Sahara Reporters Latest News Today Tuesday 14th April 2020
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 14/04/20
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BREAKING: Buhari Orders Addition Of One Million Persons To Social Register
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the addition of one million persons to the social register of the country.
The register, which contains 2,600,000 million persons, is being used to distribute the Conditional Cash Transfer of the National Social Investment Program.The President revealed this while addressing the country in a nationwide broadcast.
He said the addition would help to cushion the effect of the lockdown on the people.
He said, “In the past two weeks, we announced palliative measures such as food distribution, cash transfers and loans repayment waivers to ease the pains of our restrictive policies during this difficult time. These palliatives will be sustained.
“I have also directed that the current social register be expanded from 2.6 million households to 3.6 million households in the next two weeks.
“This means we will support an additional one million homes with our social investment programs.
“A technical committee is working on this and will submit a report to me by the end of this week.”
The President also ordered the lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory for another 14 days to curb the spread of Coronavirus.
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BREAKING: Buhari Extends Lockdown In Lagos, Ogun, FCT For Another 14 Days To Curb Coronavirus Spread
President Muhammadu Buhari has announced the extension of the lockdown earlier imposed in Lagos, Ogun and Federal Capital Territory to curb the spread of Coronavirus in the country for another 14 days.
Buhari made the announcement during a nationwide broadcast on Monday.
He thanked Nigerians for compliance to the guidelines, which he said had been generally good across the country.
President Buhari added that such sacrifices were needed to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
He said, “With this in mind and having carefully considered the briefings and report from the Presidential Task Force and the various options offered, it has become necessary to extend the current restriction of movement in Lagos and Ogun states as well as the FCT for another 14 days effective from 11:59 pm on Monday, 13th of April, 2020.
“I am therefore once again asking you all to work with government in this fight.”
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Police Deploy Officers To Lagos, Ogun Communities To Protect Residents Against Hoodlums
Inspector-General of Police (IG-P), Mohammed Adamu
Inspector-General of Police (IG-P), Mohammed Adamu
In the wake of reported attacks on Nigerians in some communities in Lagos and Ogun states, the police have deployed its personnel to maintain law and order in the affected communities.
The Inspector-General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, said teams of additional intelligence and operational assets comprising Police Mobile Force Units, Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Intelligence Response Team and the Special Tactical Squad have been deployed to the affected communities.
The Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, in a statement, revealed that 191 of the hoodlums have been arrested in the two states.
He said, “The Intervention Team is being coordinated by a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Peter Babatunde Ogunyanwo, who doubles as the DIG in charge of the Department of Research and Planning of the Force and the coordinating DIG for South-West Zone.
“He is to oversee the deployments of these additional assets to enhance public safety, public confidence and general security in the two states.”
Meanwhile, the IGP has ordered commissioners of police across the country to immediately rejig the security architecture in their various commands to effectively tackle all emerging crimes associated with the COVID-19 lock-down.
Mba added that the public can contact DIG Ogunyanwo on 0803 389 3226.
The Control Room numbers for Lagos Command are 08127155132, 08065154338 and 07055462708 while that of Ogun Command are 08081770416 and 08081770419.
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COVID-19: Bayelsa Reverts To Total Lockdown
Bayelsa State will from midnight Monday revert to its earlier order on lockdown of the state as part of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The government had last Thursday relaxed its lockdown directive on worship centres to enable Christians participate in the Easter celebrations.
Churches were allowed to have 50 worshippers at a time while smaller churches were permitted to have 20 worshippers for their Easter programmes.
Governor Douye Diri in a statement by his Acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, on Monday said the Easter celebrations were over but the battle against COVID-19 was still on.
Governor Diri, while thanking the churches for complying with the directive during Easter, said reverting to the total lockdown of the state underscored the importance his administration placed on safety and well-being of residents.
He said, “The directive on total lockdown of the state, which was earlier relaxed due to the Easter celebration, has now been reinstated.
“I commend the churches for their compliance level as the reports I got were encouraging.
