Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen sworn in for second term

 

  Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has been ​ sworn in for her second and final term in office on Wednesday, ​ in a ceremony at the Taiwan’s presidential palace in Taipei.

Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won January’s presidential and parliamentary elections by a landslide, vowing to stand up to China, which claims Taiwan as its own.

President Tsai Ing-wen says Taiwan is an independent state called the Republic of China, its official name, and does not want to be part of the People’s Republic of China governed by Beijing.

China has stepped up its military drills near Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen’s re-election, flying fighter jets into the island’s air space and sailing warships around Taiwan.

​ China cut off a formal talks mechanism with Taiwan in 2016 and views Ms Tsai as a separatist bent on formal independence for Taiwan.

TVC

Ganduje Approves Congregational Eid Prayers In Kano Despite Rise In COVID-19 Cases

  

 

Governor of Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje, has approved congregational Eid prayers in the state. The governor’s special adviser on media, Salihu Tanko Yakasai says the government took the decision after a meeting between Ganduje and Islamic religious leaders in the state, on Monday.

He said the decision is based on the recommendation by a selection of 30 Islamic scholars in the state.

The new development is coming barely 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari extended the lockdown in the state by two weeks.

Federal Government Evacuates 292 Stranded Nigerians From Saudi Arabia

Bauchi state govt suspends lockdown imposed in the state

 

Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has suspended the total lockdown imposed in the state and approved the opening of worship centers. Lawal Muazu, the Special Assistant to the governor on New Media, said the governor announced the suspension at a stakeholders meeting earlier today May 20.

   He said worship centers are expected to open throughout the state with total observance of all COVID-19 precautionary measures which includes wearing a face mask, social distancing among others. He said the lifting of the lockdown will be reviewed in two weeks based on the compliance of the stipulated guidelines.

   The governor announced the lockdown in April as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state. The state currently has 224 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

 

Two positive patients In Bauchi refuse isolation

 

Bauchi state government has lamented the refusal of two Coronavirus positive cases to isolate themselves. Executive Chairman of Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BASPHCDA), Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, yesterday, said two COVID-19 positive people have declined to be isolated in the state.

Mohammed who is also the Chairman, Contact Tracing Committee on Covid-19 in the state, said they refused to be isolated because they denied that Covid-19 is real. He revealed that security agencies in the state have been informed about the situation and they would soon be evacuated to an isolation centre.

Mohammed also revealed that two people taking care of one of the two Covid-19 positive people at home came forward for testing and one of them was tested positive for the novel Coronavirus.

“Some people are still having denial in their minds. We have two people who tested positive and have not reached out facilities. What’s more worrying is that, by their denial, they are infecting family members and other unsuspecting people.

“They refused to go (to isolation centre) because they are still denying the fact that Coronavirus is real. As they stay at home now, already two of the people taking care of one of them came for testing and one of them tested positive for Covid-19,” Mohammed said.

The medical doctor further advised residents of the state to keep abiding by all protocols as set by the government and health experts in order to contain the spread of the virus.

Covid-19 cases on the rise in Oyo

  Oyo State has recorded six new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number recorded in the state to 143. According to the latest figures released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Tuesday night, the six cases in Oyo were among the new 226 recorded in 16 states.

The state government had repeatedly called on residents who believe they had come in contact with Covid-19 cases to come forward for a test.

The government had also admonished people with Covid-19 symptoms such as cough, fever, tiredness, body ache and shortness of breath as well as health workers who had been in contact with high-risk groups to present themselves for a test.

Experts had attributed the recent increase in Covid-19 cases in the state to the high number of people that were responding to the call for testing.

COVID-19: FAAN Announces Reduction In Staff Salary From May

The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria has announced a reduction in salary of staff from May 2020. In an internal circular to all staff, M.D. Musa, General Manager, Administration, FAAN, said the reduction was due to the drop in revenue caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The circular reads, “This is to notify all staff that due to the dwindling revenue generation amidst COVID-19 pandemic, management may not be able to pay full salary to staff from May 2020. 

"However, as soon as the revenue situation improves, the balance will be paid.” Reacting to the reduction in salary, the Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association of Nigeria rejected the slash in salary, urging FAAN to call a meeting where fresh decision would be taken concerning salary modalities.

The union in a joint statement by its General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary, Comrade Abdul Rasaq Saidu and Comrade Frances Akinjole, respectively in Lagos said, “We are indeed amazed and disturbed by management's unilateral decision despite our agreement of inviting the union leaders before any decision could be taken. 

"If such affront could be willfully meted out to a component of the staff conditions of service without the knowledge of the national union, which is a party to the agreement, it portends to a possibility of waking up one day to find the COS document clandestinely reviewed.

“If within 24 hours an urgent meeting with inion is not called, we cannot guarantee industrial harmony and the consequences which may arise shall be put onto your doorsteps.”

Curfew: Lagos NMA Directs Doctors, Health Workers To Stay At Home From 6pm Today

  The Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association has directed its members to sit at home from 6 pm today, Wednesday, May 20, 2020. This follows the conflicting order restricting the movement of essential workers amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

In a statement signed by the Chairman, Dr. Saliu Oseni and the Secretary of the association, Dr. Moronkola Ramon, the NMA deplored the comment of the Commissioner of Police in Lagos state to the effect that essential workers, including doctors and other health workers, are not exempted from the restriction.

“We have observed that despite the directive of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, which was clear on the exemption of essential workers including doctors and other health workers from the ongoing lockdown movement restriction.

“The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, has been issuing conflicting directives on social and mainstream media to effect that essential workers including doctors and other health workers are not exempted.

The association revealed that the confusion has led to the harassment and intimidation of its members and other health workers, including stopping an ambulance from conveying a patient from getting to its destination.

“As a direct result of the conflicting directives of the government and Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), was inundated yesterday (Tuesday, May 19, 2020) evening with several cases of harassment and intimidation of doctors and other health-workers by officers and men of the Lagos State police command on the direct order of the commissioner of police to the extent that even ambulances carrying patients with emergency cases were impounded.

CHANNELS