UNICEF Accuses Nigeria Of Continued Violence Against Girls, Women

March 3, 2020

The United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF), has accused Nigeria of continued violence against girls and women despite significant gains in education globally.

In a statement today, March 3 to mark the 25^th anniversary of the historic Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action to advance women’s and girl’s rights, the international body warned that much more needs to be done to protect the rights of Nigerian girls, particularly from violence.

In a new report tagged:, A New Era for Girls: Taking stock on 25 years of progress, UNICEF Plan International and UN Women revealed that violence against women and girls is still common, despite significant gains in education globally.

It reported that globally, one in every 20 adolescent girls aged 15–19 years – about 13 million – has experienced forced sex, one of the most violent forms of sexual abuse women and girls can suffer. In Nigeria, one in 4 girls has suffered sexual violence.

“Yet, very few of them seek professional help, preferring to keep their abuse secret. In Nigeria, only two percent of girls aged 15–19 years who ever experienced forced sex sought help from professionals.”

The report – and associated Generation Equality campaign – noted that the number of out-of-school girls has dropped by 79 million in the last two decades worldwide. In fact, girls became more likely to be in secondary school than boys in the last decade. Yet, violence against women and girls is still common.

“Sadly, after 25 years, the world is still a very violent place for girls and women – including in Nigeria,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Nigeria Representative.

“But there are things we can do to change this – and we need to do them urgently. We need to invest in protection services and support programmes that give survivors of violence an opportunity to speak up and to heal. We need to work with local communities to change practices that make women and girls vulnerable to violence and abuse. And we need to speak to our children – girls and boys – to ensure they grow up knowing that such violence is unacceptable. Together, we can end violence against women and girls – and this is long overdue,” said Peter Hawkins.

Despite the ongoing violence, some remarkable gains have been made in the 25 years since the Beijing Declaration. Globally, more girls are going to school and staying in school than ever before – though in Nigeria, there is still a long way to go to ensure equality of education for girls, especially in the north-east, where 60 percent of out-of-school girls in Nigeria are located.

“Twenty-five years ago, the world’s governments made a commitment to women and girls, but they have only made partial good on that promise. While the world has mustered the political will to send many girls to school, it has come up embarrassingly short on equipping them with the skills and support they need not only to shape their own destinies, but to live in safety and dignity,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.

Girls today are at a startling risk of violence in every space globally – both online and in the classroom, home and community – leading to physical, psychological and social consequences. The report notes that harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) continue to disrupt and damage the lives and potential of millions of girls globally. Each year, 12 million girls are married in childhood, and four million are at risk of FGM.

In Nigeria, about 19.9 million girls have experienced FGM. Forty-three percent of girls are married before their 18^th birthday, and 17 percent before they turn 15.

The report calls for action in the following areas:

Celebrating and expanding opportunities for girls of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and income and social status levels to be bold and ambitious changemakers and solution designers – actively engaging their voices, opinions and ideas in dialogues, platforms and processes that relate to their bodies, communities, education and futures.

Increasing policy and programme investments to scale up promising models that accelerate progress for and with adolescent girls aligned to today’s world reality, including their skills development for the fourth industrial revolution and a generational movement to end gender-based violence, child marriage and FGM.

Increasing investments in the production, analysis and use of high-quality age- and sex-disaggregated data and research in areas where knowledge is limited – such as gender-based violence, 21st century skills acquisition, adolescent nutrition and mental health.

Nigeria, Japan Sign $18.2 Million Agreement On Medical Laboratory Investigations

Editorial staff

March 3, 2020

Nigerian and the Japanese Governments have signed an $18.2 million grant agreement to strengthen the capacity of Network laboratories of the Nigeria Centre of Disease Control for accurate medical and laboratory investigations.

Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, who signed on behalf of Nigeria, praised the Japanese government for fulfilling the promise made by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Nigeria at the TICAD 7 Conference in Tokyo, last year.

Agba described the signing of the grant agreement as “timely” against the backdrop of the recent outbreak of “the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) that has become a global concern and every country is doing its best to protect its territory and citizenry.”

The minister said that the initiative would help complement the efforts and commitment of the Nigerian Government in the fight against infectious diseases.

He reassured the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Yutaka Kikuta, who signed on behalf of the Japanese Government, of Nigeria’s commitment to creating an enabling environment to sustain the relationship between Nigeria and Japan as well as the economic development of the Nigerian nation.

