FocalPoint Reports

Covid-19: Kagbala Ezekiel Blames World Health Organization for Global Spread A veteran Journalist in Delta State, Comrade Ezekiel Kagbala has berated the  The World Health Organization, (WHO) for the Global spread of the deadly corona virus also known as Covid-19 In a statement on Thursday in Delta State, Kagbala noted that the United Nations (UN) was responsible for coordinating global public health. They went slumbering and caught up in a web of gross ineptitude due to their action and inaction that is killing the world and the Anglo-American world power being worse hit by the Pandemic.  They gave in to complacency and plunged the world into global health catastrophe, a deadly global pandemic-Corona virus also known as Covid-19. The nonchalant managers of (WHO), in their egregious misdemeanor are not admitting or regretting their docile attitude and coverup that has led on to the global spread of corona virus. WHO supposed vital role as actors in the field of int...

COVID-19: Gov. Obaseki Extends Edo State’s Lockdown The Governor of Edo State,  Godwin Obaseki , has extended the curfew in the state for another 14 days. The extension takes effect on May 3. Obaseki while speaking at a media briefing noted that the measure is to safeguard the people amid the outbreak of Coronavirus. He further stated that the state government has made tremendous progress in the area of screening, testing and improving awareness on the pandemic for our people. “Working closely with the public and private hospitals, we have screened no fewer than 20,000 people and tested 297 of them. This is the reason for the increased number of cases.” “We are aggressively pushing to screen our minimum target of about 500,000 people and test about one per cent of them which is about 5,000 in the next few weeks.” “Of the 20,000 people we have screened and the 297 samples taken, we have recorded 37 confirmed cases as at today, discharged eight and lost three people.” “It is worthy o...

NCDC urges Reps to suspend Quarantine Act till after COVID-19 More knocks than nods continue to greet the controversial infectious disease control bill as the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, has asked the lawmakers to postpone passage of such bill till end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill sponsored by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, scaled second reading on Tuesday and has been generating negative reactions on social media. The bill as reported by DAILY POST is a plagiarized piece of Singapore’s infectious disease control act of 1977. Dr. Ihekweazu during media briefing by the COVID-19 taskforce, expressed reservation on the bill and called for more consultation in drafting such a bill. He noted that a bill should not be drafted in the middle of a crisis. “To be honest, I saw the bill just like everyone else, circulating on social media. I take it in a good way. I think the members of the House of Reps ...

Lagos State Discharge 12 COVID-19 Patient Governor  Babajide Sanwo-Olu  of Lagos State has announced that the state has discharged 12 Coronavirus patients. The Lagos State Governor revealed this development on his Twitter account, he noted that a Ukrainian was one the patient discharged. He added that the State has so far managed 199 patients successfully. “12 more persons; nine males and three females including a foreign national – a Ukrainian – have been discharged from our Isolation facilities to reunite with the society.” “The patients, six from our Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba; five from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and one from Ibeju-Lekki were discharged having fully recovered and tested negative to COVID-19 in two consecutive readings.” “This brings to 199 the number of #COVID19 confirmed cases that have been successfully managed and discharged in Lagos.”

1,000 NNPC graduate trainees begin work on Monday More than 1,000 graduate trainees recently recruited by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation are to assume duty from Monday, May 4 2020. NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Kennie Obateru, disclosed this on Thursday in a statement issued in Abuja. He said the trainees would assume duty first virtually, while the corporation would monitor the COVID-19 situation and the Federal Government’s directives to determine a date of physical assumption of duty. Obateru said the option of virtual assumption of duty was necessitated by the need to comply with extant protocol on social distancing and reduced number of people in the workplace, among other measures that had been introduced by government as a result of the pandemic. He said the trainees had completed online documentation and would commence virtual onboarding by Monday. The statement stated that the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mele Kyari, was excited ab...

