Taiwo Akerele, the Chief of Staff to Edo Governor Godwin Obaseki has resigned his appointment.
It was gathered the youthful Akerele, an indigene of Igarra in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, accused Obaseki of sidelining him.
The Governor is at loggerheads with his benefactor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), who handed over to him.
Akerele, who was appointed on November 14, 2016, in his resignation dated April 25, 2020, said: “My decision to exit the government is based on administrative and governance grounds.
“I am solidly with His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in his quest to transform Edo State. His mission and vision resonate with mine.
“This is all I have to say, I will like to be given opportunity to go private as I part ways administratively with the government, based on principles.
“I thank His Excellency for the opportunity given to me to serve in this capacity and also thanks to His Royal Majesty, Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, for his immense leadership and support during the period I served in this capacity. May his reign be long and peaceful. Amen”
A twitter user, @peterugavah has narrated how he lost his mom this morning in Rivers State.
According to Mr Peter they have being managing his mom's hypertension for over 20 years, but this morning as she was rushed to the hospital, the police insisted they won't let them pass due to the lockdown.
He however claimed they demanded the sum of N20,000 as bribe before they can let them pass. Sadly he lost his mom.
The man who says he is overwhelmed with anger and categorically stated he now hates this country tweeted thus;
'This morning my mom who has been managing hypertension for over 20 yrs passed away right there in the car while I was taking her to the hospital this morning simply because men of the @PoliceNG
insisted that I have to part with 20,000 naire before they will let us pass.
''I am in pains right now , I have now become an orphan all because of this lock down.
My mom would not have died if we had arrived at the hospital early enough. I even offered to make a transfer these officers refused, thy said it will be traceable , they needed cash .
''Even after pleading with them for over an hour , these heartless officers refused to all us move. They made me sit there and watch my mom pass away before my eyes. I doubt if I will ever be normal again after this. I hate this country .
''So many lives is being lost daily due to this lock down and sadly it is not covid 19 that is killing them. The anger I feel right now is totally overwhelming
''I want to get something clear , @NyesomWlKE are we not allowed to take our loved ones who need medical care to the hospital ? Are we just supposed to sit at home and die. @aproko_doctor''
Coronavirus can linger in the eyes long after it has cleared from the nose, according to a new case report which sheds further light on possible symptoms.
Italian scientists say the country’s first Covid-19 patient had virus particles in her eyes 27 days after she was admitted to hospital.
Researchers at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases are concerned the infection can make copies of itself in the eyes, after it disappeared only to return days later.
The report, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, highlights the importance of personal protective equipment with eye mucus and tears being a possible source of infection. It also warns pink eye could be an early sign of Covid-19, as it developed before the patient’s other symptoms .
The 65-year-old woman, who fell ill after returning to Rome from Wuhan on January 23rd, was admitted to hospital after coming down with a dry cough, sore throat and conjunctivitis. Later, she developed a fever, nausea and vomiting.
Noticing the woman’s red eyes, doctors took swabs and discovered she had RNA, or genetic material, from coronavirus. This lingered up until the 21st day, when the virus disappeared from her eye fluid, only to return six days later.
Coronavirus was detected in her eyes on day 27, even after her nasal swabs were clear. That suggested to the researchers that the virus was continuing to make more copies of itself within the woman’s eye fluid.
‘These findings highlight the importance of control measures, such as avoiding touching the nose, mouth, and eyes and frequent hand washing’, the report said.
It also warned eye doctors to exercise caution during clinical exams, as the eyes could both be an entrance to the virus and a source of spread. Authors said their research suggested eye infections can occur early on in Covid-19, meaning ‘measures to prevent transmission via this route must be implemented as early as possible’.
Reports have emerged of people getting pink eye with coronavirus across the globe, but the number of patients affected by the symptom appears to remain quite low.
A US nurse said almost every patient she treated at the Life Care Center nursing home in Washington – where an outbreak infected over 80 people and killed 35 – had red eyes.
Studies in China have found that the eyes are one of the parts of the body that can be attacked by the virus, although research indicated this was not common. The NHS and the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) does not list red eyes as a sign of coronavirus.
