Westernars

There is anxiety as the community transmission of Covid-19 stares Nigeria in the face. How can the government stem the tide? President Muhammadu Buhari has been applauded for the way he has transparently conducted the anti-Covid war by foreign bodies and other stakeholders. But, he will receive more praises only when the curve begins to flatten. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, observed that measures so far taken by Nigerians were in the right direction and result-oriented. Ghebreyesus noted that Nigeria was swift and transparent in information dissemination, thanking the Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) for its efforts since the index case of the virus was reported in February. He said: “This a true act of solidarity and an important step in stopping the coronavirus from spreading further.” Also , the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, showered encomiums on the Nigerian government for its commit...

This follows Monday’s gross disobedience of the protocols as Nigerians got some relief after weeks of restrictions.It was the first day after the easing of the shutdown to contain the spread of coronavirus in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states.Before the four-week stay-at-home imposed by President Muhammadu Buhari, Lagos and Abuja had been under some forms of restriction for at least one week.Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 is not pleased that there was a breach of social distancing with overcrowding in public places, interstate movement and shunning of face masks.“Today, we might forgive a little bit because it was the first day. However, we will have infections because of what happened today (yesterday), no doubt about that.“But what is more important is how we can learn from the mistakes of today (yesterday) into tomorrow and into next tomorrow, so that by Friday, hopefully they will have normalised some of these things.“The challenge for us as a society is how we now organis...

The State Chairman of the All Progressive Congress APC in Cross River State, Sir John Ochalla has dismissed as tissues of lies, a statement from one Ekpenyong Effiom Asuquo, JP, the Secretary of PDP Youth Forum wherein he stated that “Governor Ben Ayade has been funding the APC ever since”. Ochalla in a press statement made available to newsmen on Monday called the attention of the General Public saying he would have ordinarily ignored the write up from one Ekpenyong Effiom Asuquo, JP, secretary to a youth forum in PDP, but the times we are in now politically are very interesting and I will not let this opportunity pass by without keeping the records straight. He said the controversial statement from a Youth Forum of the PDP, in paragraph seven, stated that ” Ayade has been funding the APC ever since. This statement is not only a tissue of lies but a figment of the author’s imagination.” His words, “to the best of my knowledge, Governor Ayade has not funded the APC with a kobo ...

Ekiti and Kaduna states’ governments have warned motorists against violating the lockdown regulations. They said drivers found violating the regulations would have their vehicles impounded and auctioned. Ekiti State’s new directive was contained in its COVID-19 Implementation Guidelines released yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, and signed by Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Biodun Oyebanji. This happened as the state government relaxed the lockdown imposed on the state. Reading the guidelines at a COVID-19 update media briefing, Information Commissioner Muyiwa Olumilua said the ban on interstate travels remained in force. He said any vehicle seized would be forfeited to the state government. The government said the lockdown had not been totally removed, explaining that the residents could enjoy freedom of movement on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 7 a.m and 4 p.m, while the curfew earlier imposed between 7 p.m and 6 a.m still subsists. The Kadu...

A woman, Amaka Okoro, who the Edo State government declared wanted for fleeing the state after allegedly testing positive for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), has threatened to sue the government. Governor Godwin Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a frontline governorship aspirant on the party’s platform, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, are at loggerheads over the woman. The governor declared the woman wanted on April 30. In a viral video on Monday, Amaka Okoro, who stated that her photo was taken from her Facebook page by the Edo State government without her consent, said she was not married, did not have a child, never tested positive with COVID-19 and was based in Lagos, not Edo State. The woman threatened to sue the Obaseki administration for the pain and embarrassment it caused her with the government’s “false publication” against her on the Internet as she claimed not to be the fleeing woman. Obaseki, through his verified Twitter handle: @governorobaseki, wrot...

