Catholic Bishops Donate Over 400 Hospitals To Be Used As Isolation Centres In Nigeria

   The Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has offered over 400 health facilities across the nation to now be used as COVID-19 isolation centres.

Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustapha disclosed this at the presidential task force briefing on Monday.

He disclosed that the facilities can now be used by the government to tackle the issue of no bed spaces currently been experienced in various isolation centres across the country.

Mr Mustapha who doubles as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, had told newsmen in Abuja on Friday that the isolation and treatment centres in the country are running out of bed spaces. The SGF, however, noted that efforts are being intensified to increase the number of treatment centres in the country.

“We have received reports from the states, which suggests that the treatment centres are running out of bed spaces. As we assess the situation, the PTF shall also begin to examine our peculiar circumstances, modify the strategies for care management, and consider viable alternatives, where necessary. At the appropriate time, the guidelines and protocols shall be unfolded,” he said.

The PTF Chairman also on Monday noted that during the first week of the lockdown relaxation, the nation had experienced a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases due to increased testing.

He called on states to set up isolation centres to accommodate level one and two of isolation, noting that the PTF will introduce an inclusive policy in the coming weeks.

Mr Mustapha who stressed that President Muhammadu Buhari took a painful decision to ease the lockdown, urged individuals not to misuse the opportunity by returning to their  Pre-COVID-19 ways of life.

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United States planning to accuse China of trying to hack vaccine data

 

  The F.B.I. and the Department of Homeland Security are reportedly preparing to issue an accusation that China’s most skilled hackers and spies are working to steal vaccine and treatment research from America to develop vaccines and treatments for the Coronavirus.

   A draft of the forthcoming public warning, which officials say is likely to be issued in the days to come, says China is seeking “valuable intellectual property and public health data through illicit means related to vaccines, treatments and testing,” New York Times reports.

Madagascar’s COVID-19 cure drugs sent to Nigeria

 

  The Republic of Madagascar has offered its herbal drug – COVID Organics (COV) – to Nigeria and other African countries. The drug is for prevention and cure of Coronavirus.

   Nigeria’s consignment has been sent to Equatorial Guinea from where it will be airlifted to Abuja. For ease of transportation, African countries were divided into zones leading to the freighting of Nigeria’s consignments to Equatorial Guinea.

   Nigeria’s COVID-19 positive tally moved to 4,399 last night with 248 new cases announced by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Lagos recorded 81 cases, followed by Jigawa State 35 and Borno 26 cases to top the chart. Kano recorded 26 cases, followed by Bauchi with 20 cases.

   THE NATION

‘Switching on’ of 5G network in Lagos, “faceless individuals or groups cannot be further from the truth”- NCC

 

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, on Monday said it has not issued any license for Fifth Generation Network also known as 5G in Nigeria.

NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, issued the denial in a response to reports making the rounds that Nigerian telecommunications’ industry was at the verge of switching to 5G network.

Danbatta, in a statement signed and sent to DAILY POST by Dr. Henry Nkemadu, NCC’s Director, Public Affairs said the claim which came from some “faceless individuals or groups cannot be further from the truth.” According to Danbatta, the “Commission has unequivocally stated that there is no deployment of 5G in Nigeria at the moment.”

He disclosed that the Commission had in November 2019 approved a trial test for 5G for a period of three months and the trial has been concluded and installation decommissioned. The statement reads: 

“The attention of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been drawn to a mischievous statement making the rounds on social media like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn and other sites that the Nigerian telecoms industry is going to switch on Fifth Generation (5G) in Lagos this Sunday, 10th, Monday, 11th or Tuesday, 12th May, 2020.

“Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, said that, ‘’the trial among others was to study and observe any health or security challenges the 5G network might present. Relevant stakeholders including members of the security agencies were invited to participate during the trial.

“The NCC will continue to maintain its policy of technology neutrality and will continue to encourage service providers to deploy the best technology that will meet the needs of the society in a secured and friendly manner.

