EID-EL-FITR: GOVERNOR LALONG GREETS MUSLIMS, URGES MORE PRAYERS FOR PLATEAU STATE AND NIGERIA.
Plateau State Governor and Chairman, Northern Governors Forum, Simon Bako Lalong, has rejoiced with Muslims as they mark another Eid-el-Fitr under unusual conditions occasioned by the Corona virus pandemic.
Lalong who congratulated them for successfully undertaking and concluding the Ramadan fast – thereby fulfilling a very significant injunction of the Islamic Faith, said the period calls for solemn celebrations.
He said “While this year’s Eid-el-Fitr may be celebrated in solemnity and privacy of your homes, the occasion nonetheless presents the opportunity for our Muslim brothers and sisters to reflect on the spiritual benefits accruing from their fasting and prayers, and apply it to their lifestyle for a better society where there is love, peace and tranquility”.
Governor Lalong said the challenges of COVID-19 will remain with us for a long time to come and that is where we shall need lifestyles that are commensurate with the teachings of our faiths as people and Governments work together to assist one another to build a better society.
He appealed to Muslims to continue to cooperate with Government by observing all regulations put in place to curb the spread of Corona Virus by observing social distancing, use of face masks, constantly washing hands and applying sanitizers, avoiding large gatherings and staying at home – particularly now that Plateau State is witnessing community transmission in some areas.
The Governor also enjoined Muslims to reach out to less privileged members of the society and people of other faiths as a way of enhancing bonds of friendship and brotherhood that promotes tolerance, peace and solidarity.
While wishing all Nigerian Muslims Eid Mubarak, Lalong asked them to continue to intensify prayers for the peace and progress of Plateau State and for God to stop the Corona Virus pandemic which has interrupted lifestyles, freedoms and economic prosperity.
Dr. Makut Simon Macham, ANIPR,
Director of Press & Public Affairs to
the Governor of Plateau State &
Chairman, Northern Governors Forum.
23rd May 2020.
The Police Command in Ebonyi says it has begun investigations of alleged sexual exploitation of a 20-year-old lady; by a yet to be identified woman in Abakaliki.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Loveth Odah; confirmed this in an interview with newsmen on Friday in Abakaliki.
Odah said that the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ebonyi Chapter, facilitated the rescue of the victim; Miss Chinasa Chukwu, and her two-year-old son. She added that the victim was brought to Kpirikpiri Police Division in Abakaliki; having been allegedly exploited sexually by her aunt, a suspect who is now at large.
“Investigation is still ongoing in the division. I have confirmed that the girl was brought to the division by FIDA,” Odah said.
Also, the state FIDA Chairperson, Mrs Grace Chima; told newsmen that it would ensure that the culprit was made to face the law.
“We got a report on May 20, on a case of sexual exploitation. We were told that a young girl was kept in a rented apartment by a woman; whom the victim identified as her aunt.
“We were also informed that the woman always sent in two to three men in a day; to have sex with Chukwu while she watched and get paid at the end of the act. So, when we heard about this, we got there immediately on May 21, to rescue the victim from bondage,” Chima said.
Further, she stated that FIDA in collaboration with the United Nations was committed to ensuring that rights of women and children were protected in the state.
She promised to update the media as the development unfolded.
The victim, Miss Chukwu, while narrating her ordeal at the state ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development; alleged that her aunt always claimed that the money gotten from the act would be used to pay for her training.
Meanwhile, the 20-year-old victim from Akaeze in Ivo Local Government Area of the state; is currently pregnant and has a 2-year-old son.
“My aunt always brought two to three men each day to have sex with me in a rented apartment she got for me while she watched the act,” Chukwu said.
Meanwhile, a hairstylist, Mrs Chizoba Okemiri, who enrolled Chukwu as an apprentice in her salon; alleged that the victim was subjected to a brutal sexual trade and exploitation by her aunt. Okemiri, who corroborated the incident, noted that the victim’s aunt had allegedly continued to arrange both married and young men; to sleep with Chukwu in her rented apartment.
