News
Covid-19 Vaccine: Nigeria’s Disqualification, Shameful, Unpardonable -PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as shameful and unpardonable that a nation as important as Nigeria is being excluded from Covid-19 vaccine intervention of the World Health Organization (WHO) owing to the incompetence and corruption of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
The PDP specifically noted that in spite of the billions of naira the APC administration claimed to have spent on the Covid-19 effort, it was unable to provide the minimum standard requirement of vaccine storage at the requisite -70 degrees Celsius.
The party said that Nigeria’s exclusion by the World Health Organization (WTO), from the list of nations to receive Covid-19 vaccines following the inability of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to provide the simple vaccine storage requirement has further vindicated its stand that the APC-led administration is a total failure.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, said that the embarrassing situation further confirmed its position that the APC administration is completely incapable of carrying out simple governance tasks, which is the reason the nation is in her present social and economic dire straits.
The PDP said; “Only last month, our party alerted the nation and tasked the Buhari administration on its lethargic approach to the issue of Covid-19 vaccine and other therapeutics; a caution which was dismissed by the APC and the Buhari administration.
“Nigerians can now see that the claims of commitment by the APC administration are mere media hypes that add no value beyond announcement of figures of infected persons, deaths, recoveries, discharges and issues of local protocols without decisive effort towards epidemiology, researches, production of equipment, therapeutics and other technical requirements, such as vaccine storage to stave off the pandemic in our country.
“This development has also confirmed our insistence that the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19 is a mere circus group of incompetent politicians, and has no capacity to tackle the spread of the pandemic in our country.
“It also validates the widespread call for the dissolution of the PTF. It is indeed sad that because of the corruption and incompetence of the APC administration, our dear nation, which was once a clear continental leader and global competitor in all fields, has fallen so low that it cannot provide simple vaccine storage in a time of pandemic,” the PDP said.
It continued; “Against this ugly backdrop, our party restates our call for immediate dissolution of the PTF on Covid-19 to pave way for a concerted private sector driven effort in the fight against the pandemic, since the Buhari administration has failed the nation.
“Our party urges all well-meaning Nigerians in the public health, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and logistics sub-sectors to immediately rally to rescue our nation from this horrible situation”.
The PDP, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to accept the ineffectiveness of his administration and seek help from more capable hands as well as adopt the PDP proactive model in fighting the dreaded Ebola virus disease, as a sure measure to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) had said it allocated about 320,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to four African countries – Cape Verde, Rwanda, South Africa, and Tunisia.
Nigeria and other African countries were not included in this batch of vaccine allocation to fight the ravaging Coronavirus on the continent.
WHO said that the 320,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which had already received its Emergency Use Authorization, had been allocated to the four African countries that had the capacity to store and distribute doses at minus 70 degrees Celsius.
“About 320,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which has already received WHO Emergency Use, have been allocated to four African countries – Cabo Verde, Rwanda, South Africa, and Tunisia – which have the capacity store and distribute doses at minus 70 degrees Celsius”, according to WHO in a statement on the United Nations news website.
The WHO statement, however, said the joint UN-led COVAX initiative aims to start shipping about 90 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Africa in February, which is expected to be the continent’s largest ever mass vaccination roll-out campaign in recent history.
The Federal Government of Nigeria had earlier set the end of January as target date for the arrival of 100,000 COVAX vaccines but later said it would arrive in February.
The country also assured that it had adequate storage facility to hold more than the Covid-19 vaccine doses being expected from WHO-led COVAX initiative.
In the statement, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, said that the deployment was a “critical first step” to ensure countries access to vaccines.
“Africa has watched other regions start Covid-19 vaccination campaigns from the side-lines for too long. This planned roll-out is a critical first step to ensuring the continent gets equitable access to vaccines”, Moeti said.
Moeti also said that the announcement of the commencement of shipment was to enable African nations to fine-tune their planning for Covid-19 immunization campaigns.
He urged the countries to finalize their immunization plans.
“We urge African nations to ramp up readiness and finalize their national vaccine deployment plans. Regulatory processes, cold chain systems and distribution plans need to be in place to ensure vaccines are safely expedited from ports of entry to delivery”, she added.