“The NCC had provided clarifications through Frequently Asked Questions on 5G in view of the recent developments in which misleading materials with no proven evidence are being circulated to link CORONAVIRUS or COVID-19 with 5G technology and therefore refutes the claim that there will be switching on of 5G in Lagos in its entirety.”

The Commission also provided clarifications on the laying of fibre optic cables within Lagos and other parts of the country to the effect that the laying of additional fibre optic cables is to strengthen the existing 3G and 4G infrastructure to provide robust and pervasive telecoms infrastructure to improve network performance.

“5G is a fifth generation of mobile technology, which is an improvement of today’s 4G technology with enhanced capabilities. 5G technology provides the platform for new and emerging technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data to improve the way we live and work.

“NCC has not issued any licence for 5G in Nigeria and therefore, the mobile network operators (MNOs) cannot switch on such technology. NCC is technology-neutral. As such, we don’t license technology but assigns spectrum to operators for deployment of any service when allocated by National Frequency Management Council (NFMC).

‘’As the telecoms regulator, we enjoin Nigerians to get accurate information from us rather than relying on information emanating from social media by some individuals out of ignorance to misinform our people,” Danbatta said

DAILYPOST

Governor Nyesom Wike justifies his actions for Demolition of Hotels

   

  Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has justified his decision to demolish two hotels in the state for allegedly flouting the lockdown order. Speaking in a statewide broadcast, the governor said he decided to demolish the hotels after one of the owners of the hotel unleashed thugs on members of the state COVID-19 taskforce.

 “We acted against the hotelier because, apart from using the facility to jeopardize the lives of our citizens in violation of the extant law, the owner audaciously unleashed thugs led by the Eleme Local Government Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and inflicted severe injuries on our task force members who went to enforce the law against the continued operation of the hotel.

As we speak, nobody knows the fate of the lives of most of the victims of that brazen and deadly attack given the severity of the head injuries they sustained.

And so, we’ve done no wrong as all our actions were taken in good faith and justified by, under and within the purview of the Executive Orders, which have neither been challenged nor set aside by any competent court of law.”

 

He also responded to the backlash he has received following his action. 

“While we welcome genuine criticisms directed towards strengthening our intervention measures, it is no use taking issues with uninformed critics and social media legal practitioners who, blinded and prodded by sheer politics, bias and hatred, have opted to demonized and paint our lawful and responsible actions in bad light.

Granted that we may not have totally achieved our targets, but we are convinced that, so far, the lockdown and the other measures have impacted greatly in containing and preventing the onslaught of the pandemic on Rivers State.

We therefore thank the entire people of Rivers State for the overwhelming understanding you have shown even as you continue to endure the pains of the restrictions on your well-being and fundamental freedoms.”

 

Why I no longer participate in partisan politics - Goodluck Jonathan

   

   Former President Goodluck Jonathan has explained why he no longer participate in partisan politics.  The former President who spoke at the inauguration of the state executive council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Yenagoa, Bayelsa state on Sunday May 10, said he is shifting away from partisan politics because of his non-governmental organisation (NGO). Jonathan further revealed that his partners are skeptical about partisan leaders. He said; 

 "Don’t be discouraged if you do not see me in most party activities in the state. I decided to appear in this event so that I will not be misunderstood. 

“I’m shifting away from being an effective partisan politician because of my foundation. People who want to partner me feel that if you are a partisan leader in the country, they will eat with you with a long spoon.

“I felt that after serving as President of this country, I should go to some other areas where my services would be required.

“Through that process, I would be able to support the nation and the state in one way or the other.”

Nigerian punter dies after tweeting "I don't care to die tomorrow"

 

   Nigerians have taken to Twitter to mourn a popular punter known simply as Otunba. #RIPOtunba is currently the number 1 trending topic on the platform after Otunba's death was announced by his followers only 5 days after he revealed that his doctors had told him to take a long rest after he was rushed to the hospital again.

