Category: Uncategorized

Hundreds of aggrieved women took to the streets of Sapele , Delta State in a peaceful protest to demonstrate their discontent with the extended two weeks lockdown on the state by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa over the coronavirus pandemic .

The protesting women anchored their grievances on the allegation that the Governor Okowa led government had neither provided food nor electricity to cushion the hardship of Deltans.

More news👉 https://latestnewsupdates.news.blog/2020/04/15/covid-19-drama-lawyers-flee-as-accused-coughs-in-court/

According to the placard- carrying protesters who were joined by youths , for the past 14 days , it has not been easy for them and their households.

They lamented that most households could no longer contend with hunger .

One of the leaders of the protesting women groups told journalists that “ we are on a peaceful protest to demonstrate our displeasure for another 14 days lockdown which the state governor, Sen . Okowa decreed on Tuesday ” .

The protesters said they were marching to the Secretariat of the Local Government to register their displeasure alleging that government was playing politics with the issues.

They alleged that the state government had been deceiving them with their audio promises of coming up with palliatives because, according to them, for the past 14 days the government had not done anything for their survival while many of them are dying of hunger silently .

A member of the protesting group declared angrily : “ The government locked down the state for 14 days because of COVID- 19 , which we obeyed in good faith and stayed at home .

“ But after the 14 days , the hunger is now more than that of the Egyptians in the day of the Biblical Joseph because the government didn ’ t give us any palliative and many of us with our children depend on daily earnings.

“ The government that made the order are enjoying with their families so it will be another 14 days of disaster if we are to stay at home as our children are crying of hunger every day ” .

There was drama inside an Osun State Magistrates ’ Court sitting in Osogbo , when an accused arraigned for assault , suddenly coughed while his charge was being read .

The development led to a little disruption of the proceedings , as three lawyers that sat in front of the accused hurriedly moved away their chairs .

Despite the drama , Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara told the accused that his cough would not stop the session .

Ige was arraigned alongside Rasaq Sunday , Wasiu Adeyanju and Samson Ogunleye .

They were said to have on April 6 , 2020 on Olugun Street, Osogbo , conspired to commit assault occasioning harm – an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of criminal code cap 34 Vol . Il , Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002 .

The accused were said to have used broken bottles , scissors, and cutlass to inflict injury on the left hand of one Lateef Kareem.

Rasaq Olayiwola announced appearance for the prosecution.

The accused, who had no legal representation , pleaded not guilty to the two counts of assault pressed against them.

The magistrate, Ayilara , admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N200 , 000 with one surety each .

He then adjourned the matter till May 13 for mention .

Ogun State Governor , Dapo Abiodun has said the current relaxation of the lockdown in the state from 7 am to 2 pm would be suspended on Friday.

The governor also said the state would soon commence strict enforcement of wearing of face masks in the public , saying it would help flatten the spread of coronavirus .

The governor in the statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin , urged the residents of the state to consider the extension announced by the President on Monday a necessary sacrifice to defeat an invisible and deadly enemy .

He said , “ Therefore , the current window of relaxation of the lockdown in the state from 7 am to 2 pm, which follows the same pattern of last week, will still be available for this Wednesday (15 th April) and Friday ( 17 th April, 2020 ) only .

More news👉 https://latestnewsupdates.news.blog/2020/04/15/just-in-uk-to-evacuate-nationals-from-nigeria-saturday/

“ This is to allow the residents prepare for the extension of the lockdown and restock on food and other essential items . However , Ogun State borders remain closed .

“ It should be emphasised that people should only go out if they need to and are required at all times when outside their homes to wear a face mask , including locally made face masks, even as they observe other social distancing measures .

“ The state will soon commence strict enforcement of wearing of face mask in the public as it has been shown to help flatten the spread of the virus . ”

Exactly one week after the headquarters of the Office of the Accountant- General of the Federation was gutted by fire , there has been another fire outbreak at the headquarters of the Corporate Affairs Commission .

The fire , according to sources, occurred at the seven – storey building located in Maitama, Abuja .

The building is located on the same street that houses other top government offices such as the National Youth Service Corps , the Nigeria Incentives Risk – Based Sharing for Agricultural Lending and the Nigeria Export Promotion Commission among others.

The Registrar – General of the CAC, Alhaji Garba Abubakar , confirmed the incident to newsmen .

