Abuja
PTF: NAFDAC screening local cures for coronavirus
The Federal Government said yesterday it has evaluated claims by local researchers that they have manufactured curative drugs for COVID-19. It explained that having met preliminary requirements, the drugs had been forwarded to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, for listing. National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force for COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, had restated the federal government’s position on Wednesday that no cure had been found for the disease. The government also expressed worries over the continued repatriation of Almajiriai by states, saying the development could fuel a spike in infections. On compliance with general safety protocols put in place against the virus, the federal government asked security agencies not to cut corners, addi...
NFF gives out palliatives to clubs in Abuja
The Nigeria Football Federation on Thursday handed out palliatives to representatives of 14 different clubs and two communities in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as token support in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic ravaging the entire world presently. The clubs, spread across Nigeria National League, Nigerian Nationwide League One and FCT League (academies) cadres, included Supreme Court FC, EFCC FC, Abuja Female United, FOSLA FC, Bimo Sporting Club, Wazobia FC, Setraco FC, Goodland FC, Fire Service FC, NYSC FC, FWC Champion Club, Abees Academy, Casmat Academy and WACO Academy. Garki Village and Karamajiji communities also benefitted from the package. At the presentation of packed items such as rice, beans, Indomie noodles, groundnut oil and tin tomatoes at the football bo...
Boss Mustapha: We are all combatants in battle against coronavirus
The Chairman Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, has said every Nigerian is a combatant in the fight against Coronavirus pandemic, noting that whatever you do to yourself is capable of affecting others. Mustapha said this at the PTF on COVID-19 daily briefing on Thursday in Abuja. According to him, “the only way to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic is when various institutions in the country work together based on understanding”. He urged those in leadership to also take responsibility by engaging their communities in ways to forestall the spread of the COVID-19. “The media must not relent in its crusade to curtail the spread of COVID-19”. He also commended the security agencies for arresting and prosecuting viola...
PDP rejects N108 ex-depot fuel price, insist on N70 pump price
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has rejected the new ex-depot price of N108 per litre of the Premium Motor Spirit insisting on a new pricing template that must accommodate a pump price of between N60 to N70 per litre to reflect the crash in the price of crude oil and petroleum products in the international market. The party described the N108 ex-depot price as fraudulent and a far cry from the appropriate pump price template that should not exceed N70 given the prevailing situation in the international oil market. In a statement issued by the national publicity secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP maintained that the N108 ex-depot price with a projected additional N9 per litre Expected Open Market “completely unacceptable to Nigerians.” The statement read: “The federal gov...
Court restrains Nigerian government from extraditing Senator Kashamu
Associated Press Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, restrained the Federal Government from extraditing Buruji Kashamu, a Nigerian senator, to the U.S. to answer drug charges. Delivering judgement, Justice Abang, held that neither the federal government nor any of its agents could validly initiate extradition proceedings against Kashamu in view of subsisting judgements and orders in favour of the plaintiff, which had remained unchallenged. Abang particularly noted that the judgement delivered by the Federal High Court, Lagos on January 6, 2014 (in suit No:49/2010) and another judgement of July 1, 2016 given by the Federal High Court, Abuja (in suit No: 479/2015), which prohibited Kashamu’s extradition on account of the U.S. drug allegation, were still subsisti...
Activists press Morroco on fate of 39 political prisoners
Associated Press The fate of 39 Saharawi Political Prisoners in Moroccan jail have become the focus of a new regional campaign from African activists who are asking King Mohammed VI of Morocco to release the men for fear of their exposure to the coronavirus disease. The Movement for the Liberation of Western Sahara, (NMLWS) issued a statement on Wednesday in Abuja through its Nigerian coordinator, Oladipo Fasina, a philosophy professor and noted advocate for academic freedom. According to the statement, the Saharawi prisoners, held for seeking independence for Africa’s last colony, “are in grave danger of contracting the coronavirus as a result of their underlying health conditions resulting from extreme torture and hunger strike they have undergone as prisoners.” Mr Fasina said, “this arb...
Nigerian nationals in US now to be evacuated Saturday
Luc Doan/Foursquare The federal government has announced that the evacuation of the first batch of Nigerians from the United States will take place on Saturday, May 9, as against Sunday, May 10, 2020 that was earlier announced. It added that the Ethiopian Airline aircraft would depart Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey, on May 9, 2020 at the estimated time of 19:15 hours and arrive at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja on May 10, 2020, at the estimated time of 11:15 hours. The Consulate General of Nigeria in New York in a statement dated May 5, 2020, and made available to journalists on Thursday, added that only 270 passengers would be accommodated in the evacuation batch. It stated categorically that the mission would attend to applicants on a first come, first served basis a...
Lockdown: Anambra lose N1.9 billion internal revenue in six weeks – official
Anambra State Government said it has lost about N1.9 billion from Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, in six weeks, due to the lockdown order to contain the dreaded coronavirus pandemic. In a telephone interview with newsmen, on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the state governor, Chief Willie Obiano, on Political Affairs, Chief Ifeato Obi-Okoye, disclosed that the lockdown was not only having an effect on residents but also on government as the generation of revenue was severely affected. According to him, it is not only residents that are running short of their daily incomes also the government has lost lots of revenue too. Although I’m not working in the Anambra State Inland Revenue Service (AIRS), I gave the estimate while speaking with Tribune Online that Anambra state government has l...
Nigeria extends ban on all flights by another two weeks
The Presidential Task Force on the control of the pandemic has announced a two-week extension of the ban of all flights in Nigeria which is due to expire on Thursday. Chairman of the task force and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, said at its briefing in Abuja on Wednesday. He said: “Tomorrow (Thursday) marks the last day for the enforcement of the closure of Nigeria’s airspace to flights. We have assessed the situation in the aviation industry and have come to the conclusion that given the facts available to us and based on the advice of experts, the ban on all flights will be extended for an additional four weeks.” The Task Force has also alerted that the outcomes of the modeling it has adopted suggest that dangers lie ahead for the country. He said...
