Finally Churches, Mosques To Reopen In Lagos

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, has announced that religious activities will resume in the state on June 19.

The governor made the announcement at an ongoing press briefing at government house, Marina, Lagos, on Thursday.

He said while Muslim services will resume on June 19, while Christian worship would begin on June 21.

The governor said children below age of 15 not should not be allowed at religious gatherings restricted to Fridays and Sundays.

More to follow…

OOU Herbal Firm Produces Anti COVID-19 Drug

The Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, has achieved a medical breakthrough by partnering a local herbal firm to produce a herbal syrup for the prevention, treatment and management of coronavirus.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ganiyu Olatunde, made the disclosure at a press briefing, held at Ago-Iwoye.

Olatunde said that the product, tagged “OOU-Anjo Anti- COVID-19 herbal syrup”, was developed by a team of researchers from the institution, in partnership with Anjola Herbal Company Limited.

The vice chancellor added that three other products, namely automated hand sanitiser dispenser, personal hand sanitiser and face masks, were also produced by the institution.

He explained that samples of the herbal syrup had been submitted to the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for approval.

Olatunde assured that the syrup would be released to the Nigerian market as soon as an approval was granted by NAFDAC.

He said that the syrup and the other products were part of the institution’s achievements in the areas of teaching, research and community development during the lockdown.

“Our university is one of the core institutions that engage in research into the COVID-19 pandemic. And in partnership with Anjola Herbal Company Limited, which is one of our partners in herbal medicine, we have been able to produce an anti-COVID-19 herbal syrup.

“I can assure you that it went through all the necessary protocols that you can have in trying to produce herbal syrup.

“Since the era of Ebola, our health centre and the Department of Chemistry have been involved in the production of hand sanitiser.

“We also have some sections of the university that engage in the production of face masks and face shields, which are being requested for by a number of organisations across the country,” he said.

Dr Joseph Ashudi, the acting Director, Research, Linkages and Advancement of the institution, described the syrup as anti-bacteria, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti- coagulant.

Ashidi, one of the researchers, said that the product was formulated based on results of post-mortem researches conducted on those who died of COVID-19 infection.

He, however, explained that the research team had no access to COVID-19 patients for laboratory test with the syrup.

“They said we cannot have access to COVID-19 patients because of the nature of that disease. We then relied on postmortem reports that we carried out and we came up with many symptoms,” he said

Religious gatherings reopening:FG, Lagos Disagree

• Reopening Of Churches, Mosques Ruled Out In Its Totality- LASG
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The Lagos State Government and the Federal Government might be heading on a collision course as the state government has ruled out the possibilities of reopening of churches and mosques in the state. This is a counter to the Presidential Task Force, PTF on COVID 19 directive that gave the green light for churches and mosques in the country to reopen.

The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, disclosed on Tuesday on the side-line of the 2020 Ministerial press briefing commemorating the first year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in office that the possibility of reopening churches and mosques in the state was ruled out after state government met with some religious leaders.

According to him, the protocols and guidelines laid down by the state government were not agreed upon by the religious leaders.

“Even before the pronouncement by the Federal Government, we have been having meetings with the religious leaders. We even had one with the safety Commission. Looking at the possibility of reopening of religious houses.

We also had one with the leaders of the two faith and I want to tell you categorically that at that meeting, the possibility of reopening religious houses was ruled out totally.

They claimed that they cannot take the responsibility of ensuring that only 20 or 50 people are praying behind them. Like an Imam said he doesn’t know what is going on at back immediately he is leading a prayer. He said if more than 20 or 50 people are staying at his back, he is not going to take responsibility for their presence,” Elegushi said.

The Commissioner added that Lagos is the epicenter of the virus and reopening of churches won’t happen until there is a clear coast to do so.

“So in the meeting, we ruled out in totality the issue of reopening the religious houses until we have a clear coast for us to do so. The Federal Government mentioned it, but it never ruled out the state in achieving that pronouncement, so all states will have to look at the possibility of doing so in their respective states.

We all know Lagos is still having more figures. So definitely that will speak to our decision,” he added.

Elegushi added that the governor will come out with further directives.

Non-Payment: Abuja COVID-19 Response Team Begins Strike

Members of the federal capital territory (FCT) COVID-19 emergency response team are currently protesting against the non-payment of their N30,000 daily allowance for April and May.

Among those being owed are sample collectors, case investigators, ambulance drivers, environmental health worker, temperature readers and cleaners.

On Tuesday, they converged on the public health department office, Area 3, Garki, Abuja, demanding that the outstanding allowance should be paid before they return to work.

With 674 cases, the nation’s capital has the third highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

Lagos has 5,135 cases, the highest, followed by Kano, 958 infections. Nigeria has a total of 10,578 cases.

Below are pictures of the protesting workers:

Just In: FG Lifts Bar On Religious Gatherings, Churches, Mosques To Reopen

The federal government has lifted the ban on religious gathering across the country.

The government had imposed the ban two months ago to check the spread of coronavirus.

But at the briefing of the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 on Monday, Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation and chairman of the PTF, announced that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the relaxation of the ban for four weeks.

“The PTF submitted its recommendations and the PRESIDENT has approved the following for implementation over the next four weeks spanning 2nd – 29th June, 2020, subject to review-:

“Cautious advance into the Second Phase of the national response to COVID-19; application of science and data to guide the targeting of areas of on-going high transmission of COVID-19 in the country;

“Mobilisation of all resources at State and Local Government levels to create public awareness on COVID 19 and improve compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions within communities; sustenance of key non-pharmaceutical interventions that would apply nationwide and include: ban of gatherings of more than 20 people outside of a workplace;

“Relaxation of restriction on places of Worship based on guidelines issued by the PTF and protocols agreed by state governments.”

More to follow…

Breaking:FG Reduces Petrol Price To 121.50 Per-Litre

The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) has reduced the retail pump price of petrol to N121.50 per litre from the present N123 per litre.

The regulatory agency announced the new retail price band to marketers in a May 31 circular seen by Newsmen Monday.

Just-In: Yahaya Bello Tells Some Doctors To Self-Isolate, Shuts Down Kabba/Bunu LGA

Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi, has locked down Kabba/Bunu local government area of the state, following the index cases of COVID-19 in the state.

According to reports Ahmad Ejibunu, chief imam of Kabba, and one of his aides tested positive for the disease.

Ejibunu, who was transferred to Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, from Kabba Specialist Hospital was eventually referred to the National Hospital, Abuja, where he was diagnosed with the disease.

The Kogi state government had rejected the results, accusing the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) of perpetrating fraud.

But in a statewide broadcast on Monday, Bello restricted movement in Kabba/Bunu for 14 days.

He also asked doctors who attended to the index cases to self-isolate.

“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,” the governor said.

“I do not enjoy lockdown as I know the economic, social, and even health implications of such a decision. But we have to take a proactive step and provide effective leadership in ensuring that our people are safe.”

More to follow…

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