As part of measures to ensure a return to normalcy, the Ogun State Government has given approval for reopening of mosques, church, and other worship centers in the state for religious services.

It explained that the decision had become imperative after thorough deliberation, consideration, and resolution with stakeholders, including health experts and religious leaders across the state.

The state Governor, Dapo Abiodun, revealed that weekend lockdown introduced to curb the spread of coronavirus has been lifted following reopening approval given for religious centers.

Abiodun, through a statement released to newsmen on Friday, maintained that the approval and lifting of weekends lockdown were to ensure residents come to terms with the current reality occasioned by the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

“After thorough deliberation, consideration, and resolution, we decided to reopen the worship centers with effect from Friday 14th August 2020 as indicated in my last address.

“This decision was made in line with an agreement reached by the committee set up to develop guidelines for reopening of the religious centres.

“The Committee includes the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN); the League of Imams and Alfas and Government representatives.

“I am delighted to note that reports reaching us indicate varying but encouraging level of preparedness by the Worship Centres.

“Therefore, today, Friday, 14th August is hereby confirmed for the commencement of operations of the Worship Centres, subject to the guidelines,” the statement read.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has disclosed that more than a quarter of Nigeria’s workers were not gainfully employed in the second quarter of this year, saying, 27.1 percent of the country’s workers were not employed during second quarter of 2020.

NBS said that the number of Nigeria unemployed rates rose sharply from 23.1 percent, the level it had maintained since the third quarter of 2018, to 27.1 in the second quarter of 2020.

The bureau, in a report on Friday, tagged: Labour Force Statistics: Unemployment and Underemployment Report’, revealed that the number of persons in the economically active age, 15 – 64 years, jumped from over 115 million in Q3 2018 to 116 million during the period under review.

According to the bureau, the unemployment rate among young people between age 15 and 34years was 34.9 percent, an increase from 29.7 percent, while the rate of underemployment for the same age group rose to 28.2 percent from 25.7 percent in Q3 2018.

The bureau added that these rates from the age group were the highest when compared to other age groupings in the country.

In the report, it was further revealed by NBS that a number of persons between the active age and willing to work, was over  80 million which was 11.3 percent less than the number of persons in Q3 2018.

“Of this number, those within the age bracket of 25-34 were highest, with 23,328,460 or 29.1 percent of the labour force,” it added.

A further peep into the latest NBS unemployment data indicated that the number of employed people in Q2 2020 slumped by 15.8 percent to 58,527,276 when placed side by side with that of Q3 2018.

“Of this number, 35,585,274 were full-time employed (i.e. worked 40+ hours per week), while 22,942,003 were underemployed (i.e. working between 20-29 hours per week),” the report revealed.

At 48.7 percent, Imo State has the highest unemployment rate in the country and is trailed by Akwa-Ibom State with 45.2 percent and Rivers State 43.7 percent, however, Anambra State has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation with 17 percent.

“For underemployment, the state which recorded the highest rate was Zamfara with 43.7 percent, while Anambra State recorded the lowest underemployment rate, with 17 percent in Q2 2020,” the agency said.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBS said: “2,736,076 did not do any work in the last seven days preceding the survey due to the lockdown but had secure jobs to return to after the lockdown.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised concerns over restriction against freedom of speech in the country, saying the alleged renewed clampdown on media was worrisome.

The leading opposition party explained that the gagging of free speech allegdly introduced through back door in form of fine depicts the apex government intolerance to opposing views and voice of reasoning.

The party’s position was in response to the recent N5 million fine imposed on Nigeria Info, a Lagos state based private radio station for allegedly broadcasting hate speech after it hosted former Presidential candidate, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, who accused an unnamed governor of sponsoring Boko Haram terrorists.

Through a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP argued that the apex government’s fine contravenes the process for redress as stated in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“Without prejudice to the allegations or claims the federal government has against Nigeria Info, a broadcast station, on issues of content, the federal government cannot, on its own, impose sanctions against a media house or individuals for expressing their right to freedom of speech.

“The PDP holds that if any anybody, be he the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a state governor, a Senator of the Federal Republic, a Member of the House of Representatives, a public entity, or even the most ordinary Nigerian, have been libeled or infringed upon by any other Nigerian, the process for redress is clearly stated in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and should be followed.

“As a party, the PDP stands against draconian methods or underhand measures which this administration has set out to gag the media and erode the rights of Nigerians as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“Our party holds that due process must be followed for redress in instances where violations are alleged and not by extrajudicial sanctions and clampdown on the media, as being witnessed under the APC administration.

“The PDP, standing in solidarity with Nigerians, therefore condemns any attempt to gag the media and asks the APC federal government to rescind its draconian actions and reverse to due process, as provided by the 1999 Constitution, in handling issues relating to the freedom of the media.” the statement read.

Agboola Ajayi, the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, has joined the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

Ajayi made the announcement at an event held at the state secretariat of the party in Akure, the state capital, on Friday.

This is the deputy governor’s third party in months, having been a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Addressing a crowd of party faithful at the event, Ajayi said he is happy to join ZLP and is confident that the party would win the forthcoming governorship election.

He appealed to all loyalists of the party not to cause rancour but be united and work for the party’s success in the poll.

Ajayi was received into the ZLP fold by the state party chairman, Joseph Akinlaja, and other leaders of the party in the state.

Speaking earlier, Akinlaja told the deputy governor that the ZLP members in Ondo State were happy to receive him and his teeming supporters across the state into the party.

He stated that if the governorship election conducted under a free and fair atmosphere, ZLP would win convincingly.

The party chairman also disclosed that the official declaration of Ajayi as the ZLP governorship election would take place later.

Ajayi’s defection to the ZLP is in line with his resolve to contest the 10 October governorship election in the state, having being denied the ticket in both the APC and PDP.

The Republic of Ireland have signed a memorandum of understanding with Nigeria to return €5.5 million looted by Sani Abacha, former Nigerian head of state.

The loot was frozen by the Ireland Criminal Assets Bureau on the request of then president, Goodluck Jonathan, in 2014.

Helen McEntee, Ireland’s Minister of Justice and Equality, said the MoU followed an order recently issued by a court in Ireland regarding the funds.

“I am very pleased to sign this Memorandum of Understanding between Ireland and Nigeria. This represents the culmination of a long process which began with an internationally led investigation,” McEntee said in a statement on Thursday.

“The Criminal Assets Bureau took part in this international operation which led to the freezing of over $1 billion in funds worldwide, of which approximately €5.5 million was identified in a Dublin based bank account.

“The return of these assets will be the first time that Ireland has taken such action and will be a concrete demonstration of Ireland’s commitment to international cooperation in the fight against corruption and to assisting countries which have been adversely affected by corruption in the past, and is in line with our international obligations as a signatory to the UN Convention Against Corruption.”

Around $3.6 million has been recovered from the over $5 billion Transparency International estimates was looted by Abacha during his regime from 1993 to 1998.