He said that there was no loss of document or lives during the fire outbreak .

Abubakar said that as soon as the fire outbreak was noticed , men of the Federal Fire Service were quickly mobilised to put it out .

He told newsmen , “ There was a minor fire incident at the CAC today ( Wednesday ) which was quickly extinguished by the men of the fire service .

“ However , there was no loss of document or lives . ”

Punch

Temperature checks on voters, separate booths for those with fevers, special polling stations for the quarantined: South Koreans headed to the polls Wednesday with a big turnout expected despite the coronavirus threat.

South Korea is the first country with a major virus outbreak to hold a national election since the global pandemic began, and a complex web of safety measures was spun around the ballot, as well as the campaigning that preceded it.

The parliamentary poll vote kicked off at 6 am (2100 GMT Tuesday) with 43.9 million voters eligible to cast their ballots.

All citizens must wear protective masks and undergo temperature checks at the polling station. Those found to have fever will cast their ballots in separate booths to be disinfected after each use.

Voters have also been asked to wear plastic gloves after cleaning their hands with sanitiser at polling stations, and to keep at least one metre (three feet) apart.

“We are now holding an election at a very difficult time amid social distancing campaigns and a contraction of economic activity,” election commission chairman Kwon Soon-il said .

“Please go to the polling stations tomorrow and show that you are the owners of this country.”

More news👉 https://latestnewsupdates.news.blog/2020/04/15/just-in-uk-to-evacuate-nationals-from-nigeria-saturday/

South Korea was among the first countries to be hit by the virus outside China, where the coronavirus first emerged.

For a time South Korea had the world’s second-largest outbreak, before it was largely brought under control through a widespread testing and a contact-tracing drive.

Those self-quarantining at home will be allowed out to vote in a 100-minute window around the polls’ 6:00 pm close, as long as they do not show virus symptoms.

Special polling stations were set up at eight central quarantine facilities at the weekend to enable residents to vote.

But anyone who is staying at home and has developed symptoms is effectively disenfranchised.

Campaigning has also been affected by the outbreak: instead of the traditional handshakes and distributing of name cards, candidates have been keeping their distance from citizens, bowing and offering an occasional fist bump.

Many have turned to online media such as Youtube and Instagram to connect with voters, while some have even volunteered to disinfect parts of their constituencies.

The United Kingdom’s Mission in Nigeria is to begin evacuating British nationals, who wish to leave the country over the COVID-19 pandemic from Saturday.

It said in a statement that the evacuation would continue till Monday, adding that more flights might follow if the already scheduled flight did not airlift all those intended to leave Nigeria.

In its travel advisory, the UK Mission said Britons would be evacuated from Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

More news👉 https://latestnewsupdates.news.blog/2020/04/15/updated-n21bn-donation-is-for-the-poor-eu-tells-nigeria/

It added that to be eligible for all flights, the primary residence has to be in the UK and that it would prioritise helping the most vulnerable and those who have an underlying medical condition, which places them at greater risk of serious illness if they contract COVID-19.
Intending evacuees are expected to pay for their seats.

The UK Mission noted that the federal government had assured it that people who exceeded their authorised visa expiry date as a result of travel restrictions linked to COVID-19 would not be penalised as over-stayers when they depart.

It stated: “There are currently no commercial options available to return to the UK from Nigeria. All airports in Nigeria are closed to all international commercial flights until 23 April. We know this concerning British people trying to leave Nigeria. The UK government has been working closely with airlines and has now secured agreement for charter flights to start from Nigeria to the UK, from both Abuja and Lagos.

“The Nigerian authorities have told us that people who exceed their authorised visa stays as a result of travel restrictions linked to COVID-19 will not be penalised as over-stayers when they depart.”

So far, over 2,000 foreign nationals from the US, Canada, Germany, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, South Africa, and France have been evacuated from Nigeria.

The Nigerian Mission in the UK has also received over 140 applications from Nigerians resident in Britain who are interested in being evacuated.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health , Prof . Akin Abayomi , said a total of 119 people with COVID- 19 symptoms have been identified in the state .

Abayomi , at a briefing , said a total of 118 , 000 households had been reached in the search of possible COVID- 19 cases in communities .

He said community search was activated to limit the spread of the disease in the state which had the highest number of COVID- 19 patients in the country .

