Does being exposed to more virus particles mean you’ll develop more severe illness? Data suggests the relationship between infection and severity may be complex
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Omoyele Sowore
Omoyele Sowore
Rights activist and journalist, Omoyele Sowore, has raised the alarm over a plot by the Nigerian Government to detain him over revelations by his news outlet, SaharaReporters, that Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, tested positive for Coronavirus.
On Monday night, SaharaReporters had exclusively reported that Kyari was ill and had contracted the deadly virus.
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The online news medium went ahead on Tuesday to break the story of three of Kyari’s staff contracting the virus from him.
Till this moment, the Presidency has been unable to deny any of the reports, instead plotting to turn their anger on Sowore and SaharaReporters.
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In a message to his followers on Facebook on Thursday, Sowore said his lawyers had informed him of a high-powered delegation sent to the Federal High Court in Abuja to obtain a detention order.
Sowore said, “Folks, it is important to inform you that we are facing some unusual circumstances and the days ahead might be very tensed and difficult, but we will conquer.
“Following the revelation by SaharaReporters that the Chief of Staff to Buhari, Abba Kyari, contracted Coronavirus and subsequent revelations about the criminal conducts/negligence that has brought Nigeria to the nadir of this global pandemic, the Buhari regime today sent some high powered delegation to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria to help procure a detention order against me.
“The courts are reportedly on break due to COVID-19 pandemic. This was leaked to our lawyers a few minutes ago. They plan this time is to use the Nigerian Army for the sinister plot.
“The plan is to obtain a court order and then send soldiers to shoot up my residence in Abuja by claiming that I resisted arrest with armed colleagues.
“If I am arrested alive, they would take me to a military barracks in Abuja to be tortured and or infected with COVID-19.
“I am not raising the alarm to scare anyone, it is to inform our compatriots that we should brace for difficult days ahead.
“However, rest assured that we are in high spirits and are totally convinced that we may be turning a historic corner in the face of brutal repression.
“I am urging all to stand firm, unbowed and unbroken.”
Recall that Sowore was first arrested in the early hours of August 3, 2019 by operatives of the Department of State Services for calling on Nigerians to take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations on August 5 to demand a better country from the administration of President Buhari.
He was kept in unlawful detention from that period until December 5, 2019 when he was finally released on bail despite two court orders earlier sanctioning his freedom.
In a twist of event, DSS operatives invaded the Federal High Court in Abuja on December 6, 2019 to rearrest him without any court order.
He remained in unlawful detention until 18 days later when he was released by the secret police for the second time.
At the resumption of his trial in a case brought against him by the Nigerian Government, the prosecution failed to prove accusations against him and even went ahead to dropping seven of the charges earlier preferred against him.
Groups and high-raking individuals from around the world have described the charges against Sowore as baseless and a waste of time.
The journalist remains confined to Abuja as one of his bail conditions forbids him from leaving the city or speaking with journalists until the end of his trial.
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Olabisi Deji-Folutile
Olabisi Deji-Folutile
The world is facing its most trying and unprecedented times as the last few weeks have been most challenging for almost everybody. What started in Wuhan, China, as an epidemic, has put the entire world in disarray. Major streets across the globes have become empty. Both the rich and the poor are being ravaged by the plague of COVID-19, which the World Health Organisation has rightly described as a pandemic. Work places have been shut; religious and social gatherings banned and many countries are on total lockdown, in a bid to curb the spread of this viral disease. Expectedly, schools are also affected across board. Every day people are being told to embrace social distancing and suddenly things like human contacts, hitherto considered as free gifts of life, are becoming very expensive.
No one knows when this whole chaos will end, so people are making different kinds of adjustments to cope with the situation while it lasts. Many companies have shifted their operations online. Likewise, many schools have opted for e-learning, making use of available technology for teaching and learning.
Universities around the world are making use of communication technology to ease the effects of the global pandemic on their academic calendars. In China, universities are going for online teaching instead of in-class teaching; the ones in Australia have moved their classes online just as UK universities have suspended face-to-face teaching. Turkey started its remote university classes on March 23. In Kenya, universities have activated communication between lecturers and students via social media platforms and emails while classes have gone totally online in the Philippines and Kyrgyzstan. Teachers in France have been working with their students on Zoom.
Just a few days ago, Ghana’s President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, directed the ministry of education to collaborate with the ministry of communications in rolling out open learning programmes in response to the closure of all educational institutions in the country. In the same vein, Mount Kenya University’s Vice-Chancellor Peter Wanderi, has announced the extension of online teaching platforms for regular students to facilitate the learning process. And to take care of the over six million students that have experienced disruption to their studies, ten North African and 12 Arab countries have begun work on an e-learning initiative to facilitate open and online education.
