Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations, has called on the organization to learn lessons from the Ebola crisis and begin preparing now for the next outbreak of deadly disease.
Ban Ki Moon, who was returning today, from a visit to Ebola-hit countries in Africa also called for recovery efforts to be stepped up in West Africa to rebuild shattered economies, get children back in school and begin caring for Ebola orphans.
“We must learn the lessons of Ebola, which go well beyond strengthening public health systems,” Ban told reporters at UN headquarters.
“The international community needs better early warning and rapid response.”
The UN chief said he will launch a serious effort to “explore what more we can do to stay ahead of the next outbreak of disease — a test that is sure to come.”
Ban Ki traveled to Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, the epicenter of the year-long Ebola epidemic that has killed more than 6,900 people. He also traveled to Mali, which has had a recent outbreak and Ghana, headquarters of the UN Ebola Emergency Mission.
His call to take stock of the Ebola response followed sharp criticism from non-governmental organisations that the United Nations, in particular the World Health Organization, were too slow to swing into action.
The outbreak began in December in Guinea but it took nine months for the United Nations to decide to set up an emergency mission and to press for international mobilization to beat back the virus.
Diplomats have pointed the finger at the WHO for failing to quickly raise the alarm, but there has also been some soul-searching over funding cuts at the UN agency that have forced it to reduce its scope of action.
Ban Ki said scaling up recovery efforts in West Africa was one of four urgent steps needed to address the Ebola crisis.
He also cited the need to adapt the response by chasing the virus in remote areas of West Africa and looking at isolated chains of transmission.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kogi chapter, has warned the state government against planned retrenchment of over 6,000 workers from the state civil service.
This was contained in a communique signed by the state Chairman of the NLC, James Odaudu, and Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), J.O. Kolawole, at the end of a meeting of the organized labour in Lokoja yesterday.
The communique said that the State Executive Council (SEC) of the labour had resolved that rather than embarking on mass retrenchment, government should allow the Implementation Committee of 2014 Ogunmola Screening report to do its job.
The congress said the implementation committee’s job had been taken over by the state Ministry of Finance; Budget and Planning Ministry and the Accountant General’s Office.
The communique said that any attempt by government to retrench the over 6,000 workers and removal of their names from pay vouchers as from December would be opposed.
“SEC in session, having noticed government’s plan to send away over 6,000 workers in Kogi State, hereby resolves that all workers in the state should reject salaries for the month of December, 2014, to protect the job security of our members.”
It, therefore, called on the workers to reject the December salaries if names of their colleagues were omitted, adding that any attempt by government to carry out the exercise would not be condoned.
The union reiterated its stance that failure of the government to do the necessary would affect the peaceful industrial relations in the state.
It also condemned the installment payment of the 2013 leave bonus spread over a period of 10 months and wondered when government would commence the payment of 2014 annual leave bonus.
The congress commended the support, cooperation and loyalty of members in 2014 and called for the sustenance, saying that much more was required of them the years ahead.
Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Professor Yemi Osinbajo
Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has said that Jonathan’s administration has been unable to wipe out Boko Haram because of the corruption in the administration of defence funds which he said has created a situation where soldiers are not well equipped and motivated.
Responding to questions from his supporters in the social media today, Professor Osinbajo said: “The current administration has politicised Boko Haram. The corruption around defence funds has created a situation where soldiers are not well equipped/motivated. GMB wiped out Maitatsine, another Islamic insurgency in his own administration by sincerely identifying the problem as a challenge to the authority of the state to maintain law and order.”
He made it clear that the same General Buhari will similarly get rid of Boko Haram insurgents and create jobs in the country if elected in 2015.
“General Buhari’s administration took command and funded the military transparently and that’s what we need to do.”
Eighty-eight year-old Cabinet minister from previous regimes, Essebsi has won yesterday’s Presidential runoff, according to exit polls. Sigma Conseil company’s exit polls, which have consistently matched official results in Tunisia, gave Essebsi 55.5 percent of the vote and his opponent Moncef Marzouki, the outgoing interim president, 44.5 percent. Other polling companies gave similar figures. Official results are not expected for another 48 hours.
This result would cementing Essebsi’s dominance over a country where his party already controls Parliament.
At a celebration in his party headquarters, Essebsi urged Marzouki’s supporters to work with him to rebuild the country, saying: “the future begins today! What is important is what we do today and tomorrow for Tunisia and all its children. We must work hand in hand.’’
The runoff election, which saw low turnout by registered voters, marks the culmination of a four-year-long rocky transition to democracy, with parliamentary elections in October and the first round of presidential elections a month later.
