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Tag: COVID-19 Lockdown

  • COVID-19 Lockdown: Stop disturbing me for money, I’m broke – Angry Yul Edochie tells fans

    COVID-19 Lockdown: Stop disturbing me for money, I’m broke – Angry Yul Edochie tells fans

    Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie has expressed his frustration as people continued to send their account numbers to him begging for money in the midst of Coronavirus lockdown.

    Edochie took to his twitter page on Monday to tell people to stop sending him their account numbers as he also is affected by the lockdown which had limited his making of money through movies.

    According to him, some folks were still sending him account numbers after three weeks of lockdown.

    He lamented that it had been three weeks since nothing had entered his pocket, as there was no work.

    Edochie said he did not engage in money ritual and that people should not be deceived by such roles he played in movies because they were not real.

    He said he was also waiting for the Federal Government to send alert as he is broke too.

    In his words: “Some folks are still sending me account numbers, after 3 weeks of lockdown. Come on now guys, na all of us dey the matter oo.

    “3 weeks nothing don enter, no work. Na for film I dey do money ritual, it’s not real. I dey wait for alert from Federal Govt. e don red everywhere”

  • COVID-19 Lockdown: PDP demands immediate suspension of ATM, electricity charges

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the suspension of charges for use of ATM cards and low amount mobile fund transfers during the COVID-19 lockdown.

    According to a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, on Sunday in Abuja, the suspension of such charges should be part of the panacea to ease the burden on poor Nigerians during the lockdown.

    The party called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to immediately open an arrangement with commercial banks to suspend the charges.

    Ologbondiyan said the lockdown had subjected the majority of Nigerians to extensive use of ATM and mobile transfers for survival, making the suspension of charges on minimal transactions within this period of restriction highly imperative.

    He said that the lifting of the charges within the period of COVID-19 pandemic would ease the burden on cash withdrawals by vulnerable citizens and encourage more Nigerians to support one another at this critical time.

    “The PDP demands the CBN to immediately liaise with commercial banks and stimulate a special social sustenance modality to defray the cost of such charges, particularly to cover minimal transactions in favour of vulnerable Nigerians.

    The party urges the federal government to activate similar social sustenance scheme to immediately defray electricity tariff, particularly in areas populated by low income and vulnerable Nigerians across the country within the period of the lockdown.

    “The PDP calls on the federal government to show compassion on suffering Nigerians whose means of subsistence has been crippled by the lockdown, and immediately provide funds to electricity distribution companies to actuate the tariff suspension within this period.

  • Ghana Relaxes Movement Restriction Amid 1,042 Covid-19 Cases

    Ghana Relaxes Movement Restriction Amid 1,042 Covid-19 Cases

    The government of Ghana on Sunday lifted targeted lockdown on two major regions in the country citing improved testing of the coronavirus pandemic across the Country.

    The President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addoh declared the lifting of the lockdown in a national Broadcast.

    Ghana is the first Country to relax the restriction of movement among African Countries affected with Covid-19.

    “Indeed Ghana is the only other country in Africa to have conducted more than 60,000 tests and we are ranked number pone in Africa in administering of tests per million people. The decision to impose restrictions on movement was backed by the data at hand and our next course of action is backed by data and by science,” the president said.

    Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and more recently Zimbabwe have all extended lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus.

    The Ghannian Government however warned that lockdowns could be imposed in hotspots if need be.M

  • COVID-19 lockdown: Not a single Lagosian has so far benefited from Buhari’s cash transfer programme – Falana

    COVID-19 lockdown: Not a single Lagosian has so far benefited from Buhari’s cash transfer programme – Falana

    Foremost human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has described the Federal Government’s plan to continue with the School Feeding programme during the ongoing lockdown as an insult to Nigerians.

    He stated this while reacting to a statement credited to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Farouq, whose ministry coordinates the programme.

    Farouq had, in aligning herself with a presidential directive, vowed to work with state governments to develop a strategy to continue the programme despite schools being closed to halt the spread of COVID-19.

    President Muhammadu Buhari in his speech imposing lockdown on Lagos, Ogun, and FCT late March, said, “Furthermore, although schools are closed, I have instructed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to work with State Governments in developing a strategy on how to sustain the school feeding program during this period without compromising our social distancing policies.”

    However, Falana reacting to the continuation of the programmes said it wreaked of insensitivity.

    Falana who spoke in an interview with The Punch said: “The Federal Government should stop insulting the collective intelligence of the Nigerian people. For goodness’ sake, are the school children being fed in their homes by the ministry of humanitarian affairs?

    “The statement and other similar statements credited to highly-placed public officers during this crisis have compelled the Nigerian people to demand accountability in the school feeding and cash transfer policies of the Federal Government.

