Television Nigerian

Appeals to govt to off-take already produced eggs

By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja

Poultry farmers under the auspices of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, PAN, Tuesday, want to be exempted from restriction of movement declared by the government as part of lockdown measures to curtail the spread of Coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic in the country.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Director-General, PAN, Dr. Onallo Akpa, while commending the government’s efforts to stop the spread of the virus, but raised grave concerns over the current state of the poultry industry.

According to the statement, is an association and authentic body of poultry producers and allied businesses with membership in excess of over five million, the poultry industry has so far recorded a rare success story in the commercialization and modernization of agriculture in Nigeria, which the industry contributes about 27 per cent of the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (AGDP) of the Nigeria economy that had provided about 20 million direct and indirect employment to Nigerians.

The statement also added that the industry currently provides the cheapest and safest sources of animal protein including eggs and meat to over 200 million Nigerians, and the fact that the poultry industry in Nigeria is worth over N10 trillion, the industry also plays a critical role in food security of the nation, therefore all hands must be on deck to ensure that there are no deliberate or omission collateral damages to achievements recorded in the poultry industry in the last 20 years.

READ ALSO: COVID 19: Bauchi govt imposes 14 days lockdown

However, the association also shared the pains, agonies, and frustrations occasioned by COVID-19 and appreciated efforts of the Federal, States and Local Government authorities on handling the virus so far.

The statement reads in part, “In furtherance of all concerted efforts by the Government to tackle the menace of the dreaded COVID-19 epidemic in the country of which the members of the Association are in support of, we want to unequivocally appeal to Government to look at and implement the following resolutions to assist address the present problems confronting the poultry industry in the country.

“The removal of all restrictions on interstate movement of vehicles by the various states Government for the transportation of all essential items for the production of poultry: Maize, soya-bean, poultry products, wheat offals and poultry feeds of all types. Also very essential are Day old chicks (Docs), Eggs, frozen chicken, drugs and all other essential food that are either meant for poultry or the livestock value chain entirely. This was reinforced in Mr. President’s address to the nation.

“The situation of the markets for poultry products is not stable at the moment despite the fact that Eggs and poultry meat are needed daily by all Nigerians. A lot of table eggs produced are not being sold because of the absence of economic and social activities and the closure of schools. We appeal to the Government to consider buying up eggs from poultry farmers for distribution to the vulnerable population of old people and the sick that might likely come down with the COVID-19.

“We advise that the necessary Ministries and organs of Government should be mandated to work with the Association at all levels to make the above possible.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: LASG rules out use Rapid Test Kits

“That all poultry farm workers should be exempted from the movement restriction as there is a relationship between food-producing companies and farms that are considered system relevant with other infrastructural sectors that are tightly connected, and without which the food supply chain cannot work. We, therefore, solicit that all farm workers and personnel with valid means of identification should be allowed to go to their work since they are dealing with living animals.”

According to the statement since Nigeria is a Federation where the State Governors have the competences of authority to restrict movements of people, goods, and services, they, therefore, “Appeal for a well-coordinated approach to be managed by the Governors Forum in conjunction with all critical stakeholders forming both internal and external crisis Committees that will ease and smoothen the various regulations that tend to stifle what all we try to salvage.”

The statement also disclosed that the association solicits for the launching of massive media campaigns to be coordinated by the National Orientation Agency, NOA, to highlight the relevance of food and the right to food by all Nigerians.

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Senior US scientist Dr. Anthony Fauci issued a cautious prediction Sunday that the novel coronavirus could claim as many as 200,000 lives in the United States, as state and local officials described increasingly desperate shortages in hard-pressed hospitals.

And with stress, uncertainty and exhaustion rising across the country, House speaker Nancy Pelosi squarely blamed President Donald Trump for unnecessary loss of life by initially playing down the pandemic.

“His denial at the beginning was deadly,” she told CNN’s “State of the Union.” She added, “Don’t fiddle while people die, Mr. President.”

