COVID-19: Lagos lawmakers call for increased sensitization to prevent spread (DailyTrust)
As the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus increases, lawmakers in the Lagos State House of Assembly have called on Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu to create more awareness on the dreaded disease to prevent its spread in the state. The Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, who raised the matter during plenary yesterday, said that it would be hard to determine the number of people that had been infected by the virus in the state and stressed the need for the state government to do more of enlightenment. Obasa said, “The state government has taken positive steps on the matter by banning religious gatherings and ordering the closure of public and private schools in the state but it should do more through announcement and publicity on how to prevent spread of the virus. Read more
COVID-19: Lagos Mosques deserted as worshippers comply with ban on religious gatherings (Vanguard)
As part of efforts to stop further spread of the ravaging Coronavirus Disease, COVID-19 pandemic, many Mosques in Lagos on Friday, failed to hold the weekly “Jumat ” prayer service, as worshippers stayed away, in total compliance with the state government’s directive for all religious houses to remain shut.
Lagos State Government had on Wednesday, placed a ban on religious and public gatherings of more than 50 people in the state for the period of four weeks, aimed at combating the spread of COVID-19.
When Vanguard went around the state to monitor the level of compliance by religious leaders, most of the Mosques visited were shut and deserted with worshippers nowhere to be found. Read more
Another body recovered as 100 displaced persons move to Igando relief camp (Guardian)
Another body was yesterday recovered by emergency responders combing the scene of the explosion in Abule-Ado, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State. The official death toll recorded from the explosion now stands at 21 after the new recovery.
Director-General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the development, adding that the explosion displaced 468 persons from their homes after the ongoing enumeration of victims.
However, residents of the community have faulted the reports that the explosion displaced 468 persons from their homes, saying the community housed about 10,000 people and over 5,000 of them were affected by the explosion. Speaking yesterday, the Oluomo of Abule-Ado Kingdom and coordinating chairman, Abule-Ado Stakeholders for Justice, Aare Oladotun Hassan, stated that three hotels were brought to rubbles as against the official claim by LASEMA of one hotel affected by the explosion. He urged the government to carry out a forensic investigation in the community to ascertain the correct number of the people that were affected. Read more
New Lagos NYSC camp to accommodate 20,000 (Nation)
The Lagos State government has big plans for the new orientation camp it is constructing for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the state’s NYSC Coordinator, Mr. Eddy Megwa has said.
In an interview on the sidelines of the swearing-in of Batch A Stream 1 corps members at the Iyana Ipaja orientation camp on Thursday, Megwa said the camp to be located in Agbowa, Ikorodu, will be able to accommodate up to 20,000 people.
Megwa, who said he visited the site with the Lagos State team last Wednesday, said: “It might interest you to know that yesterday, a detachment of the state government and my humble self went to inspect the site – including the Commissioner for Special Duties.
All of us went to Ikorodu where the site is located. And I need to assure you; in a moment, in a jiffy work is going to start there and we are going to have it commissioned before the present Governor completes his tenure. Lagos is a state of excellence and what they are planning to do is something no other state has ever done. Read more
New fuel price: Filling stations in Lagos record partial compliance (Guardian)
Filling stations across Lagos State have started effecting the new N125 per litre pump price regime for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) which was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari on March 18.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who monitored the situation on Friday morning at Ikeja, Fadeyi, Abule Egba, Onipan, Surulere, Ebute Metta and Yaba areas observed that some major oil marketers were selling at the new price.
Also, all Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) retail outlets visited had adjusted their meters from N143 to N125 in line with the directive given by the management. Read more
NDIC completes payment of depositors of failed banks (Nation)
Nigeria Deposit Insurance Company (NDIC) has completed payments to all depositors of 18 closed failed Banks all their monies trapped in such banks.
These include insured and uninsured monies.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NDIC, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim dropped the hint while delivering an address during the NDIC day held yesterday at the ongoing 31st Enugu International Trade Fair.
He called on the general public, especially traders and businessmen, to always save money in licensed banks where the savings are protected by the NDIC. Read more
Coronavirus: Banks urge customers to use digital platforms (Punch)
Banks in the country have urged their customers to utilise their digital self-service solutions because of the coronavirus affecting different sectors globally.
Fidelity Bank said in a mail to its customers that, “Our industry has been drastically impacted by the coronavirus outbreak worldwide and as a result, we have implemented precautionary measures to help safeguard the well-being of our staff, customers and communities we serve.
“It is important that you are able to access funds to run your business or pay bills even in these times. Currently, our branch locations are open and fully staffed to assist with all your banking needs. Read more
FG frowns at indiscriminate hike in cost of rice (Guardian)
The Federal Government has frowned at the indiscriminate hike in the cost of local rice, saying it is dishonesty on the part of the dealers and unfair to consumers.
