The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control says it will continue hydroxychloroquine clinical trials in Nigeria despite the suspension of the same by the World Health Organisation for the treatment of COVID- 19 .
NAFDAC Director – General , Prof Mojisola Adeyeye , made this known during a programme on
Television Continental .
Adeyeye said there are proven records that hydroxychloroquine had been effective in the treatment of COVID- 19 patients, especially those at the “ mild stage” of the virus .
“ There is data to prove that hydroxychloroquine worked for many COVID- 19 patients. Therefore, we would continue our own clinical trials in Nigeria . Hydroxychloroquine has been proved to work at a mild stage. So the potency depends on the severity of the disease in the patient ’ s body , ” she said .
The NAFDAC DG, who said Lagos State had already begun hydroxychloroquine clinical trials, noted that depending on the speed of work, the clinical trials should conclude in three to four months.
“ If medical doctors , research scientists, pharmacists , herbal experts work together , we should conclude the clinical trial in 3 – 4 months. The narrative might change afterwards but for now , we believe in hydroxychloroquine . ”
It said the decision followed a study that using the drug on COVID- 19 patients could increase their likelihood of dying.
“ The Executive Group has implemented a temporary pause of the hydroxychloroquine arm within the Solidarity Trial while the safety data is reviewed by the Data Safety Monitoring Board , ” WHO Chief, Tedros Ghebreyesus said .
He stressed on Monday that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine “ are accepted as generally safe for use in patients with autoimmune diseases or malaria ” , noting that the suspension was a temporary measure .
Non-essential retailers are to be allowed to reopen in England in June, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced .
Shops selling clothes, furniture, electronics or books, as well as auction houses and tailors are to be allowed to offer their services again from June 15. Outdoor markets can reopen as of June 1.
Retail premises must be made “COVID-secure,” Johnson said. On March 23, Johnson closed all stores that did not serve primary needs as part of efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Supermarkets and pharmacies remained open.
The prime minister had already announced on Sunday that schools in England would be opened again for certain classes from June.
Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are going their own way in the fight against the coronavirus.
Britain is the country with the most COVID-19 victims in Europe. So far, 36,914 deaths have been recorded, Johnson said on Monday evening. It is believed there is also a high number of unreported cases.
As the controversy surrounding the issue of Almajiri compulsory education in Kaduna state rages on, the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, has said that every Nigerian child including the Almajirai, deserve protection from government.
The Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, however, said Almajirai are human beings with great potential and the politics used to discourage them to go to modern school should be completely removed.
According to spokesperson of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed, “every child deserves the support and protection of the state. The Nigerian child is entitled to free and compulsory education and no parent can violate the laws related to these and defend such violation under any guise.”
According him, the nature and contexts of the kind of education Governor El-Rufa’i was proposing for the Almajirai, were at stake.
“There is ample scope for integrating Islamic education with western- type of education which the state prefers. For the initiative of the government of Kaduna State to succeed, it must be applied across all states, and should involve genuine and inclusive engagement with powerful religious groups that defend this practice,” he said.
He explained that El-Rufai’s proposal could be feasible.” It can, and should work, but it should be undertaken with sensitivity and the willingness to look at many strategies that should make it work,” he said.
However, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN,in Kaduna state,Rev John Joseph Hayab said El-Rufai’s compulsory primary education for the Almajirai ,was a fantastic development.
“This is a fantastic development. Our Northern leaders suppose to enroll them before now. The past Nigeria leaders, Goodluck Jonathan built modern schools for Almajirai all over Northern Nigeria which many are yet to be put to use.”
“Almajirai are human beings with great potential in them. The politics that was used to hinder or discourage them to go to modern school should be completely removed and get all of them to school.
Educating these young Nigeria children who love calling them Almajiri will change the future of our region and our country at large,” he said.
Rev Hayab said “we need to harness the potential in them and depopulate those terrorists are recruiting.”
