This as the government expressed worries that with more than 127,000 confirmed cases, Nigerians are still not obeying the safety protocols.

The National Incident Manager of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Mukhtar Muhammad, who appeared on Channels Television on Friday, said “Certainly, even if we are going to have a lockdown, it is not going to be a total lockdown.

“A couple of weeks back, we analysed the data and we identified the hotspot local government areas.”

Mostly, the areas affected are the urban local governments in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna, Plateau.

“The urban areas are the most affected and that is why we have these superspreaders and that is where we are going to target. We have analysed that and we are advising the states based on the data that these are the focused areas where these transmissions are more than the others.”

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), reported 864 new coronavirus infections in the country on Friday morning.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), reported 864 new coronavirus infections in the country on Friday morning.

The centre also confirmed the nation’s deaths toll to now stand at 1,547, adding that Lagos State recorded zero infection.

Announcing the new infection via its Twitter handle on Tuesday night, NCDC reported that Lagos recorded the highest case with 551 infections.

Fifteen additional deaths was also recorded in the last 24 hour owing to COVID-19 complications, NCDC reported.

Nigeria has now recorded 113,305 COVID-19 cases and 1,464 deaths since the second wave of the COVID-19 started in December.

The Christian body stated this, just as its appealed to Christians to continue to adhere to laid down protocols by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to stop the spread of the virus.

The CAN’s General Secretary, Barrister Joseph Daramola, made this known in a statement on Monday.

The statement reads: “Brethren, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has announced the emergence of the second wave of the pandemic. We appeal to all our churches to observe all the COVID-19 protocols which include the following:

“There should be no entry without facemasks. All worshippers including the worship leaders must wear face masks. There should be no exceptional cases.

“People who are sick or too old should stay at home. There should be temperature screening at every entry point to the Church.

“Ensure adequate ventilation in halls of worship, open windows, and doors for air to circulate in and out freely and if possible avoid the use of air conditioners

“Hand washing facilities and hand sanitizers should be provided at point of entries and strategic points within the Church premises.

“Attendance should not exceed 1/3 of the sitting capacity of every Church. Churches can make use of their educational facilities and multi purpose halls to avoid overcrowding in the main church auditorium.

“Church auditorium should be clearly marked such that people sit and maintain two metres distance from each other.

“Practices that require sharing of materials should be limited. Those using microphones must sanitise their hands before use.

“Worship places should be disinfected routinely, before and after worship. Ensure separate entry and exit points in every Church to avoid overcrowding at entry and exit points.

“Every church should make use of medical personnel to assist. We should be praying for the end of the pandemic in all our worships and very soon, it will become history in Jesus Name”.

Professor  Ujah, added that there was no data backing up the reopening of schools to ascertain which school is ready to reopen in line with the protocols.

The medical expert stated this while appearing as a guest on Channels TV Sunrise Daily on Monday.

He, however warned the the federal and state governments against disregarding medical experts’ advice on COVID-19.

“What lessons have we learnt one year after? If we say that students should go to school, what facilities have we put in place? Our problem is that we do a lot of talking doing very little. It is also true that we do not listen to experts. What we have been saying is that this coronavirus is totally unprepared for.

“We know that children will go to school, we know that they should maintain the NCDC protocols, but what have we done in the schools? Nigeria is an interesting country, full of contradictions.

“Whether it is private or public, an injury to one is an injury to all. What I know is that we have no statistics on schools that are ready. Whether it is private or public and what they should put in place.

“I think we are very sentimental in making this decision as a nation. Let us follow the advice of experts. While we are saying that schools should be reopened, we should be prepared and there should be monitoring and supervision. We talk and we don’t supervise,” he said.

InsideOjodu reports that nursery, primary and secondary schools in states like Lagos, Ogun,  Ogun, Ebonyi and Nasarawa have resume academic activities today Monday, January 18 for the second term of the 2020/21 academic year.

The media outfit also report that the country’s COVID-19 total infection according to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC now stands at 1,444, with fatalities of more than 1,400.

The chairman of the House committee on basic education, who reacted to reopening in a statement, said the reopening will pose a threat to the fight against the second wave of COVID-19.

Ihonvbere said the legislative arm was not reached before the federal government arrived at the decision

The chairman, however proposed that the resumption date should be postponed by three month.

He also lamented that there are no “verifiable and sustainable arrangements to protect and secure” the students during the pandemic.

“We are particularly concerned that when the infection rates hovered around 500 and under, schools were closed; but now that it hovers well above 1,000 infections daily, schools are being reopened.

“Why are we rushing to reopen schools without adequate verifiable and sustainable arrangements to protect and secure our children?

“They did not consult us; at least in my committee, nobody from the ministry spoke to me. I have been in Abuja. And I am not sure that they spoke to any of my members,” he said.

InsideOjodu had earlier reported that the Nigeria Center for Disease Control NCDC on Sunday, January 17, 2021 announced that the country’s COVID-19 total infection now stands at 1444.

With, Lagos state recording 901 new cases, the highest for the day.

This was disclosed in a statement released on Monday morning and signed by the NGF spokesman Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo.

