Tajudeen Yusuf, the member representing Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency of Kogi state said Late Justice Nasiru Ajanah left indelible marks behind as Ebiraland and the entire Kogi has lost a rare gem.
Yusuf in a condolence message he signed on Tuesdayday said:
It is with a heavy heart that I use this medium on behalf of the people of Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, to commiserate with the people of Kogi state, Ebiraland, and the entire Ajanah family over the sudden, shocking and painful demise of Justice Nasiru Ajanah,
“Chief Judge of Kogi state, which sad event occurred on Sunday, June 28th, 2020.
“It’s unfortunate that the cold hands of death snatched our very dear and respected Justice Nasiru Ajanah at a time when his wise counsel, support and inspiration is needed by all and sundry in Kogi state.
“Justice Nasiru Ajanah had a most fulfilling public service career; as a legal practitioner and judge. His legendary contribution to the deepening of law, jurisprudence and judiciary will remain indelible. At various stages, capacities, and positions, which includes; Chairman of Elections Petitions Tribunal in Adamawa, Akwa Ibom and Rivers states, Member Presidential Implementation Committee on Financial Autonomy of State Judiciary and State Legislature as well as two-term Membership of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Justice Nasiru Ajanah’s wisdom, intellect and experience contributed immensely to the overall successes of these ad-hoc assignment.
Though painful that we lost a rare, selfless and compassionate Statesman, one is happy that Justice Nasiru Ajanah lived a life of service to God and humanity. Not minding his tight schedules, he devoted enormous personal resources, energy and passion to the general well being of the less privileged and vulnerable. As a visionary philanthropist, he touched the lives of many people. Similarly, as an ardent sports enthusiast and administrator, he played immeasurable role in the promotion and development of basketball in Kogi state, being the single sponsor of the Annual Ajanah Basketball Championship for over one decade.
It is my sincere prayers that God will grant him eternal rest and repose his soul. Also, I pray that God will grant his family, loved ones and the entire Ajanah Family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has relaxed the two-week lockdown imposed on Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of the state, barely a week into the exercise.
He insisted that the state remained COVID-19 free.
Bello made the disclosure while briefing newsmen at the Government House, Lokoja, on Friday, saying that the decision to relax the lockdown was informed by timely completion of contact-tracing and cooperation of the people.
The governor said that with relaxation of the lockdown, the state residents would be free to go back to their businesses and live normal lives.
He said that a medical team led by the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Haruna Audu, had collected samples from people suspected to have had contact with the alleged COVID-19 victims, adding that the result of their tests returned negative.
Bello said that samples collected during the lockdown and contact-tracing would be sent to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for further tests to corroborate the result of the medical team which conducted the exercise.
“We have concluded contact-tracing, carried out extensive tests on the members of the family,and they all came back negative. As far as we are concerned, the state is free from COVID-19,” he said.
On the state’s COVID-19 index case allegedly discovered by the NCDC, Bello said there was need for the centre to be more professional in handling suspected cases.
“While we have no reason to doubt the professional competence of the centre, we call for more professionalism in handling the issue of the pandemic,” he said.
The governor expressed appreciation to security agencies in the state for helping to enforce the lockdown without reports of molestation from the people.
“I want to place on record the appreciation of the state government to the people of Kabba-Bunu for their cooperation, and security agencies who encourage it without any incident of molestation,” he said.
He urged the residents of the state to abide by all the protocols laid down by the World Health Organisation and NCDC to protect lives.
The Police Command in Kogi has confirmed the killing of two kidnap suspects during a gun duel with some of its operatives.
The command’s spokesman, DSP William Aya, who made the confirmation in a statement in Lokoja on Wednesday said the suspects were killed in Idah.
Aya said that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Idah, CSP Ibrahim Jauro, had on June 2 received distress calls that a gang of armed robbers/kidnappers was blocking the Bishop Road junction, a major spot in Idah town.
He said that members of the gang also believed to be cultists were engaged by a team of policemen promptly dispatched to the scene by the DPO.
He said in the course of the gun duel, the suspects succumbed to the superior fire power of the police by fleeing the spot with bullet wounds.
According to the statement , the policemen complemented by naval and civil defence personnel pursued the robbers and in the process, two bodies were recovered .
