Today's Celebrity Birthday - Kanayo O. Kanayo

Date of Birth: 01-Mar-1962

Profession: actor, film actor

Nationality: Nigeria

• Anayo Modestus Onyekwere (popularly known as Kanayo O.
• Kanayo, born March 1, 1962 in Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria) is a Nigerian actor.
• In 2006 he won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.In 1992, Kanayo made his debut film appearance in the film Living in Bondage.
• Kanayo has starred in over 100 films.He is currently a United Nations ambassador and bears the title of MFR.
• Kanayo along with Kenneth Nnebue (producer of Living in Bondage), Olu Jacobs, Enoch Adeboye, Queen Elizabeth and Fela Kuti were among Nigerians honored by the government in 2014 during the centenary celebration.

Naira Marley's case adjourned till May 13, 2020

Naira Marley to Know Fate on Evidence against him, May 13 Justice I. Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos on Friday, February, 2020, adjourned till May 13, 2020 for ruling...

Warri: Wueda Begins Construction of Storm Drainage in Uvwie

he Warri Uvwie and Environs Special Area Development Agency (WUEDA), has disclosed that the first phase of storm drainage project to check flooding in the area will commence soon from Uvwie council area of the state.

The project was designed to channel flood water directly to the natural water reservoirs surrounding Warri, Uvwie and its environs.

The agency therefore urged youths in the affected communities to corporate with the contractor handling the project so as to finish the project in record time.

Director General of WUEDA, Comrade Ovouzuorie Macaulay said this in Warri during a meeting the agency had with community leaders and the contractor, (CCC Engineering Company) handling the project.

The project, according to Macaulay, is projected to be completed in 18 months, but warned that if the project is disrupted by anybody, it can drag up to four years and above.

He said this was the only time in the history of the state that a comprehensive plan has been developed to ensure that the issue of flooding in Warri, Uvwie and Environs is resolved once and for all.

"This is the only time there is going to be comprehensive work on drainage so that at the end of the day the issue of flood in these areas will be over.

"We are calling this meeting so that the leaders in Uvwie communities can familiarise themselves with the contractor handling the project so that at the end of the day the project will not be disrupted by anybody." Macaulay said.

Today's Celebrity Birthday - Sir Victor Uwaifo

Date of Birth: 01-Mar-1941

 Place of Birth: Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

Profession: singer, songwriter, sculptor, university teacher

Nationality: Nigeria

• Prof.
• Sir Victor Uwaifo  is a Nigerian musician, writer, sculptor, and musical instrument inventor.
• He also served as commissioner for arts and culture in Edo State under the government of Lucky Igbinedion.
• Uwaifo is famous for his joromi music.
• He records under the name Sir Victor Uwaifo. His best-known songs, "Guitar Boy" and "Mami Water", were a huge hit in 1966.
• "Mami Water" was inspired by an encounter (which he has long maintained actually occurred) with a "mami water" (mermaid) while lounging on Bar Beach, Lagos.

Buhari orders crackdown on security agents over unauthorised release of 295 smuggled oil tankers

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday expressed disappointment at the unauthorised release of 295 tankers of smuggled petroleum products by security operatives at the land borders.

Consequently, the President has ordered the immediate withdrawal and replacement of the security agents undermining the country’s border closure policy.

In a statement issued Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, President Buhari also directed that the respective organisations of the security agents should sanction them appropriately.

The Federal Government had closed the country’s borders since August last year to checkmate smuggling of arms and food items.

The government also banned supply of petroleum products to fuel stations close to the borders.

He said: “The border drill has been hugely successful and has led to the interception and seizure of large quantities of foods, materials, minerals, and petroleum resources illegally trafficked across our borders. The President commends the security agencies for a job well done.

“He, however, finds it disheartening to learn that 295 smuggled petroleum tankers were released without due authorization on 17th December, 2019 by some security officials charged with the responsibility of protecting our borders.

