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Tag: Lockdown

  • Relaxed lockdown chaos and the day after – Ehi Braimah

    Relaxed lockdown chaos and the day after – Ehi Braimah

    By Ehi Braimah

    When the notice lasting seven days for easing the lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States was given by President Muhammadu Buhari in his third consecutive nationwide broadcast on COVID-19, it may have been received with mixed feelings. As the President read his speech, you could sense from his body language and the general mood in many homes that he would announce easing of the lockdown and the President did. The expectation was that after a compulsory isolation lasting over four weeks, a prolonged lockdown was not a feasible solution; the time had therefore come to balance the public health crisis with the reality of economic survival. “Oh my, why add another one week; I was actually looking forward to tomorrow to get to the bank to renew my ATM card that had expired,” a family friend, exasperated, told me on the telephone as he wondered why he – and the rest of us – would have to wait for another seven days to “enjoy the benefits” of the relaxed lockdown.

     

    But then, what happened eventually? Hell was let loose on the streets of Lagos and Abuja as caution was thrown to the winds even when the number of coronavirus infections was growing exponentially and causing anxious moments across the country. It now looked like a mistake; maybe President Buhari, on hindsight, should have allowed the lockdown to continue. I drove round some of the streets in Ikeja and was I surprised at what I saw? I would say not at all; in fact, I would have been shocked if the streets were not busy. It looked like the deadly virus had disappeared and life was swinging all over again. The thinking by some people is that coronavirus is not their “portion” because they have “natural immunity”. Prior to the lockdown, all kinds of coronavirus myths that were unhelpful to an ignorant community had gained traction on social media and word of mouth communication.

     

    Ordinarily, you would expect the enervating coronavirus media headlines and death toll globally to “humble” us, but that clearly amounts to wishful thinking; it is not going to happen. Even with the strange deaths from Kano and increasing number of COVID-19 infections in the country, our folks couldn’t be bothered. You can characterise “Naija people” from the way we behave: we’re always on edge and too impatient; we like to do “shakara” and we’re also full of bombast. A common scene was overcrowded bus stops and traffic jams. In spite of the chaos, nearly everyone had the presence of mind to wear a face mask – come to think of it, face masks have become a talking point with the different shades and colours on display, resembling the theme explored in a “Coat of Many Colours” in “Just Because I’m a Woman” (1968) by Dolly Parton, American singer and song writer — but there was nothing like social or physical distancing. In addition, driving was still as reckless as ever and commercial buses ignored the 60% capacity limit requirement for passengers.

     

    Although I was not surprised, what I witnessed made me uncomfortable when we call to mind the rate of community spread of the virus. It was the same report from other places. Akpandem James, my associate and media consultant based in Abuja, told me the scene at a popular supermarket in Asokoro was unacceptable. “The place was overcrowded and most of the customers including some attendants and cashiers did not wear face masks,” Akpandem lamented when we reviewed compliance scenarios. “As if this bad behaviour was not enough, customers going in and out of the supermarket did not was their hands with soap and water provided by the supermarket,” Akpandem further observed. “I blame the supermarket for lack of enforcement of COVID-19 basic precautionary measures,” I responded, adding that stricter lockdown conditions could be imposed by the authorities if we continue to misbehave and disregard COVID-19 safety protocols.

     

    However, the notice by the Computer Village Market Board, visible as you descend the fly-over leading you into Kodesoh Street from Oba Akran Way, blew my mind away. Advocating for the safety of everyone, the notice read: “No Mask, No Entry Policy. Thank you for your understanding. Let us all stay safe and healthy”. This level of community relations to promote safety in the marketplace is truly commendable.

     

    President Buhari is obviously concerned and disturbed with the rising number of infections in the country. Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, is also worried and he was right to be angry recently. He could not hide his frustration at their regular media briefing because of the level of recklessness and indiscipline by Nigerians relating to safety protocols to combat the virus. Mustapha’s thesis is that we should see the virus attack as a war-like situation because, if we continue to disregard health guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19, we’re putting our lives at risk. “When you wear a mask, you protect yourself and those around you,” Mustapha stated. It is trite to say that if we’re unable to manage the spread of coronavirus, it could overwhelm the capacity of our public healthcare system.

