Author: The Nation

Our Reporter

 

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has celebrated the discovery of COVID-19 vaccine as the year 2020 draws to an end.

WHO’s Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus stated this while giving a toast at the last COVID-19 news conference of the year at WHO headquarters in Geneva.

In a speech posted on the agency’s website, Ghebreyesus said as the year closes, people around the world raised a toast to mark both passing and the coming years.

“People raised a toast for the passing of the year and the dawn of a new one, let me raise a toast to science.

“May we share its results – especially the vaccines – fairly and equitably in the year ahead and together end this pandemic,’’ he said.

Ghebreyesus, however, said there would be set backs and new challenges in the year ahead.

“For example, new variants of COVID-19 and helping people, who are tired of the pandemic continue to combat it.

“At present, we are working closely with scientists all over the world to better understand any and all changes to the virus.

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“We are working with scientists to know how these changes affect its ability to spread or make people sick, or any potential impact on available tests, treatments and vaccines.

“Specifically, we are working with scientists in the UK and South Africa who are carrying out epidemiologic and laboratory studies, which will guide next steps,’’ he said.

He, however, thanked those countries for testing and tracking new variants and underscores the importance of increasing genomic sequencing capacity worldwide.

“This means the prompt sharing of epidemiological, virological, and full genome sequence information with WHO and other countries and research teams, including through open-source platforms such as `GISAID’ and others.

“Only if countries are looking and testing effectively will you be able to pick up variants and adjust strategies to cope.

“We must ensure that countries are not punished for transparently sharing new scientific findings.

“I am so humbled to work with scientists, epidemiologists and public health experts in WHO and around the world”.

According to him, this week marks one-year anniversary since WHO learned of cases of ‘pneumonia with unknown cause’ via a bulletin issued by the health authorities in Wuhan and ProMed.

“We immediately set up an incident management structure to follow this development.”

of an outbreak of a new disease.”

Adeyinka Aderibigbe

 

THE Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge got a major endorsement on Tuesday as the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, boarded the train at the station named after him in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to Lagos.

During the journey, other passengers had approached the Octogenarian writer who recently released another book, titled: Chronicles of the Happiest People on Earth, for photographs while others pleaded for autograph.

A young boy, Toluwanipemi Alli Balogun, walked up to Soyinka for an autograph, which he gladly obliged.

The railway revolution is said to be among the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration as it battles to revive moribund infrastructure, especially in the Transport sector.

The Abuja-Kaduna rail line had earlier been revived.

 

 Augustine Okezie, Katsina

 

KATSINA State Police Command has announced approval by the Police High Command for the establishment of more than 10 Mobile Police Units, Hilux Patrol vehicles, increased personnel, logistics and equipment to position the command for effective combat of banditry and other forms of criminality in the state

The Police Public Relations Officer of the state’s Command, Superintendent Gambo Isa, who made this known in his office in Katsina said the command was now fully poised to chase out bandits and criminal elements.

’’You can confirm for yourself, we are presently receiving several vehicles, logistics, equipment and personnel for the task ahead, there is no more hiding place for criminals in Katsina State.”

When The Nation visited the Police Command Headquarters on Tuesday, several brand new Police Hilux vehicles with the inscription ’’Federal Ministry of Police Affairs’’ were seen in the premises.

 

 

 AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

 

COMMUNITY policing has been kick-started in Kaduna, Kebbi and Sokoto states.

In Kaduna, 272 Police constables passed out from the training school on Tues

Speaking at the passing out parade of the Constabulary, Governor Nasir El-Rufai said community policing has come to stay.

Governor El-Rufai, who was represented by Commissioner for Internal security and Home Affairs Samuel Aruwan, urged the community police to enhance internal security in the state.

He said there would be a second phase of the training and passing out of the Constabulary to enhance security monitoring in the state.

El-Rufai said: “You are trained to be our eyes in security issues in the state, so to whom much is given, much is expected.

“You are expected to help security agencies to ensure peace in the State because without peace there can never be development.

“You are expected to be good ambassadors of your community, be civil and upright in your conducts. You are also expected to play your role to protect lives and property in the state. Don’t put us to shame, you have to justify the confidence reposed in you.

