APC May Not Have Governorship Candidate For Ondo - INEC Warns

As the crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress in Edo State gets messier, the party is also in deep trouble over the conduct of its primary election in Ondo State.

A source at the party's headquarters disclosed that they may not have a candidate for the Ondo governorship election scheduled for October 10, 2020.



A document seen by SR indicated that the party notified INEC that it had fixed July 20, 2020 for its primary election in the state and invited the commission to monitor the exercise.

However, the letter with Ref. No. APC/NHDQ/INEC/19/020/013 dated June 17, 2020 was only signed by the Acting National Secretary of the party, Waziri Bulama.

INEC replied the party that the letter violates the provision of Article 4.4 of the commission's regulations and guidelines for the conduct of party primaries, which requires that such notices must be jointly signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of a political party.

Consequently, INEC rejected the letter and advised the party to do the needful. The letter is signed by the Secretary to the commission, Mrs Rose Oriaran-Anthony.

As a result of the development, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu faces disqualification from the Ondo governorship election as the APC crisis may prevent the submission of names of contestants for the party's primary.

By provision of Section 85 (1) of the Electoral Act, political parties are required to give INEC 21 days notice for the conduct of their primaries for governorship elections.

According to the timetable released by INEC on February 6, 2020, party primaries for the Ondo governorship election begins on July 2 and end on July 25 while the last day for submission of names of candidates is July 28.

France closes two Paris schools as precaution after COVID-19 cases

French authorities have closed two schools in Paris as a precautionary measure after the discovery of coronavirus cases but they have not been classed as potentially dangerous clusters, authorities said Wednesday.

France, unlike some other European countries which have taken a much more cautious approach, on Monday resumed obligatory schooling for all pupils after the coronavirus shutdown.

Some schools had already been open at least partially for several weeks after the initial easing of the lockdown.

But a school in the 12th district of Paris with 180 pupils has been closed until the end of the week after three cases were discovered, the local health authority told AFP.

However the timescale of the infections spread over the start of June to Monday indicates that this is not a cluster, it added.

Another Paris school, in the 4th district and with 200 pupils, has been closed until July 7 after one case was discovered.

However, the local authority said there were no other schools closed in Paris due to COVID-19 cases.

Life across France has now returned to a semblance of normality after the lockdown, albeit with many people still working from home and wearing masks on the street.

Officials are wary of a second wave but say there has been no evidence of this yet despite the relaxation measures.

According to the latest figures published late Tuesday, 29,720 people in France have died from the virus with 161,267 positive cases registered.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/france-closes-two-paris-schools-as.html

Donald Trump calls coronavirus 'kung flu' again as White House rejects racism complaints

Donald Trump again referred to the coronavirus as 'kung flu' today as he faces fresh accusations of making racist comments.

He was speaking during his campaign rally inside a church in Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday, despite not wearing a mask.

More than 120,000 Americans have died from the outbreak, which he has also labelled the 'China virus'.

Chinese officials are angry at the use of the term but their protests have fallen on deaf ears.


Addressing thousands of cheering supporters, he yelled: "I said the other night, there's never been anything where they have so many names.

"I could give you 19 or 20 names for that right?

"It's got all different names. Wuhan. Wuhan is catching on. Coronavirus, right? Kung flu?"

Trump went on: "Some people call it the Chinese flu. The China flu, right?

"They call it the China, as opposed to China. The China. I've never seen anything like it. But here's the story, we are going to be stronger than ever before, and it's going to be soon."

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended his use of the term.

"The president does not believe that it is offensive to note that this virus came from China," she said.

Trump says he asked officials to conduct fewer coronavirus tests to reduce the number of confirmed cases in the US.

The President made the staggering statement at a re-election rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday night.

He called testing a "double-edged sword" that leads to more cases being discovered.

In his speech, he blamed the country's soaring number of Covid-19 cases on the fact 25 million people have been tested for the virus.