   He was known on Twitter as Bet2win and was popular for giving betting tips to sports bettors. He had a huge following, with 10.3 million Twitter users keeping up with him.

Grammy-winning 1970s soul singer Betty Wright dies at 66

 

Betty Wright, the Grammy-winning soul singer and songwriter whose influential 1970s hits included “Clean Up Woman" and “Where is the Love,” has died at age 66.

Wright died at her home in Miami on Sunday, several media outlets reported. Steve Greenberg of S-Curve Records told the New York Times Wright had been diagnosed with cancer in the fall.

Wright had her breakthrough with 1971's “Clean Up Woman,” which combined elements of funk, soul and R&B.

Recorded when Wright was just 17, the song would be a top 10 hit on both the Billboard R&B and pop charts, and its familiar grooves would be used and reused in the sampling era of future decades.

The youngest of seven children, Wright was born Bessie Regina Norris in 1953 in Miami, the city whose funk and soul sounds her music would always be identified with.

Georgia Eases Anti-virus Restrictions

Georgia on Monday lifted most of the restrictions on economic activity that were imposed as part of measures to contain the coronavirus spread.

Industrial production and trade were allowed to resume, with the exception of large shopping malls and clothing retailers.

Georgians celebrated the decision, with many saying opening up the economy was a matter of survival for them.

“One or two more weeks of closed business and my family would have had no money for food,” said Kote Lagidze, owner of a car service station in Tbilisi.

The Georgian capital also lifted the ban on entry and exit to the city, in place since mid-April.

People queued up outside reopened shops observing measures limiting the number of people inside closed spaces.

Niko Avaliani, one of the shoppers waiting for his turn to enter a bookstore, said ending the lockdown was long overdue.

“There were no reasons for keeping the economy on hold any longer,” the 29-year-old historian told AFP. Each day contributed “more poverty,” he said.

“We have all been waiting desperately for the return to some kind of normalcy,” bookshop assistant Lamara Sordia said.

“It’s great that people can now indulge in little pleasures such as buying books.”

The government has said the country will reopen to foreign tourists as of July 1, while domestic tourism is set to resume in mid-June.

However, restaurants, cafes, and educational institutions remain closed for the time being and public transport operations are halted.

The Black Sea country of 3.7 million in March closed all non-essential businesses, declared a state of emergency and a night curfew, which will remain in place until May 22.

The restrictions have hit Georgia’s economy which is expected to shrink by four percent this year instead of the previously projected four-and-a-half percent expansion.

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Alleged Missing N19.63bn: Ihedioha Asks Court To Stop Probe By Imo Assembly

The immediate past governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, has filed a suit to stop the Imo State House of Assembly from investigating him over allegations of missing funds.

He filed the suit at the State High Court sitting in Owerri, the state capital.

In his prayers, the former governor sought a perpetual injunction restraining the lawmakers from probing him over the sum of N19.63 billion said to be missing from the Local Government account during his seven-month tenure.

Ihedioha, through an originating summon, also urged the court to grant him a perpetual injunction restraining the Imo State House of Assembly from inviting him and questioning him about the alleged missing fund.

Listed as defendants in the suit are the Imo State House of Assembly, the Speaker, and the Clerk of the House of Assembly.

The former governor filed the suit weeks after the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, announced that the sum of N19.63 billion was missing from the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) of the 27 Local Governments Areas of the state.

Governor Uzodinma had alleged that the money got missing under the watch of the immediate past administration led by Ihedioha.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo had, however, described the allegation by the governor as mischievous and a deliberate scheme of his administration to loot the resources of the state.

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British PM Issues New COVID-19 Guidelines Ahead Of Lockdown Plan

 

 

  Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued new public advice on the coronavirus on Sunday ahead of his announcement on how to ease a nationwide lockdown, but warned he would proceed cautiously as the death toll in Britain, already the highest in Europe, continues to mount.