More news👉 https://latestnewsupdates.news.blog/2020/04/14/just-in-covid-19-osun-extends-lockdown-by-14-days/

“ We ’ ve embarked on an active case search in communities . The idea is to go to hot spots and go from door to door with our health personnel. So far , in the last two days , we ’ ve visited 118 , 000 households and we ’ re looking for the typical symptoms of COVID- 19 . We ’ ve identified about 119 people who have the symptoms that are suggestive of COVID- 19 .

“ But let me remind you that COVID- 19 is one of the viruses that can cause respiratory symptoms . There are many viruses . So , the idea is to take samples from these 119 and analyse them and that would give us an idea of how much COVID- 19 activity is happening in the communities , ” Abayomi said .

the Head, European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Amb . Ketil Karlsen, has said that the N21 bn ( € 50 m) donated to Nigeria by the EU is largely meant for the poor.

“ That is why part of the € 50 m we provide will also be for the relief and safety net for the most vulnerable people, internally displaced persons . The poor people that depend on the informal markets, they do day – to – day work to put food on their table ; the elderly , IDPs , and these, particularly , vulnerable people are the centre – stage of our intervention , ” he said .

More news👉 https://latestnewsupdates.news.blog/2020/04/14/just-in-eu-gives-nigeria-e50m-to-fight-coronavirus/

Earlier , he had said that the donation was also meant for the provision of Personal Protection Equipment , kits , and to double the testing capacity for Covid – 19 in the country.

Fielding questions from journalists in Abuja on Tuesday , shortly after announcing the € 50 m donation at the Presidential Villa , Karlsen said the fund , which would be administered by the United Nations would increase the capacity of COVID – 19 treatment in the country.

He said , “The pandemic requires global responses and if we try to fix it country by country , we may not get it right and that is why we are adopting a multilateral approach.

“ So , Team Europe came up with a significant package for Nigeria ; we are mobilising € 50 m and another € 1 . 2 m that we already gave as part of humanitarian assistance through UNICEF . ”

Karlsen stressed that the EU was concerned about the health and economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic , noting that Europe did not want Nigeria to experience what it was going through presently.
Earlier , the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd ) , commended the European Union for the donation .

Receiving the EU delegation , Buhari said the donation would go a long way in supporting Nigeria ’ s efforts at controlling and containing the virus .

The President , according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity , Femi Adesina , also conveyed the condolences of the government and people of Nigeria to EU – member countries and families that lost their loved ones to the COVID- 19 pandemic .

He said , “ Although the EU is facing significant challenges due to this pandemic , I am indeed touched and grateful that the EU still had the vision and foresight to remember its friends , partners and allies across the world . ”

In his remarks, Karlsen described the donation , channelled through the United Nations COVID- 19 basket fund , as the largest single contribution to the response in Nigeria so far and the largest support that EU is providing anywhere outside Europe .

He said , “ We heard your call for assistance and the EU has reacted swiftly as a demonstration of our true partnership. ”

Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola in a statewide broadcast announced the extension, saying the state cannot risk to expose its citizens to the deadly virus.

“My dear good People of the State of Osun, in order to ensure a total defeat of Coronavirus in our State, we’ve decided to extend the ongoing lockdown by another 14 days which will commence midnight of Thursday, April 16, 2020.”

The Senate President , Ahmed Lawan , and the Speaker of the House of Representatives , Femi Gbajabiamila , met with the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ) , behind closed doors to discuss the implementation of the National Social Investment Programme amid the coronavirus pandemic .

This comes days after a clash between the National Assembly and the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment Programme, Maryam Uwais , over the need for a reform of the process of implementing the programme.

Lawan , who spoke to journalists after the meeting at the State House in Abuja , reiterated the call for reforms in the social investment initiatives , saying it was the right time to evaluate its progress since its introduction in 2016 .

He said , “ This afternoon , we had an engagement with Mr President to discuss with him what we , the leadership of the National Assembly , have resolved and our opinion on various issues regarding the fight against COVID – 19 in Nigeria and going forward .

“ We also believe that it is time to reform the way and manner we implement the Social Investment Programme. This is a very important programme that is to help Nigerians who are poor and vulnerable .

“ We believe that , having implemented this programme from 2016 to date , we should be reviewing to see and evaluate the efficacy and efficiency with which we have been implementing this programme . ”