     

    The banks that opened were also heavily populated on the first day as if the lockdown would return the next day. The images circulated on social media showed desperate customers and overcrowding that was initially hard to control. To their credit, the banks devised a system of closing down most of their branches during the lockdown; so the few that opened turned out to be a beehive of activities resulting in stampedes in some locations; some customers actually tried to force their way into the banks but for the timely intervention of security personnel. As I drove round Ikeja, I observed that canopies had been placed within the premises of some banks to prevent overcrowding within the banking halls.

     

    At one of the banks in GRA, Ikeja, the customers were orderly and the use of hand sanitizers as well as face masks was compulsory. At another bank on Adeniyi Jones Avenue, this was the feedback I received from an accounts officer: “The customers are many and they’re impatient; they want to be answered now, now. They’re yelling, screaming but we insisted on the basic precautionary measures before they’re allowed to interact with our frontline officers. We also set up canopies as holding area from where they’re assigned numbers so that service is on first-come, first-serve basis.”

     

    But in the days that followed, the pressure from customers reduced; most of them wanted to renew their bank cards, according to any findings, while others without online banking tools wanted some cash. In any event, online banking channels are available 24/7 and the use of ATM cards has also enhanced banking experience. Remote banking transactions increased during the lockdown but it came with its own challenges as some customers lost money to fraudsters. We must be vigilant always because phishing is a cybercrime; as much as possible, avoid suspicious emails, text messages and telephone calls from dubious people and you’re not required to disclose any banking information relating to your account and transactions to anyone.

     

    In Nigeria and other countries, there has been significant global awareness on the ravaging coronavirus pandemic and how to stay safe; it is therefore hard to understand why some people in Lagos, Abuja and some other places would decide to put the lives of everyone else in danger. Could it be due to ignorance, plain rascality or our typical I-don’t-care-attitude? In our society that is highly superstitious, what you hear is, “na something go kill man one day.” Yes, no one will live forever and we will definitely see the end of coronavirus — nothing lasts forever — but it is senseless to stand in front of a moving train except the person is contemplating suicide. By “something”, they mean death by any other means such as heart attack, stroke, cancer, HIV/AIDS, malaria attack, tuberculosis, viral infections (flu), hepatitis, hypertension, diabetes, lassa fever, hungervirus, motor accident and plane crash.

     

    Even after the lockdown was partially lifted, some people applied commonsense and preferred to err on the side of caution – they continued to stay at home to minimise risk of infection due to the emerging community spread of the virus. Phased re-opening of the economy is not a bad idea as we try to achieve the delicate balance between survival and staying safe. In China, Europe and the United States, they are gradually getting their lives back – certain categories of businesses are being allowed to re-open based on approved guidelines to minimise job losses. In the US, the prospects are grim; over 30 million jobs have been lost; unemployment rate is over 14%, the highest since the great depression of the 1930s. In the UK, the Bank of England announced recently that the country’s economy is heading for the worst crash in 300 years. Lesson for everyone: fasten your seat belt.

     

    According to the guidelines released by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to gradually unlock Lagos State, all movements in and out of Lagos remain prohibited except for essential services. As an idea, restricting inter-state movements is a good but it is not working; it has been observed more in the breach nationwide. Enforcement of the guidelines has remained a huge joke as security personnel have turned COVID-19 lockdown into a thriving industry and they would prefer the lockdown scenario to continue for as long as possible.

     

    Jordan that is now also opening up their economy imposed strict stay at home orders that were enforced. With a population of over 10 million people, Jordan recorded 471 cases and nine deaths by the end of April and in the week the followed, there was no recorded case of coronavirus infection. From the Jordan case study, genuine enforcement by the authorities, aggressive testing and contact tracing by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), is the solution; Nigerians should wake up to the smell of the coffee because, with 3,256 cases; 107 deaths and 601 recoveries as at the time of writing, it looks like we still have a long night ahead.

     

    *Braimah is a public relations and marketing strategist based in Lagos (ehi.braimah@brandimpact.ng)

     

  • Rivers auctions vehicles impounded for violating lockdown

    Rivers auctions vehicles impounded for violating lockdown

    The Rivers State government has directed its Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to auction all vehicles that were impounded for violating the state’s lockdown directive.

