Top Headlines News Today, Friday 12th June, 2020

The Federal Government on Thursday said it was concerned about the spike in COVID-19 cases in the country, which increased from 4,641 on May 11 to 14,554 on Thursday night.






The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, at the PTF press conference in Abuja, said that the 663 cases recorded on Tuesday, the highest in a single day, were disturbing.

The PTF chairman also disclosed that he would on Thursday night begin a series of video conferences with some governors appointed by the National Economic Council. He said he would also meet security agencies towards ensuring compliance with guidelines aimed at checking further spread of the disease.


Mustapha said this as the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, disclosed that 39 per cent of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country were symptomatic, while 61 per cent were asymptomatic.

Based on the minister’s disclosure, 5,410 (39 per cent) of the 13,873 recorded as of Wednesday night were symptomatic, while 8,462 (61 per cent) were asymptomatic.

Symptomatic patients show symptoms of the virus such as fever, coughing and sneezing, while those who are asymptomatic do not develop any symptoms.

As of Wednesday, Nigeria had recorded 13,873 coronavirus infections, with 382 deaths, while 4,351 patients had been treated and discharged.

1. 39.4 million may be jobless before year end, says FG.






The Federal Government has raised the fear that except something urgent is done, about 39.4 million Nigerians may be jobless by the end of the year as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It also expressed the fear that millions more may slide into extreme poverty before the pandemic ends.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo painted the gloomy picture on Thursday while presenting the report of the Economic Sustainability Committee to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

Buhari set up the committee on March 30, 2020 in response to what was then becoming a threat of the most severe economic downturn in the country’s history, largely caused by the pandemic.

Its terms of reference include to develop a clear economic sustainability plan in response to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and to propose monetary policy measures in support of the plan.

Others are to provide a fiscal/monetary stimulus package, including support to private businesses and vulnerable segments of the population, among others.

Presenting the report to Buhari, Osinbajo noted that the lockdowns and social distancing measures put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 had had a severe negative impact on farms and factories as well as on trade, transport and tourism.

He said the federation might experience a shortfall of about N185bn monthly in the amount available for allocation to the three tiers of government.

The Vice President said, “Several projections, including those done by the NBS on behalf of the Economic Sustainability Committee, showed a severe downturn in our oil earnings, as a result of which, even with oil price at $30 a barrel, we would still have a shortfall of about N185bn every month in the amount available for allocation to the three tiers of government.

“They showed that unemployment may rise to 33.6 per cent or about 39.4 million people by the end of 2020, if we fail to take prompt preemptive measures.

2. 1,000 ghost workers uncovered on Kwara payroll, officials arrested.






The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says it has uncovered 1,000 ‘ghost’ workers on the payroll of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board.

The Head of the Ilorin zonal office of the commission, Isyaku Sharu, who disclosed this at a media briefing in Ilorin on Thursday, said a Permanent Secretary and a director in the services of the Kwara State Government had been arrested and were being detained over the employment scam.

Sharu explained that the discovery of the ‘ghost’ workers prompted the arrest of the two senior government officials, adding that the workers were allegedly smuggled onto the SUBEB payroll.

“The EFCC in the zone has uncovered about 1,000 ‘ghost’ workers smuggled onto the payroll of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board,” he said.

Sharu added that the anti-graft agency made additional recovery of N138m from suspected treasury looters in the state.

He said the EFCC had earlier handed over N374m recovered loot to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on two occasions.

Other achievements of the zone even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Sharu, include the discovery of N159m allegedly diverted by 16 embattled local government chairmen, which were traced to their personal accounts, adding that some of them had started making refunds.

Sharu stated, “The EFCC in the zone has also uncovered the diversion of about N750m from the Light Up Kwara Project in which about N72m was used to purchase a property in the Guzape area of Abuja.

“It also secured the interim forfeiture of a residential building located at No. 17 and 27A McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, with a conservative value of N2bn belonging to a top politician, and another residential building located at No. 10 and 11 AbdulKadir Street, GRA, Ilorin, belonging to the same politician, with a conservative value of N1.5bn.”

3. COVID-19 yet to reach its peak, Buhari tells ECOWAS.






The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday charged the ECOWAS Commission to come up with an economic recovery plan to help member-states to recover from the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19.

Buhari also lamented that COVID-19 had yet to reach its peak in West Africa and warned against laxity in the fight against the pandemic.

A statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, indicated that the President spoke during a virtual meeting with the President of the commission, Jean Kassi-Brou.

Shehu said Buhari, in his capacity as the ECOWAS COVID-19 champion, agreed to provide logistic support to enable the sub-region to receive and distribute procured and donated medical equipment using Abuja as the hub for the distribution.

He called on member-states to continually sensitise their citizens on preventive measures.