Dr. Fauci, who leads research into infectious diseases at the National Institutes of Health, played down worst-case predictions of one million or more deaths, instead offering a rough estimate of 100,000 to 200,000 deaths and “millions of cases.”

But Fauci, a leading member of Trump’s coronavirus task force and for many Americans a comforting voice of authority, quickly added, “I don’t want to be held to that … It’s such a moving target that you can so easily be wrong and mislead people.”

By way of comparison, a US flu epidemic in 2018-19 killed 34,000 people.

COVID-19 has hit the US with explosive force in recent weeks, following a path seen earlier in parts of Asia and Europe.

It took a month for the US to move from its first confirmed death, on February 29, to its 1,000th. But in two days this week that number doubled, to nearly 2,200 on Sunday. The case total of 124,763 — as tallied by Johns Hopkins University — is the world’s highest.

“This is the way pandemics work, and that’s why we all are deeply concerned and why we have been raising the alert,” Dr. Deborah Birx, the response coordinator for the White House task force, said Sunday on NBC.

“No state, no metro area will be spared.”

– ‘A sharp escalation ahead’ –


In the US, the epicenter has been New York City, with 672 deaths so far. Hospital staff have issued desperate pleas for more protective equipment.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday that his city’s hospitals have enough protective equipment for only another week. He said he had made a direct request to Trump and the US military “to find us immediately more military medical personnel and get them here by next Sunday.”

READ ALSO: Covid-19: We’ll keep filling stations open, away from fuel scarcity – IPMAN assures residents

De Blasio credited federal officials with being “very responsive,” but added, “we’re talking about a sharp escalation ahead.”

New York governor Andrew Cuomo said the statewide death toll had risen to 965 from 728 a day earlier — its largest one-day jump yet — and he extended by two weeks an order for nonessential state employees to continue working from home.

Early Saturday, Trump had floated the idea of a “quarantine” for New York and two neighboring states, but when state officials and health experts questioned the idea — which Cuomo derided as “preposterous” and “a declaration of war on the states” — the president dropped it.

Instead, the federal Centers for Disease Control issued an advisory urging people in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to avoid non-essential domestic travel.

In Washington state, where the disease first struck with force, Governor Jay Inslee described “a desperate need for all kinds of equipment.” He said the nation needed to be put on an essentially wartime footing.

Inslee pushed back against the notion, advocated earlier by Trump, that the country could begin returning to work by Easter, which is April 12.

“There are some hard realities we have to understand,” he said on CNN. “Unless we continue a very vigorous social distancing program in my state, this will continue to spread like wildfire.”

– ‘Worse by the minute’ –


Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan also described a deteriorating picture, especially in her state’s largest city, Detroit.

“We had a thousand new cases yesterday,” she said. “We know that number will be even higher today … The dire situation in Detroit is getting worse by the minute.”

Whitmer bemoaned a system that has states competing against one another for desperately needed supplies.

“We’re bidding against one another, and in some cases the federal government is taking priority,” she said.

“It’s really, I think, creating a lot more problems for all of us.”

Pelosi said earlier that Trump’s “continued delay in getting equipment to where it’s needed is deadly.”

Dr. Birx, the task force coordinator, declined to say what her recommendation would be to the president in the next few days about an eventual easing of work and travel restrictions, but she offered this advice:

“Every metro area should assume that they could have an outbreak equivalent to New York, and do everything right now to prevent it.”

VANGUARD

.To issue clearer restriction guidelines on essential duty staff

.NCDC to test 1500 days per day by next week

.Newspaper Vendors exempted from restriction, FG tells Security Agencies

.Moves to decongest Custodial Centres as Kaduna inmates riot

Ehanire

By Omeiza Ajayi & Idirisu Yakubu

The Federal Government has announced that more Nigerians who are victims of the Novel Coronavirus disease COVID-19 would soon be released once all their results turn out negative.

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire disclosed this Tuesday during a media interface by the Presidential Taskforce PTF on Covid-19.

