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Wednesday, 08 April 2020 05:36

Coronavirus crisis blocks billions in remittances to the poor across the globe

Until a month ago, Diana Leticia Hernández sold face cream door to door in Miami. Her husband painted houses. The money fed their family and at least six relatives in Honduras. Hernández has sold nothing since last month due to fear and social-distancing restrictions in South Florida. Her husband hasn’t worked either. This month, for the first time since shortly after their arrival in the United States 16 years ago, they weren’t able to send home about $300 to help their families with food, rent, medicine and school bills. In the Honduran town of Villa Nueva Cortez, Hernández’s mother Teonila…

Wednesday, 08 April 2020 05:34

Woman, 86, and three of her sons die after contracting coronavirus

An 86-year-old Louisiana woman and three of her sons who all tested positive for the coronavirus have died, relatives and the coroner's office say. The mother, Antoinette Franklin, and her sons were African American, and their deaths come with the announcement that blacks account for 70.5 percent of fatalitiesfrom coronavirus in Louisiana, although they make up only about a third of the population. Louisiana is a hot spot for the pandemic, with 16,284 coronavirus cases and 582 deaths. Antoinette Franklin, a lifelong New Orleans resident, died March 23. Her sons, Herman Franklin Jr., 71, Anthony Franklin…

Tuesday, 07 April 2020 05:03

FG seeks $6.9 billion loan to fund coronavirus fight

Nigeria has requested $6.9 billion from multilateral lenders to combat the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Africa’s biggest economy, the finance minister said on Monday. Nigeria, whose revenues have tumbled with the fall in oil prices, has asked for $3.4 billion from International Monetary Fund, $2.5 billion from the World Bank and $1 billion from African Development Bank (AfDB), Mrs Zainab Ahmed said. Africa’s most populous country and the continent’s biggest oil producer, which is still recovering from a recession caused by the last period of weak oil prices, had 232 confirmed cases of the…

Tuesday, 07 April 2020 05:02

Buhari directs withdrawal of $150m from Sovereign Wealth Fund

Finance minister Mrs Zainab Ahmed said President Muhamadu Buhari had given approval for the withdrawal of $150m from the Sovereign Wealth Fund for distribution to the three tiers of government. She said the amount would be withdrawn from the stabilisation fund component of the SWF. The fund is currently being managed by Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority. Zainab said the need to withdraw the amount was to cushion the negative impact of the drop in revenue on the federation account. She added that since January, revenue inflow into the account had been on a decline, a situation that had affected the…

Tuesday, 07 April 2020 05:01

Abacha loot: UK joins US to block $110m payment to Kebbi gov

The U.K. has joined the U.S. in resisting a plan by federal government to hand nearly $110 million of funds the American authorities say was stolen by late dictator Sani Abacha to a top ruling party official. The three governments are involved in a dispute over investment portfolios worth 141 million euros ($155 million) traced to Abacha and held in trust for Mr Abubakar Bagudu, the governor of Kebbi state, and his family. Nigeria is seeking approval of a U.K. court to take ownership of the assets before returning 70% of the proceeds to Bagudu under the terms of a…

Tuesday, 07 April 2020 04:59

Petrol subsidy gone forever - NNPC

The era of subsidy on petrol is gone forever, Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr Mele Kyari, said on Monday. Kyari, who spoke during a live programme on African Independent Television, stated that with the current fluctuations in global crude oil prices, the cost of refined products would be determined by market forces going forward. He explained that although NNPC was not responsible for petroleum products pricing, the country was currently transiting into a market situation where forces of demand and supply would determine the cost of Premium Motor Spirit. Asked whether there was…

Tuesday, 07 April 2020 04:58

Boris Johnson moved to intensive care as coronavirus symptoms worsen, Trump, Theresa May, others react

UK Prime Minister, Mr Boris Johnson has been moved to intensive care in hospital after his coronavirus symptoms "worsened", Downing Street has said. A spokesman said he was moved on the advice of his medical team and was receiving "excellent care". Johnson has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise "where necessary", the spokesman added. The prime minister, 55, was admitted to hospital in London with "persistent symptoms" on Sunday evening. The Queen has been kept informed about Johnson's health by No 10, according to Buckingham Palace. Political correspondent Chris Mason said the prime minister was given oxygen late on…

