Nigeria
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...
National Assembly urges President Buhari to suspend plan to recruit 774,000 Nigerians
The Senate and the House of Representatives yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the implementation of the plan to recruit 774,000 Nigerians for Special Public Works across the country. The position of both chambers of the National Assembly followed a sharp disagreement between the National Assembly Joint Committee on Labour, Employee and Productivity and the Minister for State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, over the modalities for appointing the 20-member Selection Committee for the programme. Keyamo who had appeared at an interactive session organized by the joint committee opposed a resolution of the Joint Committee to resolve into a closed door session. The Minister said he rejected the lawmakers decision to quiz him behind closed doors because of the n...
Petrol price hike a move to end subsidy regime – expert
AHA Taxis Nigeria’s first professor of the Capital Market and former Imo State Finance Commissioner, Prof Uche Uwaleke, on Wednesday described the hike in petrol price from N123.50k/litre to a price band of N140.80 to N143.80 as an indication that the Federal Government was ready to gradually exit the fuel subsidy regime. The Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), in a memo to oil marketers on Wednesday, said that the upward review of petrol price stemmed from existing market realities which were taken into consideration before the new pump price was released. Prof Uwaleke told newsmen that exiting the subsidy regime was necessary in view of plummeting government revenue and the pressure on government finances occasioned by COVID-19. ‘Fortunately for the Nigerian economy...
Nigerian stocks down by N1.14 trillion in first half
Nigerian stocks closed the first half down with average loss of 8.80 per cent, equivalent to net capital depreciation of N1.14 trillion as investors struggled with a threesome of domestic macroeconomic uncertainties, global decline in crude oil price and trade wars and the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic. Benchmark indices at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), which are generally regarded as sovereign equity indices for Nigeria, showed that Nigerian stocks swiveled through steep decline in first quarter and a major recovery in early months of the second quarter, closing the six-month period with net loss of N1.14 trillion. The All Share Index (ASI), a common value-based index that tracks all share prices at the Exchange, closed first half at 24,479.22 points as against 26,842.07 points recorded...
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...
CAF cancels 2020 AWCON, keeps mum on qualifiers
Getty Images Apparently not ready to risk the lives of players, officials and other stakeholders during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Tuesday cancelled the 2020 African Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON). This was one of the many crucial decisions taken by the Executive Committee headed by CAF President, Ahmad Ahmad during a video-conference Executive Meeting held Tuesday, June 30, 2020. The Committee which also discussed the future of competitions and other related issues following the disruption of football activities across the world including Africa by the COVID-19 pandemic opted to cancel the 2020 AWCON. “Due to challenging conditions, the 2020 edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations has been cancelled”,...
774,000 jobs: National Assembly can’t suspend selection process – minister
The Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo (SAN), says members of the National Assembly cannot stop the selection process of the 774,000 Special Public Works Programme jobs. He stated that the Joint Committees on Labour of both the Senate and the House tried to “control the programme as to who gets what, where and how”. The minister insisted that he would not surrender the programme to the lawmakers’ control “since their powers under the constitution does not extend to that”. He, therefore, directed the state selection committees to proceed with the recruitment process. Keyamo, in a statement issued after his meeting with the NASS committee ended in a fiasco on Tuesday, said, “There was a misunderstanding between us when they questioned why I did not privately submit the programme to ...
75% of Nigerians at risk for non-communicable diseases – study
Three quarters of Nigerians are at risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), a nationwide study by WellNewMe, a health technology company, has revealed. According to the study, the situation needs to be urgently addressed, especially in the present COVID-19 pandemic era, as persons with underlying conditions are most vulnerable to the deadly virus. Dr Obi Igbokwe, the Co-founder of WellNewMe and author of the pilot report, told newsmen in Lagos on Tuesday that in 2019, the company partnered Novartis to run a year-long pilot to determine Nigerians’ risks for developing chronic diseases. Igbokwe quoted the World Health Organisation (WHO) as saying that the COVID-19 pandemic might have had significant impacts on the health of people with NCDs, such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, di...
NAF chief inaugurates officers’ quarters in Calabar
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar, has commissioned a two blocks of single officer’s quarters at the 305 Special Mobility Group on Tuesday in Calabar. Abubakar, who was represented at the occasion by AVM Mohammed Yakubu, the Chief of Logistics, Nigerian Air Force, said the welfare of their personnel was very critical to the growth of the force. Abubakar said that when personnel are well cared for with good accommodation, they are more likely to do their job better. According to him, other projects were ongoing in the Command for Airmen, adding that in the coming weeks, they would also be inaugurated and put to use. “We are in Calabar today to commission the officers quarters for our men as part of the effort to boast their morale and dedication to their statutory duties...
Navy seizes vessel, arrests five suspects for illegal bunkering in Akwa Ibom
Sundiata Post The Nigerian Navy Ship Jubilee (NNS) on Tuesday said that it has seized a vessel used for oil bunkering and arrested five suspects in Akwa Ibom. The Commander of NNS Jubilee, Commodore Majid Ibrahim, disclosed this to newsmen during the handing over of the vessel and suspects to officials of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ikot Abasi. Ibrahim said that the vessel was seized during an anti illegal oil patrol by the Nigerian Navy along Uta-Ewa Creek on May 18. “In line with the Chief of Naval Staff’s strategic directive and the need to secure Nigeria’s maritime domain against all forms of illegalities, the Nigerian Navy Ship Jubilee on anti illegal oil patrol arrested MT PREYOR 1 on May 18, 2020 along Uta-Ewa Creek for suspected illegal oil bunkering activiti...
Oyo Assembly holds special sitting in honour of deceased Senator Ajimobi
The Oyo State House Assembly on Tuesday held a special sitting in honour of the late Abiola Ajimobi, the immediate past governor of the state. Addressing the Assembly, the Speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, said the news of the death of Ajimobi filtered into the state like a dream. Ogundoyin said that Ajimobi’s death was unexpected and painful because he died at a time that his wealth of experience was needed by the nation, especially APC, his political party. “O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? Ajimobi was endowed with supernatural wisdom and intelligence, the virtues which he displayed in the governance of the state in particular and the nation in general. “He was a statesman of note as he served as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and governor of Oyo State for ...
ICPC declares former staff wanted over fraudulent practices
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has declared one Gloria Obioma Elih, a former staff wanted for allegedly demanding and receiving gratification from officials of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources who were being investigated. The ICPC disclosed this in a statement released on Tuesday via its official Twitter account stating that Criminal charges were filed against Elih, who was also a former staff of the commission before an FCT High Court presided over by Hon. Justice Adeniyi. According to the commission, Elih allegedly demanded and received gratification from officials of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources who were being investigated and all efforts to serve her and procure her attendance in court have proved abortive. The commissio...