"When you do testing to that extent, you're gonna find more people you're gonna find more cases. So I said to my people slow the testing down, please," he said.

A White House official has since said Trump was joking.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/donald-trump-calls-coronavirus-kung-flu.html

Zimbabwe increases fuel price by 150 per cent

Zimbabwe on Wednesday announced a 150 per cent rise in the price of fuel following the launch of a forex auction system which eroded the value of the local currency.

The price of a litre of diesel jumped 152 per cent to ZW$62.77 ($1.12) from ZW$24.93 while petrol shot up 147 per cent to ZW$71.62, the country’s Energy Regulatory Authority said in a notice.

The central bank re-introduced forex auctioning on Tuesday, the first in 16 years after a long battle to stabilise its currency and fight hyperinflation.

The auction saw the local currency losing more than half of its value from 1:25 to 1:57 to the greenback by the end of trading.

Zimbabwe has been facing fuel shortages since October 2018.

The scarcity prompted President Emmerson Mnangagwa to increase the price of fuel by 150 per cent in January 2019, sparking countrywide demonstrations.

At least 17 people were killed and scores injured after soldiers deployed to quell the strike opened fire on protesters.

The government said at the time the prices were lower than in other countries in the region, and that some foreigners were buying fuel in bulk in Zimbabwe for resale in neighbouring countries.

Despite the price increase which was aimed at ending shortages, the scarcity persisted with motorists sometimes spending nights in queues for fuel pumps, stretching for kilometres.

After years in international isolation, Zimbabwe’s economy has been on a downturn for more than a decade.

Mnangagwa, who took over from long-time leader Robert Mugabe at the back of a military coup in 2017, pledged to mend the economy but things have only got worse with shops running short of basic commodities like bank notes, sugar and the staple cornmeal.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/zimbabwe-increases-fuel-price-by-150.html

FG submits school reopening proposal to National Assembly

The Federal Ministry of Education has presented to the National Assembly a detailed proposal on its plan to reopen schools across the country.

The Minister of State for Education, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, stated this on Tuesday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education.

He was in the upper chamber to brief the federal lawmakers about his ministry’s plans for pupils who had been forced to stay at home following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nwajiuba refused to give details of the proposal, saying some people would misconstrue it as the ministry’s guidelines for schools reopening.


He said, “Children are asymptomatic carriers. Nobody can prove whether they can infect each others. Not even the health experts. Everything we know about it is what we read. There is nothing we discovered on our own.

“In the document we have provided, we have suggested how we can move our education sector forward in this pandemic period.

“We don’t want to make it (proposal) known at this period so that some people will not take our proposal for the guidelines for schools reopening.

“The documents were presented to you so that you can criticise and make inputs as major stakeholders”

The Minister, however, expressed concern over the decision of the Oyo State Government to reopen its primary and secondary schools despite the current rising cases of coronavirus infection in the state.

He said, “Why is Oyo State talking of reopening schools when it has just started recording an increase in cases of coronavirus infection?

“Just beside Oyo is Ogun State which was part of the three states under the FG’s lockdown since April and it’s not talking about schools reopening.

“As we speak, Kogi and Cross River states are not on the same page with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on the issue of testing while all their neighbouring states are conducting tests.”

The vice-chairman of the panel, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, who presided over the meeting, expressed the fears that the academic calendar could be distorted in public schools where no visible arrangement was being made to teach the children at home unlike their counterparts in private schools.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/fg-submits-school-reopening-proposal-to.html

Rivers court strikes out suit against Obaseki

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on Wednesday has struck out a suit seeking to bar Governor Godwin Obaseki from contesting the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship primary scheduled for Thursday.

The Court took the decision after parties to the suit agreed out-of-court settlement and withdrew the matter which was before Justice E. O Obile.

Counsel for the plaintiff in the matter had earlier sought for leave of the court to settle with the defendants, which counsels for the defendants did not object.

The court took a recess in the morning to allow parties in the suit amicably settle their contentions out of court.

