COVID-19: Zimbabwe bans unvaccinated civil servants from work
Zimbabwe will bar unvaccinated government workers from reporting for duty from Monday as part of efforts to fight COVID-19, an official circular showed.
The southern African country has, as of Oct. 14, recorded 4,655 COVID-19-related deaths from 132,251 infections since March 2020.
Although the country was one of the first on the continent to vaccinate against COVID-19, less than 2.5 million people out of its 15 million population have been fully vaccinated.
The vaccination rate has slowed down in recent weeks, as infections decline, with the government saying it has adequate doses in store.
On Sept. 14 President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s cabinet ordered all government workers to get vaccinated, giving them a month to comply. Those barred from work will not get paid, according to the cabinet directive.
Coronavirus: Zimbabwe arrests 105,000 for violations of guidelines
“Please note that members who fail to produce the vaccination certificates shall not be allowed to report for duty, in an endeavour to implement (the) government’s thrust of minimising the spread and effect of the novel COVID-19 pandemic,” the Oct. 14 circular said. It was signed by health permanent secretary Jasper Chimedza and was distributed to heads of government departments and shared with reporters.
“Those who will not attend to their daily duties due to non-compliance shall be deemed to be absent from work and consequential action will be taken,” it said, referring to no pay and potential disciplinary action.
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, the country’s main labour body, has gone to court to challenge the government’s compulsory vaccination drive, which has also been adopted by some private businesses.
‘Leave A Legacy like Legendary Lateef Jakande’ – Nigerians slam Sanwo-Olu over costly Lagos estates
Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been advised to leave a legacy of affordable houses like the legendary Lateef Jakande.
The late journalist, an Obafemi Awolowo disciple, governed the state from 1979 to 1983 and served as Works Minister under the Sani Abacha regime.
Fondly called LKJ or Baba Kekere, he implemented free education; increased the number of primary schools from 605 to 812; secondary schools from 105 to 223; constructed Gbagada, Ikorodu General Hospitals and 20 Health Centres.
Jakande further wrote his name in gold with the construction of more than 30,000 units in 16 Low-Cost Estates in different parts of Lagos.
DAILY POST findings show the locations are in Abesan, Abule Nla, Amuwo-Odofin, Badagry, Dolphin, Ejigbo, Epe, Iba, Ijaiye, Ije, Iponri, Ipaja, Ikorodu, Isolo, Oke-Afa and Surulere.
After Jakande’s passing in February, Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) leader declared that nobody could match his record.
Thousands of citizens benefitted from Jakande’s housing infrastructure which till date provides income for the owners and shelter for accommodation seekers.
But the Lagos Building Investment Corporation (LBIC) continues to shun the maintenance of the estates which provided succor to middle and low-income earners.
Instead, successive administrations build fancy estates sold/selling for tens of millions of Naira, rates way out of reach of struggling Nigerians.
It is no longer news that the houses are mostly purchased by government officials or their fronts, businessmen/women and firms who resell or lease for a period of time.
At the commissioning of 100 units at Ikate Elegushi on Wednesday, Sanwo-Olu said the project was part of measures to “increase access to the stock of available houses”.
The Bayview Estate, a joint venture between Lagos State Development and Property Corporation and Misa Limited, is situated behind Enyo Filling Station and beside Stillwaters Garden.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that it consists 68 terraces of 4 bedrooms and 32 flats of 3 bedrooms on a total land area of 23,000sqm.
“We made a promise to partner with the private sector to deliver good houses to Lagos. Bayview Estate is a further demonstration of our consistency in keeping to our promises”, he said.
Reacting to the governor’s Facebook post, citizens accused the Lagos authorities of building houses only wealthy people can afford.
Adewale Omotosho: “(The government) collect tax from the poor and build for the rich. Well done all of una!”
“God bless you sir for this affordable housing. N50m/flat. It is not too bad especially now that things have gone up”, Engr UC wrote sarcastically.
Obuh Nelson: “The elites will buy some of these structures and resell to commoners who even make an attempt to buy. When you wish to do the next one Mr Governor, let it be affordable to minimum wage earners. Then we will know you have delivered dividends of democracy like Alhaji Jakande did.”
Richard Alaribe: “Houses within and around that area is not affordable and it’s not for the masses. How could you build such houses and say you are providing affordable houses to the masses?”
Jide Mackson: “You remind us of Jakande’s sterling qualities. But, these houses are for the elites and those political class. The middle class does not have access to them.”
Adesuwa Favour: “Is it affordable to low income earners? It’s well.”
