COVID-19: Fayemi names 46-man Resource Mobilisation Committee - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has set up a 47-member panel of eminent citizens of the state, including three former governors, to help mobilise resources to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, reports ITREALMS.

The Panel which is officially known as Ekiti State COVID-19 Response Resource Mobilisation Committee has the former Minister of Health and Chairman, Juli Pharmacy, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi as Chairman.

The Founder/Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola will serve as the Grand Patron, while three former governors of the state were named as Patrons.

The three former governors to serve as Patrons are Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Chief Segun Oni and Chief Ayodele Fayose.

The Committee has as members captains of industry, distinguished private sector players, renowned professionals and prominent members of Ekiti in the Diaspora.

The list include Chairman, Standard Chartered Bank, Sir Remi Omotoso; former Chairman United African Company (UAC), Mr. Ayo Ajayi; Principal Partner, Aluko and Oyebode & Co, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode; CEO of Ecobank International, Mr. Ade Ayeyemi; Chairman, Boyage Oil and Gas, Otunba Olutoye Ariyo; President, Nigeria-American Chamber of Commerce, Otunba Toyin Akomolafe; a former President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Senator Ayo Arise..

Others include renowned Oncologist and Director, Global Medicine, University of Chicago, USA, Prof Funmi Falusi-Olopade; Vice President, International Affairs, Kings’ College, London, Prof Funmi Olonisakin; former Executive Secretary, NHIS, Dr Femi Thomas; Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN); Managing Director, Luk Oil Nigeria Ltd, Mr Kunle Gidado, CEO Agro Innovate, Mrs Foluso Olaniyan and former NBA National Secretary, Mr Dele Adesina (SAN).

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Development Partnerships, Mrs Margaret Fagboyo, is the secretary to the committee.

According to a release by the Secretary to the State Government, Hon Biodun Oyebanji, the committee’s mandate among others, is to mobilise and advise on funds and project management, direct funding campaigns for the Covid-19 response.

He said the state government would do everything humanly possible to contain the spread of the covid-19 pandemic in the state, while assuring the citizens of the Dr Fayemi-led administration’s commitment to accountability and transparency in the management of resources mobilised.

Ayo Midele/Editor

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COVID-19: FirstBank salutes medical professionals - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

First Bank of Nigeria Limited has saluted the medical professionals on how they are tackling the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria and the world.

The Bank in series of tweets on its Twitter page on Friday, acknowledged the role medical experts are playing to fight the virus.

Some of the messages read: “No capes, just heroes. To all the health professionals at the frontline of efforts to tackle COVID-19, we say thank you. Your timeless efforts are much appreciated. The world called and they responded.”

“No cape, just lab-coats. No superhuman capability, just dedication, strength, and compassion. As we play our parts of staying at home, we thank our medical professionals for being our ‘Avengers’.”

“The world called and they responded. We salute our frontline warriors.”

FirstBank has been in the forefront of supporting the drive to flatten the curve with promoting public enlightenment being among its many measures to check the rising spread of Coronavirus since the outbreak of the disease in Nigeria.

Recall, the lender, as part of a robust effort to combat the deadly virus, recently announced a donation of N1 billion to the federal government of Nigeria for the expansion of health facilities, purchase of relief materials, critical care facilities, protective gears to contain the spread of the virus and treating individuals diagnosed with the disease.

The donation is in addition to the Bank’s drive to move one million children to e-learning, together with an early partner – Roducate – as recommended by the Lagos State Ministry of Education.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, the e-learning initiative is a complementary effort in education to support students and minimise the disruption to their education resulting from closure of schools.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Friday night confirmed 20 new cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

Eleven cases were confirmed in Lagos, three cases confirmed in the FCT, 3 in Edo, two in Osun and one in Ondo

“Two new deaths have been recorded in Lagos and Edo States, with 25 cases discharged. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria to 210,” the centre said.*Felix Onajite, first published in TheWitness/Editor

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Asiwaju Tinubu Hails Celebrity Journalist Mayor Akinpelu at 60

ITREALMS: 

All Progressives Congress National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has praised prominent celebrity journalist, Mr. Mayowa Abiodun Akinpelu, popularly known as Mayor Akinpelu, for his vital contributions to the media, good governance and equitable society, reports ITREALMS.

In a congratulatory message to Mayor Akinpelu on his 60th birthday, Asiwaju Tinubu described him as a progressive politician and a collaborator who, through informed analysis and critique, has helped shape public issues and policies.

Asiwaju Tinubu said of Akinpelu in a statement released in Lagos on Saturday by his Media Office signed by Mr. Tunde Rahman:

“Mayor Akinpelu is on record to have come into journalism by coincidence, when, as a prison official at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, he came in contact with two prominent journalists. He later went on to make a tremendous success of the profession.

“Akinpelu quickly set himself apart for his rigour, unique style and exquisite taste. He was one of those who pioneered celebrity journalism in the country.

“And as a social commentator, he has helped the course of good governance and positively impacted public issues and policies.

“With his rich political pedigree, Akinpelu is himself a progressive politician and a collaborator who brings in tremendous value.

“As he joins the Sexagenarian Club, I pray that Almighty Allah grant him many more years, robust health and the required energy to continue to contribute positively towards the advancement of good governance and equitable society.”