Aya said those killed included one Onucha Opia, a notorious kidnapper in Idah and its environs and one Danlami Shuaib.
“The duo of Onucha and Shuaibu were found dead along Ona road and Old Union Bank junction in Idah,respectively.
” Meanwhile , their corpses have been taken to General Hospital morgue while efforts are on top gear to arrest Aminu Opia and other members of the gang,” he said.
He said that one locally made gun with four expended cartridges were recovered from the scene.
Serving House of Representatives member representing Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, Hon Tajudeen Yusuf last week averted what could have been a major crisis in the Confluence State.
Recall that Governor Yahaya Bello had repeatedly told whoever cared to listen that Covid-19 was alien to his state. However, it took the ‘intervention’ of Hon Yusuf for the governor to rescind his statement and finally impose as lockdown in Kabba where a COVID-19 positive case was discovered.
Without a gun shot or threat, no siren or bodyguard Hon Yusuf woke up on Sunday a holy day for that matter and made it clear to Bello that he should stop playing the ostrich over Covid-19.
In a ten paragraph statement, Yusuf asked Bello to save Kogites from the scourge of the pandemic.
Hear him:
There’s need to tell the Governor to take responsibility and stop the shenanigans as playing the ostrich cannot save Kogi from the pandemic.
“As we speak Kogi sate Government has not given a grain of rice or any palliative since the beginning of the pandemic .. whatever palliative the people has received came from NASS members , state assembly community development association or private individuals.
“Even the food items sent from the federal government has not been shared.
“No single test center and I am sure many would have died of covid 19 without knowing and many would been healed with out knowing.
The the family of the Chief Imam of Kabba, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Ejibunu deserve commendation for the timely alert that confirmed the Islamic leader as the index case of COVID-19 in Kogi state.
Yusuf pointed out that commitment to their religious faiths as well as core values of truthfulness and due consideration for others makes the Chief Imam of Kabba, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Ejibunu and members of his extended family to stand out as true sons and daughters of Kabba.
“The people of Kabba, also known as the Okun people of Kogi state feel proud of our Chief Imam and members of his family; what is now left is for the state government to accept the ugly reality of Covid-19 in Kogi state so that the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and other relevant bodies can swiftly commence efforts to help nip the problem in the bud.
However, immediately the statement hit the press, the governor’s men came out with various statements condemning the lawmaker.
The incumbent senator represent Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Smart Adeyemi also insisted that the Yahaya Bello led government has distributed palliatives across the state.
Meanwhile, with the unfolding reality, the governor was forced to announced a total lock down of the affected local government.
No free movement, heavy restrictions worst than Gestapo martial laws to vent his anger on his innocent citizens who had enjoyed unlimited freedom since the word lockdown entered the Nigerian lexicon.
This is just as the Federal Government has started further easing the lockdown at the FCT and Lagos.
Bello who once rained curses on Nigerians who asked him to go for test because he hugged the Late Chief of Staff to the President Abba Kyari
He sent NCDC men out of Kogi claiming that there was no pandemic in his state but swallowed his vomit when Yusuf a former leader of National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS and now a serving.member of the Green Chamber coughed.
Governor Yahaya Bello has bowed to pressure and ordered 14 days absolute lockdown of Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area (LGA) of Kogi State effective from 12 midnight June 2nd.
The lockdown is following the controversial confirmation of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Kogi by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Governor Bello in a State broadcast on Monday, 1st of June, 2020 ordered the lockdown in response to this development.
He maintained that there is no COVID-19 in the State and that the two cases reported for the State are being disputed. He said the locked down the LGA was to ensure the State take precautionary measures.
“During the lockdown, there shall be no house to house movement within the local government area.
“Street movement is completely prohibited within the local government area for the period
“Palliative should be distributed house to house within the local government area.
“Contact tracing should be carried out house to house to identify those who might have made contact with the alleged Kogi COVID-19 index persons; the Chief Imam of Kabba and his Son within the local government area.
“The Kogi State incident management team should continue to thoroughly carry out the contact tracing.
“The contact tracing and enforcement of the lock down order shall be fully covered by the mainstream media.
“Health workers who might have made contact with the alleged index case should proceed on self-isolation.
“All security agencies in the state are to enforce total compliance with the lock down order.