“We need to harness the potential in these groups and give birth to a new breed of future leaders who see and appreciate our nation for changing their lives and become patriotic nation builders.”
“Another area we must warn is our political leaders should stop playing politics with issue of Almajiri. Don’t say what you will not do because it further hardens their mind from trusting us and believing what we say. Our leaders have made several promises and pronouncements but no sincere action,” Hayab said
Governor El-Rufa’i had said his government would make it compulsory for the Almajirai who are COVID-19 free to acquire formal education.
He also threatened that parent who allows their children become Almajiri in the state, would be jailed.
According to him, parents who enrol their children into the Almajiri education system stand the risk of prosecution and up to two years jail.
Speaking in Kaduna when he visited 200 Almajirai that were repatriated from Nasarawa State and undergoing rehabilitation and optical screening at Government College, Kurmin Mashi, Kaduna,the governor said any Islamic cleric who enrolls any child into the Almajiri system would also be prosecuted and jailed as well as fined N100,000 or N200,000 per child.
According to him, all the Almajiri pupils repatriated from other states of the country were indigenes of the state.
“Government will give them all the opportunity they deserve to grow and develop,” he said.
He expressed satisfaction with the ongoing transformation of the Almajiri pupils from hopelessness to hope and confidence, saying the state has a responsibility to do whatever it can to give them hope and a better future.
“We will, therefore, continue to take delivery of every Almajiri pupil indigenous to Kaduna state for rehabilitation, treatment and enrolment into formal school nearest to where their parents live.
“We will continue to do this until we clear Kaduna state of the menace of Almajiri system, which is not education but the abuse of the privilege and future of a child.”
“Our ultimate goal is for them to acquire formal education without depriving them of the opportunity to acquire Quranic education. They will continue their Quranic education but under the care of their parents and not under someone who does not know them or paid to look after them,” he said.
“The Ministry of Human Services and Social Development (MHSSD), along with UNICEF would closely monitor them and ensure that no child would leave his locality until he finished primary and junior secondary school.”
“Every child in Kaduna state must get 12-year free and compulsory primary and secondary school education. Those that cannot proceed to senior secondary school will have the opportunity to go to vocational school, also free.”
“As such, no parent has any excuse for his child not to go to school,” he said.
The National Identity Management Commission says it has enrolled and issued 41 million Nigerians with National Identity Number as of today .
The Director – General at the NIMC , Aliyu Aziz , in an interview with journalists , said enrolment was ongoing for Nigerians in the Diaspora in 15 other countries .
According to him , the NIN has been approved by the Federal Government as the only valid means of identification for government services by law and is a requirement for the application for a new and renewal of an expired Nigerian passport, among others.
Highlighting challenges slowing down the rate of enrolment , he said inadequate electricity , Information Technology infrastructure, inadequate enrolment centres and devices and insufficient sensitisation and awareness of the public , among others, still persisted.
According to him , the challenges are being addressed in collaboration with all the relevant stakeholders, government and with the help of the media .
“ As of today , we have reached record 41 million by sheer determination and hard work. I owe all of this to the great staff of the NIMC who pushed themselves beyond their limits to see this happen, ” he said .
“ Diaspora enrolment was greatly received by the Nigerians in other countries and it has been going well since the launch . Enrolment is happening in over 15 countries across the world , with more countries to come on board in the near future . ”
He said the plans to implement the strategic road map for accelerating digital identity in the country in June 2020 had been affected by the COVID- 19 pandemic .
According to him , the project will either begin in September or December this year .
Aziz said the $ 433 m it secured from the World Bank, Agence Francaise de Development and the European Union would be used for the expansion of enrolment centres to 4 , 000 .
“ The funding covers digital ID enrolment, issuance and usage ; strengthening of the enabling law , security , privacy , data protection and cybersecurity mechanisms; as well as strengthening the IT and other backend infrastructure , ” the NIMC boss stated .
He added , “There is still a need for funding on the card aspect of the programme as well as on the other regulatory functions of the commission . We are consulting with the Federal Government on these aspects . ”
Aziz explained that the commission was working on strategies to scale up card production and issuance in partnership with the private sector .
