Armed Police personnel sealed the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress on the orders of the Inspector General of Police , Mohammed Adamu .
The PUNCH gathered that the IGP had scheduled a meeting with some of the feuding members of the party for 1 pm .
The Appellate Court sitting in Abuja last week upheld the suspension of the APC National Chairman , Adams Oshiomhole .
Chief Giadom is laying claims to the position of the APC National Chairman in an acting capacity . Butt some of his colleagues in the National Working Committee said the former governor of Oyo State , Senator Abiola Ajimobi , who is indisposed , is the Acting National Chairman .
Saudi Arabia has announced it will hold a “very limited ” hajj this year , with pilgrims already in the kingdom allowed to perform the annual ritual as it moves to curb the biggest coronavirus outbreak in the Gulf .
The decision marks the first time in Saudi Arabia’ s modern history that Muslims outside the kingdom have been barred from performing the hajj , which last year drew 2 . 5 million pilgrims .
The move to scale back the five- day event , scheduled for the end of July, is fraught with political and economic peril and comes after several Muslim nations pulled out of the ritual that forms one of the main pillars of Islam .
The kingdom’ s hajj ministry said the ritual will be open to various nationalities already in Saudi Arabia , but it did not specify a number.
“ It was decided to hold the pilgrimage this year with very limited numbers … with different nationalities in the kingdom, ” the official Saudi Press Agency said citing the ministry .
“ This decision is taken to ensure the hajj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective… and in accordance with the teachings of Islam . ”
The hajj – a must for able- bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime – could be a major source of contagion , as it packs millions of pilgrims into congested religious sites .
The decision comes as Saudi Arabia grapples to contain a major spike in infections , which have now risen to more than 161 , 000 cases — the highest in the Gulf — and over 1 , 300 deaths .
But despite the surge, Saudi Arabia on Sunday moved to end a coronavirus curfew across the kingdom and lift restrictions on businesses , including cinemas and other entertainment venues .
The announcement to hold a limited hajj will likely disappoint millions of Muslim pilgrims around the world who often invest their life savings and endure long waiting lists to make the trip .
But it will probably appease domestic pilgrims , who feared the ritual would entirely be cancelled for the first time in recent history.
“ Saudi Arabia has chosen the safest option that allows it to save face within the Muslim world while making sure they are not seen as compromising on public health , ” Umar Karim, a visiting fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London , told AFP.
US President Donald Trump will prolong a ban on US employment permits to year – end and broaden it to include H – 1 B visas used widely in the tech industry , the White House said.
A senior administration official told journalists the move would free up 525 , 000 jobs , making a dent in the high unemployment rate caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
“ President Trump is focused on getting Americans back to work as quickly as possible , ” the official said , on condition of anonymity .
Trump had endlessly touted a strong economy , but now finds himself desperate for a political boost ahead of the November election.
His executive order , signed, will extend and widen the 60 – day freeze Trump placed on new work permits for non – US citizens two months ago .
The administration official said the new order would extend to the end of 2020 and include H – 1 B visas provided to 85 , 000 workers each year with special skills , many of them joining the US technology industry .
It will also cover most J visas , common for academics and researchers , and L visas used by companies to shift workers based overseas to their US offices.
The official said the order was necessary to respond to soaring unemployment that resulted from the COVID- 19 shutdown .
The official also stressed the H – 1 B visa freeze was temporary while the program is restructured , shifting from an annual lottery that feeds coders and other specialists to Silicon Valley to a system the gives priority to those foreign workers with the most value.
Trump “is going to prioritize those workers who are offered the highest wages , ” as an indicator that they can add more value to the US economy , the official said .
“ It will eliminate competition with Americans … in these industries at the entry level , and will do more to get the best and the brightest . ”
The move also freezes most H – 2 B visas – used each year for about 66 , 000 short- term , low – skilled jobs in landscaping , food and hospitality industries – and H – 4 visas , which allow spouses of other visa holders to work.
Exemptions will apply to seafood processing plants and to au pairs, foreigners offering families household help like childcare .