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COVID-19: Nigeria yet to issue any license for 5G - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), has cleared the air over purported play or deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) networks in Nigeria as there is no frequency spectrum released in this regards, reports ITREALMS.

Pantami in a press statement personally endorsed and made available to ITREALMS, he said his attention has been drawn to the public concern about the health implications of the deployment of Fifth Generation Mobile Networks (5G) in Nigeria and based on available records he clarified as follows:

"i. The National Frequency Management Council (NFMC), of which I am the Chairman, has not deliberated on or released any bulk frequency spectrum for the deployment of 5G;

"ii. No license has been issued for the deployment of 5G in the country;

"iii. A 3-month study trial commenced on the 25th of November, 2019 in order to critically review and study the health and security implications of deploying 5G in Nigeria;

"iv. As part of the study trial process, I directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure that a team of experts, security agencies and other stakeholders fully participate in the trial process and my office also invited these agencies to participate in the trial; and

"v. The trial process has been concluded and the study and reporting process is currently ongoing."

As said by Pantami, the President, General Muhammadu Buhari, retired, places a premium on the welfare, health and security of Nigerians.

"As such, our desire for technological advancement will never be at the expense of the health and welfare of our citizens," he declared.

Pantami assured that FG will not act on the speculations only, but rather we will take an informed decision on 5G after due consultation with experts and the public.

"I have also directed the NCC to engage citizens on any questions or concerns they may have regarding 5G ... We advise you all to remain rest assured that government will always take the welfare, health and security of the public into account while considering the deployment of any technology," he assured.

Remmy Nweke/DoP

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ChineseVirus-19: ALTON, NCC warn over fake news on 5G causing COVID - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has advised telecom consumers to discountenance a purported claim that Fifth Generation (5G) is the root of ChineseVirus-19 also known as CoronaVirus or Covid-19, saying it lacks scientific prove, reports ITREALMS.

This came as the telecom regulator in the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has also dismissed the claim on 5G as the cause of Corona virus as claimed in certain quarters.

ALTON through its chairman, Engr Gbenga Adebayo told ITREALMS that the video making a round on social media lacks scientific prove.

“There is no scientific prove and this rumor should be discontented,” he said, stressing that there is no scientific basis for the claim that 5G is responsible for Covid-19.

The world is still seeking to know the source of the infection virus and it had not been traced to anything, not to talk of telecommunications.

He warned that Nigerians should be careful about spreading such information.

“Science is different from fiction and the peddlers of such information should be careful not to misinform the public,” he warned.

The Federal Government, Adebayo noted, is already doing a lot to curb the spread and this type of information is capable of causing diversion from the reality of what the world is facing and the scientific steps needed to curtail the spread.

He urged all well-meaning citizens of the world especially in Nigeria to continue to join hands with Government in their efforts “to keep us all safe.”

Adebayo posited that looking at 5G penetrating so far and the number of countries with incidences of mortality due to Covid-19, there is no basis to relate this to 5G.

“Many of those countries do not have 5G in commercial use. This virus was said to have started in Wahum in China, there are many other provinces of China with 5G that were not affected by the virus,” he pointed out, maintaining that there is no scientific prove and this rumor should be discontented.ITREALMS gathered that there have been extensive social media outrages over audio clips circulating on social media especially WhatsApp and Telegram by a Nigerian living in United Kingdom (UK) and unknown former CEO of Vodafone that 5G is the root of current pandemic occasioned as Chinese Virus-19 also known as Coronavirus or COVID-19.

Also, in his reaction, NCC through its Director, Public Affairs, Dr. Henry Nkemadu asked Nigerians to avoid being distracted by such fake news videos, saying that currently, Nigeria is not installing any satellite with respect to 5G, therefore the claims are unfounded.

He described those as propaganda videos, stressing that the world is in a perilous times and everybody seem to be looking for what to hang unto. Some are using them to preach end times and all manner of things.

He rather advised Nigerians to focus on the more likely the threat of 5G that requires robust societal conversations, which borders on its adoption for an open society.

Chuks Egbune/DoP

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ChineseVirus-19: Report human rights breaches on this four lines says NHRC - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

In solidarity with Nigerians on the Federal Government (FG) directive for a 2-week lockdown on the Chinese Virus-19 also known as Coronavirus or Covid-19, devoid of human rights violations, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has designated four mobile lines for reporting of any breach, reports ITREALMS.

Since the commencement of the COVID-19 lockdown, media have been awash with clips of human rights violations by security operatives claiming to enforce FG directives.

ITREALMS gathered that the numbers designated by the NHRC for reporting and documenting human rights violations during the implementation of Covid-19 Regulations are: 

1.08037875427,

2. ‪08179371339,

3.08034354537,

4. ‪07033398657,

NHRC also directed staff to monitor and document all cases of human rights violations across the country for necessary action.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu Esq, was quoted by the Director Corporate Affairs at NHRC, Lambert Oparah, in a press statement available to ITREALMS, as directing members of the public to report by telephone calls or text messages or video to relevant staff of the Commission and ensure that such reports include the location of the violation, date, time of such violations including a clear description of alleged violators and their victims, their gender and vulnerability (if possible, name, Sex,  rank and security outfit of security personnel(s) or official(s)). 

