The Federal Government says banks will open for commercial operations in Abuja , Lagos and Ogun States beginning Monday , May 4 .
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 , Dr Sani Aliyu , disclosed in an ongoing update in Abuja monitored newsmen .
Aliyu said banks would be allowed to open between 8 am and 2 pm in the three places .
He said , “In terms of the banks , this continues to be a recurring issue for all of us . We have been in touch with the CBN governor.
“ Moving on from Monday , banks will open and they will operate normal services from 8 am to 2 pm . That is six hours but there will be the usual restrictions would expect , for instance , self – distancing and the use of temperature monitors, hand hygiene , and making sure the capacities of banking halls are restricted so that people do not come together . ”
Lagos State Health Commissioner, Prof Akin Abayomi , says the coronavirus infection affects the kidney and the blood .
He made this known during a programme on Arise News .
The commissioner warned that obese , diabetic, and hypertensive persons should be “ very careful ” as their condition pose a likely risk of being infected with the lethal virus .
“ There are new discoveries about the COVID- 19 virus . For instance , it is not a straightforward respiratory problem . We have found out that it impacts the blood , the kidneys .
“ The common denominator are diabetes , hypertension , and underlying immunological problems . Obesity is also a possible risk factor . We watch such people closely . If you fall into any of these categories , you have to be very careful , ” he said .
TO cushion the effect of hardship following the lockdown of the state, the federal government has directed delivery of 100 trucks of palliatives comprising mainly foodstuff to Kano.
This is in addition to the ten trucks of grains delivered to the state two weeks ago for onward distribution to the needy.
The government, through the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, dispatched the 100 trucks of the palliative to the Kano State Government for distribution to the needy, vulnerable and people of concern in the state.
A statement , by Salisu Danbatta, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Farouq, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, delivered 100 trucks of in addition to the “ten trailer-loads of parboiled rice to the state government about two weeks ago.”
Mrs Farouq, the statement explained, “directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to deliver 100 trucks of grains to five locations in Kano State for distribution to poor and vulnerable households on the instruction of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The grains in 100 trailers now on their way to Kano, comprise millet, sorghum and maize, which were released from silos holding the country’s strategic food reserve located across the country,” it said.
The statement read further: “It could be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to release 70,000 metric tons of food for distribution to less-privileged Nigerians to cushion the effect of the lockdown aimed at checking the spread of the killer-disease triggered by COVID-19 in Nigeria.
“The Minister emphasised that one of the humanitarian interventions provided by the Federal Government is the delivery of food items as palliatives to the poor and vulnerable in all states affected by the Covid-19 pandemic to ease the lockdown situation.
Sadiya Farouq assured the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Engineer Mustapha Maihaja that: “The Ministry will continue to work closely with all the agencies under its purview, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in discharging its mandates, including providing effective coordination of humanitarian interventions both nationally and internationally for the benefit of the citizens of this country, especially during this Covid-19 Pandemic.
“She highlighted the need for the Agency to work closely with the Ministry and its sister agencies in all the states in monitoring the effective distribution of the palliatives to ensure that the food items reach the intended beneficiaries, especially in states under lockdown.
“In his remark, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Engr Mustapha Maihaja assured the Minster that the Agency will work closely with State Governments to ensure the effective monitoring and accountability in distributing the palliatives, and thanked the Minister for the visit and her support to NEMA in discharging its duties for the benefit of Nigerians.”
The Federal Government will now borrow N1.59 trillion from the domestic market to fund the Budget 2020, instead of the N794.99 billion earlier contained in the budget.
This follows the conversion of the N850 billion earlier approved for external borrowing in the budget to domestic borrowing.
The Debt Management Office (DMO) explained, that the decision was taken in view of effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the international capital.
The DMO disclosed this in a statement, saying, “The 2020 Appropriation Act approves the N1.594 trillion as New Borrowing to finance the deficit in the budget.
“This was made up of N794.99 billion domestic borrowing and N850 billion external borrowing.
“With a COVID-19 pandemic and attendant effects on the world economy and the international capital market, the Federal Government re-appraised its borrowing plan and decided it will be more expedient to raise the N850 billion earlier approved as external borrowing from domestic sources.
“This conversion from external to domestic is to ensure that the implementation of the 2020 Appropriation Acton is not jeopardised by lack of funds.
