Okonjo-Iweala named WHO COVID-19 special envoy

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has named Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, a special envoy for the newly inaugurated Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) accelerator.

She is to serve alongside Andrew Witty, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, in the same capacity.

The duo is expected to mobilise international commitment to the initiative.

Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, announced the appointments during the launch of the ACT Accelerator — via webinar from Geneva.

The initiative is an international collaboration aimed at accelerating the development, production, and equitable distribution of COVID-19 drugs, tests kits, and vaccines around the world.

It has been reported that this is the fourth international assignment given to Okonjo-Iweala in less than two months.

Okonjo-Iweala is an economist and development expert, who has served as managing director of the World Bank.

PENGASSAN to suspend strike action

The leadership of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) is suspending the plan to disrupt crude oil production in protest against the arrest and detention of 22 ExxonMobil workers by the government of Rivers State.

The decision to stand down the planned action followed the release on Sunday of the detained workers by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

The union had issued a directive to members to suspend all oil production and maintenance services from midnight of Sunday, April 19 in protest against the continued detention of ExxonMobil staff in Rivers State.

It also directed that by 12 noon on Monday, April 20, members should  withdraw all forms of services relating to crude oil production, refining, distribution and supplies across the country.

From every indication, PENGASSAN was standing down its earlier directives to members across the country to withdraw their services and shutdown the oil and gas sector.

The Union is saddened by the “inhuman treatment” meted to the 22 oil workers whose only “sin” was to answer the call to be on essential duty to the nation during this Covid-19 lockdown.

COVID-19: Tinubu tells FG to pay Nigerians through BVN

A national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has urged the Nigerian government to make cash payments to households through Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) as palliative. The former Lagos state governor said the move would help cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on Nigerians.

Mr Tinubu gave the advice in a statement issued in Lagos on Wednesday. He argued that the government can make direct deposits into individual bank accounts using the BVN of prospective recipients. The APC leader said the use of BVN would also be safer and prevent violence and crime that may be the attendant consequence of physical cash transfers. Mr Tinubu said the move would help deepen financial inclusion as it would encourage those without bank accounts to open accounts. The money-less family still needs food, water, shelter and, to a lesser degree, utilities, the statement said. In a compassionate society, they should not be made to do without, it added. Mr Tinubu noted that: "Most families need relief. If relief is not forthcoming, these families risk hunger and its attendant suffering and woes."

Arguing further, Mr Tinubu said the measures would help address hunger, maintain aggregate demand in the domestic economy and help sustain private-sector markets to the extent possible.

Trump calls for halt to US funding for World Health Organization amid coronavirus outbreak

Donald Trump (US President)

The U.S. will suspend funding to the World Health Organization while it reviews the agency’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday, saying the international health agency made mistakes that “caused so much death” as the coronavirus spread across the globe.

“Today I’m instructing my administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus,” Trump said at a White House press conference.

Trump criticized the international agency’s response to the outbreak, saying “one of the most dangerous and costly decisions from the WHO was its disastrous decision to oppose travel restrictions from China and other nations” that Trump imposed early on in the outbreak.

“Fortunately, I was not convinced and suspended travel from China saving untold numbers of lives,” he said.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advice for the public (By WHO)

 

Basic protective measures against the new coronavirus

Wash your hands frequently

Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.

Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.

 

Maintain social distancing

Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.

 

Lagos lockdown over coronavirus

A lockdown in Lagos - the commercial hub of Nigeria, as well as the neighbouring state of Ogun and the capital Abuja - came into force on Monday night, following an announcement by President Muhammadu Buhari that the fight against the virus was a "matter of life and death".

For many citizens, it will be very difficult to remain indoors, as the government has not made any provision for palliatives; and also looking at the impoverished state of the masses.

A lockdown without electricity, food supply and other social amenities will kill more than Covid-19. It is worthy noting that there are many households without toilets. In some cases, you see two toilets and bathrooms shared by occupants of 20 rooms.

The government of Nigeria never put any concrete measures before issuing out a lockdown and in no distant time, there will be rampage as people will be forced out by hunger/inconveniences if there is change in the status quo.

 

South Sudan's rival leaders form coalition government

In an attempt to end years of ruinous conflict that has killed almost 400,000 and forced millions from their homes, rival leaders in South Sudan have formed a transitional coalition government.

Opposition leader Riek Machar was sworn in on Saturday in the capital, Juba, as the first deputy of President Salva Kiir a day after the previous government was dissolved.

"I do hereby swear that I shall be faithful and bear diligence to the Republic of South Sudan," Machar said in his oath in front of a room packed with diplomats and regional representatives, including Sudanese leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Amid applause, Machar embraced and shook hands with Kiir. 

For his part, Kiir declared "the official end of the war, and we can now proclaim a new dawn". Peace is "never to be shaken ever again", the president said, adding that he had forgiven Machar and asking for Machar's forgiveness, to applause. He called on their respective Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups to do the same.

Kiir and Machar started out as president and deputy at independence from Sudan in 2011. But two years later, Kiir sacked Machar and later accused him of attempting a coup against him, sparking a bloody war characterised by ethnic conflict.