“All citizens and residents of the state should continue to adhere to the NCDC guideline as the state still remain COVID-19 free,” the Governor directed.
Hon Tajudeen Yusuf representing Ujumu/Bunu/Kabba Federal Constituency of Kogi in the House of Representatives on Sunday told Governor Yaya Bello to take responsibility and tackle Covid-19 headlong in Kogi State.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Yusuf said:” There’s need to tell the Governor to take responsibility and stop the shenanigans as playing the ostrich cannot save Kogi from the pandemic.
“As we speak Kogi sate Government has not given a grain of rice or any palliative since the beginning of the pandemic .. whatever palliative the people has received came from NASS members , state assembly community development association or private individuals.
” Even the food items sent from the federal government has not been shared.
“No single test center and I am sure many would have died of covid 19 without knowing and many would been healed with out knowing.
The former chairman Reps committee on SEC pointed out that the” family of the Chief Imam of Kabba, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Ejibunu deserve commendation for the timely alert that confirmed the Islamic leader as the index case of COVID-19 in Kogi state.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Hon Yusuf pointed out that commitment to their religious faiths as well as core values of truthfulness and due consideration for others makes the Chief Imam of Kabba, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Ejibunu and members of his extended family to stand out as true sons and daughters of Kabba.
“The people of Kabba, also known as the Okun people of Kogi state feel proud of our Chief Imam and members of his family; what is now left is for the state government to accept the ugly reality of Covid-19 in Kogi state so that the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and other relevant bodies can swiftly commence efforts to help nip the problem in the bud.
“The Coronavirus disease has ravaged all parts of the world, with more than 100, 000 lives lost in the USA which has some of the world’s best medical systems so, in Kogi where the number of available hospital beds and other resources are limited, our best chance is to prevent a spread.
“We should all rise beyond the divides of politics, faith and ethnicity and I join my voice to that of all concerned citizens calling for united and effective war against Covid-19 so that all men, women and children of Kogi state can live long and productive lives without undue mourning.
“With proper and timely sensitization, we can encourage social distancing, hand-washing, testing and other suggestions from the NCDC and we must note too that even being positive is not the same thing as a death sentence because out of 9, 302 confirmed cases as at yesterday, 2,697 cases have been discharged and 261 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“NCDC confirms that as at Saturday, May 30, 2020, Kogi state has two Covid-19 positive cases and we must all passionately pray for their survival but Kogi state must now rise up against Covid-19 and immediately cease to play the proverbial ostrich that buries its head in the sand at the approach of danger,” Hon Yusuf stated.
Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Haruna Audu has said the State has not recorded any case of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) contrary to the position of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Dr Audu made his position known in a statement on Thursday, saying “Kogi State till this very moment is Covid-19 free”.
The statement reads: “Kogi State till this very moment is Covid-19 free. We have developed full testing capacity and have conducted hundreds of tests so far which have returned negative.
“We have also continued to insist that we will not be a party to any fictitious Covid-19 claims which is why we do not recognise any Covid-19 test conducted by any Kogite outside the boundaries of the State except those initiated by us. Any attempt to force us to announce a case of Covid-19 will be vehemently rejected.
“We continue to enjoin our people to take all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic into the State and give no listening ears to rumour peddlers and mischief makers.
“We are more than prepared to secure the life of our people and have no interest in playing politics with their Health concerns. God bless Kogi State. God bless Nigeria!”
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has released the number of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) tests conducted for Kogi and Cross River States that are yet to report any confirmed cases of the disease.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the NCDC released the data alongside the number of COVID-19 tests conducted per State published on its website on Tuesday.
The Centre stated that the publication was part of commitments to ensure transparent reporting of COVID-19 data in the country.
According to the publication, Kogi has conducted just one test so far and Cross River State has conducted 7 tests.
A breakdown of the number of tests carried out by StateSituation report of COVID-19 in Nigeria as at 18th May 2020
Meanwhile, Director General of the NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, had disclosed that the centre was working very hard to equip its network of laboratories to be able to achieve the target of testing in the country.
He said the NCDC will collaborate with global partners to tackle bottlenecks. The DG said that the centre so far had 26 testing laboratories in its network for COVID-19.
The NCDC Laboratory Strategic Group has set itself a target of testing two million people across the country in the next three months.
