Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Centre) attended an event launch for a locally assembled electric car on November 13, 2020.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday participated in the official launching of what has been described as Nigeria’s first assembled electric car.
The electric car, named ‘Hyundai Kona’, was assembled by Stallions Automobile factory.
In his remarks at the launch, Sanwo-Olu said the state government will provide charging points for electric cars, and continue to partner with stakeholders who are ready to bring in innovative ideas that will make Lagos stand out and further create an enabling environment where business can thrive.
A locally assembled electric car was launched in Lagos on November 13, 2020. The Managing Director of Stallions Group, Rohtagi Manish, said the innovation is a step towards keying into an eco-friendly green Lagos, as the material used to assemble Nigeria’s First one hundred percent Electric zero-emission car was mostly sourced locally.
Meanwhile, the Governor restated his administration’s commitment to the completion of the Lagos-Badagry Express road and also to embark on the construction of the phase two of Aradagun Imeke road.
Senior Special Assistant to Kano state Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje on Youths Development, Murtala Gwarmai on Thursday November 12 shared a donkey and other items to empower youths of the state.
It was reported that no fewer than 40 youths in the state benefitted from the event which took place at the premises of the state’s Ministry for Youths and Sports.
Gwarmai who also shared motorcycles, bicycles, cash prizes worth N100,000, building blocks and roofing sheets among others, said the decision to include the donkey in the list of items distributed followed the request made by one of the beneficiaries who uses it to transport sand, gravel and blocks, adding that the empowerment will go a long way in assisting his business.
Those who attended the event include the state’s Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Kabiru Ado Lakwaya, the Senior Special Assistant on Youths II, Ibrahim Ahmad and other top officials in the ministry.
President Buhari’s media aide, Femi Adesina, has said that if President Buhari hadn’t exercised the restraint and tolerance of a father, blood would have flowed in the wake of the EndSARS protest.
According to Adesina, Nigerians would have been talking about something else in the wake of the crisis that enveloped the country after the #EndSARS protests were hijacked by hoodlums, which led to the loss of public and private businesses.
“There is truly a huge difference between an instructor, a tutor, and a father. One is a hireling, procured to pass knowledge, while the other is an insider, an interested party who is “pater familias,” (as my late dad would say).
All through the EndSARS protest and the riots, mayhem and looting that followed, President Buhari acted like a father. And though we have millions of instructors in this country, we have not many fathers. President Buhari is one.
If President Buhari hadn’t exercised the restraint and tolerance of a father, at a time that even hitherto respected people instigated the protesters to carry on (and they promptly went underground when anarchy ensued), we would have been talking of something else in the country,” he said.
The federal government has promised to release new set of repentant Boko Haram terrorists this November as the presidency celebrate its technically victory over Boko Haram.
The Spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters, Major-General John Enenche, said the DRR programme under Operation Safe Corridor had recorded tremendous success judging from the feedback from previous trainees.
According to him, this new set will be opportune to travel outside the country on a scholarship to enable them to take part actively and contribute back to their immediate society.
Recalls that the lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, had on Wednesday expressed disappointment in the decision of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to rehabilitate repentant Boko Haram members.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army stated this while speaking at the closed-door budget defense session with the Nigerian Army.
Ndume who has always spoken against the rehabilitation of Boko Haram members noted that it is wrong for Nigeria to be pampering repentant terrorists while the country is still at war.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, says the ministry is owing 3,504 contractors handling its various housing projects about N69.9 billion.
He stated this when he appeared before the Joint National Assembly Committee on Housing on Thursday in Abuja, to defend his ministry’s 2021 budget estimates.
Although N76.4 billion was allocated to the ministry in the 2021 budget, Fashola warned that the figure was grossly inadequate to execute 186 projects across the country.
He listed some of the priority areas in the 2021 budget to include the completion of the construction of the remaining 2,140 housing units under the National Housing Programme in 34 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Other priority areas identified by the minister were the completion of the construction of ongoing federal secretariats in Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Nasarawa, Osun, and Zamfara States.
The Ibadan Book Club (a book reading arm of the Society of Young Nigerian Writers – Oyo State Chapter) has described the Oyo state government owned libraries which are spread across the nooks and crannies of Oyo state as Cemeteries of dead books.
