CHINESE PRODUCT !! Six Chinese companies make 10-firm shortlist for fourth mainland bridge construction

The Lagos state government has shortlisted 10 firms out of the 32 that responded to the expression of interest for the construction of the fourth mainland bridge.

Aramide Adeoye, special adviser to the governor on works and infrastructure, and Ope George, director-general of the Office of Public-Private Partnerships.

“Following the issuance of a request for qualification to the 32 shortlisted and eligible respondents to the expression of interest we are pleased to announce that the Lagos state government has received a total of 10 responses to the request for qualification (the applications) from the applicants,” the statement read

“The Lagos state government will now proceed to evaluate the applications in line with the evaluation criteria set out in the request for qualification and, thereafter, announce the successful pre-qualified bidders who shall be eligible for participation in the next stage of the selection/bidding process, being the request for proposals stage.”

The 10 shortlisted firms include CCECC Nigeria Limited; CGGC-CGC Joint Venture; China Harbour Engineering Company Limited; China State Construction Engineering Corporation Nigeria Limited and IC ICTAS Insaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S

Others are Julius Berger Nigeria Plc; Mota-Engil and CCCC Consortium; Mutual Commitment Company Limited; Power Construction Corporation of China and Ingenieros Consultores, S.A., through Makais Energy.

- THECABLE

There are now more than 30,000 COVID-19 cases in Africa, says WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) regional office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo, says more than 30,000 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the region.

This was disclosed on the agency’s Twitter account on Sunday.

“Over 30,000 COVID-19 cases reported on the African continent with over 9,000 associated recoveries and 1,300 deaths recorded,’’ it read.

According to the breakdown, which also featured figures from the eastern Mediterranean region, South Africa had the highest figure with 4,361 cases, followed by Egypt with 4,092 cases, and Morocco with 3,889 cases.

Nigeria had the seventh highest figure with 1,182 confirmed cases, and comes just after Ghana, which has recorded 1,279 cases.

Sao Tome and Principe, Mauritania and South Sudan have the lowest figures of confirmed cases with eight, seven and five patients, respectively.

Meanwhile, Algeria has the highest number of fatalities with 419 deaths, followed by Egypt with 294 deaths.

The index case of COVID-19 in Africa was confirmed in Egypt on February 14, 2020.

As at Sunday, a total of 30,125 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Africa, while 1,326 deaths have been recorded.

- THECABLE

US Rapper Fred The Godson dies of coronavirus

American rapper and DJ, Frederick Thomas also known as Fred The Godson, has died of coronavirus.

According to his publicist, Matthew Conaway, the rapper died from complications of the coronavirus at Montefiore Medical Center.

Moroccan-American rapper, French Montana, also mourned the rapper on his Instagram page. French Montana alongside a picture with Fred the Godson wrote;

“RIP @fredthegodsonmusic damn this is wack! Stay home corona is real.

PM News had earlier reported that Fred The Godson, tested positive for Coronavirus early this month.

The 41-year-old Bronx rapper took to his social media accounts to share a photo of him in the hospital with what appears to be an oxygen mask on his face, and revealed he has contracted the rapidly spreading virus.

He wrote: “I’m in here with this COVID-19 shit! Please keep me in y’all prayers!!! #GodIsGreat.”

Before his death, Fred The Godson recently released the official video for “Retaliation” off of his new album “God Level”. The new 10-track project features 38 Spesh, Benny The Butcher, Jim Jones, Marc Scibilia, Sweetest Voice, and Bobbi Storm.

- PM NEWS

Councillor shot dead as gunmen abduct Ekiti commissioner

Folorunsho Olabode, commissioner for agriculture in Ekiti state, has been kidnapped.

A security source disclosed this to TheCable, saying a councillor of Ilejemeje local government area of the state who was with him at the time of the attack was shot dead.

The incident reportedly took place between Isan and Iludun-Ekiti.

Muyiwa Olumilua, commissioner for information and values orientation, confirmed the incident, saying a security team was on the trail of the kidnappers.

“The Government of Ekiti State hereby confirms the abduction of the Honorable Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Folorunso Olabode, by suspected bandits at about 7:00pm on Sunday April 26, 2020 on his way from Ado-Ekiti to his hometown in Iye-Ekiti, Ilejemeje LGA of Ekiti State,” he said.

“From initial reports, the kidnappers shot one person in his entourage, the driver of the vehicle, a serving Councillor, in the ensuing fracas.

“Governor Kayode Fayemi has mandated the security agencies in the State to ensure their prompt and safe release, while assuring residents that adequate measures are ongoing, to maintain the peace and security of the State. He promised that all perpetrators of this and any crime will be brought to book.

“The Commissioner for Police in Ekiti State, Amba Asuquo, has confirmed that a team has already been dispatched, and are on the trail of the abductors, with a view to securing their release.”

The development comes three days after Emmanuel Agbale, commissioner for science and technology in Edo state, regained freedom from kidnappers.

- THECABLE

New Zealand PM: We’ve won battle against COVID-19

Jacinda Arden, prime minister of New Zealand, says the country has stopped community transmission of COVID-19. 

