Our Reporter

Headteachers and zonal secretaries in Ogun State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) have been urged to cultivate professional skills to enhance their performance.

Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology Prof. Sidi Osho spoke at the induction of 50 headteachers and four zonal secretaries at Lisabi Grammar School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta. The commissioner said the inductees were selected on merit.

Prof. Osho stressed that the government was committed to revamping education by ensuring teachers’ welfare, renovation and construction of schools, among others.

She admonished the inductees to justify government’s huge investment and be disciplined.

Read Also: RCCG complies with COVID19 order, alters services in Lagos, Ogun

The commissioner urged them to monitor their health to maximise productivity and ‘build great destinies to transform the country’.

Special Adviser to the governor on Primary, Secondary and Technical Education, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo, enjoined the inductees to embrace the mission of accomplishing the goals in their schools.

“Leaders should identify their workers’ strength and weaknesses to promote peaceful co-existence.”

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

The Senates of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the Lagos State University (LASU) are to meet Friday to determine whether their universities remain open.

A source from UNILAG however told The Nation that the University Senate would likely approve a closure that would last up to three weeks.

“Officially we have not announced closure. The Senate is meeting tomorrow (Friday) and will likely announce closure for three weeks at the first instance,” the source said.

Coordinator, Centre for Information, Press and Public Relations, LASU, Mr. Ademola Adekoya said the institution’s Senate would decide on closure when it meets Friday.

“We are not closed yet. But the Senate is meeting tomorrow and would take a decision on closure,” he said.

Earlier on Thursday, the University  suspended its 24th Convocation which was scheduled to start Friday and end March 27, 2020.

READ ALSO: ASUU at UNILAG passes no confidence vote in Babalakin

A statement signed by Adekoya reads: “The Lagos State University Management hereby announces the postponement of the 24th Convocation Ceremonies of the University indefinitely. The Convocation Ceremonies were scheduled for Friday 20th to Friday 27th March, 2020.

“The postponement is as a result of the prevailing health threats occasioned by  Coronavirus pandemic and the resolution of the Federal and State Government to discourage the gathering of people in public places at this point.”

By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie

To ensure school children continue learning during their forced holidays, the Lagos State Education Commissioner, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, said the Ministry of Education had made arrangements for teachers to teach core subjects to help SS3 candidates preparing for the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Public and private primary and secondary schools in the state were directed to shut down from March 23, 2020 as a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19.

Speaking on a programme, Lagos Today, aired on LTV on Thursday, Mrs. Adefisayo said the teachers would pre-record lessons in eight subjects for broadcast on radio, television and online.

Read Also: Coronavirus: Ikeja Electric moves all transactions online

The subjects are: English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Literature-In-English, Financial Accounting and Economics.

Mrs. Adefisayo urged both public and private schools to comply with the closure aimed at avoiding the spread of the Coronavirus.

“You know in our classes there are lots of children and children will always play with each other. So it is to protect our children; make sure they are in all gatherings that we agreed that all schools should just shut down,” she said.

By Robert Egbe

The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) on Wednesday directed its parishes in Lagos and Ogun states to limit their attendance to 50 persons in one service, following the states’ directives on managing the COVID19 spread.

The alteration of RCCG service schedules was communicated through a memo following the Lagos State government’s suspension of social or religious gathering of over 50 persons on Wednesday.

RCCG Assistant General Overseer, Administration and Personnel, Folrunsho Odesola, said the church had amended its worship schedules as a precautionary step.

Pastor Odesola outlined in the memo that parishes that have average attendance of 50 members or less can hold their service without any changes.

Read Also: COVID-19: RCCG modifies services as Lagos, Ogun ban gatherings

Those that have over 50 members should run simultaneous services with the main church through their house fellowship centres.

“Parishes that have the facility to run more than one service can also do so, under the strict directive that worshippers won’t exceed 50 people per service,” he said.

RCCG has several parishes across Nigeria having hundreds of people in attendance for Sunday service.

Nigeria had eight confirmed cases of the disease on Wednesday, but the Lagos State government yesterday said four new cases of coronavirus were recorded in the state.