    The government also warned residents of ward 20, Amadi-Ama in Port Harcourt local government area (LGA) and Mgbuosimini, Rumueme in Obio/Akpor LGA to desist from flouting the directives on lockdown.

    In a statement by Paulinus Nsirim, the state commissioner for information and communications, the state government said it would “deal decisively” with any residents found guilty of such action.

    It directed those interested in the auctioned vehicles to get more details in some selected newspapers.

    “Government will deal decisively with the residents of these areas if they are found to default again,” it said.

    “Anyone parading exemption letters except the one issued by the Governor is doing so at his or her own risk as such permits are invalid.

    “The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice has been directed to auction all the vehicles that violated the lockdown order.

    “Members of the public who are interested to buy the auctioned vehicles are to watch out for details in The Sun, The Nation and Vanguard Newspapers.”

    Recall Nyesom Wike, governor of the state, had earlier directed that any hotel or taxi found operating during the lockdown should be impounded and auctioned.

    The state task force was ordered to enforce compliance with the regulation, including the closure of markets and pubs across the state.

    The governor also said traditional rulers of domains where market activities continued would lose recognition and that shops opened during lockdown would be demolished.

  • Daddy Showkey slams Nigerians flouting COVID-19 guidelines

    Daddy Showkey slams Nigerians flouting COVID-19 guidelines

    Veteran dancehall singer, Daddy Showkey has slammed Nigerians flouting social distancing and other directives introduced to combat the coronavirus pandemic after the lockdown was relaxed.

     

    TheNewsGuru recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari had, in his last nationwide broadcast, announced the gradual easing of the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja — which took effect from May 4.

    Sadly, some citizens of the country appeared to have been flouting the different guidelines put in place to prevent the spread of the novel disease.

     

    On Monday ,video clips and pictures flooded the internet where some Nigerians could be seen gathering in front of banks and inside vehicles, thereby violating some of the federal government’s directives and conditions for easing the lockdown.

     

    Reacting to the development, self- proclaimed ‘Ghetto Soldier’, Daddy Showkey said it was unfortunate that such Nigerians have no regard for laws and their lives.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_zOOWADh2K/

    “Nigerians cannot obey simple law. Observe social distancing, wash your hands among others, but they won’t do them. This is the beginning of the deaths if they won’t adhere to what the government is saying.

    “Instead of you all sitting down in your homes, you went to the bank to rush yourselves. Don’t you know you’re joking with your lives? Don’t you value your lives? After, you people will start saying government wants to loot money.”

    The singer also called such Nigerians “stupid”, he urged people to take matters relating to their lives serious, adding that only those alive can complain of no food.

    “Some Nigerians are saying there is no coronavirus, make God not let it happen to you. We are tired of talking about that several,” he said.

     

  • Survival anxiety arising from COVID-19 pandemic – Ehi Braimah

    Survival anxiety arising from COVID-19 pandemic – Ehi Braimah

    By Ehi Braimah

    After over four weeks of compulsory isolation, the lockdown order was partially lifted by the authorities after multiple entreaties were considered.

    During his third nationwide broadcast on COVID-19 pandemic, President Muhammadu Buhari approved easing of the lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun States. Expert advice had indicated that a prolonged lockdown will create more hardship, emotional torture and social unrest so that the “cure” – as it has now been popularly framed – is not worse than the “disease”. Easing the lockdown is one thing, managing the exponential increase in the number of new cases is another with Kano becoming the new epicenter of COVID-19 as the ancient city recorded 80 new cases in one day! As at the time of writing, our record was 1,932 cases, 58 deaths and 319 recoveries. With 204 cases in one day in Nigeria, that is a significant spike.

    The lockdown scenario is a global strategy to contain the spread of the raging and deadly coronavirus pandemic but it has been argued by several commentators and economists including Prof Charles Soludo that African countries with thriving informal sectors cannot afford the lockdown approach adopted by countries in Europe, North America and Asia. Although a semblance of life has gradually returned to Wuhan, China, where the virus originated, the city was under lock and key for close to 80 days.

