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The House of Representatives has approved the request by the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ), to borrow N850 bn to fund the 2020 budget .

The Senate had earlier okayed the borrowing plan amidst controversy.

The approval was however given by the House at the plenary within about seven minutes .

Vanguard

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has sent forty-two ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and subsequent confirmation.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan who read the list, said they are Career Foreign Service officers.

According to President Buhari, the curricular vitae of the nominees would be forwarded to the Senate.

Some of the names are Nwachukwu C. A.; A. Kefas ; Y S. Suleiman; G.M. Okolo; G.E. Edopa, among others.

US President Donald Trump has ruled out renegotiating the trade agreement signed with China .

“ I ’ m not interested in that , ” Trump told reporters when asked about reports that China was looking to reopen talks about the trade deal signed in January .

“ Not even a little bit, ” Trump said . “ Let ’ s see if they live up to the deal that they signed. ”
Washington and Beijing reached a partial trade deal in January .

As recently as Friday Vice Premier Liu He , who had led China ’ s negotiations , spoke by phone with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and confirmed that both sides agreed to implementing the first phase of the deal.

Under the agreement the Trump administration agreed to postpone any further tariff increases , while China promised to increase by $ 200 billion over two years their purchases of US products compared to the level of 2017 .

The US president has hit out at China ’ s handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic and threatened fresh tariffs .

The Trump administration accuses China of taking too long to warn the world about the epidemic , and therefore to blame for the virus spreading around the world and triggering the global economic crisis .

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has even said claimed that the coronavirus pandemic likely originated in a Chinese laboratory , but acknowledged there was no certainty .

AFP

The Inspector – General of Police , Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the probe of the Chairman , Five Star Group , Emeka Okonkwo aka E – Money , over his flamboyant lifestyle and flagrant abuse of police escorts .

Okonkwo , who is the brother to musician, Kingsley Okonkwo aka K-Cee , was said to have drawn the ire of the police boss for using policemen like domestic servants .

An order, it was learnt , was immediately issued to the Lagos State Police Command to withdraw the six policemen attached to E – Money .

A top police officer said , “ We received a signal from the Force headquarters on Monday that the police detail of music executive, E – Money , be immediately withdrawn and an investigation into the man be launched.

“ The IG was surprised that policemen were attached to him in the first place and were being used like domestic servants , carrying umbrellas , opening doors , and doing menial jobs for him .

“ The policemen were discovered to be attached to B Operations at the command headquarters and not MOPOL which is the usual practice . So , we have withdrawn his policemen and we are inviting him for questioning. The policemen will also be interrogated . ”

E – Money, who also claims to be a clearing and forwarding agent , is known for his flamboyant lifestyle.

He boasts of two Rolls Royce , two Mercedes Benz G Wagons and other Sports Utility Vehicles worth billions of naira.

The socialite is often seen on social media shaking hands with Very Important Persons including governors , senators , monarchs , ministers , and other top government officials.

When contacted on the telephone , an associate of E – Money , Chidozie Dike , said he was not aware of the development and he believed it was not true .

“ I am not aware and I don ’ t think this is true, ” Dike said .

The probe into E – Money comes less than a year after that of an Instagram celebrity , Ismaila Mustapha aka Mompha, who was also known to show off his ostentatious lifestyle on social media .

Sources told newsmen that more social media celebs are also on the radar of the police and other law enforcement agencies .

Punch

If lockdowns and stay – at – home orders are succeeding in slowing the spread of the coronavirus , health experts warn that the measures could unintentionally undermine efforts to contain another potentially deadly disease : HIV.

At the start of April, Travis Sanchez , an epidemiologist at Emory University , carried out an online survey of around 1 , 000 men and half of them reported a drop in the number of sexual partners , as well as reduced use of hook – up apps .

In theory, this should reduce transmission .

But he quickly added a disturbing warning : a quarter of the men said they had experienced problems getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases , because thousands of centers that used to provide them have closed down .

That means that those people still having sex have no idea about their status , which Sanchez warned is a potential ticking bomb .

“ It’ s very likely that people ’ s risk behaviours will resume before they will have full access to prevention services, ” he said .

“ And I think that combination could lead to increases in HIV transmission . ”

The full impact of the pandemic on HIV transmission will not be known before next year , when the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention publishes its statistics on 2020 infections .

But numerous experts and healthcare professionals fear a step backward , a year after the United States announced the goal of cutting the number of new infections by 75 percent by the year 2025 .

In Washington, a city that has been hit hard by HIV, the Whitman – Walker clinic has had to stop its daily walk – in tests for the virus and other sexually transmitted infections like syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia .

“ All those folks are going without testing , ” said nurse practitioner Amanda Cary , who now only sees symptomatic patients by appointment . “ I do think there’ s going to be a rise in STIs , ” she said .

The CDC told AFP it was expecting a drop in the number of STIs being diagnosed in the short term , “ but an increase in the long – term once restrictions lift and more people are screened and tested again . ”

It said that for HIV, “the decrease in the availability of testing and limited access to treatment and prevention services may result in more infections and poor health outcomes in the long run . ”

The Nigeria High Commission in Canada says it is set to evacuate Nigerians stranded in that country due to coronavirus travel restrictions.

In a statement , the mission said it had received no fewer than 200 requests for evacuation .

To this end, it stated that a Boeing 777 aircraft operated by Air Peace had been specially arranged to fly the intending returnees home this Thursday .

The high commission noted that it could be the only special evacuation flight for Nigerian nationals stranded in Canada due to the coronavirus pandemic .

It said the plane would pick the prospective passengers from two locations in Canada , namely Toronto and Alberta .

