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Tag: Plateau State

  • Why Plateau is new epicentre of coronavirus in Nigeria – PTF

    Why Plateau is new epicentre of coronavirus in Nigeria – PTF

    Dr Sani Aliyu, Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) has said that Plateau state is now the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) hot centre as more cases are been confirmed in the state.

    Aliyu, who spoke at the PTF daily briefing on Monday in Abuja, said that the state was leading in confirmed cases because it was testing more.

    He advised other states to conduct more tests like Lagos and Plateau to be able to get positive cases and treat them fast.

    “We are seeing a gradual shift in the areas of high infection burden, with Plateau reporting the highest number of confirmed cases.

    “Of course, this can be related to increased testing by citizens of the state.

    “However, we also need to look at the flip side that there are a number of highly undetected cases lying around which we need to discover and deal with early, “ he said.

    On the planned resumption of international flights, he said that incoming passengers would be required to be certified COVID-19 negative very close to the departure date.

    He said that they would also be required to undergo another COVID-19 test eight days after arrival in Nigeria.

    Aliyu said that the other requirements included registration on the Nigeria International Travel Portal where payment for the second test would be made, and filling of health declaration form online.

    The coordinator warned that any passenger who would fail to comply with a second COVID-19 test in Nigeria would risk ban for six months.

    He added that the person would be blacklisted by the Nigeria Immigrated Service and security agencies, and face some other punishments.

  • What couples in Jos like about the pandemic lockdown

    What couples in Jos like about the pandemic lockdown

    Some couples in Jos, Plateau, have expressed what they liked most about the COVID-19 lockdown.

    Some of the couples, who spoke with the NAN on Friday in Jos, said that if it were possible to have a lockdown without a pandemic, it would help build healthy family relationships.

    Mrs Patience Davis, a mother of two and a restaurateur, said the lockdown gave her and her husband an enabling environment to sort out pressing issues in the family.

    “I have told my husband to increase the house-keeping money but he wouldn’t budge.

    “But he did in the month of May when he escorted me to the market,’’ Davis said.

    Mr Brown Kelechi and his wife, Ego, said that the lockdown taught them how to live as retirees, as they have both had a foretaste of it and were prepared better now to face it.

    Mr and Mrs Bold Kehinde said that the lockdown taught them tolerance in a different light.

    “We have been getting on each other’s nerve and constantly arguing about trivial things.

    “But during the lockdown, we mended all walls,’’ they said.

    Mr and Mrs John Popoola said they had been putting in extra effort to direct the path of their teenage son, adding that during the lockdown, they plunged into the teenager’s world and made a huge success.

    “We couldn’t understand why the boy was isolating himself but we later discovered what the problem was and dealt with it,’’ the Popoolas said.

    Mr and Mrs Ibrahim said that the lockdown gave them the opportunity to give priority to family and relate closely like never before.

    They also said that the period helped in adding flavour to their relationship.

  • COVID-19 patient absconds from Jos isolation centre

    COVID-19 patient absconds from Jos isolation centre

    A male COVID-19 patient has absconded from a Plateau isolation centre, the Coordinator, World Health Organisation (WHO), Mr Williams Bassi, has said.

    Bassi made the disclosure during a courtesy visit to the palace of the Gbong Gwom Jos, Jacob Buba, on Thursday.

    Officials of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), WHO and the State Ministry of Information, had paid a courtesy visit to the royal father to begin the campaign on COVID-19 in Jos North.

    The WHO coordinator, however, stated that efforts were on to trace the fleeing patient and return him to the centre to complete his treatment.

    He said that the challenge being experienced in the state was that people who had tested positive refused to leave their homes to receive treatment at the isolation centres.

    “We have one COVID-19 patient that has absconded from the centre, but I assure you we are on his trail and we will trace him and bring him back to continue with treatment.

    “The major problem we have is that so many people have tested positive but have refused to go to the isolation centre, an example is the Duala Area in Jos North.

