Trump makes new allegation against China

United States President, Donald Trump has alleged that China will do anything they can to make him lose his re-election bid.

He said this in continuation of his criticism of China amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump disclosed that he believes Beijing wants his likely Democratic Party candidate, Joe Biden to win in November’s election.

Biden has received support from top party stalwarts, including former President Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders and Michael Bloomberg.

The coronavirus has claimed over 60,000 lives in the U.S. and ravaged the economy, Trump’s main selling point for re-election campaign.

Trump said Beijing faced a lot of possible consequence from the U.S. for the outbreak.

The American leader insists that China should have informed the world about COVID-19 much sooner.

He told Reuters: “There are many things I can do. We’re looking for what happened. China will do anything they can to have me lose this race.”

Trump also dismissed the polls in favour of Biden’s emergence as U.S. President in November.

“I don’t believe the polls. I believe the people of this country are smart. And I don’t think that they will put a man in who’s incompetent”, the President said.

Government offices to open May 4 – Presidential Task Force

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has included Federal Government establishments on the list of sectors to open from May 4.

The PTF disclosed that it would engage state governments to ensure they were on the same page with the federal government on opening of offices.

PTF National Coordinator, Aliyu Sani, stated this during the daily briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday in Abuja

Aliyu said that the resumption would be based on specific grade levels.

“For government offices, government staff will be allowed to resume from May 4, but it will be based on specific grade levels and specific days so that we can reduce the amount of congestion that we might have in our government offices.

“We will be discussing further with state governments to make sure that we have a common approach to this”, he said.

PTF similarly announced that banks, construction companies, manufacturing and others could commence operation from May 4.

Banks would operate from 8am to 2pm daily and must observed all new restrictions announced by the government.

PTF stated that the temperature test, respiratory hygiene and restriction of gathering of 20 persons maximum would be introduced.

NCC director reacts to fears over telephone radiation, masts on human health

Bako Wakil, Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), says there has been no scientific proof that mobile telephone radiation were dangerous to human health.

NAN quoted the expert as saying that the World Health Organisation (WHO) holds a similar position.

Wakil spoke on Wednesday at a webinar organized by the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers to mark the 2020 World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

The director explained that telecommunications masts do not pose health hazards as long as they are located properly and in accordance with approved guidelines.

“A large number of studies have been performed over the past two decades to assess whether mobile telephones pose health risks.

“To date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile telephone use,’’ he said.

Peter Ewesor, Managing Director of the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) explained the hazards associated with electricity generation and distribution.

The Chief Electrical Inspector in Nigeria warned that electricity abuse could cause avoidable accidents.

Ewesor urged operators in the electrical and electronics industry to comply with safety guidelines.

He harped on the the need for installations to be properly planned, executed, maintained and utilised to avert accidents, electrocutions, explosions, fire-outbreaks, loss of supply and power wastages.

Three ministers test positive for Coronavirus

The Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau, Nuno Nabiam and three ministers, on Wednesday tested positive for Coronavirus.

Health Minister, Antonio Deuna, confirmed this, revealing that they were being quarantined presently at a hotel in the country’s capital, Bissau.

It was learnt that some members of the cabinet: Interior Minister Botche Cande and two secretaries of state, Mario Fambe and Monica Buaro were also infected.

So far, Guinea-Bissau has recorded 73 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with one death, and 18 recoveries, according to figures compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

President Umaro Sissoco Embalo had also extended the nationwide state of emergency due to COVID-19 to May 11.

Nabiam was selected by President Embalo to be prime minister in late February, 2019.

Keyamo: I will leave Buhari’s govt if politicians attempt to hijack recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN), Wednesday promised to quit President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration if the proposed recruitment of 774, 000 jobseekers was hijacked by politicians.

The minister stated this while inaugurating the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Extended Special Public Works across the 774 Local Government Areas in the country.

He said the committee was set up to devise a strategy for the implementation of the initiative, adding that the pilot scheme would be implemented in five local government areas of Adamawa, Borno, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Jigawa, Katsina and Kwara.

According to Keyamo, the beneficiaries will be engaged in drainage digging and clearance, irrigation canals clearance, rural feeder road maintenance and maintenance of the great green wall nurseries and orchards.

Others are traffic control, street cleaning, cleaning of public infrastructures like health centres, schools, and others.

He added that a total of 40.000 direct jobs are expected to be created in the eight pilot states.

Keyamo said: “This is not for PDP or APC who will want a slot from my local government because I am a politician. But I assure you it will not happen.

