COVID 19: Obasanjo Calls Other World Leaders To Call for a People's Vaccine

By Harrison Arubu

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo is among 140 current and former world leaders calling for “a people’s vaccine” against the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The call is contained in a petition they signed on Thursday in which they are urging all governments to push for a free COVID-19 vaccine for all when developed.

The petition was initiated by the Joint UN Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating the HIV/AIDS virus.

Obasanjo, who led Nigeria as a civilian Head of State between 1999 and 2007, is a member of the Champion for an AIDS- Free Generation.

In the petition, the leaders are demanding that when a COVID-19 vaccine is developed, it should be made available free of charge to all.

President of South Africa and Chairman of the African Union, Cyril Ramaphosa; his Senegalese and Ghanaian counterparts, Macky Sall and Nana Akufo-Addo, respectively, are among the signatories.

According to UNAIDS, the demand is the most ambitious position yet by world leaders “on what has become the most urgent quest in modern science”.

The petition came ahead of a virtual meeting of the World Health Assembly, the world’s highest health policy making body comprising health ministers from UN member states, holding on May 18.

“We are calling on Health Ministers at the World Health Assembly to rally behind a people’s vaccine against this disease urgently.

“Governments and international partners must unite around a global guarantee which ensures that, when a safe and effective vaccine is developed, it is produced rapidly at scale and made available for all people, in all countries, free of charge.

“The same applies for all treatments, diagnostics, and other technologies for COVID-19,” they said.

How Peter Okoye Met and Married His Beautiful Wife, Lola Omotosho

Peter Okoye, a member of defunct Nigerian music duo P-Square has been married to his beautiful wife Lola Omotayo for 8 solid years.

Their love story is one that inspires as tied the knot in November 17, 2013 after they fell in love.

Their marriage was subjected to many controversies as most Nigerians quizzed why Peter settled on a woman far older than her.

She said, “my agency handles some British American tobacco and the P’ square was doing a show for us at one of our events in Enugu. Though I have met with peter a couple of times this time at the show, there was a kind of connection.“He asked for my phone number, but I refused. I told him, if he really wants to know me, he should find it himself. He took it as a task and he found it. The rest is history.‘

According to Lola, she being in her 30s and Peter in his 20s wasn’t a disturbance to their relationship.

She added further,’ like I said peter is an old soul and he always tells me that I’m like a 23 years old. Age is just a number. It is nothing new in the world, you can see it around as people date people far older than them.

So we shouldn’t base it on the age factor. He doesn’t make me feel I’m older and he is younger than me.

COVID-19 Treatment: PSN Kicks against Importation of Madagascar Mixture

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has kicked against the importation of herbal concoction from Madagascar for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, describing the federal government’s decision as distasteful and disgraceful.

In an interview with THISDAY Tuesday, the President, PSN, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, said several bright Nigerian scientists had proposed solutions against COVID-19 to the federal government but that they have all been ignored, adding that the same government was searching for already-made solutions from abroad.He said: “I am aware of efforts made by researchers in this country. Even the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Nigeria Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) and a host of others have made efforts, but government appears not to be interested. We are waiting for fully cooked foods from elsewhere. We are waiting for others to be done with their own researches so we can adopt them.

“Government has refused to fund its own research institutes. We keep hearing donations of N25 billion, N50 billion, $3 million, and several other billions. Why can’t government dedicate half of these monies to research; why can’t they commission its research bodies to find solutions?” he queried.

He said if government was serious about developing vaccines and cures against COVID-19, it should bring all researchers with ideas together, tell NIPRD and other group of scientists to sit with them to hear their various ideas.

“The solutions that are promising should then undergo government (clinical) trial. That is what Madagascar did. These researchers are not just herbalists; some areprofessors, pharmacists and doctors.

“The other recommendation is for government to bring these brains together and tell them that since Madagascar has been able to do this, they should get to the laboratories and come up with solutions,” he added.

