President Muhammadu Buhari has eulogised former President of Nigeria, Umaru Musa Yar’adua, who passed on as a serving president in the year 2010. According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu, in commemoration of the 10th year anniversary of his death, President Buhari said despite their political differences, Yar’Adua was unarguably a patriot because of his passion for the masses. He also noted that history will always remember his honest and sincere service to the country. The president, therefore, urged Nigerians to emulate Yar’adua’s patience and gentle nature…
Author: ACNN TV
Restarting the Premier League would be a boost to Britain’s morale amid the coronavirus crisis, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Tuesday. Premier League chiefs have targeted a June return to action as they bid to finish the season over the summer. England’s top-flight has been suspended since March 13 and there are still 92 matches remaining, with the title, relegation and Champions League qualification all to be resolved. Some critics have questioned whether the Premier League is trying to return too soon after the top tier seasons in France and the Netherlands were abandoned. But Raab sees merit in…
Plans are ongoing by the Federal Government to review the 2020 budget to reflect an oil benchmark of $20 per barrel. A report by Reuters quoted the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning Minister, Zainab Ahmed, who disclosed this on Tuesday during a web conference about the impact of low oil prices on Nigeria’s economy. A further downward revision will mean that the Federal Government has now dropped the benchmark from an initial $57 per barrel to $30. The report said Mrs Ahmed also intimated on plans by FG to cut oil production to 1.7 million barrels per day…
Four out of the 11 travellers from Sokoto State en route Akure who were intercepted by the Oyo State Police at the weekend have tested positive to COVID-19. The state’s incident manager, Dr Taiwo Ladipo disclosed this on Tuesday. According to him, the four confirmed cases are currently being isolated at the Infectious Diseases Centre, Olodo. A member of the COVID-19 task force, Prof. Temitope Alonge, also confirmed to Channels TV that the cases have been admitted at the Olodo Isolation Center for treatment. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state as of Tuesday stood at 39, with…
32 health workers in various hospitals across Kano State have tested positive for the coronavirus. The state government confirmed this in a report via its Twitter handle in the early hours of Wednesday. Although the government didn’t specifically state that the 32 cases were all health workers, the Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association in the state, Sanusi Bala, confirmed this to Channels Television. The new infections bring the total number of cases recorded in the state to 397. Three have, however, recovered and been discharged while eight persons have died. https://twitter.com/KNSMOH/status/1257807672633688064
US President Donald Trump launched headlong into his push to reopen the country on Tuesday, saying Americans should begin returning to their everyday lives even if it leads to more sickness and death from the pandemic. Trump, speaking in Phoenix during his first trip outside Washington in more than a month, said he’s preparing for “phase two” of the US response to the coronavirus. That will include disbanding the White House task force of public health experts, including Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, that have steered the government response to the outbreak so far.
The African Union says it is discussing with the Republic of Madagascar over the safety and efficacy of a herbal remedy recently announced by the country for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The AU made this known in a statement published on its website. The continental organisation said its Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention would review the potency of the herbal remedy once Madagascar provides the necessary information. The statement reads in part, “The AU Commissioner for Social Affairs, Amira ElFadil, convened a meeting with the Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Madagascar, Eric Randrianantoandro, during which…
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the opening of five COVID-19 donor accounts, which form part of existing TSA arrangement in five commercial banks. The Treasury Single Account is being operated by the Federal Government. Henshaw Ogubike, Director Information and Press, Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday. Ogubike disclosed that the approved banks were Zenith Bank, Access Bank, Guarantee Trust Bank, UBA and First Bank. He explained that the framework covered all public funds allocated and dedicated to the fight against COVID-19, including the Fiscal Stimulus Package as well as…
Some Access Bank employees, who were dismissed by the bank’s management last week, have yet to be recalled, SaharaReporters has learnt. The Central Bank of Nigeria had on Sunday halted lay-offs by banks after a special meeting of the Bankers’ Committee. According to a statement by the CBN’s Director of Corporate Communications, Mr Isaac Okoroafor, no sack of either permanently or ad-hoc staff can be carried out by any bank without the approval of the regulator. Some cashiers and other casual workers at Lagos branches of Access Bank, who lost their jobs, have told SaharaReporters that the bank had yet…
The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has called on citizens of the state who have cases in the palace to hold on pending the lifting of the lockdown order by the state government. Ewuare II said taking communal cases already registered in the palace to security agencies in the state undermines the palace conflict resolution structure. “It has come to the attention of the Oba’s Palace that certain individuals, groups and villages have engaged in making frivolous complaints and claims to various security agencies. “These complaints and claims are being communicated to the palace to make the needed clarifications as…