The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Gbajabiamila to Presidency: Let’s return to January-December Budget Cycle

    The  Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila yesterday urged the Presidency to ensure the early submission of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, to allow for the early passage of the 2020 budget.

    Gbajabiamila, spoke during a courtesy visit by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr. Boss Mustapha and his team at the National Assembly,, adding that its to help the country return to a January to December budget cycle.

    He said: “Again, part of the reforms which we want to achieve is; I will want a situation where before we go on long break in the next week, maybe three week, I would want a situation where the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF will be submitted to this House so that we can pass it before going.

    “And then, when we come back in September, may be by the end of September, the budget is before us. Because by finance laws, the budget is based in the MTEF. The MTEF needs to be submitted. At the end if the day, we don’t want the budget to be brought in December.

    “So, this is the timetable that we have set. One, the MTEF to be submitted. Two, we work on it and go on our long break and then come back. At the end of September,  present the budget to us. And what does that do? It leaves us with three months to pass the budget. It brings us back to that circle of January to December. And by January 1, we pass the budget as envisaged in the constitution.

    Read Also: ‘Frosty Executive/Legislature relationship won’t happen under Gbajabiamila’

    “We want you to help us with this process. We want to streamline the budget process because the input of the members cannot be negotiated. So, if that input can come before the presentation of the budget, fine. So that when the budget comes, we just need little things here and there but not to rewrite a whole budget because we have not been carried along from onset. I think those are the issues.”

    Gbajabiamila while stating that “We want good collaboration,” also made some demands on the SGF t”o allow for better working conditions in the National Assembly.”

    He said the NASS will be coming to the executive “with a shopping list which will make our work easier.

    “The list will include things like Library, world class, international standard library. we will be needing your intervention in that regard. We will need to make the House IT complaint.

    “But I am glad to announce that even by tomorrow as we resume sitting, one of our reforms will already be in place. The chambers is more or less 80% IT compliant. We have a new set of equipment that allow easy face recognition and electronic registration or internet server as they say. This was done on our own in the last 2 to 3 weeks because they were promises we made and we must fulfill.”

    The Speaker further said “there is independence and also interdependence of all three arms of government. You need me and I need. It’s going to be a symbiotic relationship between all three arms of government. No one is an island. And the three of us need to work together for the good of the people who we seek to govern.

    “We will handover the maintenance of this building to the FCT because as it is today, the building is almost collaping. Maintenance is at zero level. We believe that it should be handed over to the FCT where it will a lot easier. ”

    Speaking earlier, the SGF said he had come on a courtesy call to congratulate the lawmakers on a bipartisan and transparent election.

    Mustapha who came to the National Assembly in company of the Special Senior Assistants to the President on National Assembly matters in both chambers, Senator Ita Enang and Hon. Umar el Yakub, said:

    “This is a courtesy call to pursue the path of a working together to ensure that the people get the dividends of democracy which they truly desire,”

    He expressed confidence ” that the calibre of people elected in the 9th Assembly would to along way in proffering solution that would bring succour to our people.”

  • 50 police dead, 144 wounded in Philippines’ war on drugs

    The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said over 50 policemen have died and 144 wounded since the Duterte administration launched its war on drugs in 2016.

    Philippine Chief General of Police, Oscar Albayalde, said on Monday.

    Albayalde said in a statement that the latest casualty is a Police Senior Master, Sergeant Conrado Cabigao, 37, who was killed last Saturday during a “buy-bust operation’’ in Rodriguez town in Rizal province.

    “Cabigao is the 50th police officer who offered the supreme sacrifice in the PNP’s lonely crusade against illegal drugs since 2016,’’ Albayalde said in a press conference at the PNP headquarters.

    He said that many more police anti-drug crusaders among the 144 wounded PNP personnel who survived armed confrontation in similar violent anti-drug operations are living witnesses to the ruthless violence of drug syndicate gang-men.

    He added that the drug syndicate have taken up a life of crime and will not give up without a fight.

    Albayalde said the 50 policemen were killed during the 153,276 anti-drug operations launched by the police and that the operations resulted in the arrest of 240,565 drug suspects.

    Read Also: Philippines police knock door-to-door for drug tests

    The police chief said that the Duterte government is “definitely’’ winning its three-year war against illegal drugs, adding that some authorities always asked if they are winning the war against illegal drugs.

    However, he said there was still much to be done to make the Philippines drug free before Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ends his six-year term in 2022.