This was contained in a press statement signed by the Coordinator of the Club in Ibadan on Thursday.
The first book reading club in Oyo State made the comment after a week tour to some of the libraries.
Ibadan Book Club further berated the nonchalant attitude of Oyo Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde and the Management of the Oyo State Library Board toward reading culture and tradition in Oyo state.
It would be recalled that Governor Seyi Makinde recently appointed some individuals as Chairman and members into the state library board. Some of the recently appointed individuals are not even stakeholders in the state’s book industry.
Ibadan is known as home to many reputable publishing firms and stakeholders in the book industry. Oyo state is currently home to famous publishing firms like Book Craft, Ibadan University Press, Evans Brothers Publishers, Spectrum Publishers, HEBN, Kraft Books, Macmillan Publishers, Rashmed to mention but few yet her libraries are full of outdated and moribund books.
On the problems confronting some of these libraries, Wole Adedoyin listed some of them as lack of awareness programs, budgetary constraints, inadequate library materials, lack of trained and skilled manpower and lack of appropriate government policy, lack of digital library facilities and lack of information literacy.
Adedoyin finally urged Gov. Seyi Makinde to pay attention to the state libraries, equip them with modern and relevant curriculum based books. And also explore all avenues to make reading attractive and friendly to the students and youths of the state.
Chairman of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, Caleb Aba has imposed a curfew in Daudu community following allegation of missing genitals.
Speaking to newsmen on Wednesday November 11, Aba said the curfew which began on Tuesday November 10 will be between 8.00pm to 6:00am daily until security situation is improved in the community.
Recounting how youths had on Monday November 9 invaded the Divisional Police Station in the community and wanted to burn it down over fresh false alarm of missing genitals, the local government chairman said the decision to impose the curfew was taken after the continual youth restiveness in spite of the intervention of community leaders and the State Governor, Samuel Ortom.
He said;
“The reason we imposed curfew is that the youths in Daudu community have raised alarm and accused certain persons of removing their genitals; male and female organs.”
“They went ahead to burn down the properties of those they suspected and even killed a pastor of the church whom they accused of being responsible.”
“We talked to them and pleaded with them to allow the law to take its course. Even the governor of the state went there himself to talk to them.”
“But last Monday, the youths mobilized and went to Police station in Daudu threatened to burn it down accusing one other man whom they beat to state of unconsciousness while accusing him of removing someone’s genital organ.”
“So it became too much and it appeared they will cause more destruction if they are allowed to be moving about freely.”
“That calls for the position of curfew in the community, from 8:00pm to 6:00am. It will last as long as they are not ready to rest,
Aba also disclosed that a motorcyclist had been arrested in connection with the Monday threat to burn the police station for raising a false alarm that he picked a passenger who touched him and his genital disappeared.
Suspended Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has been reinstated.
This was contained in a statement from the Ministry of Education’s Director Press and Public Relations, Ben-Bem Goong, on Wednesday.
It read in part, “President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Visitor to the University of Lagos has approved the Report of the Special Visitation Panel to the University of Lagos.
“The highlights of the findings and recommendations approved by Mr. President are as follows – the removal of Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe as the Vice Chancellor did not follow due process.
The Vice Chancellor was not granted an opportunity to defend himself on the allegations upon which his removal was based. He should accordingly be re-instated.
All allegations made against the Vice Chancellor and the management of the University before and after the Constitution of the Special Visitation Panel should be referred to regular Visitation Panel for thorough investigation and necessary recommendations.
Pastor Tunde Bakare, the General Overseer of the Citadel Global Church, has expressed hope of becoming Nigeria’s President.
Bakare said just as Joe Biden emerged as the United States, US, President-Elect, he would also become president.
The clergyman, who has never hidden his aspiration to become president, disclosed this in an interview with journalists, on Tuesday in Lagos State.
Speaking with a group of journalists in Lagos, Bakare said in clear terms that he will succeed President Muhammadu Buhari come 2023.
According to Bakare: “There is something called destiny. I am not one to hide under the umbrella of one finger and make ambition look like vision, I do not camouflage.
“It is not a matter of life and death, but you can write it down. As the Lord lives, and as I am given the opportunity, the day will come, like Joe Biden, that I will be the President of Nigeria.”