With new cases recorded in single figures lately, Ardern said the virus is “currently eliminated”.

The country recorded its first case of the disease in February 28.

In March and with few cases recorded, the country closed its borders. It later introduced a four-level alert system to manage the outbreak.

New Zealand was put in a nationwide lockdown while it began an extensive testing and contact tracing operation.

Speaking during a daily briefing, the prime minister said the country no longer had widespread undetected community transmission.

She, however, warned that the country must remain vigilant.

“There is no widespread undetected community transmission in New Zealand. We have won that battle. But we must remain vigilant if we are to keep it that way,” Arden said.

She also said the lockdown will be partially lifted as from Tuesday. The country will move from level four lockdown down to level 3.

This means that some businesses, healthcare and education activities will be allowed to resume on a small scale.

Most people will still be required to remain at home and avoid social gatherings, shopping centres and the country’s borders will remain closed.

“We are opening up the economy, but we’re not opening up people’s social lives,” she said.

The prime minister said there was no way of knowing what might have happened without the level four lockdown.

But she warned that in level three, there were new risks of people coming into more contact with others.

Officials also warned against complacency, saying the current situation does not mean a total end to new COVID-19 cases.

Ashley Bloomfield, the country’s director-general of health, said the low number of new cases in recent days “does give us confidence that we have achieved our goal of elimination”.

He said “elimination” did not mean there would be no new cases, “but it does mean we know where our cases are coming from”.

New Zealand currently has 1,469 COVID-19 cases and 19 deaths. 1,180 patients have recovered from the disease.

- THECABLE

COVID-19: Two Abuja Pastors, 3 Imams jailed for holding services

An Abuja Mobile Court has sentenced two Pastors and three Imams to one-month imprisonment each or an option of N5000 fine for violating the lockdown order in the capital city of Abuja.

They were arraigned by the FCT COVID-19 Task Force and convicted for holding services in their religious establishments despite the lockdown order in Abuja.

The convicted persons are Pastor Phillips Olumbori of the Celestial Church of Christ, Lugbe, Reverend Moses Chinedu of Mercy City Gospel Centre, Aco Estate, Lugbe.

Others are Imam Abdullahi Mohammed, in Gwarimpa Estate, Imam Suleiman Idris, Mobi close, Area 11, Garki and Deputy Imam Useni Umar, in Mobi close, Area 11, Garki, Abuja.

Presiding Magistrate, Idayat Akonni handed down the sentences at the Eagle Square Mobile Court on Sunday in Abuja

The Chairman FCT COVID 19 enforcement task force, Ikharo Attah told reporters that “those sentenced should be worried because they are now ex-convicts having been found guilty and sentenced by a competent court of law.”

- DAILY POST

One dead as building collapses in Ibadan

One person, on Sunday died as a storey-building collapsed in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

DAILY POST gathered that the woman was trapped when the building collapsed at Onipasan area, behind Oluyoro Hospital, Ibadan.

The woman is said to be the wife of the owner of the building.

It was, however, gathered that authorities of Ibadan North East Local Government have taken an excavuator to the scene of the collapsed building for rescue operation.

The rescue team evacuated the body of the deceased on Sunday and she has since been buried.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the State Police Command, Olugbenga Fadeyi, confirmed the incident to DAILY POST on Monday.

Fadeyi said, “Yes, there was a building collapse yesterday. It is under Agugu area. The building collapsed and the woman died.

“It was the wife of the Alhaji that owns the house. She has since been buried”.

- DAILY POST

Coronavirus infections in Lagos reach 731, with 43 new cases

Confirmed Coronavirus infections in Africa’s largest mega city, Lagos has reached 731 with 43 new cases reported on Sunday.

Lagos’ total figures of 731 is more than half of the total National Coronavirus infections put at 1,273.
On Sunday, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, announced 43 new infections for the State, a rise from the 33 cases it ramp up on Saturday.

So far, the state has discharged 128 Coronavirus survivors and recorded 28 deaths.

According to the NCDC, the state has 584 active cases to manage.

However, Three new states, Ebonyi, Bayelsa and Kebbi have reported confirmed cases in the last 24 hours.

New  Coronavirus infections according to states on Sunday

43-Lagos
8-Sokoto
6-Taraba
5-Kaduna
5-Gombe
3-Ondo

3-FCT

3-Edo
3-Oyo
3-Rivers
3-Bauchi
2-Osun
1-Akwa Ibom
1-Bayelsa
1-Ebonyi
1-Kebbi

- PM NEWS

FG: We don’t have resources to bring back all the Nigerians seeking to return home over COVID-19

Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs, says it is regretful that the federal government cannot bring back all the Nigerians willing to come back to the country over coronavirus.

Speaking at the daily briefing of the presidential task force on COVID-19 in Abuja on Wednesday, Onyeama said the priority of the government now is to bring back some students stuck in Khartoum, Sudan.

The minister said the government had to “bend over backwards” to put in place a plan to get them out of the country.

