File Photo: Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu
The over three months COVID-19 ban on worship centres in Lagos will be lifted from August 7.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced this during a briefing on COVID-19 at the State House Marina.
The Governor stated that places of worship that that were hitherto shut to curtail the spread of the novel Coronavirus will reopen for religious activities as from Friday, August 7, 2020.
Sanwo-Olu stated that while Mosques will be reopened next week Friday, Churches will follow suit on Sunday, August 9.
The Governor however emphasised that, religious leaders must make available hand sanitisers, thermometer guns, adding that the state government will ensure that social distancing is maintained.
According to the Governor: “We will only be allowing 50 per cent of their capacity at either the church or the mosque. Churches that have Saturday worship day will also be allowed to start holding their Saturday worship.
“We must reiterate that places of worship are only permitted to have their regular once a week service on designated days.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu during a briefing on August 1, 2020 announced that places of worship will reopen from August 7.
The governor vowed that the state government will closely monitor and observe the compliance level of religious bodies before taking the next steps.
Decrease In Positive Cases
On the level of COVID-19 cases in the state, Governor Sanwo-Olu announced that the past two weeks witnessed a decline in fresh infections.
While noting that the state government successfully tested 9,000 samples in the week ending July 26, the governor explained the figures represented 50 per cent increase in the 6,000 tested samples in the preceding week.
According to him, more testing of suspected COVID-19 cases have been made possible with the creation of additional laboratories in the state.
He is however optimistic that the state is winning the battle against the dreaded virus owing to the increase in the number of tested samples.
“We must, however, mention that we have seen a gradual decrease in the positivity rate in Lagos State over the last two weeks which combines with our increase in the testing numbers.
“We will continue to fine-tune our strategy and our efforts to build on our successes and close all existing gaps if any.”
Meanwhile, in a fresh statistics released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Friday night, Lagos recorded 78 fresh COVID-19 cases trailing the FCT with 93 cases.
A collage of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President-Elect, Olumide Apkata and Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari Saturday felicitated with Olumide Akpata on his election as the President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), wishing him every success in the new position of leading Nigerian lawyers to chart a path of professional development and fulfillment.
This was coming as the new NBA president dedicated his victory to young lawyers who have become disillusioned with the association; progressive senior lawyers who refused to accept the status quo; lawyers with disability who have long suffered neglect and indignity by the profession; and non-lawyers and the general populace who have a special interest in the association.
Buhari, in his congratulatory message signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, tasked Akpata to bring into forebear his vast experience to take the association to the next level.
“As a lawyer of over two decades who has held several strategic positions in the legal association,” Buhari trusted that “Mr. Akpata’s vast knowledge and experience in litigation, corporate world and engaging with government at different levels, will greatly benefit the Bar and indeed all Nigerians, who look up to the learned fellows as crucial stakeholders in a modern democracy.”
Nigerian President assured the new leadership of NBA of the continued cooperation of his administration in addressing the broad range of challenges and opportunities facing the legal profession and the country.
Dedicating his victory to disillusioned lawyers and non-lawyers, the new NBA president said the extraordinary movement that heralded his electoral victory was about the noble association.
According to him, “This further goes to show that the extraordinary movement that heralded this electoral victory was not and could never have been about me. The victory of last night is for our young lawyers who have become disillusioned with the way the NBA has been run over the years and how the profession appears to be disconnected from the challenges that face them and their future.
“It is for the progressive senior lawyer who refused to accept the status quo and took firm steps to ensure that things are done better. It is for the corporate counsel, law officers, law teachers, the police and military lawyers, and lawyers in all components of the profession who for long have been treated as unequal members of an Association that ought to be the umbrella body for all legal practitioners.
“The victory of last night is for the lawyer with disability who has long suffered neglect and indignity by the profession. Above all, our victory is for non-lawyers and the general populace who took an unusual, but a special, interest in the conduct of our elections, thus lending credence to my long- held belief that the Nigerian society has always yearned for a legal profession and indeed a Bar that stands tall as an unwavering bastion of the rule of law, an advocate for the sanctity and independence of the judiciary, and a bulwark against tyranny and oppression.
