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Anthrax Outbreak: Kwara Govt rolls out new preventive measures
The Kwara Government has rolled out a new Public Health Adivory measures to curb the spread of Anthrax into the state.
The measure follows Federal Government’s confirmation of anthrax outbreak in a multi-specie animal farm at Gajiri, Suleja Local Government Area of Niger.
The state Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Veterinary Services, released the new Public Health Advisory on Tuesday in Ilorin with a view to preventing the disease from entering the state.
Dr Abdullateef Olugbon, the Director of Veterinary Services, encouraged livestock owners and stakeholders in livestock business to increase their alertness and ensure prompt reporting of suspicious illness and death of their animals.
He advised members of the public to exercise caution when buying animals from neighbouring Niger and other states bordering Republic of Benin, Chad, Niger, Ghana and Togo via waterways.
Olugbon also advised butchers to avoid slaughtering of animals at home and other illegal abattoirs and slaughter slabs.
He enjoined butchers to desist from slaughtering sick animals for public consumption, and avoid selling or eating products from sick or dead animals such as skin, hides and milk.
Besides, the director urged the general public, especially livestock value chain operators, to increase their good hygiene practice by washing hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling animals or their products.
Olugbon said that livestock farmers and the public should report any suspected cases of anthrax symptoms such as bleeding from body openings like the nose, eyes, anus and ears, to the nearest veterinary authorities or the state Ministry of Agriculture and its offices across the state.
The state government had earlier warned the public about the outbreak of the disease in some neignbouring West African countries that claimed some human lives, especially in northern Ghanian border.
NAN also reports that the disease is caused by a spore forming bacteria known as “Bacillus anthracis”, which occurs naturally in soil and commonly affects domestic and wild animals.
It can also be transmitted to human beings through contact with infected animals and animal products such as meat, milk, hides and skin.
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Terrorism: ECOWAS to raise $2.4bn to fund counter-terrorism standby force
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it is working to set up a counter terrorism force to tackle security threats within the sub-region.
The Commissioner Political Affairs, Peace and Security of ECOWAS, Amb. Abdel-Fatau Musah, stated this at the opening of a three-day consultative meeting of Commandants of the three designated ECOWAS Training Centres of Excellence.
The three centres of excellence are the National Defence College, Nigeria, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Ghana, and Ecole de Maintien de la Paix Alioune Blondin Beye, Mali.
The consultative engagement is a bi-annual event coordinated by the Directorate of Peacekeeping and Regional Security of ECOWAS.
It is to support training, capacity building, research and development of the ECOWAS Standby Force, and the general peace and security within the sub-region.
Mali which is housing one of the training centres of excellence was absent at the meeting.
This may not be unconnected with the recent move by the country alongside Niger and Burkina Faso to exit the ECOWAS community.
Musah said that terrorism was cascading across the region and there was need to have counter terrorism forces to contain its spread.
“This is the decision, and in the coming weeks, ECOWAS has already with the Chief of Defence Staffs, developed operational modalities, the concept of operations and everything for us to aggregate.
“It will be something like an advance rapid reaction force of a battalion that will be able to confront terrorists’ bases.”
He explained that as part of the resolution of the authority of Heads of States, 2.4 billion dollars would be raised to fund the ECOWAS standby force to tackle the security challenges headlong.
“The Heads of States have decided that on the first year, we must raise about 2.4 billion dollars to support the operation of this force in order to face the terrorist.”
Musah said out of the amount, the Heads of States have directed member states contribute one billion dollars to commence the operation of the stand-by force.
He also explained that Ministers of Defence and Finance from the sub-region would be meeting to fashion out funding modalities for the force.
“This brings me to why this exercise is so critical today.
“If you look at our region, it is being ravage by terrorists. Today Burkina faso has overtaken Afghanistan as the most terrorised state on earth, and Africa has become home to terrorists organisations.
“Elsewhere in the world there are opportunistic terrorists attacks like we saw in some countries not too long ago.
“We are faced with the nightmare of having one of our member states being completely occupied by terrorist groups.
“If they set up a front base in one country then no country is safe, and we have already seen the impact of that on some of the coastal countries – Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cote d’voir – over the past few years.”
The ECOWAS commissioner, however, said Nigeria has been able to degrade the Boko Haram terrorists.
“In Nigeria, thanks to the efforts of the Nigerian Government, Boko haram have been degraded to the extent that they do not post a sustainable threat to the peace and security of Nigeria.”
Earlier, the Commandant National Defence College, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Olotu while welcoming participants to the meeting, said West Africa was the only region that assigned training centres with special mandate.
He, therefore, urged the participants to take advantage of the opportunity to exchange useful ideas to enhance operations against terrorist groups in the region.
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Tinubu to return Wednesday – presidency
The presidency has announced that President Bola Tinubu and his aides will return to Nigeria from Europe on Wednesday.
The special adviser on information and strategy to the president, Bayo Onanuga, announced in a post on his X handle on Tuesday.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with his aides, will return to Nigeria tomorrow from Europe,” Onanuga wrote.
On April 22, Tinubu left Abuja, the country’s capital, for the Netherlands on an official visit.
The presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, stated that the president was visiting The Netherlands at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
After the engagements in the country, Tinubu travelled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between April 28 and 29 to attend a special World Economic Forum meeting.
Details later…
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