Ikay Fezzas: “The amount involved has made the houses impossible to be affordable by the low-income earners. Which promise has been fulfilled, when the middle class cannot afford it? Was the promise made to the electorates or the elites? Needless of making the commissioning public when the elites will still have it, while the electorates remain in their impoverished condition.”
Kazeem Ijaola: “Only for the rich because a civil servant earning minimum wage will never be able to afford this.”
Temitayo Badmus: “Houses you’re talking about are too high for civil servants or small shop businesses in Lagos. You’re yet to build houses for the low-income like 70,000 per month. Think about those people and stop thinking about contractors.”
Sunday Benedict: “Only for the rich people. Especially politician. When we say that we want to make things affordable, it should be in such a way that low income earners can partake.”
Seyi Ogunronbi: “They are renting the 4-bedroom in this Estate (for) N5m. How does that make it affordable housing? The people that subscribe to it are not common people.”
Ono Eme: “Can you make it affordable for a civil servant to purchase it as mortgage, not commissioning it for the rich men.”
Nwudu Austin: “Houses that government officials will buy up by themselves and be selling to the public in exorbitant prices. Same happened at Fashola estate, Igando.”
Babalola Imoleaye: “Someone said in the comment that each apartment goes for 50 million Naira. People living at Ajegunle, Iyana Ipaja, Ikorodu, Epe and Ilaje, who are bricklayers, electricians, welders, carpenters and teachers can now afford these affordables. When we’re through deceiving ourselves in this country, we will sit and have a rethink.”
Imoleaye advised politicians to “remember that no matter how long it takes, we will each stand before GOD to give account of how we lived on earth!”
Elegushi of Ikate Kingdom, Oba Saheed Elegushi; Oniru of Iruland, Oba Gbolahan Lawal, among other dignitaries attended the Bayview Estate opening.
In May 2020, Sanwo-Olu commissioned Courtland Luxury Villas, another pricey estate also in Lagos
Hide Your Wives, Sisters, Boma BB Naija Warns As He Resorts To Live Up To His Infamous Reputation
Former BB Naija housemate and self-acclaimed Okroking, Boma Akpore has asked everyone to hide their wives, girlfriends, sisters, and even grandmas.
Boma made the statement on Instagram via a video he posted.
Recall that Naija News had reported that Boma had a fling in the house with Tega, a married woman which did not sit well with many Nigerians. Most people had condemned Boma’s actions, one of them being Cubana Chief Priest.
After leaving the house Boma had complained that he was receiving death threats and also insisted that the hatred was quite intense. However, Boma apologized to Tega’s husband and her family for the way he treated her.
The heat has not been on Boma alone as Tega had earlier cried out that she was being bullied online while also stating that she was not perfect. Few hours after making this post, Tega deactivated her Instagram account.
During her social media break, she had a sit-down with Chude Jidenowo and once again apologized for her actions in the house while maintaining that Boma and she had simply shared kisses and there was no sex involved.
With the video posted on Instagram Boma seems to have accepted how Nigerians see him and has decided to live up to his infamous reputation.
18-year-old girl made Commissioner of Information in Rivers
An 18-year old girl, Miss Sophia Oyibo Awajibene, was appointed as the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication on Tuesday.
Miss Oyibo was honoured with the position after she was declared the winner of an intensive essay competition in the state.
Sophia defeated fourteen other contestants to rise to the top of the competition.
She was subsequently declared an Ambassador of the Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communication.
Miss Oyibo was presented with a cash prize of N60,000 and a plaque.
The incumbent Commissioner of Information and Communication, Paulinus Nsirim, who vacated the seat for the secondary school leaver for 30 minutes, stated that it was imperative to encourage young people, that they can become famous and earn good reputations through hard work, honesty and integrity and not just via ‘Big Brother Nigeria’.
Nsirim said: “I got feedback that made me feel very bad about the prizes we were to give the winners. People asked, why would the prizes for an intellectual competition be N50,000, N30,000 and N20,000.
“They said, didn’t I see how much they are getting in Big Brother but that is a sad commentary about our country today, everything is monetised.”
Nsirim, however, said the ministry intends to inculcate the right values through essay competition and also showcase to the world that the right values can make someone become famous and a model to others.
Sophia Oyibo was made the Rivers state Commissioner for Information and Communication
The State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kaniye Ebeku and his Youths Development Counterpart, Prince Ohia, expressed delight at the performance of the winner, stating that education remains the bedrock of any society that desires advancement.
You Can’t Win 2023 Presidency With A Northern Candidate – Momodu Tells PDP
The founder of Ovation Media Group, Dele Momodu, says the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has a better chance of winning the 2023 presidency if it picks its presidential candidate from the South.
