The World Health Organisation (WHO) will miss its target to vaccinate 40 per cent of the population in every country by the end of the year, with the shortfalls especially serious in Africa. Of the WHO’s 194 member countries, about half of them will not meet the goal. In about 40 countries not even 10 per cent of the population had been vaccinated. The WHO has pinned much of the blame on vaccine hoarding, particularly among a handful of wealthy Western countries, which are already administering booster jabs. Worldwide, more than 8.6 billion vaccine doses had been administered by Tuesday,…
Author: Newsdesk
By Abujah Racheal Established by President Muhammadu Buhari on March 9, 2020, the Presidential Task Force (PTF), which later metamorphosed into the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, was mandated to provide overall policy direction, guidance and continuous support to the National Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). It also provided such direction to other Ministries and Government Agencies involved in response activities to devise and implement a National Response Strategy on COVID-19. Headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, the PTF hit the ground running and gave hope…
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB has said that all candidates, clients and other members of the public, who are below the age of 18 years are not required to produce any vaccination card before being allowed access to its facilities. A statement by the spokesperson of Board, Dr Fabian Benjamin on Tuesday said, this category of persons are not covered by the NCDC Vaccination Policy. “You will recall that the Board had announced a policy of no vaccination card, no entry into any of its facilities nationwide but discovered that many underage candidates were making frantic efforts to…
The Zamfara state chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, has told its opposing Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to face its crisis and allow the state to enjoy its peaceful atmosphere. This is contained in a statement by the spokesperson of the party, Yusuf Idris made available to ASHENEWS on Tuesday. According to the statement, the APC government will not allow any breach of peace arising from PDP’s “shire carelessness and unfair treatment of members.” Read the statement below: It is highly disheartening to wake up in a peaceful atmosphere only for it to be short-lived by the sad incident of…
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, says infectious diseases remain a danger to every country, pushing health systems to the brink and upending daily life for all of humanity. Guterres, in his message to mark the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, said that COVID-19 continued to demonstrate how quickly an infectious disease can sweep across the world. The International Day of Epidemic Preparedness marked on December 27 is to advocate the importance of the prevention of, preparedness for and partnership against epidemics. “It also revealed our failure to learn the lessons of recent health emergencies like SARS, avian influenza, Zika, Ebola and…
By Ahmed Attahir, Gusau Former military administrator of Nasarawa state, Bala Mande has emerged Zamfara state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He emerged along with other party executives during the party’s congress held at Command Guest House in Gusau Monday evening. A grassroot politician, Mande was the state caretaker committee chairman of the party. Addressing newsmen shortly after his emergence as chairman, he said members of the party were firm and committed to the unity and development of the party in the state. Mande appealed to the PDP faithful to disregard any intimidation from any group or individual…
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed on Sunday, paid tribute to the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, extolling his exceptional qualities. Mohammed joined other UN leaders to lament the passing away of the anti-apartheid leader and human rights activist, who died in Cape Town at the age of 90. “While I will miss his presence, I celebrate his incredible life of service,” she wrote in a post on her official Twitter account. Archbishop Tutu was “always with a smile, always asking us to do our ‘little bit of good’”, she recalled, before signing off with “R.I.P.” Similarly, Inger Andersen, head of the…
U.S. President Joe Biden and wife Jill Biden on Sunday expressed their condolences over the death of South African anti-apartheid campaigner, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, saying his legacy would “echo throughout the ages.” “On this morning after Christmas, we are heartbroken to learn of the passing of a true servant of God and of the people, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa,” Biden said in a statement on Sunday. The Biden said they were fortunate enough to spend some time with him over the past years, including their visit to him during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. “We felt…
Climate activists in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have expressed strong opposition to plans for oil exploration in the Virunga National Park. In a short film dubbed ‘Fossil Free Virunga’, that was released by 350Africa.org worldwide today, the activists raised concerns with the environmental impacts, as well as the impact to local communities’ livelihoods. The short film, which was launched during a webinar, highlights the dangers posed to the national park and local communities by oil exploration in the area. Together with Salonga National Park, the world’s second-biggest tropical rainforest reserve, these vulnerable areas may be auctioned in a new…
A National Culture of Brutishness and Irresponsibility will Ultimately Destroy the Nigerian Society By Frank Tietie Every region in Nigeria, undoubtedly is troubled but it doesn’t have to be so, especially when much of the trouble is self-inflicted. The gestapo invasion of a church service in Imo state by the Nigerian police on Boxing Day, to effect the arrest of Uche Nwosu is not only barbaric, unprofessional, irresponsible, sacrilegious and retrogressive but calculated to inflict and sustain the atmosphere of terror which should be attributed to bandits and terrorists. Therefore, the question is: Why should state actors operate as agents…