 

By Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

 

Federal Government has directed the Heads of Federal Institutions and Principals of the 104 Unity Colleges across the country to close down the institutions as a result of the spread of coronavirus.

The government noted that the decision was a proactive step aimed at preventing the spread of the dreaded Corona virus.

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu gave the directive through the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

The statement was issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Ben Bem Goong.

The permanent secretary noted that the decision to close down the schools was to protect and safeguard the lives of students/pupils from the deadly coronavirus.

Echono said: ”We have directed all higher institutions to close this weekend. Unity Schools that have completed their exams are to close immediately.

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“Others are to hurry and close the latest on 26th March.”

The permanent secretary said the ministry would monitor development as total closure might be ordered at any moment.

He admonished all the Principals of the Unity Colleges to fast track the on-going second term examinations and close shop until further notice.

The statement reads: “In the meantime, the Minister said the management of all the Unity Colleges should immediately activate the necessary emergency procedures and processes such as the provision of alcohol based sanitizers, and hand washing facilities among others, adding that students should strictly adhere to the principles and best practices of good hygiene.

“Adamu Adamu directed the principals to immediately report any suspicious case to the nearest health authorities, emphasising that nothing should be taken for granted at this delicate time of the global pandemic.”

By Omolola Afolabi

 

Four new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Lagos.

Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, disclosed this in a chat with reporters.

The four persons have increased confirmed cases to 12 in Nigeria.

Abayomi explained that 19 persons were tested on Wednesday with four testing positive.

The positive persons, he said, had been isolated for treatment at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, Lagos.

He said the first of the four new cases was a woman in contact with another woman, who came from UK some days ago.

According to him, the second new case was a female who returned from France on March 14 on a Turkish airline TK 1830.

The third case, the commissioner said, was a Nigerian male in his 50s, who had not travelled anywhere but tested positive.

Abayomi stated that the fourth case was a Nigerian male, who arrived on March 13 from Frankfurt to Lagos on Lufthansa airline, flight number LH568.

The commissioner, however, said more tests were still being carried out, appealing to people on the two flights to self-isolate themselves and reach the government.

“Currently, we are following over 1,300 people right now to find information about the state of their health and the number is increasing,” Abayomi stated.

Agency Reporter

 

The Ogun State Government on Thursday said it has extended the ban on high-density social gatherings to both private and public schools across the state.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Kunle Somorin.

He said all measures would be reviewed at regular intervals in response to the development surrounding the Coronavirus disease.

He said that schools are to proceed on a break after school hours on Friday, March 20, while regular and special religious programmes are banned forthwith with immediate effect.

The state government enjoined all parents and guardians who have their children and wards in any boarding facility within the state to immediately evacuate them and return them to their respective homes at the close of schools on Friday, March 20, 2020.

The statement said: “Governor Dapo Abiodun thankfully acknowledges and appreciates religious leaders for their advice, understanding solidarity and support, as we jointly search for a solution to the pandemic and for their cooperation to observe all safety measures in the overall interest of our State and common humanity.

“In addition, non-essential travels should be limited whilst also avoiding high-density gatherings.”

Moses Emorinken, Abuja

Tuberculosis kills at least 432 persons daily in Nigeria, the Country Director of KNCV, Dr. Bethrand Odume, has stated.

He spoke during a press briefing on the Pre-World TB Day by the Stop TB Partnership Nigeria in Abuja.

According to him: “Despite significant progress over the last decades, Tuberculosis remains the world’s deadliest infectious killer, and require acceleration of efforts to end TB epidemic globally and in Nigeria.

“Each day, nearly 4,500 people lose their lives to TB and close to 30,000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease. Global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 58 million lives since the year 2000 and reduced the TB mortality rate by 42 percent. However, the emergence of drug-resistant TB poses a major health threat and could put at risk the gains made in efforts to end TB.

“In 2018, about 1.4 million people globally died of TB-related causes including over 205,000 children. And over 95 percent of TB deaths occurs in low and middle-income countries especially Africa.

“Nigeria is one of the countries with the high burden of disease globally. According to the 2018 Global TB Report, Nigeria is among the 30 high burden countries for TB, TB/HIV and MDR-TB. It ranked 6th among the 30 high TB burden countries and 1st in Africa.

