• Says hunger is a bigger pandemic
• Bayelsa reinstates total lockdown
• Adode shuts church, market for defying lockdown order

By Samuel Oyadongha, Gabriel Enogholase, Ike Uchechukwu, Gab Ejuwa, Perez Brisibe, Ochuko Akuopha & Chancel Sunday

CALABAR — Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, has warned that since there  will be life after the COVID-19 pandemic, there was the need for government to protect not just lives but also livelihoods.

Ayade in Calabar, warned that protecting lives without protecting livelihoods of Nigerians will spell doom for the nation after COVID-19 as hunger will be the next deadly virus.

He explained that this reality was the reason his administration is protecting lives as well as livelihoods in the state.

He said, “Globally, hunger and hunger-related diseases like kwashiorkor and tuberculosis kill about 8.4million people every year and so there will be more pandemic when it comes to hunger.

“So,  we will do all we can to curtail the pandemic from spreading to our state and protect lives too but protection of lives without the protection of livelihoods is a complete imbalance. There must be a holy matrimony between protection of lives and protection of livelihoods.

“Some of our brothers and sisters depend on daily work. If you carry blocks for a living, the day you are stopped from going to work, there will be no money to feed the children,” he stated.

He said it was for that reason that he was opposed to a total lockdown of the state, preferring instead to allow people carry out their businesses once protected with the appropriate nose mask.

He stated that COVID-19 will not stop his administration from focusing on its Agro-industrialization drive, adding that the state owned ultra modern Rice seeds and seedling factory was unrelenting in producing rice seedlings at this time.

Bayelsa reinstates total lockdown

For Bayelsa State, it will revert to its lockdown of the state as part of measures to prevent the spread of the dreaded COVID-19.

The government had last week relaxed its lockdown directive on worship centres to enable Christians participate in the Easter celebrations.

Governor Douye Diri through a statement by his acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, yesterday said the Easter celebrations were over but the battle against COVID-19 was still on.

“The directive on total lockdown of the state, which was earlier relaxed due to the Easter celebration, has now been reinstated. I commend the churches for their compliance level as the reports I got were encouraging.

“Let us continue with the same zeal and commitment in order to prevent the virus from entering our state. So far, we have done well. I equally commend the dedication of the COVID-19 task force, the health personnel as well as the security agencies that have been working tirelessly to keep our state safe,” he said.

Delta monarch commends Gov Okowa on proactive measures

Meanwhile, the traditional ruler of Toumo Kingdom in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, HRM Francis Tabai,  Pere Esuku 1, has commended Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for the proactive measures put in place to curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the state.

Tabai, yesterday in his Easter message to his subjects, said, “I commend Okowa for his relentless efforts made to curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the whole world.

READ ALSO: Buhari extends COVID-19 lockdown for another 14 days

“This gesture is a sign that the governor really cares for the health of his people and it is worth commending.  I call on my subjects to continue to adhere to directives the government has put in place to curtail the spread of the virus.

“My prayer in this period of Easter celebration is that, the Almighty God in His infinite mercies heal the nation of this deadly virus.”

StarTimes develop videos to curb fake news

In another development, as the COVID-19 keeps spreading across Africa, and while governments and organisations are devising measures to help stay safe from the pandemic, Africa’s leading Pay-TV operator, StarTimes as part of its social responsibility drive,  has released a series of anti-pandemic knowledge videos to help curb the spread of fake news and rumors about the virus and to further raise public awareness.

According to the company, 30 short videos on the anti-pandemic have been produced by its African staff working remotely from their hometowns and can be viewed in six different languages (English, French, Portuguese, Swahili, Hausa and Chinese).

The company said, “As a leading media group based in Africa, it is StarTimes’ role to disseminate accurate and scientific information to fulfill the social requirement. Recently, a dedicated TV programme “StarTimes Daily-COVID-19 Report” was launched to provide viewers with update and data about the pandemic in Africa and in the world every weekday.

