Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Thursday 7th October 2021
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 07/10/21
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E2%80%99t-hide-under-emergency-rule-remove-anambra-governor-%E2%80%93-ascab-warns-buhari-against Don’t Hide Under Emergency Rule To Remove Anambra Governor – ASCAB Warns Buhari Against Lawlessness
Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB) has declared that the Nigerian President does not have the power to remove an elected governor of a state.
A statement by the Interim Chair of the group, Femi Falana (SAN) on Wednesday added that though the Nigerian Constitution gives the President the power to declare a state of emergency if there is a breakdown of public order in the Federation or any part thereof, they lack the power to suspend democratic structures.
Speaking earlier on Wednesday, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, while answering questions from journalists, said the Muhammadu Buhari-led government was prepared to do anything to declare a state of emergency to ensure peace in Anambra State ahead of the next governorship election.
“When our national security is attacked, and the sanctity of our constitutionally guaranteed democracy is threatened, no possibility is ruled out.
“As a government, we have a responsibility to ensure the sustenance of our democratic order. As a government, we have a responsibility to provide security to life and properties,” Malami had said.
However, Falana said despite the powers given to the President by the Constitution, an “elected state governor can only be removed by impeachment or resignation”.
The statement read, “Section 305 of the Constitution provides that the President shall have the power to issue a Proclamation of a state of emergency if there is actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation or any part thereof to such extent as to require extraordinary measures to restore peace and security or there is a clear and present danger of an actual breakdown of public order and public safety in the Federation or any part thereof requiring extraordinary measures to avert such danger.
“Such emergency rule will lapse if it is not supported by a resolution by a two-thirds majority of all the members of each House of the National Assembly approving the Proclamation within two days after the publication in the Gazette or within 10 days when the National Assembly is not in session.
“It is pertinent to note that the President shall not issue a Proclamation of a state of emergency in any State unless the Governor of the State fails within a reasonable time to make a request to the President to issue such Proclamation. The power of the President to impose emergency rules is limited to the adoption of extraordinary measures to restore law and order or peace and stability. In other words, if a State of emergency is validly declared in any State or in the entire country, the President is empowered to deploy troops and take other extraordinary measures to restore law and order.
“Since 2015, President Buhari has imposed emergency rule in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina states by deploying members of the armed forces to assist the police in the restoration of law and order. The President has adopted such extraordinary measures without seeking the approval of both chambers of the National Assembly.
“In other words, since the emergency rule imposed on the North East region by President Goodluck Jonathan expired by effluxion of time President Buhari has not renewed or extended it. The National Assembly has not challenged the illegal emergency rule imposed without any declaration as stipulated by section 305 of the Constitution.
“To that extent, I want to believe that the Buhari administration has just realised that the deployment of troops without the declaration of emergency rule in many states of the Federation is illegal and unconstitutional. Hence, the threat issued by the Attorney-General of the Federation is an attempt to return to constitutionalism with respect to the imposition of emergency rule in Anambra State and other States in the North West, North East and South-East regions where the Federal Government is waging a full-scale war against terrorists and the so-called gunmen.
“I wish to submit, without any fear of contradiction, that nowhere in the Constitution has the President been vested with the power to remove the elected Governor of a State and suspend democratic structures. The Governor of a State can only be removed by impeachment or resignation and not by imposition of emergency rule.
“In the same vein, the tenure of legislators is 4 years in line with the provisions of the Constitution. Even though former President Olusegun Obasanjo removed two Governors via the imposition of emergency rule, the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government later jettisoned the illegal practice. Hence ex- Presidents Umoru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan never used emergency rule to remove elected governors or suspend legislative houses and local government councils.
“Indeed, the Federal Government has since realised that it is unjust and immoral to remove a Governor of a State since the President exclusively controls the armed forces, the police and other security agencies. To that extent, the Federal Government should drop the dangerous plan to remove the Governor of Anambra State and impose a Sole Administrator on the eve of the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the State.