A bra-shaped face masks in Japan sold out minutes after launch.
Recently, bra-cup face mask memes surfaced online and went viral but a Japanese company decided to make them a reality and they sold out almost instantly.
Atsumi Fashion, an apparel manufacturer in the city of Himi, Toyama Prefecture that specialises in women’s underwear garments decided that applying the same design to face masks wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
According to SoraNews24, though the lace bra face mask started out as a joke the company underestimated Japanese consumers appetite for ingenuity and sexy underwear. The prototype Atsumi Fashion originally showcased got a lot of attention online.
The company promoted the face masks by sharing a photo of model and TV personality Aya Kondo wearing a lace bra face mask. The former “Terrace House” cast member came by to visit the store, and wore the lace bra mask.
Soon after, a whole collection of bra face masks was announced.
The lace bra face masks went on sale last Saturday at 1,490 yen (N5600) and sold out minutes after it became available.
Spokesperson of the Nigeria Police zonal command in Lagos, CSP Dolapo Badmos has paid a tribute to her senior colleague who she revealed died of the ravaging Coronavirus.
Dolapo Badmos shared a picture of the officer, a compassionate man, who she said would have marked his birthday if he had not succumbed to the virus. She wrote...
”Today would have marked your birthday but u succumbed. I know by now you must have been telling COVID19 to leave the world since it has taken you. yes I’m sure you must be telling it to take your death as the “sacrifice”! Yes..that’s the person you are! So compassionate..RIP sir”
The presiding cleric of Resurrection Praise Chapel, Archbishop Samson Mustapha Benjamin has been released after he was arrested while protesting at the Chinese Embassy in Victoria Island, Lagos, on April 21, 2020.
He was arrested after he led a protest he described as a “one man protest against the inhumane treatment of Nigerians and Africans at large in China”.
After he was arrested, Archbishop Samson Benjamin was arraigned in court on charges of “failure to stay at home contrary to COVID-19 Regulations’ and “conduct likely to cause breach of peace”.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was subsequently granted a N1 million bail and also remanded pending fulfilment of the terms.
The popular cleric has met his bail condition and regained his freedom.
Government really need to look for a way to change this lockdown to curfew, so people can do their work/business from 6am to 6pm to avoid extreme poverty and mass hunger. Nigeria doesn't have the means of sending reasonable money to citizens the way other countries on total lockdown have been doing.
Despite this obvious fact, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has explained why the lockdown measure should not be relaxed amid efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking on Friday at a media briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja, the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said it was not yet time to relax the lockdown.
He noted that although the lockdown was having negative effects on the economy as it was impeding Nigerians’ ability to go about their daily activities, he said it was vital to be patient and endure the lockdown further to ensure a safe and healthy society when the economy would be reopened.
He said, “We will eventually exit this stage and restart our normal life but that stage is still a while to come and I ask for your endurance, support and patience. Lots of efforts are going on across the world to find new therapy, to find vaccine.
“Everybody is pushing hard along this direction. We need unprecedented level of caution to continue carrying out the preventive measure that we have advised many times on this platform.
“Many families have not been able to bury their dead, rescheduled their marriages and baptism and everything they are doing. In a way, life is in suspense. Everyone recognises the sacrifice Nigerians have made but we really have to encourage one another to continue to a position where we can relax some of that (lockdown) but until we get to that place, we have to continue in the short term.
“We are working hard to reach a point where we can relax some of these measures but we are not there yet. We ask you to join us to continue this journey with us and amplify these messages that we are giving. We are happy to have the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress here with us today (Friday).”
One of the top issues trending on Twitter is the rumoured death of North Korea leader, leaving many to depend on third party sources due to the secretive nature of the country.
China has sent a team of doctors to North Korea to help determine their Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un's health status, Reuters reported on Friday.
Hong Kong Satellite Television reported that Kim was dead, though there has been no confirmation from U.S. sources at this point.
"While the US continues to monitor reports surrounding the health of the North Korean Supreme Leader, at this time, there is no confirmation from official channels that Kim Jong-un is deceased," a senior Pentagon official not authorized to speak on the record told Newsweek. "North Korean military readiness remains within historical norms and there is no further evidence to suggest a significant change in defensive posturing or national level leadership changes."