“The anti-pandemic knowledge videos further support African people with scientific knowledge to protect themselves with the right behaviours against possible infection. The videos are with accordance and guidance from an experience international professional organizations such as the WHO.’’

The company explained that “The 30 short videos rotating around 300 times will be on ST Guide and 22 self-operated channels that include; ST Novela E, ST Novela F, and ST Novela P. Also, the video will be available on the StarTimes ON App and the official Facebook page and Youtube account of StarTimes for better exposure to audiences on diverse platforms.

Leadership going spiritual will defeat the epidermic— Cleric

Warri based cleric, Prophet Ajokparogene Okijeni has said that the coronavirus  pandemic will be defeated in Nigeria if the leadership goes spiritual.

According to him, prayer sessions must be organised for the nation’s leaders starting with the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Okijeni who spoke yesterday in Warri, said since the corona virus was sent by demons in high places to destroy the world, the only way to tackle it was to go spiritual.

The cleric  said Delta State would have been Covid-19 free if his earlier warnings were heeded.

Loyibo tasks FG on extension of COVID-19 palliatives to riverine communities

TRADITIONAL prime minister of Tuomo Kingdom in Delta and Bayelsa States, Chief Mike Loyibo, has asked the federal and state governments to extend their palliatives as a result of the coronavirus pandemic to the riverine communities of both states, adding that the people of the region were worse hit by the economic impact of the virus in the country.

Loyibo in his Easter message to Nigerians yesterday, said: “The government, both at the federal and state levels, should extend their medical, food and cash palliatives to the people in the riverine communities because we can best describe the economic impact of this pandemic on people in those parts of the country, hence am appealing that they should be taken into focus owing to their challenges.

“All Nigerians should come together irrespective of political and ethnic affiliation to unite behind President Buhari in fighting  the coronavirus pandemic in the country.’’

Adode shuts church, market for defying lockdown order

Chairman of Ughelli North Local Government, Delta State, Godwin Adode, has ordered the immediate shut down of churches and markets in the council for defying the government’s lockdown order to curtail the spread of the coronavirus.

Irked by the non-compliance with the order by some church leaders,  commercial drivers and traders, Adode had on Sunday, ordered the stoppage of ongoing church services and also directed that no fewer than 30 cars, 20 tricycles and motor-cycles popularly known as ‘okada’  who defied the order be impounded.

The defiant churches were the Apostolic Faith Church, Ezewu-Ughelli; Christ Freedom Embassy, Omotor-Ughelli and  EMC, Ekredjebo-Ughelli.

Addressing newsmen at ‘A’ Division Ughelli, the council boss said that the exercise was not to witch hunt anybody but aimed at  curtailing the further spread of coronavirus in the state.

He said that it took the intervention of the police and vigilante members to apprehend a commercial bus driver  who outsmarted security operatives in Rivers State before he was arrested in Ughelli.

Isoko North  leaders present food items to Delta communities

POLITICAL leaders in Isoko North Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, donated food items to the less privileged in the various communities in council to cushion the effect of the lockdown ordered by the state government as part of measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking at Ozoro, during the presentation of the items which include 170 bags of rice; 91 bags of beans; 130 bags of garri; 260 cartons of Indomie and 65 bags of salt, Majority Leader of the Delta State House of Assembly, Tim Owhefere urged the people to “continue to cooperate with government to ensure that we kick out the COVID-19 out of our state and Nigeria.”

He said: “As your representatives, we feel your pains in these trying times hence we came together to provide these palliatives which will go a long way in cushioning the effect of the stay-at-home order by the government.’’

Rivers govt distributes foodstuffs at ONELGA

In fulfillment of its pledge, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, yesterday, distributed foodstuffs to residents of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, ONELGA of the state.

The committee led by its chairman,  Ambassador Desmond Akawor distributed foodstuffs to the 17 wards of the council.

The foodstuffs were handed over to teams of community leaders, clerics, youth leaders, women leaders and community-based associations  to ensure  that no section is excluded in the distribution.

Vanguard