“TB kills 18 Nigerians every hour. Also, forty-nine Nigerians develop active TB, seven of which are children, every hour. One of the major challenges of TB response in Nigeria is attributed to low TB case findings both in adult and children. This is as a result of low TB treatment coverage and poor knowledge about TB that influence the health seeking behaviour of people.

“To accelerate the TB response in countries to reach targets Heads of State including His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, came together and made strong commitments to end TB at the first-ever UN High Level Meeting in September 2018”.

In line with this year’s theme: It’s time to end TB in Nigeria, Odume called on all stakeholders to come together and collaboratively work towards ending the TB epidemic in the country.

READ ALSO: Tuberculosis: Nigeria records highest infection rate in Africa

National Coordinator of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), Adebola Lawanson, said: “TB burden is so huge in Nigeria and a lot of efforts have gone underway in the past to see that we fight this disease. The federal government in collaboration with partners provided quality patient-centered prevention treatment care and support that is totally free for the control of TB.

“Specifically, we have increased the number of diagnostic facilities which we call the gene Xpert machine, which has the capacity to diagnose not just the simple TB, but the complicated one which is called the drug-resistant TB.

“Over the years we started with a few numbers and right now we have over 399 scattered all over Nigeria. We know that Nigeria is big so our aspiration is to have one machine per local government.

“Right now we have 40 percent of our local government covered, however, right now there are efforts by donor organizations and the federal government to increase this number so that we can get to the universal health coverage that is being at articulated by the health sector.

“We have expanded the treatment of TB services to 12,254 healthcare facilities around the country – public and private. in addition TB services have been included in the primary health care minimum Health Care package to ensure achievement of universal health care to ensure access to care”.

According to the National Professional Officer in charge of TB at the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Ayodele Awe, “We have the highest burden in Africa, we are suppose to detect 429,000 each year, last year was the greatest number that has ever been detected over the ten years; we were able to detect 120,000 cases.

“Where are the 300,000 cases that are still coughing? Every undetected Tuberculosis case can spread the disease to 15 persons in a year. Multiply that with how many we have each year.

“There are free drugs everywhere, the target elimination for Tuberculosis is 2030, this is 2020, therefore, the progress we are making is not enough.

“The total number of funds needed for Tuberculosis each year is $278m, we are having only 8 percent as domestic. There is a huge gap of $157m gap that was suppose to help us for advocacy, for increasing service coverage.

“Tuberculosis is transmitted innocently, government needs to look at this infectious disease, every body is prone to Tuberculosis”.

By Omolola Afolabi

 

A high-ranking Burkina Faso politician has become the first COVID-19 death in Sub-saharan Africa.

He died just as the World Health Organisation (WHO) urged the continent to “prepare for the worst”.

“Africa should wake up,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference in Geneva on Wednesday, pointing out that “in other countries, we have seen how the virus actually accelerates after a certain tipping point”.

Africa has lagged behind the global curve for coronavirus infections and deaths but has seen a significant rise in

cases in the last few days.

From Onimisi Alao, Yola

 

Nigerians have been urged to join the advocacy to the National Assembly to amend the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act to extend its coverage from junior secondary to senior secondary schools (SSS).

The UBE Act which became Law in 2004 stipulates nine years of basic education, comprising six years of primary and three years of junior secondary education.

Championing the advocacy during a media engagement on Community Led Collective Action for Girls Education (C-CAGE) sponsored by Malala Fund in Yola, Adamawa State, the Executive Director, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (LSD), Mr. Monday Osasah, said extending the benefits of UBE to senior secondary school level will help especially girls to complete their secondary education.

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“Everyone should join in the advocacy to the National Assembly to amend the Universal Basic Education Act to extend and fill in the gap and improve girl enrolment and retention through senior secondary school (SSS),” Osasah said.

He said too many students were terminating their secondary education at the junior secondary school level rather than going on to complete the SSS, adding that LSD would work towards ensuring that girls get the education they require to live better lives.

“As a nongovernmental organisation, we remain catalytic in our approach by doing what we are known for and continuing to champion and push for 12 years of free, safe and quality education for all girls,” he said.