End SARS: Court orders police to probe Davido, Wizkid, Falz, Moe, Tiwa Savage, others [Full list]
A Magistrate Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the Police to investigate 50 End SARS protesters.
They are accused of playing active roles in the agitaion.
They include Aisha Yesufu, David Adeleke – Davido, Ayodeji Balogun – Wizkid, Deji Adeyanju, Sam Adeyemi, Ayo Sogunro, Tiwa Savage, Dipo Awojide, Folarin Falana – Falz, Modupe Odele – Moe, Feyikemi Abudu – FK.
Micheal Ajereh – Don Jazzy, Peter Okoye, Paul Okoye, Rinu Oduala, Innocent Idibia – 2baba, Kanu Nwankwo, Joe Abah, Kiki Mordi, Tope Akinyode, Adebola Williams, Yul Edochie, Bankole Wellington.
Also on the list are Oseyi Etomi, Jola Ayeye, Japhet Omojuwa, Pamilerin Adegoke, Kelvin Odanz Adekunle Temitope, Layo Ogunbanwo, Ayodele Makun, Uche Jombo, Yemi Alade, Ojabodu Ademola.
The order to investigate the protesters was given by Chief Magistrate Omolola Akindele of the Wuse Zone 6 of the Magistrate Court.
Akindele gave the Police two weeks to conclude their investigation so that trial of the case would commence.
#endsars
End SARS: Court orders police to probe Davido, Wizkid, Falz, Moe, Tiwa Savage, others [Full list]
A Magistrate Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the Police to investigate 50 End SARS protesters.
They are accused of playing active roles in the agitaion.
They include Aisha Yesufu, David Adeleke – Davido, Ayodeji Balogun – Wizkid, Deji Adeyanju, Sam Adeyemi, Ayo Sogunro, Tiwa Savage, Dipo Awojide, Folarin Falana – Falz, Modupe Odele – Moe, Feyikemi Abudu – FK.
Micheal Ajereh – Don Jazzy, Peter Okoye, Paul Okoye, Rinu Oduala, Innocent Idibia – 2baba, Kanu Nwankwo, Joe Abah, Kiki Mordi, Tope Akinyode, Adebola Williams, Yul Edochie, Bankole Wellington.
Also on the list are Oseyi Etomi, Jola Ayeye, Japhet Omojuwa, Pamilerin Adegoke, Kelvin Odanz Adekunle Temitope, Layo Ogunbanwo, Ayodele Makun, Uche Jombo, Yemi Alade, Ojabodu Ademola.
The order to investigate the protesters was given by Chief Magistrate Omolola Akindele of the Wuse Zone 6 of the Magistrate Court.
Akindele gave the Police two weeks to conclude their investigation so that trial of the case would commence.
#endsars
End SARS: Court orders police to probe Davido, Wizkid, Falz, Moe, Tiwa Savage, others [Full list]
A Magistrate Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the Police to investigate 50 End SARS protesters.
They are accused of playing active roles in the agitaion.
They include Aisha Yesufu, David Adeleke – Davido, Ayodeji Balogun – Wizkid, Deji Adeyanju, Sam Adeyemi, Ayo Sogunro, Tiwa Savage, Dipo Awojide, Folarin Falana – Falz, Modupe Odele – Moe, Feyikemi Abudu – FK.
Micheal Ajereh – Don Jazzy, Peter Okoye, Paul Okoye, Rinu Oduala, Innocent Idibia – 2baba, Kanu Nwankwo, Joe Abah, Kiki Mordi, Tope Akinyode, Adebola Williams, Yul Edochie, Bankole Wellington.
Also on the list are Oseyi Etomi, Jola Ayeye, Japhet Omojuwa, Pamilerin Adegoke, Kelvin Odanz Adekunle Temitope, Layo Ogunbanwo, Ayodele Makun, Uche Jombo, Yemi Alade, Ojabodu Ademola.
The order to investigate the protesters was given by Chief Magistrate Omolola Akindele of the Wuse Zone 6 of the Magistrate Court.
Akindele gave the Police two weeks to conclude their investigation so that trial of the case would commence.