    “They keep refusing to go to the isolation centres until some demands are met, and this is not good for us all.

    Bassi noted that early identification, isolation and treatment were the best way to stop the spread of the disease.

    Earlier, the Director, NOA, Mr Bulus Dabit, said that Jos North was the epicentre of the disease in Plateau state accounting for 76 out of 109 positive cases in the state as of June 3.

    Dabit said the high number could be because most people in the community did not believe that COVID-19 was real, hence, the non compliance to social distancing and observance of personal hygiene.

    He said the high number of cases in the area was what prompted the motorised campaign to educate the people on the dreaded disease.

    The director appealed to the traditional ruler to use his position to impress the message of social/physical distancing, personal hygiene and other safety measures on his subjects as non compliance was higher in rural communities.

    The Gbong Gwom Jos stated that he was working with government and relevant agencies to spread awareness of the disease to local communities.

    He advised the public to always eat foods that could build immunity as having a strong immune system was one of the ways to beat the disease.

    Buba stated that it was a good sign that the virus could be defeated in the state as the number of discharged cases exceeded the number of active cases.

  • Children’s Day: Speaker decries COVID-19 adverse effect children’s education

    Children’s Day: Speaker decries COVID-19 adverse effect children’s education

    The Speaker, Plateau House of Assembly, Mr Abok Ayuba, says the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is adversely affecting children’s education.

    Ayuba, in statement by his Press Secretary, Mr Bulus Atang, felicitated with the children on the Day and called for prayers for an end to the pandemic.

    “All what the nation needs now is prayers against the COVID-19 pandemic which is affecting educational growth of the younger generation.

    “The task of leaving good foundation for the upcoming generation is an uphill one if this pandemic persists with prolong closure of schools.

    “Parents and guardians should take the education of their children and wards seriously; engage them in acquiring other skills that will sustain their future living conditions,” he added.

    The speaker applauded the youth programmes of the Federal and Plateau Governments which had given hope to upcoming generations of the country.

    Ayuba stated that as youth, he was proud to identify with the children and called on them to be obedient, work hard and concentrate on the positive things of life.

    He described children as the pride of any nation and assured that the ninth State Assembly would continue to play its legislative roles in ensuring that the child was well protected.

  • Police confirm killing of Unijos lecturer, arrest one suspect

    Police confirm killing of Unijos lecturer, arrest one suspect

    The Police Command in Plateau has confirmed the killing of Dr Nandi Drenkat, a lecturer with the University of Jos, by gunmen.

    Mr Edward Egbuka, the Commissioner in-charge of the command confirmed the incident at a news briefing on Sunday in Jos.

    Recall that gunmen stormed the residence of the deceased in the early hours of Saturday, shot him and kidnapped his six-year-old daughter.

    According to Egbuka, the police immediately mobilised to the scene and engaged the criminals in a gun duel and arrested one of them.

    He also confirmed that the kidnapped daughter of the deceased was also rescued from the abductors.

    “Yesterday, at about 5:30 a.m., we received a distress call from Road 6, University senior staff quarters, Jos, where some hoodlums entered the house of one Dr Nandi Drenkat, a lecturer with the University of Jos, shot him and kidnapped his six-year-old daughter.

    “Immediately we received the information, a combined team of conventional police men, mobile men, the anti kidnapping unit, vigilantes and hunters were deployed to the hilly areas where the kidnapped victim was suspected to have been kept.

    “The scene was thoroughly combed and in the process, the kidnappers were sighted on the hills and there was a gun duel between them and the security men.

    “In the process one of the kidnappers, Ali Mohammed, was shot on his right leg and was arrested with one AK 47 rifle and 29 rounds of live ammunition was recovered.

    “Consequently, the deceased kidnapped daughter alongside another victim, Chiboze Joseph, were rescued unhurt,” he said.

    The commissioner said after preliminary interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime, adding that he would be charged to court after investigation.

