TheNewsGuru

Tag: Lockdown

  • COVID-19: Sanwo-Olu breaks silence on Buhari’s extension of lockdown in Lagos

    COVID-19: Sanwo-Olu breaks silence on Buhari’s extension of lockdown in Lagos

    Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday said extending the lockdown in Lagos by another 14 days by President Muhammadu Buhari was a tough decision the government had to take in a bid to defeat Coronavirus.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the president had on Monday announced an extension of the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja in a bid to effectively fight Coronavirus.

    According to Buhari, in view of rising cases of Coronavirus cases in the country, it had become necessary to extend the current restriction of movement in Lagos and Ogun States as well as the FCT for another 14 days effective from 11:59 pm on Monday, 13th of April, 2020.

    “I am therefore once again asking you all to work with Government in this fight,” he said.

    Reacting to the extension of the lockdown on his twitter handle on Tuesday, Sanwo-Olu said “Dear Lagosians, yesterday H.E President Muhammadu Buhari announced a 2 weeks extension of the lockdown.

    “This was a tough decision but like we have seen in countries that couldn’t stop the spread of #COVID19, the effects have been catastrophic. My biggest focus now is security and welfare.

    “We are encouraged by the success rate of our isolation and treatment initiatives for #COVID19. Working with the
    NCDC and Lagos State Ministry of Health

    “Our testing capacity for #COVID-19 has increased and we will continue to do all we can to stop the spread of the virus.

    “As a state, we understand that this lockdown will stretch us because of some structural problems we are contending with, however I want to thank Lagosians for rising up with empathy and strength. We have to do more and the government will do more, let’s beat #COVID19 together,” he said.

  • Toke Makinwa reacts as FG extends lockdown

    Controversial and stylish media personality, OAP Toke Makinwa has reacted as the presidency extended the lockdown which was supposed to end on Monday, to an extra 14 days.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had on Monday during a nationwide broadcast stated that the initial 14-day lockdown in affected states is still on.

    The President said that the decision was in order to curtail the spread of coronavirus disease in the country.

    Reacting, Makinwa took to her Twitter account, saying that the government should not just be focused on lockdown, but make provisions on how people will feed during the hard times.

    She said,”Lockdown, lockdown the least you can do is credit everyone’s account, even if it’s 10k.

    ”BVN is available yet you want those who have resorted to being their own government to die of hunger.

    ”14 days more is about to bite even harder.”

    TheNewsGuru recalls that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, on Monday confirmed 20 new cases of Coronavirus across the country.

    ”As at 09:50 pm 13th April, there are 343 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. 91 have been discharged with 10 deaths.

    ”No of States with confirmed cases stands at 19.”

     

  • Covid-19 lockdown speech: Buhari failed to address hunger, security challenges faced by Nigerians – PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has described the nationwide broadcast by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday as very disappointing.

    This is as the party said the speech, just like “pre-recorded broadcast of March 29, 2020, failed to address salient issues of urgent concerns to Nigerians in their daily struggle against the spread of the plague in our country.”

    The party’s reaction was contained in a statement late on Monday night by its spokesman, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.

    The statement read: “The party expresses sadness that Mr. President again failed to show leadership and displayed total lack of touch with reality as he failed to give any hope on palliatives to the ordinary Nigerians as they face hunger and economic pangs of the lockdown.

    “It is more painful that President Buhari could not address the immediate needs of the people or provide a trajectory that will take care of their future. “Instead, Mr. President bored our nation with a rehash of global data already known to Nigerians in addition to promises that are far-flung departures from the harsh realities on the ground.

    “Nigerians expected Mr. President to directly address the established failures of his palliatives distribution, particularly the provision of funds to the poorest of the poor, which has been marred by allegations of corruption and diversion of funds. This is in addition to allegations of diversion of rice and other food items meant for the poor masses.

    “Can Mr. President claim not to be aware that not a handful of Nigerians have received any palliatives and that huge majority of our citizens are complaining that they have not been reached with any panacea despite his administration’s claim of having reached 2.6 million household?

    “Announcing the expansion of the palliative scope to 3.6 million households without addressing the failure of the scheme and with no parameter to showcase the declared expansion is an encouragement of the corrupt system that has been depriving Nigerians.

    “The PDP challenges Mr. President to disprove Nigerians by publishing documents showing the beneficiaries of the claimed 2.6 million household social intervention, the benefiting communities as well as the parameters that will be deployed for the additional one million household.

