Headline

Coronavirus Has Taught Us Lessons- Governor Fayemi

Published

6 years ago

May 10, 2020

Editor

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State says his administration is learning from the COVID-19 pandemic while acknowledging the troubling impact of the disease on economic and social activities.

Dr Fayemi, who is the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, spoke on Friday night during Public Eye Live interaction with Funmi Iyanda on Instagram.

According to him, nobody saw the coronavirus and its devastating effect on the health sector coming when they were preparing for 2020.

“We are having to review the budget of states just as the Federal Government is also reviewing its budget.

“This is the number one challenge for government in the world, and at the local level that’s also our number one challenge.

“We are diverting a lot of our resources to the health sector,” he said.

With nine active cases of COVID-19, two discharges and one death in Ekiti as of Friday, May 8, the governor praised his state’s response to the disease.

“Even though we don’t have the resources of Lagos, we set about this work almost immediately as soon as we had the first case (of coronavirus) in Lagos.

“We set up a local training arrangement. By the time we eventually got the first case around the 15th of March, we were read.

“Our infectious disease centre was ready; we had everything we needed to have in place,” he said.

Governor Fayemi declared that Ekiti is learning from the challenges of COVID-19.

“This virus will go. What if another virus will come?

“We should use this as a chance to focus on building our economy to be ready for this kind of thing.

“Our first priority is to ensure that livelihood isn’t threatened.

“Yes, we want to save lives but people should also be able to eke out a living. We also have a commitment to our small and medium scale enterprises were the bulk of our business people are.

“One of the critical things we are using is agriculture.

We feel this is an opportunity for us to break out of our seeming attachment to subsistence farming to commercial agribusiness,” he added.

Speaking earlier on Public Eye, Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, described policemen as frontline workers in the fight against coronavirus.

He called on Nigerians to cooperate with the police to make the gradual easing of lockdown imposed in most parts of the country easier.

“As police officers, we are also struggling with the challenges of COVID 19. But we suffer quietly and bear our pain silently.

“Police officers just like other Nigerians have also become casualties and victims.

“A lot of police officers that work in Lagos, Port Harcourt, and other big cities in Nigeria particularly in the lower rank live outside of the city centre because of rent.

“With COVID 19 most of these people don’t own private vehicles, but they are expected to turn up to work. Lots of these police officers are spending four or five times the amount of money coming to work than they would usually spend along with the health hazards,” Mr. Mba said.

He confirmed that at least one police officer has died of COVID-19 and an unspecified number has tested positive.

“These deaths and the increasing number of police officers contracting this disease point to the fact that we are indeed in danger just as our brothers and sisters working in core medical fields are also in danger,” Mba said.

Also speaking, Professor Oyewale Tomori warned that Nigeria is headed for a calamity if the right thing is not done to fix the healthcare system.

“Unfortunately, we are a country that lives by lessons forgotten. We did very well with Ebola and soon after that, we forgot all of those things.

“Nobody is talking about Lassa fever. More people have died of Lassa fever this year than COVID.

“It’s unfortunate that we never learn from the past,” the renowned virologist lamented.

Public Eye is produced by Oya Media with support from McArthur Foundation

Headline

UK Orders Airspace Restrictions, Road Closures for Tinubu’s State Visit

Published

13 hours ago

March 12, 2026

Eric

Authorities in the United Kingdom (UK) have announced temporary airspace restrictions and road closures in Windsor ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s State visit to the country.

Britain’s monarch, King Charles III, will host Tinubu and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu at Windsor Castle on March 18 and 19, 2026.

State visits represent the highest level of diplomatic engagement hosted by the British monarch.

According to Thames Valley Police, extensive security measures will be implemented in Windsor during Tinubu’s state visit, including an expanded airspace exclusion zone and a large-scale policing operation.

The castle already operates under a permanent airspace restriction, but authorities said the exclusion zone will be extended on March 18 between 07:00 and 23:59 GMT.

Police warned that anyone who breaches the restriction will “likely” face arrest.

Security operations will involve search teams, armed units, mounted officers, and road policing officers. Neighbourhood officers and Project Servator teams will also conduct patrols across the town to deter and detect criminal activity while engaging with the public.

Officials added that Windsor’s extensive CCTV network and hostile vehicle mitigation barriers will also be used as part of security arrangements.

Ch Supt Adrian Hall of the joint operations unit said:

“As a force, we have a vast amount of experience in policing royal events in Windsor, and significant planning and preparation have gone into this event.

“We will ensure everyone attending the state visit, including dignitaries, spectators, and members of the public, are kept safe to enjoy the historic occasion.”

Authorities said several road closures and parking restrictions will begin on March 17 ahead of Tinubu’s State visit, warning that motorists may experience temporary disruption on roads in and around Windsor.

Some footways and pedestrian crossings in the town centre will also close periodically between 09:30 and 12:30 on March 17 and 18 for a ceremonial procession.

Headline

False and Misleading: Senator Ireti Kingibe Not Suspended, Says ADC

Published

14 hours ago

March 12, 2026

Eric

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has dismissed reports that Senator Ireti Kingibe has been suspended from the party, describing the claims as false and misleading.

Kingibe currently represents the Federal Capital Territory in the Senate.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ADC is not aware of any decision to suspend the senator and urged the public to ignore the circulating reports.

Abdullahi emphasized that the party has well-defined constitutional procedures for handling allegations involving its members.

“The African Democratic Congress is unaware of any suspension of Senator Ireti Kingibe, the distinguished Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.

He added that as a law-abiding political party, the ADC follows established internal mechanisms when dealing with issues concerning its members rather than addressing such matters through media statements.

“As a law-abiding political party, the ADC has clear constitutional procedures for addressing any allegations involving its members. Such matters are handled through established internal mechanisms, not through press statements,” Abdullahi stated.

The party therefore called on the public and media organizations to disregard the reports of Kingibe’s alleged suspension.

“We therefore urge the public and the media to disregard the reports suggesting that Senator Ireti Kingibe has been suspended by the party, as they are false and misleading,” the statement added.

Headline

Tambuwal Finally Dumps PDP, Defects to ADC

Published

18 hours ago

March 12, 2026

Eric

Former Governor Aminu Tambuwal has announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the African Democratic Congress.

“I write to formally tender my resignation as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), effective from today,” the letter stated.

Mr Tambuwal stated that the party’s persistent internal crisis, leadership disagreements, and divisions at various levels made it difficult for him to continue his active participation and commitment as a member.

“The ongoing conflicts have, unfortunately, worsened the unity and direction that once defined the party,” the former Sokoto governor stated.

Meanwhile, in a statement on X on Thursday, Mr Tambuwal said he had officially joined the ADC with his associates and supporters.

“I am convinced that this decision is guided by my belief that Nigeria needs a stronger political platform built on integrity, accountability, inclusiveness, and a clear commitment to national development.

“I remain fully committed to the service of our country and to the ideals of democracy, justice, and national unity,” the former governor stated.