    Apart from coronavirus, we also now have “hungervirus” which should be handled with care. Both viruses are deadly and as we know, a hungry man is an angry man. Without a job or money in the bank, how would bread winners take care of their families? When a man is unable to provide for his family even during a global crisis as we currently have it, he loses his self-esteem; such situations create fear, uncertainty, panic moments, depression and anxiety. When it is time for school fees, how will they be paid? Savings in the bank of any kind have been wiped out because of continuous withdrawals to buy food and other basic necessities. What COVID-19 has done is creating severe economic crisis across the world: businesses are shutting down, no regular income, we have crippling inflation and collapse of oil prices; with a compromised global supply chain, food banks are springing up; tax revenues have dwindled and unemployment numbers have hit the roof. What the lockdown has taught us is that there are many things we can do without thereby cutting costs. At this time, it is critical to meet the basic needs of dispossessed families and vulnerable households and the various intervention initiatives throughout the country are thoughtful and helpful. For the rest of the year, calendars of different activities will be tentative; we are all victims of a wicked virus that escaped from Wuhan and began terrorizing the world with multiple harvests of deaths.

    However, one thing is certain: the pandemic will not last forever but it is now evident we have to brace up for the economic challenges ahead. Jack Ma, billionaire founder of Alibaba group, was very direct with his message of hope and survival. “For people in business, 2020 is really just a year for staying alive,” he said. Ma’s thesis forbids us to even talk about our dreams or plans; instead we should make sure we stay alive. “If you can stay alive, then you would have made a profit already,” he added. The parable of “staying alive” by Ma is indicative of the uncertain times that confront us. All over the world, the economic outlook is bleak; stories of job losses and businesses collapsing are the same; the sudden economic meltdown shows the world was not prepared for the pandemic resulting in a blame game between America and China.

    While I concede that China was economical with the truth on COVID-19 outbreak, what we need now is collaboration – not chest thumping and not trading blames — to tame the coronavirus monster and plan for the future. The focus should be on developing vaccines and mitigating a second wave of the virus. In the meantime, the grim statistics shows that the global economy is in a bad shape. In the United States, it is reported that the country’s GDP declined by 4.8% in the first quarter (January — March, 2020), the first decline in 6 years and over 30 million jobs have disappeared in just five weeks; John Hopkins University is also bracing for a hard time with an estimated revenue loss of over $100 million this year. It does not look like British Airways will receive any bail out as the planned re-structuring exercise by the airline could lead to 12,000 employees being laid off. Southwest Airlines is also facing similar challenges as the airline is recording its first loss in 11 years. Southwest Airlines CEO, Gary Kelly, is confident that the global economy will bounce back but the recovery by companies and individuals will come with some pains, according to a CNN report. Expressing the same sentiments, Guillaume Faury, CEO of aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, said coronavirus is the industry’s “gravest crisis” just as Harry Theocharis, the Greek Tourism Minister, lamented that their economy is suffering from lack of tourism revenue.

    African countries — they never fail to disappoint — are at the receiving end in search of bail outs and debt reliefs. The World Bank says Sub-Saharan Africa will suffer its first recession in 25 years. To be fair to African leaders, no one saw coronavirus coming but even if they did, the economic shocks would still have been present because of poor visionary leadership and lack of political will to make the right decisions. According to Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, President of Africa Development Bank, “There’s panic across financial markets and the global economy has drastically slowed down. Supply chains have been severely disrupted and it is no longer business as usual.” COVID-19 could cost Africa’s GDP loss of over $22.1 billion, and in a worst case scenario, the loss could be as much as $88.3 billion. As Dr Adesina noted, African countries are asking for forbearance, not debt forgiveness, and as recession – and possibly depression — looms large, Africa’s total public debt for this year will be over $2 trillion.

    Look at Nigeria’s case where crude oil accounts for 90% of our export earnings (revenue in dollars), 9% of GDP and 60% of total revenue. Due to the global pandemic, Nigeria is losing about $35 million daily as we are unable to sell our oil at the pre-set benchmark prices of $57 which was subsequently revised to $30. In a country of over 200 million people – largest population in Africa and ranking 7th in the world – with an active but largely jobless youth segment, how are we going to survive and overcome the current economic challenges? It is a problem that faces everyone – individuals, households, businesses and the nation. Right now, we can situate our economic challenges in five key areas: revenue challenge/fiscal deficit; rising debts and expanding loan portfolios (debt service-to-revenue-ratio is 60%); high cost of governance (it has to come down by any means possible), rising inflation rate of about 12% and depleted foreign reserves. It was therefore not surprising when the Finance, Budget and National Planning Minister, Zainab Ahmed, announced last month a cut in capital expenditure of N1.5 trillion ($4.17 billion) from a 2020 national budget of N10.59 trillion ($29.42 billion) representing 11% of GDP.

