4 In 10 Nigerians Lost Their Jobs In April – NBS

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June 8, 2020

Not less than four in every ten Nigerians (42 per cent) who were working before the outbreak of coronavirus in the country lost their jobs due to the impact of COVID-19, in April, an NBS survey found.

This estimate includes respondents in the poorest households, where about 5 in 10 (45 per cent) stopped working due to COVID-19, and the wealthiest households, where about 4 in 10 (39 per cent) lost their jobs.

The former bracket is where Folarin Adewole belongs. He said he was one of the outsourced staff laid off by Access Bank last month.

Although he received full payment for May, he said he “feels bad and very unusual” that that might be his last.

The National Longitudinal Phone Survey (NLPS) on the socio-economic effects of COVID-19 on Nigerian households was conducted between April 20 and May 11, a time range that coincided with a federally mandated lockdown, initiated on March 30.

It is the first of a planned 12 waves of the COVID-19 NLPS of households in Nigeria, where 3,000 households from the 2018/19 General Household Survey — Panel were contacted and 1,950 households were fully interviewed.

The survey also found that the commerce, service and agriculture sectors were the most hit by COVID-19.

Specifically, households earning from non-farm businesses lost their jobs the most, with 9 in 10 (85% per cent) families saying a member of their household lost their job. Likewise, in households engaged in farming, livestock or fishing, about 7 in 10 (73 per cent) said a member of their household lost their job. Among wage earners, about 6 in 10 (58 per cent) families said a member of their household lost their job.

More so, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS said about 8 in every 10 persons interviewed (79 per cent) said that their households’ total income decreased since mid-March.

Within seven days prior to the survey (April 13 to 19), the report found that the range of 35-59 per cent of households who needed to buy staple foods like yam, rice and beans said they were not able to buy them.

Affordability aside, increase in the prices of major food items reduced the purchasing power of 85 per cent (about 9 in 10) of households since the coronavirus outbreak. This pales when compared to only 19 per cent (2 in 10) between January 2017 and January 2019.

As a result, in the bid to absorb the widespread shocks, half (51 per cent) of all households resorted to reduction in their food consumption.

Daniel Denis, 32, is a porter at Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LUTH) whose salary was recently slashed by half, to N15,000. The father of a 9-year-old daughter told PREMIUM TIMES he “barely feeds once a day” due to this.

“Experience of economic shocks in the few months after the outbreak of coronavirus far exceeds shocks experienced between 2017 and 2019,” the survey which is part of a World Bank global effort to support countries’ data collection efforts to monitor the impact of COVID-19, said.

The economic strain on many households due to COVID-19 is further worsened by a dip in their access to medical treatment. Approximately a quarter of all households were not able to access medical treatment when they needed it during the lockdown, the report said.

On the educational front, among households with children attending school prior to the nationwide closure in March, 62 per cent said that their children had engaged in any learning and educational activities since the closure.

Respondents are generally aware of important preventive measures against coronavirus such as handwashing (97 per cent), avoiding gatherings (90 per cent) and social distancing (89 per cent).

In Mr Adewole’s case, he said although regular staff were not laid off by his employers, but, he, an “outsourced staff”, was. I had hoped CBN’s order that banks must not lay off their workers would be a saving grace, but that wasn’t the case.

With that out of the picture, he “expected the bank to just pay us off, (so that) one can start a new life, considering the timing of the layoff.”

But that, too, was not to be.

Drunk Police Sergeant Stabs Inspector To Death in Lagos

By

Alex Enemanna

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June 8, 2020

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The Lagos state police command has arrested a police Sergeant whose name has not yet been revealed, for allegedly stabbing an Inspector, Francis Adekunle, to death and injuring another victim while under the influence of alcohol over the weekend.

The erring officer who is currently being detained at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Yaba, lives in the same compound in Oke-Odo with his deceased colleague and other tenants. Several complaints have been made about how he drinks to stupor and attacks people in the process.

The Nation reports that over the weekend, the Sergeant went berserk after drinking alcohol at a nearby liquor store and returned to his compound in Oke-Odo.

The Sergeant reportedly picked a quarrel with one of his neighbours, and was chasing the man about with a cutlass when the Inspector, said to be attached to the Special Protection Unit (SPU) 2 Ikeja, intervened.

