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ECOWAS leaders has appointed President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the battle against the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the sub-region.

Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed this to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the end of the extraordinary summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West Africa States.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the summit was convened by the regional leaders to deliberate on the COVID-19 pandemic which has continued to ravage humanity worldwide.

Adesina stated that the regional leaders discussed the challenges posed by COVID-19 and how best to tackle the deadly virus.

“The West African leaders discussed how to tackle the period of COVID-19 and what to do post-COVID-19.

“Now, at the end of it all, it was decided that there should a champion who would lead the response of the sub-region and that champion is President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria.

“So, our president is going to lead the response of West Africa to the challenge of COVID-19,’’ he said.

The Chairman of the ECOWAS and President of Niger Republic, Alhaji Mahamadou Issoufou, had during the opening of the summit raised alarm over the devastating effects of the deadly virus on human and economies of the member-states.

He, therefore, for called for collaborative efforts among the member-states to combat the pandemic, which he said had already claimed many lives in the region and beyond.

The Nigerien president, who spoke in the French language, also advocated for total debts cancellation for African countries to enable the African continent to survive the post-coronavirus era.

While commending the World Bank and Africa Development Bank (AfDB) for their contributions so far towards fighting the spread of the deadly Coronavirus, Issoufou urged the two financial institutions to do more for the African continent so as to save more lives.

NAN reports that about 13 ECOWAS leaders, including President Muhammadu Buhari, are participating in the teleconference as at the time of filing this report.

NAN reports that President of Guinea Bissau, Umaro Embalo also participated in the ECOWAS summit for the first time since he assumed the mantle of leadership of his country in February.

Vanguard

Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to, among others, arrest and prosecute a mobile policeman that allegedly killed a petrol station worker on April 5, at a filling station in Abia State, or risk industrial unrest.

NUPENG, in a statement, condemned and berated an official of the Presidential Task Force, PTF, on coronavirus, COVID-19, for allegedly twisting the fact over the killing of the 26 years old Chibuisi Chikezie Okameme, who was on duty at Greenmac Energy Limited, Umuahia Road, Aba, in Abia.

The statement by President and General Secretary of NUPENG, Prince William Akporeha and Afolabi Adewale, respectively, among others, said: “We demand an immediate retraction of the lie that the deceased was not killed by a mobile policeman, but by hoodlums.

“This retraction must be on the same media platform the PTF official used to tell the lie to everyone.

“We also want the removal or resignation of the said PTF official, immediate prosecution of the Mobile Policeman involved and immediate payment of compensation to the family of the deceased by the Federal Government.”

Insisting that its demands must be met within seven days starting from Thursday, NUPENG said “we implore the Nigeria media to visit No 29/30, Greenmac Energy Limited in new Umuahia Road, Aba, in Abia State, for proper and diligent fact-finding and interview of the family of the deceased, his employer, the Abia State Police Command and other witnesses.

“Our Union takes lives of our members very serious and precious and we shall do all we can to get justice.

“NUPENG also uses this medium to appeal to our members across the country, who have been saddened and devastated by this wicked lie against the dead, to still be patient, continue to render their services to the nation and exercise restraints until the national secretariat of the Union issues further directives, which may come sooner than later.”

The statement on the NUPENG ultimatum noted that it condemned “the uncharitable and very provocative lie of the Federal Government official on the national network television on the facts concerning the killing of one of our members, Chibuisi Chikezie Okameme, aged 26, a petrol station worker in Abia State.

“He was killed by a mobile policeman while discharging his legitimate duties as a petrol station worker and in the frontline of the struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic on Sunday, April 5.

“The Union takes serious exception to this blatant lie and attempt to twist the fact of the incident. For the record, the policeman in question is currently in detention and he has made a confessional statement to the dastardly act and postmortem carried out on the deceased, wherein bullet wound was identified and specimen of bullet removed from his body.

“So we find this lie to be very callous, wicked and uncalled for. We wonder how an elderly person and a minister of the Federal Republic will be lying against the dead. NUPENG argued that said official was not fit to hold such an exalted office in Nigeria.”

Vanguard

The National Business and Technical Examinations Board has announced the indefinite postponement of the Board ’ s 2020 May /June Ordinary Level Certificate Examinations.

Registrar / Chief Executive Officer of NABTEB , Prof . Ifeoma Isiugo – Abanihe , disclosed this in a statement in Benin .

“ The 2020 May/ June series of the NABTEB Certificate Examinations, which are for in – school candidates , originally scheduled to begin on Monday , May 4 2020 , have now been postponed on account of the Coronavirus ( COVID- 19 ) pandemic ravaging the whole world .

