Mrs Trump thanked her caretakers led by White House physician, Dr Sean Conley, and the Americans who wished her well while she was ill.

Source: NAN News

Kristalina Georgieva ,Managing Director, IMFsays global economic growth is expected to fall to -4.4 per cent in 2020

By Folasade Akpan

Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF), says global economic growth is expected to fall to -4.4 per cent in 2020.

She made this known on Wednesday in Washington D. C. at a virtual media conference during the ongoing 2020 IMF/World Bank annual meetings.

According to Georgieva, over the next five years, the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic can cost an estimated 28 trillion dollars in output losses.

The managing director said that the picture over the last few months had become less dire, yet there was continued projection of the worst global recession since the Great Depression.

At the same time, we can see stars shining above us. We see unprecedented efforts in vaccine development and treatment.

We see extraordinary and coordinated fiscal and monetary measures putting a floor under the world economy. And the world is starting to learn how to live with the virus.

While there is tremendous uncertainty around our forecast, we project a partial and uneven recovery in 2021 with growth expected at 5.2 per cent.

According to her, all countries now face a long ascent- a journey that will be difficult, uneven, uncertain and prone to setbacks.

She, however recommended three policy priorities to overcome the crisis it posed and build a brighter future.

Georgievia said that the first thing to do was to continue with essential measures to protect lives and livelihoods.

A durable economic recovery is only possible if we beat the pandemic everywhere.

Stepping up vital health measures is imperative, as is fiscal and monetary support to households and firms.

These lifelines such as credit guarantees and wage subsidies are likely to remain critical for some time to ensure economic and financial stability.

Pull the plug too early, and you risk serious, self-inflicted harm, she added.

Georgievias second recommendation was to build a more resilient and inclusive economy.

She said that the IMFs new research showed that public investment, especially in green projects and digital infrastructure could be a game changer.

According to her, this has the potential to create millions of new jobs, while boosting productivity and incomes.

She said that supporting workers as they transition to new jobs was another key element of a more resilient and inclusive future.

This is particularly important for women and young people, who have been disproportionately affected by the crisis.

Thirdly, Georgieva recommended that debt should be dealt with.

She said that global public debt was projected to reach a record high of 100 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2021.

She said this was partly because countries needed to boost spending to fight the crisis and secure the recovery.

Addressing this issue over the medium-term will be critical but for many low-income countries, urgent action is required now.

Given their heavy debt burdens, they are now struggling to maintain vital policy support.

They need access to more grants, concessional credit, and debt relief.

According to her, more than ever, strong international cooperation is needed, especially on vaccine development and distribution.

She said that faster progress on medical solutions could speed up the recovery and could add almost nine trillion dollars to global income by 2025.

This, in turn, can help narrow the income gap between poorer and richer nations.

On the role of the IMF, she said that since the pandemic began, the IMF had been pressing ahead with full force and commitment with its policy advice, capacity development and financial resources.

We have reached over 280 billion dollars in lending commitments, more than a third of that approved since March.

We still have substantial resources from our one trillion dollars lending capacity to help support our members.

We have provided financing to 81 countries, extended debt service relief for our poorest members and have mobilised an additional 21 billion dollars to support lending on concessional, zero-interest, terms.

It helps us to gear up for the next phase, support for the recovery and we are considering options to further adapt our lending toolkit.

We must dare to face our most daunting challenge together; we must dare to take the right actions now, she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the 2020 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group holding in Washington D. C. began on Oct. 12 and will end on Oct. 18.

Source: NAN News

Presidential Media Aide, Lauretta Onochie

By Naomi Sharang

No fewer than 14 Civil Society Organisations have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately withdraw the nomination of his aide Lauretta Onochie as a Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The group in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday said that the nomination did not sit well in the recent gains of the electoral system in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Onochies nomination was announced on Tuesday in a letter to the Senate by President Muhummadu Buhari.

The leaders of the civil societies, who signed the statement include Executive Director Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) and Ms Faith Nwadishi, Executive Director of Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre.

Others are the Convener of Say No Campaign, Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, and the Executive Director Centre for Democracy, Ms Idayat Hassan, among others.

The statement reads: Whereas it has come to our notice the nomination of Lauretta Onochie by President Muhammadu Buhari as a National Commissioner of INEC, via a letter sent to the Senate leadership for screening and confirmation on Oct. 13.

We completely reject this nomination, which does not sit well in the recent gains of the electoral system in the country.

We, therefore, call on the President to withdraw this nomination with immediate effect and in the alternative call on the Senate to act as gatekeepers by not confirming this appointment.

As civil society actors and veterans in election observation in the country, having contributed to the electoral gains in Nigeria, we condemn this nomination and affirm that this will erode the gains we have made in our electoral reforms.