“No doubt, troops have been deployed in Anambra State by the President in order to end the reckless killings and wanton destruction of properties by the so-called gunmen. To ensure that the forthcoming governorship election is successfully conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the President may wish to adopt other extraordinary measures in Anambra State. However, the President is advised to seek legislative approval to legitimise the deployment of members of the armed forces in the State and other states where the Federal Government is currently conducting counter-insurgency operations. But the Federal Government should not hide under emergency rule to remove elected governors and suspend democratic structures in any State of the Federation.”
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E2%80%99s-forestry-research-institute-boss-olusola-unjustly-sacks-worker-believing-he Nigeria’s Forestry Research Institute Boss, Olusola Unjustly Sacks Worker, Believing He Exposed His Fraudulent Acts
The Director-General of the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Ibadan, Oyo State, Prof Adepoju Olusola has unjustly dismissed Mr Abaraham Taiwo Joseph under the pretext of violation bordering on false allegations against government officials.
This comes after a story by SaharaReporters exposing how Olusola awarded fraudulent contracts without recourse to procedure and due process.
The letter of dismissal from service given to him was dated September 28, 2021, and signed by the Head, Human Resources, Akinade G.A for the Director-General of FRIN.
SaharaReporters had reported how the Director-General, FRIN, Professor Adepoju Olusola embarked on witch-hunt and victimisation of some workers of the Institute, following a story that exposed how he awarded fraudulent contracts without recourse to procedure and due process.
A source had told SaharaReporters that FRIN board members were deprived of access to information about all financial and administrative activities of the agency, including records of budgets, expenditures, contracts, appointments, and promotions undertaken under Olusola.
Weeks after the story, it was learnt that Olusola ordered the transfer of workers he described as ‘enemies’ from the headquarters of the agency in Ibadan, Oyo State to some Northern and South-Eastern states.
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It was learnt, however, that Mr Joseph has also become a victim of the DG’s impunity and excesses after he was dismissed without any evidence of wrongdoing.
According to the dismissal letter, which was obtained by SaharaReporters on Wednesday, the institute claimed Mr Joseph was dismissed because of alleged insubordination and his refusal to proceed on redeployment.
It partly read, “Recall your appearances before the Staff Disciplinary Committee of the Institute in respect of your misdemeanour bordering on false claims against Government Official, refusal to proceed on redeployment and insubordination, all these are considered as serious acts of misconduct going by Chapter 3 Sections 3 and 4 of the Public Service Rule.
“Consequently, the Governing Board of the Institute, at its meeting held on 27 September, 2021, ratified the recommendation of the Committee to wit
“Dismissal from service with effect from 27 September, 2021.
“The institute wishes you well in your future endeavors.”
Some workers had been issued queries by the Director-General, who felt they were responsible for exposing him.
“He has been using the management to hunt perceived enemies. The aftermath of that publication by SaharaReporters is victimisation of staff with transfer threat.
“Sadly, the board and management haven’t brought verifiable report of an objective investigation on the alleged issues.
“Also, most of us transferred to other states have not been furnished with any allowances to aid our redeployment. When one of us called their attention to this, they issued him a query.
“The labour union has been divided and bought over on this. The DG has turned himself to god in the institute, always intimidating and threatening staff with his connection and influence in Abuja.
“Section 130105 of the public service rule maintains that transportation and resettlement allowances be made available before transfer or posting,” a source had told SaharaReporters.
SaharaReporters had also reported how Olusola illegally promoted staff members without regard for public service rules.
“The Director-General, Professor Adepoju Olusola has been found doing the following; withholding of staff deductions (Contributions of over N50,000,000) to co-operative society for the month of October 2020, as confirmed by IPPIS.
“Illegal removal or deduction from salaries of staff (This is done randomly) with no reason, explanation and move to refund (He does not listen to anyone) for same October 2020.
“Flouting of civil service rule in relation to the promotion of staff. In the year 2020, a promotion exercise was conducted, over 30%-40% of staff were denied promotion even though they passed the examination, but he claimed there was no vacancy.
“By January 2021, this year, those who got promoted received their letters and were promoted appropriately. To our amazement, by June 2021, part of those promoted and served their letters were given another promotion. We found out that they are his partners in crime in the institute.
