Presidency Address alleged mass spread of COVID-19 in Aso Villa

Presidency has reacted to the report of alleged spread of the COVID-19 in the Presidential Villa, saying presidential aides are also humans.

Report had emerged on Saturday, listing a number of close aides of President Muhammadu Buhari, who had been diagnosed with the virus and have been asked to self-isolate and stay away from the Villa.

However, speaking on a monitored Channels Television programme, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the fact that aides of the President could fall ill as a result of a pandemic ravaging the entire population means that they are also humans like any other member of the society.

He explained that if anybody close to the President test positive, that person is required to stay away till he tests again, and he test negative. So Mr. President is following his normal schedule and routine.

NNPC wins 2021 global award for oil, gas reforms

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has ended the year on a bright note after it won an award as the overall best company in oil and gas reforms at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) global awards which was held in Seoul, South Korea.

Nigeria picked the award at the expense of other countries in Africa and the Middle East that were implementing the OGP at the summit of member countries, for setting up a Beneficial Ownership (BO) registry to end anonymous companies in the country.

The Deputy Director/Head Communications & Advocacy of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Obiageli Onuorah, said in a statement that a lot of factors were considered before Nigeria was picked for the award.

Onuorah said the summit considered the government’s overall commitment to reforms in the oil, gas and mining sectors and its support to NEITI to establish a beneficial ownership register of companies in business in Nigeria’s extractive sector.

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a partnership of 78 countries and 76 local governments – together representing more than 2 billion people – along with thousands of civil society organisations.

Bandits Storms Zamfara Communities, Kidnap Women

Gunmen suspected to be bandits have kidnapped over 20 women, following attacks in 15 villages in the Gusau environ.

According to a BBC Hausa report, some locals in Geba and Gidan Kaura villages, and others in communities within the Gusau local government area, said the bandits invaded their communities, killed men and destroyed properties.

The Zamfara state commissioner of information, Ibrahim Dosara, who confirmed the development, said the attack happened in Geba.

He said, ”there are soldiers working in that zone, they went to Geba.They met 3 people injured, the soldiers dispersed the bandits.”

Tramadol Worth N1.4bn Intercepted by Customs

The Seme Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has intercepted items suspected to be tramadol capsules concealed with packages of jumbo size adult diapers in a 40-feet container.

A statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Hussain Abdulahi, disclosed that the items have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N1,447,297,050. He identified the container as numbered, MRKU 9090415.

Abdullahi, who quoted the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Bello Jibo, said the container was handed over to the Command by authorities in the Republic of Benin under transit to Nigeria on November 15. According to Jibo, neither the owner nor any other person has come forward to continue the process of clearance procedure since customs took delivery of the container.

The Comptroller added that the command has initiated a full-scale investigation with a view to fishing out those involved in the illicit importation. He warned the perpetrators of unlawful activities to avoid the command or meet their Waterloo.

Just In: Nigerian Renowned Artist Abayomi Barber Is Dead

Renowned Nigerian contemporary artist, Professor Abayomi Barber, is dead. He was 93. Family sources say he died on Sunday night.

Barber is one of the golden oldies of contemporary Nigerian art known for “application of naturalism and surrealism method in his art works.”Just last June, he had an exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Lagos.

Some of his most famous works include life-size busts of former Head of State, Murtala Muhamed and Oba Adesoji Aderemi, Ooni of Ile Ife where the artist was born on October 23, 1928.

He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, disciples and the Nigerian art community as a whole.

12 Medical Laboratories Shut down in Akwa Ibom

No fewer than 12 medical laboratories have been shut down by the Akwa Ibom state Ministry of Health alongside the standards of the Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (LSCN).

Speaking to select journalists in Uyo at the weekend, shortly after the inspection team had sealed the laboratories, the Commissioner of Health, Prof Augustine Umoh, said the exercise was in compliance with a directive from the state executive council over sub-standard services of medical lab operators in the state.

The commissioner listed offences of the sealed laboratories to include lack of certificate of registration with the State Ministry of Health, non-evidence of registration with Medical Laboratory Council of Nigeria, lack of qualified laboratory scientists and other supporting staff in the kaboratories.

Other offences were lack of standard test result booklet, none provision of laboratory register, lack of personal operating license of laboratory technicians as well as unethical and dangerous practices.

Abductors Of Chief Obafemi Demand N20 Million Ramsom

Suspected gunmen who kidnapped a traditional chief in Ijan-Ekiti, Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti state on Thursday, have demanded the sum of N20 million to free the victim.

This is coming barely 72 hours, Obafemi, the Odolofin of Ijan Ekiti, was kidnapped on Thursday on his farm by gunmen, numbering over 10.

A family source, who preferred anonymity, said the kidnappers called on Friday night and demanded the amount to release the victim.

When contacted on the development, the Commandant of Amotekun Corps in Ekiti State, Brig.-Gen. Joe Komolafe (rtd), said he was not aware of the ransom being demanded by the abductors. He said his men are working round the clock to ensure that the victim is release unhurt.

8.3m Tramadol Caps, Codeine Seized by NDLEA In Lagos

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized 8,381,600 capsules of Tramadol and 56,782 bottles of codeine in major raids in Lagos state.

Ahead of Christmas celebration, the NDLEA chairman, Brig-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd), had ordered a sustained surveillance on some targets at Satellite Town and Alaba Rago areas of Lagos.

NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said the Satellite Town target was eventually raided on Thursday, December 23, when the drug kingpin, Ezekiel Ibe, was arrested and over five tons of high milligrams Tramadol (225mg and 100mg) were recovered from his warehouse.

A breakdown of the seized drug shows 7,991,600 Tramadol tablets and 390,000 capsules of same weighing 5,468.894 kilograms. In another raid on Monday, December 20, following surveillance of a notorious neighborhood at Alaba Rago, one Surajo Mohammed was arrested with 941.14kg of cannabis while 56,782 bottles of codeine were seized from the store of another drug lord who is still at large.

Lai Mohammed Aide Debunks COVID-19 Rumor

A Special Assistant to the President (Media), for Office of Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi has said the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, does not have COVID-19.

Adeyemi made the clarification on Sunday in reaction to a report that the Minister has contracted the disease and is receiving treatment in isolation.

He said, “For the record, the Minister does not have Covid-19, hence he is neither in isolation nor receiving treatment anywhere. “That report, which was first published by an online newspaper and then latched on to by some mainstream lapdog media, once again highlights the uphill task we face in our campaign to stamp out fake news and misinformation.”

He further explained that as a member of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, the Minister has the added responsibility of leading by example, hence would not have hesitated to publicly announce his Covid-19 status if indeed he has contracted the virus. He therefore urged the media to verify its reports before publishing.

FG Urges newly-inducted doctors not to partake in strikes

The Federal Government has charged newly-inducted medical graduates to desist from participating in incessant strikes by doctors in the country.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige gave the charge in a statement signed by Charles Akpan, Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations in the ministry, on Sunday in Abuja. Ngige gave the charge while speaking at the induction of six medical graduates of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) into the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

Ngige whose son, Dr Andrew Ngige, is among the new inductees, urged the medical graduates to be of good behaviour and uphold the highest ethical standards while carrying out their duties.

He noted that the medical profession is a noble one and hence, they should abstain from any conduct which is capable of bringing their esteemed profession to disrepute.