Dr. Ahmad Lawan, President of the Senate, has stated that the National Assembly will allocate cash in the 2022 budget for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, but only if the funds are used wisely.

“In the 2022 appropriation, everything is necessary would be allocated for Nigeria to continue to battle the pandemic and beyond it,” Lawan said yesterday in Abuja, while declaring open a National Summit on COVID-19 with the theme “End the Pandemic and Build Back Better.”

“However, those who will be provided those money must demonstrate the prudence that is required – the economy, the efficiency in the deployment and application of those resources.”

“And I will urge our committees, which have been working extremely hard and closely with the PSC,” he continued, “to ensure very tight and rigorous review and oversight of our monies in 2022, when we are able to provide them to the Federal Ministry of Health and its agencies.”

“Members of the National Assembly and other political leaders in this nation take the health of Nigerians very seriously,” he promised Nigerians, “and we will continue to be aware of our obligation to ensure that our folks are protected and given that type of opportunity to take the vaccine.”

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The Senate President also asked relevant health agencies to do more to reduce or eradicate vaccination reluctance if at all possible.

He praised the PSC for its outstanding efforts in coordinating and implementing a robust national response to this emerging global public health concern.

Lawan also paid respect to the brave and patriotic health workers who had given so much to fight the pandemic, emphasising that Nigeria would always be obliged to them.

“Under my leadership, the 9th National Assembly has also played a crucial role in aiding the Executive Arm of Government in responding frontally through the passing of the Quarantine Act 2020 in order to reduce the consequences of COVID – 19 on our citizens and the economy,” he said.

“The Act established and regulated quarantine, as well as other provisions aimed at avoiding the introduction, spread, and transmission of deadly infectious illnesses in Nigeria.”

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“In order to adequately fund the national response to the epidemic and provide economic stimulus packages for Nigerians, the NASS proactively examined the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the 2020 national budget.”

“In addition, the Assembly approved several loans requested by the Executive to cover the 2020 national budget following thorough review.

“Some renowned members of the Assembly acquired and distributed various COVID – 19 relief goods to their constituencies, while members of the Senate gave up half of their monthly wages to offer relief materials for Nigerians to soften the effect of the epidemic.”

“The Assembly’s monitoring powers mandated a thorough examination of how the aforementioned sums were used, as well as strict adherence to decisions requiring the fair and equitable distribution of palliatives to the most vulnerable.”

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“In response to citizenry needs, the Executive was tasked with implementing the Social Intervention Programme (SIP).”

“The advent of the Omicron virus variety indicates that the pandemic is not yet ended, and we should not rest on our laurels in the fight against it.”

Prof. Anne von Gottberg of the National Institute For Communicable Diseases claims that South Africa’s PCR testing, which is no longer permitted in Canada, is reliable (NICD).

The Canadian government has stated that the results of molecular COVID testing undertaken in Nigeria and nine other African countries will not be accepted.

Travelers from South Africa must obtain a negative COVID-19 molecular test result in a third country other than Botswana, Egypt, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, or South Africa prior to departure.

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Travelers from these nations’ quarantine preparations will be scrutinized more closely, and travelers will be rigorously watched to ensure they follow quarantine laws.

Prof. Gottberg claims, however, that South African COVID-19 PCR testing is in great working order and is successfully identifying the Omicron variation. Furthermore, the situations in which South African passengers flying on KLM produced negative PCR tests before the flight but tested positive thereafter can be explained.

“The sample may have been obtained incorrectly, resulting in very little respiratory secretions on the swab and so no virus to identify.” “Or the person was incubating the virus, and the two days indicated the time it took for the infection to go from undetectable to detectable,” she explained.

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Travel to South Africa is currently prohibited in around 17 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. These countries, on the other hand, are required to allow their citizens and residents to return home after traveling.

A coroner’s inquest is being sought by the family.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, said yesterday that he had been briefed by the family of Sylvester Omoroni Jr, a 12-year-old pupil of Dowen College, Lekki, who died last Tuesday of injuries received from suspected cultists and bullies at the school.

Sylvester Omoroni Jr., the family’s leader, has requested a coroner’s inquest into their son’s death.

The family made the request through Falana in a letter to Justice Mojisola Dada, Chief Coroner of Lagos State, dated December 6, 2021.

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“We are a firm of legal practitioners committed to the defence of human rights, rule of law, and public accountability in Nigeria,” said Taiwo Olawanle of Falana’s law practise in a letter signed by him. The family of Sylvester Oromoni, who died from injuries purportedly acquired during a beating by his colleagues who wanted him to join their secret cult group, has briefed us.

“Given the untimely death of Sylvester Oromoni, we are compelled to request that you use your good offices to have a coroner’s inquest held into the cause of death of this young and promising boy and make appropriate recommendations pursuant to Section 15 of the Lagos State Coroner’s Law 2007, which provides that an inquest shall be held whenever a coroner is informed that a deceased person within his Coroner District died as a result of a death in a violent, unnatural or suspicious situation.”

Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, the wife of Lagos State Governor, condemned the boy’s death as “heartbreaking and a slap on the state.”

Mrs. Sanwo-Olu gave a speech at a school yesterday as part of the continuing 16 Days of Activism Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

She went to Aje Comprehensive Junior High School and Aje Comprehensive Senior High School in Sabo-Yaba, as well as Dolphin Senior High School and Dolphin Junior High School in Tapa, Lagos Island.

