Why we can’t relaxed lockdown, says FG as Nigerian cases rise to 1,095

As Coronavirus cases hit to 1,095 as of yesterday the 24th April 2020, the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, have come up with reason why the lockdown measure should not be relaxed amid efforts to curb the virus pandemic.

You could recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, had on March 29 ordered a lockdown of the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and Ogun states for 14 days to curb COVID-19 spread. Many states had also followed.

However, as the number of COVID-19 cases increased, the President on April 13 extended the lockdown for 14 more days.

During a media briefing on Friday in Abuja, Chikwe Ihekweazu, the director of Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 said, it was not yet time to relax the lockdown.

He added that, although the lockdown was having negative effects on the economy as it was impeding Nigerians’ ability to go about their daily activities, he said it was vital to be patient and endure the lockdown further to ensure a safe and healthy society when the economy would be reopened.

He said, “We will eventually exit this stage and restart our normal life but that stage is still a while to come and I ask for your endurance, support and patience. Lots of efforts are going on across the world to find new therapy, to find vaccine.

“Everybody is pushing hard along this direction. We need unprecedented level of caution to continue carrying out the preventive measure that we have advised many times on this platform.

“Many families have not been able to bury their dead, rescheduled their marriages and baptism and everything they are doing. In a way, life is in suspense. Everyone recognises the sacrifice Nigerians have made but we really have to encourage one another to continue to a position where we can relax some of that (lockdown) but until we get to that place, we have to continue in the short term.

“We are working hard to reach a point where we can relax some of these measures but we are not there yet. We ask you to join us to continue this journey with us and amplify these messages that we are giving. We are happy to have the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress here with us today (Friday).”

Ihekweazu added that the citizens must remember that the most vulnerable people were the elderly and people with other illnesses.

“We must protect them. In protecting them, if they are living in the village, leave them there and support them with whatever resources you have. But please, now is not the time to encourage travelling,” he added.

Indian Refiners rejects Nigerian Crude oil

India’s Reliance Industries owner of the world’s biggest refining complex, saw its imports of Nigerian crude oil slump to zero in the first quarter of the year, compared to 9,800 barrels per day in Q1 2019.

India has remained the single largest buyer of Nigerian crude oil in the past few years after the United States slashed its imports from the country on the back of its shale oil production boom.

Reuters reported on Thursday that Reliance Industries imported 8.3 per cent less oil in March than in the same month of 2019, according to data from shipping and industry sources.

It said the March imports, at 1.24 million bpd, were 6.1 per cent per cent above the previous month’s.

Indian Refiners rejects Nigerian Crude oil

Reliance shipped in about 43 per cent of its imports from Latin America, slightly lower than about 43.5 per cent a year before, the data showed.

The share of Middle Eastern oil in its overall purchases rose to 43.19 per cent from about 37 per cent a year ago. Imports from the US declined to about 10 per cent from 13 per cent a year ago, the data showed.

No health worker should be dismissed at this time: Minister

Osagie-Ehanire

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has advised against removal or dismissal of any health workers at this period.

The minister gave the advice to health authorities on Friday during the daily briefing by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, in Abuja.

He said, “This is not the time for any doctor to be pulled out of service. We need all at this time, we need nurses, laboratory scientists, we need all hands on deck at this time.”

Responding to questions concerning the dismissal of a certain group of doctors, Ehanire added that although he is not aware of the incident, it will be investigated.

“With regards to the doctors who were dismissed, there must have been administration reasons which I don’t know about. It will be looked into by the board at the hospital,” he said.

Also applauding frontline health workers, he said, “We salute your courage and patriotism.”

“Protect yourselves as prescribed. Use your personal protective equipment judiciously. Do not attempt to treat COVID-19 patients without wearing adequate PPE or if your institution is not accredited to do so.

“This is important because we need to keep health workers safe at such a time and cannot afford an increase in number of those who test positive to COVID-19 and have to go into self-isolation.

“Remain vigilant in the line of duty and maintain high index of suspicion for this infection,” he said.

