The Former Governor Of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi Is Dead
The former governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, is dead. The 70-year-old, who had been on a life support machine since last Friday at First Cardiology Hospital in Ikoyi, Lagos, after slipping into a coma following Coronavirus complications, finally died on Thursday, according to findings by SaharaReporters which confirmed to PurpleWorld. Those projections came true on Thursday as the ex-governor finally succumbed to the virus that has also killed several prominent Nigerians including late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, who was also treated for the disease at First Cardiology Hospital until he died. On Monday, a reliable source close to the ex-governor had told SaharaReporters that Ajimobi had been on life support machine after he slipped into a deep coma and may not make any recovery going by the observations of medical experts around him. The source further disclosed that the former Oyo governor had a lung surgery since being rushed to the Lagos hospital but made no progress while his kidneys had also failed. Doctors treating Ajimobi, it was reliably gathered, last Friday informed his family that his situation had defied every medical intervention and that only a miracle could bring him back to life.
COVID-19: UCH denies receiving N118m from Oyo govt
The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has debunked the claim by the Oyo State Government that it gave the hospital N118 million to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
The spokesman of UCH, Mr Toye Akinrinlola, refuted the claim in a statement issued on Tuesday in Ibadan.
“The attention of the management of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has been drawn to the content of a press release from the Oyo State Government that the sum of N118 million was given to the hospital to fight against the COVID 19 pandemic.
“The press release quoted the Oyo State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Akinola Ojo, as saying the said amount was released to UCH.
“We contacted some officials of Oyo State for clarification on this, but it seems there is a misunderstanding in the difference between the College of Medicine of the University of Ibadan and the University College Hospital Ibadan.
“It, therefore, behoves the management of the UCH to put the record straight. “We hereby state emphatically that the University College Hospital, Ibadan, did not and has not received any monetary donation from the Oyo State Government,” he said. Akinrinlola said that the only aid the hospital had received from the state government in the fight against the pandemic was 250 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
He said that all services rendered by the hospital against the dreaded virus were strictly humanitarian.
“The Chief Medical Director of the UCH is a member of the Oyo State COVID 19 Taskforce.
“He should know if any money was given to UCH outside the 250 pieces of the PPE given to the hospital.
“All other services rendered to Oyo State by UCH have been strictly humanitarian and no financial benefits have accrued to the hospital.
“The UCH has been able to cope with the rigours of the pandemic through donations from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) which is an organ of the Federal Government; some corporate bodies, well-meaning Nigerians, alumni associations of the hospital, staff and students of the hospital.
“I, therefore, wish to say once again that the UCH is not in receipt of any N118million as claimed by the Oyo State Government,” the spokesman said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oyo State Government had on Monday told newsmen that it had spent N2.77 billion in the ongoing fight against the pandemic.
All Schools must have Isolation Centers before Resumption – FG
Nigeria Educational sector still on the fence on the agenda of Resumption. While the Parent and students across the nation roar out like a lion about the future if the Students, despite Government proposal for Resumption. The Federal Ministry of Education has proposed a mandate that schools must create isolation spaces before reopening. This was filed in the documents proposed Guidelines for schools and learning facilities reopening after COVID-19 pandemic closure’, They have also been mandated to “establish a referral system, including protocols and procedures to take if learners, teachers, administrators, and other education personnel become unwell while in schools”. Proprietors of schools have also been asked to seek grants to procure soaps and buckets, ensure regular safe water supply, ensure constant supply of learning and instructional materials and pay salaries on time.
Lady excited as Rema announces to go on a date with her
Young Nigerian singer Rema has finally revealed the identity of the lucky female fan he would be taking out on a date in Lagos.
The award winning singer shared a beautiful photo of the young lady on his official Instagram page urging her to get ready for their date.
Recall, a few days ago, the ‘Dumebi’ crooner took to his social media page to announce his plans about spending a day with a special female fan based in Lagos.
He asked his female fans to link up with him as he is ready to shower money on them. However, he noted that the condition to be chosen was to tag him on their stories vibing to one of his songs called Ginger Me.
As soon as he made the announcement, die-hard female fans of the singer got to work and started tagging him to their Instagram stories.
Apparently, Nimie was the only person who impressed the singer as he announced that she would be the one going on the date with him.