We are, therefore, troubled that Lauretta Onochie, a serving aide of the President who openly supports the President and his political party, has been nominated to the position of National Commissioner, INEC.

Any INEC National commissioner should enjoy the trust and confidence of all parties concerned (Ruling and Opposition).

Ms Onochie failed this critical test with her several open confrontations with opposition elements through the media.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also called onBuhari to immediately withdraw the nomination of hisSpecial Assistant on Social Media, as a national commissioner in INEC.

According to the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan in a news conferenceOnochie isa card-carrying member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ologbondiyan said that the nomination was against the nations constitution, democratic process and Presidents public promises of leaving a legacy of credible elections.

The party claimed that Onochie is a card-carrying member of the APC from Ward 5 Onicha Olona, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta.

It remarked that Onochies nomination is in clear violation of paragraph 14 of the 3rd schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

This section forbids a person involved in partisan politics to hold office as a member of INEC, it said.

Such actions according to the party will undermine the nations constitution and desecrate the sanctity of Nigerias electoral process. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

5 positive in latest Premier League COVID-19 tests

The Premier League in England said on Monday that five people had returned positive results in its latest round of COVID-19 tests conducted on players and staff last week.

The league said the individuals who had tested positive for the virus would now self-isolate for 10 days.

The Premier League can today confirm that between Monday Oct. 5 and Sunday Oct. 11, 1,128 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19. Of these, there were five new positive tests, the Premier League said in a statemenot.

A total of 34 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in six rounds of testing since the new campaign began on Sept. 12.

Source: NAN News

House of Reps at plenary

Source: NAN News

COVID-19 updates by NCDC

By Abujah Racheal

Nigeria has recorded one death and 225 fresh COVID-19 cases, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) confirms on its Twitter handle on Tuesday.

The public health agency added that63 treated patients recovered from the infection and were discharged accordingly.

It said thatthe new infection werereported from 11 states with Lagos having 165, FCT 17, Rivers 13, Ogun 12,Niger (8), Delta (4), Ondo (2), Anambra (1), Edo (1), Ekiti (1), and Kaduna (1).

The NCDC statedthat it had conducted about 558,313 tests since the first confirmed case was announced in the country.

Till date, 60,655 cases have been confirmed, 52,006 cases have been discharged and 1,116 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

It said that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, have continuedto coordinate the national response activities across the country.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder on Tuesday released two new singles appealing for unity amid the challenges of systemic racism and the coronavirus pandemic, and said he would donate 100 per cent of the proceeds of one of them to the non-profit Feeding America.

Where Is Our Love Song and Cant Put It In the Hands of Fate, are songs Wonder, 70, said he had started writing years ago about romantic relationships but was inspired to give them a different twist by the tumultuous events of the past year.

If I can do anything to use the gift of song to help to feed people, to share my love it is my joy, the singer-songwriter told a video news conference, referring to Where Is Our Love Song.

In these times, we are hearing the most poignant wake-up calls and cries for this nation and the world to, please, heed our need for love, peace and unity, he said.

Wonder began his career as an 11-year-old and later used his 1980 song Happy Birthday to campaign for the late Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday to be made a U.S. national holiday.

The 25-time Grammy winner said on Tuesday that Cant Put It In the Hands of Fate was inspired by street protests against social injustice, the search for a coronavirus vaccine and the right to vote.

Where Is Our Love Song was written in response to all the confusion and hate, all the east versus west, left versus right in contemporary America, he said. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Left- Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, listening to Kogi Governor, .Alhaji Yahaya Bello, during the flag off of distribution of relief materials to flood victims at Govt. House Lokoja on Tuesday

By Stephen Adeleye

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, has donated relief materials to victims of flood disaster in 10 local government areas of Kogi.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Farouq, disclosed this during a ceremony to mark the distribution of the items at Government House, Lokoja.

Farouq said that she was in Kogi to convey the sympathy of the Federal Government to the Government and people of the State over the flood that occurred in some areas of the State.

Kogi State, having the confluence of the two major Rivers; Niger and Benue is often exposed to the risk of flooding.

Available information indicates that this year so far, flood has affected many communities and displaced many persons, some of whom are still being rescued and evacuated from water-trapped areas.

President Muhammadu Buhari is concerned about the flood and has directed the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to activate the National Emergency Management Agency to provide necessary supports to persons affected by the floods, she said.

She said that the relief items were approved to complement the efforts of the State Government in providing succour to the affected persons in 10 local government areas of the state.

According to the minister, the areas are: Ibaji; Lokoja; Kogi; Bassa; Ajaokuta; Igalamela/Odolu; Idah; Ofu; and Omala local governments.