Kikuta said that the grant Agreement was to support the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to strengthen its surveillance of infectious diseases and improve its capacity for early responses to public health concerns in Nigeria.

Kikuta disclosed that the funds would be expended on such projects as the construction of a Central Public Health Laboratory in Lagos as well as the procurement of equipment to 8 laboratories in different locations.

The locations, according to him, were the Central Public Health Laboratory in Lagos; LUTH Virology Laboratory; National Hospital, Abuja; University College Hospital, Ibadan; University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu; Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State; UBTH, Benin; and University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.

He commended the NCDC for playing a pivotal role in the management of the Coronavirus index and suspected case in Nigeria, adding that the Government of Japan remained committed to her pledges and would continue to support Nigeria’s effort at strengthening its health system.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Mrs Olusola Idowu, expressed the Ministry’s commitment to sustain the relationship with the Japanese Government and to further explore avenues for future collaboration.

“E ku Corona O” By Reuben Abati

Editorial staff

March 3, 2020

The Yoruba people of South Western Nigeria, described by one English Language dictionary as the fun-loving people of the Southern part of West Africa have a habit of greeting people over everything. Whatever the matter is, they just like to greet, and they will go to any extent to design a message around any event. If the sun is high in the sky, they will greet you and draw your attention to the heat. If it is too cold, the average Yoruba man will remind you that the weather is cold and try to identify with you: “E pele otutu yi.” For other Nigerians who have a different culture and tradition, it can be somewhat irritating. I once thanked a Fulani friend of mine for supporting me when my mother died, he had to remind me that I had already thanked him three times and he felt embarrassed being thanked again and again. He told me to stop!

I recall, most fondly the case of one of my late bosses in my days at The Guardian. Chief as we all called him was the eyes and the ears of the owner of the company. He was Mr. Alex Ibru’s cousin. In his own right, he was a distinguished journalist, one of the best that the Nigerian media industry ever produced. Knowledgeable, confident and self-assertive, Chief was not anybody’s fool. He was a no-nonsense person. He knew the job. He knew everybody. He was not afraid to make enemies. He groomed younger persons. He was our father. But one morning, one Yoruba boy made the mistake of greeting him too much. Yoruba people are very bad when it comes to greetings: they will look at the clock and tell you: “e ku asiko.” Other Nigerians don’t understand why an entire ethnic group must always greet people.

At The Guardian,this young Yoruba boy ran into Chief Andy Akporugo, and greeted him: “E pele sir. Migwo sir.”

Chief fired back: “Shut up. This is the fifth time you are greeting me today. Don’t you have work to do? And why are you not at your desk? Everywhere I go, I run into you and you are busy greeting. Go and sit down and work. Only God knows how many people you have greeted today. If I run into you again and you greet me, I will have you sacked.”

Before long, word went round that it was a crime to greet Chief Andy Akporugo twice in a day. The only problem was that Chief was everywhere. He moved around like a spirit and the staff felt obliged to greet him and pay homage. Some of us got away with it. He would tell me: “Abati, you know you are a brilliant young man, that is why you get away with everything.” God bless Chief’s soul. But I see his point. Yoruba people greet too much. I was in Abeokuta on Saturday. It was Lisabi day. Lisabi is the patron saint of Egbaland. In 1830, the people of Egbaland in the South Western part of Nigeria declared a nation and formed a government – The Egba United Government (EUG). They related directly with the British and other parts of Europe. In the course of the civil war in Yorubaland in the 19^th Century, the Egbas were led by a man called Lisabi; thatarmy later teamed up with the Ibadan army to protect the entire Yorubaland against the onslaught of the Fulani Army. They won the war.

They stopped the Fulani Army from dipping the Quoran into the Atlantic Ocean. But the Egbapeople betrayed Lisabi, their Generalissimo. To atone for that sin, Lisabi is celebrated every year by the people of Egbaland. The Egba National Anthem pays tribute to this valiant warrior. Every Egba child is known as “Omo Lisabi”. Whatever prayer that is taken to “Igbo Lisabi” the spot where the warrior decided to end it all, is answered.So we are told, even when there are other Egba heroes: Balogun Sodeke, Chief Apati of Kemta, Lemboye and Ayikondu of Igbein, Ogundipe Alatishe, Nlado of Kemta, Ogundeyi of Iporo, Sorunke and Aboaba of Igbein etc. In 1914, Lord Lugard amalgamated the Northern and Southern Protectorates, and the Lagos Colony. Egbaland thus became part of a new Nigeria. In 1859, Abeokuta was the first Nigerian town to have a newspaper: the Iwe Irohin founded by Henry Townsend of the Church Missionary Society (CMS). Its children will also become the many firsts in Nigerian professions due to early contact with Western education. In 1930, the people of Egbaland celebrated the first centenary of the Egba nation. There is a Centenary Hall in Abeokuta. The current Alake of Egbaland, Adedotun Gbadebo III, is planning to build a new monument to commemorate the history of the Egba people.