But the court upon resuming on the matter in the afternoon, struck out the suit after the plaintiff’s lead counsel, D. C. Denwigwe (SAN), withdrew the suit on the grounds that all parties had settled amicably.

Justice Obile commended the parties for settling out of court, adding that it was the proper thing to do.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/rivers-court-strikes-out-suit-against.html

Black boy turned away from restaurant over clothing as white child dines in similar top

A furious mother has posted a video online after her black son was denied entry to a restaurant because of how he dressed - as a white boy enjoyed a meal wearing similar clothing.

Baltimore eatery Ouzo Bay have apologised and suspended its manager after the family were denied service.

Angry Marcia Grant took to Facebook to share footage taken in Dallas on Monday.

Staff told her the nine-year-old's outfit wasn't suitable as they were turned away at the door.


But in the video, she shows a white boy dining in almost identical clothes yards away.

Her son is seen wearing wearing shorts, trainers and an Air Jordan T-shirt as they stand at the front of the queue to get in.

She can be heard saying: "They're telling me my kid can't eat here because he's wearing athletic wear, but there's kids out there with tennis shoes on?"

The employee replies "Unfortunately, that's my boss".

The parent then demands to speak with the manager.

He tells her: "Unfortunately we do have a dress code, if you have some non-athletic shorts?"

Then she bites back, panning the camera to the white child who is sitting on the patio.

"But that white kid out there can eat here with his tennis shoes on and his athletic shirt?"

She is told by the manager that they "allow tennis shoes, but not athletic shirts or shorts".

"You're telling me that's not an athletic shirt?' Mrs Grant replies.

The boss adds: "The t-shirt that that kid was wearing, we don't consider that to be an athletic t-shirt."

Sharing the video on Facebook, she writes: "I have faced racism time and time again, but it’s hard AF, when you have to see your child (9yo) upset because he knows he’s being treated different that a white child!!!"

Atlas Restaurant Group, which owns Ouzo Bay, said they are 'incredibly disturbed' by the incident.

The manager was placed on 'indefinite leave' according to a statement.

"This should have never happened," they said.

"We sincerely apologize to Marcia Grant, her son and everyone impacted by this painful incident. This situation does not represent who or what Atlas stands for."

Atlas also said the dress code wasn't 'intended to be discriminatory.'

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/black-boy-turned-away-from-restaurant.html

Judge orders Brazil's President to wear face mask in public

A judge in Brazil has ordered President Jair Bolsonaro to wear a protective mask when he is in public spaces in the capital, Brasilia, and the surrounding federal district.

The far-right president has been criticised for belittling the risk posed by coronavirus.

He dismissed it as "a little cold" at the start of the pandemic.

Brazil has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases and Covid-related fatalities in the world after the US.


There are more than 1.1m confirmed cases of coronavirus in Brazil and more than 51,000 coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Despite these high figures, President Bolsonaro has repeatedly appeared in public without a mask while greeting his supporters.

At one rally, he was filmed coughing without covering his mouth and on another occasion he was seen sneezing into his hand and shaking the hand of an elderly woman immediately afterwards.

The requirement to wear masks in the federal district came into force on 30 April.



source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/judge-orders-brazils-president-to-wear.html

How Buhari Is Cutting Down The Power Of Governors

The inability of governors to rescue one of their colleagues, Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, from being forced out of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has further exposed how powerless, the once-powerful and influential governors' forum in the country has become.

Under different fora, governors in the country until this administration wielded enormous powers, dictating who gets what at both state and national levels; directing party affairs and dictating for the president as the case was under previous administrations.



From pillar to post, governors of the APC under the aegis of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), chaired by Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu, made frantic efforts to save Obaseki. From their respective states, seven governors, on a rescue mission led by Bagudu went to Lagos to seek the intervention of the leader of their party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. From Lagos to Abuja, the governors met Adams Oshiomhole and the mission was crowned with a visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

All efforts by the governors, however, didn’t yield needed result as Obaseki was disqualified from participating in the party’s primary over discrepancies in his certificates. A development that led to the governor’s sojourn to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Obaseki is on the verge of picking his new party’s ticket. Will his colleagues back in the APC support him to actualise his second term bid in another party? Pundits are watching.