    When the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) was launched three years ago, the primary objective was to diversify the economy and shift attention to the non-oil sector but the global pandemic has reversed the gains of the growth strategy.

    The ERGP focused on three strategic objectives: restoring growth investing in the people building a globally competitive economy
    To restore growth, ERGP was conceptualized to stabilize the economy and then restructure the economy for growth.

    The Plan targeted a growth rate of 7% by 2020 driven by strong non-oil sector growth anchored on agriculture and food security, energy, transportation and industrialization. The ERGP also envisioned that our people are the best resource we have. Thus, we need to invest in them through improving access to healthcare and education, promoting social inclusion and creating jobs. To build a competitive economy, attention must be given to accelerating key infrastructure development and also improving the ease of doing business.

    Unfortunately, the economy has continued to contract with growth rate now at 2% which is likely to decline further. With scarce foreign exchange revenue, there would be pressure on the Naira which will have a bandwagon effect on forex transactions. Recently, the dollar sold for N450 in the parallel market but the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in a strategic move recently to prevent speculation in the foreign exchange market, debited about 30 banks a total of N1.47 trillion (liquidity mop up) as additional cash reserve requirement (CRR). In addition to the stimulus packages introduced by the CBN targeted at SMEs and the manufacturing sector to save the economy, the CBN may also consider the four-point proposal of Tim Akano, my colleague on the Board of the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), as additional incentives to stimulate the economy stated below:

    Nigerian businesses that are five years old and above should be allowed to draw up to a maximum of 20% of their 3 year-average yearly turnovers as a loan at a 5% interest rate with a one-year moratorium within seven days after the lockdown is lifted, using their businesses as collateral. When China became serious about transformation, Chinese businesses got cheap loans (5%) within 72 hours of submitting their loan applications;

    50% salary subvention for three months (April, May June 2020) from the government for all Nigerians working in corporate organisations;

    CBN to mandate commercial banks to extend the moratorium on the existing business loans that have fallen due by adding one more year without penalties, and

    Raise $50 billion from an Africa Diaspora Investment Fund (ADIF). Interest on savings on fixed deposit has evaporated in some developed economies; in fact, negative interest is what you will find in some countries such as Switzerland. Therefore, an Interest rate of 3% for the Diaspora investors will be sweet music to their ears. $50billion can be raised from 10 million Africans in the diaspora investing an average of $5,000 each. This is better than loans from China or the International Monetary Fund (IMF). AfDB can be called upon to the midwife the deal.

    There’s no doubt declining national revenue will affect monthly federal allocations for the three tiers of government. It will be a struggle in the months ahead for state governments to pay salaries and pensions and it is looking like there might be no bail out this time. When there’s nothing to share from the honey pot in Abuja, what are the state governors going to do? Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State, has said it is possible to run a state in Nigeria without owing workers and piling up public debts. From his own personal experience, Obi said he reduced the cost of governance and left a healthy balance after two terms in office. If we are unable to disprove Obi’s savings theory, why is it difficult to adopt it and save money, especially at this time when the country is flat broke? Debt reliefs from China, G20, Germany as well as the emergency support from IMF are vital life-lines to keep our heads above water as we strive to stabilize the economy.

    There’s hardly any industry that has not been affected by the distortions in the economy; however the ICT sector, internet service providers, logistics, healthcare and agro-allied businesses as well as telecom operators are scaling up their services to meet growing demand. Online engagements have also increased with remote learning and working including online banking becoming the new reality. Opportunities in digital marketing mean we can acquire new skills as a commonsense strategy for survival.

    *Braimah is a public relations and marketing strategist based in Lagos

  • Arise Women providing instant Covid-19 palliatives for people in face of excruciating lockdown

    Arise Women providing instant Covid-19 palliatives for people in face of excruciating lockdown

    By Zik Zulu Okafor

    On Friday, May 1, 2020, Arise Women, a foremost humanitarian and empowerment charity stunned Nigerians living in Lagos as it took to the streets to distribute massive loads of food items and relief packages directly to the people.

