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Tag: Cote D’Ivoire

  • How infected Cote d’Ivoire returnees escalated coronavirus cases in Osun

    How infected Cote d’Ivoire returnees escalated coronavirus cases in Osun

    There is palpable tension in Osun State over the 12 coronavirus confirmed cases from among returnees from Cote d’Ivoire who arrived the state via road on Saturday.

    The latest results have taken the state’s COVID-19 positive tally to 14, prompting the state government to request for Federal Government support to manage the situation.

    From Wednesday’s latest figures from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the national tally of positive cases is now 174. It rose from 139 on Tuesday.

    On Saturday, 127 persons travelling by road from Cote d’Ivoire to Ejigbo in Osun State , were barred from entering the country through the Ogun State border.

    Following contact between Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, the passage was secured for them. But they were taken to isolation in Ejigbo, pending their test for coronavirus. Twelve of them have now tested positive while results of 56 others are being awaited.

    Chief Press Secretary to the Osun State Governor, Mrs. Ismail Omipidan, said: “On Saturday, 127 persons from Ivory Coast in six buses came into the state from Ogun and were disallowed by the State Executive Council from mixing with the general public to prevent community transfer of the virus.

    “Between Saturday and Tuesday, 24 samples of the returnees were sent for COVID-19 testing and three of the samples came back positive.

    “Another 47 samples were sent for testing again and the result came back today (yesterday) with nine more persons testing positive.

    “The results of the remaining 56 persons are being expected, but at this point, we will be needing the assistance of the Federal Government to manage those that have tested positive and others that may still test positive.”

    Commissioner for Health Dr. Rafiu Isamotu, said those who had tested positive were being taken care of at the isolation and treatment centre while those that proved negative would be released in line with the directive of the NCDC.

    The state government said the returnees are not all from the state. Some of them are: Anambra, Kwara, Oyo, Ekiti, Edo but their destination was Osun.

    Omipidan urged the citizens not to panic as the returnees had no contact with any member of the community before they were isolated.

    He stressed that no one among those isolated at the Ejigbo facility escaped from the centre. He said there was a daily roll call at the facility.

    “As we speak, no one has escaped from the isolation centre in Ejigbo and I must emphasise that the facility was manned by a combined team of policemen and soldiers to ensure that no one has access to it apart from accredited personnel.

    However, a member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Bamidele Salam raised the alarm that some of the returnees were hosting their relatives at the Ejigbo Isolation Centre.

    Salam, who represents Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo Federal constituency, advised those who had contact with the returnees to report themselves for testing.

    He urged residents of Ejigbo to report such persons to the relevant government agency for immediate action.

    “I received with concern reports of the positive testing to COVID-19 of some recent returnees from Cote d’ivoire to Ejigbo in our Federal constituency,” the lawmaker said in a statement.

    He added: “While acknowledging the good job of the Osun State Government team on COVID-19 which resulted in the isolation and testing of the returnees, I am equally worried about reports that some of the persons in isolation played host to some relatives under the cover of the night.”

    Banks and major markets were shut in the state yesterday following a total lockdown ordered by Governor Oyetola, in a bid to minimise the spread of COVID-19.

    The governor, in a statewide broadcast on March 29, announced the total lockdown of the state for two weeks.

    Oyetola said all land boundaries would be shut effective from midnight of March 29, while there would be intra-state restriction of movement from midnight of March 31.

    The state chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) urged pastors to comply with the stay at home order as directed by the state government.

    Its Chairman, Mr. Isaiah Adelowokan, said: “Pastors are honourable from heaven, and must avoid any disrespect from security agents, hence, stay at home as directed by our governor.

    “To avoid troubles and to keep ourselves safe, it is very important to also tell members of our churches to obey the lockdown directive.”

  • Tokyo 2020: Cote d’Ivoire hold Super Falcons to barren draw

    Hosts, Les Femelles Elephantes of Cote d’Ivoire battled African champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria to a barren draw in their Tokyo 2020 women’s football tournament African second round, first leg qualifying match in Abidjan on Thursday.

    The encounter at the Parc des Sports de Treichville saw both teams creating several opportunities but failing to put the ball in the net, with Nigeria captain Asisat Oshoala spurning two excellent chances to win the game for the Falcons.

    Super Falcons’ youthful goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie was again in superb form, thwarting the Cote d’Ivoire and ensuring a respectable result for Nigeria ahead of the return leg at the Agege Stadium in Lagos on Monday.