Ehanire said; “As of today we have recorded 135 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Nigeria. The majority of persons are from overseas and others were traced as their close contacts.

“The incidence of new cases into Nigeria as a result of the closure of the airports and the land borders will reduce the number of importations so that we shall be dealing largely with those which have already been brought into the country and are being transmitted from person. to person.

“Five persons have been discharged and sent home. Nigeria has unfortunately recorded two fatalities and both of them had underlying illnesses.

“Persons with fever and cough or shortness of breath and other symptoms in the areas of high Covid-19 prevalence in Nigeria can be tested for the disease. More laboratories will join the network for molecular diagnosis for Covid-19 in Kaduna, Kano, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt and Sokoto.

“I want to emphasize that testing is at no cost to anyone in the public and only results from any of the accredited molecular laboratories are recognised.

“There are some (patients) that are due to be discharged. Quite a few are due but the protocol is that they must test negative twice within 24 or 48 hours and if they do not test negative twice they are held back. Treatment normally takes a month or between three to five weeks depending on how your body responds”, he added.

Reviewing restriction guidelines

Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha said the government was reviewing its guidelines in respect of the 14-day lockdown of the nation’s capital, Abuja as well as Lagos and Ogun states.

The SGF said; “Today, we have just begun the first day of restrictions in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja. We are observing developments around the country as we receive reports.

READ ALSO: Nigeria discharges five coronavirus patients in Lagos

“The PTF has however met with the Security Chiefs to smoothen the rough edges of implementation and within the first day of implementation and an appropriate restriction protocol and exemption guidelines will be issued.

“Initial feedback is that there are violations of restrictions by the citizens that we desire to protect. Let me emphasize that the decision to lockdown is to prevent community spread which may be dangerous to manage. It can only be done by Nigerians and for Nigerians”, he declared.

Newspaper Vendors exempted

Mustapha reminded security agencies that the media including newspaper vendors are exempted from the restrictions, saying the president’s speech was clear on that. “I used to have a friend who was the Chairman of the Newspaper vendors association amd they have their identities. Provided they can establish that that is their trade, and of course a vendor cannot operate from his house, he has to be on the streets to distribute the papers, I believe Paragraph 41 of Mr President’s speech adequately covers that”.

Epidemiological Update

Speaking on the epidemiological situation in the country, Director General of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control NCDC, Dr Chikwe Iheakwazu said the country was still at a point where it feels it can identify all those affected hence the decision to lockdown Abuja and two other states.

“This is a tedious process, we are following up about 5000 contacts across the country. The focus of all our efforts is to increase and improve on our testing capability. As at last week, we were testing about 500 per day and by the end of this week we will be testing a thousand per day. By next week, we plan to take it to 1, 500 just by increasing the number of laboratories and also increasing capacity of the laboratories that we have”, he said.

Also speaking, Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika said Nigerians should not be worried when they see certain flights come into they country, explaining that there are exemptions on flight restriction.

He said; “certain flights that are considered to be essential will continue to happen. So Nigerians will continue to see aircrafts flying but those aircrafts are qualified. Aircrafts in distress or technical stop are allowed; medical evacuation and essential cargo, as well as certain diplomatic flights and humanitarian items, are allowed. Security flights are allowed. And we have set out protocols for each of these flights”

On her part, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Farouk said the school feeding programme would continue as earlier announced by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Relief materials are being deployed in the affected states. The food items would be deployed from the general grain reserves across the country and it would take at least 24hours to reach the target audience.

“On school feeding, it is the directive of the president that we continue with it. We are exploring different options either by way of food packs or providing them the food items. We will do a web conferencing with state governors to agree on modalities”, she said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Enyeama said the ministry is in touch with all its embassies across the world to evacuate Nigerians whenever the need arises.