On Monday, rumors spread that the North Korean leader was in ill health after undergoing heart surgery on April 12. His last public appearance was on April 11, at a politburo meeting. These rumors were subsequently discounted by U.S. intelligence, who reported they had no reason to think that Kim had suffered any kind of serious illness.
Similarly, at the time, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency cited a government official who said there was nothing unusual coming from North Korea that could suggest Kim was ill.
Should the reports of Kim's death prove accurate, there are a number of questions over who would be his successor. Many think that his younger sister Kim Yo Jong, reported to be 31 and one of Kim's key lieutenants, would take over the role of Supreme Leader.
Following the orderly room trial and dismissal of the two officers who flogged her while going to get drugs for her daughter, Tola Azeez has released a pic of her body as gave an idea of what happened...
Recalling the incident in a chat with The Punch, the housewife and trained broadcaster said, “My daughter’s ear was discharging puss on that day and after contemplating for a while, I decided to visit a pharmacy owned by a family member. Because of the restriction order, I couldn’t get a vehicle that would convey me and I decided to walk down to the place located few metres away from my house.
“I was already walking to the place when I saw a man riding a motorcycle. He was an acquaintance and I begged him to give me a ride. He obliged but before we got to the pharmacy, he sighted two policemen from afar, manning a barricade.
“The man refused to move further. He told me the policemen at the barricade were tough. He said he could not face them. I had to disembark from the motorcycle and walked towards a building near the barricade. The building belongs to a family friend.
“I was in front of the building when one of policemen approached me. He held a cane in his hand and he asked me what I was doing outside. As I was trying to explain to him, he started using the cane on me.
“I kept pleading that he should listen to me but all entreaties fell on deaf ears. He dragged me to the side of their vehicle where another policeman holding a baton stood. The second policeman joined in beating me. Also, another security officer in a ‘Man O War’ uniform joined the two policemen and the three of them beat me mercilessly.
"While that was going on, a superior officer arrived at the scene and ordered them to stop beating me. He asked me what I was doing outside and I told him. I also told him his men did not listen to me.
“The superior officer said I should go to the pharmacy to get the drug for my daughter, but I told him I was already brutalised and couldn’t walk properly again. They kept threatening to arrest me if I refused to leave the area. A resident later came around and assisted as I walked out of the area in excruciating pains.
“I was first treated at Victory Hospital, Iwo, but when I was not feeling too well, I was later attended to at Police Clinic in Osogbo. When my condition did not improve, I was taken to the State Hospital, Asubiaro.”
She stated that she never knew there would be proof against the cops who brutalised her, adding that she was informed of the video while in hospital.
Tola Azeez commended the Osun State Police Commissioner, Johnson Kokumo, for his prompt action to ensure justice for her, after the arrest and dismissal of the cops.
Ogun state has started testing people for the dreaded Coronavirus, with workers using the protective glass box. The state governor, Dapo Abiodun announced this while sharing photos online. He wrote:
“Our health workers have started using Nigeria’s pioneer protective glass box we installed in the Ogun State Walk-in & Drive-through Testing Centre at the Ijamido Town hall, Opposite Ansar-u-Deen Comprehensive College in Ota.
The protective glass box protects health personnel from risk of infection from persons whose samples are being taken. This is the primary advantage why the State Ministry of Health devised this equipment and method."
Temptation fuelled by frustration. An occupant of Taiwo Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi area of Lagos, Taiwo Eluyemi, dispersed some neighbours who came to his apartment to watch movies on Wednesday in compliance with social distancing rule to curtail the spread of coronavirus.
He never knew the action would cost him his life 24 hours later.
One of the neighbours identified simply as Habeeb, who was upset by Eluyemi’s action reportedly ambushed him along the street on Thursday and hacked him to death.
City Round learnt that Eluyemi was popular in the neighbourhood, a personality that attracted people to his house.
It was gathered that Habeeb, who also resides on Taiwo Street, and his friends stormed Eluyemi’s house on Wednesday to watch movies but he turned them back on the grounds that his apartment was becoming crowded.
