Ebola: Ivory Coast ban passenger flights from three countries.

Ivory Coast has banned all passenger flights from three countries hit by Ebola in an attempt to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. It is the only country, after Saudi Arabia, to impose such a ban, amid mounting concern about the outbreak which has killed nearly 1,000 people. The ban covers Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, which are worst affected by Ebola, Ivorian officials said. It excludes Nigeria, where a tenth Ebola case has been confirmed. (BBC)

Pictures of the vehicle late Ofili rode.

By our correspondent.10-08-14.

The Vehicle Late Sunny Ofili rode before his death.

Breaking News: Gov Aregbesola declared winner of Osun Governorship election by INEC.

By our correspondent. 10-08-14.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rauf Aregbesola, as winner of the governorship election held on Saturday in Osun State. Aregbesola polled a total of 203,090 votes, winning the highest number of votes in 22 of the 30 Local Government Areas of the State, defeating his closest challenger, Iyiola Omisore of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 120,433. Omisore won in eight local government areas. Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Fatai Akinbade, got 18,135 votes to come a distant third. "Having satisfied the requirements of the law and scoring the highest numbers of votes, Rauf Aregbesola of the All Progressives Congress is therefore returned elected," the Chief Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Bamidele Omole, said. Full result of election by Local Government Areas below: Ejigbo LGA Wards: 11 Reg voters: 50,674 No. of accredited voters: 33,752 APC: 17,700 PDP: 12,495 LP: 391 Total valid votes: 31,301 Rejected votes: 1,604 Total votes cast: 32,905 Ife South LGA Wards: 11 Reg voters: 44,555 No. of accredited voters: 23,033 APC: 7,325 PDP: 12,811 LP: 146 Total valid votes: 20,901 Rejected votes: 1,108 Total votes cast: 22,079 Atakumosa East LGA Wards: 10 Reg voters: 31,136 No. of accredited voters: 17,597 APC: 9,287 PDP: 6,294 LP: 120 Total valid votes: 16,395 Rejected votes: 974 Total votes cast: 17,369 "Election did not hold in one of the polling units because of some disagreements there," the Collation Officer said. Olorunda LGA Wards: 11 Reg voters: 71,981 No. of accredited voters: 38,301 APC: 26,551 PDP: 8,483 LP: 410 Total valid votes: 36,234 Rejected votes: 1,263 Total votes cast: 37,497 Osogbo LGA Wards: 15 Reg voters: 118,535 No. of accredited voters: 56,741 APC: 39,983 PDP: 11,513 LP: 673 Total valid votes: 53,387 Rejected votes: 2,066 Total votes cast: 55,453 Iwo LGA Reg voters: 66,898 No. of accredited voters: 41,229 APC: 20,827 PDP: 15,493 LP: 790 Total valid votes: 38,377 Rejected votes: 1,996 Total votes cast: 40,373 Ayedire LGA Wards: 10 Reg voters: 25,880 No. of accredited voters: 17,200 APC: 7,724 PDP: 7,813 LP: 423 Total valid votes: 16,268 Rejected votes: 799 Total votes cast: 17,067 ============== Egbedore LGA Reg voters: 33,547 No. of accredited voters: 19,293 APC: 10,615 PDP: 7,024 LP: 157 Total valid votes: 18,144 Rejected votes: 819 Total votes cast: 18,963 ============= Obokun LGA Wards: 10 Reg voters: 37,985 No. of accredited voters: 22,063 APC: 11,696 PDP: 8,618 LP: 84 Total valid votes: 20,932 Rejected votes: 871 Total votes cast: 21,803 ========== Irewole LGA Reg voters: 52,885 No. of accredited voters: 31,731 APC: 18,328 PDP: 10,330 LP: 117 Total valid votes: 29,850 Rejected votes: 1,131 Total votes cast: 30,981 ============ Ayedade LGA Wards: 11 Reg voters: 51,108 No. of accredited voters: 27,311 APC: 12,801 PDP: 11,255 LP: 137 Total valid votes: 25,428 Rejected votes: 1,441 Total votes cast: 26,869 =================== Ifelodun LGA Wards: 12 Reg voters: 53,372 No. of accredited voters: 32,613 APC: 17,447 PDP: 12,442 LP: 96 Total valid votes: 33,113 Rejected votes: 1,141 Total votes cast: 31,972 ============== Ede North LGA Wards: Reg voters: 49,253 No. of accredited voters: 28,289 APC: 15,403 PDP: 10,427 LP: 54 Total valid votes: 26,591 Rejected votes: 1,288 Total votes cast: 27,879 ============== Isokan LGA Wards: Reg voters: 28,472 No. of accredited voters: 22,194 APC: 9,758 PDP: 10,028 LP: 197 Total valid votes: 20,860 Rejected votes: 