Brent , the oil against which Nigeria ’ s crude is priced, has hovered around $ 35 per barrel for about one week, raising concerns of a possible hike in petrol price in Nigeria any time soon .
An analysis of global oil trading rates on Monday showed that Brent crude traded at $ 35 . 61 per barrel as of 9 . 32 am Central Standard Time.
Further findings showed that the commodity appreciated by $ 0 . 48 when compared to the previous day ’ s rate, although crude oil in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries basket maintained a flat rate of $ 28 . 43 per barrel on Monday .
However , global oil figures showed that Brent Weighted Average in the past four days was higher than the commodity ’ s rate on Monday , as the BWA was put at $ 36 . 32 per barrel .
This represented a 2 . 34 per cent rise in price, indicating a positive movement in the commodity ’ s cost as more countries begin a gradual relaxing of the COVID- 19 lockdown across the globe.
Operators in Nigeria ’ s downstream sector told our correspondent in Abuja that the increase in oil price was good for the country in terms of foreign exchange earnings.
They were, however , quick to state that this would cause an upward movement in petrol price at fillings stations.
The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency had crashed the pump price of petrol from N145 per litre to N125 per litre on March 19 , 2020 , as it declared the commencement of a market – based pricing regime .
PPPRA further reduced the price to N123 . 5 per litre in April 2020 due to the crash of crude oil price, as the commodity had traded below $ 30 per barrel for several weeks .
“ But considering the recent rise in crude oil price, it is highly possible to see an upward movement in the price of petrol soon , ” an impeccable source with the products pricing agency stated .
The official , who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity , noted that the agency ’ s boss had earlier explained that henceforth , the cost of petrol would be determined by the international market price of crude .
“ Price will naturally be adjusted to reflect a true picture of market fundamentals at any particular period , high or low , ” the PPPRA’ s Executive Secretary , Abdulkadir Saidu , had stated while answering questions on the new petrol price regime in Nigeria .
On April 28 , 2020 , The PUNCH reported Saidu as saying that Nigerians should be ready to pay higher or lower prices for petrol following the liberalisation scheme currently in place.
The Federal Government has threatened to dismiss officers caught leaking official documents on social media .
It said recent “ unfortunate unauthorised disclosure of official documents on social media ” was embarrassing and therefore unacceptable .
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation , Dr Folasade Yemi – Esan , issued the threat in a circular marked HCSF/ 109 /S . 1 /120 with the title, ‘ Unauthorised circulation of official documents /information on social media . ’
News correspondent obtained a copy of the circular dated May 22 , 2020 on Sunday .
Yemi – Esan issued the threat barely a week after a query she issued the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology , Dr Mohammed Bello Umar , for allegedly buying what she described as “ uncompleted carcass ” building for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the sum of N7 bn became a public knowledge.
The HCSF had claimed that Umar superintended over the transaction for the purchase when he was still the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development .
She also accused the permanent secretary of giving out seven deep drilling rigs for borehole procured at N1 . 3 bn to some unnamed individuals under “ fraudulent arrangements . ”
Umar ’ s six – page response to the query dated May 14 , 2020 , in which he denied all the allegations levelled against him and described them as mere concoction based on malice also found its way into the media .
The text of the April 28 nationwide broadcast of the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd . ) , on measures being taken to curtail the spread of COVID- 19 was also leaked on social media platforms some hours ahead of the 8 pm broadcast time .
Yemi – Esan , in the May 22 circular, however , described leaking of official documents as “ an act of serious misconduct ” which attracts dismissal as contained in the Public Service Rules .
The circular read , “The attention of the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation has been drawn to the recent unfortunate unauthorised disclosure of official documents on the social media .
“In some cases, official documents that have been minuted on are also leaked . This irresponsible and reckless action is an act of serious misconduct with a penalty of dismissal from service as provided for in Public Service Rules Nos. 030401 and 030402 .