On Saturday, I was in Abeokuta. Although I was not directly involved in the preparations for Lisabi Day, having so far put off all chieftaincy title acceptance ceremonies, I felt a sense of duty to be in the town on the day the iconic Lisabi was being honoured. I was in town also for political reasons. There had been reports in the newspapers about further frictions in my political constituencies: Ogun Central and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. You will recall that I was a Deputy Gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in the 2019 general elections in Ogun State. I was a genuine running mate with only one name and solid certificates, if you know what I mean. I needed to talk to the stakeholders, the foot-soldiers and the people we call “strikers” to get a good sense of the politics. The first man I met was more interested in Corona Virus.

“Deputy, e ku Corona Virus oh.”

That threw me off balance. Two days earlier, an index case of Corona Virus involving an Italian who returned to the country on February 25 had been reported. The Yoruba people of South West Nigeria wasted no time in constructing a greeting around it:“E ku Corona o” (that is an announcement of awareness and an expression of concern”). “E pele Corona” (that is an expression of sympathy”). “A o ni ri ogun Corona lagbara Jesus” (that is a prayer in Jesus name).“Corona ko ni ko wa lo o” (These people are terrible: this statement means Corona will not destroy us.). “E de ku ti Corona yi o” (that is another expression of concern). The way Yoruba people greet and pray, you simply can’t stop them. Every hello is a paragraph. Every greeting is a philosophy. You just need to be patient. I was.

Nigeria’s first index case who is now in Yaba at the Lagos State Infectious Diseases Hospital was said to have visited Ogun State. He arrived in the country from Italy and went straight to Ewekoro, where there is a cement factory, less than 30 kilometres from Abeokuta. He then returned to Lagos where he has since been isolated. Ogun State has isolated 28 persons with whom the index case, hopefully he won’t be a super-spreader, reportedly had contact. Across the country, Nigeria has been on the equivalent of a red alert. The Federal Capital. Territory has isolated up to 9 persons. The Benue State Government has set up a 17-man committee to address the likely menace of Corona Virus. Plateau State has quarantined 43 persons in Wase LGA: 25 Nigerians and 18 foreigners. Edo State has put a mechanism in place to track all travelers to Edo State from every part of the country. On the face of it, Nigeria seems to have done better than other countries of the world. There is big panic in the United Kingdom with senior doctors protesting that the country is not prepared. In the United States where the first death has been recorded in Washington State, the people think a lot more can be done. In Italy, perhaps the second worst hit country, the authorities are just not prepared. Italy is overwhelmed. Iran is confused.

I have heard a few voices commending Nigeria. But we are not yet doing enough. We need to do more. It is not enough for President Muhammadu Buhari to tell us not to panic. Nigeria should panic. We face a public health safety crisis. Nobody should tell us not to panic. About the same time that Corona virus made its landing in Nigeria, we were told that Lassa Fever is a major problem in the country: over 100 reported deaths already in more than 27 states. Nigeria also has one of the highest rates of maternal morbidity and infant mortality in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) has further reported that Nigeria has the highest sero-prevalence of tuberculosis in the world. HIV/AIDS rate may have reduced in Nigeria but it also remains a serious problem around here. Nigeria also ranks among countries with the highest rates of open defecation in the world. Thus, Nigeria is a country with a public health emergency. It is the more reason why every step must be taken to ensure that Corona Virus does not spread in Nigeria. So far, over 33 countries have been affected including the United States. There is no cure yet, and what we hear is that the fastest vaccine trial effort in Israel, will take up to three months. Since the Virus left Wuhan, its epicenter, there have been more cases outside China, with the new virulent cases being reported in Italy, South Korea and Iran. The entire world is vulnerable. Our world is at risk. Nobody is safe. The entire world faces the threat of disease. Humanity is humiliated, reminded forcefully and starkly, of its vulnerability and mortality. What is it that we do, that reminds us again and again of the helplessness of man in the face of the immensity and supremacy of the cosmos? I have no answer.