Russian Prime Minister tests positive for COVID-19 Russian Prime Minister, Mikhali Mishustin, has tested positive for COVID-19. Mishustin revealed this in a video meeting the President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. He said he will self-isolate to avoid putting members of the cabinet at risk. According to him, “It just became known that the coronavirus tests I took came back positive, so I must oblige by the self-isolation rules and it’s mandatory [that I do that] for the safety of my colleagues.” He also urged Putin to sign a decree appointing Andrey Belousov to his role on an acting basis. Speaking on the development, Putin while assuring him that anyone could contact COVID-19 wished the Minister a quick recovery. “What is happening to you now can happen to anyone. I hope that you stay able to work and will actively participate in government decision-making. “Without your opinions and your participation these decisions will not be made,” he added

Fed Govt disburses N43.4b to 24 states T he   Federal Government has disbursed N43,416 billion ($120.6 million) as performance-based grants to 24 states. The states were considered eligible for the results they achieved in 2018 under the performance-based grant component of the World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme-for-Results. The grant is financed with a loan of US$750 million from the  International Development Association (IDA), a member of the World Bank Group. The   Minister   of   Finance,   Budget   and   National   Planning,   Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, in a statement, explained that “the disbursement followed the participation of the 24 eligible states in the recent Annual Performance Assessment (APA).” The assessment was done by the Office of the Auditor- General for the Federation (OAuGF) as the Independent Verificat...

Davido celebrates Chioma on birthday Nigerian music star,  David Adeleke, popularly known as “Davido” has taken to his social media handles to celebrate his fiancee, Chioma, who is a year older. The ‘assurance’ crooner via his Twitter handle on Thursday shared lovely photos of him and fiancee,  describing her as a strong woman. He wrote: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE STRONGEST WOMAN I KNOW !!!  !!!!  !!!” The music star and father of three however lamented the ongoing lockdown will hinder him from celebrating her the way he wishes to. “Ohhhh Man if we wasn’t on lockdown u already know we for turn the city upside down!! !!!! My dear wife, may your birthday be as happy as you have made me. AND THATS ON GANG!…. ”  

How Failure of World Health Organization Opens Door for Global Spread of Corona Virus... EDITORIAL    The World Health Organization, (WHO) as a body of the United Nations (UN) responsible for coordinating global public health went slumbering and caught up in a web of gross ineptitude due to their action and inaction that is killing the world and the Anglo-American world power being worse hit by the Pandemic.  They gave in to complacency and plunged the world into global health catastrophe, a deadly global pandemic-Corona virus also known as Covid-19. The nonchalant managers of (WHO), in their egregious misdemeanor are not admitting or regretting their docile attitude and coverup that has led on to the global spread of corona virus. WHO supposed vital role as actors in the field of international public health policy seems misplaced.  China must have taken advantage of WHO impotency to dodge culpability for spreading Corona Virus globally by their cover-up...

BREAKING: Nigeria records 196 new cases of COVID-19, total now 1728 Nigeria, on Wednesday night recorded 196 new cases of Coronavirus. According to a tweet from the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, (NCDC), Lagos State recorded  87 cases, Kano State had 24 cases, Gombe State had 18 cases and Kaduna state recorded 17 cases. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) recorded 16 cases, with Katsina State having ten cases, Sokoto State had eight cases, Edo State had seven cases, Borno State had six cases, and Yobe, Ebonyi and Adamawa State had one case each As it stands, 1728 persons have tested positive to Coronavirus in Nigeria, with 307 patients discharged, and 51 deaths recorded   Details Shortly…….   NCDC ✔ @NCDCgov 196 new cases of # COVID19 reported; 87-Lagos 24-Kano 18-Gombe 17-Kaduna 16-FCT 10-Katsina 8-Sokoto 7-Edo 6-Borno 1-Yobe 1-Ebonyi 1-Adamawa As at 11:55pm 29th April- 1728 confirmed cases of # COVID19 reported in Nigeria. Discharged: 307 Deaths: 51 ...

Edo varsity begins online lectures Edo University, in its commitment/determination to graduate students within the stipulated time, has resorted to online lectures to beat COVID-19.   Due to the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Edo State University, Iyamho is to resume academic activities online using its CANVAS Learning Management System (LMS) and Academic Information System (AIS) platform. This information is contained in a circular to staff, students and parents by the Registrar of the University, Dr. Isoken Ogboro. Academic activities commenced April 27, with students registration for the second semester on LMS while lectures will begin online on May 4. The CANVAS Learning Management System is a digital learning platform where both staff and students can interact same way they do in their conventional classrooms. It provides a computerized learning platform which enables students perform all academic activities online. Staff and students can access ...

