Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa and his wife have tested positive for COVID-19.
The governor made this known on Wednesday on his verified Twitter handle.
He wrote, “My wife and I have tested positive for COVID-19. We are well and continuing with our isolation/medication. We thank you all for your continued prayers for us and our daughter.”
Gunmen, on Wednesday, attacked the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Lokoja, Kogi state, and disrupted a COVID-19 press conference.
The hospital had scheduled a media briefing for the day to demand a COVID-19 screening centre in the state and to also speak about the challenges health workers are facing with regard to the disease.
The armed men were said to have arrived at the facility in three vehicles and shot sporadically to disperse the meeting.
Health workers were said to have been harassed by the gunmen who took away laptops and vital documents.
They were also said to have destroyed properties.
Details Later…
The non-performing loan ratio of the Nigerian banking sector dropped to 6.6 per cent at the end of April 2020 from 11 per cent in April 2019, according to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele.
In a report recently released by the CBN on the last Monetary Policy meeting, Emefiele said, “Again, the observed growth in credit illustrates the continued potency of the bank’s Loan to Deposit Ratio policy and the need to sustain credit flows to the private sector, especially at this critical time when the economy needs to indefatigably support its productive machinery.
“I note the continued moderation of NPL ratio from 11.0 per cent in April 2019 to 6.6 per cent in April 2020 amidst growing private sector credits.”
He said the reduction in the NPLs underlined the CBN’s continued drive to de-risk lending.
“I re-echo the imperatives of enhanced credit flows to strategic and high impact private sector ventures through an effective collaboration of all stakeholders, especially on the backdrop of the imminent economic downturn,” Emefiele added
He said the drop in the NPLs was a sign of reasonable stability in the banking system.
He, however, stressed the need for banks to maintain prudential and regulatory measures to ensure that NPLs stayed below the prudential benchmark of 5.0 per cent.
A member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the CBN, Dr Kingsley Obiora, disclosed total credit to the economy rose to N18.6tn at the end of April 2020.
He said, “Financial system indicators were encouraging, with improvements to real sector lending, reflecting the bank’s Loan-to-Deposit Ratio policy.
“Total gross credit increased by N3.041tn from N15.57tn at end-May 2019 to N18.6tn at end-April 2020. The credit growth was largely driven by manufacturing, consumer credit, general commerce, information and communication, and agriculture.”
According to Obiora, the increase in credit is expected to bolster aggregate demand, investment, and job creation.
He said the average retail lending rates of deposit money banks and interest rate spreads moderated in the review period.
“This development, I believe, will have a positive impact on financial intermediation and the effectiveness of monetary policy transmission channels,” he added.
Obiora, however, noted that there were risks and vulnerabilities in the short to medium term, which included persisting new cases of coronavirus disease and low oil prices.
He said although downside risks abound, his overall outlook for the economy was more optimistic than most analysts seemed to portray.
President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated the plan of his administration to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within the next 10 years.
The President was speaking on Tuesday, in a video message to a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly, which featured the launch of the Alliance for Poverty Eradication (APE) an initiative aimed at supporting actions to eradicate poverty.
He expressed his administration’s determination to do more, including a massive investment in education, especially of the girl-child.
“Nigeria attaches great importance to poverty eradication. It is for this reason that in May 2019, on my inauguration for 2nd term in office, our government committed itself to starting a new programme of lifting a 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within a 10-year period.
“In Nigeria, as in many other countries, the domestic supply chain and trading corridors have come under enormous strain. This has brought to fore, the health versus economic debate, a subject which has captured the attention of “global leaders and shaped the debate on how best to respond to the global pandemic, while allowing citizens to earn their livelihoods,” he said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has threatened to discontinue with conduct of the Edo governorship election if it perceives any form of violence.
The Commission warned political parties and candidates participating in the September 19 election not to contemplate breach peace and order in any form.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, stated the position of the Commission during a programme, fixing Nigerian Election, monitored on a national television.
According to him INEC will not take lightly any attempt to compromise the safety of its staff and other workers deployed for the election.
“Politicians should not dare us; we will discontinue the process if we perceive any violence. Some of the people we mobilize for elections are workers in Federal Institutions as adhoc staff and no organization will mobilize people to go and be killed”, he stated.
Similarly, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, also lamented the inability of the Commission to punish Electoral offenders
The INEC Chair also spoke during a Live TV and virtual citizens’ townhall meeting on electoral reforms held Tuesday.