In addition , the official said the government is issuing new regulations that will make it much harder for tens of thousands of asylum seekers waiting for their court hearings to work legally in the meanwhile .
With often a two – year wait for a case to be reviewed , the administration sees many people apply for asylum mainly to be able to acquire work permits.
South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham , normally a firm Trump supporter , criticised the decision and tweeted, “ Those who believe legal immigration , particularly work visas , are harmful to the American worker do not understand the American economy . ”
He added that he feared the president ’ s decision “will create a drag on our economic recovery” .
Layoffs caused by the coronavirus pandemic in the US passed 45 . 7 million last week, and although many jobs will come back as the country reopens, there are worries that some have been irrevocably lost by the heavy financial impact on businesses and local governments.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned earlier this month that unemployment could still be 9 . 3 percent nationwide at the end of the year , an improvement from the current 13 . 3 percent but still devastatingly high .
The Federal Government said it would carry out a simulation trial of domestic flight operations at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos on Saturday as it prepares to reopen the country’ s airspace to commercial flights .
It also assured Nigerians that airfares would not be outrageously high as speculated by many , based on plans to begin the social distancing rule onboard flights .
This came as the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority declared that it would submit the aviation restart plan to the Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 on Wednesday .
Speaking at briefing of the PTF in Abuja, the Minister of Aviation , Hadi Sirika, doused concerns about a possible hike in airfares when commercial flights resume .
“ Well , that ( airfare hike ) may not necessarily be the case , because as I speak to you , day in day out, we ’ ve been meeting with stakeholders in the industry to find out how best to open the industry , ” he said .
He added, “ So we are doing everything to ensure that tickets’ prices are not skyrocketed . They may be different but they will not be something that passengers cannot afford . ”
On the preparedness to open the airports for Flights , he said , “ Flight trials will be demonstrated on Saturday in Lagos airport ahead of the resumption of operations. ”
In a similar development , the Director – General , NCAA , Capt . Musa Nuhu , said during a stakeholders’ forum that the aviation sector restart plan would be submitted to the PTF on COVID- 19 on Wednesday , June 24 .
“ We are yet to get there but we are pretty close . The plan is that by Wednesday , we will submit our report to the PTF. I reiterate , we are pretty close , ” he stated .
Nuhu noted that the authority did not need to have all the airlines , airports or the ground handlers ready before it restarts the system .
The NCAA boss also stated that the non – operation of commercial flights had dragged down the authority’ s revenue by 90 to 95 per cent.
He said , “ We are almost ready. Like I said earlier , not all the airlines and airports have to be necessarily ready before the restart. If anything goes wrong , the NCAA will be held responsible.
“ Sometime this week, the proposed restart date will be made known . If the airports get it right , the airlines job will be made easier . The airlines that have disinfected their aircraft should show proof to NCAA. ”
The Chairman , NCAA COVID- 19 Committee , Godwin Balang , said the authority had to develop aviation restart guidelines on uncharted grounds , adding that it issued regulations in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation Standard and Recommended Practices .
Balang said , “ Restart and recovery guidelines are based on 10 key principles which are to protect people in harmonised but flexible measures ; and work as one aviation team and show solidarity . ”
Others, according to him , include to ensure essential connectivity ; manage safety , security and health related risks ; and make aviation public health measures work with aviation safety and security systems; etc.
The Federal Road Safety Corps has said the owners and drivers of the four articulated vehicles involved in a multiple crash along Lagos – Ibadan Expressway on Sunday will investigate and prosecuted .
The FRSC Corps Marshals , Dr Boboye Oyeyemi , disclosed this in a statement signed by the Corps Public Education Officer , Mr Bisi Kazeem .
Three tankers and one trailer were engulfed in an explosion on Kara bridge along the Lagos – Ibadan expressway on Sunday .
The Corps Marshal directed the Safety Engineering Unit of the Corps to commence a thorough investigation into the crash .
While emphatically stating that “ the situation is utterly unacceptable and must be brought to an end, the Corps Marshal “ immediately directed the Safety Engineering Unit of the Corps to commence a thorough investigation into the crash and the Corps Legal Adviser to activate immediate prosecution of both the vehicle owners and the drivers to serve as a deterrent to others” .
