Metro
Lagos Gives Families Two Weeks to Bury Corpses in Morgues
The Lagos State Government has given families that have corpses in Lagos State mortuaries two weeks ultimatum to pick them for burial.
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State gave the charge on Saturday while briefing newsmen at the State House, Marina, on the update of the management of COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
Sanwo-Olu said that the state’s mortuaries were getting filled and congested following the lockdown, hence, the owners of the corpses should pick them for burial or risk mass burial.
He said that though the corpses were not COVID-19 corpses, owners should conduct the burial in line with the protocol established in the management of COVID-19 in the country.
The governor said that the morgues were getting congested because some corpses were not buried during the Lenten period as in practice by some Christian faithful, coupled with the unprecedented lockdown of the state which followed thereafter.
He, however, said that inter-state movements for burials will not be tolerated, as the state borders have been toughened to restrict those not providing essential services from entering the state.
“Still on this matter of essential movement, I would like to speak concerning funerals.
“One of the outcomes of this lockdown is that many families and households have had to postpone funeral plans for loved ones who have passed away before or during this period.
“’As you might know, many Christian denominations do not carry out funerals during the Lenten Season.
“Funerals are typically kept on hold during this period and scheduled for the period immediately following the end of Lent.
”Unfortunately, this year, the COVID-19 lockdown coincided with the end of Lent, which caused many families and households to further suspend or put off funeral plans,’’ he said.
Sanwo-Olu said that due to inability to hold funerals, occasioned by the restrictions on movement, the mortuaries in Lagos State had become full and in urgent need of decongestion.
“Let me make it clear at this point that these are not COVID-19 deaths.
”The mortuaries in Lagos are not full because of COVID-19 deaths.
“The total number of COVID-19 deaths in Lagos as at today is 20; the only reason the mortuaries are full at this time is because funerals are not being held and have not been held for most of the last two months,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu appealed to all Lagosians who had the corpses of their loved ones in the mortuaries to please go ahead and schedule these funerals, as funeral was on the list of activities exempted from the lockdown restrictions.
“You can hold or attend funeral ceremonies in Lagos State as long as you comply with the requirements that we have outlined.
“’The total number of persons at the funeral, including officiating religious leaders, must not exceed 20.
“Physical distancing must be maintained at the funeral ceremony; all attendees/mourners must use masks and ensure they wash their hands after the ceremony.
“There must be no receptions or parties to accompany these funerals; rest assured that as long as these directives are fully complied with, funerals will be allowed and encouraged to take place.
“If we are unable to see a decongestion of the mortuaries across the state in the next two weeks, the Lagos State Government will be compelled to carry out mass burials to achieve this.
“We do not want to be forced to do this, which is why we are asking for your cooperation in this regard,” he said.
Also, the governor said that in exercising the powers conferred on him by Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), he had ordered the release of 209 inmates remanded in various Correctional Centres in the state.
He said that this was done to decongest correctional centres in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and was part of a larger effort to bring lasting reform to the administration of criminal justice in the country.
According to him, the beneficiaries of this release order include those above 60 years of age and those who had less than six months to go on their sentence.
He also said that they included those that have served 75 per cent of their sentence; those serving for misdemeanours and minor offences; and those with physical and mental health issues.
The governor also announced that the use of face masks was now compulsory in public places in Lagos State and failure to use masks in public would attract sanctions.
“As at midnight yesterday, April 24, 2020, Lagos State had a total of 670 confirmed cases of COVID-19, an increase of 291 cases since the last time I addressed you, on Monday April 20,2020.
“What this means is that we have seen a 76 per cent increase in our number of confirmed cases within four days, an average of 70 cases daily.
“These numbers demonstrate that we are now firmly in the community transmission phase of this pandemic in Lagos.
“It shows that our strategy of ramping up testing, especially within local communities is working, and that this is not the time for us to relax or to slow down in the efforts we are making to break the chain of transmission,’’ he said. (NAN)
The Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission has begun the regularisation of staff appointments in the FCT Administration and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
The Head of the Civilo Service, Dr Udo Atang, said at the commencement of the exercise in Abuja on Wednesday, that the move was to ensure accurate data of all staff.
Atang described the regularisation as a “critical” exercise, which forms the bedrock of the new FCT Civil Service Commission (CSC).