Obaseki was not the first to be treated in such manner, former Lagos State Governor Akinwumi Ambode, got the same treatment in 2018. Following his rift with Tinubu, Ambode was edged out of the governorship race when he was defeated by the anointed candidate of his godfather, (Tinubu), Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the party’s governorship primary.

From the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) which was birthed in 1999 with Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa) as pioneer chairman, governors now have many fora to champion and advance their interests including the PGF for governors elected on the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum (PDPGF) for those elected on the platform of PDP. Regional fora of the governors also exist.

During the 16 years reign of the PDP, governors were not only influential in states, their influence was extended to the federal level. Ministerial, board and other federal appointments were decided by the governors. Through the party, the governors nominated those to be considered for appointment by the president.

The trend changed when President Muhammadu Buhari came on board. As president-elect, Buhari jettisoned the tradition which was embedded in the polity by the PDP when he told governors elected on the platform of APC that he would not consider nominees from them for ministerial appointment.

Before Buhari was sworn-in in 2015, the then PGF chairman, Rochas Okorocha, led members of the forum to visit him. During the visit, they reportedly submitted names of their preferred ministerial nominees to Buhari.

He, however, rejected them, and he was quoted to have jocularly asked the governors whether he appointed their commissioners for them. Pundits believe that, by that action, the president laid the foundation for whittling down the governors’ powers.

In March, a gang up of more than half of the APC governors to oust Oshiomhole failed when Tinubu, a former governor came to the rescue of the former labour leader regarded as his stooge.

Fighting Over Control Of APC Headquarters

Forces aligned with the factional acting National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Chief Victor Giadom, have concluded plans to convene an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party.

This is a fallout of Monday’s meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and three governors, Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi, Simon Lalong of Plateau and Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa states.



The three governors are seen within party circles as opposed to the leadership style of the suspended National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole.

The meeting would hold tomorrow at the Presidential Villa as opposed to having it at the traditional “NEC Meeting Hall” within the party’s national secretariat.

However, only a few of the 120-member NEC have been cleared to be physically present at the Villa as others would be required to join the meeting through virtual means.

Also, the Inspector General of Police IGP, Muhammed Adamu yesterday ordered the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, command of the Nigeria Police Force to seal off the National Secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to avoid a break into the office of the Deputy National Secretary, Vanguard learned yesterday.

The decision which party sources said was necessitated by the need to ensure public order and safety in and around the secretariat, was largely as a result of an alleged attempt by the newly-inaugurated Deputy National Secretary, Barr. Worgu Boms, to access the office which is still occupied by the factional acting National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Giadom.

It was learned that on Monday, there were moves to get Mr Boms into the office which was at the time under lock.

Chief Giadom had sprinted to the office at about midday and stayed for nearly two hours before leaving.

“That incident happened yesterday (Monday). So, in order to avoid a possible clash today (yesterday) the police decided to seal off the premises, while the IG would meet with the contending forces,” said a party source.

The secretariat was, however, reopened at about 3:30pm, less than four hours after it was sealed.

The South South Zonal chapter of the APC had on Sunday, upheld what it described as the resignation of Chief Victor Giadom from the National Working Committee NWC, urging the NWC to confirm and immediately swear in the zone’s nominee and replacement for the position of deputy national secretary, Worgu Boms.

Boms was inaugurated by the NWC on Monday, following which he was said to have made attempts to occupy his new office at the national secretariat.

The South-South Zonal Executive Committee had noted that it was in receipt of an interim Court Order in respect of the suit between Dele Moses & Ors Vs APC & Ors, with suit number PHC/360/2020; dated June 19, 2020.