Oyeyemi , who decried the attendant loss of lives and damages to properties resulting from such avoidable crashes, expressed concern over the ugly incident .
He noted that irrespective of the series of engagements with the various Unions of tankers and trailers , as well as major stakeholders in the road transport sector , the country still experienced such ugly trends on the roads .
This , he said , was due to undue violation of maximum safety standards by both drivers and owners of these vehicles .
According to him , the corps has put in place more efforts to eradicate incidents of crashes on the road apart from several engagements with the transport unions and stakeholders.
“ I single – handedly delivered series of lectures on basic road safety ideals and the imperatives of maintaining maximum safety standards at all times .
“ I want to emphatically state that the situation is utterly unacceptable and must be brought to an end, ” he said .
The Kano State Government has vowed to clamp down on schools holding online examinations despite the closure of learning institutions occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic .
The government , in a statement by the state Education Ministry , also dismissed reports that it was considering the reopening of schools , describing it as “ fake ” .
It, however , said the ministry received proposed guidelines for school reopening from the Federal Ministry of Education for review.
“ Kano State, like other states , received a document from the Federal Ministry of Education containing proposed guidelines to be put in place whenever it is appropriate to re – open schools . The government was asked to review the document and give our input .
“ The Ministry of Education constituted an Ad- hoc Committee to undertake the assignment . Its input will be transmitted back to the Federal Education Ministry, ” the statement partly read .
The ministry stressed that online classes are encouraged in the state but directed all private schools to desist from conducting assessment tests and examinations online.
It explained , “Government has already suspended the second term academic activities, especially test and conduct of examinations .
“ A circular has been sent to school operators to halt the conduct of students ’ assessments and examinations .
“ However , we reliably gathered that some schools operating within the state refused to adhere to the circular. Some are conducting various forms of assessment to the extent of collecting 3 rd term school fees from parents and went as far as collecting huge amounts as cost of data. This is a clear violation of the directive given by the Kano State Government.
“ It is to be noted that the ministry has compiled list of violators and will soon invite owners of such schools for proper disciplinary . No one is above the law . ”
The Minister of state for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba , while answering questions from journalists during the press conference , faulted the reopening of schools by governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State .
According to him , the Ministry of Eduction did not give out any guideline to Oyo State to reopen schools , emphasising that like all other sub – nationals , governors were under the constitution of the Federal Government of Nigeria .
The Oyo State Government, last week, announced that the primary 6 pupils , the Junior Secondary School 3 , and the Senior Secondary School 3 students in the state would resume classes next Monday ( June 29 ) .
Makinde, who said that a team of experts were reviewing the pattern and progress made in the fight against the virus , said the opening of schools in the state was scheduled to be gradual .
The Presidential Task Force on COVID- 19 said on Monday it had started reviewing the guidelines for lifting of the ban on interstate travels .
Speaking at the daily press briefing of the PTF in Abuja , the National Coordinator of the task force , Dr Sani Aliyu , said the roads would be opened when the bus termini in the country all had COVID- 19 preventive measures in place.
Aliyu stated this as the PTF Chairman , Boss Mustapha , disclosed that the Federal Government would next week decide on its lockdown policies, including the ban on interstate movements .
The PTF coordinator said the guidelines submitted by the Minister of State for Transportation , Gbemisola Saraki, was being reviewed and the roads would be opened as soon as it is safe to do so .
He said , “ At the moment , we still have restrictions on interstate travel . But we have been linking up with the Federal Ministry of Transportation through the Minister of State for Transportation .
“They have given us guidelines that they have developed : very detailed guidelines, and we have looked at them, summarised them and discussed at PTF last week.
“We have asked the Minister of State for Transportation to please engage with the road transport workers to make sure that the usual garages and parks that we have are ready in terms of guidelines that we have in place such as physical distancing , reducing the number of passengers per vehicle and provision of hand washing facilities etc .
“And I believe they are already working on this and hopefully, we should be able to open as soon as it is safe to do so . ”
Aliyu expressed worry over the lack of compliance with safety protocols and urged states to increase the rate of their COVID – 19 testing also asked them to make laws to make the wearing of masks in public space mandatory .