“ A new date will be announced in due course .

“ Meanwhile , registration for the examinations continues .

“ NABTEB enjoins candidates to continue to positively and productively engage in their studies through e – learning resources made available through radio, television and other safe means while they await further information from the Board , ” she said .

NAN

Saudi Arabia , home to Islam ’ s holiest mosques, has announced that the holy fasting month of Ramadan will start Friday, as Muslims worldwide face unprecedented restrictions to counter coronavirus .

“ Based on the sighting of the new month ’ s moon … it has been decided that Friday is the start of the month of Ramadan , ” the royal court said in a statement cited by the SPA news agency .

King Salman said he is saddened that Muslims cannot pray at mosques because of coronavirus restrictions.

“ I am pained that the holy month arrives amid circumstances that make us unable to perform group prayers and Taraweeh — special Ramadan night prayers — at mosques due to precautionary measures to protect the peoples ’ lives and health in combating the coronavirus pandemic , ” the king said in a statement cited by SPA .

Observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk during Ramadan and gather with family to break the fast in the evening.

It is also a month of prayers during which Muslims traditionally converge in large numbers at mosques especially at night .

But due to the coronavirus, almost all Muslim majority countries have closed mosques and asked people to pray at home in addition to imposing curfews to limit the spread of the deadly virus .

Several Arab countries have eased restrictions on the occasion of the holy month with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and other countries reducing the duration of the lockdowns .

The UAE said on Thursday it has decided to ease a total lockdown to an eight – hour nightly curfew and also moved to partially reopen malls and markets .

The start date of Ramadan , the holiest Muslim month , is set by both lunar calculations and physical sightings which determine when one month ends and another begins.

AFP

The Nigeria Labour Congress has called on the Federal Government not to extend the lockdown order on COVID- 19 , warning that doing so might cause social unrest in the affected states and the Federal Capital Territory.

In a letter addressed to the chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 and dater April 14 , 2020 , which was signed by the NLC president , Ayuba Wabba, the union also frowned at the method employed by the FG in the distribution of the palliative measure , calling for the expansion of the initiative to all Nigerians affected by the pandemic .

The union said , “ While we understand the public health imperatives for extending the lockdown in some parts of the country, it is also very important to underscore the fact that the states currently under total lockdown are the economic and administrative nerve centres of Nigeria .

“ This is very dicey. As much as it is important to keep many Nigerians from dying in the hands of coronavirus , loss of income and the accompanying destitution can also be a pathfinder for numerous other sicknesses and deaths . This is the time to play the balancing game .

“ The truth is that our economy might relapse into prolonged coma if the current lockdown in the nation’ s nerve centres goes beyond the current extension .

“ There were widespread acts of civil disobedience, inducement of law enforcement agents to gain passes and even various forms of violent crimes .

“ No one is sure how long this dam would hold . We fear that the situation will get out of hand if the lockdown exceeds one month .

“ While we commend government for being proactive , we opine that the stimulus package would be best served through consultation with social partners .

“ Labour and private sector employers have a good understanding of industries where jobs and production are in most danger . ”

The Federal Ministry of Education has said it is looking for the author of a fake statement which said primary and secondary schools nationwide will resume by November 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .

The Director of Press at the ministry , Mr Ben Goong, said Nigerians should disregard the fake notice , adding that the author was believed to be mentally unstable .

Goong noted that the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu , could not have signed a statement where the Permanent Secretary, Sonny Echono , granted an interview , as shown in the fake statement .

Goong said , “The Federal Ministry of Education has disowned a press release circulating on multiple social media platforms insinuating that schools will reopen in November 2020 , describing the release as the handiwork of an illiterate , who , going by the content of his release , also appears to be mentally unstable .

“ The ministry is asking parents , students and the general public to disregard the release in its entirety, adding that there is no iota of truth about the release . Efforts are on to track the author , and he or she will be prosecuted .

“ We could have ignored the release but for the massive calls from stakeholders expressing concerns. ”

Kaduna State Governor , Nasir El -Rufai , has recovered from coronavirus .

He made this known via his Twitter handle .

El – Rufai , who said he had tested negative twice described his experience in isolation as a “strict medical regime” .

He said , “ I am delighted to report today , that after nearly four weeks of observing a strict medical regime , I have now received the all- clear after two consecutive negative test results . ”

Reports has it that El- Rufai earlier announced that he tested positive for the virus on March 28 .

The update on his recovery came a few days after the governor denied that he was in an Intensive Care Unit.

Six people were publicly flogged in Indonesia ’ s conservative Aceh province for breaking local Islamic law , despite widespread bans on mass gatherings over coronavirus fears.

