29032020 - El Rufai tests positive as experts insist on Total lockdown

More documents

Recommendations

Info

PAGE 8—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 29, 2020 ESCALATING COVID-19: ‘Huge job losses, unpaid salaries loom if crisis exceeds April 15’ By Victor Young As the world battles to contain corona virus, COVID 19, pandemic, an industrial relations expert, a conciliator and former President of Petroleum and Natural G<strong>as</strong> Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, and Deputy President of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Dr. Brown Ogbeifun, in this interview, predicts more troubles for workers and trade unions in Nigeria if the pandemic escalates. Excerpts: COVID 19 Let me use this medium to empathize with the families of those that have fallen to the pandemic and also pray for the quick recovery of those battling the acute ph<strong>as</strong>es of the dise<strong>as</strong>e right now. Pandemics are not new to the world. What is, however, new is that we do not tend to have used the experience of the p<strong>as</strong>t to get the world ready for the aftermaths of pandemics, which might snowball into recessions and depressions. Let us look at the simple scenarios playing out in the world. Economies are managed and nurtured by people. When those people are sick, they cannot offer their services. When this involves a larg <strong>as</strong>pect of the populace, consumption of medical products become relatively high with abysmally low corresponding production levels in other sectors, thereby triggering a wide gap between supply and demand. Governments will evoke a lockdown, like they have done in order to curtail the spread of the dise<strong>as</strong>e. When this happens, people would be out of job, border closures will occur which have attendant effects on aviation, shipping and land transportation, schools, industries and productive ventures outside the health systems. With inadequate supportive public utilities, which in our clime are almost near zero, lack of a robust system to provide the shock absorbers for the COVID 19 shocks, the economy would seriously take the hit. If the 1918 Spanish flu is anything to go by, apart from the huge and tragic human losses, <strong>experts</strong> have estimated that the COVID 19 outbreak could cost the global economy up to $3 trillion. Under the current circumstances, businesses are likely to default in their loan repayments, naira to the dollar h<strong>as</strong> moved to 380/$, banks’ lending rates would drop, consumption of non-medical products would drop and so it is with the GDP. These and many other factors could trigger economic shock which, if not addressed quickly, could also trigger a recession. It is for the above re<strong>as</strong>ons that economic <strong>experts</strong> are urging governments to pump money into their economies, if not, the world might witness a worse post 2008 economic meltdown. That is why a country like the United States of America shall be giving about $1,000 to her about 330 million citizens per month in addition to bail outs to manufacturers and SMEs. Hong Kong h<strong>as</strong> been quoted to be giving 10,000 Hong Kong dollars ($1,287) to her citizens. Other nations are either doing the same or are rele<strong>as</strong>ing bailout packages that would give people spending power to help the economy. Nigeria’s scenarios First, Nigeria started the race against COVID 19 at a disadvantage. The Group Managing Director, GMD, of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mele Kyari, few weeks ago, warned Nigerians on what to expect. He said 50 cargoes of Nigeria’s crude and over 12 LNG cargoes globally were yet to find buyers. With the drop of oil price below $30, coupled with the present oil war between Russia and Saudi Arabia, Nigeria h<strong>as</strong> so many rivers to cross. For a country that runs monolithic oil-driven economy, dependent on dollar-driven importation of petroleum products, having scores of unsold cargoes and a price slump to about $24-$25, we need prayers and luck to overcome. Unless we come out of this earlier than mid- April, we are likely to face serious challenges funding the budget, paying salaries, having money to share by the FAAC and challenges meeting with our financial obligations locally and internationally. These are major shocks Nigeria h<strong>as</strong> to deal with. There is nothing in the horizon that provokes serious optimism, that something dr<strong>as</strong>tically <strong>positive</strong> will emerge before the middle of April. World of work There is no doubt that the world of work shall not remain the same after COVID 19. It shall have very serious implications for employment, migration and emigration. Already, the International Labour Organisation, ILO, preliminary report on the consequences of COVID19, predicts that no fewer than 25million jobs will be lost to the pandemic globally. Ours in Nigeria is more horrendous because we are already overburdened by unemployment and other related issues. The sectors that will likely come out of this stronger are pharmaceutical and health manufacturing related establishments. Aviation, oil and g<strong>as</strong>, especially the downstream sector, tourism and hospitality businesses would suffer very huge setbacks. Except government comes to their rescue, many are likely to close shops. With a compounding poor energy mix, many companies, especially the SMEs, may not come out of COVID-19 alive. If this COVID-19 prolongs over the next one month and Unless we come out of this earlier than mid-April, we are likely to face serious challenges funding the budget, paying salaries companies successfully experiment and succeed with the ‘work from home