He said; “We are in touch with our embassies in all the countries around the world. So if there are those who want to be evacuated it has to be done within the framework of the embassies. As of now, we have not had any request from any of our embassies indicating any significant number of Nigerians wanging to be evacuated.l but certainly of we recieve any communication from our embassies, we will take that into consideration”, he added.

Kaduna inmates riot

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola also announced that the federal government was taking measures to decongest the prison, explaining that condemned inmates at the Kaduna Custodial Centre had gone rioting on the false assumption that government had sanctioned their release from jail.

“Long before now we had taken measures to ensure a very high level of hygiene at the Custodial Centres which to a large extent will minimise any basis for infection or contamination. But with the outbreak of this pandemic, I had a meeting with the Attorney General of the Federation and the Chairman of Presidential Taskforce on Prisons Decongestion and we all agreed that we should propose to the president some measures that will relieve the Custodial Centres and I am happy to announce to Nigerians that the President has approved our recommendations on measures to take to bring relief to some of the overburdened Custodial Centres which we are going to work upon very soon.

“Let me throw some light on developments at the Custodial Centre in Kaduna. The inmates at the condemned section of Kaduna Custodial Centre, on the misinformation circulated on the social media on the false amnesty granted to some sets of prisoners began a mutiny, which I will call a riot. I want to assure Nigerians that we have put it under control. We have sent circulars round the custodial centres in Nigeria to tell the managers and the inmates that the information is fake and false and that we are working on appropriate measures to decongest the Custodial Centres”, he added.

Vanguard Nigeria News

President Muhammadu Buhari

By David Odama – Lafia

The payment of the ten thousand naira conditional cash transfer programme of the federal government is to commence  1st April, 2020 in Nasarawa State.

The state Governor,  Abdullahi   Sule stated  this during a meeting with the state distribution committee in Government House Lafia, Tuesday.

Governor Sule  said the credibility and confidence reposed in the state by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Services and Disaster Management can not be geoperdized adding that all precautions and preventive measures against the spread of COVID 19 must be adhered to in order to keep the state safe.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Nigeria testing about 500 people per day ―NCDC DG

“ The payment of 10,000 naira each to beneficiaries of this programme in the state will commence tomorrow in six local governments “ Gov Sule said.

According to the  governor, the state is in the process of procuring food stuff and other essentials that will  cushion  the hardship faced by the people at this trying moment and also protect the people against the Coronavirus pandemic.

Governor Sule  however assured that every kobo donated as support for the fight against COVID 19 will be judiciously used for the purpose it’s meant.

Speaking separately, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Comrade Dogo  Shammah and that of Local Government and Community Development,  Aliyu Turaki maintained that government at the federal and state levels are aware of the plight of the people at this moment and are doing everything possible to support the masses.

According to the Commissioners, all arrangements have been concluded for the distribution exercise in the affected local governments.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: 12-year-old girl becomes Europe’s youngest known fatality

Commissioners, House of Assembly members, Local Government Chairmen, and Councillors from the affected areas are to be part of the exercise.

On his part, the ALGON Chairman and Chairman of Lafia Local Government, Aminu Muazu Maifata said all security arrangements have been concluded to ensure a hitch free distribution of the support fund to the beneficiaries.

Maifata added that  they have mobilized health personnel and the COVID-19 committees at the local government levels to work with the distribution team in order to ensure a safe and smooth exercise.

In his contribution, the SSA to the Governor on Humanitarian Service and the state Focal Person, Imran Jibrin, expressed appreciation to the state Governor for his support in ensuring the success of the exercise which is targeted at assisting the most vulnerable in the society.

Imran Jibrin stressed that in line with the social distancing put in place as a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the exercise is arranged in a way that the beneficiaries will be paid in batches of 25 people each.

“In each of the 38 payment units in the 6 affected local governments, there will be 10 pay points that will pay simultaneously in order to hasten the process and ensure transparency “. Imran added

The affected local governments in Nasarawa State are Lafia, Awe, Wamba, Akwanga, Kokona and Nasarawa local governments.

vanguard

Ogun State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, on Tuesday, confirmed a new case of the coronavirus in the state.

