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Benue university pro-chancellor, other staffers test positive for coronavirus
Juju Films/File Photo The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Benue State University, Makurdi, Prof. Zacharys Gundu has tested positive for COVID-19. Prof. Gundu made his status known in a letter he wrote to the Vice Chancellor of the institution and university community. This came after the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Msugh Kembe last week announced he tested positive while the Deputy Vice Chancellor, DVC, Administration, Prof. Godwin Achinge lost his life to the virus. In the said letter the Pro-Chancellor wrote “This is to write and inform you that samples collected from me and sent to Abuja for COVID-19 testing returned a positive test result to me on July 9, 2020. “A few days after the samples were taken and sent to Abuja, I went into one of the isolation facilities ...
Benue Assembly suspends plenary for members to undergo coronavirus tests
The Benue House of Assembly has suspended its plenary sessions to allow lawmakers and members of staff to subject themselves to COVID-19 screening. Mr Tertsea Gbiseh, the Chairman House Standing Committee on Information and Orientation, announced this in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Makurdi. The statement said the decision to undergo COVID-19 screening by members was arrived at after the noticeable spike in cases around the state. “Going by the nature of the Assembly’s functions which warrant us to interact closely with constituents at the grassroots on one hand and top government functionaries in Ministries, Departments and Agencies, on the other hand, it has become imperative to embark on regular COVID-19 tests due to the risk of exposure encountere...
VP Osinbajo’s daughter denies owning N800 million property
The Vice-President’s daughter, Kiki Osinbajo, has denied owning a property worth N800m in highbrow Wuse 2 area of Abuja. Kiki said this in a post on Instagram on Friday. She said the property in question was a rented one. The Vice-President’s daughter wrote, “For me it is completely unbelievable that a grown man will sit in his home and lie about me; a grown man who possibly has children my age! Like many young women in Nigeria, I work hard. “It may be difficult for people like him to understand that a young woman can work hard and succeed on her own steam. Anyone can verify the ownership of the property of Glamd Africa at AGIS in Abuja. I am a tenant in the property. My landlord’s name is Musa Adams.” A blogger, Jackson Ude, had alleged that Kiki, who runs a fashion retail outfit in Abuja...
US envoy inaugurates emergency health operation facility in Bayelsa
The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, has inaugurated a state-of-the-art public health Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Leonard said during the virtual event on Thursday that the facility, which was upgraded by the US, would enable “centralised real-time monitoring and predictive modelling for enhanced coordination of activities.” She commended the federal and state governments as well as other stakeholders for their efforts toward curtailing the coronavirus, stressing that the EOC would also help in making informed decisions about the pandemic and similar public health emergencies. The Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, described the establishment of the EOC as a welcome development that would improve healthcare delivery in the state. He said the cen...
If You Want to Save the Economy, Stop the Pandemic
By our calculations, less than 8 percent of the trillions in funding that Congress has allocated so far in response to the virus has been for solutions that would shorten or mitigate the virus itself: measures like increasing the supply of PPE, expanding testing, developing treatments, standing up contact tracing, or developing a vaccine. A case in point is the most recent House Covid-19 package. It calls for $3 trillion in spending; less than 3 percent of that total is allocated toward Covid testing. As Congress considers next steps, it’s imperative to shift priorities and direct more funding and effort toward actually ending the pandemic. Along the same lines, it is vital that elected officials realize that stay-at-home orders, social distancing, masks and school closures are not the pri...
Aviation, education ministries, others make presentations at FEC meeting
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently presiding over the seventh virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Newsmen report that the Federal Ministries of Aviation; Niger Delta; Education as well as Works and Housing are expected to make presentations at the meeting. Those at the meeting include Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno. Newsmen observed that 11 cabinet ministers joined the president at the Council Chamber for the virtual meeting while other ministers are participating directly from their respective off...
NDA reaffirms commitment to turn out best officers
The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Comandant Maj.-Gen. Jamil Sarham, reaffirmed the academy’s commitment to turn out the best officers for the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Academy Public Relations Officer, Major Abubakar Abdullahi, said in a statement issued on Wednesday in Kaduna. “The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna has reaffirmed its commitment towards producing the finest quality officers to be commissioned into the Nigerian Armed Forces. The NDA Commandant Gen Sarham revealed this on top of Shere Hills in Jos Plateau State on Tuesday as he inspected the progress being made by final year army cadets of 67 Regular Course and Short Service Course 46 conducting Exercise Camp Highland. According to Sarham, who ascended the peak of the Hills in company of his Deputy and other NDA manag...
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...
FRSC alerts motorists on imminent diversion on Lagos 3rd mainland bridge
The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, says diversion and safety precaution are imminent, owing to the emergency rehabilitation on the third mainland bridge in Lagos. In a statement issued by the FRSC Public Education Officer (CPEO), Mr Bisi Kazeem, on Wednesday in Abuja, Oyeyemi said that the bridge would be partially closed for three months for the first phase of the job. Newsmen report that the Federal Government had announced plans to shut down the third mainland bridge for maintenance work from July 24 to Jan. 24, 2021. The first phase of the project covers the rehabilitation of the Oworonshoki bound lanes. He added that another three months for the second phase would cover the repairs of the Lagos bound lanes. “Traffic will be diverted to make wa...
Nielsen to Shed 3,500 Jobs in Restructuring
Nielsen will cut up to 3,500 jobs as part of a restructuring of its businesses to save money and focus on its core holdings. The data company and TV ratings provider says the moves are part of a “broad-based optimization plan” to cut costs and make the remaining assets more efficient, as well as making Nielsen more profitable. Under the plan, Nielsen will “exit several smaller, underperforming markets and non-core businesses” in the next few months. The optimization plan includes cuts of 3,500 staff worldwide — about 8 percent of the company’s employees. “Across Nielsen Global Media and Nielsen Global Connect, we are making progress on increasing our operational and financial discipline, including zero-basing our cost structure as we move toward the plan...
Why NYC’s Entertainment Commissioner Sees Reopening Music Venues as a Chance to Rethink a ‘Flawed’ System
“It strengthens the argument that we really need to support our local venues, and for us to represent their needs at the table,” says Anne del Castillo. This week, New York City enters phase three of reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic, meaning the return of hair and nail salons, basketball courts and more spaces in addition to outdoor dining. But for local music venues from (Le) Poisson Rouge to Brooklyn’s Elsewhere — many of which faced rising rents, gentrification and other challenges even before the pandemic began — the road to reopening remains ongoing and uncertain. Anne del Castillo knows this struggle well. The New York City native took over as commissioner of Mayor Bill de Blasio‘s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) in April 2019, with a foc...
Police nab eight suspects for rape, sodomy in Kebbi
The Police Command in Kebbi has arrested seven suspected rapists and one for sodomy in the state. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Agunbiade Oluyemi-Lasore, made this known while briefing newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday. Oluyemi-Lasore, said that the arrests were made from May to June, adding that the period under review was challenging and eventful for the command. The police Commissioner said that in spite of the daunting challenges, the command was able to crack most of criminal syndicates terrorising the state and made quite a number of arrests. Oluyemi-Lasore said on May 10 and 30, one Musa Abubakar of Argungu LGA, 27 and Kabiru Hassan of Dandi LGA, 28, forcefully had carnal knowledge of girls aged 10 and 8, respectively. Also on June 3 and 4, one Mu’awuya Mohammed, 30, of ...