Tuesday, 07 April 2020 04:55

Makinde reveals ‘drugs’ he used to fight coronavirus

Governor of Oyo State, Mr Seyi Makinde, has narrated how he recovered from COVID-19 a week after he tested positive to the disease. The governor on Sunday announced that he had tested negative for the deadly virus. He is one of the three governors who tested positive for coronavirus. Others are governors of Bauchi and Kaduna, Messers Bala Mohammed and Nasir El-Rufai respectively. Speaking in a telephone interview during a programme on Fresh FM, Ibadan, on Monday evening, Makinde said he used honey, Vitamin C and Blackseed Oil. “My very good friend and brother, Muyideen Olatunji…

Tuesday, 07 April 2020 04:54

Coronavirus: CJN orders indefinite suspension of court sittings nationwide

Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mr Muhammad Tanko, has ordered suspension of court sittings across the country indefinitely. The CJN had earlier issues a two weeks suspension of all courts on March 24, as part of measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus in the country. In an update to the two weeks suspension which expires today (April 7), the CJN yesterday issued a new directive for an indefinite suspension of all court sittings. The circular reads: “In view of the fact that the initial period of two weeks suspension of court sittings will expire on April 7; “l, hereby, extend…

Tuesday, 07 April 2020 04:52

COVID-19: FG to recruit 774,000 Nigerians

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, says President Muhammadu Buhari has approved engagement of 774,000 Nigerians on Special Public Works programme in the country to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic. Ahmed disclosed this at a press conference on fiscal stimulus measures in response to COVID-19 pandemic and oil prices fiscal shock, on Monday in Abuja. She explained that 1,000 people were expected to be recruited from each of the 774 local government areas in the country. According to her, N60 billion for allowances and operational cost has been earmarked from the COVID-19 crisis intervention fund…

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Tuesday, 07 April 2020 04:50

FG declares Friday, Monday public holidays

Federal Government has declared Friday, April 10 and Monday, April 13 as public holidays to mark Easter. Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, who made the declaration, urged Christians in the country to emulate the outstanding character of Jesus Christ amongst which are tolerance, love, peace and compassion. He further called Christians to use the occasion to pray for Nigeria and the entire world at this time of global emergency of COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Georgina E. Ehuriah, the minister appealed to all Nigerians to continue to support efforts of government towards fighting the…

Tuesday, 07 April 2020 04:49

Group warns African leaders on Covid-19 vaccine

The Family Club of Nigeria Incorporated, an Ibadan based 41-year old socio-cultural organization with chapters in Europe, the Americas, Asia and several countries in Africa has warned African leaders against acceptance and deployment of the touted Vaccine purported to provide immunity against the dreaded Corovid-19 pandemic. In a statement by the Club’s national President, Mr Olumuyiwa Alade Ajibola, the Organization wondered why a so-called vaccine developed as a weapon against Coronavirus is not being deployed to fight the pandemic in the United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain among other Western countries already ravished by the pandemic.…

Monday, 06 April 2020 06:00

Double jeopardy: Food prices skyrocket as Nigerians lose livelihoods due to stay-at-home order

Prices of foodstuffs and other essential goods have gone up with residents of locked down states, particularly Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Lagos State reeling under the effects of the one-week old total restriction to curb the spread of COVID-19. A survey carried out by journalists in different parts of Lagos State showed that prices of staple items such as rice, yams and garri rose by between 80 and 120 per cent. For instance, at the market in front of the Lagos State Housing Estate at Abesan, Ipaja, price of an average tuber of yam, selling for between N400 and…

Monday, 06 April 2020 05:59

Three Nigerians die of coronavirus in United States

Consul General of Nigeria in New York, Mr Benaoyagha Okoyen, has confirmed death of three Nigerians from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the United States. Okoyen made the announcement in a statement in New York on Saturday evening. He said one of them, a doctor from Abia, contracted the virus while on duty in New York, the epicentre of the pandemic in the U.S. The envoy identified the second person as 25-year-old Bassey Offiong, a final year Chemical Engineering student of Western Michigan University whose case has been reported by the Nigerian media. Okoyen said: "It is regrettable to announce…

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