FG Reacts To Alleged Maltreatment Of Nigerians In China

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April 14, 2020

The European Union has given Nigeria a grant of €50 million to fight COVID-19, President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman Femi Adesina said on Tuesday.

The grant was announced by the Head of EU delegation in Nigeria, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen, at a meeting with President Buhari in Abuja.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, also confirmed this in a tweet on Tuesday.

Adesina said “EU gives Nigeria a grant of 50 million Euro to fight COVID-19. Head of EU delegation, Amb Ketil Karlsen, at the event commended President Buhari for “your powerful address to the nation last night,” and for “the bold and necessary measures you’ve taken.”

COVID-19 Pandemic Has Punished Football Globally – Pinnick

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April 14, 2020

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick says the Covid-19 pandemic has punished football globally.

Pinnick who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sports This Morning, disclosed that the coronavirus outbreak has really affected football operations worldwide.

“Football is football but it has taken a huge toll globally. The English Premier League, on TV rights alone, they have lost over 800 million pounds, Serie A has lost 750 million euros while the La Liga has lost 780 million Euros.

“The right holders of the French Ligue 1 have said they will not pay the league because there has been no content to deliver so they are holding back 125 million euros.

“Clubs across Europe have agreed to paycuts. See the Olympics suffering a loss of 6 billion dollars for the postponement to next year,’’ Pinnick confirmed.

Pinnick described the Covid-19 situation as a call for reflection, a time that provides an opportunity to see how we redirect, refocus and plan strategically. Not just for the NFF, it’s for everybody. “When you sit at home, use this time to take a deep breath, pause, meditate and do what you believe you need to do right.”

The NFF president further explained how it has affected football in Nigeria, “In Nigeria, we were planning a huge award ceremony for the Super Falcons.

“We want to celebrate what the ladies have done for football development in the country.

“The class of 1999 were impressive at the world cup and we have to honour them the way we did for the men. But this pandemic has paused everything.’’

The former CAF executive committee member admits post Covid-19 will be very tough. He added that the NFF we will take critical decisions working with the ministry of youth and sports development and major stakeholders to look at the things that can achieved realistically.

“We’ll definitely look at what we have. Right now we have about 11 national teams, we have all these things going on, we know what football means to Nigeria, so we need to interface with political stakeholders, we also need to interface with the ministry and see how best we can position or reposition ourselves because trust me, it is really bad.

“Every competition is important, that I can tell you.’’

When questioned about sustaining sponsorship for major competitions in the country, he answered, “There’s no competition that is not important but do what we call the scale of preference, that is the trick.

“You look at your priority, it doesn’t mean in future that we cannot go back do.

“There are so many things that we need to cut down on.

“We have to look at the reality of what is going on, it’s not just going to affect only football, it will affect practically every facet of the economy.

“Which means all the other sponsors will also come back and say they want to renegotiate, they want to talk with you again and some will pull out.”

The NFF boss also explained the relevance of the year 2020, particularly the post Covid-19 period.

“We believe that we don’t want to get distracted irrespective of anything because we know this year and next year, it’s going to be a tough call for Nigerian football.

“We need to qualify for the world cup. Its unforgivable, it’s a sin that you cannot forgive.

If you don’t qualify for the world cup, we know what it means to Nigeria. So we need to stay focused.

“We want to enjoin everybody to support us in ensuring that we qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup,” he affirmed.

COVID-19: Katsina Govt Instruct Civil Servants To Report To Work

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April 14, 2020

Katsina State Government has directed civil servants in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to continue to report to work from ten o’clock in the morning to two o’clock in the afternoon on weekdays.

In a statement by the Head of the state civil service, Idris Usman Tune, the directive was a sequel to approval from the state governor, Aminu Masari on the effort to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

Mr Tune also asked the civil servants to maintain the status quo and continue offering skeletal services to members of the general public until further notice.

He explained that the state government is making frantic efforts through relevant bodies and institutions to contain the spread of the virus in the state.

The Head of Service, therefore, appealed to the workers to practice social distancing, washing of hands in their various places of work and use of sanitizers at all times.

He expressed optimism that the workers will not only maintain regular hygiene but help to educate the populace on the way forward in curtailing the spread of the dreaded virus.

COVID-19: South African President Ramaphosa Appoints Okonjo-Iweala As Special Envoy Of African Union

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April 14, 2020

The Chairperson of the African Union, President of the Republic of South Africa His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Dr Donald Kaberuka, Mr Tidjane Thiam and Mr Trevor Manuel as Special Envoys of the African Union to mobilise international support for Africa’s efforts to address the economic challenges African countries will face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Special Envoys will be tasked with soliciting rapid and concrete support as pledged by the G20, the European Union and other international financial institutions.

President Ramaphosa says: “In the light of the devastating socio-economic and political impact of the pandemic on African countries these institutions need to support African economies that are facing serious economic challenges with a comprehensive stimulus package for Africa, including deferred debt and interest payments.

“The impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been global in both scale and reach, and this necessitates coordinated international action to capacitate all countries to respond effectively, but most particularly developing countries that continue to shoulder a historical burden of poverty, inequality and underdevelopment,” President Ramaphosa said.

