Business
Wazupnaija – Naija Entertainment blogs & Forums – Business
Pandemic fallout: 40 percent of lower-income households hit by job losses
Thirteen percent of all U.S. adults, or 20 percent of people who were employed in February, were laid off or furloughed as the pandemic began sweeping through the country in March, the Fed said. Another 6 percent of all adults worked reduced hours or went on leave without pay, the central bank found in the survey, included in its annual Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households. For those who lost their job or were working fewer hours, only 64 percent expected to be able to pay off all their bills, compared to 85 percent of Americans who didn’t see their employment situation change. Yet in a sign that Americans are maintaining their optimism, 91 percent of people who lost their jobs or were furloughed said they expected to return to the same employer eventually, suggesting that ...
Job losses have now hit 40% of low-income homes
Thirteen percent of all U.S. adults, or 20 percent of people who were employed in February, were laid off or furloughed as the pandemic began sweeping through the country in March, the Fed said. Another 6 percent of all adults worked reduced hours or went on leave without pay, the central bank found in the survey, included in its annual Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households. For those who lost their job or were working fewer hours, only 64 percent expected to be able to pay off all their bills, compared to 85 percent of Americans who didn’t see their employment situation change. Yet in a sign that Americans are maintaining their optimism, 91 percent of people who lost their jobs or were furloughed said they expected to return to the same employer eventually, suggesting that ...
Lawmaker applauds appointment of Ibrahim Gambari as presidential chief of staff
A member of the House of Representatives, Wole Oke (PDP-Osun), on Thursday applauded the appointment of Prof. Ibrahim Gambari as Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari. Oke, in a statement to newsmen in Abuja, said that Gambari’s global wealth of experience in administration, spanning several years was a great asset to the nation at this time. The lawmaker, representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun, said that Nigerians would benefit from this action of President Buhari. He said that Nigerians and friends of the country should work together to move the nation forward. “Nigerians, across the federation and in the diaspora, must work concertedly with one another, to promote common grounds, on which the survival of our great nation depends. “The surest way of attaining this...
Ibrahim Gambari an appointee of global standard ― APC governors
The forum of governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) have described Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari assumption of office as Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari as a challenge to appointees of the government. The former External Affairs Minister and former Nigeria representative at the United Nations replaced the immediate past occupant of the office, Mallam Abba Kyari who died last month due to health complications from COVID-19. Professor Gambari formally assumed office on Wednesday. The PGF in a statement signed by its Chairman and Kebbi State governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu said Professor Gambari’s rich credentials and vast international network were a challenge to those seeking appointments in government to “ai...
Senator, CAN condemn Kajuru killings, sue for peace
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Senator Uba Sani, and the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have condemned the spate of killings in communities in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state. In separate statements issued on Thursday in Kaduna, they decried the ugly situation in the communities and sued for peace. In his statement, Sani, who represents Kaduna Central Senatorial District which include Kajuru, said he was “pained over renewed Fulani/Adara hostilities” in the area and called for restraint among the two groups. He noted that the Fulani and Adara communities have been living in peace for decades, adding that just like other communities in Nigeria and across the world, misunderstandings and cha...
PDP expels former Kogi guber aspirant
Son of former governor Ibrahim Idris and a governorship aspirant of the People Democratic Party, PDP, in the November 2019 Kogi Guber election, Abubakar Ibrahim, has been expelled from the party for supposedly anti-party activities. Ibrahim’s expulsion followed fortnight directive of the state executive to the Disciplinary Committee set up by his home PDP of Icheke Ward in Omala Local Government Area to explore charges against him. The executive also wants his father, former governor Ibrahim Idris to face similar fate from the national Board of Trustee which he belongs to. Abubakar had however in a swift response said the supposed expulsion was a political gimmick to arm-twist him from stepping down his case at the Supreme court where he (Abubakar) is challenging the winner of the Guber pr...
