Coronavirus in Nigeria

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) shared the news on their Twitter on Tuesday.  March 24, 2020

There are Now 42 Confirmed Cases of Coronavirus in Nigeria

One of those cases in from Lagos, bring the total in Lagos to 29, and the other in Ogun, with a total of 3 in the south-western state.

NCDC reports that one of the cases is a returning traveller, while the other a contact of a previously confirmed case.

CORONA UPDATE IN NIGERIA

UPDATE FROM BELLANAIJA.COM...

With new cases of the infected increasing on a daily basis, on Monday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recorded the first coronavirus death in Nigeria.

Amid this outbreak, more states in Nigeria have taken the outbreak seriously, from shutting down schools to ordering civil servants to stay home for 14 days. Here’s all that has happened.

Kogi State orders Civil Servants to stay home

Following the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the Kogi State Government has ordered civil servants in the state’s workforce to stay off workplaces for 14 days, to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

According to the Nigerian Tribune, the press statement issued, on Monday, by Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, states that:

Civil servants from GL 1 to 13 are directed to stay off workplaces for 14 days which is subject to review after the first week starting from Monday 23rd March 2020. Only workers from GL 1 to 13 are affected by the directive to stay at home while GL 14 and above are to report at their Offices.

Those rendering essential services are to continue to go to their workplaces as they are not affected by the “Work from Home” directive. The Governor of the State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has approved the “Work from Home” approach to ensure the virus doesn’t spread through contacts at Government offices across the state.

The Kogi State Government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the virus doesn’t find its way to the state and in the unfortunate scenario it does, Government is prepared to control and manage the cases. No case of the virus has been reported in Kogi State yet and it is hoped that Government’s efforts at staving the virus off the State will prove productive.

We urge Kogites to ensure adherence to health instructions from the State Ministry of Health on how to prevent the disease as well as ensure personal hygiene.

Here’s how Kaduna State is taking preventive measures to curb to the spread of the virus

According to Daily Trust, the state Deputy Governor, Hadiza Balarebe, said that herself and “the state Ministry of Health met with development partners and have started a series of activities aimed at protecting the people of the state from the disease”.

So far, the state government has:

• Sent a medical team to the airport, train stations and motor parks to test passengers who were coming into Kaduna.
• The team generally took the passengers’ body temperature at the airport and looked out for early symptoms of coronavirus disease.
• At the motor parks and trains, our teams gave out fliers and handbills, detailing symptoms of the disease and what to do to prevent the spread of coronavirus
• Health officials have been embarking on sensitization campaign in the media, advising residents to strictly adhere to simple hygiene washing their hands regularly with soap and running water or with hand sanitizers.
• Sensitizing people to cough or sneeze in a tissue paper or handkerchiefs and dispose of them properly after use and those who don’t have handkerchiefs or tissues should sneeze or cough into a sleeve of a bent elbow.
• The Infectious Disease Control Centre, DCC, and public hospitals in Kaduna have been stocked with drugs and medical consumables.
• Doctors and health workers have been fully briefed on what to do in case of an emergency.

Kwara State has also ordered civil servants to work from home

The Kwara State Government has also ordered civil servants to work from home.

In a statement released by the state Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq stated that civil servants apart from the Ministry of Health and essential workers, are to work from the home beginning on Monday until further notice.
The statement reads:

Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq@RealAARahman

Statement by His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State on COVID-19 pandemic

Dear Kwarans:

The welfare, security and well-being of all Kwarans are of utmost importance to our administration and, as such

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6:38 PM - Mar 22, 2020

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As individuals, we are all responsible for the general well-being of fellow Kwarans and should work together to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by:

1) washing our hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as much as possible daily;
2)avoiding touching our eyes, mouths, and noses;
3) covering our mouths and noses with our bent elbow or tissue when we cough or sneeze;
4) staying more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick and coughing, and wearing a mask if you are ill (especially if coughing) or looking after someone who is ill and coughing;
5) abstaining from handshaking until the threat of this COVID-19 is zero; and
6) avoiding crowded area and minimising any gathering to a maximum of 25.

