COVID-19: Nigeria records 655 recoveries — and over 400 in FCT

 

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 655 persons were discharged across the country on Saturday after recovering from COVID-19.

Of the new recoveries, 439 were recorded in the federal capital territory (FCT).

The agency disclosed this in its update for March 13. 

“Our discharges today include 439 community recoveries in FCT and 96 community recoveries in Lagos state managed in line with guidelines,” the NCDC said, in a statement.

With the current daily-count, the total number of COVID-19 recoveries in Nigeria stands at 144,714.

The agency also confirmed 205 new infections in 14 states and the FCT — 49 percent decline from 399 cases recorded on Friday.

Ondo recorded the highest cases with 33 new positive samples followed by Lagos with 25, and the FCT with 22.

Other states that confirmed new infections include Bauchi (21), Akwa Ibom (15), Kaduna (14), Katsina (13), Ogun (13), Rivers (11), Edo (8), Ekiti (4), Imo (4), Kano (3), Nasarawa (2), and Niger (2).

Also, four people were said to have died of COVID-19 complications on Saturday, raising the country’s fatality toll to 2,013.

Out of 160,537 confirmed coronavirus infections in Nigeria, 13,810 are currently active cases.

- THECABLE

World best: Top 10 favourites for 2021 ballon d’Or unveiled

 

Paris Saint-Germain striker, Kylian Mbappe has been rated number one in the race for the 2021 ballon d’Or.

Top Spanish sports outlet, Marca revealed the odds for the prestigious individual award ahead of the 2021 edition.

The coveted price by France Football was not handed out in 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic

There’s still a long way to go before the winner is crowned, especially with two major international tournaments taking place this season.

The odds favour PSG and France star Kylian Mbappe who leads the way followed by Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski and Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo finds himself in the third position behind Lewandowski while Lionel Messi far behind in 8th.

Both Messi and Ronaldo crashed out of the Champions last week with Barcelona and Juventus losing to PSG and CF Porto respectively.

Here is the list with odds:

1. Kylian Mbappe (3.5 per euro bet)

2. Robert Lewandowski: 6.5

3. Cristiano Ronaldo: 7

4. Neymar: 11

5. Kevin De Bruyne: 11

6. Bruno Fernandes: 11

7. Erling Haaland: 13

8. Lionel Messi: 15

9. Harry Kane: 26

10. Luis Suarez: 26

- DAILY POST

Fayemi gets deadline to pay workers’ outstanding salaries

 

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has given the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, till May 1 to pay all outstanding salaries of workers in the state.

Messrs Kolapo Olatunde and Sola Adigun, Chairmen, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), in a statement signed demanded the immediate payment of outstanding salaries and other matters of workers’ welfare and interests before Workers Day (May 1st)

Part of the statement read: “We are not oblivious of the excellency’s giant strides and it is noteworthy.

“However, workers are hereby constrained to bring to your Excellency’s doorstep the outstanding demands of workers which revolve around issues of welfare of workers which we have been presenting since the inception of your administration in Ekiti State.

“There is no doubting the fact that the present administration inherited promotions arrears for 2015, 2016 and 2017 while this administration met those of 2018 and 2019 which are equally not yet implemented.”

The leadership of the organized labour urged the government to begin with piece meal payment of these outstanding arrears to gradually relieve itself of the financial burdens.

Labour Congress urged the State government to take action before the 2021 Workers’ Day celebration.

“Workers are agitated and are so convinced that with the political will of Gov. Kayode Fayemi, these outstanding workers welfare and salaries can be attended to before May 1st''

- PM NEWS

Anambra community youths protest alleged criminal activities, kidnapping by herdsmen

 

Youths of Anaku in Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra State have protested the activities of Fulani herdsmen in the area, saying the herders were responsible for a series of kidnappings along the Adani-Kogi highway, in the community.

