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Lagos Churches, Mosques Reopen Friday, Bars, Clubs Stay Closed —— Sanwo-Olu

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The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, says worship centres in the state will be allowed to reopen from Friday, August 7.

He said Muslim worshippers are allowed to begin their services from Friday while Christian worshippers could begin their Sunday services on August 9, noting that the permission applies to Churches that have their main worship days on Saturdays.

He, however, warned that the religious centres would only be allowed to operate at 50 per cent of their capacity, noting that the safety protocols released by the government must be strictly adhered to.

Worship centres in the state have been shut since March as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.

In June after the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 approved the reopening of worship centres, the state government on June 4 asked mosques to reopen from June 19, and churches from June 21.

But, at a press briefing on June 16, the governor cancelled the plan due to increasing COVID-19 cases.

Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday, Sanwo-Olu said, “Places of worship in Lagos State will be allowed to open from Friday, August 7 for our Muslim worshippers, and Sunday the 9th of August for Christian worshippers, but only at 50 per cent of their capacity. Churches whose main worship days fall on Saturdays are permitted to hold their services on Saturdays.”

He stressed that worship centres would not be permitted to have other services or fellowships outside of their main weekly services that hold once a week, but that they could schedule multiple services on their designated worship days. He said vigil remained prohibited till further notice.

Among the conditions to be met by the religious centres planning to reopen, he said persons above 65 were strongly discouraged from attending services and that the ‘No Facemask, No Entry’ policy must be maintained throughout the duration of services.

He added, “Regular cleaning and disinfection of facilities must be carried out to maintain clean and hygienic environments before and after every service. Appropriate screening equipment for COVID-19 symptoms such as a contactless temperature check must be available for entrants into the facility.

“It is mandatory to provide hand-washing facilities and sanitisers at the entry and exit points; national emergency response phone lines must be displayed prominently on the premises and handshakes, hugs and high fives are not permitted at gatherings.”

He stated that the use of stationary collection boxes and electronic methods for collection of the offering must be encouraged and that the flow of human traffic in and out of the premises must be conducted in an organised manner.”

Sanwo-Olu said the number of cases had been decreasing over the past two weeks, adding that from August 14, restaurants would be permitted to open for in-dining services while social clubs and recreational centres would also be allowed to open, on the proviso that they maintain a 50 per cent occupancy capacity and obtain Provisional Safety Compliance Certificate from the government.

He added that the permissible capacity for public gatherings had been increased from 20 to 50 persons, warning that the closure of all spas, bars, lounges, night clubs, cinemas, games arcades remain till another review before the end of the month.

On the reopening of schools, the governor said secondary schools would reopen for only exit classes from August 3 as planned, adding that all standard precautions must be put in place by school authorities. “The Lagos State Government will make face masks available to all schools to which this reopening exemption applies, for the duration of the reopening,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Mrs Aderonke Odeneye, said the government had intensified the periodic fumigation/decontamination of all public secondary schools in the state.

A statement by the Director, Public Affairs, Kunle Adeshina, quoted Odeneye as saying that majority of the public secondary schools in the six educational districts, including all model colleges, had been reached.

It added, “The fumigation exercise which is ongoing, preparatory to resumption for terminal classes will continue after the West Africa Examination Council exams.”

While thanking frontline health workers; non-medical personnel like drivers, cleaners and attendants; monitoring and compliance teams and the private sector for their continuing sacrifice, support and courage, he said compliance with safety protocols remained important.

As of Friday, the governor said Lagos State had 15,150 confirmed cases, out of which 10,835 persons have been discharged and 194 persons have died as a result of the virus.

He added, “This leaves us with 1,813 active cases in community and 96 under management across various isolation centres in the state.”

He also said the Eti-Osa isolation centre had been shut down while the one in Agidingbi would soon be closed too.

“We now have two pathways through which confirmed cases are managed; either through our home-based strategy or in designated COVID care centres,” he added.

BIG STORY

400 Sex Tapes: Equatorial Guinea’s Baltasar Remanded In Prison

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The former Director-General of the National Financial Investigation Agency in Equatorial Guinea, Baltasar Engonga, has been remanded in Malabo’s Black Beach Prison.

The embattled former anti-graft chief was arrested days ago for allegedly recording over 400 sex tapes involving the wives of prominent figures in the country.

This scandal surfaced during a fraud investigation into the 54-year-old economist, resulting in an impromptu search of his home and office by ANIF officials, who reportedly discovered several CDs that revealed his sexual encounters with different married women.