“We can’t afford to waste a single dose,” she said.
Nigeria had said last week that it was planning to seek additional supply of Covid-19 vaccines from Russia and India to shore up the supply expected from WHO.
Also Nigeria is collaborating with other countries under the auspices of the African Union to secure 670 million vaccine doses for the continent which will be distributed in 2021 and 2022 as countries secure adequate financing, according to WHO.
The rollout of the AstraZeneca/Oxford AZD1222 vaccine is subject to the vaccine being listed for Emergency Use by WHO, which is currently reviewing the vaccine and the outcome is expected soon, according to the agency.
WHO had said that the final shipments will be based on production capacities of vaccine manufacturers and the readiness of countries.
It further stated that recipient countries were required to submit finalized national deployment and vaccination plans to receive vaccines from the COVAX facility.
The statement said initial 90 million doses will support countries to inoculate 3 per cent of the African population most in need of protection, including health workers and other vulnerable groups in the first half of 2021.
It added that “as production capacity increases and more vaccines become available the aim is to vaccinate at least 20 per cent of Africans by providing up to 600 million doses by the end of 2021.”
As Rivers State celebrates the 58th anniversary of its creation today, some stakeholders have called on the State Government to do more towards improving the quality of infrastructure and human capital development in the State..
A cross section of stakeholders who spoke in an interview with The Tide also commended successive administrations in the state for their efforts towards expanding infrastructure network across the state.
They noted that more communities, both at the upland and riverine parts of the State, now have access to road network than when the stayte was created 58 years ago.
They, however, urged the government to return the state to the era of overseas scholarship when brilliant students are given opportunities to further their studies.
Speaking with The Tide, former youth leader of Chokota community in Etche Local Government Area, Mr. Ebere Nwankwo, said Rivers State has made progress in various fronts, despite the ongoing political crisis in the State.
Nwankwo noted that the State now has more tertiary institutions, both private and public, while the number of secondary schools have tripled.
He added that the State has also recorded tremendous progress in the area of healthcare.
According to him, healthcare has been brought closer to the doorstep of the common man, as there is hardly any local government in the state that doesn’t have a government health centre today.
The youth leader further said that many Rivers indigenes, home and abroad, have brought glory to the State in their various capacities, and urged the government to provide the enabling environment for the youths to excel.
Also speaking, the spokesperson for the International Peace Advocates, Mr. Emmanuel Nkweke, said the position of Rivers State among the comity of states in the country cannot be taken for granted.
He attributed this success to the efforts of successive administrations in repositioning the state for development.
Nkweke, however, called for a speedy resolution of the political impasse in the State to enable the State move to the next level of development.
Also speaking, a civil servant, Mrs. Ngozi Sunday, noted the efforts of government to improve the quality of lives of Rivers people, but called for a return to democratic governance in the State.
Another civil servant, Mrs. Munuonye Tina Ogechi, said Rivers State within the past 58 years has recorded significant achievements in road infrastructure, youth empowerment and repositioning of the state civil service for greater productivity.
She commended the suspended Governor of the State, Sir Similanayi Fubara, for taking the issue of women empowerment and peace seriously.
Meanwhile, a teacher, Mr. Orie Fiberesima, decried the high cost of living and lack of jobs in the State, and the need for a more effective government.
He also stressed the need for the government to look into the issue of high rent in Port Harcourt, noting that houses are now beyond the reach of the average Rivers man.
Mr. Innocent Chimobi, in his own view, urged the government to attract more industries and foreign investments to the State as a way of providing employment opportunities for the jobless youths in the State.
He also called the attention of the government to the terrible state of roads in some rural communities, advising the government to work hand in hand with the communities to foster better development.
By: John Bibor/Claire Julius
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, yesterday, unveiled a 12-member ministerial committee to oversee the 753-unit recovered housing estate linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The estate was recently handed over to the Ministry by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement released yesterday, Dangiwa emphasised the critical nature of the assignment, describing it as a key step towards realising the housing component of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The statement read, “Housing and Urban Development Minister, Ahmed Dangiwa, has inaugurated a twelve-member ministerial committee on the 753-unit recovered housing estate located in the Lokogoma district, Abuja, FCT.”
