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.”

Ngizi Okonjo-iweala leading member South Africa presidential Economic Advisory team

Not much is heard these days of former Nigeria's minister of finance and economy, Ngozi Okonjo-iweala

The board member of one of the worlds leading social media platforms, Twitter,obviously has been pre-occupied building strategies to move worlds economies to the next level

Little wonder then that the newly inaugurated South African Presidential Economic Advisory Council as Nigerian-born Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as chairperson. 

It's no hidden fact that Nigeria's economic growth soar when Okonjo-iweala was head if finance and economy I  the Goodkuck Ebel Jobathan's administration and it is this singular move the south african government ks definitely looking for

PROF SULEMAN BOGORO FINGERS HIS FORMER BOSS, PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN IN MISSING N359B TETFUND MONEY

The executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund ,TETFund, Professor Suleiman Bogoro, has indicted the government of former president Goodluck Jonathan in the withdrawal of a total sum of 359 billion naira from its coffers without specific reasons in 2013

The TETFUND executive secretary while explaining the issue in a bid to clear the air over the missing money to members of the House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education, led by Aminu Suleiman, who were on oversight visit to the agency, made references to the funds in its audited financial reports.

Bogoro explained further that since the deductions were made, it has had negative impact on the intervention agency, and as such, the Tetfund has had to file various petitions to the Ministry of Finance and the National Assembly, all in a bid to recover the money from the government.

He said said it was regrettable that various narratives have trailed the missing funds, such that some persons have mischievously ascribed the funds to him when they had no facts to back their allegations.

TETFund Executive Secretary also explained that 10 billion naira meant for high impact projects in selected tertiary institutions has been mopped up from the system.

He added that the fund uncovered that some of the benefiting tertiary institutions were stockpiling the allocated funds for several years without utilising it for purposes they were meant for.

Bogoro debunked insinuations that the fund has not been equitable in the disbursement of interventions nationwide, saying all universities, polytechnics and colleges of education get equal amount of allocations at any given time.

While responding to questions from the legislators on discrepancies in the administrative cost of the fund, Bogoro allayed fears of financial impropriety in the agency, insisting that the Board of Trustees (BOT) gives approval before funds were disbursed.

TETFund is empowered by the Education Tax Fund (Amendment) Act No. 17, 2003 to judiciously manage and disburse the two per cent assessable profits accruing from all registered companies in Nigeria, specifically for public tertiary institutions.

SOURCE: AIT NEWS

NIGERIA POSTAL AND TELECOMMS EMPLOYEES president Nehemaih BubaBuba-led NEC suspends NAC over fraud, insubordination, bridge of constitution

Activites at the nigeria  postal service and some telecommunications outfit have been crippled following the crisis rocking the national union of postal and telecomms employees, NUPTE.

  In a bid to resolve the crisis  which created factions among the workers, an emergency national executive council meeting of NUPTE on thursday passed a resolution suspending all members of the national administrative council NAC.

Presiden

t of NUPTE, Nehemaih Buba said the suspension the admin staff has become eminent as workers have begin losing concentration at work due to poor relation among their union leadership

NUPTE President who doubles as vice president of the UNIGLOBAL  Africa, said the national executive council of NUPTE emergency meeting, also took a resolution to sue the commercial bank which changed the account signatories of the union without due communication

Nehemaih Buba confirmed that the ministry of labour and employment as well as the nigerian labour congress, NLC have separately intervene to solve the crisis and restore the authentic leadership of the National union of postal and telecomms employees

SOURCE: AIT

THANK YOU FOR WORKING TO STOP POLIO, GUTERRES TELLS WOMEN

The United Nations Secretary General, Anthonio Guterres has commended women working to end polio

The U.N scribe said this on his twitter handle

NECO Releases November/December 2019 SSCE Result

The National Examination Council (NECO) has released the results of the 2019 November/December Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE).

Mr Abubakar Gana, Acting Registrar of the council, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

Gana said that a total of 70,140 candidates registered for the examination, and 65,207 sat for English Language out of which 41,214, representing 63 per cent, got either Distinction or Credit.

He added that 66,398 candidates sat for Mathematics, out of which 54,565, representing 82.18 per cent, got either Distinction or Credit.

The acting registrar said 33,576 candidates, representing 48.68 per cent, got five Credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.

“On the other hand, 50,057 candidates, representing 72.57% got five Credits and above, irrespective of English Language and Mathematics.

“A comparative analysis of candidates who scored five Credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics for 2018 and 2019 shows 62.48% for 2018 and 48.68% for 2019,” he stated.

The acting registrar said that the figure represented a decrease of 13.8 per cent in 2019.

“This is coming exactly 49 days after the last paper was written. A total of 29 subjects were examined.

“Like we always point out, this is an examination conducted for external candidates wishing to acquire the minimum requirements for admission into various tertiary institutions,” he added.

Gana, however, noted that not all candidates required Credit in either English Language or Mathematics or both.

On candidates’ involvement in examination malpractice in 2019 as against 2018, he said there was an increase as 12,084 cases were recorded in 2018 as against 17,004 recorded in 2019.

“This came about as a result of the comprehensive monitoring by senior staff. This also resulted in the decline in number of candidates with 5 Credits and above,” he said.

He called on candidates to log on to www.neco.gov.ng, and click on ‘NECO Results’ and follow the prompts to access their results. 

SOURCE: NAN

NIGERIAN FORMER PRESIDENTS AT WORLD SUMMIT 2020 IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Former president Goodluck Jobathan is making a case for world leaders to create lasting peace among people

The former president made the call at the ongoing world summit 2020 in Seoul, South Korea via his various social media handles

In several  pictures in which he was flanked by former president Olusegun Obasanjo and his wife, Dame patience Jonathan, GEJ as he is popularly called said he was delighted to have been at the summit with former president Obasanjo

The message on his twitter handle reads: I was delighted to meet His Excellency Chief Olusegun Obasanjo at the ongoing World Summit 2020 in Seoul, South Korea where we joined leaders from across the world to make a case for lasting peace, interdependence & shared values among the world's peoples and nations.

GEJ