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Ebola: President Tinubu Releases N10bn for Emergency Preparedness

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate release of N10 billion as emergency intervention funding to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness against Ebola and other emerging public health threats.

Ebola has recently resurfaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, both neighbouring countries.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said in a statement on Tuesday that Tinubu also approved the establishment of a presidential task force (PTF) on Ebola virus disease preparedness and emerging public health threats.

Onanuga said the fund will strengthen the operational preparedness of the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and support critical national public health emergency response activities.

The presidential spokesperson said the PTF on Ebola will be chaired by Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff to the president with membership drawn from relevant ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) and state representatives.

“The President’s approval followed a stakeholder meeting convened under the chairmanship of the Chief of Staff to review Nigeria’s preparedness and develop strategies against the possible importation of Ebola into Nigeria,” the statement reads.

“Other critical stakeholders at the meeting included representatives from the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Lagos state government, and others.”

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He said Tinubu also directed all states hosting international airports and international border corridors, as well as relevant MDAs, to submit their plans, funding requirements and intervention needs for consideration and coordinated implementation.

Onanuga said the task force is expected to intensify passenger screening at all international airports, including enhanced temperature checks and crowd-control protocols.

“The task force is also expected to enhance monitoring of passengers arriving through high-risk airline routes, notably Air Uganda, Rwanda Air, Air Tanzania, Air Angola, Kenya Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines; and immediately activate referral and isolation centres at Lagos and Abuja international airports, with other airports to follow,” he added.

“Others include mandatory activation of QR code-based pre-arrival health declaration systems for passengers originating from or transiting through designated high-risk countries, and disinfection of departure halls, cargoes, baggage areas, and airport facilities as precautionary environmental measures.

“The President mandated that the advisory group consult with security, diplomatic, and aviation bodies with a view to regulating flights from affected and designated high-risk countries.

“The task force is further directed to designate specific airports or terminals for high-risk flights to enable controlled screening and isolation procedures, and to consider adjusting flight timings to minimise interaction between high-risk passengers and others.”

On Sunday, the NCDC said Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed cases of Ebola, but the country is 59 percent prepared for any eventual outbreak of the virus.

On June 3, Tedros Ghebreyesus, director-general (DG) of the World Health Organisation (WHO), said DR Congo has recorded 344 confirmed cases, including 60 deaths, across 24 health zones in the Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces.

He said Uganda has recorded one confirmed death and 15 cases linked to the outbreak, including a Congolese resident who travelled through the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before entering the country.

According to the WHO, the Ebola virus refers to a group of viruses in the Ebolavirus genus that cause Ebola disease, a severe and often fatal viral haemorrhagic fever.

Common symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, and, in some cases, internal and external bleeding.

Ebola is a zoonotic disease that can spread from animals to humans and is transmitted between people through direct contact with the blood, urine, saliva, sweat, and semen of infected persons, particularly when they are symptomatic or have died from the disease.

The first major global outbreak occurred between 2014 and 2016.

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Uber Shutdowns Operations in Nigeria

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Ride-hailing company, Uber, has shut down its operations in Nigeria.

In a statement, the company, which came into Nigeria in 2014, said its exit is effective from September 2, 2026.

“We are writing to share some difficult news. After a thorough review of our business, we have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Nigeria, effective 2 September 2026.

“Since we first launched in Lagos in 2014, it has been an absolute privilege to be a part of your daily life connecting you with independent transportation providers.

“Whether it was a morning commute, a ride to see loved ones, or exploring the city, thank you for trusting the platform to connect you to a driver to get you there safely. We know this may cause disruption to your routine, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.”

In a memo on Wednesday, the ride-hailing company also announced elimination of roughly 3,300 positions.

The job cuts focused on management and coordination roles, according to its CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi.

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“Today, we’re making a number of significant organizational changes across Uber. We are removing layers, simplifying team structures, refining our global location strategy, and focusing our people and investments against the biggest opportunities ahead of us.”

“As a result, we will be reducing the size of our team by about 10%. Everyone whose role has been affected has already been notified, except in countries where we will follow the required local process.

“This wasn’t a decision we made lightly, because it will have a real impact on our teammates and friends who have worked hard for Uber. It’s important to say that these changes are about how we’re organized and what we’re prioritizing, not about anyone’s contributions to Uber, which we will always value.