She said that the victim revealed that her aunt had threatened to discipline her for disclosing her activities.
“Chinasa was brought to me on Easter day by her mother, aunt and aunt’s friend for the enrolment. After the bargaining for her training, her mother pleaded that she would be coming to the salon with her son; because she might not cope with the child and her job.
“Another apprentice in my shop had reported to me that men always visited the victim; which I discovered and tried to stop her from seeing them. When I confronted the victim about the men, she revealed that it was her aunt who arranged for those men.
“When the visit persisted, I called her mum and aunt to confirm the development. But the aunt told me that I will get to know why they visit her, one day. I became uncomfortable and had to report the matter to a staff of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA); who now facilitated her rescue,” Okemiri said.
A detachment of policemen stationed at the Plateau State Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, on Thursday, chased members of the Nandom Pyennap-led Caretaker Committee from the secretariat.The committee, made up of loyalists of the party’s governorship candidate in the 2019 general elections, Jeremiah Useni, was recently constituted as a parallel executive to rival the one recognised by the National Working Committee of the PDP led by Yakubu Chocho.
Our correspondent gathered that trouble started when the members of the Useni committee went to the state party’s secretariat to address a press conference, a move which the policemen thwarted.One of the policemen on duty who did not give his name told our correspondent that,
“We are here to provide security and we will not allow anyone to cause problem here.”After failing to gain entrance into the building, the group moved to the Useni’s campaign office located at Dogo Karfe Street in Jos where Pyennap eventually addressed the people.
Pyennap said, “In a serious matter such as it has to do with the decision of the National Working Committee as claimed by these characters, the communicator should ordinarily be the National Chairman or National Secretary.”He wondered why the contents of letters written to Jigawa, Kano and Ekiti to form caretaker committees would be different from that of Plateau State.
He said, “It is strange that here in Plateau we have 28 members of the caretaker committee. Apart from being 28 in number, all of them are looking for elective positions again. Apart from that, they have caused a lot of problems during the ward congresses and the purported local government congress. You see, for natural justice to prevail, let the national secretariat take a frantic step, they should constitute a seven-man committee without us, without them and put people that can come and do what is right.
”He insisted that the tenures of those claiming to be members of the caretaker committee in Plateau had lapsed and urged them to step aside.But the caretaker committee led by Yakubu Chicho described Pyennap’s actions as a joke taken too far.Chocho told journalists at a separate press briefing held at the party‘s secretariat that “Our caretaker committee under my leadership was duly constituted in line with the party’s constitution and endorsed by the National Executive Committee of the party. If they say they are the authentic party leaders, let them produce their letter of authorization.”
Northern Governors have appealed to the federal government again for relief for the region which according to them, has about 54 percent of the total COVID-19 cases recorded in the country.
The appeal was made in a communique issued after the Northern States Governors Forum held a teleconference on Wednesday May 20. Simon Lalong, chairman of the forum and governor of Plateau state presided over the meeting.
The Governors who revealed that they have recorded “appreciable” progress in relocation of Almajiri kids to their home states, said they followed laid-down protocol for “profiling, quarantining, testing, transportation, handing and taking over as well as reintegration”.
The communique reads in part;
“The Governors also maintained their earlier decision to purchase COVID-19 Mobile Testing Vans which have already been ordered to boost testing of more citizens especially in the rural areas. “On enforcing closure of inter-state boundary roads, the Northern Governors again expressed disappointment that despite several measures taken, including Presidential orders, there are still violations where people move from one State to another through compromise and use of illegal routes. “The forum resolved to continue their appeal to the Federal Government for support to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, as the northern region now has about 54% of the national cases and 70 percent of new infections.”
As at May 20, Nigeria has recorded 6,677 cases of the disease; 1,840 patients have been discharged, while 200 have died.