These are some of the steps being taken across the globe to bridge the gap created by school closure in the wake of COVID-19. Unfortunately, while all these activities are going on in other parts of the world, Nigerian government has not said anything about steps being taken to take care of its students’ community. Rather, the only message from the Federal Government was a total closure of all tertiary institutions and FG-owned unity schools till further notice. A statement issued by the National Universities Commission simply said universities would remain shut for one month while the Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, said tertiary institutions would remain shut indefinitely.
Assuming government has been overwhelmed by the burden of controlling the spread of COVID- 19, hence its silence on options for learning for its teeming student population, one would have expected the higher institutions themselves to at least say something, but as it is, they too are not helping matters. The silence in our universities has been deafening. To worsen the situation, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, decided to choose this time, of all times, to embark on an indefinite strike. One wonders how the academic body manages to feel comfortable being on a strike at a time when researchers across the globe are busy looking for solution to a pandemic that is ravaging the entire world. This kind of action makes one query the essence of having Research and Development as a core component of tertiary education in Nigeria when researchers can be nowhere to be found at a critical time of societal needs.
By now, our researchers should be adding their voices to the various efforts being made towards developing a vaccine or cure for COVID-19. After all, universities are expected to proffer solutions to societal problems. This is a wrong time for ASUU to embark on an indefinite strike. This should be a time of strategising and proffering solutions. This is really the time for everyone to get involved. Besides, I think Nigerian universities should also be more forthcoming on their responses to the challenges posed to their students by COVID-19.
As it is, religious organisations are doing far better in terms of their responses to the effects of this pandemic on their primary constituencies. Many of them have devised other means of getting the attention of their members following several government directives prohibiting either gatherings or limiting the number of people allowed to congregate at a time. Almost all the churches have switched to online platforms for their services. How come religious organisations are working hard to keep their flocks and both government and higher institutions in Nigeria are just moving on as if all is well? No word on how to keep the students busy or keep them engaged using available online technology! Should teaching and learning be restricted to the classrooms alone in this 21st century?
Nigeria has always been described as a religious society. Corona Virus has further exposed the smartness of our religious bodies and the dullness of those in charge of our public educational institutions. This is not an attempt to blame any religious organisation for having the foresight to deploy technology in reaching their audiences. Instead, it is a wakeup call to managers of our educational institutions to adopt and use available technology to help their students at a time like this.
Apart from the National Open University of Nigeria, which basically runs online, I doubt if there is any other public university in the country that has capacity for online teaching. This is in spite of the launch of the Nigerian Communication Satellite known as NIGCOMSAT by the Nigerian Government first in 2007 and then NIGCOMSAT-IR in December 2011, to provide critical ICT backbone infrastructure to support e-learning, among others in the country.
What is the essence of investing so much money in a communication satellite if it cannot be deployed at a time of need? Those in charge of NIGCOMSAT, the commercial arm of Nigeria’s space centre, have consistently claimed that the technology has the capacity to cover the entire Africa. If that is the case, why is the country still struggling to deploy internet connectivity facilities to its schools to aide e-learning? If we are truly a serious country, by now, all the schools in urban and rural areas should have been connected to the e-learning services.
No doubt, COVID-19 has exposed Nigeria’s unpreparedness for e-learning. But, we can’t afford to remain where we are. That is why it is important for every institution to start thinking of how to deploy available technology in the world for the good of their students at this critical period. Universities should as a matter of urgency migrate online. This shouldn’t be another season of waiting and probably wasting for the Nigerian student. There is no reason why any higher institution worth its name should suspend all academic activities until the end of Corona Virus with all the available resources and technology in the world today. The minimum expected of them is to upload teaching resources online for students to have access to them. At least this will give the students the opportunity to learn on their own.
This is also an opportunity for telecommunications companies like Glo, MTN and the rest of them to make a difference in Nigeria’s educational institutions. They can as part of their corporate social responsibility decide to boost internet facilities in universities and other educational institutions; or provide data at cheaper rates to help poor students have access to the internet for online learning.
I know there are obvious stumbling blocks to digital learning in Nigeria. Many students don’t even have access to devices while the cost of buying data is still high. These challenges and others have provided telecommunications companies a huge opportunity of making a difference in Nigerian higher institutions by providing e-learning solutions and broadband connectivity to universities and other higher institutions.
They can as part of their corporate social responsibility decide to boost internet facilities in universities and other higher institutions; or help poor students who have limited or poor internet access to enhance online learning.
