Obileye, known for his role in the movie ‘Hostages, reportedly died on Friday morning after battling an undisclosed ailment.
Confirming the development, Nigerian actor and comedian, Gbenga Adeyinka in a tribute on his Instagram page thanked the deceased for the good memories.
“If tears could build a stairway and memories were a lane, we would walk right up to heaven and bring you back again. “
“Rest In Peace Uncle Yomi Obileye. Thanks for the memories.
“I can’t help but want to watch “HOSTAGES” again. Sleep well Egbon and may God give your family and fans the fortitude to bear the loss,” he added.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo charged that China may have known of the new coronavirus as early as November, renewing accusations that Beijing has not been transparent and again drawing ire from China.
“You’ll recall that the first cases of this were known by the Chinese government maybe as early as November, but certainly by mid-December,” Pompeo said in an interview.
“They were slow to identify this for anyone in the world, including the World Health Organization,” he told conservative radio host Larry O’Connor.
Pompeo said the United States still wanted more information from China including the original sample of the SARS-CoV-2 virus detected in the metropolis of Wuhan.
“This issue of transparency is important not only as a historical matter to understand what happened back in November and December and January, but it’s important even today,” Pompeo said.
“This is still impacting lots of lives here in the United States and, frankly, around the world.”
China hit back on Friday, saying Pompeo’s remarks were “totally groundless and entirely for the purpose of blaming others”.
Pompeo’s comments ran “counter to the general consensus of the global community”, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily press briefing, adding that China had “provided timely information to the world” and actively cooperated with others.
China initially closely guarded information of the virus and silenced whistleblowers. The first official acknowledgement of what became a global pandemic came on December 31 when authorities in Wuhan reported mysterious cases of pneumonia.
Michael Ryan, emergencies director at the World Health Organization, said the UN body first spoke of an event in Wuhan on January 4 via Twitter and provided “detailed information” the following day to all member countries.
President Donald Trump’s administration has harshly criticized both China and the WHO, blaming them for not stopping the illness that has killed more than 180,000 people worldwide.
Critics say that Trump is seeking to deflect from his own handling of the coronavirus, which he claimed to have “totally under control” in January but has since killed nearly 50,000 people in the United States — more than any other country.
Pompeo has previously not ruled out that the virus originated in a virology laboratory in Wuhan and has demanded international access to it.
China has dismissed the theory. Its scientists have said that the virus probably was transmitted to humans at a meat market in Wuhan that butchered exotic animals, though Chinese officials have more recently cast doubt about its origins.
The Management of the University of Benin , Edo State has directed the compulsory use of face masks on its campus to curtail the spread of coronavirus .
The varsity’ s Public Relations Officer , Dr Benedicta Ehanire , announced the directive in a statement issued on Friday in Benin .
Ehanire said , “This is in line with the Edo State Government’ s policy , in the efforts to check the spread of COVID- 19 in the state.
“ Staff , residents, and visitors to UNIBEN campuses are hereby advised to comply with this directive .
“ No one should transact any business or engage in any form of interaction with others in the offices and within the public spaces without a face mask .
“ Everyone is enjoined to cooperate with security personnel, charged with carrying out infrared thermometer testing at the gates. ”
Ehanire advised the general public to obey the directives of the Federal Government by practising social distancing , washing of hands frequently and staying at home.
Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs has announced that Ramadan will start on Friday , April 24 .
The NSCIA President – General and Sultan of Sokoto , Muhammad Sa ’ ad Abubakar , announced this in a broadcast .
He confirmed that the new moon was sighted on Thursday in different parts of the country, meaning that Ramadan will start on Friday in Nigeria , according to reports .
He said the reports of the moon sighting were received from Muslim leaders and organisations across the country.
He said , “ After due verification and authentication by the national moon sighting committee and states committees ’ confirmation , as well as routine scrutiny , I hereby announce the sighting of the new moon of Ramadan signifies the end of Sha ’ aban 1441 AH .
” In accordance with Islamic law , the Muslim faithful are to commence fasting on Friday accordingly . ”
Meanwhile , the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan also starts on Friday in Saudi Arabia and most Arab countries .
Other Arab countries who have also announced that Ramadan will start on Friday include Kuwait , Qatar , Tunisia , Lebanon , Egypt , the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq ’ s Sunni Muslim minority .
Italy began conducting antibody tests in the northern region of Lombardy , seeking information about coronavirus immunity to help guide authorities as they reopen the long locked – down country.
Lombardy , the region hardest- hit by the coronavirus crisis in Europe ’ s worst – affected country, is betting that the science about “ herd immunity ” derived from the blood tests will help the prosperous industrial region return to work faster and safer.
Nearly 13 , 000 people have already died of the virus in densely populated Lombardy , whose capital is Milan — more than half of Italy ’ s total dead .
Although Germany has already started nationwide antibody tests and countries such as Finland and Britain have announced plans to roll them out , many questions remain about how reliable data derived from the tests will be .
Health authorities have said 20 , 000 tests would be performed every day in Lombardy . First to be tested are those in the worst – hit provinces : health workers , those under quarantine showing coronavirus symptoms and those they have been in contact with , as well as others with mild symptoms .
Authorities hope to roll out the tests to the wider region after April 29 .
The head of Italy ’ s National Health Council , Franco Locatelli , said last month that antibody tests would help authorities determine the spread of the coronavirus .
Data would also provide “ very relevant information on herd immunity ” which would useful in developing strategies to help restart the country, he said , such as who could be allowed to go back to work.
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.
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.”
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 .
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.
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 . ”
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