    “Our party holds that what has been witnessed in the last two weeks is a total incapacity and fraud by those he has currently charged with the responsibility of taking palliatives to the people.

    “Already, there are serious agitations and unrests in Lagos, Ogun and some parts of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT where Nigerians, who earn their means of livelihood on daily basis and who have been locked out from their means of subsistence and can no longer withstand the pangs of hunger, are becoming restless.

    “Our party still believes that Mr. President needs to quickly retool his approach and adopt an all-encompassing model that will take care of the hunger and deprivations, which this lockdown has imposed on Nigerians “President Buhari should be forthcoming on what palliatives are accruable, in the immediate, to each state of the federation in this national fight against the pandemic.

    “This is because, given our peculiar federal system, we still insist that the fastest approach to reach the people is through the state and local governments using methods like traditional institutions, community leadership and faith based organizations.

    “The PDP therefore charges President Buhari to reorder his approach to cover the incentives his administration will provide to save the lives and jobs of Nigerians and then address the nation again accordingly. “PDP invites compatriots to continue to provide help for one another as we continue to stay safe and obey World Health Organizations guidelines.”

  • Lockdown Extension: Using BVN for social intervention programme – Carl Umegboro

    Lockdown Extension: Using BVN for social intervention programme – Carl Umegboro

    By Carl Umegboro

    The extension of the lockdown for another 2 weeks by President Muhammadu Buhari is not a bad idea on account that other counties affected by the dreadful coronavirus contagion; codenamed Covid-19 are still under lockdown. Even countries that are more advanced in science and technology than Nigeria are all adopting the same preventive measures as specified by the World Health Organization (WHO). The second phase which begins on 14 April will elapse on 28 April, 2020.

    However, the bad idea is to announce the lockdown extension and appealed to citizens to endure further or expect relief materials which will never get to them. Nobody will claim ignorance of the magnitude of corruption in the country which is still thriving albeit unpronounced as it used to be during the previous administrations. At this critical time, the country cannot make a mistake of parting fishes carelessly in an environment with rats only to prepare for their deaths after tampering with the fishes.
    Commendably, President Buhari noted in his speech that there will be those who live day-to-day, eating as they earn, and who face real and present suffering. Obviously, people in the two weeks lockdown are drying up from hunger. And crime rate has risen across the nation beyond ordinary. Possibly, responsible citizens are being pushed into crimes for survival as a result of the quagmires.

    “No elected government could ask more of the citizens of the country that elected them than what we ask of you today. But we must ask you – once more – to observe restrictions on movement where they are in place, and follow the instructions of our scientists and medical advisers: stay home, wash your hands, save lives’, President Buhari stated.
    However, President Buhari added that for those who suffer most egregiously, the Government has announced multiple measures to assist: 70,000 tonnes of grain is being released from the National Strategic Grain Reserves for distribution to those in most need; distribution of small cash payments are also being made, and will continue to be made by the federal government in the states and local government areas.

    This is where there is a flaw. No doubt, Buhari by his antecedents may share the money to the targets without hijacking or diverting some huge amounts to his pockets if given the opportunity to do so. Similarly, few other government officials particularly the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo may follow suit. Unfortunately, as humans, they cannot cover even one Local Government Area within a short period putting into account the urgency the matter requires. The golden truth is that people are facing critical times without having anything for feeding, and therefore, this is not time for unnecessary long protocols and processes.

    Interestingly, the Banks Verification Numbers (BVN) can actively be used to provide relief funds to low income earners at this critical moment. No doubt, a lot of people in the village do not have BVN, however, using it to credit relief funds to those that have will motivate those yet to go for it to make effort toward acquiring BVN for future issues. Of course, that may not stop government from still sending relief materials to villages and specific places to complement the funds for those that didn’t have BVN.

    The idea of sharing cash and relief materials is not only primitive but will take the corruption to another level. This is not a good time to hear that someone embezzled funds earmarked for the public. Let the truth be told; the funds will be tampered with irrespective of whoever is responsible to share the money. Besides, it makes the country look so uncivilized for the government to be sharing cash to the vulnerable citizens which certainly cannot be accounted for.

