NIGERIAN NEWS BLOGGERS

Ogun State postpone Lockdown till Friday The Ogun State Government has postponed the lockdown directive from midnight of Monday 30, March till Friday, April 3. The State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, disclosed this on Monday, in his address to the people of the state shortly after inspecting 128-bed isolation centres located within the premises of HID Awolowo Model School, Ikenne Remo. Abiodun said he consulted with the President Buhari on the need to extend the lockdown directive in the overall interest of the people of the state. He added that the Presidency graciously agreed to the request, and therefore beckoning on the people of the state to remain calm and stock up food items ahead of time.

COVID-19 Abba Kyari transferred to Lagos Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, has arrived Lagos. He was transferred from Abuja to Lagos to continue his treatment for coronavirus. Kyari was conveyed to Nigeria’s commercial hub in an air ambulance,News men reports. The top government official tested positive after he returned from Germany. Nigeria currently has over 111 cases. Similarly, as the pandemic lingers, The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says it is looking for 6,000 people who have had close contact with persons infected with coronavirus.

ADDRESS BY H.E. MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA  ON THE COVID- 19 PANDEMIC SUNDAY 29TH MARCH, 2020  Fellow Nigerians,  From the first signs that Coronavirus, or COVID-19 was turning into an epidemic and was officially declared a world-wide emergency, the Federal Government started planning preventive, containment and curative measures in the event the disease hits Nigeria.  The whole instruments of government are now mobilized to confront what has now become both a health emergency and an economic crisis.  Nigeria, unfortunately, confirmed its first case on 27th February 2020. Since then, we have seen the number of confirmed cases rise slowly.   By the morning of March 29th, 2020, the total confirmed cases within Nigeria had risen to ninety-seven.  Regrettably, we also had our first fatality, a former employee of PPMC, who died on 23rd March 2020. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in th...

Avoid shared Taxi; FCTA tells Abuja Residence The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has advised Abuja residents to avoid shared taxis, buses and maintain minimal movement to avoid COVID-19 infection in the territory. Malam Wadata Bodinga, Director, FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Service, gave the advice at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja. Bodinga also ordered that the commercial vehicles and taxi drivers to stop the use of air conditioners. He also noted that all taxis should henceforth convey three passengers only; one person in the front seat and two persons at the back seats. The director also said that all buses should convey one passenger in the front seat and two passengers on other seats with minimum contact maintained. He directed that all high capacity buses should operate at 50 per cent of its capacity and standing was no longer allowed by the FCT administration. Bodinga stressed the need for all transport operators in FCT to maintain hig...

Medical Supplies To Fight Coronavirus Donated By Chinese Billionaire, Jack Ma, Arrives Nigeria. Medical supplies donated to African nations by Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group, have arrived Lagos. The shipment, which came in via an Ethiopian Airlines flight, carried 5.4 million face masks, 1.08 million detection tests, 40,000 sets of protective clothing and 60,000 sets of protective face shields. Receiving the donation on Tuesday in Lagos, Firihiewot Mekonnen, General Manager, Ethiopian Airlines, Nigeria, said, “We appreciate the donation of the Jack Ma Foundation and the generosity of Jack Ma. “We admire Abiy Ahmed, our Prime Minister, for his initiative and organisation of the entire coordination of the process.” The donations entered the country less than 24 hours after the Nigerian Government waived a ban on cargo flights coming into the country as a result of the spread of the virus. Mekonnen said, “Today, we are very happy to deliver these medical supplies to the Go...

COVID 19: ECOWAS Parliament orders staff to work from home  Sequel to the pandemic of corona virus (COVID-19) globally and management concern for the wellbeing of staff members and society at large, the legislative arm of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS Parliament has ordered all staffs to work from home, as part of measures put in place to contain the dreaded virus faced across region. This obvious cause of action is dictated by the sudden changes warranting social changes between persons and isolation of persons on account of COVID 19. John Azumah, the Secretary General of the Parliament in a memo directed to all staff members said “with effect from today (Monday) 23 rd March, 2020 and until further notice, all staff are STRONGLY encouraged to work from home”. He said this was inline with the update issued by the ECOWAS President on measures to being taken by ECOWAS to prevent and contain the spread of Corona virus. According to t...

Nigerian senator dies in UK A senator representing Cross River North, Rose Oko, is dead. The 63-year-old senator died on Monday night at a United Kingdom (UK) medical facility where she had been receiving treatment in the last one month. Oko was a member of the House of Representatives representing Yala/Ogoja Federal Constituency during the 7th National Assembly. Senator Oko was elected into office as the first female representative from her constituency in June 2011, and is currently in her second-term member of the upper chamber and served as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Investment. Her death comes about six weeks after Plateau senator, Ignatius Longjan, passed on and three months after Imo senator, Ben Uwajumogwu, died.

ECOWAS Parliamentarians pledge Peace, Unwavering  co-existence across Region As the fifth legislature of the Law making body of the  Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Parliament) opened in the prestigious Mahatma Gandhi International Conference Centre in Niamey under the chairmanship of Nigerien President Mahamadou Issoufou with lots of hope from the parliamentarians promising peaceful co existence, more integration in ECOWAS and breaking down all the invisible walls and barrier hindering free movement of people within the region. Speaker of the Fifth Parliament, His Excellency Sidie Mohamed Tunis, in his inaugural address at an elaborate ceremony in the Niamey, the Capital of Niger, pledged to work diligently with the Authority of Heads of State to promote peace in the sub-region. Tunis is the Leader of Government Business representing the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) in the Sierra Leone House of Parliament. In his words,” “Mindful...

ECOWAS Parliament inaugurates Fifth Legislature The 5th Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament commences operation as Honourable Sidie Mohamed Tunis of Sierra Leone takes over the Speakership. The fifth legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament was inaugurated yesterday by His Excellency, Issoufou Mahamadou, President of the Republic of Niger and the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of States and Government.   The inauguration session witnessed the swearing in of new member from the various National Assemblies of Members States, with 115 Parliamentarian  inaugurated.  After the inauguration session, His Excellency Issofou Mahamadou signed the act that awarded the Speakership to the National Assembly of Sierra Leone. The signing act set the tone for Sierra Leone to produce the Speaker and other leaders.  Those elected to  the ECOWAS Parliament for the 5th Legislature: are,  Rt Hon. Speaker  : Hon. Sidie Mohamed TUNIS ...