    “We cannot quantify the problem on illegal drugs, but what I am sure is much is yet to be done, and the PNP will double its efforts if necessary.’’

    Since taking office on June 30, 2016, Duterte has carried out a war on drugs.

    Duterte vowed to eradicate illegal drugs before his term ends in 2022.

    (Xinhua/NAN)

  • Put your house in order, Zamfara guber tribunal tells counsel

    The Zamfara Governorship Election Tribunal on Monday ordered counsel to the Action People’s Party (APP) candidate to put their house in order, by filing necessary court papers on change in counsel.

    NAN reports that Alhaji Zayyanu Salisu of the APP, filed a petition at the Governorship Election Tribunal, seeking the nullification of the election of Bello Mutawalle of PDP as winner.

    Also joined as second and third respondents in the petition tagged EPT/ ZM/GOV/2019, are the PDP and INEC.

    Justice Fatima Zeberu, fixed the date, after the Prof. Agbo Madaki , who has been appearing in the matter for the APP, informed the court that he was in court for the matter.

    But, Mr Obed Agu, also introduced himself as the counsel representing the APP.

    Prof. Madaki, argued that there was no notice by Salisu of APP, asking a change in counsel.

    ”If there was a change, the proper measures was not adopted and it was the height of professional misconduct by his learner colleague Agu.

    “I got a call asking me to continue with the case, and in this case my life and that of my family has been threatened,” he said.

    Read Also: Kaduna guber tribunal adjourns to June 17

    However, Agu argued that the second petitioner Salihu has never asked Prof. Madaki to represent him.

    He said that the notice of change of counsel was under Rule 54 of the Rules of Practices for Election Petitions made pursuant to Electoral Act 2010 (as amended ) and order 9 Rule 35 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure Rules, 2009).

    “The second petitioner has never asked the counsel of Madaki to represent him. Salihu wrote a letter disengaging the law firm of  Prof. Madaki to represent. The firm has been served a notice,” he added.

    NAN reports that Salisu’s petition is challenging INEC’s decision to issue certificate of return to Mutawalle on the grounds that he (Mutawalle) was not qualified to stand for the election having not “been educated up to the school certificate level or its equivalent,” as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution and the 2010 Electoral Act.

    He argued that a report by the Evaluation and Accreditation Division of the Federal Ministry of Education, dated 28 December, 2018, had stated that the Trade Certificate relied on by the 1st respondent as evidence of educational qualification for the election was not a school certificate.

    The petitioners, however, prayed that the tribunal declare that Mutawalle was, at the time of the election, not qualified to contest the election held on March 9, for the office of Governor of Zamfara.

    They further ask that the tribunal orders the 3rd respondent, INEC, to conduct a fresh election to the office of governor of Zamfara State.

    NAN reports that INEC had, on May 27, issued a certificate of return to Mutawalle of PDP in line with the Supreme Court judgement of May 24, 2019, which sacked the initial purported winner, Idris Shehu, of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    (NAN)

  • Govt, NAPPS extol Kellogg’s superstar’s scholarship awards

    Kellogg Tolaram Nigeria, makers of the leading Nigerian breakfast cereal has been hailed for touching the lives of the ordinary Nigerian child.

    During the presentation ceremony of the Kellogg’s Superstars awards to the 50 young winners, majority of whom were invited to Lagos along with their parents the Director General, Lagos Ministry of Education, Mrs Ronke Soyombo poured encomium on the mangers of Kellogg’s Tolaram, which she said are imbued with rare foresight.

    She said the goal is not aimed particularly at making the whole child by not only rewarding pupils through scholarships but by also investing heavily in educational infrastructure, educational partnerships, literacy commitment and all other primary needs that ensures brighter opportunities for the Nigerian child.

    She said: “It is crystal clear that Kellogg’s Tolaram essay competition and reward initiative was borne out of passion and will no doubt contribute to the ever-expanding educational status of Lagos State and Nigeria” Soyombo stated.

    Kellogg’s Superstars contest is a school-based essay writing competition designed for primary school pupils to sharpen their writing skills while also bringing out the creative uniqueness in them.

    Read Also: 40 Choba pupils get N4m scholarship

    The Contest which began in March 2019 reached out to more than 1.8 million pupils at approximately 12,000 schools across Rivers, Lagos and Oyo State; these students were tasked to exhibit their writing talent on the topic “what makes you a Kellogg’s superstar”, after which 50 outstanding pupils emerged.