The Commission listed the two states of Lagos and Ogun as well as the FCT where the Federal Government on 29th March gave directives for a 2-week lockdown over the COVID-19 for close monitoring. 

Any complaints of human rights violations according to the Commission should be reported to the commission for documentation and directed for redress to the Commissioners of police of the three areas which include:

i) CP FCT: ‪08033027731

ii) CP Lagos: ‪08033438179 and

iii) CP OGUN: ‪08033438900

iv) Similarly, any complaints of violations involving the Military should be reported to the Commission for documentation and directed for redress to the Director Army, Civil Military Affairs: ‪08057750691.

The statement also called on members of the public to report all cases of human rights violations to the Commissioners of police of the various states and the offices of the Commission across the country .

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

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Nigerians, Buhari mourn Phebean Ogundipe, author of Brighter Grammar - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The President, General Muhammadu Buhari has joined Nigerians and the family of Ogundipe to mourn Phebean Ogundipe, the author of legendary English textbook, Brighter Grammar and co-author of Practical English, who died at the age of 92, reports ITREALMS.

President Buhari extends heartfelt commiserations to Ogundipe’s family, friends, the academia, former students of the educationist and indeed all Nigerians, who drank from the fountain of knowledge of the endowed English teacher.

The President believes that Ogundipe’s life was defined by her passion for education and uncommon dedication to serve others; stressing that her legacy will live on.

He affirms that as a gifted child who meritoriously earned a full scholarship for her secondary education, Ogundipe’s exceptional career as a civil servant in the Federal Ministry of Education, an English teacher in different schools, Deputy Chief Federal Adviser on Education, and acting director in the Federal Ministry, among others, left an indelible mark in the nation’s education sector, particularly the teaching and learning of English language.

As a recipient of the National Honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) and other numerous awards for her works on education, the President avers that the Ogundipe will be fondly remembered and honoured for the various roles and responsibilities in facilitating teaching, learning, assessment, research, curriculum development, and policy in the nation’s educational system.

A press statement endorsed by Senior Special Assistant to the President, (Media & Publicity), Malam Garba Shehu, quoted President Buhari as praying God Almighty to grant the soul of the departed eternal rest and comfort all who mourn.

ITREALMS recalls that the famous author of English Language books and an educationist, Mrs Phebean Ajibola Ogundipe, had dead. She was to clock 93 in May 2020.

Mrs Ogundipe, popularly known as PA Ogundipe, was famous for English Language books such as Brighter Grammar series which she co-authored with M. Macaulay and C.E. Eckersley; New Practical English for Senior Secondary series which she co-authored with P.S. Tregidgo; a novel, Up-country Girl: A personal journey and truthful portrayal of African culture, among others.

Mrs Ogundipe, who was born on May 16, 1927, died early on Friday, March 27, in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America, and was buried in the same Friday.

Uj. N. Dominic/Editor

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COVID-19: NHRC frowns @security agents violating human rights, staff to monitor reports - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has frowned at reported cases of human rights violations by security operatives enforcing the Federal Government directives on COVID-19 lockdown, urging Nigerians to report such cases, reports ITREALMS.

NHRC also directed staff to monitor and document all cases of human rights violations across the country for necessary action.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu Esq, was quoted by the Director Corporate Affairs at NHRC, Lambert Oparah, in a press statement available to ITREALMS, as directing members of the public to report by telephone calls or text messages or video to relevant staff of the Commission and ensure that such reports include the location of the violation, date, time of such violations including a clear description of alleged violators and their victims, their gender and vulnerability (if possible, name, Sex, rank and security outfit of security personnel(s) or official(s)).

The Commission listed the two states of Lagos and Ogun as well as the FCT where the Federal Government on 29th March gave directives for a 2-week lockdown over the COVID-19 for close monitoring.

Any complaints of human rights violations according to the Commission should be reported to the commission for documentation and directed for redress to the Commissioners of police of the three areas which include:

i) CP FCT: ‪08033027731

ii) CP Lagos: ‪08033438179 and

iii) CP OGUN: ‪08033438900

iv) Similarly, any complaints of violations involving the Military should be reported to the Commission for documentation and directed for redress to the Director Army, Civil Military Affairs: ‪08057750691.

The statement also called on members of the public to report all cases of human rights violations to the Commissioners of police of the various states and the offices of the Commission across the country .

It will be recalled that the NHRC had on the 30th of March, 2020 following FG directives on COVID-19 called on law enforcement agencies to refrain from all forms of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment of Nigerians in the implementation of the directives of the Government in line with the Anti Torture Act of 2017 and Convention Against Torture, to which Nigeria is a party.

Reports indicate that some security operatives were openly torturing and violating the rights of citizens in flagrant disregard to rules of their engagements, the laws of Nigeria and its international Obligations. The Numbers designated by the NHRC for reporting and documenting human rights violations during the implementation of Covid-19 Regulations are:

1.08037875427,

2. ‪08179371339,

3.08034354537,

4. ‪07033398657,

Members of the public and bystanders and eyewitnesses who can get video coverage of any violations are encouraged to forward same to the said numbers by WhatsApp giving as much detail as possible to help locate and hold accountable violating law enforcement officials. The Commission enjoins all citizens in the affected states to comply with the Covid-19 directives to protect their rights to health and that of others.