Before I left Abeokuta, however, I was shocked when someone asked me to pay for Corona, again in Yoruba language: “Deputy, e sanwo Corona oh”. I thought this was a joke. I felt like telling the guy he was mad, but he meant business. “E fun wa lowo Corona oh.” He was literally asking me to give him some money for Corona. He had no fever. Nobody around him had been diagnosed as a Corona patient. He just wanted money and he thought mentioning Corona would do the magic. I played along. “Corona ko ni ko wa lo o, tomotomo.”. In Nigerian politics, you must learn to speak the people’s language and identify with them. The bigger epidemic in Nigeria, in any case, is the epidemic of empty pockets. The ordinary Nigerian will do anything to fill the emptiness of his or her pockets. It is therefore not surprising that the prices of sanitizers, face masks and hand wash have gone up. I won’t be surprised if very soon, there is a Nollywood movie on Corona Virus! I have already seen photos of some beautiful women carefully posted on Social Media with the message: “Not all Coronas are deadly!” Phone numbers are discreetly attached. In the midst of everything, sad and tragic, Nigerians always manage to be humorous. The only problem is that there is nothing laughable about a global epidemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) is yet to declare it a global pandemic. I think the time has come for that.

COVID-19 as it is designated by the WHO is worse than MERS, SARS, Zika and Ebola before it. Nigeria woke up early to the crisis. We must commend all the agencies that began with public sensitization and enlightenment programmes. The Federal Government, the state governments of Lagos, Ogun, Plateau, Benue and Edo States have so far done a good job of mobilizing the populace to take precautions or quarantine likely cases. But we certainly need to do a lot more, relying on lessons from other jurisdictions.

Is it possible for example for Nigeria to ban arrivals from all high-risk countries until further notice and that should include China, Japan, Italy, Iran, and South Korea? Can Nigeria also issue a travel advisory insisting that any Nigerian that has been in Europe in the last two weeks should be compulsorily isolated, and that no other Nigerian should go to Europe or Asia until further notice? Is it also possible to put every Nigerian state on red alert? There are reports that there is now in Nigeria a scarcity of hand wash, face masks, and sanitizers. The Federal Government should try every effort to ensure adequate supply of these protective materials particularly for our health personnel who are most at risk. Every available isolation and laboratory centre should also be upgraded. We should scale up medical checks at our ports of entry. The index case in Nigeria came in through Murtala Muhammed Airport. He should have been quarantined at the airport and not allowed into the community. As the Yoruba would say: “A o ni ri ogun Corona. Corona o ni ko wa lo o”. You will have to understand Yoruba to get that.

Yesterday at Arise News, Collins Khumalo of Arise Play came visiting. He had just returned from Europe. We greeted each other shaking legs. He too shook legs with Ijeoma Nwogwugwu, the MD of Arise News. I later exchanged leg greetings with Chika Mbonu, Arise News Business Analyst. When I ended up doing high-fives with Ijeoma, I quickly rushed into the bathroom to wash my hands. She provided money for the purchase of hand wash for all toilets in the building. We later resolved to advise one of our colleagues who just returned from Europe to stay away from the office for the next two weeks if she doesn’t mind. Covid-19 has brought a new form of madness into town. It is disrupting relationships and the way we behave and do business. Even the NigerianStock Market is down. The spot price of Brent Crude has crashed throwing Nigeria’s economy and the 2020 budget into disarray, with genuine anxieties about the eventual value of the national currency, the Naira. Market capitalization has declined. What have we done to deserve this? “E pele Corona oh.”

Imo People Expect Miracle And I’ll Give It To Them, Gov Uzodinma

Editorial staff

March 3, 2020

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has admitted that with his Supreme Court victory over his opponent, Emeka Ihedioha, people in the state are expecting miracle from his government, and that he is ready to fulfill their dreams.

The Governor who spoke to newsmen today, March 3, shortly after the Supreme Court dismissed the petition of Emeka Ihedioha who was challenging the earlier judgment of the apex Court, said: “our people will expect miracle because I know I have a vision and that vision is a well cut out vision that will develop our state, bring prosperity, development and ensure good and long life for our people.”

The Governor reiterated his resolve to take the state to the next level and called on all Imo sons and daughters, both at home and abroad, to contribute their quota to the development of the state.

