With the Prime Minister due to address the nation on the government’s strategy to ease the lockdown on Sunday 10 May 2020, our Health, Safety and Employment clinic returns the following day to focus on the practical application of transitioning a wo...

After more than 10 years of European legal protection for employees in the event of a relevant transfer, many aspects of the Transfer of Undertakings Directive 2001 (Council Directive 2001/23/EC) and its predecessor have by now been litigated over a...

Listen as our panel answer some of the most common questions clients have asked us over recent weeks as well as digging into more detail around how your business should proceed with specific legal and technical challenges. A recording of the session...

On 17 July 2017, a new Appendix H to the Technology and Construction Court Guide was published which provides guidance on procedures for public procurement cases (the “Guide”). Although this detailed procedural guidance is likely to prove usefu...

A record decline in greenhouse gas could be followed by a larger increase as the economy rebounds, energy experts warn.

Residential developers need to take great care that they do not jeopardise their recovery of VAT by granting a short–term tenancy. The current downturn is leading developers to let out new properties instead of selling them. Great care is nee...

Introduction A circular economy is an economic system characterised by the trading of products and services in closed loops or cycles. The system is designed to be regenerative insofar as it aims to retain as much value as possible from used product...

Since the controversial removal of Dr Aniekeme Uwah as the Akwa Ibom State Epidemiologist, several lies have continuously been peddled by media hirelings of 'powers that be' to smear the character of the renowned and celebrated medical expert. Ordinarily , one would not bother about their mischief; but in an article titled " COVID-19 testing and controversies in Akwa Ibom" published in some national dailies and online platforms  by Usman Yusuf ( obviously a fake name), the hireling struggled albeit unsuccessfully to paint a picture of Dr Aniekeme Uwah being removed for unethical practices.

As the Akwa Ibom NMA PRO stated on a Live radio interview, after the infamous redeployment, the reason for Dr Aniekeme Uwah's removal as state Epidemiologist was his refusal to carry out the Commissioner for health's bidding of testing  only 10 persons instead of 31 who had met the case definition .

To cover up the overwhelming public backlash that greeted the politicization of Dr Uwah's removal, aides and hirelings of 'powers that be' have tried justifying the removal of the epidemiologist by first claiming he "banged the phone on the Governor " to later changing the story, that the cerebral Doctor is responsible for the number of positive COVID-19 cases in the state amongst other fables. 

This only proves the truism , that " to cover up one lie, many other lies will have to be told..." and desperately so if I may add.

 Some of the despicable falsehood peddled against  Dr Aniekeme Uwah include falsifying NCDC results.This assertion betrays the writer's ignorance of the procedures for sample collection and test results. 

As the State Epidemiologist, it should be noted that Dr Uwah worked with an incident Management Committee (IMC) which included doctors and other Supervisory agencies like NCDC and the World Health Organization(WHO).

It is under the watchful eyes of these disciplined medical professionals, that samples which meet case definition are gotten and sent to laboratories in Edo State or Ebonyi State with adequate security escort. The results are instantly communicated  by the Laboratory to the NCDC headquarters and the state is copied.

One wonders how Dr Aniekeme Uwah had the powers to change negative results in these laboratories to positive and subsequently force or bribe 12 persons (as at when he was epidemiologist) who were predominantly medics to move into the Isolation Center for treatment. This thinking is not only absurd, but smirks of conspiracy by the writer and cohorts. 

Moreover, four new positive cases have been confirmed after he was redeployed as state Epidemiologist, did he still influence those results?

In another online defamatory write up by yet another faceless hireling Bassey Wils, it was alleged that the former Epidemiologist was angered that his proposal for purchase of laboratory equipment was rejected.

This is obviously far from the truth. The writer is obviously unaware of the workings of Government and the procedures for procurement in a ministry that has a Commissioner.   Even if the Epidemiologist would have recommended that the state had its own laboratory to stop incessant travels to other states for tests confirmations, it would best remain only a novel suggestion as the implementation of such ideas rest between the Commissioner for health and agencies of Government responsible for such procurement . 