“The financial aspect of this is one that we are very mindful of. We have some students who are stuck in Khartoum in Sudan, we have to bend over backwards because they are our young children to find the resources to pay for their return and also pay for their two-week isolation but unfortunately for all the others, we just don’t have the financial resources,” he said.

“As you can see, the huge amounts of money we have to pay for the challenge, so unfortunately, it is a source of great regret for the government that we are not in a position to pay – we will be more than happy to pay for everyone free of charge, to pay for their stay in isolation centre for two weeks but the reality is that we don’t just – and that’s the situation for now.”

He added that there are not enough facilities for Nigerians willing to come back home.

“We took medical advice and we asked the medical people what was possible and the figure we were given was 200 in Lagos and 200 in Abuja,” he said.

“This is much less than the numbers waiting to come back. We are just constrained by the facilities that are available.

“Unfortunately, we have internal challenges, as you can see the figures are going up all the time and we have a great responsibility to show that these facilities are also there to deal with the immediate challenges.”

- THECABLE

Yobo names best Super Eagles team-mate

Former Super Eagles captain, Joseph Yobo, has named Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, as the best team-mate he had in the national team.

Yobo, who burst onto the scene early, played with different generations of Nigerian players.

His first major tournament was the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations, where he lined up along with Okocha, Finidi George, Sunday Oliseh and Kanu Nwankwo.

Yobo was also part of the squad that had John Mikel Obi and Victor Moses and won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

“I was blessed and privileged to play with the older ones, the golden generation of Sunday Oliseh and Finidi George, and everybody that was in that set up, in the 2002 Nations Cup.

“But unfortunately they couldn’t make it to the World Cup, so there was a missing link.

“Overall one player that was very key and I still think is irreplaceable in the team with his quality is Jay-Jay Okocha because he’s a playmaker. He’s somebody that on his good day can win you a game on his own.

“As my teammate, the things that I saw him do in training, some people didn’t see that in the game, he’s unique, he’s phenomenal,” Yobo told Nigeria Info FM Port Harcourt.

- DAILY POST

COVID-19: Lagos Bishop, two others docked for violating lockdown order

The General Overseer, Resurrection Praise Ministries for Africa, Bishop Samson Benjamin, was on Wednesday charged with violating the Presidential Lockdown Order before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court.

Benjamin was arrested on Tuesday in front of the Chinese Embassy in Lagos, where he allegedly led some unspecified number of people to protest the alleged mistreatment of Nigerians in China,” NAN reports.

He was arraigned alongside Jerry Abel and Samson Mustapha on a three-count charge of violating the ‘stay-at-home’ order and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.

Benjamin had said the Chinese were operating freely in Nigeria even though COVID-19 started in their country but chose to mistreat Nigerians and other blacks resident in China.

Officials of the Chinese Embassy supposedly sent a video clip of the alleged invasion to the police, which prompted the arrest of the defendants by officers of the Victoria Island Division of the Nigeria Police.

The defendants were afterward taken to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Panti, Yaba Lagos.

During proceedings on Wednesday, Dr. Jide Martins, a Director in the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution, told the court that the defendants had on April 21, led a protest to the Chinese Embassy located at No. 161A, Idejo St., Victoria Island Lagos.

Martins said the defendants’ actions contravened the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Regulation and are punishable under Section 5 Quarantine Act and Section 122 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015.

“The defendants’ conduct was also likely to cause a breach of the peace which violates Section 168 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015.”

The Magistrate, Mrs. Yewande Oshin, granted Abel and Mustapha bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum, while Benjamin was granted N1million bail with two sureties in like sum.

Oshin also ordered that one of the sureties must be a cleric of a church with a minimum of three branches.

She adjourned the case until May 5, for mention.

Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases in Lagos has increased to 438, according to NCDC.

- DAILY POST

COVID-19: NLC writes Buhari on extension of lockdown

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned President Muhammadu Buhari against extension of lockdown despite increase in cases of Coronavirus in the country.

NLC in a letter signed by its President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, said there would likely be social unrest if the current lockdown imposed on some states is extended.

Wabba urged Buhari to consider the welfare of Nigerians, as well as insecurity before making any decision.

NLC warned that Nigeria’s economy might relapse into prolonged coma if the lockdown is extended beyond April 27.

The letter read in part: “While we understand the public health imperatives for extending the lockdown in some parts of the country, it is also very important to underscore the fact that the states currently under total lockdown are the economic and administrative nerve centres of Nigeria.

“This is very dicey. As much as it is important to keep many Nigerians from dying in the hands of coronavirus, loss of income and the accompanying destitution can also be a pathfinder for numerous other sicknesses and deaths. This is the time to play the balancing game.

“The prolonged lockdowns are best effective in the short-term, while with the medium to long-term, the human instinct to survive would kick in and restraint might lead to the collapse of law and order.

“No one is sure how long this dam would hold. We fear that the situation will get out of hand if the lockdown exceeds one month.

“Beyond the threat of COVID-19 to health and life, there are also very real threats to livelihood.

“Jobs are under threat. Many employees are finding it difficult to source money to keep workers at work and sustain the production lines. It has been projected that the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 would ripple on, at least, for the next two years.”

- DAILY POST