Governor Uzodinma also called on his opponents to accept what the faith had had for them, saying: “in this business, you must show the spirit of sportsmanship. It’s not every time you win, it’s not every time you lose. When you win, you carry the losers along; when you lose you follow those that won. My plea to my opponents is for them to bring their ideas; let us team up and create a synergy that will develop Imo State and bring succour to our people.”

Governor Uzodinma said that time has come for the APC to make sustained impact in the Southeast region.

“APC is in all the five states of the South East, but Imo is the only state with a Governor of APC extraction. I will improve on the status quo by doing things that will impress the people through persuasion, conviction and dialogue. I’ll go on a political evangelism to convert people of the South East to join the National party.

Oshiomhole Accuses Judiciary Of Rubbishing Nigeria’s Democracy

Editorial staff

March 3, 2020

National chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has accused the judiciary in the country of rubbishing the democracy by making an “April Fool” of the electorate.

He therefore wants the electoral laws to be amended, “such that no matter what happens, when people have voted, they cannot be dismissed as ‘April Fool’.

“You can’t say that although you have voted, and at the time you did so, you voted in good faith, believing that the candidates before you on parade were competent to be so paraded and as a Nigerian voter you voted, then at some other time some other person tells you that the man you voted is not qualified either because of error in his name or because of chieftaincy title or whatever reason as to lead to disqualification: that cannot be the reason why a man who was rejected by the electorate would be imposed on the electorate.”

Oshiomhole, who answered reporters’ questions today, March 3 at the presidential villa in Abuja stressed: “court should not impose. If the court finds out that the preferred candidate did not win, for me the only democratic option, legal option will be to repeat the exercise. Nothing should empower the court to impose a man rejected by the people, on the people. That goes to the heart of democracy and it destroys the fabric of our democratic process.”

He wanted the parliament to be serious about amending the Electoral Act to make it clear that in the unlikely event that the people have voted in good faith, for a candidate that was validly put before them by INEC, and looking at the faces of the candidates they opted for a particular one, if anybody has any issue with that one that the people prefer and has won, the court cannot impose the person that was rejected.

The APC boss who said that his party would make strong representation on this matter, said that the very best the court should be made to do is to order that the exercise be repeated “because in a democracy, nobody, other than the people, can choose who governs them, not the courts.

“For me this is fundamental when it comes to who actually won the election. The issue of whether Muhammed, Muhammadu or Momoh, whether they are one and the same person is too technical for the real electorate to bother about, when there are no two people parading themselves as to suggest whether there’s a case of impersonation. “This system should not be detained by technicalities.

He insisted that at the heart of every judicial pronouncement on elections, it must be who actually won the majority of lawful votes and if for any reason they found themselves compelled to nullify that person, they should not be empowered to award governorship to a man rejected by the electorate, otherwise, what is democracy about?

“Now, the man in Bayelsa is going to govern a state that did not mandate him, purely on technical grounds. Nations are not governed by technicalities, they are governed by people popularly elected. “That is the democracy we chose. This is not partisan issue at all, it’s about democracy. Court cannot impose losers as winners, for me it’s too fundamental.

“They must take advantage of the amendment to make it impossible for anyone to be so imposed on the basis of technicalities. We can do a rerun ten times, but only the man popularly elected can govern, otherwise, in a democracy, as they say, the people deserve the government that they have.

“In this case, you are going to have a government which the majority didn’t vote for superintending over their resources and presiding over their lives. I think that is the kind of amendment I’ll like to see.”

Reversing Our Judgment Can Cause Chaos, Supreme Court Says, Dismisses Ihedioha Case

Greenbarge Reporters

March 3, 2020

The Supreme Court has dismissed a motion for reversal of its judgment sacking Emeka Ihedioha as governor of Imo State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The court, in its final ruling today, March 3, said that it lacked jurisdiction to review the case.
According to the court, reversing its earlier “is capable of causing chaos.”

BREAKING: Coronavirus Finally Steps Into Saudi Arabia

Greenbarge Reporters

March 2, 2020

The feared Corona virus has finally stepped into Saudi Arabia as the country’s ministry of Health reported the first case of the virus.

This is coming in the wake of rowing fears that a surge in the number of those infected in Iran is threatening the whole region.

The Kingdom had been free of the virus for more than three months as it spread from China to 66 countries.

According to information released by the authorities, patient with the virus traveled from Iran via Bahrain over the King Fahad Causeway.

The Health Ministry confirmed today, March 2 that the man is in quarantine and all those he has been in contact with are being tested.