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

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Covid-19 lockdown: FG opens 4-hour window for foods restocking - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Federal Government has given a lea way for citizens to restock their needs, especially food as the lockdown now has a window of four-hour shopping, reports ITREALMS.

The latest order came from the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Wednesday, informing ITREALMS that all markets in states where a lockdown were imposed including Lagos, FCT and Ogun; will now be allowed to open between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm daily.

Affirming this development, the National Co-ordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Aliyu Sani, said this on Wednesday during a briefing by members of the task force.

“For markets, only shops and stalls selling food and groceries shall be allowed to open to customers between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm,” he declared.

Cautioning however that for supermarkets and food stores, their opening hours must be between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm and all owners and managers have been warned to screen staff and customers before entry.

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

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Covid-19: Lagos Covid musical gang debuts @Mainland Isolation centre - ITREALMS

Trending@ITREALMS: 

The Lagos Covid gang 2020 has made a debut from their isolation centre at the Mainland Hospital Onikan Lagos, with a musical track, in their efforts to join forces in combating the pandemic ChineseVirus-19 also known as Coronavirus or Covid-19, declaring the virus is real, reports ITREALMS.

The gang, ITREALMS gathered includes some passionate health workers and male suspected victims of Covid-19 in a male ward, urging adherence to stay at home order.

According to the footnote left on the video, the individuals featured in the video had COVID-19 and are receiving treatment.

They said, the video was done by them to inform the public about the virus and to “show us that COVID-19 is not a death sentence.”

For them, who danced to the rthyme on the video, Covid-19 does not know colour, sex, religion or age and urged people to follow simple advisory as has been given by the Incident Commander and other health experts. Some of the messages appeared in Hausa and English respectively.

“Together we can kick Coronavirus virus out of Lagos State and Nigeria,” they declared.

The one-minute video making wave online, saw them carrying various messages on a placard made up of torn cartons, some white A4 papers, urging Nigerians to stay home that Covid-19 is real.

The Lagos Covid gang numbering about 13 included some Nigerians and foreigners saw them united in this battle against this pandemic.

Some of the placards displayed very inspiring messages such as "Health workers also have families but they can't stay home. Please stay home, stay alive." #lagoscovidgang2020.

2. "Its as real as it gets people!!. We are living through this, but we are confident we will overcome together!!! Kudos to Lagos and its amazing team. #lagoscovidgang2020.

3."Hey people. We are foreigners here and we are begging you to stay home for your relatives sake." #lagoscovidgang2020.

4. "Many thanks to all the health workers. They have been a blessing. #lagoscovidgang2020.

5. "Please stay home!!! It's Real!!! WE are in it and by His Grace we shall be out soon!!! Many thanks to the teams of Mainland Hospital and a big well-done to the Lagos Government. #lagoscovidgang2020.

6. "Lagos Mun Gode, Da Taimako, Kowa ya Zauna a Gida saboda Covid-19. Longlive Nigeria! #lagoscovidgang2020.

7. "Please stay home. Thanks to the doctors, nurses, cleaners and all the health workers. We appreciate you. #lagoscovidgang2020.

8. "Covid-19 is real. Save your loved ones. Save our health workers. Stay at home. #lagoscovidgang2020.

9. "Please stay home. Thanks to the doctors, nurses, cleaners and all the health workers. We appreciate you. #lagoscovidgang2020.

10. "Many thanks to all the Health Workers. They have been a blessing. #lagoscovidgang2020.

11. “Hey people. We are foreigners here and we are begging you to stay home for your relatives’ sake. #lagoscovidgang2020.

12. "Shout out to the Doctors, Nurses, Cleaners, Potters and the entire Lagos State government!!!! God bless Nigeria!!! Stay home and stay safe. #lagoscovidgang2020
ITREALMS also reported that the victims who have improved tremendously, left a footnote advising Nigerians to follow simple advisory by the Incident Commander and other health experts, so as to collectively kick Chinesevirus-19 or Coronavirus out of Lagos State and Nigeria.

Chuks Egbune/Editor

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HolyWeek: What Martins told priests, religious, faithful @Archdiocese of Lagos - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

1.Holy Week Ceremonies: Since we cannot transfer the Holy Week celebrations and Easter to another time, we shall celebrate in ways most appropriate for these times. The lockdown that government has imposed upon our State has compelled us to alter the aspects of the earlier directives given in our circular on Curtailing the Spread of Corona virus. The following shall be the way by which we shall celebrate the Holy Week this year:

Palm Sunday: shall be celebrated in the same way as we have been celebrating Sunday Masses in the last two weeks except that as the priests celebrate, they shall bless the quantity of palms that they would need for Ash Wednesday of 2021 DV.

Mass of the Lord’s Supper: may be celebrated also by priests in their parishes but without the presence of the lay faithful. Of course, there should be neither washing of feet nor procession with the Blessed Sacrament at the end of Mass. The Blessed Sacrament shall be reposed in the Tabernacle as usual.