As a community, we must do everything possible to prevent any transmission of COVID-19 by embracing the concept of social distancing and self-isolation. These measures are to prevent anyone that may be infected with COVID-19 from spreading the disease to others.

An exponential spread of COVID-19 in our community might be catastrophic because we could have thousands of our citizens sick at the same time.
Given the aforementioned and the global health emergency situation, our administration has taken the following difficult but important decisions to protect Kwarans:

1) Closure of all public and private nurseries, primary, secondary and state-owned Tertiary institutions.
2) Aside from Ministry of health and essential workers, all civil servants are to work from home.
3) All gatherings of more than 25 people are hereby discouraged until further notice.

We need to encourage all Kwarans to get involved in this fight against COVID-19. We believe we will achieve desired results only if and when our people are properly sensitised on how to protect our communities from the virus.
We are determined to continue to make the necessary investments in healthcare to safeguard the lives of our people. A 20-bed high-quality isolation centre has been completed and equipped at Sobi Specialist Hospital and plans are underway to build additional and well-equipped 12-bed intensive care unit at the General Hospital, Ilorin.

We have put in place a “COVID-19 Technical Committee” comprising healthcare professionals and officials whose primary responsibility is to assist our administration in combating COVID-19 in Kwara State. This committee is headed by the Deputy Governor.

In addition to the above measures, including the emergency telephone lines already given by the Ministry of Health, you will be receiving regular briefings and bulletins from us on the development.
Finally, l wish to reassure all Kwarans of the determination of our administration to prevent, contain, and limit the impact of the pandemic on our people.

God bless Kwara State! God bless Nigeria.

Niger State

The SSA, Abdullberqy U. Ebbo announced on Twitter that, “as from Wednesday, March 25, 2020, Niger State will observe a daily curfew from 8 AM to 8 PM till further notice”.

He further added that, “The traditional leaders should ensure all Almajiri schools in their communities are closed down. All forms of street hawking and begging are banned. All public offices including Ministries, Departments and Agencies must provide hand washing items at the entrance of their facilities. Meanwhile, all civil servants on grade level 1-12 are to stay at home, except those on essential services.

Breaking News- ACASA POSTPONED

Due to Corona virus-19 pandemic, ACASA 2020 has been postponed till 2021

True Friendship

True friendship

Bura Folktales Legend (Nigeria)

One day a pregnant woman went into the bush to gather firewood. While there, her time came and she was not able to return to the house. She found a cave in the rock and gave birth to a little boy.

That evening, a lioness came to the entrance of the cave and gave birth to a son. The frightened woman saw the lioness, but the lioness did not know that the woman was there. Her first thought was to cry out, and maybe she could thus frighten the lioness away. But on further thought she decided to patiently wait and see what would happen. She watched her chance, and when the mother lion went away for food, she would rush out and get food, and then rush back to her little one.

Many days went by, and the babies grew. One day when both mothers were away, the little cub went into the cave and found the little boy, and they played together. When the little lion knew that it was about time for the mothers to return, he went back to his nest and pretended to be fast asleep. Day after day they had happy times together. In these play-times the son of a lion learned the language of the son of a woman.

One day the little cub said, "My friend, I surely like you. You are sweeter to me than my own mother. Tell your mother to be very careful, because my mother is very mean. I fear that the day they meet my mother will kill and eat your mother." The little boy appreciated his little friend ever so much, but he was always in fear for his mother's life. One evening as he loved her, he told his mother about the danger and the warning. She was always very careful, but the sad day came when the lioness caught her and brought part of her mangled body home to her cub. The little cub seemed very sick and would not touch it because he was so sad. He could not think of anything but the sorrows of his little friend. His anger toward his mother was deep and bitter. When his mother went out again, he ran to his little friend and said, "My friend, a great loss has come to us. My mother has killed your mother. But now it is finished. I beg of you, tie your heart, and do not let it become bitter toward me, please. About your food, I will see after that. When I have food, you will have food, and when I have no food, only then will you be without food. You shall have your share of everything. I vow that when I am grown I will kill my mother because she has done this wicked deed. Then the two of us can live in peace."