The said fake Bassey Wils also blamed the former Epidemiologist for the embarrassment the state suffered during it's infamous imbrioglio with NCDC over the 5 index cases..This is a case of selective amnesia suffered by Blackmailer hiding under the moniker of Bassey Wils. For the avoidance of doubt, It was the Commissioner for Health who held a world press conference to disagree with the results of the 5 index cases and NCDC procedures not Dr Aniekeme Uwah. This further goes to buttress the allegations against " Powers" over their intentions to suppress testing to avoid a record of high positive results by the state as stated by the NMA PRO on radio. 

Further more, the fake Bassey Wills claimed Dr Aniekeme Uwah  went against NCDC guidelines which stated that only 10 samples should be sent in a day.  

For avoidance of doubt, it must be stated unequivocally that such guidelines does not exist.

On April 27, 2020 Dr Sani Aliyu, National Coordinator presidential task force ( PTF) on COVID-19 said on National TV and i quote " I will like to emphasize that there is no limit to testing when it comes to COVID-19. Covid numbers is not an issue of competition between states. There is no shame if a state comes up with positive numbers. In other to deal with an epidemic, we need to have transparency in numbers and that transparency is linked to the number of tests. If you do not know the extent of the problem, you will not be able to deal with it. I am appealing to state governments to please continue helping the state emergency operating centers and state ministry of health to make sure that everybody that needs to be tested has the opportunity to get the test done " . 

One would expect that after such affirmative words by the PTF on no ceilings for tests , Fake Bassey Wils and his gang of liars will bury their heads in shame. 

It shouldn't be taken for granted that the suspected case confirmed positive from the 31 would have been missed if Dr Aniekeme Uwah had carried out the Commissioner 's directive to take only 10samples.  This most likely would have led to more spread of the pandemic in the state if that suspected case was not tested or would have made the health of the patient worse if not timely diagnosed. 

Apart from this,  a large number of Doctors who were exposed to COVID-19 had been out of work for up to a month on self isolation because they had not been tested, thus leading to loss of man hours and critical essential services, and inadvertently leading to denial of life - saving services by these experts to those who needed their expertise. 

The fact that Dr Aniekeme Uwah insisted on these Doctors getting tested as part of the 31 , helped seventeen out of the eighteen of them whose results came out negative return to work at the University of Uyo teaching Hospital almost immediately. 

Dr Aniekeme Uwah should be commended for such clinical dexterity.  This tests are conducted free of charge by NCDC, so why the fuss of testing a large number? Why the insistence of testing a smaller number when everyone that met case definition at the time could be tested at once to save time and ensure clinical efficacy? 

The state loses nothing by testing more as tests are free of charge. Instead, the more agressive it gets with testing, the clearer the picture of viral penetration. That is pure Epidemiology! 

In the words of Dr Emmanuel John, the NMA PRO on radio, " testing is a clinical decision. And no doctor should have recourse to a political mastermind before taking such decisions"

Another allegation by Bassey Wils bothering a late surgeon need not be dignified for the respect of the dead and family. But it must be noted that the allegations remain false and spurious, tailored only the damage reputation of Dr Aniekeme Uwah. fortunately for every discerning mind, Bassey Wil's campaign of calumny has largely been mischievous, comic at it's best and utterly balderdash.

Fake Bassey Wil's nonsensical allegation of having evidence of text messages between Dr Aniekeme Uwah and "middle men" is not only absurd and baseless but further attempts to 'give a dog a bad name in order to hang it'. Such text messages remain only in the conjecture of his imagination. If there is any iota of truth, I challenge fake Bassey Wils to produce such evidences in court or forever bury his head in the pit of hell.

Lastly Fake Bassey Wils, a leader of the blackmail syndicate alleged that Dr Aniekeme Uwah put the state in bad light during a National Survey that ranked the state as leading in the number of persons living with HIV/AIDs in the country.  He doesn't realize that his particular allegation, provides more evidence as to the unquenching thirst for suppressing data and statistics by those in authority.

The fact remains that after the result of the HIV/AIDs National and Impact survey was published in Abuja by Federal Ministry Of Health, Dr Aniekeme Uwah moved by passion and love for his people, sensitized the public on the dangers of HIV/ AIDs and how infection can be reduced.