He pointed out that all the staff were holding letters of appointments from various agencies, departments, area councils, and the defunct Ministry of FCT and FCDA among others.
The holders of these letters, he said, have been raising issues of discrimination based on letters of appointment.
According to him, the exercise and the gazette by the commission that will come thereafter, will give all staff a sense of identity.
“The essence of this regularisation is to ensure that staff are properly documented.
“You will now have letters that will now qualify you as a bonafide staff of the FCT Civil Service Commission.”
The head of service, who appealed for full cooperation of the workers, directed that a list of all staff on course, study leave, leave of absence and other related permissions be compiled and submitted.
He added that the list should be compiled with grade level, designation and record of service, including approvals.
Atang commended the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, for his doggedness and commitment in implementing the provisions of the FCT CSC Act, 2018.
Noting Wike’s support and love for the FCT workers, the head of service urged the workers to reciprocate the minister’s uncommon gesture, by being dedicated and committed to their respective duties.
Also speaking, the Chairman, FCT CSC, Mr Emeka Ezeh, stressed that part of the responsibilities of the commission was in the appointment, promotion and discipline of all FCTA and FCDA workers.
Ezeh also stressed the need for the workers to be more committed in the discharge of their responsibilities. (NAN)
From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Catholic Women Organization of Nigeria (CWON) has organized a trauma healing session for survivors of the Jos Saint Academy School collapse alongside parents who lost their children in the unfortunate incident.The National President of the organization, Dame Mary Gonzum noted that the effort was part of their psychosocial support and counseling services for victims of the school building collapse as a follow-up to the assessment of the condition of the victims during their visit.
Gonzum speaking during a one day trauma session held at the Secretariat of the Justice Development and Peace/Caritas Commission (JDPC) of the Catholic Archdiocese located along Zaria Road in Jos the Plateau State capital said the trauma healing session was in continuation of their intervention to students who experienced the building collapsed.”Today, a trauma healing session was flagged off with a seminar on how to go about handling the trauma that victims of the Saint Academy School Busa Buji in Jos are passing through.”We will later select those that are so traumatic and need help to continue with the process of healing because it is not something that will end in a day or two but will need sometime.”The surviving students who experienced the building collapsed, parents of the students are all here because some parents are so traumatic, we have one other woman that lost two children”This trauma became necessary because when we went visiting in the hospitals, we observed that some of them are really traumatic. Like the other boy, his mother said up till today he kept telling his mother that he is seeing dead bodies, and anybody he sees he will say is his classmate.”Some of the affected parents while sharing their encounters after the incident said they hardly sleep in the day or night time. Some manage to sleep for two hours and they’re awake, and from the little lectures we received today it is clear that there is a problem,” She noted.The President calls on the government to ensure that those saddled with the responsibility of approving, inspecting and supervising structures are meant to do their job with all diligence to avert future happenings again.Some of the affected parents including; Hasana Suleman Sale who lost two of her children recalled with pains the unfortunate development that claimed the lives of her two children. She expressed gratitude for the trauma healing session which she said came as a means of consolation and strength for her to overcome the trauma she is passing through.
The Catholic Church in Nigeria has welcomed the newly-appointed Apostolic to Nigeria, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty.
Crotty, an Irish, was appointed by the Vatican.
He will oversee the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the church in Nigeria.
The position, an ambassadorial status, advances cohesion in the body of Christ.
In his welcome message for Crotty on Tuesday, the President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, said that the Church was glad to receive him.
The CBCN president, who is also the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, said,” With joy and gratitude to God, I extend a hearty welcome to Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty on behalf of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, clergy, religious and lay faithful in Nigeria.
“We are thankful to His Holiness, Pope Francis, for appointing Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty as the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria to build on the good works of his predecessor, Archbishop Antonio Filipazzi.
“His appointment is a testament to the strong spiritual bond between our countries,” he said.
He said that although Crotty was the first Apostolic Nuncio from Ireland to serve in Nigeria, many Irish missionaries had played significant roles in spreading the gospel in Nigeria.
“We appreciate Archbishop Crotty’s acceptance of serving in Nigeria and assure him of our full support and cooperation.
“We pray for a fruitful mission and a blessed tenure for our excellency,” he added. (NAN)
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