“I will leave this job if they want to insist that it will happen. Mr. President is targeting ordinary Nigerians who are neither PDP nor APC members nor just anything. They just want to get jobs to feed their families.

“This is not a time for us to empower our followers as politicians. We are going to dig deep, it is one of the recommendations you are going to make, that is why you are here.”

U.S. To Release Funds to Nigeria Despite Attacks on Religious, Press Freedoms

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said religious freedom is the United States’ top foreign policy priority. 

President Trump warned Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in a 2018 visit to Washington to stop attacks on religious freedom, particularly on Christian churches in his country, if he wanted cooperation with the United States.

Members of Congress have complained the U.S. government has not done enough to get Nigeria’s government to step up and prevent religious and press persecution.

But after some early progress, things have gotten bad for Christians in Nigeria. Nearly 400 have been killed this year for their faith, and more than 12,000 have died since Buhari took office in 2015. A U.S.-based reporter, Omoyele Sowore, who was detained, released, then re-arrested a day later for looking into corruption involving the regime, remains in custody.

The U.S. knows of these problems. Late last year, after a group affiliated with Boko Haram and ISIS beheaded 10 Nigerians and shot another, the State Department declared Nigeria a “severe violator of religious freedom” and put it on a Special Watch List for such countries.

But unless things change in the next few days, the U.S. will pass on a significant opportunity to strike a blow for freedom of religion and of the press in Nigeria.

The U.S. has entered into an agreement with Nigeria and the UK-dependent Bailiwick of Jersey to return $350 million that was looted by former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and co-conspirators. It also is involved in negotiations to secure another $120 million of purloined funds. 

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has said the U.S. should withhold the funds until we get assurances the people of Nigeria will benefit from our efforts and that the human rights questions will be addressed.

He has asked the Justice Department “what steps has the United States government taken to consider whether sanctions would be appropriate against certain individuals such as,” Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and his boss, Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, under the Global Magnitsky Act, which allows the U.S. to sanction human rights violators, and the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, for having turned their offices into agents of suppression and terror.

Grassley wrote the chief of the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section to say that, given the Nigerian government’s history of corruption, refusal to assist the U.S. in its battle to recover the $120 million tranche, vow to return that money to an Abacha crony if recovered and reversal of progress on religious and press freedom, “it seems odd that the DOJ would help facilitate the payment of $320 million to the Nigerian government without first insisting on proper safeguards to prevent the further misuse of funds, as well as full cooperation in other forfeiture actions related to the Abacha loot.”

The Department of Justice says the agreement, finalized Feb. 3, includes safeguards to ensure the repatriated money is used for its intended purposes – expressways from Abuja to Kano and Lagos to Ibadan and a second Niger Bridge. 

It says the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, which includes no members of the current government, will implement the projects, two oversight bodies with U.S. members will monitor disbursement, and the government has vowed to replace any funds found to not have been properly spent. The Justice Department also says the focus on big infrastructure projects will make it harder to hide if officials do attempt to divert funds.

Abacha is said to have stolen more than $2 billion in the five years he served during the mid-1990s. Abubakar Bagudu, now governor of the Nigerian state of Kebbe, was arrested in Houston in 2003 on charges of embezzlement and corruption for his role in Abacha’s looting. He made a deal with the Justice Department to return to Nigeria in exchange for turning over $160 million in stolen funds. 

When he returned to Nigeria, he was not even questioned, let alone forced to return the money. Bagudu said he did “nothing wrong” in requesting the $100 million in the still-unrecovered tranche, and the Buhari government seems inclined to let him receive the money. 

The $120 million tranche is not covered by this agreement, but the Justice Department’s response to Grassley specifically named Bagudu as being ineligible to receive any of the $350 million. 

The Justice Department said it works to prevent abuse of the U.S. financial system by “international kleptocrats” and is committed to “the transparent return of recovered assets through a negotiated, lawful and open process that will ultimately recompense, in part, the people of Nigeria for the harms they have suffered.”

But unless something changes, and soon, those dollars are going to Nigeria, and it will be up to the U.S., the Bailiwick of Jersey and others to enforce these agreements and make sure the funds go to the projects for which they’re intended. And we’ll have to wait still longer for opportunities to get Nigeria to improve its human rights record.

Lagos, Rivers, 10 others shut out as FG disburses N43b World Bank performance grant

Reprieve has come the way of 24 states whose financial records have been adjudged by the World Bank as transparent. Accordingly, they are sharing a $120.6 million grant (about N43.416 billion) provided by the global lender under its the Assisted States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Programme-for-Results.

