The Harbingerngr News

The Federal Government has ordered civil servants from level 14 and above, to resume their duties on Monday, May 4. In a communique on Thursday evening, the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan stressed that the resumption order includes those on essential services across the country. According to the statement, all those mandated to resume on Monday will be allowed to work three times a week and closing time would be 2 pm. The Head-of-Service further directed that those who are resuming must adhere strictly to the observance of social distancing, use of face masks, hand sanitisers, and good general hygiene, adding all Federal Secretariats have been decontaminated and efforts were ongoing to do same in other public offices.

*Says Chloroquine and Zithromax cured him Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, has informed that he has authorised the use of chloroquine as a medication for the treatment of coronavirus. Governor Mohammed, who was the COVID-19 index case in the state, said he was treated with “Chloroquine and Zithromax.” The governor, who disclosed this while providing an update on COVID-19 in the state, at the Government House, Bauchi, said he would take responsibility for any consequences of approving such drugs.  He said: “Our medical team is using their own ingenuity to use chloroquine and Zithromax to treat the patients, even though in some places, they said it is against the protocol. As the governor, I’m taking responsibility for that because I don’t want anyone to die.” Addressing the health officials directly, Mohammed said, “I have given you the directive that you must use something that I have used to get well, just as you have used for all other cases that got well. Rather than sa

Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has promised to devote the rest of his life to charity and service to humanity. Adams, who turned 50 yesterday Thursday, April 30, however, said he is dedicating this year edition of his birthday to God and to the memory of those that have lost their lives to the raging COVID-19 global pandemic. In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, the Yoruba leader said he would be focusing more on charity to the poor and the less privileged people in the society. Aare Adams said: “I am not getting younger, attaining this glorious age is never by my power or might, it is simply by the special grace of God. God has been so wonderful to me and the rest of my family. Therefore, at 50, I think I need to do a lot more in enriching the lives of the poor people in the country”, “As the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, it is important to look beyond the present situation in the country, and see how we can be of help to people that

•We've utilized 90% capacity, says Lagos govt  •25-year-old dies of disease; 12 more patients discharged  NIGERIA Center for Disease Control, NCDC, said yesterday that it is currently “struggling” for bed spaces for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in Lagos State which has the highest number of persons infected by the coronavirus in Nigeria. Disclosing the development in Abuja during the daily Presidential Task Force media briefing on COVID-19, the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said efforts are being made to change strategy not to allow the inadequate bed spaces affect the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria. Ihekweazu said: “Lagos is the only place where we are struggling with bed spaces for now. We will always tell Nigerians the truth. We are struggling with bed spaces in Lagos for now.” Our isolation centres are filled to 90% capacity — LASG But reacting to the remarks, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, said although the isolation centr

SENATOR Buruji Kashamu, has promised to support any genuine reconciliation that will reposition the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State to a formidable party ahead of the 2023 general elections. Kashamu, who represented Ogun East Senatorial District at the 8th National Assembly, made this known in a statement in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. Kashamu said: “I have the mandate of all the altruistic leaders and elders of the party in Ogun State to declare once again that we are willing, ready and available for genuine reconciliation that will reposition our party and move it forward”. “Let me also publicly declare that I have no interest in any elective position, including the governorship and therefore have no reason to oppose the ambition of any member of the party aspiring to be governor of the state because I know that all powers belong to Almighty Allah. My fight has always been against illegalities, injustice, and imposition. “It should also be borne in mind that

•As PDP lauds workers' patriotism, resilience TRADE Union Congress, TUC, has advocated tax rebate of at least three months to companies in Nigeria, especially the unionized ones at this time of lockdown occasioned by coronavirus. This is even as Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  yesterday felicitated with Nigerian workers on the occasion of this year’s Workers’ Day celebration, describing them as the life force of the nation. The TUC also recommended two months free electricity to SMEs in particular and Nigerians  generally adding that the SME sector should be made to work efficiently The demands were contained in the address of the TUC President, Comrade Quadri Olaleye, at the 2020 May Day celebration. Speaking on the devastating effect of the outbreak of the dreaded COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic and the lockdown imposed by the government to contain the spread of the virus, Olaleye said it had negatively affected the economy of the country.  He said:  "COVID-19 has aff

