NEWS : Government orders schools to re-open on Monday 18

 

Ekiti State Government has ordered public and private schools in the State to re-open for the second term of the 2020/21 session from Monday 18th January 2021.

The curfew earlier imposed on the State from 8 pm to 6 am was also relaxed to now commence at 10 pm and end 6 am while the restriction of a maximum of 20 persons in confined spaces was removed to allow a half capacity of the venue for all events indoors and social-distance two-meter spacing for outdoor activities.

Activities limited to between one and two hours maximum period are encouraged to minimize infection risk.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti, the State Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation, Hon. Akin Omole stated that permits must be obtained from the State COVID Taskforce for funerals, weddings, birthdays and other large social gatherings at event centers including hotels, pavilions, fields before the events while limitations on the number of religious services have been lifted.

Omole, however, stated that government workers on grade Level 12 and below are still excused from work until further notice.

He explained that the decision to reopen schools in the State was taken to avoid the negative impacts on child health, education and
development.

Omole added that re-opening schools would also enable students to complete their studies and continue to the next level without avoidable additional burdens on family income and the overall economy of the people.

He stated that random testing of teachers and students would be carried out without delay and urged school administrators and
teachers to use infrared thermometers to monitor the temperature of everybody in their respective schools, emphasizing that the government would not hesitate to close down any private or public school with problems.

Reiterating the commitment of the Fayemi led administration to the general well-being of people in the state, Omole noted that the state government had been proactive in its response to the pandemic and had properly positioned the State to effectively counter the spread of all communicable diseases including COVID-19.

He, however, stressed the need for all and sundry to abide strictly by all laid-down protocol by the State Government to protect them from contracting the coronavirus and help curtail the spread of the virus.

According to him, it is mandatory for everybody to properly wear a nose mask in Ekiti State adding that it is also very essential to avoid crowds, observe social distance spacing, keep rooms well ventilated, regular handwashing with soap and water or using alcohol-based sanitizers and coughing into a bent elbow or disposable tissue.

NEWS : Why I rejected Fela’s marriage proposal – Onyeka Onwenu

 

Veteran Nigerian singer, Onyeka Onwenu has revealed that Music legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti approached her for marriage in the eighties.

Onyeka revealed this in her new autobiography, titled My Father’s Daughter.

She, however, said she rejected Fela’s proposal during her visit to his club because of his other wives.

According to her, she is a possessive lover and did not understand Fela’s love for women.

Narrating how Fela proposed marriage, Onyeka wrote: “The second time I saw Fela was in 1984, a few years after I had returned from the United States. He had just been released from jail.

“He was arrested for attempting to travel with his band for a gig in London with the sum of 1,600 pounds for their hotel accommodation. At the time, carrying any amount of foreign currency was against one of the many decrees promulgated by the Buhari/Idiagbon military junta.

“After he was released from prison, Fela sent a mutual friend, the journalist Onuorah Udenwa who is now a US-based pastor, to bring me to his club. I thought that he probably wanted to thank me for speaking up for him, but that was not it.

“He never even mentioned the article I had written in solidarity with him. Fela wanted to marry me, and I was flattered. I thanked him for the honour of wanting me to become his consort, but I turned him down all the same.”

The music legend added that while she waited at the club to see him, she noticed that his Queen (dancer-wives) had been looking at her with scorn.

“They passed by often, whispering comments about me. They were downright hostile and quite obvious about it.

“I pointed this out to him and told him that I was a possessive lover and would not be able to cope as an appendage to his harem but Fela laughed.”

Parents told not to send children to schools

 

Olusegun Bamgbose, National Coordinator, Concerned Advocates for Good Governance, CAGG, has warned parents in the country against sending their children to school as the Federal Government insists on Monday, January 18, 2021, resumption date.

Bamgbose warned that the government’s insistence to reopen schools at this point when the number of COVID-19 cases is increasing on a daily basis is a very big risk.

According to him, the government may not cope with the situation in the long run.

Bamgbose had earlier warned the Federal Government of the possible danger of opening schools at this critical moment.

Also the House of Representative and the Medical Unions, comprising Nigerian Medical Assurance, NMA, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD and the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, AMLSN have recently warned the Federal Government to suspend the school resumption for now.

“Parents should be warned not to release their children to resume school for the meantime,” the senior lawyer told DAILY POST on Monday.

“It’s not advisable to take the risk not minding that the Federal Government has okayed resumption. The private schools owners must have pressured the Education Minister to reopen schools.

“It’s most likely also that they did PR to weaken the Ministry. No one should be against school reopening, but extreme caution should be taken.

“The tertiary students can resume, but I still insist that those in primary and secondary schools should stay at home for at least 4 weeks to monitor events.

“The House of Reps have equally lent their voice to it. I will want to warn parents to withhold their wards for now from resuming school today.

“Live has no duplicate. Caution is the keyword. Our medical personnel are yet to cope with cases they have at hand and we want to create more cases for them.

“The Government should not sacrifice the lives of our students on the altar of pressure from private school owners, who are more interested in making profit at the expense of the lives of the students and teachers.

“I believe it would be ideal and not out of place to possibly vaccinate our students before resumption. May the good Lord deliver us from this dreadful pandemic,” he said.

HEALTH : School reopening: Medical expert suggests best way to run classes amid COVID-19 new wave

 Dr Ifegbike Kalu of the Federal Medical Centre Makurdi, Benue State, on Monday said government should order schools to operate on shift basis, amid the surge in cases of COVID-19.