A source among the protesting youths said they came out in their numbers on the federal highway in the community at the weekend to protest the latest incident of kidnapping, which involved an undisclosed number of persons on Friday.

The source said, “The youths of the area expressed sadness over the recent incident and promised not to rest until the kidnapped persons were released.

“The security agents in the area led by DPO of Anaku Divisional Police in Ayamelum LGA, CSP Chukwunonso was also there. He addressed the youths, promising not to rest until the situation is brought under control. He also advised the community to maintain calm and continue with their lawful activities as the issue is being taken care of.”

The protest it was gathered also attracted the attention of the Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uche Victor Okafor, who addressed the youths, condemning the current spate of kidnapping along the road.

Our source said, “You may be here in Awka, without knowing the high level of kidnapping by Fulani herdsmen, happening in the hinterlands in Anambra State. The current kidnapping took place on 12/ 3/ 2021.

“This infuriated some youths, and they (youths of Anaku) and the vigilante group members and other security agents had to team up to go into the forest in search of those who were kidnapped and to secure the area to avoid such activities again. It is very disheartening,” He said.

When DAILY POST reached out to the Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Police Command, CSP Haruna Mohammed for comments on the protest, calls to his cell phone rang without a response.

- DAILY POST

Falana: FG frustrated Ibori’s trial in UK — but wants to receive recovered loot

 Femi Falana, senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says the federal government frustrated the trial of James Ibori, former governor of Delta, in the United Kingdom (UK) but now wants to receive the recovered loot.

Ibori was jailed by a UK court in 2012 when Goodluck Jonathan was president of Nigeria.

On Tuesday, the UK government made a commitment to return £4.2 million loot recovered from Ibori to the federal government.

Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation, had said the recovered loot would be channelled into federal projects.

There has been a controversy on whether the loot should be returned to the federal government or the government of Delta state.

Falana had said the money should go to Delta since it was stolen from the state.

Malami, in a counterargument, said the money would be received by the federal government because the law which Ibori breached is a federal law, and not that of Delta state.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Falana said the federal government was not supportive of the prosecution of Ibori in the UK.

“In fact, in utter breach of the provisions of the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty between Nigeria and the United Kingdom the then Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Michael Aondoakaa SAN rejected the request to make relevant documents available for the trial in the United Kingdom on the ground of sovereignty. In particular, Chief Aondoakaar refused to entertain the request of the UK Metropolitan Police and made under bilateral mutual assistance to Nigeria on the ground that the request was not made by the Home Office,” Falana said.

“As far as international law is concerned the recovered fund belongs to the people of Delta State who are the victims of the corrupt practice of Chief Ibori.  The British Government is releasing the stolen money to Nigeria in strict compliance with international law and not out sheer generosity as erroneously argued by some lawyers.

Making reference to precedence, Falana said the federal government “had handed over the fund stolen by two former governors, in similar circumstances, to the people of Bayelsa and Plateau States”, adding that Delta should not be an exception.

He said the denial of the then government of Delta state that no money was missing from its coffers should not be the basis to hand over the loot to the federal government since President Muhammadu Buhari claimed that Sani Abacha, the late military dictator, did not loot the country but his government received the $321 million Abacha loot from Switzerland.

“From the foregoing, it is undoubtedly clear that the huge success recorded in the prosecution of the case was anchored on the collaboration between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Metropolitan Police. To that extent, the Federal Government which had set out to frustrate the trial of Chief Ibori cannot turn round to lay claim to the fund confiscated on the orders of the British courts. Having regards to the facts and circumstances of the case the the Ibori loot belongs to the people of Delta State in toto under domestic and international law,” he said.

“Finally, no doubt, the former Delta State Government was irresponsible to have denied that Chief Ibori looted the treasury of the State at the material time. But such denial cannot be a justification for the confiscation of the Ibori loot of over £100 million that is expected to be repatriated to Nigeria by the British Government. After all, before his assumption of office as President in May 2015, General Mohammadu Buhari had repeatedly maintained that the late General Sani Abacha did not steal a dime from the account of the Federal Government. But the Federal Government under the President’s watch has continued to recover the remaining Abacha loot and no one has suggested that such recovered loot be paid to the account of the United Nations or African Union on moral grounds.”

