government
10 Customs officers contracted coronavirus at Lagos ports – comptroller
File Photo The Controller of the Apapa Customs Command of the Nigerian Customs Service, Comptroller Mohammed Abba-Kura, on Thursday, said ten of his officers contracted the COVID-19 disease and were treated at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). This is even as the Controller stated that any vessel Red-Flagged for issues with health or safety concern will not be boarded by his officers until cleared by relevant government agencies. Addressing maritime journalists in his office, on Thursday, Comptroller Mohammed Abba-Kura explained that there is no way the Command can stop physical examination of cargoes for now because of the fear of COVID-19, that rather, it is important for individuals to observe physical hygiene while carrying out port activities. According to Abba-Kura, “Whe...
Niger governor, deputy take 30% salary cut as coronavirus hits economy
Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger on Tuesday ordered a 30 per cent slash in the salaries and allowances of all political officers in the state. Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Matane, in a statement in Minna, said that the directive was “with immediate effect”.“Those to be affected by the order include the governor, his deputy, commissioners, special advisers and all other political appointees,” the statement said. It said that the “temporary” slash was in view of the economic situation occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic. “Government will transparently resume full payment of salaries and allowances when the economic situation improves,” the statement stated and quoted the governor as regretting the inconvenience the reduction might cause affected persons. Get more storie...
Private labs take over coronavirus testing in Lagos
Lagos State Government has announced the take over of COVID-19 testing by a consortium of health professionals and private laboratories. Commissioner for Health Prof Akin Abayomi, who made the disclosure during a press conference today at Alausa, Ikeja, added that that test for the novel coronavirus disease remains free of charge at various government centres. While putting the cost of the test at government facilities at between N40,000 and N50,400, Abayomi said the inclusion of the private consortium in the testing infrastructure was part of the moves to expand the state government’s COVID-19 response capacity. He added that the accreditation of seven private laboratories will boost its testing capacity and three private hospitals for case management. According to him, the government com...
Abia gives EFCC seven days to issue apology for sealing state property
The Government of Abia State on Monday issued the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) a seven-day ultimatum to remove what it described as ‘offensive’ notices placed on some of its property, saying they are assets of the state government. The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Uche Ihediwa, who issued the ultimatum while speaking on the recent sealing of some property in the state by the EFCC, said some of the property purported to belong to a highly placed politician in the state are owned by the state. Ihediwa, according to a release by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of the state, Mr Onyebuchi Ememanka, demanded that the EFCC tender an unreserved apology to the state within seven days in view of the inconvenience its action has caused the st...
Ekiti to inaugurate human rights action plan committee July 1
The Ekiti government will, on July 1, inaugurated a committee saddled with the responsibility of developing a human rights action plan. Newsmen report that the inauguration of the committee is sequel to the directive by Gov. Kayode Fayemi to the state Ministry of Justice to that effect. The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Olawale Fapounda, in a statement issued on Monday in Ado-Ekiti, said that the governor had stressed the need to put measures in place to protect and promote human rights in the state. He announced the composition of the advisory and technical committees for the development of the State Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Right (SAPHR). According to him, the action plan is aimed at auditing the human rights situation in the state. Fapo...
Osun threatens fresh lockdown as state records 22 new coronavirus cases
Osun State Government on Friday confirmed the discovery of 22 new COVID-19 cases in the state. Coming barely 24 hours after the discovery of 17 cases, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Rafiu Isamotu, noted that government might be forced to impose another lockdown on the state if residents and citizens continued to flout the lockdown relaxation guidelines. Isamotu stated this in a press statement in Osogbo on Friday. The commissioner also revealed that 11 of the new cases were from the ongoing contact tracing within the Ede community, while the remaining are from the previous cases in Osogbo and its environs. “On Thursday, we announced the discovery of 17 new cases in our dear state. Sadly, today again, we have 22 new cases. Considering where we are coming from, this is worrisome. We must, t...