Plateau State Governor, Simon Bako Lalong has inaugurated the State Community Policing Advisory Committee as part of the efforts to tackle crime through a bottom-top approach.
The Committee which was set up by the Federal Government through the Inspector General of Police is to begin the process of implementing Community Policing in the State.
While inaugurating the Committee, Governor Simon Lalong said Plateau State has longed for the implementation of the Community Policing initiative in order to fight crime and criminality.
He said “This is a welcome development for us as a State because we have since realised that the best way to guarantee the security of our people is by embracing a bottom up approach which emphasizes early warning, intelligence gathering and crime prevention. With a grassroots and people driven approach such as Community Policing, we are more likely to identify and fish out criminals, thereby saving the citizens from the agony associated with loss of lives and properties”.
The Committee has CP Edward Egbuka, Plateau State Commissioner of Police as Chairman and His Majesty, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, Gbong Gwom Jos & Chairman, Plateau State Council of Chiefs and Emirs – Co-Chairman.
The Governor charged the Committee which is the highest custodian of Community Policing in the State to be focused and resolute in carrying out this assignment by shunning every distraction that could arise from religious, ethnic or political pressures.
Lalong said the Government and people of Plateau State will also be looking up to the Committee to act in the best interest of peace and security of all.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Lawal Shehu said the concept of Community Policing is to ensure that the people are involved in security affairs with more emphasis on intelligence and information gathering.
He said the special constables to be recruited will be people of good standing in society who are gainfully engaged with good record within the community.
He said they are not to take over from the police, but to collaborate with the police under their supervision and as such, they will be thoroughly screened to ensure that criminals are not involved.
Co-Chairman of the Committee, Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba assured that they will be focused and resolute in carrying out their assignment by shunning every distraction that could arise from religious, ethnic or political pressures.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police for their commitment to ensuring that policing is enhanced in line with the Federal system and constitutional provision that Governors are Chief Security Officers of their States.
Members of the the Plateau State Community Policing Advisory Committee are drawn from a wide spectrum of society.
Dr. Makut Simon Macham, ANIPR
Director of Press & Public Affairs to the
Executive Governor, Plateau State.
22nd May, 2020.
Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, has disclosed that there are plans to soon reopen schools nationwide, however, it won’t happen in two weeks as being speculated in some quarters.
Nwajiuba, made the clarification on Thursday during the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, following rumours making the round the Federal Government would reopen schools in the next two weeks.
Nwajiuba said there is no exact date yet for schools to resume, adding that schools will be reopened after they are ”resourced properly”.
“We all are seriously interested in reopening and I believe we will reopen soon. But I can’t confirm what your children said that we will reopen in two weeks. The issue around reopening has nothing to do with the availability of the schools or not. It has to do with national governance. The idea of shutting down the schools has nothing to do with the schools per se. You heard the chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, the SGF, keep saying it is a national response. It is a single national response and everything we do flows from that. When they determine, I’m sure you have seen all the experts here, that there is the measure of safety to which we can expose our children, we will gladly do that. We are watching and we are working with all bodies within and outside the country. The five countries of West African Examination Council (WAEC) are meeting and I just came out of a meeting with African Union (AU) Ministers of Education, everybody is concerned as you are. We hope to reopen very soon. This morning, I met with the Ministry of Science and Technology. We are looking at putting a system in place that can disinfect every child as he goes into a school and disinfect him as he goes out. If we resource our schools properly we can begin to reopen. But we must be able to ensure that the children go in safe and come out safe and not become a conduit for further infection in society.” he said
The Rivers State National Assembly caucus has raised the alarm over the recent setting up of a parallel Task Force in the state by the Commissioner of Police, John Mukam.
Furthermore, the caucus has accused the Police Commissioner of attempting to run a parallel government in the state.
Indeed, their position was communicated in a press statement signed by two lawmakers; Senator George Sekibo and a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Kingsley Chinda. Equally important, the statement was made available to the media on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.
