Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Saturday 6th June 2020
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 06/06/20
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E2%80%94pdp Insecurity: Central Control System Of President Buhari’s Government Has Collapsed —PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s response to rising insecurity in the country, saying it was unclear, who was running the country at the moment.
The PDP through its Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, made the comments while reacting to renewed attacks on unarmed villagers in Southern Kaduna area of Kaduna State.
The party also bemoaned the increase in activities of robbers and kidnappers in the country without decisive measure to curb the trend from the President.
He said, “It’s not only in Southern Kaduna, in Isanlu, Yagba East local Government of Kogi State, armed robbers went into a bank on Thursday, killed all the policemen there and killed indigenes of the community.
“It is about the failure of governance, the central control system of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has collapsed. Whom do you say is in charge of governance today?
“President Buhari is in charge of the security architecture of our nation, he is a general who has commanded troops and in spite of our expectations in our party that with the the advantage of his experience he should know that when a commander begins to lose men on the field, it behooves on him to change the security architecture of country but he has not taken advice.
“As we speak, painfully, our nation has become a minefield for bandits, insurgents, kidnappers, for marauders and it is rather unfortunate.
“We condemn the killing in Southern Kaduna and are urging President Buhari to go beyond paying condolence messages and rise to the occasion of protecting the territorial integrity of our nation by safeguarding lives and properties of Nigerians.”
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E2%80%93heal-0 Lagos Will Run Out Of Bed Space In Three Weeks If We Keep Recording High COVID-19 Cases –Health Commissioner
Akin Abayomi
Abayomi disclosed this at a press briefing in Ikeja, the state capital, on Friday.
He said the state was currently developing strategies for managing asymptomatic patients at home to address the projected rise in number of cases.
He said, “We’ve been testing more. We’ve been escalating our capacity to test for COVID-19 and what we’ve found is that the more we test, the more we find, which is a reflection of the fact that COVID-19 is spreading within the community and we’re finding more cases than we can manage eventually when we project.
Akin Abayomi
“If we carry on with the rate of positive testing that we are obtaining, we’re going to run out of isolation beds in our established isolation facilities.
“Therefore, we are projecting. If we keep getting 150, 200 positives everyday, in another two or three weeks, even though we’re opening new isolation centres all the time, in time, we’re going to run out of beds.”
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E2%80%93health Lagos Will Run Out Of Bed Space In Three Weeks If We Keep Recording High COVID-19 Cases –Health Commissioner
Akin Abayomi
Abayomi disclosed this at a press briefing in Ikeja, the state capital, on Friday.
He said the state was currently developing strategies for managing asymptomatic patients at home to address the projected rise in number of cases.
He said, “We’ve been testing more. We’ve been escalating our capacity to test for COVID-19 and what we’ve found is that the more we test, the more we find, which is a reflection of the fact that COVID-19 is spreading within the community and we’re finding more cases than we can manage eventually when we project.
Akin Abayomi
“If we carry on with the rate of positive testing that we are obtaining, we’re going to run out of isolation beds in our established isolation facilities.
“Therefore, we are projecting. If we keep getting 150, 200 positives everyday, in another two or three weeks, even though we’re opening new isolation centres all the time, in time, we’re going to run out of beds.”
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Ondo Students Ask Governor Akeredolu To Reverse Increment In Tuition Fees
Rotimi Akeredolu
Students of tertiary institutions in Ondo State have called on Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to reduce the hike in tuition fees in government-owned schools in the state.
The students said the situation had forced many of them to drop out of school.
In a statement by Akinteye Babatunde, NANS JCC Ondo Axis, and Kikiowo Ayode, President of National Association of Ondo State Students, the students decried the deteriorating state of building on campuses of various academic institutions in the state, adding that it was affecting learning.
Rotimi Akeredolu
The statement reads, “The plight of students under the present government has increased astronomically
“The governor since assumption of office increased tuition fee from an average of N30,000 to N150,000 in Akungba and from N70,000 to N150,000 and even N200,000 in Osustech.
“We unequivocally demand the reversal of tuition fees increased.
“This has led to thousands of students dropping out of various academic pursuits.”
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Ondo Students Ask Governor Akeredolu To Reverse Increment In Tuition Fees
Rotimi Akeredolu
Students of tertiary institutions in Ondo State have called on Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to reduce the hike in tuition fees in government-owned schools in the state.
The students said the situation had forced many of them to drop out of school.
In a statement by Akinteye Babatunde, NANS JCC Ondo Axis, and Kikiowo Ayode, President of National Association of Ondo State Students, the students decried the deteriorating state of building on campuses of various academic institutions in the state, adding that it was affecting learning.