“It is therefore with immense respect for you, a deep understanding of the value of your mandate, a demonstrable appreciation of the factors that have bedevilled our noble association and with humility to the will of God, that I wholeheartedly accept this mandate from you. The outpouring of support is only indicative of the amount of work that needs to be done. The greatest appreciation that I can show to all of you is to keep to the various promises that I made, and this, I assure you that I would do.”
On the electoral process that brought him to leadership, Akpata said he was “not unaware of the complaints by at least one of the presidential candidates about the administrative issues surrounding the elections.”
He said: “As members of the legal profession, our electoral process ought to be and remain a standard for others to follow. I said this much in my second letter dated 29th July 2020 to the Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the NBA. I strongly believe that there is plenty room for improvement in our electoral process, and I commit to making this possible.”
Akpata congratulated all the contestants for the various offices in the association for the hard work that they put in, and for the successful outing that they had.
“The expectations are high and together we have a duty to devise measures to tackle the problems of our noble Association. We need to hit the ground running,” he added.
While appreciating his friends and learned seniors, Dele Adesina SAN, and Babatunde Ajibade SAN, against whom he had the privilege of contesting for the office of President of the NBA, Akpata said one thing that remained unshaken throughout the election process was his utmost respect for these distinguished and respectable gentlemen.
“May I humbly assure them that my respect remains intact. The election is over but the work ahead of us is immense. We must now unite in order to achieve our common goal of revitalising the Bar and ensuring that our voice is firm and unshaken when we speak. I obviously cannot do this alone and will be counting on their support and counsel as we work towards Securing the Future through a United Bar that Works for All,” he said.
Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Kayode Fayemi, Saturday said his latest result of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) test has returned negative.
The governor, in a tweet, disclosed that he spent 11 days in isolation and expressed gratitude to God and every one for their efforts.
According to him, “After 11 days in isolation, I received news that my COVID-19 repeat test came back negative.
“My sincere gratitude goes to God Almighty, my family, my medical team and all well wishers for the prayers and solidarity.
File Photo of a previous operation to rescue a resident who jumped into the Lagos lagoon in an attempt to commit suicide.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has rescued a man who attempted to commit suicide by jumping from the third mainland bridge into the Lagoon Friday morning.
The Governor made this known on his Instagram page, explaining that the rescued man attempted to end his own life because of his indebtedness.
“Earlier in the morning, we rescued a resident who was planning to jump into the Lagoon at the Third Mainland Bridge because he had a debt of N500,000. We rescued him, paid the debt, and counseled him on the importance of never giving up inspite of the challenges life throws our way.”
In another account, Governor Sanwo-Olu, accompanied by his wife, Joke celebrated Sallah, with healthcare workers, new mothers and other patients at the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital.
The governor stated that: “Today, to celebrate Eid-el-Kabir, my wife and I joined healthcare workers and patients at the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital. We felicitated with new mothers, and patients alike.
This Sallah celebration is about love and sacrifice, and we recognize the blessings that come with obedience and sacrifice.
“We need to always show the humane side of us while not losing sight of the big picture. Yes, we want to build roads, bridges and schools but we certainly need to create time for the little things as well”, he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu however, reiterated the commitment of his administration to prioritize the welfare of the people.
“This cannot be achieved in one day. We are constantly brainstorming and putting heads and working on improving the lives of residents, and we do not plan on stopping until this has been achieved”, he said.
Photos of Gov. Sanwo-Olu at the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital.
L-R: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Managing Director of O-Care Medical Face Mask factory, Mr. Cyprian Orakpo and his wife, Doreen, during the official commissioning of the factory, at Odofin Park Estate, Amuwo Odofin, on Thursday, July 30, 2020.
The first indigenous medically graded face mask manufacturing company has opened in Lagos State.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday, opened the O-Care Medical Face Mask factory in Odofin Park Estate, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of the State, saying the development was timely.
The factory is a subsidiary of Transgreen Nigeria Limited, a local manufacturer of medical equipment, such as respirator, ventilator, hand gloves and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
The O-Care face mask is said to be the first certified medical face mask locally produced in Nigeria in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.