1,028 Total votes cast: 21,888 ================ Ife North Wards: 10 Reg voters: 45,457 No. of accredited voters: 21,175 APC: 8,603 PDP: 9,841 LP: 265 Total valid votes: 19,506 Rejected votes: 1,231 Total votes cast: 20,737 ==================== Ola-Oluwa Wards: 10 Reg voters: 25,550 No. of accredited voters: 16,495 APC: 7,927 PDP: 4,963 LP: 2,476 Total valid votes: 15,735 Rejected votes: 614 Total votes cast: 16,349 =================== Ife East LGA Wards: 10 Reg voters: 81,437 No. of accredited voters: 39,008 APC: 13,821 PDP: 20,831 LP: 297 Total valid votes: 36,142 Rejected votes: 1,836 Total votes cast: 37,978 ================= Ife Central Wards: Reg voters: 94,722 No. of accredited voters: 37,955 APC: 9,680 PDP: 24555 LP: 102 Total valid votes: 35,308 Rejected votes: 1,742 Total votes cast: 37,054 ===================== Irepodun LGA Wards: 11 Reg voters: 36,521 No. of accredited voters: 22,426 APC: 13,314 PDP: 7,386 LP: 343 Total valid votes: 21,401 Rejected votes: 856 Total votes cast: 22,257 ==================== Ila-Orangun Wards: 11 Reg voters: 33,577 No. of accredited voters: 20,076 APC: 10,825 PDP: 7,916 LP: 43 Total valid votes: 19,150 Rejected votes: 727 Total votes cast: 19,877 "However, in Ward 1, 571 votes were cancelled for the following reasons: results of the election was not collated as there were some anomalies reported at that polling booth," said the Collation Officer. ============= Ede South Wards: 10 Reg voters: 35,941 No. of accredited voters: 21,250 APC: 11,738 PDP: 7,462 LP: 46 Total valid votes: 19,933 Rejected votes: 933 Total votes cast: 20,866 ===================== Atakumosa West LGA Wards: 11 Reg voters: 24,625 No. of accredited voters: 13,173 APC: 6,928 PDP: 5,142 LP: 76 Total valid votes: 12,575 Rejected votes: 446 Total votes cast: 13,021 ==================== Oriade LGA Wards: 12 Reg voters: 47,140 No. of accredited voters: 25,398 APC: 12,523 PDP: 10,214 LP: 136 ============== Orolu LGA Reg voters: 24,914 No. of accredited voters: 16,882 APC: 8,558 PDP: 6,786 LP: 440 Total valid votes: 16,070 Rejected votes: 569 Total votes cast: 16,639 =================== Boripe LGA Wards: 11 Reg voters: 47,100 No. of accredited voters: 24,497 APC: 12,723 PDP: 9,344 LP: 249 Total valid votes: 23,014 Rejected votes: 1,004 Total votes cast: 24,018 "However, we received a petition from APC complaining about over voting in Ward 11," said the Collation Officer. =================== Ilesa West Wards: Reg voters: 52,397 No. of accredited voters: 23,553 APC: 15,427 PDP: 5,449 LP: 32 Total valid votes: 21,641 Rejected votes: 1,128 Total votes cast: 22,769 Odo-Otin LGA Wards: 15 Reg voters: 48,577 No. of accredited voters: 27,398 APC: 11,950 PDP: 12,902 LP: 518 Total valid votes: 25,946 Rejected votes: 1,146 Total votes cast: 27,092 Ilesa East Wards: 11 Reg voters: 54,566 No. Of accredited voters: 24,718 APC: 16,106 PDP: 5,913 LP: 44 Total valid votes: 22,970 Rejected votes: 1,104 Total votes cast: 24,074 Boluwaduro LGA Wards: 10 Reg voters: 16,839 No. Of accredited voters: 10,603 APC: 4,891 PDP: 5,035 LP: 19 Total valid votes: 10,175 Rejected votes: 355 Total votes cast: 10,530 Ifedayo LGA Wards: 10 Reg voters: 13,044 No. Of accredited voters: 8,627 APC: 4,225 PDP: 3,982 LP: 17 Total valid votes: : 8,405 Rejected votes: 165 Total votes cast: 8,570 Meanwhile, Omisore has petitioned INEC discrediting the election and arguing that APC flouted the Electoral Law during the exercise. The petition came before INEC announced the final result. Titled: Protest On The August 9, Gubernatorial Election' Omisore argued that the candidate of the APC, Rauf Aregbesola flouted provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 by announcing results. "I hereby condemn the APC candidate, Raufu Aregbesola declaring his own version of the results without recourse to INEC. With the facts of results, it is apparent that the PDP candidate, Dr. Iyiola Omisore is leading." "This act of APC is in conflict with the provisions of Electoral Law 2010 whereby a candidate can concoct figures and release to confuse the public thus make this election inconclusive until facts behind the figures are released by the INEC. "The peace and stability of this state is such under an unprecedented threat. The results so far by APC remained cancelled."

