Malaria not comparable with Covid-19, NCDC warns
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has warned that though Covid-19 presents symptoms similar to malaria, both diseases are caused by different organisms and differ in mode of transmission.
As contained recently in its Twitter handle, the organization identified 12 symptoms that could point to the existence of COVID-19 in the human body.
The symptoms include mainly Cough and Fever and one of the following: Loss of Taste, Loss of Smell, Difficulty Breathing, Diarrhea, Catarrh, Fatigue, Shivering, Body Pain, Headache, Sore Throat.
It also added that difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure, and loss of speech or movement “are some of the serious symptoms of COVID-19”.
According to NCDC, the listed symptoms will help Nigerians “take responsibility” by quickly calling the available hotlines if they experienced a combination of these symptoms.
64-year old Nigerian Pastor becomes a Witch Doctor
A 64-year-old Nigerian man, who was a Pastor for over forty years before quitting the pulpit to become a native doctor, has declared his love for Satan, saying all he has acquired in life came when he decided to serve the Prince of Darkness.
The former man of God, Chief Effiong Otu, who hailed from the eastern part of Nigeria recounted that when he was a Pastor, he begged God for wealth and riches but the Almighty denied him all the good things of life, but when he turned to Satan, he has been blessed beyond his imagination.
“I became a native doctor 10 years ago and things have been going smoothly for me. I told Satan that since I have come back to him, he should prove himself to me and he has been doing that for me”, he said.
“I am not telling anyone who wants to serve God, if He is good for them, not to, but for me, I served Him conscientiously for 40 years and ended up with nothing”, he added.
Taiwo Obe at 60, says young journalists can still prosper despite odds
A Veteran Journalist and Founder, The Journalism Clinic who is also a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors has said that all hope is not lost for young journalists who wish to excel in their chosen career with prosperity as an inclusion.
Speaking recently at a webinar to mark his 60th birthday, Obe said that journalism should no longer be about knowing a little about everything but knowing everything about something or a particular beat adding that, a journalist must be inquisitive in order to remain and be relevant in the business of journalism.
In his presentation titled: ‘The 60 Exciting and Rewarding Jobs’, Obe stressed the importance of good thinking ability, curiosity and the attraction for professional rules and ethics as major tools the trained journalist must possess to remain relevant and productive especially in the present era of proliferation of fake journalism.
Obe, however, encouraged participants not to give up but continue to perfect their skills and promised to organise another session on monetisation.
“With no more jobs as before for young journalists, they must master their passion to remain relevant in the industry”, he added.
Lagos Third Mainland Bridge closes Friday for major repairs
The Federal Government has said the Third Mainland Bridge will be closed midnight Friday 24th July, 2020 and will not be reopened until January 2021.
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said this at a briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that the bridge which links the Lagos Island with the Mainland, is among the bridges designated for maintenance after a comprehensive assessment of 37 bridges across the country.
The maintenance is to be carried out on a length of 3.5 kilometres out of 11.8 kilometres of the bridge.
According to him; “The construction of the bridge spanned three decades and we cannot afford to rebuild it if we allow it totally collapse. Infrastructure must be maintained. After the work is done, we will have a better driving experience on the bridge.”
Also, the Minister disclosed that N277 billion will be needed to rehabilitate all the 37 bridges across the nation.
Nigeria born African foremost car inventor Izuogu dies
Engr. Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu, a renowned and respected scientist and African foremost car inventor from Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State is dead, family sources have revealed.
According to family sources, the African foremost car inventor and manufacturer died last Saturday.
In 1997, a brilliant Igbo Electrical Engineer and Lecturer at the Federal polytechnic Nekede, Dr. Ezekiel Izuogu designed and developed the Izuogu Z-600, the first African indigenous manufactured car.
The car was described by the BBC as ‘the African dream machine’, as 90% of its parts were sourced locally. At a projected sales cost of 2000 dollars, it would have taken the world by storm and become the cheapest and most affordable car on earth.
But quite unfortunately the government then under late Gen. Sanni Abacha that promised Izuogu a grant of N235million take-off grant never fulfilled its promise.
In 2006, the government of South Africa invited Dr. Izuogu to do a presentation about the car in the presence of several world class engineers. Being impressed with his presentation, they invited him to come and set up a plant in South Africa and begin the production of the car.
Again and before he could conclude plans towards his sojourn in South Africa, twelve heavily armed men masquerading as robbers broke into his factory in Naze and carted away all equipment for the project. This led to the death of the dream.
Over N215,000 fine, man dies at TRACE office after consuming Snipper
Pandemonium struck in Abeokuta recently when a man identified as Fatai Salami ingested the Snipper insecticide and died at the premises of Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE).