“Sequel to this act, the National Security Adviser (NSA) was directed to set up a Board of Inquiry to investigate the crime, and it was recommended to the President that all officials (civilian or security operatives) found to have connived to undermine the government’s efforts should be withdrawn from the border drill and severely sanctioned by their respective organizations.

“The President has accepted the recommendations and directed the immediate withdrawal and replacement of all those found culpable. He has also directed that their respective organizations should mete out immediate appropriate disciplinary actions to them.”

Plateau govt quarantines 3 Chinese men for coronavirus

Three Chinese men working in a mining site in Wase area of Plateau State were on Saturday quarantined for suspected coronavirus.

The state Commissioner for Information, Dan Manjang, who disclosed this to journalists in Jos, said the trio who arrived in Abuja Wednesday travelled to the tin city on Thursday.

The commissioner said the men are still being clinically examined by a medical expert deployed by the state government.

He said: “The situation right now is that they have been isolated.

“The three Chinese came in through Abuja and once we heard that, the Commissioner for Health had to take a proactive measure to send a medical team to Wase to go and investigate the situation.

“The problem that we have is that there is a tendency for people to think that investigation or quarantine, as the case may be, means that there is an outbreak of the virus.

“As far as Plateau case is concerned, there has been no known case of this virus on the Plateau. We just took proactive measures to make sure that we place them under investigation and that will take 14 days.”

Coronavirus: All our patients have been cured — Vietnam

The Vietnamese government says all the 16 patients who were infected with coronavirus in the country have recovered.

Vu Duc Dam, the country’s deputy prime minister, was quoted as saying all the infected patients, including the oldest who is 73, had been cured and discharged from the hospital.

He said the government did not detect any new case of the infection in the last 15 days.

Although he admitted that the situation remains unpredictable, Dam said the country has won the first round of the virus.

“If fighting COVID-19 has been a war, then we have won the first round but not the entire war because the situation can be very unpredictable,” he said.

Nguyen Long, Vietnam’s deputy minister of health, said there is no medication for the virus, but added that fundamental principle has bee helpful.

He said doctors are required to treat the symptoms, like fever, and the patients should be placed on a strict, nutritious diet.

Long also said there should be a close monitoring of the oxygen saturation level in the blood of the patients.

“There’s no medication for this virus yet. We rely on fundamental principles,” he said.

Kidong Park, World Health Organization representative in Vietnam, attributed the success to the government’s “proactiveness and consistency throughout the response”.

Vietnam’s novel coronavirus case began when two Chinese nationals were found to be the first cases in Ho Chi Minh City on January 23.

Nguyen Long, Vietnam’s deputy minister of health, said there is no medication for the virus, but added that fundamental principle has bee helpful.

He said doctors are required to treat the symptoms, like fever, and the patients should be placed on a strict, nutritious diet.

Long also said there should be a close monitoring of the oxygen saturation level in the blood of the patients.

“There’s no medication for this virus yet. We rely on fundamental principles,” he said.

Kidong Park, World Health Organization representative in Vietnam, attributed the success to the government’s “proactiveness and consistency throughout the response”.

Vietnam’s novel coronavirus case began when two Chinese nationals were found to be the first cases in Ho Chi Minh City on January 23.

Benue: 400 herdsmen arrested, 600 cows seized

The Benue  State Government says it has arrested 400  herdsmen for flouting the state’s anti-open grazing law.

The state government also seized over 600 cows belonging to the herdsmen.

Governor Samuel Ortom, who revealed these in Makurdi on Friday,  ordered the livestock guards to impound any cows seen openly grazing in any part of the state.

Ortom gave the instructions while inspecting impounded cows at the quarantine unit of the state Ministry of Agriculture.

He said enforcement of the ranching law would continue to enable those who wish to do livestock business to comply with its provisions.

He said, “There has been influx of armed herdsmen with large herds of animals to the state, despite the high level of awareness creation to the existence of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law.

 “Several herds of cattle have been impounded and quarantined in other local government areas and the state government has  acquired trucks  to help livestock guards to convey impounded livestock from long distances to quarantine units for safekeeping.”

