News

Monday, 27 April 2020 05:36

El-Rufai to deduct 25 percent from workers’ salaries as Kaduna extends lockdown by 30 days

Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has extended the quarantine order being enforced in the state for another 30 days. The governor’s decision follows a recommendation to that effect by the State Standing Committee on Covid-19, which is chaired by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Hadiza Balarabe. This took effective from Sunday, 26th April 2020. This was contained in a statement signed by Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, Special Adviser to the Governor (Media & Communication). The statement said ”with Covid-19 cases rising rapidly in neighbouring states and FCT, and with strong evidence of interstate travel being a major means of spreading the virus,…

Monday, 27 April 2020 05:32

Covid 19: Nigerian lawyers sue China for $200bn

A coalition of Nigerian legal experts has filed a class action suit against Peoples Republic of China over the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on Nigerians. They are demanding $200 billion as damages for the “loss of lives, economic strangulation, trauma, hardship, social disorientation, mental torture and disruption of normal daily existence of people in Nigeria.” A statement by the lead counsel, Mr Epiphany Azinge, whose firm, Azinge and Azinge, is championing the action, said they had concluded pleadings for the class action against the Chinese government. Azinge is a former Director-General of Nigeria Institute of Legal Studies (NIALS) and…

Sunday, 26 April 2020 05:02

Global death toll tops 200,000 as some virus lockdowns eased

As the global death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 200,000 on Saturday, countries took cautious steps toward easing lockdowns imposed amid the pandemic, but fears of a surge in infections made even some outbreak-wounded businesses reluctant to reopen. The states of Georgia, Oklahoma and Alaska started loosening restrictions on businesses despite warnings from experts that such steps might be premature. Shawn Gingrich, CEO and founder of Lion’s Den Fitness, decided after the Georgia governor’s announcement that his Atlanta gym would remain closed for now. “We’ve sacrificed so much already,” Gingrich said. “I feel like if we do this too soon,…

Sunday, 26 April 2020 05:00

Makinde orders senior civil servants back to work, announces other measures to re-open Oyo state

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state has directed state civil and public servants on grade level 13 and above to resume at their duty posts on Monday, April 27. Makinde gave the directive on Saturday while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the State Covid-19 Task Force meeting held at Government House Agodi, Ibadan. He stated that certain guidelines would be put in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19, at the secretariat, saying there would be new security measure in place including having only one gate to serve as entrance and exit at the secretariat while all other gates…

Sunday, 26 April 2020 05:00

Okonjo-Iweala gets another international appointment, fourth in 2 months

Nigeria’s former finance minister, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been named Special Envoy for the newly inaugurated Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator by the World Health Organisation (WHO). She is to serve alongside British business executive, Andrew Witty, in the same capacity, to mobilise international commitment to the initiative. The appointment comes weeks after the IMF named Okonjo-Iweala a member of the fund’s External Advisory Group. Director-General of the organisation, Mr Tedros Ghebreyesus, made the announcement during the launch of the ACT Accelerator — via webinar from Geneva. “I would especially like to thank Mr Andrew Witty and Mrs Ngozi…

Sunday, 26 April 2020 04:58

Lagos traders have devised means of beating the lockdown. Here are details of their escapades

Before she finally joined the nocturnal trip bandwagon, Mrs Falilat Oyediran, food stuff dealer in Alagbado area of Lagos, attempted to explore the legitimate window given by the government to restock having almost depleted her stock. The government had included dealers of food items in the concession given to those on essential duties whose movement is less affected by the lock down put in place as part of measures to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country. But Oyediran’s experience on her first attempt to replenish her stock was anything, but pleasant. “I left home some minutes to 5:00…

Sunday, 26 April 2020 04:55

In sickest Covid-19 patients, underlying conditions are common, large study finds

People with obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure are at greater risk for complications from the coronavirus, according to a large study of patients hospitalized with the illness it causes. The findings, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, confirm what physicians nationwide have noted anecdotally. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak The study included data on 5,700 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the New York City area. Underlying conditions were common. The researchers found that, among all patients, 57 percent had high blood pressure, 41 percent were obese and just over a third had diabetes. People…