Youths of Ebenebe community in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State have intercepted more than 1,500 vehicles for violating the COVID-19 regulations on movement. The state government, last weekend, relaxed some aspects of its restriction on human and vehicular movements, leaving the boundary closed. The vehicles abandoned the Enugu-Onitsha (in Anambra State) expressway and diverted to the community. The closure of the boundaries between the two neighbouring states was among measures to stop the spread of the deadly Coronavirus disease ravaging the world. President-General of the community, Paul Nnatuanya, told The Nation yesterday that he mobilised the youths to man the road. Nnatuanya said the action was meant to ensure that no vehicle was allowed to cross into Anambra.

The economic fallout from the coronavirus may present the best, most pressing case for revising the CBN’s high interest rate policy. The undue rates penalise domestic investment and consumer borrowing.This reduces both aggregate domestic supply and, to a lesser degree, aggregate domestic demand. The chronic gap between domestic supply and demand has been filled by bloated levels of imports and encouraged an overvalued exchange rate that the high interests have helped produce.In normal times, the high interest rates also attract significant foreign financial speculation, the ever-ominous hot money. While in the short-term, the foreign speculation boosts financial inflows.Over time, as compound interest payments become due on these foreign investments, the nation will lose an ever-increasing amount of money to satisfy foreign debt obligations. In the short run, high rates seem to attract foreign capital and spur the economy while giving it discipline against inflation.In the longer-...

The Mufti of the Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO), Sheikh Dhikrullah Shafi’I, has called on government nationwide not to toy with the idea of opening schools and religious centres. The cleric warned those who are operating partial lockdown to reverse to full lockdown. This, he said, was due to the increase in Coronavirus cases across the country. According to him, more stringent measures needed to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic. Sheikh Shafi’I faulted the lifting of the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by the Federal government. “I think President Muhammadu Buhari got it wrong by lifting the lockdown. Mr President, instead, should have declared a total lockdown in the whole federation. This would aid the containment of the pandemic,” he said. The scholar appealed to Nigerians to show understanding with the government on their efforts to contain the virus. “We need to learn from other countries. The index cases have go...

The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Nigeria on the 27th of February 2020. Just a little over two months ago and, yet, it feels like a lifetime has elapsed. The world we lived in then, is so much different from the one we are about to be released into, as the lockdown restrictions are lifted. When the lockdown was announced by President Muhammadu Buhari on the 27th of March, there were 65 confirmed cases in the country and the President’s Chief of Staff had just tested positive for the virus. Today, we have confirmed over 2000 cases, and many of our beloved fellow citizens (more than 50) are no longer with us, having fallen in the wake of this novel coronavirus. May the souls of the departed rest in peace, and to those of us who remain on the journey of life, may God grant wisdom. We need it, desperately, at this time to navigate the complexities ahead. The month we spent sheltering in place was, without question, challenging; but in our isolation there was an odd sort of t...

Nigeria, on Sunday night recorded 170 new cases of Coronavirus. According to a tweet from the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, (NCDC), Lagos State recorded 39 cases, Kano State had 29 cases, Ogun State had 24 cases, Bauchi State had 18 cases and Kaduna state recorded 15 cases. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Sokoto State recorded 12 cases each, with Katsina State having eight cases, Borno State had seven cases, Nasarawa State had three cases, Adamawa State had two cases and Oyo State had one case. As it stands, 2558 persons have tested positive to Coronavirus in Nigeria, with 400 patients discharged, and 87 deaths recorded Details Shortly…….

CHLOROQUINE, an anti-malaria drug, has aided the recovery of six Coronavirus patients in Bauchi State, including Governor Bala Mohammed, Health Commissioner Dr. Aliyu Maigoro has said. Maigoro, who backed the governor’s stand on chloroquine treatment, addressed reporters yesterday in a telephone interview. He said five other patients who were discharged about two weeks ago after the governor’s recovery were also given a dose of the anti-malaria drug. The Nation reports that six patients had recovered and discharged since the outbreak of the pandemic. Maigoro said: “As the governor rightly stated at the briefing, the same chloroquine treatment was also applied as treatment for the other five patients who were discharged after the governor’s recovery…”

KADUNA State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has said 50 of the almajiri children sent away from Kano State accounted for the 59 active COVID-19 cases in Kaduna State. The governor stated this yesterday in his verified Twitter handle. Kaduna State has 66 confirmed cases of the virus, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Out of the 66, six people, including Governor El-Rufai, who was the index case, have been treated and discharged, while one case, a retired civil servant who returned from Kano, was confirmed dead on Saturday. Giving details of the cases, El-Rufai said: “COVID-19 Update: The Kaduna State Ministry of Health, this evening (Saturday), confirmed receipt of 16 more positive results, 15 of them from almajiri. The state has now recorded 50 cases from repatriated almajiri. Active cases have risen to 59.” Also, Jigawa State government has hired a private firm to test about 700 almajiri sent packing from Kano and Gombe states. The state’s Chairman of...