Alhaji Sabo Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development made this known at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.
“l am going to engage with them on this; we are going to discuss this and l am going to be thorough on it because l know this business.’’
He said that before the closure of the border, the cost of rice ranged between N5,000 and N9,000, adding that most of the dealers had stock for as long as eight months. Read more
Coronavirus: FG adds Sweden, Austria to restricted countries (Punch)
The Federal Government on Friday added Austria and Sweden to the list of countries with high-risk burden of coronavirus.
The addition brought the number of countries placed under restriction by Nigeria to 15.
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, said this while giving an update on the coronavirus in Abuja.
According to him, arrivals from all the countries shall be subjected to supervised isolation in form of follow up. Read more
Aurlus Mabélé: Congolese music legend dies ‘from coronavirus’ (BBC)
Congolese music star Aurlus Mabélé has died in hospital in France’s capital Paris, aged 67.
Posts on social media from friends and relatives say he died of coronavirus but this is not confirmed.
His fans called him the king of soukous – a high-tempo Congolese dance music popular across Africa.
His daughter, French singer Liza Monet, tweeted on Thursday that her father had died of coronavirus. “I am inconsolable” she wrote.
Fellow member of the supergroup Loketo, Mav Cacharel, also said on Facebook that he had died of coronavirus. Read more
South African Airways grounds international flights till May over virus (Guardian)
South Africa’s flag carrier on Friday suspended all international and regional flights until the end of May following a travel ban aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus.
Last weekend President Cyril Ramaphosa closed the border to all foreign nationals from highly-affected countries as infections spiked.
South Africa has so far detected 202 cases of the novel virus, the second-highest number on the continent after Egypt. Read more
Coronavirus: How close are we to a vaccine? (BBC)
Coronavirus is spreading around the world, but there are still no drugs that can kill the virus or vaccines that can protect against it.
So how far are we from these life-saving medicines?
When will there be a coronavirus vaccine?
Research is happening at breakneck speed.
There are more than 20 vaccines in development. One has begun human trials after unusually skipping any animal research to test either the safety or the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Other scientists are at the animal research stage and hope to get the results of human trials later in the year. Read more
Man arrested for not isolating over coronavirus (Guardian)
British police Friday arrested a man for failing to isolate himself upon arrival on the Isle of Man amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Police said in a statement that the man, 26, was arrested for failing to self-isolate on his entry to the island. Earlier, authorities said anyone arriving must self-isolate for 14 days under emergency legislation.
A police statement said: “We currently have one male in police custody for failing to adhere to the new legislation requiring him to self-isolate.
“Please follow the guidance issued by the government and think about the safety of the community. This is an ever evolving situation and it is important we act in the best interests of keeping people safe.” Read more
After Barnier, UK Brexit negotiator shows virus symptoms (Guardian)
Britain’s lead negotiator for post-Brexit trade talks with the European Union is self-isolating after showing mild symptoms of coronavirus, a spokesman said Friday — the day after his EU counterpart said he had the virus.
British negotiator David Frost “has been showing mild symptoms and so he is following the guidance to self-isolate”, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters.
“We remain in contact with the European Commission and expect further conversations between the teams next week.” Read more
20 vaccines being developed to tackle coronavirus – WHO (Punch)
World Health Organisation representative in Russia, Melita Vujnovic, said WHO has received certification requests for 40 coronavirus tests, as 20 vaccines are being developed.
Vujnovic made the statement in an interview with Sputnik on Friday.
“As of this moment, the WHO has received 40 requests to consider and approve diagnostics tests, 20 vaccines are being developed, and many medicines are in clinical trials. We are expecting first results in several weeks,’’ she said. Read more
How American writer predicted coronavirus in 1981 (Nation)
An extract from a book by an American writer circulating on the social media suggests that the outbreak of Coronavirus, otherwise known as Covid-19, in Wuhan, China was accurately predicted as far back as 1981.
The book by Dean Koontz, number one bestselling author according to The New York Times, appropriately titled the “Eyes of Darkness”, states that a Chinese scientist Li Chen made the revelation when he defected to the United States, carrying a diskette record of China’s most important biological weapon.
Koontz states: ” They call the stuff ‘Wuhan-400’ because it was developed at their RDNA labs outside the city of Wuhan, and it was the four-hundredth viable strain of man-made microorganism created at that research centre.” Read more
Coronavirus: US Senators face calls to resign over ‘insider trading’ (BBC)
Two US Republican Senators are facing calls to resign over allegations they used insider knowledge to sell shares before prices fell due to coronavirus fears.
Richard Burr reportedly dumped up to $1.7m (£1.45m) of stocks last month.