Breaking News: SA ICT to Delta Governor and Issele-Uku Traditional ruler die in ghastly motor accident.

By our Correspondent.10-08-14.

The Special Adviser to the Delta State Governor on Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), Mr. Sunny Ofili has died in a ghastly motor accident on Saturday evening (09-08-14). Mr. Ofili died along with the traditional ruler of Issele-Uku, Obi Henry Ezeagwunam, on their way to Asaba, the capital at Issele-Azagba, Ofili’s home town, a community closed Asaba. Until his death, Ofili oversees the Directorate of Science and Technology and was a publisher of Delta Herald Newspapers and he was formerly based in the state of Maryland in the US resident where he used to edit a website, called “Times of Nigeria.” It was said that Mr. Ofili was interested in running for the seat in the Delta State House of Assembly to represent Aniocha North constituency. He was survived by his wife and three female children.

Nigerian doctor who had contact with Sawyer has tested positive to Ebola and a nurse died of the virus

By our correspondent- 07-08-14 The Nigerian doctor that attended to Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-America that died at First Consultant Hospital in Lagos has tested positive to the dread Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). This was confirmed by the Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Dr. Onyebuchi Chukwu during a press conference in Abuja. The minister said eight other persons that also had first degree contact with the Liberian, have also been quarantined and are now under strict observation. Sawyer died about four days after flying into Nigeria on his way to Calabar for a conference of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS). He has since been cremated. Ebola has killed 729 people in West Africa. Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, has confirmed that a Nigerian nurse who had primary contact with the late Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian who imported the deadly Ebola virus into Nigeria, is dead. The Minister said at a news conference on Wednesday, that the nurse died on Tuesday as a result of the virus. He also said the nurse was the first Nigerian to be claimed by the virus aside Mr. Sawyer who brought the disease into the country. According to Prof Chukwu, the test conducted on those quarantined shows that Nigeria now has seven confirmed cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). “Yesterday, 5th August, 2014, the first known Nigerian to die of the EVD was recorded and this was one of the nurses that attended to the Liberian. The other five cases are currently being treated at the isolation ward in Lagos,” Chukwu said. He emphasised that all Nigerians diagnosed of the EVD, including the dead nurse, were primary contacts of the index case. The minister assured that the 24/7 Emergency Operations Centre which he mentioned in the last press conference will be fully functional by Thursday. "It will be headed by Dr. Faisal Shuaibu as the Incident Manager. He will later today lead a 6-man inter-agency team drawn from National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the US CDC, the WHO, UNICEF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to Lagos to complete the setting up of the Centre.” "They will be joined by the other personnel from the Lagos State government and the federal hospitals in the Lagos area as well as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. I have also appointed a Director of Communication and Community Mobilization who will be based in Lagos- Prof. O. Onajole of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.” He also said a special team is being set up to provide counseling and psychosocial support to patients, identified contacts and their families. "Within the week, the Minister of Information and I would be visiting Lagos State to assess the situation on ground. I once again reassure Nigerians that the government is working hard to ensure the containment of the outbreak," the minister said. He added that, for this purpose, the federal government would recruit additional health personnel. Chukwu also disclosed that government is making arrangements for more isolation tents to quicken the pace of providing isolation wards in all the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. He therefore uses the medium to appeal to the striking doctors to resume and help the country prevent the spread of the disease.