The Coalition of North-East Elders for Peace and Development on Monday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack his service chiefs.
They accused the military of deploying soldiers during the #EndSARS protests in parts of the country, thereby leaving the zone at the mercy of Boko Haram terrorists.
According to the elders, scores of civilians were killed as a result of the strategic and operational blunders, which they argued was avoidable, had greater tact been adopted.
In a statement signed by the chairman, Engr. Zana Goni, the North East elders said proactive intelligence would have revealed this lapse to the military high command, had the service chiefs not been lethargic in their responsibilities.
Consequently, the elders, for the umpteenth time, called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to show the service chiefs the way out, having exhausted all practical ideas which they insisted were now obsolete.
According to them, the sack of the heads of the Armed Forces of Nigeria will, no doubt, pave the way for the appointment of a new set of senior officers who will approach their jobs with the highest degree of commitment and enthusiasm.
“Though the protests in parts of the country may have been suspended, with deaths and destruction of both private and public properties in the trail, we wish to state that the North East also suffered a similar fate during the period of the demonstrations,” Goni said in the statement.
He regretted that the unbridled quest to quell the protests by all means possible, and the desire to prove that they were indeed on the ground, left the security of the North East worse than it was.
Goni said, “We had thought that the high command of the military would, at least, be proactive enough to know that these insurgents take advantage of loopholes, to perpetrate their wicked acts.
“We are disappointed that these gaps were not covered, thereby giving the terrorists a free rein in many communities, a situation that culminated in many unreported deaths and destruction of property.
“Our men, women and children are tired of these unwarranted attacks on communities, in the face of substantial budgetary expenditure on the defence and security sub-sector of the nation.
“We are concerned that our President, Buhari, who is so passionate about leaving an enviable legacy of a prosperous nation in all respect, has remained adamant, as far as the military heads are concerned. This position is despite the unanimous resolution by the Senate and the House of Representatives requesting the sack of the Service Chiefs.
“May we, therefore, reiterate our earlier calls for the removal of Service Chiefs, as their replacement will never be difficult because there are younger generals that are now better positioned to deliver on our expectations.
“We know that our dear President will lose nothing, as loyalty among officers and personnel of the military, is total, absolute and unalloyed, notwithstanding who is saddled with whatever responsibility.”
The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, first announced a bounty of N200 million for the capture of Don Wani, the alleged mastermind of the New Year attack in Omoku in 2018.
Since then, the governor had announced additional N725 million bounties on other 35 persons, according to media reports analyzed by SaharaReporters.
A breakdown of some of the bounties showed that he had N20 million each on 32 alleged cultists, N30 million on alleged criminal called Bobosky, N5 million on a PDP youth leader and the N50 million on the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra in Rivers State, Stanley Mgbere.
Before he started his series of bounty, Wike in 2016 offered amnesty to suspected cultists and militants. Many of them accepted the offer, including Don Wani, who was alleged to have a connection with Felix Obuah, the chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
But Don Wani reneged and allegedly murdered about 23 persons January 1, 2018, in Omoku which prompted Wike to announce the bounty on Wani and his gang.
Eventually, Wani and his two associates were killed by Nigerian soldiers five days after Wike announced the bounty.
Subsequently, Wike made a promise to pay N20 million each for information on a list of 32 cultists.
Three persons in the Wike’s wanted list: Tompolo, an alleged leader of a cult Greenlander, Mpakaboari Dalabu, and Lucky Miller issued statements disassociating themselves from Wike’s claims.
After Minima and Bukuma communities where Mpakaboari Dalabu and Lucky Miller come from described them as philanthropists, they asked Wike to rescind his decision.
After the list was released, the police command in the state said the governor did not follow the standard procedure for declaring a person wanted.
Even as controversial as Wike’s list is, he had sometimes failed to fulfil the bounties. After Tompolo was arrested following a tipoff by a whistleblower, Bello Echiomuha said that he had risked his life to help capture the alleged Greenlander cult leader, but Wike had so far failed to pay him his N20 million reward.
But he paid the N30 million bounty on Honest Diigbara AKA Bobosky and N200 million on Don Wani, according to the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Tammy Danagogo, who presented the money of that of Bobosky to the commissioner of police in Rivers state last year.