 He admonished on Abstainance, faithfulness to sexual partners, usage condoms and usage of anti-retroviral drugs to suppress the viral load  thereby hindering further transmission. 

In saner climes, Such patriotic zeal, would  been encouraged ; as truly there is need for sensitization of the masses whose majority especially in rural areas are still in illusion about HIV/AIDs.

 Instead of commending Dr Uwah for putting in time and personal resources to educate the masses, the "powers that be" sternly condemned Dr Aniekeme Uwah  for educating the masses about HIV/AIDs and claimed he put state in bad light. He was queried! What a sad irony!

One would ask, what is the gain of the state if it hides the figures of the HIV/AIDs prevalence from the masses? What is the intention of hiding the result of  the national survey? To record more infections due to ignorance of the populace? It has been a long walk to trampling on truth, honesty and dedication to duty.

In the court of public opinion, Dr Aniekeme Uwah has acquitted himself as a professional of unparalleled integrity.

A courageous medical doctor whose commitment to the service of humanity is common to none. 

Dr Uwah is loyal to the Hippocratic oath and will remain resolute in advocating for better health care delivery to the people.

 His award of Honor by the African Union for dedicating Six months of his life to Liberia in the fight of Ebola remains indelible.

He was also honoured as the most outstanding NMA state chairman by the National President and National Officers Committee of the NMA during his tenure as Chairman. 

His exploits as NMA Chairman include building the first Doctors Mess in Nigeria, The first NMA Clinic in Nigeria, Doctors Court as well as numerous free Surgical outreach accross the state. 

It is worthy of note that during his tenure as NMA Chairman, he pushed for the establishment of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency and State Insurance Scheme.

In the past two years, Dr Aniekeme Uwah was the chairman Planning Committee of National Physicians Week in Rivers State and Ondo State as well as the chairman Planning committee of the National Executive Council meeting of the Association in Akwa Ibom State. This is a testament to his Sterling leadership qualities which has earned him the trust of his colleagues Nationwide. 

As State Epidemiologist,  Dr Aniekeme Uwah's achievements are enormous but to mention

1. Partnering with WHO to donate motorcycles to all the 31 Disease Surveillance Officers (DSNOs) in the 31 LGAs in the state to enhance their mobility.

2. Training of the 31DSNOs and other Health workers on frontline field epidemiology in partnership with AFENET.

3. Donation of Lap top computers and android phones to all the 31DSNOs to enhance their disease surveillance activities etc

Recently , Dr Aniekeme Uwah was appointed Secretary of the Common Wealth Medical Association's Committee on Covid-19 response. The Common Wealth Comprises of 54 countries accross all continents. Only Men of proven track record get such International appointments. 

These and more are some of Dr Aniekeme Uwah's legacies that his blackmailers cannot wish away.

No greater testimonial would Dr Uwah wish  for in times like this, than that of The DG of NCDC,  Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu who while responding to the redeployment saga on national TV said "The state Epidemiologist, Dr Aniekeme Uwah is a great colleague who did his work creditably. He is one of my great colleagues .. we worked on Ebola outbreak together. I wish him well in his new assignment".

I understand that Dr Uwah's traducers and their media hirelings are intimidated by his towering profile. I would rather implore them to work hard on improving their miserable lives rather than constantly attempt to defame and disparage a man whose track record is way beyond their reach. It will remain a mere waste of time! 

It is worthy of note, that Dr Aniekeme Uwah's removal as state Epidemiologist to suppress Covid 19 test results has already made him a hero, a professional of no mean repute in the court of public opinion and no volume of blackmail can change that narrative!

- Asteroid Bassey writes in from Uyo.

Nigeria has recorded 381 new Coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 3526.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control disclosed this in a Twitter post on Thursday. 

The agency said, “381 new cases of ‪#COVID19; 183 in Lagos, 55 in Kano, 44 in Jigawa, 19 in Zamfara, 19 in Bauchi, 11 in Katsina, nine in Borno, eight in Kwara, seven in Kaduna, six in Gombe, five in Ogun, four in Sokoto, three in Oyo, three in Rivers, two in Niger, one in Akwa Ibom, one in Enugu and one in Plateau.