Panel dissmissed all allegations against Nasarawa Governor

News: The probe panel set up to look into the allegations of misconduct and misappropriation leveled against the Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-makura, by the State House of Assembly has dismissed the charges. In the Tuesday sitting of the probe panel constituted by the State Chief Judge on the request of 20 lawmakers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who were pushing the impeachment, the members of the panel set aside the allegations. After the panel’s decision, the state Governor Al-makura described the ruling as “victory for democracy”, but reiterated that he was ready at any time to defend his innocence. There was wild jubilation in Lafia after the ruling, as huge crowd of the governor’s supporters throng the streets, welcoming the decision. The governor said he had been vindicated by the panel’s decision. “Those who raised the allegations against me could not come forward to prove or substantiate the it,” the governor said, referring to the PDP lawmakers. The state House of Assembly had on July 14, through a resolution, moved for the impeachment of Governor Al-makura over a 16-count charge of misconduct and breach of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and unanimously asked the State Chief Judge to set up a panel to look into the allegations. However, after the State’s Chief Judge set up the panel as requested, the PDP members insisted that the panel should be disband. The 20 lawmakers at a sitting in a hotel at Karu Local Government Area, agreed to a resolution to request that the Chief Judge should disband the panel, saying they have no faith in its membership. They were absent from the Monday sitting of the probe panel held at the Ministry for Local Government, located along Shendam Road. Also at the sitting on Tuesday, the lawmakers pushing for Al-makura’s impeachment, represented by a team of lawyers, again protested against the panel sitting on two grounds. They challenged the membership of Mr Mohammed Sabo Keana and Mr Mohammed Usman as members of PDP while Mr Joel Galadima as public office holder, running contrary to section 188 (5) of the constitution. The counsel to the lawmakers insisted that the constitutional provisions and requirement must be followed by the State Chief Judge in the appointment of panel members and procedure for the panel sitting. Governor Al-makura through his counsel, Mr Nnoruka Udechuckwu, however, disagreed with the lawyers representing the lawmakers.

Policemen Posted to Osun for election, attacked NNPC Mega Station manager.

NEWS: Report by our correspondent. 3-08-14. Some policemen posted to Osun State for the August 9th election, attacked the manager of the Asaba 1 NNPC Mega Station and other staffs of the filling station today. The policemen who were said to be attached to MOPOL 29 in Anambra State made a stopover at the filling station to purchase fuel when the incident occurred at about 10am local time. Some of the policemen were found urinating at an unauthorized place in the filling station, when a policeman attached to the filing station who was duty accosted them, asked them to stop the act and use the restroom. The angry looking policemen bounced on the filing station’s attached policeman for asking them to stop their uncivilized act. Eye witnessed told our report that got to the filling station shortly after the incident that the manager of the filing station who went to intervene on the matter was attacked by the policemen and was beating up. It was learnt that other staffs that went to intervene were also beating and teargas. The incident at the NNPC Mega Station Asaba 1 indicates what to expect during the State of Osun’s of election that is slated for 9th of August 2014 by these policemen that are supposed to be “Our Friend” as they always, “Police Is Your Friend”. The attitude of some policemen unleashing terror on innocent Nigerians such as what was demonstrated by some of the policemen from MOPOL 29, Anambra State today, should be tackled by the new acting Inspector General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba.