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Notorious Land Grabber, Mutairu Owoeye Attacks Sagamu Community with Armed Thugs……

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The Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, lately signed a bill into law which prescribes 25 years imprisonment or death sentence for anyone found guilty of land grabbing.
He signed the bill 34 days after the state House of Assembly passed it. The law criminalises land grabbing or forceful takeover of landed property in the state.

The bill was passed on October 11, 2016. It is titled, “H.B. No. 03/2016 – A bill for a law to prohibit forcible entry and occupation of landed properties, violent and fraudulent conducts in relation to landed properties, armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism and allied matters and for other matters incidental thereto or connected therewith.”
According to the law, death sentence applies when a life is or lives are lost in such forceful takeover of land. Kidnappers also risk life sentence.

However, at the peaceful neighborhood of Isoso community, GRA Quarters, Sagamu, Ogun state; Land Grabbers has been drizzling terror on the dwellers of Sagamu and its vicinities; the community was disrupted some days ago by hoodlums, who stormed the area as thousand residents fled their homes.

The hooligans, who the residents described as land grabbers, aka ‘Omoniles,’ were said to have vandalised property worth millions of Naira.

The leader of the hoodlums, Chief Mutairu Owoeye aka (Baba Owoeye) who were said always using Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to perpetrate his forbidding land grabbing activities was boasting he is above the law and no government can halt his actions
We gathered that sometimes ago, two families had dispute over three hectares of land, and both headed to court. At the end, both families secured same Supreme Court judgment ceding the three hectares property for the two families that both must be in consent whenever any of them decides to sell out of the property.
We learnt that Mr Jimoh Olatunji the Agba Akin of Makun Kingdom in Sagamu cohort with Mr Onayemi, Mr Mutairu Owoeye AKA (Baba Owoeye) and one Olowo Ake led a 200 bandits harmed with sophisticated firearms, offensive weapons, malicious destruction/ demolition of houses and industries property, terrorizing the whole community whose their properties does not any way in jurisdiction of the three hectares of land belongs to the said families.
Visits to the community by our reporter, it was pull together that land grabbers were full in operation with dangerous weapons, ready for war and already creates panic in the community as people of Isoso GRA Quarters were forced to have a sleepless nights with horrified experience. Efforts to get more details and move around were prevented by these mobsters as our reporter was seriously threatens to be pierced with cutlass.

Presently, these lawbreakers is currently waylaying people in the community, raiding houses at the neighborhood, using the opportunity to perpetrate different kind of criminal activities. Shops and Offices closed down and no business doings because of the heavy presence of Land Grabbers exhibiting their malevolent movements in the community.
The elders of Isoso community in GRA Quarters, Sagamu, Ogun state have cries out to Ogun state Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Police IG and Security agencies to come to their rescue and deliver them from this broad day light horror. Also, different petitions has been written to Governor’s office and Inspector General of Police over the dreadful activities of this notorious land grabbers in Ogun state and its environs

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New virus: FG tightens monitoring, to quarantine China passengers

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•Experts demand proactive steps as new virus surges in China, ravages children

The Federal Government on Sunday said it would activate surveillance measures for inbound passengers from China following the current surge of a respiratory virus.

Reports indicate that the virus has led to overcrowded hospitals, emergency measures and public concerns in China.

The virus, attributed to the Human Metapneumovirus, has seen cases spiking across northern Chinese provinces this winter, particularly among children. Neighbouring countries such as Cambodia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong are closely monitoring the HMPV situation, having reported a few cases but no widespread outbreaks, according to reports.

According to Chinese authorities, there has been a noticeable increase in HMPV cases, especially among children under 14 years old in northern parts of the country. Social media posts, accompanied by videos of overcrowded hospitals, have sparked fears of a larger-scale health crisis.

In response to the rising cases, the Chinese government announced measures, including constant monitoring of cases, the adoption of masks, social distancing and disinfection of public spaces to curb the increase of the virus.

The new virus outbreak is coming five years after the emergence of a novel coronavirus – COVID-19 – in Wuhan, China, which was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation on March 11, 2020.

So far, COVID-19 has infected 777 million people globally and killed over seven million, according to WHO.

However, while both HMPV and COVID-19 are respiratory illnesses, there are important differences. HMPV typically causes milder symptoms such as a cold or flu, while COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, can lead to more severe health complications and long-term effects.

HMPV is also a seasonal virus, similar to other cold-causing pathogens like RSV, and infections usually peak during the winter months. HMPV, like COVID-19, spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes and it can also spread via contaminated surfaces.

However, officials from the National Health Commission stated that while respiratory diseases are expected to rise during the winter months, the overall situation this year is less severe than last year.

Beijing also downplayed the developments as an annual winter occurrence.

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday, “Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season. The diseases appear to be less severe and spread with a smaller scale compared to the previous year,” she said.

A pilot programme was launched by China to track pneumonia of unknown origin, ensuring labs and health agencies reported and managed cases more effectively, state broadcaster CCTV reported, quoting an administration official at a news conference.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said HMPV could cause upper and lower respiratory diseases in people of all ages, especially among young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

The U.S CDC noted that HMPV is most likely spread from an infected person to others through secretions from coughing and sneezing, close personal contact and touching objects or surfaces that have the viruses on them, then touching the mouth, nose, or eyes.

“Symptoms commonly associated with HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion and shortness of breath. Clinical symptoms of HMPV infection may progress to bronchitis or pneumonia and are similar to other viruses that cause upper and lower respiratory infections. The estimated incubation period is three to six days, and the median duration of illness can vary, depending upon severity but is similar to other respiratory infections caused by viruses,” the US CDC stated.

Meanwhile, health authorities in Nigeria are already implementing emergency measures to monitor and manage the spread of the HMPV.

The Director, Special Duties, Office of the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr John Oladejo, told The PUNCH on Sunday that the Federal Government would implement preventive measures by activating surveillance measures to curb the spread of the virus

“The FG will activate surveillance measures, like quarantine, for passengers coming in from China,” Dr Oladejo said.

Earlier in November 2024, global health body WHO noted that it was closely monitoring the situation and was in close contact with national authorities in China, adding that it would continue to provide updates as warranted.

Based on the available information, WHO recommended that people in China followed measures to reduce the risk of respiratory illness, which include recommended vaccines against influenza, COVID-19 and other respiratory pathogens as appropriate; keeping distance from people who are ill; staying home when ill; getting tested and medical care as needed; wearing masks as appropriate; ensuring good ventilation; and practicing regular handwashing.

“WHO does not recommend any specific measures for travellers to China. In general, persons should avoid travel while experiencing symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, if possible; in case of symptoms during or after travel, travellers are encouraged to seek medical attention and share travel history with their health care provider.

“WHO advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions based on the current information available on this event,” the body added.

First detected in Pakistan in 2001, the HMPV has caused several outbreaks over the years in the Asian nation, primarily affecting children, but the virus is new to Africa as there haven’t been reported cases on the continent.

“Human Metapneumovirus was first identified in Pakistan in 2001, and outbreaks have been reported since then,” an official at the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, said.

“In 2015, a study conducted at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences found 21 cases of HMPV in children hospitalised with severe lower respiratory tract infections.”

Meanwhile, medical experts have stated that implementing surveillance measures against the virus was a crucial and appropriate step in ensuring that it doesn’t spread to the country.

They emphasised that surveillance should be an ongoing process carried out continuously by the government.

A virologist at the Department of Virology, College of Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Dr Moses Adewumi said, “On good day, surveillance should always be part of us. What happens most times is that despite the amount that was voted for COVID-19, we seem to have relaxed. Our people are more interested in spending the money, and after that, we probably decide to go to sleep. So, the surveillance should be a continuous thing.