WHO appoints Okonjo-Iweala as COVID-19 Special Envoy

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has named the former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as a Special Envoy for the newly inaugurated Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator.

She is to serve alongside British business executive, Sir Andrew Witty in the same capacity, to mobilise international commitment to the initiative.

This was made known by the Director-General of the organisation, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, during the launch of the ACT Accelerator — via webinar from Geneva.

“I would especially like to thank Sir Andrew Witty and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for agreeing to act as Special Envoys for the ACT Accelerator,” Ghebreyesus said in his remarks.

Obaseki’s govt, a sinking ship as 5 commissioners dumped camp ahead of party’s primary

Ahead of Edo state governorship primaries billed for June, 2020, five influential Commissioners might have concluded plans to dumped the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Their decision to resign, Blueprint gathered was mainly due to internal squabbles within Obaseki’s government.

Tontrends further gathered that the commissioners are mainly from Edo North, the stronghold of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

A government source who craved for anonymity said, “The planned resignation may not be unconnected with the power-play by some “cabal” in the Obaseki-led government who have reportedly shut out every other person in the scheme of things.

“This is not going down well with many of the appointees; especially now that the governor appears to be helpless. And the commissioners now see the resignation as a way of getting back at the forces by aligning with Oshiomhole’s faction of the APC to stop the governor’s reelection bid.”

The internal squabbles was said to have heightened when Obaseki went into self-isolation after his contact with person who later tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).

His deputy, Phillip Shaibu and the Secretary to the Government, Barrister Osarodion Ogie were said to have taken charge of the affairs of government at the time.

Besides, the planned resignation of the commissioners is coming less than 24 hours after the governor’s Chief of Staff and trusted ally, Mr. Taiwo Akerele, threw-in his resignation letter over issues bordering “administrative and governance grounds.”

However, multiple sources have attributed his resignation to powerful forces in the administration who have continually undermined his office financially and politically in his Akoko-Edo local government.

But Mr. Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser to Obaseki on media, communication & strategy said, “The governor is yet to receive any official communication of the resignation of Chief of Staff, Taiwo Akerele.”

According to him, “While the governor has not received any formal communication to this effect, he believes that this is a personal decision of Mr. Akerele.

“However, whenever the resignation letter gets to the governor, he would accept it, and he wishes Akerele all the best in his future endeavours.”

Comedian AY Makun criticize those saying his wife groomed him

Popular Nigerian comedian, actor and movie producer, AY Makun blast those saying his wife, Mabel Makun groomed him

According to him, He said he hate lying tongues and his wife don’t have any hand in his success at the early stages HR hustle to make his money but she tried though

He wrote

“There is a rumour around Social Media projecting comments like ” Mabel try o”, “Jesus!”, “What is this?” and more. Pls look at the person in this picture and compare it to the person you watched in the previous video I posted. I hate lying tongues, especially when I am guilty”  Video Player

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Gov. Obaseki’s plea to Chief of Staff rejected as he move to demolish his property

L-R, Chief of Staff, Taiwo Akerele and Governor Godwin Obaseki

Edo state Governor Godwin Obaseki in a desperate attempt to prevail on Comrade Taiwo Akerele to debunk his earlier resignation letter, and resume his office as Chief of staff has proved abortive, according to ChrisOsaMedia’s report.

We can authoritatively report that Obaseki who was angered with the resignation of his COS have decided to furthermore coerce him to upturn the resignation by threatening to bring down his building, after just realising that the building has no certificate of occupancy (C of O)

The Governor’s threat as usual seems not to be an ordinary threat as he has already began to make preparations to effect the threat of demolition of Taiwo Akerele’s residential building on Friday night, haven exhausted all means to coerce the COS to rebut the news of his resignation.

The Caterpillars to demolish the building of the COS is currently underway to the residence.

The Governor as usual may be forced to resume the duty of parading thugs, this time against his former Chief of staff Taiwo Akerele who have been working tirelessly to ensure people supports the Governor’s return bid.

