Monday
NMA: Nigerians may suffer if governors take over coronavirus management
File Photo The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), has asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow states take full control of managing the COVID-19 pandemic saying Nigerians may suffer. Newsmen recall that Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, said on Sunday in the next phase of the lockdown, states will take more responsibility in their areas. “I can assure you of one thing: the ownership of the next phase will be the responsibility of the states under national supervision and coordination, because we have gone into community transmission. Where are the communities? The communities are in the states,” the SGF said. However, speaking on COVID-19 Watch on AIT, on Monday, the NMA president, Innocen...
Governor Fayemi: Lockdown violators swell Ekiti internal revenue by N2 million
Governor Kayode Fayemi on Friday disclosed that not less than N2million has accrued to the coffers of the State being the various fines paid by the lockdown violators since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor also said that over 100 offenders have been prosecuted. Speaking during the press briefing, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, said the laboratory located at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital will be commissioned by Governor Kayode Fayemi. “We are still perfecting some regulatory procedure with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, but everything will be finetuned before Monday. “We have had 20 COVID-19 cases so far, two are still active, we have recorded two deaths and 16 have been treated with investigational drugs and discharged,” she...
George Floyd: We’ll evaluate evidence – US
The United States says it will compile and evaluate information obtained from witnesses in the killing of a black man, George Floyd. In a joint statement on Thursday, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Minneapolis Field Office said they were conducting a “robust criminal investigation” into the circumstances surrounding Floyd’s killing on May 25. “The Department of Justice asks for cooperation from all witnesses who believe they have relevant information and urges calm as investigators methodically continue to gather facts. “The Department of Justice and FBI’s comprehensive investigation will compile all available information and thoroughly evaluate evidence and information obtain...
Odion Ighalo close to extending Manchester United loan deal – agent
Odion Ighalo’s representative Ladi Salami has revealed that his client could remain at Manchester United beyond next week. Ighalo joined Manchester United from Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua on a six-month loan in January. The temporary deal is set to expire at the end of this month with the former Watford player expected to return to China on Monday for the start of the new season. Salami however states that United are in talks with Shanghai Shenhua over an extension. “The Super Eagles feels very good in Manchester with whom he is very close to a salary agreement. Negotiations with the Chinese are ongoing and are going well,” Salami told Foot Mercato. Ighalo has scored four goals in eight league appearances for the Old Trafford outfit. Get more stories like this on Twitter You...
Confusion in APC as CROSIEC fixes May 30 for council polls
The intractable crisis rocking the Cross River All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to be gathering momentum as the two factions have issued conflicting statements on the pending May 30th local government election. While a faction led by Sir John Ochala had dissociated the party from the pending local election, describing it as a “charade”, the other faction led by Mr John Etim said it is fully prepared to take part in the council poll. Since 2014, the Cross River State APC has been engaged in a leadership tussle, leading to the factionalisation of the party, even as the national leadership has made spirited efforts to settle the supremacy battle. In spite of this, the chairman of Cross River State Independent Electoral Commission (CROSIEC), Dr Mike Ushie, has fixed Saturday, May 30th f...
Nigeria considers traditional herbal treatment for coronavirus
The Federal Government is not ignoring any direction in it’s search for cure for the Coronavirus disease. Aside orthodox sources, the government is exploring traditional alternatives for ways to defeat the virus. Part of the efforts is the plan to screen 19 Nigerian firms to assess their suitability for the production of herbal remedies to the pandemic. Newsmen report that the Federal Ministry of Health and National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC are coordinating the efforts. The firms, it was learnt, made many claims ranging from the outright cure for COVID-19 to the treatment of the symptoms. It was learnt that the 19 firms had met with the leadership of the ministry and the Department of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The firms have, however, been ...
Playoff: LMC not fair to Plateau United – Abdu Maikaba
Plateau United coach Abdul Maikaba has reacted to the possible options on how to conclude the 2019/2020 NPFL season as pronounced by the LMC Chief Shehu Dikko. There are growing indications that a “Super 6” mini-tournament will be the vehicle of choice in resolving the 2019-20 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season. In his reaction, Plateau United coach Maikaba said ending the league with a playoff tournament is an unfair treatment to his side considering the 2018 scenario when the League was awarded to Lobi Stars. “I don’t see a situation where the team with 49 points will be joined with the team on 39 points to play ‘playoff’ together, He said. “It’s not even in the rule, so why not stick to the PPG rating and end the league? Why playoff? PPG should be the first option to be ...
Ogun: Coronavirus has spread to 16 of our 20 local councils
Ogun State Government on Monday said COVID-19 had spread to 16 out of 20 local government areas of the state. The Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr Tomi Coker, who disclosed in an interview with newsmen, said only four local government were free of COVID-19 in the state as of Monday afternoon. Coker, who mentioned three out of four councils that were free of the virus, said she did not remember the fourth one. She said could not access her diary where the detailed report of the geography was recorded. The commissioner said, “There are four local government areas that are free of these cases. Both Egbado North and South, Ijebu-Ode, there is one more that I cannot remember now, but, they are four.” Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looki...
Britain announces more flights to evacuate nationals from Nigeria
The British government has announced three more charter flights for more hundreds of its citizens set to return home from Nigeria. Already, more than 1,700 British travellers had been evacuated out of Nigeria back to the UK on special charter flights between April and May from Lagos and Abuja airports. Details of the coming new flights include the charter flight slated for Friday 29 May from Lagos to London. The other special flights will be operated on Monday 1st June between Lagos and London while the third flight which comes up Saturday 6th June from Abuja to London. According to information gathered, the UK organised special internal charter flight will travel from Port Harcourt to Abuja on Saturday 6th June to enable British nationals based in, or near, Port Harcourt to join the 6th J...
Libya’s GNA says it is targeting retreating renegade strongman’s forces
Libya’s internationally recognised government has launched air strikes against forces loyal to renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar after his forces announced they were pulling back from Tripoli front lines. Air strikes by the Government of National Accord (GNA) targeted several locations in the west of the country, including in the Haftar stronghold of Tarhouna near the capital, Tripoli, according to GNA army spokesperson Colonel Mohamed Qanunu. In Tarhouna, two military vehicles and a vehicle carrying ammunition that belonged to Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) were destroyed, the spokesperson said. On Thursday, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency said the GNA carried out five air operations against forces loyal to Haftar in the past 24 hours. A day earlier, the LNA announced it w...
INEC approves new policy framework for Edo, Ondo states
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday approved a new policy framework known as Policy on Conducting Elections in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic. The commission, in a statement issued by Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, in Abuja said the policy document would be released on May 25. Okoye said that the provisions would be applied to the conduct of governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States scheduled for Sept. 19 and Oct. 10, respectively, as well as other by-elections to be conducted soon in seven states. “The general purpose of the Policy is to enable officials and staff of the Commission to understand and respond adequately to the challenges of conducting elections in the context of the COVI...
No masking it: Joe Biden eyes stark contrast with Donald Trump over virus
Joe Biden squared off with Donald Trump on Tuesday over the wearing of masks one day after the White House challenger emerged from coronavirus-imposed lockdown donning one while the president attended two events bare-faced. By wearing a mask at a Memorial Day ceremony in Delaware — and by changing his Twitter profile to a photograph of him donning the black covering — Biden signalled he is putting the coronavirus front and center during the US presidential race in a nation increasingly divided over the pandemic. After the president mocked him for his protective mask, Biden hit back, blasting Trump as an “absolute fool.” It appeared to mark a new front in the war of words between the rival politicians. Trump also attended a somber Monday ceremony honoring America’s fallen, in Baltimore. Ins...