“3526 cases of ‪#COVID19 in Nigeria. Discharged: 601, deaths: 107.” 

Reconsidered employment related Government measures The Government modified the previously introduced wage subsidies: wage subsidies for researcher and developer employees and short-time allowance can be applied for on more favourable terms, the app...

The pandemic has significantly hindered conducting stationary sale of goods and services. Many companies decide to change their business models and transfer their activities to the Internet, establishing new e-shops or developing the current ones. I...

Chambers & Partners, an independent editorial and research team recently published the latest editions of Chambers Global and Chambers Europe legal guides. We are proud to announce that Eversheds Sutherland Ots & Co has again been highly...

Eversheds Sutherland has again been listed as a top law firm in this year's edition of the Swiss business magazine Bilanz / Le Temps in the following areas: Banking and Capital markets Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) Liability law International...

The UK has suffered widespread damage as a result of recent flooding over the winter of 2019/20, with anticipated losses in excess of £400m. If flood-related interruption to a business is significant, property and business interruption (“BI”) polici...

By East-West Center HONOLULU (March 27, 2020)—Population aging is affecting countries all across Asia. This ongoing demographic transition will leave many of the region’s economies increasingly dependent on an aging, and eventually a shrinking, workforce. Economists disagree, however, on whether population aging will necessarily lead to a slowdown in economic growth.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

By Andrew Mason, Sang-Hyop Lee, and Donghyun Park HONOLULU (8 May 2020)—Elderly populations in Asia are expanding more quickly than other age groups. Low fertility rates result in fewer children and eventually fewer working-age adults, while elderly populations are living longer.

This is a summary only. Click the title for the full article, or visit www.EastWestCenter.org/Research-Wire for more.

Introduction On 31 January 2020, the OECD issued a further update on its work on the taxation of the digital economy. The catchily titled “Statement by the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS on the Two-Pillar Approach to Address the Tax Chal...

Attempts at digital transformation, which have sometimes been slow in Tunisia, are now forced and obliged to succeed in order to guarantee continuity of work, economy and even life during the country's lockdown. The digital transformation is a stron...

Brazil's Real firmed for the first time this week, bouncing from last session's all-time lows, while most other Latin American currencies also strengthened on Friday on signs of easing tensions between the United States and China.

Syria's oil and mineral resources ministry announced Saturday a reduction in automobile fuel subsidies, the latest government measure to tackle a deepening economic crisis.

France defender Samuel Umtiti has picked up a calf injury in just the second session since Barcelona returned to training from the coronavirus quarantine, the Spanish champions announced on Saturday. Barca said that Umiti picked up an injury to his right calf during Saturday’s training session at the club’s Joan Gamper facility, but did not
Read More

The post Barca’s Samuel Umtiti suffers calf knock in second training session appeared first on Vanguard News.

By Anayo Okoli – Enugu Enugu State has recorded another confirmed positive case of COVID-19. The new case is another contact of the third case, the woman who travelled to Jos, Plateau State, and returned to Enugu. With this Enugu State now has a total of 10 positive cases, two of who have since been
Read More

The post Enugu records a new case of COVID-19 appeared first on Vanguard News.

A frontline activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, has accused the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike of turning into a dictator. He listed some attributes of dictatorship being displayed by the Governor to include the arbitrary arrest of pilots and oil workers; the closure of State boundaries and now an executive order to auction all vehicles […]

COVID-19 lockdown: Gov. Wike becoming a dictator in Rivers – Senior lawyer, Adegboruwa

The Osun State Government says it has recorded one new case of coronavirus in the state. The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu, in a statement on Saturday, in Osogbo, said the new case sneaked in from Kano State to the Iwo area of the state before the COVID -19 taskforce was alerted. Isamotu […]

COVID-19 : Osun records new case of coronavirus

The Ogun State Government has announced the death of another two COVID-19 patients in the state. With this, the state government said a total of four persons have died of the deadly virus in the Gateway State. Last night, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced that Ogun State has recorded another 13 positive […]

COVID-19: Ogun records two more deaths, confirms 13 new cases

BY EMEKA EJERE Soldiers deployed in Benue have recorded a great feat by killing a suspected notorious criminal, Terugwa Igbagwa, during a raid operation in the state. The Coordinator of Defence Media Operations at the Defence Headquarters, Major General John Enenche, disclosed this in a statement on Friday. According to him, Igbagwa whose alias is […]

The post Army kills second ‘most wanted’ criminal kingpin in Benue appeared first on Hallmarknews.