ChrisOsaMedia recalls that Obaseki was shocked with the development and pleaded with his COS not to resign at this critical moment, insinuating that his political enemies use it against him

Former Chief of staff Taiwo Akerele resigned on Friday after he tendered a resignation letter to the Governor based on administrative and governance grounds, with the SSG Osarodion Ogie and the Governor’s PA TJ hijacking his functions and duties as Chief of staff. Taiwo Akerele now former COS is obviously standing on his decision not to refute his decision.

JUST IN: ‘Nnamdi Kanu is already GONE’ – Kemi Olunloyo

Investigative journalist, Kemi Olunloyo has yet again declared Nnamdi Kanu ‘gone’.

The Nigerian journalist Kemi Olunloyo had ealier revealed Abba Kyari’s death before the federal government made it public. She brags of getting informations before everyone does. Days ago, she had declared Nnamdi Kanu’s death which IPOB later addressed as being false.

Today, via her twitter handle, Kemi reveals that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu is gone.

FG has restricted all international flights from Lagos, Abuja

Federal Government of Nigeria has finally banned all international flights from coming into Murtala Muhammad International Airport Lagos and Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja over fear of coronavirus.

The Government said it was part of the preventive measures taken to halt the spread of the virus in the country.

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, made this known to newsmen.

Ehanire stated that International flights will only go through the two airports until further notice.

In addition, the Federal Government of Nigeria has shut down, Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, and Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa following the recent outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

FDA Chief counters President Trump on claim of approving Chloroquine for treatment of coronavirus

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has countered President Donald Trump on claim of approving Chloroquine for treatment of coronavirus.

Recall that during a press briefing on Thursday March 19, Trump said the Food and Drug Administration had approved the “very powerful” drug chloroquine to treat coronavirus.

However the FDA debunked the claim in a post-briefing statement it released. Speaking from the same podium at a White House Press Conference, Steven Hahn, the FDA head contradicted Mr Trump, saying the president had “directed us to take a closer took” at whether the drug could help people with coronavirus.

Mr Hahn said;

“We want to do that in the setting of a . . . large pragmatic clinical trial to actually gather that information and answer the question that needs to be answered.”

In the post-briefing statement, the FDA said “there are no FDA-approved therapeutics or drugs to treat, cure or prevent COVID-19.”

The American regulatory agency added that because chloroquine has been approved for other purposes, doctors are legally allowed to prescribe it for the unapproved or “off-label” use of treating the coronavirus if they want. But its safety and effectiveness has not been proven with regard to the coronavirus.

The FDA further disclosed that they are working with government and academic entities that are investigating whether chloroquine can be used “to treat patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 to potentially reduce the duration of symptoms, as well as viral shedding, which can help prevent the spread of disease.”

Pregnant lady attempts suicide in Anambra after discovering her boyfriend is a married man

The police in Anambra state have arrested a 20-year-old pregnant lady identified as Oluchi Akabilo, for attempting to commit suicide after discovering her boyfriend is a married man.

A statement from the state police command spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, said Oluchi and her boyfriend had dated for a while. When she got pregnant, she discovered that the said boyfriend is a married man, and to make matters worse, he allegedly asked her to have an abortion.

Oluchi who became devasted after her boyfriend abandoned her, drank a liquid substance suspected to be insecticide in a bid to take her own life.

The statement reads

“On the 19/3/2020 at about 4pm, there was a report at Awada Police Station that a young girl later identified as one Oluchi Akabilo, 20, of Azia Street, Ngbuka-Obosi, allegedly drank a liquid substance suspected to be insecticide in a bid to take her own life.

The young girl allegedly got pregnant in a relationship with one Chinedu, surname unknown, who unknown to her is married with children. She became devastated upon the discovery of the marital status of her boyfriend. And to make matters worst, she was abandoned by the same man.

“The victim decided to buy poison to kill herself with part of the N10,000 allegedly given to her by the boyfriend to abort the pregnancy. She was rushed to the Hospital in Onitsha by the Police for medical attention and doctors are making frantic efforts to save her life.

“Investigation into the incident has commenced and effort is ongoing to get the fleeing boyfriend apprehended in order to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident.”