United Nations appoints Tuface Idibia as its refugee ambassador

The United Nations has appointed Nigerian singer, Innocent “Tuface” Idibia as its Refugees Goodwill Ambassador.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced this on Tuesday via Instagram.

Tuface also made the announcement via his Instagram account, writing: “I am honored and humbled by my new appointment as a regional goodwill ambassador of UNHCR.

“Thanks for the recognition, this will no doubt deepen my commitment to supporting the effort of UNHCR personnel and volunteers who are on ground every day, working hard to provide support and hope to millions of forcefully displaced persons across the world.

“Blessings one and all.”

Court stops Obaseki from participating in PDP primary

Governor Godwin Obaseki has been stopped by a Federal High Court from participating in the governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The primary election is scheduled for 25 June.
The ban order was given 22 June by Justice E.A. Obile of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.
It was based on a motion ex parte filed by a PDP member, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama.
Joined in the suit are Prince Uche Secondus, the PDP, Independent National Electoral Commission, chairman of the party screening committee, Kingsley Chinda and other members of the committee.
Obaseki, an APC renegade, was named as the eighth defendant in the case.
The applicant is seeking a court order to restrain Secondus and the party from allowing Obaseki to buy the forms for the primary, other than those who bought the forms within the timetable initially published for the election.
Justice Obile granted the interim injunction as requested.
The PDP, mindful of the legal minefield announced a waiver for Obaseki, to enable him to participate in the primary election, even though he joined the party only on Friday 19 June last week.
The party also reconvened the Chinda screening committee which had ended its assignment on 5 June
The committee specially screened Obaseki on Saturday 20 June.
All the parties in the case were to be served via substituted means.
Substantive hearing in the case has been adjourned till Wednesday 24 June.

FG to take decision on interstate travel ban, others next week

The Presidential Task Force on COVID -19 said on Monday it had started reviewing the guidelines for lifting of the ban on interstate travels .
Speaking at the daily press briefing of the PTF in Abuja , the National Coordinator of the task force , Dr Sani Aliyu, said the roads would be opened when the bus termini in the country all had COVID – 19 preventive measures in place .
Aliyu stated this as the PTF Chairman , Boss Mustapha , disclosed that the Federal Government would next week decide on its lockdown policies , including the ban on interstate movements.
The PTF coordinator said the guidelines submitted by the Minister of State for Transportation , Gbemisola Saraki , was being reviewed and the roads would be opened as soon as it is safe to do so .
He said , “ At the moment , we still have restrictions on interstate travel . But we have been linking up with the Federal Ministry of Transportation through the Minister of State for Transportation .
“ They have given us guidelines that they have developed : very detailed guidelines , and we have looked at them , summarised them and discussed at PTF last week.
“ We have asked the Minister of State for Transportation to please engage with the road transport workers to make sure that the usual garages and parks that we have are ready in terms of guidelines that we have in place such as physical distancing, reducing the number of passengers per vehicle and provision of hand washing facilities etc .
“ And I believe they are already working on this and hopefully, we should be able to open as soon as it is safe to do so . ”
Aliyu expressed worry over the lack of compliance with safety protocols and urged states to increase the rate of their COVID -19 testing also asked them to make laws to make the wearing of masks in public space mandatory.
FG to take decision month end
Meanwhile , Mustapha , said the Federal Government would at the end of the month take a crucial decision on the lockdown declared to curtail the spread of COVID – 19.
Mustapha said , “ At the beginning of the month of June , the PTF announced a one -month period for the implementation of the second phase of eased lock down.
“ We have continued to monitor developments nationwide in order to take informed decisions at the end of the month. We have exactly eight days to that point of decision . ”
While answering a question on whether the government might consider a total lockdown again , Mustapha assured Nigerians that the decision that would be taken by month end would not any way amount to a change in strategy .
He said if there would be a change in strategy , it would be expected to come from the side of Nigerians.
No state is COVID- 19 – free, NCDC insists
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has insisted that no state is COVID – 19-free in the country, noting that this was the reason tests were being carried out .
The centre disclosed that seven states presently have no testing facilities , adding that by next week, the nation would be covered in terms of testing .
The NCDC Director -General , Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu , noted that efforts were ongoing by the state governments to address the challenge.

Nigerian clubs vote to end season over COVID-19

Isaac Danladi, chairman of the club owners, said 17 out of the 20 topflight teams had agreed to finish the season — with final placings worked out on a points per game basis and no relegation with Plateau United, Enyimba and Rivers United qualifying for continental competitions.

Details later.

Former Oyo Governor Ajimobi’s Health Condition Worsens

Family members, political associates and relatives of former Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi, are fearful as hopes of him recovering from coma fades away by the minute.
The 70-year-old slipped into coma on Thursday for the second time as a result of COVID-19 complications.
The news sparked rumours of his death, sending panic across the landscape especially among his supporters and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) where he is the National Deputy Chairman (South) of the party.
On Monday, a reliable source close to the ex-governor told SaharaReporters that Ajimobi had been on life support machine since Friday 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 has had a lung surgery since being hospitalised but made no progress while his kidneys have also failed.
Doctors treating Ajimobi, it was reliably gathered, on Friday informed his family that his situation had defied every medical intervention and that only a miracle can bring him back to life.
To douse tension generated by his health condition, SaharaReporters discovered that his supporters have circulated an old video on the Internet of Ajimobi having lunch, claiming that it was captured during the recent Muslim festival to mark the end of Ramadan fast just to show that he was alive and in fact healthy.