“It is good that we increase our surveillance for people coming into the country, especially from China, Japan and other places, where we have the outbreaks. The government should be more involved in surveillance because most of the surveillance and all the research we do is funded by foreign bodies, so our own government should be more interested in research, in surveillance for all these viruses.

“The virus is not new but the surge may be because there is a different variant, and that is why we need to increase our surveillance and monitor it closely to curtail its introduction into the country. Experience has taught us that if we check now, we may have our people with antibodies already, and that’s a confirmation that it’s likely that this is circulating here, maybe not the exact variants that they have now.”

Also, an Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases and Genomics in the Department of Microbiology at the Adeleke University, Osun State, Oladipo Kolawole, noted that the decision by the government to implement surveillance measures was a good one, adding that it aimed to monitor and control the potential spread of the virus, ensuring public health safety as the situation developed.

Kolawole said, “The government is likely to enhance screening processes at points of entry and provide guidelines for travellers from China, this is to mitigate risks associated with HMPV. Activating surveillance allows for the early detection of cases, which is essential in managing outbreaks effectively. Monitoring travellers from regions experiencing outbreaks can help identify and isolate cases before they spread within the community.

“Also, quarantine for inbound passengers from the affected regions can significantly reduce the risk of transmission. It serves as a precautionary measure to ensure that individuals who may be infected do not unknowingly spread the virus to others. Finally, this situation underscores the importance of preparedness in public health systems.”

Meanehile, Hong Kong has reported a few cases of HMPV following the outbreak in China while Cambodia’s Communicable Disease Control Department issued warnings about the virus, noting its similarity to COVID-19 and influenza.

Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control said the virus poses higher risks for children, the elderly and immuno-compromised individuals.

In neighbouring India, officials said there was no need for panic as HMPV is “like any other respiratory virus.”

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Tax reforms: Nigerian Govt ready to make compromise over VAT controversy — Oyedele

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The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has said that the Federal Government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is ready to make a compromise on the controversial Value Added Tax structure in the tax reform bills before the National Assembly.

Oyedele disclosed this on Sunday during an interview with Channels Television.

Recall that four tax reform bills— the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill— meant to overhaul the country’s tax system, had sparked serious debate since it was sent to the National Assembly for passage in October, 2024.

Speaking on Sunday, Oyedele stressed that the proposed VAT structure on Derivative Principle will benefit every part of the country, contrary to claims in some quarters.

He noted that if the preference was for the current state of the Attribution Principle, then his team was willing to oblige.

“That is what is non-negotiable. Otherwise, we will be missing out on a significant opportunity to move Nigeria forward. But in terms of the details of those bills, everything is up for grabs.

“I can tell you, as we speak today, if they want us to keep the current VAT formula, we’ll keep it 100 percent. So, the fact that people keep using the problem we are trying to solve against us is what I need to understand.”

 

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Tinubu to attend John Mahama’s second inauguration as Ghana’s president on Tuesday

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President Bola Tinubu will attend John Mahama’s inauguration as Ghana’s president on Tuesday.

This will be Mahama’s second inauguration as president of the Gold Coast country. He previously led Ghana from 2012 to 2017.

A statement issued on Sunday by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president, information and strategy, said Tinubu will depart Abuja on Monday for Accra, the Ghanaian capital, to attend Mahama’s inauguration on January 7.

Onanuga said the trip was at the invitation of the president-elect.

Shortly after his re-election in December, Mahama visited Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.

Before the visit, Tinubu congratulated Ghana’s president-elect on his victory in the general election.

Mahama won the elections after polling 56.55 percent of the vote cast to defeat Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), with 41.6 percent.

Bawumia conceded defeat before the final results were announced.

At the 66th ordinary session of the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) authority of heads of state and governments, Tinubu applauded Bawumia for his exemplary actions.

Onanuga said Tinubu, as ECOWAS chairman, will join other African leaders at the ceremony.

Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, minister of state for foreign affairs, and other senior government officials will accompany the president on the trip.

 

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