While the moderate Islamist party, Ennahda dominated politics immediately after the revolution in 2011, they were unable to address the serious economic and political challenges in the country, including terrorist attacks. Essebsi created Nida Tunis, a collection of former regime officials, businessmen, and trade unionists, to oppose the Islamists and to restore the ‘‘prestige of state,’’ which he said had suffered after the revolution.
There are fears that Essebsi’s domination over the executive and legislative branches of the government could result in a return to the country’s old authoritarian ways — an argument Marzouki attempted to push in his campaign. In the end, however, Tunisians appear to have desired a return to stability and normalcy after the years of revolutionary turmoil.
‘‘Essebsi, thanks to his political experience and international ties as well as his program, can get the country out of this mess,’’ said Mehrez Rakkez, a lawyer who voted in the lower income neighborhood of Kram. He described Marzouki’s three years as interim president as a disaster and said the vote was a choice between ‘‘life and death.’’
In nearly all countries swept by pro-democracy uprisings since the Arab Spring, there has been a some backlash since the first heady days, including government crackdowns. In Tunisia, however, the backlash has remained within the legal framework of the transition.
The Nida Tunis coalition declared victory almost immediately after the polls closed Sunday and its celebrations had already begun at the party headquarters. In contrast to the almost 70 percent turnout for the first round of the presidential election and the legislative balloting, the official election authority said only 56 percent of Tunisia’s 5.3 million voters cast ballots yesterday, Sunday
The 7th General Assembly of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) opened a crucial meeting today in Abuja to take a look at the preparations for the 2015 general elections in the country. The Council is being co-chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar III and the Oni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade. Today’s meeting has as its theme: Sustaining The Natural Mandate Of The Traditional Institutions In Contemporary Nigeria, Declaring the meeting open on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo appealed to them to enlighten their subjects on the need for peaceful conduct during and after the elections. Namadi Sambo acknowledged the unifying force and the tremendous contributions of the traditional institution towards maintaining peace and stability in the country. “As royal fathers and traditional rulers, a time like this calls for your wise counsel and the enlightenment of your subjects as well as prayers to ensure hitch-free and successful elections across the federation. The role of the traditional institutions as the custodians of our rich cultural heritage has contributed immensely to ensuring high moral standard amongst the citizenry and must be greatly appreciated.” The Vice President also called on the royal fathers to join hands with governments at all levels to ensure the end of the security challenges in the country even as he informed the royal fathers that government is doing everything necessary to uplift the socio-economic status of Nigerians through job and wealth creation mechanisms. In his remarks, the Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum and Governor Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu called on the traditional rulers to come up with holistic traditional mechanisms to address the security and socio-economic challenges facing the country. Earlier the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, reaffirmed the commitment of the royal fathers to the peace, unity, justice and stability of the nation. He urged government to positively look into their recommendations. He said the meeting would extensively deliberate on issues affecting the country, particularly the preparations leading to the 2015 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). They would also look at the insecurity ravaging the North-Eastern part of the country, among others. In his keynote address, the Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega assured the traditional rulers of the Commission’s readiness to deliver a free, fair and credible election in 2015. He appealed to the traditional rulers to partner with the commission to ensure attitudinal change by the electorate and the political class to ensure success of the polls.
Former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu
Former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has described the 16 year rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the federal level as a colossal waste.
Tinubu who commissioned a new 60-bed Specialist Hospital, built by the Governor Adams Oshiomhole government, in Ewohinmi, Esan South East Local Government area of Edo State, “what you have in Edo State is common sense development revolution.
The hospital is complete with state-of-the-art equipment, 3-bedroom doctors’ quarters and 2-bedroom Nurses’ quarters. The hospital project which was first conceptualized but abandoned over 25 years ago,
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who is also a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said with the commissioning of the hospital and other projects in the state, Governor Oshiomhole has introduced infrastructural development revolution to Edo state.
“The only way you can get it at the federal level is to have the voter’s card and vote out the PDP. The sixteen years of the Peoples Democratic Party did not produce anything. They were here and they did not do roads to reach your communities and they could not give you boreholes.
“We have spent six years now and six years of our arrival with our broom, we have been sweeping the dirt away. We say change from deceit; change from lies; change from excuses. Today the country is in darkness because of the deception of the PDP. When you pay a policeman, pittance how do you expect him not to take bribe?
“We have built new hospitals and schools in six years. If you want continuity of this development, go and collect your voter’s card and vote for APC. You want water to flow; you want good roads; you want potable water supply, then vote for APC.
“The reward for hard work is more work. So as the APC is doing well in Edo state, you expect more work. You must vote for more work and more facilities. Democracy is not a spectator’s game. If you have no card, go and collect one and vote against the PDP. There can be no running water if you don’t vote for APC. The PDP has failed and they will continue to fail.”
Asiwaju Tinubu said: “Glory be to God we now have a government that build hospitals that would save lives; emergency sections that would ensure that accident victims are attended to; that premature babies would be taken care of . Thank you Adams, thank you for leading a government that works.”
In his remarks, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said the hospital project is one of the dreams of this administration to extend development to the rural communities.
“For us in Edo State, the fact of being rural does not mean the people are inferior. Rural life is a function of location and not of quality and consistent with the commitment of our party to have an all inclusive development, the one that seeks to make people feel the impact of governance regardless of location, what you have seen is a practical statement that this is possible beyond rhetoric.
“When I visited here in 2009, the previous government had awarded it, in fact several governments after government had awarded it and they were just using it to siphon money in the name of the people of Ewohimi and the blocks they were using were so bad. We had to demolish that foundation and build a completely new hospital.
“His Royal Highness informed me that this project has been on for over twenty five years and somehow they have given up. I am happy that God has used us to translate this to reality.
“We have built road connecting Ewohimi to other major towns in Esan and shortly we shall be commissioning them.”
On the poor power supply in the community, Oshiomhole said: “it is important for the people to know that as long as the PDP is in power, the people would be out of power. So whenever you have the opportunity, let the young and old know that the problem of power supply cannot be solved unless the PDP is voted out of power.”
Asiwaju Tinubu had earlier, in Benin City, commissioned the rebuilt 6-lane New Lagos road, complete with walkways and street lights.
President Goodluck Jonathan has appealed to aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who lost at the primaries, including the former information minister, Labaran Maku to remain in the party in the interest of democracy. This is even as Maku is set to defect to Labour Party (LP) to contest Nasarawa state governorship election in 2015.
President Jonathan who made the appeal at the PDP fund raising dinner held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja said that the leadership of the party is working to resolve all outstanding issues in the congresses and primaries.
“We all appreciate that throughout the congresses where primary elections were conducted there have been some outstanding issues.
“The party is working to resolve these issues; definitely, in such situation all may not be resolved to the satisfaction of everybody,” the president said.
“But my plea to party members is to remain committed to the party; stay with the party.
“I know other parties are wooing some of you to contest elections on their platforms, but if you believe in democracy then you will contribute to strengthen it.
“The only way you can strengthen democracy is for you to stay in your party.”
Some prominent leaders of the party have either left, expressed intention to leave, or expressed their dissatisfaction at the manner of conduct of primaries in their states.
In Benue, a former PDP National Chairman, Bernabas Gemade, has already joined the All Progressives Congress, APC, after expressing anger at how Governor Gabriel Suswam picked the PDP senatorial ticket of his zone to displace the former who is the incumbent. Mr. Gemade is expected to be the APC candidate in the zone.
In Oyo, former governor Alao Akala and his supporters have joined the Labour Party after expressing their dissatisfaction at the PDP governorship primaries that produced Teslim Folarin as candidate.
In Lagos, the immediate past Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has rejected the primaries that produced Jimi Agbaje as the PDP governorship candidate. A similar situation is playing out in Nasarawa where immediate past Information Minister, Labaran Maku, has rejected the PDP governorship primaries.
Jonathan, however, told the aggrieved members that if there were issues they felt were not too correct, it was better for them to stay within the party to correct them. He added that staying together to settle those issues was the only way democracy can grow.
“If out of anger or frustration, you leave the party because you didn’t get what you wanted, then you are not contributing to the growth of democracy,” he said.
Jonathan thanked members of the party, the business community and other supporters of the PDP for contributing to the growth of the party.
While recalling the “generous donation” of the business community to support victims of the 2012 flood and to the Victim Support Fund in September, he assured them that their donations would be judiciously utilised.
The president also assured the business community of more policies and programmes that would promote enterprise and industry as well as expand the economy.
Citing a beneficiary of the YouWin programme, who donated N1 million at the dinner, the president stated that the party had made some Nigerians millionaires and billionaires.
He said the PDP-led federal government was working hard to make more young millionaires through the YouWin programme and the recently launched Youth Employment through Agriculture Programme (YEAP).
He assured Nigerians that the PDP would do everything possible to keep the country united.
Maku’s bid to become Nasarawa governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was dashed when he lost the party’s primaries to Yusuf Agabi, who polled 214 votes to the ex-minister’s 160. Maku has since rejected the result of the primary alleging irregularities.