The transparency fund is not a loan, therefore, it is not to be repaid by the beneficiaries.

Unfortunately, Lagos and four states in the South-South, namely Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers and Bayelsa missed the mark, as it was believed they were found wanting in their fiscal transparency.

Also, missing out were Ebonyi, Imo, Anambra, Nasarawa, Plateau and Zamfara states.

The Lucky ones include Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Niger and Ondo.

The rest are Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe.

According to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, Kaduna scored the highest point in the exercise undertaken by the office of the Auditor-General for the Federation on behalf of the global financial institution and was awarded the highest amount of N3.96 billion.

The information was contained in a statement released by the ministry and signed by its Director in charge of Information and Press, Hassan Dodo.

It read in part: “ The Federal Government of Nigeria has disbursed the sum of N43,416,000,000.00 ($120.6 million) as performance-based grants to 24 eligible states on the basis of the results achieved in 2018 under the performance-based grant component of the World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme-for-Results, which is wholly-financed with a loan amount of $750 million from the International Development Association (IDA), a member of the World Bank Group.”

Ahmed explained that the disbursement followed the participation of the 24 eligible states in the recent Annual Performance Assessment (APA) carried out by the office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF) as the Independent Verification Agent (IVA) in collaboration with a third-party firm, JK Consulting Limited, and the SFTAS Programme Coordination Unit (PCU).

The minister recalled that the SFTAS programme was established by the Federal Government with the concessional loan of $750 million to support states through the provision of performance-based grants to the tune of $700 million, and technical assistance in the sum of $50 million to enhance their capacity to achieve the Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) – the programme results.

What Buhari, Trump Discussed On Phone - Presidency

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday afternoon received a telephone call from American President, Donald Trump, during which the two leaders commiserated with each other on fatalities in their countries, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

They also shared ideas on how to successfully combat the health emergency.

President Buhari expressed condolences to the government and people of the United States over the fatalities recorded, and equally expressed worry at the high rate of deaths recorded across the world.

The associated negative impacts of the pandemic on the world's economy also came up for discussion.

The Nigerian President lauded his American counterpart for the various initiatives adopted by his government to contain the further spread of the virus across the United States.

He indicated Nigeria's readiness to cooperate with the United States to fight this common unseen enemy.

President Buhari informed that Nigeria had taken a number of proactive measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 across the country.

The President welcomed the valuable friendship and expressed appreciation to President Trump for reaching out at this time.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

April 28, 2020

Delta relaxes lockdown as economic activities resume tomorrow

Medical director seeks test centre in state urgently
After 30 days of total lockdown to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has relaxed the exercise, allowing economic activities to resume tomorrow in Delta State.

During a broadcast yesterday in Asaba, the governor said residents were to engage in trading and other commercial endeavours between 6am and 7pm daily.

As a first step, he disclosed that the state will, today, commence the distribution of one million facemasks to residents through the local council offices.

He commended Deltans for their understanding, noting: “Our state has been relatively peaceful during the lockdown, which was a proactive step to keep the coronavirus pandemic at bay.

“It speaks of your trust and confidence in the integrity of the structures and processes we put in place to combat the disease. The security agencies also deserve our commendation for their sacrifice, patience and professional conduct.”

“It has become necessary to partially lift the ban on movements within the state effective Thursday, April 30, 2020,” he added.

The governor went on: “Conferences, sporting activities, gathering of people in conventions/event centres, sports fields, public/open spaces as well as recreational and cultural/communal activities remain banned until May 31, 2020.

“While burials and weddings will be allowed, the social distancing rule (six feet apart) must be applied, and the number of guests/persons must not exceed 50. Our schools (public and private) remain closed until Sunday, May 31, 2020.

“Entertainment centres, including cinemas, bars and night clubs remain closed until Sunday, May 31, 2020.

“Our airports remain closed to passenger traffic till further notice.”

He further said: I shall be meeting with our religious leaders on Thursday, April 30, 2020, to chart the way forward for our places of worship. However, all crusades/conventions remain banned until further notice.

“For the public service, only workers on Grade Level 12 and above should resume work effective Thursday, April 30. This order does not apply to junior staff on essential/emergency duties.”

Meanwhile, the Zonal Medical Director overseeing the COVID-19 treatment centres in Warri and Ekpan general hospitals, Dr. Paul Okubor, has called for the immediate establishment of the virus test centre in the state.

Speaking yesterday in Warri while conducting members of the Delta chapter of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) round the isolation facilities, Okubor stated that the appeal became necessary in view of the long distance that is being covered in taking samples to the Specialist Hospital in Irrua, Edo State.

