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Wednesday, 25 March 2020 04:43

3 aides of Buhari’s Chief of Staff test positive for Coronavirus

Three members of staff to the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Abba Kyari, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). A presidential source confirmed the development. Meanwhile, all aides at the Vice President’s wing, with the exception of his media aide, did not turn up for work. A source said the VP reported late to work Monday afternoon, unlike his usual practice. Most of his aides had face masks and hand gloves on when they came to work on Monday. Meanwhile, the Presidential Villa is on a gradual lockdown as nonessential staff have been asked to stay…

Wednesday, 25 March 2020 04:42

Manu Dibango: African saxophone legend dies of Coronavirus

African saxophone legend Manu Dibango has died in Paris after catching coronavirus. Dibango - best known for his 1972 hit Soul Makossa - is one of the first global stars to die from Covid-19. The 86-year-old fused jazz and funk music with traditional sounds from his home country, Cameroon. He collaborated with numerous artists over a long career, including US pianist Herbie Hancock and Nigeria's Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. The Cameroonian musician filed a lawsuit in 2009 saying Michael Jackson had stolen a hook from his song, Soul Makossa, for two tracks on the world's best-selling album, Thriller. Jackson settled…

Wednesday, 25 March 2020 04:41

Nigerian female senator dies in London hospital

A female senator, Rose Okoji Oko, representing Northern district of Cross Rivers State is dead. Her death brings the number of senators that have died since June, 2019 to three. Oko who died last Monday at a UK medical facility was aged 63. She was a second term member of the Red Chamber and chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment. A close relative, Mr Patrick Ikorgor Okoroji, broke the news of Oko’s demise. “Heart broken to hear of the passing of my dear cousin Mrs Rose Okoji Oko after a long fought battle with physical affliction. You gave your…

Tuesday, 24 March 2020 10:12

Buhari’s Chief of Staff tests positive for Coronavirus; president negative

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has tested negative for the COVID-19 virus (Coronavirus), following a test for the disease that was carried out yesterday on the president by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). NCDC has informed the president on the outcome his negative result this morning in Abuja. According to presidential sources, the test for the president was necessitated after his Chief of Staff, Mr Abba Kyari tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. Kyari had travelled to Germany on Saturday, March 7th to meet with officials of Siemens in Munich on the Nigerian electricity expansion programme. He returned exactly…

Tuesday, 24 March 2020 05:57

FG, states, LGs get N65bn less as FAAC deadlock over February allocation is resolved

Stalemate that followed last week’s Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting may have been settled, with the announcement of the sharing of about N581.566 billion to Federal, States and Local Governments for February 2020. The decision was announced at the end of the rescheduled meeting of the FAAC held in Abuja on Monday. A communique issued by Office of the Accountant General of the Federation on the behalf of the FAAC said the N581.566 billion comprised Statutory Revenue, Value Added Tax (VAT), Exchange Gain, and revenue from Forex Equalization Account. The communique said the balance in the Excess Crude revenue…

Tuesday, 24 March 2020 05:56

FG shuts land borders, puts on hold FEC, Council of State meetings

As the battle to contain the deadly Coronavirus rages, Federal Government has suspended its weekly Federal Executive Council FEC meetings as well as the proposed Council of State meeting earlier slated for March 26, 2020. This was as the government announced the total closure of all land borders that were hitherto partially closed. Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 Pandemic, Mr Boss Mustapha who announced these on Monday at a press briefing in Abuja added that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has been mandated to announce measures…

Tuesday, 24 March 2020 05:55

FG directs federal workers to stay at home

Federal Government on Monday issued stay at home order for Federal civil servants at grade levels one to 12 as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus in the country. A circular signed to the effect by Head of the Civil Service if the Federation, Mrs Folashade Yemi-Esan, said all non-essential public servants on the grade levels must stay at home compulsorily from March 24, 2020. The circular was copied to Chief of Staff to the President, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice-President, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, all ministers/ministers of state, all permanent secretaries, Accountant-General…

Tuesday, 24 March 2020 05:53

Following widespread condemnation, Oyedepo speaks on why he held church services against govt directive