    He said that manhunt for other fleeing members of the gang continued and vowed that the command would not rest on its oars until they are arrested.

    The commissioner, however, regretted that one of the hunters was shot during the gun duel and was later confirmed dead.

    Egbuka appealed to Plateau residents with useful information that would lead to arrest of the remaining criminals to avail it to the police.

    He also called on the residents of the state to promptly report any suspicious movements around their vicinities to the security agencies.

  • Plateau: COVID-19 breach at Vom annoys government

    The Plateau government is investigating the circumstances surrounding the leak of the confidential laboratory result of some suspected COVID-19 cases carried out at the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) Testing Centre in Vom.

    The commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr Dan Manjang, stated this in a press release issued on Sunday in Jos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on Thursday, 23rd April, the result of a suspected person with COVID-19, which tested positive, was circulating in different platforms of the social media.

    This went on before the official announcement by the National Centre for Disease Control and the Plateau govt.

    The patient, who is the first state index case, came into Jos from Kano on April 17.

    The commissioner said government was disappointed over such unprofessional act, which had breached ethical medical standards and exposed the suspected case to negative consequences, including stigmatization and discrimination.

    He said the State Government totally condemned the act, which “regrettably has the tendency of jeopardising its efforts in fighting the coronavirus pandemic that is ravaging the world.

    Manjang said that the state was conducting investigations to unravel those responsible for the unethical act with a view of punishing them to forestall future occurrence.

    He said the investigation would cover the entire process of the test, from sample collection, investigation and result dissemination.

    The commissioner assured members of the public not to be deterred by the incident as all measures had been taken to ensure that such incident did not occur again.

    Meanwhile, the acting Director of NVRI, Dr Rueben Ocholi, has reacted to the development in a statement issued on NVRI official website http://www.nvri.gov.ng on Saturday, April 25.

    Ocholi stated that the Institute was highly professional and had consistently provided high quality diagnostic and research data for many years without a case of breach of ethics.

    He explained that NVRI adhered to the established system of communication of COVID-19 diagnostic results developed by the NCDC.

    Ocholi, however, called on all stakeholders involved in managing COVID-19 case information for Plateau State to quickly investigate the breach.

  • COVID-19: Abuja residents decry scarcity of face masks after Plateau Govt quarantined 4 Chinese

    COVID-19: Abuja residents decry scarcity of face masks after Plateau Govt quarantined 4 Chinese

    After Plateau Government quarantined four Chinese nationals in the State in line with measures to forestall the spread of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID -19), residents of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have complained about scarcity of face masks, an item needed to protect against the spread of the disease.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Plateau State Government quarantined four Chinese nationals, who miners working in Wase Local Government Area of the State, after they entered the country from China enroute Addis Ababa Airport to Abuja airport, where they were screened by health officials.

    “They are four nationals, one arrived on Feb. 25, while the three others arrived on Feb. 26. On questioning them, they said they came from China, enroute Addis Ababa Airport to Abuja airport , where they were screened by health officials,” the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Nimkong Ndam said in an interview.

    He said the uproar that their arrival had caused was just speculations which would be confirmed after their isolation for 14 days, as they had not shown any symptoms of the virus.

    He assured the public that health officials were on ground to ensure all measures were taken to curtail the spread of the virus which had killed more than 2000 lives in China, since it was first reported in December 2019.

    Meanwhile, across section of Abuja residents who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday, expressed concern over the unavailability of face masks in the markets.

    Mr Joseph Abiodun told NAN in Gwagwalada that he had checked for face masks to buy in supermarkets and pharmacies in the area but could not find any.

    Abiodun said with an index case of Convid-19 recorded in Lagos, it was expected that face masks and other protective materials be easily made available.

    Zainab Abubakar, another resident said she used her weekend searching for face masks to buy in order to get prepared for the week but couldn’t get any because it was not available in the markets.