The two million Nigerians will come to about 50,000 per state which the health agency noted was a very ambitious target.
The NCDC said that this would cost a lot of money and also required a lot of collaboration.
“We did put an ambitious target of hitting two million tests in three months, this is the beginning of week three if I’m not mistaken. So, we are not in the second month yet.
“Sometimes, to drive improvement, you have to set out that target for yourself, and that is really what we’ve done.
“There are many bottlenecks to this and that’s something throughout this week we are working with our global partners in terms of how to unbottle some of those supply chain challenges.
“And some of those things are now going to yield fruit this week. I actually don’t want to name a date untill I have those reagents in the country.
”So, I’m hesitant to say this is when it will happen or that is when it will happen.
“There is now a lot of momentum around the supply, we hope those reagents will really lead us to that,” Ihekweazu explained.
Speaking on activation of laboratories in the country, he said that when building an institution, there were many things that were never visible to people.
“So, when we come to NCDC four years ago, we realised that there were several pieces of laboratory equipment lying across the country that were not functioning.
“Why were they not functioning, maybe for one small component or problem. And you’ll be wasting equipment worth millions of naira or millions of dollars.
“So, we started looking for how to train our biomedical engineers. We found partner in Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA), and they started supporting us specifically in this regard.
“We now retained two bio medical engineers over six months in Japan. Japan is well known world-wide for their capacity around things like this.
“These two colleagues are leading a lot of the efforts on the equipment side of activating labs. Then we have our biomedical Laboratory scientists that are leading the training on Laboratory diagnostic science,” he explained.
Ihekweazu said that the agency would send a three-man team comprising a biomedical engineer, a molecular Laboratory scientist and one new colleague “expert” to be trained in the process .
“Two teams left today, one in Katsina and the other to Ilorin to do this. And as we continue to do this, we build the capacity of more Nigerians to do this,” he said.
Ihekweazu said that the maintenance of medical equipment was one of the biggest challenges the health agency had.
“We have persons on the Laboratory side, but anybody working in the health space will tell you the challenges that we have with very expensive pieces of medical equipment that often breaks down for one small problem and that’s the challenge we are trying to solve.
“There is no magic bullet, you keep pushing, you strain,” he added.
He disclosed that they had a workshop at NCDC where they trained local staff to do a lot of the maintenance.
“What we call biosafety cabinet that are necessary, they have to be accredited every single year, they have to be checked whether they provide the safe environment to enable people work safely.
“So, to do that, the pipe certifying them has to themselves be certified that they can certify the cabinet,” he noted.
According to him, it’s a very diligent process in keeping our equipment working, because we know that the equipment is what ultimately leads us to have confidence in the result that we produce.
“Yes, we have people doing this and we try to keep them within the public sector which is not always easy. But I think people are beginning to realise that there is benefit in working in the public sector and they can grow their career that way,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the DG who spoke on self isolation, noted that very early in the outbreak, the agency had a policy on self isolation for people that traveled back to the country from one of the most affected countries.
He said that but, since then, the policy had been institutional isolation, both for people being brought back through the evacuation processes at the moment.
“We are constantly reviewing this policy but that’s the policy at the moment. Yes, other countries are doing different things , but this is what we have agreed to do between the PTF for now and that’s the policy of the federal government of Nigeria through the PTF.
The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed the petition filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidate, Natasha Akpoti, and upheld the victory of Governor Yahaya Bello in the last Governorship election in the State.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the ruling was delivered by the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Kashim Kaigama, who awarded the cost of N100,000 to be paid by each of the two petitioners to each of the three respondents – the Independent National Electoral Commission, the APC and Bello.
The total costs to be paid by the petitioners amount to N600,000. However, the three-man panel was yet to fix a date for the judgment of the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Musa Wada.
Recall that Akpoti and her party had, in December 2019, filed their petition before the tribunal, praying for an order nullifying the election on the grounds that it was conducted substantially in contradiction to the Electoral Act and the electoral guidelines issued by INEC.
They alleged that the election was marred by corrupt practices, violence, and over-voting in all the polling units in the 21 local government areas of the state.
They also alleged that Bello and his running mate, Edward Onoja, should be disqualified to contest in the election on the grounds that Onoja gave false information in his Form CF001 submitted to INEC concerning the circumstances of his exit from the banking industry.
