Nation
NMA Tasks Ugwuanyi On Covid-19 Protocols Enforcement
As the second wave of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic continues to rave the entire world, members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Enugu State Branch have called on Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to step-up all efforts towards COVID-19 protocols enforcement in the state.
The doctors made their feelings known in a statement jointly signed by the state’s Chairman of NMA, Dr John Onyia and its Secretary, Dr Aloy Ugwoke, and made available to newsmen in Enugu on Sunday.
They also decried the alarming rise of cases of COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 related-deaths in the state since the second wave of the dreaded global pandemic began.
“We strongly recommend the enforcement of appropriate restrictions regarding indiscriminate social gatherings at this time in the state.
“The NMA remains ready to work with the state government towards instituting a robust COVID-19 committee and a COVID-19 response team in conjunction with other allied health professionals.
“The committee will help in formulating local policies which will combat the truly disconcerting spread of COVID-19 infection and the attendant morbidities and mortalities in our dear state’’.
The statement also urged the state government to step up the immediate enforcement of strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols in the Valentine’s Day Celebration, which is already revving up in the state.
It noted that the move was to guard against the inevitable explosion of cases of COVID-19 infections and COVID-19 related deaths in the state in the aftermath of Valentine’s Day celebration.
They reasoned that: “Enugu State will most likely experience a massive influx of Valentine celebrants this weekend from other states, with a consequential projected massive spread of COVID-19, if the Presidential orders and NCDC guidelines are not observed.
“Many hotels will be fully booked by weekend, and most entertainment spots and other places of outing like shopping malls, night clubs, should be expecting large crowds that will no doubt breach the COVID-19 infection prevention and control (IPC) protocols.
“We are constrained to make this clarion call which is borne out of our acute awareness that the health facilities and personnel in Enugu State are nearly overwhelmed by the increased incidence in symptomatic COVID-19 related cases and deaths.
“With a significant number of the health workers and their relatives in Enugu State now down with COVID-19 infection contracted inadvertently while attending to the COVID-19 cases that abound now in the state.
“As a state, we cannot afford to encourage circumstances and events geared towards circumventing COVID-19 protocols as approved by the Federal Government, especially in the face of the fast spreading community acquired COVID-19 infections caused by the emergent, more virulent strain of COVID-19 virus’’.
The statement equally advised the state government to immediately cancel all cannivals and mass gatherings and other festivities in order to reduce the community spread of COVID-19 infections in the state.
By: Canice Amadi, Enugu
Nation
Council Boss Impeached 48 Hours To LG Polls In Katsina
The Chairman of Malumfashi Local Government Council of Katsina State, Maharazu Dayi, has been impeached.
Maharazu Dayi was impeached yesterday by 11 out of 12 councillors, barely two days before the local government elections in the State.
The councillors reportedly took action following allegations of misconduct and poor governance against the chairman after a dispute over the distribution of the council’s Paris Club funds.
The development has sent shock waves across the local government area, especially as the impeached chairman is among those who failed to secure the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to contest in the forthcoming election.
Nation
Association Tasks Fubara On Rumuwoji Market Phase Three
The Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association, Mile 1, Port Harcourt, has urged the state government to utilise the available spaces within the area to build phase 3 of the Rumuwoji Market in order to solve the ever increasing needs of traders.
The association, which said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, also described as a welcomed development the decision by the state Governor to open the phase 2 of the market for business.
According to the association, “We consider it as an answer to the various cries of the people, because he is a man on a mission who is out to place the interest of Rivers people first. It is a dream come true for the first time for the market to be dully allocated and open for business”
Chairman of the association, Hon Godspower Wobo, who briefed the press shortly after a meeting of the association in Port Harcourt, also urged the public to disregard the activities of some persons whose stock in trade is to cause disaffection in the market.
He said the attention of the association was drawn to the activities of some strange fellows who went about misforming the people about situation in the market, stressing that apart from his association, no other group exists in the market except subdiary unions.
Wobo also tasked the reallocation committee to tread with caution so as to avoid being deceived by any group.
According to him, time has come for the state government to engage in robust discussion with aggrieved shop owners who went to court and those who paid monies to the state coffers and issued with allocation certificates for the overall interest of peace.
He also advised the public to deal directly with his association, stressing that the meeting was to review activities for the last year as well as unveil their new Constitution.
Also speaking, former Chairman of the association, Deacon Kenneth Eze urged the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to open the phase 2 of the market, as it is long overdue.
Eze who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the association also urged the public to do business with only the Rumuwoji Ultra Modern Market Traders Association as it is the only union recognised by the traders.
Nation
AfDB President Denies 2027 Presidential Ambition
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina, has debunked reports linking him with the race for Nigeria’s presidency in 2027.
Reacting to the report on his X handle yesterday, following a recent interview with Arise TV, the AfDB boss said his quotes were misrepresented and misinterpreted in several Nigerian media reports.
However, the AfDB president denied the media reports, stating that he never said that he wanted to contest for President.
“A segment of my recent interview on @Arise TV has been both misinterpreted and misrepresented in several Nigerian media outlets. What I said was, “I will be available to serve in any capacity, globally, in Africa, anywhere, including my own country.”
“A listen to the substantive and robust interview, which is available online, will show this to be the case. For clarity and for the record, I did not say that I am running for the office of President of Nigeria,” Adesina said.
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