However, rather than remain within his party to either support the winner or challenge the primary in court, Maku is working with some leaders of the Labour Party to become the party’s candidate. A major hindrance to the ex-minister’s plans, however, is the firm stance of Innocent Lagi to retain his candidacy of the Labour Party
World boxing legend, Muhammad Ali has been admitted in an undisclosed hospital Saturday with pneumonia. His spokesman Bob Gunnell said however that Ali’s treatment prognosis is good.
“Ali, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, is being treated by his team of doctors and is in stable condition.”
Gunnell said in a statement that the illness was caught early, and Ali, 72, is not expected to be in the hospital for long.
“At this time, the Muhammad Ali family respectfully requests privacy,” the statement said.
Ali was born Cassius Clay and won an Olympic gold medal as a light-heavyweight at age 18.
In 1964, he became world heavyweight champion in an upset victory against then champion Sonny Liston, according to Ali’s official website.
Shortly thereafter changed his name to Muhammad Ali to reflect his conversion to Islam.
The boxer was also known for his protest against the Vietnam War and refusal to be drafted into service out of religious conviction.
He retired from boxing in 1981 and announced his diagnosis with Parkinson’s Disease three years later.
Yesterday, Saturday December 20, President Goodluck Jonathan launched an appeal fund to finance his campaign for the 2015 Presidential election, which he hopes to contest as candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The President is going for a second term in office. One of the outstanding highlights of the fund raising was the contribution to the fund by Professor Jerry Gana, of the sum of five billion naira. Professor Gana, who headed the committee that organised the fund raising was said to have donated the five billion naira on behalf of his friends. The first thing that came to my mind immediately after the announcement was and still is: where would Professor Gana get five billion naira to give to a single project? Of course, every Nigerian who is following the political trend in the country would know that no single person in the Gana’s calibre can possibly be in possession of such amount of money. I am not aware that Gana has any business outfit or industrial organisation. Even those who are doing fairly well as private practitioners in the economy don’t have enough capacity, in the gloomy economic situation in the country now, to give out such mouth watering amount to the Presidency that can source for its campaign fund from various sources without holding any dinner. It is sad that our politicians have failed to realise that the days of voodoo politics, where they bamboozled ordinary Nigerians with all sorts of impossible postulations are gone forever. This is too archaic that even a kindergarten toddler would laugh at it. Professor Gana and or the Presidency should stop playing on the intelligence of Nigerians, the same way it was done a couple of months ago when the Presidency announced that even road side mechanics, youths, Fulani people and several other groups contributed millions and billions of naira to Jonathan declaration for Presidency. It must be repeated with vehemence that Professor Jerry Gana and his un-named friends don’t have five billion naira to give for Jonathan’s campaign fund.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega and NYSC Director General, Brigadier-General Johnson Bamidele Olawumi
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has proved over the years to be an important part of Nigeria’s socio-economic and manpower development process, and in recent times, played a defining role in the nation’s electoral process. Professor Attahiru Jega has made remarkable reforms in the national electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In fact, NYSC members in the conduct of the election is a development that has added some level of credibility to the process. Their involvement has actually contributed to some level of success recorded in the 2011 general elections. Youth service corps, therefore, becomes an important stakeholder in the electoral process in the country. Over time, many Nigerians have come to regard NYSC involvement as a right step towards delivering free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria. In spite of some cases of administrative lapses in INEC during the last general elections, the exercise remains one of the most credible elections in Nigeria. However, the regrettable incident of post-election violence in 2011 which led to the killings of several corps members that served as electoral officers coupled with the deteriorating state of insecurity in the country have heightened anxiety among Nigerians. The inability of the security agents to safeguard the lives of the slain corps members has raised doubt on whether they will be able to prevent any eventual repeat of such barbaric and undesirable scenarios in the coming elections, particularly in the volatile areas of the country. Parents and guardians have vowed not to allow their wards to participate in the next year’s exercise as a result of the state of the nation. As a matter of fact, the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Johnson Bamidele Olawumi has done a lot in ensuring the safety of corps members nationwide. For example, during the three weeks orientation camp which held across the country, the management demonstrated excellent commitment to the security of youth corpers. They have provided the various state police commands and the state security service commands’ contacts and the locations of lodges of corps members were ascertained to security agents in case of emergencies. There is also the distress call center for corps members to use in times of distress. This should be a good news for parents and guardians, especially given the security situation in the country. But that is not enough and much still need to be done, especially during and after the forthcoming elections. It would not be wrong for NYSC management to consider posting corps members to their various localities of their origin as INEC ad-hoc staff, because they are much familiar with their environs than areas they may be alien to. This will further allay the fear of the unknown during the exercise. INEC and security agents must not only guarantee total security for the corps members but also provide necessary support and enabling environment for the electoral officers. Politicians should be tasked to sensitize their supporters on the need to ensure the safety of the corps members serving as electoral officers during the exercise. Better still, Political parties, INEC and security agents should be forced to sign a binding security agreement with the parents of corps members who will be sent to different localities they may not familiar with to serve as electoral officers. And, corps members who want to participate in the exercise should ensure strict compliance with the electoral guidelines in order not to fall victim of electoral offenses. Corps members must be patriotic, unbiased and non-partisan in service to their fatherland. They should exhibit a sense of humility, diligent and commitment to the electorates and all political parties. As would be recalled, one of the accusations put forth by the murderers of youth corps members during the 2011 elections was their involvement in partisan politics, by thumb-printing in favour of one political party. This must be a lesson for those that will be participating in the exercise. INEC should ensure that motivational allowances are adequately and timely paid to their ad-hoc staff. This will rejuvenate their commitment to the exercise and also dissuade them from taking financial inducement from desperate politicians who usually seek to exploit the poor and innocent young Nigerians with a stipend. Members of the communities must collaborate with all stakeholders in ensuring the absolute security of the corps members. If the above measures are properly put in place, they will, to some extent, prevent the reoccurrence of bizarre scenarios that trailed the 2011 presidential election.