“The said court order restrained Victor Giadom from further parading himself as the Deputy National Secretary, Acting National Chairman and as a member of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the APC. The Zonal Executive Committee, therefore, unanimously resolved to obey the court order.

“That having considered and approved the nomination of Barr. Boms Worgu from Rivers State by the South-South Zonal Executive Committee, Barr. Worgu is, therefore, affirmed to be the new Deputy National Secretary and a member of the National Working Committee of our great party, APC.

“It is, therefore, resolved that Barr. Boms Worgu’s nomination be confirmed by the National Working Committee, NWC, and sworn in immediately, pending ratification by the National Executive Committee, NEC, of our great party, the All Progressives Congress APC,’’ the committee stated.

Emergency NEC
Giadom in his letter to NEC members said he was duly authorised through an order of court to act as National Chairman of the party.

“I, Chief Victor Giadom, having been duly authorized by court order to Act as National Chairman of our great party and to preside over all meetings of the NWC and NEC, hereby, and with the consent of President Muhammadu Buhari (who is the leader of our party) reconvene the NEC meeting that was earlier billed to hold on March 17, 2020, but was postponed.

‘’The reconvened meeting shall hold on Thursday, June 25, 2020. Venue shall be the State House, Abuja,” Giadom stated yesterday.

Constitutional breach

The emergency meeting, however, appears a breach of the party’s constitution which stipulates that, at least, a seven-day notice should be given to members before such a meeting is held.

Article 25B(i and ii) of the APC Constitution (2014 as amended) states: “The National Executive Committee shall meet every quarter and/or at any time decided by the National Chairman or at the request made in writing by at least two-thirds of the members of the National Executive Committee, NEC, provided not less than fourteen days’ notice is given for the meeting to be summoned.”

Reacting yesterday, the Senator Abiola Ajimobi-led National Working Committee, NWC, of the party, declared that there were no factions in the NWC, dismissing claims that a factional acting National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Giadom, has fixed a meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, for tomorrow.

The Abiola Ajimobi-led NWC said Giadom had no locus to convene a NEC meeting.

Addressing a news conference at the NEC Meeting Hall in the party’s national secretariat, National Vice Chairman, South South, Hilliard Eta, who stood in for Sen. Ajimobi, said it was wrong to refer to 17 of 20 members as a faction.

He said: “It is not right to refer to 17 members, with 15 of them physically present and two who met with us physically as a faction. This is the National Working Committee NWC of the APC in Nigeria. I sit here on behalf of Senator Abiola Ajimobi as the acting Chairman of this party”.

No NEC

He restated the earlier position of the NWC on the status of Chief Giadom, saying he is no longer a member of the party let alone being a party official.

“If Victor Giadom is arranging a NEC, I believe that it is your responsibility as a member of the fourth estate of the realm to investigate his locus to find out whether he has the legal, the constitutional backing to be able to call a NEC meeting. As we speak, the membership of Chief Victor Giadom has been suspended by a competent court of jurisdiction in Port Harcourt this afternoon.

‘’Not only is he not a member of the NWC from today, his membership of the APC has been suspended. So, when you call him factional acting Chairman, we wonder why,” Eta said.

Court Orders PDP To Field Obaseki In Edo Primaries

A High Court of Justice in the Ekpoma judicial division today restrained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from excluding Governor Godwin Obaseki and the other cleared aspirants from participating in the Edo State governorship primary.



The court ordered that the PDP and the electoral umpire should not exempt any of the aspirants who have been cleared by the party from participating in the gubernatorial primary slated for the 25th June 2020.

With this decision Governor, Godwin Obaseki has been given the legal green light to participate in the gubernatorial primary.

452 New Cases Of Coronavirus In Nigeria, Total Now 21,371

In the last 24 hours, 452 new cases of COVID19 were reported in Nigeria; Lagos-209, Oyo-67, Delta-37, Ogun-36, FCT-22, Abia-20, Enugu-16, Bauchi-15, Kaduna-8, Ondo-8, Osun-7, Imo-3, Benue-3, Borno-1.

