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Premier: India set to mass produce COVID-19 vaccine, launches digital health mission
India is ready to mass produce COVID-19 vaccines when scientists give the go-ahead, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his Independence Day speech on Saturday. Modi made the revelation while also launching a national project to roll out health identities for each citizen. In annual celebrations, held at the 17th-century Red Fort and scaled down due to the pandemic, Modi identified health and economic self-reliance as the key priorities for his government. “Not one, not two, as many as three coronavirus vaccines are being tested in India,’’ he said from the ramparts of the red sandstone palace in the old quarters of Delhi. He was wearing a flowing orange and white turban and covering his mouth and nose with a scarf of the same colours whenever anyone came close to him at the ceremony. “Al...
Former Ekiti governor wants Ibrahim Magu placed on watch list so he won’t flee
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has asked security agencies in the country to place suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, on watch list. Fayose took to his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday to call on the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service, amongst others. According to the former governor, Magu should be placed on the country’s watch list so that he won’t disappear into thin air. He wrote, “Just as Magu directed that I be placed on “watch-list” even when I had immunity as a sitting governor, Magu too must be placed on watch-list so that he won’t run away. EFCC, DSS, Customs, Police, Immigration, Army, Navy, Air Force, oth...
Ogun police framed us as land-grabbers – community leader
The Akinrogun of Meiran land, Chief Joseph Ayodele, whom the Ogun State Police Command claimed to be the leader of a land-grabbing gang, has refuted the claim. Newsmen had reported that Rufai Abdulkareem, Tobi Ajayi and Wasiu Oladipupo were arrested by the police for allegedly shooting at seven workers on a construction site in the state. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, had said the suspects were terrorising residents of Ota and its environs before they were apprehended. Refuting the police claim, Ayodele stated that Abdulkareem, Ajayi and Oladipupo were members of the Obasogo Royal Family of Ilogbo-Ota. Ayodele alleged that a man, who encroached on the 4,000-acre land belonging to the family, framed the three men as land-grabbers. He said, “To set the record s...
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...
268 Nigerian nationals arrive Abuja from China
.responsive_ad { width: 300px; height: 250px; } @media(min-width: 768px) { .responsive_ad { width: 468px; height: 60px; } } @media(min-width: 1019px) { .responsive_ad { width: 640px; height: 80px; } } @media(min-width: 1140px) { .responsive_ad { width: 696px; height: 86px; } } At least 268 Nigerians evacuated from China have arrived in Abuja. .responsive_adz { width: 300px; height: 600px; } @media(min-width: 768px) { .responsive_adz { width: 468px; height: 60px; } } @media(min-width: 1019px) { .responsive_adz { width: 640px; height: 80px; } } @media(min-width: 1140px) { .responsive_adz { width: 696px; height: 86px; } } The flight that conveyed the evacuees landed at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport on Saturday afternoon. Get more stories like this on Twitter .responsive_ad { width: ...
Borno discharges 135 coronavirus patients
Borno State Government has discharged 135 COVID-19 patients. The patients, who initially tested positive for the virus, later tested negative twice upon treatment. Speaking on Friday at the Abba Kyari COVID-19 Isolation Centre in Maiduguri, Deputy Governor, Usman Kadafur, said the state has recorded successes in recent time while commending the efforts of the World Health Organisation and other developmental partners. The deputy governor, who is also the Chairman, Committee on Response and Prevention of COVID-19, described the collaboration as a huge success in the fight against COVID-19 in the state. Kadafur advised the public to adhere strictly to COVID-19 preventive protocols to mitigate and completely eradicate the virus. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money ...
Nigeria invites bid for monitoring of spending of Abacha loot
File Photo The Federal Ministry of Justice on Thursday opened technical bids for Consultancy Service to monitor the implementation of Abacha loot III. Newsmen that the Consultancy Service is to undertake the monitoring of the implementation of the tripartite agreement on the Sharing, Transfer, Disposition, Repatriation and Management of the Abacha Forfeited Assets. Mrs Ladidi Mohammed, Head, Asset Recovery and Management Unit, Ministry of justice declared open the bidding process. Mohammed said the process is in tandem with the Asset Return Agreement of Feb. 3 by the Nigeria government, the United States and the Bailiwick of Jersey. ‘`This Agreement is based on international law and cooperation measures that set out the procedures for the repatriation, transfer, disposition and management ...
NCDC: Only one coronavirus test conducted in Kogi
No more than one test has been carried out in Kogi State since the outbreak of the coronavirus in Nigeria on February 27. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reports that, as of May 18, 35,983 tests have been carried out across the country, while 5,959 have been confirmed positive for the virus. According to the NCDC update on the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, which was made available on its website, Kogi recorded the lowest number of tests with no confirmed case. This was followed by Cross River State with seven COVID-19 tests conducted but no positive case. Lagos State, which had the highest number of tests at 14,886, also topped the list of confirmed cases at 2,550. Similarly, the Federal Capital Territory was reported to have conducted 4,688 tests and confirmed 418 cases, while ...
Lagos discharges 15 more coronavirus patients
Lagos State has recorded 15 more coronavirus recoveries. This brings the total recoveries in the state to 623. The state Health Commissioner disclosed this via Twitter on Monday night. “177 new COVID-19 Infection confirmed in Lagos. Total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Lagos is now 2566. “15 fully recovered COVID-19 patients; 9 females and 6 males, all Nigerians were discharged. This brings the total number of #COVID19 discharged patients in Lagos to 623,” he said. Newsmen reports that there are 1889 active infections and 36 associated deaths reported in the state. Get more stories like this on Twitter
Coronavirus: Lagos begins chloroquine clinical trial this week
The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, has said the state will this week commence the clinical trial treatment of COVID-19 using chloroquine as approved by NAFDAC. The state, which is the epicentre of the virus in the country, had previously disclosed plans to carry out the chloroquine clinical trial. Omotoso, in an interview with newsmen on Saturday, said, “We are ready for the chloroquine clinical trial because we have just secured all the approvals. The documentation has also been completed. Those that will be used for the trials are ready too. By next week we should be ready for the trial. “Also, Lagos got a supply of additional 20,000 testing kits, although we were expecting 40,000. It means that the testing will increase now.” In a related devel...
EFCC investigates assault on Shawarma seller by officers
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says it has launched an investigation into the alleged assault of Ms Mnena Ato, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Star Shawarma, Makurdi, Benue State. The EFCC said in a statement by its Spokesman, Dele Oyewale, that it is not the character of the commission to assault innocent citizens. The statement read in part, “The attention of the EFCC has been drawn to reports of a recent arrest made by its officers at a pastry firm in Makurdi, Benue State, involving Ms Mnena Ato, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Star Shawarma. “The commission has commenced investigations into the circumstances of her arrest and would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all facts related to the arrest are unearthed. It is not in the cha...