He reiterated that the committee’s mandate aligns with the President’s vision and the Ministry’s reform objectives to transform the estate into liveable, secure, and affordable homes for Nigerians.
“The committee was constituted based on the vision of Mr President and the Ministry’s housing reform drive to ensure that the recovered property is swiftly transformed into liveable, secure, and affordable homes for the benefit of Nigerians,” he said.
Dangiwa underscored the importance of technical expertise and institutional integrity in executing the assignment, noting that committee members were selected from key departments within the Ministry.
“Your selection is a testament to the confidence the Ministry has in your ability to drive this initiative with the seriousness and efficiency it demands.
“Nigerians are watching and expect results. They want to see homes completed and allocated transparently. They want to see the government working for them,” Dangiwa emphasised, urging committee members to collaborate effectively and remove unnecessary bottlenecks.
He charged them to adopt a fresh mindset, stating, “Think outside the box. Be results-oriented.”
The committee is chaired by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Shuaib Belgore, and includes senior directors and aides from the technical, financial, engineering, planning, procurement, and media departments.
The committee’s Terms of Reference include conducting a thorough structural and integrity assessment of the buildings, determining the number and condition of housing units, and valuing existing work through proper surveying and market evaluation.
Additionally, the committee will assess costs required to complete essential infrastructure such as roads, power, and water. It will also develop standards for architectural and finishing consistency, propose a fair and transparent strategy for disposal and allocation of units via the Renewed Hope Housing Portal, and devise a public engagement plan to build confidence.
The committee must ensure effective coordination with key stakeholders, including the EFCC, FCTA, and relevant utility providers. A preliminary report is expected within four weeks.
The Minister of State, Yusuf Ata, emphasised the need for the committee to co-opt additional professionals as required, given the scale of the task and tight deadline.
“The committee should have the authority to co-opt members to assist, considering the magnitude of the task and the four-week timeline,” he noted.
Belgore assured that the team would execute its duties diligently and professionally.
“The committee has been tasked with ensuring the recovered estate undergoes a comprehensive technical assessment, is strategically completed, and disposed of transparently and cost-effectively, in line with national housing delivery objectives,” he said.
He added that the success of the assignment would serve as a model for transforming recovered public assets into impactful infrastructure.
“The successful execution of this assignment will serve as a benchmark for converting recovered public assets into infrastructure that directly benefits the people,” he concluded.
Renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has been deported from Saudi Arabia after being denied entry into Medina, effectively barring him from participating in the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage.
Gumi, a Kaduna-based cleric, known for his controversial views on national and international issues, confirmed the development in a statement posted on his official Facebook page, yesterday.
“Due to some reasons related to my views on world politics, the authorities in Saudi Arabia do not want me to be present at Hajj even though they have granted me a visa,” Gumi wrote.
The cleric, who was part of a delegation of religious scholars sponsored by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), arrived at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina on Saturday night via Umza Air.
However, upon arrival, Saudi immigration officials reportedly stopped him at the airport and denied him entry into the city, before placing him on a return flight to Nigeria.
Sheikh Gumi added in a statement on his page that the Nigerian authorities have shown concern and have promised to engage Saudi officials to seek clarification and resolution.
“I am grateful to the authorities in Nigeria who have pledged to engage with the Saudi authorities on this matter,” he said.
Although no official reason has been provided by Saudi Arabia for the deportation, observers believe the action may be connected to Sheikh Gumi’s outspoken political and religious views, which may be at variance with the kingdom’s policies.
Gumi has, in recent years, played a prominent role in dialogue initiatives with armed groups in Nigeria’s northern region and has often voiced criticism of Western and Middle Eastern political interventions.
The incident has sparked discussions among religious communities and the wider public, with many questioning the implications of political ideology on religious observance.
As of the time of filing this report, there is no official statement from the Saudi embassy or the Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the development.
Sheikh Gumi has since resumed his public preaching and teaching engagements in the country.