method’, many that have been seeking ways of reducing their structures to a lean and mean frame would now have excuses to execute their plans over a long term period. We are likely to have more short term contracts looming, adoption of flexible working hours and working from homes, thereby reducing overheads on recurrent expenditures. All the employer needs to do is to incre<strong>as</strong>e bandwidths of their communication facilities and make them available to the staff. For the oil and g<strong>as</strong> sector, except the situation reverses soon, there are likely to be multiple redundancies, which may strain union and management relations. Furthermore, most interactions in workplace are likely to be reduced to electronic transmissions of information, incre<strong>as</strong>ing virtual meetings with the aid of video and phone conferencing. The goods and services deployed in the process of physical meetings would be automatically scrapped, thereby putting at risk those companies in that chain of businesses. Companies are likely to curtail flying or commuting in and out of stations for meetings, thereby saving costs on travels and out of station allowances, etc. Incidentally, some of these might cause breaches on already signed collective bargaining agreements. This could also cause large scale frustrations among employees who could turn against their union officials. The union officials in turn make life difficult for management. All these could cumulatively become conflict stimulants which, at the end, will provoke strained relationships between labour and management. Invariably, I foresee a busier Ministry of Labour and Employment towards the third and fourth quarters of 2020. Despite the above, I also foresee opportunities in abundance. The unemployed could turn the work-fromhome approach to opportunities. Many of them might latch on the approach to multit<strong>as</strong>k by having streams of earning from so many sources, have close interactions and bonding with families, work according to self-motivating plans and enjoy unrestrained access to leave days, Adhere to Okowa's directives on Covid-19, monarch warns Uvwie residents RM Dr Emmanuel Ekemejewa Side Hso, Abe 1, the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, h<strong>as</strong> warned residents and business outfits in Uvwie Kingdom to adhere strictly to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa's detectives on the prevention of the spread of the dreaded Covid - 19 to Delta State. The traditional ruler's warning w<strong>as</strong> contained in a press statement issued at the Ovie of Uvwie's Palace, GRA , Effurun,yesterday. The rele<strong>as</strong>e stated amongst other issues that " all gatherings , including but not limited to marriages, burials , social ceremonies, etc involving more than 20 persons is hereby banned in Uvwie Kingdom till further notice. " That all families, households and persons should w<strong>as</strong>h their hands with soaps intermittently and use alcohol- b<strong>as</strong>ed sanitizers to prevent contacting and / or spreading of the dangerous Corona virus among Uvwie indigenes and and residents. "That all government agencies (Federal, state and local governments and corporate bodies)operating in Uvwie Kingdom should adhere strictly to the directives of Delta State government " That the Ovie of Uvwie Palace is closed for all meetings such <strong>as</strong> Uvwie Council of Chiefs, exco, Maduviekeyarhe, and Eghweyarhe till further notice. " All courtesy visits and / or consultations are also prohibited, except in an emergency situation and / or is of urgent national importance with the itinerary of not more than 10 persons. While urging all the inuevworo ( traditional mouth piece ) in the nine etches ( traditional administrative units )in Uvwie Kingdom to enforce the directives in their respective are<strong>as</strong>, the statement appreciated Governor Okowa for his quick response on the prevention of the spread of the dreaded dise<strong>as</strong>e to Delta State CORONAVIRUS: NGO embarks on relief inter ervention for Africa In the wake of several challenges facing Africa today, including the global Coronavirus pandemic, a nongovernmental organisation, Africa International Food Bank and Dis<strong>as</strong>ter Relief (AFBADR) h<strong>as</strong> said the organisation will be bringing food relief and other succor to the people of Africa. The founder, AFBADR Sir Andrew Okokhere in a statement promised that the team h<strong>as</strong> completed arrangements to supply relief materials and food to the affected are<strong>as</strong> across Africa and some parts of the world. “The Africa international Food Bank and Dis<strong>as</strong>ter Relief (AFBADR) is an organization that w<strong>as</strong> established in the State of Tex<strong>as</strong>, USA with the main office in Badagry, Lagos, Nigeria. The organization w<strong>as</strong> established to serve humanity through the provision of food and relief materials such <strong>as</strong> clothing, medicine and general <strong>as</strong>sistance to cover the need of the hungry people in Africa. “We have been in the forefront of this kind of project which started sometime ago in the United States during the hurricane and flood dis<strong>as</strong>ter. Beyond that, we deem it necessary to reach out to Africa in this turbulent period of war, ethnic wrangles and health challenges including the Coronavirus pandemic that h<strong>as</strong> become a global affair.” Okokhere also disclosed that the organisation is a reputable NGO that h<strong>as</strong> the backing of American government with the support of Nigerian traditional rulers like the Oba of Badagry, and personalities across the globe,” says Sir Andrew.
SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 29, 2020, PAGE 9 COVID-19 TAKES TOLL ON LOTTO OPERATORS, CLIENTS: 'We were making millions but not anymore' • I am completely isolated now to avoid body contact —‘Baba Ijebu’ By Bose Adelaja Gradually, coronavirus (COVID-19) h<strong>as</strong> recorded over 512,701 c<strong>as</strong>es globally. Also, 81 c<strong>as</strong>es have been confirmed in Nigeria while three victims have been discharged from isolation centres in the country and one death recorded so far. This h<strong>as</strong> led various states, especially Lagos, to embark on me<strong>as</strong>ures to curtail the spread of the dise<strong>as</strong>e. Among the me<strong>as</strong>ures taken is the social distancing order which h<strong>as</strong> restricted social and religious gatherings and encourages residents to stay at home just <strong>as</strong> government h<strong>as</strong> compelled many Nigerians, including businessmen, to comply with the order. A week after the directives were issued, many businesses in Nigeria, which usually witnessed daily large turnout of people, have been feeling the impact of the stay-at-home order. Sport betting industry, lotto and football viewing centers are not left out <strong>as</strong> many owners, operators and punters have started lamenting that the government directives are taken a toll on their businesses. Reports say sport betting is an extremely profitable business in Nigeria, with active participation of about 60 million Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 40. The industry is said to have recorded a daily average of N 3,000 per punter just <strong>as</strong> reports say that <strong>as</strong> of 2016, a leading sport betting company in Nigeria (name withheld) w<strong>as</strong> making an average monthly turnover of $10 million, followed by the second player in the industry which recorded an average turnover of between $3 million and $5 million with 20-30% profit margin. The huge profit is made possible through access to various games like online poker, c<strong>as</strong>ino games and sports betting, regardless of the Honestly, this is a tale of woe <strong>as</strong> many of us may be sent out of business if the pandemic persists professional or educational background of the customer provided one can cope with the guidelines. Another business sense adopted by these business operators to woo prospective customers is proximity <strong>as</strong> many of the outlets are sited at bus-stops and public places which customers can e<strong>as</strong>ily access. The outlets have been attracting customers of various backgrounds including men, women and children who have seen the business <strong>as</strong> an alternative source of income. However, the daily patronage enjoyed by these business owners have dr<strong>as</strong>tically reduced <strong>as</strong> corona h<strong>as</strong> brought about suspension of major sporting activities around •Viewing centre in Lagos the globe apart from the fact that government’s directives on social distancing forbid social and religious gatherings and require markets which deal with non-essential services to shut down. This h<strong>as</strong> compelled many operators to suspend activities in their outlets prompting their customers to stay away pending the time normalcy will return to the country. As of Friday, it w<strong>as</strong> lamentation galore across Lagos <strong>as</strong> operators, owners and customers were seen complaining about the situation while some took to thesocial media to express bitterness over the development. Some of them who spoke with Sunday Vanguard said the huge profit they enjoyed before the suspension of activities had enabled them to settle bills. Meanwhile, in a telephone conversation with Sunday Vanguard, one of the leading lotto operators, Sir Kessington Adedibu, popularly called ’Baba Ijebu’, said there is a clear distinction between sport betting and lotto business. Though he did not speak further on the disparity, he said, ‘’I am completely isolated now to avoid body contact with anybody and this is not the time to talk about business but health”. A survey of some of the outlets in Lagos revealed that it is no longer business <strong>as</strong> usual among the owners and operators of these lucrative businesses <strong>as</strong> the outlets have been deserted. At some of the outlets visited, some were completely shut down while others, especially those at remote centers, were seen offering skeletal services <strong>as</strong> people were seen in twos or threes lamenting the situation. Mr Adesina Lukman, who claimed he had been