The simple numbers every government should use to fight anti-vaccine misinformation
The numbers often show that of the people who died, or are in the ICU, a significant number had been vaccinated. However, there’s a simple reason that the argument from anti-vaxxers is wrong – and a relatively simple thing that governments could do to give people important context around these numbers. This also means that total number of severe outcomes is potentially going to be larger. However, when these numbers are put into context as proportions of the total number of people in the state, the protective effect of vaccines is obvious. Cases, deaths and ICU numbers by age and vaccination status are from table 7 of the NSW weekly surveillance report.
Source:The Guardian
January 28, 2022 02:43 UTC
China to invest over $300 billion in Africa, increase trade volume
The Chinese government is reportedly planning to invest more than $300 billion in Africa over the coming three years. The investment was announced by Chief Dana Chen, Chairman of the China Africa Business Council (CABC). Chief Chen added that an increase in trade volume from $30 billion to $300 billion is being targeted during the next three years, ten times the size of the current trade between the two, which is expected to provide great benefit to more businesses in Africa. She claimed that Nigeria imports too much and needs to achieve a trade balance by exporting as well, which will also make the Nigerian currency strong. Olawale-Cole added that Nigeria is one of the largest trading partners that China has in Africa, with China financing many of its developmental projects as well.
Source:The Guardian
January 28, 2022 02:05 UTC
Ogun Assembly summons two ex-LG chairmen over alleged financial infractions
The Ogun Assembly has summoned two former local government chairmen and another official over alleged infractions observed during the consideration of Auditor-General’s reports on Odeda, Odogbolu and Remo North council areas. He said the infractions happened when they were chairmen of the local government councils. The lawmaker noted that the development had led to the various infractions noticed in the audit report. Mr Lamidi warned that appropriate sanctions would be meted out on any official found to have engaged in any financial mismanagement. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee had considered the audit reports of local government councils from 2014 financial year to 2019 financial year.
Source:The Guardian
January 28, 2022 00:50 UTC
Egypt to assist Nigeria in preserving looted Benin artefacts
The Egyptian Government has offered to assist Nigeria in the preservation of the 1,130 looted Benin bronzes being expected in the country from Germany. The artefacts, with the least weight of 30kg each, looted by British troops in 1897, are to be repatriated from Germany to Nigeria this year. Egypt Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Khaled El-Anany, made the offer in Cairo, Egypt when the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, paid him a visit. Mohammed had led some private sector stakeholders involved in Digital Switch Over, to Afreximbank to assist them on how they can source funds to complete the wholly private sector financially driven project. The Egyptian minister said they were willing to deploy their wealth of experiences in antiquity preservation management to assist Nigeria in preserving the treasure being expected from Germany.
Source:Punch
January 27, 2022 20:26 UTC
N3trn fuel subsidy: How NGF, Labour brokered truce
The Ekiti State governor further stated that “there are raging questions of accountability associated with subsidy removal in the country. President of IPMAN, Alhaji Debo Ahmed, gave the advice on Wednesday in a statement he issued to commend the suspension of the removal of oil subsidy. “We reiterate our position that the four nation’s refineries be repaired and allowed to function optimally before the removal of fuel subsidy. “Our huge funds are tied up with PPMC Ltd, a subsidiary of NNPC, where members pay for NNPC products supplied to their depots. We are equally pleading that marketers’ transportation claims be paid to allow members remain afloat in business,” the statement read.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
January 27, 2022 20:17 UTC
Workers Protest Police Recruitment, Shut Down PSC Headquarters
The Police Service Commission workers have shut down the PSC headquarters, Abuja, over the reported takeover of the ongoing recruitment of 10,000 constables by the force headquarters. The workers forced the Permanent Secretary, William Alo, and directors out of their offices as they declared a three-day warning strike with effect from today. The staff are protesting the alleged takeover of the ongoing constables recruitment exercise, lack of staff promotion and training by the management. The PUNCH had exclusively reported that the workers declared a showdown with the commission management led by Musiliu Smith, a retired Inspector-General of Police, whom they accused of surrendering the PSC constitutional mandate to the police. Details later…https://punchng.com/breaking-workers-protest-police-recruitment-shut-down-psc-headquarters/Share this: FacebookWhatsAppTwitterPinterestLinkedInEmailTelegramTumblrSkypeRedditPocketPrintLike this: Like Loading...
Source:Punch
January 27, 2022 18:25 UTC
COVID-19: Argentina coach Scaloni to miss Chile trip
Coach Lionel Scaloni will miss Argentina’s World Cup qualifier away to Chile after testing positive for Covid-19, he told reporters on Wednesday. His assistant coach Pablo Aimar will also stay in Argentina for Thursday’s clash in Calama. I finished quarantine several days ago but I keep testing positive and to enter Chile you need a negative test,” said Scaloni in a video press conference. Argentina will also be without English based midfielders Alexis Mac Allister of Brighton and Aston Villa’s Emiliano Buendia after the roommates both tested positive. Scaloni left seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, who recently recovered from Covid, out of his squad for the matches against Chile and Colombia.