“Imagine, someone got promoted to Grade Level 11 in January 2021 and received another promotion in June 2021 to Grade Level 13, in the space of five months.
“All efforts to have him explain this move proved abortive as he will never give room for questioning. He’s above the law and people are afraid to challenge him,” the source had said.
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E2%80%99s-secret-police-dss-invites-bayelsa-governor%E2%80%99s-aide-two-others-over-alleged Nigeria’s Secret Police, DSS Invites Bayelsa Governor’s Aide, Two Others Over Alleged Impersonation, Funds Diversion
The Department of State Services (DSS) has invited Mr Morris Asanaku, an aide to the Bayelsa State Governor and two others over alleged impersonation and diversion of the sum of N4.6 million paid to the Adiegbe community of Ekeremor Local Government Area by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).
Morris Asanaku is a legal practitioner and aide to Governor Douye Diri.
Sources in the community alleged that Asanaku had impersonated the Paramount Ruler of the Adiegbe Community, Benedict Thompson, in connivance with one Godbless Berekpebede, who was alleged to have impersonated the Adiegbe Community Youth President.
Also, one Rose Asanaku was alleged to have impersonated the Woman Leader of the community, collected the money and disappeared into thin air.
There are also complaints about Asanaku, who has since gone into hiding, in a petition to the State Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo for allegedly threatening the life of the paramount ruler and other traditional heads of the community.
One of the sources in the community told SaharaReporters, “Based on our petition to the DSS, the people involved (in the alleged impersonation and diversion of funds) have been called for questioning.”
In the petition before the state deputy governor, dated June 17, 2021, Asanaku was accused of threatening to attack the paramount ruler, elders and youths of the community.
A member of the Adiegbe Community Council, who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity, said though the petition by the community is before the DSS, the State Commissioner of Police and the state government, the community has also written to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NOAC) to stop further payment until a meeting is held between the authentic traditional institution of Adiegbe Community and the oil multinational.
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E2%80%94ebonyi Biafra Agitation Is Madness, IPOB Dishing Out Threats, Messages Of Bitterness, Killings—Ebonyi Governor Alleges
Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi.
Ebonyi State Governor and Chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum, Dave Umahi has alleged that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) dishes out messages of fear and killings in the region.
The governor said this is unlike its counterpart, Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), which he described as non-violent.
Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi.
The governor further described the idea behind the agitation for Biafra as madness, saying South-East elites do not want secession but to be treated fairly and equitably in the country.
Umahi stated this while speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ breakfast programme on Wednesday.
The governor said, “The separatist groups, we know of IPOB, we know of MASSOB. MASSOB has never been violent and they are approachable and they tend to reason with us but these other people, IPOB; their command is never in the country and every one of them stays out and dishes out messages of bitterness and messages of threats and fear and killings and are not here with us to feel the pains.
“So, these are just the two groups that I can talk about but I fear that if IPOB does not call their people to order and stop these threats and killings and all that, other groups will rise up to counter it but there is no way South-East would be grounded, there is no way South-East will be sitting at home while other parts of the country will be doing businesses whereas we are the people that should be moving because we earn our living by moving.”
Umahi vowed that the sit-at-home protest declared by IPOB in support of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, will be scuttled with adequate security in the region.
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 after he was arrested and repatriated to Nigeria from Kenya.
Describing the agitation for secession by IPOB and MASSOB as “madness,” Umahi said, “Meanwhile, every elite in South-East is not desirous of Biafra, we don’t want Biafra; we want to be treated equally like other regions in Nigeria.
“So, this idea of Biafra, Biafra is madness and we have said, ‘No’, we don’t want Biafra.”
“If we go our separate ways, South-East people will lose a lot because we’ve invested a lot in every part of this nation. It is not to our advantage to leave our investment and walk away,” he added.
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EXCLUSIVE: Nigeria’s Senate President Lawan, His Deputy Move To Frustrate Corruption Trial Of Ex-Minister, Stella Oduah
A move by President of the Nigerian Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, his deputy, Ovie Omo-Agege, and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to frustrate the prosecution of Stella Oduah, a senator embroiled in corruption cases, has been uncovered.