“ The ugly development is embarrassing to government and therefore not acceptable . Any public officer caught engaging in this act of serious misconduct will be severely dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Rules .
The World Health Organisation said that it had “ temporarily ” suspended clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for COVID- 19 being carried out across a range of countries as a precautionary measure .
The decision came after the publication last week of a study in the Lancet indicating that the using the drug on COVID – 19 patients could increase their likelihood of dying , WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference , adding that the WHO -backed trials had been “ suspended while the safety is reviewed . ”
An FA statement read: “The FA Women’s Super League & Women’s Championship Board has today confirmed the decision to end the 2019/20 season for the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and the FA Women’s Championship, with immediate effect.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the FA Women’s Super League & Women’s Championship Board has been in regular consultation with clubs and key stakeholders from across both leagues to identify the most suitable and appropriate way to conclude the 2019/20 season, and to give clubs and players the clarity and support they need at this time.
“Following overwhelming feedback from the clubs, the decision to bring an end to the 2019/20 season was made in the best interest of the women’s game. This will also enable clubs, the FA Women’s Super League & Women’s Championship Board and The FA to plan, prepare and focus on next season when football returns for the 2020/21 campaign.
“Supporting the welfare of the clubs and players will continue to be our primary concern throughout this process, which also involved a robust and thorough examination of the logistical, operational and financial challenges that the game currently faces.
“Following full and thorough consultation with the clubs, the FA Women’s Super League & Women’s Championship Board has discussed various recommendations which will be sent to The FA Board to determine the most appropriate sporting outcome for the 2019/20 season. This will include identifying the entries for the 2020/21 UEFA Women’s Champions League, which would be based on sporting merit from the 2019/20 Barclays FA Women’s Super League season.
“We are not in a position to comment further until the FA Board has had sufficient time to consider all of the recommendations and options.”
In the wake of lifestyle changes occasioned by the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has said it would be adopting more technological tools in discharging its mandate, disclosing of its resolve to pioneer electronic voting in the country by 2021.
This was as the electoral umpire decried the rising cost of elections in the country, saying it would be liaising with the National Assembly to see how political parties can nominate replacements for dead representatives in line with a Supreme Court judgment that votes belong to the parties and not individuals.
INEC disclosed this in a document released in Abuja which was tagged, “Policy on Conducting Elections in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic”, and signed by its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
The commission also added that voters without face masks would be disallowed from voting in the forthcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states.
The Oyo State COVID-19 Task Force, has relaxed the existing curfew imposed on the state in respect of the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic to between 8.p.m. and 5 a.m.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr Taiwo Adisa, confirmed that the decision was reached at the COVID-19 Task Force meeting presided over by the governor.
According to the statement, the state has so far recorded 233 COVID-19 positive cases, while 171 of them are active cases.
It stated that a number of creative measures were approved for implementation by the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), which coordinates the operations of the thematic segments of the containment drives.
One of such is the approval of a facility in Ibadan for use as observation and isolation centre for a category of patients after thorough reviews.
“The Oyo State COVID-19 Task Force headed by His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde has approved that the curfew currently in force in the state runs from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. The new directive replaces the initial order which pegs the curfew at between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m.
“Agreement has been struck with the management of a facility in Ibadan to provide bed spaces for a number of positive cases, whose status have been well considered by the experts,” the statement read.
It advised farmers in the state to take advantage of the decision to stop the curfew at 5 a.m. to enhance their farming activities.
According to the statement, the state government is also wrapping up further renovation and face-lifting activities at its Isolation centres located at Agbami, Jericho, Ibadan, Igbo-Ora, Ogbomoso, Saki and Aawe, near Oyo town.
Besides, the statement also indicated that the planned community testing, which could not be kickstarted at the weekend owing to the festivities and public holidays, would commence by the end of the week.
The Task Force stated that training of health workers who will participate in the exercise will commence in the 10 locations after the holidays.
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