BREAKING: Fire razes shops, pharmacy in Kaduna Fire on Wednesday evening razed many shops in Kaduna metropolis. Channels Television reports that about twenty shops including a pharmacy was involved in the inferno. The incident started at about 7pm along Constitution road in the state capital and the cause is yet to be known   Details Shortly…  

Boris Johnson, fiancée welcome baby boy British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s fiancée Carrie Symonds on Wednesday welcomed a baby boy. The duo announced the pregnancy on February 29, days after the PM’s divorce from Marina Wheeler was confirmed, and got engaged while holidaying on the exclusive Caribbean island of Mustique over the new year. Announcing the birth of their son, who was given birth to in a London hospital, his spokesperson said: ‘The Prime Minister and Ms Symonds are thrilled to announce the birth of a healthy baby boy at a London hospital earlier this morning. Both mother and baby are doing very well. The PM and Ms Symonds would like to thank the fantastic NHS maternity team.’

COVID-19: Jigawa records two new cases locks 3 LGAs, quarantines 676 THE Jigawa state governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar on Wednesday confirmed two additional cases of COVID-19 in the state. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Jigawa to four. The governor while addressing newsmen in Dutse the state capital said that the two patients were from Birnin kudu and Taura local government areas of the state. He, however, ordered the lockdown of three local government areas of Birninkudu, Gumel and Taura where the patients reside and work. He directed the lockdown of the affected local government areas should take effect from early hours of Thursday 30th of April. He said, “ Birnin Kudu, Gujungu and Gumel will be on total lockdown for a period of one week starting from Thursday 30th April, 2020 by 12:00am, after two confirmed cases from those areas respectively”. He said the other two persons under isolation by the state are recuperating tremendously while hop...

Impossible to hold Olympics unless COVID-19 pandemic is contained – Japan’s PM Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that the Tokyo Olympics may not take place next year unless the coronavirus pandemic is contained. His comment has come as the Japanese capital city’s governor requested an extension of Japan’s state of emergency. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Japanese government last month postponed the Games until July 2021 because of the coronavirus crisis. With the epidemic’s worldwide infection rate climbing and experts suggesting a vaccine is a long way off, doubts have been raised about the chances of holding the huge event next year. “We’ve been saying the Olympic and Paralympic Games must be held in a complete form, in that athletes and spectators can all participate safely. “It would be impossible to hold the Games in such a complete form unless the coronavirus pandemic is contained,” Abe said in response to an opposition lawmaker. Abe stak...

COVID-19: Nigeria targets 2m tests in 3 months, says nothing abnormal in Kano  The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said that government is targeting to test two million Nigerians in three months at 50,000 per state.  The Director General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said this on Tuesday in Abuja at the 21st joint national briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.  He also lamented that the nation was lagging behind in testing capacities and needed to catch up.  According to him, the goal of the response team is to avoid any case in any of the three states (Cross Rivers, Kogi and Yobe states) still without any reported case of COVID-19.  “How are we going to do this? Nigeria has learnt from countries that the only way to achieve this is to test many people.  “The laboratory strategic group that is responding to this outbreak has set itself a target of testing two million people in the next three months.  ...

JUST IN: Mass retirement of senior NDDC staff looms Mass retirement of senior staff of The Niger Delta Development CommissionNiger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) may take place today, The Nation has been reliably informed. It was gathered the action may affect senior staff of the commission with two years or less to retire. Some of those that may be consumed by the purge are Directors, Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors. Also to be affected are staff with cases at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC). A reliable source close to the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the commission, who spoke in confidence, disclosed the Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei-led management will have a crucial meeting by 9 am today, which would be followed by a meeting with the staff to drop the bombshell. It was also revealed Pondei and four other members of the IMC of NDDC were not happy tha...

Oyo PDP hails Buhari for relaxing lockdown The Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed some of President Muhammadu Buhari’s decisions with regard to his initial total lockdown of Lagos, Ogun states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The party, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Akeem Olatunji, said Buhari’s decision to relax some earlier restrictions was laudable because they had adversely affected Nigerians. Olatunji, an engineer, said the new approach is a testimony to the supremacy of Governor Seyi Makinde in combating the pandemic logically and scientifically, which is a good template worthy of emulation. The party noted with disdain how opposition parties in the state, particularly the All Progressives Congress (APC), had attempted to discredit Makinde’s giant strides in keeping the state safe from a larger outbreak of the disease within the ambient of very limited resources, while allowing commerce to thrive during partial lock...