    “Even though Lagos State warehouses the largest number of the very poor people in the country not a single person in the state has benefited from the cash transfer programme of the Federal Government.

    “Hence, Lagos State is conspicuously missing in the social register compiled by the Presidency.”

    Falana continued, “In his last broadcast, President Buhari announced the increase in the number of the people in the social register from 2 .6 million to 3 .6 million.

    “The state and local governments must compile their own social register of poor people and liaise with the Federal Government with a view to ensuring a more effective way of distributing the palliative.”

  • Nigerians with 5000 naira and below in bank account to benefit from palliatives-FG

    Nigerians with 5000 naira and below in bank account to benefit from palliatives-FG

    THE Federal Government has disclosed that people with over N5, 000 in their bank account will not benefit from its palliatives. The government added that it will use the mobile networks, to know people that top up the credit units for their phones with may be N100 or less.

    Besides, the state governments will now be involved in the distribution of food items.

    Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq stated this while briefing State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to her, “You are aware that the President in his broadcast of Monday 13th April, directed that we expand the beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer by one million and in this regard, we are going to focus more now on the urban poor.

    “These are people who depend on the informal sector to earn their livelihood; they are daily wage earners and these are the people that we are really going to focus more on as well as people living with disabilities.”

    As regards how to identify beneficiaries of the stimulus, She said, “Well, we have three options; one, we are going to use the national social register that we already have, two, we are also going to focus on the urban poor as I mentioned, by using their verified BVN accounts to get them, that is, people that have an account balance of N5, 000 and below.

    “We are also using the mobile networks, to know people that top up the credit units for their phones with may be N100 or less. Those are also people that we consider to be poor and vulnerable. So, these are the three options that we are exploring and I am sure that by the time we get this data we will be able to give this intervention.”

    She noted that only 25 percent will benefit from the stimulus. She said, “Let me also say that we have a standard. 25 percent of the total population is what we will take out. It cannot go round everywhere but we are starting from somewhere.

    “25 percent of let’s say the location of Lagos state for example is what is going to benefit from this intervention that we are doing. Going forward, we might expand it but this is what is obtainable for now.”

    The Minister said her ministry intends to handover the distribution of food relief items to State governments, so as to address the challenges associated with distribution faced in the past.

  • COVID-19 lockdown robberies: Lagos launches ‘Food Kitchen’ to feed 100,000 youths daily

    COVID-19 lockdown robberies: Lagos launches ‘Food Kitchen’ to feed 100,000 youths daily

    Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday announced a programme, tagged: “Food Kitchen” aimed at feeding 100,000 youths daily to cushion the effect of Coronavirus lockdown in the state.

    The governor disclosed this while giving update on the Coronavirus situation in Lagos in Marina, Lagos Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

    According to Sanwo-Olu, “in the next couple of days, we will commence a daily “Food Kitchen” programme which will see us aim to feed about 100,000 people daily.

    “This will largely target the youths. We are identifying local food vendors who will pilot this programme and ensure that the process of cooking and serving of the meals adhere strictly to public health guidelines.”

    The governor also said his administration was cleaning up its data from various social registers to get a clean list of truly vulnerable and economically challenged persons to enable it remit some cash to them.

    “We aim to do these cash transfers by the end of the week to a minimum of 250,000 indigent citizens,” he said.

    Also, Sanwo-Olu said he had just issued an order to the Police; LASTMA and the VIO to release all impounded vehicles arrested for minor traffic offences from the 1st of March 2020 to date.

    He said the directive would take effect at the end of the lockdown.

    The governor also announced that all the Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs and Small and medium-sized Enterprises, SMEs who had taken Lagos State Employment Trust Fund loans and other government programme loans would enjoy a three months moratorium.

    “This will further help to cushion the effect of the lack of economic activities occasioned by the lockdown,” he said.

    Sanwo-Olu reminded Lagosians that this is a season for obedience and personal responsibility, urging them to follow the guidelines as issued by the health experts and authorities.

    “Please, let us cooperate with the government to ensure that we have an outcome that is favorable to all. I can assure you that we will surely overcome this pandemic, and we will emerge stronger and more determined to transform the lives of all Lagosians and all the people of Nigeria, for the better,” he said.

  • COVID-19 lockdown: Outcry in Osun over government’s distribution of spoilt palliative rice

    The Osun State Government has commenced an investigation into some adulterated bags of rice shared to residents as palliatives to cushion the effects of lockdown in the state.

    There was an outcry in some parts of the state, following the distribution of 6020 bags of rice shared by the state government on Wednesday, as residents were complaining bitterly about the quality of the rice shared.

