By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the  murder of Dr Terkula Suswam,  elder bother of  former Gov. Gabriel Suswam of Benue.

PDP said this in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja on Wednesday.

“The party charges the Inspector General of Police to swing into action, unearth all those connected to the dastardly act and ensure that none of those involved escaped the long arm of the law,” he said.

Ologbondiyan described the deceased as a brilliant academician who contributed to the development of his state,  adding that his killers could not justify their act under any guise.

“Our party condoles with Gov. Samuel Ortom, Sen. Suswam and the entire Suswam family and prays God to grant the Suswan family the grace to bear the loss,”  he said.

By Ayodeji Alabi

Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has approved the dissolution of all boards and parastatals, except the statutory ones in the state, with immediate effect.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Akeredolu was sworn in for a second term in office on Feb. 24.

This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Akure by Mr Olabode Richards, Chief Press Secretary to the governor.

The statement directed all chairmen and political appointees in the boards and parastatals to hand over all government property in their possession to the accounting officers in the establishments.

The governor appreciated the services and contributions of the affected officers to the development of the state and wished them well in their future endeavours.

Meanwhile, Akeredolu has approved the appointment of Alhaji Adam Chandy as Chairman, Muslim Welfare Board in the state.

Similarly, Opara Chizomam has been appointed Special Assistant to the Governor (Domestic) while Nonyalim Okafor has been appointed as Personal Assistant to the governor. (NAN)

By Chiazo Ogbolu

The Board, Management and Staff of Nigerian Shippers’ Council, (NSC) have expressed sadness over the sudden passing of the former Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice Abdul Kafarati.

The Executive Secretary, NSC, Mr Hassan Bello, in a condolence statement in Lagos on Wednesday, commiserated with his family, friends, the Judiciary and the country for this loss.

Bello said that late Kafarati had been of immense support to the council in his life time

“During Kafarati’s time as the Chairman of the International Maritime Seminar for Judges Organising Committee, a flagship programme of NSC, he brought energy, enthusiasm and dynamism to the seminar series for which the council remains indebted to him.

“Many people will miss the late Justice Kafarati for his erudite judicial scholarship

“And, we at the Nigerian Shippers’ Council will particularly miss his wise counsel, depth of humility and vast network of Judicial connection which greatly lessened our burdened, and broaden the impact of the seminar,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kafarat died on Thursday, Feb. 25, in Abuja.

Bello prayed that God would give the bereaved the fortitude to bear the loss.

“We pray to Allah to forgive all his short comings and admit him into Aljannat Firdaus. Ameen,” he said. (NAN)

By Salisu Sani-Idris

The Federal Capital Terriory Administration (FCTA) Education Secretariat on Tuesday gave parents, guardians and stakeholders the assurance of the safety of their children and wards in FCT schools.

Malam Leramoh Abdulrazaq, its Acting Secretary, gave the assurance during a routine strategic school security programme known as School Security Guidelines Watch (SSGW), in Abuja.

Abdulrazaq, who is also the Acting Director, Administration and Finance, said that reports of insecurity of schools in some neighbouring states necessitated the intensification of efforts to secure schools.

He said that the measure was by being proactive and putting in place measures to avert unforseen incidents in the FCT.

He recalled that ahead of the current security concerns in December 2020, the FCTA organised a security meeting for all the boarding schools’ principals, stakeholders, security personnel and traditional rulers.

He said that the forum provided the opportunity to engage in a robust discussion on how to further enhance security in schools in the FCT.

He explained that the resolutions reached at that meeting received speedy attention from the administration.

Abdulrazaq said that although no security breach was recorded in the FCT, but as custodians of students no stone would be left unturned.

He added that management of schools were working round the clock to ensure a safe learning and teaching environment since resumption of schools following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The secretary, therefore, advised parents on the need to complement government’s efforts and sustain the various safety measures the FCTA had already put in place, stressing that security was everybody’s business.

Abdulrazaq reiterated the commitment of the education secretariat to continue to place the safety of the students and members of staff as its key priority.

“We are not unmindful of emerging challenges as we are also able to respond to such situations appropriately.

“FCT schools are safe, our teachers are teaching effectively while the students are learning in a safe environment and the authority is intensifying its efforts to ensure the security is further enhanced,” he said

By Adenike Ayodele

A mob at Onimalu on Koloba Road, Ayobo, Ipaja, Lagos State, on Wednesday morning tied a teenager to an electric pole for allegedly stealing his mother’s cooking stand.

The teenager, identified simply as Sunkanmi, allegedly stole the local cooking stand known as “Adogan at 2.00 a.m. on Wednesday.

According to an eye witness, who pleaded anonymity, some residents of Onimalu caught Sunkanmi with the cooking stand and demanded an explanation from him but he could not give a satisfactory account of the item.