COVID-19, Rice palliative palaver!   COVID-19 spreads relentlessly and records deaths approaching 220,000, infections 3,100,000, with around 1,200 recognised cases in Nigeria with Kano the new epicentre with its inability to self-distance and its massive unemployed close-living population with no interest in wearing face masks. Costs are unquantifiable but in excess of $15trillion. Nigeria struggles under righteous demands for further cuts in petrol and also diesel prices amidst the lower prices, even nearly negative worldwide, Covid-19 induced transport paralysis and the Russian-Saudi Arabian, oil price war. Nigerians are questioning unpleasant stories and the nation awaits explanation for the apparent differences in the anti-hunger and anti-violence palliative funds distributed to different states. EFCC, ICPC be proactive; Nigeria cannot afford another international disgrace and enquiry regarding corruption in the billions pouring in for the Covid-19 war! Pe...

Liverpool open talks with Osimhen Liverpool have reportedly begun the process of signing Lille star Victor Osimhen by opening talks with the player’s representatives, according to reports. The 21-year-old is having a stunning debut season for the French side, and Lille are said to value the player at £60million if he is to leave in the summer. Le10Sport in France report that Liverpool are at the front of the queue to sign him, and have set the ball rolling by speaking to his agent. Manchester United, Leicester and Chelsea have also been credited with an interest in the young striker, with the latter making Lille aware they are keen if they decide to sell. Osimhen has scored 18 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions for the Ligue 1 side, having arrived from Charleroi in Belgium last summer. He is a Nigerian international, and Odion Ighalo is among the players to have heaped praise on his ability. The Manchester United loanee called him the ‘future of Nigerian football’,...

Family hid first case from govt team, says governor Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has expressed disappointment with the family of a lady in Kokona Local Government Area for allegedly shielding her from the state government’s team to conduct a test on her. The governor spoke on Tuesday at the Government House in Lafia while addressing reporters on the identity of the first case in the state. “It is sad to announce that Nasarawa State has the first case from this lady who travelled from Kano to Kokona. We already evacuated the lady from Kokona to Lafia where we have better facilities to take care of her. “We have also isolated the family, where she came from, so that we could conduct proper tests on them to ensure that none of them is infected. But the sad part of everything about the lady is when we discovered that there was somebody who could have been infected as she came from Kano to the state. “We tried to go and conduct a t...

Failure to Arrest Delta Imam: Ijaw Group Accuses Delta State Govt, Police of Working against Christians The Ijaw right group, the Ijaw People's Development Initiative, IPDI said "We are surprise on how Christians and other harmless citizens perceived to have violated the set- at-home order of Delta State government were humiliated and manhandled by police and other security agents in the state. I'm sure His Excellency Ifeanyi Okowa was happy when he was told that Christians who held service in Sapele , Warri, Udu and other places and others who violated his sit-at-home order were beaten, humiliated, arrested and detained. I'm sure Okowa may have been told that some Muslims held service on last Friday in violation of his sit-at-home order in Ekakpreme at Otu-jeremi town and the police allowed them to end their worship instead of beaten them or better still shot randomly to enforce the state draconian law".  "The police excuse was that the Imam thre...

COVID-19: UNIBEN produces ventilator that works without electricity A clinically-tested ventilator that can work without electricity has been presented to the management of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Edo State, led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Lilian Salami. The ventilator was produced by a team of researchers in the Faculties of Engineering and Medical Sciences of the federal university. The invention, according to UNIBEN’s Spokesperson, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, was in response to the vice-chancellor’s challenge to various experts in the higher institution to continue to strive to make relevant marks, in order to place the university among the best and on a world-class pedestal. Leader of the team, Prof. Kessington Obahiagbon, disclosed that the group, known as COVID-19 Initiative, took into consideration the peculiar circumstances of the country, especially with the pandemic and irregular supply of electricity. Obahiagbon revealed that the ventilator was produced ...

“How Will Curfew Work In Lagos Traffic?”, Nigerians Ask President Buhari After Speech   The extension of the lockdown by President Muhammadu Buhari in Lagos, Ogun and Federal Capital Territory until May 4 when a dusk-to-dawn curfew will take effect in all three cities is fuelling concerns by Nigerians. Buhari had in his Monday national address said that a dusk-to-dawn curfew will take effect from May 4 as a way of further curtailing the spread of Coronavirus. “There will be an overnight curfew from 8pm to 6am. This means all movements will be prohibited during this period except for essential services,” he said.  The curfew order by President Buhari has attracted criticism from Lagosians with many asking how the curfew would be effective in the city. Some Nigerians also said that the police would seize the opportunity to extort Nigerians while some did not see any reason how the curfew would contain the spread of the virus. Expressing thoughts on the issue, @DrOluf...