    The Commissioner of Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, in a statement yesterday said, “the government had received complaints that some of the distributed bags of rice may not have met the expected quality.”

    She expressed dissatisfaction over the complaints received by the government from the citizens that some bags of rice share were adulterated.

    Her word, “the State government was pained by the development and had immediately begun an investigation to establish the source of the affected bags.

    “Governor Adegboyega Oyetola is particularly pained by this development, considering the fact that it has never compromised quality in its provision of economic stimulus for the people of Osun in spite of its limited resources.

    “We are a responsible and responsive government that places a premium on the well-being of its people and would not do anything to jeopardize its citizens’ health. Upon receipt of the complaints, the State Government has immediately begun investigations to establish the source of the few bags that appear not to have met the quality expected.”

    She noted that all the 6020 bags of rice were purchased in the state and the government has invited all suppliers to unravel the source of the problem.

  • COVID-19 Lockdown: Omo-Agege doles out N85m as palliatives to constituents

    COVID-19 Lockdown: Omo-Agege doles out N85m as palliatives to constituents

    As part of measures to cushion the effects of the lockdown due to the ravaging Coronavirus pandemic, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has commenced the immediate disbursement of cash to some low income persons across the eight Local Government Areas that make up Delta Central Senatorial District.

    The eight local government areas in the senatorial district include: Ethiope East, Ethiope West, Okpe, Sapele, Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Udu and Uvwie.

    The exercise which commenced in Kokori Inland in Ethiope East LGA today witnessed the handing over of the cash palliative to individuals in their homes without discrimination.

    According to the Head of the Committee set up to coordinate the disbursement, Hon. Innocent Emosivwe Anidi, a total of two hundred (200) households from each Ward in the Senatorial District will receive the sum of Five Thousand Naira (N5000) per household.

    There are Eighty-Five (85) Wards in the eight Local Government Areas that make up Delta-Central.

    This translates to Seventeen Thousand (17,000) households in the Senatorial Zone.

    In a brief message to the Constituents, Senator Omo-Agege appealed to the people not to trivialise the Coronavirus disease, urging them to always obey government’s orders on measures aimed at containing the spread of the deadly virus.

    He said the cash disbursement has been designed to reach the people directly and not through proxies.

    He equally called on the people to continue supporting and praying for the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in its effort to take Nigeria to the Next Level of development even as the nation battles to stop the spread of the pandemic which has ravaged several other nations globally.

    Other members of the team include Hon. Ogbajini Felix, Comrade Progress Omo-Agege, Barr. Omonade Matthew, Eric Okunima, Hon. John Oghojafor, Akpofure Umukoro, amongst others.

  • COVID-19 lockdown: Our relief packages not meant for all Lagosians – LASG clarifies

    COVID-19 lockdown: Our relief packages not meant for all Lagosians – LASG clarifies

    The Lagos State Government on Monday said food and other relief packages being distributed across the State were not meant for all Lagosians but for the indigents and vulnerable.

    Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, in a statement said in the past few days, the social media had been awash with biased opinions about the welfare package initiative of the Lagos State Government to support the indigent and the vulnerable.

    “The welfare package was one of the various decisions taken by the Lagos State Executive Council to ease the discomfort thrust on Lagosians by the lockdown announced by the Federal Government, especially on those who earn daily income.

    “It has become necessary to reiterate the modus of distribution of the welfare package as well as the category of beneficiaries of the government’s compassionate gesture, which is deliberately being distorted by mischief-makers.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the first stage of the welfare package was designed to cater for 200,000 households, comprising of a father, mother and four children across the 20 local governments and the 37 local council development authorities. It is a misconception that it was meant for all Lagosians. No,” he said.

    According to him, all aged residents who were above 60 years old and registered with the Lagos State Residents’ Registration Agency, LASRRA, were sent text messages and requested to confirm the accuracy of their details, such as name and home address.

    “They have since responded to the text messages so as to benefit from the package. The food relief materials for the above 60 group are being delivered directly to the beneficiaries by representatives of the State Government based on the data with the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency.

    “The other category of beneficiaries comprises the indigent and vulnerable within the various communities at the grassroots.

    “As part of strategies to ensure that the relief packages reach the deserving beneficiaries, the State government involved Community Development Associations and their Committees as well as Community and Religious Leaders to collate the names of community members who deserve to benefit from the palliative measure.

    “The CDAs were also tasked to ensure the items were judiciously distributed. The government is constantly monitoring the process and has observed some lapses that gave rise to the negative comments on some social media platforms,” he said.

    He added that the issues were being addressed to fine-tune the strategies adopted in getting the food items across to the intended recipients of the package.