Isokpan Wins Edo AAC Governorship Primary Election
Edith Isokpan has been declared winner of the governorship primary election of the African Action Congress in Edo State. Isokpan won after polling a total votes of 162 to beat Uyi Osunde, who polled 12 votes in the contest held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, the state capital. The National Working Committee of the AAC led by Comrade Ken Henshaw, represented by Mr Kunle Wiseman Ajayi, declared Isokpan winner at the end of the exercise.
The task force, which rose from a two-and-a-half-hours meeting on Monday, reviewed the state of preparedness of the schools ahead of the planned resumption.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr Taiwo Adisa, said that the Commissioner for Education, Olasunkanmi Olaleye and experts from the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), had been going round the schools to determine compliance with the COVID-19 prevention protocols put in place by the schools.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Education had earlier raised the alarm over the decision of the Oyo State government to reopen its primary and secondary schools.
Minister of State for Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, who expressed the concern while briefing members of the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education on his ministry’s plans for pupils who had been forced to stay at home on account of the COVID-19, said: “Why is Oyo State government, which is currently battling with an increase case of coronavirus, eager to open the gates of its schools when its neighbouring states are employing caution.”
The minister spoke while reacting to a question from the representative of Oyo South, Lekan Balogun, who wanted to know the views of the Federal Government on the decision of his state to reopen the schools.
However, the Oyo State government yesterday said that it had expended a little above N2.7 billion so far in its fight against coronavirus in the state.The state’s Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinola Ojo, who disclosed this shortly after the weekly State Executive Council meeting in Ibadan, said the total donation, including cash and material items, was N1.177 billion while total cash received as donations into the state COVID-19 endowment fund stands at N378 million, adding that the total amount expended on palliative sits at N900 million.
Covid19: Oyo govt gives account of donation, spending
The government of Oyo State said on Tuesday that it has so far spent the sum of Two Billion, Seven Hundred and Seventy-Nine Million (N2,779,000,000) on the effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in the state. The state’s COVID-19 Task Force, which gave the account through the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akinola Ojo, said that the amount was spent on setting up of treatment and isolation centres, procurement of palliatives and seedlings for a section of the residents and farmers as well as on procurement of ambulances and the security of the state’s borders, among others. A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that Akinola stated these while briefing the press at the Governor’s Office, Agodi Ibadan. He maintained that the state considered it imperative to inform the public on the expenses on the pandemic in line with the principle of transparency and accountability, which he said Governor Makinde is known for. The commissioner gave the breakdown of the expenses as including: N370 million for the setting up of the Infectious Disease Centre, Olodo, Ibadan; N453 million on security of the state borders; N118 million to provide support for the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan for partnership on testing; N900 million on provision of palliatives and seedling to residents and farmers. He added that N321 million was expended on procurement of ambulances for the Ministry of Health while the state has also expended N614 million so far on the procurement of reagents, body kits, drugs and other items for testing and treatment of patients. “In terms of the cost of treatment, if you remember when I gave the breakdown, I said we spent N614 million on other items, which were consumables, such as reagents and body kits and others for patients.” The commissioner, who stated that the state has approved a total of N15,000 per health worker as hazard allowance added that the allowance would be paid from March 2020. While asking questions as to why journalists were not classified as frontline workers, he stated that the state would look into the quest and ensure that journalists also benefit from the palliatives. The Commissioner, on behalf of Governor Makinde, appreciated all residents of the state and well-meaning individuals who have made donations in cash and materials to support the State’s endowment fund on COVID-19. According to him, the endowment fund so far has realised the sum of N378 million in cash donations, while the total value of cash and kind donations stand at N1.1 billion. Other donations according to him included the N250 million in cash and medical equipment received from CACOVID and donations of medical equipment from corporate organisations, groups and individuals. He, however, stated that though the state was promised the sum of N100 million by the Federal Government, it was yet to receive the money from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). According to him, the state was yet to touch the donated cash of N378 million, adding that the funds spent so far are from the coffers of Oyo State. He also stated that the government would give a full account when the funds donated by well-meaning individuals would be disbursed. The Commissioner said: “In line with the principle of transparency and accountability, which the administration of Engineer Seyi Makinde is known for, it is imperative, especially at this time, that we inform the good people of Oyo State on the amount we have realised so far by your contributions and the expenses incurred in the fight against the global enemy, COVID-19. “Oyo State recorded its first index case on March 20, 2020. The COVID-19 