TODAY IN THE NEWS Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, Health Minister Eight Persons Quarantined as Doctor Tests Positive for Ebola– This Day • Eight Persons Quarantined as Doctor Tests Positive for Ebola • First Consultants: Test results still awaited from LUTH, WHO lab in Senegal • FG inaugurates c’ttee on research, cure for virus, debunks claim bitter kola is a cure • US sends 50 experts to W’Africa as S’Korea rejects three Nigerians • LUTH screens patients, starts training of personnel • Death toll rises to 887 in sub-region In confirmation of the fears of the public that the American-Liberian, Mr. Patrick Sawyer, who succumbed to the infectious Ebola virus in Lagos less than two weeks ago, may have spread the dreaded disease before his death, the federal and Lagos State Governments yesterday confirmed the second case of Ebola in the country. Speaking on the development, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, and Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, in separate news conferences in Abuja and Lagos, said the new case was as a result of the contact a female doctor from First Consultants Medical Centre, a Lagos-based hospital, had with Sawyer where the Liberian was treated before his death. Why Ibori pleaded guilty — Emami- Vanguard A Niger Delta activist and leader of Concerned Deltans, Chief Ayirimi Emami, yesterday, said that former Governor James Ibori of the state pleaded guilty to money laundering charges at a United Kingdom Court, so that “political solution could be reached for his release.” Chief Emami, who spoke in Warri during a peaceful protest organised by Concerned Deltans as part of activities to mark the 56th birthday anniversary of Chief Ibori, said that the Federal Government was not doing enough to secure Ibori’s release. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain vowed that members of Concerned Deltans will continue the struggle until the former Delta State governor and proponent of resource control was released. Al-Makura appears at panel- Guardian • Body, a nullity, say lawmakers • ‘No plans to impeach Kwara gov’ Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State, Monday entered defense in the allegations of theft of public funds and other forms of abuse of office leveled against him by the State House of Assembly. In the same vein, the panel has directed the State House of Assembly to appear before it today or make a representation so as to enable it commence full investigations into the allegations. However, the lawmakers yesterday insisted that the panel remained disbanded and as such whatever they are doing was in violation of the constitution since it is only the House that has the constitutional power to provide rules of procedure for the panel. Heavy rains delay Nigeria’s cocoa harvest, disease a risk– Business Day Heavy rainfall and poor sunshine across Nigeria’s eastern cocoa-growing region of Cross Rivers over the past week will delay harvesting the new season’s crop by at least a month, the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN) and a farmer said on Monday. Farmers in Nigeria, the world’s fourth-biggest cocoa grower, are growing increasingly worried about bean quality and black pod disease in the wake of heavier rains. Besides preventing mould, sunny weather is also needed for bigger bean size. Cocoa trees need a delicate balance of rainy and dry weather. Too little rain and they wither; too much and they become susceptible to insects or fungal black pod disease. Beans can also go mouldy if small farmers are unable to dry them outside. “We have delayed harvest because of the weather … but from September we will start (to need) having sunlight to dry cocoa,” Neji Abang, a farmer in the Cross Rivers region, which produces annual volumes of around 60,000 tonnes, said by phone. U.S.–Africa Summit opens in Washington – The Nation The United States-Africa Leaders Summit opened yesterday in Washington, D.C. and will end tomorrow. Bringing together nearly 50 leaders from across Africa, it is being hailed by the White House as “the largest event any U.S. President has held with African heads of state and government”. Ben Rhodes, the White House Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications, spoke during a teleconference on the rationale for hosting the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. He said: “We chose to do this summit to send a very clear signal that we are elevating our engagement with Africa. We see enormous opportunities in Africa as it continues to advance its economic development and continues to develop capabilities as African countries continue to develop their capabilities as security partners of the United States and as democratic partners of the United States.” U-20 W’Cup: Falconets begins quest for trophy– Daily Independent Nigeria’s U-20 Women team, the Falconets will begin its quest of winning the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup which kicks off in Canada today when it takes on Mexico in its opening group match. The Falconets will play Mexico on Wednesday at the Moncton Stadium in Moncton, where it will also play Korea Republic on August 9 before flying to Edmonton to play England four days later. Despite taking part in all the editions of the tournament that started in Canada in 2002, Falconets is yet to lift the trophy. The team best outing was reaching the semis twice in 2010 in Germany and 2012 in Japan. The team also reached the quarters in 2006 in Russia and Chile in 2008 after failing to advance to the knockout stages in its previous two attempts at Canada 2002 and Thailand 2004. Enrout its qualifying stages for Canada, the Falconets defeated Sierra Leone 16-0 and hammered Tunisia 8-0 on aggregate before thrashing South Africa 7-0 on aggregate. Attack on Buhari: New IGP absolves FG of complicity– National Mirror …to adopt new Police Code of Ethics Newly-appointed Inspector General of Police, IGP, Suleiman Abba, has absolved the Federal Government of complicity in the July 23 bomb attack on the convoy of former Head of State and All Progressive Congress, APC, chieftain, General Muhammadu Buhari. The police boss, who declared this yesterday in Abuja at his maiden parley with senior police officers from the rank of Commissioners of Police and above, said the position of the force followed days of painstaking investigation by its General Duty Detectives and forensic experts. “So far, we have an interim finding. A team of dedicated detectives constituted by the immediate past IGP went to Kaduna, conducted a very diligent investigation. EFCC probes alleged corruption in judiciary- The Sun The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is investigating alleged cases of corruption in the judiciary. The EFCC Chairman, Mallam Ibrahim Lamorde, revealed this yesterday in Kano during a workshop on “Reporting Economic and Financial Crimes,” organised by the commission. Lamorde, who stressed the importance of the judiciary in a clean society, noted that the EFCC will sanitize the sector by investigating some of the alleged cases of corruption involving high level judicial officers “Some of the investigations are ongoing, although one of them has sued EFCC in a bid to forestall further action. But the commission will not be distracted as we remain committed to bringing the culprit to justice”, he said. Politicians can no longer manipulate election results —Jonathan– Tribune President Goodluck Jonathan, in Washington D.C., United States, on Monday, said days when a few politicians can manipulate outcome of elections are gone forever in Nigeria. Speaking at a meeting with Nigerian professionals in the United States, President Jonathan said he remained fully committed to keeping the promise he made in 2011, to ensure elections in Nigeria became free, fair and credible. The president assured that in keeping with that pledge, which had been fulfilled in recent elections in Edo, Ondo and Ekiti states, the Federal Government would take all necessary steps to ensure no individual, group or political party was able to thwart the legitimate choice of genuine voters in the governorship election in Osun State, on Saturday.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 10:09:01 +0000
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