Author: straightnewsng.com

By: Our Special Duty Writer Akwa Ibom State, with ambitious desires for quick industrialisation and attainment of cosmopolitan status, is doing many things to achieve the goal but plagued by politicisation of projects. The recent announcement by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, that the state has commenced construction of a 300-bed space isolation centre at the Methodist Hospital, Ituk Mbang in Uruan local government area to complement existing isolation centres in Ikot Ekpene and Ibom Specialist Hospital, Uyo is the raison d’etre for this article. The State, like nearly every part of the world today, is…

Nigeria has recorded 14 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 288, with 51 patients discharged and seven deaths recorded. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC announced the new development on Thursday night via its Twitter handle. “Fourteen new cases of #COVID19 have been reported in Nigeria: 13 in Lagos and 1 in Delta State As at 09:30 pm 9th April there are 288 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. Fifty-one have been discharged with seven deaths” “As at 09:30 p.m 9th April there are 288 confirmed cases of #COVID19…

By Akanimo Sampson As the coronavirus pandemic rages around the world, women and girls are more vulnerable to abuse than ever, says a UN agency. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says in Kosovo, the Ministry of Justice has seen a 17 per cent increase in reported cases of gender-based violence. Urban areas appear to be hit much harder, with one city recording a 100 per cent increase in violence. These figures compare the March 2020 caseload with the number of cases reported in March of 2019. March saw a surge in anxiety over the pandemic, including the confirmation of dozens of…

The 11 Electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs, under the aegis of Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), have affirmed that they will support the move to supply free electricity to all consumers within their network in the next two month. The DISCOs stated that this will be a palliative measure to bring succour to Nigerians in the face of the COVID-19 induced period. Recall that the House of Representatives had disclosed its consideration of a fresh Stimulus Bill that will allow Nigerians to enjoy the electricity supply for two months without any charge. While confirming the development, Mr. Sunday Oduntan, Executive…

The Bayelsa state government has relaxed the enforcement of a lockdown in the state for the Easter celebrations. The decision to relax the lockdown followed an appeal by the state organs of various Christian bodies. Douye Diri, governor of the state, announced the decision at a meeting with members of the COVID-19 task force, security agencies and leadership of the Christian and Muslim communities at the Government House in Yenagoa, on Wednesday. A statement by Daniel Alabrah, Diri’s acting chief press secretary, said the measure was specific to church services during the Easter celebrations. He said churches with large congregations…

By Akanimo Sampson The coronavirus pandemic is threatening to exacerbate Zimbabwe’s dire economic and hunger crises, drastically affecting the lives of people in both urban and rural areas. Before the outbreak of the virus, severe climate- and recession-induced hunger crisis has been deepening in the country. Already, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) urgently needs $130 million to sustain through August an emergency operation to prevent millions of the country’s most vulnerable people plunging deeper into hunger. WFP which is concerned with saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development has a critical role to…

Nigeria has recorded 22 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 276. The new cases were announced on Wednesday night by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC on its verified Twitter handle. It said “Twenty-two new cases of #COVID19 have been reported in Nigeria: 15 in Lagos, 4 in the FCT, 2 in Bauchi, 1 in Edo As at 09:00 p.m 8th April there are 276 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. Forty-four have been discharged with six deaths” As at 09:00 pm 8th April, there are 276 confirmed cases, 44…

The outbreak of COVID-19  pandemic has led to evacuation of 1,739 foreigners from Nigeria since airports were closed to international flights. The Regional Manager, South West Airports, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mrs Victoria Shin-Aba, stated this on Tuesday following the evacuation of 200 Americans from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Tuesday by a Delta Airlines flight which came into the country from Accra, Ghana. Shin-Aba said passengers who had passed through the airport included 399 Europeans evacuated by Air France; 238 by Lufthansa; Air Peace, 93 and Middle East Airlines, 140. She said Ethiopian Airlines airlifted 660…

Popular musician, Azeez Fashola alias Naira Marley, and a politician, Babatunde Gbadamosi Wednesday walked into freedom Wednesday following withdrawal of cases against them by  Lagos State Government. Marley, Gbadamosi and his wife were charged before the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Ogba for attending a crowded birthday party in violation of the government’s social distancing directive to check the spread of coronavirus. Though they were to be arraigned on Wednesday, the government withdrew the four counts filed against the three defendants. The defence counsel, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), said the state withdrew the charges on the condition that the defendants…

By Akanimo Sampson A war zone declaration by the Chadian government has displaced more than 20,000 people living on the Lake Chad islands. The government declared a war zone last week following a deadly attack by the non-state armed group, Boko Haram insurgency that resulted in the destruction of its armoury and recovery of a huge cache of firearms and ammunition. This is as Chadian President Idriss Deby has given Shekau, the Boko Haram leader, days to surrender or be killed. Already, measures taken by the government to limit the spread of a COVID-19 outbreak and the war zone declaration are having…