Adeleke defeats Atiku, Saraki, PDP in court, awarded N5m

A Federal High Court in Lagos State has ruled against the 2019 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and Bukola Saraki, his campaign director in the 2019 general election over unauthorised use of the photograph of Mrs. Amuda Adeleke, Lagos-based trader, on their campaign billboard.

DAILY POST reported late last year that Mrs Adeleke, a Lagos-based trader, had dragged Saraki who was the Director-General of the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation during the 2019 General Election, before the court for using her picture on campaign billboards without her consent.

Also joined in the suit marked FHC/L/CS/./19, were the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party’s presidential flag bearer, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr Peter Obi, his running mate.

Justice Ayokunle Faji, who has been in charge of matter, made a monetary award of N5m to Mrs. Adeleke, yesterday, explaining that the money would be jointly and severally paid by Atiku, Saraki, the PDP, and Peter Obi, Atiku’s running mate during the election.

Atiku and Obi lost the election to the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidates, Muhammadu Buhari and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

The trader had told the court that the unauthorised use of her photograph for the party’s campaign caused her embarrassment.

“All my friends who saw the campaign billboard said it portrayed me as a woman stricken with poverty who had lost all hope and was prepared to commit suicide,” she said.

She asked the court to award N45m against Atiku, Saraki, the PDP and Obi for infringing on her fundamental right to privacy as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.

However, after ruling in her favour, the judge, instead, awarded N5m against the defendants.

Elumelu donates six trailers of rice to Delta community

Onicha-Ugbo hometown of the mother of banking wizard and international humanitarian, Tony Elumelu and other towns in Delta north area was thrown into wild jubilation last night as six trailer-load of rice donated to the communities as palliative for lockdown arrived.

Onicha Ugbo and Onicha-Uku are not the only beneficiaries of Elumelu’s goodwill as the four Local Government Council in Aniocha-Oshimili got one trailer load each.

The beneficiary local governments are Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Oshimili North and Oshimili South.

Out of the six trailer loads, his mother’s town, Onicha-Ugbo got one, his father’s place, Onicha-Uku got one, one trailer each is for Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Oshimili north and Oshimili South LGA’s.

Residents of the communities rained prayers on their son for remembering them at this trying period.

According to a respected cabinet member of Onicha Ugbo palace, Chief Ken Iwelumo, “Last night, April 26, 2020, Onicha Ugbo received a shipment of 600 bags of high quality rice from Mr. Tony Elumelu, the Group Chairman of UBA Group and Heirs Holdings.

“This is a gift to his motherland. Words cannot express our gratitude to him during these difficult and uncertain times.

“We pray that our good lord will continue to shower eternal blessings on him, his family and Elumelu clan”.

It was gathered that the gesture by the titan of Africa’s financial sector is to cushion the effect of the lockdown and also to appreciate his people on behalf of his loving mother and his amiable junior brother, Rt. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu who is the minority leader in Nigeria’s House of Representative. He represents AniochaOshimili Federal Constituency.

Elumelu has changed the lives of African young start ups through his Tony Elumelu Foundation.

In the heat of the Coronavirus pandemic, Elumelu facilitated the donations of N5bn through UBA Foundation to combat the pandemic in Nigeria and 19 African countries where UBA operates.

In addition, Elumelu personally donated N1billion to the private sector led coalition against Coronavirus in Nigeria.

Why Senate approved Buhari’s fresh N850 billion loan request

The Nigerian senate, on Tuesday afternoon, approved a fresh N850 billion naira loan request made by President Muhammadu Buhari.

POLITICS NIGERIA learned that the senate gave accelerated approval to the request as its no longer news that the Nigerian economy has been taking huge hits as Oil prices plummetted worldwide amidst the Coronavirus pandemic.

President Buhari will now be able to request for a fresh loan of N850 billion from the domestic capital market, although the senate mandated its committees on finance, appropriation, Domestic and Foreign Debt and National Planning to liaise with the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed to get more information on the loan request.

Investigations show that the loan is necessary in order to funds to finance projects in the 2020 budget. The approval was issued by the senate after Senate president, Ahmed Lawan read out a letter from the president to senators during plenary on Tuesday.

The legislative arm of government comprising of the senate and the house of representatives resumed today after being shut dor 36 days due to the Coronavirus Pandemic currently sweeping through the country.

POLITICS NIGERIA observed that senators had masks on and complied with the social distancing directive needed to prevent the spread of the virus.