In a recent interview, Momodu noted that the opposition party cannot reclaim the Presidency if it fields a Northerner as its presidential candidate in 2023.
Momodu stated that the North will never get anybody who is as popular as President Muhammadu Buhari that can conveniently win elections in a long time to come.
The former presidential candidate also appealed to former vice president Atiku Abubakar not to contest in the 2023 general elections due to his age.
He said: “By 2023, Atiku would have been contesting for 30 years. I love him. He is a businessman; among all of them, he has been able to run his business successfully. But are we going to leave Buhari who is almost 80 and go to someone who is almost 80? The reason I think PDP has a better chance is that anyone who can pick a candidate from the South will definitely win.
“Contrary to the boastfulness of the northern politicians, they will never get anybody from the North who is as popular as Buhari in a long time to come. Buhari contested three times and twice he was defeated by southerners: first by Obasanjo and later by Jonathan. This is because the North’s catchment area is between North-West and North-East.
“If they say that power will not leave the North, it means that they have edged out Tinubu, they have edged out Osinbajo, they have edged out all those who rushed from their parties because they were hoping that the mantle might fall on them. You have the governor from Ebonyi, you have the governor from Cross River who jumped ship and joined the APC recently.
“My thinking is that if there will be elections, I have told my friends (Kingsley Moghalu, Omoyele Sowore) that it would take a miracle for a third force to win election in a country that is as complex and complicated as Nigeria.
“We are left with only one option. If APC is so bad that you don’t want to touch it, the only other option, for now, will be PDP, unless the party breaks up and you have a new re-alliance as it happened with the APC. Anything other than that, the two formidable parties at the national level will be APC and PDP.”
He stated that the ruling APC should be punished for mismanaging the country and creating division among the regions that make up Nigeria since taking over power in 2015.
The media mogul asked Nigerians not to vote for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) nor any of its candidates in the forthcoming elections.
Momodu blamed President Buhari and the ruling party for the current security challenges facing the country and the economic hardship experienced by the citizens.
He said: “APC should be punished for the mismanagement of Nigeria in the last six and half years. If you fail an exam, you do not get promoted. If you fail, sometimes you can get rusticated if your results are so bad and the school gives up on you. The way Nigeria is today, we are just on the brink of collapse. Buhari has led us to the Golgotha.
“The greatest party in Nigeria is neither the APC nor the PDP. They are just formidable because they are the ones who practice politicking.
“What is needed now is someone who can bring the floaters party on board. Those are the youths. Many people don’t vote. This is because the people do not find anybody whose message resonates with them, whose face is familiar to them.“
Just In: CAN Commends Senate Over U-Turn On Electronic Voting, Transmission
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has commended the Senate for its decision on the recommendation of electronic voting and transmission in the forthcoming general elections in the country.
The Senate has revoked its decision on some clauses in the Electoral Amendment Bill that was passed sometime in July 2021.
The Upper Chamber of the National Assembly specifically reviewed clause 52 of the act which deals with the methods of voting and collation of results in an election.
In its review, the Senate amended the clause to let the electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), determine the use of electronic voting and transfer of results.
The development stirred controversy among politicians and concerned Nigerians, this online news platform reports.
In September 2021, the House of Representatives assigned seven members to work with the upper chamber of the National Assembly on the Electoral Act amendment bill.
The seven rep members, Naija News understands were tasked to work with their colleagues from the Senate to harmonize the Electoral Act amendment bill. The rep members as announced during a plenary are: Akeem Adeyemi, James Abiodun Faleke (APC, Lagos); Aisha Dukku (APC, Gombe); Blessing Onuh (APC, Benue); Nyima Idem (PDP, Akwa Ibom); Chris Azubogu (PDP, Anambra) and Abdullahi Kalambaina (APC, Sokoto).
The legislators from the two chambers will work on the bill to harmonize the details, provide a clean copy and get it ready for Presidential assent.
Subsequently, the Senate revoked the adoption of the process for the 2023 election and CAN leadership is commending the Senate for being sensitive to the yearnings and aspirations of the people.
“That is the beauty of democracy. The more the government does this, the better for our nation,” CAN acknowledged in a statement made available to Naija News on Thursday, October 14 through its General Secretary, Barr. Joseph Bade Daramola.
CAN called on the House of Representatives to follow this path of honour by rescinding its own decision too and we also advise President Muhammadu Buhari to do the needful by signing the amendment Bill to the law as soon as he receives it.
“We, however, call on the two chambers to let political parties decide how their candidates will emerge instead of imposing Direct Primaries on them.