Akwa Ibom: Why we demolished church building
File Photo Akwa Ibom State government said it ordered the demolition of the Knowledge of God Ministry, Uyo, to avoid community transmission of COVID-19 in the state. The state Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, who led members of the COVID-19 Team on Tuesday demolished the Knowledge of God Ministry building located at Paulinus Urua Street, Uyo, and arrested its pastor, Prophet Victor Elijah and some members of the church. The newly appointed Chief of staff to Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, Ephraim Inyang-eyen, while briefing newsmen on the incident said he was shocked at the number of people crammed in one cubicle during a prayer meeting. Inyang-eyen who oversees the Ministry of Works in the state explained that the pastor and some of his members were arrested for violating...
Lagos arraigns two men over murder of Hungarian
The Lagos State Government has arraigned two men for the murder of Bernadette Tohouo-Tohouo, the Hungarian wife of the MD of Maersk Nigeria Limited, Gildas Tohouo-Tohouo. The Attorney-General & Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) led the prosecution of the defendants before the State High Court sitting in the Igbosere area of Lagos Island. The defendants, Olamilekan Oke and Akande Adeyinka were arraigned on eight counts for conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, armed robbery and rape. The offences were said to have been committed on Dec 8, 2019, at about 7:30 pm when they broke into Flat 7a Luggard Avenue, Ikoyi where they killed 44-year-old Bernadette Tohouo-Tohouo by suffocating her to death with a pillow. The defendants also allegedly attempted to kill her husband, Gi...
UCH denies receiving N118 million coronavirus donation from Oyo
The University College Hospital has denied receiving any money from the Oyo State Government in its fight against COVID-19 in the state. The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Toye Akinrinlola, made this known in a press statement on Wednesday. Newsmen report that Oyo had claimed that over N2.7 billion had been spent on the fight against COVID-19 in the state. While giving the breakdown, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Akinola Ojo, said a total of N900.5 million was spent on procurement of the COVID-19 palliatives and seedlings; N370.6 million was spent on the upgrade of the Infectious Diseases Centre at Olodo; N453.7 million on securing borders, security trucks and personnel; N118 million as support to the University College Hospital, Ibadan, for COVID-19 tests. But the hospital s...
Kaduna reviews nutrition plan to include coronavirus response
The Kaduna State Government has started the review of the 2020 Operational Plan of its Multi-sectoral Strategic Plan of Action on Nutrition (KDMSPAN) to include Coronavirus (COVID-19) response activities. Mr Mahmoud Yamusa, Permanent Secretary, Planning and Budget Commission (PBC), said this at the on-going two-day Food and Nutirtion Co-ordination Meeting with Development Partners, organised by the Commission. Yamusa, who was represented by the Director, Development Aid Coordination, PBC, Mr Salisu Lawal, said that the review was necessary following the outbreak of COVID-19 and its effect on nutrition intervention in the state. He said that the review was also to enable the state implement nutrition activities in line with COVID-19 nutrition response. On his part, Lawal said that the objec...
Oyo HoS urges workers to comply with coronavirus guidelines
The Oyo State Head of Service, Mrs Ololade Agboola, has called on civil and public servants in the state to comply strictly with the COVID-19 guidelines, as they resumed work on Monday. Agboola, in a statement issued on Monday in Ibadan by her Media Officer, Mr Abiodun Atilola, listed wearing of facemasks, regular washing of hands/use of sanitisers and observance of social distancing as some of the precautionary measures. She further stated that the workers were restricted from moving from one office to another, except for very important official purposes. Newsmen report that workers from grade level 12 downward resumed duties on Monday to join their counterparts on grade level 13 and above who had resumed work after the March 27 closure of the secretariat due to coronavirus. Agboola furth...
Brazil education minister resigns over plagiarism, CV ‘lies’
Brazil’s education minister resigned Tuesday only five days after he was appointed, amid accusations that he lied over his academic record. Carlos Alberto Decotelli was the first black person to be appointed to the government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. Decotelli handed in his resignation to Bolsonaro in Brasilia, said a spokesman, Paulo Roberto, capping several days of controversy. Bolsonaro named Decotelli last week as replacement for Abraham Weintraub, who resigned in mid-June after becoming embroiled in a series of controversies, including making racist anti-Chinese comments on Twitter. Decotelli had claimed he held a Master’s degree from Brazil’s Getulio Vargas Foundation, a doctorate from Argentina’s University of Rosario and a post-doctorate from Germany’s Wuppertal Unive...