COVID-19: Government lifts ban on religious gatherings.

Following the declaration that Taraba is covid-19 free, The Taraba State government has said people in the State can resume their religious activities.

Haruna Manu, the state deputy governor made the disclosure during a broadcast on Monday.

He stated that people of the State must adhere to the social distancing and other safety protocols while observing their religious activities. 

 Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays have been set aside to enable the residents carry out their activities from 8 am. to 6 pm.

He ordered that the lockdown would still be observed on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Warning that violators would face strict penalties, the Deputy governor called on religious leaders and other citizens to comply with the rules.

This is coming at a time when President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the extension of the gradual ease of lockdown in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun States due to the rising cases of COVID-19 in these three states.

List of African countries with less COVID-19 Cases. 

The World Health Organisation has released an update on the number of Corona virus cases in Africa.  It said that Lesotho, Comoros, and Seychelles were countries currently with the lowest confirmed cases in Africa. 

Recently, Lesotho had only one confirmed case with zero death; Comoros had 11 reported cases and one death, while Seychelles recorded 11 confirmed cases with no death.

“There over 86,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent – with more than 33,000 recoveries and 2,700 deaths,” it said.

The figures showed that South Africa, Algeria, and Nigeria have the highest reported cases in Africa.

According to the update, South Africa had 16,433 cases and 286 deaths followed by Algeria with 7,201 cases and 555 deaths, while Nigeria had 6,175 confirmed cases and 191 deaths.

It added that Ghana had 5, 735 reported cases and 29 deaths, while Cameroon recorded 3, 529 confirmed cases, and 140 deaths.

The WHO Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, gave the update on its official Twitter account, @WHOAFRO.

‘Messi has called Lautaro & Barcelona deal is close’ – Fernandez sees Inter star as ‘ideal heir’ for Suarez

The man who helped to discover an exciting talent and put him on a path to stardom at Racing believes a switch to Camp Nou will be pushed through.

Lionel Messi has called Inter striker Lautaro Martinez and “wants him by his side soon”, claims Racing’s president of youth football Adrian Ruben Fernandez, with a move to Barcelona considered to be “almost there”.

The Argentina international has emerged as a top target for the Liga champions.

A lucrative contract offer has been readied at Camp Nou, with Barca now working on an agreement with their European rivals in Milan.

Fernandez, who helped put Lautaro on a path to stardom when spotting his potential in South America, believes a big-money deal is now a matter of time – with Messi having made it clear he wants a fellow countryman to become the “ideal heir” to current No.9 Luis Suarez.

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“Messi called him and wants him by his side soon, I have no doubt,” Fernandez told Sport.

“For that reason, the deal to sign him is almost there.

“I know things will go well in Barcelona and that Lautaro will be an excellent replacement for Suarez. He's the ideal heir. Thanks to Barca he will continue to grow as a player and a man.

“In terms of Argentine players, he has the same qualities as Sergio Aguero. I think he's on that path and will have a successful career like him. I would even say Lautaro is better in the air and much better with his left foot, but he will have to prove that with time. I hope he can.

“Going to play with the best player in the world, who is still 32 and has three or four years ahead of him... to be Messi's team-mate can make him even better and help him with the national team. Lautaro and Leo will improve their understanding on the pitch.”

"You either fight or vacate the title " - Kubrat Pulev tells Anthony Joshua

Kubrat Pulev, mandatory challenger to Anthony Joshua, reigning world heavyweight champion, has warned the British boxer to “either fight or vacate the title”.

The Bulgarian professional boxer was scheduled to meet Joshua on June 20, but the fight was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

But there are continuous rumours of a possible unification bout between Joshua and Tyson Fury, slayer of Deontay Wilder.

Pulev appeared to have been angered by any suggestion that he could step aside and allow Joshua take on Fury.

“I can’t understand why we are still postponing instead of fixing a date and venue and getting to work?,” BBC quote Pulev, who previously stepped aside due to injury in 2017, to have asked.