The President expressed appreciation on behalf of ECOWAS member-states for the “swift interventions made to the West African Health Organisation and the Africa Centre for Disease Control by the Jack Ma Foundation,” while also commending the support so far received from “development partners such as the European Union, African Development Bank, France and Germany for their financial contributions in the procurement of medical supplies.”

He urged member-states to work closely in order to overcome the pandemic in the sub-region.

In his report to Buhari, the President of ECOWAS Commission called for additional strategies to assist the sub-region in fighting the health and economic impact of COVID-19.

According to Kassi-Brou, these include, the need for advocacy at continental and global levels particularly with the G20, World Bank, United Nations and the African Development Bank among others, for support to negate the health and economic damage to the ECOWAS sub-region; and mass awareness campaign to achieve behavioural change among the citizens of the community with effective customs, security and health protocols put in place throughout the sub-region.

The President of the ECOWAS Commission used the occasion to condole with the government and people of Nigeria on the latest Boko Haram attack on Gubio Local Government in Borno State during which scores of people were killed.

4. Infectious Diseases Bill gives me excessive powers, says NCDC boss.






Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, has said the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill gives him excessive powers.

He said: “The NCDC feels the Bill, as drafted, gives excessive powers to the Director General of the organisation.”

Ihekweazu re-echoed the observations of other health stakeholders that the Bill does not meet human rights stipulations enshrined in the Constitution.

“The Control of Infectious Diseases Bill is the first concrete effort by the legislature to address these problems and is, therefore, a step in the right direction.

“The Bill is laudable for recognising the need to rapidly strengthen the existing system for managing public health emergences,” he said.

Also, the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) and Health Minister Dr. Osagie Ehanire, differed on Thursday on the Bill.

The minister and the council expressed their observations during the concluding part of the public hearing on the Bill at the National Assembly.

The two-day hearing on the contentious Bill was held by the Joint Committees of Justice, Health Services and Health Institutions.

While NIREC supported the egislation, saying there are gaps in the laws on infectious diseases in the country, Ehanire noted that another law was unnecessary.

The minister said he would prefer the Bill to be subsumed in the NCDC Amendment Act and the Quarantine Amendment Act.

In a presentation by its Executive Secretary, Prof. Cornelius Omonokhua, NIREC said: “We observed that there are provisions in the Bill which are likely to affect religious activities or sensitivities. One of provisions is that of Section 12 of the Bill which deals with disposal of dead bodies.

“Another such provision is that of Section 19 of the Bill which deals with prohibition or restriction of meetings and gatherings. The National Assembly should avoid inserting provisions that do not take religious sensibilities or federal structure of the country into cognisance.”

Christian Association Of Nigeria (CAN) on Thursday urged Nigerians to reject the passing into law the proposed Bill.

It described the Bill as a conspiracy to destroy civil and human rights of Nigerians.

CAN National Secretary Joseph Daramola addressed reporters at the Ecumenical Centre in Abuja after speaking before the Committee on Health Control of Infectious Diseases Bill 2020 during a public hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services.

He said: “CAN has reviewed the Control of Infectious Diseases Control Bill 2020 (HB 836). We have studied the Bill (in-depth) and observed that if passed for implementation, it shall trigger anarchy, disorder and insecurity. It is ‘superfluous’ but undermines every other authority in the Federal Republic of Nigeria (The President, state governors and the likes). It will make the Legislature that enacted the law become irrelevant towards implementation and control.”

“If passed into law, it will violate the supremacy of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, with multiple ultra vires contraventions, vide Section 1(1) and (3) of the Constitution. The Bill is gross infringement and multiple violations of Citizens’ Fundamental Human Rights making it supra-constitutional entity.”

5. Joshua, Fury double fights suffer fresh blow.






Anthony Joshua may have to wait for his shot at Tyson Fury after the WBO insisted they will force him to face his mandatory challenger first.

Joshua and Fury have agreed terms on a deal to fight twice in 2021 in order to establish the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis 20 years ago.

But there are several hurdles remaining before they can touch gloves with Fury due to face Deontay Wilder this winter and Joshua preparing for his clash with Kubrat Pulev.

Should Fury win his trilogy clash with Wilder he could then be forced to face mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte early next year.

And the WBO are ready to insist Joshua takes on the winner of Oleksandr Usyk’s fight with Dereck Chisora.

The organisation’s president Paco Valcarcel tweeted: “Love to see WBO unified champion Anthony Joshua fighting WBO former and current WBC champion Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, but WBO mandatory should be next.”

Usyk, who was the undisputed cruiserweight world champion before he moved up a division last year, was due to face Chisora in May but the fight has been delayed due to the coronavirus crisis.

It is still expected to take place this year but the rivals are set to wait for crowds to return to venues before finalising the bout.

And the Ukrainian’s promoter has no plans to ask his fighter to then step aside to allow Joshua and Fury to meet.

“Usyk [claimed] his highest achievement at cruiserweight in order to obtain the mandatory position at heavyweight,” Alexander Krassyuk told Boxing Scene.