Author name: Sanni Ahmad

The Federal Government has issued fresh measures for the operations of mosques and churches. The chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, made this known in a statement on Monday. As part of the measures, the worship centers were asked not to exceed the 50 percent capacity of the facility of their venues. The PTF also said events with more than 50 persons should be held outdoor. Mustapha said the new measures had been approved by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19 in the country. He said, “The PTF has surveyed developments and actions taken by governments around the world, assessed our domestic environment, and has accordingly submitted its recommendations to Mr. President on immediate measures to be taken. “Accordingly, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has authorized the PTF to engage with the states and the FCT to assume full ownership of this stage of the response by deploying legal structures and resources, including enforcement to manage the pandemic within their jurisdiction In line with the authorization, the PTF wishes to issue the following advisories to sub-national entities for implementation over the next five weeks because these activities are considered super spreader events: “Limit All gatherings linked to religious events to less than 50% capacity of the facility of use during which physical distancing; mandatory use of face masks shall be strictly enforced; “Where more than 50 persons are attending, any such events, the gathering should be held outdoors only; close all bars, night clubs, pubs and event centers, and recreational venues; “Close all restaurants except those providing services to hotel residents; takeaways, home deliveries and drive-ins shall remain closed; restrict all informal and formal festivity events including weddings, conferences, congresses, office parties, concerts, seminars, sporting activities, end of year events shall be restricted to not more than 50 persons. “Public transportation systems are to carry passengers not more than 50 per cent of their capacity in compliance with social distancing rules. Enforce compliance with NPI protocols especially the advisory on wearing of face masks in public spaces.” REMARKS OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PTF FOR THE NATIONAL BRIEFING OF MONDAY, 21ST DECEMBER, 2020 ​I welcome you all to the National Briefing for Monday 21st December 2020 2.​ Over the past four briefings, the PTF has been raising the alert flag on the rising number of infections in the country and the possibility of a second wave arriving at our shores. ​Recent Epidemiology records confirm to the PTF that Nigeria is now facing a rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide which is similar to the second wave of infections occurring in other countries across the world. Particularly, Lagos, Kaduna, and the FCT have emerged as the new epicenters during this period, with over 70% of all confirmed cases. 4.​ Two major indicators highlight the current increase in cases and transmission across Nigeria. These are: Notwithstanding the fact that our testing numbers are fast approaching the peak recorded in July 2020, the number of cases being reported are disproportionately higher. For example, in the FCT, despite recording an increase of 85% in tests conducted over the last week, the number of confirmed cases increased by 285% during the same time period; and These trends point to a higher Test Positivity Rate (TPR- the number of positive cases detected as a proportion of all tests). The TPR was below 5% through September and October and we recorded a low point of 3% nationally in late October 2020. However, recent trends in cases have seen this number increase to 10% in the second week of December. These high numbers are further reflected in the increase of admissions to COVID-19 treatment centres and fatalities, particularly in the three epicenter states. 5.​ The result of the analysis carried out by the PTF further indicate that the current pattern of spread, and the surge is likely to be driven by the following factors: the lack of compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions – particularly the disregard for mask use in public, large gatherings as a result of events linked to the yuletide season and recent civil demonstrations. Further disregard for other public health preventive measures, such as hand hygiene and physical distance requirements; iii. The activities and assumptions of our youthful population which has resulted in an increase in the infection rate among young people, who are subsequently infecting older and more vulnerable family members. 6.​From our assessment, the current situation are clearly the consequences of certain occurrences and events of the last few weeks. These include: The sudden increase in social gatherings involving large congregations from different parts of the country, and the world, at events such as weddings, religious activities, political rallies, conferences and end of year celebrations; These events, classified globally as ‘supers-spreader events’, make the risk of a single infection causing a large outbreak among attendees significantly higher; iii. Furthermore, as we reopened the economy, we experienced increased economic, social and religious gatherings and activities all of which have combined to play a part in viral transmissions. These include: a) The opening of the international airspace in September 2020 – While the average number of daily imported infections into the country in the last 90 days is estimated to be about 7 cases, compared to 100-150 reported new infections in the community since the beginning of community transmission, the test positivity rate in travelers arriving Lagos has recently doubled to 6.3%; b) The resumption of schools – outbreaks have been reported in schools following the resumption of physical classes; c) The resumption of NYSC orientation camps – this risk has been mitigated by ensuring that all NY SC members were screened for COVID-19 prior to admission to camp, but confirmed cases have still been identified through tests carried out; d) The full opening of offices with the return to work of government workers from GL. 12 and below – outbreaks have also been reported