“We appeal to INEC, the Federal government, the security agencies, political parties and the Non-Governmental Organisations to work together to ensure credible, free and fair polls in the country. The situation where courts decide those occupying our political offices is totally unacceptable, reprehensible and disheartening. If by now our democracy is still a baby, Nigeria would not be regarded as a serious country in the comity of nations,” the statement added.
BREAKING: Former Senate President Emerges PDP Consensus National Chairman Candidate
Former Senate President, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, has emerged the consensus candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
This is coming ahead of the main opposition party’s October 31 national elective convention holding at the Eagles square, Abuja.
The former Senate President emerged the consensus candidate after hours of continuous meetings by PDP stakeholders of Northern extraction in Abuja.
Naija News had earlier reported that three candidates emerged from those contesting to become the next National Chairman of the PDP.
A candidate emerged each from the North Central, North West, and North-East geo-political zones.
A former Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema defeated other aspirants to emerge from the North West, Senator Suleiman Nazif from Bauchi State, who is the current PDP Deputy National Chairman (North), emerged as the sole candidate from the North East and the North Central chose former Senate President, Iyorchia Ayu from Benue State.
To emerge, Shema got votes from 6 out of 7 states from his zone, leaving his closest challenger, former Kaduna State Governor, Ahmed Makarfi with votes just from Kaduna his home state.
Nazif on his part had no challenger and emerged the sole candidate from his region.
While the North Central zone of the PDP agreed to the choice of Benue-born former Senate President, Iyorchia Ayu as their candidate for the position of national chairman of the party.
Oluwaseun Fabiyi rejoices with Ace Journalist, Otunba Segun Ogunbunmi On His 50th Birthday.
Happy birthday to a dear uncle, Boss of the Bosses, Otunba Segun Ogunbunmi the publisher and editor-in-chief Global News Magazine.
Otunba Ogunbunmi is a Man of exemplary virtues, small in stature but big in greatness and success.
He’s a Man with unique dexterity. Very deep intellectually and bold when confronting situations.
He is very reliable, dependable and trustworthy.
Your birthday offers a great reminder of how resourceful and beneficial you are to a good course.
On your birthday, I recall the incredible value you have brought to bear on some of us when working under you at Global News empire, and I want to thank you for your sacrifices and untainted patient/endurance.
Given your selfless characteristic, you have engraved your name in the heart of many people in the industry who through your simplicity and benevolence, has achieved greatness.
As you celebrate your birthday today, I warmly celebrate you and sincerely appreciate you for the positive contributions you have made in my life and in the lives of people who comes around you, and service to Nigeria as a whole.
May your new age be blessed with happiness and God continue to strengthen your conviction for doing good and grant you the grace to witness more rewarding years on Earth. Congratulations Boss and many happy returns of the day.
Wigwe, Emefiele honoured with Juris Law Award for outstanding contributions in finance sector
The Chairman, Body of Bank CEOs and Group Managing Director of Access Bank PLC, Herbert Wigwe, has been recognised for his outstanding contributions to Corporate Governance and Rule of Law in Nigeria’s Banking Industry.
Wigwe was presented the Juris Law Award by Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad at the 2021 Judges Workshop on Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020 which held on Tuesday, 12 October 2021 in Abuja.
Also honoured with an award was the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele. The Juris Law Award is presented in honour of leaders who are taking significant steps towards promoting economic growth in Nigeria through deepening institutions, corporate governance and Rule of Law.
Accepting the award, Wigwe stated that he was honoured to receive the award, adding that “through innovative banking initiatives and our underlying sustainability drive, Access Bank will continue to create shared value for all our stakeholders, striking a balance between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility.”
Wigwe and Emefiele have partnered in the creation of several positive socio-economic initiatives such as the Creative Industries and Financing Initiative; a loan scheme developed to provide access to long-term and low-interest financing for entrepreneurs in Nigeria. In addition, Wigwe, Emefiele and Aliko Dangote were key parties in the formation of the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) – a vehicle created to spearhead corporate Nigeria’s support for the federal government’s fight against the deadly virus. The successful coalition funded the establishment of response centres, acquisition of medical equipment, supplies and food palliatives for vulnerable Nigerians.
The 2021 Judges Workshop on Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2020 focused on reforms and the statutory requirements imposed by CBN on all banks and other financial institutions in Nigeria to adopt policies on anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism and cyber security in Nigeria.
Also in attendance of the workshop were the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF); Abubakar Malami (SAN); the Appeal Court President, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensen; the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho; the Former Chief Justice of Nigeria and former Chairman, Board of Governors, National Judicial Institute, Hon. Justice Mahmud Mohammed and other high ranking judicial officers and the legal community.
