President Buhari nominates Okonjo-Iweala as Nigeria’s candidate for World Trade Organisation’s DG election

   

  President Buhari has nominated former Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as Nigeria's candidate for the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) election coming up in 2021. 

The announcement was made on Thursday June 4, through the Nigerian Embassy and Permanent Mission to the African Union (AU) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. President Buhari said in the diplomatic note that he was communicating Nigeria’s decision to withdraw the candidacy of Yonov Frederick Agah for the election and replacing him with Mrs Okonjo-Iweala. 

 Though he never revealed the reason for the withdrawal of Agah's candidature, he solicited for the support of AU member-States, as well as Permanent Missions and Embassies in Addis Ababa for Mrs Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy during the elections.

 

The letter reads in part; 

“The embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and permanent mission to the African Union (AU) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) presents compliments to all embassies and permanent missions in Addis Ababa and has the honour to inform that the Federal Government of Nigeria has withdrawn the candidacy of Ambassador Yonov Frederick Agah for election to the position of director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). 

“Nigeria is therefore pleased to request the support of esteemed AU member states as well as permanent missions and embassies in Addis Ababa in favour of the candidacy of Okonjo-Iweala.”

 Mr Agah is currently one of the four deputy directors-general of the WTO. He was first appointed deputy director-general October 1, 2013 and reappointed for a second four-year term on October 1, 2017. His tenure runs out on October 1, 2021.

Brazil overtakes Italy as country with third-highest Coronavirus deaths; Toll tops 34,000

 

  Brazil has overtaken Italy as the country with the third-highest Coronavirus death toll after a daily record of 1,473 fatalities took its total tally to more than 34,000.

   The figure published by Brazil’s health ministry on Thursday night showed that only the United States and the United Kingdom have registered more deaths from the disease.   The official number of infections rose to nearly 615,000, the second-largest caseload in the world, behind the US.

 

Odion Ighalo Considers Super Eagles Return

 

  Nigeria forward Odion Ighalo says he is open to a return to international football with the three-time African African champions – Super Eagles.

  Ighalo who is performing brilliantly with Manchester United announced his retirement from international football after the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. The Manchester United striker was the top scorer in the competition with five goals, while the Super Eagles finished in the third position.

   Speaking to Brilla FM, Ighalo said: “I am still in contact with Gernot Rohr and Amaju Pinnick, and they congratulated me on my loan deal. I am still thinking about returning to the national team, but right now I want to concentrate on my club career. I left the national team because of the distance between Nigeria and China, but now that I am in Manchester and just like life and in my career, you never can tell.”

COVID-19: Kogi lifts total lockdown on Kabba/Bunu LGA

 Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has Lifted the total lockdown imposed on Kabba Bunu Local Government Area less than one week after a reported COVID-19 positive index case in the state.

  The 14 day lockdown was imposed to enable contact tracing and testing of people who might have had contact with the index case in the state.

  The governor now said the outcome of contact tracing and testing was successful and residents of Kabba/Bunnu local government can return to their normal lives.

  Governor Yahaya Bello has always insisted that Kogi state remains COVID-19 free but urged citizens to comply with the established precautionary measures against the spread of the virus.

Kenya to soon begin home treatment for coronavirus patients

 

Kenya’s health ministry has said it will soon roll out home-based care for Covid-19 patients because the country’s isolation facilities are almost full.

Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe said they will first publish guidelines for home-based care before patients can be released to their families so as to free hospitals. He urged Kenyans not to stigmatise patients who will be allowed to recover at home.

Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, has two isolation facilities whose bed capacity is almost full. The country on Thursday recorded 124 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 2,340 including 592 recoveries and 78 deaths.

The World Health Organization’s guidelines for home-based care for Covid-19 patients say patients are to be isolated in their own rooms and minimise interaction with other people.

Shared items and facilities are to be thoroughly disinfected and caregivers are to wear protective gear.