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House of Reps wants local airlines to evacuate stranded Nigerians abroad
The House of Representatives has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Federal Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Aviation to ensure that local airlines enjoy the right of first refusal, where Nigerians need to be evacuated. This was sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion by Rep. Mohammed Bello (APC-Kano) and eight other lawmakers, at the plenary on Tuesday. While moving the motion, Bello said that the two ministries and the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID–19 had engaged foreign airlines to evacuate Nigerians stranded in Dubai, London and America, due to the COVID-19 currently ravaging the world. He listed the airlines to include Ethiopian Airlines, British Airways and Emirates. According to the lawmaker, the economic objective of Nigeria, under the 1999 Constitution, ...
Coronavirus: Two football games in Belarus postponed due to coronavirus fears
Two games in the top two tiers of Belarusian football have been postponed due to coronavirus concerns. The Premier League match between FC Minsk and Neman Grodno – scheduled for May 15 – has been called off, as has the second-division meeting between Arsenal Dzerzhinsk and leaders Lokomotiv Gomel. The country’s football federation confirmed it was because of suspected cases of COVID-19 among the Minsk and Lokomotiv players. No new dates have yet been arranged. Belarus is one of the few European nations in which major sporting competitions have continued despite the spread of the virus. Premier League games have been played, often in front of spectators, while the rest of the continent has largely been forced to suspend all football. All grounds are required to have several sanitiser statio...
Nigeria to receive Madagascar ‘herbal coronavirus medicine’
Nigeria is expected to receive samples of COVID-Organics, a herbal medicine used by Madagascar to treat COVID-19 patients. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, made this known at the daily Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing on Monday. Mustapha said the medicine has been sent to Guinea Bissau from where it will be sent to different countries. “The herbal medicine has been freighted to Guinea Bissau by the president of Madagascar and certain allocations have been made to different countries. “We have an indication of the quantity that has been allocated to Nigeria and we are supposed to make an arrangement to freight it out of Guinea Bissau to Nigeria,” he said. Since its launch by the President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, in April, the use of the h...
President Buhari appoints new RMAFC scribe, CMD chief
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Mohammad Bello Shehu as Secretary, Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) for initial first term of five(5) years with effect from 19th March 2020. He also has approved the appointment of Mr Bitrus Danharbi Chinoko as the Substantive Director General of the Centre for Management Development (CMD) Lagos, with effect from 27th April 2020. Until this appointment, Mr Chinoko was in an acting capacity at the CMD. According to a statement by Director, Information Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, the President congratulated the new appointees and urge them to bring their wealth of experience to bear on their appointments. Get more stories like this on Twitter
SMBLF asks Nigerian government to declare ‘invasion’ of South, Middle-Belt by Almajiris illegal
Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has called on the Federal Government to publicly declare the invasion of the South and Middle-Belt by teenagers, including Almajiris from far North, in spite of the ban on interstate movements imposed by President Muhammadu Buhari as illegal and direct the security agencies to immediately flush them out and ensure that they do not return. SMBLF made these demands on Sunday in a joint statement signed by Chief E K Clark for PANDEF, Chief Ayo Adebanjo on behalf of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief John Nnia Nwodo (Ohaneze) and Dr Bitrus Pogu (Middle- Belt Forum). The group, while making the demands, expressed outrage at what it termed complacency on the part of Nigerian security forces at the invasion of their areas by teena...
Delta governor warns violators of inter-state lockdown
Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has warned unauthorized vehicles entering the state will be impounded while the operators will be made to face the wrath of the enabling laws. President Muhammadu Buhari had declared inter-state lockdown across the country to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Okowa handed down the warning while monitoring the level of compliance at some boundaries between Delta and neighbouring states of Edo and Anambra. The governor was at the River Niger Bridge which borders Delta and Anambra and Alifekede, the boundary between Delta and Edo. He expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance but was quick to remind security agents and members of the state’s COVID-19 task force at the boundaries that only vehicles carrying agricultural products and those on esse...