“Enough is enough. I can’t wait to win this fight. I see how people are afraid of me and are trying to face someone else before me. That’s not how a real world champion should act.”

Joshua holds the IBF, WBA and WBO belts and wants Fury’s WBC belt.

However, it seems both boxers would have to wait for the unification chance because their challengers are not ready to step aside — especially a tough talking Pulev — despite the possibility of earning money without fighting.

“I did it once when I didn’t have to do it for Joshua to have his second match against Ruiz Jr. Everything was against IBF’s rules, but I compromised,” Pulev continued.

“A year has passed and they always have a reason to postpone, not to fight against me. There are two options. You either fight or vacate the title.”

The 30-year-old British-Nigerian boxer was initially due to fight Pulev at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in October 2017. The Bulgarian, however, withdrew after suffering a shoulder injury during sparring.

Buhari sacks NECO registrar, 4 others for fraud

President Muhammadu Buhari has terminated the appointment of Charles Uwakwe as registrar of National Examinations Council and four other management staff for various offences.

Their removal comes after a panel investigating allegations of misconduct against them while they were on suspension recommended they be removed.

A May 11 letter signed by the permanent secretary Sonny Echono said Uwakwe was accused of violating public procurement act.

A statement from the council’s head of information and public relations, Azeez Sani, said the “President in exercise of his powers, has approved your removal as Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of National Examinations Council with effect from the date of your suspension from duty”.

He was directed to hand over all government properties in his custody to the Acting Registrar of the Council.

The affected officers are: Mr. Bamidele Olure, Acting Director (Finance and Accounts), Dr. Shina Adetona, Head of Procurement Division, Mr. Tayo Odukoya, Deputy Director and Barr. Babatunde Aina, Head of Legal/Board matters.

Olure, Acting Director (Finance and Accounts), was dismissed financial impropriety and not qualified to Head the Finance and Accounts Department.

Adetona was dismissed for acts tantamount to fraudulent practices, sabotage and suppression of official records.

Odukoya was dismissed for acts of serious misconduct.

The letter directed the management of NECO to Commence the process of recovering ill-gotten benefits/gains from Odukoya who acted as Director of a company (M/S I-web Solutions) while in service of Government.

Aina was dismissed from service for falsification of records and dishonesty in the sale of NECO Guest House, which is being investigated by the EFCC.

Imo State Governor signs an executive order

The Imo State Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma have signed an Executive order reducing the Right of Way (ROW) of telecommunication companies in the state.

The executive order No. 002, 2020 will see the right of way of telecoms operators in the state slashed from N4500 to N145 per meter as stipulated by a federal government policy.

The development is contained in a statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba and made available to DAILY POST.

The Commissioner explained that the reduction was a manifestation of the state government’s determination to spur the telecommunication companies to further invest in broadband infrastructure and trigger ancillary on-line services, especially in the field of education.

The Imo State government according to the statement said it hopes the drastic reduction from N4500 of the broadband ROW to N145 per line meter of fibre, “will accelerate the deployment of affordable, and reliable modern high speed connectivity in the state”.

The executive order urged telecommunication companies to note that the state plays host to a vibrant youthful demography located in many tertiary institutions, who form the bulk of the end users of their products.

Reps demand 40-year socioeconomic plan from FG

Federal Government to develop a long-term socioeconomic plan for Nigeria. The lawmakers adopted a motion at the plenary on Tuesday, entitled, ‘Need for Nigeria to Develop a Long-Term Social and Economic Development Framework Vision’.

The House urged the Federal Government to develop a ‘SMART 40-year Strategic Economic Master-Plan and Development Strategy’ and an economic framework to implement the strategy.

The House also urged all relevant agencies to articulate a long-term agenda anchored on the government economic development strategy framework.

The lawmakers mandated its Committee on National Planning and Economic Development to ensure compliance with the resolution.