As the footage leaked online, causing a media uproar, Equatorial Guinea’s President, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, dismissed Engonga.

According to Decree No. 118/2024, dated 4th November, the dismissal was due to “irregularities committed in the exercise of his functions, as well as inappropriate family and social conduct for the performance of public duties.”

A viral video surfaced on social media on Friday, showing Engonga handcuffed on both hands and legs during a court appearance.

Confirming the situation, French online blog Afrikmatin reported that Engonga, who was officially removed from his role on November 6, 2024, was subsequently chained and transferred to Malabo Central Prison. He faces charges of corruption and embezzlement.

Additionally, online newspaper UGStandard reported that the sex tapes began circulating on social networks while Engonga was already held at Malabo’s notorious Black Beach Prison on charges of embezzling public funds, as reported by state television, TVGE.

In a fact-checking report published Wednesday, Dubawa verified that Engonga had indeed been taken into custody on corruption charges and is currently being held in Black Beach Prison.

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BIG STORY

JAPA: Canada Tightens Visa Rules, Ends Automatic 10-Year Multiple-Entry Visas

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Canada will no longer automatically grant 10-year multiple-entry visas to tourists, according to new guidelines issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

This decision marks a shift from the previous practice where eligible visitors were routinely issued long-term visas, permitting multiple entries over a decade.

Under the revised rules, immigration officers now have discretion to issue visas with shorter durations based on individual assessments.

Instead of a default extended validity period, each application will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Officers can decide whether to grant a single-entry or multiple-entry visa and determine its duration, moving away from the automatic issuance of maximum-validity multiple-entry visas.

“Guidance has been updated to indicate that multiple-entry visas issued to maximum validity are no longer considered to be the standard document. Officers may exercise their judgement in deciding whether to issue a single or multiple-entry visa and in determining the validity period,” said the IRCC.

The IRCC explained that this change is part of a broader strategy aimed at managing temporary immigration levels while addressing ongoing challenges such as housing shortages and rising living costs.

The policy adjustment reflects the Canadian government’s efforts to adapt its immigration approach in response to economic and infrastructure pressures.

Previously, Canada offered two types of tourist visas: multiple-entry and single-entry. Applicants were generally considered for the multiple-entry visa, which allowed them to visit the country multiple times over a period of up to 10 years or until one month before their passport’s expiration date.

Single-entry visas, issued for specific situations like official visits or participation in single events, were less common.

Now, with the updated guidance, maximum-validity multiple-entry visas will no longer be the standard offering.

Immigration officers will exercise their judgement to decide on the appropriate type and duration of the visa, tailoring it to the specific needs and circumstances of the traveller.

The application fee for a Canadian visitor visa remains unchanged at CAD 100 per person, with no difference in cost between single-entry and multiple-entry options.

However, the shift may result in increased application costs for frequent travellers, who might need to apply more often due to shorter-term visas.

This policy change is part of a wider effort to balance immigration levels with Canada’s current infrastructure capabilities.

Other measures announced include a reduction in the target for permanent resident admissions, which will drop from 500,000 in 2025 to 395,000, with further decreases planned for 2026 and 2027.

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MC Oluomo Elected NURTW National President

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Former Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Lagos State Chapter, Mr. Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as “MC Oluomo,” was elected the new National President of the Union on Saturday.

Akinsanya was the sole candidate in the election, which took place at the Union’s Zonal Secretariat along the Osogbo/Ikirun road.

Delegates from the four Southwest states of Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, and Ekiti participated in the election.

The election, held during the Union’s Quadrennial Delegate Conference, was monitored and observed by the acting National President of the group, Aliyu Issa-Ore.

Issa-Ore, addressing the gathering, explained that the Union’s Constitution stipulates that the zone permitted to fill the national president’s position would elect its preferred candidate and present them to the national body.

The acting NURTW President, represented by Mrs. Adedamola Salam, Head of Finance at the National Headquarters in Abuja, added, “The Southwest zone has fully complied with the Constitution in electing Oluomo as President.

The delegates also elected Tajudeen Agbede as Vice President, Southwest, while Akeem Adeosun was chosen as Trustee from the Zone.

Shortly after taking the oath of office, Akinsanya, surrounded by associates and family members, called for peace and pledged to work towards unity among members.

He further stated, “I have forgiven everyone who has offended me, and I hope those I have offended will forgive me as well.

“This is our union, and we must be committed to preserving it. We will not allow anyone to destroy our means of livelihood.”

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