COVID-19, political tool for economic benefits – Kogi Speaker

Gbenga Odogun, Lokoja
5:20GMT

The Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, Matthew Kolawole, has called on the Federal Government to consider ending the lockdown imposed to control COVID-19 pandemic.

The Speaker made the call on Monday in an interactive session with journalists in Lokoja, the state capital.

The Speaker, who aligned himself with the position of the state Governor, Yahaya Bello, on the pandemic, said, “Honestly, I want to align myself with the position of the governor that the issue is more political than reality, the symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, catarrh and pneumonia, which we are all familiar with and we have our own way of treating them.”

According to him, the state House of Assembly has enacted legislation to help the state to tackle the virus if it spreads to the state.

He said the house had also set up a committee under the leadership of the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Ahmed, to liaise with the squadron committee set up by the governor under the leadership of the Deputy Governor, Edward Onoja to address the pandemic.

COVID-19, political tool for economic benefits – Kogi Speaker

Gbenga Odogun, Lokoja
5:20GMT

The Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly, Matthew Kolawole, has called on the Federal Government to consider ending the lockdown imposed to control COVID-19 pandemic.

The Speaker made the call on Monday in an interactive session with journalists in Lokoja, the state capital.

The Speaker, who aligned himself with the position of the state Governor, Yahaya Bello, on the pandemic, said, “Honestly, I want to align myself with the position of the governor that the issue is more political than reality, the symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, catarrh and pneumonia, which we are all familiar with and we have our own way of treating them.”

According to him, the state House of Assembly has enacted legislation to help the state to tackle the virus if it spreads to the state.

He said the house had also set up a committee under the leadership of the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Ahmed, to liaise with the squadron committee set up by the governor under the leadership of the Deputy Governor, Edward Onoja to address the pandemic.

TWO POSITIVE PATIENTS REFUSE ISOLATION, ALLEGE CORONAVIRUS IS SCAM

…. They are infecting family members, Bauchi govt cries out

Bauchi state government has lamented the refusal of two Coronavirus positive cases to isolate themselves. Executive Chairman of Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BASPHCDA), Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, yesterday, said two COVID-19 positive people have declined to be isolated in the state.

Mohammed who is also the Chairman, Contact Tracing Committee on Covid-19 in the state, said they refused to be isolated because they denied that Covid-19 is real.

He revealed that security agencies in the state have been informed about the situation and they would soon be evacuated to an isolation centre. Mohammed also revealed that two people taking care of one of the 2 Covid-19 positive people at home came forward for testing and one of them was tested positive for the novel Coronavirus. “Some people are still having denial in their minds. We have two people who tested positive and have not reached out facilities. What’s more worrying is that, by their denial, they are infecting family members and other unsuspecting people. “They refused to go (to isolation centre) because they are still denying the fact that Coronavirus is real. As they stay at home now, already two of the people taking care of one of them came for testing and one of them tested positive for Covid-19,” Mohammed said. The medical doctor further advised residents of the state to keep abiding by all protocols as set by the government and health experts in order to contain the spread of the virus.

FG to Nigerians: prepare for the worst on COVID-19

The Federal Government has told Nigerians to prepare for the worst in the COVID-19 battle.

It however said it was doing everything within its powers to curtail spread of the virus.

Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, stated this on Tuesday during the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

He urged health workers and Nigerians to do their best to learn more about pandemic.

Enihare said: “It is of great importance that we – members of the health sector and citizens, endeavour to use this period to dedicate efforts to strive for the best, but also prepare for the worst.

“As we learn more about coronavirus every day, we must be ready to adjust our strategy, based on knowledge and evidence.

“To continue strengthening response in States, the Federal Ministry of Health and Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) are assessing isolation centers all over the country, recently in Yenagoa and Oshogbo.

“We also continue providing diagnostic commodities and facilities in collaboration with partners.

Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said: “We are not doing community testing everywhere. In certain states like Lagos, Kano, and even in the FCT, we are taking the test a lot closer to the community because of the intensity of transmission in those states.

“In those states, the states are identifying hotspot areas and based on these identifications, intensifying testing in those communities.

“We haven’t gotten to the stage of drawing community testing across the country. We are doing targeted hotspot areas identified by states.”