A total of 21,371 confirmed cases in Nigeria. The breakdown;

Generator fumes allegedly kill two hairdressers in Lagos

Tragedy struck in the Ogba area of Lagos State, on Monday, after two hairdressers, identified as Temitope Olagunju and one Baraka, were found dead in the shop where they worked.

Punch Metro learnt that a third woman, an apprentice, was found unconscious and rushed to a general hospital, where she is receiving treatment.

It was gathered that the three women had turned on the generator and were watching television.

Shortly after, it started raining and they took the generator to a small enclosure in front of the shop.

A few hours later, their boss’ husband went to the shop and met the three of them unconscious.

Punch correspondent learnt that he rushed them to a hospital, where two of them were pronounced dead and the third was admitted.

Temitope’s sister, Afusat, told punch Metro that the deceased had been taken to Ilogbo, Ogun State, for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.

She, however, said there could be more to the death of the 26-year-old, who was married with a child.

Afusat stated, “Temitope used to go to work in the morning and return home at night. We lived together. She started working in the shop just about three weeks ago.

“We were called around 7am on Tuesday that she died in the shop. We were told that her boss was not around when the incident happened.

“However, the boss’ husband said Temitope and her co-worker died. He said he had gone to give them money for food when he discovered that two of them were dead, but the third lady was foaming in the mouth.

“He said the fumes of the generator they were using killed them. He also told us that he took them to several hospitals.”

Punch correspondent was told that while the family was preparing Temitope’s corpse for burial, blood spurted out from her nostrils.

“The police released the man immediately. When he was called to return to the station this morning, they only asked him to raise money for the burial,” she added.

Temitope’s parents, who live in Abuja, asked the police to investigate the incident further and not blame their daughter’s death on generator fumes.

Her mother, Bolanle Akesode, prayed that the third victim, who is unconscious, would come round to give details of what happened.

“The husband of the woman, who owns the shop, is asking us not to escalate the matter and that we can settle it amicably,” she said.

Around 5pm on Tuesday, punch correspondent was informed that Temitope had been buried with a few family members in attendance due to the Covid-19 restrictions.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, who confirmed the incident, said it happened in the daytime and there were many witnesses.

He explained that the victims might have died from inhaling generator fumes.

Elkana stated, “It happened around 2pm on Monday while it was raining. Because of the rain, the victims locked the glass window of the shop and took the generator to a small extension in front of the shop. They further shut the glass entrance door. They were not doing anything, so they slept off.

“One of them, who woke up and probably realised the source of their problem, crawled to the place where the generator was to turn it off. But she could not make it; she collapsed with her hand on the generator. That was where her corpse was found.

“The husband of the owner of the shop was returning from work and decided to stop by to check on his wife when he saw the girls from the transparent glass and raised the alarm. People brought vehicles and tried to save their lives. But two died and one is still hospitalised.

“When the owner of the shop heard about it, she slumped and was rushed to hospital.”

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/generator-fumes-allegedly-kill-two.html

South Africa to start Africa’s first coronavirus vaccine trial

South Africa will roll out the first African first coronavirus vaccine trial this week, the university leading the pilot said on Tuesday, as the country grapples with the highest number of cases in Africa.

The vaccine, developed by the Oxford Jenner Institute, is already being evaluated in Britain, where 4,000 participants have signed up for the trial.

South Africa has set out to vaccinate 2,000 people with the vaccine known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19. Fifty of the candidates have HIV.

“We began screening participants for the South African Oxford 1 Covid-19 vaccine trial last week, and the first participants will be vaccinated this week,” University of Witwatersrand (Wits) vaccinology professor Shabir Madhi told a virtual press conference.

Brazil is planning its own pilot, while the United States is preparing to test another vaccine in a mass trial of up to 30,000 participants.

Wits is collaborating with the University of Oxford and the Oxford Jenner Institute on the South African trial.

South Africa’s coronavirus cases jumped to more than 100,000 on Monday, while the number of deaths inched towards 2,000.

