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Bakers in Lagos State have called on the Federal Government to intervene in the prices of baking materials , saying the current situation may lead to an increase in the prices of bread .

In a statement jointly issued by the chairmen of the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria , Kosofe and Surulere , Lagos , Taiwo Akintola and Ibitoye Oladapo , respectively , the group expressed sadness over the rates of baking materials due to the COVID- 19 pandemic .

According to them, the cost of the materials is killing the bakery business , as many bakeries are no longer to make profits.

“ A bag of flour that cost N9 , 000 before COVID- 19 , now goes for N13 , 000 , while a bag of sugar now costs N24 , 000 as against the former price of N13 , 000 .

“ Butter is now N12 , 000 against the former price of N 7 , 500 , while milk , which was hitherto N29 , 000 , now goes for N52 , 000 . And there is an increase in the bread packaging cost, which is now N12 , 000 , against the former price of N10 , 000 , ” the bakers said .

They added that the prices of salt , yeast and other baking materials had hit the rooftop .

The association explained that the instability of foreign exchange, high cost of diesel and other baking materials , were reasons given by flour millers for the hike in the prices of baking materials .

They said appeals to the millers and others for reduction in prices had not yielded any favourable response .

“ And that is why we are pleading with the Federal Government to intervene in this matter by talking to flour millers and baking material sellers to bring the prices down .

“ Master bakers association is one of the largest employers of labour in the country and most of the bakeries are folding up ; many Nigerians working in the sector are already losing their jobs, ” the group added .

The association maintained that if the situation continued, the prices of bread might be increased by 60 per cent.

Punch

The Federal Government has slashed the salaries of airport workers in the country, according to reports .

In a circular to staff dated May 19 , 2020 , the Management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria said the reduction in salaries is due to airport closures occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic .

The memo signed by FAAN General Manager , Administration , M. D. Musa , read , “ This is to notify all staff that due to the dwindling revenue generation amidst COVID- 19 pandemic , management may not be able to pay full salary to staff as from May 2020 .

“ However , as soon as revenue improves , the balance will be paid . This measure is to ensure the survival of the organisation . ”

The PUNCH reports that the country’ s airspace and airports , both local and international , were shut in March by the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ), as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID- 19 .

The President ’ s directive , however , permitted emergency flights such as those for medical and humanitarian purposes.

On May 6 , the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 , Boss Mustapha , announced the extension of the closure of the country’ s airports and airspace by four weeks .

Punch

The Senate has asked the Federal Government to consider a comprehensive review of the power privatisation policy with a view to reversing the current arrangement.

The red chamber said Nigerians would not enjoy stable power supply in the next 10 years if the activities of the distribution companies were not reviewed and restructured .

The Senate President , Ahmad Lawan , stated this after the Senate had considered and approved a motion by Senator Gabriel Suswan on the power sector recovery plan.

He said , “ We gave power to them ( power generation and distribution companies ) and they still come to the public to ask for funds .

“ I think it’ s time for Nigeria to consider reversing the privatisation of the power sector or they should just cancel the entire privatisation process completely .

“ If we leave it , we may not have power for another 10 years . ”

Lawan said , “ The privatisation of the power sector has , so far , not been successful . We expected efficiency and effectiveness in the power supply.

“ The Discos have no capacity to supply us power . The Gencos have challenges too .

“ It is not a good commentary that we should continue to give them money . They ’ re private businesses . We need to review this privatisation .

“ Our committee needs to investigate trillions spent . That ’ s a lot of money.

“ Try to find out what has happened so far . Government needs to look at this whole thing .

“ Maybe, government is not doing its own part. We need to find out .

Punch

The Inspector – General of Police , Mohammed Adamu , contrary to a directive by the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd . ) , on Tuesday ordered police commands not to exempt anybody , including workers on essential duties , when enforcing the ban on interstate movements and the nationwide curfew .

The IG gave the directive to the zonal assistant – inspectors general of police and state commissioners of police during a virtual conference .

The President had, in his first COVID- 19 address to the nation on March 29 , ordered a lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states .

Buhari , however , exempted health workers , journalists as well as the staff of telecommunication companies from the lockdown .

In his second COVID- 19 on April 13 , when he extended the lockdown in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states , the President also emphasised that workers on essential duties were exempted from the lockdown .

Commenting on harassment by security agencies , the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 on March 30 said journalists needed only their identity cards to move around during the lockdown .

On April 27 , when he ordered a ban on interstate movements and imposed an 8 pm to 6 am curfew on the nation, the President repeated that workers on essential duties were exempted .

The PTF Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation , Mr Boss Mustapha , while announcing the extension of interstate lockdown and the nationwide curfew at the task force press conference on Monday , said exemptions granted by the President in the first phase would subsist .

Punch

The National Coordinator of the PTF, Dr Sani Aliyu , said the allowance for security personnel deployed in the enforcement the COVID- 19 lockdown was receiving attention .

He said this at the PTF press briefing , according to reports .

The security agencies , especially the police , had accused the Federal Government of neglecting their welfare and not providing them with personal protective equipment on the “ delicate” assignment .

Responding to a question , Aliyu said , “ We are currently processing this . We have been awaiting paperwork ; the paperwork needs to be completed before we go ahead to pay . ”

He , however , absolved the PTF of the responsibility of providing the PPE .