Source:Punch
January 27, 2022 15:02 UTC
US says national water supply 'absolutely' vulnerable to hackers | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News
Cyber defenses for US drinking water supplies are “absolutely inadequate” and vulnerable to large-scale disruption by hackers, a senior official said Thursday. There’s also a hurdle in the sheer number of different water providers — about 150,000 systems serving 300 million Americans, the official said. “These processes — I want to underscore this point — could all be vulnerable to cyberattacks, which could disable or manipulate monitoring control systems,” the official said. “We’re particularly concerned that a cyberattack could be carried out, for example, to manipulate treatment processes to produce unsafe water. Also to damage water infrastructure or even to stop the flow of water,” the official said.
Source:The Guardian
January 27, 2022 15:02 UTC
PSC orders fresh probe into Kyari’s link to Hushpuppi
The commission, it was learnt, gave the IG two weeks to turn in the report which would be reviewed by the PSC Standing Committee on Discipline. The directive to the IG was sequel to the advice from the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN. The Federal Bureau of Investigation had alleged that Hushpuppi paid $20,600 to two bank accounts allegedly provided by Kyari on January 20, 2020. The PUNCH gathered on Wednesday that the AGF said the facts contained in the police investigation report were not strong enough to convict the DCP. Based on the AGF’s advice, the commission was said to have asked the IG to carry out a further probe into Kyari’s relationship with Hushpuppi.
Source:Punch
January 27, 2022 06:47 UTC
Tinubu graduated from our school, says Chicago university
The Chicago State University says All Progressives Congress stalwart and presidential hopeful, Bola Tinubu, indeed attended the university. “Mr Tinubu did attend our university, however, if further information is needed, go to studentclearinghouse.org website to make a formal request,” Poindexter wrote. In an earlier letter dated August 20, 1999 and signed by then Registrar, Lois Davis, the university stated that Tinubu was its student between 1977 and 1979. He wrote, “Please be advised that Bola A. Tinubu did indeed attend Chicago State University from August 1977 through June 1979. The Supreme Court in its judgment on May 10, 2002 ruled that Tinubu could not be prosecuted by the police for alleged certificate forgery.
Source:Punch
January 27, 2022 04:37 UTC
Reps rejects immunity for Senate President, Speaker, others | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News
House of Representatives Special Committee on Amendment of the 1999 Constitution has rejected a bill seeking to confer immunity on presiding officers of the National Assembly and judicial officers. The presiding officers of the National Assembly are Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy Speaker of the House. A similar bill was introduced in the 8th Assembly by the then Minority Leader, Leo Ogor (PDP, Delta). He added: “The immunity is not absolute.”Speaking against the bill, Uzoma Abonta (PDP, Abia), said immunity should only cover issues regarding duties and functions of those public officers, not criminal acts like rape or murder. The House urged the Federal Government to strongly condemn the coups, impose strong sanctions, and mobilise other nations and stakeholders to do same.
Source:The Guardian
January 27, 2022 04:30 UTC
2023: Certificate is not only what qualifies
Having a well-credentialed leader is crucial but to also make a fetish of educational degrees is to end up with a certificated moron. So, as much as having well-educated leaders is desirable, that should only be the starting point of what it takes to be entrusted with leadership. It was understandable, considering Nigeria had never had a leader with that much formal education. Unfortunately, our crop of leaders tends to think that merely having a talakawa welfare agenda suffices for a leadership philosophy. A leader with integrity will be concerned with justice and equity, not restricted in their thinking by nepotism and clannishness.
Source:Punch
January 27, 2022 00:21 UTC
Ex-Nigerian customs boss, Hamman Ahmad, dies at 78
A former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Hamman Ahmad, died on Wednesday. He served as the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service from 2008 to 2009 under former president, Umaru Yar Adua. He was replaced by B. E. Nwadialo, prior to becoming the CG of customs, he was the Assistant CG of Customs at the Abuja headquarters. Ahmad was born and raised in Kajoli Village, Jada Local Government Area of Adamawa State. The deceased joined the Nigerian Customs Service as an Assistant Superintendent after graduating and serving his NYSC in 1978.
Source:Punch
January 26, 2022 18:59 UTC
How Bitcoin technology will change future business | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News
Bitcoin and its underlying technology can take businesses into the untapped regions of the world. Currently, entrepreneurs and business leaders have a growing consensus regarding the future of Bitcoin and blockchain technology. What is Bitcoin Technology? Therefore, it’s not surprising that more institutions are looking for ways to implement Bitcoin’s underlying technology in their systems and operations. Some people argue that blockchain technology can disrupt the global lottery market by providing confidentiality and anonymity to providers and participants.
Source:The Guardian
January 26, 2022 17:23 UTC
'Every indication' Putin plans force by mid-February: US | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News
The United States believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin remains poised to use force against Ukraine by mid-February despite a pressure campaign to stop him, a top diplomat said Wednesday. “I have no idea whether he’s made the ultimate decision, but we certainly see every indication that he is going to use military force sometime perhaps (between) now and the middle of February,” Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told a forum. Sherman, who met with her Russian counterpart earlier this month in Vienna in an attempt to warn Moscow against invading its neighbor, said that Putin’s planning may be affected by the Winter Games in Beijing, which the United States and several allies are boycotting due to human rights concerns. “We all are aware that the Beijing Olympics begin on February 4, the opening ceremony, and President Putin expects to be there,” Sherman told the Yalta European Strategy forum. Russia, while denying plans for an invasion, has demanded concessions from the United States including a guarantee that Ukraine will never enter NATO.
Source:The Guardian
January 26, 2022 15:39 UTC