While describing the influx of herdsmen to the state as “life-threatening”,  the governor said such would not be condoned by his administration.

Ortom  said, ‘‘As of today over 400 herdsmen found to have flouted  the anti-open grazing law have been arrested and facing prosecution, some have been convicted.”

According to Ortom, ranching remains the global best practices of animals husbandry, urging Nigerians to key into it to ensure peace between herdsmen and farmers.

The Commander, Livestock Guards,  Linus Zaki, said they impounded  214 cattle in Ukum, 69 in Logo, 219 in Guma, 96 in Makurdi and 16 in Gwer West councils.

Nigerians flay Lagos commissioner for visiting Coronavirus patient without protective equipment

Nigerians have berated the Lagos State Health Commissioner, Prof. Akin Abayomi, for visiting the first index case of the novel Coronavirus without using any form of personal protective equipment.

In a number of pictures released by the commissioner on Saturday, he was seen standing at a distance not more than a meter from the Italian patient without any form of nose mask, hand gloves or special body covers as seen in other countries like China, US, Iran, France, among others where cases of COVID-19 are isolated.

The PUNCH reports that some doctors in China who wore PPE around Coronavirus patients died after they were infected with the virus.

In one of the pictures, a mosquito door net was the only barricade between Abayomi, who stated that he spoke with the patient at the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital in the Yaba area of the state during the visit.

Abayomi (first right) with two others without PPE at the facility where the Italian is quarantined

He said, “I visited the COVID19 patient, a male Italian national, who is isolated at the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, where he is been managed by our well-trained staff. I spoke to him and assured him of Lagos State government’s resolve to ensure he gets adequate care.”

The state government on Saturday had hurriedly moved the patient from a shabby facility to a ‘better’ one after Saturday PUNCH exclusively reported that the patient was very upset about the condition of the facility and had complained of heat and mosquitoes.

@adewalefajana said, “I expected that Prof would be in full protective gears when visiting the patient. We can’t afford to lose another prominent person like him. Dr. Adedevoh’s departure leaves a wound so hard to heal.”

@aiksmart said, “Prof, to imagine that you went into this facility with zero PPE is mind-blowing!”

@Mrsegun11 said, “The prof self isn’t safe right now.”

@ESQUIRE_LGD said, “I see three prospective COVID patients.”

@tosin_olaluwoye said, “Prof, I don’t think there is anything heroic about visiting a coronavirus patient WITHOUT PPE. Yes, maybe you did not get to close but as they say, better safe than sorry.”

@macheteros expressed shock at the demarcation between the commissioner and the patient, saying, “Is that a net door I see? Jesus!”

@ogbokomerry also said, “You mean you went there without PPE? Just a net door separating you from the Italian guy. I am in shock!”

Source: Punch

Coronavirus: Italian-Nigerian footballer infected

King Paul Akpan Udoh, Italian-Nigerian player, has become the first footballer to be infected with coronavirus .

King Paul currently plies his trade with Pianese, an Italian Serie C side.

The Pianese forward was diagnosed of the disease on February 27, and he has been quarantined.

The 22-year-old started his career with Reggiana before moving to Juventus in 2011 where he was loaned back for a year.

After progressing through the youth ranks of Juventus, Udoh secured a loan move to Virtus Lanciano, a Serie B side in 2016 with an option to buy at the end of the season.

Failing to impress, he was returned to Juve, and then loaned to Lega Pro side Pontedera later the same year.

He had a loan stint with Pontedera, Fernana, Fano and Viareggio before joining Pianese on July 14, 2019.

Coronavirus has spread from China to countries in Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Africa.

Italy is the country in Europe with the highest number of reported cases. Some Italian Serie A matches were postponed last weekend as a preventive measure against the spread of the virus.

On Friday, the Lagos state government and the federal ministry of health confirmed the first case of coronavirus in Nigeria. The index patient is an Italian who arrived in the country on February 25.