Recall that following Federal Government’s directive, schools resumed today in most states of the Federation despite the spike in cases of coronavirus.

The resumption had caused fears among Nigerians over the possibility of COVID-19 spread.

However, Dr Kalu in a chat with  said government should apply the same approach used for religious centres on schools.

According to Kalu: “I think it’s a two sword approach. If government says students should stay at home while other activities are going on, this same students will still go to church and markets. So it depends on what you want to achieve.

“But if you are looking at reducing community transmission, then pushing resumption date is in line to two or three months like the House of Representatives said.

“Government has not been serious with this whole thing. You see government asking people to go and register for NIN and that is worse than schools reopening.

“You see government functionaries involved in all kinds of ceremonies, considering this, you will note that students have stayed at home for too long so if schools are shut down while other events are going on, then it’s not fair.

“If government wants to be serious, then they should direct students to attend schools in batches so that the place is not crowded.

“I have not seen anything that they are doing, government is not working, they are just suggesting schools should resume while nothing is working fine.

“Schools can resume in bits same way churches were asked to start services.”

NEWS : Partial compliance to COVID-19 protocols as schools resume

 

With the resumption of schools in Ondo State on Monday for new academic session, the COVID-19 protocols was partially adhered to by students, parents and teachers.

During a visit to some schools within Akure metropolis, the state capital, it was observed that the use of face mask was fully complied with as students freely moved within the schools premises.

With some of the students and parents seen with face masks, they, however, hung it on their chin without covering both their mouths and noses.

At St Louis Grammar School, Akure, the students who resumed in their hundreds did not observe any form of physical distancing as they clustered in groups.

It was also the same situation at Oyemekun Grammar School as the buckets of water and soap provided at the school gate were not made use of.

For some of the students, after gaining entrance into the school, they removed their face masks.

Whlie expressing concern over the development, the Permanent Secretary, Ministy of Education, Akin Asaniyan, threatened that any school that failed to comply with the guideline will be closed down until the proper thing is done.

The Permanent Secretary also blamed parents for allowing their wards to leave home to school without nose mask.

“Today is the first day of resumption, we will still brainstorm on what to do on the issue of clustering among the students. There will be a way out, that I can assure you. We are not going to take any risk.”

ENTERTAINMENT : Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez to perform at Biden’s inauguration

 

Popular singers, Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez will perform at US President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony in Washington on January 20th.

The transition team said the event will also feature remarks from a black firefighter from Georgia, a former Youth Poet Laureate, a Catholic priest, and a pastor from Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.

Lady Gaga will sing the national anthem, while Lopez will give a musical performance at the inauguration of the incoming 46th US president.

The transition team mentioned that Gaga and Lopez were chosen in order to “represent one clear picture of the grand diversity of our great nation.”

“They reflect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ “steadfast vision of a new chapter in our American story in which we are an America united in overcoming the deep divisions and challenges facing our people, unifying the country, and restoring the soul of our nation,” ithe statement read.

Biden’s team also cited Lady Gaga’s advocacy of LGBTQ rights and health issues, and Lopez’s work raising awareness about the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Latinos.

Other speakers for the inauguration are career firefighter Andrea Hall of Fulton County, Georgia, and Los Angeles native 2017 National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, former Georgetown University President, Father Leo O’Donovan and Reverend Dr Silvester Beaman of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

BIAFRA : IPOB rejects Obiozor’s emergence as president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo

 

The leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) said it will not recognize Prof. George Obiozor as the President-General of the Apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

The group, in a statement made available by its spokesman, Comrade Emma Powerful, yesterday stated that the pro-Biafra group, led by Nnamdi Kanu, cannot work with the Obiozor-led Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

IPOB said: “We, the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), ably led by our great leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,

 wish to state without any ambiguity that we cannot work together with the newly appointed President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief George Obiozor.

“This is because he was imposed on the Igbo socio-cultural body by the Fulani cabal running the failed state of Nigeria. The Chief of Staff to the President,

 Alhaji Ibrahim Gambari, and Miyetti Allah were instrumental to the emergence of Obiozor as Ohanaeze National President, according to our findings.

“IPOB closely monitored the jamboree in the name of election that produced Obiozor as the new Ohanaeze helmsman,

 critically analyzed the antecedents of those behind his emergence and came to the conclusion that we cannot in all honesty work with him because we are not ideologically compatible.

“Obiozor may not be entirely evil but those behind him are unrepentant enemies of Biafra. Naturally, he can only do the bidding of his sponsors, thus sacrificing Igbo Biafra interest at the altar of few self-centered political desperados.

“We have not forgotten that before the shambolic election of Ohanaeze president, 

sometime last year, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Associations of Nigeria (MACBAN) wrote a compelling letter to Aso Rock seeking Gambari’s support to install one of their stooges in Ohanaeze Ndigbo as its leader. 

We raised the alarm then but nobody listened to us, so IPOB cannot work with a man we know will be remote-controlled by a Fulani terrorist group in the shape of Miyetti Allah and by extension the Federal Government of Nigeria,

” the group said, adding, “We also wish to clarify that we cannot work with the current bunch of Igbo Efulefus clamouring for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction in 2023 because we know their real motives. 

None of the traitors on parade have Igbo Biafra interest at heart. They are only after their personal gains going by their antecedents.”

He added “Our concern is Biafra and nothing more. Any saboteur talking about Nigeria President of Igbo extraction is on his own.”