#endsars
Erica Signs Star Radler And Legend Stout Endorsement Deals
As the Star Radler Citrus relaunches with the new look and introduction of the new red fruit flavour Legend stout, the two brands have just announced the signing of Erica Nlewedim of the Big Brother Naija as their new Ambassador
While reflecting on the brand’s new ‘Red Fruit’ variant, Portfolio Manager, Non Lager & Flavoured Brands, Sarah Agha said, “We’re very excited to be unveiling this new flavour. Having tested and planned this launch for quite some time, we’re happy to be giving our consumers more than just a taste of the new variant but offer twice the refreshment. The new red fruit variant gives every consumer a chapman taste mixed with beer, making it a unique drink. We can’t wait to hear all the reviews!”
In her remarks on the brand’s new look, the Brand Manager, Star Radler, Onyebuchi Nwangwu added, “With the new label and can design, Star Radler will stand out on the shelves and in the fridges at your favourite supermarkets and stores. We’re confident that this new look adds to the unique experience every Radler consumer will have with the brand.
The two brands took to their social media page to welcome her into the family.
#erica
Innoson Group lauds Ugwuanyi for favourable investment climate in Enugu (Pix)
… As state govt offers to provide training for novel IVM CRUISE service drivers
Governor directs Transport Ministry to recruit more staff for State Traffic Management Authority
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Innoson Group of Companies, Chief (Dr.) Innocent Chukwuma has commended Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State for “ensuring an enabling environment and a favourable investment climate for commercial activities to thrive within the state”.
Igbere TV reports that Chief Chukwuma who made the commendation during the launch of the Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Ltd’s novel city transportation service in the state, “aptly christened IVM Cruise”, thanked Gov. Ugwuanyi for his presence at the epoch-making event, stressing that it was an attestation to his commitment to business development and youth empowerment.
Represented by a Director of the Board of Innoson Group, Mr. Alfred Nwosu, the Chairman disclosed that flag-off was “indeed auspicious as it is the realization of our company’s vision to among other things contribute to the financial empowerment of our people while transforming the city transportation system of our beloved Enugu”.
He explained that the IVM Cruise service “is a unique technology-driven ride hailing service which offers our pilots a good chance of becoming dignified transporters and owners of brand new Innoson Connect Vehicles after an initial period of three years”.
Launching the service, Gov. Ugwuanyi noted that it was reminiscent of global brands such as Uber Technologies, inc. and Lyft inc., and will go a long way to improve transportation in the state, create jobs for the teeming youths, reduce poverty and offer opportunity for startups in transportation business, “as the beneficiaries could become owners of the vehicles after initial three years”.
The governor, who announced that his administration was prepared to provide training for the drivers engaged in the IVM Cruise service, directed the State Ministry of Transport to recruit more staff for State Traffic Management Authority.
He added that the state government will ensure a favourable operating environment, security and enabling physical infrastructure for the transport service to thrive in the state.
Noting that city transportation has been a major plank of his administration, Gov. Ugwuanyi pointed out that it recently undertook measures to optimize service delivery in the sector including the employment of Traffic Officers in the State Ministry of Transport for enhanced traffic management in the city and approval for recruitment of additional Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO).
Other measures, according to the governor, include the procurement of additional two new vehicle Tow Trucks for managing road obstruction and other rescue operations in the state, purchase of operational Motor Bikes for the Ministry and continuous provision of communication gadgets, uniforms and kits for the operations of the Traffic Officers in the state.
“I proudly reckon that the event of today is a watershed in city transportation in Enugu State and I seize this opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding contributions of Chief (Dr.) Innocent Chukwuma, OFR, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Innoson Group of Companies, to the 21st Century industrial revolution in Nigeria”, Gov. Ugwuanyi said.
Earlier in his address, the State Commissioner for Transport, Rt. Hon. Mathias Ekweremadu, appreciated the laudable partnership between an indigenous automobile company (IVM) and “the government under our capable leader, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Gburugburu)”.
He expressed optimism that the partnership will enhance the transport service extant in the state as well as create jobs for the teeming youths “which has been the topmost priority of our governor”.
Also present at the event were the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Augustine Nnamani, Chairman of Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Amb. Lawrence Agubuzu, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Prof. Malachy Okwueze and other members of the State Executive Council (EXCO), Special Advisers to the Governor, the Council Chairmen led by the State Chairman of ALGON, Hon. Solomon Onah, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Hon. Ogbons Idike, and his counterpart in the Ministry of Local Government Service Commission, Chief Charles Mbah, among others.
#igberetv
Lady Cancels Her Marriage After Mother-In-Law Stopped Her From Killing A Python
A Nigerian lady has revealed the strange tradition she witnessed, when she accompanied her fiancè to his village, which eventually made her to cancel their proposed marriage.