    “In all, about 100,000 households across the State have been reached since the exercise started.

    “Lagosians should remain confident that the State Government is working to ensure that the lapses are addressed so that the vulnerable, who Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said will not suffer, will benefit from this laudable intervention,” he stated.

  • COVID-19 Lockdown: 10 simple ways to beat boredom indoors

    COVID-19 Lockdown: 10 simple ways to beat boredom indoors

    Following a presidential ‘stay-at-home’ order which took full effect on Tuesday, March 31 as part of efforts to contain further spread of the coronaviurs disease [COVID-19], some Nigerians are already complaining of been bored even from the first day.

    To kill time and make maximum use of this free and compulsory holiday which might be extended depending on how things turn out in the coming weeks, TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) brings you a list of activities that will make you improve your mental, spiritual and physical health without necessarily stepping out of your household.

    1. Exercise

    Provided you are prepared to put a little time and effort into your workout at home, it can be just as effective as a gym workout. At a time like this, the prospect of going into a gym is daunting and therefore exercising in the comfort of their own home is much more appealing. Since you are likely to do a lot more of eating and sitting around, a lot of exercises may be crucial as you need to stay fit and healthy.

    2. Read a book

    When was the last time you read a book? Now is a good time to revive your reading culture, at least, for leisure. It is often said that there is no better friend than a book. Truth is a lot of us aren’t book lovers, but since we’re about killing boredom, you can try page by page reading on topics that interest you. The internet has also made e-books available to us, therefore, it won’t hurt to look out for books on topics that interest you. Besides, it is always good to gain knowledge especially when you have nothing else to do.

    3. Learn something new

    Because lockdown isn’t a vacay, you should work at adding value to yourself at this time. Learn a new skill or add to you your existing knowledge by taking a new course online. It won’t hurt to try one of the many online or self-study options. Many are even free, so there’s no excuse for not broadening your horizons. There are tons of online courses you can take from and get certification for at the end of your learning process. Remember, it’s all about adding value to yourself while you can.

    4. Watch movies

    Of course, Netflix is the only thing popular than Coronavirus right now and catching up with your favourite movies, series or soap operas wouldn’t be a bad idea. When you’re glued to watching an array of interesting movies, several hours would be passed just like that and you wouldn’t know it. Just make sure to have some snacks handy by the side.

    5. Play Games

    It might have been years since you last played a video game, they can be addictive but it is a great way to definitely kill time. When power fails, you can help yourself with other indoor games – ludo board game, chess, scrabble, your card games, etc. It is worthy to keep in mind that you do not start doing it all the time, every day.

    6. Discover, cook a new recipe

    To keep bored at bay during this lockdown, improving your culinary skills will be an interesting activity to engage in. If you have been the busy type whose work schedule wouldn’t allow to try basic new things, now is the time to explore. For ideas, you can look on the internet and learn how to prepare what you have been craving for or that special cuisine that tickles your fancy. It might not be as tasty in your first try, but you will be proud enough with a new skill in your hand.

    7. Dance

    Boredom can be exhausting and when you’re at loss for what to do, dancing is an easy way out as it is a fantastic mood elevator. You can decide to learn a few steps online and dance to the beats of your favourite music. While at it, sing along too, this will keep your mind refreshed as the happiness that comes with it cannot be explained.

    8. Meditate

    Do you know that meditation is one of the most common ways to reduce stress? Many of us are not just not sold to the whole “Mind-Body-Spirit” thing. When you meditate, it gives room for fresh ideas and rejuvenates your mind. You are better focused as your being is involved in mindfulness and you are able to focus your mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – like starting a new business, improving your relationships and other positive things. It’s not like you’re doing anything right now anyway, so what have you got to lose?

    9. Clean up

    At this time, you can kill time by cleaning up. This could be your closet, garden, kitchen or the whole house. Yes, it can be overwhelming, but since you have so much time on your hands, you can make a roaster that will help you achieve your goal. Another good thing is you don’t have to do it alone (for those who are married or have children or wards staying with them). Trust me children love to work and they will willingly help you out while making it a fun time as well. You will feel much happier and prouder after completing the task. However you see it, cleaning almost always results in finding things you have forgotten about, and while you are at it, you will most definitely find a few forgotten treasures.

    10. Get intimate with your partner

    Sounds funny right? but then this cannot be overemphasized. The lockdown has provided a lot of time for us to bond as couples/families. It’s not unlikely that before now, a lot of couples have had serious marital issue, and this time seems the best time for them to sort out their differences. So once the issues are sorted out, please feel free to explore all you want. And really, can you think of a better way to occupy your free time?