The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday dashed hopes that the Ebola drug, ‘Remdesivir’ and three other existing medications could be useful tools against COVID-19. Trials with four drugs conducted among 11,000 patients in 30 countries “appeared to have little or no effect’’ on survival and on the progression of the disease among hospitalised patients, the WHO said in Geneva. The UN Health agency’s Solidarity Trial involved Remdesivir, the HIV treatment lopinavir/ritonavir, the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and Interferon, which was developed for multiple sclerosis. The European Union had placed its bets on Remdesivir. The European Commission announced a contract this month…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
President Macky Sall of Senegal has commended the way and manner Nigeria is supporting the cost of war against insurgency and terrorist activities in all the Lake Chad Basin areas. The Senegalese leader gave the commendation at the end of a dinner meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and President Umaro Embalo of Guinea Bissau at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday. He also lauded Nigeria for supporting the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) toward the restoration of peace and constitutional order in Mali. “What I can say on Mali is that I did know that…
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase has disclosed that the House would consider the creation of states, state police, true federalism, local government and judicial autonomy in the review of the 1999 constitution. Wase, who is the chairman of the House Special Ad hoc committee on the review of the 1999 Constitution, made the disclosure at the inauguration of the committee at the National Assembly, NASS, on Thursday. “Let me start by stating the need and importance of reviewing our extant constitution cannot be overemphasized as a vast majority of Nigerians consider the 1999 constitution…
The U.S government has barred Nigeria from the 2022 visa lottery application. According to a 19-page document published on the US government website, Nigeria is the only African country barred from the visa lottery. “For DV-2022, persons born in the following countries are not eligible to apply, because more than, 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam,”…
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 148 new cases of coronavirus in the country, according to its official twitter handle on Thursday. It said that the 148 new cases were from 14 states in the last 24 hours, distributed as follows – Lagos State (66), FCT (25), Oyo (13), Plateau (11), Kaduna (7), Rivers (6), Ebonyi (5), Ekiti (4), Ogun (4), Imo (2), Ondo (2), Edo (1), Nasarawa (1), and Taraba (1). The NCDC said the 148 new cases brings the nation’s confirmed COVID-19 infection cases to 60,982. The public health agency noted that till date, 60,982 cases have been confirmed,…
The Federal Government has agreed to release N30 billion as part payment of the Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Sen. Chris Ngige. Minister of Labour and Employment said this at the end of a meeting between the Federal Government and ASUU on Friday in Abuja. “The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) was committed to release N30 billion on or before Nov. 6. “The remaining N10 billion would be spread equally over the two tranches to be paid in May 2021 and February 2022 respectively. The OAGF should quickly conclude the verification of…
The Federal Government, states and local government councils have shared N639.901 billion for the month of September, Mr Aliyu Ahmed, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, has said. Mr Hassan Dodo, Director of Information in the ministry, quoted Ahmed as disclosing this in a statement issued at the end of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday. Ahmed said that the N639.901 billion shared included cost of collection to Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). According to the permanent secretary, the Federal Government…
What we know about 21st century revolts are that the youth are its key actors, it starts on the social media, it then moves from the virtual spaces to the streets and it is televised, thanks to mobile phones. What we never seem to know is when and why it moves from virtual spaces to the streets. For years, the youth have been threatening on the social media that they have had enough of police brutality and won’t take it anymore. For the past week, it has been happening and the streets of all our major urban centres are witnessing…
The Senate Committee on Appropriation says it will begin the processing of the 2021 budget estimates on October 16. Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Barau Jibril (APC Kano), made the disclosure while unveiling the timetable for processing of 2021 budget estimates by the National Assembly. He said the timetable was harmonised by the Senate and the House of Representatives appropriation committees. The Senate on October 15, passed for second reading the N13.08 trillion appropriation estimates presented to joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari. Barau said the budget processing exercise would include defence by Chief Executive Officers…
President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, has said that the early consideration and passage of the 2020 budget, that returned the nation ’s budget cycle to January-December, has increased its implementation. Lawan said this on Thursday at plenary, the third day of debate on the 2021 Appropriation Bill presented before the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari. Lawan in his remarks on the country’s return to the January-December budget cycle, described the move as a major achievement under the Buhari administration and the 9th Assembly. According to him, the low implementation that characterised previous budgets has been significantly improved…