Good Friday: As the celebration is done by priests in their parishes, there should be a prayer for those who find themselves in distress, the sick and the dead added to the Universal Prayers during the celebration.

Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday: Celebrations shall be held in the Cathedral and Parish Churches. For the Baptismal Liturgy only the Renewal of Baptismal Promises is maintained (Cf. Missale Romanum)

Easter Monday: Of course, the normal Galilee Day Celebration is not to be held this year.

2. FASTING AND PRAYING: APRIL 2nd - 8TH 2020: We know that unless the Lord builds the house, in vain does the builder labour; and unless the Lord watches over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil. it is therefore important that we step up our prayers asking God to bring an end to the corona virus problem. Whenever there were scourges and plagues in the history of mankind, prayers turned out to be the ultimate solution. It is in this light that we ask all Priests, Religious and lay faithful to pray more fervently than ever before.

We already have a prayer that we are saying, and I hope that this is being said at families’ prayers. In addition to that, I want to enjoin all the faithful in the Archdiocese of Lagos to embark on a period of Fasting and Prayers for the intention of bringing an end to the COVID-19 problem.

From 2nd of April 2020 to 8th of April 2020 we should all FAST and gather together in PRAYERS at 3.00pm each day for the Divine Mercy Prayer. The lockdown that we are experiencing at this time is Divine Providence that makes it easy for us to gather as families to say the prayers at 3pm for the duration. When the faithful is united in prayer for a common intention at an agreed time, we have no doubt that the promise of God that He would be present wherever two or three are gathered in His name will come to pass. He will, indeed, be present to receive our prayers and grant our hearts’ desire.


Our effort to fast is apart from the Lenten fast and the Divine Mercy Prayer is particularly directed towards asking for God’s mercy concerning the corona virus pandemic all over the world. Priests and Associations of the Lay faithful should kindly pass this message to all their members wherever they may be.

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CSEAN president says Covid-19 to create virtual office practices in Nigeria - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Despite absence of relevant infrastructure in the country, a cyber security expert, Mr. Remi Afon has predicted that the current ChineseVirus-19 also known as Covid-19 pandemic will lead to companies in Nigeria adopting to virtual office practices, reports ITREALMS.

Afon, who is also the President of the Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN), stated this today while featuring on Channel TV's Sunrise Daily to discuss ‘Work from Home: Accessing Supporting Infrastructure & Cyber security’.

“The Coronavirus crisis has seen an unparalleled number of employees working remotely. This is a practice that was not hitherto encouraged in Nigeria, largely because of trust. I believe that going forward; a lot of companies in Nigeria will begin to practice it as it saves resources and man-hours. Working from home is the future of jobs,” he stated on the programme, which was done via Skype from London.

He, however, argued that this can only be possible when the challenges of basic infrastructure like electricity, Internet and other forms of connectivity have been addressed.

Meanwhile, Afon has warned that companies that assigned employees to remote locations may be inadvertently compromising systems and data. He noted that most workers unwittingly use devices that are not properly protected from attack, thus, exposing entire organizations to profound risk.

“There is every reason to expect cyber criminals and malicious actors to exploit the Covid-19 situation by launching new cyber-attacks and campaigns because people are presently more vulnerable,” he added.

Advising organisations caught in this Covid-19 crisis to develop a framework that will better manage cyber security systems under today’s abnormal conditions, Afon suggests that such a a framework should contain a proprietary set of rules governing risks pertaining to a redeployed remote workforce.

He also explained as the world contends with the unprecedented threat of Coronavirus, organisations, who presently have remote workforce should create a unique lens for threats generated by the pandemic and ensures it uses best practices to manage them as they may be working with personal devices.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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COVID-19: Ikeja Electric says no disconnection for non-paying customers - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The Nigeria’s leading electricity distribution company, Ikeja Electric Plc (IE), has suspended any kind of disconnection for non-paying customers within its franchise network with the two-weeks lockdown window of the Federal Government over the ChineseVirus-19 also known as COVID-19, reports ITREALMS.

The decision to suspend all disconnection activities was taken to allow all its customers enjoy electricity supply during the lockdown period, while giving consideration to those who cannot afford to pay their March 2020 bills due to the closure.

Revealing this, the Acting Chief Executive Officer (aCEO) of the company, Folake Soetan, said: “At Ikeja Electric, we are committed to ensuring that our customers enjoy steady and quality supply throughout this difficult period and beyond. We recognize the fact that electricity supply is critical to our ability to stay safe, clean and indoors.

“Therefore, we have also taken a decision to suspend all disconnection activities of non-paying customers for the period of two weeks starting today. This is to ensure that customers who cannot afford to pay their March bills due to the closure continue to enjoy supply until the stay at home order is lifted. Customers who also wish to pay their bills can also do so using any of our designated online payment platforms. Our prepaid customers can buy energy online using any of your preferred online banking or merchant platforms. You can also visit our website to purchase vending units,” she said.

She noted that Ikeja Electric as one of the companies designated as essential services has put measures in place to ensure that engineers and technicians are available to clear all forced and unforced outages, while also continuing with the preventive maintenance programmes.