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2015 Elections: Challenge Of Insecurity And NYSC Members, By Deen Adavize
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has proved over the years to be an important part of Nigeria’s socio-economic and manpower development process, and in recent times, played a defining role in the nation’s electoral process.
Professor Attahiru Jega has made remarkable reforms in the national electoral body, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In fact, NYSC members in the conduct of the election is a development that has added some level of credibility to the process.
Their involvement has actually contributed to some level of success recorded in the 2011 general elections. Youth service corps, therefore, becomes an important stakeholder in the electoral process in the country.
Over time, many Nigerians have come to regard NYSC involvement as a right step towards delivering free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria. In spite of some cases of administrative lapses in INEC during the last general elections, the exercise remains one of the most credible elections in Nigeria.
However, the regrettable incident of post-election violence in 2011 which led to the killings of several corps members that served as electoral officers coupled with the deteriorating state of insecurity in the country have heightened anxiety among Nigerians. The inability of the security agents to safeguard the lives of the slain corps members has raised doubt on whether they will be able to prevent any eventual repeat of such barbaric and undesirable scenarios in the coming elections, particularly in the volatile areas of the country.
Parents and guardians have vowed not to allow their wards to participate in the next year’s exercise as a result of the state of the nation.
As a matter of fact, the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier-General Johnson Bamidele Olawumi has done a lot in ensuring the safety of corps members nationwide. For example, during the three weeks orientation camp which held across the country, the management demonstrated excellent commitment to the security of youth corpers. They have provided the various state police commands and the state security service commands’ contacts and the locations of lodges of corps members were ascertained to security agents in case of emergencies. There is also the distress call center for corps members to use in times of distress.
This should be a good news for parents and guardians, especially given the security situation in the country. But that is not enough and much still need to be done, especially during and after the forthcoming elections.
It would not be wrong for NYSC management to consider posting corps members to their various localities of their origin as INEC ad-hoc staff, because they are much familiar with their environs than areas they may be alien to. This will further allay the fear of the unknown during the exercise.
INEC and security agents must not only guarantee total security for the corps members but also provide necessary support and enabling environment for the electoral officers.
Politicians should be tasked to sensitize their supporters on the need to ensure the safety of the corps members serving as electoral officers during the exercise. Better still, Political parties, INEC and security agents should be forced to sign a binding security agreement with the parents of corps members who will be sent to different localities they may not familiar with to serve as electoral officers.
And, corps members who want to participate in the exercise should ensure strict compliance with the electoral guidelines in order not to fall victim of electoral offenses.
Corps members must be patriotic, unbiased and non-partisan in service to their fatherland. They should exhibit a sense of humility, diligent and commitment to the electorates and all political parties. As would be recalled, one of the accusations put forth by the murderers of youth corps members during the 2011 elections was their involvement in partisan politics, by thumb-printing in favour of one political party. This must be a lesson for those that will be participating in the exercise.
INEC should ensure that motivational allowances are adequately and timely paid to their ad-hoc staff. This will rejuvenate their commitment to the exercise and also dissuade them from taking financial inducement from desperate politicians who usually seek to exploit the poor and innocent young Nigerians with a stipend.
Members of the communities must collaborate with all stakeholders in ensuring the absolute security of the corps members.
If the above measures are properly put in place, they will, to some extent, prevent the reoccurrence of bizarre scenarios that trailed the 2011 presidential election.
[myad]