    From Ajah , Lekki, Gbagada and Somolu to CMS, Odulami, and Suru-Lere, Arise Women distributed hundreds of crates of eggs and other food items to the people as palliatives for the COVID-19 pandemic. It was an amazing gesture that put incredible smiles on the faces of the people long distressed by the lockdown following the coronavirus pandemic.
    It will be recalled that early this month, Arise donated medical supplies to the Lagos state COVID-19 Response Team as a critical support for the campaign to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Arise donation in this instance includes 4000 sanitizers, 20,000 hand gloves and 4000 face masks.

    Inspired, convened and promoted by a tireless champion of human capital development and empowerment, Dr Siju Iluyomade, Arise remains a glowing symbol of hope for the most vulnerable people across Nigeria today as it has been at the forefront of healthcare delivery to these people on the lower wrung of the economic ladder. With its Mobile Clinics and a huge team of medical personnel, Arise has used its Medical Outreaches and hospitals to rewrite the sad stories of the health challenges of these most vulnerable people of our nation.

    Today, Arise Women is a signature-tune for untrammelled charity causes in Nigeria cutting across states as it continues to build schools , private libraries, hospitals, boreholes and advanced skill academies in Lagos and the princts of the Federal Capital, Abuja, training thousands of women on skill acquisition and empowering them to pursue their modest economic goals, thus expanding the frontiers of hope. For many an observer, the Arise founder and promoter , Dr Siju Illuyomade not only symbolises but gives palpable meaning to the whole notion of passion propelled by compassion.

    For her, the modest donation to the people of Lagos state and the COVID-19 Response Team is to complement the magnificent and commendable effort of Lagos state government in its audacious quest to end the Corona virus pandemic.

    Arise Women identify with the noble efforts of Lagos state government led by His Excellency, Mr Babajide Sanwo Olu while praying God to strengthen and sustain the govermor and his team as they continue this uncommon battle to save the state from Covid-19.

  • Task force intercepts trailer load of humans tucked between goats in Delta [VIDEO/PHOTOS]

    Task force intercepts trailer load of humans tucked between goats in Delta [VIDEO/PHOTOS]

    A trailer conveying about 30 persons tucked between goats from Bauchi State to Asaba was on Tuesday intercepted in Agbor, Ika North East local government area of Delta State.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the trailer was intercepted by the Chairman of Ika North East LGA, Hon. Barr. Victor Ebonka and his team of enforcers at Owa-Ekei/Owa-Alero junction at about 9:30 pm.

    The trailer and the occupants were immediately turned back and escorted to Delta/Edo border at Uromi junction by the Ika North East and Ika South Council Chairmen with the DPO of both LGA in the convoy.

    See video and photos:

    Task force intercepts trailer load of humans in Delta [VIDEO/PHOTOS]
    Trailer load of humans intercepted in Delta
    30 persons found tucked between goats in the trailer
    30 persons found tucked between goats in the trailer
    30 persons found tucked between goats in the trailer
    30 persons found tucked between goats in the trailer
    Task force returns trailer
    Task force returns trailer
    At the border between Delta and Edo States
    At the border between Delta and Edo States

  • Oyakhilome blasts Nigerian pastors for accepting closure of churches [VIDEO]

    Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, founder of Love World Incorporated, aka Christ Embassy, has described pastors who supported the closure of churches amid coronavirus pandemic as not ‘prayerful’.

    Oyakhilome during a recent sermon in a viral video, said the pastors and leaders of churches who held meetings with the government over the lockdown of churches were never truly for Christ.

    According to him, the clergymen should have told the government to allow them to go and pray against the disease before giving go ahead to lockdown churches.

    “In different cities, countries, states, before the government went ahead with the lockdown, they held meetings with pastors, leaders of churches. Why did the pastors and leaders not say give us a few days to go and pray? Because they were not prayerful before.

    “As a Minister of God, you were called for such a meeting and you couldn’t say give us a few days to call other Ministers and say this is what we just heard from the government authorities and we need to pray. We have asked them to give us three days. Then you would have seen the hand of God,” he said.

    According to him, if the pastors had insisted on praying before making their decision, they would have see the hand of God.