“We will appeal to local government chairmen to support you to succeed because community policing has come to stay. And the state government too will continue to support you.

“Together we will surmount the security challenges, it is a critical issue that we don’t need to play with it to ensure peaceful coexistence.”

Kaduna Commissioner of Police Umar Muri said the passing out parade was part of activities for the formal handing over of the special Constabulary to the state government.

CP Muri said the special police would be sent to various local government areas in the state where respective Divisional Police Officer (DPO) would give them further instructions as to the line of their duty.

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The police boss warned them to carry out their duty with the fear of God, saying: “You should have the fear of God in your heart because you are representing a community. If you are a Muslim, be a good Muslim, and if you are a Christian, be a good Christian.”

Speaking in Sokoto, Inspection-General (IG) Mohammed Adamu said community policing system was adopted to augment the shortage of manpower in the Police force.

“Therefore, the need to recruit about 40,000 of special constabulary nationwide to serve as the supporting arm of the police to combat insurgency and other crimes,’’ Adamu said.

Represented by the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) Zone 10, Mr Muhammad Mustapha, the IG urged the new constables to imbibe patriotism and prepare themselves for more training and service to the nation.

“You are all being trained and told how to secure yourselves because safety security is very important. And I expect all of you to observe the rules of engagement.

“The tasks before you are enormous, looking at what we are going through on banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping and insurgency, among other crimes.’’

Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Carrier and Security Matters, Abdulkadir Ahmed, said the state would continue to place a priority on security issues.

He congratulated the new constables, urging them to ensure more commitment to protect their community with professionalism as enshrined in the law.

Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Rabiu Kamba, expressed confidence that with the community policing in place, the society would be well secured.

The Training School Commander, ACP Kabir Muhammad, said 704 participants arrived at the training school for the exercise.

“As it is today, I am glad to report that 703 are now cleared and given the IG’s approval to serve as Special Constables. From the figure, Kebbi State has 336 while Sokoto has 367,’’ he said.

Kebbi State Police Commissioner Mr Ibrahim Kaoje said the command would provide all necessary tools to the new constables to enable them to exercise their mandate.

 Nduka Chiejina, Abuja

 

BARRING the unforeseen, President Muhammadu Buhari will today sign the N13.588 trillion 2021 Appropriation Bill into law.

This is to enable the budget implementation kick off in January next year.

Though the 2020 budget was passed and signed into law on time, the Coronavirus pandemic scuttled its scheduled implementation in line with the January – December Budget Cycle.

The National Assembly passed the bill of N13.588 trillion ($35 billion) at a joint session last week. It was N505 billion higher than the N13.082 trillion estimate presented for consideration by the President in October.

Next year’s budget was prepared to address the damage done to the economy by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Its assumptions are $40 per barrel; oil production at 1.86 million barrels daily oil production; exchange rate of N379/$ and a projected growth rate of three per cent.

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With the economy in recession, the government crafted an ambitious 2021 budget. The executive arm made provision for MSME Survival Fund, Nigeria Youth Investment Fund, CBN Support programme for specific sectors to revive the economy; the legislature added N505 billion in anticipation of the purchase of vaccines to tackle COVID-19.

The budget is considered ambitious because government’s desire to inflate the budget figures is not met with commensurate ability to generate revenue to match or exceed expenditure. What we have is a budget already handicapped by deficit even before it becomes law.

The government was put on its toes following the discovery and exploitation of shale oil. The development made the government to realise that the days of over-dependence on crude oil was over.

The Federal Government has been battling to source for alternative revenue especially from taxes but the cost and size of governance has been the albatross on government’s neck.

According to BudgeIT, “while the expenditure component of the budget might have expanded, the federal government’s actual revenue has only increased from N3.24trillion in 2015 to N3.86trillion as of 2019, a 19.3% increase. The only way that the FG has continually met its expenditure has been through the escalation of debts and unfunded deficits provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria”.

In the budget, capital expenditure, including that of 10 Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) and projects tied to loans, is put at N3.85trillion. N1.82 trillion will be spent by the Federal Government Ministries, Development and Agencies, N370 billion for capital supplementation items and N700 billionn for dedicated expenditure tied to specific capital projects.