    Nigeria’s midfielder Amarachi Okoronkwo was given her marching orders in added time of the second half of the match after a second bookable offence.

    The Super Falcons will return to Nigeria on Friday and the team will immediately begin preparation for the return leg encounter on Monday.

  • FIBA World Cup: Nigeria face Cote D’Ivoire on Friday

    FIBA World Cup: Nigeria face Cote D’Ivoire on Friday

    Nigeria’s D’Tigers will now meet Cote D’Ivoire on Friday at the City Arena in Guangzhou, in their opening match of the classification round at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.

    The match is the first game for the Nigerian male senior team in the classification 17-32 of the competition, and will come up at 1600hrs (0900hrs Nigeria time).

    They will go on to take on China at the same venue on Sunday.

    Nigeria had finished third from the competition’s Group B on Wednesday, dropping to the classification round which can in the long run give them a ticket to the 2020 Olympic Games.

     

  • 2019 AFCON: Zaha’s goal sends Cote d’Ivoire into last eight

    Wilfried Zaha gave the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire a 1-0 win over Mali in their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) round of 16 match on Monday in Suez.
    Mali dominated most of the game however and missed a flurry of chances.
    Zaha, who had barely featured in the match until that point, took advantage as Mali got into a terrible mess from a Cote d’Ivoire goal kick in the 76th minute.
    That was enough to earn his side a barely deserved win and quarter-final tie against Algeria.
    Mali, unbeaten in the group stage, had played with verve and skill as they took their southern neighbours apart in the first half.
    Moussa Djenepo and Abdoulaye Diaby caused all sorts of trouble down the flanks and Moussa Marega was a constant threat in attack.
    But, as they began to tire after around an hour, Cote d’Ivoire came back into the game.
    Jonathan Kodjia missed gilt-edged chance when he was one-on-one with goalkeeper Djigui Diarra, but Zaha was not so forgiving minutes later.

  • Nigeria’s ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire, Ibrahim Isah slumps, dies

    Nigeria’s ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire, Ibrahim Isah slumps, dies

    Nigeria’s Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire, Ibrahim Isah, has died, Foreign Affairs Ministry officials, have confirmed.

    Sources from the Nigerian Embassy at Deux Plateau, Abidjan, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Mr Isah, aged 60, died at 7p.m. on Tuesday.

    The sources said he slumped and died at the Polyclinique Internationale Sainte Anne-Marie (PISAM) where he had gone to see his doctors.

    The Interim Chairman of Nigerian Community in Cote d’Ivoire, Musudi Akanfe, told NAN that the entire embassy had been thrown into mourning over the death.

    “We are already in a mourning mood, we received this sad news with rude shock, we pray God to console the family and the Nigerian community,’’ he said.

    Speaking to NAN by telephone, the former President, Nigerian Youths in Cote d’Ivoire, Bright Moses, described the death as `shocking and painful’.

    “He was a very lively and proactive diplomat, he listened to the plight of the Nigerian people in this country, this is very shocking,’’ he said.

    Mr Isah, born in 1959 in Niger State, held a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a Master’s degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos.

    He joined the Foreign Service in 1983 and was posted to Cote D’Ivoire in 2017.

    He served in different capacities in the ministry before his death.

     

  • President Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire grants amnesty to wife of ex-leader Gbagbo

    President Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire grants amnesty to wife of ex-leader Gbagbo

    President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire has declared an amnesty for Simone Gbagbo, who had been convicted of offences against the state during a brief 2011 civil war.

    Simone Gbagbo, the wife of former president Laurent Gbagbo, was one of 800 citizens that Ouattara said he had pardoned, in a state address broadcast live on TV.

    She had been tried and convicted in 2015 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

    In 2017, an Abidjan court acquitted her of crimes against humanity and war crimes linked to her role in the 2011 civil war that killed about 3,000 people.

    Human Rights groups criticised that decision.

    “Because of my commitment to peace and true reconciliation, I proceeded to sign this day an amnesty order … which will benefit 800 of our citizens,” Ouattara said in the address that seemed to be aimed at cooling political tensions.

    Côte d’Ivoire is Francophone West Africa’s largest, most successful and diverse economy.

    But its combustible politics – turbocharged by ongoing ethnic and land disputes and scores to settle from a decade-long crisis – makes an election scheduled for 2020 potentially perilous.

    Besides Simone Gbagbo, another beneficiary was Kamagate Souleymane, a former rebel when Laurent Gbagbo was in power, and who is close to national assembly leader Guillaume Soro.