Rotimi Akeredolu
The statement reads, “The plight of students under the present government has increased astronomically
“The governor since assumption of office increased tuition fee from an average of N30,000 to N150,000 in Akungba and from N70,000 to N150,000 and even N200,000 in Osustech.
“We unequivocally demand the reversal of tuition fees increased.
“This has led to thousands of students dropping out of various academic pursuits.”
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George Floyd: Mayor Of Washington Paints Black Lives Matter On Street Leading To White House
Muriel Bowser, Mayor of Washington DC, America’s capital, has painted the street leading to the White House with giant Black Lives Matter text.
The move comes days after United States President, Donald Trump, ordered the U.S Park Police and National Guard troops to disperse peaceful protesters outside the White House so he could walk out of the place to St. John’s Episcopal Church for a photo-op in which he held up a Bible.
Protesters have been converging on the street for more than a week to protest racial inequality and excessive use of force by the police after an unarmed black man, George Floyd, was killed by an officer.
In a Twitter post on Friday to commemorate the birthday of Breonna Taylor, another black man, who died in the hands of police, Bowser said the act was out of determination to make America a great land.
She said, “Breonna Taylor, on your birthday, let us stand with determination. Determination to make America the land it ought to be.”
The mayor has also renamed the street Black Lives Matter Plaza.
She added, “The section of 16th Street in front of the White House is now officially “Black Lives Matter Plaza”.
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Nigerian Activist Arrested By Police Over Post On Twitter, Martin Obono, Released
A Nigerian activist, Martin Obono, who was earlier arrested for a post he shared on Twitter, has been released by the police.
Obono was arrested for a tweet where he accused the police of trying to truncate a rape case involving his clients.
In a chat with SaharaReporters on Friday evening, Obono, said, “I’ve been released but they want me to sign bail. I’ve been contesting it. But the human right chairman is now here. Deji signed the sheet of paper but I refused to the whatever charge they said.”
The matter is with the Zone 7 police in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
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COVID-19: We Might Be Forced To Lock Down Ondo Again If Cases Persist, Says State Government
Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu
As cases of COVID-19 continue to be on the increase in Nigeria, the Ondo State Government on Friday said it could be forced to lock down the state if residents keep flouting safety guidelines put in place to prevent a spread of the virus.
Doyin Odebowale, Chairman of the state’s Special Task Force on COVID-19 Enforcement and Compliance, stated this in an interview in Akure, the state capital, on Friday.
Odebowale, who visited some mosques in the state during their Jumat service, said many of the worshippers were not thoroughly observing the social distancing directive.
According to him, the COVID-19 Committee was ready to meet with Muslim and other religious leaders in the state to enlighten them more on the need to observe COVID-19 protocols.
Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu
He said, “We have been engaging the leadership and we hope there will be another engagement.
“We expect them to improve. There was not much social distancing and we are not satisfied.
“We are getting more cases and we are not happy. We don’t want a situation where government will lock down the state again. If it continues, the government will lock down the state.”
Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr Wahab Adegbenro, told SaharaReporters that the government was concerned about community transmission of the virus among residents.
He said that over 160 persons, who might have come in contact with the three new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state, were currently being traced.
Ondo State has recorded four deaths and discharged 21 patients while eight persons are currently receiving treatment at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Akure, for the virus.
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Proactive-based Approach To Fire Outbreak Prevention In Nigeria By Olasunkanmi Habeeb Okunola
In recent years, disasters of various magnitude are becoming more frequent, intense, and geographically diverse in various communities across Nigeria. One of the most occurring and devastating disasters is fire outbreak, which has destroyed properties worth several millions of naira, rendered survivors homeless, jobless and compounded the suffering and poverty in the land. Most of these fire outbreaks, whether domestic, industrial, institutional, commercial, vehicular, or bush has become a common phenomenon across the country. The “World Life Expectancy Report” in 2016 ranked Nigeria first in the World for number of deaths by fire. It has reached a stage where questions are being legitimately raised as to whether Nigerian communities are literally on fire.
Most of the recent fire outbreaks have occurred in state facilities that are of great strategic value, thereby making fires an issue of public concern and debate. For instance, On April 8, Treasury House, a building housing the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) was gutted by fire. Eight days later on April 15, it was also reported that the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) headquarters in Maitama, Abuja was also engulfed with fire. In a similar vein, the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the popular Dugbe market in Ibadan were the next to record a fire outbreak just two days after that of the CAC. The month of May was not an exception as it was reported that fire destroyed two IDP camps in Borno state, the popular Ogbeogonogo market in Asaba and Oloyele market in Somolu, Lagos. These and many more point to the fact that Nigerian communities are vulnerable to the impacts of fire incidents. Consequently, communities in Nigeria have become centre of attraction to fire outbreaks of different magnitude.