The event was organised a CSO YIAGA Africa and other partners.
According to him, “we are essentially concerned about the failure or inability to penalize electoral offenders. This has been at the heart of the many challenges we face when elections are declared inconclusive simply because of violence.
“At least over the last eleven years, recommendations have been made by one committee after another, and it appears that there is a convergence of intentions, particularly between the Executive and National Assembly on the issue of punishment for electoral offenders.
“I recall the recommendations of the Uwais Committee, nothing was dine on the recommendations of that committee; in 2011, we had a major post-election violence, the Lemu committee made the same recommendations, accepted the white paper by government. But we didn’t make progress; there in 2015/2016, this administration set up the Ken Nnamani committee and made the same recommendations”.
He recalled that, “there had been motions also on the part of the National Assembly with several, private members Bill for the establishment of electoral offences commission and tribunal.
“We hope that this time around, as part of the reforms of our electoral process, we will pay particular attention to that issue. At present, the commission is saddled with the responsibility that I have repeatedly said that there is nether capacity nor absolute legal backing to implement. For instance, INEC is saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting electoral offenders. How do you prosecute electoral offenders when the first step towards prosecution is arrest?
“INEC has no police, we have to rely on the regular police. I have been working with the Inspector-General of Police towards that. Arising from the general elections conducted last year, 16 case files have been forwarded to the commission and we are prosecuting those offenders in the places where we are aware the offences were committed as provided by law. But we have our constraints in that respect.
“Secondly, there has to be proper investigation that will lead to evidence that will lead to prosecution of offenders. We simply don’t have the capacity to investigate offences committed. But here we are saddled with the responsibility to prosecute electoral offenders”.
He added further that, “we have very good and conscientious staff. But some of the offenders may be the commission’s old staff. It is very difficult for any organisation to penalise or prosecute itself. So, we completely agree with the recommendations made by the previous committees and the kind of motions we have had from the National Assembly to the private members Bill to establish electoral offences commission and tribunal. I have said this over and user again that any nation that does not penalise its electoral offenders is doomed”.
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has said that the National Assembly Committees lack the powers to give directives to the executive.
Minister emphatically said that the powers of the National Assembly and its committees under section 88 of the 1999 Constitution is only limited to investigations, and not to give any directive to the executive.
This is as Mr. Keyamo has advised members of the Selection Committees in the 36 States of the federation to ignore the purported suspension of the selection process and go ahead with their assignments unhindered.
He also threatened to quit his position if President Muhammadu Buhari so directs him in this circumstance to succeed in political interference in the job recruitment process, stressing that he cannot compromise the jobs meant for ordinary Nigerians who have no Godfathers or who are not affiliated to any political party.
Minister emphatically said that the powers of the National Assembly and its committees under section 88 of the 1999 Constitution is only limited to investigations, and not to give any directive to the executive.
This is as Mr. Keyamo has advised members of the Selection Committees in the 36 States of the federation to ignore the purported suspension of the selection process and go ahead with their assignments unhindered.
He also threatened to quit his position if President Muhammadu Buhari so directs him in this circumstance to succeed in political interference in the job recruitment process, stressing that he cannot compromise the jobs meant for ordinary Nigerians who have no Godfathers or who are not affiliated to any political party.
In a statement he personally signed in Abuja, yesterday, the Minister denied the allegation that he walked out of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Labour, even as he alleged that the purported suspension of the programme by the committee was tantamount to challenging the powers of Mr. President
The statement read, “Today, in obedience to their invitation, I appeared before the Joint Committees on Labour of both the Senate and the House. The Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members sought to be briefed on the implementation of the Special Public Works Programme so far.
“However, there was a misunderstanding between us when they questioned why I did not privately submit the program to them for vetting before taking certain steps. They suggested that they ought to have input on how the programme should be implemented. In other words, they sought to control the programme as to who gets what, where, and how.
“However, I insisted that I could not surrender the programme to their control since their powers under the constitution do not extend to that. They insisted on a closed-door session.
“At this point, I remarked that it was only fair for me to respond to their position before the press since their own position was also made public. In any case, I remarked that the Nigerian people deserve to know the details of the execution of this all-important programme.
“I was then asked to apologize for insisting on public interaction and I said there was nothing to apologize about because their powers to expose corruption provided for in section 88 of the Constitution cannot be exercised in private.