Task Force, headed by Governor Makinde, was constituted for partnership. As of today, we have received a cash donation totalling N378 million from the citizens of Oyo State, well-meaning Nigerians and corporate organisations. I must appreciate all of you who have donated. “These donations are publicly available on Oyo State government website and they are regularly updated. “In terms of expenses and the breakdown, as a state and, as of today, we have spent N2,779,000,000. A breakdown of these expenses shows that we have spent N900 million to provide for palliatives to the indigent amongst us and also provide palliatives to the farmers in the form of seedlings. “The plan of the governor is to set up four world class isolation centres across the regions of the state. And this, without doubt, has come with a cost. We have set up the Olodo Isolation Centre, which is a word class facility. We are in the process of setting up isolation centres in Saki, Ogbomoso and Igbo Ora. All we need to actualise these has been set aside and included in the cost of roughly N2.8billion that has been spent this far. “We have also been able to provide security by securing the state borders, which has cost us N450 million. We provided security trucks and the cost of personnel. “I must say that health workers have not been neglected because they are the frontline staff who are fighting against this virus. So, we have been able to pay their volunteer and hazard allowances in June and backdated to March. We are going to pay the hazard allowance of all the health workers from March up until June. So, this just gives you a brief analysis of how much we have spent so far on COVID-19 pandemic in Oyo State. “On Olodo, we spent a total of N370 million, which forms part of the cost we spent in upgrading the centre and also the personnel cost incurred so far. We have also spent N453 million on security of the state borders. We have spent another N118 million in supporting UCH, a partner that is supporting us in testing coronavirus patients. We spent an additional N900 million on palliatives and for provision of seedling to farmers that were affected. “We have spent N321 million in buying ambulances for the Ministry of Health to support the fight. On other items like supply of reagents, body kits, we have spent a total of N614 million. If you have all that up, it will give you a total of N2,779,000,000.”
Nigerian Soldier Arrested After Making Video Saying Buratai, Service Chiefs Have Failed Nigerians
The soldier was arrested on the orders of Buratai, sources revealed. According to the source, the soldier was picked by senior military officers, who said they were acting based on an “order from above”. Lance Corporal Martins berated the security chiefs of Nigeria for deliberately not acting to stop the incessant killings of Nigerians by terrorists and armed bandits. In the 12-minute video, the soldier expressed his anger at the security chiefs especially Buratai, and Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, for not being committed to end the incessant killings of Nigerians by terrorists and armed bandits.
He revealed how the military ordered the illegal detention of some soldiers, who demanded better weapons and ammunition to combat Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in the country. He stated that though he might be arrested and probably killed for the video, he is ready to sacrifice himself for the country.
The Federal Government has submitted the proposed guidelines for the reopening of schools across the country to the National Assembly. The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba made the presentation on Tuesday during a meeting with the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, he intimated the lawmakers of the ministry’s plans for students to resume across the country The FG had in March shut schools across the Federation as part of measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease. At the presentation today, the minister said, “In the document provided, we have suggested how we can move our education sector forward during this pandemic. “We don’t want to make it known at this time so that some people will not take our proposed guidelines for school reopening. “Even if the Senate has not called us, we would have come to you to discuss with you because we have already discussed with the House of Representatives. “The documents were presented to you so that you can criticise and make inputs as major stakeholders.” Vice-Chairperson of the Committee, Akon Eyakenyi, who presided over the meeting, expressed fears that the academic calendar could be distorted in public schools where no visible arrangement was being made to teach pupils and students at home, unlike their private school counterparts. Eyakenyi said, “Even when the students in the cities have access to education programmes on radio and televisions, what of those in the villages? What do we do so that we don’t shut them out? “If the government can give guidelines for the reopening of churches and mosques, stakeholders in the education sector could also hold a meeting with the government to agree on guidelines for school reopening. “All we need to do is to come up with measures that would ensure the safety of both the students and their teachers. “We can design a plan that would ensure that not all the students resume at the same time. We could probably start with the exit classes. “We could have the number of students that would go to school for both morning and afternoon sessions. “We have to be innovative in our approach to save our educational sector in this country because nobody knows how long the virus will be with us.
Barring last minute change, Oyo State Government has modified the resumption of schools slated for June 29.
According to the new arrangement, only teachers are to resume on June 29th while students in terminal classes resume a week later.
The Government had earlier directed all terminal classes including Primary Six (Pry 6), Junior Secondary School Three (JSS3) and Senior Secondary School Three (SSS3) to resume on June 29 ahead of preparations for their various exams.
PurpleWorld 