Update Volume

The  President, Major Genera l Muhammadu Buhari has written to the House of Representatives to request for the approval of fresh external borrowings totalling $5.513bn. Buhari, in the letter read by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the plenary on Thursday, said the funds were for 2020 budget deficit, financing of critical projects, and some states of the federation. The President also presented a revised 2020 Appropriation Bill and 2020-2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper. The National Assembly had recently approved a loan of N850bn for the Federal Government, while another of $22.79bn, which the Senate has already approved, is pending before the House.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha Kayode Oyero The Federal Government has said it would roll out the course of action for the reopening of schools in the country.   The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, stated this during a briefing on Wednesday in Abuja. While congratulating children in the country on the occasion of this year’s Children’s Day, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation urged stakeholders to begin to take steps that would aid the reopening of schools in the country. He said, “I wish to inform Nigerians that the Federal Ministry of Education will roll out measures for the self-reopening of schools. “The Presidential Task Force wishes to use the occasion of this celebration to congratulate our children and assure them, their parents and all stakeholders alike that all hands are on deck to reopen schools at a safe time. “We, therefore, use this medium to urge states, local governments, proprietors and al

Saudi Arabia will end its nationwide coronavirus curfew from June 21, except in the holy city of Mecca , the interior ministry said Tuesday, after more than two months of stringent curbs. Prayers will also be allowed to resume in all mosques outside Mecca from May 31, the ministry said in a series of measures announced on the official Saudi Press Agency . The kingdom , which has reported the highest number of virus cases in the Gulf , imposed a full nationwide curfew during Eid el- Fitr, the Muslim holiday that marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan . The ministry said it will begin easing restrictions in a phased manner this week, with the curfew relaxed between 6 am and 3 pm between Thursday and Saturday. From Sunday until June 20, the curfew will be further eased until 8 pm, the ministry added . The kingdom will lift the lockdown entirely from June 21. “ Starting from Thursday, the kingdom will enter a new phase ( in dealing with the pandemic) and will gradually return to nor

The Minister Of Education Revealed Schools May not resume on 8th June 2020 as so many are saying, the minister of education said that there's no exact day for school resumption just that the government is planning on how to reopen schools in June 2020. Due to the rumours going round that school would reopen on 8th June, the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, has disclosed that there are plans for schools to reopen nationwide, but it won't be in two weeks time and probably it may still not be on 8th June as so many people assumed that definitely schools will resume on 8th June. Nwajiuba has confirmed there is no exact date yet for schools to resume, adding that schools would be reopened, after proper deliberations and advice from experts. He further stated that the decision had nothing to do with federal government and also the idea of shutting down the schools had nothing to do with the schools. He concluded by saying that they would not expose children, unt

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, on Thursday said COVID-19 patients, who spent a long period at isolation centres were at the risk of depression. Ehanire, who stated this in Abuja at the press conference of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, said government planned to deploy psychologists in isolation centres to take care of such patients. At the press conference, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said the task force was reluctant to adopt home treatment it once proposed because of conditions under which Nigerians live. He also asked professional groups and faith-based organisations, including churches and mosques, to submit guidelines for reopening to the NCDC to review and advise. But explaining effects of long treatment on some patients, the health minister stated, “On the mental health issue of those in isolation, who have stayed a little bit longer, some people do get a little bit of mental depression. This men

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed it is considering Madagascar’s COVID Organics for a clinical observation process. This was made known by the President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina in a tweet on Wednesday. Rajoelina after a meeting with Director-General of WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said WHO had congratulated Madagascar for the discovery of its COVID Organics, adding that it had accepted to support the clinical observation process in Africa Recall that the Rajoelina had over the weekend claimed that the WHO offered his country the sum of $20m as a bribe to poison COVID-19 alleged cure. He also stated that the only reason the rest of the world had refused to take the herbal cure seriously and with respect was because it came from Africa. However, Rajoelina on Wednesday tweeted, “Successful exchange with @DrTedros who commends Madagascar’s efforts in the fight against coronavirus and congratulates us for the discovery of covidorganics. “@WHO will sign a confidentiality cl

The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) has said it would call off its industrial action if progress is made on key areas, including revitalisation fund, lecturers-earned allowances and funding of state universities. This is coming as the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) yesterday threatened to begin strike in all federal universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education when schools resume if nothing was done to address its grievances. Against the background of the demand by the federal government for ASUU to call off its strike before resumption of the next phase of negotiations, ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said the union is ready for negotiations, but that the suspension of the strike would be dependent on how the federal government responses to its key demands. He listed the demands to include earned academic allowances, revitalisation, presidential visitation panel to federal universities, and prolifer

First, what is an anklet?  An anklet is a piece of jewellery   usually a chain or beads or both  that fashionable women ordinarily wear around their ankles as a fashion statement. Nigerians sometimes call it, ‘leg chain’ or ‘ankle chain’. It is also sometimes called ‘ankle bracelet’ in pop culture terms. They also usually come in different forms. Through history however, anklets have connoted different meanings to different cultures and yes, it does mean promiscuity to some cultures   ancient or contemporary times. Earliest usage; While Egypt is usually credited as the first ground of usage, India seems the first major ground for accepted usage as part of the meaning, payal or nupu. It is also called Paujinupur or the padapadma. Early history documents the Silappatikaram , a first-century story of the anklet and Rajasthani women were also heavy anklet users. Traditionally, to the Odisha people of India, only warriors could wear gold anklets. Brides also wore them as part of their compl

Mr James Kolo, the Kwara Commissioner-designate in the Federal Character Commission (FCC) who recently appeared before the Senate is dead. He is from Patigi local government area in Kwara State. At at the time of filing this report, cause of his death is still unknown but close associates said it was after being sick for a while. His corpse has been deposited at the University Of Ilorin Teaching Hospital Morgue. 