Months went by, but never did the cub forget his friend. Whenever the lioness would bring home meat, the cub would always put back part of it. After several years had gone by, the young lion felt that he was strong enough and big enough to kill his mother, and save his friend. That very day he killed her and freed his friend.

"Now we are free to walk where we will, and I am young and strong and able to catch plenty of food for both of us.

Then one day they came near a village and the boy heard other boys talking about being circumcised. He wanted to be circumcised, too, but he had no father to help him, so he was sad. "What is wrong?" said the lion. "Why do you have nothing to say?" "I hear that all the boys are being circumcised. If I had a father he would help me, and I could be circumcised, too," sobbed the boy. "Dry your tears, and do not let anything like this disturb you again, for I am able to take the place of your father," urged the strong lion. "You tell me what you want, and I will get it for you."

The boy suggested that he needed money with which to buy food during the time of the circumcision. Immediately the lion was off. Before he had gone far, he met a man on the way to market, from whom he frightened plenty of money. When the boy had his money, he went to be circumcised. When asked where he would get food, he replied, "God will give me food." Usually, he would buy food with the money which his friend the lion had given him. At times, be would meet his friend out away from the village and receive meat from him.

Years went by, and one day the young man saw a young woman he loved. "If I could only have had a father like other young men," he sighed. The lion was quick to recognize the young man's mood and urged that he could be a real father to him. "Well, I want a wife, and I need a father to help me," he pleaded. "All right," said the lion, "select your wife, and I will help you take her." "I have selected my wife. She is the daughter of the chief. Many men have asked to take her, but her father will not give her up." The strong lion stretched himself up and boasted, "I can get her for you easily. You go into the village. I will watch the chief's farm. When she goes to plant, I will catch her. Then the whole village will come out to take her away from me, but I will not give her up. You be brave and come after her. Even though I try to catch you, do not be afraid."

The young man was delighted. He said, "I will go into the village at once." And away the lion went for the farm. That afternoon, when the villagers were beginning to come from their farms, there was a cry from the river, "Lion! Lion!" The whole village rushed out to frighten away the lion, but, to their dismay, he had caught the daughter of the chief and he was not afraid of the noise and the dogs. The young braves were afraid to try to rescue the daughter of the chief. The chief saw that she was lost, and he shouted, "Whoever rescues her shall have her for his wife. I will also give him half of my kingdom." When the men heard this they made desperate attempts to rescue her, but the fear of the lion kept them back.

With a rush, this young man went for the lion, shouting, "I will rescue her." When he was about to strike the lion a blow, the lion dropped her and ran away in the tall grass. She became his wife. He received a part of her father's kingdom. They lived happily with their friend the lion, ever after.

Fred Martins Releases New Illustration Series

Fred Martins Releases New Illustration Series "Aba Women Riot" in Celebration of Black History Month

Fred Martins, “Aba Women Riot” series, 2019. Courtesy of the artist

Fred Martins, “Aba Women Riot” series, 2019. Courtesy of the artist

 Early this month, illustration artist from Nigeria—Fred Martins, announced his new art series titled “Aba Women Riot”.

 This body of work, based on a notable period in Nigerian history, was released in celebration of the Black History Month as a reference point for women fighting against oppression in Africa.

ACASA TRI20 UPDATE

Nathaniel and Mary Ogunyale

My ACASA conference paper to be jointly presented with my wife will focus on "Laspotech" Murals for the past decade.

Watch out for updates here as we begin the countdown.

Largest Outdoor Sculpture Displayed in Bahrain

 Victor Ekpuk, The Face, 2019, painted stainless steel, 14ft x 17ft. Courtesy Victor Ekpuk

Victor Ekpuk’s large-scale sculpture, The Face, is unveiled in Bahrain.

The unveiling  at the The Arab Bank Corporation world corporate headquarters of  the Victor Ekpuk’s The Face, a 17-feet high painted stainless steel sculpture took place in Bahrain.

Currently the largest outdoor sculpture in Bahrain, the work was commissioned by the bank. 

Bahrain is a country known for its cosmopolitanism and ethnically diverse culture.