Olabisi Deji-Folutile is the Editor-in-Chief of Franktalknow.com and member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. Email: bisideji@yahoo.co.uk
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Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Abuja
Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Abuja
The Embassy of Indonesia in Abuja, Nigeria, has refused to allow staff work from home or observe social distancing despite the outbreak and continued spread of Coronavirus in the country, SaharaReporters can confirm.
Despite pleas to the leadership of the high commission, staff especially Nigerian employees of the embassy have been asked to continue working without recourse to their health.
“The High Commissioner even threatened some staff that if they refused to come to work, they will be fired.
“This is despite the announcement by the FCT authorities that everyone should stay at home to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus,” one troubled staff said on Thursday.
SaharaReporters gathered that the embassy authorities insisted that it cannot regard the verbal directive from the Nigerian Government for residents to work from home.
It was also gathered that despite the matter being brought to their notice, Nigerian Government officials were yet to intervene.
The Indonesian Embassy and in fact several other high commissions in the country employ only contract staff with no health insurance, pension, benefits or allowances.
Nigerian authorities are aware of this gross labour law violation but have failed to act to protect citizens employed in such places.
“They all treat Nigerians the same. Most of them reduce salaries without prior notification and they pay poorly.
“For example, administrative staff earn between N90,000 to N120,000 while drivers, domestic help and cooks earn between N25,000 to N60,000 with no overtime and they also deny women maternity leave,” a top diplomatic source told SaharaReporters.
At the Indonesian Embassy in Abuja, only four Nigerian staff are employed and they mostly serve in domestic capacity.
“We are suffering in our own country. We need government to intervene and ensure that they abide by the laid down rules of their host community, Nigeria,” another staff at the Indonesian Embassy said.
As at the time of this report, an enquiry sent to the Indonesian Embassy via email by SaharaReporters was yet to be responded to while phone numbers listed on the website of the high commission failed to connect when dialed by one of our correspondents on Thursday.
As a way of curtailing the spread of Coronavirus in Nigeria, the federal and various state governments had adopted various measures including restricting public gatherings and advising workers to operate from their houses.
Nigeria has 51 confirmed cases of Coronavirus and one recorded death at the moment with fears growing of a further spread if the stay-at-home order is not complied with by citizens.
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The Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday ordered the forfeiture of N293m, six parcels of land and 30, 000 MTN shares recovered from a former commander of the military Joint Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield, in the Niger Delta, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Atewe (retd).
Justice Mohammed Liman made an order for the temporary forfeiture of the assets to the Nigerian Government following an ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC alleged that the assets were part of proceeds of N8.5bn, which Atewe allegedly diverted from the military operation between September 5, 2014 and May 20, 2015.
The landed properties were identified as 50 hectares of farmland at Plot No. FL746B Gaube Farmland Extension II Layout, Kuje, Abuja; a piece of land located at Commercial Layout, Yenagoa Gardens, Bayelsa State; one hectare of land in Kuje District, Abuja; Plot No. CP10, Sector Centre B Layout, Kuje, Abuja; Plot MF62 Outer Northern Expressway Cadastral Zone, Abuja; Plot No. 1228 Jahi, Abuja; four hectares of land designated as Plot No.CP6386 and Plot No.CP6387, Sabon Lugbe, Abuja.
An investigating officer of the EFCC, Adamu Yusuf, said Atewe purchased the 30,000 MTN shares for N170,350,000.
Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, said it would be in the interest of justice for the court to order the temporary forfeiture of the assets.
After listening to him, Justice Liman granted the prayers and ordered that the temporary forfeiture order be published in a national newspaper.
The judge adjourned until April 20 for anyone interested in the assets to appear before him to show reasons why they should not be permanently forfeited to the Nigerian Government.
The EFCC had since 2016 been prosecuting Atewe alongside a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Patrick Akpobolokemi; Kime Engozu and Josephine Otuaga.
They were accused of conspiring to divert N8.5bn of the military Operation Pulo Shield in the Niger Delta.
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High salt intake seems to impair the immune cells in humans that fight bacteria because of a side effect of the hormones that help get rid of salt
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Of all the mascots I would expect a high-end luxury hotel to have, the lowly mallard duck is certainly not one of them. And yet, that was what greeted me when I stepped into the Peabody Orlando Hotel. There is an actual story behind the ducks, but the reality is the story is less interesting than how the hotel has built a brand around ducks. Read on to discover one way to ensure your branding success…
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Two yet-to-be identified persons are alleged to have died of Coronavirus after attending the lavish and star-studded 80th birthday party of Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, George Adetola Oguntade.
The colourful ceremony, which took place on March 10, 2020, was held at the London Hilton on Park Lane, a posh area of UK’s most popular city – London.