Ikeja Electric said in line with its mantra of treating customer first, using technology now policy, the customer service representatives will be available to respond to all complaints and inquiries promptly and professionally. Ikeja Electric said it will leverage on its world class communication tools online and via social media to attend to complaints and inquiries while also increasing the turnaround time for resolution.

It also noted that all employees on essential services throughout this lock down period are committed to ensuring that customers get the best service in line with our processes and best practices. She urged customers to avoid giving any monetary inducement to any employees as they carry out the job of serving customers better.

“At Ikeja Electric the job is not done until it is done. It is our job to serve you. In carrying out their job, our trained engineers will deploy globally accepted safety procedures and practice social distancing, and all that is required to contain the spread of COVID-19.

“We, therefore, solicit the support of customers to cooperate with our staff as they carry out their duties while we restate our commitment to deliver steady electricity supply in line with our allocation,” the Disco added.

Ikeja Electric said the management and staff are keenly following developments across the country as well as advice of government and health institutions as part of concerted efforts to safeguard everyone and to make sure the workplaces remain safe.

It further urged customers to also observe precautionary measures and other safety protocols stipulated by government agencies and health organisations in order to protect themselves and their loved ones from the virus.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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COVID – 19: Prudential Zenith Life assures customers of protection - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

In the face of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown, Prudential Zenith Life Insurance is rolling out a range of services to help customers cope with the lockdown.

The new services include a range of additional COVID-19 insurance cover enhancements, without additional premium charges, and a waiver for ‘pandemic’ exclusions as contained in its policy language.

In line with the recent pronouncement of the federal government, the company will be temporarily locked down and has therefore set up a dedicated claims team with remote working capabilities, to enable customers make and receive claims virtually.

According to the statement from the insurance company, the claims procedure will be simplified to allow customers make claims through the WhatsApp channel.

This development makes it possible for customers to buy insurance products without any physical interface with sales personnel or visit to a physical branch.

Commenting on the changes, Prudential Africa CEO Matt Lilley said, “we realise this is a worrying time for everyone and we want to reassure you that protecting the health and wellness of our customers, employees and partners is our primary concern.

“At Prudential, we have been delivering promises for over 170 years and this time will be no different. I am proud of the measures we are announcing today and I know that they will provide our customers additional peace of mind.”

He added that the waiting periods for new cover have been reduced, and the company is providing additional training and incentives to sales personnel to continue providing advice and access to insurance, even as they work remotely.

He encouraged Nigerians to stay safe and adhere to the directives from the Ministry of health, Nigerian centre for disease control (NCDC) and other relevant authorities.

“We are going to get through these trying times together” he assured.

What you should know



Prudential Zenith Life Insurance was born when Prudential Plc, one of the oldest and most strongly capitalized life insurance companies in the world, acquired a majority stake in Zenith Life Assurance.

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LinkedIn improves messages with acceptance button - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The LinkedIn has introduced acceptance button in the messages among any group members, reports ITREALMS.

This, LinkedIn said, would aid nowadays lockdown and improve collaboration in a work space as result of members feedback.

"We have invested in improving the ways that our members can engage in meaningful conversations within safe and healthy communities like yours," part of notifications to group administrators revealed.
LinkedIn also said that in our latest update to Groups, "members will be able to easily message anyone in the group without message limits, and will have the flexibility to control which messages they accept or privately decline. Members will receive a notification about their message requests just like they would with a regular message and continue the conversation with a single click of "accept".

Emphasising that this would keep community safe and productive.

Chuks Egbune/DoP

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Covid-19: China losses 21m subscribers, suspected under-reported death - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

News making a round in the Asia Pacific, especially China is that the country may have under-reported total deaths arising from her popular ChineseVirus-19 also known as CoronaVirus or Covid-19, as the number of mobile phones purported dropped or cancelled, at the end of March 2020, reports ITREALMS.

Investigations by ITREALMS showed that as at November 2019, Chinese cellphone users data was 1,600,957,000 users (1.6 billion) and three months later as at March 31, 2020 stood 1,579,927,000 users (1.57 billion).

This global industry observers said witnessed drop of 21.03 million cellphone users and raises great suspicious report by China.

ITREALMS also gathered there are some indications that deaths of COVID-19 victims in China may have contributed immensely to this drop.

According to The Epoch Times, for instance, this allegedly "contributed to the high number of account closings."

ITREALMS recalls that in China, its mandatory for all citizens to use their smartpone to generate a health code.

A Chinese-American public commentator, Tang Jingyuan, had told The Epoch Times that, "The digitization level is very high in China. People can't survive without a cellphone. Dealing with the government for pensions and social security, buying train tickets, shopping... no matter what people want to do, they are required to use cellphones".

Even as TweakTown equally reported that Tang maintained that "The Chinese regime requires all Chinese to use their cellphones to generate a health code. Only with a green health code are Chinese allowed to move in China now. It's impossible for a person to cancel his cellphone".

Therefore, analyst posited that its impossible for any Chinese to cancel his or her cellphone except such a person is dead.

Officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia and is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.428 billion in 2017. Covering approximately 9,600,000 square kilometers, it is the third largest country by area.

Chuks Egbune/DoP

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Lagos Exco holds first-ever virtual meeting - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Lagos State Government Executive Council, Tuesday leveraged technologies for their weekly meeting, reports ITREALMS.