The caucus claims that the Rivers Commissioner of Police, acting under the instructions of the Inspector-General of Police; had set up a parallel Task Force in the guise of a Technical Committee to ensure movement of agricultural products; as well as other essential items into Rivers State. In fact, it held that the committee has saddled with the task of determining entry into Rivers State during the lockdown.
While querying the silence of the IG of Police, Mohammed Adamu since the development became public; the caucus disclosed that his silence means that the action actually had his consent even as it condemned it in its entirety.
Further, it highlighted the movement of almajiris hidden in trucks making their way into Rivers; noting that the Police Commissioner’s action would invariably worsen the potentially dangerous situation.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike
‘‘The case of Rivers State now and indeed most Southern States is, every day; trucks ostensibly carrying food items come into Rivers State with 30-40 young men mischaracterized as “Almajaris”. These are able bodied young men leaving their states to Rivers State; under the eyes and watch of the Nigerian Police and utterly against the lockdown order of the State and Federal Governments. In this instance, the Rivers State Government reserves the right to stop such violation and punish the violators. While we cannot stop them between Kano and Abia States where the Nigeria Police freely allow them passage; we can stop them at our borders and within our territory. The whole idea of temporary ban on inter-state movement of passengers is to check new infestations and spread of Covid-19.
‘‘This development is sour and highly confrontational not only to the authorities of the Rivers State Government; but to her citizens and residents. It is essentially, antithetical to and a reversal of the aims and purposes of the Covid-19 inter-state lockdown; and measures to curb the pandemic thereto. It is in this regard, that we join the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers to request the Inspector-General of Police to reconsider this line of action. We run a Federal system of government and cannot afford to have two Chief Executives in Rivers State at the same time; that’s clearly an invitation to anarchy.
‘‘For the avoidance of any ambiguity, we urge the Inspector General of Police to do first things first; which is, enforcing the ban on inter-state movement as ordered by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is the complete failure of the police in this regard that has worsened the Covid-19 pandemic, not only in Rivers, but nationwide.’’
Also, the caucus drew the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to the situation; urging him to call the IG of Police to order.
‘‘We vehemently believe that it is not the intendment of Mr. President to establish a parallel government authority in Rivers State using the instrumentality of the Nigeria Police, and so do hereby appeal to Mr. President to nip this ugly development in the bud by restraining the Inspector-General of Police from establishing a parallel government in Rivers State by whatever name called.’’
The Abia State Police Command has refuted claims making the rounds of the recovery of 5000 guns from mosques in the state.
This was disclosed by the Public Relations Officer, Abia State Police Command, SP Ogbonna Geoffrey. Equally important, the statement was issued to the media on Wednesday May 20, in Aba, the Abia state capital.
‘‘The attention of the Nigeria Police Force Abia State Command has been drawn to a viral picture; showing cache of arms and posts claimed to have been recovered from mosques in Aba and that; Hausa/Fulanis offloaded same into a mosque located at Onions Market, Uratta respectively both in Abia State.
‘‘The Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, CP Janet E. Agbede wishes to state unequivocally that; there were no such recovery of fire arms neither were there any time arms were offloaded into a Mosque by Hausa/Fulanis at the Onions market Uratta in the State.
‘Members of the public are advised to disregard the posts for it is not just fallacious; but also handwork of propagandists aimed at stirring up a non-existing tension in the state. The command wishes to reassure the public that the mischief makers will soon be arrested and made to face the rigor of the law,’’ the statement read.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that no state in Nigeria will be neglected; especially in curbing the security challenges facing the country. Specifically, the President had on May 17, via a statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu in Abuja; authorised a major military operation to sweep bandits and kidnappers out of Katsina State.
Indeed, Garba Shehu was reacting to Tuesday’s Senate resolution calling on the Federal Government to include Niger, Zamfara, Kaduna, Sokoto; as well as Kebbi state in the military operations against bandits
Apple and Google have released a software tool that will make it possible for nations to release coronavirus contact-tracing apps that adopt the firms’ privacy-centric model.