    He added that most of the pastors warning church members against churches have never known God as the master of their life.

    “They were not thinking about the father’s house when they made the decision. Do you know what it is for you to shut down the congregations of the lord? It never meant anything to you, that is why.

    “Even the pastors and Ministers are warning others not to enter the church because of coronavirus. This is because Christ has never truly being your lord and you have been the master of your life. You have never truely known him,” Oyakhilome added.

    Despite the ease of lockdown in most States in Abuja, the government had insisted that religious gatherings be banned till further notice.

  • COVID-19: Wike imposes 24-hour indefinite lockdown on Port Harcourt, Obio-Akpor LGAs

    COVID-19: Wike imposes 24-hour indefinite lockdown on Port Harcourt, Obio-Akpor LGAs

    A 24-hour indefinite lockdown has been imposed on Port Harcourt City and Obio-Akpor Local Government Areas by the Rivers State Government.

    The government also said all helicopter operators, especially Caverton and Bristow, must henceforth submit manifests of all their passengers for vetting before flying into the state.

    The measures, according to Governor Nyesom Wike, is to further check the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic in the state.

    Wike, in a broadcast on Monday, advised all residents of two LGAs to stay at home to avoid being arrested by the officials of the state task force on COVID-19.

    He said: “We have decided on the extreme measure of placing the entire Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City Local Government Areas under a 24 hours total lockdown from Thursday, May 7, 2020 until further notice.

    The governor said the measure was taken because of persistent disobedience to “government’s lawful orders and directives on COVID-19” by a number of communities and residents, especially in the affected LGAs despite repeated warning.

    He added: “On the whole, we can all see that COVID-19 cases confirmed across the country are growing in numbers, meaning that the situation in our state, although still relatively low, can change for the worse, if we relax our measures or become complacent

    “In view of the foregoing, government has resolved to impose additional measures by the Executive Order, I have just signed, which are targeted at reinforcing our efforts toward stopping the spread of the virus in the state”.

    ”On no account should there be any vehicular movements or gathering of more than two persons in these LGAs, except those on essential services with appropriate authorization.

    “All shops, trading or business activities, including currency exchange, in these LGAs must also remain closed until further notice.

    ”All landlords are advised to ensure that no shop or trading activity is opened or carried out in or around their premises or risk the confiscation of their property by the government.

    “Any person, group or institution that violates the lockdown and curfew in these LGAs will be made to face the full wrath of the law. “

    Wike also announced a review of the waivers and permits granted workers of oil companies to enter the state.

    He said the review became necessary given the threat posed to the state by oil and gas company workers.

    The governor therefore appealed to helicopter service companies to obey the state’s new directives.

    He said the 14th confirmed COVID-19 case was flown into Port Harcourt by Bristow Helicopters from an offshore oilfield in Akwa Ibom State on April 29, 2020.

    Wike argued that that case confirmed fears that unchecked entry of oil and gas workers from Lagos, Abuja and elsewhere remained a potential source for the importation of COVID-19 in the state.

    The governor said, “All inward-bound vehicles and flights to Rivers State from oil and gas companies with workers for crew change or other essential operations must first submit details of their manifests to the state’s taskforce on COVID-19 for proper vetting of their virus status before they can be allowed to enter the state.

    ”All operators of chartered flights into Rivers State for oil and gas operations, especially Bristow and Caverton Helicopters, should please comply with this directive and refrain from jeopardizing the lives of our people for the sake of making profits.”

    Wike also ordered the immediate arrest and prosecution of Chief B.A. Worgu and Mr. Isaiah Abraka for organizing night markets in defiance of existing ban on such activity.

    Besides, he issued a stern warning to the Chief Medical Director of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) to stop politicalizing Coronavirus in the state.

    He said: “This government is focused and therefore will not allow itself to be distracted on its battle against COVID-19. However, we will neither tolerate nor hesitate to deal with anyone who dares to fabricate lies to rubbish the hard work and sacrifice we are making to save the lives in our people just to advance parochial partisan interests.

    “I wish to reiterate that the hard choices we have to make as a government and as a people over the COVID-19 pandemic are all premised on upholding the sanctity of human life. ”

    Wike, who also enjoined all residents of the state to wear face masks before stepping out of their homes to the public spaces, prohibited the operations of all private motor parks, taxi parks and loading bays throughout the state.