Sources close to Alausa Secretariat, informed ITREALMS that it was banters here and there, waving of hands and laughter.

“Can you see me?” Am I connected?” “Yeah, I’m here”.

"Suddenly, at about 11.05am, the Chairman enters and announces his presence by calling the house to order. All is quiet.

"It was an exciting moment this morning at the Lagos State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting – the first-ever virtual meeting in the history of governance in the State. Nigeria? Well, not clear.

"The Chairman is no other person than Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. The Deputy Chair is Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, the Deputy Governor.

"Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso said the meeting was held via Zoom, a free high-definition (HD) meeting application with video and screen sharing for up to 100 people.

"It was all in compliance with the directive against gatherings as part of the anti-Coronavirus battle-plan.

“The meeting was slated for 10.45am but almost all EXCO members had hooked up to the system by 10.00am, awaiting the arrival of Mr. Governor to kickstart deliberations for the day,” Omotoso said.

Governor Sanwo-Olu came online at about 11.05am. On top of the agenda was the review of the management of COVID-19, especially the provision of additional isolation centres; the fumigation of the State against the spread of the virus, and the package for the less-privileged and daily income earners, the indigent.

“The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal briefed members on the distribution of the relief packages to local governments and local council development areas. Members reviewed areas where teething problems occurred and proffered ideas to solve identified problems,” he added.

"There were comments by some members. As the debates and clarifications went on, the Chairman announced that those eager to speak should spend a minute each.

"While acknowledging the excitement of members for being part of the first virtual meeting of the Lagos State Executive Council, the Commissioner said the feat affirmed that governance in Lagos will proceed seamlessly despite the 14-day restriction announced by President Muhammadu Buhari.
ITREALMS recalls that Lagos and Ogun States as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja are on a 14-day lockdown.

“Members were in high spirits. Some of us were in our offices; others attended the online meeting from the comfort of their homes. With this historic achievement, residents are assured that governance in Lagos State will continue, irrespective of the situation around us,” Omotoso asserted.

The idea of the online meeting was mooted by Governor Sanwo-Olu, who directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to facilitate it. The Special Adviser (Innovation and Technology), Mr. Olatunbosun Alake, moderated the meeting, reading out the dos and don’ts of the session which Science and Technology Commissioner, Hakeem Fahm described as “historic”.

“We should let our people know about this,” Waterfront Infrastructure Development Commissioner, Kabiru Ahmed said excitedly after the meeting.

Nenye Dom/Editor

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Pix: Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu listening to contributions of the during the Virtual Meeting held by Lagos Executive Members

COVID 19: FirstBank donates N1bn, commits to Nigerians safety - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

FirstBank has donated the sum of N1bn towards the joint effort by the Nigerian Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) to rapidly expand the health facilities; especially Testing, Isolation, treatment and the provision of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) facilities pivotal to controlling the spread and importantly, treating individuals diagnosed with COVID- 19, reports ITREALMS.

This is in addition to the Bank’s drive to move one million children to e-learning, together with an early partner – Roducate - as recommended by the Ministry of Education, Lagos State

In line with the 14-day stay home directive for Lagos, Ogun and FCT Abuja in the speech by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Bank has also reiterated its preparedness to provide essential Banking services through its alternative channels to its customers and the public at large which is in line with its robust Business Continuity Plan.

Updating on the Bank’s efforts; the Bank’s CEO, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, said “we promise to continue to look at all areas of intervention where our business infrastructure, reach, digital platforms and other natural strengths lie and can be deployed to further support all efforts for Nigerians; young and old alike.

To that end, we will continue to communicate ways in which we can do more together.

We thank our community of friends, customers and other stakeholders who have continued to send us ideas and initiatives and are gladdened at the solidarity we see as Nigerians come together to tackle this under one umbrella.

They also urged Nigerians to stay safe and join hands to work towards flattening the curve.

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Covid-19: Facebook invests $100m to support US, Canadian news industry - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The news industry is working under extraordinary conditions to keep people informed during the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when journalism is needed more than ever, ad revenues are declining due to the economic impact of the virus. Local journalists are being hit especially hard, even as people turn to them for critical information to keep their friends, families and communities safe.

Today we’re announcing an additional $100 million investment to support the news industry— $25 million in emergency grant funding for local news through the Facebook Journalism Project, and $75 million in additional marketing spend to move money over to news organizations around the world.

Through the COVID-19 Community Network grant program, direct funding is helping journalists cover important stories when we all need them most. We're building on this work and will direct a portion of these funds to publishers most in need in the hardest hit countries. The first round of these grants went to 50 local newsrooms in the US and Canada. Here are some examples of how they've used the funding to support their COVID-19 news coverage:
The Post and Courier, South Carolina

Took down its paywall for coronavirus stories. It will use the grant to cover travel costs and remote work capabilities to extend coverage to rural, news desert portions of the state.
Southeast Missourian, Missouri

Publishing email newsletters highlighting coronavirus coverage. The newspaper will use its grant to bolster remote work technology and on contingency plans for reaching elderly readers should print distribution be disrupted.
El Paso Matters, Texas

New local online news organization launched earlier this year by former El Paso Times editor Bob Moore. The team will use their grant to hire freelance reporters and translators to expand coverage of coronavirus in El Paso and across the border in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

“This money will not only help keep journalists reporting right now amidst the crisis, the funding will also fuel opportunities for local media to accelerate business transformation toward a more sustainable digital footing,” said Nancy Lane, CEO of Local Media Association.