It was in the process the Sergeant pounced on the inspector with the machete, leaving several cuts on his legs and body.

It was gathered that the victim was rushed to the hospital where he died this morning Monday, June 8.

A police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity demanded justice for the deceased Inspector.

“He drives a fully tinted Toyota Camry car with no plate number. He was reported at the Okeodo, Ile Epo Police Station for his previous actions but nothing was done to call him to order before he perpetrated this evil act. I saw Inspector Adekunle in the evening on his hospital bed. He was still alive then. Unfortunately, I received a call from his brother, Ojo Adekunle that he just passed on.

The doctor also confirmed his death. I am using this medium to appeal to the CP Hakeem Odumosu to do the needful and prosecute this killer Sergeant that has been terrorising everyone in the vicinity. This kind of character should not be in the Nigeria Police,” an officer said

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Lagos state police command, Bala Elkana, said an investigation into the incident has commenced.

“This did not happen in the barracks. They both stay in town with other civilians. They were neither on duty nor anywhere near police facility when it happened. I have to correct that impression because a lot of people have been calling me to say it happened inside barrack.

No matter where it happened, a crime was committed and the suspect is in custody. I will issue a statement soon on this incident” he said

Over 1400 Boko Haram Terrorists Have Been Killed In The North East – Buratai

By

Alex Enemanna

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June 8, 2020

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Over 1400 Boko Haram terrorists have been neutralized in the NorthEast.

This is one of the several successes recorded by the Nigerian military according to the Chief of army staff, Tukur Buratai.

The Army Chief who has been with the troops on the frontline spoke to State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

General Buratai expressed joy with the morale and performance of the troops insisting that the military is determined to rid all parts of the country of terrorism and banditry.

Davido Allegedly Welcomes Another Baby Boy With London-based Makeup Artist

By

Alex Enemanna

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June 8, 2020

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Singer and proud father of three children from three different women, Davido is reportedly a new daddy as he has allegedly welcomed a 4th child from another woman, according to a report.

Reports reveal that his reported newest baby mama is Larissa Yasmin Lorenco A.K.A Larissa London, a UK-based makeup artist born and raised in Angola.

According to the by Gistmerchant, Larissa has been in Davido’s life since 2017, see her in the background of his picture with Cardi B back in 2017.

The report says Larissa welcomed her son in March 2020 and went off social media when the rumour initially started and have now returned.

Davido is reportedly currently denying the baby and blocked her so she has no access to him, as he is trying to save face with his fiancee Chioma.

Gistmerchant Says:

“There have been rumours floating around for a while now of Davido having another child. I’m here to confirm the gist and give details. Meet the newest baby mama Larissa Yasmin Lorenco A.K.A Larissa London. A makeup artist born and raised in Angola but moved to UK and have been in David’s life since 2017 see her in the background of his picture back in 2017.
He sure knows how to shuffle these women at the same time. She went off social media when the rumour initially started and have only just returned to posting again. She posted the above picture to make it seem like she is still pregnant so as to confuse the timeline meanwhile she already delivered a baby boy back in March and this is an old picture.

This is her second child as she already has a daughter. The hookup that resulted in this pregnancy happened in NewYork Mid last year (Summer ‘19) when David was back and forth in US first for his second daughter’s birthday, then a brief Euro tour, back in US for Memorial weekend show, next in Nigeria for his first daughter’s hair product launch and then back in US in June for another show in Philadelphia and branched afterward in NY to give Larissa belle� before moving on to ATL for the rest of his trip.

Larissa was also with him at the Afrofest Portugal that happened back in August of 2019.

Davido is currently denying the baby and blocked her so she has no access to him. He is trying to save face with the Chef Chi. For a while now things haven’t been rosy between them and they have been living apart but with this news now, trust them to come together and do photoshoot, pressing breast and sharing tongue to convince us that Chivido is still going to happen. My guess? Chivido is dead in the water. Fingers crossed.”

FG Flies In COVID-19 Drug From Bangladesh For Infected Governor

By

Alex Enemanna

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June 8, 2020

1

Nigeria chartered a special flight between Abuja and Dhaka on Sunday to collect a small dose of the Bangladesh-produced anti-viral drug remdesivir in an effort to treat one of its officials suffering from Covid-19, officials in Dhaka said.