Taofeek Ajibade In the last few days, the attention of the Nigerian public has been drawn to the “Arabic” inscriptions on our Currency notes and the Nigerian Army insignia – and which the promoters mischievously interpreted as a subtle “Islamisation” of the country. One could be misled to think that the antagonists sincerely want a purely secular country, but, unfortunately, they are all silent on other inscriptions, epithets, and signs which are unarguably taken from Christian orientation! There is no arguing the fact that the religion of the colonialists is Christianity and, expectedly, they brought with them their language – English. They not only forced us to speak this language, but they also bequeathed the same to us by the time they were leaving the country. Why have we not moved a motion to discard a language that is originally associated with our colonizers who were all Christians, especially given the fact that not less than 50% of this population is Muslim? Today, we all speak English and even compete for the best grammatical proficiency without ever thinking it is not one of our extant native languages. Similar to this is the Cross sign in our hospitals. Why have we not yanked off the Cross sign which symbolizes healthcare because we are not all Christians, while the cross signifies Christianity? Why do we think this argument is not sustainable? The sign in itself has nothing to do with our healthcare – any other sign would be just as fine. But we all feel it is no sound idea to consider replacing it for its religious significance. By the way, many do not know that the purported Arabic writing on our currency note is simply a combination of the Arabic transliteration of the English word “Naira” and the Hausa word for “thousand”? Odds are that an Arab not familiar with the name of our currency would not understand its meaning, though he would read it quite well. It is like using Igbo orthography to transliterate “Naira” combined with the Yoruba word for “thousand” in the same Igbo orthography. It’s simply no more than this. Why any fair-minded person would think it is sacrilegious to allow for this beats my imagination, especially considering that English itself was brought by an exclusive class of Christians. The only truly Arabic word there is in our system is that written on the Nigerian Army logo. Coincidentally, this logo is complemented with the Stars of David. Though the designer had a different but commendable concept for using both the Arabic word and the Star of David which is historically devoid of religious bigotry or equalization, we have today murdered his good and patriotic intention on the altar of religious chauvinism and hypocrisy. May I add that while the Arabic language does not even represent Islam – Arabic had existed long before Islam and is not exclusively for Muslims – the Stars of David is exclusively associated with Christiandom. Dear compatriots, it is important we rid ourselves of religious bigotry and join hands to fight bad governance which is the bane of our progress. We have got much more important concerns at hand than these pedestrian squabbles. Nation-building is a lifetime project. Tyranny has neither religion nor ethnicity. The consequences of corruption do not discriminate between the rich and the poor, as well as between the religious and atheists. Is anyone other than the ruling class buying fuel for free? Is anyone paying less for electricity? Just recently, the Governor of Kogi State spoke of hiring a consultant to tax every loaf of bread sold in the state! Prices are daily going up while the wage rate remains stagnant. We all share the pains and suffer the same consequences. Even those who think themselves untouchable today will tomorrow join the growing list of oppressed masses and be subjected to similar torments, even if it is in small measure. Who is not aware that many years after leaving office as Head of State of this country, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari – the current President – while still contesting as a civilian, was not allowed to hold a rally, had his convoy shot, and was also teargassed? He also had to take to the streets to protest the same fuel price hike he has today taken to a whole new level. That is how far a dysfunctional system can affect anyone indiscriminately. That is why we all have a primary responsibility to work together for good governance and a society free from impunity, nepotism, and mediocrity which have all now become the order of the day. If we have a system that is working, no one would have to worry about religion. Religion is not our problem; religious adherents are. Those who loot this country have neither religion nor ethnicity as the basis. They will always unite to keep the masses preoccupied with, and divided on, frivolities so that they may continue and get away with their corruption and impunity.