By Our Reporters FORMER Vice  President, Atiku Abubakar, has lauded the nation's health workers for their dedication and sacrifice in helping to contain the spread of coronavirus. He also said the crash in crude oil price in the international market is a blessing in disguise for Nigeria. Atiku in a statement issued in Abuja, said it was to the credit of health workers that 307 persons, including his son, Mohammed, had so far been successfully treated. He said:  "Because this year’s Workers Day is coming at a time when we are in the middle of a ravaging health pandemic, I believe it is more appropriate to use the opportunity to express my utmost gratitude to our health workers who have been leading the battle to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus in our country. We cannot thank you enough.“"The outbreak of this pandemic however has vindicated organised labour’s long time agitation for improved investments in our healthcare service system. ''There is

By Atiku Abubakar ON Monday, April 27, 2020, British oil and gas giant, BP, became the latest in a growing number of energy firms to declare a massive quarterly loss. Their loss was in the region of $4.4 billion dollars. Bear in mind that this was a conglomerate that posted a $2.6 billion profit in the corresponding quarter of 2019. The challenges that are already engulfing the oil and gas sector will continue to plague that industry for at least the rest of the year, and may reach apocalyptic levels sooner than we expect. *Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. As I write this, there are hundreds of crude oil-laden ships, all filled up, with nowhere to berth, and accruing daily charges of an average of $30,000. We have also seen crude oil prices plunge to record lows, to the extent that some variants of the product have been given out for free, or worse still, producers have paid storage facilities to take their products. As at today, Nigeria is pricing its very low sulphur sweet crude

By Elizabeth Temitope Lagos State COVID-19 Taskforce, on Wednesday, arrested more than 50 youths for violating lockdown directives in the state. According to a twitter post by the the Lagos State Government, "the Lagos State COVID-19 Taskforce, on Wednesday, arrested more than 50 youths who had attended a party at 84, Parks and Gardens, Idi-Oparun Bus Stop, opposite Abattoir at Abule Egba, Lagos in violation of the lockdown directives of the Federal and State governments "The suspects who were between the ages of 16 and 45, were arrested for holding a birthday party and consuming some substances suspected to be hard drugs. "Some of the youths were found in the swimming pool catching fun, in total neglect of the social distancing regulations and the lockdown order."

By Elizabeth Temitope Lagos State Ministry of Health revealed that a 25 year-old man has died of Coronavirus today. The ministry revealed this in a tweet in the morning. It was revealed that the patient was in a state of severe breathlessness at the time of admission. According to the ministry, " this brings the total number of people who have died of COVID-19 in the state to 20". It confirmed that 87 new cases of Coronavirus were confirmed on Wednesday, raising the total figure of infections reported in the state to 947. While  a total of 187 COVID-19 patients have been discharged, following the recovery of 49 more people. Earlier, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said 196 new confirmed cases and five deaths were recorded on Wednesday. It said Yobe reported its index case in the last 24 hours while the figure of total confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 1728. Three hundred and seven people have been discharged following their recovery and 51 deaths

THE Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has dissociated himself from any dispute over the streaming of a play tagged: 'Moremi-the musical' on YouTube. A statement signed by the Ooni and made available to journalists said the house of Oduduwa has an understanding with Bolanle Austen-Peters of BPA production to create and produce the movie. The monarch disclosed that the House of Oduduwa acknowledged the value BPA added to Yoruba culture, as well as it's efforts to advance the race’s traditional heritage globally. The statement reads: “The House of Oduduwa completely dissociates itself from all unauthorised statements purportedly issued on behalf of the House of Oduduwa seeking to condemn the streaming of the play or seeking court redress. “Mrs. Bolanle Austen-Peters (She is a Princess indeed from Awujale Royal Dynasty, Ijebu-Ode) (née Afe Babalola, one of the most respected families in the entire house of Oduduwa) is a daughter of Oduduwa and as such we cannot be in dis

...as hunter kills bus driver in Ilorin over N5,000 Residents of Eyenkorin, a suburb of Ilorin, Kwara State, Tuesday night, went on the rampage after a hunter simply identified as Sule allegedly shot dead a commercial bus driver, known as Idowu, while returning from a trip to Ibadan. It was gathered that the driver decided to take a local route to beat the interstate lockdown directive in Kwara State. The driver was said to have been intercepted by Sule and his colleagues at the local route in Eyenkorin and asked him to pay N5,000 before he could be allowed to proceed on his journey, but the driver reportedly resisted. It was gathered that the refusal of the driver to pay led to altercations between him and the hunters, a development that led Sule, one of the hunters, to shoot Idowu in the chest. The driver died instantly and the development sparked off a rampage in the sleepy Eyenkorin as residents protested the alleged action of the hunters. It was gathered that Sule allegedl

