Author: oduduwanews

The rate at which people with physical challenges are begging for alms on the streets, markets and motor parks have become increasingly alarming. The activities of these destitutes have marred the image of Nigeria in the comity of nations. Unfortunately, there seems to be no social welfare programme for them by the successive governments.

Physical disability is a limitation on a person’s physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina. It is an hinderance which limits other facets of daily living. Physical disability may be congenital or acquired. It may be due to diseases, embryonic or fetal developmental malformation, genetic disorders, obstruction of the respiratory tract, damage to the brain during birth, premature birth, genetic disorders, accidents or infection.

Succinctly, the deviation is a consequence of neuro-muscular and skeletal problem. As such, people with disabilities often rely for mobility upon devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, walking sticks and artificial limbs. Pitiably, some move on their knees and hands; padded by slippers.

From the above, it could be deduced that physical disability is a deviation which prevents full social or educational development. Unfortunately, the deviation relegates the physical disabled and places a stigma on them as they are referred to in the society as destitutes.

People with physically disability are incapacitated to get their means of livelihood due to be the deficiency or anomaly in their limbs, ears or eyes. The impairments have certainly placed a limit to want they can do. To most of them, the best job they could do is to go cap – in- hand. What a myopic view! This has; on many occasions, constituted public nuisance. The menace of destitutes got to a stage sometimes in Lagos state when the government was compelled to evict them from the streets. So many were banished to their states of origins.

For quite an age,
the disabled have remained neglected part of the society.
Conversely, social isolation or lack of close social ties with them has widened their poor health and increased mortality risk.

However, the knowledge of physical and Health Education has awaken the consciousness of the nation and the world to the fact that physical disability does not in any way compel one to resort to begging on the streets. Both able-bodied and those who have physical challenges have potentials inherent in them which could fetch them money and put food on their tables if well harnessed. One of such ways is paralympic games.

Paralympic games is a periodic series of sporting events involving athletes with a range of disabilities.
It is organized in parallel with Olympic Games. While Olympic is exclusively for the able-body,
athletes competing in para-sports have an impairment that leads to a competitive disadvantage. Consequently, the essence of this special sports is to minimise the impact of impairments in the disabled with a view to making them become independent and contribute to societal growth.

In a bid to cater for the impediments, paralympics rules and regulations are modified. The modifications may be in form of durations, dimensions, facilities and a host of others. All these are adjusted to ease the inconveniences associated with their deformities. Adjustment is essential to remove any barrier.

Precisely, paralympic plays a triumvirate roles in the lives of the physically- challenged. It rehabilitates, serves as a means of livelihood and remove the stigma. Verily, verily, it offers them a new lease of life.

From the evolution of paralympics,
the purpose was to assist the large number of war veterans and civilians who had been injured during world war. In 1944, at the request of the British government, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann opened a spinal injuries centre at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital using sports as a therapeutic and rehabs measure. With time, rehabilitation sports evolved to recreational sports and then to competitive sport.
It was not until after World War II however, that it was widely introduced.

The intent of this write up is to passionately appeal to the government to show compassion to the plight of the disabled. They need a respite and affection. They certainly need government attention which could bail them out of humiliation.

Like in the developed nations, government could establish football leagues, basketball tournaments, athletics competitions, racket games and other activities that could attract public sympathy and spectators. These events have a direct bearing on their social lives and from there, national paralympics team could be chosen.

Funding paralympic games may not be as easy as olympics because of people’s apathy to the social welfare of these special species. It is not impossible to raise funds either. All it requires is counterpart funding from governments, NGOs, philantopic gestures, local and multi- national companies plus money realized as gate fees from spectators.

In summary, these people are part of the society who have always performed their civic duties during elections. Government should stop playing hypocrisy. If you can canvass for their votes, what stops you from organising activities that could enliven their spirits and boost their morales! This service to humanity is globally recognised and celebrated every December 3rd as International Day Of Disabled Person which was proclaimed in 1992 by United Nations General Assembly resolution with the principle of equalisation of opportunity.

As the world engages in 2020 paralympic games which will commence on August 24 and end on September 4, government needs to borrow a clue from other nations with a view to doing the needful.

Comrade Lekan Badmus is a freelance writer, Education and Sports Consultant.

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has confirmed the record of 135 fatalities in the current third wave of the pandemic, highlighting the havoc being wreaked by deadly strains of the virus spreading in the country.

