Author: straightnewsng.com

Some prominent Nigerians have mourned over the demise of Abba Kyari, immediate past Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, buried on Saturday at Gudu cemetery, Abuja. Kyari died Friday and his remains arrived at the Defence Guest House in Abuja where it was received by top government functionaries and sympathisers who were visibly in a sorrow mood. Though the body was not displayed, some officials of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control were seen around the ambulance conveying the remains assisted in the burial. Moments after the prayer, Kyari’s remains were interred at Gudu Cemetery. The former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has…

The Health Action Plan for the incident management of COVID-19 in Akwa Ibom State may have collapsed, thus putting the health planners in crisis, Straightnews has exclusively learnt. A source close to Government circle said “This is one of the things that prompted the state governor, Udom Emmanuel to have summoned an emergency State Executive Council meeting on Friday to sort out the crisis. “During the meeting, commissioners and special advisers were advised to come alone and for those who could not drive to join their colleagues to meeting, but not to come with any of their aides.” “The constant…

By: Israel Umoh The coronavirus pandemic is raging like wildfire across different cities in the world. Lockdowns are the devised means to instill social (physical) distancing among the people as a way of putting at bay the spread of the virus. In Nigeria, the Federal Government has slammed total lockdown on Abuja, Lagos and Ogun State. This means that private offices, markets, and public offices even churches are under lock-and-key. Everywhere has come to a standstill. However, reports have it that staffers on essential duties report regularly for duty. Some management staffers in key ministries, departments and parastatals and agencies…

The Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Abba Kyari, has died. A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, on Saturday morning, said Kyari died on Friday. It was be recalled that Mallam Kyari tested positive for COVID-19 in March and was taken to Lagos for treatment. Although the statement did not disclose where he died, it said burial arrangement for the late Chief of Staff would be announced soon. “The Presidency regrets to announce the passage of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari. “The deceased…

Confirmed cases of coronavirus have increased to 493 in Nigeria after 51 new infections were recorded on Friday. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made this known via its Twitter handle. It also announced that the number of fatalities recorded from coronavirus-related complications had increased to 17. According to data obtained from the NCDC, Lagos has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, deaths, and recoveries in Nigeria. NCDC has recorded a total of 17 coronavirus-related deaths in Nigeria, 11 patients died in Lagos, two in Abuja, one each in Kano, Edo, Delta, and Katsina. NCDC said, “Fifty-one new cases…

Twenty two staffers of ExxonMobil arrested for entering Rivers State from Akwa Ibom in violation of the State extant Executive Order restricting movement would face the full weight of law. Addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt on Friday, Wike stated that the ExxonMobil matter will be a test case in legal jurisprudence in the country. He said: “Security agencies arrested 22 staff of ExxonMobil who came into the state from neighbouring Akwa Ibom State in violation of the extant Executive Order restricting movement into the state. We do not know the coronavirus status of these individuals. “Even though security…

Anxiety is mounting as the COVID-19 pandemic has allegedly claimed its first victim, a medical doctor in Akwa Ibom State, South-South region of Nigeria. Until his demise Thursday afternoon, Dominic Essien was the Chief Medical Director of San Dominique Hospital, Ewet Housing Estate, a physiotherapist and lecturer in the Department of Physiology, University of Uyo, Uyo. In a statement signed and made available to journalists in Uyo on Friday, Nsikak Paul Nyoyoko, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Akwa Ibom State Chapter, has condoled its members over the demise of their colleague, Dominic Essien, suspected to have died…

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike is unhappy with companies that seek publicity in the course of supporting the state in the fight against the dreaded coronavirus pandemic, vowing “I won’t collect a loan to fight.” Addressing the press on the COVID-19 update on Friday, Wike, however, said “There is a loan some governors are collecting, but I won’t collect a loan to fight coronavirus. Others can collect but not us.” The governor was shocked when a senior bank official telephoned and informed him that he has opened an account for COVID-19 and credited N28 million in his bank for the…

The United States has so far lost 22 million jobs, wiping out a decade of employment gains and pushing families to line up at food banks for government help, the US Department of Labour said on Thursday. Some 5.24 million Americans filed for initial unemployment benefits in the week ending April 11. The United States has not seen this level of job loss since the Great Depression, and the government is struggling to respond fast enough to the deadly coronavirus health crisis and the economic crisis triggered by shutting down so many businesses. The eye-popping job losses in the past…

By Akanimo Sampson The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has expanded its COVID-19 response plan. It has also launched a revised appeal for $499 million to support vital preparedness, response, and recovery activities in over 140 countries. As the number of new coronavirus disease cases continues to rise, the United Nations agency expanded the scope of its Global Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) to include far-reaching interventions that aim to mitigate the dire health and socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. The newly-launched SPRP – an update to the previous IOM appeal for $116.1 million – broadens the Organisation’s approach to…