    The major highlight of the ceremony was when the young Kellogg’s superstars read through their essays to the audience which comprised of the parents, representatives of their schools, representatives of the Ministry of education, National Association of Private Schools and a member of the Federal House of Representatives, Mrs. Tolu Akande- Sadipe.

    National Association of Private Schools (NAPPS), Lagos State Chapter, Mr. Wasiu Adumadeyin, said the impact is certainly far reaching on the economy when corporate organizations get involved in educational support especially at this elementary stage where foundation becomes undeniably important.

    He pledged unflinching support of the association for any organization geared towards promoting a better tomorrow for the Nigerian future leaders.

    General Manager, Kellogg Tolaram, Mrs. Vani Malik, who spoke on the premise of the speech delivered by  Mrs Akande- Sadipe    said  the  Nigerian society is still battling with the challenge of out of school children.

    She said the challenge was the rationale that brought about the concept of the Kellogg’s Superstars scholarship by way of the brand contributing its quota to the economic growth of Nigeria.

    “Kellogg’s Superstars programme follows a holistic developmental approach, which begins with making sure children have the best start to their day by getting a complete breakfast option through Kellogg’s various cereal variants while also encouraging them to identify and improve their inherent academic skills in the area of writing” she stated.

    It will be recalled that Kellogg Tolaram Nigeria Limited (KTNL) is a Joint Venture in Nigeria between 2 giant international companies -Tolaram group and Kellogg Company. The company was incorporated in August 2015 to carry out the Kellogg’s cereal and snack business in Nigeria. This saw to the commissioning of a Multi- Billion Naira factory, with a capacity to produce 10,000 metric tonnes of cereals per year.

  • Obaseki, Edo’s political reformer adds another year today

    Less than three years into his first term as Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, with his governance style, has etched his name in Edo people’s hearts.

    His brand of politics is gaining grounds speedily despite the odds posed by the old politics of entitlement and gratification, without any value addition.

    His approval ratings in the streets are at an all time high, over 80 per cent, as he continues to change public perception of governance with his insistence on putting Edo people and residents first as well as doing more and talking less.

    Obaseki’s resolve to frugally apply the state’s resources to critical sectors such as education, health, infrastructure, job creation programmes, civil service reforms amongst others, has put the state on the path of prosperity.

    He has altered the old political order with a commitment not to fritter Edo people’s resources.

    Instead he has adopted policies and programmes that are empowering millions of Edo people economically and socially.

    This rare stance resonates with millions of Edo people, who have since rolled up their sleeves to fight on the side of the governor, in the battle to take the state from a few greedy individuals who want to feed fat on the state’s resources.

    As proof of the people’s growing support for the governor, they handed Obaseki his first victory in the last local government election, in which the All Progressives Congress (APC) cleared all the chairmanship and councillorship seats in the 18 local councils.

    Read Also: Obaseki is a man of destiny with capacity to transform Edo, says Shaibu

    Same landslide victory was repeated in the last house of assembly election. The 24 available seats were won by the APC.

    His impressive management of the state’s resources dominates conversations across the state.

    His large-hearted and civil disposition to governance, accommodation of opposing views and criticisms as well as his firm belief in the oneness and progress of all Edo people, irrespective of their political leanings and convictions, class and stature, have continued to endear him to millions of people in the state and beyond.

    The governor’s progressive politics has been seen at play in the way he resolves very complex and knotty issues in the course of governing.

    One of such knotty issues was the resolution of the issues around the Ojuromi of Uromi, His Royal Highness, Anselm O. Aidonojie II.

    Obaseki re-instated the traditional ruler and extended his developmental programmes to Esan land, a major power bloc in Edo State politics.

    The resulting goodwill and open governance style created inroads for the APC in Edo Central Senatorial District, a former stronghold of the opposition party.

    The growing public appeal of Obaseki’s governance model also stems from the even distribution of infrastructure and impactful programmes across the nook and cranny of the three senatorial districts.

    The ‘Wake and See’ sobriquet, which amplifies the Obaseki brand among his millions of followers, continues to reverberate across all parts of the state as more people wake up daily to witness the construction of new roads, bridges, revamped schools, health centres, in areas far flung from the city centre, and where no influential politicians reside.