Naomi Osaka using lockdown to conquer inner demons
Two-times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka is using the novel coronavirus shutdown as one of self reflection to try and overcome her crippling shyness. The tennis season was suspended in early March due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and the hiatus will continue until at least mid-July with many countries in lockdown to contain the virus. Japan’s Osaka, who trains in the United States, the country worst affected by the flu-like virus with over 1.4 million infections and more than 83,000 deaths, is taking advantage of the extended break to do some soul searching. “I think people know me as being really shy… I want to take the quarantine time to just think about everything, and for me, I have a lot of regrets before I go to sleep,” Osaka told CNN Sport. Petra Kvitova said last year Osaka would hav...
Farah feels Tokyo delay could help 10,000m title defence
Multiple Olympic champion Mo Farah says the postponement of the Tokyo Games to 2021 could work to his advantage as the Briton will now have around 20 months to train for the defence of his 10,000m title having switched his focus back to the track. The 37-year-old retired from track athletics in 2017 to focus on road marathons but announced in November last year that he was returning for one more tilt at 10,000m gold. The target then was only a matter of months away but the year’s postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic has changed everything. Farah, who must still qualify, will be 38 by the time of the Games in July and August next year but is looking on the bright side. “Having postponed it actually helps me a bit more,” he told Reuters while training in isolation in London’s Richmon...
Rory McIlroy to play first three PGA Tour events when season resumes
World number one Rory McIlroy says he is planning to play in the PGA Tour’s first three tournaments when the season resumes next month after the COVID-19 disruption. The golf calendar has been severely impacted by the novel coronavirus outbreak, which has killed over 291,000 people around the world, with three of the sport’s four majors rescheduled and the British Open cancelled. The Tour’s schedule restarts with the Charles Schwab Challenge (June 11-14 in Fort Worth, Texas) followed by the RBC Heritage (June 18-21 in Hilton Head, South Carolina) and the Travelers Championship (June 25-28 in Cromwell, Connecticut). “Right now, I’m planning to play the first three events,” McIlroy, who is also set to play in a $3 million charity skins match on May 17, told reporters. “I miss the competition...
WHO warns virus may be here to stay as toll nears 300,000
The coronavirus may never go away and populations will have to learn to live with it just as they have HIV, the World Health Organization has warned, as the global death toll from the disease nears 300,000. There were also gloomy forecasts from the US Federal Reserve, which said prolonged shutdowns to stem the spread of the virus could cause lasting economic damage in America. Washington ratcheted up tensions over the pandemic by accusing China of trying to steal research into a vaccine, while US President Donald Trump upped the rhetoric with a colourful phrase that could anger Beijing. “We just made a great Trade Deal, the ink was barely dry, and the World was hit by the Plague from China. 100 Trade Deals wouldn’t make up the difference — and all those innocent lives lost!” Trump tweeted....
PDP chides federal government for ‘denying’ Rivers, other states help
File Photo Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday chided Federal Government (FG) for denying Rivers and other states of the federal significant support in the fight against Coronavirus. National Chairman, PDP, Prince Uche Sencondus, expressed disappointment over the development at a stakeholder gathering in Port Harcourt to inaugurate the new Rivers PDP Executive Committee (EXCO) chaired by Ambassador Desmond Akawor. Secondus said, “Governors are working without help from the Federal Government. But for God, the situation would have been worse. Governors are running from pillar to post. “We must be grateful to Governor Wike for the initiative he took. What the Governor has done has helped to drastically reduce the number of cases. Rivers is lucky to have Governor Wike at this time of ...
Rivers court sentences two to death for ritual murder of 8-year old
A High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Wednesday sentenced Ifeanyichukwu Maxwell Dike and Ugochukwu Nwamiro to death for the ritual murder of eight-year-old Victory Chikamso. Justice Adolphus Enebeli in his judgement ruled that Dike, 200-Level Student of Physics at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) be hung on his neck till death while Ugochukwu Nwamiro should be hung on his leg until dead with no option of fine for both convicts. Police Sergeant Johnbosco Okoronze, who was found guilty of aiding and assisting the escape of Dike from police custody before being rearrested in course of his trial, was sentenced to one-year imprisonment. Justice Enebeli said he so sentenced Johnbosco Okoronze because he has served two years in prison already and has been dismissed from the poli...