“I’m sure you’re asking, ‘Why, and why now?’ particularly since our business is performing so well. Over the last 5+ years, Uber has grown by orders of magnitude, with our top line nearly tripling. We’ve built new products, expanded into new businesses, reached more consumers and supported more earners, and become a much larger and stronger company. But that growth has also brought complexity: more layers, more coordination, more fragmented ownership, and in some cases structures that made sense when businesses were smaller but no longer serve us well at our current scale.

“Our opportunity from here is enormous: we have the chance to bring Uber to hundreds of millions more people; to invest even more in drivers, couriers and merchants; and to innovate across our core businesses and build the autonomous future.

“The changes we’re making today are designed to do two things: make Uber simpler and faster, and create more capacity to invest in our future. A leaner organization will mean clearer ownership, faster decisions, and more time spent building rather than coordinating. It will also generate savings that we intend to reinvest in growth, innovation, and the capabilities that will matter most over the coming years.

“It’s our job as leaders to make these difficult calls, and to give you transparency into our thinking and our decision-making process.”

The layoffs are the latest round of job cuts for Uber, which eliminated roles in customer service and HR earlier this year.

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Author of ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ Languishes in Billion Dollar Debt

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Robert Kiyosaki, the author of the bestselling ’Rich Dad Poor Dad’ book, has accumulated an estimated $1.2 billion debt connected to his aggressive real estate investment.

According to reports, the debt is the estimated amount the 79-year-old author and his business partners borrowed to acquire approximately 1,500 property units as Mr Kiyosaki continues to expand his real estate holdings.

Despite the significant debt, Mr Kiyosaki does not appear apprehensive about the liabilities, maintaining that borrowing money to acquire income-generating assets is a strategy commonly used by wealthy individuals.

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“So, I’m a billion two in debt,” the author said on the ‘Get Rich Education’ podcast recently, adding that people “should not do what I do, right? But I studied it since 1974… If you’re going to learn to use debt, you’d better take some education.”

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Mr Kiyosaki’s ex-wife and business partner, Kim Kiyosaki, revealed that the debt did not reflect the amount her ex-husband personally owes.

She stressed that it is connected to the real estate properties owned by them and their business partners, adding that Mr Kiyosaki’s personal share of the liabilities is small.

Vanity Fair estimated Mr Kiyosaki’s share of the debt at around $30 million to $60 million.

“We have a lot of apartment houses with our partners. So technically, yes, we have all this debt,” the ex-wife told Vanity Fair.

Speaking to the magazine, Mr Kiyosaki stated, “If it all comes to hell, you can talk to my attorney. Firewalls—that’s the way the rich play the game.”

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Maulud: Best Choice Specialist Hospital Congratulates Kano Governor, Muslims Globally

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The Chairman of Best Choice Specialist Hospital, Kano, Auwal Lawal Muhammad (Dan Malikin Garo), has congratulated the executive governor of Kano State Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, the good people of Kano State and Muslims across the world on the occasion of the Maulud celebration commemorating the birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

In a statement he personally signed, Lawal commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for his efforts towards fostering unity among the people of Kano State.

According to the statement, the chairman was amazed on how governor Yusuf placing emphasis on the development to the state particularly in matters concerning religion, saying such initiatives would help reduce divisions, promote mutual understanding and strengthen peaceful coexistence across the state.

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He urged Muslims to use the occasion of Maulud to strengthen their relationship with Allah through increased devotion and prayers for peace, stability and prosperity in Nigeria and Kano State.

The Chairman of Best Choice also praised the Governor for his efforts to improve the healthcare sector in the state.

He cited the renovation and upgrading of healthcare facilities, provision of modern medical equipment, as well as the training and development of healthcare workers as some of the administration’s efforts towards improving healthcare delivery in Kano.

Auwal Lawal further commended Governor Yusuf for his dedication, compassion and commitment to the wellbeing of the people, noting that his efforts continue to have a positive impact on the lives of residents across the state.

He prayed for continued peace, unity and prosperity in Kano State and Nigeria, while wishing the Governor and the people of Kano a blessed Maulud celebration now and beyond.

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