According to the statement, the Governors forum said it was alarmed by the intensity of the second wave of the global pandemic and the country’s “tardy commencement of inoculation”.

Recall that in the past few weeks Nigeria has recorded an increase in the number of COVID-19 infection across the nation both in cases and fatalities.

As at Sunday night the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reported 1,444 new cases and 15 deaths.

According to the statement, the NGF meeting will be the first for the Governors in 2021 and will be conducted virtually as usual since the pandemic started.

Part of the statement reads: “Alarmed by the intensity of the second wave of the Covid19 pandemic, and Nigeria’s tardy commencement of inoculation that is sweeping through countries globally, the 36 governors of the federation may finally come up with a definitive pronouncement, as they will be meeting on Wednesday January 20 to find the way forward for the country.

“The meeting which will be the first this year, 2021, by the governors, will as usual, be virtual, in conformity with the Covid19 protocols. It is the 23rd of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum teleconferences. The meeting commences at 2pm prompt but Governors are expected to start logging on from 1pm.

“The Governors’ PTF Committee, headed by Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, which is charged with the responsibility of liaising between the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid19 and the Governors’ Forum, will brief the Forum on what it needs to know on the vaccines and the way forward.

“Governor Okowa is also expected to give a panoramic view of the second wave of the pandemic.

“The Chairman of the Forum, and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr John Kayode Fayemi will brief the Forum on his meeting with the President as well as update the Forum on all pending matters that have remained inconclusive, flowing from the previous year’s meetings.”

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who activated the plant, explained that the increased demand for oxygen to treat COVID-19 patients in the second wave of the pandemic necessitated activation of oxygen generation capacity in the state.

Explaining the benefit of the plant, the Commissioner stated that the operation of the plant will significantly make oxygen available for COVID19 patients.

He said the plant will supply about 300 cylinders per day and six cylinders per hour for use of patients admitted at the isolation facility.

He said, “We recognized the importance of generating oxygen because of the large number of patients who are currently on admission in our isolation centres and are largely depending on oxygen. This has resulted in an escalating and alarming demand for oxygen”.

“The oxygen plant facility could not have come at a better time than now, when the State is recording an increase in the number of people presenting with difficulty in breathing and requiring urgent oxygen therapy.

“This is particularly useful for patients with comorbidities who require prompt oxygen for survival. Oxygen from the plant will be very helpful for effective treatment due to proximity of the plant which serves as a source.”

The government stated this amid the increase in the number of virus infection, as its battled the second wave of the pandemic.

The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu, who disclosed this while during his on TVC on Tuesday, noted the taskforce is yet to take a decision on imposing a fresh lockdown in the country.

“The behaviour of the public when it comes to these rules matters. We have countries abroad that have very strict non-pharmaceutical intervention measures and everybody follows it.

“The flights are coming in, schools are open, churches are open, and they don’t have COVID-19 problems because everybody observes the rules.

“We definitely don’t want a lockdown and because we don’t want to lock down, we need to make sure we do everything we can to prevent ourselves from reaching that state where the government will have to take action,” he said.

The Federal Government ordered a lockdown in March 2020 in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States for over five weeks during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It led to job losses as airlines, hotels, banks, among others cut their workforce due to the crushing economic effect of the lockdown

The screening suspension was announced in a statement on Monday in Abuja by the NDLEA’s spokesman, Deputy Commander of Narcotics, Jonah Achema.

Achema, explained that the screening suspension was in compliance with the directive of the Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Mallami, SAN.

NDLEA had on January 8 released the list of shortlisted candidates.

The candidates, numbering 5,000, were due to appear at the agency’s academy, Citadel Counter-Narcotics Nigeria, Katton-Rikkos, Jos, for screening and documentation between Jan. 10 and Jan. 23.

According to Achema, the minister ordered the suspension of the exercise given the current and alarming second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country.

He, however, said the agency will not charge any of the applicants for prejudice either they turned up for the screening or failed to do so.

“The agency is prepared to seek advice from the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 on the public health implications of such an exercise, especially as it relates to the adequacy and possibility of strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols.

“The screening team had been directed to suspend all actions and return to the National Headquarters, Abuja, immediately for further briefing.

“There shall be no prejudice against any candidate that turned up for the screening or that failed to do so,’’ he said.

The Director of the VIS Lagos, Engr. Akin George Fashola, who disclosed this while speaking with journalists in his office, stated that Lagos State cannot avoid to be lockdown for a second time.

Engr. Fashola, while stressing the need for drivers and commuters to abide by all safety measures, stated that this is one of the ways the country and Lagos State especially can battle the deadly COVID-19 virus effectively.

Recall that the initiative stopped its operations following the End SARS protest.

“We can defeat this virus seeing that it is better and less costly to obey all the safety guidelines than to lockdown the country.

“We do not want Lagos State to be lockdown for a second time. Therefore, we will begin our second phase of mass enforcement and sensitisation of drivers especially commercial drivers and commuters to ensure the use of facemasks, observe social distance in the vehicles and other safety rules,” she said.