“Thus the N850 billion is not new or incremental borrowing. Rather it is an amendment of the source of borrowing from external to domestic.”
“With this change, the total new domestic borrowing under the 2020 Appropriation becomes N1,594 trillion which is the same as the total new borrowing in the 2020 Appropriation Act.
“For compliance with the law, his Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, forwarded the request to the Senate and House of Representatives to convert the source for raising the N850 billion from external to domestic.
“The Senate approved the request on Tuesday, April 28 2020, while the approval of the House of Representatives is expected.
“Upon approval of the request by the House of Representatives, the Debt Management Office will issue FGN Securities in the domestic market to the N850 billion, thereby providing high-quality investment opportunities for the investing public.”
The Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved Nigeria’s request for $3.4 billion in emergency financial assistance under the fund’s Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) to support the federal government’s efforts in addressing the severe economic impact of the COVID-19 economic shock and the drastic fall in oil prices.
This would bring a sigh of relief to fiscal and monetary authorities as the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, awaits another $3.5 billion in support loans from the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
RFI, which is given to member countries without the strings and conditionalities attached to an IMF formal programme, is being disbursed immediately “in a matter of days, and will boost the foreign currency reserves of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and give monetary authorities the required firepower as it moves towards convergence and stability of the exchange rate in a time of supply and demand shocks,” analysts said.
The Washington-based institution disclosed this in a statement by its Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, Mr. Mitsuhiro Furusawa.
IMF Executive Board approved Nigeria’s request for emergency financial assistance of Special Drawing Right (SDR) 2,454.5 million (US$ 3.4 billion, 100 per cent of quota) under RFI to meet the urgent balance of payment needs stemming from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The latest approval by IMF is the largest allocation to member countries, so far, to assist in the fight against the pandemic.
The multilateral institution pointed out that the COVID-19 outbreak had magnified existing vulnerabilities, leading to a historic contraction in Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and to large external and fiscal financing needs.
Furusawa explained: “The COVID-19 outbreak—magnified by the sharp fall in international oil prices and reduced global demand for oil products—is severely impacting economic activity in Nigeria.
“These shocks have created large external and financing needs for 2020. Additional declines in oil prices and more protracted containment measures would seriously affect the real and financial sectors and strain the country’s financing.
“The authorities’ immediate actions to respond to the crisis are welcome. The short-term focus on fiscal accommodation would allow for higher health spending and help alleviate the impact of the crisis on households and businesses. Steps taken toward a more unified and flexible exchange rates are also important and unification of the exchange rate should be expedited.”
He advised the federal government that once the COVID-19 crisis passes, the focus should remain on medium-term macroeconomic stability, with revenue-based fiscal consolidation essential to keep the country’s debt sustainable and create fiscal space for priority spending.
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has cautioned the federal and state governments against any bid to slash workers’ salaries on the excuse of the economic crisis occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It urged all its affiliate unions and state branches to resist any salary deduction.
As part of measures to restart the economy, NLC advised the federal and state governments to intensify testing, contact tracing, public fumigation and robust public health education.
It also urged the federal government to build at least a test centre in each state.
NLC President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, cautioned employers against tampering with workers’ salaries, adding that this is not the time to stop or deduct from workers’ salaries.
Wabba, at the commemoration of the 2020 International Workers’ Memorial Day in Abuja, said such an action “would be both illogical and illegal as workers’ salaries are core elements of employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements.”
“This is not the time to stop or deduct from workers’ salaries. Such an action would be both illogical and illegal as workers’ salaries are core elements of employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements.
“We have asked our affiliates and state councils to resist any salary deduction on the account of COVID-19,” he said.
Wabba explained that the current crisis requires employers of labour to show solidarity with the workers.
The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba , has said that despite the announcement by the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd ) , on a gradual relaxation of the lockdown on Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states , the Federal Ministry of Education could not foresee or give any date when schools will be resuming in the country .
Nwajiuba said this while responding to newsmen during a briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 pandemic in Abuja .
The minister said , “ The President actually addressed the issue of the opening of the economy gradually . Until that is done , we can ’ t foresee or immediately tell you when all the schools will be reopened . It will not be proper for us to simply give you a date . It has to be in tandem with these opening terms . We don ’ t want to put our children at risk. None of these schools can function on their own without the society.