President Ramaphosa added: “The sentiment expressed in two recent letters written to the G20 by a group of world leaders and a team of esteemed economists underscore the importance of bolstering health systems in poorer countries; this can only be done with the support of the international community.”

Dr Okonjo-Iweala is an internationally respected economist and development expert and served two terms as Minister of Finance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

She has also served as Managing Director of the World Bank.

Dr Kaberuka is an economist and former President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB).

He is the former Finance Minister of Rwanda and in 2016 was appointed as a Special Envoy of the African Union on sustainable financing for the AU and funding for Peace in Africa.

Mr Manuel was the longest-serving Minister of Finance in the Republic of South Africa and formerly headed the country’s National Planning Commission.

In 2018 he was appointed as an Investment Envoy by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to engage domestic and international investors as part of the country’s national investment drive.

Mr Thiam is a banker and businessman. He is the former Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse and also served as Chief Financial Officer and CEO of Prudential.

He also has a background in management consulting and worked for McKinsey and Company.

The AU Chair said the appointment of the special envoys would expedite the process of securing economic support to enable countries on the continent to respond swiftly to this grave public health emergency.

President Ramaphosa said the envoys brought with them a wealth of experience and enjoyed longstanding relationships in the international financial community.

“The African Union is immensely encouraged by the support that has been extended by the international community thus far.

“It is an affirmation that as nations of the world, we are all in this together.

“We must now focus on efforts to marshal every resource at our disposal to ensure that this pandemic is contained, and does not result in the collapse of already ailing economies and financial systems on the continent,” President Ramaphosa said.

Bishop Who Defied Social Distancing Dies After Contracting COVID-19, Wife Test Positive

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April 14, 2020

A Virginia bishop who defied warnings about the danger of religious gatherings during the pandemic and vowed to keep preaching “unless I’m in jail or the hospital” died over the weekend after contracting COVID-19, his church said.

The bishop, Gerald O. Glenn, 66, the founder and pastor of New Deliverance Evangelistic Church in Chesterfield, Va., died on Saturday night, according to Bryan Nevers, a church elder.

Mr Nevers announced the death of Bishop Glenn during an Easter sermon, which was posted on the Facebook page of the Richmond-area Pentecostal congregation. He said that Bishop Glenn had transitioned from labour to reward.

“The first thing I asked God is, ‘Why?’ ” Mr Nevers said. “The bishop has touched our lives in so many ways.”

Mother Marcietia Glenn, 65, the bishop’s wife, also tested positive for the virus, Mar-Gerie Crawley, their daughter, said in an April 4 post on the church’s Facebook page. Ms Crawley said at the time that her father was on a ventilator at the hospital.

“It becomes very real to you,” Ms Crawley said on Facebook. “I just beg people to understand the severity and the seriousness of this, because people are saying it’s not just about us, it’s about everyone around us.”

“Show Your Charity Now That Nigerians Are HUNGRY”, ABN TV Boss Urges NGOs

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April 14, 2020

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The Director of a popular online medium ABN TV, Ifeanyi Okali has called on proprietors of non-governmental organizations, particularly those whose mandates are centered on charity to rise up now that Nigerians are facing the impact of lockdown, a measure put in place by government to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

Mr. Okali also wondered why little has been heard of numerous NGOs in Nigeria, particularly Abia even as many families are subjected to hardship as a result of the restriction of movement.

In a chat with our correspondent in Umuahia on Monday, he said proprietors of non-governmental organizations, including those operated by politicians must not wait till electioneering year to come out from their hiding.

“It is surprising that at a time when many families in Abia in particular are groaning under the weight of hunger and starvation, those who masquerade as agents of charity have gone on the hide.

“I think this is unfair and unacceptable. If you look around you, you see people who cannot afford their daily bread, a situation that has been worsened by the impact of COVID-19. We have a thousand and one non-governmental organizations and they have not acted to alleviate the sufferings of the people. Are they waiting for 2023 so that they will come and play sycophancy?” he querried.

Mr. Okali also used the opportunity to announce free announcement slots and media coverage for any NGO that will come up with palliatives that will benefit the poor and vulnerable this season and beyond.

While reiterating his commitment to enhancing the lives of rural communities, he maintained that ABN TV will continually champion campaign that will promote development in the grassroot in line with the mandate of the organization.

COVID-19: Group Urges FG To Use Phone-linked BVN To Transfer Money To Hungry Nigerians

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April 14, 2020

Coalition for South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) on Monday called on federal government to use the phone number-linked BVN of persons receiving alerts on Covid-19 to transfer money to Nigerians.

The group said the alerts sent to the phones of Nigerians from Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has conveyed enough on coronavirus hence what people need now is money to soften lockdown hardships.

COVID-19: Group Urges FG To Use Phone-linked BVN To Transfer Money To Hungry Nigerians

The groups call was contained in a press release signed by its President-General and Secretary-General, Chief Goodluck Ibem and Comrade Kanice Igwe and made available to journalists on Monday.