They alleged that while Onoja was sacked by the bank, he claimed that he retired from the service.
They also alleged that Onoja falsified his age and forged his educational certificate to aid his qualification to stand the election.
In the lead judgment, Justice Ohiamai Ovbiagele held that the petitioners failed to prove the alleged corrupt practices and falsification of results by any credible evidence.
He added that the petitioners merely dumped their exhibits on the tribunal without linking them to the petition.
He also noted that none of the petitioners’ 15 witnesses gave any evidence concerning over-voting, implying that the allegation was abandoned.
He held that testimonies by many of the witnesses were “patently hearsay devoid of any evidential value,” while those of some others were “ludicrous,” “unreliable” and “doubtful.”
“They are all doubtful illogical and some instances patently unreasonable,” the judge said.
He added that some of the witnesses, who claimed to have been eyewitnesses of violence at various polling units, failed to tender the video evidence they claimed to have and also failed to tender the voter cards, even though they claimed they voted in the election.
“Any voter without a voter card should not be taken seriously,” he said.
He described as “absurd,” the attempt by the petitioners to “to prove their petition without polling unit agents.”
Justice Ovbiagele also noted that “the pieces of evidence that emanated from the cross-examination of all the petitioners’ witnesses, like a dynamite, shattered the testimonies of these witnesses.”
The judge also dismissed the age falsification allegation on the grounds that the petitioners failed to prove that either Bello or his running mate was less than 35 years old as of Nov. 16, 2019, when the governorship election held.
The judge dismissed the petitioners’ claim that Onoja was dismissed from banking industry but falsely claimed in his Form CF001 submitted to INEC that he retired.
Members of the Kogi State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have vowed not to accept the proposed cutting of salaries of its members and other healthcare workers by the Kogi Government.
A statement by the Chairman of the NMA in the state, Dr Kabiru Zubair, in Lokoja on Sunday, said the attention of the NMA had been drawn to the proposed wage cut by the government.
”The NMA is not unaware of the ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19 and the consequent economic downturn. But, the NMA strongly rejects any salary cut for doctors and other health care workers.
”This is because doctors in Kogi State have been getting along on half salary before now, occasioned by the non-implementation of corrected CONMESS -Consolidated Medical Salary Structure.
”Non-implementation of the new minimum wage of N30, 000 and its consequential adjustment, skipping, relativity, promotion and annual step increment.
”The average doctor working with the Kogi State Civil Service is already at a serious financial disadvantage, compared to their counterparts at federal or other states in the federation where salary adjustments have been implemented.”
Zubair stressed that any further cuts of the salaries of doctors and other worker in the state would impoverish them, and accelerate the exodus of doctors from the state’s civil service.
He noted that doctors and other health workers remained foot-soldiers at the fore-front of the fight against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and were being appreciated across the globe.
The chairman noted that the Federal Government had recently increased hazard allowances of health workers from the paltry monthly N5, 000 by 50 per cent, to encourage and retain them to do more for the nation.
”NMA expects Kogi State Government to take similar steps to encourage and retain its health care workers at this time and not to cut wages.
”This is not the time to start losing doctors and other workers, due to salary matters as we are in the middle of a healthcare war that we do not know when it will end.”
He drew the attention of the government to emerging challenges, regarding patients’ management in hospitals as coronavirus community transmission increases.
According to him, feedbacks from NMA members in various hospitals reveal that it is becoming difficult to manage patients with other clinical conditions without first excluding COVID-19 patients coming from high-risk states such as Lagos, Kano and the FCT.
”It is no longer news that over 100 health workers have been infected by this virus and some have paid the supreme price. Hence, most hospitals are on red alert and consider all patients as potential carriers of COVID-19.
”Because of this high level of suspicions, doctors prefer to detect COVID-19 in patients before proceeding to manage them for their clinical conditions.
”The inability of the state to test or follow laid down protocols in order to exclude COVID-19 patient may lead to needless death of patients presenting other clinical conditions, due to neglect by health workers.
”It should be noted that if doctors should attend to one unknown case of COVID-19 in the hospital settings, it may spread to many health workers and their families.”
Zubair advised the government to open channels for testing, to mitigate escalation of COVID-19, advising health workers to be on guard and resist any attempt to attend to patients without observing necessary precautions.