“Let us continue with the same zeal and commitment in order to prevent the virus from entering our state. So far, we have done well.
“I equally commend the dedication of the COVID-19 Task Force, the health personnel as well as the security agencies that have been working tirelessly to keep our state safe.”
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Plateau Court Convicts 100 Persons For Violating Movement Restriction Order
At least 100 persons found to have broken the movement restriction order put in place by the Plateau State Government to curb the spread of Coronavirus, have been convicted by a court in the state.
The violators apprehended in Jos South Local Government Area pleaded not guilty to the sentence, insisting that they had gone out to buy medicine when they were picked up by state officials.
The court, however, dismissed their claims on the premise that there were dedicated phone numbers to attend to such medical challenges to call without having to step of the house.
The suspects were thereafter mandated to pay the sum of N10,000 and engage in social work by sweeping the terminus market for two hours under the supervision of the prison officials as punishment.
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Police Detain Lawyer For Demanding Client’s Bail In Adamawa
A lawyer, Hussaini Guyuk, was detained by the police in Adamawa State for demanding the bail of his client, Saharareporters has learnt.
Narrating his ordeal to our correspondent, Guyuk said, “I got into trouble just because I went to the State Criminal Investigation Department to secure the bail of my client.
“I got to there on the instruction of my client and requested for his bail only for one of the officers to order my detention there and then.”
Guyuk’s client, Phillip Buji, Saharareporters gathered, was arrested in Kojoli under Jada Local Government Area for allegedly parading himself a factional ward chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Following the detention of the two men, one Dr Umar Ardo petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, alleging abuse of power against the Commissioner of Police in Adamawa State, Audu Madaki.
In the petition letter obtained by Saharareporters, Ardo stated, “Yesterday, the Commissioner of Police dispatched a team of mobile policemen to my hometown, Kojoli, and closed the factional office, removed the flags, arrested the factional chairman, Mr Phillip Buji, brought and locked him up in Yola.
“When we sent a lawyer, Husseini Guyuk, to bail Mr Buji, the lawyer was himself promptly detained.
“My Personal Assistant, Abdulsalam Adamu, who took food to them, was as well detained by the police.
“The police claims that a petition was written against us (which we are not served) by the government factional chairman, one AT Shehu, accusing us of creating a faction.”
However, following the intervention of Assistant Inspector-General Zone 3, the three men were released.
Speaking after his release at a press conference in Yola, Guyuk accused the Commissioner of Police in the state of complicity.
He said, “This is high handedness, shameful and inhumane.”
When contacted, spokesperson for the state police command, DSP Suleiman Nguroje, said, “We understand that one Dr Ardo has petitioned the IG over the matter.
“As such, there is the need for us to await the IG’s directive before commenting.”
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SEC Denies Conducting Recruitment Exercise, Warns Public To Beware Of Fraudsters
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) tower
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) tower
The management of Securities and Exchange Commission has denied conducting any recruitment exercise in Nigeria in recent times.
In a statement on Monday, the agency said those peddling such news were persons bent on defrauding members of the public by tricking them into parting with various amounts of money.
The statement reads, “The commission’s attention has been drawn to some messages and a video being circulated on the social media wherein the commission is alleged to have carried out a recruitment exercise where 811 persons were employed, all from Anambra State, with one from Kano State.
“The messages parades the person shown in the video as Ms Mary Uduk, Acting Director-General of the commission.
“The agency wishes to inform the general public that the person shown in the video is not the Acting Director-General of Securities and Exchange Commission, and no such recruitment exercise was conducted.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, since the Acting DG assumed office, the commission has not carried out any recruitment exercise.
“The general public is therefore advised to disregard the messages and video being circulated as they are false.”
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Policy Of COVID-19, 5G Technology Connection And Lockdown Extension By Monday Onyekachi Ubani
The world was awoken from slumber concerning the global health challenge posed by Coronavirus pandemic not too long ago which was first reported in Wuhan in far away China. As the death statistics were increasing daily and reported on the world’s news media, the other continents thought that it was Chinese/Asia affair only and did not envisage that the virus will spread to their continents in particular and to their countries in general.