Dpa International reported that the plane returned home nearly 20 minutes after landing at Bangladesh’s major airport in Dhaka in the evening carrying 36 vials of the drug and some medical protective gear made by Bangladeshi companies, Foreign Ministry spokesman Touhidul Islam said.

At least 342 people with the Covid-19 disease have died in the West African country, where 12,233 cases of novel coronavirus have been confirmed up to Sunday.

“The Nigerian government sent the chartered plane to collect the drug to treat one of its governors affected by a coronavirus,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.

The arrangement was made following a phone conversation Saturday between Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama and his Bangladeshi counterpart Abul Kalam Abdul Momen, according to the statement.

Two Bangladeshi companies last month produced the first generic version of the remdesivir, which is currently being tested as a possible treatment for Covid-19, the potentially deadly disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The drug was developed and patented by Gilead Sciences in the US.

A Nigerian team collected 25 vials of the drug produced by Eskayef Pharmaceuticals Limited and 11 vials by Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited, Kabir Ahmed Bhuiya, a businessman who supplied the drug and the equipment samples, said.

Nigeria is interested in importing the drug from Bangladesh subject to its efficacy, according to the Foreign Ministry statement.

Appeal Court President: Nobody Can Stampede Buhari — Presidency

By

Alex Enemanna

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June 8, 2020

1

THE Presidency on Sunday said that nobody would stampede President Muhammadu Buhari in carrying out his constitutional duties.

The Presidency also rebuffed the criticism over the delay in the confirmation of the Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Her Lordship Justice M. S Dongban-Mensem, saying that the statutory regulatory time of her acting period has not lapsed.

In a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu in Abuja, the Presidency said that President had not been a rubber stamp dealing with his constitutional duties and is not prepared to be one at this time.

The statement was titled, “In Making Judicial and other Appointments, President Buhari is not a Rubber Stamp.” It read, “In making appointments upon the recommendations of other arms or agencies of the government, the President is not a rubber stamp that will mechanistically sign off on nominees that come before him.

” The President has a duty to ensure that all such appointments meet the requirements of the constitution and in protecting the supreme law of the land in this regard, he has an obligation to allow law enforcement and security agencies to do their work.

“Don’t forget our recent experience with ministers who were signed off upon and turned out as having not undertaken the compulsory National Youth Service, just to give you an example.

“In the specific case of the Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Her Lordship Justice M. S Dongban-Mensem, the statutory regulatory time of her acting period has not lapsed.

“This is not about ethnicity or religion. It is about security and law enforcement agencies being allowed to complete their work. Nobody should seek to stampede the President in carrying out his constitutional duty in this respect.

“The President had not been a rubber stamp dealing with these matters before and is not prepared to be one at this time. Let all allow the system to do what is right.”

Nigeria Will Seize To Exist When We Are Done – Nnamdi Kanu Fires Back At Presidency

By

Alex Enemanna

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June 8, 2020

1

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has reacted to a statement released by the presidency in which the proscribed group was accused of using Christianity to wage war against the Nigeria.

Recall that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu said in the statement that IPOB has been attempting to drive a wedge between the Nigerian government and its US and UK/European allies.

Reacting to the statement by the Presidency, Nnamdi Kanu stated that the Nigerian Government inadvertently confirmed that they spend big on a diplomatic offensive. He averred that every dime contributed to IPOB will go towards ”dismantling Nigeria and restoration of Biafra.”

The IPOB leader added that they have ” destroyed Nigeria and the name will seize to exist when they are done.”

Nnamdi Kanu wrote on Facebook;

I Mazi Nnamdi Kanu have no mansion, I have no car, I have no hotel, I have no university, I have no government contract, I don’t lie, I don’t cheat, I don’t steal, all I HAVE is the grace of Chukwu Okike Abiama to do his will which is to restore Biafra in TRUTH and HONESTY. Every dime the indomitable IPOB family worldwide contribute towards our liberation goes towards the dismantling of Nigeria and restoration of Biafra, I mean every dime.

Once again Nigerian Government has inadvertently confirmed that we spend big on our diplomatic offensive. We have destroyed Nigeria and by the time we are done with them, the name Nigeria will seize to exist.

4 In 10 Nigerians Lost Their Jobs In April – NBS

By

Alex Enemanna

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June 8, 2020

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