Oduah is also a former Minister of Aviation.
On August 27, 2021, Oduah was received into the fold of the ruling APC party at a brief ceremony held in Abuja.
National Chairman of the APC caretaker Committee, Mai Mala Buni; Omo-Agege; Atiku Bagudu, Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), and Hope Uzodinma, Imo State governor, were present at the event.
SaharaReporters had exclusively reported in April that Oduah’s trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over N9.4 billion fraud may gradually be scuttled going by her secret plot with Lawan and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
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SaharaReporters had learnt that the trial of Oduah could not proceed in February because the co-defendants and the ex-minister failed to appear before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The judge had given the prosecution additional weeks and slated April 19 for the continuation of trial, but the case of the former minister again did not come up as scheduled.
It was gathered that Oduah met with Lawan and Malami to frustrate her case with the EFCC.
“February 22 has passed but she was not arraigned. April 19 has also passed. She is working very hard, using Senate President and AGF to either scuttle arraignment or frustrate the trial. Alternatively, they are planning to water down the trial through the prosecution via the EFCC chairman.
“Another way is through the prosecutor, Dr Hassan Liman, a close friend of Lawan and the AGF,” a source had revealed to SaharaReporters.
SaharaReporters reported on February 22 that the EFCC had earlier planned to re-arraign Oduah over fraud involving funds totalling over N9.4 billion that same day but her co-defendants failed to show up in court as part of the plot.
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N5Billion Fraud: Court Threatens To Issue Arrest Warrant On Stella Oduah, Others For Failing To Appear
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Oduah was scheduled to be arraigned on 25 counts of money laundering alongside Gloria Odita, Nwobu Emmanuel Nnamdi, Chukuma Irene Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Limited, Crystal Television Limited, Sobora International Limited, and the China Civil Engineering Construction Company Limited.
When the case was mentioned, the prosecuting counsel, Dr Hassan Liman, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, informed the court that the commission had tried every means possible but was unable to serve the fifth and sixth defendants with the court processes.
He, therefore, applied for additional 14 days to serve them.
Speaking to SaharaReporters on Wednesday, a source at the Presidency said there are concerted and subtle efforts by Lawan and Omo-Agege to “frustrate, sabotage and compromise the EFCC, its witnesses and prosecution team and Justice Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.”
He added, “There are concerted and subtle efforts by Deputy Senate President and Senate President to sabotage President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption stance by mounting undue pressure on the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and also Justice Ekwo of Federal High Court Abuja for them to frustrate, compromise and sabotage the prosecution and trial of Sen Stella Oduah, former Minister of Aviation.
“This well-orchestrated plan has been perfected by the above-mentioned highly placed Nigerians.
“Nigerians, especially civil society organisations are enjoined to campaign and mount pressure on relevant individuals and agencies namely the National Security Adviser, Chairman of EFCC, Director General, Department of State Services (DSS), and Attorney General of the Federation to prosecute diligently and unravel the reason for the delay and hindrance in prosecuting this case into which the EFCC had finished investigation since 2 years ago.
“Ensure that not only will justice be done in this matter, but also that justice will be seen to have been done. Ensure that nobody no matter how highly placed (in Executive, Legislature and Judiciary) derails, sabotages, compromises or frustrates the long arm of justice as it concerns prosecution and trial of Stella Oduah.”
SaharaReporters had in September 2017 uncovered how Oduah bought a house in London for $1.2 million, disguising it in the robes of a foreign-registered company to avoid detection.
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How Stella Oduah Bought $1.5m House In London Using A Company Registered In Guernsey To Hide Ownership
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The transaction, which had been kept secret, was blown open when Mrs. Oduah decided to rent out the house.
She engaged the services of a real estate company, Daniel Ford and Company Ltd, for that purpose.
SaharaReporters had also reported in February 2018 that the EFCC had commenced the investigation of Oduah, over her involvement in the N9.4 billion contract for the supply of security equipment to 22 airports across the country.
Recently, Pandora Papers, one of the biggest leaks of financial documents in the world, uncovered how Oduah secretly acquired mansions in London.