According to the flight schedule, the aircraft is expected to pick the first set from the Pearson International Airport , Toronto.

From there it will fly to the Calgary International Airport , Alberta , a distance of 2 , 915 k . m. , to load the second set of passengers .

The aircraft will depart Alberta for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport , Abuja, where the evacuees would be moved into isolation for 14 days .

The one – way flight will cost each prospective evacuee between 1 , 130 dollars (N452 , 000 ) and 2 , 000 dollars ( N800 , 000 ) depending on the class .

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the special evacuation exercise began on Wednesday with the return of 265 Nigerians from the United Arab Emirates.

On Friday, 253 were brought back from the United Kingdom , followed by 160 from the United States on Sunday .

This brings to 678 the total number of Nigerians evacuated by the Federal Government so far .

NAN

THE Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting to be presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to hold on Wednesday.

The FEC will be held virtually as the physical distancing order is still in place.

The last FEC meeting was held on March 18, 2020, at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, before the lockdown to contain the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina confirmed the holding of FEC on Wednesday meeting .

A Presidency source had told newsmen that a circular had been distributed from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, for the meeting to be held virtually.

According to the source, “We have FEC on Wednesday, there is circular to that effect, we have been given council papers.

” It’s going to hold virtually. The information is from the SGF office and the FEC will start by 11 am. We are waiting for the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy to give us the link.

” The Federal Government system is Galaxy Backbond, FG will discuss with Galaxy Backbond and give us the link. This is the first time FEC is holding virtually.”

Already the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami on Monday supervised a test run for the virtual FEC meeting.

The Ministry on its Twitter handle wrote, “In preparation for the upcoming Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting to be held virtually on Wednesday, which will be chaired by His Excellency, President @MBuhari GCFR, the Honourable Minister of Communications and #DigitalEconomy, @DrIsaPantami today supervised a test run.”

VANGUARD

The Federal Government says medical experts in Beijing are training coronavirus case managers in Nigeria on the treatment strategy of China .

The Minister of Health , Dr Osagie Ehanire , stated this during a briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 in Abuja .

He said the Chinese medical experts trained their counterparts in Nigeria via teleconferencing on Monday .

He said , “ Senior managers of the Federal Ministry of Health and case managers in our hospitals this morning ( Monday morning ) participated in a multinational teleconference with Chinese medical and academic experts in Beijing where much insights were gained into the treatment strategy of China and also other matters of common interests were discussed .

“ The learnings from this intervention are available in re – examining our methods . ”

The minister noted that the efforts of the Federal Government and the PTF were yielding some results while urging all hands to be on the deck to stamp out the pandemic .

“ It is important that our response to COVID- 19 be a concerted collaborative drive to stand a chance of being effective … So far , our efforts are yielding results as shown in states where panic and fright were initially rife but are now subsumed, ” Ehanire said .

The President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd . ) , has ordered the importation of the acclaimed coronavirus remedy by Madagascar to Nigeria .

Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 , Boss Mustapha , made this known during a briefing in Abuja .

Mustapha , who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation , said , “ Madagascar has made allocations to various countries , and sent them to Guinea Bissau . We ‘ re supposed to make arrangements to freight Nigeria ’ s allocation from Guinea Bissau ; it‘ ll be subjected to the standard validation process for pharmaceuticals.

“ Mr President has given instructions for the airlifting of Nigeria ’ s allocation of the Madagascar COVID- 19 Syrup ; also given clear instructions that it must be subjected to the standard validation process for pharmaceuticals; there will be no exceptions for this . ”

He assured Nigerians that the task force was intensifying efforts to stop the spread of the virus in Nigeria .

“ Nigeria has only one national response to the COVID- 19 pandemic . Where there are differing strategies is in the implementation of non -pharmaceutical interventions . But as far as the response is concerned , there is only one national response , ” he added.

According to reports, Equatorial Guinea , Guinea – Bissau , Niger, and Tanzania have taken delivery of consignments of the potion , which was launched last month .

Madagascar said the drink is derived from artemisia – a plant with proven anti – malarial properties – and other indigenous herbs .

Punch

Saudi Arabia’ s finance minister said the kingdom will triple its Value Added Tax and halt monthly handout payments to citizens in new austerity measures amid record low oil prices and a coronavirus- led economic slump .

The measures, which could stir public resentment with the cost of living rising , come as the petro- state steps up emergency plans to slash government spending to deal with the twin economic blow .

“ It has been decided the cost of living allowance will be halted from June 2020 and VAT will be raised from 5 percent to 15 percent from July 1 , ” Finance Minister Mohammed al -Jadaan said in a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency .

Jadaan insisted the measures were necessary to shore up state finances amid a “ sharp decline ” in oil revenue as the coronavirus pandemic saps global demand for crude .

The government was also “ cancelling , extending or postponing ” expenditures for some government agencies and cutting spending on major state projects introduced as part of an ambitious reform programme to diversify the oil- reliant economy , the minister added .

Jadaan last week warned of “ painful ” and “ drastic” steps to deal with the double shock of the novel coronavirus and record low oil prices .

Saudi Arabia , the top crude exporter and the Arab world ’ s biggest economy , has shut down cinemas and restaurants , halted flights , and suspended the year – round umrah pilgrimage in a bid to contain the deadly virus .
Saudi Arabia , along with other Gulf states , imposed a five percent tax on goods and services in 2018 in a bid to generate additional revenue .

The petro- state had also introduced handouts worth billions of dollars to citizens , known as the cost of living allowance , to cushion the impact of rising costs .

AFP