Eluyemi’s countenance was said to have angered Habeeb, resulting in an altercation between them.
A tenant in the area, Tope Akande, told our correspondent that some people intervened and both parties went their separate ways.
He said Eluyemi was returning from a church with his son when Habeeb waylaid him and stabbed him in the back and hand.
He stated, “There was a misunderstanding between Mr Eluyemi and Habeeb on Wednesday. Habeeb and his friends went to the man’s house to watch movies but he (Eluyemi) was not comfortable with it in the light of the social distancing everyone is trying to observe to avoid contracting coronavirus.
“He asked them to leave which led to a disagreement but it was later settled amicably. The man went to pick his son from the church not knowing Habeeb was already looking for him. He attacked the man with a cutlass and inflicted injuries on his back and left hand. He bled to death on the spot. The suspect has been handed over to the Makinde Police Station.”
A source in the community claimed that both men had issues before.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, while confirming the incident, said investigation had commenced.
He said, “The suspect is already in custody. Two of them are friends. They had a misunderstanding. We are investigating the circumstances that led to the murder.”
The Nigeria police force has dismissed two of its officers captured in a viral video assaulting a woman at the Odo Ori Market area of Iwo, Osun State.
The two officers named Ikuesan Taiwo and Abass Ibrahim were seen flogging a lady, Tola Azeez who had tendered that she was running errands for drugs and food supplies amidst the lockdown in the state.
In a statement released by the Force Public Relations Department on twitter, the two officers have been dismissed and would be arraigned for persecution for their unprofessional conduct.
As announced by Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu;
'Even with the number of cases rising, we are happy to celebrate our success stories because they show that a positive COVID19 case isn't necessarily a case of doom and gloom.
Today (Friday), 10 patients; 3 females & 7 males including 3 foreigners have been discharged from our facilities.
We are encouraged by these discharged cases and the support we have received from the citizens of the state in the battle against #COVID19 but I urge us all not to relent because it is imperative that we win.
Remember to practice great personal hygiene and join our #MaskUpLagos campaign by using a facemask whenever you are in public.
Social distancing is still very key in stopping the spread and we must StayHome, StaySafe to SaveLives.
A lady who ordered a food tray from a food vendor has gone on twitter to express her disappointment. According to the lady, she made an order which she was charged N30,000 for and made full payment. But when the food was delivered to the client she had ordered it for, the food vendor delivered trash.
According to her, the food looked nothing like the picture that was sent to her, and many things were also missing in the tray. Her tweets below...
The Chairman of Kogi State chapter of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Comrade Gabriel Amari, has raised an alarm over the condition workers in the state are being forced to undergo.
He alleged that they are being forced by government functionaries to accept percentage salary in the state for the month of April.
Comr. Amari said his members and other unions in the state were being coerced by the Directors of Local Government Administration (DLGS) in the 21 LGAs to accept a dummy that the State Government had directed a reduction in the already ridiculous 50% salary paid to LG workers in the State, describing the attempt to use the Governor’s name to cause more hardship on local government workers as wicked and inhuman.
Amari who expressed reservation at the alleged directives said it was not only a manipulation of the DLGs to further impoverish Local Government Workers in the state , but also an unfortunate way of dragging the state government in the mud, adding that such a plan was totally unacceptable to LG workers in the state.
The union leader argued that there was no reduction in the monthly allocation of the state that could warrant any percentage salary payments, stressing that the DLG’s should stop hiding under the guise of COVID-19 to deny workers in the local government their legitimate right amid the hardship in the country.
According to Amari ”If the State government is not directing the Accountant General to pay percentage salary to state workers, why should DLDGs think of this unpopular and inhuman move against the overstretched and impoverished LG workers?”
Comrade Amari who particularly lamented the plight of LG workers as exemplified by the functions and daily activities of health workers, noted with concern that despite their vulnerability in line of duties, especially with the current global health challenges of COVID 19, there are no PPEs, or incentives to encourage them.
The union leader who commended the commitments, the patience and resilience of Local Government workers, especially their health counterparts in the state called on the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the 21 DLGs in the state to stop dragging the Kogi State Government to the mud by putting to rest, with immediate effect any alleged plan to pay percentage salary to Local Government workers in the state.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has disclosed that ten more Coronavirus patients have been discharged by the state.