She said that items to be delivered before the end of this week were: 2,931 (12.5kg) bags of rice; 2,931 (12.5kg) bags of garri; 2,931 (25kg) bags of beans; 488 cartons of seasoning; and 244 cartons of tomato paste.

Others are: 293 (20 Litres) kegs of vegetable oil; 146 (20kg) bags of salt; 117 bags of sugar; 5,260 pieces each of mattresses; blankets; mosquito nets; and nylon mats,

The items also include 4,120 bags of cement; 4,120 bundles of roofing sheets; 4,120 pieces of ceiling board; 1,373 packets of zinc nails; and 458 bags of 3 inch nails, she said.

Farouq reassured Gov. Yahaya Bello that NEMA staff would work with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) throughout the period of the flood.

She also, on behalf of the Federal Government, launched the relief distribution to the flood affected persons.

In his remarks, Gov. Bello on behalf of the people of the state, thanked President Buhari for the gesture and for always listening to the yearnings of Nigerians.

He noted that the perennial flooding was a natural disaster, adding that Kogi was always the worst hit, especially being a confluence State.

He stressed the need for the state to always get double of relief materials given to other States due to the peculiarity of its geographical location.

We want to sincerely appreciate the federal government but we request for more.

We want provision from Federal Government to accommodate construction and reconstruction of the eroded roads and infrastructure in those critically affected local government areas washed away by flood.

We have always followed all the policies of the federal government in ensuring that we produce what we eat; we are empowering our people through agriculture, the governor said.

He also thanked the minister for all the humanitarian packages under the National Social Investment Programme which many Nigerians especially those from Kogi had benefited from.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NEMA is responsible for bringing the relief materials to Kogi, while the Minister inaugurated the distribution on behalf of the federal government.

NAN also reports that the minister was accompanied by the Director-General of NEMA, retired AVM Muhammadu Muhammed; Minister of State FCT, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani, among others. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Meplaylist appoints Beyonces father, Knowles, Kiladejo into executive team

MePlaylist, the Nigerian-born international streaming platform has confirmed a new distribution deal with FUGA

Nestl logo

By Vivian Ihechu

The organisers of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) on Wednesday in Lagos called for entries of works produced in 2019 for this years Nestl Prize for Nutrition Reporting.

Nestl Nigeria Plc also calls on nutrition and wellness writers to take advantage of the opportunity to showcase and be recognised for their articles and stories in the Nestl Prize for Nutrition Reporting category of the DAME awards, now in its 29th year.

The Nutrition Writers Category instituted in 2018 was born out of the need to not only reward, but also recognise, and celebrate excellence among nutrition and health writers.

The award is part of Nestls commitment to empower journalists who are gatekeepers to ensure the wellbeing of individuals and families by providing adequate information to help them make healthier nutrition choices, Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Nestl Nigeria, said in a statement.

We achieve this by collaborating with other stakeholders, including the Lagos Business School (LBS), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and DAME Trust Fund to provide training and support to produce more fact-based reporting.

We have seen an improvement in the quality of the work submitted for Nestl Prize for Nutrition Reporting over the past two years and look forward to even better entries this year, Uwadoka said.

The 2019 winner of the prize, Chioma Obinna of the Vanguard Newspapers said: It was gratifying to be winner of the prestigious 2019 DAME Nutrition Reporting Category Award.

The prizes were fabulous! Aside from the recognition and prize from DAME, I became a proud owner of a brand new laptop, an iPad and a full Nestl pack.

I am grateful to Nestl for sponsoring the category. I will also like to thank the company for choosing Nutrition particularly at this time the country is facing challenges of malnutrition.

While appealing to other corporate organisations to emulate Nestl, I encourage journalists, particularly health writers to participate in this years DAME.

She advised all to submit their entries on the DAME website, www.dameawards.com on or before the close of business on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020 as announced by the organisers.

All categories open for entries include Nutrition Reporting, Agriculture Reporting and Education Reporting among others.

Speaking on the third year of the Nestl Prize for Nutrition Reporting, Mr Lanre Idowu of DAME said: The Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) was created to stimulate and reward the pursuit of excellence in media work.

DAME has the privilege of being the only awards scheme in Nigeria, which covers the media disciplines of Journalism, Broadcasting and Advertising.

We are, therefore, pleased with this collaboration with Nestl Nigeria to host the Nutrition Awards.

With all the challenges we face in the area of Nutrition, Nigeria certainly needs more well-equipped Nutrition and Health reporters to help improve the health indices.

It is commendable that Nestl does not only sponsor the awards, but also invests in continuous training of the media all through the year.

In the past two years, Nestl in collaboration with the Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University have carried out several media training sessions for nutrition, health, wellness and agriculture reporters. (NAN)

Source: NAN News