NIGERIAN NOTCH

Buruli Ulcer (BU) is a neglected, debilitating skin disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium ulcerans. After the first definite description in 1948, M. ulcerans infections have been reported from 34 countries, mainly with tropical and subtropical climates. Following a peak of 5,954 reported BU cases globally in 2004, the number of new recorded cases has been decreasing in recent years. In 2016, a total of 1,952 BU cases were reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from twelve different countries. Underreporting is considered likely, as BU mostly affects populations in remote areas with limited access to the formal health sector. Although transmission pathways of M. ulcerans are still unclear, infection foci are closely associated with wetlands. This is the third most common disease after tuberculosis and leprosy.   Although, it is not known how people get Buruli ulcer.One possibility is that the disease is passed to humans from some insects that are found in water. While

Cristiano Ronaldo has celebrated his 850th career goal as Al Nassr won 5-1 at Al Hazem in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday. Ronaldo scored his sixth goal in his past three games and claimed two assists as Al Nassr recorded a third straight league victory. Sadio Mane was also on the scoresheet. “Another great team performance! We keep improving. Let’s go @AlNassrFC … 850 career goals and still counting!” the 38-year-old Ronaldo posted on social media. Ronaldo has now scored 26 goals in his first 30 games in all competitions for Al Nassr, just one short of the number he managed in the same amount of games at the start of his Real Madrid career. His longtime rival, Lionel Messi, currently has 818 career goals. After Al Nassr lost their first two league games this term, last season’s runners-up, who have scored 14 goals in their past three games, are now just four points off leaders Al Hilal. Ronaldo is the league’s top scorer this season with six goals, one ahead of former Liverpool forwa

  The LaLiga match between Atletico and Sevilla on Sunday has been postponed due to the extremely high risk of flooding in Madrid, the Spanish soccer league said. “Facing the exceptional weather situation in Madrid … the President of the RFEF, the Sports Minister and the CEOs of Atlético de Madrid and Sevilla, has taken the decision to postpone the match. The new date and time of the match will be communicated soon,” LaLiga said in a statement on Sunday. AEMET has issued a severe weather warning in the regions of Madrid, La Mancha and Andalusia. Madrid mayor Luis Martínez Almeida has urged the population to stay home as the city is expecting “the heaviest rainfall since records began 49 years ago” over on Sunday afternoon. Atletico are second in the LaLiga standings on seven points, level with Girona, Barcelona and Cadiz, five points behind leaders Real Madrid.

Foremost human right Lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has called for the suspension of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic from operating in Nigeria over breach of the nation’s Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA). Falana while speaking at the just concluded Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference in Abuja, said the suspension shouldn’t be lifted until Nigerian indigenous airline, Air Peace is allowed to operate the Lagos-London route. According to Falana, BASA allows for reciprocity of flight operations on the route by designated airlines in line with the agreement signed by both countries. According to him, it was out of place and unfair for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to be allowed to continue flying into Nigeria without any Nigerian airline flying to London in return. He observed that Air Peace has proven it has the capacity to operate on international routes, adding that the airline currently flies to China, Israel, India and South Africa among others using modern aircraft c

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has revealed plans to establish functional offices in all the 8,813 wards across the country. The move, according to the governing party, is to also bring symbolic representation close to the people. The party also hinted that it is at the concluding stage of establishing a National Institute of Progressive Study. This, the APC said, is in line with its belief that progressivism as a political ideology can be deployed to improve the lives of millions of Nigerians and improve society through appropriate political action and social reform based on advancement in Science, Technology, Economic Development and Social Organisation. Speaking during the inauguration ceremony of the leadership and members of Kogi State national gubernatorial campaign council yesterday, national chairman of the APC,  Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, said; “It is pertinent to also note that we have initiated and concluded plans to structure our party into a truly grassroots progress

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has promised to strengthen medical services in all the hospitals, by treating medical doctors under the FCT Administration with human face. In a statement signed by the assistant director of information for Minister of State for FCT, Freda Aideyan, the minister made this known during a meeting with medical unions. Wike, who was represented by the minister of state for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, said the recent circular of the eight years tenure retirement was an issue of concern, but that the administration would study the matter carefully. According to the minister, the eight years did not only affect the Medical sector but some other sectors. “We have a guideline that exempted the medical doctors from the circular, so we need to have a backup document to speak on the matter. “I will have to meet with the heads of departments, stakeholders, and other sectors concerning recalling the letter, and I assure you that we wi

President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Monday to attend the G-20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India, on the special invitation of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. According to a statement by Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, on the sidelines of the Summit, the President will participate in and deliver keynote addresses at both the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and the Nigeria-India Business Conference. He said the CEO Roundtable will be attended by leading industrialists in the Indian private sector, Nigerian industrialists, as well as senior government officials from both countries. According to him, the President aims to leverage this platform to attract global capital and promote increased foreign direct investments in key labour-intensive sectors of Nigeria’s economy for job creation and revenue expansion. “Moreover, he will use this opportunity to highlight Nigeria’s attractiveness as an investment destination, specifically outlining his cross-sectoral refor

Dr. Nasir Sanni-Gwazor has assumed duty as the new permanent secretary of the ministry of Police Affairs stating that change is inevitable for civil servants as it broadens their expertise and ability to impact and share skills acquired in various places they had served as accounting office of a Ministry. He made this known during the official handing over between the outgoing permanent secretary, Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan and Dr. Nasir Sanni-Gwazor at the ministry headquarters in Abuja. Spokesperson of the ministry, Bolaji Kazeem, said the new permanent secretary said posting of civil servants is a blessing not a difficult movement in transmission but an opportunity to acquire more knowledge, skills and experience in the public service. Dr Sanni-Gwazor added that the most essential thing in public service is to impact positively directly on people’s lives, especially adding value to citizens in the country. In his words, “directorate cadre is the backbone of the civil service and quality

Military and security analysts are beginning to pay more attention to presidential guards across a growing number of African countries who are wielding as much power as the official heads of the Armed Forces. Though that is how some African heads of state want it, promoting trusted aides and demanding personal loyalty over and above loyalty to the state; their preference is having dire effects on the sustainability of democratic rule on the continent. After a period of relative democratic stability in the African continent prevalence of coups d’etat has suddenly become the trend at a time military rule is highly abhorred all over the world and considered an aberration and anathema. Checks showed that there were six coup attempts in Africa, four of them successful in 2021 and  there were two in Burkina Faso in 2022 as well as failed coup attempts in Guinea Bissau, the Gambia and the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe. The latest in the series of military takeover of power from democ

The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Awka has nullified the election of Hon Uche Elodimuo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). In its judgment, the court ruled that the declaration of Mr Uche Elodimuo as the winner of the 2023 Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo Federal Constituency Election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is illegal, unconstitutional, null and void. The court also ordered INEC to conduct a supplementary election in eight of the Polling Units in Nnewi within ninety days. Hon Peter Uzokwe of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) dragged the APGA candidate and INEC to the Tribunal over alleged illegal cancellation of votes in Nnewi.