One of the properties is said to be in her name, two through her Nigerian-incorporated firm, and four secretly through her Seychelles offshore company.
International Trading and Logistics Company Limited (ITCL) was incorporated in Seychelles, a commonly used secrecy and tax haven, with Oduah as the ultimate beneficial owner.
She reportedly used the company to acquire the four London properties worth a total of £6.7 million between October 2012 and August 2013.
At the time, Oduah was a minister in the government of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
She served as Minister of Aviation between 2011 and 2014, when she was fired over a massive corruption scandal.
Oduah was indicted by two panels, which probed the purchase of two bullet-proof cars by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), an agency under her supervision, for N255 million in violation of Nigeria’s public procurement and appropriation laws.
According to the UK Land Registry records, on October 19, 2012, ITCL bought a house at 23 St Edmunds Terrace, London, NW8 7QA for £5.3 million.
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E2%80%94nigerias-senate Talk To Fellow Senators More About Grievances And Less To Journalists —Nigeria’s Senate President Tells Colleagues
Senate President Ahmad Lawan
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has issued a strong warning to his colleagues to talk less while speaking with journalists.
He noted that Senators should rather discuss among their colleagues if they are dissatisfied with what is happening within the country or in the National Assembly, before talking to journalists.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan
Lawan disclosed this on Wednesday while reacting to a motion on a Point of Order by the Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege during plenary.
The Senator representing Abia South Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe had in an interview on Channels Television, alleged that senators in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) conspired to short-change oil-rich communities in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
However, the Senate President, Lawan, denied that the Senate voted along party lines with regards to the three percent equity share approved for oil-rich communities in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Groups in the South-South regions had demanded a minimum of five percent equity, if their wish for 10 percent equity could not be met.
Lawan said, “Senate, as far as I can remember never voted along party lines not even Clause 52(3) of the Electoral Act.
“We had the majority of APC voting and even two senators from the PDP voted along a line that appeared to be the one that carried the day.
“As politicians, ours is to lobby, is to engage our colleagues each time there is an issue that we feel very strongly interested in an issue that we feel can make life better for those that we represent.
“If you are not able to get what you campaigned for, there will always be another day and that is the spirit.
“I will encourage us to talk less to the press on ways that will give the press the wrong impression. We should concentrate more on talking to our colleagues.”
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Nigerian Teacher Wins Facebook Award For Developing Unusual Platform For Teachers
A Nigerian Teacher, Dr Peter Ogudoro, has been honoured by the social media giant, Facebook.
He won an award, as one of the world’s amazing virtual community managers for developing a “most helpful and engaged educators’ platform called Nigerian Teachers.’’
This was revealed in a statement released on Wednesday by the platform, Nigerian Teachers to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The award by Facebook makes Ogudoro a member of the multinational corporation’s elite group of 131 outstanding community managers in the world, the platform noted.
According to the statement, the platform focuses on online teacher-training and attitude modification, has over 240,000 teachers from around the world, and provides free continuous professional development opportunities to them.
“The platform is a peer-support community for teachers, who use the platform to follow trends in teaching, classroom management, and school leadership.
“Parents also use the platform to learn effective parenting styles that enable them to collaborate with teachers for global competitiveness of young people.’’
The statement explained that the award was given under Facebook’s Community Accelerator Programme, under which the awardees receive resource support to scale their operations and promote engagement within their communities for a better world.
The Community Accelerator Programme was designed to guarantee about one year of sustained support for the award winners’ communities by Facebook.
Ogudoro created the group in 2016 as a positive response to the frustration he experienced while trying to get education policymakers in Nigeria to adopt and promote learner-centred approaches to teaching and effective career management systems, the statement noted.
The platform added that Ogudoro’s methods could save the country billions of dollars and make Nigeria a net exporter of educational services.
Ogudoro revealed that he was scaling up the platform to help governments around the world to train and retrain teachers for globally competitive education, while expressing gratitude to Facebook for the Award.
“Through globally competitive education, we can deliver the pace of development that will banish poverty, and guarantee a more inclusive, prosperous, and harmonious world.