Moving the motion, Mr Henry Nwawuba, who jointly sponsored the motion with Mr Nasiru Ali-Ahmed, noted the significance of Nigeria’s past development master plans.

Nwawuba stated that Nigeria needed to consolidate its leadership role in Africa by establishing itself as a significant player in the global economy through sustainable development and viable economic diversification.

In a related development, the House, also on Tuesday, unanimously adopted another motion entitled, ‘Need to Diversify Nigeria’s Economy to ensure Food Security in the Post Covid-19 Pandemic’, moved by Mr Dozie Nwankwo.

Umahi bans movement of cattle in Ebonyi state

Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has banned movements of cattle in the state capital, Abakaliki and its environs with immediate effect. Umahi made the disclosure today in Abakaliki during a statewide broadcast.

“I have told relevant security agencies in the state that I will no longer tolerate seeing cows within the centenary city and its environs such as the international market and new shopping mall among others.

"It is an insult for me to be struggling to enter the Government House with cows on the road,” he said.

The governor directed the state Attorney General to get a court order to auction cows seen within these vicinity.

Umahi also said that the state would not allow movement of Quranic pupils, Almajiri, to the state as the northern states governors had directed that such persons should be returned to their respective states.

“We will not allow Almajiris in Ebonyi and we have to tell ourselves the truth as a people,” he said.

The governor however, lamented that 90 per cent of the 13 confirmed COVID-19 cases were individuals who sold phone accessories in Lagos.

He noted that such individuals could still engage in such business in the state instead of doing so outside.

Umahi said that the victims were exposed to the deadly disease while engaging in such business in Lagos and advised youths to embark on such businesses in the state.

“We offered N250, 000 each to about 1, 000 youths in Lagos to establish businesses as such returnees should presently liaise with the commissioner for agriculture to get something they can do here.

Most of the cases are from Izzi Local Government Area (LGA) as the Speaker of the state House Assembly, an indigence of the area, must watch the situation,” he said.

COVID-19 : Osun state Governor commissions 160-bed isolation centre

The Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola commissioned an isolation centre with 160 beds in Osogbo as part of efforts to curb the coronavirus pandemic in the state today.

Mr Oyetola said that a group, the Coalition Against COVID-19 (Ca-COVID), donated equipment, consumables and 100 beds. He said the state government added 60 beds for the facility, now called Mercyland.

He said it would serve as an addition to the government’s other initiatives in containing the spread of the virus. Mr Oyetola said his government had renovated and equipped three other isolation centres which include, 130-bed facility in Ejigbo; 12-bed capacity in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, a 20-bed isolation centre and 8-bed Intensive Care Unit at State Specialist Hospital, Asubiaro, Osogbo, making 342-isolation beds and eight ICU-bed facility in the state.

“We are adopting a holistic approach to winning the pandemic, including working with the National Centre for Disease Control and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

We have dedicated personnel doing contact tracing, testing of contacts, isolation and care of patients for quality treatment. We have extensive publicity and sensitisation programmes in place to educate and update our citizens regularly on how to stop COVID-19 in its tracks.

There has also been provision of palliative for citizens, introduction of lockdown and curfew as appropriate to ensure effective containment of the virus without hurting our economy and livelihoods.”

He also appreciated the coalition for its support and urged residents to abide by the laid down health rules to curb the pandemic.

COVID-19 : Bauchi Emir cancels Sallah

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the horse parade is a tourism event organised by most the Emirs in the North, which attracts thousands of people during the sallah festivities.

Sulaiman said at the stakeholders’ meeting with the State government on Wednesday in Bauchi that the cancellation of the event was necessitated by the global Coronavirus pandemic.

He said the world was faced with the dreaded coronavirus disease which had caused untold hardship to the people.

“We will do everything possible to see that we stop the spread of the virus in our society. Therefore, the annual “ daushe” horse parade is cancelled to ensure adherence to social distancing and discourage all forms of social gathering in the state,” he said.