“ On the question of children promoting to the next class , those exams will happen when we are satisfied that the children have learnt what is enough for them to move. For those who are in the exit classes of junior basic and senior secondary schools , we are preparing them and will continue to .
“ This will go on until we are sure that they are equipped for the external examinations . The West African Examinations Council has not cancelled their external exams . It was postponed indefinitely . This indefinite nature is so that we can get a definite date . Students will still have to go and take those exams when we are sure that we have taken good care of the pupils . ”
Meanwhile , the Federal Capital Territory Administration Education Secretariat has cautioned schools against re- opening, noting that it had not issued any directive for resumption of academic activities.
The acting Secretary for Education, FCTA, Umaru Marafa , in a statement on Tuesday , affirmed that the directive closing all schools at the outset of the COVID- 19 pandemic explicitly stated that it would be in effect “ until further notice . ”
The President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ), discussed with his US counterpart , Donald Trump , on the telephone .
Reports gathered shows that their discussion was centred on the fight against coronavirus.
The Personal Assistant to the President , Bashir Ahmad , disclosed this on his Twitter handle .
He tweeted , “ President Muhammadu Buhari had a phone conversation with the US President Donald Trump today , the two leaders discussed Nigeria ’ s efforts to defeat the COVID– 19 Pandemic , and President Trump pledged US support and solidarity . # COVID19 Nigeria ”
Also confirming the telephone conversation , the Minister of Information and Culture , Lai Muhammed , said it was on the request of Trump.
He described the conversation between the presidents as cordial .
He said , “ President @ MBuhari today had a phone conversation with President Donald Trump , at the request of the American President . The conversation centred on Nigeria ’ s response to the # COVID19 pandemic ” -HMIC , Alh. Lai Mohammed
“ President Buhari used the opportunity to brief the American President on the steps that Nigeria is taking to contain the spread of the disease .
“ For his part , President Trump assured that the United States stands in solidarity with Nigeria in this difficult time and promised to send ventilators to support the country in its fight against the pandemic . President Trump also extends his best regards to the people of Nigeria . ”
Germany has announced another financial intervention to assist Nigeria in its response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Announcing in a statement via
Twitter , the country said it is providing € 5 . 5 million this time to support vulnerable people in Nigeria ’ s North – Eastern states of Borno , Adamawa and Yobe .
The statement read , “ Germany provides an additional € 5 . 5 million ( c . 2 . 2 bn Naira ) to the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Nigeria to continue life- saving aid in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States in the context of the COVID- 19 crisis .
“ Ongoing activities include drilling of wells , construction of sanitation facilities , rehabilitation of buildings or construction of shelters for internally displaced persons and other victims of insecurity in the North East .
“ This brings Germany ’ s contribution to the NHF to a tota of € 29 million since it became operational in May 2017 , making Germany a major donor to the NHF over the past three years . ”
The country also pledged € 12 million to West Africa Health Organisation and Economic Community of West Africa States for the purchase of vital medical supplies and laboratory equipment , training measures , amongst other response to the pandemic in the region .
It added that it was providing the Nigeria Police Force with € 20 , 000 worth personal protective equipment including hand disinfectant , protective clothing , surface disinfectant , face masks, clinical thermometers and gloves, adding that the materials would be handed over in Abuja shortly .
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, 41 confirmed cases of COVID- 19 has been recorded in Borno , one in Adamawa while Yobe has no reported case yet .
The Federal Government has declared, May 1 , 2020 , as a public holiday to mark this year ’ s International Workers ’ Day Celebration.
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola , made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government in a statement by signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry , Georgina Ehuriah .
In the statement , Aregbesola commended Nigerian workers “ for their resilience , patience and understanding , particularly in their support at stemming the spread of COVID- 19 ” .
Aregbesola who further thanked Nigerians and the labour force for their “sacrifices in the present period of trial ” , assured that their “ commitment and patience will complement the efforts being made by Government and other stakeholders to ensure the speedy control of the virus ” .
He said , “ With the cooperation of every citizen, as well as strict adherence to the measures being put in place by relevant authorities , the challenges being faced by Nigerians as a result of the disease , would soon be put behind. ”
The Minister added that “ the economy of the country will rebound and be stronger after the COVID- 19 experience , taking cognisance of the various economic stabilisation efforts by the Federal Government” .
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