bring to your attention the provision of Public Service Rule (PSR) 021002 (p), which mandates all public servants to obtain a Certificate of Non-Indebtedness as a prerequisite for retirement.
“The Federal Government will commence the seizure of mortgaged properties belonging to retiring federal public servants who have failed to fully repay housing loans obtained from the board,” she said.
Ahmed explained that the FGSHLB reserves the legal right to repossess any mortgaged property in cases where a public servant exits service without fully repaying the loan.
She reiterated that the directive also applied to already retired officers who were still indebted.
She urged all affected public servants to regularise their loan status and obtain the required clearance certificate without delay.
“The board is currently compiling a list of such retirees, which will be forwarded to relevant regulatory agencies for debt recovery.
“The FGSHLB remains committed to enforcing compliance and ensuring proper loan recovery procedures are followed, “ she added.

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FG Begins Induction For New Permanent Secretaries, Accountant-General

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The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
The Federal Government has kicked off a three-day induction programme for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries and the Accountant-General of the Federation, aimed at equipping them for strategic leadership and effective policy implementation.
The induction, according to a statement yesterday by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Eno Olotu, which commenced on Wednesday, is being held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja.
Speaking at the opening session, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, congratulated the new appointees and described their roles as pivotal to governance and national development.
“Permanent Secretaries are the engine room of the government. They are critical to driving policy implementation, institutional performance, and reform across the service”, she said.
“The expectations are high, and the responsibility is immense. But with commitment and teamwork, we can deliver a more efficient, accountable, and citizen-centred public service.
“This final lap of FCSSIP 25 calls for urgency, accountability, and strategic focus. You must translate vision into measurable results,” she stated.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, described the programme as a strategic investment in leadership capacity and institutional effectiveness.
The sessions featured expert-led discussions, simulations, and strategic briefings facilitated by a distinguished faculty, including Engr. Suleiman Adamu, former Minister of Water Resources; Dr. Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination; Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice; Alh. Yusuf Addy, retired Federal Director; Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Amb. Mustapha Lawal Suleiman, Mr. Adesola Olusade, and Dr. Ifeoma Anagbogu, all retired Permanent Secretaries.
Participants include Dr. Obi Emeka Vitalis, Mrs. Fatima Sugra Tabi’a Mahmood, Mr. Danjuma Mohammed Sanusi, Mr. Olusanya Olubunmi, Dr. Keshinro Maryam Ismaila, Dr. Akujobi Chinyere Ijeoma, Dr. Umobong Emanso Okop, Dr. Isokpunwu Christopher Osaruwanmwen, Mrs. Oyekunle N. Patience, Dr. Kalba U. Danjuma, Mr. Nadungu Gagare, Mr. Onwusoro I. Maduka, Dr. Usman Salihu Aminu, Mr. Ogbodo Chinasa Nnam, Mr. Ndiomu Ebiogeh Philip, Dr. Anuma N. Ogbonnaya, Mr. Adeladan Rafiu Olaninre, and Mr. Mukhtar Yawale Muhammed, alongside the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Shamseldeen Babatunde Ogunjimi.
The induction programme will feature sessions on public sector leadership, policy delivery, ethics in service, digital transformation, and performance management.

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NNPCL To Undergo Forensic Audit Soon -FG

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The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has announced that a forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) will begin soon.
Edun revealed this at the ongoing Nigerian Investor Forum, held alongside the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC.
The minister explained that the recent changes in the NNPCL management are part of a broader effort by the Federal Government to clean up and examine the company closely.
While addressing top global investors, including representatives from J.P. Morgan, Edun shared key reforms the government has introduced to revive the economy and restore investor confidence.
He told the investors that the government’s bold economic steps have laid a strong foundation to attract private investment.
He stated, “Our goal is not just to maintain this momentum, but to accelerate it. We are targeting seven per cent annual growth, and we believe the policies we have implemented have laid the groundwork to achieve this.”
Edun highlighted that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has rolled out major reforms that are already making a difference.
He added that the Nigerian economy grew by 3.84 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024 and recorded a 3.4 per cent growth for the year.
Edun further stressed the importance of the reforms, describing them as “unprecedented,” adding that, “We said we would do it, and now we have done it. This time, we’re staying the course.”
He pointed out signs of progress such as lower budget deficits, a better trade balance, and a more stable exchange rate.
He also said that the focus is now on growing key sectors, especially agriculture.
According to Edun, agriculture is at the top of the government’s agenda, with the aim of improving food supply and increasing productivity.
“We aim to close the food supply gap, not by importing more, but by enabling domestic producers to scale and innovate,” he said.
On infrastructure, Edun revealed that the government has rolled out 90,000km of fibre optic cable to improve internet access.
He said this move is crucial for supporting young Nigerians and tech startups.
He also noted that 4,000km of roads have been offered for private sector participation, with the first 1,000km already approved for construction.

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