Plateau Senator, Ignatius Longjan, dies at 75 in Turkish Hospital

     The Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District, Ignatius Longjan, has died. Longjan who was 75 years old, died in a Turkish hospital after battling an undisclosed ailment. Confirming his demise, the former Chief of Staff of the deceased, John Dafa’an, said.

EFCC arraigns Adoke on fresh money laundering charges

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday arraigned the immediate-past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), on fresh money laundering charges. Adoke was arraigned alongside Aliyu Abubakar.

   Both men are standing trial alongside others at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Gwagwalada, Abuja, in respect of the Malabu Oil scam. They pleaded not guilty to the fresh seven counts read to them before Justice Binta Nyako at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.

60 more test positive for coronavirus on Diamond Princess cruise ship

    A quarantined cruise ship has 60 more cases of the deadly coronavirus than first feared. Japan's health minister said there are now 130 confirmed cases on the Diamond Princess. It is being quarantined in the port of Yokohama, near Tokyo, with officials previously saying 70 people had the virus among the 3,711 passengers and crew.

'Parasite' makes history with Best Picture win at 2020 Oscars

 

   Parasite shocked as it earned Best Picture while Renee Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix, Laura Dern and Brad Pitt completed their award season sweep at the Oscars on Sunday night.

Presidency fires back at Northern Elders Forum over verdict on Buhari, says it is a "quasi-organization with no credible membership"

 

    The Presidency has fired back at the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) after it alleged that ”poverty, particularly in the North and massive social security have worsened under Buhari’s administration.”

 Addressing newsmen at the end of a meeting convened by its chairman and former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Prof. Ango Abdullahi, the group said it is difficult to see how ''Buhari can accept the challenge to radically improve his handling of our security situation and also improve the lives of Nigerians.''


The statement read in parts;



“It has become necessary and appropriate, however, to make public, the position of the forum on important matters that affect the manner Nigerians live, and the future we must address.

“The forum regrets that by any standard of judgement, the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has failed the nation in the vital area of improving its security.

“The relationship between insecurity and poverty is fundamental, but the administration does not appear to have any idea on what will provide relief or solution.

“It gives the forum no pleasure to say that it had warned Nigerians that President Buhari lacked the will, the competence and commitment to lead it into a secure and prosperous future before the 2019 elections.

“It is shocking that in spite of unprecedented consensus among Nigerians that the administration requires a new resolve, approach and leadership in the fight against the nation’s multiple security challenges, President Buhari appears either totally isolated or in deep denial over the result of his failures to secure Nigerians.

"It is difficult to see how Buhari can accept the challenge to radically improve his handling of our security situation.

"There should be a thorough overhaul of the leadership of our security and public safety agencies, and the injection of higher levels of competence, integrity and accountability in the manner our troops and the police and security agencies deal with security challenges”



On 2023 election, the group stated;

Governor Obaseki orders arrest of his former aide

  Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has ordered the arrest of one of his former aides, John Mayaki. Mayaki, a Prince from Igarra royal family, was the first Acting Chief Press Secretary to Obaseki at the inception of his administration. He however left the government under unclear circumstances.

According to a statement from the office of the Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media and Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, “the Police in Edo state weekend contacted the family of John Mayaki in Akoko-Edo local government area, through High Chief J.M. Akpeji, the Otu of Igarra, to submit their son to the police custody failing which the nonagenarian would be arrested.

We‘re ready to contain Coronavirus, if it breaks out in Nigeria – Health Minister

 

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Osagie Ehanire, says Lagos State, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, is well prepared and ready to contain the novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infectious disease, if eventually it breaks out in Nigeria.

  Ehanire gave this assurance on Sunday, while briefing newsmen after inspecting facilities at the Emergency Response Readiness designated for the Coronavirus victims at the Mainland Hospital, Yaba in Lagos. “I can say that Lagos State is well prepared; there is high level of readiness here, and also the awareness is there,” he said. Enahire, therefore, commended the state government for its level of preparedness against the outbreak of any infectious disease in the state.

While expressing satisfaction at the infrastructure put in place, he said that the state, considering its vulnerability to infectious disease, had learnt lessons from the Ebola episode of 2014, and reflected the experience in its level of preparedness. “It is quite clear that Lagos has a clear-cut edge in managing infectious diseases and preparedness.

“I am extremely happy that Lagos is equipped in the area of knowledge built from the foundation it obtained from the 2014 Ebola outbreak which the state managed properly,” Ehanire said. The minister, who also inspected the state Bio-bank located inside the Mainland Hospital, lauded the state government for deploying additional 30 health personnel to assist with surveillance at the ports entry.

“I am impressed that the state has taken science to a very modern and admirable level. This is obviously a place where lot of lessons will be learnt,” he said. The minister said that the Federal Government would continue to collaborate with the state on knowledge sharing and support team. Earlier, Prof. Akin Abayomi, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, said that the state had been working assiduously to prevent an import of CoronaVirus into the state.

   Abayomi said that the state government was ramping up its preparedness for containment should there be an outbreak. “Since the experience we had with Ebola few years ago, we have been building capacity, infrastructure, revising our policies and laws, training staff that are specially equipped to deal with outbreak of infectious diseases like Ebola, Monkey pox, Lassa Fever and Coronavirus if it comes here.

  “So, we are ready in Lagos; we have the facility, trained staff, and robust surveillance system in place to contain and effectively manage an outbreak,” Abayomi said. The commissioner said that the state was supporting the Federal Government with staffs at the airport to ensure effective surveillance and screening of travelers.

NNPC records 16% increase in gas supply to Power in November

  The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said that the daily average natural gas supply to gas-powered plants in November 2019 increased by 16.53 per cent to 645 mmscfd.

The Corporation disclosed this in its Monthly Financial and Operations Reports (MFOR) released in Abuja, on Sunday. The increment, it said was equivalent to power generation of 2,178 MW.

It said that the October 2019 gas supply to power averaged 553 mmscfd to generate 2,050 MW. It noted that national gas production in November 2019 stood at 228.65 billion Cubic Feet (BCF), translating to an average daily production of 7,621.68 Million Standard Cubic Feet per day (mmscfd).