Thorian

  The European Union has fallen short of vaccinating 80 per cent of health care workers and people over the age of 80 against Covid-19 by the end of March, a target set by the bloc’s executive branch. Figures published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show that no country in the EU achieved this goal. Only 56.7 per cent of over 80-year-olds and just over 60 per cent of health care workers had received a first vaccine shot on EU average, according to figures updated on Wednesday. And the number is even lower for those who were fully vaccinated: Only 27.4 per cent of over 80s and 47 per cent of health care workers received their second jab. The EU is racing to ramp up its sluggish vaccination campaign to save potentially thousand of lives. Older people are generally at a higher risk of dying from Covid-19, while health care workers are more exposed to contracting the virus because of their profession. Despite an EU-wide effort to distr...

As women demand strategic role in peacebuilding By Gabriel Ewepu – Karu As women continue to be under-represented in governance, ActionAid Nigeria, AAN, yesterday, decried poor implementation of 35 per cent Affirmative Action in Nigeria. Expressing displeasure over the poor treatment meted out to Nigerian women in terms of elective positions and appointments in public offices including being worst hit by current insecurity challenges in the country, Country Director, AAN, Ene Obi, during a ‘Workshop on Strengthening State Level Institutional Capacities to Enhance Women’s Meaningful Participation in Peace and Security in Nigeria’ held in Karu, Nasarawa State, said women’s voice in terms of national issues remains at the back-burning including issues, directly and indirectly, affecting them. Obi recalled the promise made by President Muhammadu Buhari, during his campaign on giving 40 per cent appointments in his government to women, but up till now the percentage of appointments rem...

Kebbi State contingent to the 2020/2021 National Sports Festival, on Tuesday, began receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, ahead of their departure for the competition on April 2. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the festival, tagged “Edo 2020” has been scheduled to hold between April 2 and 14, with all the 36 states and Abuja participating. Speaking after receiving his dose, the Kebbi state Director of Sports, Alhaji Usman Umar-Ladan, who led the delegation, said the state was fully prepared for the festival. Also read: Kaduna govt advises civil servants against strike “As you are aware, it is mandatory for all participating states to be vaccinated, you can see, today, all the athletes that will represent Kebbi have taken their vaccine and we are ready for the competition. “The festival will be taking place in Benin, Edo State, and Kebbi contingent is set to compete favourably in different events and by the grace of God Almighty we will leave for Edo by Friday,” Umar-Lada...

Germany will deploy AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for general use only for over-60-year-old, ministers decided Tuesday, imposing restrictions for younger people after several severe clotting cases. Under-60s can still decide to take the vaccine but only following “consultation with the doctor carrying out the vaccination … and with an individual risk analysis,” said ministers of Germany’s 16 states as well as the federal health minister in a policy statement. The World Health Organization and the EU’s health watchdog have both deemed the AstraZeneca vaccine safe, but several countries have restricted its use over clotting fears. Germany’s decision came after the vaccine commission known as STIKO recommended that use of the jabs be halted for under-60s because of “currently available data on the occurrence of rare but very severe thromboembolic side effects” in younger vaccinated people. It intends to make another recommendation by the end of April on how to proceed with peopl...

The Director-General, Defence Research and Development Bureau, AVM Ubrufih Uzezi, on Tuesday, appealed to the National Assembly to increase its annual budgetary allocation for research and development. Uzezi made the appeal when the Senate Committee on Defence, led by its Chairman, Sen. Aliyu Wamakko visited the bureau in Abuja, for oversight. Providing a breakdown of the bureau’s budget performance for 2019 and 2021, Uzezi lamented the paucity of funds for research and called for more funds to be allocated to the bureau. He said that an upward review of the funds for research would enable the military to effectively prosecute the war against insurgency in the North-East, as well as tackle other security challenges in other parts of the country. “The money appropriated has been well spent and for the things we are doing, a lot has to do with funding to solve a lot of problems that our troops are facing in the North-East, North-West and North-Central; the issue of insurgency, bandi...

By Godfrey Bivbere THE Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, is getting set for a clamp down on those allegedly sabotaging the electronic truck call-up (e-call-up) system. The e-call-up is a new innovation introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, to control trucks related congestion at the Apapa ports access roads. Barely one month after the introduction the NSC disclosed, yesterday, that there is a push back by some vested interests against the system because it affecting their illegal benefits. READ ALSO Alleged Islamisation of Judiciary: Your criticisms laughable — CAN replies NSCIA Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the NSC, Hassan Bello, in an exclusive interview with Vanguard Maritime Report, called on all maritime stakeholders to support NPA to make the system successful. He noted that the e-call-up system has started working and has been functional, stressing that these developments can only be sustained if there is strict compliance to the system. Bello s...

By   Godwin   Oritse IN a bid to maintain industrial harmony in the Nigerian maritime industry, the National Association of Stevedoring Companies, NASC, has begun negotiation with Seaport Terminal Association of Nigeria, STOAN, on the review of rates payable to stevedores. Recall that after several months of negotiations, an agreement between the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, and Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria on pay increase for maritime workers was signed two weeks ago. Speaking to Vanguard Maritime Report, president of the National Association of Stevedoring Companies, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola, said that any moment from now negotiations on the new rates for stevedores with terminal operators will commence. READ ALSO Alleged Islamisation of Judiciary: Your criticisms laughable — CAN replies NSCIA Sunmola also disclosed that besides his group and terminal operators, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, and the Nigerian Maritime Administration an...