The witness told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Sunkanmi had been stealing for a long time.

“This boy once stole my car battery and some other valuables in my area.

“He has been stealing for a very long time and has been caught several times,” he said.

A relative of the teenager, who was at the scene, said that his mother had given him money to go and learn any handiwork.

NAN reports as Sunkanmi was still tied on the pole, his mother rushed to the scene and beat him so much that the mob quickly untied him and shielded him from his mother’s fury.

Sunkanmi told the crowd that the cooking stand belonged to his mother and he stole it with the intention of selling it.

He claimed that he wanted to sell the item to raise money to take care of himself.

“I decided to steal it and sell because I am not well taken care of,” he said.

He was later released to his mother with a warning never to engage in crime again. (NAN)

By Collins Yakubu-Hammer

No fewer than 3,000 women in Kogi have benefited from the Federal Government’s Special Grant for Rural Women Project.

Hajiya Sadiya Farouq, Ministrer of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, in a statement on Wednesday signed by the Deputy Director of Information in the Ministry, Mrs Rhoda Iliya, said that the grant, of N20,000 each, was expected to increase income and productive assets of target beneficiaries.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the grants were disbursed to the beneficiaries on Wednesday in Lokoja.

She urged them to use the grant to contribute toward improving their living standard by using it to boost their trade and business for greater income and not to see it as their own share of the so-called National Cake.

“We believe that with the complementary effort of the state government, the target beneficiaries will all be adequately covered within the next few days.

“I am optimistic that with the support and cooperation of the governor and other stakeholders, we will remain on track to improving the livelihood of the ordinary Nigerians,” Farouq said.

Farouq, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Bashir Alkali said that the target was to disburse the grant to about 3,000 women including Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) across all local government areas in the state.

Speaking, Kogi Gov. Yahaya Bello, represented by the Deputy  Governor, Mr Edward Onoja, expressed  his gratitude  to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister for consistently bridging the gap between the rich and the poor.

Bello said that the president had done that through the National Social Investment Programmes.

He said that with the 3,000 beneficiaries involved in small scale businesses, the sector would be greatly impacted financially.

The governor urged everyone to pray for the Buhari’s administration and other political leaders.

The Kogi Focal Person for National Social Investment Programme, Prince Abdulkareem Suleiman, said that poverty eradication was a major objective of the administration.

He pledged to support the Minister in her determination to improve the livelihood of women in the State.

A beneficiary of the cash grant, Miss Christopher Odede, thanked Buhari for the grant and promised to use the money judiciously.

Ibrahim Haruna Chairman, People Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) in Kogi, said that before the administration of Buhari, People Living with Disabilities were neglected.

He, however, noted that today the President had given them a voice and people had begun to see ability in disability.

He called on the Federal Government to provide enabling environment for the PLWDs to showcase their abilities. (NAN)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) believes it is unlikely the Coronavirus pandemic （COVID-19）will come to an end  by the end of 2021.

“I think it will be very premature and unrealistic to think that we are going to finish with this virus by the end of the year,” Michael Ryan, director of the WHO’s health emergencies programme, said at a briefing on Tuesday.

“What we can, if we are smart, finish with is the hospitalisations and the deaths and the tragedy associated with this pandemic,” Ryan added.

The WHO’s focus at present was to keep transmissions as low as possible and vaccinate more and more people.

The situation regarding the delivery of vaccine doses had already improved compared to 10 weeks ago, Ryan said, although there were “huge challenges” in distributing them and the virus still had the upper hand.

“If the vaccines begin to impact not only on death and not only on hospitalization, but have a significant impact on transmission dynamics and transmission risk, then I believe we will accelerate towards controlling this pandemic,” Ryan said.

The number of new cases of COVID-19 rose by 7 per cent worldwide, last week, the WHO said later on Tuesday.

This is the first increase following a fall in case numbers over the past six weeks.

In the last week of February, 2.6 million cases were reported to the UN agency in Geneva in the last week of February.

The increase could be due to new and more contagious strains of the virus, the WHO said, citing easing of rules and fatigue with regulations as other possible causes.

The Middle East saw the largest rise of 14 per cent, followed by a 9-per-cent rise in South-East Asia. Case numbers also rose by 9 per cent in Europe and by 6 per cent in the Americas.

In contrast, nearly a quarter fewer cases were reported in Africa compared to the week before.

Likewise case numbers fell slightly in the Western Pacific region including East Asia and Australia.

According to WHO， vaccines do not provide immunity immediately but need several weeks before they become effective, and noted it would take even longer to protect whole populations.

That means testing, contact tracing, social distancing, masks and other hygiene measures remain critical.