FG to take decision month end
Meanwhile , Mustapha , said the Federal Government would at the end of the month take a crucial decision on the lockdown declared to curtail the spread of COVID- 19 .
Mustapha said , “At the beginning of the month of June , the PTF announced a one – month period for the implementation of the second phase of eased lock down .
“We have continued to monitor developments nationwide in order to take informed decisions at the end of the month . We have exactly eight days to that point of decision. ”
While answering a question on whether the government might consider a total lockdown again , Mustapha assured Nigerians that the decision that would be taken by month end would not any way amount to a change in strategy.
He said if there would be a change in strategy, it would be expected to come from the side of Nigerians .
The All Progressives Congress members in Oyo State under the aegis of the Oyo State Aspirants ’ Forum have declared a three- day fasting and prayer session for the former governor of the state , Senator Abiola Ajimobi .
Ajimobi , who is the Acting National Chairman of the APC, is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Lagos .
The APC forum , in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan , urged all its members to participate in the three- day fasting and prayer session effective Monday , June 22 .
The statement indicated that the former governor ’ s contribution to national development and the progress of the ruling party are most needed at this time than ever .
It also commiserated with families of the former chairman of the Alliance for Democracy in the state , Pa Samuel Farinu, and the former chairman of the APC in Oyo Central Senatorial District , Pa S . M Akindele , who passed on recently .
“ We pray for the repose of the duo of Pa Farinu and Akindele who were committed Awoists and core Progressives during their lifetime , ” the statement read .
The Federal Government has been urged to jettison its proposal to disengage the N-Power beneficiaries.
Appealing a press briefing in Umuahia, National Chairman of Isun Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Sir Isaac Nkole, said the move would be counter -productive.
He said that the scheme had made tremendous impacts in some key sectors of the economy such as agriculture and education; stressing that any idea to discontinue the programme “is ill-advised and makes no economic sense.”
Nkole noted that several university graduates had been engaged in teaching primary school pupils through N-Power, a development, he explained, had improved the quality of education in primary schools especially in rural communities.
He further argued that disengaging the beneficiaries after giving them hope and little succour for about four years would not only worsen the unemployment situation in the country but lead to increase in crime wave as well as suicide cases.
In his words; ” The introduction of N-Power stands out as one of the best policies of the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari. A lot of graduates have been engaged through the scheme. Some of them are in N-Teach, N-Agro, N-Tax and N-build. I appeal to President Buhari not to listen to anyone advising him to disengage the beneficiary as being speculated that the programme will be stopped by the 26th of this month.
“The questions are; If you disengage these graduates that are helping to improve the quality of education in primary schools, where do you want them to go? Is it to the over-saturated labour market or the crime industry?”
Nkole, however, urged the President not to make the mistake of laying off N-Power beneficiaries because of the grave implications of such action.
He rather urged the President to look for a way of permanently absorbing the beneficiaries into full civil service.
Nkole whose cooperative is in charge of disbursing the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Covid -19 loan to households and Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, in South East and South South geopolitical zones, applauded the President for the gesture.
Mr. Nkole who said the loan had seriously assisted several households recover from the harsh impacts of the covid -19 pandemic, disclosed that over 2000 persons had benefitted from the scheme in the zones.
Nkole who said Buhari’s administration had made appreciable efforts in the fight against poverty through some laudable programmes like Covid -19 loan, Trader Money, and N-Power, urged the President not to relent.
He promised that the Isun Cooperative Society as one of the accredited cooperative societies in the disbursement of the covid -19 loan, would ensure “it gets to the people in the grass roots equitably”.
“This is the first time the down trodden in society is getting interest -free federal loans without stress. It’s amazing and it has restored the hope of many homes today.”
Nkole who said beneficiaries in the household category got up to N500,000 per person payable after three years, advised them to invest the money wisely, noting that “it’s a loan and not grant”.
He hinted that disbursement for the SME category would soon commence, and commended Buhari for his commitment in eliminating poverty among Nigerians.
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