An epidemiologist, Dr Shehu Okunola, has said that the coronavirus pandemic outbreak cannot be halted without a vaccine. Okunola, who spoke on Monday in Abuja, advised Nigerians not to think of a natural immunity as a protection from an outbreak and transmission of an infectious disease like COVID-19. He said that there was no such herd immunity against the virus as there was evidence of re-infection in the population. “Even if there was, we are nowhere close. Less than five per cent of people worldwide have had COVID-19. “Immunity to COVID-19 fades after a few months. Someone can get re-infected…
Author: Editor
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers, says the state government will replace all the properties allegedly destroyed by members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) during the #EndSARS protest in parts of Rivers. Wike, who made this known on Monday in a statement by his Media Aide, Mr Kelvin Ebiri, expressed regrets that the damage done during the protest left a huge financial burden on the state. Speaking during a live television programme in Port Harcourt, Wike said IPOB members killed six soldiers, four policemen and destroyed all police stations and court buildings there’’, restating that the State government…
The Premier League in England said on Monday that four people have returned positive results in its latest round of COVID-19 tests conducted on players and staff last week. The league said the individuals who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus would now self-isolate for 10 days. “The Premier League can today confirm that between Monday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, 1,446 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19,” the league said in a statement. “Of these, there were four new positive tests.” A total of 48 people have tested positive for the virus in nine rounds of testing…
A group, Amuwo Odofin Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum in Lagos, on Monday wrote a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to commence a recall process of their representative, Mrs Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, in the Lagos State House of Assembly. In the petition, dated Nov. 2 and addressed to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and made available to newsmen in Lagos, the Group alleged that the first-term lawmaker is not accessible and has not represented them well since assumption of office. The petition, signed by Messrs Kingsley Nwanze and Gbenga Akinbinu, the Convener and Secretary respectively, is entitled “Notice…
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), says the Federal Government generated N424.71 billion as Value Added Tax (VAT) in the third quarter (Q3) of the year as against N327.2 billion generated in the second quarter (Q2). NBS made this known in its “Sectoral Distribution of Value Added Tax Data for Q3 2020”, released on Monday in Abuja. The report said that N275.12 billion was generated in Q3 2019, adding that the 2020 figure represents 29.80 per cent increase Quarter-on-Quarter and 54.37 per cent increase Year-on-Year. It said that manufacturing generated the highest amount of VAT with N47.07 billion, closely followed…
Mr Ibrahim Imam, Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), says plans are underway to construct facilities with provision for 2000 bed spaces across Nigerian universities. This is to cushion the effect of inadequate student accommodation. Imam disclosed this in an interview on the sidelines of the BOT engagement with beneficiary institutions of the Academic Publishing Centre in the South West geo political zone at the University of Lagos on Monday. According to him, accommodation remains one of the most critical components of tertiary education system that must be supported to bring out the best…
The Presidency has again expressed concern over the circulation of fake news and misleading information occasioned by the EndSARS protests aimed at causing social discontent and disunity in the country. Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, stated this at a Media Parley with international journalists organized by Presidential Media Team at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, on Monday. Adesina condemned what he described as deliberate misinformation and incorrect reports by some international media outfits who reported the protests in some part of the country. He explained that the meeting was…
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed engagements with Governors, traditional rulers, the youths and other critical stakeholders across the geo-political zones in the country following the #EndSARS protest and its aftermath. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this on Monday in Kaduna after a closed-door meeting of the Federal Government delegation with the 19 Northern State Governors and traditional rulers. The Federal Government delegation to the meeting was led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari. Other members of the delegation are the Minister of Information, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed…
Everyone knows by now that due to a combination of leadership, environment, social ecology, demographics and as yet unknown biological and other factors, Africa has been spared the worst of the havoc that COVID-19 has wreaked on other parts of the globe and was predicted to do here too. As of 15th October 2020, the continent has a remarkably low 4.2% of the global burden of the disease and just a little above 3.5% of deaths. Compare this against Africa’s share of the world’s population at 17%. Or the fact that Africa has nearly 5 times the global prevalence of HIV…
In furtherance to its resolution to further engage with the critical stakeholders of the North, the Northern States Governors Forum held a meeting today Monday 2nd November, 2020 at the Council Chamber, Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna. The meeting was attended by His Excellency, the Senate President, of the Federal Republic, the Honourable Deputy Speaker and other members of the National Assembly, the Chief of Staff to the President, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, the Minister of Information and Culture, the Inspector General of Police, Principal Officers of the National Assembly, Chairmen of the Northern States Traditional Rulers Council…