Source: SaharaReporters

Ekiti names, shames another convicted rapist

Under the name and shame initiative, the names and photographs of convicted rapists are pasted on billboards in prominent public spaces in their communities and local government council headquarters as well uploaded on the website of the state Ministry of Justice and other government platforms in addition to being recorded in the sex offenders’ register.
Filani joins four other convicted rapists, who had been similarly treated by the state Ministry of Justice.
The state government said it was publicly shaming convicted rapists in the state through the initiative in order to serve as a deterrent to would-be sex offenders and as well task families on the upbringing of their members.
The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Olawale Fapohunda, said the step was in furtherance of the zero tolerance of the Kayode Fayemi administration for violence against women and children.

Vulcanizer arrested for stealing female customer’s pant in Ogun

Ope had gone to render a home support of the client on Sunday when he took the jeans. 

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, unveiled this in an announcement on Sunday. 

Oyeyemi said the suspect was captured following a report by the lady at the Warewa Division in the Ifo Local Government Area of the state. 

The PPRO included that the complainant announced that she had called Ope to help fix her vehicle’s flattened tire. 

As indicated by her, after the vulcanizer had fixed the tire and left, she found that her pair of jeans spread on a line in the compound was absent. 

“Since the vulcanizer was the main individual, who came into the compound, she went round looking for him, however he was mysteriously absent,” the PPRO expressed. 

Oyeyemi said the Divisional Police Officer, Warewa Division, SP Folake Afeniforo, in the wake of getting the report, point by point analysts to follow and capture the suspect. 

He included, “His home was immediately looked and the lady’s pair of jeans was recouped there.On cross examination, the suspect admitted to taking the pair of jeans with the goal of taking it to a cultivator for cash customs.” 

Oyeyemi said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Kenneth Ebrimson, had requested that the suspect be charged when examination was closed.

Another 17 illegal miners arrested in Osun

Another set of 17 illegal miners, mostly youths from the north, heading to Itagunmodi , Osun State , were on Sunday intercepted in Ikire .
Recalled that on Thursday, June 4, 63 illegal miners , mostly youths from Zamfara State , heading to mining sites in Ilesha and Ile Ife were intercepted by Amotekun corps in Ikire , and forced out of the state.
The new set of youths, were intercepted by Amotekun men at their checkpoint in Ikire after the bus conveying them was stopped by the Amotekun corps.
The 17 northern youths upon interrogation , claimed they were coming from Lagos and were heading towards mining sites in Itagunmodi.
When being checked , charms were said to have been discovered on two of the youths.
The Director General of Amotekun Corps in the state, Mr Amitolu Shittu, said , “ The 17 suspects , who claimed they are coming from Lagos and going to Itagunmodi mining site , could not explain while they decided to break the directives by the president against interstate travel .
“ Since the boundary closure is still in force , adhoc men of Amotekun Corps in the state had no option than to send them back to where they were coming from. ”

See the original source: https://www.facebook.com/206270189411151/posts/3291372920900847/?app=fbl

NANS Asks Nigerian Govt To Reopen Schools

The student body in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kazeem Olalekan Israel, said the government was making students pay for its years of refusal to fund education.
The statement reads, “It is on record that as an association, we have been calling on the government at all levels to properly fund the educational sector.
“As an association, we are disturbed that the Federal Government is not ready to stop putting the brunt of their failure and incompetence on the people which is evident in the guidelines that were issued in line with school reopening.
“Considering the guidelines and the reality that is on the ground today in Nigeria, one cannot but feel embarrassed with the conduct of a government that has been feeding on deceit since inception and this is not unconnected from the fact that there is no educational institution in the country today that can meet the guidelines. The reason cannot be far-fetched; the government’s failure to invest in education.”
NANs called on the government to ensure funding of the education sector and to waive 60 to 70 per cent of tuition fees for students nationwide to cushion the effect of the pandemic.
It added, “Government at all level should pay serious attention to the educational sector by properly funding it.
“Academic activities whether virtually or physically should commence in our educational institutions with immediate effect.
“As a pre-condition to commencement of classes, government should liaise with ASUU, ASUP, COEASU and NANS as regards what must be put in place for the commencement of classes. Government must liaise with National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education and the Universal Basic Education Board including the Post-Primary Schools Board and all relevant academic bodies to make sure the session/semester is streamlined in order to make up for the lost time due to the lockdown.
“Government must provide a waiver for all Nigerian students (tertiary, secondary and primary) in the form of scholarship for a session or slash the fees payable by 60%/70%. This would help cushion the effects of the lockdown on parents that lost their jobs and means of livelihood and businesses. It would also serve as a palliative for students whose parents/guardians means of livelihood have been cut-short as a result of the lockdown.
“TETFUND should consider funding of selected students across all tertiary institutions in the country with innovative ideas just the way lecturers are being sponsored for conferences/symposia.
“The Federal Government should heed to the call of the House of Representatives by setting up a N15bn COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Tertiary Institutions.
“Nigerian students should be prepared to mount pressure on the government to meet our demands towards school reopening as anything other than this shall not be accepted.”

Source link: https://www.facebook.com/96184337702/posts/10157328917742703/?app=fbl

International and Domestic flights remain suspended- NCAA

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority NCAA says Domestic and International flights in the country remain suspended.

The flights were banned as part of measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus in Nigeria.

Recall that on June 1, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 advised the aviation authorities to come up with new guidelines for the operations of domestic flights on or before June 21. Many Nigerians had taken it to mean that domestic flights will resume operation on June 21. The taskforce however came out later to clarify that the June 21 date was for the submission of new guidelines and not the resumption of domestic flights.

However, a statement released by the NCAA on Saturday, June 20, states that domestic and International flights remain suspended for now. Only essential flights will be given approval.

See the statement below.

Click Here to Visit Orignal Source of Article http://www.lindaikejisblog.com/2020/6/domestic-and-international-flights-remain-suspended-ncaa.html