Author: darelasisi@gmail.com

Nigeria and two other African nations, South, Africa and Kenya, are to benefit from Facebook’s newly-launched Accelerator Programme to provide community leaders the opportunity to drive empowerment and mentorship in their areas. Kiran Yoliswa, Strategic Partner Manager, Communities Sub-Sahara at Facebook, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos. Yoliswa said that Facebook Community Leadership Programme (FCLP), being a six-month accelerator programme, would provide training, mentorship, and funding to help leaders grow their areas. She said that a total of three million dollars would be awarded to 80 programme participants worldwide. Yoliswa noted that selected leaders would spend three…

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has identified congestion as a major factor responsible for jailbreaks in the country. Mr Chuks Njoku, the Service Public Relations Officer, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja. Njoku said that congestion had done more harm to the NCoS but assured that measures were being taken to address it. “On the 12th of March, the Minister of Interior will perform the groundbreaking ceremony of 3,000 capacity building of a custodial centre at Karshi in the FCT. “This building will to a large extent contain the incidences…

Dr Lazarus Maigoro, Chairman of the University of Jos chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has said that members of the chapter have joined the ongoing two-week warning strike embarked upon by the national body of the union. Maigoro confirmed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Jos, adding that the members were loyal and would always abide by every decision of the national body. NAN reports that ASUU had on Monday declared a two-week warning strike because of the Federal Government’s inability to pay salaries of lecturers who are…

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of members of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). Mr Sabiu Zakari, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja. According to Zakari, the presidency named Honourable Asita as Chairman of the Governing Board of NIMASA. He said Bashir Jamoh, took over from Dakuku Peterside, whose tenure had expired as Director-General of the agency. He named other members of the governing board to include, Victor Ochei, Executive Director (Cabotage); Chudi Offordile, Executive Director (Admin & Finance);…

The Federal Government on Tuesday night shut the Alaka Bridge linking Eko Bridge in Lagos for repairs to prevent its total collapse, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. NAN reports that officials from both Lagos State Ministry and Federal Ministry of Works and their Transportation counterparts converged on the bridge at about 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday for the emergency closure. The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Adedamola Kuti, told NAN in a telephone interview, that the emergency closure was to prevent total collapse of the bridge. “We are all here closing the Alaka to Costain portion of…

Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde said on Tuesday that his administration has been providing a safe and secure state for investors in the state, warning criminally-minded elements to stay away from the state and the South-West geopolitical zone. The governor, who stated this while signing the Oyo State Security Network code-named Amotekun Corps Bill 2020, into law at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan, declared that the Amotekun Law was a product of effective planning, strategizing, engagement and alignments among the six states of the South-West geopolitical zone. He called on investors to come to…

The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Lagos, says no patient with Lassa fever or COVID-19 symptoms was admitted into its health facility. Dr Oladeji Adewunmi, Medical Officer, Clinical Service Department in LASUTH, made the clarification in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos. Adewunmi said that decisions on the management of patients were made in compliance with strict standard protocol, and not at the whims of any person. He said that all cases were confirmed and verified by the hospital’s infection control specialist, after proper examination, history taken and laboratory check was…

Calabar, March 10, 2020 (NAN) The Cross River College of Health Technology has started an indefinite strike over suspension of its Consolidated Polytechnic and Colleges of Education and Academic Salary Structure by the state government. Mr Okon Etim, the Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), College of Health Technology, Calabar branch, said on Tuesday that the two weeks warning strike given to the state government to reverse the salary structure had elapsed on March 2. Etim explained that the consolidated salary structure was implemented for all Colleges of Health Technology in 2011 by the Federal Government. According to…

Dr Nasir Ariyibi, Director, Health Services, Lagos State University, Ojo, has assured all members of the university community that measures have been put in place to ensure the institution remains safe of coronavirus. Ariyibi gave the assurance in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday. He said that some of the measures put in place were the provision of sanitizers to all offices and some other places for students and checking of body temperature. “Medical health officers are on standby and the ambulance for any distress call. “Our students and staff members should remain calm and practice high-level personal hygiene, including…

Ekiti Government has commenced the distribution of hand sanitizers, hand gloves and face masks to all public primary and secondary schools in the state. The Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Dr Mojisola Yaya- Kolade, disclosed this at a Public Awareness Programme on Tuesday in Ado Ekiti. The commissioner said the government was doing its best to stop COVID-19 from getting to the state, adding that it would not relent in that direction. “The efforts of Ekiti Government at combating the virus cannot be quantified and this includes the recent setting up of a 40-man committee headed by the governor…