News Agency of Nigeria

Nigeria’s polio eradication a journey of leadership, hard work, commitment – NPHCDA chief

Nigeria’s Wild Polio Virus (WPV) eradication, a journey of leadership, hard work, passion and commitment. Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), made this known on the agency’s verified account. @NphcdaNG. Newsmen report that the African Regional Commission for Certification of Polio Eradication (ARCC), an organ of the World Health Organization (WHO), accepted Nigeria’s Wild Polio Virus Free Documentation after 30 years. Nigeria attained wild polio-free status after meeting all the criteria for certification, which include three years of non-detection of any wild polio virus case in the country. ”The leadership provided by President Muhammadu Buhari and traditional leaders, completed the success story. ”Achieving the eradicatio...

Plateau PDP congress date surprises chairmanship aspirant

File Photo Mr Bitrus Kaze, Plateau State Chairmanship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed surprise at what he called “the sudden decision of the party” to hold the state elective congress on Aug. 29. Newsmen report that the party’s acting spokesperson, Mr John Akans, had on Tuesday announced that the elective congress would hold on Saturday. But Kaze in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday in Jos described the decision as hasty, considering what called the numerous unresolved issues in the party, including the fact that “the state has taken a decision that the caretaker is not fit to be in office much less conduct a state congress.” He also cited the court cases and petitions by party members, “yet we saw a communication from Akan that a date for the election h...

Justice Essien: I never sat over Unilag vice chancellor’s case

File Photo Justice J.I. Essien of the National Industrial Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday urged the University of Lagos (Unilag) Governing Council and the Senate to embrace peace. The judge gave the advice while striking out two suits challenging the removal of the university’s Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe. The suits also challenged Ogundipe’s replacement with Prof. Theophilus Soyombo by the governing council. Newsmen report that Ogundipe and the Senate of the University had filed applications before the court to discontinue the suits. “Controversy is not good for the image of a university. “We hope that peace will reign because when two elephants fight, in this case, the grass will wither,” Essien said. The judge said that he was glad that the parties decided to withd...

Central bank, bankers’ committee to support airlines, media with special facilities

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Bankers’ Committee have unanimously agreed to extend special facilities to Nigerian-registered airlines and the media industry in the country to enable them adequately address the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CBN Director Corporate Communications, Mr Isaac Okorafor, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday. Okorafor said the CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, announced this while addressing the Bank Chief Executives at the bi-monthly virtual meeting of the Bankers’ Committee on Tuesday. Emefiele urged the banks to do all within their powers to support airlines in the country, noting that such support was critical to helping the industry recover from the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, the ape...

Governor Obaseki: My administration‘ll rejuvenate economy of Ovia, if re-elected

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo, PDP candidate for the Sept.19 governorship election in the state, has assured the people Ovia that his administration will rejuvenate the area’s economy, if re-elected. Obaseki gave the assurance on Tuesday when the PDP Edo governorship campaign council met with the monarchs from Ovia at the palace of the Enogie of Obazuwa, Edun Akenzua. He said Ovia was a very vital part of the Benin kingdom, and given the next four years, his administration would rejuvenate the economy of the area so as to improve the people’s living condition. The PDP governorship candidate explained that Ovia was blessed with vast forest resources, adding that plans were already on to cultivate the vast land. He said that his administration would collaborate with the Central Bank of Nigeria ...

Lawmaker distributes laptops, Ipads to 200 beneficiaries in Kwara

Mr Tunji Ajuloopin, lawmaker representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency, has distributed laptops and Ipads to 200 participants of his digital training programme in Omu-Aran, Kwara. Presenting the gadgets and certificates to the participants on Sunday, Ajuloopin said the beneficiaries were chosen from the four local councils in the federal constituency. The lawmaker said that the aim of the programme was to check the high rate of unemployment in the country. According to him, in this age of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), we recognise the role of digital knowledge as a major driver of our economy and very critical to our future as a nation. “Sequel to this, we see the need to leverage on digital knowledge to curb the recurring menace of unemployment in our...

Lagos records 404 new virus cases in 24 hours

Lagos State has recorded spike in COVID-19 cases with 404 in the last 24 hours, increasing the state’s infection figures to 17,764. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) made the disclosure on Sunday in its COVID-19 Situation Report for Aug. 22. According to NCDC, Lagos has 404 new cases out of the 601 confirmed cases reported in the last 24 hours from 21 states. The health agency also disclosed that 684 patients who were treated and had fully recovered, were discharged, making the number of COVID-19 patients discharged in the state at 15,209. It, however, announced one COVID-19 related death in the state, increasing the state’s COVID-19 mortality to 202. Newsmen report that Lagos remains the epicentre of COVID-19 cases with 17,764 of the total 51,905 cases in the country. Also, da...

Police nab rape suspect in Sapele after CCTV evidence

The Police in Delta have confirmed the arrest of a 30-year-old man identified as Jomaph who allegedly raped an 11-year-old girl in Sapele town, Sapele LGA of Delta. Spokesperson of the Delta Police Command, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, told newsmen on Wednesday in Asaba that the suspect was arrested after he was captured on a CCTV camera sneaking into the toilet to meet the victim. “The young man was arrest after he was captured on a nearby CCTV sneaking into the toilet with the little girl. “The suspect has been arrested and the case is currently under investigation. “After preliminary investigation, the case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Asaba,” Onovwakpoyeya said. Newsmen, however, gathered that the incident occurred at about 7am on Wednesday, Au...

NFF management, staff to undergo coronavirus tests

Management and other officials of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will undergo coronavirus tests at the federation’s secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, an official said on Wednesday. Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications, disclosed in a statement that the federation’s General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, announced this on Wednesday. According to Olajire, Sanusi said the test would take place at the federation’s Sunday Dankaro House secretariat, located within the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Complex in Abuja. “Sanusi, while addressing management officials and other staff on Wednesday informed them that the test had become necessary after a positive test by a member of the NFF management. “Apart from this person testing positive, Sanusi said he also had issues and has had to ...

NAN board chairman Wada Maida laid to rest

The remains of the News Agency of Nigeria Board Chairman, Alhaji Wada Maida, was buried at Gudu Cemetery, Apo District, Abuja, on Tuesday in accordance with Muslim rites. Newsmen report that the funeral prayer was led by Imam Rabiu Suleiman amidst tears by his family members, friends, associates and Muslim Ummah. The funeral prayer for the deceased was held at the Shagari Jumma’at Mosque in Area I Garki in Abuja. Speaking shortly after the burial, Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State described the death of Alhaji Wada Maida as a personal loss to him and the great people of Katsina state. Masari said that the deceased was a patriotic citizen who dedicated the whole of his life in the service of the country. “Whenever we lose somebody in Islam, we say to Allah we all come from Him and unto Him...

Internet celebrity Mompha files N5 million suit against EFCC over ‘unlawful arrest, detention’

An Internet personality, Ismaila Mustapha, popularly called Mompha, on Tuesday filed a suit seeking to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to pay him N5 million as damages for alleged unlawful re-arrest and detention. Newsmen report that Mustapha, who is facing a N32 billion fraud charge, was re-arrested on Friday, (Aug.14) by the EFCC. He was re-arrested when he went to the EFCC Office, Ikoyi, Lagos, to reclaim his five wristwatches, one Apple airpod, one iPhone, eight mobile phones and one pair of sunglasses seized from him by the anti-graft agency in 2019. The visit followed a ruling given by Justice Mohammed Liman on July 24, in which the judge ordered the release of the seized items on the grounds that the EFCC did not list them as exhibits in court. In the suit...