They commended the NCDC, for sending regular information through SMS to Nigerians which kept reminding them of safety tips to avoid contacting the dreaded coronavirus, COVID – 19.

“These updates from NCDC have greatly assisted most Nigerians to adopt hygienic hand-washing and safety practices, to stay at home and stay safe from being infected. We commend them for a job well done.

“But presently, the most dangerous pandemic that is staring Nigerians in the face to consume and kill them is hunger.

“Most families are subsistence farmers, artisans and low income traders who only depend on their day-to-day income to feed themselves and families.

“This present lockdown has made it difficult for them to fulfill their obligations of providing food and other necessities to their families and households.

“We have noticed that NCDC got the phone numbers of Nigerians without calling on them to fill any form and that the phones they are sending messages to for weeks now are BVN-linked.

“We therefore,call on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency, use the same method to get account numbers or BVN-linked lines of Nigerians to credit their accounts so that they can get food and other necessities .

“That will help them to stay at home and adhere to the instructions from the text messages and to escape hunger which is a worst killer disease than COVID -19”, they said.

COSEYL said it heard how Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs,Disaster Management and Social Development shared billions of naira to Nigerians which real Nigerians who deserve to get the palliative funds have not seen.

The group said that the sharing of palliative funds only on the radio and television was unacceptable, cannot stand and should stop.

They called on the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouk to publish the names of recipients of the alleged funded accounts to clear the doubts of Nigerians.

The NGO said that a situation where some Nigerians received the palliative funds and others in same class did not get any smacks of favoritism and cronyism which is against the provisions of Nigerian constitution.

They urged FG to use the BVN of Nigerians to share the donations and other funds meant as palliatives for the masses because of Covid-19 lockdown imposed hardships.

They called for massive attention to households in the South East because of their very low income levels adding that if government does not want to create another disease through Covid-19, it should act fast now.

I’m Not Positive, This Is A Scam — Anambra Alleged COVID-19 Index Case Victim Raises Alarm

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April 13, 2020

Chief Marcel Eze, the Anambra State alleged COVID-19 Index case victim, on Sunday, cried out, describing all the stories being peddled about him testing positive to Coronavirus as all false and fabrications to tarnish his image.

Chief Eze, who spoke with Vanguard said he deals on Pharmaceuticals, challenged the Anambra State government, particularly the state Commissioner for Health to show him and the world the alleged lab test result that confirmed him positive.

The angry Chief Eze said that he has been abandoned without any care, food or any medical attention since Friday he was taken to General Hospital Onitsha after a call from the State Commissioner for Health.

Chief Eze also called on Governor Willie Obiano to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding his alleged current travail in General Hospital Onitsha, just as he challenged the governor to visit the hospital to hear his story, claiming that the state is being deceived over the claim that he tested positive to Coronavirus.

Chief Ezeh also said that he has not visited Lagos State since January, contrary to the claim in some quarters that he visited Lagos where he allegedly contacted the virus, saying that “the last time I visited Lagos State was in December and I have been in Anambra State since January.”

According to Eze, “I was admitted for a heart problem at Prof. Nwilo Heart Foundation, St Joseph Hospital Adazi Nnukwu, and was discharged after being confirmed okay by the doctors.

“While I was in the hospital, three people came and introduced themselves that they are from government and are conducting tests on Coronavirus that they will take my sample like others in the hospital, and I said no problem.

“They brought something like cotton bud but very long with both ends having pieces of cotton, and inserted it into my mouth and nose and later collected it and left. That was before I was discharged from St Joseph Hospital Adazi Nnukwu.

“For three days before I left the hospital, I did not see them again. I was discharged on Tuesday and I went to one of my doctor friends in Awka who advised me to take bed rest in his hospital to avoid disturbance because of the type of person I am and I agreed.

“While I was there, on Wednesday by 11pm, a call came into my phone and on picking the call, a man identified himself as the Commissioner for Health in Anambra State, and he told me they have been looking for me and I asked him for what, and he did not say any reasonable thing to me and because it was late, I told him to come to the hospital the next day.

“On Thursday, the Commissioner came with some of his officials to the hospital and told me that the test conducted on me was positive for Coronavirus and I told him that St Joseph Hospital from where I was discharged on Tuesday did not take any sample from me. They brought a stretcher and asked me to enter. That was the way I found myself in General Hospital Onitsha where they currently dumped me without food, water or any medical care since Friday they brought me from Awka to Onitsha, on this their fraudulent claim of me testing positive to Coronavirus.

Reacting yesterday to the allegation of the coronavirus index case, Anambra State government said the man does not possess a good frame of mind to discuss his condition.

The commissioner for information and public enlightenment, Mr. Don Adinuba told newsmen that the man’s problem was that his people were tormenting him psychologically and emotionally in the social media, advising him to stop granting media interviews that would not help him in any way.

Adinuba said: “I wonder why he is saying that he was dumped. I will advise him to stop granting interviews since he doesn’t have the state of mind to speak on this matter.”

BREAKING: Nigeria Confirms 20 New Cases Of COVID-19, Total Now 343

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April 13, 2020