    Let policy makers and leaders begin to emulate the advanced countries on their policies. We can borrow ‘Operation-Everyone is a suspect’ from Neil Strauss, an American author who titled one of his books, ‘Everyone is a suspect’. Let’s operate robust systems that prevents or eliminates corruption instead of assuming that members of one political party are corrupt while those in another party are saints. From what we have witnessed in the country, corruption cuts across all tribes, religions, political parties, genders and professions.

    By using bank accounts and strictly accounts with BVN to credit relief funds to low income earners with a proviso that such credit can only go into bank accounts with less than (N50,000) fifty thousand Naira, arguably, the fund will appropriately be directed to the suffering masses and accounted for, and not disappear into the pockets of those that are comfortable. Essentially, that will also pave way for transparency and accountability of the funds. Let the masses be rescued from the pains and trauma they are going through on account of the outbreak of the covid-19 epidemic. Nigerian masses have suffered enough and should not be allowed to suffer more.

    Equally, religious organizations; churches and mosques should show concerns and love directly to the poor among them. That’s the summary of the sermons of the two religions. The poor members should not be left to die of hunger as charity which includes feeding the poor is provided for in both the Bible and Qur’an. Let the situation not compel some responsible citizens to indulge in crimes. Thus, it calls for a collective responsibility. Let brotherly love manifest by actions in this trying period.
    Umegboro is a public affairs analyst and Associate, Chartered institute of Arbitrators (United Kingdom). 08023184542-SMS only.

  • Lockdown extension: CLO urges Nigerians to cooperate with government

    The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), an NGO, has urged Nigerians to cooperate with Federal and State Governments in their extension of lockdown to properly contain and tackle the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

    The Chairman of CLO in Anambra, Mr Vincent Ezekwueme, made the appeal while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Monday.

    Ezekwueme said that lockdown was the only proven, effective and cheapest way to check community and state transmission and spread of Coronavirus.

    He said that the action of government had become necessary since there was still daily increment in the number of people testing positive for the virus.

    According to him, Coronavirus pandemic is life threatening and collective efforts must be made to contain its spread in the country as well as various states in the federation.

    “It is of great relevance to note that being a Coronavirus victim or testing positive for the virus is not by choice.

    “Hence, it is of prime importance for Nigerians to show love, care, and concern as well as also pray for victims quick recovery and stoppage of its escalation,’’ he said.

    He, however, urged the federal and state governments to device means to provide palliative measures to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic ravaging economic, social and spiritual life of citizens due to extension of the lockdown.

    “We commend those who have contributed toward ameliorating the plights and predicaments of indigent citizenry occasioned by Coronavirus pandemic.

    “It is pertinent and imperative for others to emulate them because the essence of human person is giving and sharing to save lives; as life is precious and has no alternative,’’ the CLO boss said.

  • Nigerians are suffering- Burna Boy tells Diddy

    Nigerians are suffering- Burna Boy tells Diddy

    Outspoken Nigerian crooner, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, known professionally as Burna Boy, has explained to American veteran musician, Sean John Combs, also known by the stage name Diddy, how Nigerians are suffering during this Coronavirus lockdown.

    Burna told Diddy that Nigerians are on lockdown without any benefit or relief material from the government.

    He noted that this was the major difference between the lockdown in Nigeria and that of other countries, adding that they as artists were doing their best to better the lives of those around them.

    Burna boy said this during an Instagram live chat with the wealthy American music icon.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-6cIo2DNFq/

    Diddy has been putting together a “dance-a-thon” where he invites popular musicians around the world to support the healthcare workers in the frontline of the Coronavirus battle.

    Burna Boy said, “Reporting live from Lagos,” after Diddy demanded to know what the situation is like in Nigeria, he said, “We are on lockdown in Nigeria just like anyone else.”

    “But the difference is that here we are locked down without any benefits or relief packages.

    “It’s like everyone…especially our minorities …they are feeding from hand to mouth. [Before now] it’s like we work today, eat today and tomorrow taking care of itself and now we are in this mess.

    “We are just trying to make life better for everyone around us in any way we can even though it’s not our job. We’re not the government,” he said.

    Diddy said that after the Coronavirus, he would bring a lot of artists from America to Nigeria.

     

  • Lockdown: How Caverton Helicopters flew 220 passengers into Rivers – Wike

    Lockdown: How Caverton Helicopters flew 220 passengers into Rivers – Wike

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has defended his action in arresting two pilots of Caverton Helicopters and 10 passengers, saying the company had frequently violated his executive order on the Coronavirus lockdown by previously flying 220 passengers into the state.