Taofeeq Ajibade Most secondary schools in Nigeria were only a couple of days to the beginning of their second term examination for the 2019/2020 academic session when the federal government declared a national health emergency and locked down the whole country. Even the schools that had begun as at the time had only written a few papers. What then started like a few weeks’ precautionary step eventually ran for six (6) consecutive months. Secondary school students eventually lost the examination week of the second term, a full (3rd) term, and a few more weeks in the first term of a new session (2020/2021) due to the #EndSARS protest and the nationwide destruction that trailed it. While the coronavirus ravaged the world, the consequent multifaceted national and individual losses for many citizens can only be imagined. The rest, they say, is history. At about the same time, the university teachers embarked on indefinite strike action over an unfulfilled agreement the federal government had with their union, Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) way back in 2009. That too sent university students back home. They were to remain at home for the next nine straight months – that is an equivalence of time to finish a Master’s degree in some universities. The ASUU/FG feud was only resolved in the last week of December 2020. As the celebrated resumption coincides with the Yuletide, effective resumption was expected in the first week of January until the Federal government ordered all schools to close down until January 18, 2021, for it to observe the spread of COVID-19 and decide what it would do next. This was the same pattern the first lockdown extended over a six-month period as the government continued to extend the period until well into September 2020. With the now widely-known reality about COVID-19, locking up schools on the pretext of a COVID-19 pandemic is, in my opinion, rather counterintuitive. The largest gathering of people – educated and uneducated – is not found in a hall or a school; it is found in the market. Not even the largest political rally can match the size of a city market. So, if markets can open, without any visible prevention protocols, and yet with only a few or no incidents of spread, it is not out of place to suggest that schools can safely open, especially with all the prevention protocols that are already in all schools and which can even be upgraded as the Health Ministry may instruct. There is no arguing the fact that schools are more organized than markets. It is also much easier to explain the dangers and prevention of any diseases/viruses to students and subsequently gain their understanding and cooperation than it is with the largely less educated folks in the marketplaces. Even where students seem uncooperative, they can be whipped into line without much ado. We have already been informed that this coronavirus will be around for a long period of time. It is also a fact that medical researchers and pharmaceutical companies have since been working tirelessly to find effective drugs for viral infection. Pfizer/BioNtech and AstraZeneca-Oxford have already produced and got their respective vaccines approved for mass production and distribution. Given this fact, there is no point to further paralyze the academic system which was probably the greatest loser in the year 2020. Schools – arguably the most adaptable to change – cannot be held as the most vulnerable and therefore locked up purportedly to contain the spread of a disease which, according to experts, would not go anytime soon. This is especially instructive considering the fact that the vast majority of students in this country still receive their education through a face-to-face medium. Our school system still relies much on the brick and mortar classroom.  Even the higher institutions are yet to move close to the real digital classroom. What passes for digital integration in our schools is mere online registration for courses, school fee payment, and the download of some texts. The core of teaching and learning is still fully face-to-face. The only exception is a few private schools – secondary and tertiary. I am not aware of any public schools that have substantially moved their lesson delivery, assignments, and grading online using the latest Learning Management System (LMS). In view of this reality, rather than locking up schools indefinitely, the relevant Ministries should enforce strict compliance with the COVID-19 protocols and deal singly with erring schools. It is therefore my hope that January 18, 2021, the tentative resumption date fixed by the federal government for schools across the country will not be extended on the excuse of the second wave of COVID-19. Schools (obvious students) across all levels have suffered enough and should not be subjected to further hindrance or agony because of a virus whose total cases since February 2020 is still much less than the cases of malaria. Just imagine the number of people who may have died of malaria or other preventable or treatable diseases (since last February) due to their inability to afford the right drugs or, regrettably, the unavailability of the right equipment or medics in our hospitals. It is the responsibility of the government to make our health system truly functional and accessible in a manner that significantly reduces mortality from minor and preventable diseases. God bless Nigeria! Taofeek Ajibade is an education researcher and public affairs analyst. Trained at the International Centre for Educational Evaluation, University of Ibadan, his interests include Digital Classroom, Teacher Competence, Learning improvement, and emotional intelligence. He’s also a member of the Muslim Writers’ Guild of Nigeria (MASQ-NG). Email: taofeeqajibade@gmail.com Twitter: @taofeeekajibade

In the midst of challenges with the Boko Haram insurgency, countries from the West have shown more concern for the plight of Borno people than rich Arab nations whose people share a similarity of religion and culture with the majority of Borno citizens, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has said. Zulum stated this on Tuesday in Maiduguri when he received the Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Saleh Fheied Saleh, in Maiduguri. Zulum praised Palestine for being one of the few exceptions, within the Arab community. “I am a practical person. I work with the realities I see on the ground. In the face of our challenges over the years, we have received humanitarian support from the UK and other parts of Europe, the United States, Canada, Japan, and a host of others who has demonstrated concern and has made efforts to support our traumatized citizens in many ways especially on food, medicals, and livelihoods.” “However, that level of concern never came from Arab countries with whom millions of Borno people share a similarity in religion and culture. We even have indigenous shuwa arabs in Borno and this shows how our histories are tied. We have made severe efforts, written and visited embassies of Arab countries, especially those that are rich and not dealing with crises, but obviously, the majority of the Arabs do not care about our situation, neither do they support us. The Arabs have not shown concern to us. Your visit, however, has renewed our hope especially and we are very grateful for your visit” Zulum said. The Palestinian ambassador had informed Zulum of a plan to support the Government of Borno State in some areas of need. “There are a lot of Palestinian companies in Nigeria, they are willing to work with the Borno State Government, we are ready to cooperate with you, we are ready to help in anything you want us to do that we can do,” Amb. Saleh said. The Ambassador also said many Nigerians are currently residing in Palestine, particularly Borno indigenes, some of whom have diligently served the government and people of Palestine. He cited that among Borno people in Palestine, a lady called Fatima Barnawi was once a minister and a police chief.