Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:
1. Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, Saturday tested positive for coronavirus. The Governor, who confirmed this on his Twitter handle, explained that he was not showing symptoms of the virus. He said he got his coronavirus test result on Saturday and currently self-isolating.
2. Eight new cases of Coronavirus have been confirmed in Nigeria. The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) made the announcement on Saturday night in a post on its official Twitter page. It said the new patients are in FCT, Kaduna, Osun and Oyo States. Nigeria now has 97 confirmed cases of the virus. It said two of the cases are in FCT, four are in Oyo, one in Kaduna and another one is in Osun State.
3. The Presidency on Saturday, dismissed reports that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved N30,000 relief package to be given to every Nigerian with a verified Bank Verification Number (BVN) to cushion hardships occasioned by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic across the country. According to Femi Adesina, the said the approval by the President was concocted by those he described as “fake news peddlers.”
4. Nigeria’s Minister for Health, Osagie Ehanire, has said he met with President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday, to update him on the coronavirus outbreak in the country. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Ehanire said they also briefed Buhari on the necessary measures to be taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
5. The National Leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu has said that following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Nigeria, the government should announce a tax credit or partial tax reduction for companies or firms and suspend VAT for the next 2-4 months, adding that This will help lower import costs and protect against shortages. He advised the government to maintain its expenditures, adding that the natural instinct will be to reduce spending. This was contained in the former Lagos State Governor’s 13-page message he sent to Nigerians to mark his birthday.
6. The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday, said only a few Nigerian want a President whose preoccupation is talking while the majority voted for a President who is deploying his energy to working. The statement followed demands that President Muhammadu Buhari should address citizens amid the coronavirus outbreak in Nigeria. The APC stated that there was no need for an address as Nigerians can see the effect of his efforts to contain the disease. Lanre Issa-Onilu, APC National Publicity Secretary, called Buhari “a troop commander”, who is steadily and vigorously leading the charge against the coronavirus pandemic.
7. President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, has tested negative for coronavirus. This was revealed by Bashir Ahmaad, Buhari’s aide on new media, via his Twitter page. Ahmed prayed God to protect Nigerians.
8. Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) on Saturday, said all markets under its supervision will be shut from Monday, March 29. Abdullahi Candido, AMAC Chairman, said this in a statement signed by Mrs Patience Olaloye, the Head of Information. He explained that the closure of the markets was to stop the spread of coronavirus. Candido disclosed that the Environment Department has been directed to fumigate all the markets.
9. Following the explosion that rocked Ondo State in the early hours of Saturday, there are reports that the explosion was caused by a truck conveying explosives through the state. The report claims that the truck was conveying dynamite for a quarry company to Auchi, in Edo State and broke down in the area. Corroborating the report, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Undie Adie emphasized that the blast was caused by explosives meant for a quarry company. He disclosed that nobody died during the blast which shook Akure, the state capital as he stressed that the 13 people who were injured are now in stable condition.
10. Report has emerged that human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the Federal Government to rearrest the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Mr Omoyele Sowore. In a petition to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, the Lagos lawyer said the new plot to arrest Sowore was based on a report on the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, testing positive for coronavirus.