    He accused the Federal Government of playing politics with the issue by sponsoring articles in the newspaper against the Rivers State Government.

    Wike spoke through Paulinus Nsirim, Commissioner for Information and Communication, who said “The case in point is the promotion and sponsorship of a misleading narrative on the arrest of two pilots and 10 passengers of Caverton Helicopters by the Ministry of Aviation.”

    “Contrary to the view being peddled by the Minister of Aviation, Alhaji Hadi Sirika, the two pilots of Caverton Helicopters and their 10 passengers were not arrested because they operated a permit granted them by the Ministry of Aviation.

    “They were arrested because they constantly contravened the Executive Order issued by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, which requires that everyone coming into the state for essential duties subject themselves to mandatory health checks to ascertain their coronavirus status .

    “Before their arrests, the Rivers State Government issued several warnings to Caverton and other operators to ensure that their pilots and passengers are tested by Rivers State Health Authorities. Caverton Helicopters disregarded the warnings.

    “At the last count, Caverton Helicopters flew over 220 passengers into the State without allowing health professionals of the Rivers State Government ascertain their coronavirus status. They also refused to avail the State Government their contacts, so they can be traced and tested,” he said.

    He further said that Rivers State Government remained committed to the protection of the over six million citizens of the state.

    Nsirim said the government was not struggling to issue landing permits to airlines, “neither are we contending for the control of the air space. Therefore, the issue on ground has nothing to do with the Exclusive List.”

    He said that the focus of the Rivers State Government was to ensure that nobody under the guise of transporting workers on essential services, flew persons who would compromise the state’s health system.

    “Therefore, these pilots and passengers must be subjected to health checks before they carry out their responsibilities. That is standard practice.

    “The Federal Government as we speak, has quarantined Chinese Doctors who are in the country on invitation of the operators of Exclusive List. These Chinese Doctors will be isolated for 14 days as a precaution before they mix with Nigerians.

    “If the Federal Government has done that in Abuja for Chinese officials that they invited, why do they insist that persons coming into Rivers State must enter the state without health check? What are they hiding?“ He queried.

  • COVID-19: Buhari begs Nigerians to endure lockdown hardships, keeps mum on extension

    COVID-19: Buhari begs Nigerians to endure lockdown hardships, keeps mum on extension

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday night appealed to Nigerians to endure the harsh realities of some of the conditions recently imposed to fight the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the president in a nationwide broadcast on Sunday March 29 imposed the lockdown on Lagos, Ogun and Abuja as a measure to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

    In a new message made available to newsmen on Saturday, Buhari noted that virtually all countries of the world are currently fighting for their own survival, reminding Nigerians that help will not come from any other country of the world, but from Nigerians themselves.

    The President’s message, which was contained in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, however expressed appreciation to Nigerians for the level of understanding so far shown in the face of the hardship coming along with strict regulations.

    He charged all to continue to obey the stay at home order in all the places where they had been imposed, as well as the instructions to keep up personal hygiene and observe social distancing, adding that all over the world, these were the only answers to containing the spread of COVID-19 for now.

    TNG however observed that the president’s statement was silent on the possibility of an extension of the lockdown which took full effect on Tuesday March 31. If not extended, the two-week lockdown will expire on Tuesday, April 14.

    According to the statement, “President Muhammadu Buhari wholeheartedly thanks all Nigerians for their patience, resolve and strong determination to defeat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak”.

    The statement further quoted President Buhari directly, saying “we realize that today, there will be sons and daughters unable to visit their parents, and elders that are isolated from young ones. And there will be those who live day-to-day, eating as they earn, who face real and present suffering.

    “No elected government could ask more of the citizens of the country that elected them than today we ask of you. But we must ask you – once more – to observe restrictions on movement where they are in place, and follow the instructions of our scientists and medical advisers: stay home, wash your hands, save lives.

    “The freedoms we ask you to willingly forsake today will only last as long as our scientific advisers declare they are necessary. But they are essential – world over – to halt and defeat the spread of this virus.

    “For those who suffer most egregiously, the Government has announced multiple measures to assist: 70,000 tonnes of grain is being released from the National Strategic Grain Reserves for distribution to those in most need; distribution of small cash payments are also being made, and will continue to be made by the federal government in the states and local government areas.