Alas! world wide travellers imported the virus into various continents and by extension to various countries. It became obvious that the world is engaged in a global health war that no one knows when it will end.
The African continent is not spared. Most of the government did not take proactive measures on time but when they did it was measures like total lockdown on the country’s business, social and economic life.
In Nigeria the States here really took proactive measures when the Federal Government was dilly dallying on taking measures to stem the tide of spread.
The first index case was a foreigner, an Italian who came into the country perhaps from his country. He was promptly quarantined and the story is that he has fully recovered. Other recoveries have been reported and happily too.
Daily, the index cases keep increasing in Nigeria with virtually all the States of the federation having or two index cases. As at today, we have more than three hundred cases in the country with ninety per cent recovery of the patients which is a cheering news.
Some of the countries in the continent have gotten it right with movement restrictions, stay at home policy and social distancing even though majority of the citizens are still of the view that the virus only infect the rich and the mighty and so it is not meant for the majority who are poor and have no travel history.
However, some of the African countries failed in providing seamless social intervention measures to cushion the harsh economic effect of stay in door policy of their governments. What makes this policy prone to failure is the economic lifestyle of the majority that depends on daily businesses, sales and tradings for self survival. Demanding that they stay in doors without adequate palliatives as other advanced nations are doing, will lead to a sort of flagrant disobedience to the policy and what the government fears most may likely happen if this is not addressed urgently.
Already there is a break down of law and order in some African countries on the sit at home policy where the people are not getting any financial or food assistance from their government. They are disobeying the sit at home policy and going to their normal businesses even though the security agents are killing some of them as reported in the news media. It is reported that the security agents have killed more of the citizens than the virus itself.
If the national governments extend the total lockdowns in their various countries without addressing these defects and anomalies as enumerated, they should expect repugnant disobedience and criminality from the majority of the hopeless and hapless citizens.
In Lagos, Nigeria, many communities have not been sleeping due to the menace of hoodlums, armed robbery and other criminal acts due to hunger. Hunger has become more dangerous than the coronavirus, pushing many into crime of robbery, house and store breaking for self survival.
The government is hereby advised to take a holistic view of the sit at home policy with a view to correcting the issue of palliatives to the citizens to avoid a revolution of the majority against an uncaring government. It is a plea.
On the theory that 5G technology has correlation with the virus, this has been copiously rebutted by scientists and experts as there is no evidence of relationship whatsoever.
However the long term effect of health, security, loss of independence and control is still a serious matter of concern to the world and Africa in particular.
The explanation given to curtail the fears of the world on those areas aforementioned are still scanty. The story behind the manufacture of a vaccine to prevent the virus associated with certain personalities in the world economy is still a matter of top secret.
Things like this do not help remove speculators and theorists from churning them out in large measures and the bewildered world tend to believe them when free flow of information is lacking in abundance.
The continent is never in the race for the invention and manufacture of these scientific breakthroughs but are ordinary passionate consumers and as consumers these things can be used to manipulate and keep the continent in perpetual poverty, slavery, control, ultimate penury and underdevelopment.
It is instructive that the continent and their leaders must examine the total ramifications of these technologies in full before they give approval for their installation in their various countries. It is an advice to our national leaders.
A word is enough for the wise!
By Monday Onyekachi Ubani(MOU) Esq.
Legal Practitioner.
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Who Are The Poorest Of The Poor In Nigeria? By Bayo Oluwasanmi
The riches of the few in Nigeria are an injustice to the multitude of poor Nigerians. I lay awake in the night thinking of the inhuman conditions in the land. The poor majority stagers to the rest of humanity needing love and facing their own death.
In this part of the world, citizens are not free to share what nature offers here. They are not allowed to explore or maximise their God-given potentials into which they are born. Throughout, their lives have been sealed into laden slums as into living tombs.
Those running the federal, state, and local governments are terrible people. They are cannibals and wolves, who destroyed Nigeria and Nigerians. They treat Nigerians as sub-humans. The distribution of Federal Government’s stimulus package to soften the effects of lockdown on Nigerians as a result of Coronavirus, is yet another example of a government that serves as enemy of its own citizens.