- THECABLE

Buhari dragged to court over plans to borrow N895billion from Nigerians

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has been dragged to court over the plans of his government to borrow an estimated N895billion from Nigerians.

The money is the accumulation of balances in dormant bank accounts and unclaimed dividends.

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) filed a lawsuit on Friday asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to restrain Buhari and his government, perpetually, from going ahead with the plan.

It called the borrowing plan ‘unlawful expropriation’.

SERAP slammed the Finance Act 2020, which authorises the borrowing a patently unlawful, unconstitutional, and discriminatory legislation.

It said the same legislation explicitly excludes dormant official bank accounts by all branches of government and their agencies.

In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/31/2021 filed last Friday, SERAP is seeking a perpetual injunction restraining Buhari from collecting Nigerians’ money and transferring the money into a trust fund known as ‘Unclaimed Funds Trust Fund’”.

In the suit, SERAP is arguing that “the Federal Government should not be allowed to borrow Nigerians’ money.

“Borrowing unclaimed dividends and funds in dormant accounts owned by ordinary Nigerians would negatively affect their right to an adequate standard of living, and access to clean water, quality healthcare and education.”

“Despite Nigeria’s dwindling oil revenue, the growing level of public debt, and widespread poverty, public officers including the President, Vice President, governors and their deputies, and members of the National Assembly have refused to cut their emoluments, allowances and security votes.

“At the same time, millions of Nigerians continue to bear the brunt of mismanagement and corruption.”

Joined in the suit as Defendants are Mr Abubakar Malami SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice; the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; the Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; and the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.

SERAP is also arguing that “For there to be a borrower, there must be a lender. The intention to enter into such borrower-lender relationship must be known to both parties. Any other arrangement that allows a borrower to access funds from a lender without the knowledge and express consent of the lender will amount to stealing.”

According to SERAP: “The Federal Government has repeatedly failed to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of public wealth and resources such as recovered stolen public funds, and the loans so far obtained, estimated to be $31.98bn, and failed to address the systemic and widespread corruption in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).”

The suit was filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Ms Adelanke Aremo.

- PM NEWS

Again, gunmen attack another school in Kaduna

 

The Kaduna State Government has said that bandits stormed Government Science Secondary School, Ikara, Ikara Local Government Area, in an attempt to kidnap students, but the students utilized the security warning system in place, and were thus able to alert security forces.

The State Commissioner, Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, while briefing newsmen on Sunday on the security update of the state explained that, “Between the late hours of Saturday night and the early hours of today, suspected bandits stormed the Government Science Secondary School, Ikara, Ikara Local Government Area, in an attempt to kidnap the students.

“Fortunately, the students utilized the security warning system in place, and were thus able to alert security forces in the area. The security forces comprising the troops of the Nigerian Army, Police and some security volunteers moved swiftly to the school and engaged the bandits, forcing them to flee.”

He stated that the military and the police were still on the trail of the armed bandits.

He explained that following a head count by the school management, the Kaduna State Government confirmed that all 307 students have been verified safe and present, stressing that the attempted kidnap was foiled completely and no student was taken from the school.

Samuel Aruwan further explained that similarly, around Ifira village in Igabi Local Government Area, bandits attempted to attack a senior staff quarters around the Kaduna Airport general area.

He noted that the attempt was also foiled as troops of the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Army engaged and repelled them, with several of them escaping with gunshot wounds.

According to him, the Kaduna State Government acknowledges the efforts of the security agencies in the recent rescue of 180 students in the vicinity of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, pointing out that these efforts have being mentioned in interviews given by some of the rescued students.

- DAILY POST