Officials insisted they followed social distancing rules but vowed that the global pandemic wouldn ’ t stand in the way of doling out justice.

“ To comply with current conditions, we ’ re trying to cut unnecessary procedures like the usual opening speech , ” said Safriadi, the official responsible for Sharia punishments in provincial capital Banda Aceh .

“ We just carried out the flogging directly to make it simpler . Whipping will still go on , but we ’ re limiting the number of people involved , ” added Safriadi, who goes by one name .

Most of the offenders whipped were not wearing protective face masks, and images from the scene suggested some participants came into close contact with each other .

Aceh ’ s public whippings — widely criticised by rights groups — can attract hundreds of spectators .

But only about a dozen onlookers turned up at a building inside a public park to see four men flogged 40 times each for drinking alcohol.

An unmarried couple caught together in a hotel room were also given over two dozen lashes from a rattan cane .

Aceh , on the western tip of Sumatra is the only region in Muslim- majority Indonesia to impose Islamic law .

The province allows whipping for a range of charges including gambling , adultery , drinking alcohol , and having gay or pre- marital sex .

Despite the painful punishment , one man whipped for drinking alcohol — who also served a three- month jail term for the offence — said he was relieved to be free to join his family for the fasting month of Ramadan , which starts this week.

“ I got bored in prison and now I ’ m finally a free man , ” he said .

“ Ramadan is coming and I couldn ’ t imagine fasting in prison. ”

AFP

The Academic Staff Union of Universities says its ongoing strike would continue despite the order of the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd . ) , that February and March 2020 withheld salaries of lecturers in federal universities should be paid.

The Federal Government had previously withheld the lecturers ’ salaries over their refusal to register in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System .

The union , among other issues , embarked on an indefinite strike , arguing that the implementation of the IPPIS was against the FG- ASUU 2009 agreement .

Reacting to the payment of withheld salaries , the National President of ASUU , Prof . Abiodun Ogunyemi , insisted that the lecturers would not resume work because the strike was not only about IPPIS .

Instead , he told newsmen that the payment would pave the way for a meaningful dialogue with the government .

“ Now , we can discuss without an atmosphere of intimidation . This will lead to a meaningful dialogue . The ongoing industrial strike action by the union is still on . Our strike is not just about the IPPIS, ” he added .

He also queried the Federal Government’ s motive of asking Vice -Chancellors to pay lecturers with their Bank Verification Number.

More news👉 https://latestnewsupdates.news.blog/2020/04/22/just-in-buhari-orders-immediate-payment-of-asuu-members-salaries/

Ogunyemi said , “If they had not paid at this time, with what everyone is going through , it would have meant a declaration of war . The discussion will start when they pay . They have even attached a condition to the payment .

“ Our members weren’ t paid with BVN in the past. Why the sudden change ? They should go back to the old system which they have always used to pay . ”

The ASUU president said paying the lecturers was not a favour, adding that “ Members worked in February and we were still working in March before this coronavirus pandemic broke . It is expected that a labourer is paid his wages . Even as we are talking , people are supposed to be prepared to get their April salary . ”

A top official of ASUU , who is among the negotiation team in the FG- ASUU IPPIS crisis , however , told newsmen that top officials of the union would meet after the salaries are paid to determine the next line of action .

Punch

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs has called on Muslims to observe the practice of social distancing when looking out for the moon in the forthcoming Ramadan .

The organisation specifically advised that Muslim fateful should look for the moon at their residences without going out in groups .

The Deputy Secretary – General of NSCIA , Prof . Salisu Shehu , in a statement quoted its President -General and Sultan of Sokoto , Alhaji Muhammad Sa ’ ad Abubakar , as telling the Nigerian Muslim Ummah to search for the crescent of Ramadan 1441 AH immediately after sunset on , April 23 .

The statement partly read , “ Consequent upon the advice of the National Moon Sighting Committee , the President – General enjoins the Nigerian Muslim Ummah to search for the crescent of Ramadan 1441 AH immediately after sunset on Thursday , April 23 , 2020 , which is equivalent to 29 th Sha ’ aban 1441 AH .

“ If the crescent is sighted by Muslims of impeccable character on the said evening, then His Eminence would declare Friday, April 24 , 2020 as the first day of Ramadan 1441 AH . If , however , the crescent is not sighted that day , then , Saturday, April 25 , 2020 automatically becomes the first of Ramadan , 1441 AH .

“ At the same time , His Eminence also directs the Muslim Ummah to practise social distancing when looking out for the crescent and specifically advises that people should look for the crescent at their residences without going out in groups . ”