Saturday, 25 April 2020 04:38

Govs to Buhari: Relax the lockdown

As the second 14-day total lockdown imposed on Lagos, Ogun and Abuja by President Muhammadu Buhari to curb spread of the Coronavirus ends midnight Monday, Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has asked that it be scaled down to partial mode with relaxed restriction. In a letter dated April 24, 2020, and addressed to Secretary to the Government of the Federation/Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustapha, the NGF requested for, subject to the president’s approval, internal free movement in all the states, but with restrictions on large gatherings. The NGF’s letter, signed by its Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of…

Saturday, 25 April 2020 04:37

FG to Nigerians: Not yet time to relax lockdown

Federal Government, through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, has explained why the lockdown measure should not be relaxed amid efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic. President Muhammadu Buhari had on March 29 ordered a lockdown of the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states for 14 days to curb COVID-19 spread. Many states had also followed suit. But as the number of COVID-19 cases increased, the President on April 13 extended the lockdown for 14 more days. As of the time of filing this report, the coronavirus had spread to 26 states and the FCT, with 1,095 cases recorded…

Saturday, 25 April 2020 04:37

Covid-19 health workers have been given life insurance cover - FG

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustapha, said PTF has secured life insurance cover for 5,000 health workers employed to fight Covid-19. He spoke yesterday in Abuja at the 19th joint national briefing of the committee. “The premium of N112.5m for the cover has been fully paid by the Nigerian insurance industry in line with the principle of no premium, no cover. “PTF wishes to thank the insurance industry immensely and calls on others sectors of the economy to rise up to support efforts to fight…

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Saturday, 25 April 2020 04:36

FG gave us spoilt rice; we’re returning it - Oyo govt

Oyo State Government on Friday indicated that it might return the 1,800 bags of rice donated to the state by the Federal Government as COVID-19 palliative on the grounds that the rice had been infested with weevils. The state government took delivery of the three trailer loads of rice through the Nigeria Customs Service on Monday. Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Agribusiness, Mr Debo Akande, explained that the 1,800 bags of rice from the Federal Government had spoilt. Akande said, “We received these items from the Federal Government via Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development…

Saturday, 25 April 2020 04:35

NJC suspends judges for age falsification, delayed judgement

National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended Francis Chukwuma Abosi, acting president of customary court of appeal, and Aliyu Musa Liman, a judge of Bauchi state high court, over judicial misconduct. In a statement by Mr Soji Oye, the council’s director of information, “Abosi was recommended for compulsory retirement following the falsification of his date of birth from 1950 to 1958”. “Findings showed that he was supposed to have retired in November 2015 when he clocked the mandatory retirement age of Sixty five (65) years,” he said. “Council decided to recommend for his compulsory retirement to governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo…

Saturday, 25 April 2020 04:33

Islam's holiest sites emptied by coronavirus crisis as Ramadan begins

The holy month of Ramadan began on Friday with Islam’s holiest sites in Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem largely empty of worshippers as the coronavirus crisis forced authorities to impose unprecedented restrictions. During Ramadan, Muslims the world over join their families to break the fast at sunset and go to mosques to pray. But the pandemic has changed priorities, with curbs on large gatherings for prayers and public iftars, or meals to break the fast. In a rare occurrence in Islam’s 1,400-year history, Mecca’s Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina - the religion’s two holiest locations - will be…

Saturday, 25 April 2020 04:32

Saudi Arabia to end flogging as form of punishment

Saudi Arabia is ending flogging as a form of punishment, according to a document from the kingdom’s top court seen by Reuters on Friday. The decision by the General Commission for the Supreme Court, taken sometime this month, will see the punishment replaced by prison sentences or fines, or a mixture of both. “The decision is an extension of the human rights reforms introduced under the direction of King Salman and the direct supervision of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman,” the document said. Flogging has been applied to punish a variety of crimes in Saudi Arabia. Without a codified system…

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