Kelly Loeffler is reported to have sold holdings worth up to $3m in a series of transactions beginning the same day as a Senate briefing on the virus.
Both Senators have denied any impropriety.
Under US law, it is illegal for members of Congress to trade based on non-public information gathered during their official duties. Read more
Ighalo earns N39m bonus after first eight games (Punch)
Despite only making just eight appearances for Manchester United, Nigeria international, Odion Ighalo, has been rewarded with a hefty bonus of £92,000 (approximately N39m), excluding his weekly £120,000 wages.
Since joining the Red Devils on loan from Shanghai Shenhua in the January transfer window, the 30-year-old has been a revelation, scoring four goals in eight matches.
To make up for the pay-cut, United inserted some incentives in his deal, which includes an £8,000 per-goal reward, £9,000 for every Premier League win and £3,000 for a draw.
With four goals already scored, Ighalo has bagged £32,000 goal bonus. Read more
Coronavirus: Premier League players join charity FIFA 20 tournament (BBC)
If you’ve been struggling over the last few days with having no football to watch, you’re definitely not alone.
It’s affected fans and people working at clubs like Luke Lambourne, who looks after the social media for League Two club Leyton Orient.
After a weekend without any content to post, Luke came up with the idea of an online FIFA tournament.
FIFA is one of the biggest games in eSports, and an eWorld Cup was launched in 2004. Read more
€45m Ndidi is Eagles most expensive player (Punch)
Leicester City’s midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is the most valuable player in the Super Eagles squad currently, Sports Extra reports.
The outstanding Premier League season for the 23-year-old has seen his value increase by 30 per cent and is now valued at €45m, according to transfer specialists Transfermarkt.
Ndidi has made 29 appearances and scored twice in all competitions this season.
Also the market value of Eagles forward star, Alex Iwobi, faltered from €40m to €32m while Kelechi Iheanacho’s stock rose from €12m to €15m in the latest market value updates. Read more
Bamikole retains University Tour title (Guardian)
Paul Bamikole of the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, has retained the Nigerian University Golf Tour title, beating the field of players from across the country at the prestigious Smokin Hills Golf Course in Ilara Mokin, Ondo State.
Spokesman for Smokin Hills Golf Course, Samuel Emehelu, said in a statement that Bamidele stood clear of the 90 players that had teed-off at the event with his 82, 10 over gross score at the weekend to reclaim the title he won in 2019 at the same venue.
“I am very delighted to have achieved this feat, the event was very competitive as there were a lot of great players here.
“I think the hard work I have put in paid off for me. I hope to repeat this in the future,” Bamikole said. Read more
FCV Gladiator Football Camp gets new date (Nation)
Following the decision by the Federal Government to suspend all sporting activities over the COVID-19 pandemic, the Organisers of the annual FCV Gladiator Camp, a football clinic, has postponed the clinic which was earlier scheduled to hold between April 5 to 10 in Lagos and April 12 to 17 in Abuja.
In a statement signed by one of the organisers, Oluseyi Oyebode, the postponement becomes necessary as the health of the participants are very important.
“The Federal Government has suspended all sporting activities and as a law-abiding body, we want to follow the law of the land and that is why we have decided to postpone the camp to July 2020. The Lagos leg of the camp will be hosted by Grange School in Ikeja, while Aduvie International School will host the Abuja camp of the one-week football clinic,” Oyebode said. Read more
Italian athlete narrates coronavirus experience (Guardian)
A young Italian athlete, Edoardo Melloni, who tested positive to the dreaded COVID-19 or coronavirus, has shared his experience with aipsmedia.com.
Dressed in hospital tunics and a mask, Melloni’s post has left many people dismayed, finding themselves faced with the declaration of him testing positive to the dreaded coronavirus.
Now, while in the media literature, the coronavirus has been described as a pandemic shaped on the elderly, but we have found ourselves in front of an athlete, who was in excellent health, in excellent condition.
Edo, as he is fondly called, is one of the best athletes of the Cus Pro Patria Milano and was recently a beneficiary of an internship in Kenya. We asked for an interview from this first level athlete, who is currently hospitalized at the Sacco Hospital in Milan, one of the places for which the disease has become sadly known. Read more
Prudent Energy Handball postponed (Nation)
The Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) have said the Prudent Energy Premier League and every other programme in the country have been postponed indefinitely due to the spread of coronavirus in the country.
The Secretary General of HFN Maigidasanma Mohammed who released a statement to that effect, said that the decision to suspend all handball activities was borne out of a directive from the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports instructing all sports federation to stop all competitions.
“The Handball Federation of Nigeria is in receipt of a letter from the Ministry of youths and sports stopping federations from all national and international championships. Read more