She narrated how she and her fiancè went to his village to see his mother and something very strange happened, that night.
She said, she saw a snake entering her fiancé’s room that night and she tried to kill it, before it harmed someone, but was shocked, when her would-be mother-in-law told her to stop, revealing to her that, it was a taboo to kill a snake in the village.
The mother went on, to tell her that, the snake came to welcome them and she used a stick to remove it.
#gossip
African Countries Praised For Handling Coronavirus Really Well
Strong leadership fought COVID-19 in Africa: the next step is to harness research
African countries are still reeling from the effect of measures, such as lockdowns, taken to contain the spread of COVID-19. Though painful, they were a vital part of the successful public health response mounted by many African leaders.
The quick responses by most African countries meant that they were able to avoid the large-scale loss of life seen elsewhere. The 1.8 million infections and 44,000 deaths recorded on the continent by mid-November are a great loss. They are, nevertheless, far from the catastrophic predictions made back in March and April.
But the fight is not yet over: the Africa Centres for Disease Control has recently warned of a fresh wave of infections, reporting almost 9,000 cases a day. With lockdowns easing and borders opening this figure will certainly rise.
If good public health measures helped Africa tackle its first COVID-19 wave, a response led by scientists and researchers must be central to any current and future threats. This was emphasised by several top African scientists gathered at a recent webinar convened to discuss next steps to contain the pandemic.
The strong leadership displayed by many African countries during the pandemic is certainly a lesson for others. But strong leadership needs good science. For Africa, this means that research for treatments and vaccines for COVID-19 must take place here, led by African scientists and tailored to this specific context.
Lessons from Africa
Global solidarity might be lacking in the fight against COVID-19 but regional cooperation is not, especially in Africa. As the director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control, John Nkengasong, pointed out, “the continent came together very quickly”.
Under his leadership, 55 health ministers gathered in Addis Ababa in February to develop a joint African strategy for the COVID-19 outbreak.
One of the decisions taken was to develop a platform to train 100,000 health workers and for the common procurement of diagnostics medical supplies. Called the “Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing in Africa (PACT)”, the initiative was set up for multiple countries and has led to 12 million tests being conducted.
Many countries closed borders and implemented lockdowns. South Africa instituted one of the world’s strictest. For its part the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) instituted a lockdown and suspended all flights into the country – the main way cases were being introduced.
A number of countries also developed impressive testing programmes. One was Senegal, whose Institut Pasteur in Dakar was one of the only two laboratories with COVID-19 testing capacity when the pandemic began. Results are now available in hours. The country has also trained health workers elsewhere on the continent, and the Institut is developing home-test kits which should be available soon.
In South Africa, an army of health workers with experience in HIV and tuberculosis were used as contact tracers for COVID-19.
Another feature of the response in some countries was getting the buy-in of communities. Steve Mundeke Ahuka, the incident manager for the COVID-19 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said the country drew on its past experience in managing the Ebola response.
This involved using social scientists and epidemiologists to study perceptions of Ebola in the community because of the distrust of outsiders. These insights were used to create and adapt communications to combat fake news and support vaccination and contact tracing. After two difficult years, the strategies paid off: over 300,000 people were vaccinated.
Similar strategies were used for COVID-19.
Research on COVID-19
Most of the research taking place for COVID-19 is happening in North America and Europe. Large, well-organised clinical trials that were launched months ago are already saving lives.
This intensity of research is needed on the continent.
There are a number of reasons for this.
The first is that Africa has a different genetic profile. According to Helen Rees, executive director of the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute in South Africa, who is leading COVID-19 vaccine efforts in South Africa,
Populations have different genetic backgrounds, and they are exposed to different infections such as HIV and malaria. We need to know if future vaccines will be safe and effective in our populations.
Another reason for more research on the continent is that it can help drive policy. As Borna Nyaoke Anoke, senior clinical project manager and medical manager at DNDi, argues:
We need large, well-conducted, randomised clinical trials in Africa to support policy change for treatments.
One of the most urgent priorities is the need for treatment for mild to moderate cases to avoid mass hospitalisations that would overwhelm already overburdened health systems. DNDi will soon be launching a large clinical trial with a number of African and European partners to fill this gap. A number of treatments that can be given to patients with mild symptoms will be tested.
Lastly, African countries need to be active in the research arena to ensure that they are not last in the queue for life-saving treatments and vaccines.
