Local Benin City Edo news, Nigeria
Edo, Oyo, Bauchi, Others Lament Poor Compliance With COVID-19 Protocols As Vaccination Kicks Off
Anumber of states, including Edo, Osun, Bauchi, Oyo, Zamfara and Cross River have expressed frustration at the poor compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols by their people.
According to the Punch, the various state governments said this had led to the increased number of COVID-19 cases recorded by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
This was as the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, received their first COVID-19 vaccine shots on Saturday in Abuja.
Dr Cyprian Ngon of the National Hospital Abuja had become the first Nigerian to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria on Friday.
Nearly four million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Abuja on March 2. The shipment was said to be the third and largest delivery to be made by the global COVAX initiative, which was created to ensure that low- and middle-income countries have fair access to doses.
In Edo State, the COVID-19 Incident Manager, Dr Andrew Obi, while speaking with journalists in Benin City, the state capital, said it was discouraging that residents were refusing to comply with the government’s directive to tackle infection spread.
“It is quite discouraging that while the government steps up measures to protect residents against this deadly virus, some recalcitrant members of society have disregarded these orders, thereby endangering the lives of others,” Obi said.
He appealed to the people to complement the state government’s efforts at curbing the community spread of the virus by complying with the government’s COVID-19 protocols.
“We call on all residents to adhere to the compulsory use of face masks and other precautionary measures against the spread of the coronavirus as the government alone cannot win this battle,” he said.
In a similar vein, the Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Saturday decried poor compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols, urging the people of the state to adhere to them.
Oyetola said this at the special prayer session to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his late mother, Alhaja Wulaimot Oyetola, held at the deceased’s residence at Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area of the state.
“I am using this occasion to appeal to our people to take COVID-19 protocols more seriously than before and stop insinuating that the virus has been eliminated.
“As we can see and hear, the second wave is deadlier, hence the need for all to adhere strictly to all the safety protocols and guidelines,” he said.
The governor described his late mother as a woman of virtue and an epitome of womanhood, adding that he was what he was today because of his parents’ teachings.
Also, in Bauchi State, the Chairman of the state Task Force on COVID-19, Dr Rilwan Mohammed, expressed worry about the people’s refusal to adhere to COVID-19 protocols.
He advised that people should not see the availability of vaccines as a reason to defy the protocols.
Mohammed, who is also the Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, said, “I don’t know why people are refusing to adhere to the protocols even with the fact that we are currently having a second wave of the pandemic.
“Children are already being infected in the second wave. The people should take COVID-19 seriously because it is still deadly.
“People should wear their face masks, use hand sanitisers, observe social distancing, among others. It is unfortunate that many people no longer observe the protocols. If you go to the banks and other crowded places, you will see people without face masks.”
Mohammed said even after receiving vaccination, people should still observe the protocols.
In Zamfara State, the Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Yahaya Kanoma, also asked the people to keep observing the safety protocols despite the discovery of vaccines for the disease.
“People should be very careful and should not discard COVID-19 protocols simply because of the vaccines. Even if one is vaccinated, he or she should not abandon the use of face masks as well as keeping social distancing,” he said.
Similarly, the Incident Manager and Coordinator, COVID-19 Emergency Operations Centre in Oyo State, Dr Taiwo Ladipo, warned about the danger of failing to comply with the protocols, saying that vaccines “are not an absolute guarantee against the virus.”
He said, “The vaccines do not prevent you from getting the virus. What the vaccine does is just to boost your immunity against getting it.
“The vaccine, therefore, is to reduce the severity of the virus. Despite the provision for the vaccine, people should adhere to the COVID-19 protocols such as hand washing, use of sanitisers, social distancing and the use of face masks. These have to be observed even when you take the vaccine shots.”
Also, the Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu, decried poor compliance with COVID-19 protocols, advising the people of the state to keep adhering to the guidelines.
“Nigerians should continue to observe COVID-19 protocols despite the procurement of vaccines as the vaccines do not provide 100 per cent protection.
“The people should continue to use their face masks, hand sanitisers and other non-pharmaceutical interventions until Nigeria attains herd immunity. Even though the vaccine provides immunity, you can still get the virus through the nostril and pass it on to someone else,” she said.