We’ll Refuse To Be Blackmailed By Criminals, Buhari Vows

Editorial staff

March 2, 2020

The presidency has vowed that his government would not be blackmail by criminals, including bandits.

Reacting to the latest bandits attack in Kaduna State that killed several people and left many injured, the President stressed that his government would not abandon the current military operations against them.

In a statement by Malam Garba Shehu, senior special assistant on media and publicity, Buhari said that from reports he received the bandits unleashed attack on innocent people because of the ongoing military and police offensive against them in the Birnin Gwari and Kaduru forests.

The President assured the people of Kaduna State and other parts of the country that his government would continue to deploy all available resources to fight these cold-hearted bandits with a view to bringing them to their knees.

“These criminals should make no mistake that they can establish a reign of terror on the people without feeling the full might of the government which was elected to protect the citizens.

The President, who expressed profound commiserations to the victims of this heinous attack in Kaduna State, sent a strong warning to the killers: “the criminals cannot be lucky always; we are determined to frustrate and defeat them, and no matter how long they run or where they hide, they would be smoked out and brought to justice.”

Dr. Kingsley Obiora Assumes Duty As CBN Deputy Governor

Editorial staff

March 2, 2020

Dr. Kingsley Isitua Obiora has formally assumed office as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), replacing Dr. Okwu Joseph Nnanna, who exited from the Bank on February 2, 2020.

Welcoming Dr. Obiora on board today, March 2, the Governor, Godwin Emefiele, congratulated him on his appointment, and said that he is assuming duty at a time when his experience is needed to ensure stability in the Nigerian economy.

Assigning the new Deputy Governor to the Economic Policy Directorate, Emefiele charged him to go beyond upholding the interest of the CBN to upholding the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians, majority of who he said desired positive impact in their daily lives.

The Governor, who alluded to the youthfulness of Dr. Obiora and some new Directors in the Bank, said that deliberate effort is being made by the Management of the Bank to assign more responsibility to the youth, who he noted possessed energy that must be put to positive use for the good of Nigerians.

He advised all to work together to enable the Bank to achieve its objectives, even as he charged them to strive to etch their names in the annals of the Bank as having contributed their quota to the overall development of the country.

According to the Governor, who was flanked by Mrs. Aishah Ahmad and Folashodun Shonubi, the Deputy Governors in charge of Financial System Stability (FSS) and Operations, respectively, members of staff of the Bank were part of the monetary policy team that had to play the role of upholding the integrity of the Bank and policies that translate to making lives better for most Nigerians whom they represent in the Bank.

In his remarks after subscribing to the relevant oath administered by the CBN Board Secretary and Director, Corporate Secretariat Department, Mrs. Alice Karau, the new Deputy Governor expressed joy to be back at the CBN, promising to add value to the processes even as he solicited the cooperation of all in achieving his tasks.

Dr. Kingsley Isitua Obiora was nominated Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on Thursday, January 16, 2020 by President Muhammadu Buhari and his appointment was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday, January 30, 2020 paving his replacement of the Dr. Joseph Okwu Nnanna who retired from the services of CBN on February 2, 2020.

Coronavirus: IMF, World Bank Intervene

Editorial staff

March 2, 2020

The IMF and World Bank have intervened by promising to stand ready to help countries deal with the financial and health effects of the coronavirus.

The two global institutions in a joint statement today, March 2, said: “we are engaged actively with international institutions and country authorities, with special attention to poor countries where health systems are the weakest and people are most vulnerable.

“We will use our available instruments to the fullest extent possible, including emergency financing, policy advice, and technical assistance. The strengthening of country health surveillance and response systems is crucial to contain the spread of this and any future outbreaks.”

The statement, signed by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank Group President David Malpass reads: “The IMF and the World Bank Group stand ready to help our member countries address the human tragedy and economic challenge posed by the COVID-19 virus. We are engaged actively with international institutions and country authorities, with special attention to poor countries where health systems are the weakest and people are most vulnerable.

“We will use our available instruments to the fullest extent possible, including emergency financing, policy advice, and technical assistance. In particular, we have rapid financing facilities that, collectively, can help countries respond to a wide range of needs. The strengthening of country health surveillance and response systems is crucial to contain the spread of this and any future outbreaks. International cooperation is essential to deal with the health and economic impact of the COVID-19 virus. The IMF and the World Bank Group are fully committed to provide the support that people in our member countries expect from us.

1...871872873...2,496 Page 872 of 2,496