patronizing one of the businesses for almost a decade, said it served <strong>as</strong> an alternative source of income to his family. He said, ‘’A friend introduced me to a game which I played with N20 and I earned N400, 000. This sounds unbelievable but it is true. However, childishness didn’t allow me to make something tangible out of the money <strong>as</strong> I w<strong>as</strong> introduced to a more expensive game which gulped all the money and, since then, I never had such opportunity despite the fact that I spend almost N1, 000 daily to play games for the p<strong>as</strong>t ten years”. Another customer, Jay Jay Akwobi, said though he spends N2, 500 daily on betting, he h<strong>as</strong> never been lucky to win any game. ‘’My own na ‘follow, follow’. I dey spend N500 to play games everyday but I no dey win”, he told Sunday Vanguard. However, Mr Bisi Ogunnaike said he joined the league of punters and the bold step had paved way for good things since he lost his job about eight years ago. ‘’I resided in Oshodi while I worked in Victoria Island <strong>as</strong> a banker but I w<strong>as</strong> laid off about eight years ago”, he said. “Gradually, I exhausted all my earnings and could no longer afford my house rent while my landlord had issued a quit notice. I w<strong>as</strong> nursing this dilemma when I met a cl<strong>as</strong>s mate who introduced me to a game and this changed my destiny. “On the said day, I w<strong>as</strong> left with N500 when he encouraged me to play a game with N200 and the rest w<strong>as</strong> history <strong>as</strong> I raked N2.5m which w<strong>as</strong> spent judiciously by going to a Lagos suburb to acquire a piece of land to build a mini flat and a shop. “Since then, I have been a regular face at the outlets and that is how I make my money which I used to establish my wife and send my children to school”. A business owner, Mr Oladimeji Tijani, said he acquired the skill to establish an outlet during his days <strong>as</strong> a customer care representative after years of unemployment. ‘’I have second degree in mathematics but, unfortunately, I w<strong>as</strong> earning N40, 000 in a private company and I later gained employment with a sport betting company where I earned N60, 000 monthly <strong>as</strong> a customer care representative. “I applied my brain to learn everything the company w<strong>as</strong> doing. While in the company, I joined a cooperative where I obtained a loan to establish an outlet and, gradually, the business grew and I resigned from paid employment to face the business. “However, things have changed dr<strong>as</strong>tically since the outbreak of coronavirus <strong>as</strong> all my Continued from page 7 essential services. Total closure Corroborating his position, President of Commonwealth Medical Association, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, called for total closure of all entry points into Nigeria. He further urged government to urgently deploy more facilities and resources to combat the pandemic. Enabulele, who recently toured some isolation centres in Lagos and Abuja, to <strong>as</strong>certain the state of preparedness, called for effective reduction of m<strong>as</strong>s gathering. He said the total closure became necessary considering the incre<strong>as</strong>ing number of imported c<strong>as</strong>es in the country. Enabulele explained that:”There is a need for government to go beyond partial closures, by extending the closure to every point of entry into Nigeria. I want to urge government to quickly consider this so that the c<strong>as</strong>es already in the country can be effectively managed. Every effort needs to be made to get government to enforce a total shut down of the points of entry into the country, especially <strong>as</strong> a fragile healthcare system like that of Nigeria may find it difficult to cope with the kind of explosive situation that occurred in China and Europe. ‘’There is an urgent need to improve the capacity of the few Isolation centres through the deployment of more health personnel, resources and equipment, empowerment of few healthcare personnel currently on the ground, through the provision of adequate and appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and incentives. This is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Isolation centres, <strong>as</strong> well <strong>as</strong> boost the morale of health customers have stayed at home while I am left to cope with huge bills. “Honestly, this is a tale of woe <strong>as</strong> many of us may be sent out of business if the pandemic persists”. At Ketu