    Obaseki has redefined governance with his people-centric governance style and the positive reviews and commentaries over his brand of politics have cast him in the mould of the late Dr. Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia and the late Prof. Ambrose Alli.

    As the Edo State governor’s positive ratings soar, Governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) recently snatched him into their hierarchy by electing him Vice Chairman of the APC Governors Forum.

    The move according to the governors, is to strengthen their league and tap from Obaseki’s rich boardroom experience and people-centric politics, that have made Edo one of the best performing states in the country.

    For example, Edo currently is in the lead in the ease of doing business reforms. Basic education reforms and efforts to bring an end to human trafficking in the state, have been applauded by the World Economic Forum, the European Union and several national governments.

    Current statistics put the number of illegal migrants entering Italy from Nigeria at 10 people per day, from the former figure of 1000 per day, where Edo State accounts for 60 per cent of the ugly trend.

    The significant drop in the figures of illegal migrants from Edo has been linked to the far-reaching work of the Obaseki-led administration, in partnership with the traditional institution and other stakeholders  to nip the problem in the bud.

    On the giant strides of the governor in the  education sector, the World Economic Forum in its recent report said: “The governor of Edo State is becoming an international symbol of successful public-sector education transformation. Godwin Obaseki has become a trailblazer, quickly and dramatically lifting the quality of government schools and upskilling teachers in his low-income state.

    The forum added: “He has described his reforms – known as EdoBEST – as a means of boosting the economy and improving people’s life chances. Institutions such as the World Bank and the IFC have been looking at how Obaseki has so effectively reformed state education in only one year.”

    Obaseki’s empowerment initiatives such as  the Edo Production Centre, the Edo Innovation Hub and the Agriculture cluster have put Edo youths to work and transforming their lives.

    His clean politics has continued to endear leaders of opposition political parties to the governor. Recently, some prominent leaders in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) such as Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Chief Tom Ikimi and Chief Osamede Adun, popularly known as Bob Izua, visited the governor and hailed his pro-people policies, programmes and openness to ideas and contributions from the constituents.

    For these political actors and millions of Edo people and residents, Obaseki does not need any aggressive campaign to secure a second term in office.

    Though the gubernatorial election in Edo State is still over a year from now, Edo people are angling to sustain the transformation they have witnessed under Obaseki in the last two years and a half.

    Professionals, artisans and market women, many of whom have never voted before, have  vowed to cast their votes for Obaseki in the 2020 governorship election.

    According to these Obaseki’s supporters, “the governor’s policies of inclusiveness guarantee better life for women, children, the unemployed and vulnerable groups as well as victims of human trafficking.”

    As the governor adds another year to his age,  what better way to celebrate  his impact on the lives of Edo people.

    Crusoe Osagie is the Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy.

     

  • Burna Boy, Teni, emerge Pepsi Brand Ambassadors

    Fresh off his BET Best International Act win, Burna Boy alongside multi award winning artiste Teni The Entertainer have both been unveiled as the newest Pepsi Brand Ambassadors during their performance at the Big Brother Naija opening show last night.

    Appearing on stage, both artists were decked out in Pepsi branded outfits during their energetic performances shortly before the announcement was made.

    Read Also: Big Brother Naija starts with performance from Burna Boy, others

    After their performances, Pepsi Naija social media handles posted a welcome message to both superstars.

    For a fact, Pepsi’s lineup of Ambassadors now includes the biggest artists out of Africa; an all star roaster featuring Tiwa Savage, Wizkid, Davido, Tekno, DJ Cuppy, Xclusive, Obi, Spinall…Burna Boy and Teni

    These two new inclusions to the Pepsi team further validates Pepsi’s number one status as the music power house brand in the country. The global brand promises to keep refreshing and exciting all music lovers with more fun and excitement.

  • ‘Russian-made missile’ crashes into northern Cyprus

    A suspected Russian-made missile has crashed north of the Cypriot capital, Nicosia, Turkish Cypriot officials said.

    The explosion occurred at around 1am on Monday (22:00 GMT on Sunday), in the Tashkent region, also known as Vouno, about 19km north of Nicosia.

    According to Turkish Cypriot broadcaster BRT, Prime Minister Ersin Tatar said no one was hurt in the explosion and that firefighting crews had contained a blaze that the burning debris had ignited.

    Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Kudret Ozersay said it was believed that the missile may have been fired as part of a Syrian anti-aircraft system.

