PTF
Minister: Naira Marley will be prosecuted
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, has announced that rapper Azeez Fashola who is popularly known as Naira Marley, and some members of his team, will have their days in court. Marley’s June 13 concert in Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja has been widely criticized and condemned for its blatant flouting of COVID-19 guidelines and protocols. FCT authorities have shut down the Jabi Lake Mall venue of the concert and Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika has temporarily withdrawn the license of Executive Jets–the airline that flew Marley and his crew to Abuja. In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary Anthony Ogunleye, Bello said “there is a very real possibility that a single positive individual at that event could by now have gone ahead to infect several others t...
PTF warns Nigerian residents to avoid rallies, shows
The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has warned the public to desist from large gatherings of “whatever category”. PTF Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, made this known during a briefing on Monday. He said, “Gatherings are still not open of any form, we must avoid it either driving, shows, rallies of whatever categories, be responsible. Lifted restriction does not mean carelessness and that life is normal. Yes, there is a normal – but it is a new normal.” Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, ...
Nigerian government says churches, mosques can reopen
The Federal Government has announced relaxation of restriction on gatherings in places of worship imposed as part of the guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country. The presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 led by Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation and chairman of the PTF, announced that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the relaxation of the ban for four weeks on Monday. He however said the state governments and PTF will issue guideline to be followed for the reopening of the religious centres. “Relaxation of restriction on places of Worship based on guidelines issued by the PTF and protocols agreed by state governments,” PTF said. “The PTF submitted its recommendations and the PRESIDENT has approved the following for implementation over t...
Official: ICPC investigating cases of coronavirus fraud
File Photo The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it is investigating alleged cases of corruption in the management of COVID-19 funds and palliatives. The commission’s Director of Operations, Mr Akeem Lawal, disclosed this during a virtual meeting of stakeholders on the topic, “COVID-19 Funds Management and Monitoring”, on Thursday. In a presentation titled, “ICPC Monitoring Obligation and Strategy Re: COVID-19 Emergency”, Lawal said the cases include alleged fraud by some participating public institution in the release and distribution of grains from strategic food reserve. Others, according to him, include alleged infractions in the procurement of COVID-19 palliatives and logistics and community enlightenment activities. The ICPC official, who...
PTF decries continued refusal by hospitals to treat patients for fear of coronavirus
The Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 (PTF) has decried the continued refusal by medical institutions including federal tertiary institutions to receive and treat patients for fear COVID-19. PTF lamented that this development has resulted in several unfortunate and avoidable fatalities. Meanwhile, the PTF will conclude its assessment on the impact of the measures put in place and further recommendations would be submitted to the President for a decision within the next seventy hours. Chairman of PTF and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, who disclosed this at the daily Press Briefing in Abuja, noted that Nigeria is having more deaths from non-attendance to other diseases than even COVID 19 adding that the reason for the greater emphasis on COVID 19 is ...
Kano clarifies on ongoing work at Sani Abatcha isolation centre
Kano State Government on Tuesday said the delay in the early completion of the Sani Abacha Stadium (SAS) Isolation Centre was necessitated by the review of the project initial plan. Malam Muhammad Garba, the state Commissioner of Information, made the clarification in a statement in Kano. Garba, who was reacting to a viral social media video clip on the project, dismissed the footage as a “mischievous attempt to misrepresent facts on the ongoing installation works at the isolation centre, donated by the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID). The project, which was initiated in April, was designed with a 500-bed capacity for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the three and a half minutes video clip, showed ongoing installation works at the isolation c...
Nigeria’s president urges farmers to increase food production
President Muhammadu Buhari has advised Nigerian farmers to increase their food production as Nigeria has ‘no money’ for food importation. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, Nigeria has restricted food importation as the country strived to produce a lot of the food it consumes. The country also shut its borders with neighbouring countries, largely to prevent the importation and smuggling of items such as rice, poultry and petrol. The borders are still shut but were also closed to human traffic following the coronavirus pandemic, although smuggling and other illegal activities still go on with the connivance of corrupt security officials. Buhari gave his advice to the farmers while addressing journalists after observing this year’s ‘Eid’ prayer at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on Sunda...
Central bank reschedules MPC meeting over holidays
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has rescheduled it’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting from Monday and Tuesday May 25 and 26 to Thursday, May 28. The CBN Director, Corporate Communications Department, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday. Okorafor explained that the rescheduling of the meeting was due to the declaration of May 25 and May 26 as public holidays by the Federal Government to commemorate the Eid-el Fitr. He said for the avoidance of doubt, CBN had put necessary machinery in place for the meeting to now hold for only one day on account of the ongoing COVID-19 national lockdown. He added that this step taken was also to align this meeting with the extant rules of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and advisories from other rel...
Nigeria begs to traders not to hike prices
The Federal Government has appealed to traders not to hike prices of food items and transportation as the country battles to contain the Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, made the appeal at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 daily news briefing on Thursday in Abuja. He said it was necessary that market women and men understood the enormity of the time regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that there is a need to show compassion to all Nigerians by not hiking prices of foodstuff and services. The minister said that this period was a time to give back to society while calling on Nigerians not to take the opportunity of COVID-19 to further oppress other Nigerians. “This is a time people are giving back to s...
PTF: Nigeria unaware of €170,000 cost for Madagascar herbal mixture
Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 pandemic, Boss Mustapha, has said he was not aware of any cost paid for the Madagascar herbal mixture. Mustapha was responding to a question on reports that Nigeria had been asked to pay €170,000 for the Madagascar herbal mixture delivered to President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday by the visiting President of Guinea Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embalo. He said he had taken delivery of the solution sent to Nigeria as well as other African countries by Madagascar without request without any invoice. “In terms of the question of whether it comes with a cost. It was handed to me without an invoice so I assume it doesn’t come with a cost. “That’s my assumption. For that, I think the Madagasc...
Nigerian government commends NNPC, partners for coronavirus interventions
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19, Boss Mustapha, yesterday, commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for her unwavering support and several medical interventions, geared towards providing a lasting solution to the novel coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria. According to a statement by the NNPC, Mustapha stated that the gesture showed the corporation as the hallmark of a national oil company. The NNPC noted that Mustapha gave this commendation while receiving 20 ventilators donated by Ocea S.A, a France based company through the NNPC, to bolster the fight against COVID-19 in Abuja. It added that Mystrose Defence Systems Limited presented the donation to the NNPC on behalf of Ocea S.A. to bolster the fight...
Federal government to maintain eased lockdown for another two weeks
The Federal Government has announced an extension of the current partial lockdown of the country, saying the time is not ripe for it to relax its containment protocols against the Covid-19 Pandemic. Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce PTF on Covid-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha, announced this Monday in Abuja during the daily briefing of the Taskforce. He said; “the reality is that in spite of the modest progress made, Nigeria is not yet ready for full opening of the economy and tough decisions have to be taken for the good of the greater majority. Any relaxation will only portend grave danger for our populace. “Advisedly, the current phase of eased restriction will be maintained for another two weeks during which stricter enforcement and pe...