Popular preacher and founder of Living Faith Church, Mr David Oyedepo, has responded to criticisms that followed his decision to hold church services on Sunday despite government restriction on large gatherings to combat coronavirus. Oyedepo on Monday said he allowed Sunday church services at Winners Chapel in Canaanland not in defiance of government directives against physical contact, but to enlighten members who may not have been aware of order. The cleric said the services were devoted to sensitising and mobilising members of the church regarding the dangers of COVID-19, a strain of coronavirus that has killed more than 10,000 people…

Tuesday, 24 March 2020 05:52

ASUU declares indefinite strike over agreement breaches, IPPIS

Academic Staff Union of Universities, on Monday, declared a total and indefinite strike over failure of Federal Government to keep to the 2019 Memorandum of Action and over the lingering crisis on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System. The union’s National President, Mr Biodun Ogunyemi, announced the strike at a briefing in its National Secretariat, Abuja, noting that the strike was decided by its National Executive Council after an emergency meeting. The union had begun a two-week warning strike on March 9 and the action elapsed on Monday, which had now led the university lecturers to a full-blown strike.…

Monday, 23 March 2020 05:29

Coronavirus: Lagos, Kwara tell workers to stay at home as cases hit 31

Coronavirus cases in the country increased from 22 on Saturday to 31 on Sunday. Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on its twitter handle on Sunday, said the cases included 22 in Lagos State, four in Federal Capital Territory, one in Oyo State and one in Ekiti State. The centre said the two in Ogun State, including the Italian index case, had tested negative and had been discharged. NCDC stated, “Three new cases of #COVID19 have been confirmed in Lagos, Nigeria. Two cases are returning travellers and one is a contact of a confirmed case. As of 05:28 pm on 22nd…

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Monday, 23 March 2020 05:28

Adeboye, Kumuyi, Olukoya comply with directive on gathering; Oyedepo disobeys

Senior clerics including General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mr Enoch Adeboye; Mr Sam Adeyemi of Daystar Christian Centre; General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Mr William Kumuyi and Mr Daniel Olukoya of Mountain of Fires and Miracles Ministries complied with the orders of Ogun and Lagos state governments banning gathering of more than 50 persons. But the Living Faith Church Worldwide, Ota, Ogun State held physical services despite the orders. Adeboye during the online service said coronavirus would subside after God had proved His point. The 78-year-old cleric said, during his sermon from the studio…

Monday, 23 March 2020 05:27

Abuja churches defy FCTA ban, hold services

Dunamis and many churches in Abuja held their normal services with hundreds and thousands of worshippers in attendance, despite the restriction by FCTA. Churches monitored by one of our correspondents in Kubwa, Jabi and Gwarinpa areas were filled as usual and their services held for the normal durations. The correspondent counted more than 20 churches along the Arab Road, Kubwa, which opened on Sunday with the normal inflow of worshippers. The churches included Dunamis International Church, and the Champions Church, Chikakore, having some of the largest congregations in the area. A worshipper, Mr Elijah Martins, said he decided to still…

Monday, 23 March 2020 05:26

What God told me about Coronavirus – Adeboye

General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Mr Enoch Adeboye, on Sunday said the current outbreak of COVID-19 across the world will soon subside but will not be ‘completely eradicated’. Adeboye, who addressed his congregation across the globe via a live broadcast on Sunday, also said God had revealed to him earlier in the year that the world would experience a ‘compulsory holiday’, hence his earlier call to church members to undertake a 50-day fast in January. Redeemed Church, like many others across the nation, has stopped physical services, and resorted to online services in line with the…

Monday, 23 March 2020 05:25

Atiku’s son tests positive for Coronavirus

The first high profile case of COVID-19 broke yesterday as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar announced that his son had tested positive for the pandemic. Mr Abubakar’s announcement came through his Twitter and Facebook platforms last night, several hours after the federal government had said eight new cases of COVID-19 in Lagos, Oyo and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had brought the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 30, spread over four states and the FCT. Although the former vice president did not divulge the identity of the son, he said he had duly informed Nigeria Centre…

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