“The world is marking the 16 days of activism against SGBV, starting November 25 and ending on December 10 (Human Rights Day),” she stated. The United Nations (UN) is the global champion of the initiative, and this year’s theme is “Orange the World: End Violence Against Women Now.”

“The Nigeria Governors’ Wives Forum, NGOs, and many other private individuals and organisations are also championing the advocacy to maintain Nigeria’s zero tolerance for gender-based violence, particularly in Lagos.”

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“We determined that our grassroots advocacy would be community sensitization, which we accomplished on November 29.” We then followed up with visits to religious leaders in our areas to raise awareness. The third element of our advocacy efforts is a visit to schools.

“It’s best to catch them young so the seed can germinate gradually,” says the author. “We can help our students develop the right mindset, understand why these vices exist, and what the law says about them.”

She also gave each school laptops, industrial cooking gas, and other instructional supplies, vowing to visit more schools and other important organisations in the future.

Mrs. Cecilia Dada, the Commissioner for Women’s Affairs, stated victims can seek assistance by calling “the crucial violence response team on 08000333333.”

Ijaw Women Connect (IWC), a Yenagoa-based socio-cultural organisation, denounced “the brutal assassination of Oromoni Jnr. in total and in strong words.”

IWC’s President, Mrs Rosemary John-Oduone, and spokesman, Mrs Izuogere Iwolo, issued a statement urging security agencies to apprehend the criminals.

“We, as Ijaw mothers whose sister and brother lost a highly promising and bright child, will not stand by and let Sylvester Oromoni Jnr suffer while those responsible for his premature death get away with it.”

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The public was aware of an alleged scheme by the parents of the five boys accused of murdering Sylvester Oromoni (Jnr) to smuggle the suspects out of Nigeria to avoid justice, according to the organisation.

Suspects who have been transported overseas should be repatriated by Interpol.

The Crime Victims Foundation of Nigeria (CRIVIFON), a human rights organisation, has encouraged the police to use Interpol to bring back all suspects in the torture and killing of Omoroni Jnr, who may have relocated overseas.

Mrs Gloria Egbuji, Executive Director of CRIVIFON, offered the recommendation in response to intelligence reports that some parents of youngsters involved in the incident may have relocated them abroad.

Mrs Egbuji, in a statement released by CRIVIFON yesterday, said the circumstances surrounding Oromoni’s death, as described by his father in an Arise Television News interview, were “very condemnable,” given the college’s standing.

“If Dowen College authorities had been cognizant of the fact that as an Ivy league school with large fees, they should have showed more dedication to the welfare and safety of its students,” the statement stated.

Mrs Egbuji wondered why the College’s management had not taken a proactive interest in dealing with Sylvester’s safety concerns highlighted by his elder sister Amanda Oromoni, who is also a student at the college.

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“In light of the inexplicable circumstances surrounding the student’s death, as well as the alleged report that some of those accused of bullying and torturing him have already been relocated overseas by their parents, CRIVIFON would like the police authorities…to bring anyone directly or remotely connected to the gruesome incident to justice.”

“If it is revealed that any of them has moved to another location, the parents should be held liable for producing such students for prosecution.” In light of the gravity of the offence, Interpol can be used to bring them back to Nigeria if they have relocated outside the nation,” it stated.

Professor Jerry Gana, a former Minister of Information and Culture, has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s failure to follow the 2014 National Conference report as “a catastrophic error.”

Gana, who blamed the non-implementation of the confab report for some of the country’s escalating agitations and disunity, said Nigerians were better off as a people and a country if they worked together.

Gana, who spoke during a thanksgiving ceremony to mark the 90th anniversary of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Worldwide on Sunday in Uvwiamuge, Agbarho, Delta State, said there would be no peace in any country without justice and fairness.

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The elder statesman, on the other hand, stated that he did not share the emotions of those who advocated for the country’s division, noting that he strongly believed in a unified Nigeria where justice and fairness were delivered to all, regardless of political or religious affiliations.

“We in Nigeria’s middlebelt are big believers in peace, justice, and fairness. In 2014, the previous administration held a national conference at which we agreed on some basic principles to ensure justice and fairness. Unfortunately, when this regime took power, they made a huge error. That is the issue: they never touched that report.

“That is why we are now recommending that we begin that conversation.” We should communicate with one another and assure one another of justice and fairness, because there can be no peace without equity. We can’t be united unless we have equity. Let me make a plea to the federal government to promote peace, justice, and equity. Let me also make the case to those who are agitating that being united has immense strength. Let us not try to disperse and divide Nigeria. “It’s better for us to be together,” he added.

He congratulated the Urhobo Nation on the UPU’s 90th anniversary, emphasizing that Urhobo people had played a key role in maintaining and strengthening Nigeria’s unity.

The former minister previously stated that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will be thrown out of office in 2023 because it had committed several human rights violations, and that Nigerians were fed up with their leaders.

Gana made the remarks during a speech titled “Raising 21st Century Leaders for Nigeria” at the Youth Arise Conference 2021 in Effurun, Delta State, near Warri.

Advocates for a Paradigm Shift in Governance organized the Youth Arise Nigeria Conference, which drew a big crowd from both within and outside the Delta.

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Deacon Chris Iyowaye, Hon. Gibson Akporehe, Phillip Adu-Odogwu, Cogent Owhe, and Lady E Ejiro Umukoro were among them, with the goal of raising civic and political consciousness among youths in terms of how they engage governance, obtain their PVC as a civic duty while volunteering and investing their time in being useful citizens rather than being purchaseable electorate.