This brings to 119, the total number of Coronavirus patients so far discharged by the State since the pandemic started.
However, Coronavirus patients discharged on Friday includes three females and seven males.
Among those discharged are three foreigners: two Indians and one Filipino.
Governor Sanwo-Olu who broke the news on Twitter said: “Even with the number of cases rising, we are happy to celebrate our success stories because they show that a positive #COVID19 case isn’t necessarily a case of doom and gloom.
“Today, 10 patients; 3 females & 7 males including 3 foreigners have been discharged from our facilities.
“We are encouraged by these discharged cases and the support we have received from the citizens of the state in the battle against #COVID19 but I urge us all not to relent because it is imperative that we win.
“Remember to practice great personal hygiene and join our #MaskUpLagos campaign by using a facemask whenever you are in public.
“Social distancing is still very key in stopping the spread and we must #StayHomeStaySafe to #SaveLives
Ogun Government says it will begin enforcing the wearing of face masks as from May 1, 2020.
Gov. Dapo Abiodun, who made this known while addressing journalists on Friday in Iperu, said that violators risked being arrested or even isolated for 14 days.
He. however, said the distribution of over 2 million masks would begin soon after which the enforcement would begin.
“We have always encouraged the use of face masks but let me add that with the reality facing us, the use of face mask in public by all individuals in Ogun State is now compulsory as from Friday May 1, 2020.
“We will also begin to distribute face masks to those who cannot afford to buy in addition to other materials to our vulnerable groups.
“On the issue of violation of face mask order, I think maybe by the time we are going to implement this face mask order, I will be able to reel out what the punishment of the violators would be.
“But rest assured that we will arrest you if you don’t wear a face mask. In fact when we arrest you, we take you to an isolation centre because we will believe that you want to intentionally inflict or afflict someone with COVID-19.
”That’s why you are not wearing your face mask.
“So, we will isolate you for 14 days during which we make you do community service. So, in your best interest, please ensure that if you are going out, wear your face mask,” the governor said.
Mikano International Limited, Lagos, Nigeria, has reportedly sacked over 600 workers as a result of biting Coronavirus effect, Pm News reports.
Family members of some of the sacked workers expressed shock over the sack of their bread winners.
According to one of the affected staff, “I have just returned from a trip of delivering generators to a nearby state when I was called upon to take my sack letter.
“This is a very disturbing situation. How do I feed my family during this lockdown? I sincerely do not know what came over them on this mass sack.”
A copy of the letter sighted by Pm News from the company, said after appraisal, the company felt that their services were no longer needed, and wished them luck in their future endeavour.
But expressing anger on the sudden dismissal, another staff affected by the sacked said “Which appraisal are they talking about? Look, in the next two weeks, Mikano will still employ staff, that has been their way but what is now disturbing is why this time?
“Where do I go from here, it is quite heartless of the company to render us ineffective. Rising cases of crime are everywhere, what else should I do?”
Nigeria’s Coronavirus cases have surpassed 1,000, as the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, announced 114 new infections late last night.
According to the NCDC, on its twitter handle, the total number of confirmed Coronavirus cases in Nigeria stand at 1,095.
In the 114 figures of new Coronavirus infections released by the NCDC on Friday, Lagos recorded 80 of the cases, with Gombe recording 21 new infections.
Others are: FCT, two; Zamfara, two; while Edo, Ogun, Oyo, Kaduna and Sokoto States recorded one case each.
“114 new cases of #COVID19 have been reported; 80 in Lagos 21 in Gombe 5 in FCT 2 in Zamfara 2 in Edo 1 in Ogun 1 in Oyo 1 in Kaduna 1 in Sokoto.
“As at 11:30 pm, 24th April there are 1,095 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria. Discharged: 208; Deaths: 32.
“As at 24th April, Nigeria has recorded #COVID19 confirmed cases in 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory. In the last 24 hours, number of new cases increased by 114. Number of deaths increased by 1. Five cases previously recorded in Lagos, are now recorded as Ogun state cases,” NCDC said.
