NCDC announces 754 new Covid-19 cases
Nigeria has reported 754 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday amid Omicron variant concerns.
In an update on its Facebook page, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said the new infections were recorded in 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Lagos, which has been the epicentre of the pandemic since its outbreak early last year, had the highest number of infected persons for the day under review.
with Thursday’s new cases bringing the number of infected persons in the country to 215,918. Of the figure, 207,619 have been discharged; 2,981 deaths were reported.
Buhari mourns Indian Military Commandant, wife, 11 others
President Muhammadu Buhari has joined other world leaders in mourning India’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife, and 11 others killed in a helicopter crash.
The 63-year-old defence chief was travelling with his wife and other senior officers in the Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter, which crashed near its destination in southern Tamil Nadu state.
President Buhari, in a message to the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on Thursday, described the deaths as irreparable losses to the Indian military and the nation.
A statement by the president’s spokesperson, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja quoted the Nigerian leader to have said that the late Chief of Defence Staff was widely credited with the reform of the Indian armed forces and the security apparatuses.
FCT Council polls holds February 12 – INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed February 12, 2022 for the conduct of elections into the offices of Chairman, Vice Chairman, and members of the FCT Area Councils.
INEC Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, who disclosed this on Thursday said the commission met and deliberated on several issues, including the conduct of the Federal Capital Territory Area Council Elections.
Okoye noted that the commission had also deployed 17 INEC Voter Enrolment Devices (IVEDs) in the registration centres for the FCT Council elections.
He said pursuant to section 103(1) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), INEC fixed Saturday 21st February 2022 for the conduct of elections into the offices of Chairman, Vice Chairman, and members of the Area Councils.
Ebonyi Permanent Secretary suspended over late salary payments
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi has suspended the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Matters and Rural Development over delay in payment of November salary of local government workers.
This was contained in a statement by Dr Kenneth Igwe, Secretary to the State Government on Friday in Abakaliki.
He said: “The governor has noticed with dismay the delay in the payment of local government staff salary for November.
“In view of this, the governor has directed the immediate suspension of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Matters and Rural Development and the Accountant, JAAC for one month without salary.
Nine dead, six injured in Niger gunmen attack
The Police Command in Niger said gunmen had killed nine worshippers and injured six others in an attack on a mosque at Tungan Ba’are village in Mashegu Local Government Area of the state.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Monday-Bala Kuryas, who confirmed the incident, said the worshippers were killed during early morning prayer on Thursday.
He said a primary school teacher was abducted by the gunmen, adding that those killed were aged between 30 and 65.
The police commissioner said the six injured persons were evacuated to Kontagora General hospital for treatment.
Katsina Commissioner, Rabe Nasir, Killed by Gunmen
Katsina State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr. Rabe Nasir, has been assassinated by gunmen.
The State Commissioner of Police, Sanusi Buba, who confirmed the incident on Thursday, said Nasir was killed on Wednesday evening at his residence in Fatima Shema estate, in Katsina.
Governor Aminu Masari and other top officials made a fact-finding visit to the residence on Thursday evening.
Nasir, 61, a former House of Representatives member, was also a former employee of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. He was also a special adviser handling the same portfolio during Masari’s first tenure.
APC, Federal Government is fueling secessionist agitations – Ayu
The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, has vowed that the National Working Committee under his leadership will return the party to the people.
Delivering his inaugural speech titled “Let Us Rescue And Rebuild Nigeria” at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, Friday, Ayu said “today marks a new journey and a new direction for the PDP. As one who was part of those that founded the Party in 1998, I am well aware of its core values and vision which are centered around the people and their well-being.
He said “In the last six years, the APC-led government has mismanaged our diversity; divided the country along regional and religious lines. It has exacerbated religious tensions in the country. And through its marriage to nepotism, the incompetent APC- Federal Government is fueling secessionist agitations in the East and West of Nigeria”.
According to him, the PDP is the only organic political party. It has remained a credible, tested, tasted, and trusted mass movement since the return of democracy in 1999 where other parties have either fizzled away or merged with others.
Man nabbed with fresh human parts in Ikorodu
The Sagamu Road Police Division said it had arrested a 41-year-old man, Sikiru Kolawole, for allegedly being in possession of fresh human parts.
The Spokesperson of the Lagos Police Command, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu, who confirmed the incident, said that the suspect was reportedly found with fresh human hands, intestines and skull from Ojokoro cemetery in Ikorodu.
Earlier, the Ikorodu Local Government Chairman, Hon. Wasiu Adesina, who led members of his cabinet to the scene of the crime, said the council promised to do everything necessary to curtail the dastard act and its recurrence.
The council boss immediately directed the environment department to clear every part of the cemetery to avoid any black spot inside and outside, adding that the apprehended suspect would be dealt with according to the law to serve as a deterrent to others.
Presidency debunks rumours, reassures public servants of December salary
The Presidency has dismissed the claims in some quarters that public servants will not get paid in December due to shortfall in budgetary allocations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a circular which was purportedly issued by the Federal Government advised police officers and federal civil servants to spend their November salaries wisely because their December salaries might be delayed till January 2022.
However, Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, who spoke to State House correspondents on Thursday in Abuja, dismissed the circular, saying President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration “takes the issue of payment of salaries more seriously.’’
According to him, “the Buhari administration attaches great importance to the welfare of its workers, especially the payment of their wages.
FG Commences Administration Of COVID-19 Booster Shots
Nigeria on Friday started the administration of Covid-19 booster shot, days after the Federal Government approved the decision.
Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Faisal Shuaib, has said during the flag-off of vaccination for Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps, that the Federal Government has reviewed the country’s vaccination programme and resolved to introduce the booster dose using the Pfizer Bio-N-Tech vaccine across the country.
He said that the new development will take effect as from tomorrow, Friday the 10th of December 2021.
According to him, while the country’s vaccination drive has faced several bottlenecks including “large-scale misinformation,” Nigeria has recorded some successes.