Coker, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Abeokuta, said the new case is a 30-year-old female from Sagamu area of the state.

The commissioner said two of the four cases in Ogun have been discharged while 72 contacts were being monitored.

This brings the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state to four.

She said: “Last night we had a new confirmed positive case of COVID-19 who is a 30-year-old female and contact of the third case.

“So far in Ogun State, we have run 68 tests of which four are positive.

“The four positives are actually two clusters. The second case is the contact of the first. And the fourth case is the contact of the third.

“As I said, we ran 68 tests, four positives, 58 negatives. Six are, however, pending.

• READ ALSO: COVID-19: Nigeria testing about 500 people per day ―NCDC DG

“We also have 112 contact tracing of individuals of which 40 have completed their 14 days follow-up.

“We are currently, and actively, following 72 cases.”

According to the commissioner, the state currently has 24 ventilators, comprising 14 ready-for-use and 10 other pieces for back-up.

She decried the harmful and unsafe practices of some people who, she said, were giving their children hand sanitizers to drink.

According to her, there was no evidence or medical support that drinking sanitizers could cure or vaccinate one against coronavirus.

Coker reminded residents to keep observing social distancing rule as well as hand and respiratory hygiene.

She also warned communities against stigmatizing hospitals receiving suspected COVID-19 cases in the state. (NAN)

Vanguard

Malami

By Soni Daniel

abuja—Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has faulted claims by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Ebunolu Adegboruwa, that President Muhammadu Buhari does not have the powers to shut down two states and Federal Capital Territory, FCT in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic currently ravaging the world.

President Buhari had in a nationwide broadcast on Sunday ordered the lockdown of two states of Lagos, Ogun and the FCT in order to reduce the spread of the virus, an action condemned by Adegboruwa, as illegal, since in his argument the President does not have the authority to do so without the approval of the National Assembly.

But Malami disagreed with Adegboruwa yesterday, saying the legal practitioner was wrong by misconstruing the law regarding the community reading of Section 5, 14, 20 and 45 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Section 2, 6 and 8 of the Quarantine Act and Article 4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 11 on Human and Peoples Right which make the declaration by the President, valid, legal and enforceable.

In a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists, the AGF said it was wrong for the senior lawyer to accuse the President of committing any infraction of the law without stating the law breached by the President.

He said contrary to Adegboruwa’s argument, Buhari did not declare any state of emergency in his broadcast and as such did not commit any offence as alleged by the lawyer.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Buhari commends Tinubu, Adenuga, Offor, ‘public-spirited’ donors

Malami said: “It is important to inform the discerning members of the public that the President did not make a declaration of a State of Emergency under Section 305(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which would have required the concurrence of both houses of the National Assembly. Even at that Section 305(6)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) permits a proclamation of a State of Emergency to run for a period of 10 days without the approval of the National Assembly when the parliament is not in session as in the present situation wherein the National Assembly has shut down.

“The learned silk also goofed when he questioned the President’s powers to restrict movement, claiming that such powers can only be exercised by the governors and the respective State Assemblies. It is clear from the President’s broadcast that what he sought to address is a public emergency occasioned by a dangerous and infectious coronavirus disease. The restriction of movement came on the heels of advice received by the President from the Federal Ministry of Health and the NCDC, the two focal agencies in the fight against COVID-19.”

Vanguard

LAGOS — THE Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, has condemned in strong terms Sunday’s harassment of drivers of newspapers distribution vans by overzealous security agents in some states.

The NGE in a statement signed by the National President, Mustapha Isah, and General Secretary, Mary Atolagbe, said: ”It should be noted that the media is a strategic partner in national affairs, with the Constitutional mandate of providing information to the populace.

”The body of Editors, hereby, restates that media personnel are rendering essential services and journalists should be commended for carrying out their constitutional mandate of sourcing stories and monitoring compliance with government directives in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world, instead of being harassed.