In a televised address to the nation at 7:00 pm (1800 GMT), Johnson is expected to extend most of the stay-at-home orders imposed in late March, although garden centres are set to reopen.

But in a sign of a gradual shift towards getting the country moving again, he tweeted new public advice for people to “stay alert”, to replace the current slogan to “stay home, save lives”.

It urges people to stay at home “as much as possible” and limit contact with others, a more lenient message than previous rules to only go outside where necessary and to meet nobody outside your household.

Johnson, who himself spent a week in hospital with coronavirus last month, has made clear he will proceed with “maximum caution” in easing the lockdown.

He is looking at a plan to contain infection rates in the longer term, with ministers considering imposing a 14-day quarantine on anyone coming into the country from abroad.

An alert system is also being developed to monitor the outbreak, which will inform when and how lockdown measures might be lifted — or tightened — at a national and local level.

– Don’t run too fast –

Johnson has been criticised for failing to take the outbreak seriously enough at the start, still shaking hands in early March and delaying the imposition of a lockdown.

Britain has now recorded more than 31,500 deaths among people who have tested positive for COVID-19 — the second highest figure in the world after the United States.

There are growing demands from his own MPs to lift the lockdown as it wreaks economic havoc — the Bank of England this week predicted a 14-percent slump in British GDP this year.  But in an interview with the Sun on Sunday newspaper, Johnson warned that now was “the most dangerous bit”.

“We’re past the peak now but we’ll have to work even harder to get every step right,” he said.

“Mountaineers always say that coming down from the peak is the most dangerous bit. That’s when you’re liable to be over-confident and make mistakes.

“You have very few options on the climb up, but it’s on the descent you have to make sure you don’t run too fast, lose control and stumble.”

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Governor Wike personally supervises demolition of Prodest Hotel, Eleme LGA

  

   Governor Wike personally supervises the demolition of Prodest Hotel, Eleme LGA, for violating a communicated order on hotel closure in Rivers.

Stay home and obey the orders!

Hold Buhari govt responsible if coronavirus escalates in Rivers – Wike cries out

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has told the people of the State and the entire Nigerians to hold the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government responsible if COVID-19 escalates in the State. Wike said this in his statewide broadcast on Friday, adding that nobody should be surprised if the coronavirus cases in the State rise in the coming weeks.

He said: “It has become imperative to alert the state and, indeed, the entire world to the fact that a dangerous escalation of COVID-19 pandemic in Rivers State looms large on our horizon due largely to the hypocrisy of the Federal Government and the continuous acts of willful sabotage by security agencies.”

 

He said for this reason, they cannot overstate the gravity of their present predicament, adding that “nobody should be surprised should Rivers State witness exponential increases in the infection and spread of COVID-19 cases in the days and weeks ahead as we begin intense testing.”

Wike said, however, that his administration was resolved and committed to remain strong and total.

He called on the residents of the State to see coronavirus as a matter of life and death by obeying the government’s directives to stay at home in order to protect themselves, their families and the state from the spread. He declared that staying at home and staying safe for now was not just mandatory, but the best available option in the prevailing circumstance.

The Governor said that borders of Rivers State are continually experiencing serial acts of sabotage by security operatives, who allegedly allow and, in some cases, personally aid persons with risky COVID-19 status into the state.

“Recently, we intercepted a lorry-load of livestock with 22 persons who bribed their ways into Rivers State from as far as Adamawa State despite the Federal Government’s claimed restriction on inter-state travels and our definitive closure of all entry routes into the state,” Wike added.

 

He said that another 8 trucks with 200 persons hidden in loads of grains were intercepted as they were being smuggled into the State from the Northern parts of the country.

The Governor lamented that the extent of sabotage was such that even a Deputy Commissioner of Police unilaterally appropriated and exercised “powers to illegally issue movement pass to individuals and companies indiscriminately in utter contempt and direct violation of the lockdown orders of the State government.”

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