However, security experts are sceptical of Wike’s governance by bounties.
A security observer in Rivers State, Charles Nko-Taria, told SaharaReporters that Wike’s mode of operation was a short fix that does little to reduce the violence in the state.
“The Don Wani bounty was successful, yet it didn’t stop insecurity in that area— Omoku,” Nko-Taria said. “The recent one is Bobosky. They caught Bobosky, but there is still criminality and killing.
“The bounties are working, but they are not solutions to the insecurity in these areas where the targeted persons come from,” he added.
Nko-Taria said that an intentional integration of all citizens into the security apparatus of the country was the way peace could be achieved.
He noted that “policing with persons in uniform is not enough. You must have genuine citizen participation.”
A research firm, SBM Intelligence, in a report on the nexus between politics and cultism in Rivers State, pointed out that locking up and killing cult leaders was not enough to stabilize the volatile security situation in the state.
SBM advised Wike and future governors of the state to treat “the socio-economic issues, the legitimacy issues that make communities turn to gangs in the first place, the justice issues and the myopia of political operatives who prefer to take the shortcut of gang violence to win elections.”
As revealed by Oyo state governor via his social media page, Governor Seyi Makinde stated the following;
“This afternoon, we inaugurated the Oyo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry into Police Brutality, Violation of Rights of Citizens and Unlawful Killings. The panel is made up of eleven (11) members led by Justice Bolajoko Adeniji (retired), as Chairman of the Panel.”
“Members of the panel are drawn from the legal community, the National Human Rights Commission, the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP), the National Youth Council of Nigeria, youth representatives of End SARS protesters and the community.”
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan Chapter, on Tuesday asked her members to boycott 2020 Convocation and the foundation laying ceremonies of the Premier University.
The decision may not be unconnected with the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Union.
The Union in a release signed by the Chairman, Professor Ayo Akinwole stated that the position of the Union is that holding convocation ceremonies is a violation of the principle of the ongoing strike.
Akinwole maintained that the Union is constrained to “advise members not to be in attendance or participate in the preparation for and the actualization of the said convocation and 72nd foundation Day Ceremonies.
It was gathered that the Union has also communicated her position via a letter written to the outgoing Vice Chancellor Professor Idowu Olayinka.
“The notice for the university of Ibadan 2020 Graduation and 72 foundation Day ceremonies come to our attention on Saturday , 7thNovember, 2020. In the spirit of the current ASUU strike, holding graduation ceremonies at this time would be a violation of the principle of the ongoing strike to rescue public university education in Nigeria. To the best of our knowledge, there was no request for a waiver for such to take place in the University of Ibadan.”
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced the plan to abolish payment of pension and other entitlements to former governors of the state and their deputies.
Sanwo-Olu revealed this while presenting the 2021 budget to the Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday. He said his administration has submitted a bill to the state house of assembly to repeal the Public Office Holder (Payment of Pension Law 2007).
The governor’s Senior Special Assistant on New media, Jubril Gawat, also confirmed the development in a tweet. He wrote:
“Governor of Lagos State, Mr Jide Sanwo-Olu has announced his intention, through executive bill, to repeal the public office holder (Payment of Pension Law 2007), which provides for payment of pension & other entitlements to former governors and their deputies.”
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that if the bill is passed by the State House of Assembly, former Governor of the state, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and others will be affected.
The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, has warned that Nigerian leaders will face a huge challenge should they continue to ignore genuine protest by the youths.
Lawan who made this known during a Senate meeting on Monday said the interest of the youth should be given due attention.
He added that what may come next after the End SARS protest might be inevitable.
“Recently, we had some of our youths protesting genuinely. They were seeking the attention of leaders, and they got the attention of leaders.
“So, our budget, especially for 2021 should be centered on what to do to provide employment opportunities for these youths.
“They demonstrated and protested because they could do so; there are so many other people who may not be youthful but are also in the same need, and they didn’t protest.
“Let’s meet them where they are. We don’t have to wait until they also start to grumble or protest.
“We should be proactive, we should reach out to them and give them what we can and what they need.
“That is the only way that we can make a difference in the lives of the people.