Drive-through coronavirus test centers

Lifebank has received funding from stakeholders in Nigeria including Sterling Bank, UTL Trust, Rising Tide, and the Daystar Center, which means it can provide the tests for free.

NIMR staff at Lifebank's mobile test center in Oyo state, Nigeria

Residents register first on the NIMR website where they are asked a series of questions to determine whether they are at risk of contracting the virus, says Giwa-Tubosun.

"You are only selected and invited for testing if you meet the case definition for coronavirus, or if you have the symptoms. NIMR and Lifebank staff select the people who get invited for testing," she explained.

NCDC staff double-check patients who show up at the center actually have symptoms of the virus, while the test is done by NIMR staff, said Giwa-Tubosun.

"We are leaving the certified government agencies to do the testing while we (Lifebank) assist them with setting up the infrastructure, sorting out the funding, budgeting and procurement," she said.

In Lagos, 250 people have been tested for free, and in Oyo over 500 people have been tested. Giwa-Tubosun says the goal is to test 2,000 people per center during their operational lifetime

Oxygen supply

Lifebank is also delivering medical oxygen, a critical supply needed in severe cases of coronavirus.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hospitalized patients with coronavirus should be given supplemental oxygen therapy as part of early supportive treatment. But Africa currently has a shortage of medical oxygen and ventilators.

Drive through test center in Oyo state

"We have always delivered emergency oxygen through an initiative called Airbank," said Giwa-Tubosun, "but what we are doing now, thanks to sponsors, is expanding deliveries to bigger oxygen cylinders to supply for Covid-19 patients."

The company has also created a database containing the number of ventilators, ICU beds and respirators available in private hospitals and health centers in Nigeria; information collated from volunteers and Lifebank employees' calls to private facilities.

"We are talking to agencies of the government to find out what supplies they have and what they need," said Giwa-Tubosun. "We want the database to be available so that they (government agencies) can reach out to the private sector and strike out deals with them regarding the equipment they need."

So far, 768 ventilators, ICU beds, and respirators in Nigeria have been identified.

Airbank oxygen deliveries will be made in vehicles like this for coronavirus patients

Kenya and Ghana expansion

Lifebank is also expanding the database to Kenya, and is looking to do the same in Ghana and Ethiopia .

LifeBank@LifeBankNigeria

Nigeria will need ventilators, respirators and ICU Beds, if the COVID-19 cases keeps going up!

We have built a national register for critical medical equipments.

List your equipments at http://quip.lifebank.ng #COVID19 #Covik1_9virus #CoronaVirusNigeria #VentilatorShortage

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"We had our team in Kenya call about 500 hospitals," Giwa-Tubosun said. So far, Lifebank has found 64 ventilators, 6 respirators and 265 ICU beds in 11 cities in the East African country as of April 27.

Lifebank is not making a profit from its work around coronavirus; the reward is in providing solutions that limit the spread of the virus, Giwa-Tubosun said.

"I didn't have plans to do anything around Covid-19 when it first started, but I read too much about it and started having nightmares about ventilators and the virus," she said. "The next day I called the team and we got to work."

NAFDAC says several washes, drying reduces effectiveness of fabric face mask

As Lagos State Government commenced enforcement of compulsory use of face masks, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has warned that several washes, drying and stretching of the fabric mask over time reduce its effectiveness even as it noted that non-medical face masks cannot prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease.

She added that such masks only limit the spread of droplets and when over washed loses their effectiveness. “It must be noted that several washes, drying, and stretching of the mask over time reduce the effectiveness of the mask.” Stating that the fabric mask was among the barrier face masks, she declared that fabric masks do not prevent individuals from contracting the disease but, they have been found to contribute to reducing the spread of infections when used widely in conjunction with other measures. 

“Non-medical face masks include self-made or commercial masks or face covers made of clothes, other textiles or other materials such as paper. They are not standardised and are not intended for use in healthcare settings or by healthcare professionals.  They serve to limit the spread of droplets and offer some measure of protection to those around you. 

“The material of construction is usually clothes (textile fabric), non-woven wadding, or paper-like materials. For these Barrier Masks, 100 per cent cotton is preferred though; polyester, linen, or knit fabric can be used.

She said the fabric masks should be used alongside measures such as social distancing, not touching the face, eyes or mouth, and washing of hands with soap for 20 seconds or use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. 

She advised Nigerians using such face masks recommended to be washed daily to ensure that it has a double layer of fabric to guarantee the absorbency and its effectiveness. 

She further warned that barrier masks are not intended for use in healthcare settings or by healthcare professionals