Conference of Civil Society of Nigeria and Civil Society Centre for Leadership and Followership on Friday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to set up ECOWAS Sub-regional Taskforce on Coronavirus response. The call was made on Friday by at a press conference in by Comrade Adams Otakwu, Coordinator of Civil Society Situation Room on COVID 19. Read […]

The post Set up ECOWAS Covid-19 Task force, CSOs tell Buhari appeared first on Nigerian Pilot News.

A Tygerberg Hospital nurse has become the latest health-care worker to die of Covid-19 as the Western Cape saw an increase of 11 coronavirus deaths and more than 500 new infections.

The Gauteng Department of Health announced on Saturday that total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the province as at May 8 sits at 1851, with 1247 recoveries and 18 deaths.

While the number of Covid-19 cases increased in Gauteng, the number of the number of people who were hospitalised with the virus have been discharged.

Donald Tusk, the head of the European People's Party and the former president of the European Council, says the coronavirus crisis could spell the end for the EU. He urges Germany to show more solidarity with weaker countries and hopes to prevent Hungary from becoming a dictatorship.

Germany’s strict limitations on contact between people haven't conquered the virus - they have merely bought the country more time. Epidemiologists believe a second wave will come.

The corona crisis is changing the global economy. Production security is growing more important than efficiency. Here is what that might look like.

A government study said it had injected a total of 168.7 trillion won (US$150.8 billion) since the 1997 Asian financial crisis as part of an effort to clean up insolvent financial services firms and has only recouped 115 trillion won as of the end of the second quarter of this year. This is the recovery ratio of 68.3 percent in 20 years' time. Even though it looks good in appearance, there is a big difference from that of the U.S. government. The U.S. government had spent $426.4 billion for...

The youth unemployment rate has hit a record-high level in August since the Asian financial crisis. As for the number of net job increase, it fell to a low of 54 months. Even though the government is doing everything it can to create jobs, jobs-related figures won't budge. According to a report "August 2017 Employment Trend" published by the National Statistical Office on September 13, the jobless ratio of those aged between 15 and 29 was 9.4 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from a year ago. ...

Email scams are becoming more and more difficult to spot.  Hackers replicate genuine email traffic, posing as genuine suppliers providing invoices that appear genuine.  It is often only when the supplier chases on payment, which as far as...

Cape Town - A Tygerberg Hospital nurse has become the latest health-care worker to die of Covid-19 as the Western Cape saw an increase of 11 coronavirus deaths and more than 500 new infections on Friday. “We are deeply saddened to announce the death of a Tygerberg Hospital nurse, Ntombizakithi Ngidi,” said Premier Alan Winde. “We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends and her colleagues at this time and we honour her service to the people of this province.” Ngidi is the second nurse to die from Covid-19 in the...

Johannesburg - The Gauteng Department of Health announced on Saturday that total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the province as at May 8 sits at 1851, with 1247 recoveries and 18 deaths. In a statement it said that out of a total of 9403 contacts traced (these are individuals who were in contact with people who tested positive for the coronavirus); 6885 people have completed the 14-days monitoring period with no symptoms reported and therefore they are de-isolated. A total number of 60 people are currently hospitalised in public and private facilities. Breakdown per sub-district City of...

(MENAFN - African Press Organization) COVID-19 ECOWAS Daily Update for May 8, 2020Distributed by APO Group on behalf of West African Health Orga... ......

Federal investigators have found "reasonable grounds" that a government whistleblower was punished for speaking out against widespread use of an unproven drug that President Donald Trump touted as a remedy for COVID-19, his lawyers said.

Sandy Jensen's customer-service job at a Sam's Club in Fullerton, California, normally involves checking member ID cards at the door and answering questions. But the coronavirus has turned her into a kind of store sheriff.