"Local news organizations, especially hyper-local news organizations including those serving black and other underserved communities, have experienced challenges with the sustainability and distribution of news and information in the current media environment. COVID-19 has exacerbated an already existing crisis and our jobs have just gotten tougher. With such a sizable infusion from Facebook, local news organizations across the country will benefit as will our readers, our viewers and our listeners," said Janis Ware, publisher of The Atlanta Voice.

This commitment builds upon $300 million we’ve committed already to serving journalists around the world through diverse and inclusive news programs and partnerships, including Report for America, the Pulitzer Center, the Community News Project and the Facebook Journalism Project’s Local News Accelerator training program.

If people needed more proof that local journalism is a vital public service, they're getting it now. And while almost all businesses are facing adverse financial effects from this crisis, we recognize we're in a more privileged position than most, and we want to help.

To hear more about this initiative as it evolves, please sign up for the Facebook Journalism Project newsletter. We’ll send regular updates about this investment and Facebook’s ongoing efforts to support the news industry during COVID-19.

*Contributed by Campbell Brown, VP Global News Partnerships

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Covid-19 Shutdown: 6 Tools to Aid Remote Working - ITREALMS

Commentary@ITREALMS:

Remote work was viewed as a fad. While technology enthusiasts have long spoken about the potential of remote working, few individuals listened and fewer firms cared. During this period technology firms developed tons of tools and applications to aid remote working. These tools were largely ignored and or considered only useful for staff working on the field.

Today, the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is changing this situation. Covid-19 has led to travel bans, school closures, and directives to curb people gathering in large groups. This is in addition to maintaining appropriate social distancing. It is now precipitating remote working in almost every corner of the globe.

Remote work has now effectively moved from the realm of a fad to must-have. It would not be out of place therefore to say, ‘welcome to the age of remote work’.

But for remote work to work, staff must have connectable devices such as laptops and tablets, access to broadband internet connection and tools to automatically sync and back up files (think Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive).

As Covid-19 rages on and employees are forced to work remotely, here are tools you can use to make the transition:

WhatsApp - WhatsApp is a mobile app most people are familiar with as a group messaging tool. It’s connected to a phone number and has no storage limits. WhatsApp offers a desktop app that you can have running on your computer and sync with your mobile device.

It can also be used as a way to send encrypted mass texts to everyone in a group (up to 250 people). The group feature can be disabled so that only notifications from the admins are allowed. WhatsApp is a simple way to send important messages to staff who want to be also alerted by text beyond email.

Slack - Slack is the collaboration hub that brings the people, information, and tools together to get work done. To optimise your storage space is to connect Slack with file storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox and One Drive. That way, you simply have to share a link to the file.

To ensure seamless integration with these tools, everyone in the organisation must use the same services as much as possible. Slack has app integration with all three.

Workplace – Workplace by Facebook is a collaboration and communication tool that connects employees via an internal social network. Companies pay by the user to set up a private version of Facebook for their employees.

Organisations can sign up for the Workplace for Good to get free access to all the premium services offered by Workplace. Workplace also offers integration with 3rd party tools similar to Slack. If you’re using Workplace for group chats, you can also use the one-on-one or larger group video meeting feature.

Hangouts - Google Hangouts is a unified communications service that allows members to initiate and participate in text, voice or video chats, either one-on-one or in a group. Hangouts are built into Google+ and Gmail, and mobile Hangouts apps are available for iOS and Android devices.

The good news is that because of the impact of COVID-19, Google is offering free access (until July 1st, 2020) to the advanced features of Hangouts Meet, such as hosting video meetings with up to 250 participants, live streaming with up to 100,000 viewers, as well as recording and saving meetings to Google Drive.

Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Teams is a unified communication and collaboration platform that combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage (including collaboration on files), and application integration. There is a free and premium service.

Microsoft is currently offering free access to Microsoft Teams with up to 250 video meeting participants and live streams of up to 10,000 viewers, because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Zoom - Zoom is a web-based video conferencing tool with a local, desktop client and a mobile app that allows users to meet online, with or without video. Zoom users can choose to record sessions, collaborate on projects, and share or annotate on one another's screens, all with one easy-to-use platform. Zoom offers a full-featured Basic Plan for free with unlimited meetings.

You can try Zoom for as long as you like - there is no trial period. The Basic plan has a 40 minutes time limit on meetings with three or more total participants.

Bonus: Of course, if you need to scan something and send as a PDF, you can do it using apps such as Adobe Scan, CamScanner and Scanbot among others.

The truth is that Covid-19 will end and workers will return to work. But employers and employees alike will then begin to question the wisdom of the daily commute to work. Interesting times are ahead.

For now, since you know the tools and applications you can use. Get to work – Remote Working.

Elvis Eromosele, a Corporate Communication professional and public affairs analyst lives in Lagos. 

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