“And for us, elected people, we are going to be accountable. If we escape this one (#EndSARS protests), the other one is inescapable, and I am sure people will know what I am saying,” he said.
Former Malian President, Amadou Toumani Toure, is dead.
BBC reports that the 72-year-old died in Turkey on Tuesday morning where he was undergoing treatment.
It’s been reported that he had undergone an emergency heart surgery in the capital, Bamako before his departure from Mali.
Toure was Mali’s President from 2002. He led the Sahel nation for 10 years before being deposed by a military coup in March 2012 led by General Amadou Haya Sanogo.
Rinu Oduala, a brand strategist, is one of the prominent activists of the #EndSARS campaign. She made the following known;
In a country in which the people have been voiceless for a long time, people holding the government accountable is being seen as too much? How can we then ensure and encourage people to build a new Nigeria?… How do you expect me, as a part of the future of this country, to still believe in a country that thinks it has the right, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to freeze my account for no just cause?
I am part of a generation of Nigerians who have lived most of their adult lives under ‘democratic’ rule and yet, I wake up feeling there is no difference between the Nigeria I grew up in, and the Nigeria my parents grew up in. The sacrifices of the democrats who bravely stood for the June 12 mandate to bring our democracy to life seem to be in vain. Ironically, many of them are serving in the present government in Nigeria and the ruling party.
Everywhere I turn, I am told that I should be ‘grateful’ for a democracy in which lives were lost, I should be thankful that I have a voice and I can speak up for myself and my peers. But how can I be grateful when young men and women disappear every day; some killed recklessly without cause, while others get scarred for life — physically, emotionally, or both?
When we began to protest, it was because young Nigerians had decided to speak up.
We spoke up – not because we wanted to overthrow the government but because we wanted the police to stop killing us. We did not carry arms, or incite any insurrection. Our only weapon was peaceful protest, as enshrined in Section 40 of our 1999 Constitution. At every point we maintained calm and educated our followers – reiterating throughout the protests that we were not there to fight the government but to ask for change and to follow through to make sure that change was effected.
We believed that somehow we would be spared from the systemic violence and breakdown of social order that was the direct result of the government’s actions. Unfortunately we were mistaken.
…I took up the role of a youth representative at the detriment of my education, personal life and family. I did this to make peace. I did this to ensure our young people understood that the only way to create a better and safer Nigeria is to do things lawfully. Why am I still being targeted for lending the government my good will?
I volunteered to receive donations for our cause by Nigerians at home and abroad, who felt helpless to personally protest but believed they could make a difference through financial sacrifices. Such was the passion of average Nigerians to contribute how best they could to the #EndSARS cause, that they found my personal account number and sent in what they could sacrifice towards the cause. Some people even sent as little as ₦500; all they could spare towards the cause. To have their sacrifices rubbished by government and their motivations questioned is disheartening because the raised funds, including over N200,000 gathered from my business, were meant to be disbursed to attend to the medical bills of injured protesters.
We called for, among other things, a probe into the killings and torture of people and the government agreed to this by setting up judicial panels. In order to assure young people of the independence and fairness of the panels, I took up the role of a youth representative at the detriment of my education, personal life and family. I did this to make peace. I did this to ensure our young people understood that the only way to create a better and safer Nigeria is to do things lawfully. Why am I still being targeted for lending the government my good will?
I am not part of Nigeria’s political or business elite. I have no relatives in government or family members with enough wealth to sway powerful individuals. I am just an ordinary young Nigerian. I study, sell hoodies and other clothing for about ₦5,000 a piece to pay my school fees. I also do the odd bit of freelancing, taking on some brand influencing work to ensure my family doesn’t suffer. Somehow, however, my existence threatens my government; the fact that I have a voice is enough for them to try to silence me.
In the Nigeria I am fighting for, it wouldn’t matter that I am the child of nobody, coming from the average Nigerian home. The Nigeria I am fighting for is one that prioritises every voice, and protects every inalienable right; including mine.
Nigeria is all I have, and I have a right to demand that it works for all of us, not just those with influence, wealth, or government positions.
