1. We now have sufficient information to make decision on school re-opening — Minister says.
The Minister of State for Education, Mr Emeka Nwajiuba, says the ministry now has sufficient information to make decision on school reopening.
He however said that such information and decision would have to be presented to the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
The minister said this at the Presidential Task Force briefing on COVID-19 on Thursday in Abuja.
Nwajiuba said there was sufficient information, considering the reopening of schools, adding however that until such decision is presented to the PTF, the decision for the closure of school remained intact.
The minister also refuted reports that a statement credited to him that Coronavirus was a sham, remained in the figment of the reporters’ imagination.
“I am constrained to refute this allegation that some of our brothers in the media reported that I said Coronavirus is a sham.
“None of those things happened, Coronavirus is real, may be they could not understand my grammar,” he said.
The minister said that part of what he said was the reason the children were kept at home, saying “our children are kept at home because we may not know who is infected”.
According to him, we have conducted survey and parents have said that they are not willing to experiment with their children and wards by sending them to school.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a national newspaper reported on its bold headline few days ago that the minister while answering questions at the National Assembly said that Coronavirus is a hoax.
It also alleged in the newspaper that the minister said he had not met a Coronavirus patient despite the noise about the virus.
2. SARS in Nigeria carried out 82 extra-judicial executions in 3 years - Amnesty International reveals.
Amnesty International has criticized the police for allegedly failing to prosecute members of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad whom it accused of engaging in torture of suspects.
The group noted that the squad had continued to use torture and other ill-treatment to execute, punish, and extract information from suspects.
In a new report, ‘Time to End Impunity,’ released on Thursday, Amnesty International said it documented at least 82 cases of torture, ill-treatment, and extra-judicial executions by SARS between January 2017 and May 2020.
It said the victims are predominantly males between the ages of 18 and 35, from low-income backgrounds and vulnerable groups.
The Director of Amnesty International in Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, said in a statement, "The complete failure of Nigerian authorities to bring an end to the gross human rights violations perpetrated by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad or to bring any SARS officer to justice is shocking and unacceptable."
3. Universities needs Federal Government's assistance on re-opening of schools - UNIJOS Vice-Chancellor says.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Sebastian Maimako, says without the assistance of the Federal Government, it will be difficult for universities to meet the conditions outlined for the reopening of schools amidst COVID-19 pandemic.
FG had on Tuesday, sent a document to the National Assembly detailing guidelines and conditions to be met by schools and learning facilities preparatory to their reopening after being shut for over three months.
Among the conditions recommended, was that schools should have temporary isolation spaces and fully-equipped clinics.
Other conditions include the provision of more classrooms and the employment of more teachers, amongst others.
The Vice-Chancellor, who spoke in Jos on Friday during a press conference to mark his fourth year in office, said though the conditions were commendable but said the resources needed to actualise them were scarce.
Maimako said, “We want our students to return to the classrooms but we have the challenge of meeting these conditions before the schools would be allowed to reopen. That is why we are appealing to the Federal Government to assist the universities in this regard so that students can resume their normal studies.”
4. Federal Government to establish community support centers for Covid-19 Management.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has said that the Federal Government is set to establish Community Support Centres in selected clusters of Local Government Areas across the country for the management of COVID-19 cases.
Ehanire disclosed this at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing on Thursday in Abuja, affirming that the Federal Ministry of Health had developed the established guidelines.
The minister said, “Bearing in mind the importance of managing cases in facilities, the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency has developed a guideline for the establishment of Community Support Centres.
A central objective of this guideline is the establishment of CSCs in selected clusters of Local Government Areas for the management of COVID-19 cases.
These community support centres will strengthen the capacity of the health system at the community level to respond to the outbreak and result in the reduction of the transmission of COVID-19 within communities in high burden and high-density states.”
5. Don't judge Hushpuppi - Daddy Freeze cautions Nigerians.
Broadcaster, Ifedayo Olarinde aka Daddy Freeze, has said he always assumed that alleged international fraudster, Ramon Abass aka Hushpuppi, was a social media influencer and not a criminal.
Daddy Freeze, who is known for his incessant attacks on pastors, said Jesus Christ never condemned anyone and it would be wrong of anyone to judge Hushpuppi.
Daddy Freeze, who works with 99.3FM Nigeria Info, said this in a video while reacting to criticisms from Nigerians on Friday.
In an old documentary that began trending in the wake of Hushpuppi’s recent arrest, Daddy Freeze is seen mocking Nigerian youths who accuse Hushpuppi of fraud.
In the documentary which is almost an hour-long, Daddy Freeze, accompanied by his wife, described with glowing words Hushpuppi’s questionable lifestyle.
“Hushpuppi’s driver earns N700,000 month while you that abuses him on social media are doing houseboy work and earn N35,000 a month…Instead of you to beg Hushpuppi to hire your father as a driver,” Daddy Freeze had said.
While addressing the criticisms fired at him, the broadcaster said Hushpuppi told him he was a social media influencer.
He said had he known that Hushpuppi was a criminal, he wouldn’t have hung out with him. Narrating, Daddy Freeze said, “While we were driving, he got calls from Gucci, he got calls from Versace, and he got calls from LV all wanting to host him. He said he was an influencer. While I was there, there was nothing suspicious.
He didn’t receive calls from hackers. I didn’t meet him at a crime scene. I met him at the Burberry VIP Lounge that was open to exclusive members and his house. The interview was shot in those places.
Another set of guys say oh Daddy Freeze you’re hanging out with criminals. First things first, I didn’t know him to be a criminal. If I did, I wouldn’t hang out with him and unless someone is proven guilty, I do not discriminate against him because Christ who I follow didn’t discriminate.”
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