Meanwhile, in preparation for the receipt of vaccines, Edu said the state would spend over N30 million as counterpart funding for the first phase of the vaccine roll-out.
She said, “We should be spending over N30m for the first phase of the rollout, which includes e-training.
“We have built cold stores as part of the funding. We have test-run all our cold chain equipment which are supposed to receive the vaccines, and they are ready to go.”
We Are Brothers, Oshiomhole Says, Embraces Obaseki In Edo
Former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, has described the incumbent governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki, as his brother and friend on Saturday.
The two hitherto political rivals met in Auchi, Edo State, at the Centenary Birthday Thanksgiving of Msgr. Thomas Oleghe and 18th Canonical Erection Anniversary of the Diocese of Auchi.
Obaseki, who exchanged greetings with an elbow-bump in compliance with COVID-19 preventive protocols, with his predecessor, said they are both sons of Edo with the interest of the state at heart.
Obaseki also said he has no personal grudges against the All Progressives Congress's former chairman but only dislikes his politics style, a statement from the governor's office said.
The governor said, "I don't have anything personal against Oshiomhole. I may not like his politics, but he has not done anything personal against me. We all are interacting with the interest of the country and the development of our community at heart."
On his part, Oshiomhole, a guest at the event, hailed his successor, describing him as "his brother and friend".
Oshiomhole said, "Once the governor speaks, the matter ends. The governor knows that pensioners here might not be able to do much; that is why he said every other thing required to complete the hostel of the Catholic School of Nursing and Midwifery in Uzairue, his government will do."
The governor, who was elected on the platform of APC in 2016, was denied the party's ticket for a second term in 2020 due to intra-party wrangling.
He later defected to the Peoples Democratic Party. He defeated Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the APC candidate and the anointed candidate of Oshiomhole and Bola Tinubu in the 2020 Edo State Governorship Election.
BREAKING: Buhari Receives COVID-19 Vaccine In Aso Villa
President Muhammadu Buhari was on Saturday vaccinated against COVID-19.
Buhari was vaccinated by his personal physician at about 11.51 am at a brief ceremony witnessed by top government officials at the New Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The President was the first among the nation's strategic leaders to take the vaccine after some frontline health workers at the National Hospital's treatment centre, Abuja, were vaccinated on Friday.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control had early on Friday cleared the 3.924m doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, which arrived in Nigeria on Tuesday for usage.
Benin City, Edo State Bloody as Cult Engage in War
Bloody Edo : Corpse Litter The Streets Of Benin As Cult Hostilities Intensifies.
Edo State is making the headlines again, this time around for the wrong reasons.
Benin City is currently boiling as cult gangs and hoodlums have taken over major parts of the metropolis unleashing mayhem at innocent citizens.
According to our Correspondent jimoh Ogirima report that, 6 deaths were recorded yesterday alone with the bodies of the victims left on the street for all to see.
This trending video happened yesterday at Textile Mill road in Benin City, the worse aspect is that the people don’t even know what is going on, some say it is the usual crisis between the Black Axe and Eiye confraternity, others say it is an underground gang war meant to cleanse the opposing confraternity.
As at the time of reporting this incidence there is a corpse lying at Benin Lagos Express road opposite Uselu park.
This one happened about 6 am on Saturday which happens to be today.
Some who spoke off camera urged the security agencies to swing into action and bring to book all those behind these dastardly acts.
We ready for diaspora voting – INEC chief
Nigeria’s electoral umpire, INEC, will commence the registration of eligible voters by 2021 ahead of the 2023 general elections, the chairman of the commission, Mahmood Yakubu, has said.
The exercise, which will begin in January, will run for next 18 months – and stop about six months before the elections, he said.
He also said N1 billion has been budgeted for the registration exercise.
Mr Mamood disclosed this in an interview with journalists on Wednesday, shortly after his 2021 budget defence at the Senate.
“For continuous voter registration, the Commission intends to resume voter registration in the first quarter of 2021. And once we resume, it will be continuous for one and half years, at least until six months to the next general election,” he said.
“In other words, the Commission is not going to resume voter registration for a week, two weeks or a month but we are working out the details.”
The INEC boss also disclosed that the commission is ready to “roll out” diaspora voting to enable more eligible Nigerian citizens working in diplomatic missions or those permanently living abroad to vote.
