May 4, 2020

Court Orders RMAFC To Reduce National Assembly Members’ Pay

Tight Security As Federal High Court Resumes Sitting

The Federal High Court in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, on Monday re-opened with tight security measures in place.

Only two judges were sitting, as of the time of filing this report. Other may start sitting later in the day.

Security Guards screened people with Thermometers at entrance into the court premises while sanitizer was provided at the gate for hand cleansing before final entry.

Many lawyers and litigants were locked outside the gate of the court.

Only lawyers whose cases were on the case list of Judges for hearing were allowed to …

Abacha Breaking - FG Gets $311.7m Abacha’s Loot From US

Breaking: FG Gets $311.7m Abacha’s Loot From US

The Nigerian government on Monday said it has received $311.7 million looted by the late despotic leader, Gen. Sani Abacha from the United States.

The loot was reportedly repatriated from the United States and the Bailiwick of Jersey.

A statement issued by Dr Umar Jibrilu Gwandu, Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami on Monday stated that the government received approximately $311,797,866.11 of the Abacha loot from the US and Jersey.

The statement said the amount increased significantly from …

Faure Gnassingbe Sworn-In For 4th Time As Togo President

Faure Gnassingbe Sworn-In For 4th Time As Togo President

Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe was inaugurated on Sunday at a ceremony that was minimized to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Some 200 guests – all wearing face masks and practicing social distancing – attended the ceremony.

With borders closed, it was only attended by diplomats already in the country.

The televised ceremony was shortened to just over 80 minutes, without the usual pomp and ceremony.

Gnassingbe, 53, won by a landslide in February, extending his 15-year reign by another five years.

The inauguration went ahead despite measures to contain the …

Lockdown Easing - What Lagosians Must Not Do

Lockdown Easing: What Lagosians Must Not Do

Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos has warned that the graual easing of the lockdown commencing in the state on Monday was not a license for all to flood the streets.

Sanwo-Olu, who gave the warning on Sunday while giving an update on the management of COVID-19 in Lagos, said there would be zero tolerance against the flouting of safety directives by residents.

“The gradual easing of the lockdown which commences tomorrow is not a license for Lagosians to flood the streets. We are not going from zero to a hundred.

“I would caution that we still remain at home if …

Stop The Retrenchment Now, CBN Orders Banks

Stop The Retrenchment Now, CBN Orders Banks

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has ordered banks to stop any form of retrenchment of workers now.

Isaac Okorafor Director, Corporate Communications, CBN, said the apex Bankers’ Committee both decided to suspend lay-offs in banks.

The statement said that in order to help minimize and mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families and livelihoods, no bank in Nigeria shall retrench or lay-off any staff of any cadre (including full-time and part-time).”

It said the decision was taken following special meeting of the Bankers’ Committee on May 2, 2020, to further review the implications of the …

COVID-19 Vaccine Coming Sooner Than Later – Trump

COVID-19 Vaccine Coming Sooner Than Later – Trump

President Donald Trump said on Sunday he thinks there will be a vaccine against the new coronavirus disease in the United States by the end of 2020.

“I think we’ll have a vaccine by the end of the year. We’ll have a vaccine much sooner rather than later”, Trump said in the Fox News virtual Town Hall at the Lincoln Memorial.

Trump also said that he would like schools and universities in the country to open in September.

“This virtual teaching is wonderful, but [students] will be fine. We have to go back”, the US president said.

The United States …

Sanwo-Olu Delays Resumption Of Civil Servants

Sanwo-Olu Delays Resumption Of Civil Servants

The five-week lockdown imposed by the Federal Government on Lagos State and two other states to combat Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) will be eased on Monday, but Lagos State Government has asked all its civil servants not to resume for work immediately.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a briefing on Sunday at the State House in Marina, said the delayed resumption of the State’s workforce is a deliberate attempt to prevent a development that may lead to a crowding of people on the roads and public places.

“Only emergency workers and those on essential duties will be allowed to work on Monday,” …

Coronavirus Cases Top 3.5 Million Worldwide

Coronavirus Cases Top 3.5 Million Worldwide

Global coronavirus cases surpassed 3.5 million on Monday, with deaths nearing a quarter of a million.

There was a silver lining though: the rates of fatalities and new cases have slowed from peaks reached last month.

North America and European countries accounted for most of the new cases reported in recent days, but numbers were rising from smaller bases in Latin America, Africa and Russia.

Read Also: US Authorizes Treatment Of Coronavirus With Remdesivir

Globally, there were 84,004 new cases over the past 24 hours, according to the Reuters tally that is based on official government data, taking total cases …

Recession - 2020 Will Be Difficult Year – Okonjo To Buhari

Recession: 2020 Will Be Difficult Year – Okonjo To Buhari

Nigeria’s former Finance Minister, Okonjo-Iweala, has warned that recession and difficult times are ahead amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Iweala said this during an interview on Channels TV.

She urged the Buhari-led government and other African countries to diversify the economy and look for other means of revenue as difficult times are ahead occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

When asked on the effect of oil prices on economies around the world, Iweala said: “What Nigerian government needs to do is to make the economy less dependent on these commodities and that is why for the longer time, restructure the economy so

Lagos Coronavirus Infections Hit 1,107, With 39 New Cases

The total number of confirmed Coronavirus infections in Africa’s largest Mega City, Lagos has reached 1,107, with 39 new cases recorded on Sunday.

Despite the huge rate of infections, Lagos is beginning what it called ‘Controlled easing of lockdown’ of the state on Monday.

Many people have predicted a spike in infections as from Monday as people will rush out in large number after the state had been locked for five weeks by President Muhammadu Buhari.

However, Lagos recorded a drop in infections going into easing the lockdown today. The state’s …

U.S.-China Trade Tension Drags Down Oil Prices

U.S.-China Trade Tension Drags Down Oil Prices

Oil prices fell in early trade on Monday, paring last week’s gains, on worries the global oil glut may persist as U.S.-China trade tension could hold back an economic recovery.

The pessimism in the market emerged even as coronavirus pandemic lockdowns start to ease in Europe and the United States.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell as low as $18.32 a barrel and were down $1.46, or 7.6%, at $18.27 at 0008 GMT. The benchmark contract rose 17% last week.

Brent crude futures were down 90 cents, or 3.4%, at $25.54, after touching a low of $25.53. Brent …

Updated - 68,566 Americans Killed By Coronavirus

Updated: 68,566 Americans Killed By Coronavirus

At least, 68,566 Americans have died from the Coronavirus pandemic in the United States.

While Johns Hopkins University put its death tally at 67,498 by 23.26GMT, another tracking site, worldometers.info estimated it at 68,566.

According to John Hopkins, there were at least 1,156,924 cases of coronavirus in the United States Sunday night.

Again, worldometers.info gave a much updated figure of 1,187,233 cases, with 26,459 new ones reported.

The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and US territories, as well as repatriated cases and those in the …