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The Lagos State Government has said worship centres would remain closed in the state.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said this on Friday during a televised briefing at Alausa Ikeja.

He said the worship centres are to “remain shut until further notice”.

Sanwo-Olu also reiterated that “all restrictions applying to mass gatherings will remain in force”.

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He added, “Places of worship will remain closed in Lagos State, until further notice.

“All social and events centers, and social clubs, will also remain closed, for now.

“All bars, day and night clubs, cinemas, games arcades, beaches, and beach fronts, gyms and spas continue to remain closed.

“Eateries and restaurants are to continue to open as normal for takeout only. In-dining is still prohibited.”

The Governor directed civil servants from Grade Level 1 to 12 to continue working from home and improve themselves through dedicated online Learning Management Systems portals.

Sanwo-Olu stressed that the government would now be strict in enforcing the use of face mask in public places.

He said, “At this phase in the evolution of the pandemic in our society, taking personal responsibility is now more important than ever, not only for self-protection, but also for protecting other people, including your loved ones.

Punch

The Police Service Commission has approved the promotion of 6,618 senior Police Officers.

An Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Olushola Oyebade, currently at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Jos, Plateau State, was promoted to the next rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Police to represent the South-West geopolitical zone in the police management team.

The promotions were one of the highpoints of the 8th plenary meeting of the commission which spanned a period of three weeks and ended on Wednesday.

It was presided over by the Commission’s Chairman, Musiliu Smith, a retired Inspector-General of Police.

According to a statement by the PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, four Commissioners of Police including one specialist, were promoted to the rank of AIG.

They are Aisha Abubakar, CP, Veterinary Department, Asuquo Amba, former CP in charge of Bayelsa State Command, and currently CP, Ekiti State Command, Nekereuwem Akpan, and former CP, Cross Rivers State Command, Olafihan Adeoye, who is currently in charge of the Anti-Terrorism squad.

The commission also approved the promotion of three Deputy Commissioners of Police to the next rank of commissioners of police.

The statement read, “Eight Superintendents of Police including Omoruyi Godwin, Clifford Okwor and Uchendu Ngozi of Anambra State Command were promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police.

“Six hundred and seven Deputy Superintendents of Police were also elevated to the rank of Superintendent of Police.”

The commission also promoted 206 ASPs to DSPs and 5,786 Inspectors to ASP II.

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The Police Service Commission has approved the promotion of 6,618 senior Police Officers.

An Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Olushola Oyebade, currently at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Jos, Plateau State, was promoted to the next rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Police to represent the South-West geopolitical zone in the police management team.

The promotions were one of the highpoints of the 8th plenary meeting of the commission which spanned a period of three weeks and ended on Wednesday.

It was presided over by the Commission’s Chairman, Musiliu Smith, a retired Inspector-General of Police.

According to a statement by the PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, four Commissioners of Police including one specialist, were promoted to the rank of AIG.

They are Aisha Abubakar, CP, Veterinary Department, Asuquo Amba, former CP in charge of Bayelsa State Command, and currently CP, Ekiti State Command, Nekereuwem Akpan, and former CP, Cross Rivers State Command, Olafihan Adeoye, who is currently in charge of the Anti-Terrorism squad.

The commission also approved the promotion of three Deputy Commissioners of Police to the next rank of commissioners of police.

The statement read, “Eight Superintendents of Police including Omoruyi Godwin, Clifford Okwor and Uchendu Ngozi of Anambra State Command were promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police.

“Six hundred and seven Deputy Superintendents of Police were also elevated to the rank of Superintendent of Police.”

The commission also promoted 206 ASPs to DSPs and 5,786 Inspectors to ASP II.

Punch

The Lagos State Government has reopened schools for students in “transitional classes”.

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu made this known in a televised press briefing on Saturday.

He said that “0nly students in transitional classes (Basic Six, JSS 3 and SS3) are permitted to resume from Monday, 3rd of August, 2020. It applies only to day schooling.”

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THE Military High Command disclosed in Abuja that after five years of fighting against insurgency and armed banditry, it has not been able to arrest or locate the sponsors or financiers of Boko Haram or armed bandits.

Repeatedly, Nigerians have asked where Boko Haram terrorist group or bandits were getting very sophisticated and expensive weaponry like latest models of General Purpose Machine Guns, AK 47 rifles, Anti-Aircraft Guns and several Gun Trucks with which they terrorise the North East and attack communities.

Major General John Enenche, Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, in reply to the question said: “We as the ones fighting in the several battlefronts have been neutralising the terrorists and bandits, destroying the logistics and communications facilities and arresting the terrorist’s collaborators. But we have not seen the sponsors.

“We do see those rustling cattle and selling them. This issue about their sponsors or financiers is beyond the military. At the military level, we don’t know their sponsors. If we know, they will be tracked. The National Intelligence Agency, NIA and the Department of State Security, DSS, will trace them.

“What I will say is that however long it takes, they (sponsors and financiers) will be tracked and arrested”.

On why it is difficult to wipe out the terrorists and other criminal elements from Sambisa Forest after so many years, especially with the air bombardment by the Air Task Force and the artillery bombardment by ground troops, Gen Enenche said though several terrorists enclaves, command centres and ammunition stores have been destroyed with scores killed, you cannot just wipe out Sambisa Forest because people leave there, there are communities inside.