    “We ask you to listen and follow public announcements via the mass media for instructions as to how to receive this government support – and learn of more public assistance in the coming days.

    “All that the Government is asking you to endure is because nowhere in the world today is there any known way of defeating this pandemic. There is no vaccine. And that means there are choices to be made: between continuing as usual, or accepting the restrictions even when they come with unintended consequences.

    “But at this darkest hour, it remains our duty to offer you the full and unvarnished truth: This is a global pandemic. 210 countries and territories across the globe are affected. We cannot expect others to come to our assistance. No one is coming to defeat this virus for us.

    “Instead, the defeat of the virus in our country will be in our hands, alone. We cannot wait for others. We can only depend on ourselves now. And so we must – and we will – end this outbreak ourselves as Nigerians, together,” the President said.

  • COVID-19: Policeman caught on camera counting N40k bribe from resident arrested during lockdown in Lagos [VIDEO]

    COVID-19: Policeman caught on camera counting N40k bribe from resident arrested during lockdown in Lagos [VIDEO]

    A video of a policeman caught on camera counting a N40,000 bribe he collected from a motorist has surfaced online. The policeman attached to the Ago Palace Divisional Police Station, identified as Taloju Martins, was seen counting the N40,000:00 bribe money he collected from a resident of the area.

    According to the video uploaded on Twitter by popular Nigerian rapper Ruggedman, the officer arrested some residents of the area who had gone to stock up food and other household items on Friday morning. He seized their car keys and delayed them till 5 pm. However, when there seems to be no respite coming their way, the residents started going in him to meet the officer who later demanded N50,000 each from them.

    According to the resident who later negotiate and parted away with N40,000:00, the officer insisted that the DPO would get her share of the bribe money, hence the insistence on N50,000 or nothing.

    Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command was yet to issue any statement as at the time of filing this report.

    Watch full video below:

    https://twitter.com/RuggedyBaba/status/1249012582624747525?s=20

  • COVID-19: Wike makes U-Turn as churches, mosques reject suspension of lockdown for Easter, Juma’at prayers

    COVID-19: Wike makes U-Turn as churches, mosques reject suspension of lockdown for Easter, Juma’at prayers

    Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, has made a U-turn on his earlier decision to permit churches and Muslims to worship in full congregations for Easter celebration.

    The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Paulinus Nsirim, in a statement at the weekend, said the decision was taken after due consultations with eminent clergy men, well-meaning Nigerians and civil society groups.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, churches should stick to the 50 persons per service to maintain social distancing,” he said.

    Wike, in a statewide broadcast, temporarily relaxed the restrictions on large religious gatherings directing Muslims to observe their Jumaat prayers and Christians to worship in full congregations on Sunday.

    Rivers has two confirmed cases of COVID-19 based on statistics published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

    The governor said: “In the spirit of Easter, therefore, and after a careful review of the state of COVID-19 situation in our state, all Moslem faithful should observe Juma’at prayers in their mosques or prayer grounds throughout the State and pray for the peace, forgiveness and the blessings of Allah upon the State.

    “All Christians should have Easter Church Services with their full congregation and pray to God to forgive us of our sins, continue to intervene in our affairs and protect the State and our people from the Coronavirus”.

    It was, however, gathered that religious leaders in the state while appreciating the generosity of the governor and his passion, opted to toe the path of caution.

    The Muslims reportedly turned down the offer as they shunned large gathering for their Jumaat prayer on Friday while most residents expressed fears that allowing larger gathering of worshippers could reverse the gains of the governor in his fight against the pandemic.

    The Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt also wrote a letter dated April 10 to all the priests in the zone, urging them to stick to all health tips against the prevention of the pandemic.

    The diocese, in a letter signed by its Bishop, Camillus Etokudoh, appreciated the Governor but turned down the offer after considering its health implication.

    The letter said: “We deeply appreciate statewide broadcast of the governor during which he temporarily relaxed the restrictions on large religious gatherings for Moslems on Friday for their prayers and for Christians on Sunday to have their full congregation for Easter celebrations.

    “However, in the face of the threat of COVID-19 and having prayerfully considered the implications of the risks to our expected crowded congregation on normal Easter celebration, we hereby request you our priests and lay faithful to continue to keep to the CBCN and our diocesan pastoral directives”.