The Governor said the idea of setting up the factory was necessitated by the shortage of medically treated PPEs experienced in the wake of the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. He said he was personally elated by the development, in that the first indigenous face mask production factory was built in Lagos.
He said: “I am personally excited to attend this event, because Lagos is recording another first for a good cause. The establishment of the first indigenous factory producing certified medical face masks represents the can-do spirit of Nigerians. As a Government that supports fresh and progressive ideas, we will continue to celebrate and encourage good innovation.
“Mr. Orakpor deserves commendation because he has not let the pandemic affect his investment drive in bringing about new business and products to fit our own environment. This is part of the narratives we are pushing as government. We can be the enabler for investors to set up businesses.
“If wearing of face masks must be accepted as a new normal, we must be able to strategically domesticate solutions that can provide ready market for our people. The opening of the factory is a confirmation of what we stand for as a Government. We must be the catalyst to nurture ideas and support business.”
The Governor disclosed that the State Government had started to work out modalities for the creation of economic zone for healthcare delivery to drive more investments to the sector.
He said the Government was looking at a long-term loan facility for operators in the health sector to achieve local production of scarce medical equipment and materials.
The Governor hailed the factory owner’s audacity and resilience in investing his capital for the production of medical face mask, which he described as the most sought after product in this period of public health crisis.
To encourage the manufacturer, Sanwo-Olu procured 250,000 pieces of the O-Care face mask from the first production batch. He said the materials would be distributed to medical and emergency workers on the frontline.
Managing Director of Transgreen Nigeria Limited, Mr. Cyprian Orakpo, said the idea of setting up the company was born out of the embarrassing situation the nation found itself with the absence of local manufacturers of medical face masks in the country.
Orakpo said medical PPEs had become objects of national security, especially in the period when there is not curative vaccine to stop the spread of the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic. He stressed that scarcity of the products could spell doom for the nation if there’s no local manufacturer.
He said: “In this time when the use of medical face mask is highly recommended, we have risen to the occasion to fill the void in medically certified face mask production to contribute our quota in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic and to promote health security in the country.”
The O-Care face mask is developed with three layers that offer substantial protection against dust, airborne viruses and bacteria. Its nose clip provides comfort for breathing and gives low respiratory resistance.
An official of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Kola Jinadu, who represented the agency’s Director-General, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said the company must be commended for the initiative, which he also described as “timely”.
In showing appreciation to the Governor for his support, the owner of the factory donated 30,000 medical face masks to the State Government. Sanwo-Olu ordered that the face masks be donated to Secondary School pupils who will be taking their examination from next week.
The Kaduna State Police Command has ordered the immediate deployment of more Police personnel to Kajuru, Zango Kataf, Kaura and Kauru Local Government Areas of the State as part of efforts towards restoring law and order in the affected areas, as a result of the recent violence and other security challenges.
The directive was revealed in a press release made available to journalists by the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Muri in Kaduna.
He directed that all Area Commanders and DPOs within the affected areas make adequate use of the deployed personnel to ensure the safety of lives and property as well as the full enforcement of the 24-hour curfew imposed by the Kaduna State Government.
“The Commissioner of Police wishes to commiserate with the good people of Kaduna State, particularly those who have lost their loved ones and property as a result of the crises. He further assures that the Command will do everything within its powers to ensure that peace is restored in the affected areas”.
CP Muri enjoins law-abiding citizens of the State to cooperate with the Police, Military and other law enforcement agencies as they carry out the full enforcement of the curfew amongst other measures with a view to ensuring their safety.
He however warns troublemakers in the State to desist forthwith from acts of violence and lawlessness, as the Command will not hesitate to deal decisively with any person or group of persons found in the act of disturbing the relative peace enjoyed by the good people of the State.
President-Elect, Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata.
The Nigerian Bar Association has elected Olumide Akpata as President having polled 9891 votes to defeat two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Dele Adesina and Babatunde Ajibade.
