Nigeria
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
Chris Oyakhilome’s TV station sanctioned in UK over coronavirus claims
A TV channel in the UK owned by one of Nigeria’s most flamboyant evangelical pastors has been sanctioned by Ofcom, the broadcasting authority in London, BBC reports. According to BBC, the authority punished Chris Oyakhilome’s Loveworld Limited, which runs the Loveworld channel that can be viewed in the UK, “after a news programme and a live sermon included potentially harmful claims about causes of, and treatments for Covid-19”. Pastor Oyakhilome has linked the virus to 5G networks and alleged that it was part of a plot to create a “new world order”. Such views have been widely condemned by scientists, who say the idea of a connection between Covid-19 and 5G is “complete rubbish” and biologically impossible. Ofcom said that the programme “Loveworld News included unsubstantiated claims that...
Katsina releases N77 million scholarship allowance for indigenous medical students
The Katsina State Government says it has released N77 million as first tranche of the scholarship package for indigenous medical students of the state. The General Manager, Katsina State Hospital Services Management Board, Dr Abduljalil Abdullahi, announced this via a statement on Monday in Katsina. He made the disclosure through the Public Relations Officer, Muhammed Kabir Ahmed, in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday in Katsina. A total of 421 indigenes of the state currently studying medicine within and outside the country would benefit from the scholarship package, according to the statement signed by Kabir Ahmed, the Public Relations Officer of the board. Abdullahi urged the students to reciprocate the government gesture by concentrating on their studies and work hard to a...
NDE trains Kano women on face mask production
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Kano State says the training of women on face mask production is part of the agency’s continuous efforts to tackle unemployment. The Kano State Coordinator of NDE, Alhaji Iliyasu Ahmed, made this known on Monday at a training organised for the beneficiaries at the NDE Skills Centre in Kano. Ahmed said that the training was organised in collaboration with Future Assured Initiative of First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Buhari. He said that the women who were tailoring trainees of NDE would produce 20,000 safety face masks for the people of the state. Ahmed said that the training was part of the Directorate’s mandate to drastically reduce unemployment and poverty among youths and women. He said that the agency was on the verge of recruiting 44,000 art...
Taraba announces resumption of religious activities
The Taraba government has announced the resumption of religious activities in the state. The state Deputy Governor, Haruna Manu, made the announcement on Monday in a statewide broadcast in Jalingo, the state capital. Manu, however, said that observance of social distancing and other safety protocols must be strictly adhered to. He also announced a slight ease on restriction of movement and other activities in the state. According to him, government has set aside Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to enable the residents carry out their activities from 8 am. to 6 pm. The deputy governor added that lockdown would still be observed on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, adding that violators would face strict penalties. Manu urged religious leaders and other citizens to comply with the r...
CCECC: Why Chinese medical team is still in Nigeria
Mr. Michael Yigao, the Managing Director of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation has said 15 medical workers brought in from China to the country have not gone back because there is not flight. “Right now, commercial flight to China is not open, but when flights are open again, we’re considering the team going back to China. I think Nigeria is taking this very seriously and you can see it in the implementation of the lockdown and the suspension of international flights,” he said. On the activities of the Chinese men since they arrived the country, Yigao, told journalists in Abuja on Monday that the team has had a telecast meeting with the Minister of Health and some doctors in Nigeria where they shared their experience on how Covid-19 was fought in China among others. He added ...
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...
Two arrested for extorting money from motorists leaving Abia
The combined team of Abia State Government COVID-19 Joint Task Force manning the border between Abia and Imo States (Onuimo), have arrested two suspects extorting money from motorists entering Abia State with food items. The two suspects, Nwabueze Ibebuike and Ikechukwu Ekeke both hailed from Ekenaobizi in Umuahia South LGA. Before their arrest, the suspects in company of two others still at large mounted illegal checkpoint at Ekenaobizi extorting money from motorists leaving Abia State and assuring them that the Task Force will grant them exit from the state while those entering the state who were cleared by the taskforce team were not spared by the suspects thus creating the impression that there are working for the COVID-19 task force. Both suspects are currently at the Umuahia Central ...
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...
CCECC: 15 Chinese medical experts are in our care
Mr Michael Yigao, Managing Director, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Nigeria Ltd, says the 15 Chinese medical experts that arrived in the country on April 8 are in the company’s care. Yigao made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja while reacting to questions raised by the media and opposition parties on May 14, as to the whereabouts of the Chinese medical team. This followed comment by the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, that the experts, who reportedly came into Nigeria to support the fight against COVID-19, were not his guests but those of CCECC. Ehanire, while responding to questions at the daily Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing May 14, said “the medical personnel are not guests of the Federal Government but that of the construction company”. Yigao...
Nigeria overtakes Ghana as confirmed coronavirus cases hit 84,000 in Africa
The World Health Organization, WHO, regional office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, says the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Africa has risen to over 84,000 in the past 24 hours. The UN health agency gave the update on its official Twitter account on Monday morning. According to the tweet, COVID-19 has killed 2,700 people on the continent, while 32,000 people have recovered from the virus. “Over 84,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent – with more than 32,000 recoveries & 2,700 deaths,” it said. Nigeria is now the highest country in West Africa, with 5,959 cases and 182 deaths, followed by Ghana with 5,735 cases and 29 deaths. The Africa CDC COVID-19 dashboard showed that South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco have continued to top the list of countries w...
Sunday Oliseh: I started funding Nigeria national team in 1996
Nigeria legend Sunday Oliseh has opened up on his experience with the Super Eagles which spanned nine years. The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder made 63 appearances for the West Africans before he was forced to retire from international duty in 2002. Oliseh was a key member of the Super Eagles team that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia under Dutch tactician Clemens Westerhof. He explained the tournament opened doors of opportunities for him as he secured a move to Italy to play for Reggiana, becoming the first Nigerian to feature in the Serie A. “The 1994 Afcon was very special for me. In fact, it was my first major tournament for Nigeria in Tunisia and we had some great talents in the squad at that time,” Oliseh told the Punch. “We were favourites heading into the tournam...