He said although in principle, the PSN would not mind if the Nigerian government imports any new drugs that was proven to cure COVID-19 or indeed any other disease for which Nigerians have neither the capacity or technology to produce locally, it was appalling that the country was about to spend scarce foreign exchange to import ‘coal into Newcastle’.“Even if we are not going to pay for this, it is thoroughly disgraceful that a country that should be the leader of Africa, with the largest GDP will allow itself to be dragged this low. Nigeria has about 174 Universities (43 federal, 52 state and 79 private), 20 faculties of pharmacy and about 69 federal-funded research institutes (including NIPRD and NIMR) while Madagascar has only six universities, one faculty of pharmacy and nine research centres.

“Nigeria has some of the best scientists in the world who have done so much work on natural and herbal medicines. Nigeria has developed a pharmacopeia of natural and herbal products and has one of the richest flora and fauna – potent sources of phytomedicines. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, a number of them have raised their voices that they have herbal and natural products that can be used to treat or manage COVID-19. Some have patents. Many herbal companies and producers have announced specifically that they have herbal formulations that can do what this ‘invention’ from Madagascar can do.”

He said government should save the Nigerian pharmaceutical scientists and other scientists from the shame of having our country import and try herbal remedieswhich God has given the nation in abundance, adding that some of which the country’s grandfathers and grandmothers have used for ages.

COVID-19: Ogun Extends Lockdown By a Week

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has extended the lockdown in the state by another week.

The governor announced this on Friday while briefing journalists in the state.

The governor frowned at the flouting of social and safety guideline to ensure the eradication of the virus in the state.

He noted that the lockdown extension was a precautionary method, adding that residents must wear face masks. He said, “Reports reaching us have shown that many of our people are showing utter disregard for the precautionary guidelines, international best practices and safety measures rolled out, especially, during the window of relaxation of the lockdown.

“We have heard and seen the havoc that COVID-19 continues to wreck in other lands. Let us learn from these experiences.

“Now, to preserve the lives of our people, we are persuaded to extend the currently modified lockdown, which has been slightly eased, for another one week alongside the current guidelines.

“Wearing a face mask is mandatory. It is important to note that we have provided, and continue to provide, facemasks to public servants, groups and association."

Abiodun said the test had intensified its contact tracing and would continue to test and treat people suspected or infected with the virus.

He added, “As of today, we have screened over 10,000 people and tested over 700. In addition to that, we have intensified our contact tracing capacity and have traced over 551 contacts of the COVID-19 positive patients.

“We are doing this to detect and treat people who are already infected rather than leaving them undetected which will be more detrimental because this will increase community transmission.”

More than 1,000 Queue for Food in Geneva amid Virus Shutdown

More than 1,000 people queued up, on Saturday, to get free food parcels in Geneva, Switzerland amid coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdown.

It is underscoring the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on the working poor and undocumented immigrants even in wealthy Switzerland.

The line of people stretched for more than one kilometre (half a mile) outside an ice rink where volunteers were handing out around 1,500 parcels to people who started queuing as early as 5.00 a.m.

“At the end of the month, my pockets are empty.

“We have to pay the bills, the insurance, everything,’’ said Ingrid Berala, a Geneva resident from Nicaragua who works part-time.

“This is great because there is food for a week; a week of relief…I don’t know for next week.’’

In a nation of nearly 8.6 million, 660,000 people in Switzerland were poor in 2018, charity Caritas says, particularly single parents and those with a low level of education unable to find work after losing a job.

More than 1.1 million people were at risk of poverty, which means they have less than 60 per cent of the median income, which was 6,538 Swiss francs ($6,736) for a full-time job in 2018.

The Swiss bank, UBS has calculated that Geneva is the second-most expensive global city for a family of three to live in, behind only Zurich.

While average incomes are also high, that helps little for people struggling to make ends meet.

“I think a lot of people are aware of this, but it is different to see this with your own eyes,’’ said Silvana Matromatteo, Head of the Aid Group Geneva Solidarity Caravan.

“We had people in tears who said: ‘It is not possible that it is happening in my country’.

“But it is here and maybe the COVID-19 brought everything out and this is good, because we will be able to take measures to support all these workers, because they are workers above all,’’ Matromatteo said.

Patrick Wieland, Chief of Mission for the Doctors Without Borders group, said a survey last week showed just over half the food recipients interviewed were undocumented, while others had attained legal status, were Swiss or were seeking asylum.