    Abubakar noted that she was not willing to patronise hawkers that sell such products on the streets.

    Similarly, Mr Isaac Avoihi, a resident of Federal Housing in Lugbe complained of unavailability of face masks in his area.

    Avoihi said he was ready to buy the face masks at any price because of its importance owing to the outbreak of the disease in Nigeria.

    Mrs Modinat Balogun told NAN that the scarcity of the face masks in her area and other parts of Abuja was worrisome.

    Balogun said she went to the city centre to buy sanitisers and face masks for herself and her children but she could not get the face masks in any of the supermarkets visited.

    She appealed to the government to provide all personal protective materials for people free of charge, adding that doing so would help in containing the spread of the disease.

    Face masks were out of stocks in most supermarkets and pharmacies visited in Gwagwalada and Lugbe areas of FCT.

    While reacting to news about the suspected Coronavirus patients in Wase Local Government Area, Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Plateau chapter, Dr Titus Dajel called for more stringent measures at entry points of the state to control the spread of the virus in the state and the nation.

    Dajel said thorough checks by relevant authorities should be conducted on foreigners entering the country, especially from countries with the Coronavirus.

    “We urge the public to exercise caution and high level of hygiene and avoid crowdy areas and environment.

    Nigeria’s confirmed coronavirus case was first reported on Friday of an Italian working in a cement factory in Ogun State.

    The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said there are four laboratories in the country where suspected cases could be tested.

  • Plateau lawmaker dies after winning polls

    Plateau lawmaker dies after winning polls

    Mr Ezekiel Afon, a lawmaker representing Pengana Constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly has died hours after he was re-elected to represent the constituency.

    Mr Bashir Sati, the Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state confirmed the lawmaker’s death to the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Jos.

    According to Sati, Afon died Sunday afternoon after a brief illness.

    “It is unfortunate that we lost Afon, one of the most dedicated members of our party and a committed lawmaker just after he was declared winner to occupy his seat again.

    “Though he has been sick for a while but we received the news of his demise with rude shock,” he said.

    Afon was first elected into the Assembly under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015, but defected to the ruling APC in 2017.

     

  • Poll Shift: INEC retrieves sensitive materials from LGs in Plateau

    Following the shift in the date for the conduct of the general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Plateau has retrieved all sensitive materials earlier distributed to the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.

    Mr Osaretin Imahireogbo, Head, Voter Education and Publicity of the commission in the state told the News Agency of Nigeria Sunday in Jos.

    NAN recalls that INEC had, last Thursday, distributed all sensitive materials to the various LGAs in the state.

    Imahireogbo said that the retrieval, which began on Saturday night, was concluded on Sunday morning, adding that all the materials had been deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Jos, the State capital.

    “With the change in the date of the general elections, we have retrieved all the sensitive materials that we earlier distributed to the 17 LGAs of Plateau.

    “All the materials are intact and now kept in the custody of the CBN where it was collected and distributed to the LGAs,” he said.

    The official said all card readers had also been retrieved and kept at the Commission’s office.

     

  • Fire destroyss INEC materials in Plateau LG

    A week to the beginning of the general elections, the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Qua’anpan Local Government Area of Plateau has been gutted my fire.

    Mr Osaretin Imahiyereobo, Head, Voter Education and Publicity of the commission in the state, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Jos that the incident occurred on Saturday night.

    “It is true that our office in Qua’anpan has been gutted by fire caused by the negligence of the a security man on duty who didn’t know how to operate the generator but wanted to put it on.

    “The office is completely burnt to ashes with all the valuables in it destroyed.

    “Items such as ballot boxes, generators filled with fuel, cubicles, newly printed electronic and manual voters register, uncollected Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), materials for the preparations of RAC and other valuable materials were affected,” he said.

    He said the management team led by Alhaji Rasheed Gbadamasi, the Administrative Secretary of the commission in the state, were already on their way to the scene for assessments.