Officials implemented a strict nationwide lockdown on March 27, just weeks after the virus first hit South Africa.

But confinement measures are being gradually phased out to allow business to pick up and limit damage to an already ailing economy.

“As we enter winter in South Africa and pressure increases on public hospitals, now more than ever we need a vaccine to prevent infection by COVID-19,” Madhi said, describing the vaccine trial as a “landmark moment”.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize echoed Madhi’s concerns, warning that South Africa was going through a “devastating storm” expected to peak “during the cold winter months”.

– New field hospital –

The first phase of this temporary facility was set up a disused VW plant in the southern city of Port Elizabeth, which can now accomodate 1,485 patients.

“We have managed in just seven weeks to convert a factory… into a facility for COVID-19 patients,” German Development Minister Gerd Muller said in a statement.

“We are thus able to provide 3,300 additional hospital beds including 800 with oxygenation.”

Mkhize applauded the public-private collaboration, as well as healthcare workers “battling the virus”.

Over 3,500 doctors and nurses have contracted COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and at least 34 have succumbed to the respiratory disease.

While South Africa prepares for its coronavirus vaccination trial, health officials have also pegged high hopes on dexamethasone, a generic anti-inflammatory drug found to reduce mortality among ventilated patients.

“We are especially at an advantage as we are a country that is very familiar with dexamethasone,” Mkhize said, noting that three South African companies supplied the steroid.

“I must stress that dexamethasone does not mean you can abandon the basic behavioural rules for COVID-19,” he added.

“You still have to wear masks, wash your hands and keep a social distance.”

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/south-africa-to-start-africas-first.html

Oyo postpones schools reopening to July 6

The Oyo State COVID-19 Task Force has postponed the reopening date for Primary 6, Junior Secondary School 3, and Senior Secondary School 3 pupils in the state.

The state task force gave the indication following a meeting held on Monday ahead of the planned resumption of schools in the state.

It was earlier announced that academic activities would commence in the terminal classes in the state on Monday, June 29.

However, the task force reviewed the directive in view of the current realities in the state.

Oyo State recorded a total of 76 COVID-19 positive cases on Monday, as the total cases reached 988.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the Commissioner for Education, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, alongside members of the Emergency Operations Centre, inspected some schools in the state to determine the level of compliance with the COVID-19 prevention protocols.

The statement said, “By the new arrangement, teachers are to resume to the schools on Monday, June 29, while students in critical classes, including Primary 6, JSS3 and SS3, will resume on July 6.”

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/oyo-postpones-schools-reopening-to-july.html

Rakitic saves sluggish Barcelona

FC Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic came off the bench to give his side a 1-0 win at home to Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday.

His effort averted a second consecutive draw which would have further dented the champions’ La Liga title defence.

Barca had slipped off the top of the table after Friday’s 0-0 draw at Sevilla.

They put in another sluggish display at an empty Camp Nou.

The star-studded front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann failed to sparkle.

They finally found a way through in the 71st minute when Messi slipped the ball into the path of Rakitic, who had only been on the pitch for six minutes.

He kept his nerve to beat Athletic Bilbao’s in-form goalkeeper Unai Simon.

The win took Barca to the top of the standings on 68 points.

Real Madrid, on 65 points, will reclaim their lead due to their superior head-to-head record if they beat Real Mallorca at home on Wednesday.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/rakitic-saves-sluggish-barcelona.html

Nollywood loses another actress, 'Madam Tinubu'

Nollywood actress, Shafkat Bose Adewoyin, popularly known as Madam Tinubu is dead.

She became famous for her role as Madam Tinubu in ‘EFUNROYE TINUBU’movie.

The actress passed on yesterday morning and was buried at about 4 p.m. the same day according to Islamic rites.

Adewoyin who started acting at a young age was a quintessential actress, dancer, and costumier. She was on the contingent of the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture that performed Funmi Odusolu’s famous dance musical, ‘ORÍ’ (Destiny). RIP!