By Our Reporters A fifty-nine-year-old woman, Victoria Omoare, reportedly slumped and died after urinating at a place close to an abattoir, along Ekiti State University Road in Ado Ekiti.  It was gathered the deceased came down from a vehicle being driven by a lecturer in the Faculty of Agricultural Science, Ekiti State University, to ease herself.  The lecturer, who drove the car, Mr. Orimaye Oluwafemi, said he was going to the school to fetch some waterleaf in his farm and withdraw some money through ATM when the woman and another student begged to follow him. He said it was when he decided to stop by the road to take a photograph of a particular tree he could use for a thesis he was writing that the late Omoare decided to use the opportunity to urinate in a nearby bush. Oluwafemi said having waited for her for about five minutes, he decided with the student in his car to check on her only to discover that she had slumped and died. According to Oluwafemi, the Akoko-born woman

No fewer than 15 persons who paraded themselves as Muslim clerics (Imams) to conduct Friday (Jumaat) prayers in violation of the lockdown order in Kano State have been convicted. The state’s Commissioner of Police, CP Habu Sani, stated this while giving an update on the enforcement of lockdown in the state to curtail the spread of COVID-19. Sani, who doubles as the Chairman, Security Committee on Covid-19, said 30 other suspects were equally arrested and convicted for violating the orders. According to him, “15 persons, who I could call Imams, who conducted Friday prayers and 30 others were charged to court and all convicted. “We are going to deploy community policing by using all the religious groups, the Tijjaniyya, Quadiriyya, Izallah and others in every aspect of enforcement to make the people realise the implications of what they are doing. “However, we will continue to identify areas and review strategies to ensure strict compliance to the lockdown to fight to an end the CO

By Our Reporters The Federal Government of Nigeria has released a list of updated guidelines in the wake of its decision to ease the lockdown imposed on the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states as part of emergency control measures against the spread of coronavirus. Government’s action came, as the World Health Organization, WHO, Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, and nurses on the front-line in the fight against the virus, warned against easing lockdown, saying the pandemic was not yet over. But the Federal Government said the gradual reopening of the nation’s economy would span a period of six weeks. Chairman of the Presidential Task Force, PTF, on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha stated this in Abuja at the daily briefing of the Task Force. On his part, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, announced that the ministry has directed its relevant departments to

*Lagos Discharges 49 more patients *Sanwo-Olu sets up committee to revamp Lagos economy By Idowu Ajigboteso LAGOS State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has said that one out of five Lagos residents that exhibits respiratory symptoms is infected with COVID-19. Abayomi, who spoke during a television programme warned that Coronavirus also affects kidneys, adding that Lagos was recording more confirmed cases lately as a reflection of the increased testing capacity. “Our diagnosis is rising, because we are testing more and we are also opening more isolation centres. We discharge and we are keeping abreast of the rate of diagnosis in Lagos. We are currently testing people with Coronavirus symptoms and I can categorically say that one in five people in Lagos with respiratory symptoms has Coronavirus. “We are testing the people that present with symptoms and those that present with symptoms are a reflection of the amount of the infection in the community. Right now, w

*Says schools remain closed;  *Religious gatherings suspended till further notice *Overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am *Business operates from 9am to 3pm By Idowu Ajigboteso Ahead of the Monday, May 4 expiration of the lockdown imposed on Lagos State, Ogun State and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja by the Federal Government, the Lagos State Government has suspended the operations of commercial motorcycle operators popularly known as okada just as he introduced a strict framework for movement and re-opening of businesses in the state. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said in his ninth briefing on the fight against Coronavirus pandemic at the State House in Marina. He said the state government will be implementing the dusk-to-dawn curfew announced by President Muhammadu Buhari last Monday as part of the phased measures to reduce risk of Coronavirus disease among the residents and to consolidate on the response strategy deployed to combat the pandemic. He said: “Following the c

By Our Reporters THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed deposit money banks to attend to customers who wish to clear cheques. In a statement by Sam Okojere, Director, Banking Services Department, CBN, the apex bank said that the suspension placed on cheque clearing has been lifted effective April 28. CBN had on March 30, suspended cheque clearing following a directive on lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja announced by President Muhammadu Buhari. “In furtherance of its effort in the development of a safe and efficient payments system in Nigeria, the bank in collaboration with relevant stakeholders has reviewed the need for cheque clearing to accommodate users of the cheque as one of the payment instruments in Nigeria, despite the lockdown of some states and FCT,” the statement published on the CBN website on Monday read. “In view of this development, the bank hereby lifts the temporary suspension of cheque clearing in Nigeria. Consequently, cheque instruments will be allo