The Governor during a briefing on Monday at the State house, Ikeja revealed that the State has taken the delivery of Moderna vaccine from the Federal Government.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed the State received a little above 300,000 doses of Moderna vaccine to boost the State drive towards achieving herd immunity.

The test positivity rate, the Governor added, has also increased to 12.1 per cent in the past weeks, compared to seven per cent recorded at the end of July, 2021. This, he said, resulted from non-adherence to the laid-down health protocols designed to stop the spread of the pandemic.

Sanwo-Olu said the situation called for more responsibility, urging the residents to adhere to the preventive protocols put in place by the Government.

He said: “We are now clearly in the middle of third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and Lagos has remained the epicenter of the disease in Nigeria. Test positivity rate currently stands at 12.1 per cent, compared to 1.1 per cent at the end of June, and seven per cent at end of July. As at August 21, 4,387 positive cases are currently being managed actively in-community.

“Over the course of managing the COVID-19 pandemic, about 5,551 patients have been admitted into our various COVID-19 care centres in Lagos, with 506 registered fatalities. Of these deaths, 135 have sadly, happened in this current third wave. I commiserate with all residents who have lost loved ones to the pandemic. We share in your pain and grief. As a society and as a Government, it is for us to redouble our efforts to defeat this devastating pandemic.”

The increment in positive cases, Sanwo-Olu said, has also shot up oxygen demand at the Government-controlled isolation centres, with the State supplying 400 cylinders daily to patients with severe cases.

At the beginning of the third wave, it was learnt that 75 cylinders were consumed per day at the isolation centres.

Sanwo-Olu said the State would be ramping up its oxygen plants in the coming days, as he projected that the demand for oxygen may shoot up in the next few weeks.

From next Wednesday, the Governor said Lagos would start the distribution of the first dose of Moderna vaccine across 150 centres set up in the State for the exercise. Increasing vaccination, the Governor said, will stem cases of fatalities, urging residents to get the vaccine.

He said: “In terms of treatment of severe cases, we have seen a gradual increase in the uptake of oxygen during the current wave. Utilization has increased from 75 cylinders per day at the beginning of this third wave, to over 400 cylinders per day, currently. With our modelling suggesting that we may be requiring even more oxygen supply over the next few weeks, we are exploring several ways of increasing our oxygen capacity.

“One of the major pillars of our mitigation strategy for the third wave is vaccination. We are seeing that countries that have vaccinated a large percentage of their population are recording drastic reductions in the numbers of COVID-19 related deaths. This is one of the reasons why we have not spared any cost to ensure that the vaccines that have been provided by the Federal Government are made available to every resident that meets the requirements for the vaccination programme.”

As part of the strategy to stem the cases, Sanwo-Olu said the State Government identified 5,998 Persons of Interest and had successfully isolated 4,500 of them, most of whom arrived from red-listed countries.

The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, August 20, 2021, arrested 37 suspected internet fraudsters.

The suspects were arrested at Ibadan and Oyo town, Oyo State following intelligence on their alleged involvement in internet fraud.

The suspects include Kehinde Emmanuel Ayoola, Adewale Adeparosi Samson, Adeniran Tijesunmi Ayobami, Abiodun Olamide, Olaoye Afolabi Bolarinwa, Ajibade Sodiq Ayodeji, Babalola Opeyemi David, Fatunbi Gboluwaga Oludotun, Abdusalam Mojeeb Ololade, Taiwo Emmanuel Olaoluwa and Oyewole Oyewunmi Fred.

Others are Akinboade Fatai Jimmy, Oyewole Samod. Others are: Ishola Akinyemi Labayo, Ayinde Oluwasegun Ridwan, Oladokun Abdulkadri Akolade, Adebayo Dare Basit, Adebayo Tola Kudus, , Oladeji Joseph Popoola Samuel Ayomide, Oladoja Oluwaseun Peter, Olakunbi Feranmi Ayodeji, Khalid Mohammed, Salimon Sodiq and Oparemi Ayomide James.

The suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

The Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde and other government officials today attended the induction ceremony of the newly recruited 5,000 teachers in the State.

The induction ceremony which was held at Conference Centre, University of Ibadan had in attendance participants across the 33 local government areas in the State. The snapshots below are for photostory.

By: Emmanuel Dominic

The Ondo State Government on the 23rd, Monday of August released a statement, saying it has promoted over 6,106 workers of the state civil service and has recruited 1,843 new workers to the service.