    He said that the COVID-19 task force had been directed to arrest and prosecute any person without face masks in public places or inside vehicles.

    Wike observed that while the government was battling the importation of this virus, the greatest threat to people’s lives was posed not by outsiders but by residents’ refusal to conform to the new experience.

    The governor said N100,000 would be given to any whistleblower with relevant information leading to the arrest and prosecution of any person, hotelier or motorist that violating government’s directives on checking the spread of the virus.

  • Nigeria records highest daily Covid-19 cases as FG relaxes lockdown

    After five weeks of a lockdown of three major cities – Lagos, Ogun and Abuja – the federal government eased the lockdown on Monday but things seems not to be getting better as recent update shows Nigeria has recorded its highest daily Covid-19 cases.

    The announcement was made by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Monday night. The figure brings the total tally for the country to 2,802, the agency said.

    “On the 4th of May, 245 new confirmed cases and 6 deaths were recorded in Nigeria,” it said.

    The breakdown of the new cases showed that Lagos leads with 79 cases, followed by Katsina 37, Jigawa 32, Kano 23 and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with 19 cases.

    On Monday, 16 states reported at least a case of the virus.

    “245 new cases of #COVID19 reported; 76-Lagos, 37- Katsina, 32 – Jigawa, 23 – Kano, 19 – FCT, 18- Borno, 10 – Edo, 9 – Bauchi, 6 – Adamawa, Oyo and Ogun reported 5 cases , Ekiti, Osun, Benue, Niger and Zamfara reported one case each.

    “As at 11 :46 pm 4 May – 2802 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. Discharged: 417 Deaths: 93,” the health agency wrote.

    The 245 cases on Monday brings the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 2,802 including 417 patients who have been discharged after recovery, and 93 deaths.

    Nigeria has so far tested 18,536 persons since the beginning of the pandemic in the country.

    A breakdown of the 2,802 confirmed cases shows that Lagos State has so far reported 1,183 cases, followed by Kano – 365, FCT – 297, Borno – 100, Gombe – 96, Kaduna – 81, Ogun – 85, Bauchi – 80, Sokoto – 66, Edo – 62, Katsina – 83, Osun – 37, Oyo and Jigawa – 39, Delta – 17, Kwara and Akwa Ibom – 16, Rivers – 14, Yobe, Zamfara and Ondo – 13, Ekiti, Adamawa, Kebbi – 13,Nasarawa – 11, Enugu and Taraba – 8, Ebonyi and Baylsa – 5, Plateau – 3, Niger – 4, Imo, Benue and Abia – 2 while Anambra has one case.

    The number of infected people in the country is expected to rise as the country has entered into the community transmission phase. The country has also increased its testing capacity.

  • Easing of lockdown: Poor compliance by Nigerians worry FG

    Easing of lockdown: Poor compliance by Nigerians worry FG

    The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has decried the level of non-compliance with directives of the partial lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier announced the gradual easing of the lockdown in the three states from May 4 to 17.

    He said night curfews from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. will, however, be effected in the three states which have been on lockdown for over four weeks as part of measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19.

    The relaxation was to reduce the negative effects of the lockdown on Nigerians and prevent layoffs as well as reawaken economic activities.

    Last week, while explaining how the ease on lockdown will be implemented, the National Coordinator of the PTF, Sani Aliyu, said there will be no gatherings of more than 20 persons anywhere per time so as to ensure adherence to physical distancing.

    PREMIUM TIMES reported how all precautionary measures, especially social distancing were flouted by people who visited banks on Monday.

    Unsatisfactory
    Speaking at the daily Task Force briefing on Monday, the Chairman, Boss Mustapha, said close monitoring of activities shows that the level of compliance was unsatisfactory especially with regards to social distancing and the use of masks.

    He said “this is evident in the large crowd that stormed various banks within these states on Monday morning”.

    ”The PTF has been monitoring the level of compliance with some of the measures and early observations showed lack of compliance with social distancing and wearing of masks,” he said. “We note particularly the chaotic scenes around the banks and other financial institutions.”

    ”We must reiterate that the danger of infection is not over and that individual actions will contribute to the success or failure of our measures,” he said.