COVID-19 : Buhari reiterates confidence in Task Force

President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated his confidence in the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to provide guidance and leadership in tackling the pandemic nationwide.

He praised health workers and other essential services staff who have been a part of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

During his Democracy Day speech, the President praised those who have been working effortlessly towards containing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

He said that their dedication “is a testament of the courage and resilience of Nigerians as a people and as a great nation and that he was using “this opportunity to say thank you to all of you for your service to the nation.”

He also added that he receives regular briefing from the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. The president noted that the national response relies on Science, Data and Experience in taking decisions and explained that it was the data that informed his approval for the ease of lockdown phase to ensure a balance between lives and livelihoods.

“I am confident that the steps being taken by the Presidential Task Force would result in flattening the COVID-19 curve. I, therefore, implore all Nigerians to abide by the approved guidelines and protocols. There is hope for us all if we take individual and collective responsibility,” he said.

Mr Buhari, while sympathising with Nigerians who have lost their loved ones to the virus, acknowledged that many Nigerians have been going through difficult times because of the outbreak.

He said most of the stringent measures introduced at every level of government to contain the virus, was aimed at saving lives.

The president said the overall objective of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 is to ensure that the pandemic does not overwhelm our health systems, while ensuring that we maintain an effective Case Management System to help in containing the spread of the virus.

“There is no doubt that this pandemic has affected the global economy and all known socio-economic systems. It has also brought grief and pain to families that have lost their loved ones. Like many Nigerians, I feel the grief and pain, not only as your President, but also as someone who has lost a close member of my staff and some relatives and friends, he said.

Mr Buhari said the impact of the pandemic has disrupted the nation’s economic system and to ensure it is functioning, while still addressing the spread, the federal government put in place a number of various non-pharmaceutical measures to slow down the spread of the virus, in addition to a progressive re-opening of the economy.

He said the government is determined to turn the COVID-19 challenge into a motivation to action by building a nation-wide public health care system that will help us overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for any future outbreak.

The president said part of the strategy is to create jobs in reducing the effect of COVID-19 on the youth, which is why he directed the employment of 774, 000 Nigerians.

“These youth will be engaged in Special Public Works Programme aimed at cushioning the effects of economic downturn. Each of the 774 local government areas in the country will be allotted 1,000 slots. I am pleased to report that this programme has commenced.

Already, we have begun to look inward and I charge our inventors, researchers and scientists to come up with solutions to cure COVID-19.”

Oluwo of Iwo set to distribute pepper spray to women

Abdulrosheed Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwo has said that he is set to distribute pepper spray to the female residents in his town.

He said that the effort is geared towards curbing incessant rape attacks as the pepper spray would be used as self-defence against rapists.

According to a statement confirmed by the monarch’s press secretary, Alli Ibraheem, the distribution is scheduled to come up on Monday, June 15. The statement read in part,

“Interested females across the three locals of Iwo, Ayedire and Ola Oluwa are enjoined to converge at Oluwo’s palace on Monday by 10 am. There will be a brief enlightenment and training on its usage and protection against sexual assault”.

COVID-19 : Lagos records over 1000 recoveries

The total number of recoveries from the coronavirus disease has risen to 1,047 in Lagos State. This was after discharging 22 patients today.

The Lagos State Ministry of Health gave the update on its Twitter handle on Friday, saying the patients were discharged after they tested negative to the infection.

“22 fully recovered COVID-19 Lagos patients; 6 females & 16 males were discharged from our Isolation facilities to reunite with the society.

The patients; 9 from Onikan, 2 from Gbagada, 1 from Agidingbi, 6 from Lekki, 1 from FCC and 3 from LUTH Isolation Centres were discharged after testing negative to COVID-19.

With this, the number of COVID-19 cases successfully managed & discharged in Lagos has risen to 1047,” the ministry wrote.

Lagos recorded 354 new cases on Thursday as the total confirmed cases of coronavirus in Nigeria rose to 14,554.

Lagos has 6,611 confirmed cases, 1,047 recoveries and 67 deaths.

The total number of active cases in the state and the number of patients at the isolation centres in the state were not disclosed as of the time of this report.

Residents were urged to continue practising physical distancing, good personal hygiene and use of face masks in public places.

WHO - Despite COVID-19, nursing mothers should breastfeed

WHO has directed that a mother should breastfeed her new-born baby even if she has a suspected or confirmed case of the new coronavirus.

“Based on the available evidence, WHO’s advice is that the benefits of breastfeeding outweigh any potential risks of transmission of COVID-19,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing.

“Mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be encouraged to initiate and continue breastfeeding and not be separated from their infants, unless the mother is too unwell,” he said.

Mr Tedros noted that evidence suggests children are at lower risk for catching the coronavirus than adults, but are at high risk of coming down with diseases and other conditions that breastfeeding helps prevent.

Bisola Aiyeola celebrates daughter's 11th birthday

Bisola Aiyeola has taken to her Instagram page to celebrate her daughter who turned 11 years old today.

The actress wore matching clothes with her daughter in the adorable pictures she shared.

Bisola is a former housemate of Big Brother Naija reality TV show. She was the first runner up of the season she participated in.

See photos of the birthday celebration below 

Lagos : Gas tank detaches from moving truck, falls off bridge

Tragedy was averted in Lagos State  as a gas tank got detached from a moving truck and fell off the bridge in Ijora area of the state.

It was really an accident that could have claimed lives. It took place along the area known as Ijora under bridge this afternoon, June 12.

A gas tank attached to a truck detached itself and fell off the bridge. Thankfully, no one was under the bridge when it landed.

Men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority LASTMA have since arrived at the scene to manage the traffic resulting from the accident. Efforts are being made to remove the gas tank from the road.

Chioma Uzodimma shows off her babies at six months

Chioma Uzodimma, the first lady of Imo State has shared a picture of herself with her twin babies. 

We gathered that they turned six months old today, 12th June, 2020.

At the age of 30, Chioma is unarguably the youngest first lady in Nigeria.

Mompha blasts haters inviting FBI to his IG page

Instagram big boy, Mompha has blasted people who are tagging FBI and Interpol to pay a visit to his Instagram page.

This is coming in the wake of the arrest of his rival, Hushpuppi. It is no longer news that Mompha and Hushpuppi don't see eye to eye, although we do not know the reason for the bad blood between them.

It can be recalled that Hushpuppi was all over the place, prancing at the news of Mompha's arrest by the DSS. Revenge couldn't be any sweeter as Mompha is savouring the state of things for Hushpuppi now.

However, some people are not happy and have been tagging the foreign agencies, FBI and Interpol to investigate him also.

COVID-19 : US companies lay off 44.2m workers

It has been reported that the total number of US layoffs caused by the coronavirus pandemic has reached 44.2 million. This is coming even as businesses try to reopen, and analysts warn of continuing damage to the world’s largest economy as COVID-19 shows few signs of abating.

Wall Street stocks plunged on Thursday, reversing recent momentum as traders became spooked by resurgent cases of the virus in parts of the country and new Labor Department data showed another 1.54 million workers filed for unemployment benefits last week.

The massive layoffs have become routine since shutdowns to stop the coronavirus from spreading began in mid-March, reaching their peak later that month and declining since.

Some workers are back on the job as states reopen, but the total for the week ended June 6 is still well above any figure seen during the global financial crisis in 2008, even though it fell 355,000 from the prior week.

Rubeela Farooqi of High-Frequency Economics said that the data shows the US economy is clearly not back to normal.

“States and businesses have reopened, but activity remains restricted and subdued, which will likely result in ongoing layoffs over coming weeks,” she said in an analysis.

COVID-19 remains a stubborn threat in the United States, which continues to record around 20,000 new cases every day with few signs of reduction. States like Texas and North Carolina are seeing more patients hospitalized with the virus than a month ago.

Federal Reserve officials on Wednesday released forecasts projecting the US economy would contract by 6.5 percent this year, and Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned that some workers may not find jobs for a long time.

The Labour Department data showed about 20.9 million people were receiving unemployment payments in the week ended May 30, down from 21.3 million the week before – indicating that people were either returning to work or had their initial claims denied.

All told, the report was in line with May’s unemployment rate, which declined to 13.3 percent from 14.7 percent in April as the US economy added 2.5 million jobs.

Lady blames 2 year old for rape, loses custody of her children

Remember the lady who blamed her 2  year old child and beat her up for being raped? She has lost custody of her children, including the 2 year old.

It was reported that the Lady recently  beat up her 2-year-old daughter and called her a prostitute. This was after she allegedly caught a man raping her. 

After the video of the evil she did went viral, actions were put in place to take her two children away from her.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mrs. Yewande Falugba, led the rescue of the children at Oniru beach, where they lived with their mother.

She said that the two children, believed to have been abused, were taken for medical examination and treatment, adding that they are currently placed in one of the government-approved orphanages in the State for adequate care.

Falugba added that their mother, who was discovered to be mentally imbalanced, has since been taken to the State-owned rehabilitation center for mentally challenged persons.

Photo credit - Instablog