“I am excited about the fact that a powerful tool for the promotion of functional education in the world has come from Nigeria, a country that has been facing enormous development challenges for decades.
“The award will provide me the platform for a one-month learning tour of the Scandinavian countries including Finland with a focus on their education system.
“The objective is provision of the intellectual tools that will help Nigeria and the rest of the developing world achieve the demographic dividends they need to lift millions of their citizens out of poverty within the next few years through result-oriented pedagogy,’’ Nigerian Teachers quoted Ogudoro as saying.
Ogudoro is an alumnus of the University of Reading in the United Kingdom where he earned a PhD in Education with emphasis on Career Management, Attitude Modification, and Diffusion of Innovations in Education. He has benefitted from elite education development experiences at over 10 research-intensive institutions across the world, the platform revealed.
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BREAKING: World Health Organisation Endorses First-Ever Malaria Vaccine For Children In Africa
The World Health Organisation has endorsed the RTS, S/AS01 (RTS, S) malaria vaccine for children in Africa.
This was made known by the director-general of the agency, Tedros Ghebreyesus, who announced it at a media briefing on Wednesday.
BBC
The recommendation followed a two-year vaccine programme that involved children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi.
He expressed optimism that the vaccine will improve efforts on malaria prevention in Africa.
He said, “This is a historic moment. The long-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control.
“Using this vaccine on top of existing tools to prevent malaria could save tens of thousands of young lives each year.”
Malaria, according to the New York Times, is among the oldest known and deadliest of infectious diseases. It kills about half a million people each year, nearly all of them in sub-Saharan Africa — among them 260,000 children under age 5.
The new vaccine, made by GlaxoSmithKline, rouses a child’s immune system to thwart Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest of five malaria pathogens and the most prevalent in Africa. The vaccine is not just a first for malaria — it is the first developed for any parasitic disease.
In clinical trials, the vaccine had an efficacy of about 50 per cent against severe malaria in the first year but dropped close to zero by the fourth year. And the trials did not measure the vaccine’s impact on preventing deaths, which has led some experts to question whether it is a worthwhile investment in countries with countless other intractable problems.
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BREAKING: Many Cars Destroyed As Fire Razes Federal Secretariat In Nigeria’s Capital, Abuja
The Federal Secretariat building in Abuja is currently on fire.
The complex houses major government offices in in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.
According to a Facebook user, Adamu Idris Ahmed, no fewer than 20 cars have been affected by the fire incident.
He also said fire fighters are at the scene to put out the fire.
Similarly, in January, no fewer than 100 shops were razed in a fire incident at one of Abuja’s largest furniture markets situated in Kugbo.
The fire destroyed furniture items, materials and machines estimated at millions of naira.
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Google To Invest $1billion To Support Cheaper Internet, Startups In Nigeria, Kenya, Others
Google plans to invest $1 billion in Africa over the next five years to support to fast and cheaper internet.
The tech giant will also back startups to support the continent’s digital transformation, it said on Wednesday, Reuters reports.
The unit of US tech company Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) made the announcement at a virtual event where it launched an Africa Investment Fund, through which it will invest $50 million in startups, providing them with access to its employees, network and technologies.
Nitin Gajria, managing director for Google in Africa told Reuters in a virtual interview that the company would among others, target startups focusing on fintech, e-commerce and local language content.
“We are looking at areas that may have some strategic overlap with Google and where Google could potentially add value in partnering with some of these startups,” Gajria said.
In collaboration with not-for-profit organisation Kiva, Google will also provide $10 million in low interest loans to help small businesses and entrepreneurs in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa so they can get through the economic hardship created by COVID-19.
Small businesses in Africa often struggle to get capital because they lack the necessary collateral required by banks in case they default. When credit is available, interest rates are usually too high.
Google said a programme pioneered last year in Kenya in partnership with Safaricom that allows customers to pay for 4G-enabled phones in instalments would be expanded across the continent with mobile operators such as MTN, Orange and Vodacom.
Gajria said an undersea cable being built by Google to link Africa and Europe should come into service in the second half of next year and is expected to increase internet speeds by five times and lower data costs by up to 21% in countries like South Africa and Nigeria.
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