Just over three per cent had been tested positive for COVID-19, three times the overall rate in Geneva, which he attributed to poor and overcrowded housing.

“In Geneva, one of the richest cities in the world, there have always been people living precariously, especially all the people who work as housekeepers, in agriculture, on construction sites or in hotels and they found themselves overnight without a job because of COVID-19,’’ he said.

One illegal immigrant, who called himself Fernando, said he lost his restaurant job during the crisis and had no pay.

“I’m very grateful to receive this help and if the situation changes for me, I am committing to do the same thing that they are doing for me,’’ he said. (Reuters/NAN)

COVID-19: Stranded Nigerians Depart U.S. for Abuja

By Harrison Arubu

The first batch of Nigerians stranded in the United States due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is on their way back home.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 160 Nigerians, including eight infants, made the first batch of evacuees.

They are returning aboard an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 787 aircraft under the special flight arrangements by the Federal Government for nationals stranded abroad.

In line with the government’s pre-departure infection prevention control guidelines, temperature checks were conducted on the passengers by a special medical team.

The plane departed the Newark International Airport, New Jersey, on Saturday around 8:20 p.m. local time (1:20 a.m. in Nigeria on Sunday).

It is expected to arrive at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, around noon on Sunday.

On arrival, the evacuees would be quarantined for 14 days in Abuja before leaving for their respective destinations in the country.

At the airport to coordinate the departure activities were officials of the Nigerian consulate in New York, led by the Consul-General, Mr Benaoyagha Okoyen.

Also, around to bid the evacuees farewell was Amb. Tijani Muhammad-Bande, President of the United Nations General Assembly and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN.

He was joined by Amb. Samson Itegboje, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, among others.

Speaking to newsmen, Okoyen lauded the evacuees for their cooperation and orderly conduct throughout the process.

“It was successful and we are happy that everything was orderly. As you must have observed, the boarding was also orderly,”  he said.

Some of the passengers, who spoke to NAN, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for the special flight arrangement.

Dr Jatto Ibrahim, a consultant orthopedic surgeon at the  Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jigawa, said he was in the U.S. for a training programme in February.

Ibrahim said he was stranded after his return British Airways flight scheduled for April 10 was suspended following  Federal Government’s travel restrictions on U.S. and 12 other countries with high COVID-19 burden, on March 18.

Another evacuee, Mr Chidi Ikegbu, a businessman from Imo, said a business engagement took him to the U.S. in March.

However, Ikegbu, who travelled through Ethiopian Airlines, said he had to pay for the special flight after the airline refused to let him use his return ticket for the flight.

“I called the airline but they said our return tickets were valid until December, and so we had to wait for the return flight after the restrictions were lifted in Nigeria.

“They said but if we wanted to go now through the special flight, then we had to pay for it,” he said.

Reacting to this, Mr Million Legesse, the Traffic and Sales Manager of Ethiopian Airlines, New York, said any of the evacuees with a return ticket could use it for a U.S.-Nigeria flight in the future.

“But if the passengers are no longer going to use the return tickets, we would refund them based on our refund policy,” Legesse said.

Dr Iwuozo Obilo, a U.S.-based Nigerian medical doctor, who was part of the medical team that screened the passengers, said their temperatures were normal.

“Temperature taking is one of the criteria to determine COVID-19 symptoms.

“Although, it is not enough because there are people with the virus who are not symptomatic, it will give us an overview of their health.

“Since, they will be be quarantined for 14 days in Nigeria, at least we are sure none of them has fever that will affect them during the flight,” Obilo told NAN.

COVID-19: Coca-Cola sales drop by 25 % in April

Coca-Cola saw sales volumes of its soft drinks decline by a quarter so far in April, as people stay home to help stem the contagion of the new coronavirus.

Consumers appear to have stocked up on drinks to consume at home in March, as the orders went into effect, but with bars, restaurants and other venues closed, sales have declined.

“The impact to the second quarter will be material,” the company said in an earnings report, pointing to the broad range of industries being hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

The duration of the lockdowns as well as their severity will likely be the key drivers of consumption. However, the company said it ultimately expects a recovery.

First quarter net revenue for Coca-Cola declined by one per cent to 8.6 billion dollars.

NAN