Alapere, Lagos, Sunday Vanguard ran into viewing center operator, Ismaila Kazeem, who lamented that the situation in the country had spelled doom for the business sector. ‘’I pay monthly rent of N100, 000 across my centres apart from N75, 000 wagebill. Before now, I offset the bills sweatlessly apart from payment of my children’s school fees, house rent and meet other financial obligations”, Kazeem said. “But business activities have been suspended due to the pandemic and if care is not taken, this may linger on for about two months. How will I pay the wages, rent and all other expenses?” He said though he runs the business concurrently with Point of Service (POS), both businesses are threatened due to the social distancing order. On the part of viewing centres, Madam Akande Aromoke, an employee of one of them, said she had been greatly affected by the social distancing order in the sense that her boss informed her about the need to reduce his staff strength. She told Sunday Vanguard that she had seized the opportunity of the stay-at-home order to embark on house cleaning business. Her words: “When the directive on the stay at home order w<strong>as</strong> issued, the first thing I did w<strong>as</strong> to call three of my church members to inform them I will be <strong>as</strong>sisting them with house chores and they obliged. “I have been going to their houses to babysit, w<strong>as</strong>h clothes and dishes and they have been kind enough to compensate me with c<strong>as</strong>h, foodstuff and other gestures”. A house wife, Mrs Akinbiyi Bamidele, who took to the social media l<strong>as</strong>t Wednesday, said her lotto business had been helping her to offset some bills until recently when business activities were suspended. The mother of three posted on her facebook: ‘’Hmmm! How are the mighty fallen. Five years ago, I took over a lotto business from my late husband and this is what had been putting food on the table for my family. “The business recorded <strong>as</strong> much <strong>as</strong> N10, 000 profit daily but the outbreak of coronavirus h<strong>as</strong> changed all that. Hope it will not send my three children and I to the village”. Mistakes that got Nigeria into trouble — Experts workers, particularly those already in the field combating the dreaded pandemic.’’ Unbundle He also called for the expansion and equipping of the isolation centres, public health institutions, including the Primary Health Care facilities. ‘’A nationally mobilised citizenry is crucial and h<strong>as</strong> helped other countries in addressing the scourge. ‘’From the evidence on the ground, the NCDC seems already overburdened. There is, therefore, the need to consider unbundling the NCDC to enable the agency to attend to the practical realities in the field more responsively. ‘’I see no re<strong>as</strong>on Nigeria should have only four public diagnostic reference laboratories to cater to its over 200 million population. Why shouldn’t each of the federal teaching hospitals and federal medical centres have the diagnostic capacity for managing c<strong>as</strong>es of Covid-19 and other infectious dise<strong>as</strong>es?’’ he queried. Volunteers On his part, Medical Guild Chairman, Dr. Olujimi Sodipo, who also decried the delay in closing the country’s borders called for a total lockdown of Lagos State. According to Sodipo the most difficult <strong>as</strong>pect of the containment is contact tracing, adding that since the numbers are growing there is need for government to <strong>as</strong>k for more volunteers. Noting that shortage of <strong>experts</strong> may hamper management of patients if the number incre<strong>as</strong>es, he said rather than indiscriminate posting of medical doctors from other general hospitals to the Infectious Dise<strong>as</strong>e Hospital, IDH, there is a need to get volunteers.
Page 2 and 3: PAGE 2—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 29,
Page 10 and 11: PAGE 10—SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 29
Page 16 and 17: PAGE 16 — SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH
Page 18 and 19: PAGE 18—SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 29
Page 20 and 21: PAGE 20 — SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH
Page 24 and 25: PAGE 24—SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 29
Page 34 and 35: PAGE 34 — SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH
Page 38 and 39: PAGE 38 - SUNDAY VANGUARD, MARCH 29
Page 40: SUNDAY Vanguard, MARCH 29, 2020 SEE

29032020 - El Rufai tests positive as experts insist on Total lockdown

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?