    “The first assessment is that a Russian-made missile, which was part of the air defence system that took place last night in the face of an air attack against Syria, completed its range and fell into our country after it missed,” Turkish Cypriot Foreign Minister Ozersay said in a Facebook post on Monday.

    Read Also: Syria downs most missiles of US, UK, France – Russia

    Cyprus is located around 193km west of Syria, where Israeli warplanes struck Syrian military positions on Monday morning, killing at least four civilians and wounding 21 others, according to state media.

    Mustafa Akinci, the Turkish Cypriot leader, earlier linked the incident to military operations in the Middle East but further investigations were under way by the military to establish what it was.

    A light in the sky

    “It is evident it is not something stemming from our soil … It is one of the bad sides of the war in the region falling into our country,” he said.

    Police cordoned off the field where the object landed and nearby villages where debris has been found.

    Tatar said Turkish military authorities may assist in the investigation.

    A Greek Cypriot military analyst, Andreas Pentaras, said the debris suggested it was a Russian-made S-200 missile.

    “An assessment from the pictures made public shows the base of its wings. It has Russian writing on it, so it suggests it is Russian made. Syria uses Russian-made missiles, so a not-so-safe assessment would be it was … an S-200 [missile],” Pentaras, a retired army general, told Sigma TV in Cyprus.

    Jamming technology could have diverted the missile, he said.

    Residents told Cypriot media they saw a light in the sky then three loud explosions were heard for miles around.

    Tashkent is a small village in the foothills of a mountain range rimming northern Cyprus. Authorities evacuated some homes.

    Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. The country’s internationally recognised government is seated in the Greek Cypriot south.

    Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence and keeps more than 35,000 troops in the north.

    Cypriot Defence Minister Savvas Angelides said government authorities are investigating the blast but refrained from speculating on its cause.

    (www.newsnow.co.uk)

  • Kaduna: UNICEF reestablishes child protection programme – Official

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Monday that it has reestablished child protection programme in Kaduna state to promote the protection of all children against violence.

    Dr Zakari Adams, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Kaduna, who disclosed this at the opening of 2019 mid-year Review and Planning Meeting in Kaduna, added that the programme would also promote child rights.

    Adams explained that the programme was moved to the Northeast in 2015 where child protection issues was on the increase and needed to be addressed.

    He added that it was reintroduced to check violence against children which still occurs in homes, families, schools, communities and other places where children should feel safe.

    He said that the child protection programme aimed at providing preventive and response interventions for children who were victims of, or at risk of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

    Read Also: Kaduna summit: Stop hiding your atrocities under security conference – Group

    According to him, these could be achieved through strengthening the child protection system.

    “The programme works across multiple levels and sectors to generate and analyse evidence for legal reform and increased public financing for children and designed quality age and gender specific services.

    “The programme also work with key state ministries, departments and other partners to ensure that identified children facing protection risk receive integrated case management and referral to specialised service,” Adams said.

    He explained that the review meeting was organised to look at progress made as against the target set, look at challenges, best practices and the way forward.

    “UNICEF will continue to provide technical support to Kaduna state government to ensure that action plan are implemented to ensure adequate protection, growth and development of children,” he added.

    Malam Salisu Lawal, Director, Development Aid Coordination of the state’s Planning and Budget Commission, commended UNICEF for the continued support.

    Lawal reiterated the state’s commitment towards improving the conditions of women and children.

    (NAN)

     

  • Air Force undergoes training in South Africa

    Personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) have commenced intensive training in South Africa to qualify as highly specialised Canine Unit (K-9 Unit) operatives.

    The training programme will enhance the NAF’s Special Operations, Explosive Ordinance Detection (EOD) and Narcotics Detection capabilities with instruction by experts at Paramount K9 Solutions, one of Africa’s leading K9 training academies and subsidiary of Paramount Group, the Africa-based global aerospace and Defence Company.

    The Special Operations training will be rigorous and will cover tracking, rappelling, waterman-ship and other special terrain exercises, meant to equip operatives with the skills necessary to execute a variety of missions alongside the NAF Special Forces (SF). Through these exercises,

    K-9 Units will also become critical components of SF Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR), where their skills would be used to rescue downed aircrew in conflict zones and other high-risk environments.

    Read Also: Insurgency: UK trains over 2,000 NAF Special Forces

    These special operations dogs are trained for maximum versatility, and will also likely be deployed to support the search and rescue efforts of emergency responders in disaster-relief situations in the West Africa region.