It offers developers access to added Bluetooth functionality to solve a problem existing apps have of iPhones sometimes failing to detect each other.
Android and iOS device owners will have to carry out system upgrades.
But some countries – including the UK – are pursuing a different approach.
“The release of these APIs [application programming interfaces]
along with the operating-system updates will be a watershed moment for the development and adoption of proximity-tracing apps,”
said Marcel Salathé, an epidemiologist at the Swiss research institute EPFL.
He added that apps that adopted the protocol should be able to be made “interoperable” –
meaning that citizens can continue to be contact-traced as they cross from one region and/or country to another.
That could potentially help reduce travel restrictions imposed because of the virus –
at least for those using the apps involved.
Apple and Google said public health agencies from 22 countries had already asked to test the system.
The app was not “a silver bullet” – but “user adoption is key to success and we believe that these strong privacy protections are also the best way to encourage use”.
On-device matching
Contact-tracing apps are designed to automatically log when two people come into proximity to each other for a significant amount of time.
If one is later diagnosed with the coronavirus, the other can be given an alert,
which might suggest they self-isolate and/or request a medical test of their own.
But the authorities believe adoption has been hampered by two factors:
concerns the technology poses a privacy risk
restrictions Apple places on third-party apps’ use of Bluetooth in the background
In theory, the new system should address both these issues.
Its “decentralised” approach locates contact-matching on devices themselves rather than a centrally controlled computer server.
And this aims to cut the risk of either hackers or the authorities using the database of who met whom and for how long for other purposes.
But the UK’s NHS and its counterparts in France,
Norway and India say the centralised approach gives them greater insight,
making it easier to tweak the risk model that decides who receives which type of alert.
Apps that adopt Apple and Google’s API can customise it within certain limits.
But they will not be able to log, for example, a phone’s global positioning system (GPS) coordinates.
“Not collecting some kinds of data, such as location, is a policy decision, not an engineering one,” technology consultant Benedict Evans said.
“But Apple-Google have to build something for every phone on Earth,
[potentially] including China and Iran, and think about how it could be abused.
“How much you need the extra data and whether it’s worth the privacy risks is a matter of opinion.”
Austria was the first country to roll out a decentralised contact-tracing app.
Stopp Corona, operated by the Red Cross, has been downloaded more than 600,000 times.
And its developers, Accenture, now intend to build in Apple and
Google’s API for a 10 June update so iPhone-users no longer have to bring the app on-screen for it to work effectively.
But Stopp Corona currently gives users the option of manually controlling when matches occur – by pressing an on-screen button to trigger a Bluetooth “handshake” .
And this is not currently possible within the Apple-Google model.
So the developers plan to switch to using ultrasonic audio pings in this situation.
Apple and Google’s API is also currently incompatible with the way Stopp Corona triggers different types of notification.
The app first serves a yellow alert if a contact self-diagnoses as having the virus
and then follows up with a red or green alert depending on whether a medical test confirms it.
And the developers are working with Apple and Google to try to retain this functionality.
“There’s really good collaboration on both sides,” Christian Winhelhofer, the Accenture executive involved, told BBC News.
“They’re really interested in working on solutions that fit our needs.”
Couple hugging
Germany’s forthcoming Corona-Warn-App is also set to adopt the Apple-Google protocol.
But its developers have complained handsets not in use are limited to listening out
for a Bluetooth signal only once every five minutes for a duration of about four seconds.
So, in theory, a couple hugging for three minutes, for example,
might not be logged, while another merely brushing past each other at the right time would be.
Apple and Google are aware of this issue.
By contrast, the NHS’s app listens out for a match roughly once every eight seconds.
The NHS has also developed its own workaround to the iPhone Bluetooth issue.
But it is still exploring the Apple-Google system as a back-up plan.