EFCC: Lockdown won’t abort cases against ex-first lady, former governors, others
The lockdown arising from coronavirus appears to have slowed down the fight against corrupt practices in the country for close to six weeks. Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, says there is no cause for alarm as it will ensure that none of its ongoing investigations and cases in court will be aborted. The Commission is certain that as the federal and state governments begin to reopen the economy, it will ramp up legal actions to bring the suspects of financial crimes to account for their actions. “These suspects will unfailingly have their days in court,” EFCC Acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, declared. Documents reviewed by newsmen indicate that the Commission has its hands full of cases awaiting resolution in court, while some cases being investigated are ripe en...
South Sudan rivals face fresh feud over control of states
South Sudan’s main rivals were at loggerheads Friday over who will control the country’s 10 internal states, an issue that analysts and diplomats worried could jeopardise a power-sharing deal reached earlier this year. President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar, old foes whose fallout in 2013 sparked a civil war, agreed on February to form a new government after intense international pressure to deliver lasting peace to the conflict-torn country. But while they managed to name a cabinet in March, they have yet to strike a deal on who can appoint governors to the states. On Thursday night Kiir announced a breakthrough on the state’s issue, saying his party would appoint six governors while Machar’s would appoint three. The remaining state would be governed by the South Sudan Oppositi...
Zimbabwe street vendors sell cloth masks to make ends meet
Zimbabwe market stall owner Aaron Makaya saw a new business opportunity when President Emmerson Mnangagwa made face masks mandatory in public places to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The 21-year old had been stuck at home in the capital Harare and living off meagre savings since the start of a nationwide lockdown at the end of March. Confinement measures were extended by two weeks on May 1 – another month without income for informal workers like Makaya. Meanwhile, factory-made face masks turned out to be unaffordable for most in a country crippled by poverty and hyperinflation. Makaya and other informal workers jumped on the opportunity to make money by sewing and selling cheaper cloth masks at intersections. “We started selling these masks on Monday when we noticed that people intendi...
Ivory Coast’s Guillaume Soro faces war crimes lawsuit in France
File Photo Ivory Coast’s former prime minister Guillaume Soro, a rebel leader before he entered politics, is facing a lawsuit in France for war crimes, torture and murder, lawyers told AFP. The plaintiffs say the case is being filed in France because Soro has been living in the country since 2019. Late last month, he was handed a 20-year jail term in Ivory Coast for embezzlement, money laundering, and buying a mansion in the West African country’s main city Abidjan with public money. The Abidjan court fined him nearly seven million euros ($7.6 million), ordered the confiscation of his Abidjan home and barred him from civic duties for five years, which effectively eliminates the 47-year-old from contesting presidential elections due in October. Soro denies all accusations. The latest lawsui...
White House staffer tests positive for coronavirus
A member of the U.S. military who works in close proximity to President Donald Trump has tested positive for the new coronavirus. However, “The president and the vice president have since tested negative for the virus and they remain in great health,” Hogan Gidley, a spokesman, said in a statement. Vice President Mike Pence was taking part in the delivery of medical gear to a rehabilitation centre as the news broke. Trump is in Washington with events scheduled for later in the day. Broadcaster CNN said the individual who is ill is a member of the Navy who works as a personal valet to Mr Trump. White House top officials are said to be tested regularly for the virus. Members of the press corps who come into close contact with officials undergo temperature checks before entering the briefing ...
Ohanaeze writes President Buhari over erosion menace in Alex Ekwueme’s home
Ohaneze Ndigbo, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency order the Federal Ministry of Environment to attend to the continued erosion menace ravaging the country home of former Vice President of Nigeria, late Dr Alex Ekwueme in Oko, and other neighbouring communities of Nanka and Agulu in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State. The Igbo Social-Cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo, made the appeal for the Federal Ministry of Environment to attend to the situation before it will get out of hand, considering the huge contributions the late Icon has made to keep Nigeria as one. The Ohaneze issue the appeal on Thursday, in a letter titled “Save Us From The Ravaging Gully Erosion in Ekwueme’s home” directed to President Buhari. The social body expressed ...