    Senior Vice President of Paramount Group, Eric Ichikowitz, stated: “We are very pleased to see the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) making great strides to become one of Africa’s elite combat forces. It is a privilege to be a partner of the NAF and we commend their leadership for bolstering the capabilities of the special operations forces and for mitigating hostile risks to critical assets.”

    The training is expected to augment the skill-sets of NAF personnel, as well as develop the experience necessary for personnel to serve as instructors in their own right.

    Accordingly, some of the attending NAF operatives will deploy as instructors at the Air Police Training Centre (APTC) located in Kerang, Plateau State, Nigeria. The APTC is strategically positioned in order to enhance logistics coordination regarding NAF’s ongoing CSAR activities and training with the 205 CSAR Group, which is based in Kerang.

    In 2016, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Nigeria’s Air Staff, pioneered the establishment of the original NAF K-9 Unit, which has grown steadily over the last four years.

    “Ongoing developments and enhancements in K-9 Unit special operations training is the direct result of Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar’s tireless efforts, which we applaud,” Ichikowitz stated.

    A large number of professionally trained dogs have been deployed throughout major Nigerian airports, NAF Units and in theaters of operation across the country.

  • Ebola: Death toll in DR Congo rises to 1,540, says WHO

    The death toll in the latest outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 1,540, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

    In an update on Friday, the world health body said 2,284 people had been infected since the outbreak in the country’s Ituri and North Kivu provinces nearly 11 months ago.

    However, vital work of tracing people infected with the deadly virus is progressing, in spite of of evidence of “several” massacres in the affected area earlier this month, the organisation said.

    In spite of the insecurity, WHO insisted that frontline workers were doing all they could to tackle Ebola in North-east DRC.

    “We had 637 people who survived the disease, and I think this is important,” Dr Ibrahima Fall, WHO Assistant Director-General for Emergency Response, told newsmen in Geneva, according to a statement.

    He noted that around 90 people were currently receiving treatment for Ebola virus disease infection, while new cases had dropped from 106 two weeks ago, to 79 last week.

    At the same time, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, announced that a “robust” probe found that 117 people had been killed in “several massacres” involving multiple villages in gold-rich Ituri, between June 10 and June 13.

    “The investigative team confirmed that at least 94 people had been killed in Djugu territory and 23 in Mahagi territory, including a yet to be determined number of women and children.

    Read Also: Ebola: FG orders surveillance across states

    “Some of the victims were beheaded. Homes and warehouses were burned down after being looted.

    “The ferocity and scorched-earth nature of the attacks suggests the assailants intended to prevent survivors from being able to return to their villages,” OHCHR spokesperson, Marta Hurtado, said.

    Hurtado was quoted as saying that most of the victims belonged to the Hema community, while the remaining ones were Alur people.

    She added that the attackers were reportedly from the Lendu community, echoing an earlier alert from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

    UNHCR had earlier reported that thousands of people displaced by violence had arrived in Uganda this month, with an average of 311 people crossing the border daily, double the number for May.

    Fall explained that major urban centres of Butembo and Katwa were now seeing only “sporadic” cases of infection, thanks to full access.

    He, however, cautioned that in Beni, a large town in North Kivu, Ebola had claimed nine lives since Monday.

    Contact tracing there and other preventative work was slowed earlier this week amid attacks by taxi drivers who were upset about the death of a colleague who sought help too late, according to him.

    Turning to remote areas, Fall confirmed that the “very volatile” security situation had complicated the WHO’s work to tackle “a new hotspot” in Mabalako and Mandima.

    “The outbreak started there last year and spread to other regions, so it’s important to break the vicious cycle, to contain very quickly the situation in Mabalako and Mandima, where we have more than 55 per cent of the cases coming from.”

    He said for the first time in the current outbreak, Ebola had also reached small forest-based villages such as Alima, where access is “more challenging”.

    Fall blamed the situation on the presence of armed groups from DRC and neighbouring Uganda.

    “You cannot just say, ‘I have access, I can go.’ You have to negotiate; you have to assess conscious that the risk is still important.

    “This is because as you know, with Ebola, you only need one case to start spreading or one high-risk contact not followed transfers the disease,’’ he said.

    Asked about the infection threat in Uganda, where three people with Ebola died earlier this month after arriving from DRC, the WHO official insisted “there has been no transmission” of the virus.(NAN)