Former Tottenham Hotspur star, Dimitar Berbatov, has urged striker, Harry Kane to make the tough decision to leave the club for Manchester United. The former Bulgaria international, who won two Premier League titles at Manchester United after leaving Tottenham to join the Red Devils in 2008, believes Kane may have to follow suit. WATV recalls that Kane has drawn interest from Man United in the past few weeks. The England international, who is yet to win any silverware at Tottenham, has scored 181 goals in 278 matches for Spurs over the past six seasons. “The final step for me was joining Man United, and I knew I would be making people disappointed, especially Tottenham fans, but I was following my own path,” Berbatov told the Football Daily podcast. “I knew if I missed that chance, another one might not come. “This is how it is in football. Sometimes you need to make tough decisions. “The same exact situation is happening with Harry Kane at the moment. “He is in the s...

No fewer than nine pastors of various denominations have been arrested by the Bayelsa State Task Force on COVID-19 in Yenagoa, the state capital. The pastors were apprehended for conducting Sunday worship activities in their various churches in violation of the lockdown order. Those arrested were Pastors P. B. Barima; Timi Aaron; Adaba Glory; and Chris Ezene. Others are Plus B. James; Prophet Alfred Munemune; Daniel Owi; Sardauna Oguta; and Tony Samugba. The task force said the pastors were being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yenagoa, and would be charged to court soon.

Manchester United have agreed a £90million deal with Lyon for Moussa Dembele, the Manchester Evening News reports. The French striker is expected to leave in the summer transfer window and join the Old Trafford outfit. Dembele’s decision to leave may have been hastened by Ligue 1’s decision to call off the season. It leaves Lyon in 7th place and out of European competitions for next term. Although United themselves are currently 5th in the Premier League, Dembele sees a move to the Red Devils as “a dream”. United boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, is expected to be in the market for a forward again this summer, although the club may choose to sign Odion Ighalo on a permanent deal. Dembele fits the profile, having scored 22 goals in all competitions for Lyon this term.

INSPECTOR-GENERAL of Police Mohammed Adamu has said 27 police officers have been attacked by members of the public while on COVID-19 enforcement duties. Adamu said many of these officers were still in hospital receiving treatment from the injuries sustained during such attacks. The IGP made this known in a statement condemning the assault on police officers, who were carrying out their COVID-19 enforcement duties in Oyo State on Monday. The statement, endorsed by the Force spokesman DCP Frank Mba, was made available to reporters on Sunday. Adamu commended the police officers in Oyo for their restraint and professionalism in the face of unprovoked attacks by a woman. The attack on the policemen was captured on video that went viral. “The Inspector General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni, has commended the DCO II, Eruwa Police Division, ASP Adeyemo Ogunyemi, for his uncommon restraint and professionalism in the face of unprovoked attack as shown in a viral video where a ...

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has urged Nigerians to ensure personal safety. It claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari has ran out of ideas regarding COVID-19. PDP said as the lockdown is relaxed, Nigerians should protect themselves because Buhari and his government have no plans to rescue them from the jaws of COVID-19. A statement by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said Buhari had failed to find direction in the fight against the spread of the virus. PDP charged Nigerians not to “resign to fate and jeopardize their lives following President Buhari’s failure to find direction in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in our country despite the huge resources at his disposal.” The opposition party also described the Presidential Task Foce on COVID-19 as incompetent. PDP said Buhari Presidency and its “incompetent Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 had compounded the situation by crippling the economy after which they are now leaving Ni...