COVID-19: UNICEF advises proper environment cleaning by schools

UNICEF is advising all schools to clean properly their environment against CORONAVIRUS.

In its LinkedIn page, UNICEF also appreciated the efforts of health workers around the world

CORONAVIRUS: About 10 states to shut schools in Nigeria

Governors of Northwest, Kwara and Niger meet on security, Covid-19

Governors of states in the Northwest geopolitical zone, Kwara and Niger States today met in Kaduna to review the security situation in their areas and to agree joint responses to the coronavirus pandemic.

Present at the meeting were Governors Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara) and Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger). Deputy Governor Nasiru Gawuna represented Kano State. The Governor of Kwara State joined the meeting by telephone.

The meeting, chaired by the chairman of the Northwest Governors’ Forum, His Excellency, Aminu Bello Masari, was also attended by the SSGs of the states, their Special Advisers and commissioners responsible for security matters. 

The governors received briefings from heads of security agencies, at the meeting which had in attendance Major-General A. Agundu (Commander, Operation Safe Haven), Major-Gen. F.I. Yahaya, GOC 1 Division, AVM, M.I. Mukhtar (AOC Air Training Command), Rear Admiral T. Pani (Commandant, Nigerian Navy School of Armaments) and other senior military officers. Commissioners of Police and State Directors of the DSS from the concerned states also attended the meeting.

After briefings and discussions, the governors of the nine states agreed on extraordinary measures to tackle the menace of banditry. 

A communique issued after the meeting disclosed that the state governors resolved to jointly fund security operations aimed at conclusively addressing the challenge from the criminal elements.

The governors also agreed joint measures to protect citizens from the likely impact of Covid-19. 

These include:

1. School Closures: Measures shall be taken by each of the states, in consultation with the national examination bodies, to close schools for a period of 30 days, starting from Monday, 23rd March 2020.

2. Sensitisation campaigns to discourage large gatherings until further notice.

3. Public health awareness campaigns: States will continue to wage aggressive campaigns to encourage citizens to uphold personal hygiene, including hand washing and environmental sanitation.

Signed

Aminu Bello Masari                                                                               Abubakar Sani Bello

Governor, Katsina State                                                                       Governor, Niger State

Chairman, Northwest Governors’ Forum.                                          Chairman, North Central Governors’ Forum                         

18th March 2020

FORMER NIGERIAN PRESIDENT, GOODLUCK JONATHAN SENDS SOOTHINGV WORDS TO FAMILIES WHO LOST LOVED ONES IN LAGOS EXPLOSION, SUNDAY

My heart goes out to all the victims and families of those killed in the unfortunate explosions and fire outbreak in Lagos last Sunday, which claimed many lives and destroyed several valuable assets.

At a time like this, we cannot but rally behind those that have unnecessarily been put to grief. It is expected that the ongoing investigation by relevant authorities to determine the cause of the explosion must produce outcomes...

...that should not only prevent such sad occurrences in the future but also reassure the victims and their loved ones that their sorrow and harrowing experiences have not been in vain. 

GEJ

COVID-19: UN ‘remains open for business’, determined to deliver for the people we serve, says UN chief

Courtesy UN News.

UN Photo/Loey Felipe

A UN staff member sanitizes her hands at UN Headquarters in New York.

In light of the continuing spread of the coronavirus, the UN has stepped up measures to safeguard staff and all those using its offices around the world, while at the same time ensuring that the critical work of the Organization continues to deliver on key mandates, and provide lifesaving support to those in need. 

In an email to all UN staff as the weekend began, the Secretary-General António Guterres, emphasized that the Organization “remains open for business”, but “our work will be done from different locations, using different technologies”.

António Guterres

✔@antonioguterres

The #COVID19 pandemic is a crisis that affects everyone.

We must all play our part by showing solidarity with the most vulnerable – the elderly, the sick, those without reliable healthcare.

Together, we can overcome the #coronavirus 

The UN chief outlined the need to “reduce our physical presence” at UN Headquarters, through implementing fulltime telecommuting, unless a staffer is needed within a UN office to carry out essential work. He said the reduced staffing level would be reappraised after three weeks. 

He added that Headquarters staff in New York would continue to provide critical support to the other main offices in Geneva, Nairobi and Vienna, as well as missions in the field, and to the array of intergovernmental processes that must continue, such as the work of the Security Council. 

“Over the next days and weeks, we will depend on each other’s sense of responsibility and professionalism more than ever”, said the UN chief on Friday night. “I have the utmost confidence in the commitment of staff to keeping each other safe, while continuing to deliver for the people we serve.” 

The UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, briefed journalists in New York hours before the extension of remote working advisory, and said there were two chief concerns, firstly, keeping everyone safe who works in the UN complex, or who visits under normal times, and helping New York City to flatten the curve of COVID-19 as it spreads. 

“The second priority in parallel is to make sure that the UN’s work continues.  We have 100,000 peacekeepers out in the field, tens of thousands of humanitarian workers that will need to be supported.  And I can assure you that, whether it’s Ms. [Rosemary] DiCarlo, Mr. [Jean-Pierre] Lacroix, Mr. [Mark] Lowcock…All the other senior managers are fully focused on ensuring that the work will continue and that the support will continue.” 

He said humanitarians in the field had a special duty of care to put mitigating measures in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus, into some of the most vulnerable populations on earth: “The same thing goes with our peacekeeping operations…And that’s why we’re changing the rotations of troops, trying to limit the rotations, delaying some rotations.  We want to ensure that those who are most vulnerable are protected for the longest possible time.” 

UN offices in Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi – work goes on 

The Palais des Nations, which houses the UN Office at Geneva, with more than 1,600 staff, is the biggest duty station outside New York, and on Saturday, Director-General Tatiana Valovaya, reiterated the UN chief’s call for effective telecommuting, noting that “annexes will remain open for business, but the work will be done differently.” 

The Director of the UN Information Service in Geneva, Alessandra Velluci, said staff had heard the Secretary-General’s message clearly, that the UN would be there to “do our part” in difficult times, as COVID-19 continues to spread. 

“In light of some COVID-19 cases at international organizations in Geneva, from 16 March all UN staff based at the Palais des Nations will work remotely, unless their presence in the building is necessary”, she said.  

“But the UN family in Geneva will continue to do its part by working on migrant and refugee crises, implementing sustainable development projects, discussing human rights issues and trade-related measures and above all, supporting the strenuous efforts of WHO and its partners in the fight against the pandemic.”

In Vienna, which houses the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Industrial Development Organization UNIDO, and UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and others, telecommuting is also in place from Monday.  

“These measures are taken on clear medical advice and with the welfare of staff and their families as the central priority”, said a joint statement from the heads of the main Vienna-based organizations. “As part of the community in our host country, Austria, we can all play our part in helping to try to contain the spread of COVID-19 and reducing the risk of transmission”. 

In the UN’s Africa headquarters, UNON, in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, said on Friday that managers there too were implementing remote working “to the full extent compatible with business continuity, in order to substantially reduce personnel exposures to transit and other crowded areas.”