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/nollywood-loses-another-veteran-madam.html

5 family members test positive to covid-19 after former Permanent Secretary dies of the virus

Five family members of a former Permanent Secretary in Ebonyi State, who died of Covid-19, have tested positive for the viral disease.

It was gathered that the ex ex-permanent secretary died of the virus penultimate Tuesday, same day a former Chief Medical Director of the Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana-Afikpo, Ebonyi State, also died of the disease.

Investigation has now revealed that five family members of the late PS, including his wife (a teacher), tested positive for the virus on Friday.




source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/5-family-members-test-positive-to-covid.html

Protesters storm EFCC office, demand Obasa’s probe

Members of the Civil Society Network Against Corruption on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest at the Lagos office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and submitted a petition against the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa.

The placards-carrying protesters, who were received by the head of the anti-graft agency in Lagos, Mohammed Rabo, said they wanted the EFCC to investigate allegations of financial impropriety against Obasa.

Speaking before presenting the petition to Rabo, the Coordination of CISNAC, Shina Odugbemi, said, “Our mission here this morning is to present you a letter about an issue in the city, Lagos State. Everywhere is awash with the accusation that the Speaker of the state House of Assembly is squandering money. We pick issues and we ensure that we follow issues to logical conclusions. This is one of the steps.

“We have come here today to present to you our petition that contains a catalogue of allegations. The truth is that these are allegations until they are investigated and until a court of competent jurisdiction rules over them, we can’t say somebody is a thief or not. But what we are against is that in the Lagos State House of Assembly, there is a conspiracy to sweep these things under the carpet.”

Responding, Rabo assured the protesters that the EFCC would give the petition the required attention.

He, however, stressed that allegations do not automatically translate into guilt.

He said, “I have received your petition and in our usual way, we don’t segregate if there is any allegation. But like you rightly said, an allegation does not confirm the guilt of a person until investigations are well established.

“So, I want to assure you that like every other petition we receive, we will give it the required attention.

“We have our process here. This is the first process, you have submitted a petition; we will go into it and we will commence earnestly.”

The placards carried by the protesters were headed with Obasagate, followed by inscriptions such as “Lagos must breathe”; “Lagos Assembly must be free”; “Rip-off: N84m for wives and mistresses”; and “EFCC must investigate Mr Speaker”, among others.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/protesters-storm-efcc-office-demand.html

Transgender man, Kayden Coleman pregnant with 2nd child

A transgender man has announced he is pregnant with his second child six years after he was branded a 'monster' when he had his first baby.

Kayden Coleman, who began transitioning from female to male in 2009, said he found out in January he was seven weeks pregnant with current boyfriend, Dominique, 29.

The 33-year-old from New York, US, first hit the headlines after he fell pregnant with his first child Azaelia when he was forced to stop taking testosterone for his top surgery in March 2013.

The dad-of-one was shocked to discover he was five months pregnant with his daughter who is now six.

The expecting parents say they can’t wait to meet baby number two, despite previously facing backlash online from trolls who described Kayden as a ‘monster’ and called for his child to be taken into care.

The LGBT care worker said: “When Azaelia was born there were a lot of people who said they felt sorry for her and that she would grow up and be confused.

“They said that she should be taken away and called me a monster.

“But it’s important for people to understand that we have full autonomy over our bodies and we should do with it as we please.

“I can’t wait to meet my second baby and Azaelia is so excited about having a little brother or sister.”

Gushing about his second pregnancy, Kayden said: “I do enjoy parts of being pregnant like the fact it makes my beard thicker.

"But I don't get the same pregnancy privileges because it is not obvious that I'm carrying a child, people just assume it's a beer belly, so people don't give up their seat for me or hold doors open."

At the age of 20, Kayden realised he wanted to be a man and three years later started medically transitioning by taking testosterone.

source https://www.ladunliadinews.com/2020/06/transgender-man-kayden-coleman-pregnant.html