Salami was allegedly asked to pay a fine of N215,000 for violating the COVID -19 law in the state.
Salami’s truck was said to have been seized by officials of TRACE and in the custody of the traffic management agency in Abeokuta for five days over an alleged N215,000 fine occasioned by his driver’s failure to comply with Covid-19 rules of social distancing and use of face masks.
He was said to have followed his driver to the premises of TRACE to plead for the release of the truck.
It was gathered that frustrated by the non release of the vehicle, he was said to have opted to drink the poisonous substance.
Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, the Public Relations Officer of TRACE , confirmed the death of the deceased in the premises of TRACE in Abeokuta.
Akinbiyi, however , insisted that the deceased was neither a truck owner nor a driver.
“The man was neither a truck driver nor a truck owner. One of our commanders and people around saw him sitting on the floor and they asked him to stand up.
” As he stood up, he brought out something from his pocket and drank it.
“We later discovered that it was Snipper he drank. One of his bosses saw him attempting to drink it and screamed, but before help could come, he had drank it.
“He was rushed to the General Hospital, Ijaiye and at the hospital, he gave up. So, the case had been reported at Ibara police station here in Abeokuta,” he said.
He also denied the allegation that TRACE fined the deceased N215,000 for flouting the COVID-19 law.
Ekiti Gov. Fayemi tests positive for Covid-19, goes into isolation
Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The governor, who announced this via his verified twitter handle said he has gone into isolation.
He tweeted; “I took my third Covid-19 test yesterday and it came back positive. I’m generally ok and I’m already self-isolating at home and receiving the best of care from my medical team. I’m delegating critical tasks to my deputy but will continue routine duty from home. JKF”
Presidency to Senate: Only President can sack Military Service Chiefs
Presidency recently declared that only President Buhari holds the mandate to sack military Service Chiefs.
The Senate had earlier asked the Service Chiefs to resign or get sacked for rising insecurity in the nation, especially the recent killing of soldiers and mass resignation from the military.
The resolutions of the Senate followed consideration of a motion titled: “Rising casualties among Nigerian soldiers and other security agencies” by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South).
But the Presidency, in a terse statement titled “Service Chiefs: Position of Presidency on the resolution by the Senate” said only Buhari reserves the right to appoint or sack Service Chiefs.
“The Presidency notes the resolution, and reiterates that appointment or sack of Service Chiefs is a Presidential prerogative, & President Muhammadu Buhari, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, will do what is in the best interest of the country at all times.”
NCAA shifts opening of Nigerian Airspace to October 15
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a Notice of extension of the opening of national airspace till October 15 instead of August 19 to Airmen (NOTAM).
A source at NCAA, confirmed this development in a telephone interview with Business Day.
He said there was never a time the Federal Government gave a specific date for reopening the airspace for international flight operations, but that the government had previously said the airports would be closed until August.
He clarified that with this extension, the airspace would remain closed until October and if there was a need to extend the closure, it would be communicated. This implies that only essential and diplomatic flights would be allowed for now until the airspace is opened for international flight operations.
The Federal Government had in March shut down international airports in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19 but allowed only diplomatic and essential flight operations.
Source: BusinessDay
Beware! Use of plastic face shield not enough for Covid-19 prevention
After a coronavirus outbreak where only those wearing plastic visors were infected, the Swiss government has said plastic shields are inadequate protection and should only be worn in combination with a face mask.
Health officials in the canton of Graübunden studying a recent outbreak among staff at a hotel found a worrying trend – all of those who were infected wore plastic face shields, while those who avoided infection wore face masks.
Several employees of the hotel tested positive along with a guest.
Rudolf Leuthold, head of the cantonal health department in Graübunden, said the face shields were the common denominator in infections.
“It has been shown that only those employees who had plastic visors were infected. There was not a single infection among employees with a mask.”
Leuthold told Swiss news outlet 20 Minutes that a guest of the hotel was also infected: “We know that the guest was served by employees with plastic visors.”
Source: The Local.ch
Embattled Magu makes new confessions, implicates Presidential Villa
Suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magi has revealed that some of the cars and properties for which he is standing trial for the alleged mismanagement were bought off by the presidential villa and other ministries and agencies of the federal government.
Magu made the revelation in a letter addressed to the Justice Ayo Salami-led panel titled, ‘Re: Alleged Case of Conspiracy, Enrichment, Abuse of Public Office and Other Infractions,’ where he explained what happened to some of the vehicles recovered by the EFCC under his watch.
The suspended EFCC Chairman said the Presidential Villa, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, as well as the Federal Inland Revenue Services, are some of the government establishments that benefitted from the vehicle sales.