He, however, said it will require amendment of the 2010 Electoral Act by the National Assembly.
“The Commission is desirous of giving Nigerians living abroad the right to vote, after all, all our neighbouring countries do so.
“But it requires the amendment to the constitution and the Electoral Act for that to happen. And we have already worked out the document. Once the law is amended today, we can roll out.
“We are ready. We have had several meetings with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) but we can’t go beyond what the law provides,” he said.
In the same vein, he called for an amendment to the Electoral Act to allow disenfranchised groups to vote. These include journalists, security personnel, INEC staff, among others.
He also sought amendment to allow Nigerians with their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) to vote anywhere they find themselves.
“It’s not just those in the armed services, the police involved in election duty, journalists, INEC adhoc staff and some INEC staff don’t vote. The reason is that you are posted for election duty to places other than where you are registered, and the law says you vote where are registered.
“So, if you pass some amendments to the Electoral Act to enable people to vote, two solution perhaps, early voting, so that those involved in election duty can vote early or major reform of electoral legal framework to allow people to vote wherever they are.”
For 2021, INEC proposed a budget size of N40 billion, which is expected to cover the growing personnel cost; overhead, electoral expenses as well as litigations.
This is even as the INEC boss stated that the commission pays an average of N4.5 million to secure the service of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), a fee he said is based on a payment scale designed by the Ministry of Justice.
While he said INEC has no problem with its budget performance for 2019, the commission ,however ,encountered a few financial challenges in the budget for 2020 as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Mahmood sought the Senate’s approval to take N5.2 billion from a “Special INEC Fund”. This, he said, is to make up for the shortfall.
The INEC Fund is a provision in the Electoral Act 2010 that enables INEC save a percentage of its allocation for emergency duties and rainy days. And no withdrawal has been made from the Special INEC Fund in the last 10 years.
“The Commission cannot be independent unless it is financially independent. There are some activities that happen that are time bound or bound by some specific provisions of the constitution that the Commission has to undertake,” he told journalists.
“So, the fund was established to allow the Commission to discharge those responsibilities. It was established in 2010 but there was no cause to spend from it, and from the last five years this Commission did not spend from it.
“But what has happened now is our budget for 2020 dropped to N40 billion from N45.5 billion in 2019. And as a result of the 10 per cent COVID cut, it further dropped to N36 billion in the middle of the year when we had already made preparation for expenditure, and therefore, since that fund is made for the rainy days, I informed the committee that the rainy day has come. So we are taking part of the fund to balance our budget for this year.”
In his remarks, a member of the committee, Opeyemi Bamidele, said the Senate will address the aspect of its desired reforms ranging from funding for elections to remuneration for INEC staff.
He, thereafter, directed the INEC chairperson to, within the next three months, report back on specific issues that require legislative action and as well as improved salary structure for the commission.
AFCONQ: No fans for Super Eagles, Sierra Leone clash – ministry
The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 have advised the Edo State Government and the Nigeria Football Federation against allowing fans into the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, during the 2021 AFCON qualifier between the Super Eagles and Sierra Leone on November 13.
This is coming after the Edo State Government announced that the gates would be thrown open for fans to watch the game at the refurbished Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.
The ministry said admitting fans into the match venue would amount to a breach of the COVID-19 protocols.
In a letter addressed to the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, the ministry stated that the game “will not have any audience and no gathering”.
The letter read in part, “The ministry wishes to bring to your urgent attention that in compliance with the condition of no gathering agreed upon by the ministry and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 before the Federal Government opened up football and contacts sports, the match between Nigeria and Sierra Leone will not have any audience and no gathering save for players, match officials and government officials from both countries. “Testings must be conducted on all of them prior to the match.”
The ministry added, “The no gathering, no audience for football and contact sports is still in force, which means there shall be no gathering for the Nigerian vs Sierra Leone match, as any violation of this condition may lead to a rollback of the opening up of football and contact sports in the country.
“The PTF and the ministry are on the same page on this matter and the protocol for clearances rests with both the ministry and the PTF when it comes to staging any sports event in Nigeria.
“Full compliance with COVID-19 protocols is to be enforced.
“The PTF is worried about a spike following the second wave of Covid-19 and is considering another lockdown.”