African countries have proved that they have the skills and expertise to provide local solutions to this global pandemic. They need to build on this success together to keep the pandemic at bay.
#covid19
Joe Biden Becomes The First Democrat In 28 Years To Win Georgia
Now at 306 Electoral College
Joe Biden will win Georgia, CNN projected Friday, striking at the heart of what has been a Republican presidential stronghold for nearly three decades. The former vice president is the first Democratic nominee to triumph in Georgia since Bill Clinton did it in 1992.
Biden's victory adds 16 electoral votes to his tally, bringing him to 306 -- matching President Donald Trump's 2016 total. With CNN's projection that Trump will win North Carolina, the final tally is 306-232, a landslide for the President-elect, who flipped five states and a congressional district in Nebraska from red to blue in 2020.
The symmetry provides the President with yet another bitter pill to swallow. Trump has spent years tweeting and talking up his margin of victory against Hillary Clinton -- one that has now been turned on its head in a final, national rebuke of his presidency.
In Georgia, Trump had raced out to an early lead in the counting, but Biden surged ahead as the votes from Atlanta and its suburbs were tabulated.
The Democratic ticket's historic success has been fueled by a grassroots organizing renaissance that rallied a rapidly diversifying electorate and suburbs that are, at once, growing and becoming increasingly inhospitable to Republican candidates. Georgia Republicans have compounded the issue, with state lawmakers refusing so far to expand Medicaid under Obamacare and Gov. Brian Kemp, in 2019, signed a so-called "heartbeat bill," one of the country's most restrictive abortion laws
Biden's success in a traditionally Republican state is the culmination of slow, steady gains there by the party. Two years ago, Democrat Stacey Abrams fell narrowly short in her bid for governor, losing to Kemp by 1.4 percentage points. Her campaign, and the work she's done since then, has focused on bringing out Democratic voters who had stayed home in previous cycles. That set the stage for Biden, a moderate, to win big in the counties overlapping and outside Atlanta, a city at the heart of the New South.
"We have been working at this for more than a decade. And there have been dozens of organizations and hundreds of people who've made this their primary mission," Abrams told CNN's Jake Tapper this week on "State of the Union." "I have been privileged to be able to bring to bear resources, both before the election of 2018 and then the $40 million we were able to spend in 2018 to build a Democratic infrastructure that may not have yielded a victory for me in 2018, but certainly yielded a victory this week."
#uselection
Strike: We Will Explore Other Options If ASUU Remains Adamant - Ngige
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has expressed optimism that the prolonged strike action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities will be resolved by next week when the Federal Government team meets the union leaders again.
He, however, said if the matter was not resolved by then, he would explore the provisions in the labour law and other channels. Government had previously appealed to the union to call off the strike.
The union had on March 24 2020 embarked on an indefinite strike over the failure of the Federal Government to keep to the 2019 Memorandum of Action between them as well as the lingering disagreement over the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System that ASUU rejected.
Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television on Friday, the minister said the government had met six of the union’s nine demands and that they would meet again next week with the hope of ending the prolonged strike.
He stated, “Even if countries go to war, at the end of the day they come to the negotiation table. I’m inviting them (ASUU) next week. We are doing side meetings on our part and we are collating everything. I’m collating responses from the Accountant General of the Federation’s Office and everybody who has something to do with this matter.
When asked if it meant that the lecturers may not return to the classrooms in the next one or two weeks, he said, “I’m not looking at that (long) period. I’m an optimist on this matter. By next week, we will conclude this matter. There are so many options left. We have the labour laws and I have options left to me in the labour laws. I have other channels.”
The minister, who said his children had also been at home as a result of the strike, explained that government had agreed to give the University Transparency Academic Solution, the payment platform proposed by ASUU, a trial. He however said the feedback he got from the National Information Technology Development Agency, the agency mandated to follow-up the trial with ASUU, showed they had just concluded the first phase and that the second phase to assess the functional requirement of UTAS had not been done.
He added, “UTAS has yet to be ready but government will not discourage them. And we have told them there is no need using the same old method of strike to make demands since such had been deployed since 2017.”
On the revitalisation fund, he said government had agreed to release N30bn out of the N40bn demanded by the union as the payment for November 2019 and September 2020, adding that the remaining N10bn would be staggered.
“A committee that looked into the Needs Assessment of universities held a workshop on how funds could be generated came up with the recommendation that other things could be done to raise funds, because revitalisation cannot be done through the budget, especially when the country is running a deficit budget,” Ngige added
#punchng