Apart from the two guests alleged to have died of the virus after attending the event, one other attendee is said to be on ventilator at a hospital in London.
One of the two persons that died is said to be related to Dorlapoh Crystals, a popular UK-based business owner whose company customises fashion items.
The development has since raised fears that scores of other attendees at the ceremony could have contracted the deadly virus.
Among prominent Nigerians, who attended the party are billionaire Rasak Okoya and his wife Sade, a former governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, Kessington Adebutu (Baba Ijebu), Oba Saheed Elegushi, music icon – Ebenezer Obey, and Dele Momodu.
Many of these high-profile guests have since returned to Nigeria, further raising concerns that some of them may have imported the dreaded virus into the country without knowing.
Coronavirus was first detected in the United Kingdom on January 31 and since that period, there has been 8,077 confirmed infections and 422 deaths.
Therefore, as at the time Oguntade’s birthday was staged in London on March 10, the virus had fully taken up strategic positions across most parts of the UK.
In a recent interview, Momodu, a veteran journalist and Publisher of Ovation International, confirmed attending the party in London but said that he had no symptoms of the pandemic.
Senior airport sources however, told SaharaReporters that many top Nigerians, who arrived in the country from UK and other parts of the world before the ban on international flights into Nigeria was announced, refused to submit themselves for medical screening for the virus.
Already, a number of prominent Nigerians have been confirmed to have contracted the virus.
Full Video: Justice George Oguntade’s 80th Birthday Celebration
Full Video: Justice George Oguntade’s 80th Birthday Celebration
Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, and Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Frank Okiye, have all tested positive to the virus while dozens others including state governors, who came in contact with them in recent days have now gone into self-isolation in order to ward off the pandemic.
Nigeria has 46 confirmed cases of Coronavirus so far and one recorded death.
Though government at the federal and state levels have adopted series of measures to curtail the pandemic, there are fears of the virus spreading further in the coming days.
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An investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Adamu Usman Yusuf, has disclosed that the contract leading to the trial of a former Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Tuoyo Omatsuli, was genuine.
He told Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court in Lagos that the authenticity of the contract was confirmed by the NDDC in its response to an enquiry sent to it by the anti-graft agency.
Yusuf made the disclosure while testifying in the on-going trial of Omatsuli and three others over alleged N3.6bn fraud.
The EFCC investigator had earlier in his examination-in-chief told the court that investigations by his team revealed that about N12bn was paid to a firm known as Starline Consultancy Services, which was engaged by the NDDC to recover three per cent statutory allocation from oil and gas companies operating in the Niger Delta.
He said a document received from the NDDC revealed that Starline was paid 10 per cent of the money recovered as its commission.
However, while being cross-examined by Omatsuli’s lawyer, Prof Amuda Kannike (SAN), the witness was asked to throw more light on the contents of the NDDC’s document on the contract that led to the charge filed against Omatsuli.
Responding, the witness said, “NDDC’s response to our request for the award of contract to Starline Consultancy Services said that the contract was genuine.
“The House Committee on NDDC also played a crucial role by performing their oversight function in the execution of the contract.”
Further hearing in the trial has been adjourned until June 8, 2020.
The anti-graft agency had on Monday re-arraigned Omatsuli alongside Don Parker Properties Ltd, Francis Momoh and Building Associates Ltd before Justice Saidu on a 52-count amended charge of alleged N3.6bn fraud.
In the charge, Omatsuli was said to have procured the third and fourth accused (Momoh and Building Associates) to utilise a total sum of N3.6bn paid by Starline Consultancy Services Ltd into an account operated by fourth accused.
The prosecution said that they ought to have known that the said sums formed part of the proceeds of their unlawful activities including corruption and gratification.
The offences, which were allegedly committed between August 2014 and September 2015, were said to have contravened the provisions of Sections 15(1), 15(2), 15(3) and 18 of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011, as amended by Act No 1 of 2012.
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A woman based in Abuja but on a trip to Ondo State has been isolated at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ondo Town, after showing symptoms of Coronavirus.
Her blood sample has been collected for testing but the result is yet to be out, according to findings by SaharaReporters.
The patient was taken to the hospital after coughing severely and developing high fever.
Recall that SaharaReporters had last Wednesday reported how a man named David, who came into Nigeria from Maryland, United States of America, and suspected of having Coronavirus, was placed under strict observation at the same hospital in Ondo Town.
The man fell ill shortly after arriving Ondo to see his family.
The result of the man’s blood sample however, returned negative, quelling initial fears created.
So far, no case of the deadly virus had been recorded in Ondo State.
However, Nigeria now has 44 confirmed cases of Coronavirus with one confirmed death.
Two of the confirmed cases include Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, and Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed.
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