Author: straightnewsng.com

New cases of coronavirus totalling 184 were confirmed in Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Jigawa, and 18 other states in Nigeria on Wednesday. Announcing this in its Twitter, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country has risen to 4,971. Data from the centre’s website showed that six new COVID-19 fatalities were recorded in the country. Also, 111 patients were discharged after testing negative twice for the virus, making the total number of recoveries rise to 1070. NCDC said, “On the 13th of May 2020, 184 new confirmed cases and six deaths were recorded…

By: Akanimo Sampson A new briefing paper by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) says the COVID-19 lockdown and containment measures are threatening to increase relative poverty levels among the world’s informal economy workers by as much as 56 percentage points in low-income countries. In high-income countries, relative poverty levels among informal workers are estimated to increase by 52 percentage points, while in upper-middle-income countries the increase is estimated to be 21 percentage points. As many as 1.6 billion of the world’s two billion informal economy workers are affected by lockdown and containment measures. Most are working in the hardest-hit sectors or…

The need for the Federal and Akwa Ibom governments to support the informal sector which accounts for 80 per cent of the economic growth in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic has come to the front burner. Chris Ekong, a professor of Economics who made the call on Tuesday, predicted that the country’s economy may drastically nosedive in the next six months if the government folds hand and fails to ginger the sector which was vibrant before the pandemic. Ekong, currently the Director of International Programmes, University of Uyo, Uyo in Akwa Ibom State while answering questions during Team Nigeria…

President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated an Akwa Ibom son as one of the 42 career diplomats to the Senate for confirmation as ambassadors. He is R. U. Brown, a career diplomat, who hails from Ikot Abasi local government area. Buhari forwarded the names of the nominees to the Senate seeking confirmation of their appointments “in accordance with section 171(2)(1c) and Subsection 4 of the 1999 constitution. His letter was read out by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, at the start of plenary on Tuesday. The nominnes are C. O Nwachukwu (Abia), A. Kefas (Adamawa), G. A, Odidibo (Anambra), O. C…

An imminent food shortage in the country caused by the ravaging COVID-19 may spell doom for more than five million Akwa Ibom people. A Nigerian university lecturer who expressed this concern Tuesday on Inspiration 105.9 FM, Uyo, said the situation may worsen in the next six months as the World Health Organisation is still searching for a cure to the deadly COVID-19. Chris Ekong, a professor of Economics and currently the Director of International Programmes, University of Uyo, Uyo in Akwa Ibom State was talking on the topic: Informal Economic Sector In A Pandemic Era lamented that most foodstuffs such…

Nigeria is expecting COVID Organic, a herbal drug from Madagascar, reported having been used by the Indian Ocean island country to cure patients, who tested positive for COVID-19. Nigeria’s Minister Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire confirmed this Monday at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 press briefing in Abuja, listed the states like Lagos, Ogun, Kaduna, Sokoto, and Kano. This is as Boss Mustapha, the PTF Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said the President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the airlifting of COVID Organic to Nigeria. However, Ehanire and Mustapha said the herbal drug which would be subjected to…

Nigeria on Monday recorded 242 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 4,641.The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control stated this on its website also announced 10 new fatalities were recorded from coronavirus-related complications in the country.Data from the centre’s website showed that 124 patients recovered from COVID-19 in the country.NCDC posted, “On the 11th of May 2020, 242 new confirmed cases and 10 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.“No new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours.“Till date, 4641 cases have been confirmed, 902 cases have been discharged and 150 deaths…

By: Martin Akpan At The Crossroads (1)see birds, limping on bug-infested treetops Limping in the void of the season (1)see men in their numbers watching Wondering and wandering in the clueless aim The wind stretching its ears amid a din In the distant Cathedral of the Cross As ‘Father’ ministers the extreme unction On a parting communicant before a soulful Cortege It is time for prayers of the saints who are saints indeed For Angels have jettisoned their holy chores For a porridge of mellifluous oddity And demons have taken over the altars of prayer With acrobatics of seamy drama…

By Akanimo Sampson Before the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic, economic watchers said Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari’s economics was struggling to shake off the long-term effect of a 2016 recession. At the moment, the country’s fast-growing population tends to be outstripping the Buharinomics growth, which they claim, stands at two per cent. Now, the economic wahala appears to be getting worse with the latest data tumbling out of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The statistics bureau says 83 million or some 40 per cent of the country’s population is classified as poor in 2019. In its executive summary of the…

Nigeria has recorded 248 new cases of coronavirus pandemic, summing all to 4,399 in the country. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control confirmed the new cases in a tweet on Sunday night. In its Twitter handle, NCDC wrote “248 new cases of #COVID19; 81-Lagos 35-Jigawa 26-Borno 26-Kano 20-Bauchi 13-FCT 12-Edo 10-Sokoto 7-Zamfara 4-Kwara 4-Kebbi 2-Gombe 2-Taraba 2-Ogun 2-Ekiti 1-Osun 1-Bayelsa.” “4399 cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria, Discharged: 778 Deaths: 143,″ it tweeted.