The results of the elections were announced by the Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) Mr Tawo.E. Tawo.
Akpata’s total votes of 9891 amount to 54.3% out of 18, 256 total votes cast, while his rivals, Ajibade polled 4,328 votes and Adesina 3,982 votes.
Other elected officers for the various offices include Mr John Aikpokpo-Martins as NBA First Vice President with a total of 6,010 votes.
Mr Adeyemo Kazeem emerged NBA Second Vice President with 8,794 votes,
Mrs Joyce Oduah was elected NBA General Secretary with 8, 979 votes, while
Mrs Uchenna Nwadialo polled 7,314 votes to emerge NBA’s Assistant General Secretary.
Mercy Agada was elected NBA Treasurer unopposed, Mr Nnamdi Anagor emerged the financial secretary unopposed while Mr Olukunle Edun was elected NBA Welfare Secretary with 9,001 votes.
Dr Rapulu Nduka emerged the NBA Publicity Secretary with 11,964 votes while Mr Naza Afam polled 6,490 votes to emerge NBA Assistant Publicity Secretary.
Akpata, whose two year tenure will begin after a swearing in ceremony coming at a later date, expressed appreciation to NBA members for electing him the President, and promised that NBA would record transformation during his administration.
Similarly, Oduah and Edun (General Secretary and Welfare Secretary) thanked God and their supporters for the election, and pledged to live up to their campaign promises
The elected NBA President, Akpata, a graduate of Law from the University of Benin is a Senior Partner at Templars, a leading commercial law firm in Nigeria.
Borno state Governor Babagana Zulum has described Wednesday’s attack on his convey in Baga town, Kukawa local government area as an act of sabotage.
The Governor made this known while briefing newsmen shortly after completing his four-day working visit to Monguno and Kukawa Local Government Areas.
Professor Zulum was in northern Borno to officially reopen Monguno-Baga road and also assess the level of damage to Baga town devastated by Boko Haram insurgents. He disclosed that while on the assessment visit, sporadic gunshots ensued that caused pandemonium which forced him to abort his working visit to the area.
The Governor charged the military to rise up to the occasion in the fight against insurgency and ensure civil authority return to all liberated areas of the state.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army says it has launched an investigation to unravel the circumstances that led to the attack.
In a statement by Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Sagir Musa regretted the attack and assured the public the incident will be interrogated to prevent future occurrence.
A US military personnel and an African counterpart. Photo- US Africa Command on Twitter.
The United States says efforts are now underway to develop plans and options to relocate U.S. Africa Command headquarters and forces from Germany.
This was contained in a statement by the command on Friday, stating that the relocation is in response to President Donald Trump’s direction.
As part of the U.S. European Command Review, the Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, publicly announced plans to make U.S. force adjustments within the European area of operations during a press briefing in Washington D.C., July 29.
The change in force posture is designed to support the National Defense and Security strategies, adapt to changing global strategic environment, and best address global priorities.
However, while it is not certain where the command will move to, the command stated that it will look first at options elsewhere in Europe, but also will consider options in the United States.
“U.S. Africa Command has been told to plan to move. While it will likely take several months to develop options, consider locations, and come to a decision, the command has started the process. We will ensure we continue to support our host nation and African partners and our families and forces throughout,” said U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command.
The command stood up in 2008 to protect and advance U.S. national interests in Africa and develop capable, professional partner nation military forces there and has been headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany since its inception.
“It is important our African partners understand our commitment to them remains strong,” said Townsend. “U.S. Africa Command will continue to work with our African and other partners to address mutual interests.”
Continued cooperation with German partners remains critical to solving complex international challenges.
“We are very grateful to Germany for their partnership and serving as host to Headquarters U.S. Africa Command. International cooperation remains important to addressing mutual security challenges, especially in Africa,” said Townsend.
Potential options will be assessed to ensure appropriate positioning of forces to deal with future challenges.
The Department of Defense remains the lead for overseas force adjustment decisions and the global combatant command review.
“We remain committed to our forces and families,” said Townsend. “We will conduct a deliberate and thorough planning process to ensure our team is prepared for what lies ahead.”
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