By Muhammad Tijjani

As part of efforts to reach out to orphans, widows and the less privileged in the society, the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association(NAOWA) has donated relief materials to some widows and orphans in Zaria.

Chairperson of NAOWA Mrs Jamila Mukhtar, who led other members of the association, said the gesture was in fulfillment of her earlier pledge to reach out to orphans and widows in Zaria.

She explained that the gesture was aimed at giving them a sense of belonging, as well as to compliment the effort of Zazzau Emirate towards alleviating the sufferings of the downtrodden.

Mrs Mukhtar disclosed that the National President of NAOWA, Mrs Salamatu Yahaya has indicated her desire to also reach out to orphans and widows in Zaria.

Responding, Emir of Zazzau Ambassador Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli, commended NAOWA and urged well to do people to emulate the gesture.

The Emir noted that such effort would go a long way in addressing the level of poverty and hardship in the society.

Ambassador Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli urged NAOWA to extend similar gesture to other parts of Kaduna State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), report that some of the items distributed included assorted bags of rice, cartons of spaghetti and indomie, vegetable oil, clothing materials, toiletries among others.(NAN).

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UK scraps red list, lifts travel ban on Nigeria after 10 days

Samson Toromade

December 14, 2021 5:57 PM

The UK says the travel red list is now less effective in slowing the incursion of Omicron from abroad.

President Muhammadu Buhari's administration last week condemned the ban as discriminatory [Presidency]

The United Kingdom has removed Nigeria from its red list of countries from which foreign travellers were denied entry.

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Nigeria was added to the list less than two weeks ago after the UK recorded 21 cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 that were recent travellers from the African country.

Consideration of visitor visa applications from Nigeria were suspended, a move that was widely criticised as irrational and discriminatory.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 that the red list will be scrapped entirely, starting 4 am on Wednesday, December 15.

Other countries affected by the latest decision are Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

"Now that there is community transmission of Omicron in the UK and Omicron has spread so widely across the world, the travel red list is now less effective in slowing the incursion of Omicron from abroad," Javid told Parliament.

It's unclear where or when the Omicron variant first emerged, but it has created a global panic since South African health officials first reported it in late November.

The travel restrictions that have especially targeted African countries have been widely-criticised as discriminatory and hysterical by top regional and global health officials.

Nigeria's Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, last week said it was 'unjust, unfair, punitive, indefensible, and discriminatory' and not based on science.

Canada was the first country to place such travel restrictions on Nigeria, after it detected its first Omicron cases in recent travellers from Nigeria.

Saudi Arabia and Argentina have also imposed similar travel restrictions on travellers from Nigeria over the variant.

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