I decided to use the only currency I have, my voice, to speak up against extrajudicial killings, torture, extortion and unjust harassment that are still happening in a democratic nation in the 21st century! The government also agreed that reform is inevitable and promised us they were going to listen to us, so why punish the same people who are speaking up?
I am not afraid. I am only disappointed that this country will treat me this way.
Nigeria is all I have, and I have a right to demand that it works for all of us, not just those with influence, wealth, or government positions.
In a country in which the people have been voiceless for a long time, people holding the government accountable is being seen as too much? How can we then ensure and encourage people to build a new Nigeria? A Nigeria that will be filled with accountable government officials, where all forms of oppressions and injustice are things of the past. How do you expect me, as a part of the future of this country, to still believe in a country that thinks it has the right, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to freeze my account for no just cause?
This is not fair. But we will make it fair. Otherwise, there is no future for my generation and the generations to come.
Lecturers under the aegis of the Congress of Universities Academic has urged Vice-Chancellors of public universities to recall students for academic activities.
CONUA, which is a breakaway faction of ASUU, said its members across the nation are not on strike and are ready to lecture.
The National Secretary of CONUA, Dr Henri Oripeloye, made this known in a press statement made available to our correspondent.
Oripeloye assured that “should VCs recall their students now, academic activities will resume without any rancour in public varsities as many lecturers are ready to resume since they have complied with government’s directive on IPPIS”
The statement was titled, “ASUU: Breakaway faction begs VCs to recall students for academic activities”.
The statement quoted Oripeloye as speaking during a press conference at the Federal University Oye Ekiti.
Oripeloye, who led members of CONUA across various universities to the press conference, said apart from members of the body, “there are those (lecturers) who don’t belong to any Union and are willing to teach”.
Oripeloye said, “We reject in strong terms, the claims that we are members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities. We are an independent union on university campuses in Nigeria.
“We commend the National University Commission for directing the opening of Universities nationwide. We want our universities to be reopened so that they will not be left behind in the scheme of things.”
Oripeloye who lectures at the Obafemi Awolowo University, lle-lfe, said “CONUA believes in constructive and objective engagement with the government rather than strike”.
Stating that “one of CONUA’s dreams is that strike action as a weapon to force government’s attention should become history”, the lecturer said, “We don’t know anything about UTAS, we believe in fruitful interaction with the government and to achieve our requests from the government.
“CONUA has no conflict with ASUU. The two unions only differ in terms of philosophy and ideology which is reflecting in their approach to getting the government to accede to requests…and this is being done on the issue of IPPIS as CONUA has been interacting with the government on how to solve many of the problems that have been identified with the platform.”
US President-elect Joe Biden has named the members of his coronavirus task force, highlighting his pledge to make tackling Covid-19 his top priority.
In his first appointments since his victory was announced on Saturday, he named three co-chairs and 10 members. Among the co-chairs named is Vivek Murthy, who was appointed US surgeon-general by President Barack Obama in 2014 and removed by President Trump in 2017.
He also set out the blueprints for his Transition Covid-19 Advisory Board. The focus of his policy will be on mask wearing, social distancing, contact tracing and hand washing.
In a statement, Biden said the board would help to get the virus under control, deliver relief for working families, address racial disparities and work to reopen schools and businesses.
He also said it would “elevate the voices of scientists and public health experts”.
It comes as company Pfizer announced that its vaccine data suggests the shots may be 90% effective at preventing COVID-19.
Biden on Monday hailed the announcement as a “breakthrough” and congratulated those involved in giving the country “such cause for hope.” But at the same time, he noted that the end of the battle against COVID-19 is still months away.
He said even if a vaccine is approved by the end of this month and some Americans are vaccinated later this year, it’ll be many more months before there’s widespread vaccination across the country.
Biden cited a warning by the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that for the foreseeable future, a mask remains a more potent weapon against the virus than a vaccine.
“Today’s news doesn’t change this urgent reality,” Biden said, adding that Americans will have to rely on masking, distancing, social tracing, hand washing and other measures to keep themselves safe well into next year.
He said the US is still losing over 1,000 people a day from COVID-19 and will continue to get worse unless progress is made on mask-wearing and other actions.
Coronavirus cases in the US since the pandemic began are nearing 10 million, and there have been more than 237,000 deaths recorded so far.
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