Moderna, the biotechnology company leading effort, made the announcement on Monday. The first COVID-19 vaccine to be tested on humans has produced positive initial results. Moderna, the biotechnology company leading effort, made the announcement on Monday, 18th May.  Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, said this was based on the results of an initial clinical trial involving eight human test subjects, who were given two doses of the vaccine mRNA-1273 back at the start of March.   The healthy volunteers then produced antibodies which, when tested in human cells, were found to be able to stop the virus from replicating. Moderna said the levels of antibodies found also matched the levels discovered in individuals who contracted the virus and later recovered.  The company also noted that the vaccine was “generally safe and well tolerated” with the only adverse effect coming with one volunteer, who noted redness around the skin where the vaccine was injected.   The US Food and Drug Administrat

The P res idency has said that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd.), will not make any broadcast on COVID -19 updates today. Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, made this known on Monday afternoon via his official Twitter handle. He wrote : No presidential broadcast on COVID-19 updates today. None was planned. Rather, the Presidential Task Force will during its usual  media briefings bring the nation up to speed on the next steps.

THE Federal Government, yesterday, called on the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to suspend the strike and return to the classroom to manufacture drugs for the cure of the COVID-19 pandemic. It pointedly told the union to suspend the industrial action, began in March despite universities being under closure as part of plans to combat the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, before the resumption of negotiations. ASUU, - IPPIS  Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, told newsmen at the weekend that the federal government has demonstrated enough goodwill by paying salaries of the striking lecturers, urging them to discontinue their strike to allow for peaceful negotiations of their dispute. “It is immoral and despicable for those who should be conducting research as Nigerians for the discovery of new drugs and medical equipment that will be used during COVID-19 period to say that they are at home playing Ludo and Draft and other games,” he said. The minister

Buhari is expected to speak about ongoing efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria and to decide on whether or not the country should go ahead with the second phase of the easing of the lockdown.  President Muhammadu Buhari will address Nigerians on Monday. This followed the end of the first phase of the gradual easing of the COVID-19 lockdown.  Aliyu Sani, National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, made this disclosure when he appeared on a programme on Channels Television. Buhari is expected to speak about ongoing efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria and to decide on whether or not the country should go ahead with the second phase of the easing of the lockdown.

No NYSC Mobilisation Soon, Says Director-General, Shuaibu Shuaibu in an interview with Economic Confidential said only Batch A, Stream 1, who were asked to leave camp due to COVID-19 would be asked to complete orientation. Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Ibrahim Shuaibu, has said that there are no plans to mobilise recent graduates in the country for the compulsory scheme due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Shuaibu in an interview with Economic Confidential said only Batch A, Stream 1, who were asked to leave camp due to COVID-19 would be asked to complete orientation.  He said, “We don’t know when we are going to start mobilising our corps members. You know our training is also structured like that of the military and paramilitary. You can see that the Nigerian Navy recently suspended its training for its freshly recruited cadets. “So, the moment the coast is clear, we are going to key into the way others will conduct their exercise, so that our corps members can be

Madagascar on Sunday announced the first death of a patient suffering from novel coronavirus , nearly two months after it was first detected in the country. The 57- year -old hospital worked died on Saturday and had underlying diabetes and high blood pressure before he was infected , an official from the anti - coronavirus task team said . “ It is with great sadness that we have to share with all our compatriots, that there is an individual , aged 57, who died from COVID - 19, ” professor Hanta Vololontiana said on public television. He was a car park attendant at a hospital in the eastern city of Toamasina. The Indian ocean island which has reported 304 cases has hit the headlines over a home-grown herbal concoction that President Andry Rajoelina claims can cure people infected with the virus . Several African countries have ordered or expressed interest in the purported remedy, which is known as Covid- Organics . The tonic drink is derived from artemisia — a plant with proven efficac

The agency said that the product would be subjected to the normal procedure but that the process would be fast-tracked. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has promised to fast-track the laboratory examination of the herbal drug from Madagascar to fight Coronavirus.  The agency said that the product would be subjected to the normal procedure but that the process would be fast-tracked. NAFDAC’s Director of Public Relations, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, who spoke on behalf of the agency’s Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, noted that the organisation would prioritise the laboratory examination of the product once it received it from the authorities.  He said, “When the drug arrives, it will go to the Minister of Health who will in turn hand it over to NAFDAC through the PTF. It is after that we would start our laboratory examination. It will be subjected to the normal procedure. “We would expedite action on this because everyone is anxiously waiting for the resul

• Tiwa Savage, a Nigerian singer-cum-songwriter, has teased that she might have to go naked in her next musical video shoot in order to beat the accolades her last project received. • The 40-year-old vocalist, who recently put out ‘44-99‘, a song which was accompanied by detailed visuals, was speaking to BBC on what to expect from her forthcoming album entitled ‘Celia’. • “I might just have to go butt naked in my next video, because I don’t know what else I’m going to have to do to top that one!,” Tiwa Savage said. • “And, just to put it out there, this was done in Nigeria. All the cast is Nigerian, the director, the AP, everybody is Nigerian. • “I love the fact that I could present this to the label and say this was done in Africa by Africans, this is what we can do. Imagine when you invest in us even more, you would get amazing work.” • Speaking on what fans are to look out for as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to discourage showbiz releases, Tiwa said she might end up shooting her