Nwakaudu, Wike’s spokesman, is dead

Simeon Nwakaudu, a spokesman of Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, is dead.
TheCable learnt Nwakaudu died on Sunday afternoon after a brief illness.
He passed on at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) where he was being treated for an undisclosed ailment.
He was until his death Wike’s special assistant on electronic media.
In a condolence message, Paulinus Nsirim, the state commissioner of information, quoted the governor as describing Nwakaudu as “loyal and dedicated professional”.
“Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has expressed shock over the sudden death of his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu,” the statement read.
“He described late Nwakaudu as a loyal and dedicated professional who contributed immensely to the implementation of the The NEW Rivers Vision.

“The governor on behalf of his family, the government and good people of the State condoled with the bereaved family. He prayed God to grant them the fortitude to bear the great loss.”

Kano Govt confirms 64 new cases of coronavirus, records one death

The State Kano Government has confirmed that 64 new cases of coronavirus disease have been recorded in the State.

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control on Sunday announced 338 new cases of the viral infection in the country.
Out of the 338 new cases confirmed, 64 were recorded in Kano.
Confirming the development, the Kano State Ministry of Health in a tweet via its Twitter account on Monday said that the state also recorded one death from the virus.

The tweet reads “COVID-19 Update as at 11:15pm 17th May, 2020.
“Kano State confirms additional 64 positive cases.
“18 patients have been successfully discharged with 1 death recorded.

 “Residents are advised to stay safe or stay home.”

FG impounds British aircraft in Lagos, begins investigation

The Federal Government on Sunday impounded an aircraft belonging to a British company, FlairJet  for operating commercial flights into the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos despite the ban on such flight operations in Nigerian airports.

It was gathered that FlairJet  operated a Legacy 600 aircraft with registration G-ERFX into the Lagos airport after getting approval for humanitarian operations.

It was also learnt that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority had begun investigations into the matter, as officials at the agency and the Federal Ministry of Aviation stated that the aircraft was not cleared for commercial flights.They noted that the country’s airports were still under lockdown to commercial flight operations, as further findings would tell why the crew of the impounded plane decided to fly into Lagos on Sunday. 

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who announced the seizure via his official Twitter handle on Sunday, confirmed that the aircraft was only authorised to conduct humanitarian flights.

Sirika also stated that the impounded aircraft had no approval outside humanitarian operations but was caught operating commercial flights.

The minister stressed that in addition to the confiscated aircraft, a “maximum penalty” would be imposed on the company for flouting the shutdown of the country’s airspace by the Federal Government to commercial flight operations.

The Federal Government had shut the country’s airspace as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

In his tweet on Sunday, Sirika said, “COVID-19. Flair Aviation, a UK company, was given approval for humanitarian operations but regrettably, we caught them conducting commercial flights.

 “This is callous! The craft is impounded; the crew being interrogated. There shall be maximum penalty. Wrong time to try our resolve.”

The Federal Government on May 6, 2020, extended the suspension of both local and international flight operations in all Nigerian airports by additional four weeks. 

The government had in March this year halted the operations of commercial flights by two weeks, before it announced additional four-week extension on May 6.

Commercial flight operations, both local and international, had stopped forthwith but the Federal Government allowed the operation of essential flights.

Such essential flights include those for medical and evacuation purposes, among others, as the government had stated that such flights were subject to the authorisation of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and agencies under it.

Information still sketchy, says NCAA

 When contacted to explain what actually happened at the Lagos airport, the spokesperson for the NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, told our correspondent that all the required information surrounding the incident was still sketchy as of 8.35pm on Sunday.

 “I don’t have the details and I’m aware of the development. I’m still making calls myself; if I have, I will let you know. I am trying to reach the MD of NAMA, as they are the ones to brief us more on this,” he stated.

Our correspondent, however, gathered that the company name of the airline in question was FlairJet with its office at the Birmingham International Airport in the United Kingdom.

The Director, Public Affairs, Federal Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu, explained that the airline’s name/base was earlier under contention because it was mentioned as Flair Aviation instead of FlairJet.

 FG to report incident to British authorities        

The spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ferdinand Nwonye, said the ministry would report the incident to the British High Commission after receiving a full report of the incident from the aviation ministry.

 He stated, “What the ministry would do is to convey the full report (of the flight violation) to the United Kingdom government through their embassy. Since the incident happened today (Sunday), we are not in the office and we have not been briefed. Maybe, by Monday (today), we will find out about it.”