As usual, members of National Assembly abdicated their duty on the stimulus package by failing to initiate the stimulus package bill as to who gets what. Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Umar Farouq, said 11 million Nigerians are on the National Social Register, and have been receiving monthly stipends of N5,000 since 2016. Under the program, 2.6 million households are qualified to receive Conditional Cash Transfer payments and for the distribution of food items during the Coronavirus lockdown.
The Federal Government is being run like a feudal administration with archaic system, primitive ideas, and ancient methods. For one thing, there’s no reliable census figures to make projections and economic plans. For another, no available data to ensure equitable distribution of resources and or emergency special programs like the stimulus package. In the absence of these two key planning indicators, the government relies on crude and non-transparent methods to distribute the stimulus package.
It was reported that the stimulus will be distributed among the poorest of the poor. According to Farouq, community based target was used to identify poor Nigerians. She said community leaders were asked to identify poor families in their various communities. This method is not transparent or reliable. It is obvious that the community leaders will register their families and friends and collect money from “outsiders” to be included in the register.
Billions of naira was shared within days without reaching the poorest of the poor. The important questions that beg for answers are: Who are the poorest of the poor in Nigeria? What were the criteria used by the Federal Government to identify and determine the poorest of the poor? What evidence to show that the poor got what we were told they received?
In a country where unemployment is off the roof, where citizens live on average of $1-$2 a day, where average life span is 45, where workers work for months and even years without being paid, where minimum wage is N30,000, where pensioners live as destitute, where 13 million school-age children roam the streets for food as scavengers, where majority live in the slums, where the country is the poverty capital of the world and the saddest place to live, where 99 per cent live on alms. With the exception of the one per cent rich, the rest of the country constitute the poorest of the poor.
Since 99.9 per cent of Nigerians constitute the poorest of the poor, it is fraudulent and wicked on the part of the government to discriminate among the poorest of the poor in the distribution of the stimulus package. In US, Canada, Britain, and other civilized nations, stimulus package was based on different methods. For example, in the US according to USA Today, here’s how the stimulus package is disbursed: “Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, says those who file joint tax returns will get up to $2,400.
“The payments will be sent via direct deposit to Americans who already have provided the Internal Revenue Service with their bank account information. For those who haven’t, the checks will be mailed. If you’ve already filed your 2019 taxes, the IRS will use those returns to determine your rebate. If not, your 2018 returns will be used to calculate your check.
“Individuals with an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less will be eligible for up to $1,200 ($2,400 for joint tax returns) and $500 for each qualifying child.
“Those with little or no tax liability also will get $1,200 ($2,400 for joint returns). The payments will start to phase out for Americans who earn more than $75,000, or $150,000 for a joint return. The amount you receive will be decreased by five per cent of the amount your income exceeds $75,000. For example, a single person with an $85,000 salary would get $700 after subtracting 5% of $10,000, or $500.”
Over N21bn has been donated to the Federal Government by titans of industry and other public figures in Nigeria as their contribution to cushion the economic impact of Coronavirus. But why sending money to a corrupt government? After all, the money will end up in private pockets. Both the Federal Government and donors should have sent the money to individuals via their BVN.
Also, the N20,000 for each individual is too small to make a dent in the economic hardship faced by the poor. At least, nothing less than N100,000 should be a reasonable threshold.
Meanwhile, with pockets of protests by hungry and frustrated citizens popping up around the country due to the lockdown without food, money, water, and light, Buhari may be the guest of the very revolution he fears so much.
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BREAKING: Lagos Discharges Six Coronavirus Patients After Recovery
Six persons have been discharged in Lagos after recovering fully from Coronavirus infection.
Nigeria so far has 323 confirmed cases of the virus.
Governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, made the disclosure in a tweet on Monday.
He said, “Six more persons have been discharged from the Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, having recovered fully and tested negative to #COVID-19, bringing the total number of discharged patients to 61.”
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