Nigeria News *As Indigenes, settlers clash in Benue A communal clash between two sister communities, Mbaivur and Mbasombo, in Ayati Ikpayongo, Gwer Local Government Area of Benue State has claimed the life of a middle-aged man, Dekuran Nor, with many sustaining severe injuries. The crisis, which has left about  5,000 persons displaced also led to the burning of close to 200 houses, huts, economic trees and food barns in Mbaivur. Among the houses touched was the home of the Health Coordinator, Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Rev. Fr. Peter Paleve, whose parents and siblings narrowly escaped being murdered by the attackers. An eyewitness said that the crisis, which started in early hours of Monday, led to the sacking of the entire Mbaivur community by the armed youths from Mbasombo, who shot sporadically, chasing the residents from the community. According to him, “it is shameful that people, who have lived together and had children even up to great-grandchildren in their present loc

By Matthew 'Gboteso General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, has called on all Christians and other men of faith to join in a Seven-Day prayer and fasting revolt against the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement, Olukoya said that the programme is to run from May 1-7, 2020, just as he urged all participants to add power and fervency to the prayers through fasting to a minimum of noon daily. He said: “The purpose is to silence the rage of the infirmity and to protect our citizens. The prayers are also designed to help our leaders receive inspiration for divine wisdom to take Nigeria and the rest of the world out of the gloom of COVID-19.”

By Idowu Ajigboteso * Overnight curfew from May 4,  8pm-6am President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the lockdown he imposed on Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states a month ago, till Monday May 4. He added that there will be gradual ease off of the lockdown from May 4, with an overnight curfew from 8pm-6am Buhari said that the total lockdown on Kano State by the state government shall remain enforced. Promised that the Federal Government shall deploy all the necessary human, material, and technical resources to support the state in controlling and containing the pandemic. According to him, "the highlights of the new nationwide measures from May 4 are as follows: •Selected businesses and offices can open from 9am to 6pm; •There will be an overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am. This means all movements will be prohibited during this period except for essential services; •There will be a ban on non-essential inter-state passenger travels until further notice; •There will be partial

— Kuje-Amuwo family begs IGP, Sanwo-Olu Members of the Kuje Amuwo family in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Lagos State has called on the Inspector-General of Police and the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to come to their rescue over alleged harassment by suspected hoodlums and land grabbers. The family made the call at the weekend following the death of their son Samson Akinde, who was allegedly murdered in cold blood by a suspected land grabber. Explaining the incident that led to the death of the deceased, head of the family, Alhaji Akinolu Mustapha said the families of Kuje Amuwo and Fagbile were having a meeting when hoodlums launched the attack. He, however, debunked the allegation that Chief Taoreed Faronbi, popularly known as Alado had a hand in the fracas that ensued at the venue of the meeting between both families. His words: “These disgruntled elements are land grabbers who usually employ dangerous methods to take over lands or property in Lagos and Ogun sta

By Idowu Ajigboteso Chairman, Yem-Kem International, a herbal medicine production outfit, Prince Akintunde Ayeni, has urged the government not to see Western medicines as the only means through which the COVID-19 pandemic can be contained. According to him, traditional herbal medicines will contain the pandemic and other deliberating diseases ravaging the world. Ayeni, who stated this in Lagos, said that he is preparing a herbal cure for Coronavirus, adding that in collaboration with Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, the solution to the pandemic will come out soon. The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control. NAFDAC, would be called upon to come and test his product before putting it on the shelves for sale. Ayeni, who took a swipe at some public figures in the country who condemn traditional herbal products, explained that some of the personalities do patronise herbal products in America, China and Europe. He said: “What we are currently experiencing gl

*Rolls out 3 million face masks for distribution *Urges private coys to provide locally made face masks for workers .*Urges Muslims to observe Ramadan prayers at home, no public gathering *No mass burial for COVID-19 cases, gives 2 weeks ultimatum to clear other unclaimed corpses *Set free 209 prisoners in Lagos By Idowu Ajigboteso Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu  has announced the compulsory use of face masks by the residents of the state, as part of measures to curb the spread of Coronavirus pandemic which has continued rising in the state. The Governor, who gave the directive during a life broadcast on the update of COVID-19 situation in the state, said the rise in the number of confirmed cases of the virus in the state indicated a fast spread of community transmission, noting that there was a need to check the virus rampage in the state. According to him, "It is instructive to note that new evidence has shown that COVID-19 might be able to spread through