    Soro’s rebel movement claims credit for helping Ouattara come to power after Gbagbo refused to accept defeat in an election, triggering the short but brutal 2011 civil war for which Laurent Gbagbo is currently on trial in the International Criminal Court.

    Political tensions are heating up ahead of elections in 2020. Ouattara’s ruling RDR coalition has fallen out with the coalition’s junior partner, the PDCI, whose leader expelled party members named to a new Cabinet in July.

    There have also been doubts over whether Ouattara will step down after two terms, as required by the constitution, although in his address he repeated a remark made om July that he would “work to transfer power to a new generation”.

    Reuters/NAN

  • Nigerian athlete sponsors self to 5th International Archery Grand Prix in Cote D’Ivoire, wins three medals [Photos]

    Nigerian athlete sponsors self to 5th International Archery Grand Prix in Cote D’Ivoire, wins three medals [Photos]

    Driven by his love for his country and passion for the sport, a Nigerian, Ladi Alapini sponsored himself to the 5th International Archery Grand Prix held recently in Cote D’Ivoire and brought three medals back home.

    Alapini, a refined athletic was based in the United Kingdom until November 2017 when he returned home with the hopes of scouting for young Nigerians who might be interested in Archery.

     

    He later collaborated with Pinefield School, Lekki, Lagos to establish the “Lekki Archers Club.”

    Speaking in an exclusive interview with TheNewsGuru.com on Sunday, Alapini highlighted with nostalgia how he discovered the 5th International Archery Grand Prix in Cote D’Ivoire and his immediate willingness to represent Nigeria using his financial resources.

    In his words: “I came back home from the UK in Nov 2017, to introduce Archery to the Nigerian Youths, by setting up An Archery Club “Lekki Archers Club” in partnership with Pinefield School in Lekki.

     

    We have just graduated the 1st sets of Archers on 27th March, 2018.

    In the cause of training new Archers, an opportunity came up, which i quickly grabbed.

    I discovered that Cote D’Ivoire was going to have their 5th International Archery Grand Prix, which means they will be inviting other African countries, especially the West African Countries.

    I contacted the Nigerian Archery Federation and asked for their approval and support for us to compete in the championship, technically we got their approval and support, but financial support was a major challenge for the Federation,” Alapini explained.

    However, patriotic Alapini wasn’t discouraged when the Federation refused him their financial support. He raised funds and at the risk of his live traveled by road with two other archers to Cote d’Ivoire. No official accompanied them to the competition.

    The competition at at Cote D’Ivoire had six categories;

    1. 50 Metres Men (Individual)
    2. 50 Metres Ladies (Individual)
    3. 50 Metres Team
    4. 70 Metres Men (Individual)
    5. 70 Metres Ladies (Individual)
    6. 70 Metres Team.

    “However, due to financial constraints and bureaucracy in government sector, we could not attend the competition with any of the lady Archers and officials. Not going with any official had a serious effect on us in the area officiating as we later discovered,” Alapini said regretfully.

    Giving account of what transpired on the field, Alapini said: “In the 50 Metres individual (men) three of us represented Nigeria, in the eliminating round, I made it to the first three, meaning I automatically qualified for Quarter-final, the other two however could not. From Quaver-final, I made it through to Semi-final.

    For both team events in 50 & 70 Metres we (Nigeria) came 2nd position in both.

    We also got a medal for most dogged athlete and best fair play Archers.

    Elated Alapini explained that despite the challenges the outing was impressive and also called on government to invest heavily in sports and it has a way of turning the fortune of the country around for good.

    “The outing was very impressive for me, i beat my Personal Best (PB) at both distances, had a very competitive challenge and for my first time representing Nigeria in an international competition and coming back home with three medals is a very great achievement for me and the team and it will also boost the game of Archery in Nigeria,” Alapini explained.

  • Yaya Toure set for surprise Cote D’Ivoire return

    Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure will return to international football more than three years since his last game for his country, after being named in the squad for friendlies in France.

    Toure who will turn 35 in May has shunned internationals since leading the Ivorians to the African Nations Cup title in early 2015 .

    He made a surprise announcement in December that he wanted to return in spite of the country failing to reach this year’s World Cup finals.

    Eric Bailly of Manchester United and Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, both just back from injury, were also named by caretaker coach Ibrahim Kamara.

    The trio are named by Kamara in a 24-man squad to play Togo on March 24 and Moldova three days later.