The government stated, the new workers recruited were in the engineering, health, and education sectors while workers who were promoted cut across all the ministries, departments, and various agencies of the government.

Mr. Niran Adeyemo, the State Head of Service made this in Akure the capital of the state while speaking with the PRESS on the activities to mark the Public Service Day celebration, slated for the 24th and 25th of August 2021.

He then stated that the recruitment and promotion exercise was approved by the state governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu.

In his statement, “The government has promoted a total of 6,128 workers in the civil service. Some of the workers have collected their promotion letters, while some are still collecting theirs now. We have also recruited 1,200 teachers who have undergone training.”

“We have also recently employed 18 qualified engineers into the Ministry of Works to work in the ongoing infrastructural projects across the state. About 625 primary health workers have also been recruited and they had been sent to the 18 local government areas of the State. The few ones that are on temporary appointments have had their appointment regularised.”

Based on the issues of alleged anomalies in the staff salaries, the Head of Service stated that the government pays the workers based on the allocation given to the state, and said the issue would soon be settled.

Mr. Niran then commended the governor,  Mr. Akeredolu administration for taking the well-being of the civil servants as a top priority in which he stated “Recall that this administration inherited seven-month unpaid salaries and allowances. Within a space of about two years, the salary backlogs are almost completely cleared, leaving only a month. To date, the promotions of all eligible officers are being effected and works are in progress for the 2022 promotion exercise,”

Mr. Niran advised the workers to shun unprofessional practices and instead give their very best, saying, “Our motto in our reform effort ‘to do my best for a better should be strictly adhered to. To whom much is given, much is required”

The former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo has hosted the National Working Committee of Peoples’ Democratic Party members at his Presidential Villa on Thursday 19th of August at his library where he coached the members of the party on their choice of presidential candidate for 2023 presidential election in the country.

He asked that the pedigree of the aspiring candidate for the elections should be considered when the party is picking their candidate of choice. He asked the party should consider the way the president of the USA is from a two main political parties.

It was gathered that the PDP leaders informed the former President Olusegun Obasanjo not to “siddon look” during this critical time for the country as things are getting worse in the country.

Obasanjo has disclosed in the past that he has ended his 17 years relationship with the PDP members six years ago  on the 16th of February 2015, and has since then not joined any other political party. He claimed he is done with politics when rumor had it that he plans to start a new political party back then . He  still welcomes the party members giving them the necessary advice and suggestion on how to face the future as a concerned citizens and one party.

He made it known to the members of the party after appreciating their visit, that they should study the electoral process of presidential candidates in the America, adding that leaders don’t just get selected because of their wealth but the processes they have gone through determine their qualification. He also made mention of the US following a particular pattern when it comes to selecting a leader, citing the election of the Prime Minister of United Kingdom as an example. Stating that is someone who knows the country, and its system, and has prior knowledge of the country dealings in all areas should be allowed to rule the nation.

He also expressed his dissatisfaction with the country’s financial status, how the country has been busy increasing its debts by borrowing money globally.

He used his tenure as an example of how he ensured that all governors gave account of their foreign investments in their states just to make sure that the country’s financial status was not in wrecking form.    

Isedowo Oluwatosin Temijuayolo

The Ekiti State COVID-19 Task Force monitoring and enforcement team has shut down two popular eateries and a new generation bank in Ado-Ekiti capital city earlier this morning for allegedly violating COVID-19 protocols, put in place by the state government to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

The eateries and the financial institution located at Ajilosun and Irona roads respectively were shut for allegedly violating the COVID-19 prevention guidelines as stipulated by the government.

The Task Force during the weekend, also visited mosques, churches, market places as well business organisations within the state to sensitise them on the need to keep strictly to the pandemic protocols.

The senior special assistant to Governor Kayode Fayemi on Public Health, Dr Jimlas Ogunsakin, while speaking with the newsmen said the routine exercise by the team is with the main aim of  engaging the communities on the need to prevent residents of the state against the third wave of the pandemic.

Lamenting over the situation, Ogunsakin said Ekiti State government has spent millions of naira on the treatment of COVID-19 patients within the last six months.

He revealed that the state had recorded 300 fresh cases of the virus within one week, the development he said was a source of great concern to the government and the people of the state.

“We will continue the sensitisation to all local government areas within the state and ensure that people keep to the protocols” ,he stated.

The Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has given a matching order that we should embark on aggressive sensitisation and community engagement on the need to prevent further spread of the pandemic,” he stated.