” As such, there was no need to apologize by insisting on a Constitutional provision. Even their Rules that may provide for private hearings on public matters cannot override the provisions of the Constitution. I was then permitted to leave. I took a bow and left. I never walked out on the respected Committees as they may want to bend the narrative.”
On the alleged suspension of the exercise by the lawmakers, he said, “After I left, I understand that the Joint Committees purportedly suspended the work of the Selection Committees nationwide until they decide how the programme should be run and who should be in those Committees. My opinion is that it is tantamount to challenging the powers of Mr. President.
“I regret to say that their powers under section 88 of the 1999 Constitution is only limited to investigations, but not to give any directive to the executive.
“A Committee or Committees of both Houses do not even have powers to pass binding Resolutions. They can only make recommendations to Plenary. In this case, even Plenary CANNOT give DIRECTIVES to the Executive.”
“All my life, I have fought for good governance and constitutional democracy. I will not come into government and be intimidated to abandon those principles. I will rather leave this assignment if Mr. President so directs than compromise the jobs meant for ordinary Nigerians who have no Godfathers or who are not affiliated to any political party.
“I, therefore, respectfully further direct all the Committees set up nationwide made up of CAN, NSCIA, NURTW, Market Women, CSOs, Youth Organisations, respected traditional rulers, etc to proceed with their work unhindered. Only Mr. President can stop their work.”
Bayern Munich have agreed a fee of £54.8m with Manchester City for Leroy Sane, with the German set to sign a five-year deal at the club.
The Bundesliga champions will pay an initial fee of £44.7m (€49m) with a series of performance and trophy-related add-ons.
City will also take 10 per cent of any profit made by the German club should they sell Sane in the future.
The 24-year-old has continually been linked with a move back to his homeland. It is believed the winger will double the wages he was being offered by City to stay at the club.
City signed the winger from Schalke in 2016 for £37m with Guardiola recently admitting the player would leave in the summer if a deal could be agreed.
In a virtual meeting held by the CAF executive committee, the tournament, which was due to begin in Cameroon on January 9, 2021 has now been pushed back to January 2022 due to the impact of Coronavirus pandemic across the continent.
The Confederation of African Football Executive Committee on Tuesday announced the postponement of the 2021 African Nations Championship by one year.
In a virtual meeting held by the CAF executive committee, the tournament, which was due to begin in Cameroon on January 9, 2021 has now been pushed back to January 2022 due to the impact of Coronavirus pandemic across the continent.
“After consultation with stakeholders and taking into consideration the current global situation, the tournament has been rescheduled for January 2022. The date for the final tournament and the remaining matches of the qualifiers will be communicated in due course,” the football body said in a statement.
The governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, has tested positive for COVID-19.
The governor revealed this in a broadcast on Tuesday afternoon.
Akeredolu said he is currently asymptomatic.
“I had malaria few days ago and was treated.
“I got over it,’ he disclosed in the short video made available to Daily Trust.
He said he was advised to have a coronavirus test afterward by a colleague which he did.
“The result came out today 30th June 2020 and I tested positive but I am asymptomatic.
“I am not feeling sick neither am I feeling odd in any way but my doctors have decided that I should take the normal treatment and self isolate,” Akeredolu disclosed.
He said his doctors advised that supervised home management will be ideal for him for now.
He assured that he was still working at home attending to files, saying the work will go on.
Akeredolu called on his political associate to go on with work towards his re-election, expressing optimism that he will defeat the virus.
The governor noted that: “Let me assure people that there are many of us like this that doesn’t have the symptoms but have it [coronavirus].
He, therefore, called on people of the state to get tested when experiencing malaria symptoms.
The Hon. President, National Industrial Court of Nigeria, His Lordship, Hon. Justice B. B. Kanyip, Ph.D, FNIALS pursuant to order 58 Rule 4(2) of the Court Rules 2017 has declared Monday 27th July 2020 to Friday 25th September 2020 for 2020 Annual Vacation.
Equity News source confirmed that His Lordship, Hon. Justice B. B. Kanyip, in his statement stated that there will be no normal Court sitting during the period except for urgent applications where the rest of a case may be destroyed if not heard by a vacation Judge only.
Lastly, the Hon. President also ordered that Court shall resume for normal Court sitting on Monday 28th September 2020.
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