“ As regards the PPE , we distributed some PPE to frontline non – health workers last week, but a lot of agencies that deal with security do have budget lines for the PPE and we expect them to procure the PPE using their budget , ” he said .

The Federal Government has queried the Permanent Secretary , Ministry of Science and Technology , Dr Mohammed Bello, for allegedly buying what it described as “ uncompleted carcass ” building for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the sum of N7 bn .

Bello was said to have superintended over the transaction for the purchase when he was still the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development .

He was also accused of giving out seven deep drilling rigs for borehole procured at N1 . 3 bn to some unnamed individuals under “ fraudulent arrangements . ”

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation , Dr Folasade Yemi – Esan , made the allegations in a leaked query she issued to the permanent secretary on May 11 , 2020 .

The query with reference number HCSF/ PSO/AOD / P. 030 /5 B has “ Allegations of acts of serious misconduct in your former post of permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development : Preliminary letter /query ” as its title.

Yemi – Esan said she issued the query on the order of the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd . ) , who she said had been briefed about Bello’ s conducts .

Quoting from the civil service rules, PSR 030401 and 030402 , the HOCSF described the allegations against the permanent secretary as acts of serious misconduct which can lead to dismissal if proven.

She , therefore , gave the embattled permanent secretary a 72 – hour ultimatum to respond to the allegations if he so desires .

The query read , “ The attention of Mr President has been drawn to the acts of serious misconduct against you in your former post as the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on which he has given further directive .

“ Specifically, it was alleged that : (a ) in spite of the budgetary release of the N98 , 405 , 763 , 678 . 68 in 2018 (which represents 99 . 44 of 2018 appropriation ) , you did not take necessary action to pay the eligible contractors which led to the ministry having an outstanding contractual liability in the sum of N48 . 429 , 543 , 895 . 722 .

“( b) under your leadership as the accounting officer, the ministry utilised the entire 2019 first quarter release of N7 , 737 , 208 , 135. 18 to pay for the 2018 contracts that were fully funded in 2018 which constitutes virement without authority:
“( c ) as accounting officer , you oversaw a transaction for the purchase of a building for the use of the ministry at the sum of N7 , 044 , 746 , 264 . 06 without the conduct of the mandatory statutory structural and mechanical integrity tests : and prior approval of the FCDA Public Building Department : the building was eventually found to be an uncompleted carcass requiring billions of naira to complete and make safe for occupation ;

Punch

Managing Director, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Nigeria Ltd , Michael Yigao , says the 15 – man Chinese team that arrived in the country on April 8 are in the company ’ s care .

Yigao, who made the disclosure in Abuja while reacting to concerns as to the whereabouts of the team, said the team would be leaving the country soon .

The Minister of Health , Osagie Ehanire had said during a Presidential Task Force on COVID – 19 briefing that team was the “guests of the Federal Government but that of the construction company ” .

But CCECC MD said , “ The team had a telecast meeting with the Minister of Health and some doctors around the country and shared their experience in China on how they ’ re fighting the virus and the meeting was very positive.

“ They are here with us and have continued to teach our staff how to protect themselves because protection and prevention are more important than the treatment .

“ Most of the workers understand the situation now and they know the risk, so they follow the proper procedures and cooperate with their instructors . ”

He said the medical experts would be heading home as soon as there was a commercial flight to China .

“ Right now, commercial flight to China is not open but when flights are open again , we ’ re considering the team going back to China , ” he said .

NAN

The President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ), has enjoined governors to work closely with the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 to engender better harmony in the daunting task of checking the coronavirus pandemic .

The president ’ s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity , Mr Femi Adesina , in a statement , in Abuja , said Buhari made the call during an online meeting with the Governors ’ Forum .

The president disclosed that the PTF had briefed him on the next steps in the national response to the pandemic , “ and I have directed that they work very closely with the governors ” .

He said the pandemic was “beyond technology , power , and resources ” , noting that countries that had all those things were recording the highest casualties around the world .

“ We have to be very careful . We need to continue to educate and persuade the people to accept the reality of the situation, and do all that is necessary to stay safe , ” the president said .

The presidential aide revealed that the meeting also discussed economic and security issues , among others, and that the governors lauded the president on the “ leadership and direction ” he had given the country in combating COVID- 19 .

NAN

The Federal Government has announced an extension of the current partial lockdown of the country, saying the time is not ripe for it to relax its containment protocols against the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce PTF on Covid-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha announced in Abuja during the daily briefing of the Taskforce.

He said; “the reality is that in spite of the modest progress made, Nigeria is not yet ready for full opening of the economy and tough decisions have to be taken for the good of the greater majority. Any relaxation will only portend grave danger for our populace.​

“Advisedly, the current phase of eased restriction will be maintained for another two weeks during which stricter enforcement and persuasion measures will be pursued”.

Vanguard

The Federal Government has announced an extension of the current partial lockdown of the country, saying the time is not ripe for it to relax its containment protocols against the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce PTF on Covid-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha announced in Abuja during the daily briefing of the Taskforce.

He said; “the reality is that in spite of the modest progress made, Nigeria is not yet ready for full opening of the economy and tough decisions have to be taken for the good of the greater majority. Any relaxation will only portend grave danger for our populace.​

“Advisedly, the current phase of eased restriction will be maintained for another two weeks during which stricter enforcement and persuasion measures will be pursued”.

Vanguard