“The Guild, therefore, implores state governments that have declared one form of lockdown or the other, being measures to contain the spread of COVID-19, to appropriately educate the security agents drafted to enforce the restrictions, on the essential nature of media duties.

READ ALSO: 11 establishments exempted from total lockdown in Lagos, Abuja, Ogun

“The body of Editors recalls that President Muhammad Buhari’s statement in a nationwide broadcast, permits workers of telecommunications companies, broadcasting, print and electronic media, who can prove they are unable to work from home’’ as being exempted from the total lockdown in Lagos, Ogun, and the Federal Capital Territory.

“‘The Guild is worried that some security agents, who may not be sufficiently knowledgeable about the operations of media houses,may find it difficult to determine the categories of print and electronic staff who cannot work from home.

“In the light of this potential friction, the Guild is calling on the Nigerian Government to exempt all categories of media staff from the COVID-19 Stay-at-home restrictions and hereby enjoins journalists to carry their means of identification as they undertake their duties, to eliminate the chances of being harassed by security operatives.

”The Guild commends the Federal and State governments for the measures put in place to contain the deadly Corona Virus and also applauds government’s pledge of palliative measures for the most vulnerable in the society during this period of lockdown, especially those who survive on daily income.“”The body of Editors also salutes the tireless efforts of our medical personnel, who have continued to put their lives on the line, as the world battles the monstrous COVID-19 pandemic.“

”The Guild also notes however, that Nigeria cannot afford a total lockdown at this time. People should be allowed to move within their neighbourhoods to access Pharmacies, fuel stations and other basic needs. We urge all journalistsand other personnel on essential services to adhere strictly to the prescribed precautionary measures against COVID-19 and continue to stay safe in the course of their duties.”

Vanguard

President Muhammadu Buhari

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari eventually made the long-awaited national broadcast outlining the Federal Government’s broad policy direction in tackling the Coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria on Sunday, March 29, 2020.

Unlike the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who apologised to his compatriots for ordering a shutdown that hit the poor very hard, Buhari shook off criticisms, insisting that measures taken were tailored to reflect our local peculiarities and relying strongly on the guidance of medical professionals.

Recalling measures taken so far, such as healthcare initiatives, fiscal and monetary policies as well as security responses, he added: “Our focus, therefore, remains to urgently and drastically contain these cases and to support other states (apart from Lagos and Abuja) and regions in the best way we can”.

The highpoint of the broadcast was the order for a total shutdown of Lagos, Abuja and Ogun States, which are the epicentres of the pandemic in Nigeria for 14 days to avoid a doomsday scenario where infection rate gets out of hand.

We rate the President’s broadcast above average and regret that it did not come early enough. Governments all over the world see this pandemic as “an invisible enemy”. It is with war-footing that most of them are confronting the scourge, with the Commanders-in-Chief taking full charge, even when some of them, such as Premier Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom, tested positive and had to self-isolate.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: CBN suspends cheque clearing

An early broadcast and daily briefing from the highest political authority in the country would have served in better galvanising Nigerians and governments at all levels to face this challenge in the manner that China did and conquered it. Because of this laid-back attitude many Nigerians have not yet fully come on board. They have not seen the danger for what it is. Even some governors are still handling this danger with superstitious misapprehension.

That bit about the continuation of the school feeding programme had no place in the broadcast. All schools are closed nationwide. Can there be school feeding without pupils? Can we have school feeding while at the same time asking people to stay at home and maintain social distancing?

These reservations notwithstanding, however, we commend the Federal Government, especially the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire and the Director-General of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, some of the governors, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, our frontline billionaires and others who have demonstrated leadership and patriotism in this fight. We must all join hands.

We commend the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for his humility in queuing behind the President’s lock-down of Lagos even after opting for a partial lock-down. It is for the good of everyone.

We hope that every effort will be made to provide succour to the poorer and needier sections of the Nigerian populace to ensure hunger does not kill more people than the pandemic.

VANGUARD