This may be attributed to various factors such as frequent power outages, power surge, electrical sparks, illegal connection of electricity, improper electrical fittings, substandard building materials, defective or indoor use of generators. Other factors include storing up adulterated fuel at home, siting of filling stations and gas stations near residential and market places. Besides, inaccessibility to most residential areas and market places when there is a fire outbreak also compounded the problem. This is not unconnected with the chaotic nature of roads and the unplanned environment of most Nigerian cities. Another major factor contributing to the increase in the occurrence of fire outbreaks in the country is the total neglect of fire safety measures during the design and construction phases of structures. Likewise, public or private buildings with fire extinguishers, fire and smoke detectors, fire exits, warning signs and designated assemble fire points are hard to come by in the country.
Over the years, response to fire outbreaks in Nigeria has been unanticipated, unplanned and often poorly coordinated so much so that response could be as bad as the disasters and often compounded the impact of disasters on persons affected. Some states in Nigeria do not have effective and functional fire service stations and those that have are not evenly distributed across their territories. Typical example of this was the recent fire outbreak in Onitsha, Anambra State, that razed over 500 lock-up shops on Iweka Street Market, an incident that caught the state fire service unprepared to intervene. It took the effort of firemen from Delta State Fire Service that were drafted to put out the fire. Equally appalling was a heroic video of a man with a bucket trying to extinguish huge blaze on the roof of a five-storey building in Balogun market, Lagos. This clearly depicts lack of preparedness by federal and state fire services to manage the incidents of fire outbreaks in the country.
To buck this trend, all hands must be on deck by disaster management stakeholders at the local, state and national levels to take proactive-based approaches on fire outbreak prevention and control. The starting point is the strict enforcement of development control regulations that guilds building development against fire outbreak. This would give room for adequate setbacks, widening of roads for easy access to fire services, siting of buildings and consideration for fire safety measures during the design and construction phases of buildings such as use of non-flammable building materials and provision for warning signs and designated assemble fire points in buildings. Also, living in a house without fire extinguishers and smoke detectors should no longer be an option.
Equally important is the enforcement of fire safety regulations. This can be carried out by ensuring that fire safety regulations are consistently followed by households, public institutions and commercial entities in the country. This also includes the rehabilitation of the electrical wiring system (one that follows standard regulations during installation), proper use and handling of combustible materials and installation of fire hydrants.
It is also suggested that the issue of public education be intensified within the country. Both the Fire Service and the Disaster Management Agencies should embark on an intensive educational campaign among the residents regarding fire prevention and safety measures. Residents are expected to know what to do in case of fire in terms of first aid treatment and emergency exit rules pending the arrival of the fire fighters.
Finally, there is need for governments to provide and evenly distribute fire service stations in all the strategic locations of each state for disaster preparedness, prevention, mitigation, response and recovery. It is also imperative to make sure that all the facilities provided and distributed are well equipped and functioning. In the like manner, NEMA as the coordinating agency for disaster management in Nigeria should sensitise the state and local governments on the importance of settling up, funding and equipping their own emergency management agency in order to localise disaster risk management practices in Nigerian communities.
Olasunkanmi Habeeb Okunola is a scholar in disaster risk reduction and community resilience with cross-cutting research and program experiences on climate change adaptation and inclusive education in Sub-Saharan Africa. He tweets @sunkiehabeeb
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11 Killed, Scores Injured As Gunmen Invade Taraba Community
File Photo: Gunmen
A renewed attack on Tungwa and Utsua-Daa communities in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State has left over 11 people dead and scores injured.
Narrating the incident that led to the attack, a resident of Bagoni near Tungwa, Sale Umar, told PUNCH that the gunmen invaded Tungwa on Thursday and Utsua-Daa on Friday killing 11 people.
According to Umar, several houses in the two communities located along Bali-Marararba Road were also burnt in the attacks.
File Photo: Gunmen
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“We saw 11 dead bodies after the attacks. Many houses have been burnt and people have deserted the communities.
“Many people especially Tiv farmers are fleeing the communities on foot to Bali for safety,” he said.
Caretaker Chairman of Bali Local Government Council, Hon. Musa Mahmud, confirmed the attacks but said five people were killed.
Mahmud, who said he was on the ground at the scene of the attacks, also said several houses were burnt.
“Five people have been killed and several houses burnt, but the situation is under control now.
“I am at the scene of the attack as we speak. For the past two hours I have been here and I can confirm to you that burning and killings have stopped for now.
“I want to call on the people to eschew violence and embrace peace,” he said.
The renewed attacks and killings is coming barely eight hours after the Taraba Joint Peace Committee submitted an updated report on the crisis to the deputy governor, Engr. Haruna Manu in Jalingo.
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