“Yes, the factor of Boko Haram and ISWAP criminals mingling with the people is there. There are collaborators. But a good number of our own people (Nigerians) are there. That is why Sambisa is difficult to wipe out. It becomes genocide and there are consequences.

“Again, anytime the security agencies carry out a major operation in Sambisa forest, neutralising the terrorists, destroying their hideouts, the people run away to escape collateral damage but after some time, they go back to the communities, saying that is their home, where they were born, the home of their fathers.”

Vanguard

The federal government went spiritual in its bid to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, saying it has partnered with the Nigerian Interreligious Council NIREC to declare a season of prayer and fasting in the country.

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

The SGF added that schools have not been reopened, explaining that only those in exit classes have been asked to return for revision, preparatory to writing their terminal examinations.

According to the SGF, it has become pertinent to call on Nigerians to seek the face of God in order to end the pandemic.

​”In furtherance of the synergy being built, the Co-Chairmen of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council NIREC, His Eminence Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, the Sultan of Sokoto/President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and His Eminence Rev. Dr. Samson O. A. Ayokunle, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria CAN, would be directing Muslim and Christian adherents all over the country to go in for a period of fasting and prayer.

“The NIREC will announce the details and we urge all Nigerians to participate in this effort to seek divine intervention”, he said

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers has given the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to rehabilitate the bad roads across the country.

NUPENG also asked the government to immediately address the issue of multiple roadblocks and extortions from all security agents or the union might be forced to embark “on a serious industrial action to drive home our case.”

The National President, Prince Williams Akporeha, at the end of the union’s virtual National Executive Council meeting , said, “We wish to urgently draw the attention of the Federal Government to the harrowing experiences of the owners of petroleum trucks in the country.

“The only means of moving petroleum products across the country is by roads, using the trucks. We can confidently tell you that this means of distribution is presently endangered and require urgent Federal Government stimulus intervention fund to prevent it from total collapse.”

According to him, most of the nation’s highways are becoming death traps for the union’s members, most especially Calabar-Itu-Uyo, Port-Harcourt-Aba, Mokwa-Jebba-Kaduna, Port-Harcourt-Owerri, Warri-Benin-Auchi-Okene-Lokoja stretch of the country.

He said, “We are shocked at the lackadaisical attitude of local, states and federal governments to the issues of addressing the degenerating state of Nigeria roads before the coming of the current raining season despite all our warnings for them to make necessary construction, repairs and maintenance of all our roads, which are now in a parlous state and becoming practically impassable.

“The issue of bad roads is further compounded by the various security agencies who now set up multiple checkpoints on these deplorable roads to further exploit and extort money from motorists. Petroleum tanker drivers are the worst hit by the exploitative tendencies of these unscrupulous security agencies.

“The brazen extortion of our members, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic was really disconcerting and unfortunate.”

Punch

The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency has announced a new price band of N 140. 80 to N143 . 80 per litre for Premium Motor Spirit , also known as petrol .

The PPPRA, in a circular dated July 1 , 2020 to marketers , said , “ After a review of the prevailing market fundamentals in the month of June and considering marketers ’ realistic operating costs , as much as practicable , we wish to advise a new PMS pump price band of N140 . 80 -N143 . 80 per litre for the month of July 2020 .

“ All marketers are advised to operate within the indicative prices as advised by the PPPRA. ”
The agency had on May 31 , 2020 announced a price band of N 121 . 50 to N123 . 50 per litre for the product .

Sources at the Abuja headquarters of the agency said the rise in petrol price for July was primarily due to the increase in global crude oil prices, as PMS had been deregulated .

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The National Union of Road Transport Workers , says it is not the intention of the union or its place to increase the cost of transportation in the country .

Mr Kabiru Yau , Acting General Secretary of the union , in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria said the vehicle owners rather than the workers union were responsible for any increase .

Yau was reacting to an earlier publication in the media where the union requested for government ‘ s support in the form of Transport Subsidy or it will increase the cost of transport .

NAN reports that the COVID- 19 guidelines by the government required commercial vehicles to carry fewer passengers than normal on each trip , thereby reducing the income of the motorist.

“ Following an earlier statement that we ( NURTW ) will increase transport cost due to the Coronavirus guidelines by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control .

“ I wish to state that the NURTW is a workers union that has the interest of Nigeria and the general public at heart .

“ It is not our intention or in our place to increase the cost of transportation in the country . The car owners are the ones saddled with that responsibility .

“ The union will continue to do everything within its power to ensure the peace and safety of travellers and Nigerians , ” Yau added .

NAN

The National Assembly has announced the suspension of the Special Public Works programme under the National Directorate of Employment to cushion the effect of COVID- 19 pandemic .

The President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari , had approved the engagement of 774 , 000 Nigerians under the scheme.

By the arrangement , 1 , 000 Nigerians who would earn N20 , 000 each on a monthly basis for three months are expected to be recruited in each of the 774 local government areas , of the country.

The programme was expected to take off in October this year .

But the nation’ s parliament said the programme has been suspended following the disagreement between it and the Minister of State for Employment, Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo , on Tuesday .

The spokesperson for the Senate, Ajibola Basiru , who announced the suspension of the programme at a press conference in Abuja , said the National Assembly has summoned the Minister in charge of the Ministry to appear before the federal legislature , to explain the recruitment modalities.

He said , “ In view of the foregoing , the implementation of the programme shall be on hold pending proper briefing of the National Assembly by the Minister of Labour and Productivity . ”